I'm going through my first bought of homesickness. I'm missing turkey bacon. Bad. The delicious smokey taste, the way it changes my sandwich from regular to spectacular. The way it's always just right there in the freezer at home, the way it compliments my pancakes. *sigh* As you might have guessed, I have yet to find turkey bacon here. Apparently there is a large supermarket on Portobello Road that might have it. And let me tell you, they better have it! It's such an essential part of life for anyone who doesn't eat pork! Or at least it should be. How am I expected to live the next two years without so much as a crumb of turkey bacon??? Not possible. I will find it. And all the other bacon here are fresh, thick slices which only makes me want to try the turkey bacon even more. Mark my words, I WILL find it.
Moving on, I made myself a tasty coconut curry beef stir fry for dinner tonight. I'm still having trouble cooking for one so I ate way too much and I still have some left over, but it was delicious! Spicy and flavourful, just like food should be. I also found some good water yesterday, total fluke. I've been trying different brands of water ever since I got here to try and find one that tastes like Dasani or Aquafina. So far they've been alright, but they all had a sort of 'taste'. But yesterday I stopped in the little convenience store at the tube station on the way home and picked up a couple bottles of Volvic Mineral Water to try. Success!! It's delicious and taste-free just the way I like it! I've already drank 1 litre and I have another 2.5 litres in my room. Mmm mmm, good!
I think jet lag is just hitting me now. I had a registration appointment at a recruitment agency this morning at 10 am. I agreed to that time thinking I'd be fine. I went to bed around 12:30 and woke up at 7:45 to get ready to leave the house by 9. I could barely get out of bed. I managed to shower and get ready but I was still super tired. The registration went fine, but not as good as yesterday when I registered at another agency. I only scored 70% on my MS Word test today while yesterday I scored 90. My typing was about the same 66wpm (damn right! That shiz is going on the CV baby!). But my excel test score was much lower as well. Then the recruitment consultant made me wait for about 20 minutes while she finished up with another person and I kept dozing off. After I left, the last thing I remember is getting off the tube and being hungry. I'm pretty sure I came home and made a cheese and pickle sandwich but I'm not sure, all I remember is being unbelievably exhausted. I must have passed out cause I woke up 3hrs later in my bed. Crazy, no? I don't know what kind of weird jet lag delay that was but I did not like it! I'm still pretty tired and out of it but I'm not as bad as before.
I hope this is the worst of the jet lag cause I start a temp job on Tuesday. I'm going to be covering receptionist for a company in Hammersmith next week. Terrible pay but at least it's UK work experience and it's £ in my pocket so I can stop using my saved money for a little while. And if I can do a few temp positions for the rest of the month while looking for a good permanent position, I'll be less stressed. I hope it goes well, even if it doesn't, it's just a week, right? Better than nothing? Right? RIGHT??!!!
Right.
On Tuesday night I went out with Vanessa and her friends to Vendome Mayfair. It's a very posh spot in Central London on Picadilly across from The Ritz. Crazy, I know. Little old Delly off to Vendome where the likes of Kate Moss have been spotted. Hehe. Anyways, let's back up to Tuesday during the day. I had sent Vanessa a few pics of some of the dresses I'd brought to see what she recommended for my first night out. Now, imagine my utter horror when she pronounced all of my dresses too casual!! I was mortified! Like some little country bumpkin come over to the big city with her little town girl clothes wanting to step out to the hottest clubs. Can you imagine?? I wanted to hide in shame. Especially because I did not see that coming at all. I thought that my dresses were all very cute and totally in style. I mean, they're not straight our of magazines or anything, but I love a good party dress so I have a bunch that I've bought in the past year.
After I got past my shame, I met up with Vanessa in the day to go get my nails done at her nail shop and to find a dress for me to wear out. I took the tubes then the overhead train to Forest Hill, which is South London, where she lives. Total transit time: approximately 1hr 15 minutes. Not horrible, it goes by really fast actually. When I got there, I remembered I needed to deposit my travelers cheques into my newly formed account so I stopped at the bank to do that. I must pause here to vent on something; is there a rulebook somewhere for all banks that specifies that as soon as a line starts to form, at least two tellers should shut down their station, leaving just the two slowest tellers to take on the quickly forming line of people?? Cause if this is in the rulebook, then Barclays in London should receive some kind of award or at least an international recognition. Also, bank tellers, just a note: your job is to do banking, NOT to try to be friends with customers and inquire about their children and pets and new handbags. These inquiries only frustrate the already angry people waiting in line for your services and that anger and frustration stays with them and continue to build with each visit to the bank. Eventually that anger and frustration will need to find a release, beware you are not the recipient of said release.
Thanks for allowing me that rant. After the bank experience, we took the bus over to Peckham High Street, aka, Nigeria. I didn't immediately make this connection, but I had heard there was an area in London that had a ton of Nigerians. To be honest, it didn't seem like that many, maybe because they all have British accents so I can't actually tell if they're British or Nigerian. Anyways, there were a ton of black people along this street and a bunch of markets and small grocery shops. There are also about a million little shops with incredibly cheap clothes, shoes, purses and jewelry. There are also a lot of Caribbean and African restaurants and food stands. I ended up giving in to my craving for oxtail and I'm glad I did. For about £7, I got oxtail, rice and peas and fried plantain. It was fantastic! I was worried, especially about the oxtail cause you can really ruin that, but it was great! And it was a lot of food, I wasn't even able to finish it all. I'm sorry I don't have any pictures. To be honest, we already attracted a bit of unwanted attention and I didn't want to whip out my camera and draw even more attention to us. It's not really a touristy area, so to speak. More the kind of area where you keep an eye on your purse and don't make eye contact with any males.
But the shopping was great! I got a great tour and I found all the black hair shops. A good black hair shop is almost as exciting for me as a good library. And in one of the clothing shops, I found my dress. It was fabulous and not too crazy. It's a bright coral empire waist party tube dress for £7. That's right, £7. I'll say that again: £7. I nearly bought two, just because! Really, my lunch was the same price, if not a bit more than my dress. I also got my nails done for £12. A full set of acrylic nails with a French tip. Fantastic.
That was the day. I rushed home, ate quickly (too quickly actually, nearly choked to death on some rice alone in my room), took a shower and got ready.Because I live in North West London and the rest of the ladies live in South London, I met up with them at the tube station near the club. I got dressed but carried my shoes in a little bag and put on flats for the walk to the tube station. I also put on a long coat, so as not to draw any unwanted attention in my (tiny) bright dress at 10 at night. I was able to leave my stuff in the car once they picked me up from the tube station so I didn't have to worry about lugging all that stuff around with me all night.
We got into the club without paying cover since in most clubs here girls get in free before a certain time (WONDERFUL trend! It should be adopted worldwide I think). The club was fun. Very busy and the music was great. I was VERY worried about the music because I know the Brits love their pop music and their house and dance music. But turns out they also love 'funky' music which is a fantastic cross between house, pop, hip hop, r&b and dancehall depending on the song. I loved it!!! It had a great beat to dance to and there were words with an actual chorus, not techno lyrics that just repeat over and over until your ears start to bleed. There was even a live performance by a group called Wake Up London. I think that' what they're called anyways. I don't always catch everything that's said with their accents.
I must apologize again because I didn't take any pics of the actual club itself. Just of the us ladies. But I can describe it. It was basically a circle with the dj booth at the centre of the circle. Around the dj booth was the dancefloor which was clear with coloured lights beneath it that changed colours. Then around the dancefloor is a kind of exterior dancefloor a step up, on this level are the booths that can be rented out. Then along the left and right sides of the circle and down a step were the bars and sitting areas. It wasn't very big at all, but it's London, nothing's big except the clothing stores :) After going to the club and seeing how people were dressed, I do actually think that most of my dresses will be fine once properly accessorised. Two of them probably are too casual but that's alright, I can just wear them out to chill or with tights to dinner.
I had booked a cab early in the evening to pick me up from the club. £11 from the club to my place. Pretty great! I'm happy our area is so close to Central London. Apparently once I get to know the city better I'll be able to hop a Night Bus home, but until then I am happy to cab it for under £15.
Things I noticed at the club:
-Perverted old men trying to talk to young females is a worldwide epidemic. Winnipeg, Atlanta, London, Minneapolis. They're everywhere, and if you're wondering why you haven't noticed them, maybe because you are one....
-The smart way to drink is before the bar and then just sip on cranberry juice all night to quench your thirst. The drinks at the club were more than my dress.
-No matter where you are, when Michael Jackson comes on, everybody dances.
-Girls love bathroom pictures. For anyone that doesn't know, these are pictures taken of each other in the bathroom right after fixing our makeup and hair so that we look perfect.
-Men are shrinking. It's true. For every guy above 5'10, there are 14 more who are about 5'4 and a couple under 5'2. It's horrifying. You're walking by and you feel something brush up against your elbow and hip. 'what's that?' you wonder. You look down and (gasp!) it's a small little man trying to talk to you!! Oh the horror!
-The less attractive the guy, the more confident he is that you want him to touch you and the more convinced he is that you're playing hard to get, even when you say 'fuck off, do not touch me' and walk away.
-The Dutty Wine will bring out the slutty in any girl, even the ones you don't expect
-Everyone everywhere is blaming it on the a-a-a-a-alchohol...!
It was a fun night. And it's really nice to know that some things are universal. And as different as the club was here, it was still just a club. I think I'm heading out to a different on Saturday though so I'll be sure to report back.
Sidenote: I do have pics from that night, but I feel like it's a looks a little self indulgent to post my bathroom club pics on here...yes I know the very concept of blogging is pretty self indulgent, but still. Anyways, just trust me when I say the dress was fabulous ;)
I know I've been slacking for the past two days but never fear! This blog will last more than a week, I promise.
So.
Yesterday I met up with Vanessa, my cousin's British friend whom I was introduced to via Fbook. We met up at Charing Cross which is in the south east end of Central London right near Trafalgar Square (the pics along the side are from Trafalgar Square and Regent street). It was a fun touristy day, but also long and full of walking ( I guess that's what tourists do). We did lunch first at Pangos which is a Portuguese restaurant where you order and pay and then your food comes. It's really good. They mostly seem to serve chicken but you can pick if you want it hot, extra hot, wild herbs and spice or...I actually forget the last option. I opted for a hot double fillet pitta (that's how they spelled it on the menu) and some spicy rice. We also had a roasted red pepper dip for an appetizer. 
Everything was delicious, especially the dip which had chunks of diced roasted red peppers and was served with warm pitta bread. Mmmmm.....I'm making myself hungry which is not good because I have absolutely nothing to eat. Nothing. Nadda. I desperately need to do some grocery shopping and buy some bread. I feel like I could eat a whole loaf right now...
Moving on. After lunch we went window shopping all down Regent Street and somewhat down Oxford street. It was great, we went into some upper end stores like Guess and also we checked out H & M. There are about four in that area and they're all massive and wonderful in every way. We also checked out Topshop, which was good 
too. A little pricey in some areas but their jeans look amazing so I'll definitely be getting a pair once I have some $$. And a blazer too!
I feel I must voice my concerns regarding the fashion trends in London and my general tastes and how I forsee me having to break out of my print-free, earth tones + black fashion shell. I am plain. Delly plain and average height. I like plain clothing that can be accessorised and that match with everything else in my closet. I have a sinking feeling that I'm going to have to take some pretty terrifying fashion risks while I'm out here to fit into the culture. London loves the 80s. I do not. I 
actually think the only good fashion trend that came out of the 80s was tights. That's it. Nothing else. But in Topshop and H&M and everywhere, the 80s are making a horrendous comeback with shoulder pads and triangle shaped dresses. Also with the whole droopy roushing phenomenon. I don't really know how to describe it. It's like the MC Hammer pants...but in a dress or skirt. *shudder* never for me, thanks. I may give in to the bright colours and the clashing (ex. blue shirt + orange skirt + green shoes + purple eyeshadow), but that's as far as I'll go. The buck stops there. The day you see me in Aladdin pants is the day I invite you to go ahead and slap me in the face with your shoe.
Moving on. We also hit Primark, which is kind of the UK version of Forever21 except not nearly as amazing. I compare the two only because they both carry they same kinds of things you would see at H&M or Topshop but at prices the average person can afford. F21 has a much better selection of dresses, skirts and dressy clothes. BUT Primark has a larger inventory of items including bedding and towels and even shoe insoles. I allowed myself a few minor purchases at Primark: a GORGEOUS dark purple snakeskin clutch (£7), a belt that matched the purse(£2.50), a large super soft cotton towel (£4.96), a long black cardigan (£10) and some other personal odds and ends. I felt it was money well spent!
Oh yes, I also paid another visit to Nicholas at Barclays bank and he accepted the Statement of Assets from my bank and allowed me to open a bank account. Annoying British Banking problem: no temporary debit card. All I have is the piece of paper with my name and account number that I have to carry around with me until I receive my visa debit card in the mail. Very annoying because I have to go in and wait in the inevitable line every time I want to deposit money or withdraw money until I get my card.
That was Monday. See more pictures below :)
OMG! I almost forgot to mention my favourite discovery from yesterday: The Haagen Daz 
Restaurant!!!! Yes, that's right, a sit down restaurant whose menu consists solely of Haagen Daz ice cream and sundae options. Fantastic does not even begin to capture it. One drawback I must mention and warn you of is the horrendous service. But that seems to be pretty much a given here in London, so it should come as no surprise. There is a pic below of the deliciousness. Sorry, I actually dug in before remembering to take a picture. Anyway, I ordered one scoop of the strawberry cheesecake (there is actual strawberry cheesecake in the ice cream) and one scoop of pralines and cream (a little too sweet for me in the end, but still amazing) and got it topped with caramelized hazelnuts and put in a waffle cone. Total cost £5.45 :) Best money I've ever spent. And you can bet I'll be back...possibly tomorrow....
Trafalgar Square, the Time Square of London.
Nothing too exciting to report today. Went down the road and over to Harrow road which is about a three minute walk. There are a couple pound shops (dollar stores) and little grocery stores along that street along with some interesting looking restaurants and other shops. It's Sunday so a lot of the stores were closed and all the rest were only open until 4. I picked up some household stuff and started to get my room all organised. I've done not too bad so far. All I have left to do is iron my clothes and hang them up in my closet. I'll post a pic once my room is nice and tidy.
The plan for tomorrow: set up my bank account hopefully. And I'm meeting my cousin's friend at lunch. We were introduced via facebook a couple months ago and we've kept in touch so we're gonna hang out tomorrow.
I'm gonna try and go to bed in the next hour or so to start a normal UK sleep regimen as opposed to going to bed at 3:30 am and waking up around noon. Wish me luck!
Today we went to my cousin's birthday party. I met a lot of people who are related to my cousins out here but on their dad's side while I'm related to them on their mom's side. I don't know if I've mentioned this before but teenagers out here are extremely independent and grown up. They're very free to do what they like and come and go as they please. So today I met my cousin who's 14 and I honestly thought she was about 19 or 20 until people kept saying how big she was and asking what form she was in school. I also met her cousin who is 13. Aside from them it was all older people my cousins' age so I ended up talking to them most of the night. I should explain here that the person I refer to as my 'aunt' who I'm staying with is actually my mom's cousin and she's older than my mom, then she has kids who are 15 and 20. The cousin's birthday party I went to was actually a second cousin who turned 48. The cousin who was 14 was the 48-year-old's daughter. Confusing. I may just refer to everyone as a cousin from now on. And it was nothing like talking to two young teens at home and I picked up some fun British facts! I don't remember them all, but I'll share what I remember with you:
-British teens start having serious relations with one another at around 11 or 12.
-British people greet each other and say goodbye with either one kiss or two kisses, one on each cheek. I'm not sure if they're interchangeable of if one is appropriate only in certain situations. All I know is that I've accidentally nearly kissed several people on the lips when they went for two kisses and I stopped with one.
-The man who plays Snape in Harry Potter lives just down the road apparently and is my cousin's godfather!!!! Crazy, no?? I love him! He's also in Love Actually which is one of my all time favourite movies.
-American Apparel is quite popular here.
-Topshop is not that cheap. I always thought it was super affordable.
-When a Big Brother season is on tv, there is a channel that actually allows you to tune into the Big Brother house at any time to see what's happening. The edited shows air everyday I think or twice a week or something, but you can tune in anytime and watch people sleep or whatever. I don't actually like Big Brother but that aspect certainly makes it more interesting.
-Idris Elba is not popular here, even though he's British. Or at least not with the 13 and 14 year olds. I was sad they couldn't give me a tip on where I might go to "accidentally" bump into him so that we can fall in love and get married.
-Pop music is huge here. Even their rap music is quite poppy.
-Police officers are not well liked here. I guess that kind of goes for everywhere, but here if you're a police officer it's not something you would share with people. Or if your dad is a police officer you wouldn't want people to know. Like it's something to be ashamed of. I don't like that at all.Clearly.
-Everyone goes away for "uni" or university here. No one stays in London because there are only two universities and they're quite specialised.
-Most words that we would put a 'z' in use an 's' over here. Ex. organise, prioritise, specialise.
-There is rumour over here that Beyonce, Jay Z and Snoop Dogg all worship the devil and apparently that Snoop actually died and then was brought back to life by the devil and it's the devil who's made them all famous....ya...I'll just give you a sec to let that one sink in.....ya. Very intense, I have no idea who could have possibly started that rumour or who could believe it!
That's it for the Fun Facts for now. More to come later.
I still can't get over that Snape is my cousin's godfather and I might meet him at a dinner party here. I would die inside, while keeping a very cool exterior. Very cool indeed.
So after all the hype and 'advice' regarding how expensive London is, so far the prices have been not too bad at all. I must mention here that income gets taxed about 30% here which is horrifying. I nearly screamed when the orientation woman said 11% plus 20%. I think I'd rather just live without healthcare, thanks. And minimum wage is 5.77 which is way below ours. Please do not convert it to Canadian dollars because people living in London are paid and pay in pounds so the conversion is pointless unless you're a tourist. Also rent can get pretty expensive and the tubes seemed kind of expensive but you can get a monthly travel pass for 99 pounds and that allows you to ride the tubes, the bus or the night bus (not really sure what that is but apparently it's perfectly safe to ride at night) unlimited for that entire month so that's actually quite good. Our bus passes at home are 75 bucks and that's just to ride the inefficient, cheap-as-borscht transit. So in comparison it's quite reasonable.
Also, regular things like food are really cheap too. And there are so many restaurants here, it is insane. Tons of random shops too. The prices range but you can find dresses for 15 pounds and shirts for 5. You can also get takeout from a buffet for 3.5 or grab a gourmet flatbread pizza for 8.50. Today I happened upon a market during my search for a flat iron and bought myself the makings of dinner. For 2 pounds 65 pence, I got:
-3 peppers (one green, one orange, one yellow)
-4 heads of garlic
-4 heads of green onions
-1 red onion
-1 large piece of garlic (about 4 inches long)
Then at the supermarket, I got the following for 6 pounds 85 pence:
-2 packs of fully cooked, sliced chicken breasts with about a 1 1/2 cups of chicken breast in each pack. They were 1 pound each.
-1 bag of pasta. Enough for about 3 servings
-1 medium sized jar of creamy tomato sauce
-1 self-grinder spice (garlic and chilli pepper--great combo)
So for under ten pounds, I made dinner for myself tonight, had seconds (it was delicious!) and I still have enough left over to have for lunch and snack tomorrow. AND I used less than half of my ingredients so I can make this delicious meal again! If I was working, I could have lunch for a week. All in all, I won't be starving here as I thought I would. But all the walking will make up for it. I'm pretty sure I walked at least 12 miles today, which is insane. Thank God for flats. I'm sad for all my pumps that I brought cause they won't be worn unless I am certain I won't have to walk any further than the tube station. No getting lost in 3 inch heels for me, no thanks.
