Finally an update!

And there really is not much to tell! We took a break from touristy stuff and just did normal living this month, though we of course still dabbled here and there!

Tourist Moment # 1: Tried Haggis! Yep, mixture of lots of organs all stuffed into a pig's bladder and spiced with some amazing stuff! It sounds digusting, but Lenny and I bid one another luck and tried a nibble and before you knew it our bladder was gone :)!

Tourist Moment # 2: Halloween in London. Now we did not go out because at the time we were living in this ghetto of Harlesden, but holy cow London takes every opportunity to light off fireworks and wear incredible outfits. There are no pull a sheet over your head and cut out some eyes Ghosts over here! It is full body, flat out masterpeice custume making. Mummies, zombies with what looked like actual decaying skin, celebreties that looked really darn close to the real thing, and of course a lot of footballers! Fireworks are a huge thing over here, anyday of the year really, but they went off like mad on the 31st! We are going to Guy Hawkes day which is a celebtration of a time when a dude was burned at the stake and ended a revolution. Yes, a morbid day to celebrate, but like I said Londoner's take any opportunity they can to light off hundreds of fireworks across the city. Blackheath is supposed to one of the greatest ones so providing it goes ahead as scheduled (the fire brigade has gone on strike...random I know...since when could firemen go on strike??) we are going to attend that!

Tourist Moment # 3: Flatsharing! We moved into our first official flatshare on October 31st and are currently living in a 4 story very tall but not that wide house with too many spiral stairs! The owner is a delightful and charasmatic freelance tv producer and director and his house is filled with artifacts and artisitic expressions from around the world. We don't see a whole lot of him though as his work has him traveling quite frequently, in fact this week he is off to Pakistan.

Tourist Moment # 4: Yorkshire Pudding. Now I have never researched this particular delicacy of the Brit's, probably just because I always assumed it was either some sort of nutmeg, date oatmeal concept or a pudding. Instead it is pancake batter shaped into a bowl that you are supposed to pour gravy over. Lenny ate his, I thought it was disgusting (and yes, this did occur a few days after the Haggis so I understand the ridiculousness of hating it and loving the haggis!)

Tourist Moment # 5: Discount market alley. In Walthamstow, where we are currently living (pronouced Walth-am-st-o for all those who perhaps like me ad an ow at the end instead of just an o sound...they get very upset these locals!). Anyway, in this little town inside a city there is a very large (something like 1mile or longer) market of discount shops, restaurants, grocers, cafes, even fish markets where the fish are packed in ice and laid out on the street for people to grab. The street is cobble stoned and there are thousands of people yelling, screaming, grabbing items or trying to convince you to grab items. It was chaotic but also incredible in terms of all the different culture.

Tourist Moment # 6: I am a minority in Walthamstow where the majority of the population is from the middle east or India. In fact today as I went strolling along I ended up in a store where there were over a hundred muslim women. One, I was the only white person. Two, I was the only one not wearing a jihab. I left right away. It is strange to be in a town where you hear very little english, and where walking around with jeans and a ponytail feels uncomfortably rude. I think I am going to walk in a different direction tomorrow!

News: Lenny is working as a fundraiser for a charity called Actionaid. He hates it; but the purpose is worth it!

Anyway, there really isn't a whole lot more to tell! We are going to the Natural History Museum on Thursday, and if there weather stays promising for Sunday we are hoping to make the long anticipated trip to Greenwich for the day as well as the Camden Street Flower Market.

Tube is back on strike for a few days this week so my travel plans to Notting Hill is on hold...

November is the month for appreciating what you have and taking advantage of it...so I am going to be on the hunt for some unique touristy locations. Will keep you posed as the unfold.

I felt bad for not updating, but as you can see NOTHING is happening! I will fill you in later this week as to any adventures with Guy Hawkes, and the possibilities that will unfold with a Sunday off!

Cheers.

Nicole

And So it Goes...

Discovery # 17: Madame Tussards is not worth the price you pay, especially when you arrive at the same time as a high school (and no I do not mean a class, I mean an entire high school). Imagine how girls giggle and squeal over a poster of the famous Twilight star Mr. Robert Pattison, now imagine how they squeal when they get to pose with an almost perfect replica of him. Add in Brad Pitt, David Beckham and Will Smith and you can imagine how ridiculous painful our afternoon was. We literally had to squeeze through the crowd most of the afternoon, and by the time I actually stepped out of Madame Tussards I had been elbowed in the chest and face more than forty times.

Discovery # 18: Urban parks are not the same thing as being outdoors in nature, and just so we are all clear you Toronto, New York and never leave the city folk just because you spent an afternoon at the petting zoo and playing soccer in a grassy field that was manufactured and architecturally designed this does not mean you experienced “rural living”.

Discovery # 19: If you find shepherd’s pie in England on sale for 2 pounds or less, DO NOT BUY. It is without a doubt hazardous to your health, and besides that it tastes so terrible you actually crave Burger King while eating it.

Discovery # 20: The Queen is the biggest thing going over here. You might think the Twilight and Harry Potter crew, along with football heros and The Beatles are rock stars over here, but they shine a pale pale light beside this old brod. We in Canada never got the whole royalty thing, in fact with the Queen’s visit this year Canadians are down 30% in favour of even being part of the Commonwealth; but you can’t say stuff like that over here. Seriously, I think someone might kill you. They know everything about her, random facts that no one should know about everything. On top of that everyone talks about her like she is their best friend. The only thing I know about her is that I like seeing her face; it means I have money.

Discovery # 21: Always investigate a “good” deal on a flat over here. We are in Harlesden, London. The flat looked great in the pictures; and the price was within an arm’s reach of our budget. Well, let’s look at the reality of our little flat # 2 shall we. One: we live above a launderette, which is basically in Canadian terms a Laundromat (in case you were wondering!), thus the temperature of the apartment is always at a balmy 30 degrees. Two: It has in the past, and to some still is, the murder capital of London. Considering Jack the Ripper basically defined history in Whitechapel with his string of murders, this is saying something. Three: It has a high gang rate activity, which of course white man America blames on its high multicultural status. Just so we are clear, there are lots of white man sporting some gangster wardrobes, so white man should reconsider. Now, those are its less flattering features, there are two features which I happen to like. Four: Apartment is without a doubt bordering on the 2-3 times bigger than our last flat so cheers to that (in fact we both toasted some stella as soon as we walked in!) and five: It is the reggae capital of England, who doesn’t love that!

Now, as for our adventures over the past few days. One, we went to Madame Tussards which I already spoke about. Posted below are some pics of the less harrowing exhibits. Coolest part of the exhibit: The infamous serial killers of England in the “Scream” exhibit. Way cool! We even got to see the guillotine that beheaded Mary Antoinette! I took a picture of course (see below!)

On that same day we also did Supper in SOHO with my cousin Scott, which included an unintentional detour route through Soho's red light district...one thought: OH MY (with a shock face). We also did a tour around Sherlock Holmes, # 221 Baker Street!

The next couple of days were spent relaxing, packing and moving. The moving part is a real pain in the behind. Want a description? Shrink yourself down to 5.2” if you aren’t already in that ballpark. Put a 3 foot backpack on your back weighing approximately 50 lbs. Then, pack a suitcase to an approximate weight of 65 pounds. Then, grab two sobey’s reusable green bags and fill them with groceries, approximately 15 pounds. The grab a smaller backpack, approximately 22 pounds and figure out where to put that. Now, ask your friend or your partner to do the exact same thing and see if you can help each other out. Of course, you haven’t left you living room yet silly! You are moving afterall. So now let’s go up three flights of stairs with all of that luggage, approximately 68 steps. The of course you need to come back down, but just a cautionary note your luggage may go flying down the stairs accidentally or it may tip over several times while attempting this. Now you get to wait five minutes, enjoying the weight of that super duper backpack which of course tips and sways every now and then because the top is heavier than the bottom. While waiting you should go to the mall, because it is only then that you will have hundreds (and I’m not joking) of people stare, point, whisper and laugh. The next step of the journey may be hard for you to replicate, but you can try if you wish. You need to board a bus, train or subway in which you have standing room only and not all your luggage can fit. You will take that packed train, bus or subway 15 minutes then attempt to get everything off of it. Another cautionary note, you only have 15 seconds, twenty other people are getting off as well along with twenty people waiting to get on in that same 15 seconds, and things still like to tip over. Now you have to find a cab. Ah, moving days are so much fun aren’t they! Needless to say we did nothing but grocery shop and sleep for two days!

Yesterday we went on an outside London day adventure. Thoughts: FANTASTIC!

Stop # 1: Windsor Castle: Thoughts: HOLY COW!

Highlight # 1: It was built by William the Conqueror who though had a bit of a sketchy passed I happened to enjoy learning about in history class at UPEI.

Highlight # 2: Two, we saw amour and actual knight gear from like centuries and centuries ago.

Highlight # 3: Saw the bed that some of the great kings slept in, including Henry the VIII (though I am not sure how much actual sleeping he did J)

Highlight # 4: Saw tons of amazing British and Italian paintings like Rembrandt, Dyke and so forth. It was stunning

Highlight # 5: Saw the “round table” of the knights, including all the shields; even those of the shamed and stripped knights!

Highlight # 6: Stood on Henry VIII’s grave! (well his vault actually!)

Highlight # 7: Saw the dolls and dollhouses of the Queen’s (they were princesses at the time I hope!)

Stop # 2 on our out of London adventure: The City of Bath: Thoughts: HOLY COW!

Highlight # 1: Saw where Johnny Depp lives

Highlight (I think!) # 2: Saw where Nicholas Cage lives

Highlight # 3: Drove through the towns and villages that sparked all of Jane Austen’s novels. I nearly died in heaven imaging it all!

Highlight # 4: Walked on cobbled stones and sat near a Roman healing bath which is more than 2000 years old!

Highlight # 5: Got to stroll around the city that almost every British noble has also strolled around, and coolest part almost all of the city is 500 years old!

Highlight # 6: The Bath Abby (pics below) and listening to their choir practice

Stop # 3: Stonehenge: Oh dear...

Highlight # 1: Got to check it off the bucket list.

Never got to do the Greenwich day yet, but since Mr. Johnny Depp is currently there filming the next Pirates of the Caribbean you know that’s where I will be tomorrow; peaking through wired fences for a glimpse! Tuesday Lenny has to work so I am going on a Notting Hill film walking tour which will take me to all the spots that were filmed or used in the film throughout the movie (too bad it won’t include High Grant!). On the agenda for this week is also to be the Museum of Natural History and the long awaited Jack the Ripper walking tour. Of course the weather has to hold out, fingers crossed!

Cheers until tomorrow!

The Scoop Thus Far

Hello Folks! Sorry for the delay, been getting some much needed rest the last few days.

So where to start:

Well, a few days ago we decided to enjoy the cloudy but no rain blessing we were given and hit the town to do some exploring. We visited Westminster Parliament buildings, which to no one’s surprise is a bigger version of Ottawa. Yes, how crazy that Canada has to replicate everything on what Britain or the USA creates. Someday I hope we find our own way in the world! Regardless this place is massive, like MASSIVE. It spans at least twelve blocks, easily two American football fields and with towering peaks it is quite an impressive piece of historic architecture. What is mind boggling is why does a small elected group of mostly men need such a big space?

Next was Big Ben, which of course had me seeing songs from Peter Pan and daydreaming about flying! It is also quite impressive, and I also had one of my first shock moments. Now every tourist location we have visited thus far has either been less than expected/hoped for, or pretty close to what I imagined it would be. Tower Bridge perhaps being the only exception but then when I viewed the crappy royal blue paint it went down the impressive scale. So, when I came across Big Ben I had my first legitimate “wow this is way more impressive than I thought it would be,” which if you know me well is an experience that does not happen all that often!

So what was so fantastical about Big Ben you ask (I am assuming you asked!). It looked like a series of little castles. It was carved, moulded and sketched to perfection. Gold and silver and bronze scattered throughout, and with such fine architectural designs I just kept thinking how is this a clock? I mean I have seen some pretty cool grandfather clocks, but this clock is like a castle all to its own and at the end of the day all it does is tell time! Plus it was like a Disney moment, and despite Peter Pan being only number seven on my all-time favourite Disney animated movie pre-2000, it was still a very cool childhood delight moment.

After our trip around Big Ben it began to rain, so we skipped Westminister Abbey for that day, but we will be back. Part two of our adventure included an Acquarium, which if you have been to SeaWorld of Marineland you would have been booerns and threw out some dynamic yawns, which unfortunately Lenny and I did a few times. Overall though, it was a great way to spend a few hours out of the rain! We saw some very cool turtles, and attempted to bribe an octopus to stop playing shy and pose for just one picture (he didn’t buy our Canadian charm though and stayed just out of sight for our entire visit!). We hung out with some sharks, which wouldn’t stay still long enough to catch a decent photo, but were very cool to watch. Now most of you know I am not a fan of bigger than a trout marine killing, but when that great white rounded the corner his face was one of the most terrifying things I have ever seen. What was weird was that I have seen great whites before, so this guy must have had some crappy parental lineage that create because his facial features were nasty. Lenny’s first comment was immediately, “Holy crap that guy’s got a scary face.” Two seconds later two kids cried. Is this helping reiterate how scary this guy was!? We browsed around and found Nemo (so did every child under seven who guided us to the Nemo and Dory tank by yelling their names repeatedly). There were of course some sting rays, which as always are stunningly beautiful. After our surfing experience in Florida though (where we were not allowed to walk on the surface but glide so we didn’t get stung by one of them) I find myself loving them a lot more in captivity.

The next day was actually sunny, so we took advantage of the day in full stride by heading to Buckingham Palace (the site for Ethan and Chelsea's beautiful engagement!) for the changing of the guards and then strolled around Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and Piccadilly Circus.

Buckingham Palace: Some of you may be upset by the comments, but the truth is that the gates around the palace are WAY more impressive than the palace itself. In reality the building is the simply a grey version of our Province House and it is three times bigger. It had very little architectural delicacy and really just looked like a very large boulder than had some windows and doors. Now the gates were very impressive with 12foot high iron and gold coated gates that definitely proclaimed royalty. Along with the gates the whole royal thing was amplified by the huge and very cool fountain out front. It was surrounded by various statues of what I be . In the center was another golden statue that was much more glorious than the royal palace itself. Now though the Palace may not have looked impressive, the fact that many of the Kings and Queens of England have lived in that very castle was enough to have me clicking happily with my camera and dreaming of an afterlife when I can live inside it! Coolest part of the Buckingham Palace visit was the little guards in their funny fur hats! I have been wanting to see one since I was little so it was very awesome to see them! Unlike in the movies you can’t go up beside them and try to make them laugh; at least not when we were there, so this was a major disappointment. The changing of the guards was as a former colleague of mine pointed out a VERY long drawn out traditional affair. It started at 11:30 with some drummers, and four horses led in a bunch of royal guards dressed in their traditional red uniforms with their little back furry hats, carrying their guns like the proper cadet would do. For thirty minutes they marched to the drums and horses pranced around the statues. Then they all cleared out the way they came and new guards took their place in the little boxes outside the palace doors! Obviously this changing of the guard thing is a BIG deal though because at least 10,000 people were there to watch, crowding against gates, statues, stairs, streets and sidewalks. Wherever you turned you ran into a tourist with a camera. Needless to say when it was done I was beelining it out of there as fast as I could. One more kids boot to the face as they happily strolled along on their dad’s shoulder and I was going to rip their boot off and beat their parent with it. Now that I think about I should have done that; I bet then I could have gotten a close up photo with a royal guard! Final not ewith regards to the Changing of the Guards, be careful where you step because like in Toronto they don't clean up the little gifts the horses leave behind!

Following Buckingham Palace we strolled through the widespread fields of Hyde Park which is known as one of London’s largest recreational parks with large football fields and a lake for swimming and boating. They have large roads sweeping throughout the park that allow for cyclists and rollerblades, as well as perfect trails for running and walking. One thing I was surprised to see though was their large area for horseback riding. Another surprise was that despite it being the first sunny day in over seven days, there were very few people there. Those that were there were to no one’s surprise playing a game of football! Kensington Gardens was cool to be at, but it will be better when spring comes and there is actually a garden! I know, no surprise there either! Not that shrubs and decaying flowers aren’t cool, but I would rather sit on a bench by a fountain surrounded by alive plants instead of dead ones. Just saying!

We walked around the Garden and Park for a long time searching for Princess Diana’s memorial fountain. I posted a picture and once you see it: enough said. It was dreadful, and all it did was remind me of how much the Queen hated her. As you can see from the picture, it wasn’t even a stupid fountain. Water fountains in high school are more impressive than that crappy memorial. At least she got a big piece of grass (you can’t hear the sarcasm but insert it here).

That day we also went to Marble Arch. This arch was built in like the early 1800s and it use dot be Buckingham Palace but eventually the Queen's transportation got too wide to fit through the arch so it got moved to Hyde Park. They are currently thinking about moving it again; good luck with that!

The next day rained A LOT so we headed to a movie: Winter’s Bone. I am not sure if it will be coming to PEI, but if it does go to City Cinema and see it. It is absolutely amazing and if Ms. Lawrence does not win an Oscar I am officially never watching an Oscar movie again! It was flawless acting, and an absolutely amazing screenplay. Go see it (or download it but don’t tell anyone I told you to do it!)

Today we went to Hillsong London. We were planning on going to a church of our blessed rescuers (the 4 people who rescued us when we were homeless) but there were a bunch of planned tube closures today which caught off the path to their church. The church was just like you’d see in their DVD or music videos. I am not sure what that means yet! It is still to be determined if I will go back.

Tomorrow is Shepherd’s Bush Market. Now normally we would not be going to a market on a possibly perfect Monday, but the underground has decided to go on a 36 hour strike which started at 6 this evening. This means whatever we are doing is by foot only, and since we are in Olympia it is to Shepherd’s Bush Market we go. I will let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Some upcoming plans: Camden Flower Market, Covent Garden (which may end up being exactly like Kensington Gardens but we shall see), a day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, Stonehenge, and Bath. We are also, wait for it, going to a few concerts and I am just about bursting with excitement and anticipation! (Insert drum roll here): We are going to see The Boxer Rebellion, Brandon Flowers and Ellie Goulding. To make things even more awesome The Script is coming in March!!! WHOOOOO HOOOOO (this is a very loud cheer, you may even hear it where you are at right now!)

Interview news tomorrow. There are a few kinks with the job, but regardless we will know more in the morning!

Cheers!

Updates

Apologies to all of our adoring readers for not updating for a couple of days. Unfortunately, nothing too exciting has been happening.

Tuesday was highlighted by a visit to the Sea Life Aquarium. We passed on the feeding of the sharks, but seeing 3 different kinds of shark swimming around in a big tank was very cool. Turtles, big and small, were very popular too. Pictures may be coming, but it was hard to get good pictures there. We also had a quick stroll past Westminister Palace and Big Ben, but we'll probably visit again on a nicer day.

Wednesday was a dark and damp day, so no tourist activity for us. Relaxing (and school work) instead.

Today was actually a nice sunny day here in London, so we took advantage and visited some of the nice outdoor attractions in London. First stop was Buckingham Palace where we stumbled upon a huge crowd. It turned out that we were right on time for the changing of the guard. Didn't get a great view because of the huge crowd, but we saw bits and pieces of it anyway.

We then had a nice lengthy stroll through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Unfortunately, late September isn't a great time to view all of the flora and fauna of the Gardens.

Finally, we had a little visit with Michael Caine. Well, we saw him at a book signing at least. Actually, I saw his hair and forehead and Nicole saw his hair. But, it was neat anyway.

A Day of History: Terrifying, Absurd & The Fantastic

It rained again today. I am beginning to think that this introduction to the climate is becoming uncessary; in fact, from now on I think you should all assume it is raining here in England unless we state otherwise!

This morning began with me throwing a temper tantrum. Now normally I would not state such a thing, but I decided that this new adventure abroad also calls for some accountability. So, yes, this morning the 24/7 hip to hip contact with my husband, the small and quickly becoming claustrophobic apartment, the ridiculously chilly and damp weather all came colliding together and created a tempest in a teapot (I heard this phrase today and fell in love with it!). There were slamming doors, kicking of sleeping bags, throwing toilet paper rolls again the wall (which may have been better when the walls weren't so close because the toilet paper just came back and smacked me in the stomach). I think I even growled at the mircowave for hitting me and I slammed my fist into the bathroom door when it bounced off the luggage beside it and smacked me in the forehead. Lenny was of course outside waiting because two people cannot ready at the same time in this little piece of heaven. He missed most of these events, but he definitly caught wind of the grey clouds that followed me all the way to Bank Street Station, and when he tried to lead us in yet again another wrong direction he definitly got a whiff it then too!

Luckily the temper faded as we ventured into The London Dungeon; perhaps because its ambience met my mood, but I would bet that the fluid combination of historical education and theme park entertainment combined to just remind me that there are great things about being here in the city. Some of the amazing things about the Dungeon:

Dungeon Dope # 1: Dope actually does not just mean crack cocaine or an flaming idiot, it also means facts, data, the inside scoop and for the sake of a fun alitteration it will be the word of the night for tonight!

Dungeon Dope # 2: We got to venture into the bowels of prison life in England from the 1600-1800s. I got the pleasure of reliving all of me European and British History courses, and though most of the time it was lacking the educational value, I could still imagine what it would have been like for people living in Britain at that time. Ever see the movie The Man in the Iron Mask? Well as I walked through the dreary dungeon, with its iron prison cells, faint lighting and smell of must and smolder, that is what I often thought of. If you haven't watched it, don't bother. The best part is when Leonardo DiCaprio is inside the iron mask, and unfortunately that part doesn't last very long.

Dungeon Dope # 3: We experienced the Great Fire of 1666, the streets during the plague, what it would be like to be on trial (for which in the 1700s, 222 crimes were punishable by death inclusing shooting a rabbit or wearing a disguise). We went to court and experienced what it was like to be sentenced to death, and got to take a simulated ride through the one and only Traitor's Gate! During the time of Kind Edward I and many others thousands of British citizens were sailed through those gates, chained and beaten on their way to prison cells where they would await their execution for believed treason. Of course very few of those citizen actually committed treason, and very few of them were ever able to escape their fate. It was insanely cool to be loaded onto a ship and taken through those gates and into the prisons (where of course they had moaning actors and fake corpses!).

Dungeon Dope # 4: We got to go on a hanging simulation ride. It was ridiculously cool, and the most hilarious part was post ride when we saw our photos. Lenny was leaning into my shoulder and his face was an exact replication of a child about to vomit minus the hand across the mouth. His hand was across his chest. My face was eyes as wide as those discs you throw in track and field and a tiny o shaped my lips. Let's just say when the ride started I was completely taken by shock and surprise; nonetheless a very cool simlation and it made me feel very sad knowing that while we are experiencing for entertainment purposes so many people actually walked to the gallows and met a very non-entertaining fate. What is even sadder is that the simlulation made sure to illustrate how the city would flock to the execution gallows to cheer as the "criminal" took their place. Disturbing dope # 1, we still do this today, flock to watch the gory and the gruesome.

Dungeon Dope # 5: We got to experience Queen Mary Tudor, more commonly known as Bloody Mary and her tyrannical rule to execute all the heretics. Though I would not have wanted to be born and raised during her reign, as far as history goes she was always my British fave.

Dungeon Dope # 6: We got a mini Jack the Ripper tour, including BB a re-enactment of the very murder that took place on your birthday! We got the run down of all the possible suspects, and of course were left bewildered to who the real killer was. No surprise for the Brit's though, an American Doctor was the prime suspect.

Following the Dungeon we made our way to the Tate Modern Museum which houses contemporary art. Now some of the art was amazingly interesting, and I posted some of them below, but first for the strange and bizzarre.

Artistic Absurdity # 1: 20 feet x 20 feet canvases with large red circles. It looked like a child took a crayola marker and went nuts drawing rapid spirals on the white wall before mom could notice.

Artistic Absurdity # 2: There were four of them. Not only was there no apparent creativity in the first one, but he went on to make three more! What the heck is up with that? My cousin's 4 year old daughter Julia could make works of art a million times better; maybe I should become her agent?

Artistic Absurdity # 3: A large knitted vagina. Yep. I really wish I was joking but I not. What the point was I am not sure, but it was there. 30 feet high, about 20 feet wide in all of its abstract form and glory. At least it was abstract, unlike the many nude pictures of women that had very little abstract about them.

Artistic Absurdity # 4: I understand that this # may be subject to a lot of debate, but I am throwing it out there: Andy Warhol. I seriously don't get why painting ten Marylin Monroe heads in some bright neon colors and shades makes million dollar art. Today's exhibit was 12x12 camoflauge paintings, exactly like a pair of pants. Shades of pinks, one in shades of blue. It isn't fashion people, it certainly isn't art.

Artistic Absurdity # 5: Piles of clay dumped on the floor, about 30 feet x 30 feet of clay that looks like it plopped out of a tube and landed on the floor with a distgusting slurp along the way. Lenny had no comment except for a raise of the eyebrows; I of course called it for what it was: piles of poo. It looked like a herd of St. Bernards and Great Danes traipsed through the gallery and crapped all over the floor. It wasn't art, it was piles of what Lenny just now called "turds on the floor" and it was weird.

Artistic Absurdity # 6: A sheet of red clay. Seriously people, you don't just sell a red clay sheet you turn it into profitable touristy wardrobes! Instead this guy probably had to pay the gallery to actually take this dirty old sheet; bizarre.

Now for the ones we like: Pictures are included in these selections!
This is a piece by an artist I cannot remember! What I liked about it is his rebellion! He decided that art did not have to be defined by colors, and so he created an entire work of art in white which is believed to be the absence of color!



This again by an artist we cannot remember, but he designed an entire series of these in various shades and dimenstions. His idea was to create a visual representation of feeling caged, trapped or lost inside of yourself. This was my favorite.


CLAUDE MONET!!! This is one of his water lily paintings. I made Lenny go back three times, and I did something I never thought I would do...I sat on a bench and simply stared like a fool, yes with a wide grin an everything! It was without a doubt the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I can't wait to go back and see it again!


PABLO PICASSO!!! Holy cow, I nearly died! I never expected to see one of his paintings here!
There were actually eleven pieces of his work; this was my favorite one! Picasso!...wow!

This is an abstract peice of art by Gunther Uecker. I don't think it was one of Lenny's favorites but this was another one of mine. I stared at this one for a long time as well. It is a white canvas with white nails carefully and strategically placed through the canvas so that everytime you looked at it, moved and looked again it actually looked like a wheat field gently blowing in the breeze. It was amazingly interesting and mind boggling to how he created it; now only if it was in gold like an actual wheat field!

This was by HENRI MATISSE!!!!! Again, there were lots of cool paintings by his, but this was my favorite. This is an abstract representation of nature, specifically the snail. I am thinking that of all the paintings considered to be favorites, this will be the most debtated on...in particular by my mother who will argue that I made the same thing out of glue and tissue paper when I was five.

Oh, forgot to mention one thing. Call backs came in today and I got the call! I have my interview Friday at noon! Wish me luck! Well that's it for tonight. Tomorrow is weather dependent. If it is nice out we are heading to the much anticipating Buckingham Palace as well as to the Parliament, Big Ben and Westminister Abbey along with a stroll through one of England's famous parks. If it is raining than we are heading to the Tate Britain Art Gallery and the Sea Life Acquarium; I know random plans, but this is the life of a nomadic tourist awaiting a job!

Cheers!

My Scientific Discoveries of the Day

As Lenny has so eloquently put it, it rained today. So out went our Jack the Ripper and the Queen plans and in came the Science Museum (you can ah there for effect if you so wish). But really, all I did was yawn, and yawn, and finally found a bench to read a book while Lenny browsed some silly super computer that looked more like screen dividers in a cheap dorm room apartment.

Now, even though the Science museum was as interactive and exciting as watching some Sunday afternoon CBC program, there were a few fun things that did come up.

Science Fun # 1: I saw a 1000 year old dead man! Well, not his whole body, just his head. It had been mummified like 1200 years ago in some Roman Civilization or something (I didn't really read the whole placard) and the London Science people claimed it in some auction bid and now has it in a fancy glass case on display. The head had shrunken thanks to the mummy processes, but the guy still had all his facial features. I mean this guy even had teeth, and I am not kidding, he had a slight smile. I know, I had to look twice at that too. The weirdest thing of all was that he had red hair. Now the question I have (hoping someone can answer because the little placard thing didn't answer this question, which is weird because it is like a super important question)..How did the guy still have hair? And even more important, why was it red? I mean like Anne of Green Gables Red, and thick too. So my thoughts are that it is real and the guy really did have red hair, or hair changes color when you are mummified and the chemicals used in the process change the shade of your hair and prevent it from falling out, or three some dude at the museum glued it on for some creepy effect. Either way, it was very very neat.

Science Fun # 2: I saw body parts preserved since the 1950s. A hand with the dried up arteries and veins (for those who are not medically inclined I understand now if you need to skip this part) along with an entire arm in the exact same way. Coolest preserved body part: A brain! Looked like a glued children's science project, until I saw the brain stem...so fun!

Science Fun # 3: Leaving. Why? Well it was not just the lackluster exhibits and the complete void of interactive fun (I mean where is the giant steel ball you place both hands on to have your hand stand on ends demonstrating electrcity, or the trivia questions where you open a box to reveal an answer huh? C'mon people, I am 26 but I am still not looking for academic, I want childhood Treehouse or Mr. Dressup science learning!). Anyway, the main reason for leaving was this. It was raining outside. London houses as already established are ridiculously small. London parents tend to have 2-4 children. Today was a weekend. Let's put all those fun facts together shall we? Tired, work too hard parents trapped in a small barely room to breathe little apartment with 2-4 screaming children pumped for weekend fun. It is raining out so you can't take those little demons to the park, and there are no Sunday afternoon cartoons great enough to keep you from pulling your hair out or locking yourself in your even more suffocating little bathroom. So where do these strung out parents take their demon little monsters? Yes, that is right. To the Science Museum. And it is here where these demon little children scream, yell, cry, wail, flail, pound little fists against displays in anger for having to move on, pound their insanely strong legs into hardwood floor in what I wished were futile protests. It is here they fling cotton candy and stick gum onto the benches where innocent Canadian tourists are hiding trying to read a book and escape the pandemonium of the insane British children and their ridiculous poor at disciplining parents. That is why we left.

Scientific Fun # 4: The Science Museum reminded me of why I am here; of why there are so many social worker positions in this country. The most rewarding fun fact of the day.

So, now we are back in our little wee nest, trying to go for a positive spin on prison cell. Hopefully it will work! Tomorrow is the London Dungeon, complete with some adrenaline pumping rides and hopefully some historical prison cells! Then we are off to Tate Modern Art Gallery, and if it is nice out, St. Paul's Cathedral and The Ripper Walk. Tomorrow is also call back day, and though I completely don't expect to get a call back due to the insane competition of my fellow colleagues who are also applying, for some weird reason I am still hoping.

Cheers all, talk again tomorrow.

Touristy (part 2)

Today we had big plans. Church in the morning, Buckingham Palace in the afternoon, and the Jack the Ripper walking tour this evening. As I'm sure you all know by know, nothing goes according to plan.

We didn't make it out of bed in time for church, due to a combination of issues with alarm clocks and issues with biological clocks not being yet adapted to GMT. 11am rolled around before we rolled out of bed. Not a very exciting start to the day.

As proper citizens of the Commonwealth, we were still eager to head to Buckingham Palace to pay our respects to the Queen. The weather in London did not cooperate, which I suppose is rather normal. No sense snapping pictures and frolicking through gardens in the rain. We'll save it for another day.

The Science Museum was our alternate destination. 5 floors packed with stuff about space, medicine, steam engines, computers, and who knows what else. Unfortunately, there are only so many little placards and pictures that you can look at before getting a bit bored, so we only lasted a couple of hours there.

Returning to our tiny flat, and our tiny kitchen, I began the big adventure of making supper. Making a gourmet meal is quite difficult when stove, counter, and sink are all contained in a 2 foot wide space. I must confess that the hamburger-like meat, rice and veggies was edible, but not very tasty.

So, we didn't do too great at being tourists today, but we'll try again tomorrow.

Finally Being Tourists

London is big, but it isn’t the size of multiple provinces or states and yet in this sprawling city, the weather in one borough can be completely different than the weather in another. Today, 11:00am we left the borough of Kensington and Chelsea with the sun nicely drying my wet hair and we enjoyed our 10 minute walk down Holland Road in 13degree weather. Ten subway stations later, the weather is cloudy, windy and spitting rain. How is this even possible? We barely went 15 miles!

Regardless, we ventured out of the underground station, wrapping sweaters across our chest and me using my first real adult girl purse as some sort of shield and we began our first tourist afternoon since arriving here in London.

The destination: Tower Bridge and the Tower of London of course! Featured on every British poster card, the visual cue for the London Bridge nursery rhyme (even though it isn’t the bridge from that rhyme at all) and the site of more history than Canada could even imagine. We strolled along the cobbled streets, some of the stones boasting a history of hundreds of years, gazing up at the Tower of London that once held traitors, criminals, infamous whispers of war strategies and I am sure bore witness to some of the most indescribable public tortures. For someone who has a minor in British History, this was like waking up to a storm day and turning 19 all in one!

We then strolled along the Thames, which isn’t as scenic or as glamorous as one might think. In fact, as we walked the two of us commented how we finally understood why this city, and the River Thames, was the setting for so many crime and suspense novels. I even found myself glancing into the river wondering if a body wrapped in tarp would suddenly spring free from the underbellies of the mysterious waters and bob along until one of the boats discovered it. Regardless, it was very neat to say we walked along the river’s edge, watching boats cruise back and forth with endless streams of camera happy tourists most of whom pointed and gibbered in languages I couldn’t even recall.

Then, the Tower Bridge. The Tower Bridge that adorns stamps, letters, tv shows and commercial advertisements to come visit London. It was as every bit as impressive as I thought it would be; perhaps even more so. One discovery though, the steel that holds the towers and helps to create it into a bridge is painted bright freaking blue! Who takes centuries old awe inspiring art and then tackies it up with royal blue? Insane these British, absolutely insane.

Of course no day would be complete without lunch along the Thames, and so what better way to do it up than with Sausage Whirl and a plate of Britain’s own Fish & Chips. Of course we added in a pint of London Pride to make it all complete. Must say, I finally understand what all the fuss about it.

Some new discoveries along the way:

Discovery # 11: London too likes to tacky up their historical attractions just like Niagra Falls. Parts of London, especially around the London Bridge area is a cheese fest travelling carnival complete with dressed up goons trying to play zombies and convince you to take a trip to the Tombs. Why do we sink so low? Because it makes 30pounds a person and the line ups were around the block. Which leads me to...

Discovery # 12: There are stupid tourists everyone willing and ready to spend money on any cheap thrill as long as it looks like a version of a Disney ride. Save me please.

Discovery # 13: There is no actual table service in London that we can find. One week in, more than seven restaurants, and we are still wandering around the pubs and delis trying to figure out how to order, where to sit, where to pay, how to pay. We are becoming more and more irritated with every passing minute. Today, I read a book to keep myself from screaming at a passing waiter who yet again did not even pass us a glance even though it was obvious by our excuse me’s and gawking around aimlessly that we needed assistance. I finished the book today; I think Lenny is worried.

Discovery # 14: Underground stations in the world’s busiest city can actually close for 48 hours leaving you scrambling to find a new way to get home. Supposedly no explanation is needed, and not only is it just one particular station; it can be entire underground lines. Yes, how peeved was I to discover this weekend’s line to close is the line that takes us directly to every tourist attraction I want to see. Awesome!

Discovery # 15: Theatre tickets are cheaper then movie tickets. We should probably tell this to the Confederation Center of the Arts who seem driven to price up tickets every year causing a subtle but still evident shift in the crowd who attends these shows. We are on our way to Wicked in the next few weeks, unbelievable that it will cost us less to see an award winning stage musical than it will to go see Angelina Jole make me puke by pretending she’s some sort of noteworthy actress.

Discovery # 16: You don’t have to have a shower that actually works in order to rent a flat in London. We are all so desperate for accommodations we will settle for a tap. Yep, we have a shower that you have to hold in your hand, two doors that are broken so badly you have to hold them together to keep the bathroom from flooding. You can just imagine how hard it is to wash your hair then when you are trying to hold the two doors with one hand and the water with the other. Tonight I was cold and feeling claustrophobic and thought for a moment of how relaxing and calming it would be to take a shower. It only took a second for that thought to pass.

Alas, another day is winding down. Tomorrow is church and Buckingham Palace with an evening possibility of checking off another of Nicole’s Do Before You Die items: The Jack The Ripper walking tour which allows walkers to relive all of the murders in the actual sites they took place. Oh my! Lenny is equally pumped, so weather dependent if you are looking for us tomorrow evening that is where we will be! And yes my BB I can sense your jealousy from all the way across the seas but I promise I will take pictures and will use them to blackmail you into coming over here and joining me!

Check back tomorrow, I am sure our adventures will continue. Prayers again: Second interview call backs are sent out Monday night, would love to get one!

Cheers Mates (our attempt to sound British!)

Our Discoveries Thus Far

Discovery # 1: English may be the language that is spoken, but we understand very little and no one seems to understand us. @ is not a common terminology, in fact they will ask you to spell it for them. O can only be understood if you say "O" is for Oscar. Holland, even though it is a commonly reffered to country in Europe (people can't be bothered to just say Netherlands) can be anything from Holiday to Hollinger, never Holland. Cell phone is always mobile, in fact many don't know what a cell phone is. Subway is a restaurant or a walking tunnel that helps your avoid waiting for busy traffic. You can never take a hotel room, you must book it. You can never get a coffee to go, you must always take away. Street names spoken leave us both looking at each other to see who translated it the best: Fleet Street was best heard as Flitch, Chancery was best heard as Chancellor; needless to say finding our way has been challenging.

Discovery # 2: If you don't have a phone number or address you are basically in a big huge pile of trouble as even buying a tube pass requires one. You can simply guess how well that went for us!

Discovery # 3: Women love to call you by terms of endearment, especially those who work in pubs. We have been called sweetheart, darling, dear, honey and pet. Occasionally all in one sentence.

Discovery # 4: Canada is only from Vancouver to Toronto. They are actually stunned to learn there are provinces and places that extend further east.

Discovery # 5: No one eats after 6. In fact, many pubs and restaurants don't even serve food at this time of night. So far we have eaten out three times in the evening, and in a fully packed establishment we have been the only ones to eat. It is mildly awkward to say the least.

Discovery # 6: Everyone carries an umbrella. Everyone, in fact Lenny and I bought two. Mine is already broken of course and does little to actually stop the rain, but at least we are assimilating nicely.

Discovery # 7: Apartments are not apartments. They are small linen closets with fancy websites designed to make them seem more glamourous than they really are.

Discovery # 8: Apparently tourists traveling from countries with the "right" way to drive are stupid, because in London they have actually taken millions of dollars to paint with words and symbols which way to look to avoid getting run over.

Discovery # 9: There is no diet pepsi in Britain. Oh sure they say there is, but it tastes like Coke. Anyone who says it doesn't is lying.

Discovery # 10: Transportation is even more intense than in Toronto. Babies (safely inside their strollers) are shoved into closing tube doors for fear of having to wait three minutes for the next one. Cramming 500 people into one tube car is indeed doable, and supposedly such a necessity that people actually do it. Buses can carry more people on their top floor than an entire school bus and no one thinks this is strange or a safety concern. No one walks, everyone runs with their rollaway luggage and flapping newspapers to catch trains, taxi's, busses and tubes. I think some of them need watches.

Discovery # 11: Everyone reads a newspaper. Standing, sitting, kneeling, walking it does not matter. Newspapers are open and people of all ages, backgrounds and sizes are reading them. I haven't seen anyone read a newspaper for years, in fact in North America newspapers are actually becoming an entirely online thing. This world of real, paper and ink newspapers in the hands of almost every citizen is very impressive. With their Costa latte's and endless supply of Earl's Grey tea and newspapers in hand, I think I might be liking this little piece of crazy.

Cheers to The Beginning

Departure time from Charlottetown was approximately 5am on September 19th, 2010. Arrival time at Heathrow Airport was noon on September 20th, 2010.

The skies were clear and the sun was shining, 25degrees and despite our exhaustion and the sensation that we might possibly be leaving a faint smell behind us, we were pumped to being our journey.

Expected Plan # 1: Pick up luggage
Reality: Missing luggage, file a baggage claim report

Expected Plan # 2: Meet driver with our name scrawled across a laminated sign wearing a black suit and tie and drive to pre-paid apartment in Bayswater London
Reality: Wait patiently, pace airport arrival terminal, scroll through emails from expected landlord, cry, yell and say many words that would make for an 18+ film

Expected Plan # 3: Unpack and unwind in our own apartment for the afternoon before finding a unqiuely British pub and enjoying fish and chips with a pint of Britain's finest ales (pale for me, dark for him)
Reality: Spend a ridiculous amount of money on a hotel, cry in bathroom and to both sets of parents, spend 16 hours looking at bed and breakfasts, hotels, hostels and flats for rent

As you can see, none of our expected plans came to pass. We expected to have an address, a place ot unpack, a bed that would be our own, time and lesiure to enjoy a pre-holiday before beginning to work as UK residents. Instead, we became gypsy nomads, adrift in the large and incredibly fast-paced city of London, and yet in these unexpected plans came some even more unexpected blessings.

Despite our frustration and angers, we met 4 people who reached out to us and offered us their home. They served us breakfast in bed, gave us invaluable instructions and directions, and allowed us to experience some peace and reassurance in what was undoubtedly a nightmare of experiences.

You think that the lack of housing was the only mishap, well alas you would be mistaken. We have had more series of misadventures and mishaps than one could count; but of course I will try.

Mishap # 1: 400 calls to bed and breakfasts all fail

Mishap # 2: There are no lifts at any stations, so we carried 200 lbs of luggage, three carry ons weighing 50lbs up three flights of stairs while everyone pointed and stared. Of course luggage fell, bags broke, and we fought every lunge and groan of the way

Mishap # 3: We had to lug that luggage on three tubes, two buses, and a train. Not to mention two taxis.

Mishap # 4: I got a cold. Not just a sniffle and bit of a wheeze, but a full fledged serious just kill me now please dear Lord kind of a cold. A cold where one box of kleenex simply will not do. Try being stuck in a circulated ventilating subway car with 500 people when you have a cold; they honestly think you might kill them at any moment.

Mishap # 5: We have no idea where we are going. We spent most days walking in circles through crowded streets and still never end up where we want to be. Thank goodness taxis can be hailed whenever you need them.

Mishap # 6: It is downpouring rain. Try lugging all of that luggage through crowded streets, drenched. Try going to an interview covered in dirt and leaves (oh yes I had three in my pant leg and one in my hair), so soaking wet that you actually leave puddles of water on the floor of the office in which you are applying for a job.

Mishap # 7: Rain makes mascara run and hair go frizzy. Here in England they take your picture at interviews. I have a feeling mine won't be so hot; memorable, but perhaps not quite the professional that they are looking for.

Mishap # 8: Grocery shopping is a horrid affair, now let's walk ten blocks..in the down pouring rain..with an umbrella that keeps either blowing away or hitting you in the face..while each grocery bag bottom breaks. Our pasta salad is currently creating a hansel and gretel trail from Warwick Road to Holland Road. I am sure the pigeons were grateful though.

Ah, cheers to the beginning. As we lay in our newly acquired closet that is 4 feet by 4 feet, except for a 1 foot wide wall that leads to a 1.5 by 1.5 foot bathroom, we are still laughing and I guess that despite all the unexpected realities, that is the greatest one of all. We can definitly toast to that.