Did you miss me?

Hello Ladies and Gents –

I didn’t forget about you. Really, I didn’t.

I was without internet access all weekend at my apartment so I could not fill you in on the past few days. But, don’t worry, I will catch ya’ll up.

Where does one begin? I don’t know where “one” begins but Erika is going to go back to last Wednesday.

I really feel like I am getting this Tube thing down. I have the proper uniform, iPhone in hand… earbuds in… backpack on, run like hell. Or at least walk at a brisk clip. Don’t say excuse me or sorry or even acknowledge that you are pushing through the huge crowd of people. That was my rookie mistake to this point. When I squeezed through I would say, “Sorry”, “Excuse me” , “My Bad”. Now, I think I am officially a London Commuter. I don’t really need to read the signs anymore. AND, I found a shortcut in the tunnels when I make my one change in the morning. Just a quick, yep, this is my turn to Jubilee, yep, right to the Northbound line. Nope, no more Mr. Nice Girl. I am not rude, just determined. Old people and women with carriages (prams) get some leniency but other than that, you are a hallway casualty, you’re holding up the line in my conviction to make it to wherever I am going. I have been doing this to the soundtrack of Christina Aguilera’s Bionic CD. “Not Myself Tonight” usually gets me in the crowd plowing mood.
“I’m out of character, I’m in rare form. And if you really know me…you know that‘s not the norm. ‘Cause I’m doin’ things that I normally wouldn’t doo oo oo ooo. The old me’s gone, I feel brand new, and if you don’t like it, F@!K YOU!”

Feisty!

I still get a little confused on a few of the elevators (lifts) that I have to ride because I am not sure which way it is going to open.

My solution: lean against the wall and face sideways, and look bored. That way I am not committed either way.

Also, I have been arriving to the office a little more composed so that is always good. Not, just totally overwhelmed, emerging from the bowels of the underground sweaty, terrified and overwhelmed. Nope, I got this, people.

So for today’s excursion (and a little on Thursday), I thought I would show you what is around my office. These are some pictures from Waterloo Station and the Southbank of the Thames that includes the pier and some pretty familiar sites (Part of Waterloo Millennium Pier).

Most of the buildings (residential and commercial) have house names in addition to the street address. I don’t know any history around that but I would image that the names came before the street names, just a little history deductive reasoning there.

My office is called Elizabeth House and it is in the South side of the river Thames. For some reason, this is not considered the city. Basically, I have not made it to the actual city center of London yet and I have been here a week. Seems like the city to me. But, I guess what do I know.

This building is really crappy actually. It is scheduled to be demolished in a few years but it is really in a great location and my company gets a great deal on it. But it is not the least bit posh.

Of course, no air conditioning, just fans and windows and blinds to monitor the temperature. I would image it gets REALLY cold in here despite the radiators that line the walls in the winter. Or that really overheated draining heat you get when there is no ventilation. I will take some pictures of the actual work spaces and my colleagues later.

At the bottom of the building are the most random collection of things.

There are several places to eat, including a fried chicken place called Chicken Cottage. One of the conference rooms is right over Chicken Cottage, and one day when I was on a conference call, it was an overwhelming smell of chicken frying and of course the windows are opened So it came both the the vents and the windows. I guess I know where I need to go if I want a little bit of home with a two piece and a “red drink”. You know who I am talking to…Diana. The Chicken Cottage near me (yes, near Elephant and Castle) serves ribs, hot wings and lamb chops in addition to chicken and several vegetarian options.

There is a hair salon, I am actually excited because they sell Aveda products and I heard there were no stores like we have in the States so if I run out of product, I am set. There is also a dry cleaner (next to Chicken Cottage, not going to use them), and a fantasy shop. Nope, not sexual, it is like a fantasy game place where I guess you can buy your Dungeon and Dragons supplies. At the end of the day, there is a table set up on the sidewalk where there are a few guys (usually wearing some off the wall hat, black shirts speckled with dandruff) play some game. Sometimes girls but they look about the same as the guys. I don’t even ask. I also crack up that right by the glass door on the inside there are several cans of air freshener. Maybe it is for the Chicken Cottage aromas…or just pure unadulterated body “musk”. I think those are enough signs to walk a little further on the edge of the walkway and move past my magical friends.

[I HAVE PICTURES OF THE OFFICE STREET AND THE MAGICAL FRIENDS THAT I WILL SHARE LATER. HAVING A MEMORY CARD ISSUE]

At the end of the corner is a Scandinavian coffee and snack shop. My collegue, Asaf, has taken me there for coffee a few times. He likes that place. Actually, I noticed all the guys I sit near really like that place. The latte was okay and I did get a pretty good yogurt with Muesli but nothing really to write home about (I think I just did , oh well.) The girls in there seem pretty dumb but maybe it is the language barrier. LOL! Really? Aren’t you just steaming milk and brewing coffee. What is so confusing? The sandwiches are already made, what is going on here. I guess that helps to confirm my theory that different always seems better and exotic. Especially when it comes to physical attraction.

I don’t really drink coffee much anyway so it would have to be fabulous to win me over. But, I have really formed a pretty intense tea habit (about 3 cups a day). And cider habit, too Magners is one of my favorite so far. http://www.magners.com/?ReturnUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.magners.co.uk%2FHome. It became one of my favs early on because they serve it over ice. Nice way to cool down and you really don’t find things with ice much here. On more than one occasion, several people in the pub have changed their order when I get my Magners and they tell me, “oh that looks much better, you have changed my mind.” I am known as THE local trendsetter in the Borough.

Okay, Waterloo station is a larger station than London Bridge that I told you about.



Not quite DFW airport or anything but you do have the Tube for the subway that go within the city, buses and trains that leave the city and the country. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Waterloo_station


This station has a lot more vendors.







You can buy food, clothes, body lotions, liquor, flowers, exchange currency and see a play.



There is a theatre set up in the bottom of one section of the main terminal to show the play The Railway Children http://www.yorkshire.com/railwaychildren. I think they have filmed some movies here as well.




Those are just a few of the things you will find in the station. It is supposed to be one of the busiest terminals in Europe . So as you can image, it is busy all the time. This is a really easy thing to get to from the office for lunch so I have been heading over to grab a sandwich or a salad (Yes, they are some sandwich eating fools here.

Everywhere you turn around, they are advertising sandwiches. But as far as the prepared grocery stores are concerned, M&S is really much better than the others. The selection is amazing.) I will tell you more about Marks and Spenser (M&S) later.


The first day I was at work, I went to a sushi place called Wasabi in the station. They have a “proper” restaurant at one end that sells the sushi that you can pick individuals by mix and match, get combos or go in the line for hot food and bento boxes.

Then there is another kiosk closer to the front entrance near Elizabeth House. In Waterloo, you will also find McDonalds, Burger King, Bath and Body Works, Subway etc. for the American based outlets.

For traditional Brit fare they have a Fish and Chips place as well as a Pie and Pastry shop that sells traditional English pies. I guess they are the original pot pies and now in this place are the more portable form like a hot pocket. I think they usually come with mash (mashed potatoes) or chips (French fries, figured you knew that but hey.). I have not tried either yet but will make sure to take a picture and let you know what I think. I am going to have to ask for some recommendations as to the best places for these English classics. And of course, sandwich shops everywhere.

I saw pay toilets in the station too. Don’t even get me started on the toilets here. Set your expectations really low…then go lower, everywhere you go, pretty much the same situation. They don’t ever have paper towels. They have these hand dries and they are powerful. In fact they blow your skin all around on your hand, the force is that strong. That is pretty good except if you actually need a paper towel. Then you have to bring your own I guess or use toilet paper.


Now on to Southbank

Basically, the Waterloo station itself is behind Elizabeth House but when you walk out the front door and facing York Road, you see the world famous London Eye.

http://www.londoneye.com/ExploreTheLondonEye/History/Default.aspx
http://www.londoneye.com/ExploreTheLondonEye/

I guess my magical friends have to block out all of this modern architecture and imagine when there were dragons in that spot, drinking from the river.
Or if you believe some historian and biologists, they were MAKING the river along with the dinosaurs.

The Eye… It is like a combination ski cable car and a ferris wheel.

It is supposed to have amazing views of the city and the full pod is glass so you can see from every angle as you sit suspended.

It goes really slowly and I think you only get one revolution for your ticket. Most of the t I have not been on it yet. I think a night time ride would be pretty spectacular.

I went after work on Thursday just to see if I could get a better shot of The Eye for you guys. Then I found lots of things going on.

There is an area right by the office where I have gone to lunch with a few co-workers then I went a little further around the corner and it was just the perfect spot.

I found a park and playground right in the shadow of The Eye.

Further to the right was a theater center and a functioning carousel.

In the theater center (which is in the form of a purple inflatable cow called Udderbelly )http://www.underbelly.co.uk/main.php

They have some random shows. One being Michael Winslow from the Police Academy movies. The one that makes the sounds.

Then there is some Urban styled adventure call Into the Hood that is based on Red Riding Hood.

These are few of the street performers on the pier. I bet on the weekend, there are a lot more. There was a sad Donald Duck woman and part of the time, she didn't even have her head on. You aren't going to get any money that way, sister.

As a side note, London is the place for some washed up 80’s people. I saw Ray Parker Jr. in a commercial for one of the TV stations, Michael Winslow was also on TV promoting his show. Not that they are washed up but Earth Wind and Fire is doing a big set of concerts. There was a guy doing human beat box style music but with more of a techno vibe. The 80’s (and the early 90’s) are alive and well here. There was a show (American) that was a made for TV movie about the show Dynasty. Haute Mess indeed. It was a behind the scenes drama about how the show sucked at first then really took off and became a hit. I saw about 30 minutes of it, it was a trip. They also run TJ Hooker re-runs regularly. Of all the shows…and I have cable.

A side note to the side note. I love watching television anyway but on Virgin’s versions of MTV, they have these blocks of video from the favorite artists. There is a boy band called Take That that sounds….hum, very familiar. People are serious about them. Crying and everything. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6sw2zL6BwU
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/668233/shine_take_that/

There have been some hip hop starts that I need to remember their names that I think you will get a kick out of. Stay tuned for that.

Okay, really about Southbank (I will stay on track now). http://www.southbanklondon.com/

Across the river from The Eye, you can see Big Ben, Houses of Parliament http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/big-ben/

Further down, Westminster. I walked along the pier and took pictures of the people, performers

as well as the other sites like the Sea Life Aquarium http://www.sealife.co.uk/local/index.php
As you can imagine, there were tons of people along the river that day and they were taking lots of pictures, eating food and taking in the sites. I kept walking until I got to the Council Center (I think that is the name and decided I wanted to get home and guess what, I decided to walk.

This is actually part of my walk to work from the office down this road.

I was a little further out than what would be the typical walk to the office from my flat. I walked through another area called Lambeth that looks pretty interesting to investigate at another time. There is also a some type of university there. It took me about another 45 minutes but to quote my best bud, Hayden age 2, “I did it.”

Well, look for me to double up on the entries to catch you up. I will try to put in some of the key photos but I have a TON!

Miss you all. I amd doing well and staying safe.

Cheers,
E