Well I have been here a few days and mainly it has been trying to be awake and asleep at the right times. By Friday I felt like I had been hit by a truck but today is Saturday and I think I am getting closer to being on GMT. Decided to take it easy this weekend so I can actually do things with people next week.
My first day in the office was Wednesday. It was great seeing some of the people I already know and meeting others that I have only emailed or been on conference calls. The office is very low key, everyone wears t-shirts and flip flops or sandals. There is no air in the office but by the afternoon, it is actually very nice with the window's open and the fans going. Of course, that is when I am on a lot of conference calls because 2:30 is 8:30am US time. The office is right on a busy street so ambulances and police cars are always going by. Nice sound effects to a pretty boring call.
I am probably going to say this a million times but....IT IS SOOO HOT! The temp has been around 85 - 90+ and no one has air conditioning ANYWHERE. Plus the humidity is usually above 50%. That is definitely taking some getting used to. I have to sleep with my apartment windows open so it is noisy but too hot to try to close them because no air circulates. It is actually nice to go underground to wait for the tube because there is usually a breeze on the platforms and I found a good spot to stand between cars where the air blows through to the other cars. It has been good so far but I would image it would NOT be nice if someone stinky is right there.
First impressions of the city...everyone moves so quickly. Getting on the tube, walking down the street, standing in line at Tesco, everyone looks like they are on fast forward. Trying to keep up but the tube is definitely a social study all its own.
On Friday there were tons of people going up and down one set of escalators and stairs and you see just about everyone wearing just about everything. But on this day, there was one young boy holding a pretty heavy suitcase above his head and he was wearing something like harem pants and a sequined hat. Behind him were two women in full burqas running up the stairs. That was really startling because they looked like black ghosts. And they were hauling up a set of really steep stairs. Not one of the escalators that takes about 5 minutes to ascend but it was not a short trip and they were at full speed.
I wear my backpack so I don't have a lot of extra things to worry about on the tube but it really stinks when I am the first one to get off, I try to start out with speed and confidence then everyone is coming at me. Dang it, got off going the wrong way. LOL! I try to read the signs at the station wall before I get off. Seems to be working now that I found that little hint.
Oh yeah, and the first two days were usually based on what almost ran me over when I tried to cross the street. It really is dangerous. I always look the wrong way when crossing and not all of the streets have the cross walk lettering "Look Left" or "Look Right" . (Someone told me about that on Friday. Good to know) So I am using my US training and ...oops, that cab almost hit me....Oops that bicycler is cursing at me because they had to dodge me. Sorry people, I am going to be the person hurt in this situation. Get over it. I think I am getting it down now...I think.
I have not even tried to take the bus alone yet but it that might be an adventure for me next week. It is a little cheaper than the tube and it is covered in my Oyster card. (the card you fill with money to ride the tube, train or bus).
So far, the accent hasn't been too bad. Honestly, there are so many different accents that someone is probably having a problem understanding me too.
I am finally figuring out my apartment appliances. Amazing what a little sleep will do. The apartment has a manual on how to do everything so that helps a lot. Everyone at the office said I live in a great part of town with lots of trendy and fun things to do.
Friday I tried going to another train station that I heard was near me and I thought, I wasn't in a hurry, just really tired so I tried it. I felt so lost, I was just walking, and walking, and walking, and walking and got to the point where there were just a few other people on the roads and they were just watching the girl with the backpack dripping sweat is is obviously lost. It was about 92 with 63% humidity and the sun really doesn't go down until about 9:30 so this was about 6:30, pretty damned hot. I looked for landmarks, what was I thinking, I don't know any landmarks. I only know things in proximity to one block from the front entrance of my entrance. Well, after about an hour and 15 minutes or so of walking, I admitted defeat, sat on the curb and pulled out my phone. No wi-fi so this was going to cost me to do the walking directions. Guess what? I was two blocks away from my apartment. Yipee. I had come the back way through the back buildings so even if I had kept walking the two blocks, I wouldn't have even recognized it. I felt a little proud of myself for 1) staying on the right side of the river 2) being even remotely near my home and 3) not going back the way I came. I call that progress.
I went out with my co-worker Lynette and her boyfriend Michael to go bowling which we ended up drinking a lot then going to dinner. I think I got home around 11:30 that night but we had fun. That plus the jet lag made Friday a pretty crazy day for me. I didn't go out with some of the people from work that night because of a number of things but the main thing being, I knew I was going to fall asleep.
It seems very easy to be an alcoholic here. Everyone drinks and you don't have to drive, you just need to get on some kind of public transport and if you get lost or tired...just stop in at a pub!
Today, Saturday, I actually was planning to go to Bourough Market (http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/page/3020/Visit+us) to get some veggies, fruit and flowers and it is only about two blocks but I slept through my alarm. So, I will try that next week. I heard that Saturday is the day to go and you must get there early. I am actually in London Bridge Area but more properly the London Bourough of Southwark.
I decided to explore my area to see what I could find and hopefully I would come back with a flat iron (always top of mind).
My first day in the office was Wednesday. It was great seeing some of the people I already know and meeting others that I have only emailed or been on conference calls. The office is very low key, everyone wears t-shirts and flip flops or sandals. There is no air in the office but by the afternoon, it is actually very nice with the window's open and the fans going. Of course, that is when I am on a lot of conference calls because 2:30 is 8:30am US time. The office is right on a busy street so ambulances and police cars are always going by. Nice sound effects to a pretty boring call.
I am probably going to say this a million times but....IT IS SOOO HOT! The temp has been around 85 - 90+ and no one has air conditioning ANYWHERE. Plus the humidity is usually above 50%. That is definitely taking some getting used to. I have to sleep with my apartment windows open so it is noisy but too hot to try to close them because no air circulates. It is actually nice to go underground to wait for the tube because there is usually a breeze on the platforms and I found a good spot to stand between cars where the air blows through to the other cars. It has been good so far but I would image it would NOT be nice if someone stinky is right there.
First impressions of the city...everyone moves so quickly. Getting on the tube, walking down the street, standing in line at Tesco, everyone looks like they are on fast forward. Trying to keep up but the tube is definitely a social study all its own.
On Friday there were tons of people going up and down one set of escalators and stairs and you see just about everyone wearing just about everything. But on this day, there was one young boy holding a pretty heavy suitcase above his head and he was wearing something like harem pants and a sequined hat. Behind him were two women in full burqas running up the stairs. That was really startling because they looked like black ghosts. And they were hauling up a set of really steep stairs. Not one of the escalators that takes about 5 minutes to ascend but it was not a short trip and they were at full speed.
I wear my backpack so I don't have a lot of extra things to worry about on the tube but it really stinks when I am the first one to get off, I try to start out with speed and confidence then everyone is coming at me. Dang it, got off going the wrong way. LOL! I try to read the signs at the station wall before I get off. Seems to be working now that I found that little hint.
Oh yeah, and the first two days were usually based on what almost ran me over when I tried to cross the street. It really is dangerous. I always look the wrong way when crossing and not all of the streets have the cross walk lettering "Look Left" or "Look Right" . (Someone told me about that on Friday. Good to know) So I am using my US training and ...oops, that cab almost hit me....Oops that bicycler is cursing at me because they had to dodge me. Sorry people, I am going to be the person hurt in this situation. Get over it. I think I am getting it down now...I think.
I have not even tried to take the bus alone yet but it that might be an adventure for me next week. It is a little cheaper than the tube and it is covered in my Oyster card. (the card you fill with money to ride the tube, train or bus).
So far, the accent hasn't been too bad. Honestly, there are so many different accents that someone is probably having a problem understanding me too.
I am finally figuring out my apartment appliances. Amazing what a little sleep will do. The apartment has a manual on how to do everything so that helps a lot. Everyone at the office said I live in a great part of town with lots of trendy and fun things to do.
Friday I tried going to another train station that I heard was near me and I thought, I wasn't in a hurry, just really tired so I tried it. I felt so lost, I was just walking, and walking, and walking, and walking and got to the point where there were just a few other people on the roads and they were just watching the girl with the backpack dripping sweat is is obviously lost. It was about 92 with 63% humidity and the sun really doesn't go down until about 9:30 so this was about 6:30, pretty damned hot. I looked for landmarks, what was I thinking, I don't know any landmarks. I only know things in proximity to one block from the front entrance of my entrance. Well, after about an hour and 15 minutes or so of walking, I admitted defeat, sat on the curb and pulled out my phone. No wi-fi so this was going to cost me to do the walking directions. Guess what? I was two blocks away from my apartment. Yipee. I had come the back way through the back buildings so even if I had kept walking the two blocks, I wouldn't have even recognized it. I felt a little proud of myself for 1) staying on the right side of the river 2) being even remotely near my home and 3) not going back the way I came. I call that progress.
I went out with my co-worker Lynette and her boyfriend Michael to go bowling which we ended up drinking a lot then going to dinner. I think I got home around 11:30 that night but we had fun. That plus the jet lag made Friday a pretty crazy day for me. I didn't go out with some of the people from work that night because of a number of things but the main thing being, I knew I was going to fall asleep.
It seems very easy to be an alcoholic here. Everyone drinks and you don't have to drive, you just need to get on some kind of public transport and if you get lost or tired...just stop in at a pub!
Today, Saturday, I actually was planning to go to Bourough Market (http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/page/3020/Visit+us) to get some veggies, fruit and flowers and it is only about two blocks but I slept through my alarm. So, I will try that next week. I heard that Saturday is the day to go and you must get there early. I am actually in London Bridge Area but more properly the London Bourough of Southwark.
I decided to explore my area to see what I could find and hopefully I would come back with a flat iron (always top of mind).
Although it was hot, hot, hot, I had a nice adventure and must have walked for about 4-5 hours straight.
I walked from my flat to go to a place called Hays Galleria (http://www.haysgalleria.co.uk/pages/about_us.html) where there supposed to be a few shops and I thought, I will find a flat iron there. Not what I expected but it was pretty cool.
I walked from my flat to go to a place called Hays Galleria (http://www.haysgalleria.co.uk/pages/about_us.html) where there supposed to be a few shops and I thought, I will find a flat iron there. Not what I expected but it was pretty cool.
Lots of tourist and it led out to the river right near Tower Bridge . 
There were a few guys in the middle playing Bocci.
And of course everyone was gearing up for the final World Cup match coming up.
After going into Starbucks (again, I go there now more than ever) for something cold, I walked the stores a little and then to the river.
This is Tower Bridge. http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TBE/EN/) 
I think most everyone thinks this is London Bridge.But apparently there was a wealthy American that purchased London Bridge, thinking it was Tower Bridge and that bridge is now in Arizona. Stupid Americans. LOL!
People like to chuckle when they tell this story and elaborate on the fact that is is a piece of architectural junk and Englad was glad to be rid of it. I think next time I am in Arizona, I will have to check it out.
I am sure there is lots going on here.
They call London the Capital City of the World.
It was actually pretty pleasant near the river so it was not nearly as hot even with thousands of people there.
I actually saw an Indian man with a Jeri Curl, activator, ringletts, the whole thing. He was sitting in the shade (you know activator and the sun DO NOT mix). I tried to take a picture of him but it came out dark. It was a sight. I acted like I was taking a picture of the battle ship behind him and he was ducking out of the way, I said "You're okay, don't worry about moving." Sneaky Sneaky. Uh Oh, someone's cousin from 1982 is in London. Somebody better come get him. 
He is Ready for the World . Here you go... uh...Oh, Sheila..uh, uh, uh...Oh Sheila.
There were lots of different things going on. From some young boys and girls doing traditional Indian dance (they look like beginners) then going into Beyonce and Michael Jackson routines.
He is Ready for the World . Here you go... uh...Oh, Sheila..uh, uh, uh...Oh Sheila.There were lots of different things going on. From some young boys and girls doing traditional Indian dance (they look like beginners) then going into Beyonce and Michael Jackson routines.
[I have a video but for some reason, I can't upload it right now.]
Then there was a Korean festival. But I think they had Japanese represented too.
Past the bridge was a shaded area with shops and restaurants. There was one shop I went into that had these animals dressed like fam
ous people. I loved them. I like the Snoop Dogg dog that had a pin that said "I love Bitches" then there was a cat dressed like Audrey Heburn and another like Amy Winehouse. The Michael Jason and Mr. T ones were pretty funny too.
ous people. I loved them. I like the Snoop Dogg dog that had a pin that said "I love Bitches" then there was a cat dressed like Audrey Heburn and another like Amy Winehouse. The Michael Jason and Mr. T ones were pretty funny too.Then I walked out to the river and saw the Design Museum (Didn't go in this time), http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2010/brit-insurance-designs-of-the-year
This Sculpture is outside the Design Museum and is called Head of Intention. It was installed in 1989. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Paolozzi
There were also several interesting river side cafes and some other homes right on the river.
I didn't actually go across the bridge today but it is so close to my flat, then I can try that for another day.
On my way back, I tried to figure out if I take this stop at the tube, how far would it be to walk home every day. I got a little lost but it took about 20 minutes from that tube stop and there are lots of really cool pubs, a different grocery store and several services that I might find I need over the next 6 weeks.
Maybe after next week, I will try to actually walk to the office, I hear it is about 30 minutes and it crosses the river. I think that is Brit speed so I am going to count about 45 minutes or more. Shorter than it took me to walk from the tube station on Friday!
Tomorrow (or just about an 70 minutes from now) is Sunday so I think I will try another area, possibly closer into Central London where my office is. I did a little exploring with a few coworkers for lunch and there is a world famous graffiti area that I want to take pictures of. right outside the back door of my office. Maybe tomorrow there will be people actually painting.
I actually make my Tesco run a daily ritual because...there are so many hot guys in there, it is like Christmas. Seriously, if I could get away with taking pictures of them, you know I would. It is definitely a people watching point, everyone is checking everyone out. It is also near a trendy gym at the bottom of my building so that means cute AND buff but not overly. I love grocery shopping.
Going to sleep now.
Cheers,
Erika
I didn't actually go across the bridge today but it is so close to my flat, then I can try that for another day.
On my way back, I tried to figure out if I take this stop at the tube, how far would it be to walk home every day. I got a little lost but it took about 20 minutes from that tube stop and there are lots of really cool pubs, a different grocery store and several services that I might find I need over the next 6 weeks.
Maybe after next week, I will try to actually walk to the office, I hear it is about 30 minutes and it crosses the river. I think that is Brit speed so I am going to count about 45 minutes or more. Shorter than it took me to walk from the tube station on Friday!
Tomorrow (or just about an 70 minutes from now) is Sunday so I think I will try another area, possibly closer into Central London where my office is. I did a little exploring with a few coworkers for lunch and there is a world famous graffiti area that I want to take pictures of. right outside the back door of my office. Maybe tomorrow there will be people actually painting.
I actually make my Tesco run a daily ritual because...there are so many hot guys in there, it is like Christmas. Seriously, if I could get away with taking pictures of them, you know I would. It is definitely a people watching point, everyone is checking everyone out. It is also near a trendy gym at the bottom of my building so that means cute AND buff but not overly. I love grocery shopping.
Going to sleep now.
Cheers,
Erika
OMG...you are cracking me up! I can tell reading your blog will be my daily highlight for the next 6 weeks! Glad you are having a good time! Miss you already...
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