So I'm not really a blogger but I thought it would be a good idea to record my experiences in London so I don't forget about them. This will be beneficial to me and if you feel so inclined to read along, then I will welcome you.
Welcome!
Now that you are officially welcomed, let's dive into my journey across the pond.
The journey started off a bit rough as it took two days to get to London. Upon arrival at the Salt Lake airport, my flight to Houston was delayed 3 hours. I flew with 3 others: Julia Hatfield, Amy Hilton, and Jeff Morain. We decided to switch airlines from United to Delta in hopes of making our connecting flight in Houston. We got on board and all seemed well until to our surprise, another delay occurred: Apparently Houston was experiencing funky weather or something and we weren't allowed to take off until it cleared up. 3 HOURS LATER, sitting in a plane, we finally took off and made it to Houston.
We arrived in Houston just as our connecting flight was supposed to take off. In a desperate attempt to catch the flight, all four of us ran as fast as we could (awkwardly with our bags) across the Houston airport. This was classic movie material: it was like the scene in Home Alone when the family is racing through the airport or like the scene in a romantic comedy when the dude realizes he's been a major jerk and that he can't live without the love of his life and must dash through the airport to find her, gets down on one knee and proposes. They kiss, they cry, they kiss again and then cut to credits with happy cheesy love songs. This is how life works in romantic comedies. Well, we were not in a romantic comedy and so our climax ended in running, cramping, sweating, and looking like the Rugrats in the end.
Bedraggled and bloodshot, we all spent the night in Houston to catch a flight the following day. This was actually alright with me because I got to spend a little bit of time in Houston, which is where I served my mission. Julia's parents live in Katy, just outside of Houston; they were kind enough to let us spend the night. We ate greasy fast food at Whataburger and enjoyed Cookie's 'n' Cream Bluebell ice-cream. I felt personally responsible to convert my fellow planemates to Bluebell. I preached on the rooftops of the rich creamed flavors and smooth flowy textures, but alas, my efforts were proved in vain as they opted for sleep instead.
Thankfully the flight from Houston to London had zero problems. It was my first time flying over an ocean and I was a bit nervous. Over land, a plane can likely land in case of an emergency, but overseas there's nothing! Except sharks. And my faithful viewing of Sharkweek every year has taught me to fear these soulless beasts more than anything else. Even spiders. It was the first time I actually took the time to read what to do in case of an emergency. Thankfully the sharks didn't get to me this time 'round. I just know that I'll die from a shark someday. It's only a matter of time.
This was the first time I had TV on a plane which was neat. Jeff watched Minority Report, Amy watched some freaky deaky horror movie which I hate, and Julia watched like 20 movies -- not sure how. I didn't watch anything. I mostly enjoyed reading and listening to the Beatles. It was also my first time eating a meal on a plane. After the experience, I think I would rather be eaten by a shark.
Well...I think I must've lost the 2 readers of this blog by now. I haven't even written about London yet. But now you have a taste for how I felt! It took me forever to get to London.
Okay, so I've discovered that jet lag is a real thing and not some stupid excuse some people use. The first couple of days I was way tired and felt really dizzy. The dizziness is slowly going away but it's been weird getting used to. It was a bummer that I felt sick the first two days but things are much better now.
There's so much yet for me to discover and learn but I'm already loving this city. The underground public transportation (the "Tubes") are so much fun to travel in. It's insane how full these can get, especially in morning and evening rush hour. The locals are quiet and keep to themselves on the tubes. I sense that many of them get annoyed at our group because of how loud we get sometimes. Our excitement is understandable, but many of us need to do better to respect their customs and minimize the stereotype of being obnoxious, loud Americans.
One of my favorite things before each tube departure is an automated female voice that says "Mind the gap between the train and the platform." I don't know why I like this so much but I do. We get to our destinations by navigating the tubes as well as much walking. There are no street signs here like you'd see in the U.S. The names of each street have a large sign hanging on a gate or building.
So far the food tastes more fresh than in the states, especially orange juice, fruits, and cheeses. The cheese is fantastic! The candy bars are incredible. I'll bring some home with me. I'm usually not a big candy guy but there's this chocolate bar called a Twirl which is to die for.
Watching the World Cup in pubs is a big deal here so many of us have ordered fish 'n' chips while watching the World Cup in various pubs around town. People are generally friendly and it's been fun observing the atmosphere, even though I don't get into soccer. Stop faking your injuries you big weenies!
I live with 3 roommates in my flat: Jeff Morain, Daniel Glade, and Ben Gentile. Our flat is directly across the street from Hyde Park and Kensington Garden which is beautiful. We have to climb 6 flights of stairs to get to our flat with no elevator. That's 95 steps. It's worth the view though!
Real quick because I know I'm boring you to death, here's a little bit about some places we've been to so far:
Harod's: a ginormous department store. I got lost several times in its labyrinth-like layout. Everything costs a zillion dollars but it was fun to look at. There were Harry Potter toys, giant lego thingys, and a bunch of beautifully made little princess dresses that reminded me of my niece, Brynn.
British Museum: This too is massive and is impossible to experience everything in one visit. I got to see some amazing ancient Egypt displays including the Rosetta Stone as well as galleries of ancient Greece and other artifacts that this museum has remarkably collected. I will need to go back during my 6 weeks to experience more of this amazing place.
Camden Market: I really stink at bartering. I always feel bad for the seller thinking that they need the money. However, I was able to barter down the price a bit to get my Mom a gift I think she will like.
And today we saw a production of King Lear at the National Theater directed by Sam Mendes. This play is intense! It's powerful, thought provoking story has left me contemplating its themes. I still don't understand all the complexities; I would be well served to study this work in more depth down the road.
That's probably enough for one week, eh? Thanks for readin.....oh...I think I've lost everyone.
Goodnight internet.
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