Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Me first!

As the youngest child of a family this is often my catch phrase well there is the fact that I have a selfish streak but we'll leave that for another.

Six months ago I had to leave my darling Irmingaard! Oh can we just use our real names because I can't remember what the h-e-double hockey sticks my user/call name was!

So I'm in England and I'm useless when it comes to keeping blogs up to date, it's like my endless attempts at keeping a diary. I'd start the diary but inevitably after one or two entries weeks sometimes months apart I'd abandon it. I think it was just my fixation with office supplies and writing pads that fuelled my attempts. I've actually banned myself from going into Office Depot, here is Blighty it's called Rymans, unless I know what I want for fear that I'll buy stuff I just don't need. Anyway...I digress.

I pitched an idea to esteemed co-blogger and suggested we should make this blog a transatlantic conversation as only we know we can do well that is if we actually update the bloody blog. This is a bit of an experiment so bear with us.

Six months in England, well more precisely in London has been interesting, that's about as politely as I can put it at this point in time. I was stupid and moved into to student residence- oy vey! I don't remember residence being this bad in Canada but maybe it's because I was younger and innocent (yes...there was a time I was innocent). I have the room right next to the bathroom and I think the walls are entirely comprised of cigarette paper because I can hear EVERYTHING, there's nothing like being woken up to the dulcet sounds of post St.Patrick's Day vomiting. Uh! That whole bottle of rum you drank isn't sitting well, I wonder why? How about try not drinking the whole fecking bottle next time. Ya...as you can see patience is waning. I should take a picture of the endless pile of dirty dishes in the shared kitchen, even better; a picture of our cockroachy neighbours.

I've begun looking for a place to live because after being woken up to St. Patrick's day vomiting and having some doorknob melt the bottom of our communal electrical kettle on the one of the burners thinking that a plastic kettle obviously goes there (did I tell you some of my roomates have the mental capacity of amoebas?) I've kind of had enough. So two minutes on Gumtree (the UK version of Craigslist) I've already found a scam ad, great...this going well. Next I get some guy asking to see my bank statements to rent a room in house, are you kidding me? Ya how about a big fat NO to that. I'm looking at a room tonight and an apartment tomorrow hopefully I have better luck then I've had so far. Apartment looks promising, it's in Putney but it only takes one bus to get from there to the university, furthermore it's all mine! No sharing! I'm so getting progressively more curmudgeonly in my old age, I was bad in Vancouver but it's getting worse. I think living in residence has just emphasised my need to have my own place.

Miss Canada more and more every day. I thought by now I'd be over it but it only seems to be hitting me now, I don't get it. Shouldn't I have gone through this months ago? I think it's finally sinking in that I'm in England studying, it's only taken six months and two trips to Africa to sort that out. I don't know that I could say what exactly I miss about Canada, I think in part it has to do with knowing how to deal with day to day situations, I know what the social boundaries are in Canada. I know it sounds stupid but I react like a Canadian which is not the British way to react to some things....does that make sense?

I can't really complain too much, I am living in London after all. I went to see a West End who at Christmas (Jersey Boys), it was awesome! I would recommend it to anyone. I've visited Hampton Court Palace grounds many times and been inside the palace once since I've been here. I even went skating at the Hampton Court rink right after Christmas, so much fun! On Sunday, I was at the Wallace Collection which was collected by the Hanworth family and then bequeathed to one of their servants by the name of Wallace who then willed it to the state. There are Titians, Rembrandts, Fragonards, Watteaus and other great masters, however the collection is not solely comprised on paintings you have furniture, porcelain, chandeliers, armour, swords, etc. It is really stunning and I would recommend it to anyone visiting London and it's not usually very busy. There have a great restaurant which I didn't have a chance to visit because it was way too busy on Sunday, but I'm sure I'll get around to it.

Well I'll sign off for now. Hope everyone is doing well and I miss you all loads. Enjoy!