I have had a very lazy day- My friends and I did not get in till 5 am last night, so I def slept till 2 today. On top of that I have a cold. I am sneezing every other minute. Luckily I brought plenty of medicine so hopefully I will get better quickly.
Last night was the first night I have been out in London. My roommates and I decided to go and do something together. We spent hours getting ready, picking out the right outfit, doing hair and make up. We went and met some people I sort of know at their flat, we decided not to stay because we wanted something more upbeat. We all love to dance and since it was our first night out, we wanted to do it BIG. Ha The first place we went just because we were walking around in Piccadilly (an area of London, that has a lot of nightlife) and someone handed us a coupon to get in free. The club was called Sirocco; it was alright, a good place to start out. Oh, and if you are wondering what people do with their jackets and scarves when they go out, I will tell you. I was really curious of this myself, as I never really have to wear a heavy coat and scarf in Birmingham. Most of the places have coat checks. You pay per item, and receive a ticket. This can get pricey however if you go to multiple places. It is usually 1.50 to 2.00 pounds per item. Some people find areas in the room to hide their coats. The first place we went, we hid ours behind a couch. Anyways- thought you would like to know- J
After Sirocco we wanted something even more upbeat. We had passed a club earlier in the night that had the longest line I had ever seen to get into a club. Long line = must be fun right? We went back, got in line, and as we got closer we realized you had to be on the guest list. We started talking to the guy in front of us, and he said he could try and get us in. It worked! They paged someone from the back; he came and looked at us, and let us through. We felt really cool. VIP style. This place was huge. There were so many people. A lot of international people were there. Lights were flashing, music was blaring. It was awesome. We danced until our bodies wouldn’t let us anymore, and probably some after that. We stayed till it closed and took the bus back to our hostel. It was a lot of fun, but I don’t know if I can handle staying out that late again for a while. It makes me feel old, I can’t bounce back like I used to.
Friday (day)
I worked on Friday. Wanja called around 10 and told me I had a job from 9 till 3 30 if I wanted it. Obviously I was going to be late. She told me it was working at an elderly day care center. It sounded interesting so I agreed. I arrived at the center, which was only 17 min away, a lot closer than the nursery. I had no clue what I was going to be doing. My initial thought of what I might be doing came to mind: changing bedpans! Hopefully not… My job was to basically hang out with the old people. It was great! I helped serve them lunch, and helped a few walk to another room, but other than that I sat and spent some quality time with them. One lady broke out in song and dance with her cane. It’s amazing to see how people of this age become like children again. Some of them are helpless in everyday tasks that you never think will be taken away from you, especially by age. It’s humbling to a degree. Another way they appear childlike is in their demeanor and/or attitudes. Some of them were so giddy at the smallest things, and yet some would pout because something did not go their way. It was a bit humorous. One lady I talked to was from Spain, I told her I lived in Spain for a month (in Spanish). She refused to speak to me in English after that. I had no clue what she was saying, but I just nodded. I smiled when she smiled and laughed when she laughed, and that seemed to work out. I kept telling her I didn’t understand much, but she kept rolling away in Spanish. Soon after we were talking, I looked over and she had her head hung down asleep. Maybe I wore her out. The staff then got out a fake Christmas tree to put together, and all the elders were so excited to be apart of putting the tree together. They kept asking for more to do. You could tell they wanted to feel needed and helpful. I was talking to one of the workers about why they have the center, and she said basically to just let them feel like they have a purpose. I think that is awesome. I have not studied much on the psychological effects of aging, but I imagine it is a lot to deal with. The body is pretty much decaying, your friends are dieing, and your mind is getting worse. There can be a sense of hopelessness and despair. I would love to go back and work at this center again. It was a lot of fun, and I think a lot can be learned from the attendants there. The older the wiser right?

By the way, I have posted pics from my cheesy bus tour- Look up at the top left for the link!

BeautifuL

Is this picture not amazing? Wow- It is not in black and white by the way, I took it out a bus window and this is how it turned out. Today was a beautiful day! It rained a bit off and on, but when it wasn't, the sun was beaming. I took lots of pics and will post them shortly. I walked around a lot today, took a 2 hour bus tour, and set up a bank account. It was great! I am craving my mom's vegetable soup. mmmmmm :(

Thanks to all those who are keeping up with me! I am kinda getting into this blog thing!

Al

I will start off by saying one of the things I have had the hardest time getting use to is walking. I don’t mean the physical demand that it takes, but the simple rule of which side of the sidewalk one should walk on. Thinking of this I have flashbacks to elementary schools time when teachers were yelling down the hallway “To the right side of the hall!” Makes sense though, it corresponds with how we drive. Here, it is completely opposite. I can’t tell you how many times I have bumped into people, or felt in the way, because I am walking against everyone. I can not get it in my head to go down the left set of stairs, or to stand on the right of the escalator so that those may pass on the left. I know this may sound simple, but come over here and try it. It’s not!
Yesterday: I was called this weekend by Wanja, my agency contact to work at the Tweeddale Children’s Center. I did not know how long it would take me to get there, so I woke up at 5 45 AM. I actually ended up having no trouble finding it, even with all the tube line exchanges and bus routes. I arrived at 7:40, but my shift didn’t start till half 8 (British lingo for 8:30). I worked until 5 45, and with waiting for the bus and correct tubes, didn’t get home till 8:00. I was exhausted. In the nursery we had 20ish kids aged 2-3. Wow- first off they were all precious, however I was not into the un potty trained runny noses of a bunch. I actually had a hard time understanding them some times. They did sound so cute with their accents though. It was a very diverse group of kids. There were African- American, White, African-American/Indian mixed, and Pakistanian. It was a challenge for me in that the British lingo was thrown in my face- which is not a complaint (I am in London), however it took some getting used to. A kid spilt his juice, and I forgot not to say this word, and asked for a napkin. I won’t explain that one, you can google it. Their diapers are called nappies. Their pants are trousers, (pants is underwear over here). When they go to the bathroom, they call it a wee wee. Their tennis shoes are called trainers. I had to catch myself anytime I wanted to ask them if they needed to go potty, tell them to pull their pants up, tell them to come put on their shoes, etc, etc.) I also think they had a little harder of a time understanding me. I am not going to lie; I did tend to put a British accent on some words when no other adults were around- ha
It definitely made for a long day. I have had jobs in many different categories, and I will vouch that child care is by far the most tiring. It takes all your energy, especially kids at that age. They require constant attention. For me, I would not be interested in working here again. I know it is just a temp job, but I don’t know if the commute and long hours are worth it. I love kids, but 20 of them are a bit much. Plus I have been taking care of kids (great kids) up until close to when I left, so I don’t want to come to London and do the same thing. As a shout out to the Foote’s I taught the nursery kids how to do the hokey pokey. They loved it! They wanted to do it over and over. J


Today:
I am in my hostel, The International Student Hostel. Its name speaks for itself. I hear maybe 3 different languages walking down the hallway. They have a cafeteria downstairs with decent food, and upon check in I received seven 2.50 pound vouchers to use for meals. I am in a dorm style room with three other girls. So far, so good!
I finally made it to a museum today! The Museum of London was very interesting. It displays artifacts and information divided up into “Before London was London”, Roman Britain, Medieval Times, and The Great Fire, to name a few. Half of the museum is closed due to renovation. The parts I found most interesting were the Black Death (plague) and the Great Fire of 1666. There were videos on both these topics as well as really good artwork. I was in the museum for over 2 and half hours, trying to soak everything in.
I am vegging out the rest of the night. I have my make up apt with the bank to set up an account tomorrow, and then I hope to go to Camden Town and one of the Royal Parks.
Until Then,
Alison

Uneventful...

I should be writing about how wonderful the museums were, but the past two days I have had such a hard time with sleeping and waking up at the appropriate times. I could not go to sleep until 6 am the past two nights; therefore I am sleeping till 2! This is frustrating!
Saturday:
I attempted to visit the National History Museum, but two of the trains I was on decided to shut down. It was a mess..... I had to switch lines, then I ended up going in the wrong direction, so I eventually gave up when I realized the museum was closing in 30 minutes. I decided to check out Oxford Circus instead. Wow- it was crazy! I have never seen so many people on one street in my entire life. This was like Times Square times 3! As soon as I exited the underground station fireworks started going off and Christmas music was blaring. It was amazing. I couldn't stop my self from smiling. I'm sure I looked funny, because I was all by myself grinning from ear to ear. ha. Everyone was oooing and ahhing. It was incredible. After the show ended I continued walking down the street. Sales were everywhere. Huge signs on all the windows displaying mark downs. It took all I had not to buy something..... well ok- I gave in. I bought three scarves, but I am taking two of them back! Snow flurries began landing on my nose, confusing me, because it wasn't that cold. Later, I saw a man on top of a department store building with a snow machine. Christmas Lights and decorations were everywhere. It was so pretty!
Sunday
Unfortunately I slept late AGAIN. I went ahead and took my HUGE 70lbs suitcase to the hostel I am staying at tomorrow night. I refuse to lug all that stuff again. I then went to ALL SOULS church on Oxford Street. I enjoyed the service a lot. It was so cool to sing Christmas carols with Christians that live across the ocean from where I grew up. I sat next to a couple from Australia, who were in town on business. They were really nice. I think I will visit this church again and try it out some more. There were a lot of international people there. I saw many of Asian origin. This encourages me and I can't exactly explain why. I realize that whenever I see someone who is not 'American' I think chances are they aren't a Christian. I shouldn't judge. It was just really cool and uplifting to see Asians, Indians, Spanish, etc. worshipping Christ.
Now:
I have just taken two Tylenol pms and am hoping they kick in soon. I am working tomorrow. For those who don't know: I am over here with the intent on being an 'unqualified social worker'. (Unqualified, because I do not have my masters) I have gone through an agency, UK Pro. They are sending out my paperwork and information to try and get me interviews. Until then they have people call them who need temporary work. So that's what I am doing tomorrow. I will be in Sutton, a borough of London. I am working at a daycare called Tweeddale Children's Center. Isn't that a funny name? I have to be there at 8 30. I am a little nervous about finding it, as it is over an hour and a half away. I change lines 4 times on the tube, then walk/find the bus stop- ride a bus 20 min, and then walk to the address. Pray for me! This will be a challenge. ha
I work till 5 45 and then rush back in rush hour and grab my stuff to check in at my other hostel. I have to obtain my suitcase by 8 if I want it for the night. Tomorrow will be hectic. I am excited though. And hey- its money.....pounds on top of that.

That's all I got-
Cheers!

Can't Sleep

It is on the brinks of 3 am here and I am wide awake. I could go for some Cocina Superior guacomole, salsa, and a mojito with rachel and hayes right about now. Today was a good day. Orientation went well. I have an appointment to open a bank account on Monday, so that makes me feel productive! I had lunch with two girls from orientation. We went to this place called Yo Sushi, really cool atmosphere. I had two pieces of sushi and a bowl of fruit and my bill was 9 pounds! Thats 18 dollars! I'm glad the custom is not to tip here. :) For dinner I indulged in the well known London fish and chips. I had an 11 inch long fried cod with french fries (chips) slathered in vinegar. It was really good! Really greasy, but really good! I am really excited about tomorrow as I am going to explore London. I have nothing to do, so I thought I mind as well make the most of it. I plan to go to the National History Museum, the British Museum, and the Museum of London. I hope to see the changing of the guards, and visit a few of the royal parks. I will try to take lots of pictures so I can post them soon! I am about to pop a tylenol pm and try and get some shut eye.
Cheers
Al

My body hates me.....

Alas, I am in the UK; although, my body is still in America. I bet I lost 6 pounds today! I knew transporting my luggage was going to be interesting, but let me just paint a picture for you. ( I will try to put an actual picture of this soon) My suitcase originally weighed 75 pounds, which would have cost me 100 extra dollars to check it. I sent 5 pounds of t-shirts home with my parents and then only had to pay 50. I also checked a traveler's backpack. It's huge, towering over my head as I walk. I don't even want to guess how much it weighs, but my shoulders are killing me! And last but not least my carry on, which can either be carried or rolled. I could barely pick it up, so here I am rolling two suitcases behind me with a giant back pack on trying to maneuver in out and of the tube (subway). That alone attracted some looks my way, I even heard one girl say "Americans", and then somehow I managed to get my largest suitcase stuck while the tube doors were closing. I wish I had it on tape. ha From all this chaos, I was burning up literally sweating, and it was 48 degrees I think. The directions to where I am staying said a 7 min walk from the tube station. I don't know what kind of walking these people do, I think she meant to put a 7 min sprint, granted I was stopping every 3 feet to rest with all my luggage. So, like I said my body hates me. No sleep. No food. Over 150 pounds of weight bearing down on me while walking 100 miles. Craziness. I don't recommend anyone to try it. Anyways enough of that
My day:
I am staying in a flat that a lady owns and rents out rooms for a short let. There is another lady renting the room beside mine. She is from Ireland, and in London to research for her thesis. The room is a lot bigger than I anticipated. There are two twin size beds, so I am using one to pile all my stuff on. I thought I would explore a bit of the city to try and get some groundings. The tube system is pretty easy. It's a lot like Madrid's, which is color coded. London and Madrid's underground transportation is sooo much easier than NYC. I found the Bunac office, went in looked around, checked email, etc. Then I found the hostel that I will be staying at starting Monday. These are both on the Circle. It's the yellow line that just loops around the center of London. I ran into these two guys who reeked of alcohol. They explained to me some 'game' that Londoners play, I can't remember the name at the moment. Anywho, you ride the circle and get off each stop and have a drink. That does not sound like much fun to me. The tube ride alone makes you lose your balance, I can't imagine being intoxicated on top of that, especially with how hot it gets with so many people crammed in. Maybe that's just me.... I then went and bought a UK cell phone, which I have no clue how I am going to memorize my number. It's 10 digits long! Ooooo and of course I went by starbucks to get a chai tea latte and was happy to discover I can use my starbucks gift card from the states.(hint hint to mom and dad :) )
Overall:
It was a great day. It's 7 pm here or 19:00 and I am exhausted. I could do the lights out thing right now. I don't want to be jet lagged for more than a day or two though, so I am trying to wait till 10 at least. The weather was perfect, BLUE SKY, which I hear rarely happens. I enjoyed the temperature, very tolerable, especially under my conditions. Tomorrow, I will head to the Bunac office for orientation and hopefully make some friends. Until then......... CHEERS
Praises for the day:
Safe flight
Empty seat beside me, so I actually got to lay down on the flight!!
No mishaps
No stress
Nice people to help me with my luggage
A day of Commen Sense, I don't get it every day :)
The Lord is good!
Alison

Getting closer!

I am moving out of my apartment tomorrow and moving back home to Alex City. ahhh, BORING- but I just have to tolerate 3 weeks and then I'm a Londoner...... It's getting harder to fall asleep at night, as my mind races with expectations of what is to come. I have been talking with a lady who is helping me get a job as an unqualified social worker in the UK. She has been amazing. She mentioned that I might have to rent a car over there and take driving lessons on Saturdays. WAIT A MINUTE........ me driving on the passenger side of the car on the opposite side of the road, that does not sound like something I want to partake in. Ha. I want to be living/working in Central London, but I can't be too picky. I am so excited about meeting all sorts of interesting and new people. Can't wait to keep you updated!

Cheers!

So, this is the first entry to hopefully many. I am not one to journal, but I think this is the best way to let everyone know what I am up to across the ocean. I have to say, I am becoming very anxious as my departure date draws near. I am flying out November 28th. At this point I am heading over alone with no job or place to live. Sounds good right? I know this moving thing is just something I have to do right now. This point in my life is such a strange transition. Half of my classmates are either married, engaged, or almost engaged and working full time. This lifestyle sounds miserable to me. No offense to those who it makes happy, but I feel I have so much to experience before I am ready to settle down with someone and work 40 hours a week until I'm 65. Ugh- So, the plan is to continue my education by attending grad school. However, I have no clue what career path I want to pursue, so until then London it is! So stay tuned to read about all my adventures, mishaps, and hopefully some good fortunes.
Until then....
cheers-(hayes I'm stealing this from you)