Lazy

Updates to come! I promise!

I hope all readers had great holidays and that their New Year's Eve will be lovely!

Last Day

Today is my last full day in London! Eek!

So at the beginning of my stay here I was completely overwhelmed with how to spend my time when not in class (which, let's face it, is an awful lot).

So I made a list of things that I HAD to do. Of course, I ended up going above and beyond, but this was just a jumping off point. Also, I like making lists if only to check things off!

1. Go to Primrose Hill

Kind of a crappy picture, but you get the idea. You can faintly see the London Eye.

I'd really never heard of Primrose Hill before, but I read about it in one of my guidebooks and it said that it has one of the best views in London. And believe me, it did. It's in this very tony and swank neighborhood where apparently lots of celebrities reside. I strolled around one of the main streets and it was all low-key high-end. Not at all touristy. All the beautiful locals were eating at outdoor cafes (lots of young hip moms and stuff). Gwyneth was nowhere to be found, sadly.

2. Eat Indian food

My dad at Masala Zone.

What with the huge Indian population here, London has a ton of great Indian food. I really enjoy Indian food, but I can't say that I've had any awesome stuff in New Orleans (and plus I was kind of scared after I choked at Abhita's house on her mom's cooking ... but anyway). So can you believe that I didn't eat any until I went to Paris to visit Katie?! Sadly, it was only OK. But then when my parents came into town we ate at this super yummy restaurant in Covent Garden with humongous portions. And then when Katie came to visit me I wanted to redeem our Indian experience so I took her there again. Yum.

3. Go to Portobello Market

I knew next to nothing about Portobello Market, I could only identify it from my Teen Vogue reading days. But it was very exciting to go! It's in the Notting Hill neighborhood, which is also swank and all that, but this is a few streets over from all the pricey-ness. TONS of street vendors, selling beautiful produce and flowers, and even fish and meat, as well as vintage clothes. After spotting a designer purse (I think it was Bottega Venetta and it was ugly) and I sifted through a bunch hoping for more finds but of course not. But it was fun, I love a hunt! There's also food vendors - I got a ridiculous serving of churros and chocolate and sat on a bench with a woman who had gotten the same. Love this place!

4. Sit in cafe near Buckingham Palace

Photo Credit: Breelyn Ganin

All that was left at this point was the cone...

Why this is on my list - I cannot tell you. All I know is that my future husband lives there for part of the year, and I guess I thought I just wanted to be nearby soaking up the life I want...? I crazy, I know. But my friends and I went there one of the first weekends (too late for the tour, but that's OK I've done it before) and then went to a cafe to detox from all the walking, since this is when it was still semi-warm outside. Sigh, miss those days. And I had delicious coffee ice cream.

5. Visit Harrod's

Did this twice! First time was when Kaileigh visited. Oh and while we were in the home furnishings department S Club 7 was playing on the soundsystem. It was like all my English dreams coming true at once. And then when my parents visited we went again. And true story, my dad shook hands with Mr. Al Fayed (the beyond-rich owner). And then he tried to find the perfume that one of his high school girlfriends wore (why I do not know).

6. National Gallery

Again, did this twice. First time was solo, which was fine for me, I enjoy looking at art by myself. And they have this painting by Hans Holbein, The Ambassadors, which I wrote an essay on in my Survey II class sophomore year, which was pretty cool because there's an optical illusion in the painting that I could never figure out from the textbook, and then seeing it in person really made sense. Also one of my favorite Renoir paintings is there. I took Emily there when she visited and I think she enjoyed it!

7. Shop at Primark

Primark is crazy. It's very crowded, and not too well organized and cheap-cheap. I got an awesome trench coat and a black and white dress (how could I resist) and as well as some crazy pumps that I always wore to Club Sandwich and could barely walk in. I guess it's kind of like going to Century 21 in New York City - lots of jostling other people and digging through clothes and stuff.

8. Eat a pasty

First of all, I'm an idiot and for the longest time thought it rhymed with 'tasty'. No, it's like cast-ty, if that were a word. So, whenever I get off the train at London Bridge, the Cornwall Pasty Company is right there and it smells so freakin-good. Like artery-clogging good. When I was in Bath and starving and looking for food I saw one of their stores and got a spicy vegetable one. Yes it was very good, but not something I'd eat probably until my next London visit. Also, they're mentioned in Harry Potter so of course I wanted one.

9. Buy British candy

Weird, yes, but they have cool candy here that's just not in the States. I can't say buying candy is something I do very often, but I thought, why not! When I was waiting at Paddington Station for my train to visit Oxford I was bored and so went to WHSmith for a magazine and candy. I honestly can't remember what I got, but it was delicious!

10. See a show

I'm a musical-nut so of course this was something I wanted to do. When my parents visited, my mom and I saw Billy Elliot! I was very skeptical (since it was a lot of British kids kind of like Oliver! which scarred me for life) but I was wrong. It was amazing. Go see it right now. I laughed, I cried, I loved it. Also, all my friends are in this London Theater class where they got to see a show every week, and since there was extra tickets one time I got to see the War Horse with them. Also very excellent and a tear-jerker.

So yes, this was super long and if you read until the end, good for you! Cheerio!

Sad

So today was probably my final trip into Central London, for various reasons, one of which is the fact that my oystercard is down to like 90 pence and I have no cash to top it up.

But on the tube/train ride back to school, I legit started to tear up. Who would've thought something like public transportation would make me sentimental??

Ima miss you, London.

Final Countdown

So I realized that I only have one week left in London before going back stateside (!) (I leave on the 12th).

! Exciting I know. I miss all my friends and my family and my cat and my dog and my bed and Special K Chocolately Delight ... but I'm for reals gonna miss here too.

I will miss having a flat full of friends, and going to get Thai at the HobGob. I'll miss hopping on the Tube to go do fun London things (won't miss having to take the train to even get to the Tube grrr stupid construction). I'll miss British accents, and "cheers!" even though I'm still not quite sure what that means... . And when I go back to Richmond in January I'll definitely miss weekly classes and super light workload!

So here's to one last fabulous week! (Although I've checked the forecast and it appears there'll be rain like every last day I'm here...typical London.)

Meep

I'm sick, and the rugby boys were being obnoxious and loud (although they've now left thank goodness). I just want to be at home.

Although I know two Wednesdays from now I'll just be wishing I was getting ready to go to Club Sandwich again.