right. i noticed i didn't post yesterday, so i'll have to post twice as hard today. here we go!
yesterday: i walked in to Brighton proper from Mel & Neils, had some chips (french fries), and walked back. stopped at a few shops on the way down, got a bit lost on the way back. not too much worth mentioning, actually. found a few places i'd been passively looking for, and walked through a few other shops that were decent. yeah.
sorry, just watched the "Sweet Child O' Mine" bit at Glastonbury this year. not bad.
today: i took the train to Glynde (google it), then walked the absolutely amazing, pastoral pseudo-trail to Lewes. the views were amazing, i can't possibly explain it, you'll just have to go yourself. or view my pictures and pretend. either way. oh, i saw sheep! and sheep shit. and only one other person on the entire 3 mile, 2 or so hour walk. beautiful weather, my knee started to hurt a bit towards the end, and at one point i distinctly remember thinking "do sheep eat people? i hope not. i'd like my body to be identifiable if/when i die." there was a bit where a ram followed me to the gate, and i'm not sure if he was keeping me safe or making sure i left. it was fun. so much fun.
at the end of the walk was, unfortunately, a golf course. thus the Mark Twain quote above. Lewes was nice, though. it's the home of a brewery, so of course i tried to tour it (hoping for the free beer at the end). turns out there's a two-year waiting list to tour it. bugger. so i bought a sampler of beers, which i shared with Neil, and it's okay. i may go back tomorrow, apparently there's some sort of occult bookstore with a weird vibe and creepy witch-types for customers. should be good.
god, i could fall asleep on the couch here with the TV on.
i had at least a half-pint of local beer at every pub i passed, just because i couldn't get in to the tour. yeah, me drinking more. that'll teach 'em. sure.
when i got back to Mel's, the kids had eaten and Mel had taken a nap, so the eldest and i started planning a meal of pasta for me, when Mel awoke and came in to take over. she added bacon and prawns and spinach and roma tomatoes and it was freakin' delicious. i could stay here forever, i swear. probably best i don't, though.
on a serious note, this family has a dynamic i've not seen in a long time, if ever. it feels natural, it's amusing, it's welcoming. i'm gonna talk about something else now.
hey, how 'bout that weather, eh?
no? huh. um... hey look over there! it's elvis! *runs away*
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Day I Forget What Number
currently watching the Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie while i type this and chat with my parents. i quoted this movie earlier and was me with blank stares. alas.
today was a very quiet sort of day. had a bacon roll for breakfast, steak and pork for lunch, then pork and chicken and salad and corn for dinner. Mel and Neil have fed me very very well.
Mel and Neil have three kids, ages 8 1/2 to "15 1/2" (that's what Mel told me), and today the youngest got a bit itchy to go out. so it was decided to go to the beach during the England match. the older two declined, their loss.
the beaches here aren't like most beaches you know. instead of sand they have pebbles and rocks, they call them "shingles". cons: it's not as comfortable to walk on. pros: you'll never eat a literal sandwich.
anyway. i didn't feel like swimming, so i wore a hooded long-sleeve shirt i bought in London, and my jeans. put the hood up and lay so there was no exposed skin on me. i must've looked odd, but i don't mind. i took a nap.
i never noticed how the vampires in this movie are almost black&white. interesting visual choice, that. and holy crap Ben Affleck!
after the beach, the youngest took me to the park near the house for a bit, then dinner. crossword and Strongbow and talk of, but no actual, Trivial Pursuit. since it's sunday all the kids have school tomorrow and that meant after-dinner conversation was concentrated on homework and exams. so i watched part of a movie while that got sorted.
i would've gone to bed a while ago, Mel and Neil did, but i wanted to talk to my parents. now i've done so and can think of nothing else worth saying, so i'm going to bed. setting an alarm and (hopefully) getting things done tomorrow. goodnight all!
today was a very quiet sort of day. had a bacon roll for breakfast, steak and pork for lunch, then pork and chicken and salad and corn for dinner. Mel and Neil have fed me very very well.
Mel and Neil have three kids, ages 8 1/2 to "15 1/2" (that's what Mel told me), and today the youngest got a bit itchy to go out. so it was decided to go to the beach during the England match. the older two declined, their loss.
the beaches here aren't like most beaches you know. instead of sand they have pebbles and rocks, they call them "shingles". cons: it's not as comfortable to walk on. pros: you'll never eat a literal sandwich.
anyway. i didn't feel like swimming, so i wore a hooded long-sleeve shirt i bought in London, and my jeans. put the hood up and lay so there was no exposed skin on me. i must've looked odd, but i don't mind. i took a nap.
i never noticed how the vampires in this movie are almost black&white. interesting visual choice, that. and holy crap Ben Affleck!
after the beach, the youngest took me to the park near the house for a bit, then dinner. crossword and Strongbow and talk of, but no actual, Trivial Pursuit. since it's sunday all the kids have school tomorrow and that meant after-dinner conversation was concentrated on homework and exams. so i watched part of a movie while that got sorted.
i would've gone to bed a while ago, Mel and Neil did, but i wanted to talk to my parents. now i've done so and can think of nothing else worth saying, so i'm going to bed. setting an alarm and (hopefully) getting things done tomorrow. goodnight all!
Friday, June 25, 2010
end of Day 7.
Neil, Mel's husband, is driving a toy radio-controlled car around the dining room table while i'm typing this, and Mel is on facebook. their 15 year-old-daughter is trying to get them to go to bed.
hi, i'm in Brighton. i've been welcomed with open arms, near as i can tell. Mel had Neil fire up the grill and i ate more tonight than i have all week. then we, the of-drinking-age adults, went down to the local pub and had grown-up conversations. now there's the remote controlled car and conversations about Michael Jackson and i'm drinking beer alternating with Black Currant tea. Mel is trying to explain chavs to me. (they're basically DudeBros, but they haven't discovered Icing yet.)
i'm having difficulty blogging and having a conversation at the same time.
can... can i have some rock'n'roll french fries? oh. oh. can you just call them that? call them rock'n'roll french fries?
spent the day walking around Brighton. oh wait, i didn't talk about last night. hold on a moment.
right. everyone else is gone to bed, now it's down to business. where was i? oh yeah.
last night: finally had fish and chips, although i've been told since that the place i went isn't very good, so perhaps i'll have to try again. i spent yesterday hanging out with two random Australian girls, friends, they didn't seem to mind my presence so much. we saw Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, who just put out a solo album, play live at some club called Digital. it was really good and something i'm pretty sure i would've never seen in America. i took a picture as proof, maybe i'll show it to you.
after Kele, the girls and i wandered a little more, then ended up back at the bar beneath the hostel. turns out Thursday night is karaoke night at the bar. it's a contest, winner gets a bottle of champagne. so of course i competed.
one of the Ozzie girls also competed. she's not a great singer, but she's animated and bubbly and kind of cute so she had quite a few fans. she and i both thought we were doing quite well in the contest, until Bilbo and Beth showed up. ringers. he did a Sinatra-esque croon, i can't remember the name, and she did Holding Out For a Hero. they shared the bottle. the karaoke host sort of realized i got robbed, i think, so he bought me a shot and wished me luck next time. then i went to bed. it was about 3am.
woke at about 6:30, but i and the other four people in the room, though all awake, pretended we were still sleeping, each afraid of being the one who officially wakes the others accidentally with a squeaky floorboard. we played that game until about 7/7:30, when a loud American moseyed in. i was ashamed for my country, he was talking loud, not showing an ounce of courtesy for the five apparently-sleeping people in the room. jerk.
then it was breakfast. then i checked my backpack in at the hostel and went to say hi to Mel. found her work, let her know what i look like, then spent the day seeing Brighton. felt a bit like my skin was going to catch fire, from the heat. tried to stay out of direct sunlight, not sure i succeeded. i saw the museum and the shopping mall, and i bought aftershave (my face kinda burns if i don't use it) and moisturizing lotion (my hands are dryer than a desert).
caught up with Mel at her work's closing time, she drove me to her home, and now you know the rest of the story. going to bed now, goodnight.
for the record: Flight of the Conchords - Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room), The Killers - Mr. Brightside, Placebo - Nancy Boy, Soft Cell - Tainted Love.
hi, i'm in Brighton. i've been welcomed with open arms, near as i can tell. Mel had Neil fire up the grill and i ate more tonight than i have all week. then we, the of-drinking-age adults, went down to the local pub and had grown-up conversations. now there's the remote controlled car and conversations about Michael Jackson and i'm drinking beer alternating with Black Currant tea. Mel is trying to explain chavs to me. (they're basically DudeBros, but they haven't discovered Icing yet.)
i'm having difficulty blogging and having a conversation at the same time.
can... can i have some rock'n'roll french fries? oh. oh. can you just call them that? call them rock'n'roll french fries?
spent the day walking around Brighton. oh wait, i didn't talk about last night. hold on a moment.
right. everyone else is gone to bed, now it's down to business. where was i? oh yeah.
last night: finally had fish and chips, although i've been told since that the place i went isn't very good, so perhaps i'll have to try again. i spent yesterday hanging out with two random Australian girls, friends, they didn't seem to mind my presence so much. we saw Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, who just put out a solo album, play live at some club called Digital. it was really good and something i'm pretty sure i would've never seen in America. i took a picture as proof, maybe i'll show it to you.
after Kele, the girls and i wandered a little more, then ended up back at the bar beneath the hostel. turns out Thursday night is karaoke night at the bar. it's a contest, winner gets a bottle of champagne. so of course i competed.
one of the Ozzie girls also competed. she's not a great singer, but she's animated and bubbly and kind of cute so she had quite a few fans. she and i both thought we were doing quite well in the contest, until Bilbo and Beth showed up. ringers. he did a Sinatra-esque croon, i can't remember the name, and she did Holding Out For a Hero. they shared the bottle. the karaoke host sort of realized i got robbed, i think, so he bought me a shot and wished me luck next time. then i went to bed. it was about 3am.
woke at about 6:30, but i and the other four people in the room, though all awake, pretended we were still sleeping, each afraid of being the one who officially wakes the others accidentally with a squeaky floorboard. we played that game until about 7/7:30, when a loud American moseyed in. i was ashamed for my country, he was talking loud, not showing an ounce of courtesy for the five apparently-sleeping people in the room. jerk.
then it was breakfast. then i checked my backpack in at the hostel and went to say hi to Mel. found her work, let her know what i look like, then spent the day seeing Brighton. felt a bit like my skin was going to catch fire, from the heat. tried to stay out of direct sunlight, not sure i succeeded. i saw the museum and the shopping mall, and i bought aftershave (my face kinda burns if i don't use it) and moisturizing lotion (my hands are dryer than a desert).
caught up with Mel at her work's closing time, she drove me to her home, and now you know the rest of the story. going to bed now, goodnight.
for the record: Flight of the Conchords - Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room), The Killers - Mr. Brightside, Placebo - Nancy Boy, Soft Cell - Tainted Love.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Day 6.
yes, this is, of course, hello. i thought about typing in all Bjork-ese, but decided against it. the "k" key sticks here and i hate that.
Karl was right. dammit.
finally had curry last night. i mention it because it seems to be the actual British pub food, not fish & chips or toad in the hole or spotted dick or blood pudding or whatever you think of when you think of British food. no, it's thai or chinese. odd. anyway. i had "jungle curry" and it was good. a mix between chinese food and soup, and rather spicy and the girl who cooked it at the pub said i have a nice smile. also i took photos of the pub where i had it, because it had great decoration.
the name of the place was "The Horse", and i've got a theory that it's a british pub version of american bars/clubs. unusual and ironic decor, blaring boots'n'pants music, yeah. but it was a good place.
i didn't realize how much i missed orange juice until i saw it listed on a menu sign and simply had to have it. it was better than i remember it, better than it had any right to be.
so, i'm in Brighton now. it's a seaside town, bit touristy but good. i did laundry today so i'm wearing clean but still wet jeans, and i feel great. rooming with and Australian girl, i've spent most of the day with her. i'm pretty sure she thinks i'm weird and creepy, but she's yet to mention it to me, so i continue haha.
oh, i'm paying for the internet here as well. £1 for 20 minutes. it's currently 7:44, 7:32, 7:26... (it takes time to type, yo.)
let's see... i caught myself getting maudlin today, so i listened to The Blood Brothers until it went away.
just put another pound in the machine, so i'm at 26:13, 26:07...
i still need to email Mel, let her know i'm in town. i'll do that after i finish this, yeah?
i'm suddenly not sure why i put more money in the computer. there's a beach just there, with a Fisherman's Wharf style pier, and several eateries where i can get fish & chips, so i'm very much a man with Things To Do.
24:28, 24:23, 24:16...
i failed to get back to Winchester Cathedral today, and i feel a bit bad about that, but i'll try to go back sometime. hopefully soon.
i'm not currently sure what else to say.
Karl was right. dammit.
finally had curry last night. i mention it because it seems to be the actual British pub food, not fish & chips or toad in the hole or spotted dick or blood pudding or whatever you think of when you think of British food. no, it's thai or chinese. odd. anyway. i had "jungle curry" and it was good. a mix between chinese food and soup, and rather spicy and the girl who cooked it at the pub said i have a nice smile. also i took photos of the pub where i had it, because it had great decoration.
the name of the place was "The Horse", and i've got a theory that it's a british pub version of american bars/clubs. unusual and ironic decor, blaring boots'n'pants music, yeah. but it was a good place.
i didn't realize how much i missed orange juice until i saw it listed on a menu sign and simply had to have it. it was better than i remember it, better than it had any right to be.
so, i'm in Brighton now. it's a seaside town, bit touristy but good. i did laundry today so i'm wearing clean but still wet jeans, and i feel great. rooming with and Australian girl, i've spent most of the day with her. i'm pretty sure she thinks i'm weird and creepy, but she's yet to mention it to me, so i continue haha.
oh, i'm paying for the internet here as well. £1 for 20 minutes. it's currently 7:44, 7:32, 7:26... (it takes time to type, yo.)
let's see... i caught myself getting maudlin today, so i listened to The Blood Brothers until it went away.
just put another pound in the machine, so i'm at 26:13, 26:07...
i still need to email Mel, let her know i'm in town. i'll do that after i finish this, yeah?
i'm suddenly not sure why i put more money in the computer. there's a beach just there, with a Fisherman's Wharf style pier, and several eateries where i can get fish & chips, so i'm very much a man with Things To Do.
24:28, 24:23, 24:16...
i failed to get back to Winchester Cathedral today, and i feel a bit bad about that, but i'll try to go back sometime. hopefully soon.
i'm not currently sure what else to say.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Day 5, i think.
hold on, let me check my notes.
yes. hello. i keep notes on my iphone, when something occurs to me or i see something interesting, that sort of thing. i then use those notes to compose what you're currently reading and what you will soon be done reading. anyway.
i've sort of run out of interesting things to see or do in London that aren't eye-gougingly expensive or stereotypically touristy. although i'm going to tour Westminster Cathedral tomorrow, so there's that. on the bright side i'm leaving the city on Friday. maybe tomorrow. going to Brighton for the weekend, should be nice. i'm pretty sure they have beaches so i may get lobstery red, and that'll look very odd on me. anyway.
i realized yesterday that i've taken quite a few pictures, but not one of them includes me. so i have actually no proof at all that i've been here. perhaps i'll risk getting my camera stolen and actually exist in a photo for once. dunno.
to everyone who talked me out of wearing my Cons in Europe: thank you so very very much. it still hurts a little to walk, from my "adventure" Monday night, but here's a story: i was riding the tube up to Camden yesterday, and this couple walks on. definitely backpacking around England, these two. he's wearing athletic shoes, Nikes or such, and she's wearing Cons. they get on the tube, sit down, and she immediately takes one of her shoes off to tend her many, many blisters. her feet were bandaged and simply existing was clearly painful to her. so again, everyone who poo-pooed the Cons, thank you.
back to the "tube to Camden" part of the story. went to Camden, met up with Peggy and Babs, friends of friends sort of thing. we went to a restaurant called The Ice Wharf. the place had a dinner special, Steak With A Drink, £6.59. (for those of you who want to know how much that is in "real money", it's about $9.75) so i had salmon, vegetables, chips (french fries), and a beer for dinner. i think it was a good decision.
after dinner we all had another beer, then went to this bar called The Fifty-Five. more expensive drinks, but a fun place. kind of dead, since it was Tuesday, but that's not unexpected. so it was okay. i had a margarita. well, it was trying very hard to be a margarita, but it couldn't quite get it right. it wasn't bad, but it wasn't a real margarita. anyway. tried chatting up the lady bartender, it didn't go well. she introduced me to her fat friend, which i took to be a sign. alas. moving on.
i caught the last tube back to the hostel at just midnight. whoever said London closes early was right. got back to the hostel, then stayed up until 3am talking to whoever was around. fellow hostelers, previous employees of the pub below the hostel, and i had a rather long and diverse conversation with Jose the barman. good times. i slept until noon. not so good times.
today so far: i tried to watch the American football match, at this place called Texas Embassy restaurant, but they were at capacity. Peggy invited me, i guess she thought i'd like to be reminded a bit of home or something. actually, i may go back to Texas Embassy for the food, just to see how authentic it is. as for the game, i heard US won. and that's okay.
after i got shut out of Texas Embassy, i decided to check out Westminster Cathedral. yes, i already said i'm going tomorrow, but bear with me. i went to Westminster, found everything closed except the gift shop. plus i didn't have my camera with me. so tomorrow i'm doing it right. i just need to find some virgins to sacrifice on the altar. that's what they do there, right? eh, bad joke. moving on.
so that's basically that. i'm going to Brighton tomorrow, i've got a hostel reservation for one night, then i'm staying with a friend of my mother's. should be interesting, and hopefully i'll have more internet access, so i can actually tweet and facebook and all that really important stuff that keeps me from living. hooray!
yes. hello. i keep notes on my iphone, when something occurs to me or i see something interesting, that sort of thing. i then use those notes to compose what you're currently reading and what you will soon be done reading. anyway.
i've sort of run out of interesting things to see or do in London that aren't eye-gougingly expensive or stereotypically touristy. although i'm going to tour Westminster Cathedral tomorrow, so there's that. on the bright side i'm leaving the city on Friday. maybe tomorrow. going to Brighton for the weekend, should be nice. i'm pretty sure they have beaches so i may get lobstery red, and that'll look very odd on me. anyway.
i realized yesterday that i've taken quite a few pictures, but not one of them includes me. so i have actually no proof at all that i've been here. perhaps i'll risk getting my camera stolen and actually exist in a photo for once. dunno.
to everyone who talked me out of wearing my Cons in Europe: thank you so very very much. it still hurts a little to walk, from my "adventure" Monday night, but here's a story: i was riding the tube up to Camden yesterday, and this couple walks on. definitely backpacking around England, these two. he's wearing athletic shoes, Nikes or such, and she's wearing Cons. they get on the tube, sit down, and she immediately takes one of her shoes off to tend her many, many blisters. her feet were bandaged and simply existing was clearly painful to her. so again, everyone who poo-pooed the Cons, thank you.
back to the "tube to Camden" part of the story. went to Camden, met up with Peggy and Babs, friends of friends sort of thing. we went to a restaurant called The Ice Wharf. the place had a dinner special, Steak With A Drink, £6.59. (for those of you who want to know how much that is in "real money", it's about $9.75) so i had salmon, vegetables, chips (french fries), and a beer for dinner. i think it was a good decision.
after dinner we all had another beer, then went to this bar called The Fifty-Five. more expensive drinks, but a fun place. kind of dead, since it was Tuesday, but that's not unexpected. so it was okay. i had a margarita. well, it was trying very hard to be a margarita, but it couldn't quite get it right. it wasn't bad, but it wasn't a real margarita. anyway. tried chatting up the lady bartender, it didn't go well. she introduced me to her fat friend, which i took to be a sign. alas. moving on.
i caught the last tube back to the hostel at just midnight. whoever said London closes early was right. got back to the hostel, then stayed up until 3am talking to whoever was around. fellow hostelers, previous employees of the pub below the hostel, and i had a rather long and diverse conversation with Jose the barman. good times. i slept until noon. not so good times.
today so far: i tried to watch the American football match, at this place called Texas Embassy restaurant, but they were at capacity. Peggy invited me, i guess she thought i'd like to be reminded a bit of home or something. actually, i may go back to Texas Embassy for the food, just to see how authentic it is. as for the game, i heard US won. and that's okay.
after i got shut out of Texas Embassy, i decided to check out Westminster Cathedral. yes, i already said i'm going tomorrow, but bear with me. i went to Westminster, found everything closed except the gift shop. plus i didn't have my camera with me. so tomorrow i'm doing it right. i just need to find some virgins to sacrifice on the altar. that's what they do there, right? eh, bad joke. moving on.
so that's basically that. i'm going to Brighton tomorrow, i've got a hostel reservation for one night, then i'm staying with a friend of my mother's. should be interesting, and hopefully i'll have more internet access, so i can actually tweet and facebook and all that really important stuff that keeps me from living. hooray!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Day 4 already? really?
hello and welcome to another blog post thing. i'm your humble host, Jacob. let's get to it, shall we?
yesterday recap: there was a beautiful, absolutely perfect cloudless sky in the morning. but then later in the day the weather realized where it was and the clouds came back. can't have a cloudless London, after all.
i know what the sky looked like in the morning because yesterday i went out shopping with some of the other hostelers: two Latvian girls, about age 20. not a great choice, but i needed something to do. of course, since they're from Europe, we went to Abercrombie & Fitch. i abandoned them shortly after that. they're not talking to me anymore, i think.
a quick note here, i've had it written down for days, but just haven't posted it yet for reasons unknown. i never loved the Wolf Parade song "No More Dinnerbells" until i was on an airplane with it at 7:45a.m., unable to sleep.
i've been getting around London in kind of an odd manner, i haven't really been using a map. maps look like tourists. but i've got a little map of the tube system, and before i set out every day i make a mental note of where i want to go and where it is. so i get off at the correct tube stop, then sort of wander in what i think is the correct general direction of what i'm looking for. it means i'm walking more than i need to, but i'm seeing so much more than i would otherwise. especially when i walk in the wrong direction.
yesterday i ate at the Chinese place down the street again. i had "Kung Po Chilli Chicken", which actually was spicy. hooray. it was a good meal, but i'm not sure what it would be called on another menu, and that's okay. i honestly don't remember what else i ate yesterday. oh well.
i attempted to go out drinking last night. i've been told that Camden is a good place for it, so i went there. as usual, i'm pretty sure i went in the wrong direction for the bar/club i was looking for, and eventually settled on a random pub i passed. said pub happened to also be a hostel, so i ended up talking to a couple Australian guys about our various travel stories and why we were drinking what we were drinking.
the pub closed, so i headed down to another pub, and tried to convince the barmaid i'm unusual. she didn't buy it, so i finished my beer and left.
figured out at about that time that the tube stops running at around midnight, so i was in for a hell of a walk. more on that later, though.
started walking in what i hoped was the right direction for my hostel, passed an actual bar. stopped in, had some beers with the local kids. some random girl stole my hat, flirted hardcore with me, then made out with her boyfriend beside me. typical. i got my hat back, then stole away into the night.
now comes the very long walk. Google says it's about 4 miles, but google's a filthy liar. i stopped for directions several times. i figured i'd have a better chance of getting to the River Thames (the big frickin' river that runs through the heart of London.) so i asked which way to the River Thames instead of Lambeth North tube stop. what are the chances that someone who lives in London wouldn't know about the BIG F***ING RIVER THAT RUNS RIGHT THROUGH THE CITY?!? apparently pretty good. sorry, it's a bit of a sore spot with me. literally. it hurts to walk today. i got back to the hostel around 4am, and i assume i fell asleep, i honestly don't remember. woke up this morning and had to discover where i'd stored the stuff i kept in my pockets. ate two pieces of toast, drank a cup of instant coffee *shudder*, then went back to sleep. bleh.
so. now it's about 4:30pm, i'm just now leaving the hostel for the first time today, and i'm taking it very easy. i googled the place i'm going, took screenshots of the maps on my phone, and yeah. let's hope i don't screw this one up. i'm supposed to be meeting up with some friends of friends at 7, so i'm hopeful. and that's pretty much that. i've bought one more night at this hostel, which means i'm a free agent on Thursday morning. we'll see what happens.
one last thing: while i was walking last night, i ran across a guy who asked me for a cigarette. at least, i think that's what he asked for. he opened his mouth and spoke complete gibberish at me (not really complete. i'm pretty sure it was a really thick dialect. pretty sure.), and put two fingers to his lips in the near-universal sign for "hey man, got a cigarette i can have?". i said no, we kept walking. i chuckled a bit at our exchange.
oh, one more thing. i affected several British accents when talking to people last night, because i was a bit lost and freaking out and somehow thought i'd get more/better help if i didn't sound like an American. nobody said anything, so i assume i was convincing. but damn if i could keep an accent going for any real length of time. maybe they thought i was just nuts? dunno. oh well. ooh! time to eat!
yesterday recap: there was a beautiful, absolutely perfect cloudless sky in the morning. but then later in the day the weather realized where it was and the clouds came back. can't have a cloudless London, after all.
i know what the sky looked like in the morning because yesterday i went out shopping with some of the other hostelers: two Latvian girls, about age 20. not a great choice, but i needed something to do. of course, since they're from Europe, we went to Abercrombie & Fitch. i abandoned them shortly after that. they're not talking to me anymore, i think.
a quick note here, i've had it written down for days, but just haven't posted it yet for reasons unknown. i never loved the Wolf Parade song "No More Dinnerbells" until i was on an airplane with it at 7:45a.m., unable to sleep.
i've been getting around London in kind of an odd manner, i haven't really been using a map. maps look like tourists. but i've got a little map of the tube system, and before i set out every day i make a mental note of where i want to go and where it is. so i get off at the correct tube stop, then sort of wander in what i think is the correct general direction of what i'm looking for. it means i'm walking more than i need to, but i'm seeing so much more than i would otherwise. especially when i walk in the wrong direction.
yesterday i ate at the Chinese place down the street again. i had "Kung Po Chilli Chicken", which actually was spicy. hooray. it was a good meal, but i'm not sure what it would be called on another menu, and that's okay. i honestly don't remember what else i ate yesterday. oh well.
i attempted to go out drinking last night. i've been told that Camden is a good place for it, so i went there. as usual, i'm pretty sure i went in the wrong direction for the bar/club i was looking for, and eventually settled on a random pub i passed. said pub happened to also be a hostel, so i ended up talking to a couple Australian guys about our various travel stories and why we were drinking what we were drinking.
the pub closed, so i headed down to another pub, and tried to convince the barmaid i'm unusual. she didn't buy it, so i finished my beer and left.
figured out at about that time that the tube stops running at around midnight, so i was in for a hell of a walk. more on that later, though.
started walking in what i hoped was the right direction for my hostel, passed an actual bar. stopped in, had some beers with the local kids. some random girl stole my hat, flirted hardcore with me, then made out with her boyfriend beside me. typical. i got my hat back, then stole away into the night.
now comes the very long walk. Google says it's about 4 miles, but google's a filthy liar. i stopped for directions several times. i figured i'd have a better chance of getting to the River Thames (the big frickin' river that runs through the heart of London.) so i asked which way to the River Thames instead of Lambeth North tube stop. what are the chances that someone who lives in London wouldn't know about the BIG F***ING RIVER THAT RUNS RIGHT THROUGH THE CITY?!? apparently pretty good. sorry, it's a bit of a sore spot with me. literally. it hurts to walk today. i got back to the hostel around 4am, and i assume i fell asleep, i honestly don't remember. woke up this morning and had to discover where i'd stored the stuff i kept in my pockets. ate two pieces of toast, drank a cup of instant coffee *shudder*, then went back to sleep. bleh.
so. now it's about 4:30pm, i'm just now leaving the hostel for the first time today, and i'm taking it very easy. i googled the place i'm going, took screenshots of the maps on my phone, and yeah. let's hope i don't screw this one up. i'm supposed to be meeting up with some friends of friends at 7, so i'm hopeful. and that's pretty much that. i've bought one more night at this hostel, which means i'm a free agent on Thursday morning. we'll see what happens.
one last thing: while i was walking last night, i ran across a guy who asked me for a cigarette. at least, i think that's what he asked for. he opened his mouth and spoke complete gibberish at me (not really complete. i'm pretty sure it was a really thick dialect. pretty sure.), and put two fingers to his lips in the near-universal sign for "hey man, got a cigarette i can have?". i said no, we kept walking. i chuckled a bit at our exchange.
oh, one more thing. i affected several British accents when talking to people last night, because i was a bit lost and freaking out and somehow thought i'd get more/better help if i didn't sound like an American. nobody said anything, so i assume i was convincing. but damn if i could keep an accent going for any real length of time. maybe they thought i was just nuts? dunno. oh well. ooh! time to eat!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Day 3
so this post will be a combination of yesterday's events and todays so far. roughly chronologically.
yesterday: after i posted, i walked to a chinese food place down the street from this "internet cafe", and got the Chicken in Satay Sauce. it was supposed to be spicy, but i learned that "bland white person" spicy is not limited to America. while eating, i got a show: a protest parade thing. i don't know what it was about, but there were a lot of people marching down the street, all of them with white umbrellas. there was a drummer or drumbeat at the front, announcing the procession, and police with cones and tape at the beginning, end, and throughout to keep the peace. it was one of those moments where i would've said "god bless america", but somehow that didn't seem appropriate.
oh. somebody asked me about the food i'm eating while abroad. now, i'm not much of a foodie, i prefer to keep eating what i've previously enjoyed mostly. but, since i am in a different country, i've been trying a few different things. but only a few. the list: chicken in satay sauce, fish-fingers sandwich, prosciutto sandwich. pretty snazzy, huh? that's all i can remember right now, but it's about time to eat, so i'll probably have something for you tomorrow.
i had a beer yesterday with my fish-finger sammich. i mention this only because i'd heard and read about the Brits preferring warm or lukewarm beer. yeah, that's crap. or at least it was untrue about the beer i ordered at random yesterday. perhaps more "research" is in order haha.
someone else asked me what my travel plans are, so for those who i didn't tell, or who don't know have my facebook (hello random person!) or however it may have happened: i'm in London now. i have contacts in Brighton and Bristol, so i'll most likely visit them. after that i have intentions to visit Amsterdam and Italy, but no plans thus far. i'll keep going as long as i have money to keep going. (send money.)
i burned my tongue either yesterday or the day before. i'm not sure how i did it, but it's pissing me off.
one thing i noticed here is a scarcity of American chains. actually, that's how i can tell when i'm in or near an overpriced, touristy area: Starbucks and McDonalds. i've not eaten either, nor do i plan on eating at any establishment that i know i have access to in america. so there.
now that i'm officially here, i don't really want or need my man-purse. kinda sucks, because it was great for the flights, but now it's mostly just dead weight and take up space i could better utilize or, more ideally, not utilize at all. less weight is good weight.
my hostel smells a little like feet sometimes.
today was my "museum day". i saw The Tate Modern, The National Gallery, some other places, some bridges, and yeah. i was pretty bored with the museums, honestly. but i took pictures of the architecture and outsides of places, because that's neat. so, don't tell my parents i didn't like the museums, i'm just gonna pretend i saw and remember stuff there.
as for the photos i took and am taking, i've got a .Mac account i'm supposed to be pouring them into, but have no access to a mac, and trying to put photo programs on this piece of crap computer is most likely more trouble than it's worth. so we get to hope that either nothing bad happens to my camera until i get home, or i get to use a mac soon. (send a Mac.)
man, i really hope nobody i know wants a souvenir from my trips, because, we'll screw that. i'm kidding, of course. or am i?
yesterday: after i posted, i walked to a chinese food place down the street from this "internet cafe", and got the Chicken in Satay Sauce. it was supposed to be spicy, but i learned that "bland white person" spicy is not limited to America. while eating, i got a show: a protest parade thing. i don't know what it was about, but there were a lot of people marching down the street, all of them with white umbrellas. there was a drummer or drumbeat at the front, announcing the procession, and police with cones and tape at the beginning, end, and throughout to keep the peace. it was one of those moments where i would've said "god bless america", but somehow that didn't seem appropriate.
oh. somebody asked me about the food i'm eating while abroad. now, i'm not much of a foodie, i prefer to keep eating what i've previously enjoyed mostly. but, since i am in a different country, i've been trying a few different things. but only a few. the list: chicken in satay sauce, fish-fingers sandwich, prosciutto sandwich. pretty snazzy, huh? that's all i can remember right now, but it's about time to eat, so i'll probably have something for you tomorrow.
i had a beer yesterday with my fish-finger sammich. i mention this only because i'd heard and read about the Brits preferring warm or lukewarm beer. yeah, that's crap. or at least it was untrue about the beer i ordered at random yesterday. perhaps more "research" is in order haha.
someone else asked me what my travel plans are, so for those who i didn't tell, or who don't know have my facebook (hello random person!) or however it may have happened: i'm in London now. i have contacts in Brighton and Bristol, so i'll most likely visit them. after that i have intentions to visit Amsterdam and Italy, but no plans thus far. i'll keep going as long as i have money to keep going. (send money.)
i burned my tongue either yesterday or the day before. i'm not sure how i did it, but it's pissing me off.
one thing i noticed here is a scarcity of American chains. actually, that's how i can tell when i'm in or near an overpriced, touristy area: Starbucks and McDonalds. i've not eaten either, nor do i plan on eating at any establishment that i know i have access to in america. so there.
now that i'm officially here, i don't really want or need my man-purse. kinda sucks, because it was great for the flights, but now it's mostly just dead weight and take up space i could better utilize or, more ideally, not utilize at all. less weight is good weight.
my hostel smells a little like feet sometimes.
today was my "museum day". i saw The Tate Modern, The National Gallery, some other places, some bridges, and yeah. i was pretty bored with the museums, honestly. but i took pictures of the architecture and outsides of places, because that's neat. so, don't tell my parents i didn't like the museums, i'm just gonna pretend i saw and remember stuff there.
as for the photos i took and am taking, i've got a .Mac account i'm supposed to be pouring them into, but have no access to a mac, and trying to put photo programs on this piece of crap computer is most likely more trouble than it's worth. so we get to hope that either nothing bad happens to my camera until i get home, or i get to use a mac soon. (send a Mac.)
man, i really hope nobody i know wants a souvenir from my trips, because, we'll screw that. i'm kidding, of course. or am i?
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Day 2
i would've posted yesterday, but wireless networks are scarce on planes. landed in London, England almost three hours ago. rode the tube, switched tubes, checked in to my hostel. kind of a shady looking place, but i'm sure it'll be okay.
the trip over was mostly uneventful. spent way more time than i would've liked waiting for the next plane, except in Shannon, Ireland, where i and a few fellow passengers rushed from one plane to the next, lest we miss our flight. that was fun.#
my carry-on bag got searched in Shannon, too. cute, young security guard. so i did the last thing i should've done: joked and flirted. she played along and all was indeed groovy. the weird part of that is the couple getting their stuff next to me kept giving me looks like "shut up man! you'll ruin the plan!" and continued giving me those looks all through the plane ride.
bought a soup and a $10 beer at the New York airport. remind me to never do that again. it was good, but not worth it.
i'm tired, feel like i smell bad, and just want to rest and not have hat hair, but proper check-in time for the hostel isn't until 2, so i'm forced to find things to do until then. first: food. then: unknown.
i'm at a crappy "internet cafe", which means they charge by the hour so i can type on a Windows 98 machine or some such. i'm not even sure this computer is connected to the internet.
oh! i figured out, if i remember correctly, i can receive any and all texts for free, but not send them. sending is like, $0.50. so send me whatever you want, but don't necessarily expect a response. and twitter and facebook will likewise be sporadic. and now you know.
okay, i'm off like a prom dress! maybe i'll make some expensive calls to friends or friends of friends.
the trip over was mostly uneventful. spent way more time than i would've liked waiting for the next plane, except in Shannon, Ireland, where i and a few fellow passengers rushed from one plane to the next, lest we miss our flight. that was fun.#
my carry-on bag got searched in Shannon, too. cute, young security guard. so i did the last thing i should've done: joked and flirted. she played along and all was indeed groovy. the weird part of that is the couple getting their stuff next to me kept giving me looks like "shut up man! you'll ruin the plan!" and continued giving me those looks all through the plane ride.
bought a soup and a $10 beer at the New York airport. remind me to never do that again. it was good, but not worth it.
i'm tired, feel like i smell bad, and just want to rest and not have hat hair, but proper check-in time for the hostel isn't until 2, so i'm forced to find things to do until then. first: food. then: unknown.
i'm at a crappy "internet cafe", which means they charge by the hour so i can type on a Windows 98 machine or some such. i'm not even sure this computer is connected to the internet.
oh! i figured out, if i remember correctly, i can receive any and all texts for free, but not send them. sending is like, $0.50. so send me whatever you want, but don't necessarily expect a response. and twitter and facebook will likewise be sporadic. and now you know.
okay, i'm off like a prom dress! maybe i'll make some expensive calls to friends or friends of friends.
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