London

I was definitely not prepared to go through a culture shock when I came to London, but I have to say that this has been this biggest culture shock since I arrived in Macedonia two months ago... I recognize everything here... the language, the brands in the stores, the modern city... it is all so familiar, I almost feel like I am back in the states. It is so strange to go in a store and not have to think about what language that to speak in, then the words for what I want to communicate, and then try to pronounce things correctly or speak very slow, definitive English with very basic phrases... I can just talk and people understand me!! It is almost too easy! :) And the stores have all the brands that I see in America... I saw frozen dinners and processed food in the supermarkets for the first time since I left home. There is a Starbuck's on every corner and huge megastores everywhere... It almost reminds me of Manhattan sometimes... the taxis everywhere, the subway, people hurrying by on the sidewalks.

But I have to say, I feel completely different about London than most people that I have talked to... The stereotypes are that the city is just big and cold and impersonal... I haven't found that at all... I think the people here are very friendly... and very polite... if someone bumps into you on the subway, they actually appologize... And the people I have met are very friendly, not just other backpackers, but people that actually live here... a woman and her little girl on the bus that sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to me (that just made my whole day:), the man that works in the supermarket that I go to every morning, random people on the subways, I was just standing in a street looking really lost one day, and a man walked up to me to help me... I think the people here are great... I honestly don't know what everybody is talking about... :)
The city is very clean as well, and it feels safe because no matter what time it is, there are people out and about. In some cities, I would not walk around alone after dark (aka Paris), but here, it feels completely different. And I absolutely LOVE all the parks... They are everywhere, which is nice, because it is a busy city, and fastpaced, but it is so easy to just find a nice park to sit in for a while if you need a break from the commmotion. It seems that most people here have their lunch breaks in the parks. And they are some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen... huge, old trees, ponds, paths, very green still... sigh... I just love it. :)

Anyways, what else can I tell you about London... I have seen some really interesting looking people while I have been here... I was having some coffee this morning, and this woman who looked to be about 65 years old comes in, clad only in hot pink: her sneakers, her socks, her jogging suit, her umbrella, her backpack (whick also had fake hot pink flowers sticking out of the top), her headband, and, yes, even her hair... I thought until now that I had the coolest, hippest Granny in the world, but I don't know if you can top that... :)

The museums are all really amazing... and free, which is nice, because everything else here is extremely expensive (literally twice as much as you would normally pay anywhere else). I went to the British museum, which I absolutely loved because it focused on culture and history and was just very accessible and interesting... I ended up staying for over five hours and still didn't see the whole thing (almost as bad as Mama with the rocks in DC) :) just kidding :)

Last night I went to see Phantom of the Opera... It was just amazing... I got so sucked into the show, it was strange to come back to reality afterwards :) There is just so much to do and see here, it would take months and years to see it all.

So, in summary, I am loving London a lot, but I can't afford to stay here much longer without a job... So, my plan is to catch a bus to Edinburgh tomorrow, see what that city is like, and then make my decision as to whether I want to work in London or stay in Scotland...

Wish me luck! :)