Making London a Home: When in London...Be a Turtle

Alas! It is my first day of class at the Uni. In a few hours my schedule will be set and I will be fully integrated into my study abroad experience. The past week has been a whirlwind. London always has something new to discover and the bus and my feet constantly carry me forward.

I love the bus. The red double-decker is traditionally British, and not only does the bus system make sense to me, but it gives me the opportunity to see London. An added bonus...there are windows for fresh air. The tube is great if you want to pay twice as much, have no personal space and breathe in hot, muggy underground air. Yes, it's faster but the bus is more my style. Besides, I asked the tortoise and he said slow and steady wins the race.

The past week has mainly consisted of shopping and I suppose I dropped in to the University during orientation. Now, when I say shopping I don't mean buying clothes. I mean that I just shopped...for days. Monday and Tuesday I walked around all of Oxford and Regent Street going in to every store that looked appealing. I felt these shops welcomed me with wide open arms. I have never had a shopping experience like this one. Because of many miserable pant buying experiences and my love for sweatshirts, I have never been a huge fan of shopping. Here in London, I fit into everything and I WANT to fit into everything. Department stores such as Debenhams and John Lewis are filled to the brim with knit sweaters, collard shirts, and adorable tweed jackets. It's like they created these fashion lines just for me. I have fallen in love with designers such as Ted Baker, Jack Wills, the handbags of Aubrey, and my obsession with Burberry is escalating dangerously to extreme levels. It's all the worse that I am surrounded by others who carry the same obsession. I've resisted the Burberry store on Regent Street so far...it's killing me slowly.

Clothes are not all I've sorted through. I have a new passion for markets. Camden Market (the largest market I have ever seen) was filled with international food vendors and piles of gadgets and antiques. All of the vendors trying to talk tourists into buying their products instead of the identical product three booths down. It was an assault on the senses. I have found myself touching everything because everything in London is touchable. Items are manufactured with texture. Nothing resembles the flat smooth lines of our infamous IKEA. Pillows have buttons and plush fabric, jewelry is embedded with stones, and even the food is marketed as having that perfect texture: fish and chips are crunchy, macaroons are soft but not gooey, the beer is smooth, and the cider crisp.

After Camden market...I sought out others. I have been brutally tempted by the bread, cheese, and other produce at the Portobello market, not so temped by the second hand home supply parts at the Brick Lane market, and awed by the fresh cuts of meat at the Smithfield market. I suggest you look up the Smithfield market: Disclaimer: my vegetarian friends stop reading now and don't look this place up. Located in a beautiful building, meat vendors sell their fresh cuts of meat. I stood in awe of the good cuts and beautiful marbling. Pork, beef, lamb, and chicken held the leading roles and large wholesale carcasses hung in the back window. It was an amazing sight. Unfortunately, I think we just missed the restaurant buyers as it seemed to be pretty calm when we got there. Next on the list is Billingsgate fish market.

Throughout this while time I have been blessed to meet some great friends who have been exploring London with me:

Angela and I spent a wonderful afternoon eating fish and chips and walking around Regent Park which is like Wash Park on steroids. The gardens are gorgeous.
Margaux and I met and survived orientation together...that is a deep connection that will never die...and an accomplishment not to be underestimated! Plus, she always finds me when I get lost so I have to make it up to her for that!
Desiree braved the rain this morning and the chilly 6:00am weather to make the trek to Smithfield and we discovered The Breakfast Club together. This place is dangerous folks...huge breakfast portions and the best smoked salmon and eggs I've ever had.
Youka and I will master our British accents...WE WILL!
Julie, Marie, Nicoline, and Christian helped me concur Piccadilly Institute and the awesome 6 themed club.
Discovering Hoxton square with my Brazilian friends! Bea, Pietro and everyone...you all are fabulous!
And all of my Westminster Girls (Wibke, Samantha, and Lisa included) cheers to the next few months!

It has been an action filled week with so many more things to discover. After walking home from Notting Hill, (look up the distance. I live near Old Street station) my feet are finally in shape from all the walking. This is perfect timing because I plan to do a lot more walking. Many people have told me that this is a walking city and they're right. By means of a turtle slower than the bus, walking has allowed me to interact with people and to actually feel the different atmospheres of the many neighborhoods and parks. It's amazing how Hyde Park and Regent Park can be so drastically different than one another in scenery and feeling.

It's hard to believe I've only been here a little over a week. I have a long way to go. I miss those of you that are at home and thank you to those of you who are here for making this place feel more like a home. Have a great week everyone.

HEAR HEAR to the turtle!

Cheers.