Christmas break in London, part II

The next day, a bunch of us took advantage of the sunny weather and went to Regent's park. It was a very nice day. The sun was shining, the weather was chilly in the shade, but not bad, the grass was green, and I even saw some flowers in bloom. It was good exercise, fun exploring, and time spent in good company.


Regent's Park


Pretty sky



Sunbeams



A walk in the park. Bryan, Ami, Rom, Steve, Kyle

The following day, Nate, Ami, Rom, and I went to have breakfast at a restaurant named Giraffe in Brunswick Square not too far from the hostel. If ever you have the opportunity to eat at this restaurant, I would recommend trying it.

Later in the day, Nate, Rom, Bryan, Steve, and I went for a walk to Hyde Park. We stopped by Speaker's Corner near Marble Arch to listen to some of the opinionated conversations and speeches going on. We didn't stay long, but it was an interesting experience to see something like this.

Christmas break in London

The Christmas break was nice. It provided some free time to go and explore more of London.

The day after Christmas, 26 December, is a national holiday in England known as Boxing Day. Historically, this was the day where people, more typically the wealthy, would put together boxes full of gifts and give them to their servants, employees, and the less fortunate. In modern times, it is a day off of work for many people and a huge shopping day for the masses. I spent my boxing day being lazy and relaxing.

This week, the hostel became a whole new place, as there was a huge turnover of people and many new people moved in. I spent some time getting to know a few of them over the past few days. One day, Ami, Steve (a more recent addition to the hostel), and I went to check out Saint Paul's Cathedral and the crack at the Tate Modern.


the Millenium Bridge,


and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

We wandered a bit more along the River Thames exploring and becoming more familiar with the area. We also crossed London Bridge,


Tower Bridge,



and walked around the outside of the Tower of London.

Christmas Day

I slept late, we prepared a very yummy Christmas brunch...


Nate, Travis, Steve, Kat, Andy, Heidi (me), Ali

...watched "Finding Nemo" and "Ratatouille", did Christmas crackers...


Rom, Ami, Julian, Doris (elderly woman who has lived at the hostel for over twenty years...), and Andy

...and then ended the evening with a dance party at the hostel. It was a very nice Christmas.

Merry Christmas!!!

Dear friends and family,

I wish you a very Merry Christmas!!! I am staying here in London for Christmas and will be spending my time with new friends here at the hostel, but missing family and friends back home.

Christmas Eve day I had to work to finish up a few things in the morning. I did a little bit of last minute shopping, and then headed back to the hostel. This evening, I met Kate and James, her boyfriend, for dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant in Covent Garden. We had a lovely time and I enjoyed the good company. It is great having Kate here with me in London and I am happy that she gets to spend the holidays with James.

After dinner, I made it back to the hostel, and a little later, I went with King, Travis, and Ali on a walking tour of Central London. Luckily, it is warm out and we could comfortable walk without getting cold. It is King's last night here in London after about three years, so we went and experienced several of his favorite areas for the last time. We walked through Soho, Soho Square, checked out Saint James Park in the dark and went to see the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square (not all that impressive, unfortunately). The four of us were looking for ghosts, but unfortunately, didn't find any. It was a fun little adventure and I will miss King dearly, so was glad to be able to spend time with him.

Tomorrow I will likely sleep late, as it is all ready pretty late here. Santa hasn't stopped by, yet, but I expect he will soon. Here at the hostel, we are going to have a Christmas brunch with a full breakfast menu. We also have a Christmas tree and some traditional English treats like mince pie, but unfortunately, no figgy pudding. I also made some sugar cookies on Sunday and bought some nuts in the shells and a nut cracker, so will have a little bit of home with me here in London. We will probably play some board games, eat some yummy treats, and maybe go out for dinner. All of the transportation shuts down, so we won't be going too far. All in all, I am looking forward to a nice relaxing Christmas day spent in good company.

I miss you and have you close at heart. Warm wishes for a very Merry Christmas!!!

Love,

Heidi

Prague

Prague was wonderful. Kate, Nate, and I had an easy trip to Prague without any troubles to start the journey. We left very early on Saturday morning taking a taxi to Liverpool Street Underground Station and then catching the Stansted Express to the Stansted Airport. We flew from London directly to the Ruzyne Airport in Prague, which took just under two hours. We took a bus from the airport to the metro into the center of the city and then walked to our hotel.

We stayed at the Aparthotel about ten minutes from the Old Town Square. Our'apartment' had two bedrooms and a nice big bathroom. It was very comfortable, the staff was pleasant, and they had an enjoyable breakfast, and it was very affordably priced.

Saturday we spent a little bit of the afternoon recuperating in the hotel having tea and taking naps, which were very much needed after the travel. After that, we ventured out to explore the city. We walked through the Old Town Square where we checked out the different markets.



In local shops, the souvenirs typical to Prague were Bohemian glass, mugs, jewelery with garnet and amber, and things related to Franz Kafka (a writer), and music. Many famous classical composers spent time in Prague writing and performing their music.

We took a walking tour on which we saw Charles bridge, the Castle, Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square, the hotel at which Mission Impossible was filmed, New Town Square, the Jewish quarter (this was where the Jewish ghetto was during WWII times), the Astronomical clock, and several other neat sites.


The Astronomical Clock


Statue on Charles Bridge, Prague Castle


A view from part of our walking tour

We also went to the National Gallery and visited the Museum of Communism.

Winter Wonderland

The weekend was pretty low key. Today, some friends and I went to check out Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. They had a ice skating rink, ferris wheel with enclosed seating, food, drink, a small German market that was really neat, and some fun things for kids. It's a festival that will be going on until the end of December after the holidays. It was pretty fun. We didn't go ice skating as we had hoped, but plan to at some point in the next few weeks.

Speaking of the holidays, there are decorations and holiday music all around London. Also, unfortunately, I will not be making it home for the holidays. I am going to miss my family and everyone very much. I will be here in London with friends, so I will not be spending it alone. It will certainly be different, since I have never spent Christmas away from home before.

I'm going to Prague next weekend with Nate and Kate, which I am really looking forward to. Otherwise, work is really hard and I'm not sure how long this job is going to work out. I am thinking about finding something else to do.

So many farewells.

So many people are leaving the hostel recently that almost the entire population here has changed within the past month. It may sound weird, as it is a hostel; however, this place is more like a dorm than a hostel, so some of the people who are leaving have been here for about six months-long before I arrived.

My friend Julie, with whom I went to Spain, will be leaving on Monday. So, last night, she, Nate and I went to have appetizers and Margaritas at the Texas Embassy restaurant (Julie is from Texas, so it was in mini-celebration of her going home) near Trafalgar Square. The restaurant's atmosphere actually made me feel like I was back in the US, with country music and all. We had a good time. And, ofcourse, I took some pictures on my way home...


The National Gallery.


A moon-lit Trafalgar Square.

Weekend fun in London

Friday night I went with my good friend Kate and her family who were visiting over the past week to see the musical Spamalot.

Afterwards, I met up with friends Nate and Wes to hang out for a few hours.

Saturday I played tennis at a nice park in Ealing with Ben, Amber, and Ben's brother Gabriel. Amber, her friend Betsy, and I had dinner at a quaint little Spaghetti House near my hostel. We then went to Whitechapel to see Ben and his band, The Other Dances, play a show at the White Hart pub. They did really well and it was fun to see them perform.

Sunday Nate and I went to the National Portrait Gallery. It was very neat. We went on a guided tour to see some of the collection highlights. This gallery has famous paintings of royalty and important people throughout history. Two of my favorites were those of Catherine Parr and Shakespeare.

It is wonderful being in a city with such rich history and so many great places to be able to learn about it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Things are going well for me here in London. I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful traditional Thanksgiving meal with my colleagues at work today. Last night, I helped my friend/coworker Amber prepare for it. We made the turkey, sweet potatoes, salad, and rolls, which was nice and felt like a little piece of home.

So, today we had a great big spread of food and almost everyone at the office joined us for the meal. This was the first Thanksgiving celebration that many of my co-workers had experienced. They don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in England. People were interested in the story of what the holiday is and how it began. They also liked trying pumpkin pie, jellied cranberry, and sweet potatoes. Turkey is not a popular meat, here, either, so it was a small challenge finding all of the fixings and tools to prepare it. But everything turned out really well. It was very lovely and the food was great! Of course, it didn't compare to home, but it was surely a nice time.

Three things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving...

My always supportive and loving friends and family
Having the opportunity to live and London and travel Europe
The internet and mobile phones so I can keep in touch with loved ones

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Good news...

I found out on Sunday that I am now a fully qualified social worker in the United Kingdom!

Madrid, Spain

This past weekend my friend Julie and I flew to Madrid for the weekend. We left Friday, caught a plane (AirComet) from Gatwick Airport to Bajaras Airport in Madrid. We took the Metro from the airport to central Madrid, on which a woman warned us to watch our bags because there were two men near us who were pick-pocketing. Nothing happened, thankfully, but it certainly made me more aware of my surroundings. London always seems so safe, that my guard had really gone down.

We stayed at the beautiful ME Madrid Reina Victoria hotel in Central Madrid in the Plaza de Santa Ana.

A night shot of our hotel.



Friday we were rather tired from traveling for most of the day, and spent some time in the afternoon napping in our lovely down quilt covered beds.



Our lovely bathroom.



Friday evening, we went to dinner at a small place on a side street called La Cantina. I had codfish cooked in butter with a jacket potato (baked and, by the way they pronounce it pot-ah-toe and tomato tom-ah-toe...interesting, huh?), but unfortunately, the fish was not great. Julie had beef skewers with a side of garlic mashed potatoes, that were really good. The meal was accompanied by a fine red wine and followed by a delicious chocolate mousse and a shot of sweet liqueur, on the house (it tasted like black licorice). It was a very pleasant dinner.

Most of Saturday, Julie and I spent exploring Central Madrid. We saw most of the city, including the following:

Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor





Catedral de la Almudena



Museo Palacio Real, Palacio Real



Jardines Lepanto, Plaza de Oriente, and Jardines del Palacio Real



Plaza Isabel II



We headed back to Plaza Mayor in the late afternoon to find some lunch. We wanted to have traditional Spanish entrées, so ate at a small restaurant in the Plaza were they served Paellas—a salty rice dish with different herbs and spices. Julie got one with chicken and rabbit. Mine was the Paella de Mariscos, so it was seafood, including shrimp (complete shell intact with legs and everything—interesting), mussels, and squid. To be honest, I didn't like it. I wanted one with artichokes and vegetables and was disappointed to learn that they were out of the fixings for it. We also had to wait, in the cold of the shade, for our food, sipping on weak Sangria. Sorry, but it wasn't a great dining experience.

However, it was fun sitting and watching the people stroll by. There was also all kinds of commotion in the plaza, as there were crowds of athletic supporters (not sure which sport, actually) shouting and blowing their noise-makers and horns with excitement.

and then we walked along Calle Alcalá, where we saw the Palacio de Comunicaciones, a beautiful piece of architecture.



When it became dark, Julie and I started back towards our hotel. We walked a little bit more around the Plaza de Santa Ana, right near our hotel, and then browsed through some of the things at the market in the Plaza Jacinto Benavente. There were some pretty neat things in the market, but they were pretty expensive, so had to pass on buying anything. We then headed back to the Hotel and got ready to check out The Penthouse, the hotel's rooftop bar and patio. It was very beautiful and drinks were expensive! It cost 28 Euros for two drinks!! Needless to say, we only had one. It was part of the experience, though, so it was worth it. After a full day of exploring the city, we were exhausted and headed to bed.

Sunday morning, we woke up bright and early and headed out to see some more of Madrid. We walked down to the Paseo del Prado, a main street of Madrid. We saw the Fuente de Neptuno, stood in line for the Museo del Prado, an internationally famous museum, but didn't end up actually going in. We walked through some of the beautiful gardens, saw the Palacio de Cristal, Palacio de Velázquez



, and the Monumento a Alfonso XII, and finally through the Parque del Retiro.



It was all very peaceful and pretty. The weather in Spain was sunny all weekend; however, in the shade it was cold and required a jacket throughout the trip. Nonetheless, it was beautiful. I think it would be even more so in the summer months or a bit earlier in the autumn with even more vibrant colors and warm weather.

It was a lovely weekend away from the hustle and bustle of busy London life.

Remembrance Day

Today, Kate and I met for breakfast at the Giraffe Restaurant and then did a little bit of shopping. It was a very nice morning/early afternoon.

After that, we met up with Nate and Wes to go check out the Imperial War Museum. This was so interesting. We saw airplanes, bombs, submarines, and tanks that were used in WWI and WWII. They had a really neat gift shop with copies of old postcards and advertisements from the time of the Wars.

We walked through the Secret War Exhibit, and then spent the rest of the afternoon experiencing The Holocaust Exhibition. This was incredible, sad, interesting. It explained The Holocaust from beginning to end, starting with life before the war for Jews, WWI explaining how the politics and other world events during this time lead to the rise of Hitler and Nazism, and proceeding through to the end of WWII. The exhibit went into great detail about each section, touching on the personal lives of the people who were involved, including the victims, the leaders in the German military, the Allies fighting against the regime, and even some of the commanders in charge at Auschwitz (the largest concentration camp there was). They had a miniature replica of Auschwitz that was so well done, you could really get a feel for the massive size of it and how many people were effected by it. The entire exhibit was heartbreaking and unbelievable. It is hard to imagine any part of it being a reality. I could have spent the entire day in this exhibit, it was so interesting and there was so much to see.

Unfortunately, we ran out of time and the museum closed, so I may have to return at some point to check out the rest of it. It was certainly an interesting place and a good way to spend Remembrance Day.

Update.

Things here in London are going pretty well. I have been working a lot and the has been rough at times, but I work with a great team who I really enjoy and who make the the work easier. It's really great to have Kate, here, too, as she is a big support for me both at work and as a friend.

I am still living at the hostel, but a lot of people who I have become close with are leaving on Monday, including one of my roommates. I think it will be a lot different and I am nervous about getting a new roommate. I have become so used to my routine and things have been working okay. I have been thinking more about moving out and am thinking about trying to find a new place by December. I am still undecided. I would almost like to wait until I hear back from the GSCC on their final decision regarding my registration. I don't know what/if anything with my job will change once that decision is made, so once I hear back, I think I will have a better idea of what the next few months will be like with work. I should hearing back from them soon.

The past couple of weekends, I have been spending time with friends from the hostel. Last weekend, we had a little party sort of thing on Friday evening, which was fun. Saturday night I went to dinner at the new flat of a girl who used to live at the hostel that was very nice. It was Guy Fawkes day last Monday, so there were all kinds of celebrations going on in the city like bonfires and fireworks. Unfortunately, I did not make it to any. Sunday evening, a bunch of us went to Russell Square and kicked the soccer ball around for a bit. It was a really nice afternoon in the park.

This weekend I am trying to spend what time I have left with the people who will be leaving. We went to a karaoke bar last night and are going to go dancing tonight, which should be fun.

This next week, I expect will be busy. I have my first Case Review Conference on Thursday, for which I need to prepare a report and present it to the Chair and other members involved in the case. I often feel very grown up doing my job and hope that it is really good experience to start off my career, wherever it takes me. Anyway, it will also be a short week, as I am going to Madrid, Spain with my friend Julie, which should be a lot of fun.

Still breathing.

I know I have been out of touch lately and I apologize. I am still alive and things are going okay. I miss everyone from home and hope all is well. I will write more soon.

Love,

Heidi

The Belgian Experience

Waffles, Beer, and Chocolate.

The weekend of October 27, I went on the Anderson Tours weekend trip to Belgium with my friends Kate, Nate, and Wes. We took a bus from London and rode to Dover, so I got to see the white cliffs of Dover.

From there, the bus drove onto a Seafrance ferry, which was really more like a cruise ship, we got off of the bus and moved up to the cabin where we ate breakfast and relaxed a bit. The ferry took us across the English Channel to Calais, France where we boarded the bus again and then drove through part of France to Belgium. We arrived in Ostend (pronounced Oostend), where our hotel was located. When we got there, we explored the city a bit,



had lunch at a small restaurant where we all ate bolognese spaghetti (it was one of those experiences where you walk into the one-room restaurant, and everyone all locals, look up at you, stare for a moment knowing that you're from out of town, and then go about their business...somewhat uncomfortable, but more humorous than anything... either way, the food was good). We also checked out the Cathedral...



and got some waffles (so good!). We went for a walk along the beach overlooking the North Sea. This was one of my most favorite parts of the trip, as it was so peaceful and quiet on the beach. There were people walking along the shoreline, seagulls flying about, and a man playing a music box with a stuffed monkey sitting on top. It was such a pleasant change from the hectic city buzz of London.



That evening, we went to a smaller town called Diksmuide where we went to the "Diksmuide Beer Festival," which was really a big room with a polka band, all men wearing Lederhosen, where they served about ten different kinds of Belgian beer. It reminded me a lot of one of the neighboring towns to Winsted (my hometown in Minnesota). They have about 500 types of beer in Belgium, including flavored, such as cherry.



There were people all dressed up, dancing, and drinking beer. It was a fun night.



The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel, checked out, and then jumped back on the coach to head to Brugge. This was a truly beautiful city. Brugge felt like walking back through time, a bit, with the old architecture, horse drawn carriages, and the quiet of the city.







It was lovely floating along the canals on the river tour through the center of the city. The guide gave the tour in French, Spanish, and English.



The entire city is surrounded by canals and tree-lined paths that follow along the water. One side of the city also had windmills along the river.



Brugge was also a great place to buy chocolates, as there were all kinds of small shops and things. We finished up the trip by buying a few souvenirs and a stroll along the canals. We boarded the bus one last time and headed back towards London. The ferry ride from Calais back to Dover was pretty rough. It was raining and violently windy, causing the entire ship to sway back and forth--it was actually difficult to walk in a straight line. Bravely, we went out to the deck for a short bit, which didn't last long, as it was scary and dark with the rain and wind.

Eventually, we made it back to London, safe and sound. It was a lovely weekend spent in good company and seeing interesting places.

Premier

Last week I called the GSCC. There is a letter on its way via mail post to my US postal address. I am anxious to find out what it has to say about my qualification. Work has been going pretty well for me. Unfortunately, many people have been out sick, which is pretty hard on the rest of the team. It is certainly a stressful job in itself, but the budget, or lack thereof, means that the caseload per individual is greater because the Borough can't afford to hire more social workers. Typical, I guess.

This weekend I stayed in London. Friday night I stayed after work and had dinner with Kate and our co-worker Ben. Saturday afternoon I went to the National Gallery where I saw all kinds of beautiful paintings and then wandered a bit around Trafalgar Square. That night I went with a bunch of friends from the hostel to see a band at a club in Leicester Square, which was a lot of fun. Sunday I relaxed and spent time hanging out with friends at the hostel and watching movies.

Tonight I went to Leicester Square for the Lions for Lambs movie premier with Tom Cruise. I didn't get the greatest view of the red carpet, so didn't really get a good look at Mr Cruise. I did get to see a glimpse of Robert Redford and the writer, Matthew Carnahan. Even though I didn't see a ton, it was a fun atmosphere to be around. Lots of people and energy. Afterward, Nate and I had dinner at a Chinese restaurant in China Town--a really neat area. It was a very pleasant evening and I'm really enjoying being in London.

Stonehenge and Bath

Saturday, I went with Kate, Wes, and Nate on a day trip organized by BUNAC to Stonehenge and Bath. It was neat to go to Stonehenge for the experience.

Stonehenge

I really liked Bath. It was a beautiful city with a lot of Roman architecture and was a little touristy, but not too bad. I think I may try and make it back there again for a longer trip sometime. While there, we saw The Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, The Circus, The Royal Crescent, and some of Royal Victoria Park.

Street performer in Bath.

Roman Baths

Sunday, I went to breakfast with some friends, cleaned my room, and went to a nearby park to read for a bit. It was nice and relaxing after a long week.

Today I had work, as usual, which went pretty well. I also finally(!!!) received my PIN to access my UK bank account and then went to the Acton Library to get a library card. These were certainly highlights, as I have been attempting to do both of these things for the past few weeks.

This evening, I looked for some places online tonight to move out of the hostel. There is some problem here with the plumbing that started this evening. Maybe a sign that I should start looking harder for new housing...Anyway, things are going pretty well for me. I miss everyone from home and think of you often.

Another week

has passed. I've been here in London for over three weeks now. I am still living in the BUNAC Hostel, which I am okay with. I like living in Central London, the people here, and having everything I need (laundry, full kitchen, comfy bed, close to the public transportation, etc.). The biggest thing is that it is far from work and the space I have is limited. However, for now, it's okay. I did look at another place one evening last week and liked it, but it didn't work out. So, I'm going to keep my eyes open for new opportunities and casually look for new housing until I get
really sick of it here at the hostel enough to motivate me to move.

This week at work went pretty well. I have my cases now and have scheduled home visits with clients. I will be learning the 'art' of managing a case load over the next couple of weeks. I still have not heard from the GSCC, besides that they emailed me asking for my updated contact and employment information. I hope to hear good news...soon.

This weekend went by fast, as usual, but was fun. Saturday I went with my friend Nate on a day trip to Canterbury (this is the same Canterbury from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales). It was a pretty neat little city. We saw the Canterbury Cathedral, which was beautiful.







We also stopped by the Eastbridge Hospital, which has never actually been a hospital, but was a place of 'hospitality' for poor pilgrims visiting the tomb of St. Thomas Becket at the Cathedral. After that, we went on one of the Canterbury Historic River Tours--a 35 minute row down the river with a tour guide who provided little bits and pieces of history about the area. It was short, but peaceful and the guide was pretty entertaining. We walked around a little bit more seeing the different shops and things and then had dinner at a neat little place called The Weaver's Restaurant. The food there was really good. I had salmon served on chopped cherry tomatoes, onions, herbs and spices, along with mashed potatoes and fresh steamed broccoli, pea pods, and carrots. It was delicious and a nice way to end the day. When we finished dinner, we made our way back to the bus stop. The bus ride was a little less than two hours long, so not too bad.

Today I went to breakfast with some friends at a fun little place called Giraffe nearby the hostel. I had English breakfast tea and a waffle with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and yogurt on top. It was the sweetest and most crunchy waffle I have ever had, in a good way. Yum! After breakfast, I did some grocery shopping, and then Julie and I went to Covent Garden. I was mistaken to think that it was a garden. It was a shopping area with an open air market and other shops. There were entertainers, as well. One of them, my favorite, was a woman dressed as an angel who moved like a robot and would make kiss noises when people gave her money. It was really neat. We were only in that area for a short while before we went to find the movie theater. But it would be fun to go back again sometime soon.

After wandering a bit, Julie and I met up with my friend and co-worker Amber to see the movie "Control." I really liked the movie. It was in black and white and had really great camera shots all throughout. It is about Ian Curtis, the lead singer of the band Joy Division (I hadn't actually heard of this band until learning of this movie, but will be sure to explore their music a bit after hearing the soundtrack). He suffered from Epilepsy, struggled with love and was overwhelmed by the demands of stardom, eventually leading to his suicide at the age of 23. Even more interesting is that the movie is based on the true story "Touching From a Distance" written by Curtis's widow Deborah. It was a sad story, but the movie was very well done and all three of us enjoyed it.

This evening I went to Russell Park near the hostel and kicked the soccer ball around a little bit. The city is busy all of the time, so the being in the parks are a nice way to escape it a little bit. It was a good weekend.

Wales

This weekend I went to Wales with some friends--Nate, Lindsey, and King. We took a train from London to Swansea, a medium sized coastal town and the home town of Dylan Thomas, a famous poet (the one, supposedly, after whom Bob Dylan took the 'Dylan' part of his name). They had a couple museums, one of which we went to. It was okay. The more interesting parts of the city were the bay area by the beach and the Dylan Thomas exhibition. We had a nice lunch at a restaurant called The Pumphouse right next to the Marina. There we experienced a special dish in Wales called Beef & Brains (the 'Brains' referring to a brand of beer used for flavouring). Anyway, it was nice.



After wandering around Swansea for a while, we jumped back on the train and headed to Cardiff where we met up with my dear friend Kate. In Cardiff, we stopped by the Hard Rock Cafe and then made our way to the Cardiff Castle. The castle was really neat and it was nice to have a guided tour to give us some background on the history and such. It would also have been nice to be able to just wander, as we only got to see a small portion of the entire thing. The rooms were so elaborate. Every detail was a symbol for something or captured some sort of historical or cultural factoid. For example, the children's play room had drawings of all the classic children's stories etched on the walls and on the light fixtures. It was pretty impressive.



After exploring the Castle and swording around in the gift shop, we reunited with Lindsey (she didn't want to see the castle), and then headed to find food and drinks. We walked for quite a while and eventually found a place that had really cheap drinks, but no luck on the food. King and Lindsey had to head back to London, so we said farewell, and then Kate, Nate and I enjoyed some of the local nightlife before making our way back to the Cardiff Backpacker's hostel where we were staying for the night.

Sunday morning began with breakfast in the hostel lounge for Kate, Nate, and I. After checkout, we took a Stagecoach bus from Cardiff to Caerphilly (about 15-20 minutes or so) to visit Caerphilly Castle (pronounded Ca-filly). It was also very interesting to check out. It felt so peaceful and quiet to be there, too, especially after being in the busy city of London for the past few weeks. It was a nice break from the city and it was enjoyably educational, as well. After spending the majority of the day at the castle and trying to figure out the bus schedule, we finally took a cab back to Cardiff. We had dinner at the Prince of Wales restaurant and then caught the train back to London. It was a very nice weekend away.

Tower of Caerphilly Castle


Me at Caerphilly Castle

It's nice when

the internet works like you want it to. The past few days the internet hasn't been cooperating. It is for the time being. So, I was finally able to upload some more pictures.

Yesterday I had training all day for the database that we work with for cases (it reminds me a lot of working at the Tech Desk with Helpline, but it works better than Helpline, thankfully). Training got me thinking more about combining social work and technology. The system was implemented in March, so it's fairly new. I think there are a lot of agencies in this same position--either newly migrating to using a database and computers to keep track of case notes and case files or about to implement the system. Interesting...Anyway, the training went well. I'll need some time to get used to the system and use it properly.

I spent most of the evening looking through my travel books and trying to figure out what kinds of trips might be on the near horizon. Hoping to make some of them happen soon.

Today I got some of my cases at work, so I will be starting to do home visits and such. I am curious to hear back from the GSCC about the status of my qualification. Patience, patience.

It took me a long time to get home from work today. The bus ride from the town hall to the tube station took reeeeaaally long. I really need to find new housing soon. I do like the people here at the hostel and am starting to hang out with them more, so that is nice in a way because I like it here, but it makes more sense for me to move closer to work, so it stinks. Blah.

This evening I went out with some hostelmates to a pub for a going away get together for one of them. It was decent. I've got housing hunting to do. Peace.

Catch up

My first (half) week of work went pretty well. I went with a colleague to court on Friday morning. I observed only, but it was really good to see. It was her first time going to court for a client, as well, so I think she was comforted by having someone with her for support. We had lunch at the Belvedere again. I really need to start bringing my lunch. The food there is really good, but it's too expensive to eat out every day. So, I survived my first few days of work.

Saturday I met up with Kate in the afternoon. We walked around London and checked out some different areas we hadn't been before. We had lunch at a pub and then walked to Green Park. On the way to the park, we walked through a pretty posh area where we went by Tiffany & Co., Gucci, and other designer stores. We hung out in the Green Park for a while, stopped by Buckingham Palace, and then wandered through St. James Park where there were a variety of birds and ponds.

We went by the Horse's Guards Parade (a building with some horse statues outside of it and a couple of the guards that won't move or interact with you, even if you try), where I took a bunch of pictures. We then walked down to see Westminster Abbey and the area north of the Thames River, again. We took more pictures of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, and the Eye, but went around the entire building, getting a new angle and some really cool shots. Big Ben looks spectacular at night and the moon was out, so it felt pretty magical to be there.

On Sunday, I had to go to the Apple Store (they have many of the same stores here as they do in the States—and especially restaurants...for example, Subway, McDonald's, Burger King, Chili's, TGI Friday's) for a new adapter to plug in my laptop and other electronics. Electronics have been a bit frustrating here. My flat iron no longer works and I am pretty sure the adapter/converter that I got right before coming here is broken. Grrr. Anyway, hopefully I won't have any more trouble for the rest of my time here.

Sunday afternoon I met Kate at Hyde Park. Before Kate arrived, I checked out the Wellington Arch across from the Tube Station. When she got there, we started down the flower walk through a garden, sat for a bit at the Italian Gardens, and then made our way towards Kensington Palace. [As Kate and I were going through Hyde Park, we noticed that parks feel different here than what we have experienced back home. People go and spend hours just relaxing in the park. Some people play sports or are doing an activity, but many seem content to simply be there, without needing a reason or activity. It is very pleasant.]

After meandering around the park, Kate and I met a few people from my hostel at the Sports Café. This is a popular place with the foreigners, as it is one of the few (if only) places around that shows American football games (remember that here in Europe they call soccer football). We hung out there for a while, had some dinner, and then parted ways.

Today, Monday, I had to get my photo taken for my work I.D. Card, so I got to sleep in a bit and then went to Ealing to get my picture taken. By the time I made it to the office, it was about time for lunch. I ate at The Belvedere (I have not yet had a lunch anywhere else since I have been employed there), again, with a bunch of my co-workers. The telephone systems and network were down for much of the day, so it was hard for anyone to be very productive (I am still working on finding a way to combine social work and technology—have all ready had some conversations with people that continue to peak my interest in how the two merge in people's daily work lives). The day went by pretty fast. Tomorrow, I have training for the computer database systems that they use, but will likely be allocated my cases later this week (wish me luck!).

After work, I met up with Michelle (former college roommate) who arrived here in London this morning and will be staying for the next six months to live, play, work, and travel. We met at St. Paul's Cathedral and then walked to Pizza Express—a yummy little Italian Restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere. I had some really good pizza and we split a dessert (Banaoffee Pie—unbelievably tasty!). Michelle did the London Business semester last year, so is very familiar with the London area. We had a nice dinner and caught up a bit on life. It will be fun to have another friend here from home to hang out with. Being she and Kate are both Wisconsinites and huge Packer fans, we may just have to see if we can catch a game or two at the Sports Cafe, among other adventures.

Oh, and I got an email today regarding the place I looked at last week. I didn't get it. Surprisingly, I wasn't as disappointed as I thought I would be. Guess it wasn't meant to be.

The hunt for housing

Today was my second day of work. It went pretty well. I read policies most of the day. I had lunch with a bunch of my co-workers at the same place Kate, Amber and I ate at yesterday, The Belvedere. It has pretty good food and is decorated really nicely. Many of my co-workers are leaving and none of them really like the job. On the other hand, they get along with each other really well, so I think that makes it easier. We had about three rounds of tea throughout the day, too, which was kind of fun. Very English. They prepare their tea so it is very strong and then add milk and sugar. They thought it was funny that I had mine black. Anyway, work was okay.

After work, Kate and I went to Ealing to bum around a bit and then she came with me to see a house in Ealing with a room for rent. The house was really nice and the room is decently priced. The room itself was pretty small, but would be adequate for my needs. The rest of the house was really nice. It would be close to work, too. The girl that showed me around was very pleasant. She said that they had more people looking at it throughout the weekend and that she would have to wait to let me know what she and her roommates decide. I really hope I get it, but will have to just wait and see. I did email a few other people about places and there is space available in the BUNAC flats, yet.

Today I have been in London for a week. Crazy!

First day of work

Today was my first day of work. The commute was about an hour, kind of long, so I'm really on the hunt to find new housing that is closer to work. The day went well and it went by fast. I am working with Kate and another girl that was hired through UK Pro named Amber. She is from Niagra Falls, New York and is really nice. The three of us had lunch together. After lunch, I went with one of my colleagues to a meeting and a home visit, and then all of a sudden it was time to go home. It was a busy, but pretty good day.

Orientation, Accounts, and Employment

Lessons from today:

1. Sometimes walking is faster than taking a taxi or other public transportation.
2. Wear neutral colors, especially black, if you want to blend in.
3. There are markets around London where you can find inexpensive clothes.
4. Restaurants may not be as straightforward as one would think.
5. Beware of young couples who think it is funny to pull down each other's trousers.
6. It is okay to come back to the BUNAC Hostel after having moved out; however, this is only true if you come back again to stay, not just to visit while you are living somewhere else and simply want to use the internet. This is not a policy, but part of the hostel culture.

Today I had orientation at the BUNAC Office. It took about a half hour to ride there in a taxi-- what it usually takes to walk--and only ten minutes or so when driving. The orientation took about an hour and a half and then after the session, I checked out some their housing resources.

I had an appointment at 2:00 pm at the bank to set up my account. It took me a little while to find my way there, but it was fine. As I was walking, I noticed that everyone around me was dressed ten times nicer than I was (jeans, a tee, and a hoodie) and that they were all wearing neutral colors, with the occasional color mixed in. I took a little detour through a market on Leather Street that seemed really cool. It was mostly clothes and accessories, unlike most of the markets I have ever been to. I want to go back there sometime soon--maybe I can 'Londonize' my wardrobe.

I made my bank appointment on time and got my account set up without any problems. Before the appointment, I received a call from UK Pro saying that the job in Acton Town could still work out, though since I do not have my qualification from the GSCC, that I would have to be 'unqualified.' Not sure if this means that the work would be any different, but it does mean that I get paid less. However, once I am qualified by the GSCC (assuming I will be), the pay would increase to the normal wage. At this point in the day, UK Pro was going to verify this information with the manager at the job and let me know later.

After my bank appointment, I stopped at a nearby cafe and had a late lunch. It was a neat little cafe on the corner of Kingsway and Aldwych, right across from the BBC building. They have it set up so that you can either have your food 'take away', so it stays in the original packaging, or 'eat in' if you want to stay there. I learned this as the experience unfolded...I was momentarily confused when the girl took my sandwich and it disappeared behind the counter as I searched for my pounds (GBP) out to pay her. As she placed the unpackaged sandwich accompanied by a few crisps on a plate in front of me, I realized what had just happened. They also had pasta there in packages, which I had thought about getting before I went into the restaurant, but assumed it was to buy and prepare at home, so passed on that idea. I got a sandwich (they have tomatoes and cucumbers on many/most of their sandwiches--I love it!) and some crisps (potato chips) with a fruity drink, which were all delicious. However, I was a bit disappointed by my cold sandwich, as a few minutes into my lunch the waitress brought out a steaming hot plate of pasta to the lady sitting nearby. Like I said, it was a learning experience...and one of those moments where you silently chuckle at yourself because of your ignorance. Anyway, it was a nice lunch and it was fun to sit and watch all the hustle and bustle of Londoners go by.

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly, as they have been, and I just went about my usual business of getting settled in and figuring out all the financial, logistical, scheduling, and such done. I also received a call from UK Pro saying that I did get the job in Acton Town and that I start tomorrow!

And, now that I have a job, I have begun to search for housing. I am considering moving to the flats owned by BUNAC, as they are much closer to Acton Town. I would probably only live there temporarily, but it would save me some time and money if I did with the (much) shorter commute. Erin (my current roommate) and I just got a new roommate today, too. She is from Texas and seems pretty nice. However, it's pretty crowded in our room with three people and all of our stuff. So, I spent quite a bit of time looking for housing online this evening, and hopefully things work out well.

Sunday, Monday

Yesterday I slept in a bit and then unpacked some of my things and tried to become more organized. I went shopping at Tesco, a grocery store, nearby and picked up just a few things. It is kind of hard to get settled in here at the hostel when I am not sure how long I will be staying. And, I don't want to have to pack any more stuff than I already have for when I move. This will depend on when and where I get a job, so I will just have to be patient.

This morning, Monday, I had my interview in Acton Town. This is in the same office that Kate is working, so if I get the job, we will be working together. I got up pretty early to get there and arrived over an hour early, but there was quite a few shops and things around, so I stopped at a coffee shop, had some breakfast, and tried to prepare for the interview.

The interview went okay. There were certainly some questions I could have answered better, but I felt pretty comfortable with my interviewer and it seemed like I would fit in there rather nicely. The job would be working with the Children In Need team, doing home visits, and case management sort of work. It would certainly be challenging, but good experience to have.

I heard back from UK Pro in the afternoon saying that the manager would like to hire me (all communication is done through UK Pro); however, she first wanted to know if I was "qualified." [This means that she wanted to know if I have been licensed through the UK Social Work licensing body, which is the General Social Care Council (GSCC), and the people for whom I had to fill out the intensely long and detailed application. The only information I have heard from them (this was in July) is that they received my application and fee, and they gave me a reference/registration number; however, I have not heard anything back from them and am unsure of when I will. I tried contacting them before I left the US, but had no luck in finding out anything (they do not like to be contacted for checking on application status).] UK Pro was going to tell the manager that I have a registration number, see what she said, and then let me know. So, basically I will just have to wait and see what happens.

This afternoon, I went over to West Kensington to check out the flats (apartments) owned by BUNAC. They are similar to the hostel here in the center of the city, but are two people to a room, each floor with a bathroom, and each room with a mini kitchen. The price is the same as here, too, which isn't too bad, but the rooms available right now are pretty small and the cost doesn't change with the size. Also, with the flats the rent is due each month instead of each week like at the hostel. The lease is only a month, though, so it is pretty flexible. If I get the job in Acton Town, I will see about living there because it would be closer to work, at least for a month or so. Otherwise, I will probably stay here at the hostel in Central London until I find a job.

After checking out the flat, I headed to Ealing Broadway to meet up with Kate. We walked around her neighborhood a bit and did some window shopping. We had a nice long dinner at a local pub and then I caught the Tube back home.

Tomorrow morning I am going to get my BUNAC orientation out of the way and later try to get my bank account set up. Hopefully I will hear more from UK Pro about the job in Acton Town and/or other interview opportunities, if need be.

Out on the Town

Saturday, Kate and I spent the afternoon exploring London. We walked a little bit around Central London near the British Museum (since it was such a nice day out, we decided to spend the day walking around outside, so we didn't stop at the museum). We took the Tube from Tottingham Court Road to London Bridge and then walked along the Thames towards the Tower Bridge. We got some lunch and then walked through a market near Vinopolis and Southwark.

We walked around that area a little bit and then headed to the Waterloo Station via Underground (Kate's shoes tore up her feet, so we were trying to avoid any more walking than was necessary to see what we wanted to see). There we walked along the Thames some more and navigated our way around through the crowds of people watching the street performers. We saw the London Eye, the Aquarium, and Big Ben. We sat in front of the Aquarium to rest for a bit and ended up spending the next several hours just hanging out and watching the people walk by. It was very entertaining.