Fortnight means two weeks.

Things I've learned during my first fortnight in London:

1. Tesco's is like an enormous Super Wal-mart. It's fantastically cheap. However, one should never ever go on a weekend if one wants to get out in under four hours. Really the same rule for Wal-mart, but on a larger scale.
2. It takes about a week and a half to get used to looking right first when crossing the road. I don't even think about the 'cars on the wrong side of the road' thing anymore.
3. Speaking of which, it is not illegal to park on the wrong side of the road here.
4. Black worn with navy or with brown is not considered a fashion faux pas. And I was laughed at by my Dutch flatmate when I told her one is not supposed to wear white between Labor Day and Memorial Day (obviously telling her when those days are).
5. Celcius isn't that difficult to pick up on.
6. Nothing is built on a grid here, so I must find a different way to learn my way around and find a sense of direction.
7. I didn't enroll for university; I enroled. (It's only got one L here.)
8. People had lots of fun naming places in Greater London, such as Tooting and Cockfosters.
9. It's a good idea to own several pairs of really good sneakers (aka trainers) unless one is crazy enough to try driving.
10. A 'News Agent' is a little convenient-store-like shop that sells newspapers, magazines, snacks, drinks, and cigarettes. One can also top up an Oyster Card there.
11. The afore-mentioned Oyster Card is something you put money on and use to ride the bus for cheaper- in the case of my area, half price.
12. Zebra Crossing is a place where cars are required by law to stop for pedestrians. It is marked by white stripes in the road.
13. Street musicians are not homeless people begging for change; they are licensed and paid to be there for a certain timeslot, and some of them are very good.
14. Beef is very, very cheap here; one can get a delicious steak dinner and pint of lager in a pub for under $10. (Yes, that's USD, not pounds sterling.) This is perhaps the happiest discovery of them all.

I've learned a lot of other things as well, but 14 seemed a good number to post- one thing for every day I've been here!

Biscuits for Flying Children

Last Thursday, I arrived in the UK. On the way here from Savannah, I managed to only get 1/3 of my luggage on the plane and break my laptop (thought I'd also broken my toe but it was only bruised, as the laptop fell on it during security check). I barely got my passport in time- Daddy had to chase the UPS man down and get it for me... my hero!! And what is it with me and kids on planes? I'm always sat close to the most obnoxious ones. I love children- don't get me wrong- but I haven't got any, and therefore I don't feel I should be 'understanding' or whatever it is the parents expect when they allow their kids to shout and yell and carry on inappropriately. I've decided to just yell at the children myself once they've carried on long enough with no word from mum or dad. So I did that on the plane when they were sat right behind me from Savannah to Atlanta and would not stop kicking and pushing on my seat. First I turned round and asked rather nicely (and loud enough for mum to hear, as she was sat in the seat across the aisle): "Could you please stop kicking the back of my seat? Thank you!" Mum then said something to children in another language, I assumed reinforcing my request. Five minutes later, I turned round again and reiterrated my request, even louder, allowing my irritation to show a bit so if kids didn't get the point maybe mum would. She said something to them again. Quiet for a few seconds. Then the shouting. I mean we're on a plane, people. INSIDE VOICES PLEASE!! But I let that go and just turned up my MP3 player as loud as it would go. Was very tempted to sing out loud but I don't think I did. Or at least no one shouted at me to shut up. Almost to Atlanta, the kicking and pushing and carrying on started up again. I didn't even turn round. I just sat up straight and shouted "WILL YOU PLEASE. STOP. KICKING. MY. SEAT.!!!" Mum speaks. Moment of silence. Shouting resumes, along with some kicking. Plane lands. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!!!

It's interesting to observe children in other cultures. For instance, here in the UK, children are sent to school on their own very young. So from the time they are knee-high, they are trusted to keep up with a bus pass and whatever money might be needed for the day, make it to the bus stop, pay attention and get off the bus at the right stop, get to school, and then make it home at the end of the day. And this sort of trust and high expectation seems to instill a sense of independence and self-confidence that is lacking in youths and young adults in the States. Of course safety is an issue as well, and I'm not suggesting anyone just stick their five-year-old on a bus with a wad of cash and a "Good luck honey, hope to see you again after school." In fact I'm not suggesting anything. Just observing.

Anyway anyway anyway......

So I've been in the UK for seven days now. It doesn't even feel like a week has passed! My friend Jella and I have been staying in a bed and breakfast while we look for a place to live, and we have found a really lovely flat in New Malden, which is right between the town centres of Kingston and Wimbledon. So it will be probably an hour on the bus for me to get to uni every morning, but New Malden is much cheaper than Kingston. For what we are spending on a partially furnished, two-bedroom garden flat, we could have gotten a lovely, furnished studio flat in the heart of Kingston. So we both feel very good about this. If all goes well, we'll be moving Saturday!

So today will be spent opening a local bank account so that we can get a National Insurance Number, which is necessary for getting a job here. I don't really understand the way things work yet, but I'm just following the steps, and finding that things begin to make sense as I go.

I've just heard on the news that people in London tend to die from choking on custard cream biscuits. Or something. I don't care for custard cream, but perhaps I should get some to take on my next flight.