ok...so, in the midst of running errands, yet again (don't ask), i meet up with my flatmates @ PRIMARK. first of all, i am going into PRIMARK in oxford circus b/c that's where one of the school campuses is located and therefore it was convenient. i know oxford circus is a tourist-y area, but still.....
now, i'll jus meet my flatmates there, no biggie. WRONG! let me tell you, how de whooole of london was in this PRIMARK dept. store which had all of 2 floors?!? i know the shirts for £1.50 or jackets for £15 are enticing..but de whole of london in this one store?! let's see what i can compare this to in the US-- hmmm...target? wal-mart even? but oon steroids! mind you, ppl of all ages were in there shopping - and this is at 14:00..so it's not lunch time nor is it after work! kids are in there, teenagers, wtf?! GO TO WORK or SCHOOL or sumpthin..i'm telling you, the only ppl that work in this country are retail salespersons and restaurateurs. yy? b/c everyone is either shopping/eating/ppl watching while they're eating/maybe-if-they-feel-like-it-working.
something is amiss with the work ethic here.
speaking of which..
everyday i take the tube there's always some hopeful w/ a guitar or piano waiting to be discovered..yuh know?! someone desperately showcasing their true TALENT while receiving a pittance, as opposed to this handicapped (leg-less) man "blowing" into a whistle blocking my way in the middle of oxford st. begging for my spare change on my way home..now, i know this man was cripple, but he had NO REAL TALENT..he's jus 'blowing hot air' (literally and figuratively) into this whistle expecting me to pay him..when he's not really working for his pay. hell no!
the shoppers @ PRIMARK (besides us students and real laborers) and this "whistle-blowing" cripple need to get their sh*t together!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
babblings
1. there are some REALLY angry muslims walkikng around london. don't get mad at me b/c it's ramadan and you can't eat till sundown. i am not converting.
2. are mint leaves meant for eating? i can swear they're just for garnishing purposes - yuh know...kinda like uh. parsley? you don't eat parsley.it just looks nice on the plate. guess this brit chik didn't get the memo cuz she was chomping on the mint leaves after she downed her drink.hmmmm...?!?
3. not that i don't appreciate the cleaning crew, but how do you just 'roll up' in my apt whenever you feel like it? the schedule says you come on wed., y are you here tues, thurs, anyday u want? and then, since you only speak spanish you look @ me dumbofunded, b/c you didn't get the memo that i speak spanish, yet..
4. yyyy is everything open for only 3 hrs a day, closed an hr for lunch, and then establishments have the nerve to close early?!? wtf?
2. are mint leaves meant for eating? i can swear they're just for garnishing purposes - yuh know...kinda like uh. parsley? you don't eat parsley.it just looks nice on the plate. guess this brit chik didn't get the memo cuz she was chomping on the mint leaves after she downed her drink.hmmmm...?!?
3. not that i don't appreciate the cleaning crew, but how do you just 'roll up' in my apt whenever you feel like it? the schedule says you come on wed., y are you here tues, thurs, anyday u want? and then, since you only speak spanish you look @ me dumbofunded, b/c you didn't get the memo that i speak spanish, yet..
4. yyyy is everything open for only 3 hrs a day, closed an hr for lunch, and then establishments have the nerve to close early?!? wtf?
duuude: my unproductively productive day.
ok..last nite i'm on google talk trying activate this web cam, and da sh*t just doesn't want to work continually....at least i 'saw' nadia and petagae for a quick minute =) and after wasting an hr n half trying to download extra webcam software i just went to bed...
NOW, i am claiming the above instance is the reason yyyy i did not wake up until 12:30 in the afternoon today..and then for some reason i ended up leaving the house at 15:15 and all i did was eat, and shower?! oh well.
now, my to-do list was as follows: westminster, fed ex, argos, sainsbury's, home. yyy did it take me 4 hrs to do all of this?
doo-ta-doo making my way on the tube to baker st where the westminster -marylebone campus is. there's a 'fresher's fair' there and i need some student info. um...get off the tube and it's RAINING! good thing i'm wearing my scully...anywho walk to the school, and of course they're taking down tables b/c the fair is over..i'm like wtf?
(now, i know you're thinking i shouldn't be surprised it's raining in london, but it has not rained and has seriously been hoot every afternoon for the past wk)
ok, fine, no fresher's fair.it's all gravy, right?!? i make my way back on the hot ass tube since now i have on sweater + jacket...get off at tottenham ct rd, take the bus, and get to fedex.yes! i'm here, right? wrong..the server's are down at fedex.?!? wtf? again. the attendant is like, 'yah, we're not doing ne work, the servers are down.'...oh gr8. now, mind you, the attendant tells me another fed ex near oxford circus i can go to. yes! finally get there and actually mail my financial aid check to US to bank of america so that i can have $ in about a wk.
(i know you were wondering y i had to go to fed ex instead of the post office.fedex is supposedly more reliable..hmm)
now, walking back to where i think is oxford st. tube, and i end up in holborn.wtf? now, im lost, had to make my way to holborn st. tube to get home...after walking around for oo 30min. go to sainsbury's supermarket, across from holborn tube station, bought some flowers to fill my NEW vase (that's another story).
soo, i mean can i get on the tube? nooo....yyy u ask? b/c this fool is protesting w/a bullhorn @ 19:00 in the middle of rush hr in front of tube station about the iraq war n how we need to send the troops home and blah iran -vs- bush..and im like..u need to get out the way cuz everyone is tryna get home...he is drawing a huge ass crowd by now...
ne way, i finally get home @ 19:30 with flowers + food in hand.
this 3rd floor apt. is no joke. i get enough exercise everyday.
NOW, i am claiming the above instance is the reason yyyy i did not wake up until 12:30 in the afternoon today..and then for some reason i ended up leaving the house at 15:15 and all i did was eat, and shower?! oh well.
now, my to-do list was as follows: westminster, fed ex, argos, sainsbury's, home. yyy did it take me 4 hrs to do all of this?
doo-ta-doo making my way on the tube to baker st where the westminster -marylebone campus is. there's a 'fresher's fair' there and i need some student info. um...get off the tube and it's RAINING! good thing i'm wearing my scully...anywho walk to the school, and of course they're taking down tables b/c the fair is over..i'm like wtf?
(now, i know you're thinking i shouldn't be surprised it's raining in london, but it has not rained and has seriously been hoot every afternoon for the past wk)
ok, fine, no fresher's fair.it's all gravy, right?!? i make my way back on the hot ass tube since now i have on sweater + jacket...get off at tottenham ct rd, take the bus, and get to fedex.yes! i'm here, right? wrong..the server's are down at fedex.?!? wtf? again. the attendant is like, 'yah, we're not doing ne work, the servers are down.'...oh gr8. now, mind you, the attendant tells me another fed ex near oxford circus i can go to. yes! finally get there and actually mail my financial aid check to US to bank of america so that i can have $ in about a wk.
(i know you were wondering y i had to go to fed ex instead of the post office.fedex is supposedly more reliable..hmm)
now, walking back to where i think is oxford st. tube, and i end up in holborn.wtf? now, im lost, had to make my way to holborn st. tube to get home...after walking around for oo 30min. go to sainsbury's supermarket, across from holborn tube station, bought some flowers to fill my NEW vase (that's another story).
soo, i mean can i get on the tube? nooo....yyy u ask? b/c this fool is protesting w/a bullhorn @ 19:00 in the middle of rush hr in front of tube station about the iraq war n how we need to send the troops home and blah iran -vs- bush..and im like..u need to get out the way cuz everyone is tryna get home...he is drawing a huge ass crowd by now...
ne way, i finally get home @ 19:30 with flowers + food in hand.
this 3rd floor apt. is no joke. i get enough exercise everyday.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
baaaartender!
day three <13> river thames - party boat.
i mean, the boat was fun..considering i damn near missed the damn boat.
now, on the flyer it says the nearest tube was monument, ooo only 1/2 mile from the damn pier. ..as i approach the pier i see tower hill tube station, friggin directly across from the pier.. anyway, i get on the boat, hot n sweaty, out of breath, to meet Agnes(polish/NY) and Susanne(holland)..had soo much fun!
and the first song the 50 yrs old?/white english guy plays?? t-payne- bartender.
yup, american influence..gotta love it! he was killin that dutty wine and 'dollar song',
'80's whitney houston....alla dat. met this african, i mean nigerian guy named.....i forget.. who lived in sweden for 10yrs b4 coming here..speaks about 3 languages..cool...and nope, not attracted to him...BUT..I was attracted to this french cutie on the tube on the way home..aaah. oh well...but london is gr8 for the eyecandy..men everywhere! =0)
good nite.
14 sept./15 sept.
Soooo yyyyyyyyyy....would there be a check out time of 1030am @ wigram house, when check-in time @ my permanent hall, 30 min away by bus, is @ 2pm...hmmm, DOESN'T MAKE SENSE...so of course more chaos....
ok. there's about 25 of us int'l students waiting outside fleming hall..the hall mgr says he needs 'a couple minutes' to get sorrted....he was just in the middle of organizing room assignments..umm..excuse me?!? yyyyy wasn't this done b4 we got here..yyy am i waiting along with other students, for my damn keys? o, but you can cash my security deposit, but you technically didn't allocate a room for me, i mean us, yet?!? i dont have time for this..
WAIT...here's the best part..im on the THIRD friggin floor...which really is more like 6 'flights' of stairs..and yuh know there's no elevator or 'lift' as so its called here...so it was gonna be even more fun moving in..luckily i only had one bag, and left the others with hector in south london. =) ....
i took the train down south back to south london to get my things, but yuh know it's fri nite..and i really didnt move ALL of my things in until now, sat evening....yay.
unpacking.
i mean, the boat was fun..considering i damn near missed the damn boat.
now, on the flyer it says the nearest tube was monument, ooo only 1/2 mile from the damn pier. ..as i approach the pier i see tower hill tube station, friggin directly across from the pier.. anyway, i get on the boat, hot n sweaty, out of breath, to meet Agnes(polish/NY) and Susanne(holland)..had soo much fun!
and the first song the 50 yrs old?/white english guy plays?? t-payne- bartender.
yup, american influence..gotta love it! he was killin that dutty wine and 'dollar song',
'80's whitney houston....alla dat. met this african, i mean nigerian guy named.....i forget.. who lived in sweden for 10yrs b4 coming here..speaks about 3 languages..cool...and nope, not attracted to him...BUT..I was attracted to this french cutie on the tube on the way home..aaah. oh well...but london is gr8 for the eyecandy..men everywhere! =0)
good nite.
14 sept./15 sept.
Soooo yyyyyyyyyy....would there be a check out time of 1030am @ wigram house, when check-in time @ my permanent hall, 30 min away by bus, is @ 2pm...hmmm, DOESN'T MAKE SENSE...so of course more chaos....
ok. there's about 25 of us int'l students waiting outside fleming hall
WAIT...here's the best part..im on the THIRD friggin floor...which really is more like 6 'flights' of stairs..and yuh know there's no elevator or 'lift' as so its called here...so it was gonna be even more fun moving in..luckily i only had one bag, and left the others with hector in south london. =) ....
i took the train down south back to south london to get my things, but yuh know it's fri nite..and i really didnt move ALL of my things in until now, sat evening....yay.
unpacking.
welcome to westminster - drink up!!
Haven't been writing here b/c I couldn't get internet in this cheap ass hostel i was staying in..aah!! now im in my likkle room in north london - completely surrounded by....bARs! gr8!!
day one. <12>
in any case, today was the first day of the welcome program - met some crazy ass ppl!: Hedvig from Sweden-real cool, Agnes-Polish from NY, Victoria from Germany, Haley - from USA -ohio
Anyway, after the meet-n-greet we go to one of the many campus bars dwnstrs for some more meeting n greeting. I'm telling u, I will be a beer connossieur b4 i graduate. i meet shoni - yes! FINALLY a black woman with DECENT hair..she's colombian/jamaican. and she gives me her contact info for her male Bajan stylist...women, esp. jamaican women stylists are envious n will chop off ur hair..hmmm..go figure? guess that practice is worldwide. the rest of the nite @ the bar goes well...
day two. <13>
wkshps galore @ this damn welcome program..amidst sanwich lunches & wine...some more wkshps..and then WALKING to the bus stop as i usually do, minding my business when this lil hoodlum youth purposely bumps into me @ the bus stop. i turned, looked at her, and she snickers w/ the rest of the hood youths...maan, i wanted to knock that gurl..she only must've been 12? but then i remembered i didn't want to get deported so i had to let it slide...but, i'm just saying what hood youth NEEDS to do is go home and get her mum to put a brush to her head!
these youths are seriously rude.
anyway, a 'peaceful' bus ride as usual back to victoria station ---> wigram house <--the whack, CHEAP, hostel. and when i say cheap, i mean paint patches on the wall, dingy carpet, but i guess at 17 quid a nite u shouldn't complain. i take a nap til about 8pm and make my way dwnstrs....
i pass a GROUP of painters..hispanic..yuh know..(i thought i left this in mia??i think to myself! yes...it's about damn time they painted..and since the painters were near the elevator i stupidly decided to walk up 5 flights of stairs to my room. i watch tv listen to some tunes...make my way BACK dwnstrs @ 12 am ppl, and these lame ass painters have managed to 4 HRS later only put up wet paint signs on some clearly dry ass walls!! who are they fooling??
i'm like, "it smells like paint, but wtf were they doing all this time?" anyway, back up the 5 flights of stairs AGAIN.
bedtime.
Monday, September 10, 2007
"gimme five"
"gimme five, up away, down slow, too slow!"
i sweaar i must've heard this little girl on the bus sing this song 10x over in a matter of 15 minutes...ugh..mind u, i was just out of breath having walked up 2 hills to get to the bus stop in south london...now, while on the bus i notice NOOO BLACK WOMEN with decent hair! this shit is soo true! i mean one lady had a blonde mop weave plastered to her head, another well in need of a relaxer, and some others with braids...in any case, i am on a mission damnit - find ONE black woman with decent hair and TRY OUT her salon....
anyway, we, meaning my dad, his friend hector, and i go on a 'hunt' literally to find my damn school -uni westminster..after taking the bus to the train station, i swear we walked around for an 1hr to find this place..y?? b/c i was with 2 men! and men don't ask questions, no matter what i suggest..so we just walk around in circles..grr..anyway, after we find the main campus-- we have to walk to another bldg 15 min. away to find the dorm i'm temporarily staying in for the week..after that we make our way to the friendly sainsbury's supermarket....we are about to walk in, minding our own business, when bam, fight bruk out in de front of the store, spills out into the street.that was fun..
Afterwards i get a lil snack b4 dinner, drink half-a-pint of some fruli beer (yummy!) @ 'the slug and lettuce' - cute restaurant...@ 4pm...damn these brits drink early...then go back to hector's via the train and bus. LAWD let me tell u about the bus ride home..ok this 'picky head, chubby tattooed arm-gyal' starts arguing with her friend about a PIECE OF CORN??!? ugh..no offense, but y did they have to be black? man. looking greedy....
more later
i sweaar i must've heard this little girl on the bus sing this song 10x over in a matter of 15 minutes...ugh..mind u, i was just out of breath having walked up 2 hills to get to the bus stop in south london...now, while on the bus i notice NOOO BLACK WOMEN with decent hair! this shit is soo true! i mean one lady had a blonde mop weave plastered to her head, another well in need of a relaxer, and some others with braids...in any case, i am on a mission damnit - find ONE black woman with decent hair and TRY OUT her salon....
anyway, we, meaning my dad, his friend hector, and i go on a 'hunt' literally to find my damn school -uni westminster..after taking the bus to the train station, i swear we walked around for an 1hr to find this place..y?? b/c i was with 2 men! and men don't ask questions, no matter what i suggest..so we just walk around in circles..grr..anyway, after we find the main campus-- we have to walk to another bldg 15 min. away to find the dorm i'm temporarily staying in for the week..after that we make our way to the friendly sainsbury's supermarket....we are about to walk in, minding our own business, when bam, fight bruk out in de front of the store, spills out into the street.that was fun..
Afterwards i get a lil snack b4 dinner, drink half-a-pint of some fruli beer (yummy!) @ 'the slug and lettuce' - cute restaurant...@ 4pm...damn these brits drink early...then go back to hector's via the train and bus. LAWD let me tell u about the bus ride home..ok this 'picky head, chubby tattooed arm-gyal' starts arguing with her friend about a PIECE OF CORN??!? ugh..no offense, but y did they have to be black? man. looking greedy....
more later
Sunday, September 9, 2007
day one:SE19
Depart MIA 8:05pm on 9/8/07--Arrive LHR 9:35 am on 9/9/07.
Did you really think I could fly to London without aaany problems?? yeah right.
Anywho, the whole clan drops me off at the airport (pics to follow), my dad and i check luggage, go through security and *bam*.
Ordeal #1. i have liquids in my carry-on. now, you know the security attendant asked me about 3x if i have liquids and each damn time i answer no. then of course, my dad is arguing with me in front of the security personnel like i told u not to bring liquids and blah blahh. im like, how da hell did liquids get in there? oh yah. i put them there after i took a shower this morning..grrr8..so i was pissed i had to toss my good keracare shampoo,face care products, lotion...i was UPSET...but it beats checkin in xtra luggage for $100.
Ordeal #2.
While waiting at the gate before boarding, my dad of course calls my mom, tells her this blown up, overly exaggerated story that I was arguing with the security personnel and that i had to toss my liquids...now,stop. please. I was arguing with YOU dad b/c you clearly were embarrassing me in front of the security checkpoint area...but of course my mom doesn't hear that story. the truth is never told. at this point i wish i came solo. we board the plane and i receive a couple of last goodbye calls and well wishes before the plane takes off.
Ordeal #3
Since the nite was going oh-so well- why not expect more issues?
so, now i'm on the plane all comfy with mini pillow and 'blanket' given to coach class. i'm sitting next to a chunky version of 'elian gonzales' and his mother...except elian and his mom were brazilian. how do i know this? WEEEELLL. im sitting all comfy and this mother redirects the cold ass air vent on to me. i hate being cold! so, i nicely redirect that redirected airvent right back to the middle. she starts gesticulating and speaking to me in str8 portugues. do i speak portugues?!? nooo, but i just nod and smile like i know what she says. all i know is that my ass is cold and if you touch that vent one more time...
Ordeal#4
mannnn...i dunno what i ate, but i was feeling queasy after dinner. i drank ginger ale, relaxed for a little, but then still felt queasy. this cycle went on for about 3 hrs. at one point i was going for the ale and spilled that ish all over my pants and 'blanket' , so you know i spilled that ginger ale all over myself. LITERALLY. the nice male stewardess gave me a real comforter and real pillow from business class...i guess i felt a lil better.oh and if i got up to walk around i felt dizzy so the flight was kinda a flop..
in any case we arrive safely @ heathrow..head out to SE19..an area just north of brixton.lol. i forget the name.
****************
pz out.
Did you really think I could fly to London without aaany problems?? yeah right.
Anywho, the whole clan drops me off at the airport (pics to follow), my dad and i check luggage, go through security and *bam*.
Ordeal #1. i have liquids in my carry-on. now, you know the security attendant asked me about 3x if i have liquids and each damn time i answer no. then of course, my dad is arguing with me in front of the security personnel like i told u not to bring liquids and blah blahh. im like, how da hell did liquids get in there? oh yah. i put them there after i took a shower this morning..grrr8..so i was pissed i had to toss my good keracare shampoo,face care products, lotion...i was UPSET...but it beats checkin in xtra luggage for $100.
Ordeal #2.
While waiting at the gate before boarding, my dad of course calls my mom, tells her this blown up, overly exaggerated story that I was arguing with the security personnel and that i had to toss my liquids...now,stop. please. I was arguing with YOU dad b/c you clearly were embarrassing me in front of the security checkpoint area...but of course my mom doesn't hear that story. the truth is never told. at this point i wish i came solo. we board the plane and i receive a couple of last goodbye calls and well wishes before the plane takes off.
Ordeal #3
Since the nite was going oh-so well- why not expect more issues?
so, now i'm on the plane all comfy with mini pillow and 'blanket' given to coach class. i'm sitting next to a chunky version of 'elian gonzales' and his mother...except elian and his mom were brazilian. how do i know this? WEEEELLL. im sitting all comfy and this mother redirects the cold ass air vent on to me. i hate being cold! so, i nicely redirect that redirected airvent right back to the middle. she starts gesticulating and speaking to me in str8 portugues. do i speak portugues?!? nooo, but i just nod and smile like i know what she says. all i know is that my ass is cold and if you touch that vent one more time...
Ordeal#4
mannnn...i dunno what i ate, but i was feeling queasy after dinner. i drank ginger ale, relaxed for a little, but then still felt queasy. this cycle went on for about 3 hrs. at one point i was going for the ale and spilled that ish all over my pants and 'blanket' , so you know i spilled that ginger ale all over myself. LITERALLY. the nice male stewardess gave me a real comforter and real pillow from business class...i guess i felt a lil better.oh and if i got up to walk around i felt dizzy so the flight was kinda a flop..
in any case we arrive safely @ heathrow..head out to SE19..an area just north of brixton.lol. i forget the name.
****************
pz out.
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