.

Raaaambling!

Uppppdate time!


I need to be better at making notes about all I do, as I tend to lose track.

Anyway, Friday afternoon I took the train to Norwich, which is on the east-coast side of England. My Belmont friend, Ashley Stro, is spending the semester there, and very kindly let me stay with her in her dorm!

When I left London, it was pretty pleasant and warm, but once I arrived in Norwich, it started raining and get reeeeeallllly cold. The first few hours I was there, we just chilled around campus and tried to avoid the rain. Then finally around 9, we headed into town as there was a party for the "Erasmus" Society at some club. Evidently social clubs are bit at Uni of East Anglia, and this particular society is for international students-- naturally, Ashley is in this club.

So I got to see some of downtown Norwich then. Truth be told, the party was kind of lame-- we had fun dancing but most of the people there just stood to the side and chatted, and it was just me and Ash and her group of spanish friends enjoying the crappy music being played. So around midnight we left (the silly busdriver made me buy ANOTHER ticket as I got on the bus at 12.08, and it was expired. grrr).


Saturday we got up and headed towards downtown Norwich. Alot of people go and shop here as there's a great selection of shops but less expensive than London. Basically all day we wandered around and had amazing hot chocolate and took photos and ate
at fun tea shops. Just nice and relaxing, just how I like it.

Made it back to London by 7 that night. Brrrr, it's cold here now. But I don't mind.


Sunday morning, my lovely friend SARAH DEANE arrived into town! To keep her up, we went to Hillsong Church's 1 PM service. For those who don't know, it's the largest church in the UK-- they were the ones who penned "Shout to the Lord". It was interesting, to say the least. Not bad at all
just very big and...enthusiastic. But it seems like a great place to get connected in London, so if I ever had to live here full time, I'd consider going back.

Bethany met up with us, and we wandered around Oxford Circus awhile before making dinner back home, then going to the Petersons to download the new episode of THE OFFICE!!!! (Okay, I'm addicted, so sue me). Enjoyed that once I got home, foooo shoooo.



Monday I had work all day long, which involved a field trip to Old Street to pick up instrument arrangements for some band, and answering phones (eugh). Deane and I were going to go to the London Eye that evening but we just missed it. So we instead
hung out a little in a pub, which I am willing to do any day!

Tuesday more work, but afterwards I found out that Sarah got us tickets to see "Spamalot"!!!! I have seen it before, but of COURSE I'd go again. So hilarious, and our seats were slightly slightly better than the ones I had last time. Tim Curry wasn't King Arthur
in this performance, but it was fine since the other guy was great too. We grabbed dinner at Garfunkels afterwards and chatted awhile before heading back home to hang out.

Wednesday was pretty long as well, but very productive. I headed to campus for lunch because apparently all the interns were supposed to meet up in the Piazza but that never happened, so I ended up eating with Bethany and some girls from our theatre class. Then at 2,
my theatre class went to the Theatre Museum (in Covent Garden)-- so so cool! Lots of old costumes and props and history there. Sadly, it's closing after the New Year because of lack of funds. I hope that doesn't happen to other museums in London. It's really a shame...

I can't believe I haven't been to Covent Garden until yesterday because that place is amaaaaaaazing! Holy smokes, I bought some AMAZING instant tea that's mulled wine flavored. Oh my goodness, there were so many stores we could've bought out. OH, and I finally went to "Ben's Cookies"
and it was so amazing, I wanted to cry. (joking).

That evening my class + Deane went and saw "Guys and Dolls" starring Patrick Swayze. Yeeeeeah. Haha, the musical was good, although it's not really my favorite. But it was fun to attend, nonetheless. A few of us took an adventerous bus ride to Tinseltown, which is that 24 hour diner that
serves pricey milkshakes (but they're oh so good). We stayed there pretty late, which made it hard to get up on thursday.

But alas, I had to get up and go to Creative Writing class. Then I stopped at home, and Emily and I took the bus to meet Bethany and Sarah at the Petersons for Thanksgiving dinner/lunch! Sadly, our bus got caught behind a stupid street cleaner, so it took
FOREVER to get there. Arrrrrrgh. But it worked out because there was plenty of food for us to consume once we arrived...including pumpkin pie!!!!!!!!!


My roommates and i ended up going to a party that evening that our neighbors/friends threw in the flats down the road.( more food? yes I think so) I didn't get home until 2,30 that night and barely got ANY sleep, as the next day we woke up bright and early to meet diane + charles at the tate modern to ride the giant slides.
apparently some artist decided to build huuuuge silver slides that you can ride for free at the tate. we only rode the small one as that didn't require a ticket, but it still was kind of terrifying, haha. deane and I then left and met my roommates + lauren (bethany's friend) + nick (emily's friend) at Abby Road.

It definitely took awhile due to traffic, but I think we sort of got our zebra crossing photo...at least, on my camera we look like we're running across, but it's reminiscent at least. after that we just wandered around until grabbing a cheap lunch at wetherspoons (gotta love the beer/burger deal for 4 pounds...except make mine a veggie burger with a diet coke, pleeease!). Sarahdeane and I split off from the group and went to Oxford Circus so she could finish up some shopping. I definitely tried on a couple of things at H&M that were cuuuute but I am absolutely broke and have no excuse to be buying a 15 pound hoodie or courderoy pants! but it was fun, nonethless, albeit tiring.

hence why we stayed the evening in just drinking baileys hot chocolate, watching a movie, and playing cards with people once they came back to the flat. thankfully I made myself go to bed at a reasonable hour (read: before 1.30) but I had to get up early in the morning to take Deane to the Gatwick Express, siiiiigh. It was so much fun having her here, and makes me miss everyone at Belmont so much! But I'll be back soon enough.

So later yesterday, I met up with Charles and Diane at Harrods, and we definitely explored that place and it's definitely amazing. They have a huuuge Christmas store area, along with a huuge toy area, 800 pound siamese cats, and a huuuge food hall. Diane and I most definitely split a giangatic gelato ice cream sudae...oh, it was heavenly.

And then last night was ice skating at the Tower of London! They have this little rink that you have to buy tickets on ticketmaster for (strange, I know), but it's kind of fun since a lot of people are drunk and falling all over the place. And I had my first mulled wine, and it was soo delicious. The group of us got pizza and then called it night.


Now it's sunday and I have patches of skin rubbed off my legs from skating, I'm behind in working on my management paper, and I haven't checked my email in over 24 hours! hopefully I'll have photos up soon (photobucket is being jerky)....sorry for the ramblings!

posted by Marion M. @ 5:33 PM Comments: 4