the view from a thousand hills

Walking London

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:59:00 +0000

Yesterday a friend had a long flight on her way to Asia, broken up with an 11 hour layover in London. Val, Angelina and I met up with her in central London and took her on a whirlwind tour. I got teased for my "well modulated" voice. Kris said she felt like she would just need to push a button and the walking tour audio companion would begin.

It was really fun to revisit some favorite parts of London.

As I walked from Tottenham Court to meet the others, I stopped to take the above picture. A young woman came over to me to ask for directions. She wanted to go to the National Gallery, and since she seemed confused by my directions, I told her I was going in the same direction and we could talk together. She is from Rome, and if I understood her explanation, she is a marriage counselor and this is her first holiday in England.

Once the four of us ladies met up, we found a Wetherspoons and had the requisite fish and chips along Charing Cross Road. From there, we walked to the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square, popped into Starbucks for a much needed coffee, and then took the bus to St. Paul's. From there, we crossed the Millennium Bridge and did a rapid tour of the Tate Modern. (We aren't really modern art fans, but they have clean toilets!)

We then carried on one of my favorite walks, past the Globe Theatre, pausing at the Golden Hinde (a replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship) through Bourough Market and past Southwark Church. We wandered past the creepy London Dungeon and the Winston Churchill Britain at War Museum, which I've never gone into but perhaps I should.

Beyond Tooley Street, we entered More London. This is where I love the contrast of City Hall and Tower Bridge, with the Tower of London across the Thames.

I love the contrast of old and new in this part of London. This is walking through More London on the way to Tower Bridge.

By this point, our tired feet thought it would be good to hop on another bus. We caught a bus down to the London Eye, unwittingly picking the perfect time of day for a pretty picture.

Just a few feet further, we had another great photo opportunity for the Houses of Parliament before crossing Westminster Bridge.

We walked across the bridge and over to Westminster Abbey. Sadly, I had remembered the wrong time for Evensong at Westminster Abbey, but no one minded too much :) We then walked down to Victoria Station for a quick dinner. From there, Kris headed back to Heathrow on the tube and we three London ladies headed our various directions. I actually went back to where I started my day, and met a friend for a farewell coffee. She's moving to North Africa not too soon after I leave. We had a good time talking, but after the walking around in the brisk wind, I struggled to keep my eyes open! We didn't linger too long, and I soon found my way back to Tottenham Court to go home for much needed sleep.

My Fair Hats.

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:40:00 +0000

At long last, I have finally remembered to get the hat pictures from Laura. They speak for themselves.

One of my favorites.

(a little bit big!)

This last one was truly an incredible hat. I would love to wear it to a wedding someday! Sadly, it was a little out of my financial reach.

Laura and I were going through and swapping photos tonight. We have so many! I'm really thankful that I've taken a lot of pictures. As I flip through them on my computer, they bring back so many memories. Laus and I have had some great experiences in the year we've been housemates.

One Week.

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:30:00 +0000

One week more in London. My daily goodbyes are becoming a bit more frantic as I realize how few days are left.

Saturday I took the train to meet Kate, a friend from a few years ago who lives outside of London. Even though she’s only an hour away, we have only managed to get together one time in the three years I’ve been here! She was visiting her family, who live in the northwest outskirts of London. Kate met me at the train station and drove me to St. Alban’s, a little town north of London. We had a great lunch at the Waffle House, a lovely little restaurant. It is one of those old buildings with the low, exposed beams and a real fire crackling away.

Sunday, I woke up and went to Heathrow to meet Krysta, a friend I met just before coming to London. She was also preparing to move overseas, to Latin America. She and I have kept in touch occasionally. When I read that she was coming to the UK for two months, I sent her an email to see if we could meet. Sunday I met her flight and she came to my house for Sunday night. It was great to see her! We went down to Edgeware Road in the evening for a fabulous meal at a favorite Lebanese restaurant.

Today, I met up with my work colleagues for a goodbye lunch at a place of my choosing. I’ve wanted to eat at the Slug and Lettuce pub for a while, so I chose that as our venue. With a name like that, who wouldn’t want to give it a go? :) The food was excellent, and every Monday their food is discounted 50%. I had a final round of fish and chips with minted mushy peas.

Afterwards, I returned home, where Krysta had been catching up on emails and the like. We then made our way to Waterloo, where she caught her train for the rest of her journey.

Reality and finality is starting to settle. After waving goodbyes to Krysta, I wandered back to the tube to return home. I went via Tesco to meet Laura and we both did a little shopping. Needless to say, I didn't need to get a lot of groceries. Laura and I are both feeling fairly melancholic tonight. After we made dinner, I told her she could use the rest of the onions and sweet potatoes I had leftover from earlier dinners. She made a pouty face and said, "You won't be here to use the onions! Aww..." Even though we've known I would be returning to the USA, this still seems to be coming rather quickly.

I can remember moving to the USA at age 13. It felt foreign, even though I had been there before. I have been back and forth between the USA and the UK several times in my three years here. While it has always been great to see family and friends, each time it felt a little less like "home." London started to feel more familiar. Oddly enough, when I would arrive at Heathrow and wrestle my bags onto the tube, I felt relaxed. I had just "visited" the USA and now I had returned to the UK. Now, somehow, that needs to start to change again. The friends I tried so hard to make here will be the ones I have to say goodbye to and the friends I said goodbye to will be the ones I get to know again. Eventually, I'll start to forget the routes I've become familiar with in London and I will have to relearn some roads in Pennsylvania. Sometimes I want the adjustment to happen quickly and easily. At other times, I know that loosing that familiarity with London is part of the closing of a chapter.

Melancholy is the mood of the night. I felt fine on Saturday, but the many goodbyes are catching up to me. Not to worry, sleep always cures me! On a brighter note, my cold/sore throat is starting to ease. My belongings are skimmed down to what will fit into my carryon and suitcases!

I generally don't think of myself as materialistic but packing has been a stretching experience. Just today I took a few more things to a friend and dropped others off a charity shop. I did a lot of sorting and donating when I moved to London, but I suppose even then, I could still store items. My favorite aunt and uncle graciously let me fill up a corner of their attic! This time, it either goes to charity or fits in a suitcase. I probably should have done the same when I moved here! :)

I find I process my thoughts as I write, and while my mind would happily continue tonight, my fingers and eyes are tired. Tomorrow is another day.

Sniffles

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:37:00 +0000

England gave me a parting gift. I have a really bad cold and sore throat. My body can't seem to decide if I should sneeze or cough more. I'm going to need to buy more tissues, and it's not because I'm crying my way through goodbyes!

Today I stayed at home (it was a schoolwork and packing day) and drank umpteen cups of elderflower cordial and hot water. Coffee didn't appeal and even my herbal teas just didn't taste right, but this cordial and hot water combination hit the spot. As I sat still reading and writing my responses for class, I needed the hot drinks to keep warm! I multi-tasked by doing laundry at the same time and hanging it over the radiators to dry. That brought to mind the changes that I am so looking forward to about housing in the USA: good heating and clothes dryers.

Laura came home and called into the lounge to me, inquiring how my day had been. I sniffled and responded, "It's been ok." She popped her head in, face full of sympathy. "Aww, has it been an emotional sort of day because of leaving and packing?" I was so confused. Why would she think that I was emotional about leaving today? I'm not upset about that today. Haha. Then I realized...Oooh. The sniffing. The tissues. The slightly froggy voice. I guess I can see why she would assume that after all!

After much deliberation about what we should cook for dinner, we decided to live the luxurious life. For the first time in my three years in London, I ordered pizza to be delivered. It was Papa John's, no less. After a day of homework, it felt like a return to college days as we ate pizza and watched a movie.

12 more days in London

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:33:00 +0000

I sometimes wonder what difference I've made in a city of 12 million. Yes, I've had a great time, but have I touched other people's lives? The past few days in particular have been particularly touching as different friends have contacted me to say goodbye. At times, I've felt a bit alone in the crowd that is London. I think many people feel lost and alone to a much greater extent. At the beginning of this week, a young woman jumped from a pedestrian bridge in my neighborhood onto the highway below. The week before, a friend was going home on the underground and was told to expect delays. When she inquired further, she was told someone jumped in front of a train a few stops away. It's really sad how often these events are repeated. In a city where people can feel overwhelmed by such loneliness and isolation, I hope that I've been able to share a sense of love and community with those whom I come into contact.

The last few days have reminded me that I've made a lot of friends while here. My calendar for the next two weeks is full of coffee dates, dinners, and various other points to connect for "one last chat" before I return to the USA. I've had my "must-see" list of people, the friends who are non-negotiable, simply must arrange something with them. But I've also been really touched by the friends who have contacted me, the ones I wouldn't have thought of as particularly close friends, who have asked to meet. And then there are the friends who have now moved on from London and text and email to say their goodbyes. I've made a life here for the last three years. It made me smile, with a little sadness, to realize that I'll still need skype to keep in touch with friends. It will just be different friends that I connect with long distance.

Today I met up with O at Westfields (a huge shopping centre in Stratford). We started off with coffee and then did some shopping together. She treated me to both coffee and a cinnamon soft pretzel (these are a fairly new but welcome arrival to the UK!). We spent three hours together, most of it talking rather than shopping. It was so good to see her. I couldn't actually say goodbye. When we exchanged now belated Christmas presents, I told her I didn't have a card for her because I couldn't write it without tearing up today. I'll post it to her later. Hopefully we'll stay in touch, and I think she might come visit me in the USA someday as well!

After we said our goodbyes, I met up with Val for a special treat. There is a lovely rooftop restaurant on Portobello Road. It is a Thai restaurant and the location is just really beautiful. I've walked by it numerous times and when I saw a great deal online for more than 60% off a meal for two, I asked Val if she would be my "date" to eat at the Garden and Grill. When we arrived at 7, I saw my reservation wasn't really needed. We were the only patrons in the restaurant! The eating area was indeed a roof top garden, but given the season, there were clear plastic curtains to block the wind and outdoor heaters to keep us toasty. The two walls of the building were covered with bamboo. It had a very nice ambiance!

Needless to say, the waitstaff were very attentive! As always, it was a pleasure to have time to talk to Val. Even though we work together some days in the office, we both have our tasks in the back of our minds. For an evening like this, the only task was to enjoy a friend's company. I think our dinner lasted about three and half hours! The staff didn't seem to mind that we lingered.

My journey home was a different route than I've needed to take for a while. I got on the tube at Ladbroke Grove, which always makes me remember my family's visit to London! (This particular station has a lot of steps, and we had a lot of suitcases to carry down when they arrived.) The route I chose took me via Baker Street, a special place that always reminds me of Sherlock Holmes. It is one of the oldest stations of the underground system and it has really pretty brickwork. As the train waited on the platform, it occurred to me that this would probably be my last time at Baker Street. Realizations like that are starting to creep into my thoughts more frequently as my departure draws closer. I have a lot of good memories of exploring this incredible city.

Hats

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Here is the first of the hat pictures! I love it! (Doesn't match what I was wearing at all, but it's fantastic!)

Oxford Street

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:27:00 +0000

Oxford Street is known for it's shopping. Today was my day off and my dear housemates and I decided to head out to Oxford Street to check out the January sales. After I skyped in the morning with a friend in India, Josie, Laura and I had a proper "full English." A full English breakfast includes baked beans, cooked tomato halves, bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, and who knows what else. I don't eat most of it, but I appreciate the brunch mentality.

Once in central London, we didn't buy much, but the best memories made were when Laura and I found the hat department in Debenham's, a large department store. We tried on hat after hat, some of the most fantastic hats I've ever seen. I loved it. (We did some pictures, which I will gladly share later.) The one I loved most was £60 (nearly $100). I woefully placed it back on the hatrack. I can only imagine what I would need to pay for a suitable dress to wear with a hat of that calibre! But a girl can dream.

Afterwards, we went to a lovely restaurant we've all said we needed to try. Realizing that my days here are now few, we chose to go tonight. I had the best fish and chips I've had in a long time! My evening came to end with a nice long skype with a friend in Canada. It has been yet another day of appreciating the relationships I have, nearby and around the world.

Dinner Party

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:55:00 +0000

Tonight was an absolutely fantastic evening. I invited my very first London friends over for dinner. B&L recently returned from visiting L's family in Brazil for a month. Given my nearing departure date, we knew we needed to schedule this soon, so on Thursday, we booked it in for tonight.

I've come to realize that I love hosting at my house. I started off by doing a quick tidy of the lounge and even went so far as to iron the place mats (which they always need but never get). L always lays a fantastic table and I wanted to do my best!

I did my shopping this morning, making several stops and walking all around my high street. I popped into Iceland for the super cheap but oh so yummy vegetarian spring rolls. I figured those would be good for nibbles once they arrived. I also got loads of veggies and stir-fry sauce at the store, along with my usual shopping for the next week.

The grocery bags always require a bus journey home. From across three lanes of traffic I saw my bus, which only comes every 15 minutes, at the light, about to pull up to the stop. Fortunately for me, the first two lanes of traffic had a red light, and the oncoming traffic was, as they say, "chock-a-block." I worked my way through vehicles, and got to the stop at the same instant as the bus. I always feel like a victorious conqueror when that happens, even though all I've conquered is a bus timetable and usually accidentally.

B&L arrived about 6:30, and Laura and I chatted with them and got the spring rolls and drinks ready. In a few minutes, I checked the brown rice was done and started the stir fry. Ten minutes later, we sat down to eat. Reality sank in a little deeper as I looked at the three lovely people sitting down to eat with me. These times are precious. We talked and laughed, told old stories and new, caught up on holiday news and plans for the future. I love these three. I am blessed with exceptional friends.

After we finished, we relocated to the sofas and I went to the kitchen to make the pudding (dessert) and prepare coffees and teas. I had wanted to make a dessert that went along with stir fry, because making a cake or brownies just didn't seem like a good fit. I found a recipe for a dessert stir fry and thought I would give it a go.

I have a new favorite dessert.

It's super easy. It took about five minutes to make. You just need to slice up some bananas and mangoes (tinned are ok) and then grate the zest of an orange. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a frying pan and add the fruit and zest, stirring it for about two minutes until it starts to brown. Then you add two tablespoons of elderflower cordial and serve it topped with custard! That's it! Easy-peasy and just yummy.

Well, B&L have headed back to West London and Laus and I have done the dishes. Josie got home and we are secluded in our rooms ready for bed. It's been a long week for us all. I am so incredibly thankful for this home. These girls have been real treasures. Laus and I act more like sisters sometimes. Tonight we were both in the bathroom brushing our teeth. Laura said something funny with toothbrush and foam still in her mouth. I completely understood her, which made us giggle even more.

As I reflect on my dear friends tonight, I can't even recall all of the jokes and stories that made us laugh. But I know we laughed. I think that is the sign of a good friendship. It certainly has made for many precious memories.

Victor Hugo said, "Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." I love that imagery. Laughter warms you from the inside. Even London in January can't overpower the warmth from an evening with friends.

Transient London

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:26:00 +0000

I can't believe it is 2012. I leave for the USA in 21 days. Since Christmas the days have slipped by so quickly. I have one suitcase pulled out of storage and I'm starting to do a pre-packing cleanse of my belongings. Timing is tricky because the weeks are very busy but I don't want to start packing too soon. In some ways, it helps to remind me that, yes, I'm leaving soon and I need to prepare for some goodbyes.

Yesterday was a goodbye day. It was a bit sad but also a beautiful chance to reflect on relationships.

Before the goodbyes started, I went to a workshop, taught by two friends of mine. Due to schedules and timing, they agreed to share an afternoon presentation, even though their topics were vastly different. (One spoke on the voice of women in history and the other on popular conspiracy theories!) Both were very interesting. In the evening, about 15 of us reconvined at ASK, an Italian chain restaurant. My one friend who gave the lecture is leaving the UK tomorrow morning after completing a PhD here in London. She gave a beautiful speech as we had our after dinner coffee and dessert. She has a beautiful, gentle voice with a slight Russian accent. She brought tears to my eyes as she thanked us all for the memories and for being her family away from family.

After our group began to part ways, four of us girls weren't quite ready for the night to end. We piled into one car and went to the nearest flat to continue the conversation and the memory making. In light of the sad goodbye and realizing how much this group has changed in the last three years, I think we all needed to be cheered up. We put on some Middle Eastern and African music and started to dance! Through our various jobs and cultural backgrounds, we all have bits of dances that we've learned and we just laughed and danced for the fun of it and taught each other what we knew. It wasn't too late at night, but hopefully we didn't disturb the neighbors in the flat below. In some of these London flats, your upstairs neighbors can sound like a herd of wildebeast when they are merely walking to the kitchen for a glass of water. When our energy started to lag, we settled onto furniture and floor to continue conversation. Various names were woven into our talk, of friends who have come and gone from London. After being here three years, I was the newest of the four women talking, and yet I know that even for myself, many friends have left London and new ones arrived. Many of our circle come to London for studies, and once a degree is completed, they travel back to their corner of the world. It would be difficult to name at least 20 countries that people have moved back to from this group. All things considered, the four of us in that room represented four different countries.

We started to talk a little bit about a "leaving-do" for me (goodbye party). It will be bittersweet to say my farewells. I don't dread goodbyes. They are part of life, particularly when one likes to travel. The sadness is there, but at the same time, life is more about the present and the future than the past.

In the true spirit of moving forward, I need to stop writing and start cleaning. A woman is hoping to come by to view my room today, in hopes of renting it once I move out. Laura told me the other day, "Anyone moving in will have some awfully big shoes to fill." I laughed and told her, "But I only wear a size 4!" I'm really praying that whoever moves into my bedroom will be a good fit for Laura and Joanne. This house has been a blessing to me in the year I've been here, and I hope it will be for the next lady.

2012 is just around the bend...

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:28:00 +0000

Yesterday was a very fun day. To be honest, I didn't even leave the house. A friend of Joanne's (and now also one of mine) came over and brought her two children with her. We spent a few hours just chatting and entertaining the kids and being entertained by the kids. We engaged the help of Zoe and David in taking ornaments off the tree. This idea was not inspired. David found it more fun to take ornaments back out of the box and dump them on the floor. Zoe wanted to sweep up every pine needle that fell, which was an impossible task.

After they made their departure, Joanne and I made the gigantic effort of taking out our tree. Joanne is now rethinking the beauty of having a cut Christmas tree. By the time we had the tree out of the house, I think over half of the needles were on our carpet!

We had to sweep the carpet well before we could even attempt to vacuum! I maintain that a real tree was worth it. They are so pretty. I only wish we could have gotten a live tree to replant in the garden.

After that rather prickly endeavor, we cleaned up the house and eventually settled down to watch a film. Part way through the film, Joanne mentioned that our friend (who had stayed over Christmas eve) had left some pie crust dough in the fridge and told us to use it. (She didn't need it for the peach pie she made for Christmas dinner.) We starting thinking of cinnamon buns. Mmmm...

So we went to the kitchen and I started rolling out the dough. We quickly realized that this dough did not look good. I'm not sure what the problem was, but it did not look right to either of us. But I remembered that I had some puff pastry in the freezer left over from one of my previous baking experiments. So, we binned the dodgy dough and got out the puff pasty. After defrosting it in the microwave, I unrolled it, only to find out that I had a lot less than I had remembered! By this point, we were quite giggly at our unsuccessful efforts. Joanne looked up a recipe and we then made the dough from scratch, also using the remainder of the puff pastry.

Once mixed, I rolled out the dough and Josie spread a lovely concoction of brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter over the dough. We rolled the dough and then sliced it. After a brief ten minutes in the over, our kitchen smelled lovely.

Once cooled from the oven, Josie made me giggle by saying, "Come, let's go ice our buns." I couldn't stop laughing and advised her not to say that particularly odd sounding phrase again. :) But we mixed up some icing sugar and check out the result:

I think our efforts with the dough were rewarded. Oh, they are yummy. I was amazed at how easy they were to make too. It is definitely a recipe to save! We will probably be enjoying some tonight as part of our New Year celebration.

Neighbors have already begun their celebratory fireworks. I was chatting online to a friend in China, who is already in 2012. Time is a funny idea. It's a bit strange to think that now I'm exactly one month away from leaving London and moving back to Pennsylvania. As I've thought about the future year, I keep thinking of this song from Disney's Pocahontas (A flash from my childhood when my sister and I could sing almost any Disney song word for word). Pocahontas is in her canoe and sings:

What I love most about rivers is

You can't step in the same river twice

The water's always changing, always flowing

But people, I guess, can't live like that

We all must pay a price

To be safe, we lose our chance of ever knowing

What's around the river bend

Waiting just around the river bend

This coming year has a lot of unknowns but most of the time, that doesn't bother me. I have a sense of anticipation about what is just around the river bend. Sometimes it bothers me and I just want to know! But at some point, we go around the corner and we see. And then there is another river bend up ahead, holding more unknowns.

This is my 270th blog post. I know that doesn't seem like much for most bloggers, but it represents a lot of writing and rambling on my part, a lot of reading on your part, and a lot of memories. We shall see what the next year holds. I'll keep posting and I hope you'll keep reading. For now, Happy New Year!

Back in London Town

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:18:00 +0000

Well, the brief mini-break is over. Yesterday, I got a bus back to the airport (woke up way too early) and had an uneventful flight back to London. Thankfully, the tube was running a normal service!

Goodness, looking back through my pictures, I feel so thankful for this short trip. Wow, what a lovely part of God's green earth! Scotland has become the 33rd country I've been to and it was a delightful one. Here are some of my favorite pictures:

St John's Church

Palace of Holyroodhouse, as seen from Calton Hill

The National Monument, and me, in the gale force winds on Calton Hill

Abbey Church

Me at Edinburgh Castle

On the way up to Calton Hill in the wind.

Oh goodness, the memories I have. You know, my overwhelming reminder on this trip was that I am blessed. And I've not done a thing to earn it. I have so much to be thankful for and trips like this are the sweet, sweet icing on top of a very large cake.

The Abbey pictured above was one of the highlights of me. It is all that remains of an Abbey built by King David I of Scotland in 1128. 1128. Wow. It is attached to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, also pictured above. This is a working palace and the royal family stay there when in Scotland. It is also the historic home of Mary, Queen of Scots. I paid my entry fee and walked into the palace, listening to the audioguide as I walked. At one point, I was directed up a tiny winding little staircase, to the private bedroom of Mary, Queen of Scots. I'm not a huge fan of that particular part of history, but for some reason, this impacted me the most. As I carefully climbed the stairs, a father behind me pointed out to his daughter, "Wow, Mary, Queen of Scots would have walked up these steps too!" Just wow. What a reminder of the footsteps of those who have walked before us in history. Now Mary wasn't exactly a role model, but history fascinates me. That tour was a great reminder of the fact that history is people just like you and I, who lived and loved and dreamed. Mary probably would have found it odd that one day, her bedroom would be a tourist site.

Edinburgh, day two

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:01:00 +0000

This is not a vacation I will soon forget for both lovely scenery and more memorable reasons.

I'm staying in a lovely four star hotel. I got a great deal! My first night, the power went out for ten minutes. Last night, the fire alarm went off at 1:30. I had to grab layers and go down six flights only to stand out in incredible wind with everyone else on the hotel while the fire department came. Fortunately, after about twenty minutes, we could go back inside. Rather than wait for the lift, I took the stairs back up six flights. Crawled back into bed. Woke up at 3:00 to the fire alarm AGAIN! We were experiencing intense wind at this point, and when I got to the lobby, the staff directed us to a large room rather than outside. Once we were allowed to head back to our rooms, I heard one of the firefighters explain that it was faulty wiring complicated by the wind. I'm note sure that answer actually comforted me! Again, walked back up six flights of stairs. So ready to crawl back into bed again. I pulled off one boot and the alarm went off again.

I groaned. It was turned off. I went to bed and didn't wake up until ten. Got ready to head out the door and wouldn't you know, it started pouring. Maybe pelting is a better word. It was painful rain. I ran across the street and found shelter in Starbucks, figuring I would wait out the rain. After a little while, it seemed to clear and I headed to the Scottish national gallery. It started pelting again. It almost felt like hail. I reached the national gallery in desperation and then found out that I had come to the paid exhibit. The free gallery required going outside again. So I did. By this point, I was nearly jogging across the courtyard.

The gallery was worth it though. It was really nice and also let me warm up.

Then I headed out and made the bold choice to go to Calton Hill, a public park wth great views over the city. Great views because, as the name suggests, it is a hill. it was deserted due to the wind. The sky cleared enough that I could get some pretty pictures but then the rain came back with a vengeance. I started to head back down the hill. Literally the wind was moving me along. Then the pelting rain reached monsoon levels. And started to include snow. By the time I needed to cross the north bridge, I had to stop at one of the bus stops for shelter and a reprieve from the wind. Let me tell you, the BBC headlines include "Gale force winds batter Scotland.". No joke. This is not just my flair for storytelling. Winds have reached 53 miles per hour here in Edinburgh, and 90 miles per hour in other parts of Scotland. I felt like a physics calculation crossing that bridge...125 lbs moving one direction at a brisk walk and 50 mile an hour winds moving another way...

I just read that the castle was closed to visitors because of the wind so I'm very glad I went there yesterday! I'm still headed in the direction of the Palace of Holyrood, home of Mary Queen of Scots at one point, but in the meantime I'm in Pizza Express enjoying a free coffee and snack thanks for a voucher from a friend. The sky is blue now. What are the chances that as soon as I bundle up I'll be back in the rain?

Edinburgh, day one, part three!

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:41:00 +0000

First view of the castle as I started walking around the city. Many more pictures followed! I think the buildings in this city are so pretty!

And of course, this warranted a picture for my sister.

This is Victoria Street, which winds it's way around to the Royal Mile, the oldest street in the city. I love the different colors to the doors and shutters. It adds such color on a bleak winter day. By the way, I say bleak because of the gray sky, but it really wasn't that cold today. Tonight and tomorrow the weather is to be rainy and windy, with winds up to 70 miles per hour tonight, but it should clear up by morning.

Tomorrow is another day! I'll plan to spend it much the same as today. Outside in the daylight and relaxing in my hotel in the evening when it's dark and cold outside. Then Thursday morning, I will be heading back to work!

Edinburgh, day one, part two :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:24:00 +0000

Me standing in front of Edinburgh castle :-). Most of my pictures will have to wait until I'm home but here are some to start with! next you'll see edinburgh's camera obscura (the white building) and the spire of the Hub, a cafe and ticket office for the famous festivals.

Adam Smith, the father of modern economics

Edinburgh, day one

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:56:00 +0000

Oh my word. This city is gorgeous. I fell on love with it just walking around to find coffee! As I write, I'm sitting on Castle Street, and the castle is literally just down the street. I have plans to visit there first but there is so much to see! Originally I thiught this would be s low key, meditative sort of holiday, but now I think two days won't be enough to see all the sights! I could just walk and walk around the streets here. It's not a very big city, population 500,000, but it is lovely, especially with Christmas lights still up. Words will not do this justice so expect lots of photographs!

My "boxing day-tube strike-one time I wish I had a car" adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:10:00 +0000

I feel this warrants a blog post.

There is a Tube strike on the day I need to travel across London to heathrow airport. I know it isn't personal, but it is annoying timing!

9:30. Going to attempt the tube. Central line running from leytonstone to white city. Next train in 9 minutes. Oh my. They are normally every two minutes. Sitting on a train in the station is so odd. Praying the district line is running from mile end to hammersmith.

9:45 it's not. Next plan. Stay on central across London, change at queensway, book it across the park, get on high street kensington. I hope this works!

10:21 arrive at queensway.

Walk across Kensington gardens to high st Kensington. I felt like a momma duck. A few other people apparently wanted to try the same but weren't sure of directions. They figured I looked confident and followed from a distance.

10:40 I cant believe it only took me 20 minutes. Wait for the train which thank the lord is coming at 11:00 because there are only three an hour. I'm the only one on the platform. This will get me to earls court where I can change once more to my final line, the Piccadilly. That takes me to heathrow!

10:53 I'm literally praying blessings on the tube drivers who are working today. Thank you so much for not striking like everyone else! The district line train arrives and we can at least get on the train to wait until it leaves in 6 minutes. It looks like i could get the Piccadilly at earls court but I'm not sure the Piccadilly is running that far, so I think I will play it safe and stay on district until Acton town.

11:03 plans change again. the train pulls into hammersmith and I see a piccadilly line across the platform. Grab my bags and dash across, getting on the train half a minute before it leaves. I had just enough time to glance at the board to make sure it was to heathrow. It is!

12:00 I'm sitting in the waiting area, through security and now with two hours before my flight begins to board. For the love of all that is good and kind! I can't believe it took me two and a half hours to get to the airport, to wait another 2.5 hours for my boarding, all for a 1.5 hour flight to Edinburgh! And my family thought they had it rough when they came to see me! I'm so glad I've gotten to know this city well! At least I've got time to browse the duty free shops and decide between Giraffe and Cafe Nero for my morning coffee!!

The Nutcracker

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:33:00 +0000

Thursday night I went with a friend to see the Nutcracker Ballet performed by the English National Ballet. It made me think of my dear Grandmother! I know my Nan would have loved to have been there with me, and I would have loved her company.

Our seats were quite high up, as you can see, but we still had a good view of the ballet. It was a nice evening, finished off with ice cream at the Haagen Dazs restaurant. And on the way home on the tube, I was entertained by two intoxicated fellows singing Christmas carols while wearing a Santa hat and reindeer antlers. There is always something unexpected when out in London!

Christmas Market

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:36:00 +0000

For my day off, I took Carolyn and Joanna K to Southbank, where a Christmas market has been set up for the month of December. It wasn't a large market, but the booths were all very pretty. My favorite is below; Christmas decorations of dried oranges and cinnamon sticks. They smell so nice!

Unfortunately, the rain started while we were walking around. Given the cold lately and the fact that we were next to the Thames, it got rather chilly! All in all, it was a nice day. Given that the sun is setting at 3:50 now, we went back to my house fairly early and settled in for dinner and a movie.

Sugar Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:45:00 +0000

Today was my day to bake cookies to give to my neighbors. Everyone always seems to give store (boxed) cookies as presents this time of year, but I've missed my family's tradition of making cookies. I decided I would make sugar cookies and give plates to my neighbors and friends from my house group at church. I recently ordered cookie cut-outs and a friend had a large baking project and gave us her leftover food coloring and sprinkles, so I was good to go!

They are definitely not perfect, but ~~36 cookies~~ 33 cookies later, I have plenty to give away. My little Christmas trees are my favorites, but I do like the Christmas stockings as well.

Smart Gloves

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:21:00 +0000

I decided to do a present a day! I'm spending Christmas Day with friends at another house, and I won't be taking my presents with me to open there, so I'm opening one a day.

Today's present was a pair of hot pink smart gloves! For those of you who aren't hooked on technology, phones or other electronics with a touch screen do not respond to gloves. In the cold weather, that means I need to take my hands out of my warm gloves to answer my phone, respond to a text, etc. These gloves have a special fingertip material that touch screens respond to, which means...no cold fingers! Pretty sure this was my sister's idea :) I love 'em, Joyful.

Customer Service Woes, Continued

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:22:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I blogged about customer service in the UK and some missing deliveries. I don't want to bad-mouth companies, so I'll keep the names out of this.

For Company 1, part of my order arrived and part did not. They were shipped separately. I called Company 1's customer service line four times. They did not answer once, disconnecting the call after I had been waiting on hold for ten minutes. I sent an email. I got an automated response informing me that they would respond in five days. Finally, I tried to call one more time. After waiting on hold for EIGHT minutes, I finally got a person. I waited on hold repeatedly throughout the call as he waited for his manager. Finally, after a SEVENTEEN minute call, they agreed to refund me for my missing item. Ironically, the item cost me £2.50. The call cost me £0.85. Sigh. It was the principle of the issue!

I called the second company the same day. They were much faster to answer their phones, and much more helpful. They apologized and said they would resend my delivery, sending it next day shipping. The next day, I knew Joanne would be home all day, which was wonderful because that meant someone would be home to sign for it. From work, I checked online and it said it was delivered at 10:30 am. Yes!

I got home that night and asked Joanne about it. She looked confused and told me no one had been here to deliver a package. By this point, I had had enough. I called Customer Service again. Explained again. Got transferred to someone else. Explained again. Everyone was very helpful and sympathetic. Apparently, the delivery company left it on my porch. The problem is, I don't have a porch. The customer service person put me on hold while they spoke with their manager. When he came back on the line, he explained that they cannot re-deliver a re-delivery order, and my options were a refund or else I could collect it one of their stores in five days time. I went for the refund.

Three days later, my account was refunded. The same day, I heard a knock at the door. I opened the door to a complete stranger. He introduced himself as living at Number 8 on a different street. My parcel had been delivered to his address, but he was away on holiday, so his neighbor signed for it. When he returned, she gave it to him. He then brought it to me. It was one of the two orders that had been delivered from Company 2.

Great. Now I had a refund AND my original order. An order for which I now hadn't paid.

I was not feeling very Christmas-y at this point. In fact, I think I might have looked like the Grinch. I put the box in a bag to make it easier to carry, and got a bus to the nearest store for Company 2. Once there, I queued with the other Christmas shoppers. One gentleman at the till was a manger. Of course, the girl who wasn't a manager beckoned me over first. I told her, "You might want me to just wait for your manager."

He came over. I handed him the box and explained my dilemma. I told him, I didn't want to send it back by their usual return service because I don't want to be reimbursed a second time by accident, so I chose their return to store option.

He looked confused. "So, you need to be reimbursed?"

"NO! I don't want to be! I already have been!"

"You don't want these purchases?"

"NO! I haven't paid for them anymore. I've already been reimbursed for them! I brought it here because I don't need to be reimbursed but I can't keep them either, because now, I technically haven't paid for them."

He still looked confused. "Ok. I'll send them back to the store. It was very...nice....of you to bring them back. Thank you." He looked like he wasn't sure if I was really honest or if he should be calling security to take the crazy lady away from his store.

I thanked him for his help and walked away. I only hope the parcel from the second time they delivered my order doesn't show up as well. I have no idea where it is and right now, I don't want to make a second trip back to Company 2!

Last night, Company 2's delivery company rang my bell. They asked if I could sign for a delivery for my neighbor. It is a rather sizable box. I said, "Yes, is it for Number 6?"

"No, Number 2."

I thought, Eh, ok, it's still just three houses down from me. I can walk it down to them tomorrow if they don't come to collect it. I signed for it, said goodnight, and they went on their way.

I looked at the huge box after I carried it into my hallway. I wanted to beat my head against a wall. It is for Number 2, but Number 2 for a different address!!!! Fortunately, it's across the street and further down, still not too far away, but it is a completely different post code!

For once in my life, I'm regretting that online shopping is so popular. Maybe we should all just have to go to the stores and carry our purchases home ourselves. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go take someone else's shopping to their door. I really hope they are home and that this trip isn't in vain.

Christmas Came Early

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 22:07:00 +0000

Today was the only day we three housemates would be together between now and Christmas. We decided to have our favorite breakfast (pancakes) and then exchange our presents before we needed to go our various ways. (I'm staying in London but I still needed to go out today, and Laura and Jo were both traveling out of London today.)

My sister included a little present for Joanne and Laura when she mailed my Christmas presents! They loved the gloves!

Laura bought me this lovely faux fur winter headband in a Christmas market in Munich. I love it! The blanket wasn't a present, it was just to keep me warm. We did joke that this looks like a wanna-be Pocahontas picture.

I also decided it was only fair to open one of MY presents from my sister today. (After all, Laura and Joanne got to open theirs!) My sister knows me and she knows English winters. She sent me an insulated coffee mug. I often have days where I need to reheat my coffee cup twice before I finish a single cup of coffee. I will admit, that is partly just because because I take a long time to drink a cup of coffee, but the other part is the cold!

the best family ever ;)

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:43:00 +0000

My family is very special! They spoil me even from a distance.

My Christmas box arrived today! I was so excited to see it. There is something wonderful about getting post with familiar handwriting on the outside!

My sister, mom, and grandmother had packed it full of wrapped Christmas gifts to go underneath my tree!

It will require some patience to wait 13 more days, but I will do so. My housemates and I have some presents for each other under the tree as well, but my parcel doubled the present count! The chocolates they sent may not last so long though. No promises about those lasting 13 more days!

Market flirtations

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:42:00 +0000

I started my Christmas shopping today. Before and after a meeting, I traveled via a local market and shopping centre. While in the food area of the market, I had a "hankering" for oranges. I do try to eat healthy, but fruit is often pricey and spoils quickly here. I don't buy it often, even though I know it is very good for me. I decided I should change that today and the market is a good place to do so. The vendors call out their prices as you walk by and try to get your attention. On my second trip through the market, I stopped at an Englishman's stand. He had a lovely crate of HUGE "sweet oranges" marked 4 for a £1.

As soon as I stopped, he grinned at me and said in his East London accent, "I like you. You look like a real sweetie."

Haha. That's one sales tactic, I guess. Before anyone (such as my father) gets too concerned, this particular gentleman was between the ages of my father and grandfather, and probably closer to my grandfather's age!

I smiled at him and said, "That's very nice of you, but the only sweet I'm interested in is the oranges."

He kept his smile. "Well all right then. Four good ones for a 1£ then?"

I decided to try my charm right back at him. "You could always make it 5 for a £1."

We kept chatting as he put them in a bag, but I couldn't see how many he moved into the blue shopping bag. After I handed him a £1 coin, he grinned again, winked, and said, "Count 'em when you get home. 'ave a good one, luv. And Happy Christmas!"

To which I always respond, "Merry Christmas," proving my American background! As I walked away, I peeked into the blue bag.

He gave me five. :)

The other funny interaction today was on the phone. I got a fundraising call from a charity I have had connections with in the past. As the guy started speaking, I realized with some surprise that I was speaking to an American! After we had gone through the usual questions and answers, he said, "This isn't part of what I'm to ask you, but where are you from?" I answered that I am from Pennsylvania. He responded, "I'm from Baltimore! I've never gotten an American accent before on these calls!"

This one's for my Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Hope) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:17:00 +0000

One of my favorite people in the world is my Daddy. He's a special man. We both admit that we can drive each other a little insane (he would add that it's a short drive), but we love each other fiercely. We are also very similar in many of our loves, habits, and pursuits. One of those love is exploring. He raised me on Star Trek, best described with the line, "Space: The Final Frontier." I'm not sure my Dad or I would ever even consider exploring space. It freaks me out, to be honest, but I'm generally not willing to let that stop me from trying something. However, we do both enjoy visiting a new country or a place that has captured our interest.

We do joke that we "compete" to see who gets to where first. However, this trip, though it was a first for me, was entirely done in my Daddy's honor. He loves C.S.Lewis and I think practically memorized J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Today was my day off. Val and I booked coach tickets and took a 100 minute bus journey to Oxford to see a friend who is studying there. We had a cold/windy/rainy/overcast/cold/colder day to walk around Oxford, but it was still very fun. I've visited a few other times but never with a student. Students are allowed to take guests free of charge into the various colleges of Oxford, which are a treat to see. (More pictures of that to follow.)

But for lunch, I made a request. I had not yet been to a famous pub in Oxford, one called the Eagle and Child. We were able to go for a late lunch.

This was the favorite pub of C.S.Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien when they were at Oxford. They were part of a literary group called the Inklings who nicknamed the pub "the Bird and the Baby." (The name of the pub comes from the crest of the Earls of Derby.) There is even a picture of C.S.Lewis at their favorite spot to sit and eat and talk. The pub still serves a great menu, which some fabulous fish and chips. (Yep, had those today for my Dad too! He loves 'em.)

The Eagle and Child has been a pub since 1650!

The friend I was visiting and myself, bundled up for the cold after our nice hot meal.

Daddy, this isn't to make you jealous that I got there first :) I wish you could have been with me today!