OK! Jesus! Here is the London post! I will answer Niklas’ questions first.
I did enjoy London. It was different, but not nearly as different as I expected. Of course, England is the mother country. So yes, the layout of the city, the architecture, the various accents, all those Thai restaurants, the Tube, etc, weren’t things you’d find in Phoenix. But I didn’t feel that same sense of “omg I’m not in the US! Someone save me!” I got in Mexico City. Probably because they speak English in England. Har. Anyway, I didn’t notice anything “unsuspected”. Whatever that means, Niklas. I was semi-disappointed in the London boys. I didn’t see many, and the ones I saw more often than not weren’t my style. Obviously, I need to hunt the suburbs for my English lover. Aside from wondering how much damage Jan/Kate were doing to MW I didn’t think of WOT at all, really. Wow, this is all sounding very rambling. Anyway, I didn’t buy much of anything because everything was expensive as hell. Well I guess that is one thing I noticed that was unsuspected! I didn’t expect the dollar to be as weak as it was. Good lord. The exchange rate made me think that a MW meet in Sweden might be better for Marie’s wallet. So in that sense, yes I did think of Niklas. I also thought of Laura whilst clothes shopping with my mom. I thought it would be fun to go clothes shopping in London with Laura. It wasn’t so much fun with my mother, however.
As far as food goes, we didn’t eat much. A lot of tuna and cucumber sandwiches. We went for pizza, and mom wanted pepperoni. The only pizza they had with it(this was a little local restaurant run by real Italians) was an “Americana” pizza. I wanted something “different” because it seemed cheap to buy a pizza with America in the title while in Europe. Anyway, the pizza didn’t taste or look anything like American pizzas, so I guess I shouldn’t have worried. Although it didn’t taste that good either. I think I’ll stick to European recipes for pizza while in Europe from now on.
We drove around Hyde’s Park. We saw a lot of parks, actually. I have no idea why you want to know about it, though. Speaking of driving, no I didn’t get hit by any cars. People do drive like manics there, but I only noticed that while either in a taxi or on a bus.
I didn’t tease anyone about their accents, Nik. 😛
I did ride the Tube and the ticket system wasn’t hard. Well, mom and I were lazy and just went to the counter to buy tickets instead of using their other thing. Although at the Russell Square stop the…thing (I swear the word is just at the tip of my fingers) wasn’t working anyway.
Good lord you ask so many question! I’ll have to hit the “read more” tag.
My mother left pretty much all the decisions on what to do up to me. She did get a little huffy when I tried to back out of going on a shopping trip. But other than that, not much discussion. She was upset we didn’t go to France, but $200 for one round trip ticket was a bit much for a day trip.
Our hotel was OK. But after a week I was getting tired of it, to be honest.
Oh God, Nik, I’m just going to answer the rest in one go. We did not have afternoon tea. I do not like tea. I didn’t have Niklas’ address so he got no postcards from London. I only got sprinkled on once, on the second day. I was happy to be leaving because, as I said, I was tired of being in a hotel. I visited King’s Cross (but not the little tourist thing with the 9 3/4 platform) because that was a station near us. No, we didn’t go to Soho. Most people seemed to want my mom and I to come back. So, no, I don’t think I shocked them with my American evilness. If I say I missed Niklas, will you promise to never ever send these many questions again?
You already know I went to the British Museum (I’m assuming that’s the one you mean). My mom did ask a few times “they stole all this?”
Trees?! The only green I saw was at the parks. London is gray and drab. I’ve seen more trees in Chicago or Mississippi.
Saw no hornet. Learned no new nasty words. Yes. I had fun. 😛
*whew* Now for Kate.
I lost five pounds while in London-combination of eating a meal a day and all the walking. I ate a lot of tuna.
Already mentioned Paris…mom saying we’ll go next year or the year after. She thinks I’m getting a “real” job next year, which is why she said 2009. Ha on her!
Smog. That is what London smells like. Not the LA smog (well, only Whitney has been to LA. So I guess none of you will know what I speak of! Not that LA smells like anything to me…but whatever! It has smog, that’s the point!) but a black kind of smog. There were times I would start coughing and it felt like I had inhaled the exhaust fumes from a truck. That’s what London smelled like at times. But then I would get used to it and not notice anything.
My mom wanted to see a castle and go shopping. I wanted to do more touristy things but couldn’t really do that with mom, since she had no real interest. Oh, and the fact that it was expensive! $60 to tour the Tower of London, I wish. But next time I will do it! I also would have liked to take a day trip to Bath or Devon (haha!) or something, but she doesn’t like trains it would seem.
I bought myself a key chain. 😈 So boo on you!
Aw… you thought of me in London? Okay, not in a flattering way, but still… *sniff*
Oh, and regarding English men, you need to get out of London for the blondies! Personally, I think English women are better, but nobody’s asking my opinion, I know.
I should have asked some questions too…
I don’t mind dark hair…oh Orlando.
*coughs*
And what possible questions could Jan have?!
Orlando looks like a girl anyway.
I like my men to look like girls.
Riiight!
I used to be in love with Taylor Hanson. I am not ashamed of my love of girly men.
I didn’t know we were doing a question and answer session 🙁 Pity, pity.
Anyhoo, damn right! We’d have had a hilariously good time shopping in London. And I have no concept of money and therefore would’ve infected you with the same zestful disregard…
Thought of a question! Tell me you did Westminster Abbey. Absolutely stunning on the inside. I wandered around there for about an hour and a half…
Oooooh! And the British Library? Never done that before, but I want to…
That is so unfair! You answered Kittie’s question in way more detail. But I shall not complain.. For I am satesfied.
I’d love to see Chain of keys. I wonder what tuna kisses tastes like… And you went to tEngland without having afternoon tea?
Isn’t that like going to the middle east and doing terror? Or going to the US without eating cheese burgers? Or going to Sweden without having… well… having any.
Me noticed that London was a dirty place with lots of building looking black on the backside.
How can you tell they were italians? Here the pizza people are mostly always middle east.
Your mother and you doesn’t seem to have drama nearly as much as I thought you would…
English people loves parks and guardens! And since you are from another contintent chances are the plants would not look all the same.
When I tried to go buy counter tickets the big evil ocunter guy was all “Ehh, use the machine.” But I figured out the buttons after all because I’m clever like that. I feel that is a good way to end this comment… so *click*
Ooooh, Laura! I tried to go back down to that part of London to do the Abbey, but mom wanted shopping and hated going on the Tube. So, instead we went to the National Gallery because there’s an H&M not too far from there.
The British Library was in walking distance (well, kind of) but we didn’t go. Mom didn’t see the point of going to a library. *sighs* I brought it up more than once to no avail.
Nik, I knew they were Italian because they opened their mouths…and the menu stated it.
It is a shame you didn’t get to do the more touristy things, but I’m glad you got to go to the museum.
You *need* to go to Devon next time!
Did you befriend anybody while there, and were they friendly? I want to go to Hyde Park too, if I go over there. 😛 Were the roundabouts crazy and confusing?
Well, H&M has its perks too, I suppose. *loves their skinny jeans and whatnot*
Mom thinks the English are rude, but I didn’t pick up on any of that. Well, the taxi drivers maybe, but I think that’s something taxi drivers everywhere share.
The only thing that was hard to remember was when crossing streets to look in the opposite direction you would in the US. However, they had these nifty messages painted on the street saying “LOOK LEFT” or “LOOK RIGHT” so that helped. 😛
Hi !!!
London sounds cool, I would like to visit it someday… What a shame you couldn’t go to Westminster Abbey, Marie- I really wanted to know whether the statue is really there or not 😛
Oh well, I also had an adventure recently, and it was very cool !!!
Please visit my blog, you all 🙂
Oh, really, I thought the Brits were painfully polite!