Live, Laugh, Love, London: August 2012

My first inset (teacher training) day is Monday, and the girls come to school starting Tuesday, so I figured it was time to get on with my back-to-school preparations. I've been in a bit of denial that I'll actually be working this year. The last three weeks have been like fabulous holiday, and now the realization that "oh yeah, I have to work, too" is finally starting to set in. I must say, it's been lovely being a tourist in my new city.

To get to know some of my new coworkers, I invited a few of the ladies I'll be teaching with over to the flat for an American-style happy hour last night. They've been so nice to me already and so welcoming, and I really wanted to return their kindness, as well as just get to know them a bit better. I actually had fun cleaning the flat, and shopping and preparing appetizers. Everyone back home knows that I do love to throw a party! :) I decided to make seven-layer taco dip as one of my appetizers since it's something we almost always have at every party or BBQ back home. What I didn't realized was that it's a little trickier to make over here, as American-style Mexican food isn't as common in south London as it is in Washington state, and they certainly don't sell it pre-made like they do at every Safeway back home. I checked a couple corner shops and the Tesco Express for my necessary ingredients, but they didn't have what I needed, so Carlos was kind enough to take me in the car to the larger Tesco, where I found the taco seasoning packets, beans, sour cream (which is a lot more rich and yummy here), salsa, cheese, onions and even some guacamole. Anyways, the dip turned out to be the big hit of the evening, and I was happy to share one of my favorite snacks with my new friends.

I understand now why it's more common for people in a city like London to just meet up in a central location at a pub. The girls who came over traveled from various parts of the city, and all their journeys involved the Tube and a bus or two. And although it's not hard to get here, it's certainly time consuming. It made me feel special that they were willing to make the trek out here to the flat. We had a nice evening with lots of laughs. The girls even brought me presents (including my new favorite candy Fuzzy Pig Tails (strawberry flavored gummies), which was so sweet. We made sure to put the champaign to good use, of course.

My sweet presents.

Today, I met the girls back up at school to get a little work done. Mostly, I just unpacked a few decorations and books that I brought with me from home. I also just took some time to get acquainted with my classroom and the school, and I met a few more staff members. Everyone has been really nice and welcoming at school, which makes me feel more comfortable. Here's a peak at my new school and classroom. I still have some decorating to do. :)

La Retraite Roman Catholic School

Isn't it pretty?

Come on in and see my new classroom!

Now with some PNW flare!

Adding a touch of home!

On Monday, I attempted to participate in a London Walks tour of the Olympic Village. But what I didn't realize was just how far out there the Olympic Village was. And by the time I made it through my two Tube journeys, the tour group had left without me. I was a bit disappointed, of course, but decided to venture out on my own and see what I could find. Well, turns out you can't see much! The park was closed for the Paralympics preparations, and even if it were open, you need a ticket to get in. Ooopsies. Still, I managed to get a couple neat photos:

Love this billboard!

Walking up toward the gates

All the venues...that I almost got to see :)

Determined to still make a day of it, I hopped back on the Tube and headed to Embankment, a Tube stop along the river Thames. There's a gorgeous garden/park area there called the Victoria Embankment Gardens, and I had a nice walk around then headed up the hill into the city. It was funny because I accidently ended up right in front of this hotel that we had all gathered at during our People to People trip! When I was here in July, I really had no idea where I was. I just knew we were somewhere in London. I still don't really know where I am half the time, but I'm getting a better feel for the area now. It actually surprises me how close all the different neighborhoods are and how easily you can wind up in a new area of the city without even really trying. Eventually, I ended up in Trafalgar Square where I enjoyed a fabulous 99 (aka Mr. Whippy ice cream) and took some photos.

Victoria Embankment Gardens

The 900th statue of Robert Burns that I've seen throughout my UK travels. :)

Trafalgar Square

Next I decided to wander across a bridge--I have no idea which one I was on!--and have a look at the Southbank area. Everyone kept telling me how fabulous it is over there, so I thought I should check it out. The Southbank is packed full of cool restaurants/bars, activities, a huge theatre, awesome giant lounge chairs and neat places to sit and relax, not to mention the spectacular view along the river Thames.

The London Eye in the background

The London Eye

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

These giant swings look like so much fun!

This is the London Wonderground, which is a fun amusement center/venue/watering hole that's set up at Southbank May through September.

Inside the London Wonderground

I love the 1930's circus feel.

Boot Dogs!

Some kind of children's show along the Southbank

Southbank walkway

Along Southbank

Aren't these the coolest chairs?!

Looking back at Southbank from the bridge

I woke up Tuesday to the gorgeous London sunshine and decided it was definitely a day to be outside. A quick look through my Rick Steves' London book told me that London has a pretty awesome zoo. Although it's pricey at 23 pounds, I decided to go for it, and made the long trek out there to the northeast side of Regents park where the zoo is located. There was a really long queue to get into the zoo; it must have taken me at least 25 minutes to get in. So clearly the cost of admission doesn't deter many tourists from a visit. Once inside, I actually kind of forgot that I was in the middle of a city. The grounds are beautiful and there were so many animals to check out. I wanted to get my money's worth, so I made sure to see some of the animal shows, and although they are intended for children, I found myself laughing along in delight with the rest of the kids. :) And because I'm a huge dork, I'm totally going to post pics on here of my favorite animals. Here comes an excessive amount of animal shots!

Tiny owl at the animal performance show

Tiny owl mid-flight

Love the little owl! P.S. We learned that owls are definitely not smart! Look how small his head is!

The London Zoo has three amazing gorillas.

There are lots of weird little monkeys featured at the zoo. There's even an open area part where you walk through and the monkeys run around in the trees all around you, no glass, no cages. Very cool.