Feet and Hostels

Hello children! I know it's been a while, but unfortunately I just haven't had much net access. But fear not, I'm back! And have loads to write about, and I'll probably leave something out.

The Second Day - Hostel and Notting Hill

Well, I did not make this clear in my first post, but I was not overly keen on my hostel. The day I checked in, they told me I'd be in one room for a night, but then would have to switch the next day to a new room cause of how things were booked. This wouldn't be so bad, except that I had to drag my suitcase up four flights of stairs. It didn't wear me out too much the first day, seeing as I dashed off right away, but still.

The way to describe the hostel? Most of the toilets did NOT have sinks to wash in. You had to go into the shower rooms, which were almost always locked with someone using the shower. I was rather disgusted. That, and their organization, were the only things I had against this hostel. However, if you know me, those are both AMPLE reasons for me to dislike being somewhere.

The first morning arrived, and I wrote my blog and did other things to pass the time until around 12pm, which gave the hostel an hour after check-out to get the rooms cleaned and whatnot. But I had wanted to leave, so I go to ask where my second room would be... to be told that I won't be able to put my stuff into my room until after 2pm. What the hell, I said I wanted to go out for the day and really didn't think I should have to spend all day here with my things. I was then told that I could bring all my stuff downstairs and leave it in the storage room. So I drag all my things down four flights of stairs. To then have to drag them back up two flights of stairs that evening to my next room. I was NOT impressed. This wasn't something that was my doing, so I really shouldn't have to be dragging my luggage around so much. I wasn't impressed, especially since my bags were so heavy and my feet were destroyed.

Anyway, between the lugging of the luggage, I met up with Melissa and we went to check out the Notting Hill Carnival. I think if we had had more energy it really would have been lovely, as it was just a whole bunch of people and I guess the best comparison is Caribbana, although I've never gone to it.

I was amused with the crowds, although Melissa isn't too keen on crowds so it wasn't too pleasant for her. I enjoyed drinking alcohol in the middle of the street right near the police, as that is just unheard of in Canada and I found it QUITE exciting. We bought silly souvenirs, which I'm sure most of you saw the photo of me with the bunny ears.

Feet Drama

Monday, my third day, was my attempt at going to Kensington Gardens. It was quite lovely and I want to go back, but that day... oh my poor feet. I had destroyed them with the shoes and they were in so much pain that I had to give up early and retire back to the hostel. Which drove me insane. I did not do so well being stuck in the hostel! I began my search for a home then.

Wanstead

After a bunch of scams about housing (oh they are so obvious when you know the common characteristics) I got grumpy and remembered about an agency called Arrive Homes that was recommended by Protocol. I emailed them and outlined what I was looking for, and I got a text Monday evening asking to meet to see about a room in a house.

So, Tuesday morning up I get and take off for Snaresbrook Station. I met Phil, the guy showing me the house, and went to check it out. It was super close to the tube station, and the area really looks more like a small town than being a part of (Greater) London. Seriously, once I go for a walk and take pics of the area, you will all go "what?! That's London?" and my answer will be "why yes, it is!". There's a big park area which is quite lovely, and the shops are all within easy walking distance. Including at least two bakeries, a butchers, a grocers, plus grocery store and pharmacy. Really, everything you need daily is within easy grasp.

Hermon Hill House

There's a lot of stairs. The house itself is rather small, as we have one living room (which doubles for dining), a small kitchen, and a bathroom. It's not too bad though, the kitchen looks nice so I'm good. My room, however, is huge. I have two large windows that open easily (although each time I open them I am terrified that it is going to fall on top of me!), which opens onto a balcony! Not one that you can really stand/sit on, although you COULD if you really wanted to. But I could get some little tables out there and have my own garden in the spring if I want to. I'm quite happy with it.

My flatmates are quite lovely too. There's Lucy, who is also with Protocol and is from Alberta. There's also Catherine, and our unofficial flatmate Charlie (poor Charlie, he gets put to work here all the time already, haha). Catherine's Irish and she has a full-time teaching job since she did her schooling here. There is also Queen, who is a vocalist from LA but she may not be around for too long before she goes back to the USA.

Our Local

Our local pub is called Cuckfields. I have only been there a few times, the first time just for drinks with Lucy and Christine (who is from the other House near us which is full of Canadian and Irish folk). I had a strawberry cider and oh my was it delicious. There are at least two resident cats at the pub, and I feel mighty sorry for how much the poor things get approved by everyone! They of course ignore all attentions (or they acknowledge and refuse to comply).

I think so far the best time we had there was when Lucy, Catherine, Charlie and I went for dinner. We ended up playing Monopoly. That's right. A full game of Monopoly in a pub! Apparently people kept looking and watching us sat there playing a board game (really, they were on a shelf right near our table, it was bound to happen) but we didn't take too much notice of it. Poor Charlie got wiped out right quick, but I followed suit a while later (that's right, for any of you who have EVER attempted to get me to sit through a full game... I ACTUALLY managed it for once!). Catherine, who started out losing, cleared us all out! It was rather amusing and we quite enjoyed ourselves.

Teaching

That's right, I've already taught a day. I taught at a school near Whitechapel station (ok, so I give locations based on tube stations, so just look up the tube stations and you can figure out roughly where I am in London all the time). I was teaching year 4 in the morning and year 6 in the afternoon. It was mostly a very good day! The teachers who heard it was my first day were all surprised and said they would have never guessed (probably because various people definitely witnessed me making the classes line up correctly and enter the classroom correctly, haha). Both classes were lovely children, and we had a relaxed day as it is their Induction week and they aren't really doing much actual coursework. So I taught various lessons that I came up with out of thin air and it went quite well.

Not the last half hour, mind you. The year 6s had a TA in the classroom the whole afternoon, and she stepped out to use the loo for a few minutes. And naturally that is when all chaos ensued, mostly instigated by one group of boys. I took their names down and informed the class how sorry I was that I would have to let their teacher know how disrespectful they were for the last part of the day, as they had been QUITE lovely until then. Of course, I had to make sure that I let the class know that it wasn't ALL of them, that some of them had remained lovely all day, but that there were enough of them that it wasn't JUST a few students either. I didn't crack though, so yay for me.

One of the boys (who hadn't really been being that out of control) came up and apologized to me. It was so sweet, I was very touched. The miracle of the day, however, was that I didn't break out crying because of my feet. As I mentioned earlier, I had destroyed my feet at the beginning of my time in London. They had gotten better, and Tuesday morning (marking one week of living in Hermon Hill) I went out to break in my new teaching shoes. And COMPLETELY cut up the back of my feet, way worse than the last time.

And I had to teach in heels. Wedge ones, mind you, but still. Oh was it sore, but fortunately they weren't really hitting the other spots that were badly cut, so I survived.




And that, my dears, has been the rest of my time summarized quickly. I spent a lot of time at Protocol, I hit up the British Museum again, Lucy and I went to go pay an outrageous price to see a movie in Leicester Square, which we refused to do and ended up going to comedy night for cheap (after being approached by a creepy man in a trench coat who pulled something out ot the coat... turned out he was just being silly and was actually just giving away free vouchers to get in to the comedy half-price.... no joke either, hah). The comics were all quite hilarious, so we were impressed. What else did I do? Oh, I discovered that I really like the one chain food place called Pret a Mange. Not the cheapest but not too bad either, and I ACTUALLY like the sandwiches. I have yet to eat proper fast food. Did I mention in my last post that I had my delicious portobello mushroom burger that I've been craving since I was here with Siggy? Well I did.