***NOTE: I figured out how to change the settings, so you can leave comments now! A few of you let me know that you couldn't, well, now you can! At least to let me know if you read it so that I don't repeat myself to you??****
This update may be a little delayed, as most everyone has seen my photos on facebook, but nevertheless, write I shall!
It's nearing a month now that I've been in London. Not there yet, but closer. 3 weeks! It seems like a lot longer, really, I'm quite comfortable living in this city. I like it much more than I ever did Toronto. I can get from where I live to downtown London in about half an hour, but I live far enough away from anything touristy and big that where I live feels like a small town. Sort of like Wiarton except smaller, but it's like Wiarton because it's got a few really busy roads (one of which is right outside my window!) that always has people driving by. And it's so pretty. I know I know, anyone from the GBA is going "It can't be prettier than the Bruce!" and while that's true for scenic beauty, London has another charm entirely, and I haven't found that in Ontario. The closest would be at the Elora Gorge, the village there is close. There are a lot of buildings here, and while they are all close together they still maintain a neat charm since the buildings are all so old. And Londoners from what I've gathered pay a lot more attention to their gardens.
This past week I've taught all week. Which means I've made £625 before any of my money gets taken away. 4 out of 5 days was with the same Year 1 class. They were a challenge but I really liked them. By the end of the day, my throat was usually pretty sore from having to yell for them all day long. They just don't have the slightest idea how to sit quietly. Not that I blame them, mind you, it's only their second week in proper school and most of their time has been spent without their actual teacher! The class and I worked out a routine though, by the end of the week they were definitely showing improvement in the skills we were working on (lining up quietly, and making good choices on where to sit and who to sit next to). Next week I'm going to be so disoriented, I've got work lined up for Tuesday (Monday is a holiday for Eid) and will have to take a new bus. Well. I COULD take the same tube/bus route I've been taking for the past week (Friday-Friday I've been taking the same bus route so I know where I'm going... the two schools were really close) and I COULD walk a lot further, but I think it's time I try out Leytonstone Station instead of Woodford Station. Worst comes to worst, I'll miss the school, end up near Ainslie, and walk backwards. hahahaha. It's really gotten to be a habit walking to the schools, as I'm comfortable enough with that area that I do what I always do when I'm walking in a known area: don't even pay attention to where I'm walking as my feet take me there alllll on their own!
From the pictures on facebook, I'm sure everyone here knows that I went to the ocean. Sea, really. I went to Bradwell-on-Sea, and it was a spur of the moment trip as we were in the "area" although it took Tony and I two hours to drive there. hahaha. I'd never been to the coast at all, so while it wasn't a huge vastness of water (it was more like a bay, as we could see England across from us still) I was quite excited. It was different from being at Georgian Bay, as the beach was covered in shells. Being the child that I am, I was collecting shells for Natalya and Payton, along with a few for myself. The few rocks that I took home were quite interesting too. What can I say, I was just too excited to be there. I'm really glad that I've gotten back in touch with Tony (well, that he got back in touch with me) because it's really nice having someone who's known me well for years be around. And as I've told him lots of times, I'm taking advantage of him having a car ;) hahahha. I'm so very nice. It was just really nice to be walking along the shore with a friend who is quite fine with me being whoever it is that I am, as I didn't feel embarassed at all collecting shells or making him help me look for particular kinds.
Or take pictures. I, not planning on going to the coast, had neglected to bring my camera. Thank goodness, Tony had brought his. So either I directed on some photos that were more snap-shots and I didn't care, or I just took the camera and snapped away. If you've been out somewhere with me where I've been playing with my camera, then you know how that goes. If you haven't, count yourself lucky. It can make a five minute walk take a lot longer. Not that I care, but if you aren't interested then it's QUITE the journey. Fortunately I tend to befriend people who don't care, and those who I think do.. well, that would be why you haven't seen me playing with my camrea! I try to spare some of you :P
It was just really fascinating to see how different a salt-water coast is from a fresh-water one. It was crabs we could find, not crayfish. Tony found some really tiny ones running around in the water, but the water ended up a bit too murky to find them again and take their picture. I was sad, but they were the neatest things. We then found a big one that was quite dead on the coast. Not being afraid of dead things if they aren't decomposing and full of maggots (really now, I enjoy biology, I've dissected enough dead things!) I insisted on taking pictures of that too. And the jellyfish. At first we weren't sure if they were jellyfish, as the one we found sort of made us think more of a breastimplant, although my FIRST statement was "jellyfish!" but we couldn't find any tentacles on it. The second one that we saw, however, confirmed that my gut instinct had been right. This was because the gonads (it'll look like an outline of a four-leaf-clover) were clearly visible. I was SO excited.
Before I could get out the camera to snap a shot... Tony had flipped it over onto it's back to look for tentacles!! THE HORROR! I was so upset, because then the top was covered in shell fragments and was unfit for photographing. What a guilt trip I laid on, but I forgave my friend. We did find a third one were you could see the gonads, but it wasn't perfectly circular and the gonads weren't as clear. We took a picture of it anyway.
I just really love to be near the water.
The next day, Tony took me along for a flying lesson! Talk about doing something I didn't really think I'd ever be doing, but I found myself up in a four-seater plane! With my friend flying it! I never would have pictured myself doing that, but do it I did. The view was amazing, although we only flew around the area. We were below the clouds, but it was the most surreal feeling for me sometimes looking at the clouds and going "wow, we are CLOSE to those!" In some ways, it was more surreal than looking down on the clouds (which is what I spend as much time as possible doing on big planes) because I was still looking UP at the clouds they way I am used to... except that in this plane, they were oh so very much closer. I tried taking pictures, but it wasn't overly successful as it wasn't a bright enough day outside; on automatic the camera always wanted to use the flash, and on manual they were too blurry. Regardless, it was fun watching cars and farm machinery and cattle moving around when they were so tiny. Even getting pushed around by the wind was entertaining for me, cause man did our little plane get bullied by the wind a few times. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the time up there, and I'm very glad that my friend was kind enough to invite me along!
The last thing I've done within the past week now, has been the Protocol Boat Cruise. It was just a boat cruise along the Thames for those of us with Protocol. It was rather cold but I enjoyed. I spent as much time as I could outside on the deck to see the sites, and when I had finally retired inside due to numbness, I didn't seem content to dance and kept hanging over the one rail to look out the window better to see what I could see.
The view of Big Ben from the Thames was amazing! And all the colours at night that lit up most of the buildings and bridges - it made me think of Niagra Falls in some ways. I had forgotten how pretty the Thames was at night, because the time I was walking along it with Siggy I was in a rather miserable mood! I think being on a boat helped, seriously, if you want to keep me happy, take me out on the water. Always makes for a happy Lindsey. It was a bit amusing on the boat though - I was there with my flatmate and one of our neighbours and her boyfriend, and I KNEW I knew more people on the boat... but for the life of me, I did not see any of them! Seriously now, it's a boat. With a limited capacity. You would THINK that you would see the people you knew, but alas, I did not.
On a final note, for any Ontarians who think they've seen a big slug or snail in Ontario, you are COMPLETELY WRONG. London's got the big ones. I saw a slug the other morning (cursed my camera for being in my room on the floor!) that was as big as one of my fingers. No joke. Despite getting rained on, I stopped and stared at the slimy thing for at least a minute, I just could not believe how big it was. I've also seen a few snails that would easily put any of our snails to shame. Just so you know.
Until next time, ladies and germs!
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