The first three days

Wednesday September 22, 2010

So I am sitting on the bunk beds of our itsy-bitsy Leicester hotel writing this in word, due to the lack on internet. This might be a common thing until we are all set up in out flat. So the journey- are you ready for this? It was a bit of a whirlwind. So I flew from Kelowna quickly to Calgary. Then I ran through the airport in time to board my plane to London. Expecting to sit next to someone obnoxious and/or smelly, I found my seat- the middle of the middle section. The surprise- I was seated with a small quiet man to my left and a cute, chatty British boy to my right. Turns out he is in the British army and was just in medicine hat training. After some friendly banter and a gross airline meal, I popped a gravol, wrapped my pillow around my neck, and passed out. I woke up just 40 minutes before landing- which went smoothly- and then I met my dear Amy. We got ripped off on a taxi downtown (of course) but it was worth it if you saw the amount of goddamn bags we had. Once we were in the train station (towing more bags then our little bodies could handle) we were sweating up a storm and trying to find where to go. Thankfully our obvious distress brought on friendliness more often then rude stares. Once we dragged everything on to the train and took up the entire luggage area for our cabin, we collapsed and ate snacks mom insisted I pack. Then off the train, into another cab, and we arrived at the hotel. Now this place is extremely cheap and we expected it to be small- but it is even smaller. Also, the shower in right next to the bed. So if we can handle this box for a few days, living together should be a breeze!

We got a quick glimpse of downtown on the way here, and I think it will be easier to love this place. Tomorrow we go to look for a flat- and we hope it’s successful so we can get out of here and all moved in. The journey here was only the beginning.

More to come tomorrow I hope :)

---

Thursday September 23, 2010

Bonjour! Today was a bit a stressful day- but it ended well. Lets start with last night. So I drift off to bed after typing up my blog for the day, thinking I was so great for adapting so quickly to the time change. Then I woke up at 2am. I laid in bed and tried every trick to get back to sleep- but my body was certain I had just had a nice nap and it was time for moving. So after doing this for an hour I gave in and popped a gravol. It still took about an hour to finally slip off to sleep- so when our alarm went off at 8am I was not a happy camper. So down for breakfast we went (£3.25) and then off to the viewings we setup with letting agents. Instead of taking a taxi we decided to take a chance on the transit system. Now our hotel-although it’s cheap- is in the middle of no where so it was about a 20 minute bus ride. And of course because we don’t know Leicester at all, we got off and had to take a taxi after all so we didn’t miss the meeting.

Now the first place was a real let down. They were supposed to show us one place in our price range- btu then told us they couldn’t do it until 1:00- but if we waited 10 mins they’d show us two other properties. We initially thought this was great- but they were both way out of our price range and really not that wonderful. So feeling discouraged, we walked to the next place. During this walk, we located the school and we realized this was the area we wanted to be in. Walking distance to the university, lots of students around, safe and close to Queens Street- which is this adorable road I hope to spend lots of time on. So off we go to Fleetwood Street (great name) and we found our place. Two double bedrooms, living room, kitchen, garden, big bathroom. It was a little cluttered due to the previous tenants moving out, but it has a lot of potential. We were quite happy with the place but still had two more appointments. And they both no-showed. So we walked over and but money down to hold the place, and after credit checks and such we should be able to move in Monday!

I don’t know if this link will work, and its not exactly how the place is (no single bed downstairs- that’s a tv room) but to give you an idea: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-21420641.html

So after that we walked through the Highcross area- which is where all the shops and the big mall is- and its really nice, but I was losing steam fast. We found our way to the buses and got back alright. I had a little snooze and then we did some emailing and chatted to the parentals. Since we wanted to stay up later tonight, we went out for a nice late dinner. We went to this cute Spanish place that had tapas and sangria. Now amy is falling asleep watching the Matrix on tv and I am going to wrap this long-winded post up. So all in all it was a successful day and hopefully tomorrow we will get to explore some more. I have been bad at emailing everyone, but I promise once we are settled it will be much easier.

Missing you all so much!

Cheers (because that’s what all the Brits say)

----

Friday September 24, 2010

Phew what a day! So we had nothing that was time sensitive today so we slept in- which was glorious (especially because I was smart last night and took some gravol- so no middle of the night panic attacks about what the hell I am doing here). So I woke to pouring rain- and realized Amy was missing- which freaked me out a bit but I eventually got out of my gravol glaze to realize she went for a run. In the pouring rain. Make that sideways rain. What a dedicated little runner! I on the other hand snuggled deeper under the covers and grabbed my book. If I haven’t mentioned it yet, I’m reading Saturday by Ian McEwen and after I got through the part where a plane crashes(while I was flying in a plane), I have a feeling I will enjoy it.

So Amy returned and we got moving, grabbed a sandwich(since it was almost 12) and taxied downtown. The taxi thing is getting better- we found that a certain company has a deal with the hotel so they charge a flat rate every time for us- unlike the other asses that hear ETAP hotel(aka in the middle of no where) and think money money money. We dropped off more paper work at the letting agency and exchanged some money at the bank. Then it was time to shop!

I have decided Leicester mall is an instant mood lifter. Not only does it have H&M (which is just as good a deal as in North America) but it has a massive Aldo, Top Shop, Zara, Guess..okay the list goes on, but get the point: my sadness for leaving half my clothing behind has completely disappeared. Oh and I felt like a total grub wearing a big sweater, leggings and flats- everyone was decked out in amazing outfits. Yesterday we were starting to doubt the fashion in England- today we changed our mind. So after hitting up H&M for some great cheap tops, Amy and I both purchased fab boots at Aldo (p.s the aldo here is wayyyyyy better than at home- hope that got your attention mom!) Oh and Chlo- high pants everywhere – you’d be in heaven.

So with new outfits in hand, we found a great place to eat. It was called something weird but it’s my favorite so far. Mostly vegan- but had some plates with meat. It was delicious- I had these sort of yam cake things with curry and rice and Amy had a Chinese noodle soup with chicken. We shared this dessert which was a strange apple and yam crumble- but it really was nothing like a crumble. It was this sort of oat base and then apples and yams- with flax seed on top. Amy was disappointed but I really liked it.

So now we are back at the hotel, getting all our interneting done while it’s daytime at home. Since we have the 8 hour time difference it’s a bit difficult to communicate and I have to remember to turn my phone off at night to prevent getting 1 am texts (like I got last night Annette!). So if you want to talk, it’s best to read this and email me, so I can keep my texts to a minimum. It is good to hear from you though- I’m missing everyone a lot.

Well I’m off to fight with my frizzy hair- we are going to go out on the town tonight. Since we don’t really know which clubs to hit up yet, we are going to a pub. Maybe I will even drink some beer- Cheers!

Before Take Off

So this is hardly being written minutes before take-off but this may be the last time I have time to write before I head off. Once I'm situated in the UK I will try to resume the blogging and I will have to expand the people I tell about this silly thing. So hmm what to say? Yes, I am nervous, but finally I am getting excited again. The serious stress of this move has hugely decreased and I have made room in my mind to look forward to the next part- the adventure! I'm sure two weeks into school my idea of this being an adventure will fade, but the first little while (searching for a house, figuring out where to go, when classes will be, where I can find the best groceries etc.) will be new and exciting (okay I will try to limit my use of that word from now on). My bags are nearly full and as much as I was dreading fitting my life into two bags, it was a bit easier then I had imagined. Obviously there will be lots of things to purchase on arrival - like shampoo, bedding, picture frames- but I will have what I really need with me.

So what about an update. Friday was the office golf tournament and it was a blast. 5 teams: rockstars, popstars, heroes, villains, and nerds. Everyone got really into it and it turned out to be a real hit. Saturday was a lovely dinner with my lovely friend and at my favourite restaurant in town. Good wine, good company, a great 'last' dinner. Tonight was time for family. There were 12 of us- so lots of food and more wine and a big game of charades. So tomorrow will be the last little bit of running around and sorting everything out. I thought I would have more to say tonight but I feel like we have gone through everything. I'm dreading the airport goodbyes and those minutes of longing to stay here, but I will be okay.

I should probably get some sleep now- so signing off until I'm there! xo cmac

Songs For Packing

Okay so having a brief while with no internet gave me the opportunity to make a list of songs that have been favorites as I have been getting ready to go. Some are perfect for some tear-jerking and some are ideal to dance around piles of clothing belting out the words. They are most definitely not all new songs- and there is no real theme to this list. But it sure is helping me figure out some plane playlists- 9 hours of airtime that I hope to spend sleeping might be difficult without some calming music. Speaking of planes- I got an email today saying my Visa was processed! So I will be leaving Tuesday instead of Monday but I am soo happy. Thank You Visa Gods (and for everyone that was wishing and hoping with me). So now I pack and get everything in order before I head off. So the list…

Beirut- Postcards from Italy

Florence &the Machine- “Cosmic Love” & “Dogs Day are Over”

Anything The XX- but especially “Shelter” and “VCR”

Snow Patrol- Just Say Yes

Jose Gonzalez- Heartbeats (The Knife Cover)

Freelance Whales- Generator ^ First Floor

The Temper Trap- Sweet Disposition

Metric- Twilight Galaxy

Thao- Know Better Learn Faster

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes- Home (but don’t listen to this too often or it’s know to cause excessive tears)

Sigur Ros- Hoppipolla

Tegan & Sara – Clever Meals

Chromeo- Night By Night

Kaskade ft. Dragonette – Fire in Your New Shoes

TV On The Radio – Wolf Like Me

Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Maps

Maroon 5- Misery

Jack Johnson- Bubble Toes

David Vertesi- All Night, All Night, All Night

Kate Nash- Nicest Thing

Mike Snow- Sylvia

A Lovely Sunday Afternoon

You know those days where you expect to be bored out of your mind and have nothing to do? Well after waking up and finding out my plans for the day were a no go, I felt a bit doomed. I had spent Saturday- day AND night- packing up a storm (aka my room is made up of about 72 piles of clothes that are semi-organized into yes/maybe/no's) and another full day of this task would have been enough to drive me a bit insane. Instead, it was grandma mary to the rescue!

As you know, I was in the market for a fabulous bag, and grandma had a wonderful idea- Winners! So I met her there and upon my arrival she already had the perfect one ready to go. It was love at first sight (which is how I choose all my purses- but is rarely the case with men...) and I knew we were meant for each other. It's a red Matt&Nat bag. Big enough for my carry-on essentials, plus it's gorgeous. And I promise I will tote this one around as much as I can (later we can play spot the purse in pictures!) and I think it will work for a school bag as well. Okay, so I got this bag - along with a few for grandma- and headed to lunch. I feel like whenever I am home, I never have enough time to spend with the people I love most. So it was lovely to have some girl time.

After lunch, I decided I better do some preliminary searching for my poison ivy costume. Oh yeah- have I discussed this little event yet? Friday is the offices 2nd annual golf tournament. We have team themes again: Rockstars & Popstars, Heroes & Villains, and Nerds(we needed a fifth team!). So I am a villain- hence poison ivy. Ok so back to my story. I went to every store in the damn mall looking for a green 'dress' - and I had no options anywhere. Apparently green is not so in this fall... So after the obvious la senza & le vie en rose, I ventured into the Bay. To be honest there was nothing at all in there 'intimates' section. That's when I got desperate. I went into Sears. I always avoid this- it is as if I block that area of the mall out of my mind. But I had no choice. As I walk in, I realize it smells very strongly of very old people. My nose was promptly no longer interested in the search, but at that moment a song I kind of adore came on Sweet Disposition- by The Temper Trap. Taking this as a sign, I trudged on. I went through rows of flannel nightgowns and bras with cups large enough to fit a small child, and just when I thought there was no more- there, a lone green "satin" dress hung. I was thrilled- I kind of felt like screaming "YES!!" into the air but thought better of it since this may have triggered a heart attack for one of my fellow shoppers. This next part is really good. I didn't want to brave the flower patterned change rooms so I did what I would usually never allow- I threw the dress over my head, glanced in a mirror and figured it would work. After standing in line behind a more than mildly obese woman, who told the teller that she ought to watch what she ate and exercise, I made my purchase and still had time to swing by Chapters to buy Saturday. It was truly a thrilling day.

The evening was less eventful, but I did manage to finally watch the movie Chloe. Creepy. Not in a horror way- but in a "wow that girl went from Mama Mia to playing a psycho lesbian 'lady of the night' "(that one's for you carr) kinda way. I also had a bit of a family meeting with the brothers. When girls break my brothers' hearts it makes me briefly hate teenage girls. I know I was once one of these horrid creatures- and I'm sure there are a couple guys that may agree that I was equally terrible as a seventeen year old- but I just don't know how any one can hurt my boys. I know they must go through the heart ache too, but I wish I could/ knew how to navigate them through this without a scratch. How cheesy but true.

So I shall leave you with that. A perfect handbag and some heartbreak.

The Hunt

Well I feel like I have to rack up as many posts as I can before I leave- plus it's a perfect procrastination tool. I sit leaning against my mostly empty suitcase and try to catch any bit of wireless internet I can muster. It's pouring outside. I'm listening to Beirut (which I just finally rediscovered) and I feel like this is too good of a setting to not blog a bit. I should be packing- or sleeping- but this is more effective at calming my nerves. So what's new? Ooo I bought a fabulous new perfume yesterday. I felt I needed something a bit more mature than Pink Sugar, so I found Gina. Okay it's by Benefit, and it's actually called "My place or yours- Gina", but that part seems more slutty, less sophisticated. Regardless, I feel all grown up with a real perfume-y smelling perfume... But as I try to write this, I am having a conversation about how excited I am to say things like 'quid' and 'fit' and 'snogging'! So does having the right perfume really matter? I will still be this nerdy Canadian that giggles when people say quintessential British slang.

So I guess I should get to why I put this title on this post of the day. I feel like I have been doing a lot of hunting over the last few weeks/months- be it for 'flats to let' or where I need to go to get a bloody Visa(again- please please come soon). Anyways- I have a new hunt: for the perfect carry-on bag. Now realize fitting my life into two (very large) suitcases has been causing me serious anxiety. So much so that I have been avoiding it as much as possible. I even began looking into international banking and train schedules in order to seem as though I am productively steering clear of the beckoning bags. But now I have focused on the carry-on. It is smaller and therefore much more manageable to focus on. I went to The Bay when I was told of a perfect bag- but it didn't quite live up to my expectations (surprised?) and I couldn't find anything else in the mall. I think I will have to go into the dreaded closet to see if I have something old that will work to tote around the really important pieces I need in my possession on the plane- ipod, book, laptop, gum- and my prized possession- my neck pillow! (See- nerd.) Okay, no one really wants to hear about how nutso I am becoming. Moving to another country is not easy. That is all I've got for you tonight, otherwise I may start speaking french as I have been known to do in times of extreme sleep deprivation.

Au revoir mon cherie xo

Movie night

During this long weekend I have found myself watching a few movies and I thought I might share my thoughts. Firstly, I watched The Backup Plan- insert shudder here- with Jennifer Lopez. Okay, okay, so this was obviously a super-chick flick with a predictable plot and fill in the blank cheesy lines. Yet, it got me thinking just a little bit. The whole point of this movie is that the main character, Zoe, wants a baby so badly and is no longer willing to wait for the right guy. This leads to what they show as a quick artificial insemination - because they don't waste time with the realities of this procedure. Luckily enough she promptly finds mr. right. You know how the rest goes. I can't help but wonder how I really feel about this whole situation. If this was the only way for me to have children, would I go through with it? and even more- would I go through it alone? It's a decision I hope I don't have to make, but it seems to come up more and more lately. I know I want kids- but how far would you go? Not that I want to get into the whole thing about choosing a career over a family- because I am going into a field that does often put that pressure on women- but really, the reports keep coming out that if you aren't having babies in your 20's, you may have a hard time having them at all. So is it silly that all these thoughts come to mind after watching a bad J.Lo movie? You tell me.

Next one: Going the distance. I guess I have a weakness for Drew Barrymore due to my love for Never Been Kissed. This movie wasn't down right terrible, but film critics could easily tear it apart. I'm not going to critique it, however, I do want to take this moment to discuss long distance relationships (since, if you haven't seen the preview, that is what the movie is all about). Can they work? We have so many ways to keep in constant contact with people lately that it is hard to really feel far away. With skype- and my favorite- ichat, not only can you talk to people across the world, you can really see them. Yet, I don't think this can really be enough for a romantic relationship. Perhaps if you knew there was a defined time limit on the distance it would be tolerable, but if it was an open-ended "see you soon" how do you deal with that? One thing I must give this movie credit for is not making Drew (spoiler alert I guess?!) quit her job for the man she loved. I liked that her character was strong enough to stick to her plans. I guess you may have to watch it for yourself to really make up your mind, but it didn't put to rest my skepticism on long distance relationships. It did, on the other hand, help me to develop a small crush on Jason Long...

I know these movie choices make me sound as if I quite possibly have the worst taste in movies EVER, but I will forgive your judgement for now. But to finish this post up, I will leave you with a song:

(Aren't you excited that I got the Youtube thing to work! Next I hope I can learn how to just play a song- so it could be like a soundtrack to each post...)

Been too long

Okay so I have been slacking on the blogging, BUT I have been very busy!

That was one of the fun things I've done lately- Jesse Cook at Mission Hill Winery. It was amazing! So fun in fact that I fell into a bush. I have recounted this story far too many times in the last 48 hours I will just say this: there was way too much wine involved, and there was a sudden drop off that coincided with the edge of the bushes. I escaped with a few stinging scrapes and a bit of a deflated ego, but the dancing continued. It's not like I haven't done more embarrassing things...

On top of all that excitement, I had to say goodbye to two of my very best friends. Now how dramatic does that sound?! Well really I will see them around Christmas so really it will be three whole months apart- but it just seems like so long at the moment. Thankfully they will have this lovely little blog to refer to whenever they miss my witty jokes(not likely) and want to see me blabber on about my new soon-to-be British life. I really have idealized the whole thing-which is only fitting considering that is what I do with all things in my life. I hope to be able to tell everyone about amazing adventures and british boys with handsome accents and my attempts to become a beer drinker. Unfortunately, I may only be able to pass on that school is driving me mad and how my skin has become see-through...but don't fret (ooo I love that word) I'm sure despite all my attempts at being mature, cultured and professional- I will still fall at inappropriate times and have highly embarrassing stories to tell.

Now over the last little while I had come up with topics to blog about- but of course I have 700+ things going on in my head on top of those, and somehow the ideas didn't prevail. I think I need a notebook where I can jot things down as I think of them- but then that may be a bit nerdy. They were likely mostly focusing on how stressful moving to another country can be, and how I cannot seem to pick which shoes to pack, and how travel visa applications are the bane of my existence (but please oh please come on time!). I guess I will just have to do some more brainstorming over the next 14 days- because after that, the real adventure begins!

Now I'm off for a girls movie night xo