On London soil

It's been a long while since I last blogged, a really long time. So much has happened and there is so much to chat about. I couldn't possibly get around to it all. Well lets start by saying that I'm in London now, finally. It seemed like I was waiting to move here forever. I feel like I can finally start my life here in London. Things are going well. I love it here. I flew into Heathrow airport on September 11th. Funny, huh? I spent a week looking for a room for rent in a flat a week in Amsterdam at Robodock, a Art & Technology festival, and a week back in London at my new flat going to Study abroad orientation. This week is a bit of Freshers (New University student activities that involve meeting new people, getting to know the extra curricular activities that happen at London Met and of coarse drinking beer) which extends from last week. I had no idea what freshers was before I came here. Also I found out what fortnight means, a period of 2 weeks, basically. This week is the first week of classes. My first class is tomorrow. Goodness, there is a great deal to do. Lots of forms, getting lost at Uni (short for university, that’s what they call it here. Hm I'm not sure I have mentioned this before), and waiting in queues (British speak for lines). God, there is too much to talk about, really too much. I could type for hours.

I have gotten lost like I have never got lost before. Thank you for all those people who have stopped to help my while I was along my way. Mostly men who thought I was cute and Spanish I suppose. It's cool that I'm not considered white like I am in America. Okay one thing about the question that always comes up when I open my mouth. "Where are you from?" The accepted common response that anyone would recognize would be: 'I'm from America' ... which feels weird to say... America... I feel like breaking out into song

I like to be in America!
O.K. by me in America!
Ev'rything free in America
For a small fee in America!

you know the song from West Side Story, right? I can't help but sing it in my head every time this question comes up. It feels weird to hear and say it. I would say the I'm from the states but I get some confused looks sometimes. And at times I say U.S but that can get confused at times as well especially in a noisy pub. USA is too long and United States of American is too formal and longer still. Sometimes I break out with 'California' to be a little more specific because there are a good number of people that know about 'the states' certainly more than I know about their country. People are from all over the world here. That is what I love about this town. And my choice to live in Hackney which is one of the more ghetto or shall we say 'dodgy' parts of London is no mistake. Okay it goes without saying that it is much cheaper to live here than other parts of London and its all i could afford. Still it works out for me though because Hackney is very culturally diverse which makes it interesting and there are lots of cool shops with different, tasty & cheap foods and wares. What’s cooler still is that there are at least three organic shops on the main street near my flat (British speak for apartment). Lots of Yummy vegetarian food to choose from. I'm in heaven, I tell you. My flatmates (roommates) are super cool and they are born and bred Londoners, Chinese British that have spent their whole lives in Hackney.

Gosh, I really do have to go. I do have stuff to do. Really important bollocks (originally meaning testicles in British which has so many meanings I can't keep track of them all but for this sentence I'm intending it to mean 'nonsense') . More later. I really want to blog more often because there is just too much to write about. Everything is so new and I'm even a bigger retard than I usually am because I'm so clueless about everything British.