CindyLiDesign

UK visit

Thurs 14 - Shannon drops me off at the airport 4pm, flight 6:10pm
Met a guy that works for the state department he's going to be in England for three months. He got bumped up to Biz class.
Met the guy sitting next to me that has a Phd in chemistry, he likes to mix music, has a daughter, lives in manassas and works for Quest Diagonistics. Really cool guy. He's traveling to Germany for his holiday.
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Fri 15 - Arrived@ 6:20 am. Walked into the wrong line for customs. Got into the correct line didn't get searched.
West End. Patrick picks me up. Went to Ealing station and walked to his place. I was wide awake after 2hours of sleep cause I was just too excited. We walked around Oxford Street a little rainy. Saw a crowd hovering looked to see what it was about and then walked away. Then heard girls screaming ran back and saw Will Smith in Leister Square. :)
Having serious sticker shock. Everything is so expensive when you try and calculate it in your head how expensive things turn out to be.
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Sat 16 - Brighton met Jeremy & Jessica Keith, Richard Rudder and Andy Budd at the train station. Andy Budd said.. pointing at some pubs.. these buildings are nearly 50 years old. Playing on the American's lack of historical buildings. We walked around the pier, got pooped on by a seagull. Laughed about the seagull because I've been having such a good time I didn't care.
Had my first scone at the Meeting Place. Patrick ran into some old friend from Madagascar trip he did a while back. Jeremy told me about the old victorian pier that burned down. There is controversy surrounding the pier fire.. possibly arson from the other pier (they didn't want to loose business). They tried to convince me to have a jellied eel but I don't think I believed that it was any good cause no one would eat it with me. I figured they were just playing with me. We had drinks w/Simon Collisum
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Sun 17 - Brighton (Cindy) Jeremy and Jessica took me out for Sunday Roast. Had a beef roast and yorkshire pudding.
We stopped at a cute little restaurant and had tea, toffee cake, and another scone, this time w/Cream, strawberry jam and Butter (yummy) came back to London on a train but I had to stop at Lewes station and then change over to the Lewes-Victoria train. I was thrilled I could do it on my own after I figured the platform change. Sad.. I followed other people but most people were going to platform 1 not 2.. where I needed to be. :)
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Mon 18 - Sunny day. Went to the Tate Britain(Monet Exhibition! Yiipeee) saw St. Paul's cathedral (it's really dirty, outside. Do they know about power washing?)
Didn't make it to: Tate Modern / Globe

I did however go to the 100 club to go swing dancing. Did their lesson, and danced w/the teacher Simon who says hello to Debra from swing dancing. They have their A-lister's circle as well. Some retro/vintage glasses. Definitely smokey venue.
Met the one american guy from New York, Occupational therapist who has a brother in Baltimore.

100 Club 100 Oxford Street London W1N 9FB Stompin' (01895 613703)
Jubilee Jumpers| Mr Kicks | 7:30 pm| 12:00 am | £10/£9 members
left around 930pm to go meet Patrick's friends, Daz, Crossland and Kate. They were really nice. Daz works for playboy.
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Tue 19 - Kensington Museums(Natural History museum and the science)
Doing the Theatre antoher night
Went to Harrods to buy stuff and to see the Princess diana and dodi memorial in the store, and went to a grocery store to buy some food and tea that people requested.
Didn't do the theatre cause tomorrow involves more trains.
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Wed 20 - Stonehenge / Bath...
too tired...too many things and wasn't ready to get up at the crack of dawn or even after the crack of dawn to go on another train trip. Instead went to Westminster Abbey, saw Charles Darwin's plaque and a bunch of other famous Brits. I lighted a candle in the church for my family and friends too. Sat on a boat called the Tattershall Castle (I had a coke :P )
Had pasta at Zizzi:mushroom, spinach, pine nuts, pasta and olive oil it was really good.. who knew w/o meat. :)
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Thu 21 - Kew Gardens went and had a picnic(so cute). A lunch with cheddar cheese, strawberries, bread, apple & walnut chutney, mango smoothie and the UK version of Lactaid. ;) man my tummy was in for it. Saw Princess of Wales' conservatory, Evolution House. Mostly sat in the gardens and just chilled out. I think all this culture is taking a toll on my brain.

Stopped @ the pub in Richmond (had another coke) and just sat to chat w/Patrick about life.
Stopped @ the Red Lion pub in Ealing (Patrick's favorite) sat outside cause it was smokey but too cold to sit just outside.. looked for a heater and some girl stared at him while we grabbed some seats close to the heater. Turns out it was his ex-girlfriend. Stopped at the My Old Dutch, which has enormous pancakes (crepes really) and I'm thinking .. skip dinner I'm on ::insert british accent now::: Holiday:::end of british accent:::: Banana, chocolate, nut crepe w/vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was not so good but the crepe was the size of a medium pizza. I have pictures. I am not kidding. I almost left my camera at the restaurant and went back for it. Gotta go.. post more later

Fri 22 - Marble Arch/ London Eye / Greenwich Park (Royal Observatory)

Sat 23 - British Museum(Rosetta Stone) Jeremy Keith to make a special appearance!/ Camden Market

Sun 24 - Tower of London / Design Museum

Mon 25 - Airport by 2pm, flight 4:35pm and PASSES OUT :)

7:40pm Jeff picks me up!!


Must Things To See/Try:
- Big Ben
- Parliament (sorry had to do it in that order)
- Design Museum
- Stonehenge
- Globe Theater
- Rosetta Stone
- Abbey Road
- Ride a double decker bus :)
-A life in the theatre.. starring Patrick Stewart and Joshua Jackson
For the next trip...
-Abbey Road
-Madame Tussads...

Shopping
- Harod's & buy something (erin said to :)
- Marks & Spencer

Food to try:
- Potato Smile
- Fish and Chips (sorry patrick)
- English Breakfast
- British Tea
- Digestives (apparently a cookie.. we'll see if its a prank played by my dance partner or not)
- McVitie's biscuits

To buy:
Ben: Tea
Jeremy: Postcard
Shannon: British Boy
Brian Vargish: Beer called:John Smith's Extra Smooth (for some girl he's trying to win over)
David: Coins
Dad: Stamps
Megan: Postcard
Erin: McVitie's biscuits :)
Li Sisters, Melissa, Eric N. (sis wants a paddington 6"-8" bear)
Debbie: British Earl Grey tea, decaffinated
Ben: British tea, and digestives (apparently cookies)


To bring:
JIF peanut butter (they don't have this in the UK!)
Old Bay Seasoning (Jeremy and Jessica)

posted by cindyli @ 11:00 AM