a brief flat hunt update

I saw three flats today and one of them was awesome. I won't go into details since we don't know yet whether or not we will get it. Our hope is that Jim's company will sign the lease for us and we can just have the amount that they are giving us each month for living expenses taken directly out of his paycheck. The typical way to pay the rent around here is not to send a check, but to have the money debited from your bank account and paid directly into the landlord's account. Of course, we don't have a bank account here and we can't get a bank account without a permanent address. And even then, we may not get one, as we don't have established credit here, etc. etc. So we are in somewhat of a quandry when it comes to paying rent--can't really hand a landlord who is in Australia a wad of cash every month.

We also have sub-par credit cards. Here all the credit cards have chips implanted in them, so they are just scanned and no signature is required. Our credit cards don't have this newfangled technology, so we have had several experiences of not being able to use them at all. Just a heads up for all of you potential visitors. Be prepared to have cash along, too.

We are learning a lot about the practical sides of life here in England as well! We're blundering our way through it all.

Kicking some bottoms

Jim and I met for lunch today (before my Notting Hill adventures) and, as we were leaving the restaurant we heard a British business man say to his co-workers, "Let's go kick some bottoms, as the Americans like to say!" We were, naturally, pretty tickled by that remark and proceeded to go kick some bottoms.

I also got asked for directions not once, but twice! My red shoes, Cooper Institute fleece (worn with pride throughout London!), lime green gloves, and ever present map must not scream AMERICAN as much as I thought they did. But then I open my mouth and it's all over...

Oxford Street and Notting Hill

Yesterday I got my fill of the Greenwich area and then let myself get really down about not having a job, even though I can't have a job here anyway at this point. Then I let myself get stressed out about whatever I am going to do with myself without a job...and then I came to my senses and made some plans for myself to go frolick around in Notting Hill for the afternoon.

Frolicking in Notting Hill is definitely not as fun by myself as it would be with Jim, which is why we will go again this weekend. Also, by the time I actually got there, after a hellish battle with the crowds on Oxford Street (I HAD to go to T-Mobile...life without a phone when you are prone to getting lost is not a good one. Now I am able to text message Jim whenever I get lost!) it was starting to get dark...at about 4:00.

To back up, Oxford Street is a long street of mostly clothing, shoe, and electronics stores (and T-Mobile). It is very touristy and, to me, seems like a mix between Canal Street in New Orleans, Times Square in NYC, and Downtown Crossing in Boston. There are, to my delight, at least 4 H&Ms, each catering to a different style. There are also lots of department stores, a Swatch store, many, many shoe stores (two Aldos!)...I think the department stores probably had some designer stuff in them. We will have to explore them someday with shopping and fashion minded friends. For now, shopping and fashion are not really options for us.

When I reached the end of Oxford Street, the crowds drastically thinned and suddenly I found myself at the entrance to Hyde Park, marked by a huge Marble Arch (I believe that is actually its name). The park is sprawling--green with lots of trails and trees and fountains and people walking with their dogs and with their loved ones. The contrast, within a few blocks, between Oxford Street and Bayswater Road (same road, different name a few blocks down and across from Hyde Park) was unbelievable. To my right were enormous, sprawling homes and flats, cobblestone, lush bushes and trees. To the left was the park.

Eventually, after about two miles, I made it to Notting Hill, and returned to the land of the common man...but only for a few blocks. I was trying to find a book store called Books for Cooks, which is supposed to be floor to ceiling cookbooks from all over the world, but I ended up walking down the wrong road for about a mile, finally managed to get to the area the bookstore is reputed to be in, and never could find the place. Despite that, I really enjoyed my walk--more beautiful homes and, lots of young mothers all around, pushing prams and walking dogs. They were all very thin and stylish of course (most were wearing tight jeans with boots over them...which is, by far, the most popular trend around here. These women, though, were also wearing fur-lined vests and dripping with diamonds.)

Portabello Road, I think, is a big tourist attraction (there is a market there, which gets very crowded on the weekends, supposedly), but by the time I got there, it was dark, cold, and not too much was going on. We'll go back to try to find the Books for Cooks shop again this weekend. I was really disappointed that I couldn't find it on my own, but I'm sure that my skilled navigator (Jim) will be able to figure out where it's elusive side street is.

Tomorrow I am meeting a friend of Andrea's at the Cafe at Sotheby's and this weekend Jim and I will go to the Tate Modern, where we are excited about their slide exhibit--as in sliding down a slide type slides, not PowerPoint slides and we will also climb to the top of St. Paul.