First Day

My first experience on the tube was quite relaxing. Mark and I have alot of the same interests so it was really good just chatting normally about things, but as we flew along on the train I saw frost slowly coming off the greens, many many people of all different cultures and colours. We stopped three times to catch different trains (tubes) in order to get back and it took us a bit over an hour to get to Tooting Bec station (about 10 minutes from where I now live). I was just going throuh the routine, not really taking anything in... was so tired I cant even tell you how it feels... jet lag sucks... try to avoid it at all costs!

We wandered back to the house... I was bus looking at the sky and the people and the cute little houses with the cute little coloured doors. There was a pub on the corner which is just adorable with its hal red, half white doors... just like an english pub in the movies and a little store next to it (run by people from Pakistan. This is a very Indian / Pakistan area so it feels like I landed in the wrong country some times!). Just around the corner we turned right (on the left there is a park... about the size of two football ovals with a little pond and a soccer area as well.. people run around it of an afternoon and in the early morning). Then we came to the "estate"... its kind of like (and dont tell Mum this) homeswest homes... a big block of flats. It currently has scaffolding all around it because they are retouching the paint and trying to make it look a bit prettier (dont know how well thats going to go, to be honest its not exactly overly attractive). We live on the top level which is about three flights of stairs up.

The interior of the house is nice though, recently renovated with pine doors, a new kitchen with black marble bench, nice focet and all of that. The bathroom is all very nice as well and my room is very small, but was prettied up for me with a double bed, four pillows, a frame with a photoof Nig in it (mark did this for me) and a dressing table with a chest of draws. The window doesnt really look out on anyhing, but its so nice to have my own little space. There is a small balcony out of the lounge area and the lounge area isn't too small... a little smaller than my bedroom at home. There is a large couch, good sized TV, dinning table and all the regular things. From the balcony to the right you can see fireworks when they have them over canary wharf... I just saw some tonight.

I got back and met Kelly's mum who was very welcoming and was just on her way out to Bingo. She goes to Bingo and the second hand shops for most of the day every day. Mark had to head out to do some work and so I spent some time unpacking and decided I would go and have a look at the "common" - aka the park across the road - and buy a few little bits from the shops. I made myself a cup of tea, unpacked everything and then headed out.

I bought tomato sauce and lemonaide from the next door store... the first time I used my UK money! All very exciting... and also went for a very short wander in the common. I walked down a few streets and was amazed at the pretty little houses here there and everywhere and tried to understand that I was actually in the UK and not home anymore... but the sun was shinning and I couldnt really grasp what I'd just accomplied... I felt lik eI wa sin a different suburb rather than a different suburb.

I had every intention to stay awake until 10pm so that I could get into the UK time... however it got to 3.30pm and thought that, yes... I would have a 2 hour nap before everyone came home... unfortunately 2 hours turned into... well I didn't wake up until 5.30am the next morning! I was just so tired... I wandered around the house and played with the fantastic TV.... they have around 300 channels, including sky, movies, mtv, BBC (about 5 of these)... oh there is just so much but you wont believe what was on... The GILMORE girls... I think they were welcoming me to England :-) I had a cup of tea and tried to settle myself in, get more comfortable with my surroundings and work out what I really needed to do during the day.