worldly nerd (part II) -- BLOODY RAININ'
i must admit that i find it quite confounding that i had less difficulty going through customs to come into another country, than going through security to go to palm coast florida. after my last airport incident, i thought i was gonna have to strip down to my skivvies and do jumpin jacks or something... however, this was hardly the case. is it that the folks at jfk don't take things as seriously? i highly doubt that... i just think they understand that they shouldn't abuse their positions. the experience i had at jfk for my departing flight to london was quite favorable. i didn't have to wait in the ridiculously long line because i had an hour and fifteen minutes until my flight... so my mans looked out and sent me to a shorter line. i was through the security checkpoint within half an hour of my arrival. no taking off shoes, not overly sensitive tfa employees... yay!!
fast forward... i'd luv to tell you more about my actual flight, but seeing as i slept the majority of the time, i think you'd be better served finding someone else who was on flight 132 to london heathrow. i do remember waking up briefly for some grub. i didn't get back up for breakfast. i slept until we had about 30 minutes or so to land. my mum says she hoped i didn't snore...
after arriving in heathrow... it was a snap! the plane didn't actually arrive at a gate. it landed somewhere on ground and we were shuttled over to the station. then, i had to make my way to customs & be interrogated about where i was going and how long i planned to be there... yadda yadda yadda... then i trek through to baggage claim, where my bag is already sitting out. then i strap on my backpack that could be considered the size of rhode island, and trek to the underground/tube. i swear it felt like i was in the ny marathon... just kept walkin' and walkin' and walkin'...
made it to the station and purchased a ticket. the tube actually reminds me of a cross between the metro in dc and train in nyc. it wasn't difficult at all... one of the things that i found most interesting is that it seems to have been created for smaller people; by small i mean, gravitationally challenged (those with a center of gravity that skews from the center of their body, where it ought to be) and vertically challenged. needless to say, i took the piccadilly line to the jubilee line; no problem. oh yeah, one more cool thing... "mind your step" when exiting the tube!!
problem number one... the streets are not clearly labeled and the labels are not high on the street poles for one to notice. they are actually at eye level. it took me about five minutes to orient myself and walk in the right direction... even though they were given to me! regardless, i made it to the flat and took a nap... i wasn't too jet-lagged (fatz told me that i could ward it off by sleeping during the flight... cheers, mate!)
i then decide to go out and about and exploring. i find little cafes the first time i'm out. and this cute little strip of shops and stuff... reminded me a little of los angeles & a little of new york & a little of georgetown. i grabbed a sprite... which tastes a little different than ours, some pringles (which also taste different), and a muffin (which had a slightly different consistency)... they were great. it is only about two o'clock now, so i decide to nap, then i shower and go "exploring"...BAD IDEA!!!
i am supposed to be back at the flat around five-thirty to go with my friend to a meeting with the exchange program she's in. i assured her that i'd be back; and i had every intention of doing so. i figured, how lost could i get walking? i walked down wellington past lord cricket field and kept walkin'... some areas were deader than others, i walked for about twenty minutes, got down around the london business school and decided to turn around. however, i didn't want to take the exact same path back, that would defeat the purpose of exploring. so a little turn here and a little turn there and i am completely disoriented. i'm walking the totally opposite direct that i ought to be. i wind up very near camden. now, don't think that i was too cool to ask for directions. i actually asked more than once, but to no avail... folks couldn't get me back to where i need to go. the buzz words are lord cricket grounds/field... eventually, a gentleman was able to give me directions... he told me it was like a twenty minute walk in the opposite direction. i had circled the park, regent's park, crossed a bridge (where a chap decided to "water a tree") and made my way through the area where the estates are!! most noble, i'll return to get some pics!!... half an hour later... i made it to the tube station where there was a partially drunken bottle of wine awaiting me in my friend's hands... and i caused her to be later to her meeting...
after the meeting, night on the town...
to be continued in the next worldly nerd installation...
cheers!!
fast forward... i'd luv to tell you more about my actual flight, but seeing as i slept the majority of the time, i think you'd be better served finding someone else who was on flight 132 to london heathrow. i do remember waking up briefly for some grub. i didn't get back up for breakfast. i slept until we had about 30 minutes or so to land. my mum says she hoped i didn't snore...
after arriving in heathrow... it was a snap! the plane didn't actually arrive at a gate. it landed somewhere on ground and we were shuttled over to the station. then, i had to make my way to customs & be interrogated about where i was going and how long i planned to be there... yadda yadda yadda... then i trek through to baggage claim, where my bag is already sitting out. then i strap on my backpack that could be considered the size of rhode island, and trek to the underground/tube. i swear it felt like i was in the ny marathon... just kept walkin' and walkin' and walkin'...
made it to the station and purchased a ticket. the tube actually reminds me of a cross between the metro in dc and train in nyc. it wasn't difficult at all... one of the things that i found most interesting is that it seems to have been created for smaller people; by small i mean, gravitationally challenged (those with a center of gravity that skews from the center of their body, where it ought to be) and vertically challenged. needless to say, i took the piccadilly line to the jubilee line; no problem. oh yeah, one more cool thing... "mind your step" when exiting the tube!!
problem number one... the streets are not clearly labeled and the labels are not high on the street poles for one to notice. they are actually at eye level. it took me about five minutes to orient myself and walk in the right direction... even though they were given to me! regardless, i made it to the flat and took a nap... i wasn't too jet-lagged (fatz told me that i could ward it off by sleeping during the flight... cheers, mate!)
i then decide to go out and about and exploring. i find little cafes the first time i'm out. and this cute little strip of shops and stuff... reminded me a little of los angeles & a little of new york & a little of georgetown. i grabbed a sprite... which tastes a little different than ours, some pringles (which also taste different), and a muffin (which had a slightly different consistency)... they were great. it is only about two o'clock now, so i decide to nap, then i shower and go "exploring"...BAD IDEA!!!
i am supposed to be back at the flat around five-thirty to go with my friend to a meeting with the exchange program she's in. i assured her that i'd be back; and i had every intention of doing so. i figured, how lost could i get walking? i walked down wellington past lord cricket field and kept walkin'... some areas were deader than others, i walked for about twenty minutes, got down around the london business school and decided to turn around. however, i didn't want to take the exact same path back, that would defeat the purpose of exploring. so a little turn here and a little turn there and i am completely disoriented. i'm walking the totally opposite direct that i ought to be. i wind up very near camden. now, don't think that i was too cool to ask for directions. i actually asked more than once, but to no avail... folks couldn't get me back to where i need to go. the buzz words are lord cricket grounds/field... eventually, a gentleman was able to give me directions... he told me it was like a twenty minute walk in the opposite direction. i had circled the park, regent's park, crossed a bridge (where a chap decided to "water a tree") and made my way through the area where the estates are!! most noble, i'll return to get some pics!!... half an hour later... i made it to the tube station where there was a partially drunken bottle of wine awaiting me in my friend's hands... and i caused her to be later to her meeting...
after the meeting, night on the town...
to be continued in the next worldly nerd installation...
cheers!!
posted by natty nerd at 5:59 AM
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