Thursday, January 14th

Hahahaha! Best day! Classes this morning were a bore, but the evening was lots of fun. After our regular classes, Allyson and I walked around our neighborhood for an hour and a half looking for bookstores. We finally found what we were looking for... Oliver Twist. Couldn't find some work by Chaucer, but we found it in the Centre's library a little bit ago, so all is good. At 3:40pm we had our first London Walks/Cultural Class. Not much of a thrill.

Saved Allyson's life today. I swear she would have been hit by the taxi if I wasn't there. We crossed the street at a crosswalk when we didn't have the walk signal. Usually there is a median you are supposed to wait in, because the walk sign does not mean you can walk across the entire street. You usually have to stop in the middle and wait. Well, Allyson didn't wait and kept walking. She walked right in front of a moving taxi. I grabbed her arm just barely, and yanked her backwards. I almost didn't reach her. She was kind of mad at me for grabbing her arm hard, but I am definitely not apologetic. I seriously saved her from being hit. Haha sad thing is... this is the second time this week. This time was just a much closer call.

After dinner is when the fun started. We got ready and left the Centre by 8:30pm to get to a pub to meet some friends for a free concert. We didn't really know how to get there. I am very sorry to say that we ruined the reputation for every American ever, because I am sure we came across as complete idiots. We could not figure out where to go. We asked everyone and no one had heard of the pub we were looking for. Finally an underground assistance desk attendant took pity on us and helped us. It took a long time to figure out where we were trying to go. His name was David and he was really nice. Haha but he kept dropping little insults about the fact that we are American. One of the girls we were with, Laura, asked him what he would say if she asked him out. He paused, then said he would go out with her because she looks good, but it would be hard to overlook the fact that she is an American. Ouch! Haha. And then this slightly drunk guy was getting very friendly with me. He approached our group to ask a question about directions, but then started talking to us once he heard our American accents. He asked me where I was from. Upon hearing San Diego, CA, he rambled on and on about how he just graduated from Stanford, loves California, and kept asking if I knew different places in CA where he has friends. He was very wobbly. Funny! He asked for forgiveness because he just got off work and had an after work drink at the pub. He was very nice, but perhaps a little too friendly. Half of our group was frustrated with being lost, so we split up and some went home. We finally figured out where we needed to go. Apparently we never needed to even get on the tube, so we went back to the Notting Hill Station. I had a general idea where we were supposed to go, so I was the unofficial group leader. Haha silly people... putting me in charge of directions! But I actually did really well! I got us there, without getting anymore lost. We had to walk a long way to get there. I asked three more people if they knew where it was, they did, but one guy told us to go the other direction. Luckily we asked someone else shortly after he told us that! We finally made it to the pub!!! It's called The Elgin. We went inside and couldn't find the group we were supposed to meet. My first London pub in the evening! It was very fun! Crowded. The musician was great! He was very very very attractive and had an amazing voice. He was such a good singer. So much fun. The majority of the men in the pub were young and very attractive. It was great! :) We left a little bit later, once the show had ended. We found a tube station right next door practically, and took the tube back home. Would have been good to know that before!

The ride on the tube was the funniest ever! There were six of us on the tube. We had to take one line, and then switch to another halfway through our trip. When we changed lines, the train wasn't going to leave the station for another ten minutes or so, so we sat on the near empty train and chatted. A minute later a person enters and sits a little way away from us. I pay no attention at first, then glance over and internally combust from shock and laughter. I stand up and frantically wave for Allyson to step out of the train with me. She refuses (stubborn butt), so I get Jake to step out with me. I was bursting to tell someone! I turn to him and whisper: "That's a transvestite! A transvestite rolling a joint!" By this point I am cracking up. The funniest part is what happened while I was off the train. Apparently I don't whisper very well. I think in my excitement I blurted it out a little too loud, because one of my friends asks another friend what I said, then Allyson, without thinking, says "transvestite" out loud. So embarrassing, because now the guy knows we were talking about him (it). Freaking hilarious. I was embarrassed to get back on the train. He even talked to us. Creepy! Haha. He was wearing a blouse, a long black fitted coat, patterned nylons, stiletto heeled boots, and lots of makeup (eyeshadow, mascara, blush, and bright red lipstick!). I then watched him roll a joint. Doob on the tube! So awkward. So funny! :) Definitely an exciting experience.

Well that's pretty much it.