Today is Thanksgiving.

Today, I am thankful for my British friends. never_ender, zeppelinblue, perrie, and thespyglass. They all sympathize with me being far from home, and care about my travels. Especially Alix and Nick, for wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving. It was really, really appreciated -- I am far from home on an important family day.

I am also thankful for the past three months. The ups, the downs, the ins, and outs. My calling isn't any clearer, but possible trivales of one possible road is. Thank you, Alone in London, for being understanding about that.

I am thankful for my flatmates. We managed to support each other these last three months. Sometimes the ranting held up the walls. Sometimes we were just supportive. And sometimes they looked the other way so I could cry in private.

I am thankful for my boyfriend. I am thankful that there is someone waiting for me. I love him, and he loves me, and I am looking forward to being held for a good long while. He has been an experienced voice of reason for me, telling me about his first hard weeks at Plexus. He always tries to fix my problems, and even though sometimes I don't want solutions -- I am thankful that he wants to help.

I am thankful for my best friend. She has taken care of the housing, and so we will be roommates again. I am thankful that I have someone who understands me so completely. I am looking forwarding to laying awake in our beds, talking about life, family, school, long after we should be asleep. I am looking forward to seeing you again.

I am thankful for my family. I am thankful that they're there for me, that they were willing to let me go across an ocean. That they miss me and want me back. That my sister admires me, that my brother wants to tell me about the console war. That my mother would give me anything in the world right now, now that I am coming home. That my dad tells me that he is proud of me.

2 Days until Italy.
9 Days until Home.

Election Day Story:

I mentioned to my mom that election day was coming up. I asked if she was going to go vote. 'Of course,' she said. 'I've got to go cancel out your father's vote.' My dad is a Republican, my mom is a Democrat.

'That's okay,' I said. 'I voted like you did, so we're still on the winning side.'

'Oh,' she said. 'We cleaned your room. We took off your mattress and box spring and vaccuumed and put everything under your bed. And then we put it back together again.' Okay, mom. Your point? 'Anyway, the point is, I turned on your radio and it was set to NPR.' I find NPR interesting and informative. My mom thinks its boring. 'And I looked at your father, and I said, "She's your daughter!"'

My father says to my mom, 'Then how did she get to be a Democrat?!'

Moral: I don't care how you vote, just vote!

Election Day Story, take 2:

I was talking to Nick on the tube last night, trying to explain what I knew about right brain/left brain function and the effect of the alphabet in society. I was speaking loudly because it was the Tube. And I had also had two pints of cider. Some drunk guy behind Nick (as we were on a Victoria line train with booth-style seats) slurred something about American Elections.

Nick looked at me and shook his head to ignore the guy. So I did. I kept talking, just as loudly.

Next time the train stopped, he got off. He walked past diliberately, saying very loudly about how Americans were all a bunch of fucking idiots.

I said, 'Just because I have an American accent doesn't mean I represent them all.'

Moral: Prove the drunken Brit wrong!

Okay, some picture repeats from before because I fucked up in Scrapbook, but the rest of the good photos from Bonfire night. I have stories to tell, but I do have work tomorrow, so.
( Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November )

So, it's bonfire night tonight, but the celebrations in London really go all weekend. So, a virtual bonfire for you all: Follow the fake cut to the pictures because I had a technical glitch!

*backs up*
*makes a dramatic left turn*

NaNoWriMo 2006 is no longer something complicated. Now it is this:

An American In London: Vingettes on Public Transportation

I have decided.

I'm only 4000 words behind.

Today was a good day. Why?

1. Beefeaters at the Tower of London are hilarious. Quote of the day, first of all. Then, telling us that if we visited the Crown Jewels between 9 and 10 we could try them on as long as we put them back. And also the teasing of the Aussies ("It's not your fault [You're Australian].") and the Scottish ("Very brave, coming here.")

2. Emails! Emails from Connie Hunt about my paper and a possible letter of recommendation! Email from Chris Batty to write a wicked fleen article about NaNo! Email from the housing person to Caitlyn who promised to find us housing!

3. Free booze! Alone in London did a thing where everyone went out to the bar. And that was pretty fun. I am well buzzed! My flatmates worried because I started drinking at five and didn't get home until 11. I didn't have that many drinks, really.






Tim! I miss you. I want to snuggle with you. I miss sharing someone's body heat and not feeling like I'm intruding to do it.

Sunday: I realize I do and don't belong here. Take a walk and wander London a bit. Decide that Truman Application and NaNo planning must get done.
Monday: Fight with Tim. I need to talk to him still. Decide that thinking about the Truman Application and NaNo is a bad idea right then.
Tuesday: My lunch leaks on me as I'm sitting on the Underground. Now I smell like vinegar. As a cherry on the top of the Sunday, a new review on that fucking article on Fleen about fucking Girly. This one accusing me of vilifying the author IN ADVANCE of him making money off of porn. Yes, of course. Because clearly I hate porn.

Please don't let today get any worse.

Today I was welcomed to the World of Work.

I think it's because I actively participated in workplace slander. There's a bit of a row going on between two members of staff. Or, rather, one member of staff against the two other members of staff, and the third member of staff who has just been rehired to the position that she held before the funding was cut (The funding had been refound).

Said conflictive employee has been missing all week. And Adrian, the manager, goes "She's been sick." and I giggled. And then he looked at me and I cracked up laughing because I knew that he knew that I knew what was going on. He told Babs to stop poisoning the intern's mind and I was like, "Exactly, the intern's job is to listen!" And I was welcomed to the World of Work.

I can see how some people might find it hard to complete a degree after doing work experience like this. Like, I just don't concieve that I am missing school. And it's kinda cool to be doing things. Like... real things. And so it may be a bit of a shock to go back to school... but of course I will. (Ha, it's not like I can stay here and get a job. To get a real job here, I'd have to leave the country to return to the country with the proper visa.)

And the wireless still sucks major ass. That is your public service announcement. *curtsies* I am pirating Lost from the computer lab. I will return tomorrow for Grey's. *shakes fist at British television*

10/6/2006 – Late at the Tate Britain

( Art! Madness! )

10/7/2006 – In Extremis at Shakespeare’s Globe

( Not Shakespeare, but just as good! )

10/7/2006 – Michigan/Michigan State Game at the Sports Café

So, the Spartans lost. Are we really surprised? ( And then the fun started! )

So, Aneesa didn't come back today. Instead, Aneesa comes back tomorrow.

As I was telling my critical incident journal last night, I'm finally getting to be comfortable here, which is really opening up doors for me to be a good intern. But Aneesa coming back is actually a little bit nerve wracking because it's not the normal that I've been used to -- even though it is what is truly 'normal.'

What if I have done my peer mediation project in a way that isn't exactly up to her expectations. Not that it's wrong, or bad, just... different? I think she probably is expecting me to have more of the lesson plan part of it done, but... half way through it I decided to play to my strengths and worked instead on the administration FAQs instead. I'm much better at distilling information that way... maybe because it's a bit more of the small details rather than the big picture.

I don't know. So far I have honed my project management skills. So far I have observed the workings of a nonprofit organization, including their growing pains and problems with funding. But I don't think I've challenged my project management skills, as there isn't someone managing me directly. And I don't think I've really done the frontline work that this organization cares so much about -- I haven't, in fact. I've been in the office for four solid weeks.

I really want to do new things... but I find I don't like change.

Adventure of the Day: "Topping Up" my Oyster Card.

( ... )

Adventure the Second: National Portrait Gallery

( ... )

Adventure the Third: Fung Shing the Chinese Restaurant

( ... )

Tomorrow, my supervisor comes back! Yay!

Yesterday being Friday, I had no work. After waking and writing an email to Alex Plum about my MSUMUN drama, I took a shower and Laura and I went to the Science Museum to see the special exhibit on London's ecological footprint. It was sponsored by the Mayor among other organizations... and let's just say that it was distressing. Especially the part explaining the food -- how far food is flown, how many pesticides can be found in food, and, of course, the inhuman treatment of animals.

Since Laura the flatmate is experimenting with being vegetarian (with the exception of fish and chips, I mean, come on -- this is England), and Barb and I haven't been eating much meat to begin with, I think I'm going to try reducing my footprint here even further and not eat meat unless I really really want it -- or if there is no vegetarian option. I don't know if this makes me a hypocrit, but the truth is... I like meat. And some eating of meat is natural, which is why when Caitlyn and I get an apartment? I will look foward to trying some venison.

That's how I will approach it: Reduce my footprint.

After we got back from the museum, Laura and I were hungry, so we headed over to Sainsburys to get ingredients for French Onion soup. So, ladies and gents, I made French onion soup... and it turned out pretty darn well. While we ate our French Onion soup we watched Grey's Anatomy. About half way through Grey's Anatomy, we decided that we needed Jack Daniel to celebrate Jack Daniel's birthday, which is the whole month of September.

Between Laura, Barb, and I we pretty much polished off a fifth of Jacks and a pint of Vodka in a combination of Jack and Coke and Vodka and Juice. And let me tell you... it was mostly Laura and I.

So! Drunken antics ensued. Everything I said last night... I meant. ( Weeee! )

And that is the summary of what I have done this weekend thus far. Tomorrow, I think, we're off to be touristy again. Tower of London and Tower Bridge? We also need to do The Globe before its season ends.

In a mere 6 days, I will have been in the UK for a month. In honor of that, and to keep myself from freaking out that I have done nothing, a couple of lists:

(To follow are journal entries detailing these adventures.)

Things that I have done:
Westminster Abbey
Portobello Rd. Market
Jack the Ripper Tour
Last Night of the Proms
Brick Lane Festival
Made Scones
Saw The Producers
Stonehenge
Bath
Thames Festival Fireworks
Fangirled the Children of Men Premiere in Leichester Square
Saw Children of Men
Natural History Museum

Things that I will do:
A Shakespeare production at The Globe
Football Match
Parliment
Madame Tussad's
See Baker Street
Greenwich to stand on the prime meridian
Chinatown
Soho
Bonfire Night
Tower of London
British Museum (Rosetta Stone!)
Victoria and Albert (Open late last Friday of the month)
National Gallery
National Portrait Gallery
Tate Britian (Open late first Friday of the month)
Tate Modern
Abbey Road
Go to Ireland (Not booked. D:)
Edinburg, Scotland (booked! Nov. 17 to 19)
Cambridge or Oxford

PS, Note to Self: Why do I still have no London icons uploaded? Both B and Crystal found me TONNES. (Hee, British Spelling.)

Yesterday, I got the bestest post card ever from Alex and Bridget. It was cute and to the point and let me know that I was missed. (Even though I have been renamed.) It had Jack Bauer on it. I really need to get cracking on postcards to... everyone.

I apparently look British. Or at least like a Londoner. In the past three work days, at least one person has stopped me each day to ask me for directions. Yesterday, the girl who asked me where Tescos was sounded French, and when I spoke her head jerked back and she was like, 'WTF?' -- she wasn't expecting the American accent.

Today at work I am having fun. I've taken a break from my very arduous task of planning a cirriculum for peer mediation, and have begun designing covers for journals for the class that I'll be helping to teach in October. So far I have one cover of Mario and one cover of Link. For a girly cover I think I'm going to draw some models in dresses.

Ahoy and avast, me maties! It's international talk like a pirate day! Arrr!

My Adventures this weekend:
( Westminster Abbey )
( Portobello Market )
( Jack the Ripper Tour )
( Last Night of the Proms )
( Brick Lane Festival )

You know... I don't have a London icon?

So, day two of the internship. Arrived this morning, found out that my connection to the network had come loose, thus the reason why my computer wasn't booting before. That was fixed, and it was lovely. I finished the project I started yesterday, which was cleaning up some photocopies so they don't look horrible for coming out of a book. I actually covered up copyrights, which I was a little squick on, but... I didn't really protest. Oh well, if they get sued, I guess I'm going down with the ship.

Then, I had a meeting with my supervisor about what I will be doing in the three weeks that she'll be gone. It's a combination of some grunt work preparation for a class she'll be teaching in October (and I assume I'll be observing), preparations for a class in an All Girls School and designing completely a peer mediation program, basically from scratch. (In my interview, they were really glad to hear I planned a project before. Yay Gold Award!)

And then I spent the majority of the rest of the day trying to get a picture of Frank Bruno that would be acceptable for holding up in front of a class. That involved wrestling both Gimp and Linux RedHat into submission.

And I've been assigned reading! I have to read a book about what conflict is, and what conflict resolution is, so that I can really understand what I'm trying to do. But, at the same time... I'm feeling a bit disconnected from what I'm doing. I don't understand the immediacy of it, I kinda want to know more about the policy part of it...

My supervisor's boss asked me what my major was, and asked me how the heck I got there. They apparently usually get Psychology students. They're doing what I think I want to do -- both direct works as well as policy. I think I need to ask, when I have my supervision this Thursday, to see if I can talk with the policy bits of the organization, and maybe get pointed to some essays and articles about why what they do is important. It's only day two, so I'm not horribly worried, but at the same time I'm going to have a hard time feeling passionate about what I'm doing if I can't find the reason WHY I'm doing it.

Okay, I'm going to go sleep. We are all getting up in the morning early, eating an English breakfast, and then going to register to vote at Ben Franklin's house. It'll be awesome.

Poll #804934 London Tag
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 27

Which of the following should I use to tag my London Entries?

Any other suggestions?