anyway, Tom lives a block over from Portobello Road. Which some of you may or may not know is widely known for its antique stores and outside market on the weekends. It is loads of fun, but you definitely have to be in the mood for it, because it is super jammed packed!
So, my first few weeks in London i have to say were super fun... and unfortunately, and fortunately, filled with tons of drinking! I am not complaining, my liver was for a little, but its all good. I basically have reconnected with everyone i have met overtime that currently lives in London. It is really cool catching up with friends and family that i have not seen in ages.
My first real weekend in town, my friend Matt, that i literally met for a few hours with my friend Jamie while traveling in 2007, took me out to meet some of his friends. I of course was under the impression that we were doing drinks, then dinner at a Cuban place, then out for the night. Ummmm I was sorely mistaken, the Brits DON'T EAT! :-) I met Matt at Waterloo station for a cocktail hour at 6:00 where i was greeted with a glass of wine and a shot of tequila! OH BOY, i knew i was going to be in for it! Fun times there, then we head off to the cuban place (where i thought we were going to eat) and there we were greeted by table service with bottles upon bottles and a few beers and of course, more tequila. Around 11:00 that night i realized food was not in my future and continued dancing with my new friends. Shaun, who i had also met while traveling met up with us, as well as a great girl i met, Michaela who will be opening for Britney Spears and the Pussycat Dolls in Florida in March!!! I am super excited for her... It is going to be huge! so that is cool! Then finally, around 1:00 or so, i think, we managed to hop into a cab and get me home. Needless to say, i was a little out of commission all day saturday!
But... saturday night, we headed out to celebrate Australia day (which was actually that following monday). I went out to dinner with Tom and a few of his friends then off to the party. It was pretty fun and interesting. Now, i don't know if this is normal or not for a typical Aussie Day party, but the girls dressed up as "famous people" from Australia. One girl was Kylie Minoque for example. Then, in the middle of the party, the host turned off the music and had everyone play an Australia Trivia Quiz. He had prizes and everything. And everyone was crazy into it. Of course my knowledge, as well as the others i was with, of Oz is practically non existent! :-)
Sunday... now the Brits have an interesting day on Sunday. They all indulge in what as known as SUNDAY ROAST... EVERY SUNDAY! my first experience with Sunday lunch/roast was a good one. I met up with Matt & Shaun, Shaun's sister and few other of their friends at 2:00 and proceeded to get home around midnight that night! (that is not typical, as i learned from my later sunday roasts)... anyway.. the restaurant we went to was great! It was in this town called Putney and was quite nice.. Roastbeef, mashed potatoes, veggies, "pudding" - which is dessert here and it is not pudding at all. this time it was a pastry. Good, but rich, like a croissant. Picture American Thanksgiving EVERY SUNDAY!!
anyway.. it was fun... then of course matt, shaun, myself and and shaun's sister took it to another level with a small pub crawl with pool and chatting. Oh.. and the pool/billiard tables here are smaller than the ones at home and they only have red & yellow balls and the cue ball and they are all smaller, too! And they have these silly, ok, not silly, rules. First off, they don't call their pocket. And if i hit your ball by accident and not mine, you get to shoot twice! same as if i scratch. so, if you hit your ball the, and get one in, you get to go again (like home), but if you miss your 2nd shot, you still get to go a third, b/c i hit your ball earlier.. its very complicated and not, at the same time.
The following weekend i headed out to Essex County to see the fam. Martin (my cousin was away) but i got to spend the weekend with my cousins, Mary & Pat (parents) and Clare and Frances. Super fun. We had a great Saturday lunch catching up and relaxing before heading out to dinner. then Frankie (frances) and i headed out on the town after. It was quite fun! We went to a typical "pub" in Rayleigh then headed to "The Brush".. short for "The Toothbrush!" .... i was like WHAT?? we are going to a place called the toothbrush! but it was fun. it was a dance club - club where we had Red Stripe Beer, in a can!! that was new to me and danced the night way. That sunday was yet another Roast. So much yummy food!!! my belly is loving it!! ;-) and my other cousin's Ann & John came over for that as well. That was really great seeing them, as i had not seen them since my first visit over when i was 13 years old. It was at there house where i fell in love with LA LAW! anyway.. great times and AMAZING FOOD!!
That night i headed back into the city and made my way to my new flat, that we are subletting for the month. As the snow started to fall, i had a feeling that my "moving day" the following morning was going to be difficult if at all!....
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