Brits and Pieces

Summary: I had French fries today! mmm

Word of the day: pants
This means “underpants,” and “trousers” means pants pants.

What I learned today: I’ve realized not to ever feel stupid about being international, because pretty much everyone in London is. In fact, it has been rated the most diverse city in the world. But with that said...

Hunt for the Golden Arches
I was so homesick today and really wanted a burger and fries! I know I had seen a McDonald’s somewhere; it was a little red sign with just the golden arch and an arrow, like a beacon of corporate deliciousness. I was sure it was just up the street, because I remember someone stopped me to give me a coupon for a Big Mac and drink for 2 pounds.

So during my lunch break I looked EVERYWHERE for the golden arch sign, and it was nowhere! Just think of all the McDonald’s on every street corner back home, and here I am wandering around this big, old European city, passing an amazing market and countless cafes on my search for American grease. (I was envisioning myself in a McDonald’s commercial; why haven’t they thought of that?) And I never found it! And of course I wouldn’t ask, because I was too embarrassed to actually be an American looking for a McDonald’s. (And also, people don’t really talk to each other much around here. It’s very push, shove, enjoy-the-scenery-on-your-own-in-your-bright-orange-coat.) So I settled for food from a trashy chicken hut (they are plentiful here), receiving a satisfactory grease-soaked bag of fries. The pigeons I eat with everyday were totally jealous.

Oh the Brits!
How lame is this? They (yes you NBC, ABC, all of you!) won’t let me watch episodes of American TV shows online. I always thought the Internet was so global, and it’s not!

I think this is because a lot of American shows aired over here—including Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy, two of my favorite seedy dramas—are a season behind. These UKers have no idea about how many people will end up sleeping with each other shagging on Grey’s.

The good news is, they have tons of American TV over here. And I also like to watch random episodes of The Office on www.tv-links.co.uk . (Shout-out to my boyfriend for helping a girl out with that link.)

Twists and Turns
Yesterday I explored the area around here at the Docklands, which is nothing exciting, but inspiring nonetheless to my hopeless poet's soul. I walked along the Thames Path, which runs behind our flat, and then all around this area. What’s fun about London is that you never know where any walk will take you—streets lead into dead ends that lead into walkways that become twisted footpaths into wooded parks that spit you back out in front of a pub where someone sips their beer and reads the paper alone…It’s mystical everywhere here. Perfect place for lonely Americans.

I’m listening to: Bob Dylan, “She Belongs to Me”
This is a great line to move forward to: “She’s got everything she needs/ She’s an artist, she don’t look back/ She can paint the dark out of the nighttime/ And paint the daytime black.”