What I Have Learned in the Last 4 Days

1. Londoners do not add as much ice (or any ice) to their water and/or sodas. You must request ice.

2. Lift = elevator

3. When you order food or drinks they will ask whether you want to "take away" meaning "to go."

4. It's EXPENSIVE as hell out here. For example, Gap jeans cost 68 pounds which means $136.00. Your basic Nine West shoes cost about 100 pounds meaning $200.00. DRUMROLL. . . . .I bought a sandwich at Subways for 10 pounds aka $20.00. Yikes!

5. I like half and half with my coffee but I don't think they have half-half in London. So when I ask for half and half, they respond "milk?"

6. When ordering coffee or tea they ask "would you like it white?" otherwise known in the states as "light" or with "milk."

7. References to someone "bump" means the "butt."

8. TV really really sucks. The only shows that come on are American Idol (12 hours today) and Flavor of Love (6 hours today), even the Oscars were not on. UK shows are too heavy. Over the last few days I watched a program that talked about a cult that molested kids, another program about the fact the women go to Malaysia to get breast implants or reductions, another program about spotting ghost and how you can spot one and another about a battered woman whose husband ripped her nails off in a rage. I enjoy dealing with real issues but most times, I like "light" television. Stuff that you could watch and not really think about it (The View, Oprah, My Super Sweet Sixteen, Grey's Anatomy and CNN) but the UK programs are too serious for me. I can see this is going to be a major problem (I do hear my friend Michelle telling me that I need to be reading the bible which of course, I intend to do).

Above are pictures of the telephone booth (you can find one on almost every corner) and black cars which are the equivalent of yellow taxis.