Journal 2 a Londre / 2nd Journal in London

Je suis repartie / I'm Gone Again
Bonjour tous,

Je suis maintenant a Londre et j'attends patiemment qu'on me donne une chambre et je profite de l'attente pour vous envoyer ce courriel. Il et 13h20 et il doit bien faire plus de 30 degrés. J'ai commence à écrire mon journal de voyage que je devrais vous envoyer. Entre-temps, vous pouvez toujours m'envoyer des messages texte (SMS) sur mon téléphone polonais. Les instructions (a partir d'Internet : Gratuit) sont à la fin de ce couriel.
Au plaisir d'avoir de vos nouvelles!!

Hi all,

I'm now in London and I'm patiently waiting for my room, so I'm now taking the time to write to you, it is 1:20pm and it must be over 30 degres outside. I've started to write my travel journal and I should be sending it soon. Meanwhile, you can send me text messages (SMS) on my Polish phone. The instructions (thru Internet : Free) are at the end of this e-mail.
Waiting for new!

Friday, June 17th 2005

I'm at the airport with my mother and it is soon time to leave. I don't want to leave anymore. I had so much fun last night with Gab and Vero at Les Vieilles Portes in St-Sauveur where the Jello Shots (www.thejelloshots.com) were playing. It is sooo sad to leave. I wish all of you could come with me. I left my mother and my throat is tightening up, I feel like I can't breathe. I think I'm gonna call Gab. Pissing me off, he's goin to Les Vieilles Portes with Catherine to see the Jello Shots again, he even offered to pick me up at the airport. I so wish I could go. Well, I'll call Mark, he'll cheer me up! :( Answering machine. I left a message but I sure won't get a call back. I'm very upset about not getting a window seat. The 2 people sitting next to me are snoring like hell. I'd love to sleep. I'm at the airport and this guy is yelling like hell: "Let me go, call the police" as two guys takes him and pulls him in the airport with hand cuffs on.

Saturday, June 18th 2005 (London, England)

I just arrived from a long flight on an aisle seat next to loud snorers. I'm extremely tired but I gotta make the most of my time here. It is oh so hot here, I'm sweating like I've been dancing for 5hrs non-stop. My luggage is sooooo heavy, my hands are all red. I'm in the Underground (Metro, Subway, whatever) on my way to the hostel and I can't find the street it's on, on my map. All I know, is what stop (South Kensington) to get off. This is crap, it's noon and I have to wait 'till two to check in . They don't have a luggage storage so I gotta wait in the lobby. I can't wait to freshen up and change.

It looks like it's tourist season here in London. They're so obvious with their maps and cameras. I've put on loads of sunscreen and I can alwready feel my face burn. I don't know what's all the fuss about London fashion, it's not different from us. It's so fucked up here with the driving on the wrong side of the road, no wonder they have to write on the roads where to look for trafic. Well, there's not much to say about London, it's the same as in the movies, Taxis old style with doors that opends the wrong way, red telephone booths, red double deck busses, ect. The weird thing is that when you take the tube (slang for metro), you have to put your ticket in the machine when you get in AND out, so don't lose it. I'm now at The Household Cavalry at 4pm they'll be changing the guards. I just saw the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye. Well, now I'm sitting on a bench in front of a beautifull lake in the middle of St-James park. Isabelle wouldn't like it, there's a lot of birds, my aunt on an other side, would love it as you can find along the path pictures and info on the birds we see. Buckingham Palace, Hello!! Not much to see now except a row of tourist along the gate staring at the guards like animals in a huge cage.

Wow I'm really tired, I think I'll go back to the hostel and take a nap before I go out dancing tonight. On my way to the tube, I saw a man and a woman greating people goin inside a house the woman was dressed exactly like Bridget Jone's mother.

10:35pm
I'm in the Underground on my way to dance at the Metropolis, I can't wait to get there. I had to transfer tube line at Monument Station and it's quite a walk thru tunnels, escalators and narrow stairs to get to another station "Bank". I'm at the Metropolis after searching for like 20mins. I changed my shoes and whom do I not see standing next to the dance floor... It's Jaz!! -For those who doesn't know her, she swing dances (duh!!) and used to teach at Cat's corner.- It was great to see a familiar face. Jaz left wright afteer the show (Harlem Hot Shots) which left me alone in a dancing sea of British people. Wow!! I'm having so much fun. The dancing is great. In London, it is mandatory for bars to provide tap water. Wish it was the same in Montreal. It's 2am and the dance just ended, it's quite early! Gotta take the night bus to the hostel know. Taking the well known double deck red bus with some swing dancers. The night bus service is quite decent here. I have to transfer to another bus to get to the hostel. One of the swing dancers (Jeremy) is comming with me as he's looking for a place to stay aver night (he lives in San Fransisco). We're in a London cab, it is very spacious and nice.

Well, that's all for now, more another time!
Miss ya'll!!

Sunday, June 19th 2005

I'm at the Victoria and Albert museum waiting for Jeremy as we'll be eating together. Just got a Fish & Ship for 5 Pounds (~12,50 CAD). It was delicious!! It is oh so hot out here. Whent to Harrods (famous store), it's closed! On my way there, I found a Crabtree and Evelyn store which is my mother's favorite. I had to go in. Now, I'm in a double deck bus on my way to Baker St. (where Sherlook Holmes "lived"). It's quite a view from up here! I think I'm going the wrong way. Ah well!! Oh my god! I just saw the Lovebug. I gotta go back and take a picture. The architecture here is quite nice. Enough to make MTL jelous. It is beautifull, the lovebug of course!! As I walk next to it, there's a smell of burnt. The interior is burnt and it has loads of bird feathers inside. To me, it's just special to see it. Back at the bus stop, I realized the time of when the next bus will be coming is writen. There are a lot of parks and people enjoying them.

There's notting much on Backer St. except for shops all using Sherlook holmes as a selling point. I bought a couple of souvenits and left. The Backer st. station has this old time feeling with it's brick walls and wood benches. It's beautifull. The Underground was the first metro everbuilt (Jan 10th 1863) and is the biggest in the world. Took a Salmon and cream cheese bagel at the convinience store which here are called "treats".

I'm walking down the Thames river, as I stop to write these notes, there's a boat filed with tourists passing by. On my left, I see the HMS Belfast (a ship used during WW2 against the Nazi) it is facing the London Bridge showing it's beautiful colors as the sun sets. A plain passing by reminding me, I'm soon taking off for Athens. In front of me, the tower of London looking at me with it's dark "windows". I cross the bridge and walk around the tower of London looking for the Beauchamp tower thinking of Gab. I've walked so much today, me feet are killing me. There are too many things to do and see, I don't know how much I'll be abel to do in 3-4 days. I'm a bit tired, I think I'm gonna go to the hostel, change and take a nap before I go dancing. 10:39pm I just woke up, my alarm didn't wake me up. Must have been REALLY tired. I think I'll watch the Majestic (my mother bought for me before I left). I hate "comunity rooms" it always seems like my roomates don't give a "F" about the fact that I'm sleeping, when they come in they open the light, make noise, talk. Last night when I came in, I changed outside and worked in the dark without making noise.

Monday, June 20th 2005

Well, it’s 1pm and I just woke up. As my roomates woke me up in the middle of the night, I couldn’t fall asleep untill 6am.
2pm (9am - MTL)
I’m on my way to Piccadilly circus, will see what’s up there! As I got out of the tube, the first thing that came into my mind is : 'Hello New York'. (see pictures to understand). The top publicity 'TV' used by Coke, is seen in Bridget Jones Diary 2 'The edge of reason'. I just walked by this theatre where Jedi Master (Ewan McGregor) and Bimbo secretairy (Jane Krakowski) are playing in Guys and Dolls. I think I found the 'peep' show and Xrated area unlike MTL, woman are outside trying to get men inside instead of men. The streets are narrow and the side walks can only take one person at the time. This is quite the borough to hang out with all these horny man and lost tourists.

I just steped inside some kind of an outdoor mall. You can reach this mall thru 3 narrow streets (no cars) in the middle there’s a roof and it’s 3 stories high. Some kinda funky! This is shoppers paradise. Isabelle would love it. As I’m venturing on the streets of London, I found myself in Chinatown. It is not as pretty as the one in MTL. There are lots of theatres around here offering a bunch of musicals from Mary Poppins to Les Miserables they even have one staring David Schwimmer. I stopped in a diner 50’s style to get some thing to eat. I haven’t been very hungry lately I kinda have to remind myself to eat and sometimes even force myself. Eating alone isn’t a great motivation either.

Today isn’t as hot as the other days, there was a tunderstorm this morning. I called my mother earlier, it was great to hear her. Everytime she picks up the phone tears starts running down my cheeks. As I take the time to observe people aroundme , I see how people here seems so peacefull. As I stroll across a street, a motorcyclist yells at me: 'Before tomorrow'. I feel so sad for hime as he is in a hurry one of these days, time will catch up to him and he’ll wonder what happened. This part (Soho) of London must be the pretiest part.

I went back around the theatre where they pla Guys and Dolls, I went in and took a pamflet or leaflet as they call, they have standing tickets for 15 Pounds (about 37CAD) the story is in the 40's so I wanted to go but there's no tickets left for tonight and it's my last night. Ah well! I spoke with a guy who works there and he was nice, he sugested other shows , I let him talk but I wasn’t interested by other ones. All of a sudden, I felt a little groupyish as I wanted to hang around the employe entrance to see Ewan McGregor. I did the only thing I could think of at that moment, I called groupie expert Isabelle. She said I gotta do it, if not for me, for her. I think calling her might have been a bad idea. It’s only 6:30pm now and the show ends at 10:15pm. So, I guess I’ll go back to my room to get some rest, change and pick up my dance shoes to go dancing afterwards.

I wanna kill my roomates, they’re making so much noise. Well, it’s time to feel ashamed of myself. Well, here I am next to the stage door. At lease, I'm not the only one. Feeling a bit better. Anyways, I've done it before, what's the difference now?!? I feel pathetic, thank god I'm goin dancing after this. Well, this guy who works for Ewan McGregor told us he wasn't coming out tonight but tomorrow night. I told him I'm leaving tomorrow and he told
me to postpone my flight, I replied: 'Do you have 300$'. We started talking and we exchanged nos. he said he'll send me an autographed picture of Ewan. He might have been lying but hey! that's life. If I started doubthing everyone, I wouldn't be where I'm at now.

I'm really pissed now not drunk but F&/¿! mad. I just paid 10Pounds (about 25CAD) for a swing dance that lasted 1h30 (stopped at midnight) and the band sucked. I hope everyone in my room are sleeping right now so I can open the light and make noise when I go in tonight just like they do to me when I'm sleeping. Took the tube to Piccadilly circus to transfer but I missed the last tube so gotta take the night bus. There's a lot of people at night in the streets of London.

Tuesday, June 21st '05

Last day in London, walked by a school where little girls where playing outside wearing little uniforms - pink dresses - they were having fun together in their serene world.

Harrods - The famous Harrods, take The Bay mixed with Provigo, seperate it into sections, rise prices, add more employees then customers and dip it into snobery, this is what it would look like. This place makes Ogilvy look like a dump. As I leave each room, I find a sigh written : "We kindly request you pay for your selection in this room, thank you." This place is so big, I feel I need a map to go thru this store. In the ladies room, there's an attendant and a selection of perfume in case you feel like you stink. I find myself on the 3rd floor which is an "elegant" version of IKEA, I feel everything I see here I could get for way less at IKEA. This store makes me feel like I have to pay to breath.

Everywhere in this city, there are signs writen To Let it is not the word toilet misspelled, it is their version of For Rent. My legs and feet are killing me. That must be from all that walking I've done in the past 3 days. I'm enjoying a salad and a carrot cake at a restaurant / coffee shop called Pret a manger. A lot of restaurants and stores have french names. I even saw a restaurant called Chez Gerard, which reminded me of Gab (he'll understand if he reads this part). This city is as multicultural as MTL is, tho it seems there's a French fest as I keep hearing french speaking people. A good looking gentlemen in a stripe suit and baby blue tie just sat next to me. He's reading a journal and he seems to be representing the typical London gentlemen. I decided to take a stroll around South Kensington and stoped at an Internet cafe. It's 5:30pm and the receptionnist at the hostel isn't there. I'm quite upset as my flight leaves at 8:30pm.

In the escalators taking me to the tube I had trouble with my bags and a young lady helped me, it was really nice of her, I think I thank her about 10 times. I tried calling my mother from the airport but she never answered. I called Gab instead. It was really nice to talk to him. I feel like I was on vacation and that my journey's about to begin. I sure wonder what's in store for me next. At the airport, I meet a hindou travelling with his daughter, he's in the travel business and he gave me his card in case I go to India.

Again an aisle seat. God, I hate those! Well, the guy next to me started talking to me after I gave him those discusting krakers they give during the flight. He also left me his no in case I need something. I guess, the fun part about traveling is meeting people.