London Fog

Probably one of the cool things about writing in a blog is the ability to look back a year ago and see what I was posting about, trying to capture back the memory during the time of that post.

I took a quick peak of what happened last year and its like taking a little time machine with all the memories in the past come rushing back. Memories of a quick visit to NYC and experiencing the first time home since moving revealed how much I appreciated and missed the States so much. I can't believe its already been a year later since then. Its amazing how time really flies.

As I sit here in the airport lounge, waiting for my flight to depart, I can't believe how fast time has gone by. But I'll be glad that I will be back home for Christmas, the New Year, and of course, officially leaving my twenties to join the crowd of "thirtysomethings."

I can't help but count my blessings to have the opportunity to experience what I have in the past year and be lucky enough to be returning home and spend time with close friends and family for the holidays.

Let's just hope the London Fog won't cause any delays or cancellations!

See you all very soon!

Stream of consciousness

I found it surprising that most of my colleagues own a tuxedo. Perhaps it just falls under the whole British mentality of being Prim and Proper. Not only do I not own a tuxedo, but I can't even tie a bowtie.

I've never seen so many Indians go crazy to Beware of the Boys by Panjabi MC. It was simply.. amazing. I was speechless. Now I know how to dance to it when it comes on.

The best part was the beautiful Indian woman I was dancing with. You can't get any luckier than dancing to an Indian song with a beautiful Indian woman. Would Bollywood take me?

One of the best clubs in London is Umbaba on Thursday nights. Great music, beautiful people, and if you ever order bottle service, everyone knows because the waitresses hold up the bottle attaching huge sparklers that light up the whole club. It basically captures everyone's attention and lets everyone know "Hey, look at me!! I'm rich!" This event happened a few times during the night, one being a large crowd of guys ordering magnum size bottles of Cristal. When this happens, man do the women flock. I always wanted to taste Cristal so I worked my magic.

Well, I cheated. I fancied a girl that was carrying one of the many champagne glasses and started chatting her up. She was quite cute of course, but my eyes were on the Cristal the whole time. It was like I was Gollum in the movie Lord of the Rings..

Precious...

I wanted to taste it... so sure enough, I was bold enough to tell her that she was drinking very expensive champagne and I asked her if I could taste it. She happily agreed! After a couple swishes in my mouth and the experience of tasting a 1100 quid bottle of champagne, my thirst was quenched and my curiosity was satisfied. To be honest, I didn't have enough to drink to tell the difference from a cheap ol' bottle from the local convenience store.

I never forget a pretty face. And with the many club hopping adventures, I noticed "her" again. I've seen her before and lucky enough, I finally got to talk to her and had a pleasant conversation. Half Irish / Half Filipina with an English accent. Freckles too. So cute. Too bad body language reveals all. That and I saw her holding hands with her boyfriend. doh! Too good to be true.

Warsaw Poland - Interesting city. Beautiful Women. Separate post on that later.

Mince Meat Pie - Finally tried this. No thanks.

1 more week and I'm home. Wicked.

Tuxes, Panjabi MC, Cristal and Poland

Its been a whirlwind few days with a combination of a holiday party, typical Thursday night partying and weekend getaways. Mix that in with late nights at work and out comes my excuse for not updating this blog! Apologies!

The craziness continues on this weekend as I visit a friend from University in her home of the past three years- Warsaw, Poland! Should be good times!

As I'm literally almost out the door, just wanted to leave placeholders for more elaborate thoughts later...

• Tuxedos - Don't Rent, own!
  


• Beware of the Boys, Panjabi MC - I've never been to a party where this has been played 3 times in one night! Yet the dance floor filled up more and more each and every time it played! At least I finally got to dance with a beautiful Indian girl when it came on. A dream come true to any guy when this song comes on. =)
  


• Hmm.. Cristal.. finally your sweet taste quenches my thirst and my curiosity is finally satisfied. And no, I can't afford the 1100 quid bottle. But alas, are you still boycotted by PDiddy and JayZ?
  


• What's better than a Filipina with a British accent? A half-Irish half-Filipina with a British Accent! God does amazing things...
  


• Poland? What adventures will you bring? My first visit to a proper Eastern Block country, I hope you don't disappoint!
  

Stay tuned next week for proper updates!

Happy Thanksgiving

Better late than never I guess. I was lucky enough to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with the coworkers I was with last year. Not your traditional Thanksgiving dinner; although there were Sweet Potatoes! Instead it had a Spanish influence! Home made Sangria and Paella! Guess it made sense since our hosts were Spanish.

So I guess I just wanted to give "Thanks" to anyone and everyone who still keeps up with this Blog. I know there are loyal readers out there that are pretty good in keeping up with it and others that stop by from time to time to see how I'm doing.

I want to say thanks to all of you. As I've mentioned many times before, this blog is my way of keeping in touch. Granted I don't reveal everything, (that's what email and the phone is for) but I try and share my stupid stories as much as I can. I enjoy writing and I try to keep it interesting and entertaining and do my best not to write "just to write."

With things being so "normal" here these days, its so hard to find that quirky, life revealing, "wow, I can't believe I'm in London" experiences, thus the decline in the number of blog posts.

Perhaps this should drive me to experience more and to avoid this "normalcy." I'm trying my best not to be "stagnant." At the same time, I don't want to try too hard!

A part of me is completely adjusted to life here, yet another part of me is still displaced since I had the friends back home that I share so much history with, something I obviously don't have here. But I'm working on it.

I guess that's what so fun about going home.. is to "refill" that feeling that I miss so much... the banter.. the bonding, the jokes, and all the corniness that comes along with it. I guess I'm still trying to find people that "get me" here, but it hard to compete with people that have known you for almost your whole life....

In any case, for the audience out there, especially back home, that still reads these posts... I'm coming home soon!

Bottle Service for Three and JT.

There has only been a handful of times that I've had bottle service in a club. Usually its with a big group of people at some special occasion or some exotic location in a high class club in Las Vegas or Miami. I've never had the "casual" bottle service experience where you get to a club and just decide, "Why not?"

Here's the problem with this:

• Bottle service is not a good idea with only 3 people.


• Not a good idea after already having a few drinks. Usually when people order bottle service its to "start" a night of drinking. You don't decide to get it when you are halfway through the night drinking.


• Bottle service = You are the bartender. What this means? It means that after too many drinks you feel invincible the amount of hard liquor you pour into your "mixed drink" increases dramatically as the night goes on.


• You have to fight this temptation of just grabbing the bottle and chugging it.


• The feeling the next morning.

Here's the brilliant part about it:

• You get to sit in prime real estate booths in the club and everyone can stare at you as you pour your own drinks and celebrate your new found "baller" status.


• You get this cool glow in the dark bucket that changes colours and you find yourself staring at it more and more as the night goes on.


• Guaranteed Good time.


• You immediately have an ice breaker line to any woman that walks past: "Do you want a drink?"

I tried the ice breaker line a couple times but wasn't successful as I wanted. At one point I was so bad that I think I just smiled, raised my eyebrows a couple times in a suggestive way, and just pointed at the bottle without even talking. But that was just me being a dork and funny, but for some reason I don't think I came off that way! =)

So I tried other techniques. One of which is singing when a really good tune comes on. Good Ol' Justin Timberlake's - "My Love" came on while I was on the dance floor.
So what did I do? What any other person would do after enjoying some bottle service! Sing along!

During the time I was dancing next to an oriental girl. She was singing along as well. We were singing together in fact partying hard. Then the chorus came.

If you haven't heard the song before, the chorus pretty much consists of two key words: "My LOVE!"

My problem: I kept singing:

"My GIRL."

This had unfortunate consequences as I got a dirty look from the oriental girl each time I'd yell out the chorus with the wrong words. Whatever progress I made with here was destroyed since I did not know my JT lyrics.

In a last ditch attempt to save face, after realising my mistake, I told her:

"I HAVE THIS CD!"

Smooth. I didn't know what to think at this point. The bottle service got the best of me, not only of making me sing the lyrics all wrong but admitting to the fact that I had the FutureSex/LoveSongs CD!


Of course her immediate response was:

"Yeah right!" (Then she walked away.)

At least she didn't believe me.

Stupid bottle service.

He feed me.

It comes to no surprise that it was yet another weekend of clubbing activities. My wallet always seems to be the consistent victim on these nights out, and can only be blamed upon the fact that I'm celebrating my bachelor life.

The adventures continue again this weekend to celebrate another mate's birthday and to take out some visitors from Greece! Its not every weekend that there are about the same number of women as there are to guys.

But alas, even with this fact, we can't help but make the "rounds" when hitting the dance floor.

The "rounds" you ask?

The "rounds" is simply the act of walking around the club, checking out the clientele. You basically nod your head to the beats of the dj, pretending you have rhythm, and simply try and check out every woman in the club, hoping, praying, wishing, you make eye contact. With a good amount of luck, that smile you flash could be returned and it could be your way "in."

"In" you ask?

In is when you have some kind of verification that this lady would like to dance with you. At least this is how I work. Sometimes you don't need an "in" indication and just can get behind some girl, sneaking in from behind, and hope for the best. But this isn't my style. I like some kind of verification before I dance with her and show her my justin timberlake moves.

So I go two "ins" this weekend.

First one was pretty hilarious. I started dancing with these ladies that looked like they had a lot of rhythm. I love dancing with women that can really dance. So I moved in with a mate and we started dancing with them. Good times I tell you. Until I turned around to shake what my momma gave me...

"Ouch!"

Before I knew it, they were slapping my behind like I was some kind of horse! It was so strange at first, but then I didn't mind. Good times! It was all in good fun and they had this ghetto London accent which was pretty cool.

Second one was unforgettable. My mate spotted a group of "orientals" and started dancing with one. All three were dressed pretty nice and smelled so good. I couldn't leave the other two alone so I started dancing with the other two! Oh it was so much fun! They were not afraid to dance close at all and it seemed to good to be true. They were so eager.. until my third mate found it quite odd that they were quite "eager." I didn't mind as I was having a great time.

He then whispered to me..

"I think they're prostitutes.."

How dare him accuse these beautiful women to be "professionals!" I didn't want to believe it... I was having such a good time...

As the dancing continued I noticed a guy that looked like the wrestler, Mark Henry. I mean, this guy was huge. So I start to do some detective work. As we are dancing I start to ask questions.

I was a bit worried at first because she didn't understand me. I think her English wasn't very good. It didn't help that the music was blaring loud either. We tried to exchange dialog, but it was too loud and I started to realise that there was a language barrier.

At the same time, I noticed that "Mark Henry" would butt in one a while between my mate and his dance partner every time he'd get too close. So then I just bluntly asked the woman I was dancing with:

"So who is that guy?"

She mumbled something. I asked her the same question again. She mumbled the same phrase. I didn't know what she was saying, but part of me did. She even consulted her friend to make sure she was saying it right too.

Sure enough, after a third and fourth time of her repeating it, all I could understand was:

"He feed me."

Sweet! He feeds her. What does that mean? Then I put two and two together. I was outta there.

Sure enough, my mate mistakenly gave his number to one of them and of course right after they left he was getting phone calls from her.

What kind of woman calls a bloke right after leaving a club? Make your own assumptions I guess.

High School Reunion

You know its a really small world when a person you knew in high school happens to move to London around the same time as you do. I don't see this person for over 11 years and my visit to NYC last week revealed that he's a friend of a friend! Sure enough, my NYC friends link us back up and we finally caught up over the weekend.

He was a nerd back in high school, as was I in some ways. But he was in the true "nerd" crowd and I look at him now and I would have never guessed it after meeting up with him over the weekend. We shared our experiences over the past 11 years and went down the list of people we knew in high school and played that game of:

"So do you still talk to..."

“Whatever happened to…”

“Did you hear about??”

It turns out that we moved around the same time, so it was interesting to hear his experiences in London compared to mine. We had an interesting discussion on the different areas in London and how each little area has a different feel, something that I could tell right away by hanging out near the area where he lived. (Which seems to predominately populated with "continentals") He had an interesting point that depending on where you live, will affect on how much you enjoy London. He had a story of a friend that just didn’t like London at all. He then moved locations and all of a sudden he loves it.

Now I’m not saying that I don’t like London or that I’m not enjoying my experiences, but I think I’m ready to move to a different area. I love my flat and its so easy to be lazy and stay in the area where I live, but I think it would be worth living in another part of the capital.

Queen's English

Finally got to hang out with a Britafina. I've met a handful before, but to actually know one and hang out with one is another experience. I think it was a fun time overall, and the best part was when I was giving my impressions of the British accent! She gave me some tips on pronunciation and mentioned that my accent was "posh" and resembled the Queen's English, which no one uses anyway, even the Queen! =)

Britifina? Is that you?

Could it be? Stay tuned.

Ceili !!

Adding another item to "things I wouldn't have done if I didn't move to London" would be the Ceili I attended on Friday.

What a blast. What is a Ceili? It's a traditional social dance in Ireland that is more/less square dancing. Add some alcohol and its a great time.

There was about 200+ people in a huge room, some of them drunk, dancing to the Ceili band. Its quite hilarious because you start with one partner, but eventually, you dance with every single person in the room. It could be a guy or a girl! They could be tall, short, fat or thin. You don't really get to choose!

There was one point I was dancing with a girl that was over a foot taller than me. That was quite interesting!

The best part is when you have to grab hands, face each other, and spin in a circle really really fast. This definitely doesn't help when you've been drinking!

I think I'd do it again for sure.

Getting too comfortable??

I know its only going into my 2nd week from my visit in the States, but its amazing how comfortable I'm getting. Comfortable in a sense that I'm starting to feel stagnant. Like I'm getting lazy. I really have to get that sense of adventure back. Looking back a year ago I had already gone to Prague, had plans to go to Dublin, trying to get back into Improv, and I was searching for Britafina. Right now I have no upcoming trips, I'm not signed up in any "after work" activities, and there's been no sign of Britafina! I gotta get off my bum and make some plans! Any suggestions?

American Football
Luckily the Bears were on MNF because they actually televise it here, just really late. I setup the DVR and got to watch all the important plays of the game! 5 min to go and DA BEARS pull it off! Amazing.

Dancing in the UK

So I've been to my fair share of clubs in the UK. Since coming back a week ago, we hit our usual spot on Thursdays and then try to hit a new spot on Saturday.

I've noticed and experienced a few things.

• People still go crazy here just like they do in the States once JT comes on with Sexyback.



• I hate to say this, but I have yet to witness a British guy that can really dance. I'm not an expert when it comes to dancing, but I can tell when someone can keep a beat. I've witnessed Asians and Orientals hold a beat, but that's about it.
  



• When British guys do dance, they give a new meaning to "dance like nobody's watching!" I was dancing on Thursday and I still have a few bruises from flailing arms and elbows from a guy that was dancing next to me. My colleague was laughing at me because I yelled out: "Get me out of here, there's a crazy British guy dancing!"
  



• I have yet to dance with a girl that wants to just "dance." For some reason I think most women here think that if you dance with them you want to hook up. Be that as it may, sometimes I just want to dance with the opposite sex because its fun. Nothing else. It certainly looks better than dancing with another guy! But here, either they're interested in you, or they'd rather not dance at all! Perhaps its the clubs I'm going to. I guess I'm not surprised though because most people I see that end up dancing do end up snogging. Maybe I'm just bitter. =)
  



• When I dance by myself, I sometimes get into these really tight spots.. shoulder to shoulder.. but a few seconds later, this space opens up! Like there's this invisible shield around me. Its like people "make room" for me because I have such awesome moves. People just want to stop and watch as if I was JT or Usher. Or maybe not. Maybe, I too, have flailing arms and elbows.
  



• I was dancing on Saturday and saw that this woman had a good beat. I got behind her to dance with her, but there was a problem. She had big hair. Unfortunately once I tried to get behind her, the hair would get in my face.. all up in my eyes and mouth. That was annoying. Nothing like tasting hair when you're dancing with someone!
  



• I have yet to hear a good hiphop DJ. I've heard real good drum and base, techno/electronica DJs, but have yet to hear anything good as the ones in Chi-Town.
  



• We were in the guest list line on Saturday and the girl in front of us asked us: "Is this an 18 or over club? Because I'm 18." Sweet. Luckily once we get in it was an older crowd.
  



• I have no game, and I have to find it soon. I swear it was a 3:1 ratio of blokes to birds early on, but yet, I failed to snog. I guess meeting women in clubs is just not my thing. But you know what? The fact that I'm a fool, and think I can, is so much fun.
  



• I still can't believe how often people snog on the dance floor.



• I still can't believe I haven't snogged on the dance floor.

In any case, the first week back wasn't that bad at all. Yes I miss family and friends at home, but at the same time, adjusting wasn't as bad as I thought. You'd think after a month at home I'd be homesick for a few days after coming back. But this time it wasn't that bad! Perhaps because I've spent most of my days back in a pub or a club! Its those times when I sit in my flat alone when it gets to me....

Back Home...

Wow, I really have to blow the dust off of this thing! Sorry I haven't been updating, but will be writing more soon.

Surprisingly though, I'm glad to be back. Although, I was really sad when I was sitting at the gate waiting for the plane to depart, but if I really think about it, I'll be back in December so my time away won't be that long.

Anyway, I'm "home" safely and slowly getting over jetlag and getting back to the daily routine.

One more week

You know its hard to write in a blog about living in London, when you are not in London! I've signed in multiple times trying to think about something to blog about, only to stare at the blinking cursor.

But not to worry, one more week and I'll be back "home." I actually kind of miss being "home." Its weird. If only I can take family and friends with me. I know I keep saying this, but nothing comes close to the relationships I have here with family and friends when compared to London. I guess I just have to work harder to establish that when I go back.

After my "10 things" postings, I really should have "10 goals" for next year posting.. hmm.. anyone have any suggestions on what I should aim for the next year I'm in London? (Other than "And then she took off her knickers.." posts) =)

London vs. NYC Part II

I've visited NYC many times before. In fact I was just here right before the new year. But I haven't looked at it the way I have in the past week in my past visits. I guess I can compare it to one of my relationships in the past. Its like NYC was always there, but you never really thought twice about it because I lived in Chicago, which I always thought was the better city anyway.

Then I moved to London, experienced some of that in the past year, noticing its pros/cons... but then I come back to New York this week with this sudden new appreciation. Its like a girl you were always friends with, then all of a sudden you see this light and then for some odd reason you have this strange attraction for her. You can't explain it, but it just happens.

That's what I have with NYC at the moment. Maybe because I look at it as a future home? Maybe its an "American" version of London? I can't explain it really, but all of a sudden I just have this infactuation with it that I can't explain.

Is it the air-conditioned subways? The melting pot of culture? The women that seem to be everywhere? (I swear there's a 3-to-1 girl/guy ratio) Is it the casual encounters with famous people? (Apparently Stifler (Seann William Scott) walked right pass me, and Oprah's Stedman crossed my path.) Is it the fact people like making out in the streets?

I just can't explain it. I'm anxious and look forward to perhaps the opportunity to live here. I'm actually afraid this one month hiatus will make me regress and miss America too much once I eventually go back good ol' London.

London vs. NYC

Spent some time with a coworker who made the move from London and now working in NYC. He provided some interesting insights on what he missed and didn't miss about living in London.

I've been to NYC many times before, but its interesting to experience it with my home now in London. Comparing it to Chicago, it was easy to see the differences. Immediately, NYC was a lot bigger and seemed more dirtier than Chicago. I didn't see the subtle differences because they were both American cities.

Comparing it to London though, I notice some things right away. Diversity. NYC is definitely more of a melting pot than London. Convenience. I can't believe how many different restaurants, shops, and convienience stores there are in one city block! Yes, there are a few in London, but in NYC, there is definately more saturation. Pace. NYC and London seem to have the same "pace" whereas Chicago has a slower "pace." NYC seems to have more "eye candy" than London!

Sure, this was only a brief taste, but I guess I can see NYC as a natural transition from London if I did come back from the States. Who knows, maybe in a year or two, I'll have another blog talking about my experiences in NYC!

Displacement

I love being back and seeing everyone. But I can't help but feel a little displacement. Maybe its because I'm living at home with the parents or something. Maybe its because I'm not working with the people I normally do. But it does feel different. I think its because I know its temporary? It is an odd feeling though working and trying to get into a daily routine.

That said, it was quite exciting to experience last weekends wedding with Dar and Tim and looking forward to this weekend's weddings as well! The ironic thing is that at least so far, I don't see myself "settling" in as much as I did right before I left. I remember in the back of my mind about a year ago, I was really thinking about when I was going to get into something "serious" and settle down. But not as much now. I guess I'm just confident that it will eventually happen. No rush, no worries!

Coming home...

Beautiful clear sunny day in London! By the time I come back after a month it will probably be back to that gloomy, rainy, cloudy weather.. but alas, 3rd time going home in a year and it will be nice.

Although, yet again, I'm still recovering from a crazy night at one of the coolest clubs in London, Umbaba. Finally got a taste of some decent hip hop and a great Thursday crowd. At least a friend back home served witness as to how we do it in London. Though, my stomach isn't too happy with the many redbull and vodkas. Ugh.
See you all in America!

A year later..

As I sit in my flat a year later, I start to think about the experiences I've been through and how it compares to any other year in my life. Its hard to imagine any other year in my life where I've been through so much from a career and a personal standpoint. I've been through some real low points being away, at the same time hit some really high points. I've tested myself in ways I would have never known possible if I didn't take this chance. Which leads to my top 3 things in my "10 things" list.

3) Career

I've never been happier in my whole entire career than I am now. I'm doing things I've always wanted to do and I'm challenging myself and truly enjoying it. This was one of the main reasons why I left in the first place, and what I'm learning and working on these days only enforce the fact that moving here was a good decision.

2) Travel

7 different countries, 17 or so different cities/towns, different cultures, different people, beautiful architecture, amazing food, and unforgettable memories. Yet, I'm hungry for more. Speaking of hungry, hopefully Budapest is the next target!
I've never traveled so much in my entire life and I've truly enjoyed it. Its quite addicting and I just love exploring different cities and embracing new cultures. If I never moved, I would have never seen and experienced as much as I have so far.

1) Not having regret, wondering "What if?"

Deciding to move or not was one of those critical decisions I had to make that would change the rest of my life. I had some serious doubts on whether or not I should go. I remember signing the papers and I still had some doubts about going. But I did it anyway. I took a plunge. I took a chance. And a year later, I'm glad I did. No regrets, no "what if's."

So there you have it. 10 things:

10) Relying on public transportation
9) Partying more that I ever thought possible in this phase of my life.
8) Following the world cup and cheering on the England team.
7) Appreciation for Chicago Weather.
6) Speaking "English".
5) Appreciation of family and friends.
4) Having a blog.
3) Career
2) Travel
1) Not having regret, wondering "What if?"

Honourable mentions:
Eating Indian food, reading more, writing more, drinking more? =)

Wahey! One year!

One year ago I arrived in this interesting country called the United Kingdom and living in this city known for its rain, London.. how time flies! And its nice and sunny!

A blogworthy post up and coming....

Blogworthy

The seventh thing of "10 things" would be:

4) Having a blog.

If I never moved I don't think I'd start a blog. And if I did, and never moved, what the hell would I talk about? I honestly still have trouble answering that question. =) But since I was thinking of moving, I figured I can use the blog to keep family and friends updated with what I'm up to. I try to keep it interesting, but try not to reveal everything and save the juicy stories later. (Don't keep your hopes up, there's not many.)

But looking forward to the future, it will be nice to have an account of what I was going through and I'm sure it will be a fun read later in life.

I'll admit though, writing in this blog can be therapeutic, but at the same time, its hard work. I try and make sure I post at least one entry a week. As the first year passes on, new experiences are going to be harder and harder to find. I begin to adapt and things that I find different from what I'm use to, all of a sudden become "normal" and blogging will be harder and harder to do.

I look back to last year's entries around this time and the frequency was much higher as I took in a new experience almost everyday. So I ask my faithful readers, (if there are any left) what do you want to read about?

I even contemplated mixing fact and a bit of fiction to make things exciting. I thought about converting it into a photo blog. After a full year approaches, I even contemplated of even ending the blog. Not sure what I'm going to do yet, but I'm open to suggestions!

In any case, I'm glad I started it and I hope its worth reading. Thanks to the faithful readers. I'll try and keep in interesting.

Family and Friends

I've been fortunate to be surrounded by amazing friends and family all my life. Its not until I moved here that I've truly appreciated that.

5) Appreciation of family and friends

I remember moving away the first time and getting use to being away from family and friends. It was a new beginning, but due to the social aspect of University, it was easy to make new friends and establish new relationships.

Fast forward 10 years later and I've taken the concept of being away from friends and family to a new level. The relationships I've forged through childhood, high school, and university would be left behind, only to start over again in a completely new country.

Its really hard to start over and make new friends in a new country. But I think its an experience worth going through. You learn about yourself and you tend to push yourself out of your shell just to make new friends.

But at the end of it all, its always nice to go back home and meet up with friends and family. I miss the bonding moments and the goofy times I share with everyone. Even after a year, its still hard to find that same chemistry here that I have back home. Kind of expected I guess since a year can't compare to the long lasting relationships I've established back home.

Bank Holiday
3 day weekend!! Reading Music Festival, Canterbury, and Notting Hill Carnival! So much to blog about, so little time. =)

Language barriers

There are differences between the English and American languages. Just little things like saying "pants" instead of "trousers" can mean two different things! So number 6 of my 10 things would be:

6) Speaking "English"

Proper English that is. The real English. I find myself saying:

"So what do you reckon?" when speaking to my fellow English "mates."

But I'll get on the phone with an old friend and completely change back to the American language and say:

"So what do you think?"

When going out for lunch..I've adjusted to saying:

"What do you fancy for lunch?" (What do you feel like eating?)

Or ordering food:

"For take away please." (To go please..)

When at work...

"Can you book something in my diary?" (calendar)

"Where is the toilet?" (bathroom)

And of course my favourite...

"Cheers mate." (Thank you)

Some other words I've adjusted to:

jumper = sweater
trousers = dress pants
trainers = sneakers/gym shoes
pants = underwear
snog = making out
mate = friend/buddy
bin = trash/garbage can
way out = exit

some slang:
scouser = people from Liverpool
geordie = people from the north/northeast
chat up a girl = flirt with a girl

my favourite:
chav = in my words, kinda "ghetto" but it usually means someone of in the lower class that wear a lot of "bling" and sports attire.

I guess its because its the language I hear all around me. Adaptation. A way to fit in. An understanding.

I can use the language and pick up the new vocabulary, its the accent I want to pick up. =)

Chicago Summers..

One of the ironic things I miss about back home is the weather. The weather is something that I didn't think I would miss as much when I moved here. I knew that it rained and all, but I was looking forward to not having the extreme temperatures of Chicago. The really cold winters and the really hot summers were going to be a thing of the past. I was going to experience more of a "moderate" climate.

But you know what? Moderate is boring. Its bland. Its quite frankly sucks.
So..

7) Appreciation for Chicago Weather.

Summer lasted about 2 weeks here. Seriously. I mean, there was probably about 2, maybe 3 weeks of really good hot, warm, "oh my god its summer" weather. I complained about it being hot, but now its gone. I bought these fans for my flat and I used them for maybe a week.

Right now its a bit chilly but I refuse to wear a jacket because I can't admit to the fact that summer is almost gone! The surprising thing is that my English mates say that it was a really good summer. I find this shocking because I still feel like there's more to come.

Don't get me wrong, we've had some nice days here. More nice days than I expected. But just like the mild winter, it was a mild summer. It wasn't hot. It wasn't humid. It just wasn't a Chicago summer.

Or maybe it wasn't a Chicago summer not because of the weather, but because of all the things that usually happen during my past summers.. like bbqs with friends, Taste of Chicago, fireworks, al fresco dining, riding along Lake Shore Drive, movies in Grant Park, Coldstone, outdoor concerts, Wrigley Field, etc..

*sigh*

But I digress.. 2 more weeks..

Soccer.. or is it Football?

Soccer or Football

8) - Following the world cup and cheering on the England team.

Perhaps its the lack of American sports that's televised here. Maybe its because Football can be one of the main topics of conversation. But if I never moved, I probably wouldn't have even followed the World Cup at all. I wouldn't care really. I wouldn't understand how passionate people are about their teams because if I lived in America I wouldn't care about the world's most popular sport.

I wouldn't know that John Terry replaced Beckham as the team captain. I wouldn't know that McClaren replaced Sven, nor any players names: Zidane, Henry, Owen, Rooney, Lampard, Terry, or Ronaldo. I wouldn't know what a hooligan was or the difference between the Premiership and the FA Cup would be. I certainly wouldn't have watched England's first friendly match win against Greece (4-0) under the new McClaren era.

Back in the day I'd only watch Football on Telemundo to hear the Spanish commentator say GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLL.. because I thought it was funny...now I watch Football because I think I actually like it. Now if only I knew someone that was running a fantasy football league... =)

My transparent plastic bag and Spain

I was one of the lucky ones this weekend to experience the effects of the "critical" threat level by the British government this weekend. Out of all the weekends to travel, my trip to Costa Blanca, specifically El Campello and Benidorm Spain was a very painful experience. But once I was there, it was all sun, beaches, drinking, and partying.

First off, the critical threat level resulted in the restriction of any hand luggage on any flights out of any UK airport. This resulted in checking in everything you had except for a wallet and your passport in a transparent bag! This sucked because I usually don't check anything in on these weekend getaways. You couldn't even bring a book!

It took over an hour to check in and the security check involved a guy looking through your transparent plastic bag! Anyone that didn't follow the restrictions were turned away and return complying to the restrictions. (I'm not sure what they did with the things they couldn't bring!) We did see some people try to sneak some stuff in, only to be caught with the security frisk later on.

We eventually make it to the Madrid airport, which in my past experience in Spain, has been very bad. (Last time I was there I had to run to the gate with a very heavy bag!) It was deja vu all over again. Since the flight from London departed late, we were late for our connection. It was a 23 min walk to the gate and flashbacks to my last visit haunted me! This time though, all I was carrying a transparent bag!

Of course once we find a screen displaying the flight status information, it ended up being delayed for 5 hours! Oh what fun it is to stay at an airport only carrying a plastic bag with my passport and wallet!

We eventually make it the Alicante Airport and waited patiently for our luggage. We waited and waited... and guess what.. it never came! I can't even begin to describe how much that sucked waiting and waiting.. only to finally admit that my backpack wouldn't be taking a ride around the conveyer belt.

After traveling for almost 12 hours with only a plastic transparent bag, the journey ends with having our luggage lost! Bad luck I tell ya! But an interesting experience nonetheless. We end up getting our luggage a couple of hours before we had to leave to go home. =(

Coming in at number 9....

Is age but a number?

I think I’ve proven to myself in the past couple of months that I can still party like I use to. I know for a fact that if I didn’t make this move, I wouldn’t be partying as much or consuming as much alcohol as I do now. I certainly wouldn’t be staying up till 3-4am trying to catch a bus home after a night of partying and chasing women. Perhaps its just a phase for now, but I just didn’t think I’d get into this “phase” ever again. I compare myself to my peers back home sometimes and what they are up to, and its so strange how I’m at the opposite end of things when it comes to my social activities!

So I guess for #9 on “10 things” would be:

9) Partying more that I ever thought possible in this phase of my life.

I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the people I hang out with who have this kind of energy that I feed off of. Perhaps it’s because I’m surrounded by a “younger” crowd who has this kind of mentality? Conceivably it could be the wide range of bars/clubs that I have yet to check out in London.

A close friend wrote me the other week about how she does “couple” things all the time now. Since she’s in a relationship, everything they do involves couples. It was quite funny. But I guess that’s what really happens. You end up doing the same similar things depending on your relationship situation and the interests you share amongst each other.

For me it seems as if I’ve surrounded myself with single guys that love chasing women by going to bars and clubs!

I guess I’m just making the best out of the situation while I’m here. Don’t get me wrong, I love a quiet night at the flat over the weekend, reading a book or watching TV but it just gets too depressing!

At the end of it all, I guess when it gets to that point of “settling down” I know for a fact that I did take the time and enjoy what it truly means to be single, independent, and enjoying a carefree lifestyle. I guess I’m just afraid that I like it too much that I wouldn’t have it any other way!

10 things...

As the one year anniversary of my London move slowly approaches, it was time for a bit of introspection and think about how the past year has changed my life. What better way to organize my thoughts than using a list!

So I couldn't come up with the proper title to this list.. I started with:
"Top 10 things that I do now that I didn't do before moving.." Then I didn't like that and renamed it: "Top 10 things that I wouldn't have experienced if I didn't move to London." But then, some of the things I came up with really didn't fall under that either. So now I've just called it "10 things..." which is perfect because now its a catch-all list.

Basically, the 10 on this list are things that I:

• Do now, that I didn't do before I moved.
  
• What I've experienced that I wouldn't have if I didn't move.
  
• Things I've realised because I moved.
  
• Things that have changed because of my move here.
  

You get the idea.. =)

So coming in at number 10..

10) Relying on Public Transportation


The only time I really took public transportation in Chicago was usually the "L" on the red line to Wrigleyville to catch a Cubs game. Or perhaps the brown line a couple stops from work to grad school. I never took the bus and really didn't have a big dependency on public transportation. I had a car at my disposal or I could easily grab a cab.

Now? I rely heavily on public transportation. Without a car, riding a bus or jumping on the tube is part of my daily routine. I deal with all the crowds, all the hassle, and all the general pain when it comes to taking public transportation. Its the primary way I get around. I sometimes give up my personal space and I suffer the disadvantage of not having a 'boot' to put my groceries in or throw my golf clubs in and drive to a golf course.

At the same time, I don't have to worry about paying for gas, having a car payment, worrying about car maintenance, driving on the wrong side of the road, or paying the infamous congestion charge!

What I've realised?

I can live without a car... in a city like London that has
a comprehensive public transport system... =)

Oh S4, don't worry, you are truly and deeply missed. =)

Taste of Oxford

Oxford University that is. I had an impromptu visit to Oxford this past weekend. I was hoping to see more on my first visit here, including areas where the Harry Potter movies were filmed. I wanted to see the Great Hall at Christ Church College but it closed before noon, so I didn't get to see it. Maybe next time.

There were commencement ceremonies around campus as well so some of the buildings I wanted to visit were closed, specifically the Bodleian Library.


Some fun facts:

• Oxford also has a Bridge of Sighs as pictured above. The other being in Venice!
  
  
• Students get three 8 week terms for an academic year.
  
• Ashmolean Museum as pictured on the right, was the first museum in the world to be opened to the public!
  
• The stairs leading up to the Great Hall in Christ Church College were the stairs used in the Harry Potter films. (Maybe next time I'll grab a photo.)
  
• Hitler didn't bomb Oxford during the war because he wanted it to become the Capital of England!
  
  

The Countdown..

11 months. I guess I don't count the days as much as I use to. But I do know the milestone of "1 year" since moving here is only 1 month away. Its quite amazing because I feel like its happened so fast and my end goal of staying at least 2 years doesn't seem so far away.

I've been thinking of a way to commemorate such a momentous event, maybe posting something new everyday about what I've learned about myself or some kind of Top 10 list that would lead up to the one year... but that would result in some extra effort and pre-planning! So I'm really unsure about the whole thing right now.. but I am open to some suggestions!

Here's a few I've come up with:
1. 10 memorable moments since moving here.
2. Top 10 things I wouldn't have done if I stayed in Chicago.
3. Top 10 things that I do now that I didn't do before moving.
4. Top 10 things that haven't changed.
5. Top 10 blog posts (not sure about this one, but I'd blog about them again?)

Anyway, not sure yet, but I'd like to do something, just don't know yet! Or maybe I'll do them all as one post each! That's ambitious!


Weekend
A taste of Oxford, and Clubbing yet again. I did meet some Brazilian women who taught me some Portuguese, but unfortunately I wasn't successful enough to see if they were "true" Brazilian.

Use your hands!!

And there it was.. in all its glory.

The "OZ" Lamb Burger they called it. Sitting in front of me.

I opted for the Steak instead of the Lamb, but it was going to be good.

Fried free range egg, grilled pineapple, yellow beetroot relish, red beetroot slice, tomato & lettuce, and of course the slab of meat, all in between a sesame seeded bun.

I've had it before and was truly enjoyable.

My other colleagues ordered it too. I think all of us ordered burgers except for one person.

I took my knife and cut it in half so I can handle it properly.

As I salivated, I placed a napkin on my lap and rubbed my hands together to enjoy such a glorious meal.

As I looked around to make sure everyone had their food, I was just about to grab my burger.. when..

What's this? What is everyone doing? Why are they doing that!! No!!

As I briefly paused, I watched everyone continue to use their knives and forks!
What the hell is going on! Why is everyone using utensils to eat a burger!!

I understand using them to cut the burger in half, but to eat the whole thing?

Immediately as I grabbed the one half of the burger and took a big bite, I slowly put it down and grabbed my knife and fork. Don't ask me why, but I just felt like a pig compared to everyone else! I felt it wasn't "proper" to eat the thing with my hands!

So instead I give into peer pressure and eat it in a more proper way. Eating a big burger with a knife and fork... I tell ya, its not the same. You don't get the same effect because once you use a knife and fork, you don't get to shove the whole damn thing in your mouth encompassing all the layers of the burger! Instead you cut it up in little pieces. Maybe a little part of the bun with some of the meat, maybe a piece of meat with the egg, etc. It truly gives a new meaning to the saying "the whole (burger) does not equal the sum of its parts!"

Street Wars!!

I use to partake in "Stalker" back in University for an Asian Organization. Basically you get details of a member in the organization and you "stalk them" with a water gun. You either play on two teams or you are given a name to stalk and once you kill them with "water" using a water gun, or whatever means necessary, you get the name of their victim they're supposedly "stalking" and go after them.

The game was fun because you never know who's "stalking you" on the whole campus.

But imagine if it took part in a whole city! Well it has! Here in London!

It started today! Wish I knew of this earlier! What's funny is that the news is making a big deal of it because if played in a public area, people might feel threatened, esp with some of the water guns looking like the real thing! I'm hoping to spot a few players in the next few weeks. Should be interesting!

Killer Instinct

"You just have to go in for the kill."

A nice comment from an English mate after watching me dance with some random chick on the dance floor at what I would call London's version of Chicago's "White Star." Restaurant by evening, then nightclub by late night.

The theme is consistent like the past two weekends. Expensive Drinks. Expensive cover. Beautiful women in scantily clad clothing. Awesome music and a fun time with some random chick, who whispers in my ear a few times not knowing what she said, but after a long night of partying and an empty wallet, I go home alone. =)

There was one point I was watching the crowd and it amazes me how two random people start snogging in the middle of the dance floor. This happens more than it did in the States. Eventually one of the girl's friends pull her away from the lucky guy, which is strange because I always got the feeling that the English women were more reserved than American women! Perhaps they just fancy a snog rather than the shag. Who knows! Can't say I have experience on this, but maybe one day I will. =)

They're everywhere!!

"Did you find the love of your life?"

"No I didn't Dad."

Why would a father ask such a question? Mainly because I was telling him about the annual event in London called the Barrio Fiesta.

Barrio Fiesta is this 2 day event west of London where all Filipinos gather for a huge party. A picnic, a carnival, some performances, and Filipino food stalls everywhere!

I was always told that there are so many Filipinos in UK but it didn't hit me until this past weekend. The further west we went on the tube, more and more Filipinos were getting on. It was like the Philippines!

Once we got off at the tube stop, long queues of Filipinos walked to the picnic area. It was really an unbelievable site. I guess a reported 60,000 visitors went to this Barrio Fiesta (Village Festival) last year and I wouldn't doubt if that came close over this past weekend.

I went with my fellow Britofinos and their families. As we walked in I felt like it was the Philippines. Its felt a bit commercial with all these booths trying to advertise a certain product: phone cards, condos, medical services, etc. The area was pretty huge and even include a carnival and a stage for musical performances.

Overall it was good fun. Ate some good food, kicked the football around, and even got to go up to random people and hand out free music CDs to promote a Filipino organization.

I did meet a handful of new people. And yes, some were pretty Britafinas. But nothing worth writing about unfortunately.

A few of comments about this experience:

• I didn't eat as much as I liked. I didn't even have rice!
  
• I did drink a lot of San Miguel in the hot weather which lead to a quick buzz.
  
• Sporting a tattoo is pretty common amongst Britofinos.
  
• Ironically out of all the Filipinos there, I bonded with a South African.
  
• While kicking the football around, I almost fell on my face. (My excuse: I was wearing flipflops instead of trainers like everyone else!)
  
• Apparently wife-beaters are called "vests" in British terms.
  
• Beautiful Filipina + British Accent = entirely possible
  

It was a good experience overall, and I hope I can go again next year!

Club Kid 2.0

Clubbing you say?

Why not!

I can't remember the last time I went clubbing for two weekends in a row. I remember after graduating university that I use to hit up the clubs all the time. New job, new found money, it was time to party it up every weekend and hit all the latest clubs in the city. It was a clubbing phase I went though, maybe it was the years being 21-25ish.. But then slowly, I grew out of the stage. Gone were the days of Dragon Room, Crowbar, Ginseng Parties, and coming home right before the sun came up after a long drive from the city to the burbs. Those days were long gone.

Then it was the lounge lover phase where clubbing till 3am was just for the 'younger crowd.' Going out on Thursdays was much more hip then Friday or Saturday. It was about checking out the latest bar venues in the city. It was all about "chill" and sipping on cocktails talking about sophisticated things and catching up on the latest issues like buying a house or talking about so and so's engagement or wedding. Going clubbing made you "feel old" since you were surrounded by so many younger people. Or at least it looked that way!

Clubbing was a rare occurrence, perhaps for birthdays or hitting up Buddha lounge for that craving of hip hop. But going out mainly consisted of a couple drinks at a lounge and the concept of getting "wasted" and vomiting on the way home was less frequent. (Although it did happen on special occasions.)

Fast forward to now. The pub scene is still strong, but to add spice to the mix, the early twenties itch to go clubbing is back.

In a second weekend in a row, I'm teased again by young women who give me seconds of their attention, only leaving me craving for more. I'm guilty of dancing my ass off and sweating profusely as the music is so loud that I feel like my body is being defibrillated. The concept of conversation consists of yelling in another person's ear and having them nod with a smile, when you know they had no idea what you said, but you continue to dance anyway.

There was a point in the night where I was dancing like crazy and I thought: Wow. This is the life I've chosen.. miles and miles away from family and friends, and I'm doing things I would have never thought of... Partying and clubbing till 3am like the good ol' days without the "I feel so old" syndrome! If I was only snogging and shagging more often. =)

My first hip hop club

Dear Blog,

I write you today to tell you my first experience at a proper hip hop club in London. Boy was it fun. I've been to various pubs and bars in London for the past 11 months but it wasn't until this weekend that I finally partied at a proper hip hop club.

We rolled in with about 15 Americans strong and properly showed up with a strong girl to guy ratio. We showed up early to avoid the 10 quid cover and luckily we walked right in. No queue and of course, with more birds than blokes we weren't given any problems getting in.

The club was small but intimate. I started the night with a cocktail named after the club and happily paid the ridiculous price. After a few of my mates making fun of me for having such a "fruity" drink, (it had a strawberry in it, big deal!) I switched to JD and cokes.

As the hip hop music bumped on throughout the night the club slowly filled with more and more people. Beautiful women everywhere.

Time to test my game.

It's been a while since I've been to a club like this so to say my game was a bit rusty is an understatement. But I try.

I spotted my interest, usually there's only one, and throughout the night my fellow wingman egged me on. But I'm shy and lack confidence at times. He made it blatently obvious that I had a keen interest in her. Quite embarrassing to say the least.

When I believed all hope was lost, since I couldn't make a move, I switched my interest and try my luck with one of the women in our party (a friend of a friend) and buy her a drink and try my luck with her.

We head to the bar and exchange mouth to ear conversation. As I order my new interest a drink, I sit at the bar, and as luck would have it, my original interest shows up and literally sits on my lap while she takes shots with her friends.

Oh decisions. What to do. Do I leave the new interest and pursue the original? Of course! We exchange salutations and I mention that I had wanted to dance with her all night. She acknowledges this and knew of my keen interest the whole time. Perhaps it was my wingman's obvious attempts to get us together? Luckily my wingman gives his attention to the new interest and fulfills his role.

The original and I eventually head to the dance floor and what was only minutes seemed like eternity.

In any case I find that she's a student studying fashion and has an internship for the summer. She's from Cali and definitely a wild one. I spit out my game as we sit in the bar and I even say something foolish along the lines of:

"Can I be your sugardaddy?"

And she goes:

"No."

LOL. At least she's honest! I had no idea why I asked that. Maybe I was drunk. Maybe I was trying to be funny. But what I love about it was that she denied my services and I laughed at myself for such a ridiculous question.

We eventually make it to the dance floor and hoping that I'd be dancing with her the rest of the night, she runs off back to her friends. What a tease.

The other girl? Yeah she ended up making out with my other mates. Da well. Maybe that could have been me! Who knows!

Despite my pathetic "game" it was a good time nonetheless. Great music, great fun, beautiful women, and very memorable for my first hip hop club in London.

If I lived in America..

If I lived in America right now I know at least three things I would have never experienced to this day.

1. The final four teams in the world cup and watching each team's quarter-final game and being emotionally tied to the England team. (If you are wondering, off the top of my head: Germany v. Italy tomorrow and Portugal v. France on Wed.)

2. Hang out with Britafinos and other English Asians at a club.

3. Sit in my flat without airconditioning with my greenhouse-like windows that take in all the sun but let little air in.

1. I admit, living in London I can't help but invest some emotion into the England football team. I followed every match and even passed up going to Wimbledon with ChicaChan so I wouldn't miss the game. But alas, history repeated itself for the FIFTH time with England going out on a major tournament by way of penalty kicks. I watched in anguish as Rooney was booked with a red card. I nervously waited as England took turns taking penalty kicks and hoped for the best. But unfortunately, just like how I invest emotion with my favourite Chicago teams, I was left down once again.

2. When you meet one Britafino, you meet more. I meet up with some on Friday. Quite interesting to hang out with a group of English Asian guys at a club.

"Oh mate, check out that bird... She's lovely."

Also, what I call "Asians" they call "Orientals." Thought that was interesting.

And just like in the pubs, everyone buys rounds at the club. At least that's what I noticed. This could get expensive since mixed drinks are more expensive then your typical pint of beer!

3. It's hot in my flat with summer finally here. I need an electric fan. I will pick one up soon. My flat doesn't come with air conditioning. So I sweat in my sleep just like I do when I'm in the Philippines; except there aren't any flies or mosquitoes flying around to annoy me.

4. Oh and I'll add a fourth, for July 4th. Yeah, I would have a day off tomorrow if I lived in America, so Happy July 4th to my fellow American readers!

Lovely.

July 4th weekend!!

Yay! I got Monday off for July 4th weekend.. nothing like celebrating America's Independence in England!!

Yeah right. Sadly no long weekend for me. No hot dogs, no bbqs, no parades, no fireworks. So do people take Monday off too for 4 day weekend?

Although, there is the England Football Match vs. Portugal to look forward too. Go England!

Brit-a-fino

Thanks to Chicachan, I finally met a Filipino with a british accent. Sweet. Listening to him speak, I tried really hard to record his voice in my head. I think I need to hang out with him more so I can talk like him. =)

Over dinner he started to speak Tagalog and I freaked out because a fob accent came out of his mouth too! So cool.

Now I need to meet a female version.

Pimms and Primrose

Finally enjoyed my first beautiful weekend in London by sipping a glass of Pimms on top of Primrose hill. Primrose Hill overlooks central London and chllin on top and reading a book was a good way to enjoy the beautiful weather and enjoy my first glass of Pimms.

Just like sipping afternoon tea, drinking Pimms is another British thing I wanted to experience. Pimms is regarded as a summer drink amongst the British and has an important place in popular drinking culture. I'm all about immersing myself in drinking culture as my slowly growing beer belly can attest.

Pimms was invented in the 1840s by James Pimm, who was the owner of a bar in London and created this mix to aid in digestion. I have heard and read about Pimms before, so it was time to satisfy my curiosity. After having a few glasses, I interpreted it as British Sangria. Mainly because its a fruity drink with a bunch of crap left over that you poke at once your done drinking it. Crap = cucumbers, lemons, limes, strawberries, mint leaves. But the difference between Pims and real Sangria is that after a few glasses of Pimms I wasn't falling over in a drunken stupor or yelling my enduring love for one of my ex-girlfriends as I'm famous for doing so when I'm drunk. No, in fact, I didn't feel like it was very alcoholic at all. Perhaps this is a good thing.

Roadtrip!

I know this is non-London or Europe related.. but blogworthy I guess since people have been asking about "Philly."

Yes, we did get to see Philly as I mentioned in my earlier posts. It was probably the most spontaneous roadtrip I've ever been on. Primarily because we didn't decide to go to Philly until all of us were sitting in the car figuring out what we should do. Seizing the day, without any prior directions or plans, we decided to make it out to Philly leaving DC in the early afternoon! You would think careful planning would be needed, but the best roadtrips are the ones that aren't planned! Just get in the car and go!


I must say roadtrips are the best time to bond with people. And I'm glad we went since I got to bond with my cousins and sis. Very memorable indeed. We did have the Philly Cheesesteak at Ishkabibble which is known to be the favourite for the locals. I promised pics for readers that happen to love food. So here they are!



The Philly Cheesesteak was so good. What was interesting for me was that the bread that it came with was so really tasty. Its not something I notice usually when having a cheesesteak, but this time it made a difference! I'm proud to say that I did finish the whole thing! Who knows when I was going to have the chance to eat another one! Last time I checked there weren't many places selling Philly Cheesesteaks here!

We did end up spending about 6 hours in Philly walking up and down South Street then making it to the steps where Rocky ran up in his movie. We all took turns pretending we were Rocky by running up the steps!

I did have "a fix" again. It was nice but wish it lasted longer.

High Five!!

I love watching sports with a big crowd of people. It could be at the actual stadium or even at a neighborhood bar. I remember watching the likes of the Cubs in the Playoffs in Wrigleyville or watching the Illini make a run at the NCAA Tournament at a neighborhood bar. Everyone is cheering for the same team and its so much fun.

Well, yesterday was my first time watching a Football (Soccer) Game at a pub. I went out with my English coworkers to watch the World Cup game - England v. Sweden at a nearby pub.

I must say, it was a lot of fun. It didn't start off that great since the pub we went to had problems with their digital feed! We all ended up leaving the pub to go to another!

The funny part that I experienced the whole night was when England finally went up 1-0 with Joe Cole's amazing goal from 35 yards out!

The pub went crazy.. Everyone was screaming and jumping up and down. Pretty interesting sight with the stereotype of Brits being reserved!

I rejoiced with the first goal as well and was cheering loudly alongside my coworkers!

But then I experienced an awkward moment.

Upon celebration it was very natural for me to get my "High Five" Hand all ready to make contact with another "High Five" Hand. I got my hand all ready, and smiled and look around anxiously to make contact with another Brit to celebrate with a traditional High Five! My hand was half way up to make contact with another awaiting hand, but it never happened. I felt like a complete idiot! =) I scanned the pub to see if anyone else was giving each other high fives..nope.. no one else. No high five's anywhere!!

So I turned my high five hand and turned it to a fist and pumped into the air in celebration to hide my awkwardness. =)

As the game played on I even asked my coworker if anyone gave high five's to each other.. he laughed at me in amusement. Apparently not. Perhaps its an American thing.

In any case, once England scored its second goal, a header by Gerrard, that same coworker called out my name, and with his hand extended in the air, we gave each other a high five!

Yeah!! Good times!!

I'm getting World Cup fever! USA v. Ghana tomorrow and England v. Ecuador on Sunday!

Time Flies When you are Having Fun

My visit back to the States happened so quickly. For some reason time goes by so much faster when I'm back in the States than it does here in the UK. Maybe the saying "Time Flies when you are having fun." has some truth to it.

First, apologies for not meeting up with some of you! Maybe it was bad planning on my part, or poor communication but I simply ran out of time. The first few days were dedicated to family and then I was out of town for the next three, which technically left 3-4 days of social free time! But to those who I did see, nice seeing you guys again. It was nice catching up.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love my friends and family back home. Maybe its because I've known most of you all my life and have that "chemistry", but its been tough finding that "kind" of friendship here in the UK and have the ability to "be myself" around people. I think that once I do find that "kind" of friendship here maybe the saying "Time Flies when you are having fun." will hold true here as well.

Dropping by..

In the interest of my devoted blog readers, I wanted to make a few quick observations. (And pls. forgive me for my random streams of thought)

My appreciation of family and friends became more evident this weekend with the many festivities leading to my sister's graduation from nursing school. I'm so proud of my sister's accomplishment! She's going to help save lives!

Laughter
My sister and I are very similar when it comes to our sense of humour. I spent a lot of time hanging out with her friends this weekend and I found that my set and her set of friends are very similar! That same goofy, corny, self-deprecating, off the wall, sense of humour I know and love are truly evident in her circle of friends so I fit right in. Then I realized that this is the type of "group" of people I need to meet in London. They've got to exist somewhere!

Food Portions
Bigger here definitely. Its really something I'm not used to. I've gone to different restaurants since coming back and every meal I've ordered had a large amount of food!

Obesity
With the size of food portions that are served as I've stated, I can only imagine the extent of the problem. I've really noticed that there ARE a lot of more overweight people here!

East Coast
Piano Bar in Georgetown with a drunk scary guy coming up to us with the opening line... "Are you guys from Japan?" then proceeds to put his arm around my shoulder...not sure a Brit would ever do that!

Tomorrow - (the 13th) should be an interesting. Will I have a taste of the Philly Cheesesteak????

Pub Planning

So I was having a drinks with a couple of coworkers and we were talking about all the trips we've taken so far and trips we want to take in the future. Then Amsterdam came up and how good of a time it was.

All of a sudden this whole idea of flying to Amsterdam that same night came up. Perhaps it was then few pints we had and the whole spontaneity of it all, but we were all determined to leave that weekend.

We looked at all the possibilities. Leaving that Friday night or leaving early Saturday morning. Then we found it. $35 (excluding taxes and fees of course!) round trip leaving Sat morning and coming back Monday morning. Would we buy it?

Why not!

I got to see/do things I didn't see the first couple of times I went which is always a good thing. There were also things I got to see/do again this third time which is always a good thing as well!

The most painful bit was waking up 4:30AM to catch a flight back to London Monday morning to go straight to work.

With this being my third visit, I'd say I still enjoyed the second visit rather than the third. But the fact that it was planned all last minute after a few pints makes it that much more memorable.

Movie Marathon

Friends back home know what this is. It’s the art of hopping theater to theater at your local AMC or Lowes. Not that I’ve done it before, I’m just giving it a nice definition. =)

Anyway, if I were to take place in this activity, I think it would be so much easier to do back home. Why? Well mainly because each theater in America has this nice LED sign in front of it telling you critical information such as:

1. The name of the movie
2. The time its showing

So after the first movie you watch you can walk around and see if there is a movie you are interested in and maybe “stop in” for a quick preview. Not that you would watch the whole movie or anything. =)

So after paying about 13 quid (about 22 dollars) to see one movie (X-Men 3) with a coworker, we decided to justify the price we paid and try to catch a “quick preview” of Mission Impossible 3.

The problem: No LED signs. There were about 5 different floors in the movie theater each showing different movies. And you can’t tell what theater number a movie is playing in unless you have a ticket. This poses significant problems if you so choose to “preview” a certain movie.

The strategy: walk around aimlessly and follow people to see what theater they are going to. That’s the only way to find out if another movie is starting soon. We also guessed that the older movies would be playing in the lower floors since most of the people that entered the theater proceeded upstairs to what we believed were the more recent films.

Using this deductive reasoning and a careful eye we followed a crowd of people to one of the theaters. We looked all shady standing around having no purpose but to sneak in another theater. The funny thing about this is that you don’t know what movie is showing until about a half hour of commercials and movie trailers.

The biggest fear was that it would be the same movie we had just seen. But I noticed it had a different set of movie trailers so it looked promising.

Waiting patiently, the movie finally started. Yes, we were right! Out of all the movies and theaters we had guessed correctly!

Did we pay another 13 quid because we snuck in another theater to watch a movie? Sure. Of course we did. About $45 to watch 2 movies? Who wouldn’t? =)

Brighton, East Sussex

Brighton is a hour and a half train ride south of London. I couldn't let a three day weekend pass by without a trip somewhere, so I was off to the southern coast of England. Known to be the "vegetarian capital of Europe," 60 percent of its population are under the age of 45! It is also known for its thriving gay and lesbian scene!

I actually didn't know these facts before my visit, but experienced it myself! Well, except for the gay and lesbian bit. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

When eating at a restaurant, I did notice the large amount of vegetarian options and when walking around there were a lot of "Vegetarian-like" restaurants. And indeed, there were a lot of younger people!


The picture on the right is Brighton Pier! Unfortunately it doesn't come close to Navy Pier. It has an old feel to it with carnival rides at the end of the pier. You know the kind of carnival rides that travel from suburb to suburb back in the States.
And what would a set of carnival rides be without carnival games. You know the ones that rip you off because they look so easy to play but really they're not.

Then there's the beach. I have a new visual when it comes to a pebble beach. See below:



Imagine a beach with small pebbles. The last beach I went to was South Beach. This beach doesn't compare. (Well there was a "nude beach" section, but no nudes!) Imagine laying out on small pebbles like this! What about sand castles! Or burying yourself up to your neck in sand! I guess the only good bit is that you don't get sand in places you don't want!

I think the best part of the city is the large amount of bohemian, independent shops in a section of the city called North Laine. Its a network of cobbled streets, otherwise known as the "Lanes" and its basically full of different shops that have this "urban outfitter," wicker-park, artsy type feel.

Unfortunately it wasn't as warm as it should be so there wasn't a lot of people enjoying the beach.



Maybe next time I can get small pebbles stuck in my underwear as I sit on the beach. I'm sure it won't itch as much as sand does.

Dreams That Money Can Buy

You know those contests where you fill out those little postcards with your information and drop it in this shoebox with a slit to put the postcard in?

I never win. But this time I actually did.

It was a contest for work and I actually won two tickets to a concert at the
Tate Modern
I was quite excited since I never win anything.

When I picked up the tickets the ticket read:

"Hans Richter's Dreams That Money Can Buy With The Real Tuesday Weld"
"Unreserved seating on floor cushions."

It was funny because we were trying to decipher the ticket to figure
out the name of the band.

Was it?

"Hans Richter's Dreams That Money Can Buy" and "The Real Tuesday Weld" would be the band starting the gig off ?

Or was the band name the whole name printed on the ticket?

Was it British Hip Hop? Indie music? Good ol' fashioned Rock and roll?

My coworker and I had no idea. And the fact that this was taking place in a Modern Art Museum, we were never too confident in our guesses.

The fact that we were sitting on floor cushions and surrounded by modern art kept us guessing.

We get there fashionably late and pick up our "Gourmet Food Boxes" which came with a small bottle of champagne.

We sat down on our floor cushions and our guesses never came close.

"Hans Richter's Dreams That Money Can Buy" translated to a Director and a movie.
and "The Real Tuesday Weld" was the name of the band.

Movie and a band you ask? Exactly.

It was one of the weirdest yet thought provoking performances I've ever watched. Also, sitting on the floor of the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern on a floor cushion to watch a movie and a band is an interesting first time experience.

First, the movie itself was quite interesting and disturbing at the same time. Its about a guy who starts a business selling dreams his own dreams! The actors in the movie didn't interact through verbal speech, but instead, interacted visually (by staring at each other) and a voice over would describe what they were thinking or saying to the other person.

Each of the dream sequences would involve surreal images. Different colours, shapes, and objects were displayed on the big screen and during this time the band would play.

Overall, it was quite an interesting experience, especially with 4 glasses of chamagne and missing a proper dinner. =)

Happy Birthday Blog!

Ahhh.. just a year ago I made my first entry. Thanks Blog for listening.. and thanks to all the friends and family that read my ramblings about life in London.

I hope you've learned a few things about London culture, about my trials and tribulations of leaving home, and maybe you've learned a little bit of me you didn't know before.

In any case, here's to another year of blog posts. I hope you've enjoyed reading some of my posts as much as I have had fun writing them. (My favorite post was of course this) I only hope to continue to use this medium to keep in touch with close family and friends.

And to contrary to popular belief, yes, we do have Monday off! So here's to the three day weekend!!

Weather and Football

The top two topics of conversation are no other than the weather and of course, Football.

Talking about the weather is an everyday thing. Its almost an ice breaker with any Brit. Talking about the weather comes right after saying hello. It's small talk and almost a greeting of sorts. Also, Brits aren't happy if you make fun of their weather. I've made fun of it a couple times and just by reading their faces I could tell it was a sensitive topic. I've learned to simply agree to whatever comment is made about the weather and say things like: "At least its not raining!" when there is severe overcast. (Of course it rains like an hour later.)

Football or Soccer is another huge topic of conversation. I usually get left out of these discussions because I am not affiliated with any specific team. Everyone seems to be affiliated with a football team but me. Its public knowledge on which team you are cheering for. You get made fun of if your team loses and get praised if your team wins, almost as if you personally had to do with the outcome of the game. People ask me who I'm affiliated with and I say I don't have a team. People are shocked by this and even give me recommendations on what team I should be cheering for. I think I'm leaning towards Arsenal, mainly because where I live. My area is full of Arsenal fans. I guess It would be like not having a baseball team and choosing the Cubs because you would be living in the Northside of the city. I guess the French are big Arsenal fans as well. That's what my colleague tells me at least. I guess because the coach and their top player, Thierry Henry is French.

Should be interesting with the World Cup starting in a few weeks. At least I'm starting to learn the teams to look out for and who the big names are. Just wish it would stop raining.

100th entry

100 entry. Sweet. The blog's 1 year birthday is coming up too. I wanted to time it right and get 100 posts after 1 year, but then I'd have to wait until the end of the week. And why wait?

Have you ever read something where, for some reason, you think you were meant to read it?

I NEVER read my horoscope. (I'm actually don't know much about astrology, all I know is my sign.) I can't even remember the last time I read it. But for some reason I did.. today.

"Keep focusing on alone time -- do not let social expectations drive you out into the world if you're not feeling it. Your charm doesn't react well to pressure, anyway. If you really want to have fun, make social decisions based on what would make you happiest. It sounds simple, of course -- but it's only simple if you remember to do it. Work pressures will ease, so expect a lot of free weekday nights. Enjoy them alone or with your favorite person (which could be you too). "

Well damn. That hit it right on the dot. Scary. I felt like it was talking to me.
But it really is capturing what I'm going through.

So it says I have to make social decisions based on what would make me happiest. Hmm.. still trying to figure that out. Because honestly, that would involve people back home right now! 18 more days!

The power of feedback and coaching

There's nothing like people telling you what they think of you especially if they are complete strangers that you have no prior relationship with.

You have this whole perception of yourself, but its not until you collect constructive and positive feedback from people that you really realize your strengths and weaknesses.

You also can't underestimate the power of coaching either. You may not have any experience with a specific topic or issue that an individual is dealing with... but if you simply ask the right questions, resisting the temptation of offering any advice, that individual can eventually work out the issue on their own.

I think its so easy to offer advice to people, but sometimes, the answer that individual is looking for may in fact be within themselves.

Where is this all coming from? I took this management course and I'm so empowered. ;-)

The Fix

I was afraid it would be weird, uncomfortable, maybe even awkward, but it was the same feeling as I remembered. The fix began the same way it ended: Laughter.

A brilliant ice breaker to began it all, and as with any true friendship, we simply picked up where we left off. Yet again, a spectrum of topics were covered and I didn't want it to end. What has only been 2 days, its like I've known her for 20. Perhaps it’s the fact that she reminds me of "back home." Maybe it’s the connection that we have that I have yet to experience since moving here. Whatever it is, I didn't want it to end.

But it did end and who knows when we'll cross paths again. I remain hopeful, but realistic. But I ask myself sometimes, when is it all worth fighting for?

If you believe in this concept of "fate" then things find itself working out on its own and "written in the stars." But if you believe in creating your own destiny, then its your actions that dictate life's outcomes. Everyone has their own view.

My view? There's a balance. There are certain things you can control and must accept and certain things you cannot change. The key is knowing the difference.

I'm trying to figure that out right now.

Sliding Doors

It just amazes me sometimes on the impact of the decisions you make will completely change the rest of your life.

I think there are "critical forks in the road" in your life where your decision alters the experiences you will have.

Do we really have complete control? Or is there a predetermined plan for all of us?

I only ask this because I will always wonder... the other "What if.."

"What if I never made the move here and stayed in Chicago?"

I wonder how my life would have been..

I'll be quite honest, and I've expressed it before:

Initially, I didn't want to make the move.

Perhaps it was because I was scared? Maybe I was afraid of change?
But I wasn't completely 100% sure that it was the right decision.
I even had long conversations with some of you on what I should do...

But I gave it a chance. And to this day, I'm still giving it a chance.
With the decision I'll have no regrets and at least I know now how its like
living here instead of wondering how it would have been.

I can't say right now that moving here was the best decision of my life because
I honestly don't know that right now.

Maybe later in life I'll realize how great of a decision it was. But right now I can't say that. I guess I can say that it wasn't a bad decision.

Am I glad I moved?

Yes. I'm glad I did because I know I've done things I would have never experienced if I stayed in Chicago. Perhaps I'm changing as a person right now but I don't even know it. But making the right decision sometimes doesn't always lead to happiness.

I'm not saying I'm all depressed or anything, I'm just saying.. I know I can be happier. For some reason I notice this more than I ever did when I was in Chicago.

Maybe because I miss being comfortable around people I've known so long. Or in some cases, people I've just met on the first day..

Maybe its the weather.. maybe its the people.. maybe its just me and the stage
I am in with my life.. I don't know.

Sure, from a career mindset this is probably the best decision I've ever made.
But I guess sometimes, after a while, you realise all of a sudden what becomes important to you.

And I guess, for me, right now, there's a lot of social aspects about Chicago that I really miss.

The people, the weather, the food, the city itself. Perhaps I'm just really anxious because I'll be back in less than a month.. who knows!

But If I could experience the UK with any one of my loyal readers,
it would make a world of a difference.

Anybody wanna move? =)

But seriously, I'm not one to second guess my decisions, its just fun to ask "What if" once in a while, that's all.

I think it would be very interesting to see at this moment, what I would be up to right now, if I did decide to stay in Chicago, just like the movie Sliding Doors.

Yoga master
Still in yoga.. after 15 sessions I actually had a conversation with someone in the class.. but then again, maybe its because I went to the pub before yoga.. dangerous.

3 weeks later...

There are a few occasions in my life where I can completely and totally connect with someone. I've gotten to know a lot of women in my life that have come and gone. Some have made an impact in my life; others would be best left forgotten. =)

There are a small number, and you know who you are, that I have had a total connection with and still keep in touch to this day.

With each connection, this sometimes leads to some kind of relationship. It could be the best of friends, or perhaps something more intimate such as a serious relationship, and sometimes it just doesn't work out.

As human nature would have it, there's a tendency to compare your new current relationship to your previous ones. And as a check, there always this idea that you would want something better than you did in the past. You take what you've learned from the past and apply it to the present. With that it mind, it can only get better.

There's always this yearn to experience a feeling that you haven't felt before in the past. Or perhaps you have, and you just don't know how it feels like anymore because it has been so long.

You eventually want to work it up to the "higher level." You want to meet someone that you can completely and utterly connect with. Sometimes you meet someone that, in a matter of seconds have an instant care and admiration for. You can't explain why or how, but it just happens. This person completely "gets" you. They can look at you and read what you are thinking and hear a lot of the words that are left unspoken. They just feel what you are thinking. They finish your sentences. They get your humour. And there is nothing in the back of your mind that makes you worry about what they will think of you. Because its easy. You are not afraid to hold back and be yourself. You get into this natural high with them, and its this excitement that you feel that makes life so much worth living.

Sometimes this understanding, this connection, may take months, even years to establish as you get to know one another. Sometimes people may not even get to experience this at all and the relationship doesn't work out. But magically, others get lucky and this is established with just one day of meeting. For reasons that cannot be explained its like both of you somehow knew each other in a past life and it almost seems like you two were soul mates right from the beginning.

This feeling is a complete endorphin rush. Almost intoxicating. Euphoric.. It's Addicting and you never want it to stop.

But then things get complicated. The reality of life and its uncontrollable circumstances take over. Frustration surfaces. You begin to question why fate is such a tease.

Then you realise..it was simply a taste.

A taste I want to experience again, but not sure when or how or if I'll get a chance again.

Its very rare and hard to find and I appreciated every single moment of it. It's a level of connection that I didn't know could exist so quickly and so easily.. until now.

This was 3 weeks ago... and the buzz still hasn't left me. I need another fix soon... but not sure how long I'll have to wait.. or if it will happen again.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo - This day commemorates the victory of Mexican forces over the French in 1862.

In Chicago, if I remember correctly, this is one of those days were proud Mexicans drive around waving their Mexican flags. (The other day being Sept 16 when the Mexican's claimed independence from the spanish) Sometimes you'll see flags taped to the hood of their cars as they drive up and down the street, honking their car horns. It's also another reason to party as various bars hold Cinco de Mayo parties!

Unfortunately, I really don't think I'm going to see proud Mexicans driving up and down the street with their flags taped onto their hoods. Why? Mainly because I believe there is a direct relationship between the number of Mexican food restaurants and the size of the Mexican population in London.

Since I haven't exactly come across any good burrito places, nor many Mexican restaurants for that matter, I'm pretty sure coming across a car with a Mexican flag pinned to its hood wouldn't be very likely. Nothing like I would see "West of Western" back home that's for sure.

Oooo.. Maybe someone will tape a flag to the train in the tube. That would be awesome.

I wonder how India Independence Day (from the UK) is celebrated here in London? (Aug 15) With the large amount of Indians in London, that would be a party. I can see it now. Flags taped to the hoods, horns honking up and down the streets of London, playing Beware of the Boys by Panjabi MC and Jay-Z. Brilliant.
That would be one hell of a sight, and one hell of a party. I almost can't wait.

Keswick, Cumbria, England

I didn't know anything about this little town until my coworker said he was going to spend the weekend there. Nor did I know anything about the "Lake District." It was going to be a three day weekend, and there was no chance that I'd be staying in London.


We stayed at a bed and breakfast called Bagsend. It was my first time so I didn't know what to expect. It's really strange because you literally are living in someone's house. It's the strangest feeling. But the breakfast was good and the bed was perfect. Not only that but there was a shower in my room! How convenient, but weird at the same time! I guess it would be similar to living in a studio but it was just strange just having a shower right next to my bed!

We spent the first day taking a "walking tour" around the area. I bought a map for 60p at the tourist center and it gave me this "Lonely Planet" type walking tour around the area. This tour ended with a view that looked over Lake Derwentwater.




The second day we spent most of the day mountain biking. We left around 11AM and what was frustrating was that for the next four hours there wasn't any food/water along the way that we could buy! I was so tired, thirsty, and hungry. But we made it. It was probably the most technical ride I've done. Not that I'm all hard core about mountain biking, but there were 45 degree climbs and we had to ride over crags. Crags you ask? I had no idea what they were either until I tried riding over them.

It was funny sometimes because we'd get passed by hard core mountain bikers. We tried to look all hard core but it didn't help we were wearing jeans while they had their proper biking shorts, cool helmets, etc.

At the end of it all, even with the hard physical work I had put in, we were rewarded with awesome views of the country and made me appreciate England a little bit more.

I leave you with one of my favourite images: