london living

This week has been filled non-stop with flat hunting. So far, we have been able to view 5 flats but none have been the one. I really thought I was an easy going person when it came to flats and my needs. Basically, Bianca and I just need 2 beds and a kitchen and a bathroom. Simple living & we don't even mind sharing. For our budget, so far we have toured a flat in the ghetto, a flat on the outskirts of town, a flat on the main floor probably built in the 1700s with bars on the windows and post war furniture, a flat where the landlord told me that she would not allow 2 girls to live there, and finally a 'cruise ship size' room in the basement with 1 small tiny port window and no washer, no fridge, no closet, and no safety. Bianca and I feel like we have literally called all agencies and are constantly looking. The real estate market is ridiculous here. Places come available and are under contract in a matter of hours! This morning a real estate agent told us about a flat and we immediately told her we wanted it. By the time she responded, she informed us that it already had an offer. I write all this in desperation. We are accepting any and all thoughts of encouragement and prayer. We are going to see an unfurnished flat tomorrow in hopes that it will be fine and we will just have a shopping trip to IKEA! The prices in London are so expensive and no one wants to let to students. 

BUT- on a brighter note, my final exam is tomorrow and Meredith is coming! We are going to be crazy American tourists till Saturday and then go to Dublin and then north England. So excited and ready for my holiday! & then HomeSweetUSA. And if anyone was wondering, I have been practicing my British accent and slang in case people want to hear my best attempt. 

<3cate

sink water

daily living continues. & at this point, I am thankful to be moving next semester. I can honestly say that I am only going to miss some particular and not always enjoyable traits of my flatmates that I try to consider comedic. 

As I am sitting at the table with Bianca, one of our favorite instances just occurred. This characteristic could be described as 'green' or 'eco-friendly' but Marc Antoine rarely ever uses a glass for water. I am saying rarely ever but I have NEVER seen him use one. Instead, he only uses the kitchen sink. And by this, he literally puts his head in the sink, opens his mouth, and turns on the faucet. Probably not actually that funny but Bianca and I just take great joy in seeing him do this. In addition to him doing this, his house guests consisting of his friends and his brother have been spotted doing this as well. In my mind it is very odd and I think "get a glass" but to him, he probably thinks I am being wasteful and it is unnecessary to put my cold, filtered water in a glass. 

happy saturday <3

90 Days

So tomorrow marks my 90th day in London. Cannot believe it has been 3 months already. When I look back and think about all my apprehensions of coming like where I was going to live, who I was going to meet, what I would be doing everyday, etc. I am so thankful for how it has all worked out. I have a flat (currently- may be homeless come January though), I have friends from all over the world, and I am enjoying what I am doing (maybe not all of the papers). It is so weird because last year at this time, I never imagined being here and being a student still. Maybe next December 1st I will have a job?! 


The countdown is on though:
-8 days till I am done with the first semester of my masters program & the day my sister arrives in London
-18 days till I leave the UK and come back to the US
-25 days till Christmas
-28 days till my Birthday
-29 days till I return to London for NYE with my best friends


Thank goodness I will only be in US for 11 days because I do not know what I would do without a Strongbow cider and Muller yogurt for too much longer. (joking but definitely some of my favorites)


Anyone reading this obviously is a close friend so I hope to see you while I am home! I am so excited and ready for this holiday season.
<3 <3 <3

Thanksgiving Miracle

So I celebrated my first Thanksgiving abroad and successfully cooked my first turkey, Abraham Ben Franklin Lincoln I. Honestly, I had no idea that turkeys came with giblets? That is disgusting. But Carolyn used it all and made gravy! Such the Betty Crocker. Thursday was definitely different than most holidays and did not really feel like Thanksgiving. No one was traveling to be with family, no one was off work, and the Macy's Day parade was not on.....But ESPN America was! Carolyn and her boy friend ordered the channel for the month so it could feel more like Thanksgiving. Now I have never thought of myself as very knowledgeable of the game but it was hilarious trying to teach everyone the rules of American football. 


Carolyn and I ultimately had a dinner party for 11 (everyone wanted to celebrate!) and it turned out perfect. We cooked all day and had: Turkey, Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, Corn Casserole, Rolls, Pumpkin Pie, Banana Pudding, and Mulled Wine! The most enjoyable and comical part was telling everyone that before we ate, everyone had to say what they were thankful for. It was everyone's first Thanksgiving and they got rather nervous. Our guests included: 4 Brits, 1 Canadian, 1 Norwegian, 1 Swede, 1 Italian, and a Portuguese.  It was a great night that I am sure I will never forget. 

 Abraham Ben Franklin Lincoln I and his neck (which took us 10+ minutes to figure out)

 Cleaning the bird.

 The Brits excited for their first Thanksgiving

 Siri, Charlotte, Natalie, Chris, Steve, and Maria

 About to say what we are thankful for

Hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving. & 3 weeks from tomorrow, I come back to America. 

Things I am Thankful For

Normally, I love this week because.... 

-it is a 2 day week (if I even went to those 2 days of classes)

-Home Sweet Home

-it's a holiday!

-watching Duke basketball with my parents/ Christmas movie with my sister after eating

-cooking deliciousness with Mer/ Mer having a weird fetish with carving the turkey

-my puppies

-naps

-family time

Well this year is obviously a little different but nonetheless, more about the true meaning of the holiday-Thanksgiving. & I am thankful for so many things this year. I am thankful to have the opportunity to live in London. I am thankful for family & friends. While I am 4,196 miles away from my family in Tennessee and 4,326 miles away from my friends in Alabama, I am encouraged and so blessed by them every day. I am also thankful for new friends. Friends from England, Italy, Norway, Sweden, France, Canada, & even Kansas City helping to make my experience here better every day. I am thankful for good shoes and a warm coat because I walk a lot here and it is getting pretty cold! I am thankful for modern technology, especially my iPhone/viber app. And of course, the list could continue for forever. 

Don't fear though, I am going to have a Thanksgiving dinner! This year, my American friend, Carolyn, and I will be cooking a feast for all of our international friends. It is going to be a "Thanksgiving Miracle" (quote from Friends) if we can pull it off. We have already made 2 trips to the American grocery store and now face the battle of converting everything to pints and grams and centigrade, etc. 

I definitely will document the moment and blog later. Good news though- Carolyn ordered ESPN America so we can watch all the sports! ha. Also, please enjoy the invitation made my Carolyn's British boyfriend. I know you are definitely jealous now. 

 

Taste The Freedom!

UK Grades

So I have never been a straight A student but obviously enjoy getting 85,90,95 type of grades. Anyone can imagine my amusement when a fellow classmate here told me that they got a 45 and were okay with it because it was a tough assignment. I just thought they were not very bright until I learned the grading system. No one gets in the 80s or 90s here. In fact, a 70 is basically an "A"and a 40 is like a "C". Other nationality-students are also throwing around words and phrases like "I got a first" and "distinction". To me, this is foreign but I guess I will learn. Also, one can get an "E", "FX", or "F".

Super random, I know, but somewhat weird and interesting. I also had to post so Dad can read and understand in case he ever hears I get a 40.


<3 cate

This week's British Slang

Blimey.....Rubbish....Dodgy. All brit words used in daily conversation. While I have now been in the UK for over 2 months, I still have trouble, OCCASIONALLY, understanding British accents or at least slang phrases.  Yesterday, I was introduced to an excellent new phrase that definitely has a meaning that I did not guess: Taking the piss. Urban Dictionary defines it as: 
Making fun of something or someone

Hey, Jim, you're fat.
No, I'm not!
Naw, you're not really fat; I was just taking the piss.

The example is really the best. May not recommend using that phrase in Alabama/Tennessee but I thought this blog post would be most helpful for Kelsey & #friemds when they come for a visit in January. 

Miss y'all <3