Why you gotta be so complicated?

Cue that one Avril Lavigne song. (That one's for you, Kevin).

Seriously though. England is SO. COMPLICATED. Nothing is easy or simple here.

For example, I move into my new place tomorrow (YAY!) and have signed up for internet, but in order to get internet you have to pay for a phone line, and they can't come set any of that up until the 19th. That's over a week from now. Another company told me the 23rd.

So, I won't have internet for a week. Okay. But I also don't have a phone with 3G/4G right now. I have been told by some that I can't get a long-term contract without UK credit history of 4 months. Which means I'll have to pay more for a phone and then pay more overall. Hopefully I can get around that. But still, it's yet another complication.

For the bank, you have to have tons of paperwork to get an account. I lucked out on getting mine so early, and the guy is still waiting for paperwork from me and my school. But at least I have one My friend was unable to get one without official documents from the school. Then to log into your account online, or to get account help over the phone, you have an 8-digit passcode number that they ask you for random numbers from ("Please enter the 2nd to last digit of your 8-digit code. Please enter the 3rd digit..., etc). Then online there are multiple secret questions AND a random-number-generating key fob. So you can't check your bank online unless you have the stupid fob. I have no idea what happens if you lose it!

Getting a house has proved to be equally, if not more, complicated. Many landlords do not want transfers from foreign bank accounts, so you have to have a local one (which is a hassle, as I noted). Then if you're foreign you have to pay a larger deposit (2 months in advance sometimes, plus first months rent. Or in my cause, termly rent). Then that goes into a deposit scheme which you have an account for. Aside from that, finding a place is hard and expensive and many places are practically run-down crack-houses going for the price of a Park Avenue apartment. My friend even got a dorm in a fairly nice place (way over priced, if I do say), and their internet only works sometimes and the stove randomly turns off and her shower gets water EVERYWHERE. So really, even if you're paying out-the-bum for a place, there's no guarantee it'll even really be any good.

Also I have a cold and apparently Nyquil isn't easy to come by here. And this woman told me if I have a cold I'm supposed to go get a shot or it will come back? I have no idea what she meant. Maybe colds are some superbug in England and I just don't know. I can just hear the English cold virus talking..."OI MATE, I'M COMIN BACK FOR YA HAHAHA." Jerk.

Anyway I move tomorrow, so once I get internet I will post pics of the new place and maybe of the roommates or something. Which by the way, are not my original roommates. I will now be living with 3 undergrad film students from Kings, all girls, form France, Bulgaria (I think) and Italy. Things never really work out how you plan them in England...but oh well. Better to not be homeless!

L is for London. And also LOUD.

Right now I am at the temporary apartment sitting in bed, trying to relax and perhaps finish my Netflix movie entitled Tower Block (featuring that Estate/Council housing I was talking about in my last post, coincidentally). But I can't, because two very obnoxious people are singing crap renditions of The Bangals and Avril Lavigne. I mean they are pretty much singing [screaming] this at the top of their lungs. I put earplugs in but I can still hear them. 

Which brings me to my point. London is LOUD. My goodness. It is so loud all the time everywhere you go. There's sirens constantly. One just literally went off while I was typing this. My guess is that it's tourists getting hit by cars because (oh, there goes a helicopter flying by, which I can hear inside my house) they keep forgetting you have to look the opposite way before you cross the street (oh and now a dog is barking). Anyway, there's construction everywhere and noisy people and music and it's just crazy and loud. If I'm outside I can never hear anyone on the phone and have to yell for them to hear me. I went with my dad to a pub today to meet some of his colleagues and it was very enjoyable until the 5pm rush of people came in, mixed with the pub music, and they're all talking so loud and I stopped being able to hear most of the conversation despite the fact that I was right next to them. 

Or maybe I was hearing this 130 car pile-up that happened today (it's the big news in Britain, in case you haven't heard). Apparently Brits drive super fast in the fog even when they can't see. I haven't a clue as to why.

 

Along with it being loud and people being hard to hear (especially certain accents)(hey, there goes another siren) Londoners also don't pronounce things the way that they are spelled. For example, these locations are spelled completely different from how you actually say them:

Southwark is pronounced Suthuck.

Leicester is pronounced Lester.

I'm sure American English has that too, but it's kind of complicated when need directions from someone and can't find the place on the map because you're pronouncing it all wrong from how it's written. But alas, I am a modern day Columbus, so I always find my way. 

Speaking of Columbus and finding my way, a London transit pass is £116 a month. Which is $258.79. A MONTH. Students get a small discount but still, what the heck, London. 

"You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means."

Estate.

So we went house hunting for about a billion hours yesterday. All of the places were either estate housing or used to be estate housing. I know, you're like "Okay, what does that even mean though?"

Well, let me tell you. In America, if you're looking for a home and you hear the word "estate, " it usually gives you the idea that it's some big nice house on a nice plot of land, possibly somewhat old but well kept and classic. Like a big old Southern mansion. Right? Or a big California home with a big long driveway, lined with palm trees and a little dog running up to meet you.

That is not the case here in London. Oh no, it is most definitely not the case. Estate housing in London is akin to "The Projects" or "Section 8" housing in America. You know, government owned, run-down properties for people who can't afford to actually live here. Like this:

This is pretty much where we ended up yesterday. It was not a happy experience. And you know how we got there (after we got lost)? Some nice London policemen. We asked directions and they literally PARKED THEIR CAR IN THE STREET, got out, and walked around with us until we found it. So, while we may have been lost in the shady ghetto of London, at least we had some nice cops to keep us safe. Also one of them said New York City is safer than London. I didn't know whether to laugh or be worried. Or maybe they've just never been to New York.


Today we look at 4 more places, a little more expensive but hopefully better. Wish us luck!

"Good bye then, and such good luck!"

So, this is pretty much what I look like right now.

Just kidding. Kind of. On the eve of my departure, I seem to be developing a stye on my right eyelid. It's still small right now and not yet at Hunchback proportions but needless to say, I am still quite perturbed. I have been putting a warm compress on it every few hours along with antibiotic ointment and praying to anyone who will listen to please TAKE AWAY THIS CURSE. I mean really. If it doesn't go away soon I will be known as the "Hunchback of Westminster Abbey" at school and will have to live in the bell tower all by my lonesome. 


But I digress. 

I am pretty much packed and ready to go. I have 3 checked bags (2 military duffles - under 50lbs -pictured right, and 1 overweight - 60ish lbs. - suitcase which I can literally fit into) and 2 carry-ons, one of which weighs at least 15lbs. This will cost me about $390. THANKS US Airways for being ridiculous. 

It's basically all clothing, bags, and shoes. Mom (Mum?) will be mailing me my photos, a few knick-knacks, art work and some random stuff. And nail polish (the whole collection). She is a saint. 

I am quite worried I have brought way too much s#*t and that I will have nowhere to put it. I wasn't worried about that before, but my roommate Nicki has been searching for a day or two and not having much luck with housing...which means if we have to split up and live in like university housing (GOD FORBID. It's STUPID expensive and SO SMALL and really just awful. AWFUL.) I will have absolutely no space for anything; even breathing will be a complication. 

Anyway, for anyone wondering, here's the details pertaining to my travel (please refer back to these so that people can stop asking me the same questions over and over and over and over and over):

• I am going to Kings College London.
• I am getting a Masters in International Peace & Security.
• I want to either work for Amnesty International in research or for the UN (High Commissioner for Refugees or Human Rights or the like)...I plan to focus whatever I do on women, because that is what's most important to me as a feminist. 
• I am planning to live in Central London.
• I have a temporary apartment until I find housing.
• I will (hopefully) have 3 roommates; Nicki, Anna and Ali.
• I am planning to live in London indefinitely, with no plans whatsoever to move back to the US any time soon.
• I am single (hint hint, gentlemen). 
• I am paying for this with my first-born child. And possibly a leg.
• Yes my blog background is Downtown Abbey and so is the title of this post. #dealwithit

I am pretty excited to fly Air New Zealand, it's pretty snazzy. I am not excited for the 5 hours layover in LAX but what can you do? I have plenty of movies and TV to catch up on I assure you.

I am going to miss everyone terribly, of course, but I also know that it won't be so long before I see many of them again. There's already a bit of planning in the works to meet some people in Europe (Ireland for St. Patty's Day, anyone?!) and possibly for a friend to come out next April. So, while I am sure there will be tears tomorrow and for some days after, I am feeling pretty good about this whole thing. 

And I think that is where I will leave this first entry. Happy thoughts. Looking forward to my next grand adventure! Please send positive energy or prayers that my roommates and I find housing with the quickness!