The London Life

London is known for its shopping and I discovered why firsthand this past week. There are shops everywhere in this city. Anything anyone could possibly want can be found here. On Thursday I went with two other girls to Oxford Street, a very well known shopping area. This is where most people shop for their fashionable clothing. Some of the stores on this street were 4 stories high while others were a block long. They have some very nice department stores here that sell a lot of what we would see in America, but maybe a little bit more classy. Also on Oxford Street it was common to see 3 of the same stores just a little ways from each other. Although the street is about 2 miles long, I couldn't believe why there would be three of the same store on 1 street! They have a huge Nike Town store here with what seems like millions of shoes inside. A very popular place for young people to get fashionable clothing here is H & M and Top Shop. The clothes in these stores had some similarities to where I would shop in America, but also seemed to be more casual and aimed toward the club atmosphere. They definitely don't sell sweatshirts. I was amazed at how busy this street was. It was packed on a Thursday afternoon! I also visited Hamley's, the famous toy store in London. This is basically a huge 5 level store with every toy imaginable. I found it to be quite pricey though, as a small teddy bear was about 25 pounds. Harrod's is the famous department store here known for the high prices. Our program director told us we should all go in and buy a roll from the cafe just to get a Harrod's shopping bag to have as a souvenir. There are some stores here that you would find in American malls, such as, the Gap, Aldo, Adidas and Foot Locker also. The more expensive and higher class stores are located on Bond Street. I haven't visited this street yet, but I did see a Tiffany & Co. car driving around (picture above)!

They also have a lot of the same fast food places that we have. I have seen McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut. I haven't tried any of these to compare tastes, but I have noticed the different atmosphere. The Pizza Huts here are very nice looking. You can get reservations and there are cute little tables inside with a flower on each of them. There are so many different mixtures of people and a lot of different kinds of foods as well. I am extremely surprised how tidy and clean this city is. I think London is much cleaner than when I went to New York. There are sidewalk cleaners all over and people picking up trash on the streets and tube. I have noticed that the tube appears a lot cleaner and safer than the Subway in New York City as well.

On Thursday night we went to see the Lion King, a West End Show. I have seen this show before in Chicago, but it had been a while. The theatre was fabulous and I thought the show was great too. Our program director mentioned to us the next day that he was a little disappointed in the singing and acting. This surprised me, but I guess they have high standards here. I plan on going to see another show to compare my experience later on. Students get great discounts here, especially on show tickets.

Tonight we went out to eat! We were told a good place was Wagamamas, a Japanese noodle bar. Although this was a fun time, it was definitely not my favorite. The menu was pretty confusing, but I ended up getting fried noodles and chicken. This entree also contained leeks (I have no idea what these were), peppers, and onions that made the dish quite spicy. The real trouble came after the food was served. We were given chopsticks to eat with. I don't have much experience with these tools, but I managed to eat my meal with them. My hand did cramp up a few times though! They also do not give free refills and you have to ask for your bill when you are ready for it. After asking for the bill, I asked our waiter if he could split the bill separately for my friends and I. He then informed me, "No, you have to pay all together and do that yourselves." So we did the math. We later figured that they do not split the bills so they can get a tip. Our program director specifically told us that the British do not tip like the Americans. He told us that we never should tip at a bar or pub and only tip about 10% at a restaurant if the bill is over 10 pounds. All together, for 3 entrees) our bill was only 20 pounds so we are assuming that is the reason. Overall a pretty cheap meal out and an experience to go along with it! This was the first time I had meat since I have been over here. As some of you know I am not particularly fond of meat, especially if I have to handle cooking it myself. However, the chicken in my meal tasted normal so I might make some chicken breasts one of these night. On our walking tour the other day the guide pointed out the best place to get a hamburger in London, so I will have to try that out sometime too. Another interesting fact about food here is that they do not refrigerate their eggs. When you see them in the super market they are on a shelf and our hotel manager told us we were not to put them in the fridge! I find this unbelievable, but they taste the same.

After Wagamamas, my friends Carissa, Allison, and I went to the Texas Embassy. Carissa goes to Central and Allison attends Drake. The Texas Embassy is a Mexican restaurant, but we heard they have good margaritas. The strawberry margaritas were pretty good, but strong. Our program director warned us that drinks will be stronger here. It still feels so weird being able to order a drink here. After that we walked home through St. James Park. It is so nice to be able to walk everywhere or take the tube. I like walking to see everything above ground, but the Tube can be faster sometimes. Yesterday I bought a tube pass for the next month for 69 pounds. At first we thought this was pretty expensive, but over a whole month it should pay off considering I use the tube at least twice everyday!