"Please mind the gap between the platform and the train..."

*Disclaimer: The following blog entry is going to be rather random and completely pointless but I am bored and feel like typing something... LOL*

So where to begin... Last night I cooked for the first time since I moved to London, are you impressed? Because I sure am haha. I know some of you must be thinking "you've been there for almost two months and this is the first time you have cooked dinner??" but you have to realize that I don't cook. Ever. haha. I usually eat premade meals or heat up soup or pasta or something simple like that. You see, I like to eat when I am hungry, not an hour or so later after I have prepared everything and cooked it! Plus, I don't usually plan ahead enough and think about what I will feel like eating later that day. (Yet another reason that I need to be rich - so that I can have a chef!! haha) So anyway, it was a fairly simple meal, I only had a few issues, and everything turned out really good in the end :o) I made salmon with garlic salt and pepper on it, and pasta with garlic alfredo sauce. The first hurdle was when I realized I had forgot to take the salmon out in the morning (which is why I don't cook, too much preparation and thinking ahead LOL) so I had to figure out how to use the microwave to defrost it. Then I had trouble figuring out how to use the oven - I think the temps are in celcius which threw me off and it didn't give the option of broil or bake so I assume I baked it haha. Then I realized that our kitchen doesn't have oven mitts! So I bunched up some paper towel and used that, luckily I didn't start a fire or anything haha. Overall though everything went as well as could be expected and tasted really good!!

What else...? Um, oh does anyone know the purpose of the 2 pence coin??? Seriously, when are you ever going to need 2 pence and not have two 1 pence coins?? I just seems like a completely pointless coin and they aren't small like pennies, they are rather large and really annoying to carry around in your wallet especially since you NEVER use them! I don't get it.

So I have had to hunt for a few things recently and it is driving me crazy! Maybe I am just not looking in the right places.... Anyway, the three main things I was looking for were hair gel, crackers, and hot chocolate. I finally found some hair gel yesterday that wasn't "super ultra extra firm hold" or "spiking gel", it cost a little more than I would've liked but I found it!! I also managed to find some crackers at Marks and Spencer and I am actually eating them right now, sadly they taste a little like cardboard but at least I have Cheese Whiz to try to cover that up with!! :o) I haven't been able to find hot chocolate yet though... I looked at M&S when I was there but they didn't have any. I figured I would try to buy some because I am always cold in the office but all we have to drink is water, coffee, or tea - and I don't drink coffee or tea and water doesn't warm you up! I don't like chocolate that much either but better than the other two so it would be kind of a compromise, if I could only find it somewhere! I have been drinking vanilla flavored steamed milk from the coffee place downstairs from our office but I'm sure if I keep drinking those all the time I am definitely going to gain a kazillion pounds while I'm here!! With all the bread products and pasta I have been consuming I wouldn't be surprised if I'm already halfway there LOL. At least my pants still fit at the moment... ;o)

I talked to Laura on the phone a few days ago and we caught up so that was really nice! I haven't talked to her for a while so it was good to chat and find out what was new in her life :o). And yesterday I got a phonecall from my gorgeous friend Justin! I miss everyone so much and it is always great to hear from people at home!! I have been trying to get a hold of Kari as well but she is super busy with school and so our hours are completely opposite, but I will hopefully be talking to her next weekend if things work out as planned. If any of you have good long distance plans or have Shaw Digital Phone, please call me if you have time because I'd love to talk to you :o) You have to call in the afternoon your time though so that it is evening here... And if you can't call me, I always love receiving email or mail! Sadly though Jenna sent me a package a while ago and I still haven't received it... she is pretty certain it must still be in the mail but I'm not as hopeful as it has been almost a month since she sent it - does anyone have any clue how long it takes packages to get from Canada to England by regular mail??

Hmm I just realized I haven't posted any "things that I have learned" recently... let me think...

• 8:30pm - isn't "eight thirty", it is "half eight"
• Dubai has different economic zones which are almost tax free, how cool is that?
• I have to do the initial interviews for the recruitment process of hiring my replacement
• They don't sell Mars chocolate bars in the US
• I don't think they sell Ginger Ale anywhere here, I have yet to see it (but they sell Canada Dry in Paris!)
• When someone random on the street asks you "where do you usually get your hair done", no matter what city you are in Calgary or London, they are not complimenting your hair they are trying to sell you some ridiculous salon package - run away! LOL
• They are not "bachelor" and "bachelorette" parties, they are "stag-dos" and "hen-dos"
• Black Lace is apparently a British pop band from I think the 80s and if you hear "Agadoo" or "Superman" played at a bar or party you will notice that EVERYONE knows the dance moves haha (kinda like the macarena) - check out this awesome video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk4qPlVzr68

Well that is all I can think of to write at the moment... congratulations if you are still actually reading this, you must be really bored or procrastinating from doing work right now LOL. Tomorrow is finally Friday (did this week seem ridiculously long to anyone else?!) and I am headed out to Kent for the night to hang out with Louisa and Jeff! Not sure what we are doing yet but it should be fun :o) Then on Saturday night I am going to Marie's flatwarming party. So not a lot of sightseeing if any is going to happen this weekend but it should be fun!! I will probably blog again on Sunday unless something extremely exciting happens before then and I feel the need to tell you about it!

Later days! :o)