Good Morning ATL (For Aunt Jill)

ASDA

England has its own version of Wal-Mart called ASDA. it's owned by the same people, but after visiting it we realized the brits had 3 year olds make the signs that hang inside:

In america we are strict about how many items can be brought into the express lane. england not so much.

there's a whole isle devoted to drinks with fizz. the isle next to this one said "savory snacks" which were chips, more cookies, and candy. i didnt get a picture of it but i bought some candy because i had to. also, candy is cheaper here. i got it for 67 pence(cents) each, or 3 for 2 pounds(dollars). So yes, i saved a penny.

we went back to westminster today, then went and saw buckingham palace in green park, and also went to see Watchmen at the IMAX theatre here, which is the biggest screen in the country. it is a really good movie, although it has some scenes in it that are very messed up for a comic book movie. i ate fish and chips, which were delicious. so far we've eaten about half of our meals at american restaurants and half at british ones, but the fish and chips were the best so far. there's a restaurant called Eat. here, and another called American Fried Chicken. the american restaurants such as mcdonalds and burger king have tasted a little bit better, i think because there are no restrictions on the oil used and such over here. the coke is sweeter too, and so drinking a can is like drinking a cup of coffee. i like it. if they ever put a taco bell here i would be in heaven, but sadly there is none.....i'll post the pictures of buckingham and some others we took later so check back. tomorrow we're off to wimbledon, and maybe chelsea stadium. these travel passes come in handy because in a given day we ride the subway 10-20 times. it's a really good transportation system, as are the buses. the city is safe, as we have even walked 2 miles from a subway station to our hotel just to see how the streets are at night. every part of the city is clean, and london has a vast security system, with video cameras every ten feet or so. its been said that the average person has their picture taken 100,000 times a day. i may have to contact them so i can get some cool aerial shots of us around the city. with about 3 full days left, i have made it my mission to get a picture of the palace guard smiling, and to get one of Amy Winehouse walking drunk through london. she's supposedly sober now after rehab, but there are ways. there are ways....

Stupid Bloke

Today we got to see how the British healthcare system works due to Noel falling and hitting his head. The ER was quick and everything was free, even for us. The most exciting part was this lady who was on something, who kept: switching seats, asking people how they were doing, going to the phone and calling someone to say people were trying to kill her, and finally asking why she hadnt seen the doctor yet. The nurse asked for her info, just to find out that the crazy lady never checked in....here's a picture of her, she's in the middle:

Westminster and Hyde Park

Big Ben

I'm praying outside the Westminster Cathedral. they even do tours during mass

one of the estates at Hyde Park

me in a red telephone pole. and some random guy in our shot.

So far it's been pretty easy to find everything. we're going to go to the museums, Buchkingham, chelsea stadium and such in the next few days.

We Made It

Here's a few pics we've taken so far. Going to Westminster today to see all the fun stuff.


This is the shirt my assistant manager wanted me to get her



The West End, on England's version of broadway

A cardboard cutout of Barack Obama at the airport

Voltaire

Quotes from Voltaire that I find amusing

Anything too stupid to be said is sung.

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

Monsieur l'abbé, I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.

Bloke

I'm copying the rest of my family and moving away next year. I got in to the University of East London for next fall, and there is no way I can turn this down. It will be the experience of a lifetime, and is the best way to ensure I find a good job when I get my degree. London is the media capital of the world, with the BBC and all its other news and music outlets. Looking online I have discovered that my experience there will in total cost between 25-30k a year, something that will be covered in government funds and the occasional student loan and such. While this will ultimately add to my debt, the experiences and lessons I will learn are going to be far more valuable. At the moment I am looking online at other forms of housing besides the campus dorms, because it appears that just moving out into my own place will be cheaper than the 9000 dollars a year the dorms cost. Who wants to move there with me and be my roommate? :-)