Do You Really Need To Call The Bathroom... The Toliet?!

hmmmm, so i didnt blog yesterday night because, well my day was beyond boring. a much needed american day .. aka macaroni and cheese, movies and a nap. totally productive. but i will say that i did get up to go check out a gym down the street.

i was actually looking forward to it. running on the streets is fine, but it gets old after a while and i would really like to lift once in a while so im not completely behind when i get back home. anyway, we went to a gym down the street that i didnt even know was one. ive been running around it for hmmm 2 weeks now, who knew. its just a little rec center with bball courts, a pool (with slide!) and a gym/ aerobic classes. no a bad gig. after our tour, we found out that we can get a student membership for 20 pounds a month which isnt to bad. the only downfall was that we were restricted to go during the hours of 9-5. but maybe it would force me to go instead of putting it off until the end of the day. well everything was fine and dandy until the man told us the only way to pay for it was with a UK credit or debit card. uhhhhh, come again? long story short, they have special numbers on those cards that they needed for the system. so we couldnt use our credit cards... or checks ... or cash. so basically, we were S.O.L. sweet.

they have a "sim" chip 

plus a crazy unnecessary code  

talk about a downer. i was excited that i found a reasonably priced gym right down the street from me. the man told will, erin and i that we should get a UK card. really buddy? im not going through all of that to join a gym. besides nothing is ever that simple, everything ive done here so far is a headache (ive gone through what.. 3 cell phones?!) im sure that would be too.

sidenote: he did say we could pay 8 pounds in cash for  a week pass.
so answer this...

1. why cant u take cash for a month pass?

2. why would i pay more money weekly than i would for a month?

3. why do you suck for not taking american credit cards!!!!!

on a lighter note, having monday and wednesday off make the week go by SO much faster. can u believe tomorrow im finishing week 3 of classes. that is absolutely ridiculous...only 7 weeks of classes to go!  thats got to be some kind of joke.

realizing that everything is going so quickly, we had to start booking our trips. as you already know we book our trip to paris, but last night we attempted to tackle spring break. talk about stressful. planning a 3 week trip throughout europe with at least 6 people including transportation and hostels all at the lowest prices is well... impossible! once we finally figured out a flight to book, out credit card didnt go through. once again, why dont you like our american money!!

bad photo, but i was attempting to be sneaky

random note: while we were booking our trips in the kitchen, my flat mate happened to look out the window and saw two kids being patted down and searched by what looked like two random pedestrians. but turns out they were undercover cops... sooo cool! we came to the conclusion that it was a minor drug bust, because the two people left with baggies they obtained from the two juveniles. well given the CJ side of me, i was beyond excited to watch. im talking my head out the kitchen window trying to listen to what they were saying. at one point we heard sirens and thought the cops were coming, but they didnt. talk about a bummer. granted im sure those kids were thrilled they didnt. i dont know what the true story was, but it was sweet to watch.
guess its good to know they are patrolling our area.

but back to the spring break plans. after two hours, we finalized our trip...

april 9th -22nd.

italy

venice

florence

rome

athens

[potentially -- greek island ]

back to london

ireland

london -- for the royal wedding!

so trying to be logical, we have to book transportation and hostels for all these places in order (except florence) we didnt book them all last night, but we booked the first stop...our flight to venice! so worse comes to worse, we'll at least make it to venice! once we compare prices with trains / rail-pass, we will book the rest.

ok. enough of that,on to something more humorous things.

more WTF london...

so the other day i went to the grocery store to pick up a few things.

when you check out, they always ask if you want bags.

alright, understandable incase someone brings a reusable one.

but when i say yes, a part of me is always nervous for there packing job.

after they folded my french baguette in half, i've been a bit skeptically.

and ladies and gentleman.. this is why. 

yes. completely logical

i usually pack a loft of soft sandwich bread...

with a HUGE water bottle! 

this next one i have to give credit to jade for,

and i cant believe i didnt notice...

she asked me the other night if i had ever looked at the front of the tube map.

i mean i couldn't tell u word for word what it said, 

but i could picture in my mind. 

well clearly, i was wrong and should pay more attention...

the tube stops are all emotions.

what in the world?! 

for those of you who cant see, the stops are

"Awe, Power, Fame, Reason, Pride, brilliance, Laughter, Joy"

i dont know about you, but the tube definitely 

does not bring those characteristics out in me.

i'd go with...

creepy, sketched out, loud, smelly, jam packed.

another thing ive noticed in london is the public restrooms...aka "toilets"

btw:

could you get more vulgar...toilets? 

really, kinda graphic if you ask me. 

anyway, this is a photo of one in portobello market. 

looks like an upscale johnny on the spot...

(that even sounds better than toilet)

but when u go up close, you will see that you have to pay for it.

no joke, i believe this one cost 20 pence. 

bet if you had to pay to pee 

you'd listen to your mother real fast...

and go before you left the house!

lastly, i attempted to do laundry for the first time last week.

over all... FAIL! 

so on the way to the laundromat my detergent bottle broke,

and leaked all over my clothes. 

then i was obligated to wash everything, 

wether or not i wanted to or could afford it. 

i quickly learned why europeans don't wash their clothes.

4 pound to wash ... 20p for 3 mins of drying.

oh and u could only use 20 p coins...

(dont even get me started with their choice of currency)

well i squished 3 loads into two to wash and then dried all as one.

overall, i spent 8 pounds on wash...

and at least 3 pounds to dry. 

i spent a minimum of 11 pounds for laundry.

but wait.... convert it

roughly 18 US dollars..

WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!

sorry, ill just buy new clothes rather than wash the old.

RIDICULOUS! 

tomorrow is friday... wooo! one class and the officially the weekend. but for now, im feeling a drink or two at the pub. so farwell for now my friends. ill be back tomorrow. 

<3 . ready for a drink.