Last Tuesday someone tried to burn our building down. Yep, someone tried to kill most of the London employees of GT. It all started with an innocent little fire alarm that we all thought was a drill b/c they tend to run these a few times a year (yes, we have fire drills like we're in 3rd grade - quite practical actually, not sure why the US doesn't take part in these little excuses to waste a few minutes of the day, keep everyone from nodding off at their computers, you know), but when we had all trooped outside I noticed a few maintenance men doubled over like they were struggling to breathe and one was holding a cloth to his mouth. Then someone said, "Is that smoke?", and sure enough, smoke was coming from these vents beside the building that lead to the basement. The fire wardens came round and told us that it was a real fire and to just go ahead and go to lunch, since it was about noon. We went to our little local GT pub called the Jollies, and that kitchen probably hasn't seen so much action at lunch time in years. We were told that we could head back to the building around 12:45, but we didn't actually go back until 1:45. The building smelled faintly of smoke and the lights weren't working - not a huge deal since we still had daylight (and no one has actual offices, remember?). Then about 3:30 the fire alarm went off again and when we made it outside the smoke was pouring out of the basement vents. We headed back to the pub (not a bad Tuesday all in all), and they told us around 5 that no one was allowed back in but they would escort groups of ten at a time up to get their things if they needed them. The people who went back said that the smoke was so bad in the building that their eyes were burning and they could feel it in their lungs. Later we heard rumors that it was arson, and sure enough, the next day the head of the London office said that there was a police investigation regarding the fire! We've all been speculating who it might have been (one of the people made redundant last year??), but apparently there is now a member of the security group who is a suspect. Scary - one of the people who's supposed to protect you is trying to kill you. Maybe this will teach us a lesson to be polite to our security guards and wish them a good morning and good night. So now we have increased security (? - assuming they're not all bad I guess) who simply stand there and watch us tap in and out of the gates going into the building, making sure we each have a pass to get in. Quite creepy actually. So with a major snow storm two Mondays ago and fire last Tuesday, we're all wondering what's going to happen this Wednesday. MJ thinks it's going to be zombies. That would be an interesting email - "Due to the undead roaming the streets, please refrain from coming to the office unless you are ensured of your safe journey both to and from home." I guess we'll see tomorrow. And girls - the "hot fireman" steryotype is true in Britain as well, but also like the US, the live versions are generally disappointing.
MJ and I went to the same pub after the second fire drill and it was slightly thrilling to have to sit across the table from each other and pretend like we barely knew each other and engage in idle chit chat. We were two of the last four and ended up leaving together, but I'm almost positive one of the two already knows about us, and the other was too drunk to notice.
Wednesday MJ took me to dinner for his VDay and my 'it's just Wednesday' dinner. He had told me about this restaurant that he always took girls to for dates, and I told him that he had to take me there sometime, just so I could see what his "game" used to be. Well, I told him to surprise me this Wednesday, and he took me to this place. Good game, MJ. It was actually pretty good - one of those gourmet pizza places. Except apparently the British are too cool to cut a pizza up for you (well, the nicer places at least), and they give you a table knife to cut it up yourself. I think I spent as many calories cutting the damn thing as I took in eating it.
On Thursday I tried to come into work early (meaning 8 am - we start at 9 am here - I know you all in the States are jealous), and was slightly delayed due to the arrest of a woman on the bus that I was riding. I was bopping away with my headphones in, and when we stopped for an unusually long period of time at a bus stop, I realized (I just had to go back and correct the spelling of that word - I spelled it 'realised' first - I'm finally integrating!) that there was a bit of a commotion going on behind me. When I stopped my music I heard this man shouting at a girl to give him her information, and when she kept refusing he shouted down to the driver to let the rest of us off and transfer us to the next bus. I assumed that he was a police officer with the way that he was ordering the driver around. So I never actually saw her get arrested but if not that was an overly aggressive way to get some digits. Either way I couldn't help but smile - you never know what's going to happen in London!
Speaking of, I don't know if I ever told this story, but when my grandma was here with me the first two weeks we got onto the tube after going to a show and there was a man slumped in one of the seats, passed out, with vomit covering the front of him. It smelled so awful we had to move carriages at the next stop. Ah, London.
Thursday was my brother Tim's 20th birthday and I got to Skype him to tell him happy birthday - I love skype so much - it's magic! The rest of you should get on and find me - we could talk via webcam, it's the best!
Also on Thursday I went to dinner with MJ again, this time to meet some of his friends that I hadn't met before. They were really, really lovely - much better than Ben let's just say. There was Brinda (Brin) and Bal, who are married, Charlotte and Niko (dating) and Charlotte's sister Lizzie who was visiting from Manchester. Not sure why I felt compelled to tell you their relationship status just there, like this is facebook or something. I'm such a dbag sometimes. Anyway, they were all very warm and funny and welcoming and I could tell that they all had really good hearts. And they seemed to be ok with Americans, which is always a plus. We ate at a Latin American place, and it was SOOO delicious! Real Mexican food - exactly what I've been craving all this time! I ate so much I thought they might have to roll me out of there.
Last Friday MJ sent me the following text: "Three months ago today we met for the first time Knoxy. And I'm still crazy about you. xxx" I literally swooned! He's amazing.
This weekend Denisse was in town from the States - my first visit from the US!! She was here for work, but stayed over the weekend to see me and tour London a little. On Friday we went to eat dim sum with Dasha and her friend Ruth. I also got to see Denisse's baby bump for the first time (she's 5 months prego with baby #1) and it's so adorable!! For those of you who don't know her she's a beautiful, tiny Latin American girl who is going to be all belly in about a month I bet. Saturday we went to Portobello Road, which I hadn't been to since I was a tourist to London in 2005, and I completely fell in love with it! I'm totally addicted to that place now - it's so beautiful and busy, but not too crowded and hectic. Just bustling, if you know what I mean. They had some really unique clothes there too, which is the main reason that I'm addicted.
We met up with MJ for lunch around one at a warm little pub, and we all had bangers (sausages) and mash - a very English meal for Denisse! Then we did the super touristy stuff - Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Parliament, Trafalgar Square. Both MJ and Denisse have those giant cameras with the titan lenses, so we were incredibly conspicuous, but that's part of the fun, right? The photo posted above with Denisse and her camera and I and my map is my favorite from the day b/c we look like such tourists! It turned out to be a really lovely, albeit cold day, so we walked everywhere mostly. After all of that walking we went back to my flat so that she could see it, and rested for a bit, then went and had Thai at one of my neighborhood pubs. They had decorated the place for VDay - it was so cute! And they had two very old men play love songs on a keyboard and drums while the owner sang along. And he walked around and gave roses to all of the ladies in the room. When we left the owner said through the mic, "Now you've got them all liquored up..." and MJ gave him a big smile and a double thumbs up. So embarrassing.
I was quite depressed on Sunday after Denisse was gone b/c it made me miss all of my friends back in the States. I have friends here and all, just not as many as back home, and the making of these friends seems to be more slow going since there isn't a built in social network like college, and the office is so big here it doesn't lend itself well to making friends very easily. I know it will just take time, but it does make me sad to be without my friends back home.
Well on that uplifting note I'm going to say ta ta for now, but not without a new word:
pootle = amble
Miss you all, love you!
Heather
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