first Friday in London & meeting new people.

So the first Friday in London was exhausting & exciting.  In the morning our group had orientation at CWC from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.  I think that was when the jet lag all hit us, hard, because looking around the room everyone had bags under their eyes and plenty of yawns throughout the meeting.  After orientation and an hour nap I felt much better and ready to see some of London.   So my wonderful friend Katie G. studied abroad in Australia last year from January until April and while she was there she met a friend named James.  Before Nikki and I left for London Katie G. told us we had to meet up with her friend so on our first weekend night in London we figured what else better to do than meet some new people!  Nikki and I were a little nervous not about meeting new people though, more about how we would find this pub we were suppose to go to by tube + bus.  Yet, we found our way without calling James to ask for help!

So this pub we went to was so cute!  To me, a tourist, it seemed like the typical little English pub where everyone was sitting down chatting and making friends.  Nikki and I had a great time meeting new people and everyone we met Friday night was so interested in us studying here and giving us tips on how to 'survive' in London.   Nikki and I even found our way back to our flat afterwards via many different bus routes.

Saturday was gorgeous in London!  It was sunny and warm so what better way to spend the day than shopping on Oxford Street.  I've already found a store that I am forbidding myself to go into: Primark!  This store is absolutely AMAZING.  Primark is a department store with trendy everything: womens & mens clothes, shoes, home stuff and so on.  Yet, it is very, very cheap.  I bought a pair of boots for 15 pounds...probably only about 23 US dollars.  I even got 2 pairs of skinny jeans for 7 pounds each (aka 12 US dollars).  I'm already in love with it which is why I can't go back for another 3 or 4 weeks.  Even standing in line for the fitting room I made a friend!  This lady was standing in line in front of me and we started up a conversation about what to do and where to go in London.  After 20 min. of talking and waiting in line we are now facebook friends with her and she gave us her e-mail so we can get in contact with her brother who knows what to do in London.  

Later Saturday night some of the girls wanted to go out in London.  I brought 2 travel books with me and after looking through them we decided to try this pub called Waxy O'Conners.  Once we went inside we were in for quite a shock.  It seemed like a little place but it wasn't!  It had probably 4 or 5 different floors to it with this inside decor of fake trees with lights strewn about.  As crazy as it was it was a lot of fun!  Oh, and it was my first time trying a Guiness.  Different, but I would order it again.

Anyways, it was a good first weekend in London.  I've been making friends everywhere..who says the British are stand-offish?!