January 10, 2009

January 10th, 2009
This is a good day. I got up late and was making myself some tea in the communal room. I met a woman, Mariana, who is a surgeon from Italy, who speaks 7 languages, who was last positioned in Denmark, and is presently based here in London. She was very informational, and I learned some good tips from her.
My next goal was to go to a London street market. Dow gave me a book on markets that I have been reading. I have been to the world famous Portobello market, but I did not realize that London is full of other markets. With the help of the book to guide me, I plan on visiting as many markets as I can. Today the temperature was probably in the high 20’s, so I treated myself to a tube ride from Goodge station to Camden Town, and went to the markets there, which seem to be a group of them together. They were wonderful, all kinds of stands, food, clothes, music, antiques, vintage shops, leather, it went on and on. They seemed align up along a canal that had locks and boats in it. I broke down and bought two DVDs that I thought I needed, but follow events reduced that need. One movie that I bought, however, was an almost required purchase because the storekeeper was so enthusiastic about the movie, which is “Tampopo”, a Japanese movie about finding the perfect noodle!
I finally got to the point where I was so cold my joints were fusing, so I took the tube back to Goodge, and treated myself to a pub dinner of bangers and mash. The serving was more than plentiful, but I ate the whole thing! I figure a few extra calories are warranted to keep a body warm!
On the way back to the room, I stopped into an electrical store and bought a TV antennae, which actually improved my TV to the point where I can watch it with shadows as long as I move the antennae around 20 times before finding the most optimal position! HUGE IMPROVEMENT FOR THE QUALITY OF LIVING!!!! A TELEVISION!!! Now my cell/phone radio can take a break!
I start on the ward tomorrow. I stopped at a stationary store and picked up a folder and notepad to get organized. I just hope it does not snow so that I can walk to work!!

January 9th Amendment
My evening became amusing to me. I was heading up to my room when I ran into an advertisement that had been taped to the wall advertising a television for 30 pounds. I promptly called the number, which answered to a screeching answering machine for about a minute. Finally a friendly voice answered the phone, and he gave me directions that I had to fumble with several times in order to get to his and his wife’s flat. They had bought a new flat-screened TV that they were very proud of, and were getting rid of their old 20-inch box TV that weighs approximately 40 pounds. Well, of course I wanted that TV, so asked if 30 pounds was their best price. Come to find out, they had advertised it in the paper for 25 pounds!! Sold!! Now, how to get it back to my room, about ½ mile away. It was also about 28 degrees. The man, approx. 5’2”, 95 pounds, carried it back all the way, much to my insisting that we could take turns!! I wished I had paid the 30 pounds!! Then, here at my room, the 60-year-old “lift” was broken, so I had to bring it up to the fourth floor! I felt like the character in “In America”, remember, the illegal alien Irish family who had the apartment in New York, and the scene where the father drags the air conditioner up to their shabby apartment? Well, I excitedly plugged it in, then looked for the antennae outlet to realize there was none, and found myself looking at a television screen that got a snowstorm on one station. Oh well, slow progress!