The Learning Curve

Today I experimented with a coffee press.

This is a coffee press. Notice the Pressing Action.

You put the grounds in the bottom of one tube and push water through them using a plunger-type device. It ought to be simple but I managed to screw it up the first time despite the fact I was reading the instructions simultaneously. Go figure. I'm feeling more and more like the typical “dumb American” when I make stupid mistakes like this. Luckily, no one was around to witness my mishap. Plus, I managed to keep all the liquids contained without spilling any on myself or anything else. I just got a clump of coffee grounds floating in a cup of boiling water, thus demonstrating why proper filter placement is critical for successful coffee brewing.

On try #2, however, the coffee press lived up to it 5-star rating and positive reviews. And it turned out to be 20 times faster than waiting for an entire coffee pot to heat up...and with the “Pressing Action” you get a rich flavor characteristic of a yummy, dark espresso shot. Add some “British Vanilla Flavored Milk” from ASDA (our equivalent of Wal Mart. Classy!) and VIOLA! Instant vanilla latte! 

Today I also re-learned to look both ways when crossing the street.

Thankfully, the Brits cater to idiot tourists and put this at every intersection:

Or this, depending on the direction you're headed. Duh!

 

This is because the British drive on the wrong side of the road. Now everyone's making bets as to who will get run over by a double-decker first! 

Once you're in London most Americans should expect to stand out like a sore thumb. Thankfully, I know my way around well enough that I fit right in! I can fly around London's transport systems like a seasoned pro and have so far, even in just a few days, had a handful of people asking ME for directions. My friends and I have been into Central London a few times already and when we are I'm automatically put in charge, being the only one among us experienced enough with London life to know how to navigate around the city. 

Try figuring THAT out on your own! Actually, I love taking the tube. It's great for people watching. As you can imagine you get quite a variety of individuals riding along side you. Businessmen with briefcases and shiny black shoes to the weirdos in stained t-shirts and short shorts hauling a ripped backpack, soaked from the rain outside. Plus, you can always tell the newbie riders from the seasoned ones. Here's a hint: the newbs cling to the rails and flop around when the train starts up and moves around the corners. Basically, they cling on for dear life and then stumble out, looking self-conscious and unsure whether or not they're at the correct stop.

I've already revisited the big attractions in London; Big Ben, The London Eye, and Westminster, to name a few. Once I have a chance to go out on my own I'll cover ground I haven't in the past and begin my photo collection. So far I only have pics of my new room:

This is a bathroom (above).

My View

I look out over the Whitelands College "quad", if you will, instead of out over the street on the opposite side of the building. This is a good thing because that means I actually have a NICE view, and in the distance is the golf course, which backs up to Richmond Park, the biggest park in London. Which is actually saying something. Because the parks here are HUGE even though they're in the center of one of the biggest cities in the world. 

And now I'm basically up-to-date on everything I've been doing, since no one wants to hear about the intricacies of my social life ;)