A memory

The couple of days after getting home are a blur now. I was back to work on one of the days for an orientation shift which went fairly smoothly considering I was very unprepared. I showed up to work in sweat pants and my mother's shoes that were too small for me. Luckily they had scrubs available and everyone was very understanding. One of the days we ran errands and tried to organize our chaotic life. With no cell phones, vehicle or steady home, this is difficult to do. We are staying between my parents and Tyson's parents places and borrowing cars. On the morning that we left for Calgary none of this had been sorted yet, in fact our belongings were spread between four different houses and we had no idea where anything was. So in many ways, we were still living out of a backpack in various homes and this was comforting if you can believe it.

My mother threw us a coming home/birthday party for me the night after we got home and it was nice to see so much loving family. We continued to be shocked by all the new buildings that had popped up over the time we had been gone. We visited in on one of my best friends who had gone and had herself a very cute baby while we were gone.

On Thursday morning at five am we left for a very much needed vacation to Calgary. We tagged along with Tyson's parents and the four of us drove through beautiful British Columbia. We made many stops starting in Mission and then in Merrit and through to Kamloops. We drove past kilometers and kilometers of grassy hill and forests. The sun was shining but there was a nice breeze, the music was playing and the road trip went quite smoothly. The scenery of the Rocky Mountains on the way was breathtaking. I have rarely seen such natural beauty. There is a definite necessity to redo this drive ensuring we have a few extra days to stop along the way for hiking and sightseeing. We passed countless town of various sizes from cute quaint ones to large big box ones. We only hit a bit of traffic and got a bit lost once we hit Calgary but other than that there were no problems and we got to the hotel safely.

Tyson and I stayed at his cousin's house nearby the hotel that most of the other out of town guests were sleeping. We visited with all the other family at the hotel before getting picked up and heading back to Tyson cousin's place. We met his soon-to-be wife and got to know her and their friends a bit better. The next morning we helped set up the hall for the better part of the day which we have become quite efficient at since we have become of marriage age and all our friends ask our sober services. We attended two events in the evening for the different sides of the family. We initially went to a cocktail party hosted at a nice restaurant in downtown Calgary. We ate drank and were merry before heading very fashionably late to a family get together at a fabulously renovated house belonging to a family friend. That gathering went late into the night and was very fun. We saw a lot of family that we had not seen since our wedding nearly three years ago. I was also meeting a few family members for the first time ever.

The next day we hung out with Tyson's cousin from Shanghai and her new husband. We explored the local mall that was dead and normal before going back to the house and watching some Olympic events. Even though the wedding started at four pm we managed between the four of us to be late. His cousin that we were with was the sister of the groom. The wedding was a very enjoyable event with great people, speeches, decor, food and dancing. There were very emotional moments as in most weddings and I cried along with most of the other females and even a few males. Tyson's mother unfortunately missed the event because she was feeling unwell and we all thought of her throughout the night. As in every wedding there were moments where people cringed and family deals came up but overall I think everyone had a great time. Tyson and I did the take down of the decor immediately following the wedding and head back with the wedding party to the house. That night they opened the gifts and along with laughing and chatting, we were up until about five am.

The next day we attended a brunch where we were too tired to eat at about eleven am. We said bye to the people we would no longer see and the head to the hotel. We chilled for the day in the room and the pool and then ate a nice dinner nearby. We stayed that night at the hotel in Tyson's parents room to encourage an early start the next morning for the drive home.

Bright and early on the thirteenth of August we set out back to our temporary home in Pitt Meadows. We took a different way from the drive out to Alberta and got to see a different but equally beautiful area of the country. We stopped by Franks slide and saw Canada's deadliest rockfall. It was unreal and disturbingly beautiful. We also stopped in many other towns that I had heard of but never seen. We finally got home in the early evening and I visited with my family for my birthday.

Taking this trip was nice because it allows us to slip back into "normal life" slowly instead of being thrown in head first. Although the anxiety is building up for me with the amount of things that I have to do and take care of for "normal life" to progress normally, I was able to pause if for a week or so. Getting home meant lists and stress but perhaps that is what normal life is for me. The experience of being away for so long was refreshing in that I learned about how simple life can be if we let it and that is one of my goals, to bring that lifestyle to my life in Canada.


"If we are not happy and joyous in this season for what season shall we wait"

London to Home!!

After visiting Abby Road in central London we travelled back to the house where my Aunt was hosting a big dinner. We had a great night with about twenty other guests from all walks of life. We told stories of our travels, ate delicious Persian food and danced the night away.
The next morning we slept in a bit more than usual and got up for a big breakfast with the family. Soon after the meal, we went to visit the resting place of the guardian of the Bahai Faith, Shoghi Effendi. He is the grandson of Abdul Baha who was the son of Bahaullah. Bahaullah is the founder and prophet of the Bahai Faith. Shoghi Effendi did insurmountable amounts of service for humanity all over the world and his resting place is in London. Recently one of the Bahais in Singapore bought the whole cemetary land because the previous owner wanted to develop parts of it into residential property. At the shrine there is a small plot dedicated to a beautiful garden of Shoghi Effendi's favourite flowers. There are three square marble steps leading to a very tall marble column with a golden soaring eagle statue at the top. We prayed at the sight for some time and enjoyed the peaceful ambiance.
After stopping to run a few errands on the way home, we enjoyed some tiramasu cakes and pastries with coffee. We talked with my Aunt about life and tests while playing and entertaining the baby at the same time. Tyson and I went for a walk in the small town and through the park. We stopped at the tube station to organize our plans for getting to the airport the next day and found that we were short English money by a few pence so we walked around until we found change on the ground to pay our fare. This took about an hour and it was a lot of fun. We wandered slowly back to the house in the sunshine. Dinner was left overs from the night before which we enjoyed and we spent the rest of the night chatting with my Aunt's two daughters and grandaughter. We watched some of the olympic games, packed our things, finished some laundry and relaxed with family. It was a great way to spend the last night of our trip.
As I call it "the last night of the trip" I still cannot believe that this is what it is. It has absolutely not set in and feels like we are just going to our next destination. Back to "normal life" means very little or nothing to me at this point because I am not sure what it will look like. With no permanent home, vehicle, furniture, job or belongings, everything is kind of up in the air. This does not make me feel nervous or excited but rather I feel nothing. Because surely one year has not gone by, surely this is not the trip we were on, surely I will not say things like "I once did a round the world trip". Surely.
We spent our final day waking up early and having a big breakfast. We made food for our day of travelling and Tyson woke up my Aunt by ringing the door bell several times. She came down with the baby and gave us a lift to the closest tube station. This is where we part ways from her with a big thank you and we hope to see her and the family again soon. When we got there the price that we expected to pay was triple because we no longer had the loyalty cards. We literally had exact change for the previous price that we had thought it would be. We explained our situation to the security guard who kindly just let us in for free. This was lucky because we would have been stuck otherwise.
We stopped at a station that we recognized so that I could run out to buy a couple of last minute things with the money we saved on the ride. Unfortunately it was a Sunday morning and everything was closed. We rode the rest of the hour and a half to the gigantic airport. Check in and security went quite smoothly and the line ups were very short. We checked in two very small bags under seven kilograms each and this was all we were coming home with. I bought a couple of horrendously overpriced items from the airport gift shop with the last of our sterlings and we were early to board our flight which may have been a first for us. The Iceland Air flight took us to Reykjavik, Iceland where we had a several hour stop over. During this time, in our thirty ninth and last country, we went outside briefly to smell the air and check out the scenery. We had to get our passports stamped but it was worth the effort. The air was crisp but the sun was shining and the landcape was beautiful. There was miles and miles of manicured green lawn with mountains in the distance. The air was bright blue with scarce puffy white clouds. We walked through the fields past a big man made pond full of clear water with a big silver statue of a pear in the middle. There was also a very colourful art piece in the meadow that added a different texture to the view. We took some photos and sat on the boulder rocks in the midst of green land for some time before returning to the airport. We had to go through security and customs again but the whole procedure from start to finish took under ten minutes. The gate was completely disorganized with people everywhere and nowhere to sit. Even the floor space was covered with people and we got bumped and pushed throughout the short time we were waiting for boarding.
Our next flight was eight hours long with Iceland Air but they did not serve food. We were shocked that they would not provide something to eat for that long period of time. The surprisingly poor service we recieved tied the airline with Air Canada for the worst airline we have flown this year. Luckily we had packed our own sandwhiches and snacks but we were still disappointed. This is not even their discount airline, they also run a sister company called Iceland Express which is meant to be their cheap fare line. I'd hate to see what that one is like. As we are now experienced travellers, Tyson got free headphones by complaining about the lack of food served. As we waited for the line up for boarding to die down a bit Tyson noticed that my sweater was missing. I realized that I had left it at security so we ran back full speed through customs to security just as they were calling our names overhead. Three more announcements came on as we ran full speed to rescue the jacket. For our last flight we were deadly close to missing it. When we reached the gate to board, the unimpressed hostess said they were seconds away from take off and we would have been left behind. Of course our last flight could not have gone smoothly otherwise I would have nothing to write about.
We flew in to Seattle airport where we had my family were lovingly waiting for us. It was an emotional renunion and it was wonderful to be back in their arms. My mother, grandparentsid and my Aunt, Uncle and cousins surprised us at the airport. They had a sign saying "welcome home, we want a baby!" They eased the pain of coming home and it was so sweet of them to show up all the way in Seattle. We visited with them and then head home with a pit stop at Ross and Taco Bell (the two musts during a visit to Seattle).
I passed out on the ride home and there was no waking me up. I was home. Returning to the homeland is, of course, very emotional after being away for a long period of time. This trip was a major dream in my life and I always knew I would do it. What I did not predict however, is that instead of returning home feeling satisfied, it only created an even stronger thirst for travelling. The list of places I want to see now is ten times what it was last year.

"If we are not happy and joyous in this season for what season shall we wait"

CaMdEn sQuArE mArKeT

The next morning we got up the earlier than usual and ate breakfast with my Aunt. We played with her baby grandaughter for a while. The baby is teething and did not sleep at all the night before keeping everyone up. Everyone but Tyson and I though because we are dead to the world when we are sleeping. We managed to get out of the house before noon for the first day during our time in London. We topped up our Oyster cards (the transit loyalty cards) and caught the bus to Greenwood station. I bought a pair of shoes there at the Primark, and then caught another bus to Camden Market where several people had suggested that we go. Camden market is basically a street full of stalls and shops selling anything and everything. There are also offshoots that branch out into every nook and cranny in the area and one can basically find and they are looking for and more. All sorts of items were represented from from around the world. The goths, trendsetters, emos, eighties rockers, fashion forwards, slutty sluts, youngsters, stoners, oldies, skinnies and preggos can find their products represented. The place was decorated with a young bohemian vibe and people were loving it. We were unsuccessful with our shopping goals but we had a great time meandering through the tight aisles of the market looking at all the stuff and things people were offering. There was a very large food section as well where they offered foods from all over the world. Every country was represented and the food looked and smelled very authentic. We tried several samples and reminisced about when the same items were only one fiftieth of the price.

We walked past a hairdressers that specialized in dreadlocking. I stopped in to see if they could fix what has slowly become a tree trunk with frizzy brances. The two women in the shop both looked at me with pity in their eyes and told me they were not sure if they could help. I had been putting my dreads into ponytails and using a headband everyday for months without pulling the dreads apart at all. I learned (too late) that I was supposed to pull my dreads apart every night and maintain them every three months. None of that had been done. After about ten minutes of ripping my dreads apart from one another and shaking her head the whole time, the lady finally came to the conclusion that I would have to cut them off. I decided that ignoring her advice would be the best step for me to take at this time. Our next destination, was another place recommened to us by my friend called the Roundhouse. It is normally a theatre that hosts very famous acts including Jimmy Hendix and The Doors. During the summer however, they had imported soft white sand and created a beach on the roof. The weather was lovely and we enjoyed our feet in the sand for a few last minutes of our trip. We walked back up the other side of Camden Market and spent the very last of our English money on food. We will worry about transportation to the airport later.

Unsure of where to go next we caught a bus to Oxford Circus in downtown London. It was very busy and we tried to find a few last things that we needed but it was a lost cause. Although even if we had found the things we needed, we wouldn't have had the money to pay for it. I passed by a T-shirt that said "Abby Road" on it and asked Tyson why he had not mentioned to go there. He had thought it was very far away but a little investigation proved that it was only one bus ride. We caught the thirty minute bus to the famous crosswalk and took the infamus photos that everyone goes there for. There were a couple dozen others trying to time their photos so that they would not get hit by the cars going by. Tyson snuck into the actual studio parking lot and I snapped a couple shots of him there. As I was taking his photo mid step on the crosswalk, cars lined up and honked their horns only to hear my wrath. I was a bit embarrassed about lashing out at the drivers but some of the other tourists reassured me that it was ok. Tyson took a photo with three other strangers to equal a group of four and we even got one with the two of us so the trip out there was well worth it.

We caught four busses back to the house while getting a full tour of the city on the top level at the same time. Back at the house our host was also hosting twenty other people for dinner. Most of the guests had already arrived by the time we got there so we snuck away to change our clothes and freshen up before joining the group. We met a group of my Aunt's friends, some of whom were from work, some from the local Bahai community and some were family members. We all got to know each other over fruit and chocolate appetizers and then came the big Persian dinner. There was enough food to feed at least three times the people there and it reminded me of home. We ate all sorts of authentic Persian dishes including ghormeh sabzi, fesenjoon, coocoo, chicken and rice. It tasted the same as it does at any Persian household and we enjoyed it thoroughly. We had tiramasu, chocolate cream puffs with cherry centers, eclairs, cheesecake, fruit and nuts for dessert. We were so full that there was only one thing left to do-dance. My cousin is a professional dance instructor so she taught us simple salsa and chachacha moves. We all practiced and laughed with each other. After more dancing including Persian, brazilian and the macarena styles, things moved alond to rapping and singing. Again my cousin showed off her rapping skills and then her wonderful singing voice. Tyson even belted out a beautiful tune. The guests did not leave until about two thirty in the morning at which time we visited with aunt and helped to clean up a bit. We were up late enough to watch the sun rise on our last full day of our one year round the world trip.

"If we are not happy and joyous in this season for what season shall we wait"

The Murderer

On our second day in London, we organized and cleaned ourselves a bit and ate a big breakfast with toast, cereals, teas and more. Our host had some other guests over that we visited with. One of the guests has family in Vancouver that I know very well, it is a very small world. Tyson fixed the pressure washer and won some brownie points. After sitting and chatting for a while we realized that the clock we were watching was one hour behind and it was actually nearly noon. That put a fire under our arses and we rushed out of the house.

The public transit system here is both wonderful and evil. Wonderful in that there is a tube that can take you anywhere fairly quickly and easily and there is also a wide variety of busses and taxis. Evil in that they want every last penny in your pocket to let you on. We pulled a scam to get on the tram the first night but it was too much stress and work so we decided to go the honest route. We each bought a day bus pass and a loyalty card which we were promised would be worth it in the end. We took two busses to get into Leicester Square and when we got out the sun was shining and the streets were bustling. To some people this may not be ideal but for me it was what I had been waiting for. I love crowds, it makes for a really exciting day. We walked through a bit of the China town area, looked at some souvenier and purchased a few olympic memorial trinkets. We continued on to Piccadilly Circus then to Trafalgar Square where the Canadian Embassy is located. We eagerly tried to enter our home country's embassy because all the other embassies had opened their door and were sharing exhibits, shows, food and giveaways. Our lovely embassy however, turned us away because it was only open to the athletes, their families and friends. We were taken aback and it was the least friendly embassy we visited that day.

We walked to Westminister Abby where we ran into the Christian friends we had met the day before. We walked with them for a while and read a special exhibition put on by some volunteers about human traffiking. We signed a petition pleading with the United Nations to put this multi billion dollar problem at the top of their agenda. We read stories and looked at photos of very young people caught being severly abused, overworked and underfed by their cruel rich "owners". All of these cases were this year in the United Kingdom. It was disgusting and eye opening that this happens in so called developed countries. Many times the criminals in these cases are not convicted. It is the second biggest type of traffiking that happens in the world after drugs.

There was a very hefty admission fee to get into the Westminster Abby but in very small writing underneath the listed prices, there was a statement saying that there is no charge for people to worship and that the fee was a mere suggestion to keep the place looking its finest. Of course, no one reads this very fine print and the prices are big and bold, front and center. We chose not to go in. There were some bobbies (police) working at Big Ben and Tyson forced me to take a photo with one of the guys. I was embarrased but the officer was very friendly indeed.

We walked along the North bank by the water and visited many of the houses for the olympics. We started at the Qatar house which was luxurious, exotic and a lot of fun. We walked through the "relaxation area" where it was set up with fine sofas, televisions and Arabic decor. We then walked through a very technical area that was set up to explain the advancements in technology, environmental health, medical care, leisure, architecture, education, entertainment, cinema and development happening in the country. Following this there was an entertainment and refreshment area. It was set up like a very classy bar and there were adult games available to be played as well as free snacks and smoothies. We spent a while there watching some events before heading to the Brazil house. Here they gave us audio guides free of charge and we walked through their plans for the 2016 games. They are well on their way in preparation for the games and we saw a lot of this when we where there last year near the start of our journey. They also had a lot of art and information about their country set up for people to see. A lot of it was rather strange and we were more confused than interested so we were not there for long. We visited Belgium house for a short time and then stopped at the famous Saint Paul's Cathedral. In the exact same fashion as the fee system for Westminister Abby, they had also had set up admission fees in an attempt to successfully trick the general public. We went inside this church for several minutes and it was very elaborate and beautiful.

We caught a very antique double decker bus to the Tower of London and Tower bridge. A couple of times throughout the day we caught the bus only to be passed by people on foot due to the overwhelming traffic. We were told there is a fifteen pound "congestion fee" that everyone driving into the city must pay at all times but it did not seem to stop people from bringing their vehicles. The Tower of London is where the crown jewels are kept (says Tyson, but I'm not sure) and the Tower bridge is where the Olympic rings are set up hanging from the center. We explored that historic Roman-built side of town for a while and it was very busy. The Tower of London is like a huge castle that the public can visit but we did not have time as it would likely take the better part of a day.

We took another antique bus back to Trafalgar Square and walked to the Italy house. It was not very busy or very fun so we left. We walked into the Methodist church where the Christian guys had suggested we visit. They were there but we did not talk to them this time. We watched the end of an entertainment performance. A harp player was playing soft music and around the room there were very large pieces of religious art work. It was very peaceful and we relaxed there in the positive environment for a while. We caught another bus to Covent Garden Market where there is an outdoor market. People sell all sorts of things but we just caught the end of their day. There were dozens of street performers doing everything from singing and acrobatics to dancing, floating, comedy and dressing up. We made some sandwhiches for dinner and doubled up on chocolates and mentos for dessert.

Back in Leicester Square, we shopped for a bit along the way and then stopped for a rest to eat again. A large Canadian guy came up to us and started talking. We spent an hour speaking with him about his dodgy businesses in the States and Hong Kong and then about his weed fectories near Stave lake. Then he finally told us he just did thirteen years in prison for murder. He promised not to hurt us and his stories were entertaining so we sat with him longer. His prison style clothing and the stickers on his passport proved that he was not lying as if we doubted it.

We met with my cousin near the three story M and M shop and walked through the city at night. As the murderer suggested we walked along the bridge and looked at the full moon as well as the completely different looking city in the dark. Everything including the London Eye, Big Ben and the major buildings are lit up in different complimenting colours. It was a sight that unfortunately our camera could not capture but we will never forget. The three of us walked to the National Theater where they have free performances on throughout the summer. We got seats and I went to get coffees with my cousin at the refreshment stand. They rushed us through the order because they were about to close when an elderly man walked in. The young lady behind the counter told him, rather rudely, to turn around and leave because they were closed. He asked if he could just get a cup of water then. This was obviously very offensive to the coffee shop staff because they raised their voices and verbally abused him. My cousin and I were shocked that they could treat an elderly customer in that fashion. My cousin, who is a high school teacher, very respectfully told the girl that this was not acceptable behaivior. After I got over the initial shock of the abuse, I was able to pipe up and say that there was no need for the situation to escalate the way it did. The old man did not really seem to need our help though because he raised his voice and said "you really are a bitch!" We appologized to the man for the mistreatment on our way out and he seemed to appreciate the gesture. My cousin turned to me outside the shop and assured me that this is the regular behaivior of London people and that I should not be surprised. She was visibly angry.

Things got wierder from there when the performance started and three men with faces painted white like zombies staggered onto the stage and passed out ping pong balls. The show was an hour long and the whole thing consisted of the three men involved in self mutilation. They severely stapled their bodies and toungues, burnt, cut,stabbed and ravaged each other. They also shoved nails and swords down their throats. It may sound like I am exagerating but I assure you that this, as well as more wierd and gross events, took place on the stage. I am not sure why we stayed and watched the whole thing but many others from the audience left part way through. I am sure there has to be easier ways to make money.

After the show we split up from my cousin because she was taking the tube and we were taking the bus home. The ride was quite easy even though it was after midnight. There were still plenty of people out enjoying the night life when we left. Back at the house we ate chicken, rice and chocolate before passing out.

In the morning after another big breakfast of eggs, sweet beans, cereal, toast and coffee we managed to leave the house before noon. After refilling our transit cards back to the top at the News Agent shop, we caught a bus half way to the city. We stopped to buy some groceries and try on some clothes at the neat shops along the way before catching the next bus into Loncon. We watched the weather change from sunny to cloudy to rainy to sunny again throughout our drive. We got off the bus at Trafalgar Square again and went to The Portrait Museam. This is where we saw some pretty average artwork including a video of David Beckham sleeping through the night. We walked around the area for a few minutes and then caught another bus to Hyde Park. This is one of the official venues for the Olympics but there was no line up to get in. Inside, we watched Germany win bronze in table tennis and it was a very thrilling game. The ball was moving so fast that it was hard to see it somtimes but the players were returning it to each other with ease. We walked by several booths sponsored by different companies such as Samsung and Cadburry. There were mini triathalons and badminton competitions set up offereing small prizes. In addition to the big screens showing the games, there were also about five stages set up with different live bands playing their hearts out. There was also a grand stand in the center of the park and at the time we were there, there was a large group of Russian dancers dancing. Decent sized crowds were gathered at each attraction but it was not too busy anywhere. We ate some lunch laying in the grass and then caught a bus to Oxford street to meet a friend. I met this particular friend years ago in Vancouver but she is originally from London. We were horribly late meeting her and I felt absolutely awful but thankfully she was very gracious and forgave us instantly when we met. We walked about town catching up and chatting about life. We walked through Leicester Square to Covent gardens. We watched a few street shows along the way and went into a packed bar for some drinks. The bar had a balcony overlooking a very funny miming show so we watched, talked and drank for a while. It was a very lovely time! The temperature dropped quickly from a warm day to a very chilly evening. We walked to the metro station that my friend takes home and we said good bye until next time. We agreed that she would try and organize a ticket back to Vancouver sooner than later. We parted ways there and Tyson and I carried on to the National Theater to watch a show that was advertised in the schedule we had. We got there and there was no one else there. Upon asking, we found out that there was only a rehearsal that night and the real show was on the weekend. So we used the toilets, rested our legs and walked back accross the bridge to the bus station. During our walk I suddenly turned around and saw a guy running full speed toward me. I was severely startled and jumped and waved my hands around with alarm. The guy was very appologetic and was merely trying to run past me to catch the bus. Tyson laughed and enjoyed himself thoroughly. We rode two busses to get back to the house with no problems and visited with family there.


"If we are not happy and joyous in this season for what season shall we wait"

Twice in a lifetime experience: the 2012 olympic games

On our first night near Birmingham (you don't pronounce the h) we fell asleep as the sun started to rise so we slept in a bit in the morning. Around noon, my friend and her husband had to head out to a wedding for the day so we puttered around and did some laundry. We watched the weather do crazy things like downpour rain for ten minutes and then shine a bright sun in through the windows like a tropical beach day. We organized ourselves and went for a walk down a beautiful trail past the hospital to the center of town. We stopped at a grocery store that was open late because of the Olympics. I am not sure how that was related but we were grateful that we could buy some food anyway. We walked around the center of town to a few shops but since it was a Sunday, most places closed early. We walked along the water looking at white swans, cathedrals and churches. We stopped at a bench for a while and admired the nature around us and then headed back to the house. We ate pasta and fried eggs for dinner while watching movies. My friends got home past midnight and we stayed up for several more hours watching funny youtube videos and reminding each other of days back in nursing school. By the time we went to bed, our stomachs hurt from all the laughing.

The next morning we all slept in a bit and the four of us got to hang out for the day. We went on a mini hike first to a very scenic mountain with a view of the city and green fields as far as the eye could see. We stopped for a survey conducted by a student on the way up and were rewarded by candy which we munched on to balance out the excersise we were doing. At the top of the mountain we saw sheep grazing and played guess the droppings as well as shared stories of past travels and experiences. We drove nearly one hour to a small quaint English villiage with small shops. We walked around for a while and tried to eat at a pub but they did not open until later in the evening. After wandering and exploring for a while we head back to the house. We walked to the local chip shop and bought food to eat on their lovely patio. I had a burger and chips while everyone else had fish and chips. It was greasy and delicious. We watched 30 rock and ate brownies for the next little while. After that everyone spent time fussing over their own technology all over the room into the evening. We watched a few episodes of a funny English sitcom that they follow and then eventually we all crashed for the night.

In the morning we got up early and got dropped off near the bus station around seven thirty. We tried to sneak onto and earlier bus but it was sold out so we waited at a McDonalds for the next bus time. After being refused onto three busses, the weather warmed up a bit and we decided to get some breakfast. We ate baguettes and coffee nearby and then went shopping in the area. It is quite a busy city with men and women in suits bustling around doing important things, I'm sure. Our bus was a bit late arriving but that is to be expected with the olympics in the next city over. We caught the bus after noon and head to London to witness the second olympic games of our lives. We had a perfect little visit in Birmingham with our friends and it was great to see them. We are hoping to meet up again in London on the weekend before we head back to the homeland.

Once we got into Victoria station in London, I thought we had come to the wrong city. I was expecting larger than life crowds and craziness. London is normally a very busy place, London in August is insanity and London in August as the host for the 2012 games was meant to be bumper to bumper fun. The few people wandering in the gloomy weather was quite underwhelming. We left the station late as our bus had been delayed "due to the Olympics" but I am pretty sure it was unrelated based on the non existent traffic. We walked to the one and only seat of the Queen, Buckingham palace which was again, underwhelming. It is of course big, grand and royal but the weather, lack of tourists and the fact that it was the thousanth large beautiful buidling we had seen in the last two months, made it less than breathtaking. Nevertheless we took photos, mocked the guards Mr. Bean style and continued past the beach volleyball games to the supreme court buildings, Westminister Abby, big ben and the parliament buildings. Big Ben is not a big statue of a bear like I expected but rather, it is a clock. Not a special clock, just a clock. Underwhelming. We passed protestors of different varieties, hundreds of red phone booths, big two level red busses and bobbies (cops). All cliches of London were there in addition to tons of pink vested volunteers looking for people to help out. We visited inside the Supreme court buildings and we went into the Italian house. The Italian house was set up very nice with a huge auditorium to watch the games and booths giving away samples with information. They said they were having a food and wine sample and for the first time this trip, we said no to free food because we had to get going to meet our host for London.

We met some young Christian men who taught us about the love of Jesus and we went back and forth reasoning our beliefs to each other for a while. It was a refreshing conversation that (I think) ended with both parties thinking in the right directions. After this conversation around five pm people started appearing out of no where (likely from the games) by the thousands. The streets were packed, the sun came out and it started to get exciting. Based on my impression from the first day, the olympics here have far less free events for people. Nightly concerts and houses from different sponsors are non existant and other than the normal tourist activities, the Olympics are only visible by symbolic statues and monuments in addition to tacky pink vested eager volunteers.

We travelled by tube to Southgate station which is nearly forty minutes outside of the downtown area. We tried to call my mother's aunty with the payphone but the darn machine kept eating my coins so we borrowed a phone from a nice young lady. We had miscommunicated with my mom's aunty and cousin who were hosting us. They had been expecting us around one pm and were a bit cofused. Everything worked out in the end and we got picked up from the station. We went back to their home nearby and met the rest of the family over a delicious Persian meal. I met my second cousin and great aunty and we stayed up very late getting to know one another. We slept well that night in anticipation for another day at the twice in a lifetime event.


"If we are not happy and joyous in this season for what season shall we wait"