Thankful for......

This past Weekend was Thanksgiving weekend/ Parents week... I was a little depressed throughout the week because pretty much EVERYONE's family came to see them. Obviously, Mine could not :(. Thankfully, Cindy came to visit me! So in a way, I did have family here! Which was great!

Thursday, was THANKSGIVING. Although it certainly did not feel like it at ALL. No one here celebrates so it didn't feel the same. A lot of us in the house actually forgot it was Thanksgiving until we went on Facebook and saw all our friends posting about it. Instead of having time off, Like ALL American schools, we had class. Which was o.k., but it made it feel different because I don't think I have ever had to go to school on thanksgiving. We had a traditional style thanksgiving dinner at imperial college at around 6 PM. It felt awkward because since everyone's families were there, the people  without families sat at separate tables. We deemed these the "kiddie" tables. The whole time I was thinking to myself, "I am 19, haven't I gotten past this? I feel like a child". The food was pretty goof except to add to the depression that hovered over me, it wasn't the same at home. Where is the Yams w/ marshmellows? Where is the stuffing with Apples? The potatoes? and Most important to my diet on Thanksgiving, The cranberry sauce in a can that comes out looking like a can!? What is this MADNESS?!?!?! However, on the brightside I did spend it with my new London family! and........ CINDY came that night!

Friday- We woke up and went out for a day of tourist attractions! Which, I hadn't really done since being here... Well, only once... Here is a list Cin sent me beforehand of what she wanted to do:

bens cookies
ben himself
the big bridge
guards that don't move
the palace
oxford street for shopping?
picadilly circus, leicester square, & covent garden?
hyde park
kings cross?
abbey road

the question marks are for things that roxanne mentioned but i'm not even sure what they are haha

So we tried to do as much as possible...

First stop was Buckingham palace (Or Both the Guards that dont move/ Buckingham palace), Except today on this rare occasion, the guards actually did move... Huge disappointment? I think not, because it was a special ceremony called the Changing of the guards. They do it every other day.

Next, we walked through Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, and Covent Garden.... We ate Traditional British food at, of course, a pub. Because a pub is really the only place in London to get British food, kind of ironic? 

After that, we went to Big Ben (Ben himself) and walked around him and saw Westminster abbey and the houses of Parliament. The tower of London and the tower bridge was next. We looked at those a bit and then went off to St. Paul's and across the Millennium Bridge, also known as the wibbly wobbly bridge.The nickname to the bridge certainly did NOT make me want to cross it any more. We then saw the Globe theatre, which was home to many Shakespearian plays. 

We stopped at Ben's Cookies (Of course) for cookies! Don't worry Mommy, I will bring some home to you to try, along w/ Hob Nobs. 

We were so tired, but we still went out to dinner at my FAVOURITE restaurant Giraffe. 

Saturday We basically SHOPPED the whole day. Don't worry parents, I didn't spend too much and go over on my account! so we are safe! I bought clothes and Gifts For Lawrence, Caleb, and Shy. I need to get Eli's still. Cin tried to find boots EVERYWHERE but she couldn't :(.... We were SOOOO tired after all that shopping that we just came back to the house and ate Crepe's, more Bens, and watched a movie.

I will miss her! but, will see her and Rach in a little over a week!

Cindy had to leave the house early Sunday, however the tube lines were down and she missed her flight! so she was stuck in Gatwick til Monday afternoon! :(

I only have a WEEK AND TWO days left til Break. Until home, I have 3 presentations and three finals... Great... Wish me luck! Here I go on my home stretch!