Business (and Play!) in London

London. Beautiful, dirty, ancient, green, ordered, rude, reserved and proper. We have been in this city for several weeks completing final paperwork and waiting (and waiting...) for our visa numbers to arrive. In between the emailing and paperwork, we have managed to enjoy the city and its wealth of treasures. We thought you might like to hear our top ten list from this particular visit. Yes, these are all true.

The “Must Experience in London” Top Ten:
10. Attempt to eat at Mandalay on Edgware Road – the only Burmese restaurant in London (call ahead and tell us how the food was!).
9. Crack the double-decker bus system of London!
8. Take a full day at Hampton Court Palace – and ask how royalty used the toilette in the Queen Caroline apartments.
7. Spend an evening in food heaven at Mimino – the Georgian (as in the country) restaurant of Kensington.
6. Try not to cry during the last 10 minutes of the musical Blood Brothers.
5. Wave your hands with hundreds of screaming fans during the song “We are the Champions” at the West End show We Will Rock You!
4. Spend 7:30-9:30 one evening doing a “Jack the Ripper” walking tour – and mourn the deaths of the low-class Victorian women victims…
3. Take a 2-hour walk through Hampstead Heath and end with tea and scones at Kenwood House (used for the last scene of Notting Hill).
2. Ask someone to dodge traffic in order to take your picture walking across THE Abbey Road crosswalk of the Beatles’ last album.
1. Find yourself running (with about 5-6 suitcases) out of Kings Cross Station with hundreds of commuters when the authorities announce for everyone to evacuate…immediately.

We will be in North Africa very soon – in fact, Catherine is going this week and Jared will follow in another week. Since we are teachers, and acknowledging that the Winter quarter has already begun, we are anxious to get to our new home and begin the acculturation process. Hopefully, our next entry will be describing just that.

Love to everyone.