It was the Best of Times...

It was the worst of times." -Charles Dickens

This week has been a very interesting one, for many reasons. I wrote five letters on a tablet, I realized the mailman hates me, I was reunited with my love, Michael Buble, and I finally got drinks with some friends.

The week started out good. We had just taken a trip to Cardiff, where we saw the Doctor Who Experience, of course, and visited some caves near London called 'Chiselhurst Caves'. All in all, it was a lovely few days of trips and I was happy to have gone. (I also got some tasty candy while in London called 'Pear Drops' at a candy store that I visit ever time I go to London called 'Hope and Greenwood'.)

When we returned to our dorm, I had to write up five letters that went to other students in my travel writing class. Everyone had to read each other's essays and then write them a letter telling them suggestions for how to make it better. I still did not have a laptop at this point, so I had to type it on my roommate's tablet, which is like a glorified iPod touch the size of a standard postcard, except much better. By the end, I was actually typing rather quickly due to my newly acquired skill. Too bad that is not something employers will care about seeing on a resume...

Then I waited around for my package to come in, which I have already told you all about. And I meant to call yesterday but I lost the form with the number on it and had to do extensive research to find the number again. Rest assured, they will be receiving a lovely conversation tomorrow morning  and will be in for an even lovelier one if they tell me they have lost my package.

On Tuesday, one of my roommates went out to a football* match, so the other two and myself decided to go out to eat at a nearby pub. A place called 'Port Mahon' sounded good so we popped in for dinner. The pub was really dark, and had the mood lighting of a darkly lit coffee shop that hipsters might attend to cuddle with their significant others. It also had a strange smell of burned beer, although I am sure that is not a permanent thing, or at least I hope so. The menu had about five things on it, which I could eat, surprisingly  although they had nothing that sounded especially good. And with the weird lighting and smell, we just chose to move on to another pub.

We then ended up at the 'Angel and Greyhound', which I have been wanting to go to since we moved here, mostly just because I liked the name. The building lived up to my expectations, though. It was a cozy little place with a mix-match of different tables and chairs of varying sizes, shapes, and styles, but that all seemed to go together. There were also comfy couches you could sit in for a chat with friends near the fire. They also had delicious Rekorderlig, so I was very happy there.

Thursday, I got a call from a UPS worker, telling me he would be by soon to drop off my package (AKA new laptop). I got extremely excited and went outside to meet him, just so I could get it faster. After signing for it, I went back into the flat and spent the next day learning how to use it and all kinds of fun apps to get to personalize it. (I switched from a Dell to a Mac, and although I am rather anti-Apple, I still love it and most of their products, just not the price.)

Afterwards my roommate Amy and I went on our Thursday adventure and found a market, of sorts, that claimed to be of antiques, but it was really more old books and tarnished metal items.

This weekend we all hung out with our friend who lives a few flats away, and went to a few pubs nearby to have drinks together. It was really low-key and very fun. (I definitely prefer the Brits' relationship with alcohol to Americans'. It think drinking casually with friends is much more fun than having a thrasher evening, but that is a personal choice.) We actually ended up back at the 'Angel and Greyhound' and I got some warm Winter Rekorderlig, which might be the most delicious drink I have ever had. Alright, Amy's hot apple cider is better, but it is a close second.

All in all, I had a few issues at the beginning but the week definitely turned out to be a really good one. I hope to have a few more like it before I have to go home.

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

*A sport where a round, black and white ball is kicked up and down a field, and must pass through the goal to earn points.

"As I grow older, I reget to say that a detestable habit of thinking seems to be getting a hold of me." -H. Rider Haggard