London Living up it's Reputation

I went to London this past weekend with Nora, and it was everything I expected! People warned me of a few things:

1)It's expensive
2) Pretty parks
3) Look both ways a few times before you cross the street

I also had my own expectations:
1)It WILL rain.
2) I WILL take pictures in telephone booths
3) I WILL eat Fish & Chips, and Indian food
4) Everyday will be a tea party

How it turned out
1)It rained- it wouldn't have been London without it, in my opinion!

2) Expensive! I spent 260 euros in the few days I was there- Friday night-crack of dawn Monday morning (not including airfare)
3) Parks were pretty, but Im sure they're breathtaking in the spring/summer. What DID take my breath away in the parks, was the infatuation with animals! People could not get enough of the squirrels, especially this guy!

4) Big Ben wasn't as big as I expected
5) There are A LOT of telephone booths- do people even use them for anything but picture taking? I mean c'mon, everyone has a cell phone!

6) The accent got more annoying by the minute.
7) Look both ways 17 times before crossing the street, I was almost hit by a double decker bus!
8) There are no garbage cans in London (I later found out to prevent people from putting bombs in them... hmmmm)
9)I also figured out WHY the city is so expensive- they are stuck in their old fashioned "Royal" ways with those old cabs (who really makes them anymore?) upkeep of all of those phone booths no one uses, and they have to use A LOT of paint on the roads to tell people which way to look before crossing, since they are still weird and drive on the opposite side of the road.

this seriously was a live-saver! I had to say it out loud every time i reached an intersection

10) The "tube' or metro/subway/underground sucks... it is fast and convenient, but you feel like you're trapped in shakeweight! It is tight and cramped and claustrophobic and you end up with motion sickness from all the stop-and-go action and the shaking from side to side.
11) I have a new appreciation for Shakespeare after seeing the Globe theater- so cool!

12) Harrods is big and scary and overwhelming doesnt even begin to describe it! But my only advice would be to hang out in the food sections and wait for free samples (thank you Royal champagne truffles!)

Highlight of my trip, of course was a food experience. Nora and I were told we have to try the Bangladeshi food. Well, we ended up at a Pakistani restaurant that we had to trek to... and arrived at 9pm. The place was called New Tayyabs. We get there, and people are lining the street! We get inside and we could barely move-but we were immediately in love with the smell and sight of the food being rushed around to the tables. We're waiting. So we waited, and waited, and waited... for an hour and a half, inching up on a line that's slower than the DMV's.
By 1015, the end was no where in sight. We could still not see the front of the line. But before we knew it, one of the employees was going down the line:
"how many? how many? how many?"
"two!" I shout.
"ok come with me" (Nora and I then High Five!)

The food was to die for- and it was cheap! We got the traditional giant tortilla chip (sorry, i forget the name) with the 3 delicious sauces, and a small salad to start. Then we got to share: sizzling chicken tikka, a seekh kabob, and mixed veggie Karahi. We ended it with a delicious pistachio ice pop! mmmm

in front of Buckingham palace, waiting for our princes!

me with the oh-so-expensive London Eye!

In conclusion: As much as I loathe the British accent, I will be going back to London. I will go back in June to show my parents as much as I can (probably just a repeat of this trip) but I would like to go and spend a week or two (after I win the lottery) so I can really soak up the London atmosphere! (and not the sun's rays)