Pussy cat pussy cat where have you been.....

I've been to London to see the Queen!!

Last weekend was the Trooping of the Colours in London, the Queens birthday parade. We decided to go in and see the Queen to wish her a happy birthday on a day that isn't even her birthday. There was a band and soldiers in the parade before the Queen.

There were more soldiers and more police lining the Mall to protect Her Majesty. You almost couldn't get pictures in between them. It took a lot of time for them to get them straightened up. A few people in the royal family drove by in their carriages.

Men came through on horses to make way for the Queen.


Finally the moment had all been waiting for...


It was very cool to see the Queen but almost a let down. It happened so quickly. I felt like a child waiting to see Santa at the end of the parade. Unfortunately I remember being much more satisfied with Santa.

Greenwich Mean Time

Today I went for another adventure. Although this time, it was pretty much the opposite of a beautiful day. It was a gray cloud light rain day. I decided to go to Greenwich as it is something I wanted to do before I leave here. I went to an indoor market and then headed to the Royal Observatory.
At the Royal Observatory you can find many attractions. The most famous is the Prime Meridian line, the center of time.
So there I am in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres at one time. The Time galleries were interesting. It all kind of makes sense now.
Another part of the Observatory is an Astronomy Exhibition. It includes London's only planetarium. I was going to go but it was sold out for the showing at the time I was there and didn't want to hang around for 2 hours. Although looking back, maybe I should have. The Royal Observatory is on the top of a hill. Some argue the highest point of London. You can see a good view of the city.
In this picture you can see the closest building. This is the Queen's House which just happened to close 5 minutes before I got there for some sort of event. There is also a wartime museum. By this time I was getting wet and cold so went in search of a Starbucks. Evidently everyone else in London had the same idea. It was a good end to the day though.

A beautiful day

Today I had the day off because I am going to a conference for work on Saturday. It was a gorgeous day, warm and sunny both, so I decided to take advantage of this. I started my day with flip flops and a tank top which was amazing. It hasn't been nice enough here for that since one day back in July. That was a good day. So I went into London and went to Dutch pancake house for lunch. Of course I got the ham, cheese, and pineapple pannenkoeken.
then washed that down with the glorious poffertjes.
Sadly I was unable to eat all of either of these. I really wanted to but knew my stomach just wasn't quite big enough. It was so much food but incredibly delicious. I would say authentic too except the menu said the poffertjes came with maple syrup. I asked for icing sugar instead.

Then I walked out side opened my handbag and to my misfortune found this. UGH!! Broken sunglasses on what could be one of the sunniest days here. But I wasn't going to let that ruin my beautiful day.
To my great fortune I was headed to the sunglasses capital of the world. This is huge market. It has anything you could ever want. There were even some Central Asia guys selling some good food. I had a small sample as I walked by of Gozleme which is a Turkish pancake. Anybody see a theme for the day? I couldn't eat anymore, I was so full from lunch. Anyway, there are more sunglasses in this market than I have ever seen in one day. So that was helpful but now I had to choose one.

I searched and searched for the right pair. Me and sunglasses in general don't exactly get along. It is hard to find a pair that doesn't make me look like a bug. A random salesman of whom seemed to be of Central Asia decent helped me pick out the perfect pair. And according to him they were Gucci. Since they were only 6 pounds, I am a little skeptical. But they looked decent and I was desperate. Here I am with the new sunglasses.
I went along with my day walked through the markets and then went to the park to read. It was so sunny. It might be the only time I have felt warm in the past 11 months. It was glorious. I even got a slight sunburn which should be a tan by the morning.

It came time to head back to the rail station to head home. I was exhausted and hungry. I didn't really know where I was going when I walked away from the park. I knew the general direction I needed to go. I wanted to see a little of London that I had not seen before which indeed I did. I came up to the part of the city with the expensive name brand shops. It was pretty cool to see all of the shop workers in suits and waiting by the door.

In all these stores I felt a little out of place, but thankfully I had my Gucci sunglasses. And the brand name written on the side hadn't even worn off yet. However, I am thinking it will only be a matter of days.

Bump it!

There are many distinct differences between Americans and Europeans. When I was home in March I saw many bumps which reminded me of the prevalence of this hairstyle in America. Then I started wondering if anyone in England did their hair like this. I have been watching closely everywhere I go to find a bump in someone's hair. I recently went to Bluewater shopping center. This is a huge mall and has many American stores. It has a Hollister. I went in thinking surely I would see a bump, but there were none to be found. This weekend I attended a conference led by Americans in London. There were people from all over the world at this conference. I finally saw a girl with a small bump. I thought well I guess my theory is incorrect. There are a few in England. Later this same girl walked by me speaking to her friend. She was definitely American. haha. I guess it is a good thing that I can spot Americans from far away even if it is just because of their bump. I am not going to lie, but I am pretty happy I have not been in America for the past year and a half and have missed a small portion of the bump popularity.

Under my umbrella

I was recently back in Oklahoma and remembered why I always used to check the weather every morning. I still check it each day here, but for a different reason. In Oklahoma you need to know whether to wear your shorts or your ski jacket. It could be 80 degrees one day and then 30 the next. One nice thing about the weather here is that it will probably only vary in temperature from day to day by a few degrees. However I still have to check the weather to determine what umbrella to bring with me that day. I carry the little umbrella every day. Then some days I have to switch to another umbrella depending on the amount of rain. Some days are rain coat days, some are medium size umbrella days and some are big umbrella days. This is a very serious situation. I is quite embarrassing if you bring the wrong umbrella. You might get funny looks because it is barely raining and you are caring an umbrella that can also work as a small boat. Or you might be soaking wet because the little umbrella may not be quite enough. Here is a picture of me and my umbrellas.

Krispy Kreme

I have eaten more Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the past 8 months than I have in a really long time. It was exciting to be able to get a good doughnut in England once moving from Turkey so it was a big deal. The past few months at work have been a little crazy. Because of this, at least twice someone has brought them in for us. These are always exciting days. Most of the Krispy Kremes here are little stands. I guess they have to be made somewhere, so last weekend we went with some friends to a real Krispy Kreme. It was a huge store compared to the ones in America. We got to watch them be made. The hot sign unfortunately wasn't on but it was still a fun trip.

Basketball Season

I used to look forward to basketball season. Sometimes I wish I never quit in high school. I still love playing. I joined a county club here in England. Our team is called the Reigate Falcons. We don't actually practice in Reigate but usually close to where I live. The ladies on my team range from age 21-43. I really enjoy playing with them. They are all very nice. Many times we are referred to as nice Reigate girls, not the posh London girls. We have training twice a week and quite a bit of games. My team is trying to decide if they will continue over the summer. I really hope so. I would miss playing with them. It has been great to be involved in the community and meet people here. We are a developing team as this is their second year as a team. We aren't very good, but we won a game a few weeks ago. It was the highlight of my week. My kit (uniform) is a bit big. For some reason they only have size Large. Here is a picture of me. I really want to get a picture of our team. Last season many pictures were taken, so I hope to get them soon.

A new concept for cloudy.

I realized in the past few days that the Oklahoma meaning for overcast and cloudy is completely different than it is here. This morning I looked at the forecast for the next 5 days and it said 'White Cloud.' This really means a cloudy overcast day. The sad thing is that I was really excited. Compared to 'Grey Cloud' which it has been for the past few weeks, white cloud feels sunny. There is really no comparison for a grey cloud in America. I guess it would be what the sky looks like during a thunderstorm except covering the entire sky and not raining. That is what it is like here most of the winter. When the weather says white cloud, which again is Oklahoma's cloudy day, it means you will see a small speck of the blue sky behind the clouds at some point in the day which is incredibly exciting when you haven't seen this for a couple of weeks. I am thankful for the white cloud days this time of year.

It does rain a lot here, but not all of the time. It is really just dark all of the time. I am so ready for Spring and Summer to see a few bits of sun and blue sky.

In your own dialect

So many people always say we need to learn the language of the people we live among. This is helpful in so many ways. It is easier to make friends and share with them if you speak their language. I knew this was important and have always heard this. It never really made complete sense until today. This morning at church we heard the message brought by an American. This is the first time I have heard an American at church in over a year. In Turkey at the international church we had a South African preacher, here the speaker is British or sometimes Irish, which is another completely different dialect. It was so sweet this morning to hear the Word in my American southern heart language. I realize that the others were English but it made a huge difference for it to be in American English. The style, pronunciation, and meaning of words is just so different. Normally I really have to concentrate to understand what the speaker is saying. It was so nice to sit and relax and soak it up and not try to translate the words. This sounds silly but just hearing Isaiah pronounced they way Americans say it was food for the soul.

One Year!

I have now lived overseas for an entire year. 9.5 more months left. It still doesn't always seem real. It seems like it was just the other day when I was filling out the applications for the job. I am so grateful for this opportunity to spend some time in another culture, 2 at that. It has been an experience of a lifetime. I have made so many memories and met so many people that will always remain dear to me. It has been very hard to be away from family and friends and normal life I knew in America. It has been a challenge to learn to travel, cook, shop, and simply live in foreign cities. So many times I have longed to move back to America and I am sure there will be more. There have been many tears of loneliness. But through all of this, Father has been with me every step of the way just as He promised. He is always faithful even when I fail. I still have so much to learn, and I am excited to see what Father has for me for the next bit of my life that I spend here. I cannot believe how much Father has shaped me and drawn me closer to Him. Thank you Father for this past year. It has truly been a blessing.

2009, where did you go?

Wow what a year!

I figured like everyone else, I should recap my year.



January- I said some very hard goodbyes and got on a plane headed for Turkey. This brought challenges learning to live in an Asian culture. I started taking language classes and learning more and more each day.



February- I contemplated a move to England or taking another job in Turkey. It was a very emotional month full of more culture shock and decisions on where to spend my time. I finally decided to move to England.



March- My parents and sister and soon to be brother-in-law came to visit. We all took a trip to Greece, Ephesus, Troy, and Cappadocia. I joined a great group of people to worship with who have become family to me.



April- I found out I was going to move to the London area in June. I spent a lot of time at the English club and being out in the city with anyone and everyone. I loved every minute of it.



May- I applied for my visa to the UK and got it in one week. I enjoyed the spring weather with parks and tulips.





June- I saw as many things in my city as possible knowing I was leaving. Once again I said a hard goodbye to so many lovely friends and a country and people I grew to love. I moved to England and began learning yet another new culture and language. It really is a different language.



July- I experience culture shock to a new level. It was not America and definitely not Turkey. A new roommate moved in with me. We moved the office from one part of town to another. I kept busy with a few visitors and also a trip back to Turkey.



August- I enjoyed a visit from my parents and Patrick and went with them to Scotland, Holland, and Germany. I turned 23.



September- I joined a basketball team and began training with them 2 nights a week. I went to a rugby match. Everything in the office was set up working like a real office with most of the employees finally here.





October- I began to truly enjoy living in England. I went on many weekend outings with some other single ladies. My old college roommate came to visit.




November- I at turkey in Turkey on Thanksgiving. I sprained my ankle pretty bad in a basketball game.



December- I worked a lot with so much do to. I went to America for Christmas with my family and friends.





Well that pretty much sums up 2009. I was probably more fun for me to look back than it was entertaining for you. Oh well.

Guy Fawkes Day!!

November 5 is one of the most celebrated holidays in England. On this day in 1605 this man tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament to protest the Protestant rule. This day is now bonfire night. We have been debating in the office on what exactly they were celebrating. I was invited by a few British friends to go to a bonfire with them. So I put on my wellies and joined the crowd of 20,000 people. My friends told me that they are celebrating the fact that he was caught and didnt succeed in blowing up parliament. So they have a huge bonfire and put a dummy on top.
Then there is a ceremony to light the bonfire with torches. The fire eventually goes to the top of the bonfire to engulf the dummy in flames. They put fire crackers inside of the dummy so when it burns completely they all pop like crazy. Now you know that guy fawkes is completely dead. Then everyone cheers.

The next piece of the entertainment of the night is a huge fireworks display. Everyone turns the opposite direction and watches the fireworks

It was a great night and the highlight of the weekend. Here is a picture of my friend and me as we enjoy the night.

USA, USA, USA

Yes, I went to the gymnastics world championships. It was the womens all around competition. I have never been so excited for an event as I was this when I found out it was in London. It was incredible. Jessica even came from America to go. I have always wanted to see something like this.
Here we are in the nose bleed section in our gymnastic shirts.


It was a fantastic evening. It helped that USA is definitely number 1.
It was so nerve racking to watch, but USA pulled out on top taking gold and silver medals. It was so cool to have won and to hear the national anthem. Here are the USA girls in pink on the podium along with the Japanese girl who made me really nervous at the end.




And of course the flags flying high.

What country am I in?

I decided to take a day and go into London and check out some Turkish neighborhoods and see what was there and if I could get involved there. It was so overwhelming as every culture I could think of collided in this area. There was a market with stuff from Africa, Turkey, the Middle East, India and so many other places. At the end of the street there was a grocery store. I was so overwhelmed and couldnt figure out what language to speak. They had British food, Turkish food, and American food all in one store. I bought a few things but it was a bit of culture shock. I couldnt figure out what country I was in. Then I walked, walked, and walked some more. I came to one street that was just so diverse I couldnt believe it so I took a few pictures to document my time.

The one on the left is definitely a mosque and the below picture is a Baptist church. They were right next to each other. I thought that was interesting.



























So I took more pictures. Here is a Turkish restaurant literally across the street.

Then I walked just a bit further and guess what I saw. You guessed it, a Mexican restaurant. Before this, I thought I had seen a piece of every culture in my day out but I was obviously wrong. By this time, I was exhausted but I decided to walk a little more. Next I came upon this
I am not sure what is going on here but for about a block of walking I saw men and boys dressed up like this coming from every corner. I was so amazed at all of the cultures I could come in contact with in just a few short hours.

Same language, different words

The language here is English, but very different English. It takes just as much concentration to understand someone as it does when they are speaking a whole different language. There are words I have to learn to say or not to say. I decided to share a few new words and meanings I have learned here.

British English vs. American English
Biscuit.........................Cookie
Scone...........................Biscuit
handbag.........................purse
purse...........................wallet
floor...........................pavement
tiles...........................roof shingles
trousers........................pants
pants...........................underwear
to fall over....................to fall down
to run down.....................to run over
garden..........................backyard
Lolly lady......................traffic controller at crosswalks
zebra crossing..................cross walk
take away.......................take out/to go

Some things are a lot more confusing than they should be

It doesn't rain here

My parents and Patrick came in August to visit. We were blessed with amazing weather and didn't get rained on while they were in London. Now they dont believe me when I say its cold and rainy. It was warm and sunny every day they were here. It did rain in Scotland every day we were there, but it was still fun. Here are just a few highlights of things we did while they were here:

.rode the train a lot
.visited Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London
.rode bikes in Amsterdam
.went on a cruise down the Rhein in Germany
.explored a castle on the Rhein
.ate a lot of ice cream in Germany
.saw the tower bridge
.ran to get a seat on the train
.walked in the rain in Scotland
.ate an amazing burger
.climbed a mountain in Scotland
.wore a kilt
.walked 500 miles
.saw a big pile of rocks some people like to call Stonehenge


It was quite the vacation. We did a lot but had so much fun

What country have you lived in for the past 12 months?

I went to Turkey to visit some friends. I had so much fun with them. Here is a picture of us in Ortakoy at the jewelry pazar.
It turns out traveling from Turkey to London takes a whole lot longer than it should especially since it is a 4 hour flight. On my way home I left my friends house at 4:45 am, which is really 2:45 am England time. I took a taxi just to the metrobus. Then I rode this for 30 minutes, got out to transfer and waited 20 minutes. Then I got on the next one and rode 20 more minutes. I said the word for airport and the Turkish men started screaming 'Yabanci' until the driver stopped to let me off. Apparently they thought I should get off there. So I got off and followed the nice gentleman's directions to the metro. This took me directly to the airport. Finally I got through passport control. They didnt really want me to go through and had to make some phone calls because my previous exit stamp was on the same page as my visa. I finally get to the terminal which is behind security where there are no restaurants so you cant take water on the plane. That is annoying. Anyway, my plane landed at 10:00 am england time which is really noon turkey time. At this point it has already been 7 hours since I left my friends house.
I flew through Heathrow, which is a nightmare. I was so happy I made it through passport control with only a few questions. I was then stopped by this lady who was doing a survey. Her first question was "What country have you lived in for the past 12 months?" I spouted off my 3 countries and she looked at me and with a weird look and said 'thats all I need to know.' I thought great I dont really want to sit and talk anyway. But it made me think that I have lived in 3 countries this year. That is pretty crazy. Quite an accomplishment for me.
Anyway continuing with the trip. I lug my bag through 2 tube stations and finally reach my last train at noon making it now 9 hours of traveling time, and sit down with a very large iced latte and a bagel happy to be 30 minutes from home. It turns out that the signals were messed up and all of the trains from that station were canceled. Great. So I get out, go back to the tube and take 2 more trains that lead me to another station. I had never used this station so I had to figure out how to find the right train to take me home. I figured it out just in time and jumped on the train. This was the long train which stopped at every single small town between London and Redhill. Why am I not surprised. So I finally got back to Redhill, took my luggage home, and ran to work making it there by 3:00 which is now 12 and a half hours since I began my journey on one hour of sleep. Needless to say, I was exhausted.

its been a while

I have been doing a horrible job at updating. I will try to do better. I always think nothing exciting happens in my life.

Everything is so green and beautiful here. Our office is out in this garden. It is so pretty. I saw a fox the other day. I have seen so many all over this city. I guess they will replace the large number of cats that filled the streets in my last city.

A few weeks ago, my friend April came. We toured London and saw so many things. I finally learned my way around the city.

We went the the globe theatre and saw a Shakespeare play. We stood right by the stage like the peasants a long time ago. I loved it and hope to go back again. It is only 5 pounds. What a deal!!

American football

This past weekend, we went to an American football game. There is a teacher at the international school here whose husband coaches a team in their college league. They had the championship game on Saturday so we went to cheer them on. We had no idea what to expect, but were excited to see American football.
They played in a futbol field, so here is a picture of the field goal posts.
It wasnt the best quality football and the refs were pretty awful, but it was still so much fun. These guys havent grown up playing football like college players in the states. Someone said to think peewee football in college age bodies. I dont think it was quite that bad. The other team was from a university here called Bogazici. We were sitting by a lot of their fans so got to hear them cheer and chant throughout the game. There wasn't a score board or anything, so we think the score was 22-20 in which we lost in the fourth quarter. There also wasn'treally a timer, so you never know how much time is left on the clock. I dont think the coaches or players know either. It seemed like the fourth quarter lasted forever. At the end of the game the players of the other team ran into the stands and began to climb the fence to get to their fans. It was kind of the opposite from the states where the fans run onto the field. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the stampede of the players running towards us.
Here is a video so you can see the cheering of the Bogazici team and us cheering against them, a little of a play, and also the players climbing into the stands at the end.