Londontown

[tvordlj]

Aww i had a call from my best friend last night. She just got back from 10 days in London visiting her daughter who is living and working in Islington. It was very hard to leave, she said, and she misses her daughter very much but it's great to be able to picture where she is and the daughter is quite happy there. She's getting ready to go to Ireland to work there for 6 months though she's not sure she really wants to on one hand because she's got a good gig going where she is now. She gets 150 quid a week but she doesn't have to pay rent and food is included too as she's living over a pub. She's hooked on the theatre and can get around the city like a native already. She is a bit homesick and does find that she feels a bit anonymous in such a large city. She's still not sure what she wants to do with her future and wonders if she's not using this 2 year opportunity to avoid things since all her friends are now in uni. I think it was far smarter for her to take the time off, get the chance to live somewhere new and travel before settling down rather than paying for university and then wasting it because it wasn't what she wanted to do. She probably could get this job back when her work visa for Ireland is up in November. She would still have 6 months left on her work visa for the UK.

Anyway, she had her mom's trip all organized and they did stuff every day and saw Mamma Mia and Wicked which also included getting up at 6 a.m. the day after she arrived to go stand in Leicester Square for same day tickets. All part of the experience! Jo also found out that you should ask for "filter" coffee because the coffee shop she went to one morning for a boost gave her the equivalent of somewhat watered down esspresso which had her buzzing and her eyes like saucers all day! She also discovered that Starbucks is very very expensive lol Then again, that was a coffee, a hot chocolate and muffins at the kiosk in Leicester Square. What would you expect? Starbucks is expensive anyway no matter where you are and i don't find their coffee that great.

They had a day trip to Oxford, walked the upper level of Tower Bridge, saw the Crown Jewels, went to service in St. Paul's and saw Westminster Abbey. She liked St. Paul's better, thought the Abbey was awfully crowded inside, smaller than it looked because of all the "stuff". She finally got to go to Past Times, having seen the catalogues and gifts that i've brought back over the years and timed it right because she got stuff on sale! Oddly though, there doesn't seem to be any branches in London anymore, not even in Heathrow.

Now she's got to figure out how to get the photos out of the digital camera and online somewhere. I can hardly wait to see them!

Comments

[minivanmom.livejournal.com]

I envy your friend's daughter alot. I wish I'd gotten the chance to do that when I was younger! Even now! Sometimes (all the time) I don't know where the money goes or how other people do it!

[tvor.livejournal.com]

She registered with the Students Working Abroad program. Her cousin did it a few years ago which gave her the idea. She worked part time and saved her nest egg. The program sorts out your work permits and gives you resources for jobs and living arrangements though you have to do it yourself. It's a work/travel type program. I wish i'd known about it back in the day, too!

[zoo-music-girl.livejournal.com]

So all was ok then? I remember you asking about the Hope and Anchor and the area!

[tvor.livejournal.com]

Yes, the daughter is very happy there and they all really like her. She's learning quickly to figure out which men are the shallow charmers and bounders too lol If you're in there, and you see a tall, thin young woman with a lot of thick brown hair and a smile that goes from ear to ear, say hi to Tangraya for me!