Sun is in the Sky, Oh Why Oh Why Would I Wanna Be Anywhere Else

I am alive and well! And a new citizen of South Kensington, SW7 5EN, London, England, UK.

Yep.

Here are some things I love, observed, and still don't understand:

Love
-Meat pie stand next to the ice rink at the National History Museum. Why haven't Americans moved beyond chicken pot pie and fully accepted the concept of meat and dough? Delicious.
-Proximity to several major Tube stops
-Proximity to Hyde Park (just at the end of the road, a 2 minute walk)
-Single room with its own bath. I know.
-View of the Royal Albert Hall from said single room
-Puddles on the ground after rain, which happens pretty often
-What I saw of the Docklands from our boat tour of the Thames. Old warehouses costing almost as much as apartments in South Ken? Yes, please!
-Walking around the neighborhood at night. It's facinating to peek into people's windows and see their high ceilings, gleaming pianos, chandeliers, and small children dressed to the nines. 

Observed
-Lots of French people, especially kids, in this area. Goody!
-Yesterday, I was nearly certain I would die before May, due to a car hitting me. Today, I learned how to look right, then over my left shoulder, then right again. And never, EVER hesitate to cross if a car is waiting for you-- they will not blink before running you over for showing weakness. Londoners are way worse drivers than French people, believe it or not.
-Older British men look hilariously alike. They all have long, pointed umbrellas, a shiny crown peeking through greyish hair, and most of them either smoke pipes or wear Harrods green somewhere on their body.

Don't Understand
-American students stand out and look stupid. Would it be the worst thing in the world to leave your University's hooded sweatshirt at home for four months? You're not going to work out, you're walking around one of the most beautiful and old-fashioned cities in the world.
-The hand-holding? Is already getting old. And this is my second day here. I think we could all manage to find our way to the Westminster Pier without having to walk in a big group of 100 kids. Eesh. It was a parade of stupid.

On the other hand, I had a terrific time during the boat tour. Then I spent a few hours wandering around from the River to Buckingham to Victoria, then taking the Tube to the Sainsburys and then lugging about 25 pounds of groceries back to my dorm.

Tired. Another thing I don't understand? Jet Leg. It's so unhelpful.