Camels!

I forgot that on a walk through Regent's Park yesterday, I also saw this...

The London Zoo is at Regent's Park, so like the giraffes I saw on one of my first outings in September, this time I saw camels! So cool!

A Symphony In Trafalgar Square

Monday, May 27th was the second of two bank holidays England has in the month of May.

Last night, the London Symphony Orchestra was playing a live outdoor concert in Trafalgar Square.

As Kelly and I are both former high school band geeks, we decided this would be a great thing to do together since we are not off galavanting around Europe on this half-term break.

The concert started at 6:30 pm, and we arrived in Trafalgar Square around 5:45 pm when it was already standing room only, and even a standing spot was hard to find! Perhaps the beautiful weather and the low admission price drew out so many people, as I am not sure that everyone there were really die hard instrumental music enthusiasts!

Oh and Denise, please note that BMW sponsors these events! Just another reason that your company is so amazing!

The Symphony on Stage

Some of the strings section - my favourite section because I was a Violin player during elementary and high school. 

It was great to hear a symphony play, and an outdoor setting really does make this a unique experience. The musicians were fantastic, and even the LSO Young Musicians took part. 

Music is something that I have always had in my life and I believe that playing an instrument and taking part in the Arts in school can add something special to one's life. But no matter whether you are an athlete, a book nerd, or artist, find someway to incorporate something enriching to your life. Even if it is just listening to a free concert of instrumental and orchestral music in a public square, something is better than nothing.

Finally, A Cloudless Sunny And Warm Day!

Sunday, May 26th was the most beautiful day that I have experienced on my London Adventure so far (aside from a day or two in the French Riviera).

I woke up and right away I knew it would be a beautiful day. First off, because it would be two months until I fly home to Canada on July 26th. Secondly, because sun just makes you happy!

So, Kelly, Matt and I wasted no time setting up our blankets outside on our rooftop garden patio for an afternoon of resting, reading, and suntanning.

See how bright it is outside!

That evening, we continued our time outside and had a campfire! And no campfire is completed without marshmallows to roast! 

Kelly concentrating on roasting her marshmallow to perfection.

Matt & I are all smiles as we roast our marshmallows!

So excited!

Yummy yummy goodness! 

After the roasting was over, we changed the colour of the fire with our magic powers...

Matt & Kelly 

This is a Finchley Road memory that I will cherish. <3

When Canadians Come To Town...

...You go to the Maple Leaf, the Canadian pub in central London!

This was a place I had been wanting to visit, so when I knew that I would be seeing my friend Felicia and her brother Edward, I suggested it right away!

Felicia and I worked together at Coles bookstore, which I worked at part-time during university in St. Catharines, Ontario. Felicia and her brother Edward are currently on a trip of Europe which they began in the middle of April.

The Maple Leaf was decorated inside with some items that represent Canada...hockey memorabilia, a moose head, lots of red and white. So, it did a good job of displaying a Canadian atmosphere. And it wasn't there fault that there was only cycling on to show on the television screens, and no hockey. 

I did order poutine, which I had been craving for so long! It was good, but no where near how amazing poutine can be in Canada when it is made with cheese curds instead of grated cheese. However, I enjoyed the taste of gravy on my fries instead of ketchup as a change. They also featured the Caesar drink, which apparently Canada is known for? I had no idea, as I can't stand tomato juice but fair enough as people at the pub seemed to be enjoying it. I also liked that some of the people who worked at the pub were Canadian too. It was different to hear an accent like mine on the other side of the pub counter!

It was great to catch up with Felicia. It made me think about how I miss all of my co-workers at Coles but it's nice to know that you are all doing well! :)

A Life Lesson

It's been a stressful week. That's all I'm going to say. It's not what is happening that I am going to write about, it's my perspective on dealing with stressful situations where opinions, emotions, and feelings are involved between at least two people. When I publish this blog as a book, I want to be able to come to this post as a reminder of my thinking.

A friend told me that one of the best things about me is that I'm not good at staying mad at people. There's something that I have learned which has influenced that about me. Life is short. You just don't know when someone's life is going to end. So why risk having the last thing you say to someone be an argument, or something said out of spite, or something that you just didn't mean but it came out in the heat of the moment? That's not how I choose to live. I don't go to sleep angry. I forgive and I apologise when I've done or said something that I shouldn't have. I think sometimes I even apologize too much but that's just in relation to how bad I feel. 

Instead of blaming other people or staying angry, I'm over the situation in anywhere from a matter of minutes to up to a few hours. When this happens I start to think only about how I could improve myself, either to deal with stress better, or to keep my emotions low in conflict, or just to become a better person. I am very self aware and I recognise my personality, the good qualities and the not so good ones. So which of those not so good ones can I work on changing? 

One of the ones I have changed and worked on is understanding other perspectives. I used to be stubborn, and I used to feel that I was always right. I don't think that way anymore, instead I try to empathise and put myself in other people's shoes to understand their thinking. Sometimes I still have a million questions, because often you can't understand exactly how a person thinks because you aren't in their brain but you can still try to take their perspective. That helps me to not stay mad and allows me to forgive people usually. 

There are some people that in my life that I haven't forgiven, but I can honestly say I'm not mad at them. I've just cut them out of my life because quite simply they didn't deserve to be in it. 

Anyways, I guess this time my not so good quality I want to work on is how I judge people and assume what they are thinking too easily. I'm not a mind reader, and I don't know why people think and act the way they do. In not a good way I can relate to the ladies of Desperate Housewives too easily. Either that or I've been so caught up in that show recently that their thinking and actions have started to influence mine!

I've also been told by friends how good of a writer I am, and how they can see how writing helps me to organise my thoughts. So like I said before, this blog post is more for myself than my audience but if anyone can just take an ounce of new perspective from it, or even just a new understanding of me as your friend or family member, than I am glad of that. 

A Couple Odds & Ends...

Nothing specific to write about today, but there are a just few little things that are blog worthy to post about.

Today turned out to be a pretty nice day weatherwise (the sun is currently still shining!) and this afternoon was a good afternoon for a drink and some pub food outside. 

This photo was taken in the Notting Hill area near Portobello Road. Cheers to friends, good times, and Sunday beers and ciders! I tried an Organic Cherry Beer which was quite tasty...I even drank it from a wine glass! 

From left to right: Myself, Dayna, Matt, Kelly, and Matt - Cheers!

May 18th was Miss Samantha MacRitchie's birthday...she's a good friend of Kelly's from Canada who is also living and teaching in London. We went out for a cocktail to celebrate!

The birthday girl!

My Cookie Monster cocktail - a milkshake for adults! ;)

When I was out for a walk on Saturday morning, I saw this and it just felt very London to me...

A tiny electric car charging at the side of the road. That's definitely not something that you see in Canada!

And of course, you can't walk by a Hummingbird Cafe twice and not go in on the 2nd time...passing once is hard enough! So, I decided to bring home a Sticky Toffee cupcake to try. It was definitely worth it! :) 

Coming Home

This post was inspired by a song that I heard on my walk to the school I was supply teaching at today. I love those moments when a song you have heard quite a few times, that you've had on your iTunes for a couple of years, all of a sudden has new meaning in the lyrics and offers a new perspective and realization when you listen to it. That's what "Coming Home" sung by Gwyneth Peltrow from the movie "Country Strong" had for me this morning.

First, I'll announce that I have decided that when I fly home to Canada on July 26th, I won't be getting on a return flight three weeks later back to London. This is a decision that I have made, after deciding to stay for the second year of my visa wasn't sitting well with me. I was having a lot of second thoughts, not quite sure that it was the best choice and just feeling really overwhelmed and scared by how long a second year seemed to be here.

Before I go any further...here are the lyrics for the song. I also am going to put a link to a video of the performance scene just so that you can here the song as well for those who don't know it.

Coming Home Video

It’s a four letter word
a place you go to heal your hurt
It’s an alter, it’s a shelter
One place you’re always welcome
a pink flamingo, double wide
One bedroom in a high rise
a mansion on a hill
Where the memories always will
keep you company
whenever you’re alone
after all of my running 
I’m finally coming

Home
The world tried to break me
I found a road to take me
Home
There aint nothing but a blue sky now
After all of my running
I’m finally coming
Home

Well they say its where the heart is
and I guess the hardest part is
when your heart is broken
and you’re lost out in the great wide open
looking for a map
finding your way back
to where you belong 
well that’s where I belong

Home
The world tried to break me
I found a road to take me
Home
There aint nothing but a blue sky now
After all of my running
I’m finally coming
Home

Home…
Home…

Home
The world tried to break me
I found a road to take me
Home
There aint nothing but a blue sky now
After all of my running
I’m finally coming
After all of my running
I’m finally coming
Home

Those of you who have followed this blog since it started and have kept in touch with me throughout my time abroad, as well as those of you who I have met on this adventure, know that it has not been the easiest of times for me. The first few months here were harder then anything I ever anticipated, and settling into London life and supply teaching was challenging. There were days when all I did was hold on to the hope that Christmas break was coming to drag me out of bed, and there were days when not even that worked. But then, Christmas break came and I went home, and I missed London a bit. I missed friends here and I missed the city, so I came back after Christmas and things were going pretty well for a few months. I felt adjusted, I felt comfortable in the city, my friendships had developed here,I was making new friends, everything was great! And then, that joy started to wear off I guess around March. But I had my mom visiting in April, so I focused on that and the 2 week half term break that was coming up at Easter. Once that was over, and I returned to supply teaching I really just started to feel like I was living for the weekend and not enjoying every day of my life like I want to be. I felt like my brain wasn't being challenged as I need it to be. I was missing the days when I would come home mentally exhausted from a shift at Coles or a day at the Oxford County Library.

Those of you who know me well or knew me during my last few years of university know that I have had doubts about whether teaching was really the right career path for me. It was something my friends Erika, Kristin, and I discussed constantly throughout 4th year and teacher's college. There is so much involved in teaching that I never thought about when I chose it as my career as an eight year old girl who loved reading, learning, other children, and school. Since then, it's really been the only career I fully considered. I just figured it was the match for me. But at eight years old you don't know what your personality will be as an adult, or your temperment, or your belief on what a career should be in your life.

What I have learned is that I don't want to be responsible for the assessment of children. I don't want to be the one deciding if they are learning at the appropriate pace, or reaching the right grade level at the right time. So what if children run in the hallway or are quiet in class. I don't like having to care about that, and even though as a supply teacher I don't even really get the bulk of the responsibility, I still have to care because if I don't, the class of 30 children will walk all over me! I want children to learn, but the role I want to play in that is providing fun, yet educational experiences for them. I want to help them learn about things they want to learn about. I want to show children the magic of books and reading. How music can change your life. How to let yourself be creative and encourage your brain to think and invent. But I don't want to stay after school and assess children's work. I don't want to devote my entire life to children, sacrificing the time for things that I personally enjoy to meet the expectations and pressures of the education system (mind you Ontario's education system is much less demanding than the British system from what I have seen, but still). A classroom is not where I want to be involved with children.

Another thing? I actually don't like all of the holidays that teachers get. You know why? Because it gets me out of routine, and I find it harder and harder to want to go back after each holiday. Especially in London, when you have a school break every six or seven weeks! I like routine. I also want to know that my day will start at a certain time and end at a certain time, or something realitively like that. I like "me" time way to much to want to sacrifice that and put it into the work that never ends as a teacher.

However, the biggest thing that is influencing my decision to perhaps but teaching on the list of careers that are not for me is my lack of passion for it. It's just not something that I love. Children deserve passionate teachers. Teachers who love what they do, because those are the teachers that inspire, motivate, and influence children to be the best they can be. Those are the kinds of teachers I want children to have. I could almost compare my decision to not teach in a classroom as a career to a mother's decision not to raise her own child. Yes, she could probably do it, just like I could probably teach. But it would not be what is best for the children. I don't really like the person I become when I have to be strict, when I have to discipline, or when my patience is gone and children aren't listening. It reminds me of my 13-15 year old angry self who yelled a lot, and spoke with lots of attitude. I am not the best me as a teacher. So, I am taking the skills that I have gained, and the knowledge of things that I do like and enjoy about teaching, and I'm starting the journey towards figuring out another career that those could be more suitable for, and that I am more suitable for.

I still love children, I think they are cute and I definitely want a career that involves them somehow. I love reading to kids and encouraging/challenging them to think. But there are other career choices that can involve that in my work.

Teaching challenges haven't been my only challenges that I have faced this year. There was the homesickness that was mentioned, but also a lot of challenges of the heart. I don't want to go into too much detail on these but let's just say my trust level in men is below ground zero, with the exception of a few that have proven their friendship, or are my brother Clint or cousin Jonathan.

I feel like the "world has tried to break me". This adventure abroad was I think as much of an emotional adventure as anything else. I've been "looking for a map", trying to figure out how to handle it all and what the best decision for me is in regards to my future. But "after all of my running, I'm finally coming home". I'm coming home to heal, and to figure out my path. It's not going to be easy, but let me tell you that I don't even know what easy is anymore because nothing that I have experienced in the past 9 months of being in London has been. I'm ready for the challenge, and I accept it.

See you July 26th Canada. <3

A Weekend of Firsts....

This past weekend was a weekend of firsts for me here in London.

1. It was my first time celebrating my roommate Jennifer's boyfriend Jason's birthday! haha. He's now 22, and can totally sing the Taylor Swift song titled "22"! It was a great night, which I have yet to see any pictures from, but if I get some that are blog appropriate I will add them in.

2. It was the first time I made mashed potatoes from a real potatoe using a hand masher! Mind you, it really was just mashed potatoe as I only used one larger potatoe (which I was graciously offered by Matt & Kelly).

3. I had my first ever pint of Guinness. Actually it was "Guinness & Black", so Guinness and a shot of black current juice. It was really tasty, and it reminded me of something that I have tasted before that I still can't pinpoint. 

4. I played a proper game of darts for the first time with Kelly & Matt at the trusty North Star pub next door. By proper, I mean because my brother Clint and I used to throw darts in our basement growing up, but we aimed at pictures of celebrities we weren't fond of on the dart board, not the actual scores and numbers. (Justin Timberlake was a common casuality, as well as all of the members of N*SYNC - what can I say, I was a Backstreet Boy fan all the way!). At first, my dart throws were wild and the way my dart soared through the air was one of a kind so my shooting line was moved forward, but by the end of playing I was throwing from the official dart line and I even won a round of the game 501 that we played!

5. I finally got an upclose climpse of St. Paul's Cathedral. I convinced Kelly to come out of the house with me on Sunday afternoon to go on a walking adventure. We weren't really sure where to head, so we picked the tube stop Embankment, which is done along the Thames as our destination. We arrived and just started walking! We also saw a Bride getting photos done in a little park, and the Bride was terrified of the pigeons. This inspired lots of wedding dream conversation between Kelly and I as well! We were walking along and I spotted St. Paul's Cathedral in the distance so I chose that as our destination. 

6. And last but not least, it was the first time I really identified with the awful feeling of sunday night when you work a Monday to Friday day job. Sunday night just sucks! You don't want to get ready for the work day ahead, you want to be enjoying your weekend still. You end up going to sleep a lot later than normal, and you dread falling asleep because it means the official end of your weekend. Ugh. I can't think of any time of that week that is worse, although Monday morning isn't too far behind!

A Bank Holiday on the First Monday In May? Sure, I'll Take It!

Well, this weekend I experienced my first official long weekend in London!

While it was mostly nice to have a weekend to relax and be lazy, I also had lots of time to think and gain clarity about a lot that has been running through my mind recently.

However, what was also great were the few adventures I was able to have with my friends this weekend!

On Sunday, I visited the famous Hamley's toy store with Phoebe and Derek! It was a great place for us, as we are all just really big kids at heart! The Hamley's Store is 6 levels of toys, games, puzzles, electronics, books, candy, stuffed animals, and just random stuff that no child needs but every child wants!

We each made a new friend...

We toured every floor and had lots of fun!

Phoebe found Thomas the Tank Engine....

and then we found Kate & William, Charles, and Harry!

But the best find of all....

THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND! 

This is probably as close to meeting the real Queen as I am going to get...and this one is made out of Lego! 

A great time was had at Hamley's by all! 

The rest of the weekend was spent soaking up the England sunshine as much as possible! 

Today, Kelly & Matt, their friends Matt & Dayna, and I went to Ravencourt Park near Hammersmith and enjoyed a picnic lunch and some suntanning! 

Everyone in London really does flock to the park or any sort of green space when the temperature is nice and the sun is "supposed" to be shining. Often times there is a lot of "cloud soup" blocking the sun but it does make an appearance more often than people think it does!

Even Friday was a lovely day, and since I didn't get work I spent the afternoon in St. James Park near Buckingham Palace reading and suntanning. 

Buckingham Palace looking beautiful in the springtime with the tulips in full bloom!

London is definitely a pretty city in the springtime when the flowers are blooming, the trees are blossoming, and the city is bright again!

Happy 24th Birthday to Me!

On Tuesday, April 30th, I turned 24! Finally when I had just gotten used to saying I was 23! haha.

I had a wonderful birthday. I had my regular Tuesday PPA cover at Stanburn Junior School, so I was around familiar children and teachers which was great. I also wore my "Happy Birthday" button, which of course had everyone saying "Happy Birthday Miss Hill!" and the oh so famous line, "So, how old are you?" To that, I figured I'd just start each class I taught by saying "Yes, today is my birthday and I am 24!". It's a bit funny how children really have a weak concept of age. Pretty much anyone who is a teacher has to be atleast 30 in their minds I think. One student even said "Miss Hill, I thought you were 32 at least!" Thank goodness I am not there yet!

For dinner, the Finchley crew minus Jenn (who was running a surprise errand on behalf of Denise Michaud) in central London.

We went to Yum Cha in Camden. This restaurant is essentially a Dim Sum and Chinese restaurant (but Dim Sum is called Yum Cha in Australia according to Mr. Matt Porter). Plus, on Monday to Wednesday the menu is half price! Wooo! So, this is where myself, Matt, Kelly, Mark, and Marzena headed for dinner to celebrate my special day!

While we waited for food, it was the perfect time to take pictures!

Matt & Kelly

Kelly & Marzena

The girls!

Mark & I

Matt, Kelly & I 

Now, I guess the adventurous part of the meal was when Marzena decided to order baby octopus, and insisted that we all try one!

I mean, look at them! Ugh, the head tasted so squishy! Mark, Kelly, and I would probably agree that it wasn't the best part of the meal.

Some of our other delicious food! 

I must also add that I pretty much avoided all use of chop sticks during the entire meal. I just can't hold them and use them! I always struggle. I'm going to blame it on being left handed. I really think I just can't hold them comfortably!

Waiting for me at home after dinner was the anticipated surprise that I knew Denise and Jenn had been scheming for a few weeks.

A parcel from the Hummingbird Cafe!! Only the best bakery in London!

Delicious cupcakes! Lots of different flavours including Caramel, Red Velvet, Chocolate, and more! Now, the plan is to have one a day but we will see how well that goes...

I also received some other great little gifts from my flatmates.

My favourite Haribo from Marzena - Tangfastics!

Cath Kidston merchandise from Jenn & Jason

and chocolate from Matt & Kelly!

Thanks everyone for making my birthday amazing! I'd say it definitely tops my list of best birthdays ever and I am so grateful for everyone who celebrated with me! You all mean so much to me, and I appreciate you more than you know! <3

Here's to what being 24 brings!