Home away from Home away from Home.

We organised our apartment from Chicago. Correction, 1x crazy Italian organised it for us from Chicago via Italy via email so all four of us didn't really know what to expect. The flat turned out very nicely in a cute suburban area with lots of schools and old English pubs (I better learn to drink beer quickly.. Ryan is getting embarrassed when I ask for a plain tonic water or a hot chocolate at a pub - I couldn't help it, I was cold!) and it's close to a bus line from Canary Wharf and a tube station on the DLR (Docklands Light Raiway). I don't want to bore you with pictures of our carpet, bathroom and bedrooms so here are a few photos to give you an idea of the place and it's inhabitants. Please also bare in mind that furnished in the UK/London does not necessarily mean kitchenware included - so no pots, pans, knives, forks, cups, plates, toaster, kettle.. nothing! No cleaning equipment, no dustbins for the bathrooms! Luckily we had our wits about us to bring a duvet cover, towels, a fitted sheet and pillow cases because otherwise we would have spent the first night sleeping on a bare mattress and uncovered pillow. Now, I have seen those National Geographic programmes where they tell you that all the house dust mites live in your mattress. They also show you what they look like under a microscope. No thanks. 

Kitchen with one of our lounge chairs and a dining room table - very nice - and we don't have a dining room table in Chicago so I am taking full advantage of this one.  I also find that I get the most 3G bars at this table and the internet is therefore the fastest there. But I don't want to tell the rest of my housemates because then they will hijack my spot in the evenings and the weekends and I won't be able to blog! Notice my tea mug bottom left.. hmm reminds me, it's nearly 11am - and that as we all know is the universally accepted tea time hour. 

OK now that the kettle is boiling (I kid you not), I can continue. This is the view from our lounge across the apartment complex. The main thing is that the sun is shining. Looking at this picture, I feel like I should get my chim-a-ney sweep Mary Poppins gear out and go and clean some flutes. At least I would earn a few squiddles and a cockney accent. I am living in East London after all. But it's not the time for chimneys just yet! 

So I can't have a dog or a baby just yet so I decided to give Monsieur Basil (above) a new home. At only 50p ((R6) I thought he was a great bargain and I know he will delight any gourmet sandwich and pasta that I make in the future. In fact, after 1x crazier Belgian cremated his pizza in the oven (he left it under the grill and wonders, why?) and 1x crazy Italian offered to share his pasta with him, Monsieur Basil added the final touch to the pasta which before was just olive oil + pasta + canned tomatoes. So he has been welcomed into our household. I hope he lives a long and healthy life. I am worried where to send him after we leave - the boys suggested eating him completely but I'm not sure I can do that. He looks so happy. (Note to self: You know you've gone bonkers - and you're husband is an investment banker who leaves you alone a lot - when you're talking about a plant as a person and you give him a French name like you would a cat)

Funny story, this one. As Ryan says, 'that is a ridiculous radio' and at 4 pounds, I thought it was a bargain. Of course the batteries cost just as much but that's beside the point! I have mumsy to thank for this suggestion to make me feel like I have a friend at home and to keep me up-to-date with the world. We don't have a TV and no broadband so this way I have some contact with the outside world and a friendly gadget to help me when I have to do housework and I need a distraction. My life.. is it sad?

P.S. I have been listening to Capital FM which seems to be the pop/current music station in London and it's playing all the same tunes as we heard in Florida - ah takes me back - Hilly this one is for you: Alejandro Alejandro, Fernando (Shakira?)! Come on Rude Boy, Giddy up boy, (Rhianna), I'm a Freak - Just don't give up - Adam Lambert.