FINALLY!!!

WHOA! First blog post...

Well, its my fifth day here in the GREAT Great Britain (thanks for your cheesiness maury) and pretty simply said, i love it.

Its come to the point where im thinking with a British accent. I haven't been speaking in it out loud just yet, like i was so wonderfully dared to, cause my cousin thinks that imitating her accent doesnt make it "me"; plus she likes to make fun of my American accent. Regardless, i can't help but read all the signs in British and, especially, at the second before i am about to ask someone ("someone,"not including my two cousins im staying with) a question (i usually prepare myself in my head so that it comes out right) i think of it in British and then feel shocked when i speak and it spills out in my normal, "i've been born and raised in Miami "accent. Then i just chuckle a bit and continue about my way.

To tell you the truth, i was frustated with the US, like i have been many times before, for a good... 2.5 seconds when i noticed the crazy effort England, or at least London, makes to be "green." EVERYWHERE napkins, bottles, cups, the containers you buy a sandwhich in, etc., are made of recycled materials and encourged to continue the cycle. In most bathrooms, instead of wasting paper towel or using up even the minimum amount of energy in the super duper "im gonna blow your skin off your bones" hand dryer, they have these things that look like paper towel's hanging out of them, but it's really an actual towel that hangs and loops to the other side. When someone wants to dry their hands they pull the towel down as it follows back into the thing and you have a clean, dry, and fresh towel to wipe the wetness off. The wet dirty towel that continues back into the thingy follows in a roll that is sanitized. WTF??? why don't we have any of those, and if NYC has them by any chance, why don't we all? Im sure it saves a heckload. Besides the "Green Britain" thing, i feel like privacy is also amazingly appreciated. I dont know about any of you, but growing up using public restrooms became annoying when little girls and/or little boys would look through the clear slit of view into the stall created by the stupid space between the door and the rest of the wall. Here: all the stalls involve FULL doors. Even if they dont completely reach the floor and the ceiling, which a lot do, they still are made at an intelligent measurement that allows them to fully come into contact with the other side of the stall. WHO WOULD'VE THOUGH OF THAT?? But as i said, i was only upset for about 2.5 seconds because i am what people call a "positive person" haha. no, but for real, I guess this is an obvious realization that there are people out there who care. GIVEN, there are people in the US that care, but not as much has been done that should have and could have already been done. So im hoping for the better and keeping that in mind to work for the better... Im gonna change that stall problem America, DONT WORRY!!!

Anyway, these past few days have been an absolute blast with my cousins. They've been so generous and kind as to take me everywhere and show me the important stuff, so that TODAY I CAN ROAM ON MY OWN, WHATTT??? yea, im excited. My aim for the day, is to wonder about Richmond. Its this cute little part of London built on another side of the Thames River with lots of little cafe's and shops.

So far, I've seen Trafalgar Square, which i basically fell in with...

And then there was Picadilly Circus...

Well i found myself in an empty chinatown at 10 in the morning ...

Im sure you know that there are a BAJILLION phone booths...

And of course i saw Harry, I MEAN Daniel...again lol

For all the other pictures and a hint for the next blog, check out my Facebook album... ;D

I love all of you and i miss all of you,

Ximena