ALAS!

I have finally consumed a plate of Fish and Chips! It was at a restaurant called "Rock and Sole Plaice", where it's supposedly one of the best Fish and Chips places in London. The tables were outside on the sidewalk, making it a very cool atmosphere.

Here is another thing Londoners have that makes them really distinct. The dish originated in the 19th century as food for the working class, since it was just potatoes and fish that were really abundant in the ocean (typically Cod). It later spread all throughout Europe. The place where we ate at also had rich history. It was where the soldiers and other people with higher ranks came to eat during WWII, and it also acted as a checkpoint for meetings in the basement of the restaurant.

The price of the typical Fish and Chips dish I ordered (Cod) was 10 pounds, but this price is for "sit down", which just means dining in. If i were to order "take away", which is take out, it would only cost me 7 pounds. That's a savings of 3 pounds! But the only downside to that is, they don't even put your food in a plate if your taking it out, they just dump it in a newspaper made into the shape of a cone. Can you imagine eating a full meal out of a newspaper?! It's nuts.

Yesterdays weather was also perfect. The sky was clear, the sun was glaring, and there was barely any wind. I literally felt like I was in LA, but a bit disappointed. Everyone had already prepped me for the cold, rainy weather and the fact that it's always cloudy here and gloomy, so I was ready for that. This was just an unexpected curve-ball that I was not ready for because I brought no shorts with me and no pair of sunglasses. Eh, I think its supposed to rain though today, so no worries.

AH, I almost forgot to tell you guys. We all signed up at the local YMCA here, and it's supposedly the first one in the world. Weird huh, you would think YMCA is very American especially with that dreadful "YMCA" song. The place is massive, with three complete floors, and it was just renovated a few months ago with new equipment. It has a big pool, free weights area, treadmills, a basketball court, badminton courts (it's really big here), and several studios where they host classes. I'm thinking of taking Tai Chi, hip-hop class, and a martial arts work out course, all free by the way with our membership. I just need to go buy myself a pair of sneakers and swimming shorts from the local "Lillywhites" which is like Sport Chalet but ten times bigger and with extremely cheap prices (I found a pair of converses for 7 pounds).

Anyways, class starts in 2 hours and I should get up and start getting ready. I'm pretty excited for this class though, it's called "Designing Media and Communication Projects for Social Change". The class size should be small though because most people aren't taking it since it's on a Monday, which means they could stay an extra day out if they're traveling to other countries. Eh, whatever.

Yalla, I'm out.