It's All Greek To Me

There is just so much to report I don't know where to begin. Last night a group of us went out to this Greek place in my neighborhood that was very good and very fun. It lived up to the guide book recommendation. And although this has nothing to do with the restaurant, I met a very cool Greek guy on thursday. I had to leave some random concert in a smoky bar to meet him, and it was well worth it. We went and grabbed some food at a nice, and hidden, Thai place and then grabbed a drink at a bar in Soho before going back to his place. I wasn't sure what to expect when we talked about hanging out, but he turned out to be not only hot, but also a really cool guy and a great cuddler. He is good at other things as well, but I have to leave a few things to your imagination. But let's just say i didn't get home until 12:45pm the next day. I'm sure I looked great on the tube on my way home wearing the very smokey clothes from the night before and with my hair all shaggy (it needs to be cut and he let me take a shower before I left so it was clean but with no product). I am hoping to hang out with him more in the future. He said to call if I was interested in grabbing dinner or something, so hopefully that is a sign that he is interested. I have also discovered that not only are the Spanish very hot, but they were blessed with large, um...endowments. So go out and grab yourself a Spanish man today(not to be confused with Latin American. Im talking actually from Spain), cause the Greeks are all mine.
Now for some more random observations about London. First, my gym has entirely too many personal trainers. Everytime I go, even when its the slow part of the day, there are like 5 just sitting around. And to top that off, some of them are overweight! Now who wants to go to a personal trainer to get in shape if that person isn't in shape themselves. It's kind of like models and go go dancers. They should look better than the average person. I feel in better shape than several, and that just should not be. I have also been sampling the native British food, and I can certainly see how some of them are overweight. If I didn't have to walk everywhere I would have gained 10 pounds by now, or even a stone (thats an odd British weight that is equal to 14 pounds). They love mash, which is their rather abrupt name for mashed potatoes. I realize mash is in what we call it too, but mash by itself kinda sounds gross. And they also drown everything in this brown gravy with onions. Now this is not to say that the food is bad. Ive enjoyed it. But there just isnt any such thing as healthy eating unless you have lots of money. Ive found the chicken to expensive. If any of my family reads this I even found fully prepared Beef Wellington at Marks & Spencer. All you had to do was pop it in the oven. Sadly, my flat has everything except an oven so I have had to just stare at it longingly.
In other news, thursday was Aussie Day. We aren't actually sure whether or not this is a real thing, but one of the pubs was having Aussie Day, and since a couple of the guys live with some Aussies we went along to check it out. They served Australian beer and there were people all over the place with Australia jerseys on. Now of course I need not tell you the Aussies are hot, cause thats just a given. They may talk like the British, but they are bigger people for sure. If you like the muscles go with the Australians. I have to say, Waxy O'Malleys (I think thats the name of the pub) is a very cool place, so if you visit London you should check it out.
Thats all that I can think of that has gone on. So yea, TLCP, now you know what I have been up to, and you should take away that strike cause you know you would be doing the same. Can I really be expected to add four pages to my note when all this is going on? But worry not, I will present my final draft in good form on the day it is due. Ciao

Beer!

Well any visit to another country of course requires a visit to the bars and a sampling of the beers. I myself was looking forward to drinking Bass and Harp from the source since they are English and Irish brews respectively. So I took myself, and some others of course, to the local pubs to sample the beers. The first thing that struck me was that the different beers were all of different alcohol content. Never before have I ever had to factor in how much alcohol was in my beer when making a selection. They seem to be a fan of bitters here, which as the name suggests are not so great in flavor. I did have some that were ok, but I kept looking for Harp and Bass only to never find them. Now Guiness you can find at pretty much every bar in the country, so the lack of Harp was a puzzle since they are made by the same folks. The American beers were interesting as well. They have Budweiser in a bottle at most pubs, and even Corona, but no Miller except Ultra, and none of the Light beers except Coors. And the Coors I only saw at a gay bar which makes no sense since its the most un-gay friendly beer company ever. Apparently they arent socially concious consumers here. So then I went out with a local and I asked him why I never see Harp anywhere, and almost had to slap every Brit I saw the rest of the day. He told me that Harp is not served very many places because it is a lager, and they already have lagers like Fosters. Fosters! As if that was an adequate substitute. Apparently having selection isn't very important. And talk about no national unity when you support an Australian so-so beer over a really good Irish beer. The British beer IQ further came into focus for me when he informed me that Bud Light and Miller Light had been introduced in the UK once before, but people thought the light meant that they had less alcohol in them instead of fewer calories. So really there is no such thing as light beer here. Now I shouldnt say that all pubs have no selection. I did go to one called the PorterHouse that had tons, including Quilmes, the rare Argentinian beer I was introduced to by Rob & Co. at Bar Absinthe in Houston. But if you want something on tap, its very often microbrewery stuff. So I think this country needs a beer reeducation. They make some great beers, and then dont serve them to their own citizens. Its a crime.

Gays and Fashion

Who knew so much could happen in one weekend. There is so much to report I don't even know where to begin. I guess I shall start with the fact that I met my first British gay man. I realize many of you are thinking "what took you so damn long?" but I blame the delay on being sick and not having a gym for a week. But anyways, I finally met a gay guy here and we went out to a pub for a beer and then he took me to one of the gay bars since I mentioned I had not been to any of them yet. So now I can say I have been to one. Although I had just come from the gym so I was not pretty and it was early enough in the day that there were no crowds really yet. He seems like a nice guy and we shall hang out again, so I think Ive made my first gay friend here. The pub we went to was also awesome, so I plan on going back there again with others. I also learned an interesting fact. Though Harp is made by Guiness(which every bar has here), no one carries Harp. Apparently there are enough other lagers, that there is no demand for it here. And yet they drink Fosters! Even Australians don't drink Fosters. Not that it is horrible, but Harp is so much better. These people really must get their beers in order.
And while this blog is not meant to point out everything bad about the British, more has arisen. Fashion. Oh my lord. Its horrible. Not only do I see girls walking around wearing outfits they must have been blind to think went together, but I was watching a makeover show where they did some fun plastic surgery and a chemical peel, and of course the obligatory fashion show too. They picked out several new outfits for here, and oh my. They were all fit to be burned. It was disgusting. In half she looked like a hippie. And this show kept making statements about what was coming in style based on what they saw on the runway. Everyone knows that the clothes designers show on a runway should not be worn. They are weird concept things, kind of like model cars at the auto show. They are normally ugly too. And the result of this make over exhibits how truly ugly. So a note to all, never let the British tell you what is fashionable.
And now for the biggest news! So we went out last night in a group and the alcohol flowed and what was discovered? One of the other guys here is gay! Thats right, Im not the only one. And what made this even better, I so called it during the first week. Go me! It has taken forever, but maybe my gaydar has finally become useful. He asked about me apparently after outing himself to some of the girls, but they all gave him cryptic answers. Hopefully being friends shall be enough for him. And Beth and I have teamed up and decided to give him a makeover. If he is going to be representing the gay population he needs to be more presentable. He is just too hetero right now. A good haircut and shave will go a long way.

Random Thoughts

Well I apologize for the delay in posting, but I have sadly been sick for the past 5 days. Those crazy Russians got me sick so I have been in bed with a 103 degree fever for awhile now. And yet still so much has happened. Starting with the Russians. Its not as dirty as I know some of you are thinking (I know how your brains work). Saturday morning some of us went to the Russian Winter Festival which apparently celebrates the Russian New Year. Now it was news to me that they didnt celebrate the same one as us, but it was a chance to see Russian culture and sample my first Russian beer so I said alright, why not. Well as we are walking in the first music I hear is...get this...Barbie Girl. That's right, everyone's favorite song from like 1998 by that Scandanavian band Aqua. It confused me at first because it is not the least bit Russian, but I was excited to see what Aqua looked like in person. All to have my hopes dashed when it turned out it was just some troupe of little Russian girls dancing to random songs. But at least the beer was cheap. When we went to pay the price of the beer was just however much you gave them.
Also of note: I finally met my barrister on Monday. She is cute little lady in I think her late 30s, early 40s who is unmarried. Im still puzzling out if she has ever been married or not. But I got to experience the Bristish Court which is quite different from the American variety. They didnt make me wear a wig and gown (she did) but I did have to bow to the judge when I left. There was some big robbery spree trial going on that day too cause there were guys standing around with maching guns. Thats always reassuring.
In other news, you thought Quiznos was a rip off in the US. Here its highway robbery! I randomly found one after I signed up at my new gym and the prices didnt look too bad. I ordered a medium sandwich and that was it. No drink or chips and it cost 5 pounds. Thats crazy! Thats a 8 dollar sandwich. And let me tell you it did not taste like it. See if I ever go back there again. Luckily though I did find a gym. I am now a proud member of Holmes Place on Oxford Street. Its a swank little gym with all that could be desired. Well as Ive said before I could use more free weights, but it shall work. I feel like that doesnt sound very exciting, but Im going to blame the fact that I was sick. Not much happens when you in bed all day feeling bad.

Give Me A T!

Ah where to begin. Let's start with these advertisements I keep seeing which are just so weird. So in all the tube stations here they have advertisements plastered up everywhere. In the Tottentham Court Rd. station they have these LCD screens that run the wall next to the escalator that change every few seconds with ads. In others they are still the old fashioned paper kind. And I think in every single station I have been in that has the paper ads, they have this one that is by the people who run the tube. The point of the ad is to tell you not to block the left side of the escalator for those people who want to walk instead of just stand. But in their effort to achieve this message, they dressed a bald, middle aged man up as a plunger. You heard me right. He is wearing a costume that looks just like that thing you use to unstop your toilet. He is the handle part and the rubber plunger part is above his head. Hmm, thats like having an umbrella already attached now that I think of it. But I see the ads and I just have to shake my head and wonder at the great advertising agency that actually got paid to create that.
In other news, it was Tracy with a T's birthday yesterday so many of us took a break from our very serious studying to take part in the London nightlife. Now many of you are not in London, so I will have to start describing some of the folks here. We shall start with Tracy with a T. Tracy is tall thin and blond. A very attractive girl. And very loud. And though she may be very intelligent, that would not be the first impression you would take away after meeting her. You might ask yourself, why is she called Tracy with a T? And how else would you spell Tracy if not with a T? Well the first I can answer. The second one is an eternal mystery that no one has yet deciphered. So apparently the other day she introduced herself to another girl and said her name was Tracy. The other girl, making sure she heard right, said "Tracy?" To which Tracy responded, Tracy with a T. Were this an isolated incident, it probably would not have been anything but an odd moment. But last night we were out at a pub and Tracy started talking to a local randomly. And there I looked over and she was introducing herself as Tracy with a T. Now you know she is doing it even across the room, because not only does she say it, but she makes a T with her hands, much like a sign for time out. Reading about it may not be that funny, but if you saw it, and combine it with the eternal mystery of why she thinks we all need clarification that it is spelt with a T, you would have spit up your beer too while laughing.
I shall comment on others in the future and pray that the London folks never find my blog.

Nasty biscuits

So I was grocery shopping yesterday and wandered into the chip section (which are labeled as biscuits which can be quite confusing at times) when I noticed the familiar Lay's logo. Well I was surprised when it had a different name, but I had seen regional names before so the surprise was only momentary. That is, until I read the flavors. As Americans we are used to the original, and BBQ, and Sour Cream & Onion, Salt & Vinegar, etc. Well not these chips. None of the familiar varieties were present. There was a four cheese and chive one that I picked up, and a Thai Chilli (yes it had two "l"s). But the two next to it shocked me in their grotesqueniss(no idea if that is a word). There was a chicken flavor and get this, and a lamb flavor. The only food I know that is flavored like that would be dog food. Otherwise when I taste chicken I am actually eating a piece of chicken.
In other news I am continuing my undercover role as a straight man. We even had a conversation about a couple gay professors at Florida and a random one about lesbians (it seems one of the two hot guys dated a lesbian for four years). Thus far no one has said anything, which seems so odd to me because I dont think I act like the typical straight guy. Perhaps they are just being polite and not saying anything. We are all going out drinking tonight for some girls birthday I think so perhaps I shall spill the beans.
I am also due for a haircut (its all so shaggy and nonfabulous looking) so we shall see if I can find a place that will have any idea what I am talking about when I say to use a 3 guard. Perhaps their is an international language of hairstylists. I seriously feel there was something else I wanted to mention, but it has escaped me, so for now thats all.

Damn Gina!

Damn Gina! So Monday we had our Orientation where we gots to take a tour and finally meet the professors and see the other students. And all I gotta say is DAMN! I should have gone to Florida. They had extra spots left over, so they let the University of Florida send some folks and are they ever HOT! I’m sorry Erik Axelson but I have a new OMD while I am over here. Actually I sort of have two. They are both really cute, so I have decided not to choose between the two. One is about 6’ with brown hair and an earring and this fun really light facial hair. He has a great body and square jaw, but alas he is straight and has decided to live with his girlfriend of 3 months while he is in London. The other one is a little shorter with reddish brown hair and a great ass. Every time I see it I just wanna grab at it. Im pretty sure he is straight too. Damn those fates and their temptations. Just wait til I get to decide who will be gay. The girls from Florida are all really cute too if that sort of thing interests you. I have 3 classes with the first one so I gots a pretty face to stare at. Im just afraid I may not be able to pay attention in some of the more boring topics.
In other news, I tried to join the LA Fitness around the corner from my flat (apparently it is in no way affiliated with the American gym of the same name) and that was odd. It’s a super nice gym, very sleek and new and a great pool with some hotties in their speedos (ah the European swim suit style) but then they showed me the free weights section and the first thing that popped into my head was “where are they?” It was very sad. So I must say I was not overly dissapointed when it turned out I had to have a British bank account. So I left and my quest for a gym goes on. I am pretty sure however that the guy who works at the gym who was trying to sign me up was flirting with me. Ah poor him that I shant be returning. Once I find one and get a week of working out in then I shall wander out into the wonderful gay nightlife that is London. Stay tuned for all there is to know about that.
Well thats all thats happened so far. Classes are classes, and I got a cool cell phone for super cheap today, but that would be it. Here's a little secret...I haven't yet told the folks here that I'm gay. Now of course the ones from Iowa already know (one of the girls even reads my blog!) but the others dont yet know. I wanna see how long it takes til someone asks me or it comes up in conversation. Well be good, and let me know if you read this. I feel like I lost all my readers in the fall when I didnt post.

London, yay!

Well ladies and gents, I am now residing in the great city of London. That's right, I have jumped the pond and now I get to hang out with those crazy Brits getting pissed and thinking things are brilliant. I have been here for 5 days now and some interesting things have occurred. First, whatever crazy European said that Americans were loud, rude, and obnoxious obviously never looked in the mirror. Well they arent really that loud here, but talk about rude. I think in 5 days I have had people step in front of me while I was waiting in line then like the rest of my life combined. I think perhaps it is due to my need for the American 3 feet of space. The Brits see that there is room for a person to sandwich in between me and the person in front of me so they think its ok to cut in line.
Also of note, Starbucks gift cards do not work in London. There are just as many Starbucks here as there are in the US (two within 2 blocks of where I live) but when I went to give them a gift card to pay for my latte, they got these very confused looks on their faces. They just couldn't figure out what they were for. Eventually I went to pull some cash out my pocket, and I think they decided that the gift card was some sort of employee ID card, cause they proceeded to give me an employee discount.
While Im sitting in here in Starbucks another things pops into my head. There is no such thing as To-Go here. Its called Take Away. That confused me at first because that sounds too much like the game Keep Away. Despite the apparent rudeness of some Londoners, I must give credit for the Tube. I had heard two very differing views of the London tube before I came, but I must say it gets the Brian seal of approval. Now it isnt as spotless as the Washington, DC subway, but it is in good condition and they clean it all the time. Its only shabbiness is the normal kind that results from heavy use. But there are no homeless folks and I have yet to get on a train that seemed unsafe. Now if only it wasnt so damn expensive.
And dont tell your British friends, but American fast food chains, of which there are 6 by my apartment, are totally ripping off the British. For instance, KFC (yes they have fried chicken, who would have though) has those little pocket sandwich things that are 99 cents in the US. Well here they are 99 pence, which sounds the same, but is actually almost double the value of 99 cents. The same goes for Pizza Hut too. They charge the same price, but in pounds that is so much more.
Well I better save some stuff for the future. I haven't done too much sight seeing yet, other than one brief trip to the British Museum, so all that info shall come later. I hope all is well in the States, and I hope you are as happy as I am that my Congressman Tom DeLay is going bye bye. Cheers