Jodi (art teacher, British) texts me and asks if I want to go out with her and a couple other co-workers of ours. Since they're coming to St. Albans, I agree to meet them at the train station. I'm already in my comfy sweatpants, so I throw on some jeans and tennis shoes and run out the door. When I see them at the station, they're all fixed up. I feel a bit underdressed. "Are we going out-out or just out?" I ask. Jodi laughs, "We're just going to grab some drinks. We felt like getting dressed up." We walk up the hill to the town centre to a pub where I haven't been before, called the Peahen. Their idea of pub grub is Middle Eastern food. So we drink wine and snack on falafel, humus, ... read more

I've been given a group of students to tutor in the mornings before classes begin. All students are assigned to a tutor group, and we have to take attendance as if it's a regular class. Students are expected to bring a book to read for the 20 minute session. Meanwhile, I'm checking their planners to make sure their parents are signing it weekly and the students are writing down their assignments. I also make the students show me the assignments that are due that day. Before I was assigned to this group, the kids just sat around in this room and talked. They're very resistant to me trying to make them bring books and read or work on homework. I've got to find some sort of punishment for not bringing their books or not reading. Hmm... ... read more

Today, I have an appointment to see a Chinese doctor in the town centre. My problem? I've had increasing acne (although everyone tells me they don't even notice, I certainly notice!), and I'm constantly shedding hair. Plus, I've got that thyroid issue for which I'm still taking my new-fangled Western prescription. I believe quite strongly in Eastern medicine, because it's more natural and it's worked for thousands of years. The shop is tiny with jars of herbs lining the walls behind the front desk. Posters on the walls show a anatomical diagram of a male and female body with all the muscles and nerves labeled in Chinese. The doctor is a small, pretty, pregnant Chinese lady. I like her right away. When I explain the reason for my appointment, she asks all kinds of questions that ... read more

The Saturday morning market in St. Albans seems so old-fashioned. Vendors set up tents with tables selling fresh fruit, veggies, dresses, shoes, hats, and scarves. Some sell paintings, books, old record albums, and flowers. I see blankets, carpet, toys, CDs,...basically anything you need. Some food carts are parked in the middle of the road, like those burrito and taco carts in Nashville. Except these have menus with lamb kebabs, curry, and fish & chips. It smells wonderful! I walk down the street, looking at all the tables. The food is so cheap! A big bunch of grapes for only one pound! People are packed into the street like I've never seen in St. Albans. Apparently, though, this happens every Saturday. I'm looking for a bike, because when I get off the train every morning to go ... read more

School is out for the day! I'm on the train to London for the Queen musical, and I'm SO excited! At St. Pancras International Station, I switch to the tube system, taking the long escalator down. I love the posters that line the walls on the way down, advertizing the latest West End show. I love the wind as I rush through the corridor, winding around, walking quickly now with the flow of foot-traffic. Anyone who is experienced with underground trains knows what I mean. Those wind blasts that never cease in certain spots of the station. It's the wind of the Underground. I take the Tube to Tottenham Court and the train is so packed, we're literally rubbing against each other. As soon as I walk up the steps onto the street, again I'm overwhelmed ... read more