Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Prague greeted me back into her arms with a cancelled flight and a snowstorm. I think she was jealous of my weekend whirlwind romance with London.

I scrambled to leave for London on Thursday, after showing Caity around Prague for a few days. I will not lie, those days are pretty much a blur to me now. They were a blur then, actually. I took the metro and then a bus to the Ruzyne Airport. Armed with my carry-on suitcase that I inadvertantly stole from Adrienne and my History of Jews in Bohemia and Central Europe reader, I was ready to conquer the UK.

I arrived in London a half hour earlier than I was scheduled, so I thought I would have enough time to go out with my friends. Just kidding! I got into the foreign police line and someone in front of me as trying to get a girl who only spoke Italian through the line, without any sort of security check. The police officer and the Brit argued for at least twenty minutes before any of us could proceed. I was questioned by the policy regarding why I was staying in London and who I was staying with. I did not have Tim's address so I had to give them his cell number.

I finally got through and then proceeded to the National Express bus station, where Kate had directed me earlier to take to St. John's Wood. As I waited for the bus, I realized that my Czech cell phone did not work in the UK (duh). I had no way to call Tim, unless I used the pounds I had just acquired at a pay phone. I fretted about this the entire 45 minute bus ride from Stansted Airport to the north part of London. I got off the bus and walked towards what I thought was a Tube station. I definitely got lost at a circular drive and had to consult a Tube map at a busstop. I found a BP gas station and tried to buy a Twist card but it, again, didn't work because I HAVE A CZECH CELL PHONE! I'm such an idiot sometimes. So I had to beg the guys for a 10 pound refund and they finally gave it to me. So, I went outside the station and saw that there was a pay phone all along right outside the station. Big, closed and RED. I went inside and started figuring out which coins were what. I placed the right change into the phone and dialed Tim's number. It didn't work. I tried again. It went to his voicemail. I started to panic and look around (I felt oddly unsafe in the phone booth, like a sniper could take me out) when I saw a hornet on the booth door right by my head. I gasped but realized that it was WAY too cold for it to still be alive. I knew I wouldn't touch it and that I had to use the phone so I sucked up my creepy-crawly feeling. I went to dial Tim's number again when the phone rang. I stood there, stunned. I didn't know what to do. After it rang three or four times, I picked it up and hung it up again. Why I did that, I don't know. But a second later, it rang again and I picked up it and said "Hello?" I heard Tim and Kate's voices saying "Nikki? Nikki?" For some reason they couldn't hear me so they told me they were going to try to call the pay phone again. They did, they heard me and told me they knew where I was and that they would be there in less than a minute. I could not have been more ecstatic to see them.

We dropped off my stuff in Tim's flat and went to dinner. We bought some food (including Ben & Jery's ice cream, which I haven't had it what feels like forever) and I just ended up passing out.

On Friday, Kate had class so Tim and I ventured to Westminster, Parliment, Big Ben and walked along the Thames. It was very cold and rainy, which made my newly-arrived cold all the more miserable. We walked across this very mod bridge and went into the Tate Modern Art Museum. After lunch, we walked through downtown (which is ginormous) and ended up at the National Portrait Gallery. I loved it but after a few hours, my throat hurt very badly. So we headed back to the flat and I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I felt worse. So I took a shower and then Kate and Steven met up with us. We bought some booze and played Kings. When we were all substantially intoxicated, we left for Heaven, a gay bar Tim frequents. The best part of the night was when Tim tripped into the train. Mind the Gap. When we got there, I was feeling a little sick but it eventually passed and I danced like there was no tomorrow. I started dancing with this guy named Craig who kept telling me I was "fabulous, dah-ling!" He lost his glasses at some point and we started looking for them. I didn't realize until he had gone to notify the bouncer that his glasses were caught on my rather long necklace. He hugged me and kissed my cheeks, thanking me for finding them because he's "blind without them." I loved him but we had to part when he told me he was in Prague a few weeks ago and did not like it very much. Too bad. Our love could've lasted forever. Kate had an even more funny experience, but I will leave that to her to tell.

On Saturday, I slept in really late because my cold had gotten worse and I was really tired from the night before. Kate, Steven and newly-arrived Randi accompanied me to the London Eye. It was expensive but really fun. Then we walked over to the theatre where The Cut was playing, and I decided to go by myself. It was an amazing play with the amazing Ian McKellan. You know you're jealous. If you want to know about it, ask. It was great.

That night we met up at Kate's flat and watched funny films on her computer. Then we decided to go get food in Soho. It was so crowded. I've never suffered from claustrophobia but I did the entire time I was in London. It makes me wonder if I'm cut out for any really condensed cities, like New York. I just couldn't handle it. I also almost got hit by a car, not because the cars are on the other side but because pedestrians do not have the right of way. Anyway, we got some Thai food and then walked around, trying to decide whether we wanted to go back to Tim's and drink or go out to the really crowded pubs. We finally found a club and decided to go balls to the walls. We checked our things, bought some drinks, and danced to a great mix of American pop, like "Love Like This," and Euro-pop like Junior Senior. We got tired pretty quick and then had to find the bus back to Tim's. After that long trek, we had to search the flower pots around his door to get his keys. Tim went out with his gay friends to a gay club called, get this, G-A-Y. I was sad he didn't go out with us but he needs to do what he needs to do, like get felt up by a 40 year old man who asked him, "Do you play rugby?"

Sunday I packed up and we walked to Camden for their big shopping market. I bought a hat, ate a BLT and then took a picture of our group on the bridge. They walked me to the Tube stop and then we all said our goodbyes. I took the Tube to the busstation, took the bus to Gatwick and then waited in Gatwick for seven hours before my flight finally took off. I did eat McDonalds for the first time since leaving the States. It was actually much better tasting and reasonable sized than the stuff we have at home.

When I got back to Prague, my roommates were watching Finding Neverland. It was nice to be home but I really wished I could have stayed in London longer. That experience made me realize I studied in the right place, because London is sooooo much like the United States, but I really do miss my friends. I can't wait to see them again. Or London, for that matter. Cheerio!