Cheers From Across the Pond

Welcome all to my new blog site.  Even though its early, I must say that I prefer this to my last one - it just seems nicer.

Now for some news... (I apologise for the length)

My flight over here was alright - pretty uneventful.  I flew with Icelandair (with a change-over in Reykjavik) and it was very punctual (on-time to Reykjavik and 30 min early to London).  More importantly, I was given a window seat which meant that I was treated to three very memorable views which I really wish I had captured on camera.  This was the first time I flew out of Toronto at night and the city lights were a sight to behold - they reminded me of a grand scale Christmas light show... beautiful ribbons of light and sparkling stars.

The second came as we entered Icelandic airspace: it was a cloudy, grey morning just before dawn.  I was just waking up from one of my numerous naps and I beheld white shapes below us.  At first I couldn't tell if they were clouds or ice flows, but as the light increased I realized they were clouds.  They looked surreal - mounds of fluff and wisps hanging in the grey light.  As we decended, the view became lost in a thick fog until dark shapes appeared below before resolving into a stark vista (hmmm... do I sense an educational metaphor here? :).  Bare rocks covered in lichen, white capped waves pounding on the coast, dark ribbons of highways with a few car lights moving along.

The third view was of London.  It was, in a word, overwhelming.  It was so busy, yet neat and orderly - houses and buildings crammed together interspaced with large parks and greenery.

Overall, it was an incredible journey.  Really, the only two complaints I have are: the additional security check in the Icelandic airport (which is due to EU regulations) and the lack of meals served during the flight.  For the second, I know I probably should have read the ticket more closely when I booked it, but I just assumed that in-flight meals were included.  This meant that I was quite hungry when I arrived in London 9 hours later.

I've checked into St. Christopher's Village (London Bridge) for the next few days as I get oriented and find a flat.  Its a nice little place - kind of reminds me of university residence.  The rooms are dormitory style (8 bunk beds in mine), but there's a nice little "chill out" common area, movie viewing room and attached bar (decent prices).  The living areas are accessible with a key card and each bed has a lockable "cage" underneath as well as additional lockers in the rooms and several other areas in the hostels - you do have to provide your own lock though.  Breakfast is provided (toast, coffee, juice and cereal) and the staff are very friendly.  There's a lot of tourist info at the front desk and they even have free walking tours leaving every day at 10:15am (I'll have to catch one of those).  I'd recommend this to any travelers who are passing through and looking for budget accommodations - its only 12 pounds / night.

On the subject of money - I believe yesterday was the first time I've seen English pence.  I was quite excited when I purchased my weekly travel card and got back my change.  The one pound coin is double the thickness of the others, while the 20 p and 50 p pieces have sides.  Yes, I'm quite fascinated by 1different currencies and I must make sure to get a full set of coins before I leave.  The bills are cool, but it may be a bit expensive to get a set of those :).

Today, I have my first recruiter meeting and I hope to find a mobile as well as set up my bank account.  Wish me luck!