so what do you do with your day

not much in all honesty, I don't usually get around to actually showering/getting dressed until definite afternoon. Sleep in until 10 or so, breakfast with the newspaper (one of the things I missed in China). Then maybe some of the Sex and the City episodes I bought in China, followed by a little reading. Put a few clothes away, look around my room and wonder where I will put all these Things I brought back with me. Think about going to the library or over to the campus where this is non dial-up internet. Make myself a belated lunch. Think about all the things I could be doing, then I read some more. Yeah.......good times.

flying through iceland tomorrow

Last day in London folks, and I must admit it time has gone by quickly. I have had a really great time here, scene two shows, two museums, countless little shops, big churches and great restaurants. But I think by the end of this all I will be ready to head home, considering even my wonderful amazing family can get a little old after 2 weeks. Plus it will be nice to be at home again and to prepare for the craziness that will by my last semester of college! Doesn't that sound weird? I gave Tim and Charletta their China Christmas gifts last night and the dress fit Charletta perfectly, so that made me happy. I really do like giving gifts, I mean I like receiving them too, but giving them is the best part. Earlier this week I discovered Oxfam stores which are great places to buy Christmas presents for people because all the profits go to do aid around the world. Here's the other thing I love about Great Britain, the food you can find in the grocery stores is so much cooler than in the States. For example you can easily purchase a good block of mature white cheddar (including Canadian, Irish, or whatever), you can find all kind of chutney's even in just a hole in the wall shop, pesto sauce abounds, as does lots of curry stir ins, you can also find nan bread and Cadbury’s chocolate everywhere. I also just found out that apparently Cadbury’s is a Quaker company that while not fair trade in its standards works hard to provide good wages and conditions for its workers. So basically I like that you can find the ingredients for a good curry almost everywhere here, plus of course you can also find just about every different ethnic food around here. In fact this variety has allowed me to fulfil cravings I've been having for the past 3 months in China, including Thai food, olives and good pasta. Yummy place this London.

london

cheeky cute kids in subways, scotish jews make me think marital thoughts, 14 consecutive days with the family buying 15 wheels of mature cheddar wearing scarfs from China and feeling city sophisticated in my black pea coat and new sweaters realizing I never really fell in love with China hearing a bob marley song in the underground and being instantly transported to Cheung Chau off the coast of Hong Kong loving london but I just can't seem to shake the tiredness from my bones, maybe the jet lag, may be the culture shock, maybe just a bunch of things

general update

Music: I am listening to the Birthday CD that Jonathan made me, which completely and totally rocks! I love brothers, especially mine. Well the pattern so far this week seems to be getting up early and then bumming around the house, watching the sun come up, watching a little random television, checking the email, getting a few things down, eventually showering and heading over to the college to be social. Yesterday I had a great time invading apartment 403 (the home of Becca, Miriam, Katie and now Jess), we played a few rounds of cards, took a nap, had tea, talked, went to El Cameno Real for some much craved Mexican food and then had a delightful oil massage party in their loft with Steph, Meryl and Tara. I really like their apartment and it was nice to be able to be there without feeling any obligation to be loud or quiet. Today I plan on heading over and hanging out with the Aurora folk, house meal at 6pm, then I have an eye appointment at 7pm. The weather here is cold as all get out, but in a totally non-Indiana thing is very sunny. So pretty gorgeous overall. As for culture shock, right now China is feeling very far away and I find myself wanting to just seek out other China SSTers and talk about it constantly. Maybe to remind myself it really happened. On the other hand it is also great to see all my friends I have been missing, yet I sometimes find myself at a loss of what to say. Countdown to London: 5 days

jet lag and other things to be thankful for (belatedly)

so the reason I am posting at the odd hour of 6:30am on a Monday morning, is because my body thought it would be important that I was awake right now. Yeah that's right folks jet lag is hear and I am home from China. That still isn't entirely setting in, but mainly it feels normal, kinda like there was this really long blink and now I am back in Goshen surrounded by family and friends again. Yesterday was a really good day to arrive back for, with the Messiah-sing and fellowship meal at Assembly and then the Festival of Carols in the afternoon. Plus about a gazillion hugs from all the friends I kept slowly running into. Yeah, life is good right now, I guess I will post more about the whole last 10 days of travel later.