Like a fish out of water...or more like a water out of fish

I've been here in London for five days...yet, I still feel out of place. Every night I've been sleeping in a room full of five other girls but ironically...I'm lonely. I can't believe I'm writing this in a globally public place, but yes...I feel by myself in many ways right now. This is the first time that I've been so disconnected from that which is familiar in terms of personal connections. I have to start from scratch here. I've moved to a few places: LA, HK...yet, I've always at least semi-known a few people, it was always easy to make friends, and I actually wanted to make friends.

I feel as out of place as this Smart Car does. Watching it parallel was impressive. Quite like a circus...














Hyde Park, a savior to my sanity














Yes...I'm going through a bit of reverse culture shock and it's affecting my British experience. I was semi-excited to come to London. Though if I did more research I'm sure I'd be ecstatic. Everything here is so similar to what I'm used to in the States: English speaking, sitting toilets, an understanding of what's in my food...easy. Yet, it's so dissimilar to what I'm used to now that I've been away for so long: rarely accurate communication, being targeted as a foriegner, nasty puddles...hard. I can't handle this "easy" situation. My attitude is blinding me to the character that the burroughs of London teems with.

Here in London I fit right in. Ironically, this makes me feel out of place. There are other people taller than me again. Not only guys...women too. You get used to having a certain angle of viewing the world...and then it changes by who is around you. Some people are even fatter than me; there are obese people again...how odd. I no longer get stared and pointed at. In Asia there are hordes of men and women. China alone has 1.32185888 billion people. When I was there I felt a sense of individual worthlessness. There were so many people who all seemed the same to my ignorant self: features, mannerisms, knowledge etc. And I thought, what does one life mean? It seems so insignificant. Look, they're all same same. (Sorry if I use the Asian mantra "same same but different" incessantly). Yet I felt different because of this; I felt foriegn. They gawked and pointed. That made me feel special...even if it was in a "what's wrong with her?" way. Now, however, no one cares about me, even in that superficial she-looks-funny point of view. So it goes...same same makes me feel different.

I checked into the internship program a few days ago. I am in a sea of Americans (not like I wasn't in Hong Kong...). But they feel American. Though what does that mean, really? All I can say is that during orientation I saw a sea of fake Los Angeles highlights and was like, oh...

Another thing that hits hard is that costs are exhorbant. Too bad eating lots of good food is often the highlight of my travels because food has been subpar. Even the dirty, sketchily cheap foods that I've had within Asia have been better and fresher than this. I don't waste. Yet, I've had to here even though it costs me my left arm to buy food. That's got to say something. Hao chan...(poor Crystal)

Currency Conversion and Examples of my Pain:
1£=$2=15RMB/HKD ; 1,000HKD=£61

One night dorm at a hostel (£20) could buy me almost two week's stay in Kunming (25 RMB).

What I can get with a bottle of water in London (0.80 £) could get me 16 in China (0.80 RMB). (However...I will beat the system as I now refill my Evian bottle with tap which isn't diharrea-causing.)

1 plate of Pad Thai here (£6) could get me 18 in Bangkok (20 Baht).

1 umbrella here (£13) could buy me 20 on Mongkok (10HKD)...though maybe they'd actually work.

However, don't cry for me. I love a good challenge. I have confidence that I can go cheap cheap anywhere. I've been buying Reduced for Quick Sale! items and have gone semi-vegetarian. And some items are actually cheaper i.e. museli and dairy...mmm!

I had to take double trips up the stairs...good thing thing they didn't fine me for leaving bags unattended...


















But the Brits have been nice...not in a I-want-to-take-your-money-way that I'm used to. I have quite a few stories of that... (to come, be sure). I was in the Tube (train station) with my huge 30kg luggage bag among other things pulling it down stairs with a furrow on my brow. And people actually asked if I needed help! That never happens in Asia...for someone you're not connected to to want to help you to help you without a thought about external rewards. Even if I told them that I was ok sometimes they'd be like, "No" and carry it up for me (and not run away!). Good thing I dumped a full luggage at the airport before this. I didn't realize how much 23kg was because the US is a weird country and doesn't teach standard measurement to its citizens. (fyi for fellow ignorami it's 50lbs. Anyhoo, I was 25kg over which would have cost me 6,250HKD (aka $820...waaaah!) so you could see me dumping clothes, rice, an alarm clock...everything out into the airport trash can. I felt like a little hobo... But anyhoo here are a few pics of what I've seen in London. I've been sleeping in and trying to get better every time it rains but I'm still coughing up a lung.

Statue of Prince Albert, Hyde Park


















Some parts of London remind me of HK...even more so than HK sometimes. (Go wyked wellies!)


















Camden!


















Wanchai but dirtier?


















London can be so beautiful...