London: Day Thirty-Two

Not much to report! Went to work today and helped Libby in the office! After work, we came home and cleaned for "our guest" AKA my momma! I am so excited for her to be here tomorrow! Finally! I missed her too much for words! Tonight we went out to a little Italian restaurant and it was delicious! We just watched the season finale of Glee and now we're finishing Vanity Fair! Then off to bed to get mum in the morning! Xxxxx

London: Day Thirty-One

Wow! A month already! I totally forgot to post today but it was, as usual, a lovely lazy Sunday. I did not go anywhere special- I was cleaning for my mom to come tomorrow- but WAIT- we all had the date wrong so she will not be here tomorrow. Bummer. I cannot wait to see her though, I could jump for joy. Today was overcast and rainy. We went to a late lunch/early dinner at the Duke's Head Pub and I got a burger and chips and Libby had a steak and chips. The burger was delicious! But these were literally the best chips (french fries) ever! We actually ordered another round because they were so good! Then we came home, got into PJs, and turned on a movie- Gentleman's Agreement- but we both fell asleep! I should never watch movies in bed! Then we watched Definitely, Maybe and part of Vanity Fair! Now off to bed and work tomorrow! Xxxxx

Day with Ashley

Phew, I am almost too tired to write anything but I know that my dear Granny would be none too pleased if I missed another day! Today, I woke up at 9 AM because Ashley had to move out of her hostel and needed help with her bags. Apparently she was staying in a dangerous area and Libby didn't want me taking public transport to that area and being a target so Ash took a taxi to the school and I met her there! We brought her things back to Libby's and embarked on our day's adventures! We took the tube to Brick Lane, an Indian ethnic area (and apparently the site for the Jack the Ripper murders? I just saw online. Scary.), and immediately got lost. We were walking and literally only saw a bunch of ethnic restaurants and nothing else- no shops, no nothing. I got my mom on the phone and she gave us directions. We were trying to find this bagel shop that a girl from work recommended to me that was supposed to be amazing! It took us at least 30 minutes but finally I saw a sign for a bagel and I screamed "Ash, there it is!" We went in and got bagels and sat in the street to eat them- they were to die for! It was the best bagel and cream cheese I have ever had! I stood up to take a picture of the building and realized that this was, in fact, not the bagel shop we were looking for- the right one was two doors down! What are the chances? We could not stop laughing- only I would do that. Hey, at least they were good, right?

Then we took off for some shopping adventures. Brick Lane Market houses vintage store after vintage store- it is heaven! We went in at least seven vintage stores and they were all amazing! It was a really great experience. By about 3PM we were exhausted and I needed to take my medicine, so we sat down for a drink. We went to a little crepe shop and I got a chocolate and banana crepe which was delicious! This was a really beautiful area called Old Spitalfields Market- I would definitely recommend going here! Then we looked into a couple of more shops, but we were too tired to really function. We hopped on the tube and decided to go look at St. Paul's Cathedral- which was absolutely, absolutely, absolutely beautiful and amazing. We were in awe of how huge and magnificent it was when- BAM!- there drives by thousands of naked bikers. Yes, naked bikers. Apparently, London has a Naked Bike Ride to raise awareness for biking rather than other modes of transportation. It was easily the most funny/appalling/hilarious/shocking/wonderful thing I have ever seen. We could literally not stop laughing. Everyone at the cathedral stopped to stare and wave at the bikers driving by. I took some special pictures to tease Glenn with (absolutely disgusting) and if anyone would like to see these- let me know! HA!

After the shock wore off, we did go inside the cathedral. It was amazing. That is the only word that fits! The architecture and ceilings are just magnificent. We walked in right when the chorus had begun a service so we were lucky! We were still laughing too hard to stay though so we left! Our next stop was Primark, which is basically the UK's version of Forever 21. It is officially my new favorite store- everything is CHEAP but not poor quality! There were so many people inside that you can hardly get to racks- very overwhelming- but worth it. They actually have to give you baskets like in the grocery store because so many people shop there and it is as cheap as Walmart! I got three pairs of shoes, a shirt, two pairs of pants, a watch, Spankx, two belts with wallets attached, and one regular belt- all for 54 pounds! Amazing! This was pretty much the best shopping experience of all time! We were tired before and after this we were literally about to pass out.

We still had to go back to Libby's, get Ashley's suitcases, and move her across London. Let me tell you- if you all thought I overpack- my best friend is the worst packer in the world. These suitcases were HEAVY! But trust me, I have no problem whining the entire time I walk up stairwells so that men all around stop to carry the bags. Thank you to the gentlemen in London! The trip actually went by pretty quickly even though it was a far distance and we got Ashley to her new home safe and sound! I got home around 10:30- finally- Skyped my mom and now I am watching Modern Family with Libby! I will definitely sleep well tonight! Xxxxx

Brick Lane!

The two bagel shops!

One of the vintage shops: Vintage with Love!

St. Paul's!

Statue of St. Paul!

The Naked Bike Ride!

London: Day Twenty-Nine

Happy Friday! Today I went into work, but I spent the day helping Libby in her office so that I didn't strain my foot too much. My foot is so much better and looks so much better today- so the medicine is definitely helping. Tonight I had dinner with Ashley and Ryan! Yay! We went to an Italian restaurant on King's Road called Made in Italy because I had a serious pizza craving. It was delicious- the pizza was huge! It was so good to see them and to get to catch up with Ash after a month apart! We stopped at a small British pub on the way home that only served "traditional English drinks" and when Ashley asked for one- they gave her a gin and tonic. Interesting? Ryan leaves tomorrow and I am going to help Ash move into her flat! Much love. Xxxxx

Made in Italy!

Shlee and I!

Ash and Ry!

London: Day Twenty-Eight

Absolutely nothing to report today. I had to stay home and keep my foot elevated which was completely boring. Do you know how hard it is to get comfortable when your foot has to be elevated? It's not easy! The medicine has pretty much taken all of my energy and made me pretty dizzy and I have no appetite (although I have to eat on command to take my medicine 3 times a day!). But it has helped- the redness is smaller, the swelling is nearly gone, and the heat is far less. It still mildly hurts to walk, but it is so much better since yesterday. I had to cancel my dinner plans with some friends because I have to stay off my foot- and my best friend, Ashley, and her boyfriend, Ryan, got into London today and I couldn't even get to them to see them! Bummer. So basically my day was filled with watching the same episodes of Glee over and over and catching up on my reading. Libby got me two books on play therapy while she was in NYC by Virginia Axline (mother of play therapy). At my conference they spoke often about one of the books "Dibs: In Search of Self" and I am already obsessed with it. It is the story of one disturbed little boy and his parents who have given up on him- but he is brought back and able to live and love through the use of play therapy. If you want to learn about play therapy, this is the perfect book because it is relatable and easy and enjoyable, rather than a textbook type thing. I'm really enjoying it and it has helped to underscore everything I learned at the play therapy conference. So that's all for me- just sitting and watching TV with Libby! Xxxxx

London: Day Twenty-Seven

Well, today started out as good as any. I woke up and the front door was still bolted and the internet was still off- meaning Libby hadn't left. Mind you, this was at 8 AM and she was meant to be at school for a meeting at 8. So if you know me at all, then you can imagine the panic attack that ensued. Is Libby okay? Is she sick? And so on. I charged into her room and, luckily, she had just fallen back to sleep after her alarm went off! But I love when we go into work together, at the same time, so it was good for me! I have been taking the bus by myself every morning this week for the first time and, besides the funny children, it is not as fun! We got to school and I had a good morning with the kids. I followed around a group of three children, who were in rare form today. Spaced-out, aggressive, wild, silly, half-asleep... everything. All in three children. Each teacher had a difficult time conducting their lessons because the children simply were not present today. Physically, but not mentally. It can be frustrating at times, but you get over it!

By about 1 PM, it was getting harder and harder for me to walk on one of my feet where I had a cut on the back of the heel. I had complained for the past couple of days about a cut or a blister or whatever I came up with, but I didn't think much of it. When it started to hurt this afternoon, though, I decided to go ask Libby for some ointment and a band-aid so that my shoe would stop rubbing where it was sore. The moment Libby saw my foot, she ran to get one of the other girls who said it looked like an infection. Libby called and got me an appointment with a doctor just to be sure. So, after Skyping my mom and showing her the back of my foot (which is difficult to do on a computer camera), she agreed that it was most likely an infection: the swelling, redness, heat, and the tightness of skin around the wound.

So, at 3:45 PM, the declarations were proven true: I had a staph infection in my heel. The doctor was great and very thorough. He had an accent, but we aren't sure of his nationality. He looked at my information and said "Oh, Feldman, is that a Jewish name?" When I answered yes, he responded by saying he was Jewish and, all of a sudden, this quiet doctor came alive and started talking to me in Hebrew. Sadly, I had to tell him that after so many years in Hebrew school, I remember practically none of the language. He ended up being an extremely nice man, he even spoke to my mom on the phone in America and explained everything to her as well. And, to top it off, he was wearing a shirt in Italian colors, which reminded me of my Bapa- so he was OK in my book! He prescribed me two antibiotics and I was off! The first medicine made me pretty sick to my stomach and a bit dizzy so I called my mom and skyped my dad to figure out whether I should begin the second medicine. To top it off, my mom recommended I swallow vinegar to calm my stomach- disgusting! I thought I was going to choke. Absolutely repulsive! I just took the second medicine a few minutes ago and I am hoping it won't make me too sick! I'm going to go relax (and yes, mom and Glenn, elevate my foot!) and watch The Blindside with Libby! Xxxxx

London: Day Twenty-Six

Happy Tuesday! Today was a great day at school. I followed the same group today that I did yesterday. One of my favorite children is in this group- he is so awesome. He is mildly autistic and has terrible family history and has suffered greatly. The only language he uses is while quoting lines from movies (which tend to be completely age-INappropriate) or when repeating back what you have said. I was working with him in Vygotsky class and he started singing some song about "she's too close to me!" and I just couldn't stop laughing on the inside. Then, he would pat my back with his arm near me and say "she's too pretty" or "I love you... Okay, I said it... I love you." And always he sounds as if he is quoting something he has heard somewhere. Whenever he doesn't want to do a problem he always says "enough, eenoughh, eeenouuughhhh" in the funniest quoting voice. I really just adore him. And while he doesn't use his language to his best ability, he is absolutely brilliant and capable. He is able to work through difficult problems in each of his classes and he seems to do the best when he is challenged the most. I can definitely see him being an actor/comedian when he grows up!

I really enjoy working at the school because I get an opportunity to work one-on-one with individual children and to really learn from some of the better teachers. I am having such an amazing time that I know I won't want to leave here. London is amazing. I could seriously see myself living here, I adore it. Tonight I went with Sarah and her friend Megan to the London Eye! It was an amazing day- warm and sunny and beautiful. We walked around the Southbank for awhile and we stopped to have a Pimms and lemonade (which apparently, in London, is not actually Lemonade but Sprite!). We took lots of pictures for your viewing pleasure! The London Eye is so amazing because you can see forever and it's from such a different perspective- it's a must if you are ever in London! Sarah and Megan are so wonderful and I had such a great time with them! Now I am home and I have to go to bed soon for work tomorrow! Love you all! Xxxxx