London 2008 Countdown

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T! I forbid you to comment on this one!
Edit: Ok this was a private joke, but in case you didn't get it, that was pretty much my visit to London, i really hope next time i can actually avoid everything they mentioned above and really see the city properly!
Heck, maybe i can visit my family this time! (yes i have family everywhere and i mean everywhere)

London a Photodiary!

Londres

I have just finnished treating my London Pictures, how long did THAT take, we're only in October lol, oh well, some are pretty dull but others are not so bad at all, i almost look like a serious photographer on some!
Check them out yourselves, just click the picture above!

London: The Aftermath

Well i'm back but i'm very busy, you'll start to see photos as soon as i can "treat" them!
For now i'll leave you with what was my first view of London!

London Day 2: Getting to London

Click the photo for more pictures of that day.

Day Two: Getting to London wasn't much of an adventure, but i was kinda beat after that, took lots of pictures from the airplane because my mother having never flown in her life was very curious about the process. The plane was only late 40 minutes which in my experience isn't really much of a bother, getting to the Oporto Airport was an adventure in itself, i have found that i hate the Oporto Underground, and i believe it hates me back, but thats another story.
In London itself although we caught an early plane, we only arrived there late in the afternoon, which only gave us time to freak out an american on the bus to London. I think that whenever i think of San Diego i'll still hear:

"You're supposed to stop reading comics when you grow up!"

After that came the whole London Underground experience, believe me when i stood there on the terminal watching the train arrive and suddenly i hear the most metallic voice saying in a too ominous voice for confort: "MIND THE GAP!", i totally freaked!
What is it with londoners and that?!?
Is it so hard to forget about putting you damn foot on the train or platform instead of the tiny gap in which you will probably have to put your foot in a really awkward position for it to actually fit in the damn gap!! And can't they find a nicer voice? Actually that was the only station that i remember hearing that specific voice... and trust me that one was a creepy!!!

After that we arrived on Acton Town and were greeted by the lovely Aurélia, who i cannot thank enough for putting up with us.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon chatting up, distributing reminders from Portugal and just generally gossiping.
Later she and her husband took us to our first pub experience, and i became in love with the whole thing, nevermind that i hate beer!
I love Pubs, the decoration, the names, everything, if you browse through my pictures you'll see tons of photos of the outsides of pubs!
In that specific pub called The Red Lion & Pineaple i also had my first taste of english food, and i believe that's a highly undervalued experience, i like pies!

Preview to London: Oporto

The first photos of the trip to London are already starting to appear on my Flickr feed, not many comments or descriptions sorry, instead i'll make a post about each day.
Day One:
On the first day we travelled to Oporto where we met up at that wonderful Tea House, Rota do Chá.
(Actually we met up at the bus station, but who's keeping tabs?)
Afterwards we were granted the honour of attending at the Surprise Sushi House Warming party of our gracious host. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank him for our stay there and for carrying my bag when we came back.
I'd also like to send a big hug to C and M for waiting for me at the bus stop, for taking me to that wonderfull tea house and for being just plain great! Thank you girls.

London Countdown: 1 day!

Finnished packing, hope i haven't forgotten anything too needed.
Am getting ready to go to Porto where i was promised tea (hmmm won't i be having too much of this in London?) and the company of friends. You can never have too much of the company of friends, but i fear with my nerves being a wreck i won't be much company to them or to poor T. who has no idea what she's in for. (And for the last time my bag is not pink with Hello Kitty all over it)

Oh well! Remember that puppy i met a couple of months ago? Well Faísca (Spark) grew up but not much, and he's still the cutest thing ever, to see some more of him go here.

Now i highly doubt i'll be making posts while in London, so i guess i'll see you when i see you.

London Countdown: 2 days!

Right now my room is a mess and there's a huge trolley on the floor, i look at it all and i do not know what to pack...
I fear all my ansiety over this trip has rubbed off on T., sorry sweetie, i'm the one that freaks, you were pretty cool!
Oh well! Enough with making up excuses not to pack, back to work!

London Countdown: 3 days!

I have given up trying to sleep, which apparently works better than trying to sleep as i slept perfectly last night. So either not trying to sleep is better than trying to sleep or exhaustion has finally won out, we'll se tonight.
Been having these weird dreams, i keep waking up every two hours so they confuse me like hell, keep dreaming that i either quit my job or i got fired, and they both leave me feeling the same, empty!
Don't know which option is worse really, and then when i come to work i feel that i don't belong here. Because i feel like i quit my job! How weird is that?

Also London Calling is playing non-repeat in my head for the last few days...

London Countdown: 4 days!

Still freaking out!
And on other notes, my moleskine just doubled in thickness with all the maps and lists i pasted in it!

London Countdown: 5 days!

Only 5 days!!!
I panic, i count the days again and again! In 5 days i'll be in London! No mistaking it!
Why am i going? All my doubts come rushing!
I shake them away, i want this, i really do!
I've been wanting to see London for years, whenever i thought of travel it was the first place that came to mind, and i'm finally going there, not only that, i'll go there with friends, a fellow book and comic lover and we'll have yet another friend and fellow book lover waiting to receive us. (J. eu vou cobrar essa de nos levares a uma das feiras :)). So what more could i want?
Well i wished X. could come join us, i'll be thinking about you sweetie!! But besides that, i couldn't wish for a better trip, even the weather appears to be welcoming us.
So panic, stay back! I'm not listening to you!

On books, well i have a selection made, so please vote on which i should take (i'm only taking one!).

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

I'm still supposed to finish this book, i'm about halfway through.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

This is still my best choice, i know Dickens of Dickens (hehe couldn't resist), never read any of his books, and this one came highly recommended.

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

This comes following the idea that any list of options has to have something funny! Now really, Pratchett is incredible and Ankh Morpork apparently has a lot in common with London

So place your votes folks :). The winner goes to London.

London Countdown: 6 days!

Yesterday i was able to do a little catching up on to my to do list!
Right now it's clearer, still have to "compile" everybody's orders, i'm not forgetting you guys, i'm just really busy. Expect an e-mail from me soon.

Nobody has yet recommended me any good book to take, i have already read Neverwhere so that one is out of the picture, what should i read?

London Countdown: 7 days!

Ok it's official, i'm not afraid of flying, when i'm in the air i'm totally cool, what i'm afraid of is the before, right now i'm totally stressed out about the trip i keep making mental lists of what needs to be done and ready. I'm starting to take a list before i go mad, both the moleskines (weekly planner and ruled notebook) are on top of the table and there's still so muck to take note of... But i ramble!

Here's the skinny, this is to my friends, people i am taking orders! If you want me to bring you something, you mail it to me until 18.00 of friday the 15th. That's when i expect to have everything printed out and glued to the notebook. I repeat that if you might like a postcard through snail-mail, you e-mail me your address, i make no promises though.
Edit: Forgot to say that i'll confirm all orders by e-mail Wednesday.

Still there's so much to be done, i have to go pick up my new ID, at least the lines weren't complicated at all and everybody was nice. And this time they even confirmed it, i really am 1,55 m. Which is weird, i really must have grown something lately because i used to be a perfect 1,50 m. Go figure!

Cada Cabeça Sua Sentença!!

The title is a much known portuguese saying that would roughly translate to "Each one has it's own decision/opinion/idea!".
Well and that's pretty much what has happened whenever i ask this very simple question:
Do i need an alternador (have no idea of the word in english for this) to take with me to the U. K.?
I swear i would google it or look in the wikipedia, if i actually understood anything about electricity, and i don't understand anything about it, in fact, electricity hates me, and i have a great deal of respect on all things concerning it (translate this to scared to death).
Oh well consider this a rant concerning the whole situation, because as i wrote this i got the answer to my problem, it isn't needed, only an adaptator!