My London Crib

Happy 3 year Anniversary!!!

2010-02-03T10:06:00.003Z

Today we hit the three-year mark! Yes, boys and girls, it's been three years of a wonderful life in one of the most amazing cities in the world. My heart is full of gratitude. We had met awesome people and visited really cool places. My eyes have seen things I only dreamed of seeing before. My heart will treasure those memories forever. I'm definitively not the same Geo who came 1,095 days ago. What has changed? not much of a physical change (other than a couple of gray hairs and happy wrinkles!) but a brand new understanding of other cultures and the world around me. I said goodbye to my twenties two years ago in London, and Ted said farewell to his thirties last Christmas.

We still have five more months in London before we move back to Houston in the summer. I want to live each one of those remaining days to the fullest!!!!!!! and then some...

Fashionista Tea!

2009-12-09T13:04:00.001Z

A morning commute

2009-10-08T10:48:00.003Z

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As I've mentioned before, I've been going to the gym more frecuently during the week. I wake up in the morning around 6 am, leave the house at 6:30 and get to the gym at 7 am for a one-hour class. After the class, I shower/change at the gym and then walk for about 15 minutes to get to work. Here are two pictures I took this morning on my way to work:

Under this new set-up I arrive at the office one hour earlier than everybody else and it allows me to accomplish a lot of things with a fresh mind. I must confess, it is not easy at all to wake up early and carry my gym bag all the time. But, it definitely makes me feel more productive. Let's see how long I can keep up with this!

Picnicking

2009-09-28T12:13:00.004Z

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I'm really not sure why we haven't taken more advantage of picnics in London. We have had them, but it's only now that we realized we haven't had them enough. The weather has been superb and the parks are just around the corner. It would be a shame to look back one day and feel that we missed golden opportunities. That's why we're changing habits here, we're welcoming the beautiful British tradition of grabbing our books, blankets, cheese, crackers, drinks, sandwiches, fruits and head to the greens (as many times as possible).

Picnic at St. James Park

Check Mate

2009-09-27T19:52:00.002Z

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The other day when I was heading home from the gym, I noticed something unusual going on at Trafalgar Square. I got a little closer and found a gigantic chess set with these lovely decorated pieces:

I learned that the chess set launches this years London Design festival. It consists 32 two metre high ceramic pieces on a mosaic glass chess board that were designed and created by Spanish artist Jaime Hayon. Unfortunately, it was too early in the morning so there were no contestants around to play with.

These are the things that make London such an amazing place to live in!

A morning walk in the park

2009-09-24T09:46:00.001Z

For the first time in a long-long-long time, I've been to the gym four days in a row! It's definitely not easy to develop a workout routine, but now that I'm working out again I can't stop wondering why in the world I don't do this more often. On the days when I don't have to be at the office early, I've been walking back home through St. James Park. This picture was taken this morning around 8:15 am.

I thank God for the opportunity to live in such a beautiful city. But above all, I am thankful for health, peace and the abundant joy that only He can provide.

One of my favorite shows

2009-02-20T10:11:00.002Z

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Last night, Ted and I went to see my favorite West End musical ever: The Sound of Music. Even though I had already seen it once -when my mother in law came to London-, Ted had never seen it, not even the movie! And, the show is ending next week so I was pretty excited that we were able to see it for the last time.

Ted thought it was cute but not amazing as I described it. I don't know why exactly I like this musical so much. Maybe it is because it has kids and they all sing beautifully. I just love it! It's sad that Ted didn't like it that much. I think he prefers theater.

I love both. I want to act, sing and dance forever! That would be my ideal job!

Follow the link to see part of the show. The same actress was playing Maria last night. And we had front-row tickets for only £20

The Sound of Music London

I got a picture with the kiddos who play the Von Trapp family. I will upload them one of these days :)

Always look at the bright side of life... whistle, whistle, whistlewhistlewhistle...

2008-12-18T17:27:00.002Z

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About a week ago we learned that the show Spamalot was ending soon and, because we've been wanting to see it for a while, we rushed to get some tickets before it was too late.

Spamalot is Monty Python's best comedy act in the West End. If you haven't seen the movie "Holy Grail" then you won't probably find it too funny. But, trust me, it is hilarious! This is the sort of British humor I love and I will miss a lot when we move back to the States.

As usual, getting my picture and autograph from leading actors was in the to-do-list. Here is the one of little me with Michael Xavier. He plays the role of Sir Dennis Galahad, The Black Knight and Prince Herbert's Father. Check out his website: www.michaelxavier.co.uk

Only in London

2008-12-15T23:03:00.008Z

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Last Saturday, we were walking out of Embankment tube station and saw this.

All I want for Christmas is YOU!

2008-12-12T18:50:00.003Z

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One thing I really like about Ted's work Christmas parties in London is the fact that everyone gets all fancy for the special "do". We do too! Check us out with our Christmas spirit in full swing:

Amstercold

2008-12-02T22:43:00.001Z

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Two weeks ago, Ted and I got a chance to visit the beautiful city of Amsterdam. Being there was really nice but the weather was super duper freezing cold. Lots of cuddling going on! The highlights of the trip were: Van Gogh Museum, Ann Frank's house, and a cool jazz cafe. I really hope we get to see more of Amsterdam in the future.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-29T11:44:00.004Z

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This is picture of us in a one area of London called Little Venice. It was taken at the beginning of November so you could still see beautiful trees with yellow leaves. I was also able to go out in a t-shirt and jeans and be okay with it. Now, it is the end of the month and a lot colder, so it's impossible to go out without bundling yourself up.

Nevertheless, it is that time of the year that I really like because it makes you stop and reflect, evaluate, cuddle, appreciate, cuddle again, dream, think about family and comfort food... and then cuddle a little more.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!!

My Fair Lady

2008-10-19T20:18:00.001Z

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moar funny pictures

Rain Man

2008-10-14T18:07:00.003Z

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Rain Man, the play, was great and beautifully done! the guy who plays Rain Man's brother is gorgeous Josh Harnett. He's an American actor who was in the movie Pearl Harbor. Adam Godley's acting as Raymond was phenomenal. I'm so thankful we get to see such great performances.

Lately, Ted and I came up with this little ritual where we go to the stage door at the end of a show and I ask for the actors' autographs while Ted takes a picture of me with them. It's so much fun! Most of the time there is barely no one out there so I've gotten good pictures of other productions. But last night, oh last night, let me tell you, Josh Harnett was so cute that all the girls had the same idea. It was almost impossible to get his autograph. But don't worry, I did it! We couldn't get a picture together though because it was really crowded, but I'm happy to have his signature for my collection of London playbills.

Back from paradise to a world of hurricanes?

2008-09-12T21:32:00.002Z

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We landed last night from an amazing time in Greece to find out that a big hurricane is heading towards Houston. So, instead of sorting out my 850 vacation-perfection pictures, I am staring at the news and images of Galveston island being hit by Ike. We hope and pray that this hurricane dies soon so it does not hit our beloved ones... or anyone in Houston. It's so hard being away and powerless (in our own strength, that is) because in God, we are strong. Let's keep the faith!

Papaluchito

2008-08-15T22:47:00.006+01:00

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In July, 2007, I was very excited about going to Ecuador to celebrate my grandparents' 75th wedding anniversary. Yes, you read it correctly, they got married very young and spent their entire lives together. So, the whole family was getting ready for their "diamond anniversary." However, just two weeks before the trip, I received a phone call from my parents letting me know that Papaluchito, my grandfather, had passed away. Everything was so fast and sad: the funeral took place the following day and I couldn't move my flight for an earlier date.

When I spoke to my grandmother over the phone, she was surprisingly strong. Her words comforted me when she told me how they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary at the hospital, just few days before he died. My grandfather was a great man. I know they say that about every one who dies, but trust me, he was. Boy, he had a great life indeed!

I decided to keep my flight as it was originally scheduled. This way, I could comfort my grandmother once the crisis has passed. When I arrived in Quito, I was the one who was comforted by my family. They described the funeral to me, my grandfather final days at the hospital, and the peace that surrendered the family in the mist of our loss. We threw a little memorial/celebratory dinner where I was happy to see some of my cousins, uncles, aunts and friends I had not seen in years. Together we were able to cry, laugh, cry and celebrate Papaluchito's life. And I say celebrate because we know he is with Jesus now... he graduated from life with an A+

Mamá Rosita and me

At my grandparents' house in Quito, Ecuador

Giving a speech at my grandfather's memorial

My extended family in Ecuador

Quito from the airplane

A night with Billy

2008-08-09T12:59:00.004+01:00

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Me with the amazing Layton Williams. He gave an amazing performance last night. What a handsome and so talented young man!
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The Time Machine

2008-05-22T20:58:00.007Z

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Last Saturday night we were invited to an 80's party at the Triefenbachs . It was such fun dressing up like the oldies! When we were getting ready to leave the flat to go to the party, I suggested to Ted that he should wear his mullet on the Tube. He was reluctant to do it, so I didn't insist. He then thought about it and said, "what the heck? It's London! no one will care!"

Something I really appreciate about this city is that you can wear whatever you like, and no one seems to mind. It's okay, one gets blended in the crowds of Camden's Gothics, hooligans football fans and hen night celebrations! However, Ted's mullet caught a lot of attention in the Tube and the bus. At least two people asked him whether or not his hair was real. We had a blast!

My whole outfit was put together by a friend of mine. She did a wonderful job picking my dress for the night. I won the contest! Thank you, Iona.

Can you believe the 80's was so long ago?

Bittersweet Barcelona

2008-03-05T15:52:00.007Z

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In August last year, we took a four day trip to beautiful Barcelona. We stayed at our friend's flat few blocks away from Sagrada Familia, so it was easy to walk everywhere and take it all in: Casa Mila, La Rambla, Park Guell, Barcelona beach, Barceloneta... ahhhh it was lovely! We had delicious tapas, great paella by the beach plus lots of sangría. Barcelona is the place to go!

We do, however, have sad memories of the city. Actually, we had NO memories because our camera dissapeared! I want to think that I lost it (too much sangría and no attention to my belongings), but others argue it was stolen from our table at the tapas restaurant. The camera was old, but it had lived a good life and above all, it had our pictures! I hated not having backed up the pictures the night before. Oh well, we did manage to get a disposable little camera for that last day we stayed there. Where are those pictures then? As you can tell, it took me a while to:
1. Take them to a pharmacy to have them developed
2. Picked up the pictures like a month later
3. Remember to take the pictures to work since there is no scanner at home
4. Scan them
5. Save them
6. Post them
ughhhhhhhh.... It feels so old school!

Obviously, the pictures reflect 0.01% of the beauty of Barcelona. I might as well post them all here since these are the only evidence of our Spanish adventure. Oh, I wished I could have posted my pictures from Park Guell, it's such a gorgeus place!

Note to self: Next time you visit Spain, hold on to that camera!!!!!!!!!

a view from Casa Mila (you can see Sagrada Familia far far far away)

Casa Mila, or La Pedrera

Ted en la puerta de la Pedrera

The coolest roof I've ever visited (Casa Mila)

Gaudi rocks!

It's hard to take these pictures with toy cameras

Vamos a la playa!

Crib's first year anniversary!

2008-02-02T15:20:00.001Z

A year ago, Ted and I left the United States to come to London. So far, it has been the most exciting adventure! We are thankful for our families and friends from home who keep us in their hearts and their prayers constantly. We sure miss each one of you! At the same time, we are thrilled to see how many new awesome people we've met during the last 12 months. I can't be thankful enough, we really feel as if we have lots of homes around the world!

Happy birthday, my London Crib! I'm sorry my updates are so scarce. It's not the lack of fun or exciting stories to tell. It's just a combination of having too many things on my plate and a little lack of discipline. A perfect recipe for blogging absence!

Let's keep the faith,
geo

Chronicles of the airport

2007-12-15T13:46:00.001Z

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Friday. 14.12.2007. London. U.K.

6:00 alarm goes off
shower, get ready, pack makeup bag

6:50 ted wakes up
he puts on a Cubbies cap and jogging pants to walk wife to train station

6:57 we leave the house
dragging 3 pieces of luggage all the way to Victoria station

7:02 missed the 7 am Gatwick express
get on the one that leaves 7:15

7:05 ted kisses me goodbye
he leaves the luggage nicely arranged in the train and goes back to the flat

7:48 gatwick express arrives to the airport
I have 3 bags! there is only 1 elevator and 765,893 people waiting to use it.

8:20 take shuttle train to north terminal where my airline is
it took me 20 minutes to access the elevator to go up 1 floor
I did not have a single coin to use one of the trolly carts (arrrrgggg!)

8:35 lined up for check in
my flight leaves at 9:30! the line is huge... horrible fear of missing my flight

8:50 I finally reach the counter
the flight has been delayed 2 and a half hours due to weather conditions in Houston
for the first time i'm happy my plane is delayed

9:01 i finish checking in
the luggage belt at the check in counter is broken so checked bags are left next to the counters!
the continental guy gives me a £ 5 refreshment voucher for being so patient

9: something. I stop looking at my watch because I know there is plenty of time
security line is endless

somewhere around 10. I pass airport security and start looking for food to use my super voucher
while walking around, i remember about the eye-thingie program where you avoid lines on UK returning flights

later. I find it. The thing is called IRIS
takes 10 minutes, is painless, is free, ensures you don't have to stand in the migration line when you come back to London. nice!

11 something. Arrive at gate
there is an starbucks right in front of the gate.
i get to purchase stuff with my voucher. free

Some 9 hours later I am at home in Houston and my sister is picking me up at the airport. I am home for Christmas!

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: vacation time!

2007-12-15T12:05:00.000Z

Guess where am I?

Starts with "Hous" and it ends with "ton". Yes! Home sweet home! or, my parents home I should say. Isn't it nice to have many homes around the world? well, the western world... we haven't yet visited the other side of the globe.

I am soooooooo happy to be back! Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy my London Crib as well, but after six long months of not seeing the other members of my family, my Ecuadorian blood screams for some connections. I hate to sound ungrateful to the many commodities of my British lifestyle in London, but it's good to be back to American things as well: decent size washer and separate dryer, target stores, driving your car without having to pay congestion fees -or just driving a car!-, houses with more than 1 bedroom, etc. (you know, the good'ole expatriate "whingeing").

Can you tell I'm excited? I'm on a Christmas holiday, back in the States, at my parents' house, no job, no school... oh, wait! I do have to write a school project due Jan 7th. I knew it was too good to be true! oh well, we'll just have to write my essay in between festivities.

I'll be home for Christmas... you can count on ME

2007-12-10T14:56:00.000Z

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Ohhhhh December is finally here! the jolly good season. I love it!

Here are some images to let of you know that we are still alive. Doesn't it feel like Christmas?

Welcome to the 3rd floor geo!

2007-10-10T10:06:00.000Z

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Living on the third floor of life is not that bad at all. At first, I was sad for having to leave my beloved twenties. What a decade it was! But now, after such wonderful birthday celebrations, I really believe that "the best is yet to come."

I am extremely thankful to every person who remembered my birthday, called, emailed, sent a gift, etc, etc. I was overwhelmed with so many blessings not only the day of my birthday, but the whole month! Muchas gracias indeed!

To see details of how we celebrated my bday, I must refer you to my dearest Kelly who put together some pictures on her blog and wrote a "brilliant" account of the events. Kelly's post. Thank you Kel!

Wimblerain

2007-08-31T20:53:00.000Z

I'm still digging into past memories...

Kenny came to visit us in early July. He is our dear friend from Houston who, among other talents, happens to be a passionate tennis player. So, guess where we all went one day? Yes, the tennis lawns of Wimbledon. I was so excited to be in the mist of all those famous players, to catch a tennis ball, to see a celebrity, to appear on tv or something. But not, all we got was 8 hours of rain and 45 minutes of tennis.

I guess we can come back next year and hope we get better weather. It might not be amongst such great company though... (sigh) Thanks Kenny and Monika for coming and filling our home with laughter and fun. We miss you!

Our three year anniversary

2007-08-20T20:18:00.000Z

Back in June 26th, we celebrated our 3-year wedding anniversary with a small road trip adventure. We wanted to get a closer look at the real English countryside, so we decided to rent a car and discover the southwestern coast of the island on our own.

The experience is not recommended for newlyweds, because the whole "driving on the opposite side of the road" deal is pretty stressful. It was more of a "test your marriage" adventure than an anniversary trip. But, fear not, we prepared ourselves with lots of maps and plenty of patience.

In the end, we got lost a couple of times, but love prevailed.

We visited the Dorset region which is famous for it's quaint villages and the white cliffs overlooking the English Channel. Ted booked a beautiful B&B in Dorchester and did a great job driving. Our main goal was to discover the "Old Harry Rocks" and we found them!

A June Post in August

2007-08-19T17:27:00.000Z

Yes. I'm going back in time trying to remember all the things I've done. uhmmm painful task (especially when one's memory is not the best) I remember that at the beginning of June, Ted and I had made plans to go to Italy. We had air tickets and hotel reservations in Venice and Lake Como. Everything was set up and ready. Except the fact that, at the last minute, Ted had some work related issues and the trip was canceled.
Now, you might think that was the end of the story, but wait! I didn't have a job at that time, so guess what happened? Yes. I went to Lake Como. By myself. And I liked it.

Lake Como is beautiful. I saw George Clooney's house. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see him.

the best pizza ever!

What does one do when alone in Italy?...

shopping!!!

Back in May...

2007-08-19T17:11:00.000Z

May was a fun month indeed. Not only we spent time with Romy from Ecuador, but we also enjoyed the company of our friends Adam and Jasmine from Houston.

Here are Ted and Adam setting up "Air mattress city"

Adam, Jasmine and Geo on a boat tour

A walk around Notting Hill

The big red bus

It's all too blurry now

Thank you guys for coming. We miss you!!!

The day has come!

2007-08-19T16:32:00.000Z

Yeah, I know... about time! Sorry everybody. I have so much to tell. I don't even know where to start... it's been so long.

Ok, mabye I should start saying that I got a job. Yes. A job, here, in London. Isn't that great? The days of expat wife are long gone. Now I wake up in the morning and get out of my house to join the endless line of London commuters. I love it!

Well, the job is great. I am an account manager for a company who provides cultural and language training for expats, among other tools for the "global workforce." The office is nice, the people are great. No complains. The only thing is that the new job has messed up my time. My days go so fast, so furious. This blog has gone to the bottom of my priorities. I'm sorry. It's such a shame.

With that said, I will go ahead and dust off some old pictures to show what has happened in the last months. Stay tuned!

The girls just want to have fun.

2007-05-18T16:32:00.000Z

Hanging out with Romy has been great. She has an adventurous heart and is willing to do whatever I suggest (which could be pretty dangerous). On Wednesday night, Romy and I went to my gym and took a Pilates class together. We are no Pilates experts whatsoever, so we giggled during the whole class while attempting different poses. After the class, we had some swimming/jaccuzzi/steamroom action. The whole experience was fun!

On Thursday, we spent almost the entire day at the British Museum. Romy is a tour guide in Quito, Ecuador, so I really enjoyed visiting the museum with her because we were learning together and comparing cultures, history, arts, etc, etc. She knows so much! The BM has lots of things to offer. At the end of the day, my feet were killing me!

More than a month ago, Ted and I got tickets to the Cathcart Spring Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. In spite of the fact that I was extremely tired, I put on my best gala and went to check out the event at such amazing venue. This fantastic choreographed extravaganza presented spine-tingling orchestral and choral songs, traditional Proms classics and symphonic rock arrangements. My favorite part? A 16-year old violinist from Russia, who played the Spanish song "Virtuoso." It was amazing. That girl is a treasure. (I wish I could remember her name)

Romy la exploradora

2007-05-17T08:42:00.000Z

After a 16-hour journey from Ecuador, my friend Romy came to visit us last Tuesday. She is a tour guide in Quito and has already been in several European countries. This time, she gets to see the UK with me!

First stop: Change of guards at Buckingham Palace. Next: an in-depth visit to the Westminster Abby and museum.

The Greatest Sister in the World

2007-05-14T11:04:00.000Z

She is gorgeous, intelligent, responsible, funny, extremely sweet, and the list goes on and on. Yesterday, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Houston with a major in Accounting. Did I mention she is only 20 years old???

Meet the graduate with my parents:

I love you sisi, we are sooooooo proud of you!

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Flamenco, anyone???

2007-05-13T10:46:00.000Z

On Saturday night, we checked out a Spanish restaurant with some of Ted’s coworkers: La Rueda. We had delicious paella, good tapas, sangría and live flamenco music. It was a wonderful night, especially when a handsome dancer was invited to join the show.

(I hope Ted is not reading this post today)

The Blue Man Group Experience

2007-05-12T10:24:00.000Z

For those who don’t know my husband’s favorite show of all times, here it’s the answer: The Blue Man Group. Actually, he says he wants to be one of these blue guys when he grows up. I don’t think I can make his wish come true, but I can certainly book some tickets to see the show as often as we can. So far, Ted has seen their show in almost every city where they perform. A nice total of 11 times!

We were saving the London show for a special occasion, but since we learned that the BMG show here is ending soon, we had to schedule an “emergency call” to some friends who kindly joined us to check out the show last Friday.
Next stop: Amsterdam and Berlin. We haven’t seen the show in these venues yet, so we hope to go in the near future.

BBC Radio 2

2007-05-10T19:06:00.000Z

Last night we got a last-minute invitation to attend the BBC radio recording of "Out to Lunch". Even though I was not in the best mood to go out, i decided not to turn down this free stuff... one should never do. The show is one hour of comedy entertainment at the Arts Theatre on Leicester square. I am glad we made the effort to go because it was hilarious! We enjoyed it so much and could not stop laughing. I'm sorry I don't have any pictures of it, but I encourage you to visit the website of the show and check out those comedians. Funny funny stuff indeed.

Here is the link: Out to Lunch Radio Show

Meet the Bloggers!

2007-05-09T08:56:00.000Z

London, the city of music, fashion, history, culture, finances and high tea. It is also the reason why these three gorgeous bloggers were able to meet and enjoy a lovely afternoon of giggles and English tea at Fortnum & Mason.

A familiar sight

2007-05-08T10:14:00.000Z

For a second I thought we were at home in Texas... but then I realized something was wrong in the picture: the cars were unalike, and the gas prices were way different! Is that the price per gallon, or per liter? can someone shed some light on this please?

A visit to Aquae Sulis

2007-05-06T21:52:00.000Z

Yesterday, we jumped on a train to visit Bath, Britain's most historic spa town, which is located 185 km (115 miles) west of London. Trains leave Paddington Station for Bath once every half-hour during the day, and the trip took us about 1 and half hours.

The day started a little cloudy and cold, but later on it turned out to be sunny and perfect! It was so nice to walk around and enjoy all the stuff that Bath has to offer. According to my super duper book guide of England, much of the city of Bath was made over in the 18th century, most famously by the father and son team of John Woods, Sr. and Jr. They were responsible, among others, for the Royal Crescent.

Bath is a gorgeous little town with lots of attractions: Jane Austen Centre, the museum of costumes, the Bath Abbey, the Theatre Royal Bath, and its main attraction: the Roman baths. Actually, the whole town has a museum look, with gift shops and parks in between. We decided to focus on visiting the Roman Baths (historical site) and then we gave ourselves some spa time "Romal style" at the new Thermae Bath Spa.

Roman Baths:

Dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, these baths were founded by the Romans in A. D. 75. Among the finest Roman remains in the country, they're still fed by Britain's most famous water spring. The site of the Temple of Sulis Minerva is excavated and open for viewing.

Let's go out!

2007-05-05T15:10:00.000Z

The best part of living in our building (besides its excellent location, private security and gorgeous indoor gardens) is the fact that other expat families live close by. Meet my neighbor Stephanie, who came to London around the same time we did. Stephanie and I go grocery shopping together and we put the bags in her baby's stroller. She told me I could borrow her stroller just to do my grocery shopping. I won't do it, but I thought it's not a bad idea at all! Moreover, every time the sun is up and shining in the London sky, I can send her a text message and off we go to explore the small cafes in our neighborhood.

Creative Ideas For Lazy Bloggers Like Me

2007-05-04T15:50:00.000Z

There is so much going at the London Crib and yet, I’ve stopped writing about it. Why? Why? Why, one would ask. The only answer I can give to my lack of posting consistence is laziness, nasty brutal laziness. Sorry, I know it’s disappointing. So, after a long consideration, I’ve come out with a plan. No, it’s not diligence, better time-management skills, discipline or anything like that. I’ve decided to present you a solution called “the picture plan.” Actually, I must confess I copied this idea from another site, which was found through Beth’s designer blog. The point is to simply post a picture every day and say something about it. I believe this will help me a lot to maintain an updated blog. Besides, I love pictures! Even though I don’t consider myself a good photographer or anything close to it, I enjoy looking at pictures. So, here is the deal: I will post a picture every day… or at least try to post one. Then, I don’t even have to write much if I don’t want to. The picture will consist on something I did that day, something random, or both. It would be my picture and you will promise not to judge the photography skills. It’s just one picture because I’m too lazy to write ☹

Here goes today’s picture: We went to the Pub yesterday with Ted’s co-workers. It was a boat pub. Very cool idea, The Queen Mary over the Thames!

Happy three-month anniversary!

2007-05-02T10:35:00.000Z

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, three months ago we said good-bye to our family and friends in the US. Lots of things have been going on since then. I am sorry for being such a bad blogger. Trust me, there is a lot to tell. I three simple words: we love London. I wish all you could see how gorgeous this city is. Especially in days like this when the weather is just perfect. It's funny how I use exaggerating words, but it’s true. Perfect sunny skies with a little wind, but not too much, enough to cool you off when it gets a little hot. I will post pictures throughout this week so that you experience a little bit of this spring euphoria I’m talking about.

Guess who's back?

2007-04-17T08:28:00.001Z

Life feels much better now. Ted came back last Saturday morning… Yey! All I really cared was to see him again and make sure he gets some rest. As soon as he got home, he started opening his suitcase with excitement. It was like Christmas in April! He bought me a big bottle of the new Valentino perfume, which is perfect for this London spring weather. I love it! He remembered I needed a watch, so he brought two cool silver watches for me. I love them! He also bought me two pairs of sunglasses (very posh) and a mini iPod for my morning exercises… what else? Oh, a C. S. Lewis book and some body lotions. Oh I love all my presents. He is the BEST!

Ted had a great time in Houston. He went out for dinner with my parents, my sister and her boyfriend Tom. Ted also went out with Emilio, Yadira, Marcela, Omar, and Kenny. I can't wait until these people come to visit us in London.

Speaking of my family, my precious sister sent me a University of Houston sweater and a t-shirt for Ted. My super mother sent me spices I haven’t been able to find here. I am sure London has its equivalent, but I just haven’t figured it out yet. She also sent other goodies for my kitchen. Thank you girls!

Look, I already made dinner with the colorful spices you sent me mom!

After Ted took his jetlag nap, we went out for dinner at “Luna Rossa” in Nothing Hill. The day was gorgeous, and we got to sit outside to enjoy our yummy metro-pizzas.

Sunday was the last day when Richard’s family was in town, so they had a BBQ and invited us over for dinner. I had the most amazing lamb chops ever! Thank you guys, we always have a great time together.

All by myself

2007-04-14T15:40:00.000Z

So, what happened this week? Living in London “solo” was kind of enjoyable the first three days. I spent most of my time at home walking in my pajamas, eating lots of junk food and watching re-runs of “Wonder Years” on Slingbox. On the fourth day, the sudden realization that Ted was gone hit me really bad. I had to constantly remind myself that everything was under control: I had people who loved me, I was living in London, and I had food in my belly. I thank God for our U.S line with Vonage, which kept me connected with the world on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. I spent several hours talking to dear friends I haven’t called in years. Many had suggested me to go out and explore the city, visit museums, do some shopping. Yes, those were great ideas. What they didn’t realize it’s the fact that this humble servant is a big time people person. I can’t go out by myself and enjoy places unless I have people with me. I mean, I could, but I just rather do stuff with friends. Perhaps time will teach me to appreciate loneliness. Right now, I don’t.

In the mist of my loneliness, great people came to the rescue. On Easter Sunday, Richard’s family came from the U.S. to visit. The weather in London was just perfect. (Note to self: Easter is the best time to visit England) I was invited to have dinner at their house. Before dinner, we all walked to “Little Venice”. Did you know London had a neighborhood called like that? Look at these pictures of the dusking sky!

Every time I go to Richard’s house, he is always cooking for a lot of people. This time it was his own family who he cooked for, so the food was even better than ever!

I also got to meet a family of expats from Houston who just moved a little more than a month ago. They are living in the same building where we live. The husband knew Ted from work and they knew I was alone, so they invited me out for dinner on Monday night. What a joy! On Thursday, Stephanie and I walked from our place all the way to High Street Kensington. It was so much fun. I love our gorgeous neighborhood, and there is nothing better than having a friendly neighbor to explore the area with.

On Friday, Richard’s aunts were checking out the city, so I joined them to visit the British Museum, the British Library and Harrods. That was also fun. I didn’t know that Harrods had a little memorial for Princess Diana and her fiancé. Thank you girls! It was great to see the city with you.

Look at these kids sketching some 3,000 year-old Etruscan ceramic at the British Museum. I thought it was a great sight. I want my kids to do that!

"Have you seen the one my heart loves?"

2007-04-06T18:24:00.000Z

"All night long on my bed
I looked for the one my heart loves;
I looked for him but did not find him.
I will get up now and go about the city,
through its streets and squares;
I will search for the one my heart loves.
So I looked from him but did not find him."

Song of Songs 3:1-2

This morning Ted and I took the Gatwick Express train to the airport. We checked luggage, walked through the lines, and only one of us crossed the security checkpoint. The other one came back home "alone".
Yes. Ted had to go to work in Houston. He will be there for 7 long long long long long days. I know I’ve said I’m not sad because I feel part of me is going with him, but it was actually really difficult to see him leave. He has being out of town many times before, but never for so long. Of course, I pretended I was fine. However, when I left the airport and came back in the train, for the first time in many years I felt alone.
But it was only a couple of minutes until I realized I am not really alone. God is with me and that is enough. Actually I realized it was my father God who gave me such a wonderful husband who loves deeply, who got this amazing expatriate assignment, and the opportunity to live in one of the greatest cities in the world. So, in spite of the fact that this post might sound extremely cheesy, I have to say I love my husband very much. Even though I am going to cram the following seven days with time consuming activities (read: gym, movies, going out with friends) I am certain I will miss Ted immensely. Not because I am feeling lonely, but because I love him.

Two-months anniversary

2007-04-03T16:44:00.000Z

I just realized we landed in this island two months ago. Can you believe it? It seems like less time to me. We have been very blessed and I can't complain at all. The city is amazing, and Ted continues to be the perfect husband he is. I do miss my family. However, I've also realized that we now talk on the phone more often than we used to when we lived in the same city. Our parents are the best! It's also great to call friends using our Vonage line. I spend lots of time on the phone catching up with old buddies. Maybe that's why I don't feel like I am away from anybody. Thanks to all the people who have called us already. I told you I won't cost you anymore than a regular phone call to the US!

Now, Ted is going to work in Houston all next week, so It will be his first time back in the States. Yey! I know I should be sad because I am not going with him, but actually, I feel part of me is going when he goes. Which makes me feel that I am going too! I already told him to go to our favorite places: Churrascos, Azuma, Ra Sushi, Fadis, uhmmm my mouth is watery already. His task is to go check out those places, eat as much as he can, then come back to London and tell me everything about it. He will go visit my parents and friends. I really hope he has time to see them all. I will miss him a lot, but I know he is going to have a great time and I want him to enjoy it as much as he can. Besides, I will get to go to Houston in the summer :)

What am I going to do by myself in London? well, I have already added several chickflicks on our movie rental list. So, I will be busy catching up with Hollywood. I also have my list of books I've been wanting to read, so that will keep me going for a while. Richard's family from New York will be in town too, so maybe I'll go hang out with them when I get really bored. Actually, I am going to look at this "home alone" week as an opportunity to be isolated and let God teach me new things. Let's call it "Geo's Sabatical Week". How many people get to do that?

Where is the campus?

2007-04-02T23:23:00.000Z

Last Saturday, we visited Oxford, the "City of Dreaming Spires" with our friends Richard, Taha and Maria. Taha was very kind to book our train tickets online, and off we went for a one-day exploration.

Oxford is home of one of the greatest universities in the world. It is in fact, made up of 35 colleges sprinkled throughout the town. To tour all of these would be a formidable task. We thought it was best to focus on just taking a walk by the better-known colleges, checking out the pub scenes, admiring some of England's greatest architecture, and "punting" the River Cherwell. (I learned that punting is just a snooty word for rafting/boating)

The whole trip I kept saying "hurry up, I'm going to be late for my class." Yes. I was pretending I studied at Oxford University... It made me feel so smart! Another cool thing about this town were the old pubs where famous people gathered to hang out. Every college town the world over has a fair number of bars, but few can boast local watering holes with such atmosphere and history as Oxford. Here is Ted at the entrance of "the Eagle and Child." For at least a quarter of a century, it was frequented by the likes of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. In fact, The "Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Hobbit" were first read aloud at this pub.

It was a wonderful day! We were afraid about the weather, because last week was pretty cold and rainy. Fortunately, we were allowed to enjoy a sunny Saturday in Oxford. The whole trip was fun, but the punting experience was soooooooo hi-la-rious! In spite of my pleas for hiring professional assistance, the guys insisted that we didn't need any help with the boat. I suffered thinking we were all going to end up at the bottom of the River. Imagine 3 guys switching places to maneuver a flat-bottom boat by a long pole and a small oar! The good news is that we made it safely. The ride was a blast and I could not trade it for the world.

My "wicked" weekend

2007-03-27T07:46:00.000Z

We finally went to our first show in the city. Originally, we have thought of waiting for our family and/or friends to come so that we can all go together. However, the Apollo Victoria (where the show is being played) is right in front of our tube station. In fact, every time we passed by, we were tempted to just go and see the musical. So, when I went to the gym on Friday, I detoured to Leicester Square (pronounced Lester, as in the Adams Family) to get some half-price tickets for the Saturday night show. It was wonderful. What a fantastic musical! It’s coming to Houston on April, so we really encourage our friends to attend. I’ll tell more details about our visit to the show in a little bit. First, I need to tell you about the second stop I made after the gym on Friday.

I decided to get one of those marvelous chocolate cakes from “Paul” (a French pastaierie) as a gift to our next-door neighbors. We had tried that cake before and knew how delicious it was. Our neighbors are a family of expats from Brazil. I have promised to give them our emails and phone numbers so that we can get to know each other better. Then, I thought it would be nice to write this information on a fancy card and drop it by their door with a chocolate cake to enjoy over the weekend. The plan was perfect. I bought the cake, brought it home, and added the card. I was so excited about it, and couldn’t wait to see their faces when they receive it! Well… I didn’t count on a little detail: they were at not home! I waited a couple of hours to visit again and, nothing! Tried later on… nothing! I was so scared they might have been gone for the whole weekend. The cake would have been ruined if it’s not eaten by Sunday. Ted told me to put it on the refrigerator and wait until they come. The next day, around 4 pm… I couldn’t wait any longer. It was evident that they had gone out of town and wouldn’t be back until Sunday. The cake was going to lose its freshness by that time. Guess what we did? Yes. You’re right… WE ATE IT… one big piece for Ted and one big piece for me. Uhmmmm… it was so yummy! Then, guess what happened after 15 minutes we ate the cake??? We heard our neighbors coming back! It was so funny. I wish you could have seen our faces… our guilty faces ☺

I guess they'll never know what they missed. (unless they read this blog)

Anyway, back to the story of the musical. Once we finished eating the neighbors’ cake, we decided to watch a movie at home until almost time for the show. Our proximity to the venue allows us to get there in less than 10 minutes. So, we got to the Theater, and realized that neither of us has brought our eyeglasses. Picture it, there we were, a pair of nearsighted people occupying not exactly what you would call “the best seats in the house”. There was no time to go back home… at least we didn’t forget the tickets!

During intermission, guess what Ted did? Yes. Once more, you are right! Ted ran home and got my glasses so that I can appreciate better the wicked witch of the west… look! She is green!

By the way, pictures are not allowed during the show… but, nobody said anything about curtain call.

Last weekend's update

2007-03-23T22:22:00.000Z

I know it's so wrong to post the description of a weekend that happened almost a week ago... I know... shame on me. However, it is still better than nothing. My friend Romy in Quito told me my blog was going to become a "quinceañera diary." Meaning I will write a lot at the beginning, but eventually forget all about it. Sadly to say, it is turning out to be quite a prophecy. So, here I am, trying to make this blog thing survive a little longer. I am not a quinceañera anymore! (even though Ted might think I behave like one from time to time)

What have we been up to?

We are settled, with phones, computers, and all sorts of gadgets. On March 22nd. we celebrated our first month living in our new flat. We love it! It feels like home. It's our home in London...yey! To celebrate the ocasion, we threw a little house warming dinner the other night. Our friends Richard, Taha, Maria and Payal came over and we watched some SCRUBS together. It was so much fun. Maria made this wonderful salad with vermicelli and nuts.. yummy! Richard gave us a beautiful flower pot that looks great decorating my new dining table.

Last Saturday, we met with friends who we knew from Houston. Joaquin and his wife Tracey moved to London more than a year ago. They are such a nice couple. I'm so glad we keep finding great people around us. Here is a picture of us eating Indian food in the Covent Garden area.

Then, on Sunday, we met Richand and his friend Liz who came over from San Fransisco. We all had Dim Sum brunch at the "Royal China." Afterwards, we checked out the Saint Patrick's Day celebrations at Trafalgar square. Richard and I had some Irish spirit written on our jackets. What a great way to finish our weekend!

I'm bringing pictures back... yeah!

2007-03-15T19:30:00.000Z

----------

As I promised, here are some pictures of our apartment in London. It's certainly not a fancy place, but it is our home and we like it. Many have already expressed their concern about the fact that it only has one bedroom. What they don't know is that we have a super duper air matress ready to suit the needs of anyone who desires to visit us.

If you ever wonder why do I take forever to post stuff in the blog, let me remind you that I am still a baby blogger. This slideshow took me a whole afternoon! Besides, as I mentioned in my last post, our sea shipment arrived last week with 44 boxes. Yes, forty four!!!! What where we thinking? We knew that London flats came already furnished, so we didn't bring furniture. Why in the world did we end up with so much stuff? I don't know. All I can say now is that our flat used to be spacious BEFORE last week's delivery.

do you want to see more? here it goes:

There is no place like home. We are very thankful for ours.

What a month!

2007-03-07T09:32:00.000Z

Fellow readers, I’m sorry I’ve abandoned my blogging duties for a while. After a short post to announce we were moving, almost a two-week silence. I had planned on writing the blog as soon as we had internet, but there was too much to do with technology and settlement that I didn’t have much room left for creative writing.

But, hey, we now are the proud residents of a one-bedroom flat in London. We have our home computer and a broadband connection, so, hopefully, you’ll get to read more and more of us in the future. I also want to let you know that we finally set up our US phone line with Vonage (voice over IP), which allows us to call people in Houston, and it turns out to be a local call. Since most of all cell phone plans in the US now go nationwide, it becomes a local call to our family and friends in other states too. The coolest part is that we managed to keep the same number I used to have. Isn’t that something?

So, for those of you who know my cell phone number with Houston area code, just “give me a ring” (as the British say). We guarantee it won’t cost you any more than a regular phone call to a line in Houston (I should be paid by Vonage for the ad). And, for those of you who have already erased my number from your cell phones, shame on you! I told you it was not going to be easy to get rid of us so easily. Just send us an email, and we’ll tell you the number. The only warning clause is to mind the 6-hour difference between us. So, please make your phone calls no later than 4 pm CST.

On March 3rd, we realized it has been already one month since we moved across this side of the pond. We were happy to celebrate it at our new home, with home made food, with broadband internet, a UK home phone line, a US phone line and our favorite shows on Tivo being brought by Slingbox. Setting up all these components was a task that took planning, plus lots of time and patience. It would have been easier to connect all this with Ted at home, but he was working all day, so I had to play with the boxes trying to figure things out. Calling customer service was not fun. I have yet to hear of customer service that offers a 24x7 support. Actually, I do not believe the concept exists here at all. Our families have also participated in the technology adventure by setting up their web cams with Skype on their computers. Yesterday was a milestone when we were able to “see” each other again. Technology rocks!

Anyway, I know I owe pictures of the new crib. I’m waiting for our sea shipment that comes home this Thursday, so that I get “before and after” shots. In the meantime, stay tuned!

Happy note

2007-02-22T14:20:00.000Z

I'm extremely happy to announce that our family is about to move to its new permanent headquarters in London. The flat is really nice... picture will be posted. Now, it will probably take a while to set up an internet connection, so you might not hear from us soon. But fear not, we'll be back.

Thank you for all your prayers!

Some notes on food

2007-02-21T12:21:00.000Z

Now, let’s move on to the weekend recap. It started off with some Korean food on Friday night. Yes… just like you read. Korean. I am so proud of my husband willing to try new things every day. They sat us down with more people on a table that had a gas grill in the middle. Nothing on the menu was familiar to us, so we just ordered some suggestions from our waitress. She came back with raw meat and veggies and proceeded to cook them right in from of us. Lettuce and sauces were served on the side so that we could build on own Korean-style fajitas. We did recognize some “seaweed” plate as an appetizer, so we ordered that. What was brought to us were extremely fine sheets of seaweed! I was like eating paper as a starter. I thought they were tasty. Ted thought they were a joke.

Then on Saturday, the sun appeared shining in the streets of London. So, we decided to visit the Borough Market in London Bridge. The market is foodie heaven, offering all kinds of lovingly sourced and created produce.

Later on that day, we had dinner at a Greek place called Bistro 1. The name doesn’t sound too appealing, but the food was tasty! Family, we definitely need to get some gym memberships soon, because we are gaining the wrong “pounds” in London.

Sunday morning we met with beautiful Marilyn and her husband, who invited us to their church. We enjoyed spending some time with them. Thank you Mariela for introducing us to such a great girl!

We walked back from Westminster to our hotel, which is located close to Trafalgar Square, so we got to enjoy one the biggest Chinese New Year’s celebration I’ve ever seen. The sight made us think a lot about our beloved Emma and Samuel back in Denver. They parents dressed them up in Chinese outfits all they long! Happy New Year Sammy boy!

At the end of the day, in order to continue with the celebrations, we decided to finish up with a Chinese dinner at the Shanghai Blues. I wish I could describe the deliciousness of the food. All I can say is that it was “goood” (Bruce Allmighty’ style) Ted was satisfied with the combination of great food, decoration and music. For those who know my husband as an “ambiance seeker,” this place is the place to be.

here are some pictures from the market:

Long story short

2007-02-20T14:08:00.000Z

We think we’ve finally found what we were looking for on a flat. Even though it only has one bedroom, it is a good size apartment with all the furniture we need. What is the best part of the story? It is situated in a perfect location. Why, then, am I not jumping up and down with excitement??? Well, we don’t have the keys yet. So, I’m saving my tears of joy for when it happens. In the meantime, I am very thankful for no more house-hunting!!!

Speaking of houses, I thought of posting a picture of what it has been our home for the last two weeks:

A collage for all of you

2007-02-15T15:45:00.000Z

Happy Valentine's day!

2007-02-14T20:11:00.000Z

Look what flowers can do:

Thank you for the flowers Ted! I love you very much.

This week in words

2007-02-12T10:07:00.000Z

We wake up in the morning, get dressed, go downstairs to a nice fancy room and get a tray to select some eggs, tomatoes, sausages, bread, fruits, yogurts, etc, etc, etc. People ask us whether we want coffee, or tea, or perhaps hot chocolate. “I don’t know,” we reply, after a week of having tried everything that is on the breakfast menu. We want a home! Yes, enough of this hotel lifestyle. By any means, please don’t think I complain about eating in a different restaurant every night. Here are the selections we ate last week: Tai food, Colombian, Hindu, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, and Greek. All in one week! We really enjoy having such a variety at our footsteps. However, I am afraid I will soon forget how to cook (as if I ever knew) but really, one can easily get used to this. It would be nice if at the end of this week, we could finally find the perfect flat in the perfect location. Only then, we will be able to come down to Earth and face real life. I’m serious. I haven’t made my bed in more than a week! Please London… show me where our home is. Stop spoiling me… NOW!

This week in pictures

2007-02-09T08:35:00.000Z

My main task is to find a place for us to live. So, for the last two days, with Oyster Card in hand, I'm off to explore the many picturesque streets of central London. I'll let the images speak for themselves.

Friendly faces of London

2007-02-08T13:09:00.000Z

Our friend Emilio kindly introduced us to his cousin Richard who lives in London. On Tuesday night, we were invited by Richard to have dinner at his house with friends. We enjoyed delicious food and great company. It was such a fun time. Thank you Richard!

From left to right: Sai, Maria, Dominic, Payal, Richard, Ted, Mustafa, and Danny.

Walk, walk, walk...

2007-02-07T12:32:00.000Z

I love it! We have to walk everywhere. It’s just like the days when I lived in Quito. Well, public transportation is better, but it is the same feeling of having lots of people around me. Oh, something else is different: prices are three times more expensive… But I shouldn’t complain because I have been treated very nicely. I enjoy being surrounded by human beings instead of driving by myself in Houston. Of course, you need to consider that I have only been here for four days now. Things could change once I have to carry my groceries instead of just putting everything in the car trunk.

Today’s task was to open a bank account. I’ve read several expat-blogs and most of them tell stories of how difficult it is to open a bank account in the UK. I truly think we’ve been surrounded by grace, because contrary of my expectations, our process was quite simple. Now we are the proud owners of three bank accounts: one in pounds, one in dollars, and the other one in euros. I can’t believe it! Now we only need the money ☺

Not so "Super" bowl

2007-02-06T12:11:00.000Z

On Sunday night, we joined other Americans at a local pub to watch the Bears playing in the Super Bowl. For those who know Ted’s favorite football team and the final score, you will understand today’s post title. The experience was exciting anyway.

Surprise, surprise!

2007-02-05T13:53:00.000Z

I had forgotten to mention a wonderful surprise we received the morning we arrived in London. Right after we entered our hotel room, there was a knock on the door and... voila! A bottle of red wine (Pinot Noir) courtesy of our beloved Emilio and Yadira Castillo. The note said, "Here is how we're coping with your absence. Enjoy"

Gracias amigos! That was such a sweet start. We look forward to have both of you here soon.

"Mind the gap"

2007-02-04T21:33:00.000Z

Our first day in London was a total success. The city welcomed us with a sunny day and no rain. Actually, we haven't seen the rain all weekend! I'm afraid I won't be able to write this very often. Anyways, It was a sign of a good start.

Ted was not able to sleep well during the flight. I slept like a baby. Once we arrived to our hotel, we took a little nap to fight the jetlag. Even though I was able to sleep during the flight, I still found time for a little London "siesta."

After our power nap, we walked around our hotel and visited Trafalgar square. We had delicious Thai Food for dinner, and later on we met with Beth and Rino for drinks at a local pub. They are a couple of expats who have been very helpful during our transition to London. We asked them tons of questions which they so kindly responded with lots of good information.

Today, we purchased our "Oyster Cards" which give us unlimited access to the London Tube for one year. Once on the Tube, I finally heard the famous British version of "watch your step" hence, the title of this post. Our first stop? Islington. Outside of the station, we found of couple of guys with dreadlocks who were talking about Seinfield. So we decided to ask them for some advice about the area. They told us we were at the wrong place, so we went back to the train. After one stop, we arrived to the heart of Islington. It was a nice area: lots of shops, cafes, and quaint buildings. We had lunch at a Colombian restaurant called "La Piragua." My order? mini bandeja: Rice, beans, sweet plantains, salad, eggs, and pork. I felt I was at "Mi Pueblito."

Speaking of home, here is a picture of a church we visited this afternoon. It's called Hillsongs London. The main screen had a big welcoming message that said: Welcome Home! Maybe it's a message that every congregation has, but I would like to think it was specially directed to me.

The adventure has begun!

2007-02-04T10:22:00.000Z

We are finally here! We arrived yesterday after a 8-hour direct flight from Houston. It was 7 in the morning so we were able to see a gorgeous London sunrise. I loved it! We are so happy to be here. Everything is just the way I dreamed it would be... except the internet. We thought "high speed internet" in hotel meant that we would automatically have internet access in our room, but no, it meant we have to pay for every minute we are online. Not cool! That's why we couldn't write to our family and friends the first day. But, never fear amigos, we purchased one month worth of internet so we are set to go. Now life looks much better.

Thank you for your love and prayers. We sure will miss you. However, this corner of the blog is for each one of you who decides to follow our 3-year journey in the U.K. Welcome to our London crib!!!