London, UK

I love London at Christmas. Everyone thinks that NYC is the city to be in but i've come to realise that London is a much better place to be at this time of the year.

London really comes alive at Christmas, normally dull and grey the city seems to glow under the heavily fairy lighted trees, like the buildings have had a little spit and polish put to them.
People are more forgiving, kind and cheery, everyone has a little bit of Ho, Ho, Ho jovility in them. The air really does smell of roasting chestnuts instead of car fumes mixed with vomit and Thames water. (Although on my way home last night i had to manouver myself around at least 6 piles of puke) There are still many cobbled streets in London which seem so very Oliver Twist, the pubs are quaint with big firey hearths and the churches are filled with Carol services.

I spent this morning at The City of London Cemetery, not for fun although it is pretty impressive and in the past i spent many an hour bunking off of school lessons trying to find the oldest headstone. It's a 200 acre site near Epping Forest, it's been open since 1856 and my grandpa has his ashes stashed under a rose bush in the Garden Of Remembrance. So i took my nan for a visit, it seemed everybody was out to visit the dead before Christmas celebrations kicked in. What normally takes an hour there, back and a visit with my grandpa took 2.5 hours.

I needed a drink after that so jumped on the tube to meet my friends at The Ealing Park Tavern , a gastropub in Ealing where they were having dinner. As i was so behind, i only made it for dessert. I was exotic and chose the Basil Ice cream over the Death by Chocolate. Bad choice. I prefer my basil with olive oil and pasta. I was hoping that it would taste like lemon basil but no, it had a very distinctive basil flavor. I should of known by the amount of greenery sticking out of it.

After a visit to my friends new baby (Riley Isobel), a friend and I headed to Camden to meet friends at The Lock Tavern. I used to really love this pub, definitely a North London institution but now it seems to be overrun with underage hipsters and the great unwashed. I swore i saw Ronnie Wood walk past with his 20 year old Russian waitress girlfriend holding hands with Amy Winehouse holding hands with Daisy Lowe. Everybody is a Pete Doherty clone except those trying to emulate Bob Dylan and his groupies. It was pretty comical but The lock Tavern is still a great pub and the Fish & Chips were delicious. No question there.

I ran out of the pub for the last tube, something i love the thrill of, the ultimate adrenalin rush as missing the last tube means a £30 cab ride or the dreaded stranger-danger filled night bus. I caught it even though i tried to swipe through with my Metrocard.

Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire UK

I flew into Heathrow a short while ago and i am going to use this as a public apology to the man in 9D.



Dear Man in 9D,



I am sincerely sorry for the spillage. It was due to my boredom on the flight that i took to stacking all my slightly poked at food items on top of one another like a gastronomic Kerplunk!

I was not to know that the flight attendant would choose to remove the fork on which the uneaten salad and opened ranch dressing was balancing on, thus causing it to land on your very white t-shirt, clean crisp blue jeans and more importantly nicely shaved head. Who knew that so much ranch dressing could be held in such a small container?



I am also sorry that i laughed. That was mean. I really was sorry but i realise it might of lacked sincerity as i tried to suppress my giggles. There you are at least 6ft 6in, 250 pounds plus, squashed into a tiny space already miserable, it's not like you needed to be covered in lettuce, tomatoes and dressing. I realise in my attempt to remove the dressing from your head i might of made matters worse, possibly more embarrasing for the both of us.



Let's just pretend it never happened.

Yours Regrettably,



Sam (9C)





Currently Listening to: 69 Love Songs - The Magnetic Fields, Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream

Currently Watching: 30 Rock, Oceans 11 (Original)

Denver, CO

I am back in Denver. This time it's snowing. It's - 3 degrees C/27 degrees F.  NY was at least 15 degrees C when i left this morning. I hadn't looked at the forecast so was not expecting snow. Should be fun tomorrow when the only shoes i bought are heels. That in itself is strange.

It's pretty when it snows and that's my first thought when i see it.  My second thought is how tough it must be for the homeless and those who can't afford heat. I was thinking about it as passed a guy bundled up in what looked like a dozen blankets inside a Subway doorway. He actually looked quite toasty but i reckon i could stand it for a couple of hours tops.  Working occasionally at the mission has made it more personal, i've chatted to guys like him, served food, poured drinks and laughed with guys like him. Most of them have just lost their way, they're not villains and i truly don't believe they choose a life on the streets. Something bought them there. Apparently most people without a good network of friends and family are only two paychecks away from the streets.

My third thought was damn i wish it would snow just that little bit more so i could build a decent snowman.

Ok, i am bleeding all over my keyboard. After checking my nose, face and limbs it seems i have a mystery cut on my finger tip. Shit. It's all over the white crisp sheets. 

Listening To: The Magnetic Fields - Born on a train, Mos Def - Black on Both Sides

Currently watching - Flirting at 40. It's dire. Heather Locklear looks like a puppet.

Miles Travelled: 1,777