England in Autumn

Sun Set View From My Bedroom Window :)

“I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul. I let the music take me where my heart wants to go. I guess where I’ll end up, only god really knows”
-Cat Stevens, The Wind

Hey Ladies and Gents
Cheers from across the old pond! Sorry I haven’t written in a while. I haven’t been up to anything too exciting, but I’ve been enjoying myself none-the-less.
On Thanksgiving Monday, the other Canadian girl (Jennifer from Nova Scotia), Mara and Rachel and I went out for a proper thanksgiving turkey dinner at this restaurant nearby called the lake view. They offer a traditional cavery meal. This is a common thing here in England. Carvery is like a buffet style dinner where the chefs carve your piece of meat off of the roast in front of you. You usually get to choose between turkey, beef or gammon. Of course we had the turkey. It comes with a side of stuffing and Yorkshire pudding, potatoes and veg. (If you don’t know what Yorkshire pudding is I feel sorry for you, but basically it is a bread bowl thingy that is filled with gravy. YUM!). It was a good time, I was happy to celebrate in our own little way. Rachel and I ended up going out and dancing until 2am. Typical thanksgiving tradition for me.
When Salva and I were coming home from Paris we met a girl named Judith from Missouri. She was on the same flight as us and she took the same bus home as us. We talked a lot about our travels and purposes for being in England. She is studying here for four months before heading to Africa for four months and then China for a year. She is taking a program similar to the one I took at Wilfrid Laurier, she studies cultures and specifically race relations. We had a lot in common and her university is only an hour train ride from where I live in England. We kept in touch and last week she came to the lake district to visit me and take a look around. She stayed in my old room that I had when I lived in the hotel. We went out on Thursday night with some of my friends from work, and she requested American Woman at the dance club, and when they played it we were the only two people on the dance floor!! Good times. The next day we went to the Beatrix Potter museum, which was really cute and we took the boat down Lake Windermere to Ambleside. It was a nice visit, and it was my first time showing someone around Bowness, I think she really liked it here.
I am planning to go to Greece with Judith and some of her friends December 3-6th. In fact I think I might buy my tickets tonight. Its only 80 pounds for the flight round trip and we will be staying in a hostel so the travel expenses can remain low. Im really looking forward to that. In addition I also have 4.5 more days of holidays which I have to take before the end of Dec or else I lose them so I am trying to coordinate with Brynn in order to make the trip down to London to see her and meet Tato. (Brynn is my friend from University who now lives in London with her dad and her Spanish boyfriend).
Right now I am enjoying my last cup of Tim Hortons coffee!! The tin that Rachel brought me back from her trip to BC went really fast. Please send more!!!!!
I have today and tomorrow off, and although it is cloudy here today I think I will venture out to take a long nature walk on one of the foot paths along the lake. Then tonight Rachel and I are going to go out for a few pints and enjoy the dwindling night life here in Bowness at the beginning of the off season. (this town is pumping in the summer but things slow down over the fall and winter) Tomorrow Rachel is off as well and so we are planning to go to Kendal (the nearest town that’s bigger which has shopping centers and stuff) she has a car and has invited me to come along.
More people are leaving and new people keep showing up. My friend Jorge is heading back to Spain in 9 days, he is the second last one of the Spanish mafia, leaving poor Armondo here on his own (although a new girl Eva has arrived in housekeeping and she is also Spanish, she lives below me and she is really nice) Still, when I arrived, the Spanish mafia had 6 or 7 people, now there are only 2 :( Also, my friend Peter will be heading home to Slovakia at the end of November and the Canadian girl, Jennifer, will also be heading back to our mother land in November. Its sad to see people go, everyone says that you get used to it after a while, but I don’t think I will. Its just not me. Anyways with every new departure there is a new arrival so things are always changing around here.
That’s all the news I have for you at the moment. As always the offer to visit me still stands. You will get a room for 20 pounds a night in my hotel and will receive a 50% discount on all food and bev from the hotel bar and restaurant. Common people you know you wannna!!!!!
I miss you all from the bottom of my heart!
Keep keepin it real my puck slappin syrup suckers!!!!
With much love,
Carlie
Ps. Here is an addition to my list of English words:


Fit Bird – hot girl
Cheeky Bugger – a guy who is always really sarcastic, a bit of a trouble maker, makes fun a lot, speaks inappropriately
Boot- the trunk of a car
Take the piss out- if you take the piss out of someone it means you are making fun of them
Getting on with someone- if you get on with someone it means that you get along with them well.
Getting on about something- if you get on about something it means that you are engaged with a topic that you are determined to discuss
Come round- come on over
Stop for tea- stay for dinner
Fancy dress- dressing up in costumes (not just for Halloween, its common all the time)
Hen night- bachelorette party
Proper- they say this about everything, “I went for a proper run today”, “That was a proper dinner”, “She drives a proper car”. Im not really sure what it means, what is an improper run?
Cheers- very very common way of saying thank you. Not only used in slang, also in business and even really posh people say it at the hotel
Posh- classy, rich, proper English people, kinda snooty.