Hello London!

I AM IN LOVE WITH LONDON TOWN!

I'm so in love that I would have no problem moving here, despite the sporadic weather (it rains randomly almost everyday).

That said, if the weather IS as how I described and I STILL would want to live here, can you imagine how much everything else makes up for that one defect?

Let's begin.

First of all, this is my first time ever going to London. It has always been a goal/dream, not just because of Spice Girls and The Parent Trap (one of my favorite movies of all time), but because I have countless family members there that I have never met, the old and young. It was a short 4-day weekend, because I had to be back in Rome for my first classes, so I had limited time to do everything I wanted to do. That included visiting as many family members as I could, visiting all the tourist attractions I had on my list (since ever), and to experience the Reggae nightlife I always heard about. Not to jump the gun, but I experienced everything I wanted AND more!

I stayed at my lovely cousin's, Janine's, house. Her and her mom already visited us in the States before as well as other cousins and uncles from London, and my mom always says shes going to come to London (her favorite uncles who are my granduncles also live there, and she hasn't seen them in decades). Unfortunately time has never been on my mom's side because she's a workaholic. Anywho! My aunt and cousins showed me a GRAND time in London. I didn't want to leave. Cooked Jamaican breakfast and dinner, great hospitality. My mom always does the same for whoever comes to our house in Boston, but I wasn't expecting the same because I was already grateful for just seeing them!

I reached Friday night and my cousins, who also visited me in the States while there for our uncle's wedding, picked me up from the airport. This night set the tone for the rest of the weekend! While making jokes (as usual) on me being an American (though we all have a Jamaican background), they were playing wicked Dancehall in the car and giving me a GRAND tour of London. It was perfect because London city is absolutely, phenomenally BEAUTIFUL in the nighttime. SOOOOOOOOOOOO FREAKING GORGEOUS THAT WORDS CANNOT EXPLAIN IT AND THE EMOTIONS ARE NOT PALPABLE EITHER. After the random tour, Bevin and Havon dropped me and Janine off at her house. It was very late so we went to sleep shortly after I told my aunty I was here!

The next day was family day! I planned to visit all family possible. I finally, finally met one of my granduncles that my grandmother always talks about! He automatically became a favorite because he gave me so much pounds that I didn't have to go to the ATM to withdraw money for the weekend (which I was going to do later that day). I was so shocked and happy, I'm like, I NEED to stay in London LOL! He was awesome. As soon as I reached there, he called my grandma in Jamaica and they were both so happy that I was there! He said how beautiful I was and how much my grandma talks about me (in Europe this is very common, and I love it, no man is afraid to tell you how beautiful you are without hitting on you). I plan to meet my other granduncle there if there's a next time, because I heard he was just as nice and funny! I don't know if it's a family thing or European thing, but every house I went to they were so hospitable. Uncle Eli served me soup, food, drinks, everything. Actually he demanded it! My mother is the same way but I don't find that common in America (must be a Jamaican or European thing). Family is so important to me. Those who are close to me know this. I felt so accomplished after finally meeting Uncle Eli! I also met two very flamboyant aunts with no kids. The way they talked and kept telling me to live life, while looking at their jewelry and hearing the genuineness in their voices, I'm thinking to myself, "I don't know what else I could possibly do to live life because I go pretty hard, but I MUST find more ways" lol! They inspired me so much! A great time at Uncle Eli's, and meeting my twin aunts.

                                                 Arab fi di money!

Saturday night, it was time to experience this Reggae nightlife I was always hearing about! Specifically Dancehall. We went to the famous 02 Arena (commonly known as the Millennium) where there seems to be a huge set of clubs all around the arena (very cool) set to satisfy the needs of people from all different types of cultures. I love the diversity in London. I had a BLAST! The vibes was nice and Janine and I enjoyed ourselves until it was over! I even found that this type of afro, type-African, music is VERY popular in the UK, and it surely is not in America or Jamaica. It was pretty cool to see EVERYBODY vibe to this type of music.

Gotta pregame first ye?

Putting money on my Oyster card ye?

Bruk bruk bruk bruk bruk BRUK it down

And then I hit my dougie

Skin outttttt

Before my Sunday started, I got Jamaican food from Cool Breeze! Well I've been getting food from my aunt, of course, but it was my first time having OPTIONS. You guys don't understand how DEPRIVED I am in Rome from my mom's food, any Jamaican food at that! For a girl that has the best cook in the world as a mom (I'm talking cooked food at least 4 times a week and always big dinners on Sundays, birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) you would understand how I'm struggling! I just recently found a Jamaican restaurant (the only one in Rome) but that was after my visit to London. It's called Jamrock and it is actually off the chain (reminds me of Miss Lily's in NYC). Understand why I am so happy in this picture! I got a freaking patty and a Bigga pineapple soda. Halleluerrrrrrrrr! Now let my Sunday begin rightfully!

Sunday was the day to visit all the attractions I always dreamed of! Have you ever watched The Parent Trap? If you haven't, then you didn't have a childhood. -_- seriously. The London scenes ALWAYS made me so happy (that movie does period), so I always wanted to go to the places Lindsay went to. Seeing a telephone booth, London Bridge, the bridge where the London 2012 Olympics rings were (where the Paralympic rings now are), going on a double-decker bus, visiting Buckingham Palace, taking a picture with a guard, Westminster Abbey (where Prince William and Kate married), Big Ben, House of Parliament, London's Eye (ferris wheel), Piccadilly Circus, the Olympic Stadium, EVERY FREAKING THING! There is nothing that I didn't see that I wanted to see, and that's all thanks to my wonderful cousin Janine. Love that girl for going out of her way to make sure I was satisfied. She knows I'd do the same for her whenever she comes back to the States again.

Enjoy these pictures! I surely did enjoy this whole day. Unforgettable. And yes, it is possible to SEE all of these things in one day. 

London Bridge 

(Paalympic rings on the Tower Bridge in the background)

Yes, we mapped out everything! We don't play nucca. 

Go run and tell ya mommy dat.

Big Ben and Westminster Abbey

House of Parliament and Big Ben

Buckingham Palace

The Queen's guard!

Piccadilly Circus

 

While on the Tower Bridge, these young people were pedaling this THING while drinking beer and singing, funniest thing ever! Best believe the bus driver behind them was not happy.

Double-decker!

 The Jamaican flag :)

A classic black cabbie

London's Eye

(beautiful in the night when driving on the highway, overlooking Big Ben, HOP, the water) 

Isn't this so "England" lol? A couple just got married! Beautiful.

I found a Pinkberry in the Westfield Shopping Centre!

(Pinkberry is life, I cried when I left America thinking Europe didn't have any)

Olympic Stadium

Usain is EVERYWHERE on billboards (and the only athlete at that)

Went out with the cuzzos real quick!

Finally, Monday was carnival. I need an entire separate post for this because this was also an incredible experiences, and I usually do my carnival posts separate. All I have to say is I had a blast with the Genesis band in my BEAUTIFUL costume. Notting Hill Carnival opened my eyes a lot, firstly on how important carnival is in London and how ALL cultures embrace it. Like I said, this needs an entire separate post which I will be writing right after this.

Click this to be directed to the Notting Hill Carnival post

Before carnival, another cousin whom I have never met orchestrated a breakfast date at her house for me. Oh, how lovely and London-y it was. It was truly an English, classy breakfast and I'm so glad I met her. I got further introduced to more family. I found out Lorna, my cousin who's house we are in in this picture, starred in the Lion King play in Paris, as well as possessing other accomplishments. Her daughter is on the same route, though unfortunately I didn't get to meet her. I'm glad we spoke on the phone though! I'm planning to see if I can make another London trip when I move to Paris in 3 weeks. The tickets are much cheaper by train.

And I found Ting! Winning x 10!

So I left London with a British accent! I always loved the accent but being with my cousins all day helped me perfect it. I miss this place so much and it surely will not be my last time back, even if I don't get to go back this semester. Did I mention that I got NOOOO sleep whatsoever? I probably got 8 hours within the 4 days. Janine and I went HARD! At a point I thought I was going to die. I was having spasms on the train every time I fell asleep. If I drank one more Red Bull I would've had a heart attack, God forbid. My only option was to just hang in there! Yes, London is that deep. Well, I have been enjoying myself WAY too much in Rome also and haven't been sleeping, especially because I haven't adjusted to the European time yet. Maybe that contributed. But anywho! This post isn't even enough to explain how much fun I had! Family, Jamaican food, attractions, Jamaican food, carnival, what else does a girl need in her life? Well, a good man but that's a different story "init"? Lol. Hope you all enjoyed this, and most of all I hope I influenced you into one day visiting one of the most beautiful cities in the world.