Q1 ANNIVERSARY: 3 months and counting

Congratulate me everyone, this is my first 3-month anniversary in London.

Why did I choose to celebrate this on a quareterly basis? Well, one month is too short, 6 months is too long, and, more importantly, I get my stipend cheque quarterly so it would feel much better to celebrate when I have lots of money in my bank account :)

And, how am I going to celebrate it? Well, by telling you the following highlights (for lack of other means like partying all night long):

• Best days: Easter vacation, Cambridge conference, and every time I feel good about my work.

• Worst days: most of the first month, the past few days, and every time I don't feel good about my work.

• Exciting things: experiencing snow (briefly, though), entering the world of blogging, sitting on the upper deck of the bus for the first time, discovering Egyptian food in London, finally seeing daffodils, buying my first Egyptian newspaper, going to the theatre, and lots more.

• Weird things: driving on the right side of cars (of course), getting used to seeing unisex hair salons, the strange arrangement of coin sizes relative to their value, and I am sure there are other things I don't remeber now.

• Things I love: the fact that you can hear different languages spoken around you everyday, everyone calling me 'darling' as in 'that will be 2.50 darling', walking around and sitting in parks, walking around in Leicester Square and Covent Garden, and lots more.

• Things I hate: not being able to audio chat with my family on the internet from my room, the separate cold and hot water taps in the kitchen, doing the laundry, having to think what am I going to have for dinner today, the unpredictable weather, living without a TV, and I think that's about it.

• Where I live: lovely Ponders End, and now I can tell you why it is called so: because it is the 'end' of the civilised world as we know it, where you get to 'ponder' on all the things you are missing by living here :)

• People: this is probably the nicest part, all the people I have met so far are really great, friendly, and helpful: all the guys at Middlesex and UCL, my flatmates, and the few Egyptian people of Eurosafaris group.

• What I really want to do: apart from actually registering and getting on with my work, I really want to visit other cities in England and Scotland, and I really want to start cycling again one day.

• What I really miss: mum, dad, miro, niha, and our foooooooooooooooooood.

So, the normal question now would be: am I adjusted to life here now?

Well, mmm... Yes, but not perfectly. When I start using the word 'quid' myself, I'll know I am good to go :)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME :-)

Mai