An Absolutely "Wicked" Halloween!

So, let it be known that I don't like Halloween. I tend to get a lot of angry looks returned to me when I say that but I just find it's an over commercialized time of year and some people need to chill out about it. That being said, when Caitlin told me she had booked tickets for us to see Wicked on Halloween, I was not impressed because that meant I would have to be out and about and see hundreds of people dressed up in scary costumes and lining the streets of London. Well, it turns out that it's not a very popular thing over here! Not to mention that seeing Wicked made up for everything!

I picked up the Souvenir Programme to cherish the memory!

Spectacular. Stunning. Stellar. Amazing. Indescribable. Unforgettable. Breathtaking. Life Changing... The list could go on and on with adjectives I could use to describe the show. Wicked has been captivating audiences across the world, but it has specifically been running in London for 10 years! While I feel that the story is a bit slow to start, it definitely picks up and at the end of the first act, you are definitely left sitting there breathless and in tears from the hour prior to that. Sit back down for the second act and the buildup to the end is such a thrill!

The storyline of the play is simple: it is the tale of Elphaba and Glinda, the two witches who are in the Wizard of Oz. As the story progresses, Elphaba becomes the wicked witch based on the trials of growing up as "the green girl". The girls first become friends in university and Glinda is jealous of Elphaba because she is chosen in favour of the wizard. Now, remember that Glinda is supposed to be the good witch... it turns out that it is mostly a façade and she is actually the bully towards Elphaba and their other classmates. The story continues and the audience then learns that the Wizard is actually a weak little man who has been controlling all of them with his schemes and in reality, he isn't so wonderful at all. The end of the play comes to no surprise to anyone who has seen the film as Elphaba is killed by none other than a little girl named Dorothy, who throws a bucket of water on her. I'll say no more on that, however, because there are some twists in the plot that blend in superbly with the original story of Dorothy and her time in Oz.

The set was stunning. The voices were crisp and on key with every note. The costumes were beautiful! If I was to pick a word to describe it, I would have to choose flawless. Now, how does this relate to time? Well, it's a bit difficult to describe because you need to see the set in order to understand, but it's designed in such a way that you can always see some shape/ size/ form of gears, much like those gears on a clock. I spent the majority of the production trying to focus on what other meaning this might have! I am still undecided as of yet, but I have a feeling it is to suggest that time is always moving forwards and even the most powerful of individuals cannot stop that from happening. I think I need to see it again to create the final verdict!

As I type this now, I am singing the songs over and over in my head as I have been for the last two days. I must say that it sets me into a good mood for going back to work tomorrow!

Outside the Apollo Victoria Theatre

The incredible set!

What Time is It?

It would seem that my posts have a recurring theme: time. As it stands, I have another other post lined up from my adventures and it also involves the notion of time, but I will get to that later. Particularly today, however, it seemed appropriate to discuss time because back in Canada the time fell back an hour. Meanwhile here in the UK, the time fell backward a week prior to Canada. However, why this is the way it is will remain a mystery to me. Now, over the last week it was brought to my attention that the time zones are all measured from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, which is just a short drive from where I live! While on my visit to the observatory, I learned that it was there that history has been made for hundreds of years as Greenwich was the hub for research on time... and the building that I stood in was the very same one from back in the day!

There are a few sights to see while at the observatory. The main one being the Prime Meridian. While it is rather plain when you are up close to it, you cannot help but think about how so many scientists had walked the very same ground so many years beforehand. Without the measurements and discoveries made there, I'm curious as to what our notions of time would be like today? The Prime Meridian is just a line in the ground, but it is there that you begin to measure east and west longitude. In other words, that line is literally GMT 0:00. It is from that very same line that when I turned and looked westward, I realized that it wasn't just miles that measured the distance to back home in Grafton, but it was also time. For me, this is a little more comforting to know because 5 hours in the time change is much more appealing than 3,500 miles.

Anyway, I won't ramble on too much about this because I have a feeling it will get very wordy and confusing to read and type. That said, I just wanted to post a few pictures and hammer some words out onto the keyboard to go along with them. The Royal Observatory was a very neat place to visit and should be on everyone's to do list!

The Prime Meridian

Looking north over London from the hill where the observatory is!

This clock measures in 24 time, and when the time changes, this clock doesn't.

From Brighton with Love

Well folks, it is official that I have survived my very first half term of teaching in the UK! For those of you who don't understand, that means that I have been teaching for 7 weeks! The system here is set up so that we have school for several weeks at a time with no breaks (weekends of course!) but then we get a week or two off at a time. So, here we are, and what a half term break it has been so far!

To start it off, my friend Caitlin and I decided that we were going to go to Brighton for the weekend. For the locals back home, it is nothing like Brighton, ON! It is a coastal city that is located about an hour south of London by train. I cannot even begin to describe the energy of this city! In many aspects, I would like to see about moving down to Brighton because the air is just so much fresher than London, and not to mention that it is on the shores of the English Channel so it is very invigorating to hear the cries of seagulls as they scavenge the stony beach for leftovers. Not to mention the Pier. Ah, the Brighton Pier. It also is nothing like Cobourg's pier! Originally built in 1899, the Brighton Pier is home to rides, food booths, and an arcade that certainly bring out the kid in everyone! Now, because it is October, the weather was very windy and cold so the pier and beach weren't as busy as they would be in the summer, but the atmosphere was still very inviting! We chose to walk along the pier after settling into our hotel because that way we could enjoy the rides without worrying about our bags. If anyone is to ever come here for a visit, I will be taking you down to Brighton to experience it because after even one visit, it holds a special place in my heart.

We opted to purchase some ride tokens and boy was that ever a good decision! While the rides are certainly nothing like what you would find at Canada's Wonderland, I can't remember the last time I have had such a laugh! There was one much similar to the Tilt-a-Whirl, except, it whirled and whirled and whirled! It was honestly so unexpected and our reactions were hilarious! We also went on one of the roller coasters that was somewhat similar to The Fly at Wonderland. I must admit that it was somewhat scary to think of the fact that we were on a bunch of rides, which were on a wooden pier, standing on top of a body of water with roaring waves... but that only added to the thrill of it all! The roller coaster started moving and of course Cait had her phone out still so she could get a selfie of us. So, the coaster goes up the small hill and down around the track until one point when you go around the corner and it starts to spin you around as it finished out the track! Once again, we couldn't hold back the laughter!

Brighton found us a few other adventure as well! It is also home to the world's oldest aquarium! For those of you who know me well enough, you will know that I HATE fish. Well, I was very brave on this one! We also went for a spin (apparently we love going around in a circle) on the Brighton Wheel. This is simply a smaller variation of the London Eye (which I still haven't done due to the massive queue) and it gives STELLAR views of Brighton and the surrounding area. Before and after we got on the wheel, they took some pictures of us and we found out at the end that they were for a souvenir book, which I of course purchased! The Brighton Wheel is right on the coastline beside the pier and has actually only been in Brighton since 2011... it was originally built and used in Paris!

As Time Goes By

While on FaceTime with mom last night I realized something. Today marks two months since I left Canadian soil to embark on this journey. How do you measure time? It's funny to think about because right now my students are labouring over trying to measure time in our Maths lessons. The sad reality is that while time is something that we use in our everyday life, it is the most difficult concept to grasp for my 9 and 10 year olds. Ironically, they know when it's break time, lunch time, and the end of the day. I've started telling them when we are doing things using the 24 hour clock because they are way out in left field over it. But I digress.

We measure time in different ways. As we get older we start to lose time to ourselves. It is because of this that time slips away so quickly. Now, I wouldn't say that I have lost the last two months of my life. Instead, I would say I'm thankful for what has taken place. I have seen friendships break and mend while others flourish. I have seen children cry and storm out of a PE lesson because they didn't win or get anther turn. I've also witnessed how some children can't understand how their actions affect others in a very direct way. The list goes on! But, at the end of it all, I've started to see that some children DO in fact listen to me and recognize that I don't speak just so that I can hear my own voice.  Even though sometimes I feel like that's the case, I know that with each day that I go home with a headache, I have created a spark of thought for at least one or two of them. 

While I've been here for two months, the children have only been my students for 6 weeks. That thought sure changes my perspective on things because it reminds me how far I have come, and how much more time we have left together. 

The Friend Ship

Well, I may have taken on a little more than I anticipated when I began to write this blog. It's actually difficult nowadays to find the time to get anything written down! I guess the main thing I should stress is that I am still alive and kicking!

I have taught my year 5 class for 17 days now, and do they ever make me want to pull my hair out! I cannot even begin to describe the trials and tribulations that us as teachers face in the days we spend at school. This week has all of a sudden found me learning that I am not only supposed to be the one who teaches the lessons, but I am also someone the children look to when they have friendship problems. As such, I have spent the week waving my magic wand and telling them that everything will be fine if they continue to play with each other and let an adult know if their friends are being mean to them. In this last week, I have seen tears, bruises, bumps, smiles and laughter all at the same time. In my head I cannot help but think about how I can barely decide what to have for lunch let alone be able to help the kids solve their problems. Yet, while I may be annoyed that a bunch of 10 year olds cannot decide who they want to play with, I find myself listening to their problems and hearing a cry for help; they want someone to listen to them and understand THEIR concerns and not simply be told that nothing can be done about it. I've made it my mission that friendship is something we need to work on in my classroom, and if that works, we will carry that on through the rest of year 5. I remember being told by many of my education professors that we will take the children home with us in our heads, and we will continue to think about what we can do for the better of the kids, and boy is that ever true!

So how do teachers take some time for themselves? I often spend my weeknights at the school until 7 or 8 because I end up sitting to reflect upon the day and ponder what we can do the next day to change the way we run things. I have made numerous seat changes, and as of right now, I kind of of like it! The kids are in 3 rows of 6 facing the front, and a row is on either side of that facing the middle with 4 kids in each. This way, I have all the hecklers, or as I more lovingly call them the peanut gallery, in the front where I can (attempt to) redirect their behaviour. I think the front row is starting to realize why they are there and some of them are making small steps towards getting back onto the right track. Even now, it's the weekend and I am thinking about what sort of a classroom I will walk into on Monday. I think it's best I put that to bed for the evening though!

As a staff, we all get along great! Last night we arranged to meet up and go bowling, which was conveniently located right around the corner from my house. All I can say is what a blast! We had some food, a drink or two, and played a couple rounds of bowling and it definitely allowed for us to have a few laughs and interact outside of the school walls. I am going to push for it to become a monthly thing that we get out to do something fun because otherwise we will be caught in the trap of work all the time. In case anyone is wondering, I came in second! I don't even remember the last time I was bowling so it was certainly great fun to show up some of my colleagues. Ultimately, I believe that if the staff can show the kids in their classes that they can work together, then the children will follow suit.... even if it doesn't happen right away! As I continue to live each day here I am starting to learn that it doesn't matter the size of the ship, as long as it is a friend ship! Whether you have 1 friend or 10, just make the most of it with them!

I have to ship out now because I'm meeting some Canadian friends tonight in London! So I'll leave you with a promise that I will make a better effort to blog as we go through the next few weeks!

All that you know is about to change...

All I can say is WOW. 

It was a day of many firsts. I was early for work for once. Two hours early actually. It was the first day back to school for the kids. For many it was the first day of school at all! But for me, it was the first first day of school to kick start my teaching career! There is something to be said about writing this post.... I have survived!

The day has been an absolute whirlwind bcause everything I was taught in teachers college was tested by a new country, school, and 25 sets of eyes staring back at me. In a funny way, not being told what to expect kept the adventure exciting and new. I would say that it's because of this that I am even more driven forward into the unknown. This experience is all about becoming a professional. How do the pros get to be better? It's by starting brand new and making mistakes. Oh boy were a lot of mistakes made today. 

In the morning they walked in and we talked about Canada. The kids were SO taken in by everything I said, and many asked some VERY brilliant questions. My teacher-y heart leapt for joy to learn that I had a class of inquisitive children. Oh, and they were rather well behaved for the most part. Moving into morning assembly time, I was very impressed with the school overall. Moving on with the day things slowly seemed to go downhill behaviour wise, but I still wasn't worse for the wear. Thankfully, each teacher has an assistant working with them, and the woman who works with me is Karen.  The TA's job is to aid in the classroom in and what a life saver she is! Canada could definitely learn a thing or two with this system. The rest of the day was tough slugging. It became more of a question of survival than anything else. 

That's what brings me to where I am now. I learned in teachers college that it's not about surviving, but it's about thriving. When adversity comes your way, you don't run from it, but instead you look it in the eyes and say "thanks for dropping by". Today may have questioned my pedagogy and values in the teaching profession, but it certainly didn't squash my spirit. If anything, I have learned more in one day of teaching than I ever thought I would. So what if it wasn't the best day! There's only the rest of my career to figure it out. 

All Around London-town

On Friday I managed to get in touch with a friend from teacher's college. Caitlin is teaching over here too and so much like me, she has left Canada for the first time. We decided that this would be the weekend to explore Covent Garden, and so on Friday afternoon I set off to meet her at London Charing Cross Station and then we headed out into the streets of London. Charing Cross is conveniently located near Trafalgar square, and so you are almost instantly in central London after stepping foot onto the street. In order to get around, most Londoners take the Tube, however I am still refusing to venture down into the realm of the underground because there is SO much to explore above ground. As such, we headed off in the direction of Covent Garden passing by MANY billboards announcing the productions being put on at the theatres which are literally everywhere... being a lover of musicals this is VERY exciting! Now, the streets of London are small and many often don't allow cars to pass along them so the vibe is not like anything I have experienced before. 

Upon reaching Covent Garden, I quickly learned that it is nothing like a garden at all. At the core, there is a market square where you can find many restaurants and cafes, as well as several high end shops to fulfill all your shopping needs. If you head down any street you can find entertainers who are putting on magic shows, painting pictures, and of course we cannot forget about the mime. The picture below is from the show we stopped to watch. He often pulled people from the crowd so if you were not in good spirits to participate you had to hide or avoid eye contact! I'm not sure if he ever made a mistake to be honest because his entire show seemed very well choreographed. The boy in the picture was just someone from the audience!

As we carried on through the markets we found a lot of London, and more specifically British merchandise. I didn't buy these glasses, but I thought a selfie in them would be more than sufficient!

We also experienced the night life on both Friday and Saturday nights. I've discovered that London is a very special place at night because everything lights up and the normal buzz of the daytime tourists fades away into the darkness. The city sounds very different at night, and the best part is that it is very safe. The streets are well patrolled and everyone is just out to have a good time and not cause trouble. We discovered our favourite place this weekend: SoHo. The best way to describe SoHo is that it is a community in which there are many pubs, bars, and clubs that are frequented by all the cool kids. It was here that we met some crazy, but amazing people! We even exchanged some numbers to keep in touch to get together for another weekend. I still maintain that the people here are so friendly!

Moving into Saturday night we decided to seek out a bar called the Maple Leaf. It was everything that a Canadian could ever want! They even served poutine!

At the end of the night, we sat for a little while in Trafalgar Square. I cannot say it enough how humbling it was to look down the street and see Big Ben illuminated in the horizon. I couldn't help but wonder how I, a small town Canadian boy, had found myself there. My attitude has since then progressed and I am now looking towards the future of my classroom and what talents my students will have for me. We start tomorrow with an all morning staff meeting, and then are released to finalize the details of our classes.... This also means that the pay check starts tomorrow!!! Of course, this now means more responsibility and a steep learning curve, but that's why I came here and I'm certainly ready for it!

Home Is Where The Heart Is

At this moment in time two weeks ago (Ontario time), we were on our way to the airport to catch the flight over here to the UK. I can't even begin to think about how time has since flown by, and in about two days, I know it is only going to rush by me that much quicker. I know it has been since Wednesday that I last wrote a blog post and so many of you are probably wondering if I am still alive or not... well, I am! Thursday was a day where I had to head off into the world on my own and I must admit that I kept the training wheels on. In other words, I didn't venture far from the house aside from going to Asda (the British version of Walmart) so that I could stock up on some food. It was rather difficult to make grocery purchases knowing that all of the very same things would be on the shelves back home for the same price... but only in the Canadian dollar. I made a mental note that I need to be sure to eat EVERYTHING to be sure that nothing goes to waste and I get my money's worth. (I also need to stop converting the Pound over to the Canadian dollar because the prices often make me weak in the knees.)

It's funny how things go because I found myself quickly forgetting where I was because many things seemed rather familiar to me. There is a chip brand over here called Walkers, and they have the exact same logo as Lays! Except it's the Walkers name on the bag of course. Walk down the cereal aisle and plenty of the same types of cereal can be found there too! I opted for "Honey Cheerios" which I must say aren't as good as "Honey Nut Cheerios" back home, but they'll be a fine substitute. Head on over to the fruits and veggies and, hey, imagine that! They all look the same! I think you get the point; I am starting to familiarize myself with my surroundings and get used to the idea that I am starting a new way of life over here and while it's different in many ways, it is also the same.

My adventures over the last few days have already taught me a lot about how it pays off to be strong and vigilant with life. It doesn't pay off if we take the easy road because then that means we aren't challenging ourselves enough to mature and grow as individuals of society. To be honest, I've stopped thinking about what I would be doing at home at this very moment because that way of thinking can only take you backwards and often prevent you from experiencing new things. In a matter of two weeks I've discovered that home is where the heart is, and that while we might not be physically present in the places we love and hold dear to us, that doesn't mean that we let go of what makes those places special.

Don't worry, I haven't been staying in the house for the last 4 days. I won't say more than that though because I'd rather make a few separate posts about my adventures because, well, I'm a little OCD about categorizing my adventures according to the title of the post. Anyone who knows me well should not be surprised by this one bit. So now that I've babbled a little bit about home, I will leave you with the much promised and anticipated pictures of my place!

Bedroom!

 

View from my bedroom!

The Garden out back from the kitchen

Living room!

Kitchen!

Mommy wow, I'm a big boy now!

These last two days have been very emotional for me and I don't think I could ever begin to prepare myself for what was coming today. Saying goodbye is not an easy thing for anyone to do, and so while I had every intentions of holding back the tears and staying strong, that wasn't the case at all. Take it from someone who doesn't share his emtotions very well, this whole experience is changing me already. It sounds silly, but taking deep breaths helps a lot.

As I write this, I am sitting on the train back to my new home. Yes, I said it: MY HOME. We moved my luggage over to the house last night and what an adventure that was! We called for a taxi but it was going to take too long to come get us so we decided to make the trek out for public transit. Once again we learned that it's not fun to travel with luggage. By about 9pm we arrived at the house and Julie greeted us with a cup of tea. I immediately opened my bags up to pull out all my clothes that have been smushed together and getting wrinkled for the last 10 days. There is A LOT of storage space in my room and what makes it better is that I have a double bed and a nice view facing south.  Plus, Julie is a very friendly woman with an electric personality so I am sure I will end up settling in nicely. I will post a description of the place and a few pictures later of how things look once I'm settled. 

But, how am I doing now that I'm on my own? Only time will tell really. At this moment, it's all I can do to stop myself from worrying about the journey that lies ahead of me. As I said my goodbyes to mom and Rachel it occurred to me that it wasn't saying goodbye that was the problem, it was was that this leg of the journey is now over and it's now time to start thinking about teaching.... And that is a terrifying thought. I am so thankful for everyone who has supported me in the process so far because without it, I certainly would not be here. I must admit that I am going to need the continued love and support from everyone as I settle in over here. I'm a big boy now, but even big boys need help every once in a while. 

A Day Out With the Queen

Saturday was the big day out! We hopped on the train in the morning and as easy at that we were on our way to London! Or as the locals call it "town". The advantage of living within a 30 minute train ride is that I can basically come and go within the city as I would like... so there will for sure be many more adventures to come! But, I digress. We took the train from Dartford to Victoria Station and once we got there we were right in the heart of London. After some searching, we managed to get our hands on a tour map of the city and we set off on foot in the direction of Buckingham Palace.

Along the way, we passed a lot of the iconic red telephone booths. For those Harry Potter fans, I even tried to use one to get into the Ministry of Magic but that was to no avail... I will try again later. We also passed the theatre where Wicked is being performed! I have put it on my list of shows to go and see. Downtown London is such an energetic place to be! The hustle and bustle is not like what we can find in downtown Toronto though... it's much more invigorating here! Maybe it's the presence of the Queen, who knows! 

(I'm secretly hoping that the Queen is
photobombing my selfie from one of those windows.)

The Jubilee Coach

Buckingham Palace is certainly a sight to behold. We decided that it would be neat to go inside the Palace Mews... and it was! The Mews is where the Royal carriages are kept. The oldest of the carriages is the Gold Coach, and it is about 200 years old and has been used in every coronation since it was built! The newest would be the the Jubilee Coach, which was built specifically for the Queen to ride in for her Diamond Jubilee back in 2012.

The Gold Coach (it weighs 4 tons)

From Buckingham Palace, we wandered over into Green Park where we found a hot dog stand and enjoyed a royal meal before we trekked along The Mall, and found our way into Trafalgar Square. After making our way through the busy intersection, we took a short break in front of the National Museum, and then headed off towards Westminster! While walking down the street, we encountered a protest which was promoting that Britain should be doing something more about the situation in Gaza... I made a mental note that I should take more of an interest in British politics so I will have somewhat of an idea of what is going on in my new country of residence. Not long after, we passed Downing Street, where there sadly wasn't much to see, and so we carried on towards Westminster.

It was upon reaching Westminster that I was really taken aback. Between the Abbey on one corner, and The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben on the other, it is absolutely breathtaking to stop and marvel at the architecture and to think about the amount of history that has been made in those two places. While we didn't go into Westminster Abbey, we did go into the adjacent St. Margaret's Church, where it was just as breathtaking, and absolutely peaceful to be inside. Heading back out into the busy street, we crossed over to stand on Westminster Bridge and take in the River Thames view of Big Ben.

We carried on over the bridge to see how long the queue was for the London Eye, however it was quite long and threatening to rain so we decided against it. By this point, we were all exhausted anyway so we decided that it was time for us to head back to the much slower paced setting of Dartford. On our walk to Charing Cross Station, we stumbled upon the home of Benjamin Franklin! It was a very unexpected find, but a cool thing to see nevertheless. From everything that we saw, it has given me a taste of what London has to offer, and has sparked my interest to go and explore the rest of the country. What I find the most striking, however, is the way in which these pieces of history coexist within the busy life of the city. Stay tuned folks, there's lots more to come!

Getting Acquainted

Time flies when you're having fun! I can't even begin to describe what has happened over the last few days. Basically, we have been getting to know the area, which can be either as large or as small as you really want it to be. Dartford has a lot of nooks and crannies that are waiting to be discovered. The main street is called the "High Street" and cars are not permitted here; there are pubs and grocery stores and a lot of other small town shops as well. I would like to point out that a lot of hairdressers and barber shops can be found around here... so I've been keeping an eye on them and decided to try one out today and it was a success! I must admit that getting my hair done was one of my worries and so I am very relieved that this risk was not a disappointment. As you walk south from the High Street, there is a rather large park in central Dartford which is the home to the "football pitches" and lots of colourful gardens. If I was to compare Dartford with a place back home I would liken it to Peterborough because it has a lot of older buildings in the downtown core, with newer developments sprouting up around the outskirts of the city.

We have done A LOT of walking in our time here so far. Being from small town Grafton, we have to drive if we need to get somewhere and so we were initially very uneducated on local transit. Somehow, us small town folk have managed to begin mastering the art of getting around. Our hotel is not in the most convenient location but thankfully we discovered there is a bus that comes out this way and takes us to downtown Dartford. Our time has been spent riding the transit system to and from the hotel, and also into the next few towns over. There is a bus that takes us from central Dartford to the Broadway Shopping Centre which is in a place called Bexleyheath. This is a smaller mall than Bluewater (which I mentioned in another post), but it is home to all the local amenities that one needs to survive. It boasts an ASDA (which is owned by Walmart!), Marks & Spencer, H&M, Starbucks, the local cinema, and many other pubs and restaurants.

Bexleyheath is also a much newer town than Dartford, making it a very posh and appealing place to live. I also think I have found a home there! The search is still on, but on Friday we viewed a room in a house that is owned by a lovely woman named Julie. The house was completely refinished from top to bottom about 2 years ago, making it much more contemporary and like something you would expect to see on TV. Not to mention it is located within a block of the Broadway Shopping Centre! We will be viewing at least one more place just so we can make some comparisons, but mom and I have a very good feeling about me living there, so stay tuned for updates on that!

All in all, we are having fun exploring what the area has to offer! I will dedicate a post to London... we were there on Saturday!

My stylish new haircut! Thank you to Memz Barbershop!

The hotel where we are staying.

We took a walk down the street my school is on! (the name will be changing in the coming months).

Trying to figure out how to read a bus schedule... it's harder than it looks!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

So, I just about cried. I had created a beautifully detailed post about my day yesterday and as I was publishing it, the app crashed :( Technology: 1, Evan: 0. Instead, I will do my best to recreate it but it's 9am here and I am hungry! 

Travelling is an interesting thing. We can get from almost anywhere to almost any destination by hopping on a plane, train, car, bicycle, etc. It allows us to see other places, and in my case, move there! Our plane ride was less than perfect. I was claustrophobic and couldn't sleep. The lady in front of me had her seat reclined all the way back. The movies were boring. Babies were crying... I think you get the picture. After 7 long, restless hours, and a bumpy landing, we made it to Gatwick! Thankfully, going through the UKBC (customs) was a breeze. The man signing us in was delighted to hear that I'm a teacher and will be working in Dartford because it's also where he lives! With a friendly smile he welcomed us to the UK and we were off to claim our bags. As luck would have it, our bags were just coming out and around the carousel so we quickly grabbed them and then stopped to ponder our next move. It was time for our next UK experience: trains. 

We were able to purchase our tickets for the Gatwick Express from a travelling salesman who was wandering about the baggage claim area (how convenient!) and with that we were off with only a few minutes to spare! It was here that I discovered that having to lug 4 bags around is not an easy task. Needless to say that all was well and we got on the train in time and it even worked out that upon reaching Victoria Station, we were able to hop on the next train that would take us to Dartford! Upon reaching Dartford Station, I realized that my careful planning had one flaw: how to get from the station to the hotel. Thankfully, people seem willing to help distressed looking Canadians. We manged to hail a cab from Freedom Taxis which was being driven by a lovely woman named Emma. She and her father own the company together and also lives within the area so she had lots to say about where to eat, live, etc. She was even well aware of the reputation of my school! This was very comforting to hear. Now, driving here is not like it is at home!! Most vehicles are stick shift, and in case anyone is wondering, the clutch is on the left side of the brake like it is back home. THEY HAVE ROUND ABOUTS EVERYWHERE. This is what probably confused me the most about the roads here. Back home, they are rarely seen but when they are, it's only one lane. Here, they're two lanes so cars are literally going round and round in what seems like every direction. Needless to say, Emma was a good driver and even gave me their contact info to get in touch directly in case I was ever stranded somewhere. We then settled into the hotel and decided to get the front desk to call us a cab to take us to Bluewater Shopping Center. Sadly, this time it wasn't Emma's cab, so we had a very interesting experience with a driver who likely shouldn't have his license, let alone be driving a stick shift. I guess this is how it's going to be for a while until I figure out the bus system. Anyway, while at Bluewater we saw many amazing stores that back home would only be found in downtown Toronto, and I also noticed the lack of the ever abundant Tim Horton's (how Canadian of me). I made some purchases from the Apple store so that my laptop and phone would work over here, and I also got set up with my new UK phone plan (which I might add are dirt cheap in comparison to home). 

All in all, it was a very long day but certainly now that I have gotten some sleep I am feeling much more refreshed and ready to take on today. The weather is sunny and not a cloud in the sky! For now, I will leave you with a line from the movie Up: "adventure is out there!"

This was around 4am Ontario time. Mom and I enjoyed a spot of tea!

Seeing land was a VERY exciting thing. It meant the flight was almost over!

The wall outlets here are so funky.... Definitely not in Canada anymore!

A long time ago in a galaxy far away...

Well the time is finally here! It feels like forever since I began following through with this crazy idea of becoming a teacher in the UK. To be honest, I thought this day would never come. As we packed our bags into the car to head to the airport, I suddenly felt a sense of calmness come over me. Upon reaching the airport, that suddenly changed and I felt dazed and confused as I became enamoured by all the lights and colours and people around me. Thankfully I have help for this journey, and I love them so much for that. My mom (Kathy) and cousin Rachel are here to offer support and there is no way I could be doing this without them. I also want to shout out to all my friends who have sent me well wishes through phone calls, texts, and FaceTime chats, I appreciate the support so much! They are now calling for us to begin to board so I will leave you all with this picture of some smiling and excited individuals! Stay tuned for more updates ladies and gentleman, we're in for a wild adventure!