The first week of December we went to London again to pick up my grandma, Mommy viol, from the States.  She was to stay with us until the new year.  for the third time I boarded the double decker tour bus (suki!), and the second time cruise across the river thames.  We also went inside the Tower of London, finally!  I was touching the walls like crazy - feeling history. It really had an eerie air to it (knowing it was a place for torture, imprisonment, and execution). I saw inscriptions on the wall of former prisoners like Robert Dudley.  There were ravens outside squawking real hard at us!  There was a story to it actually that a king before had a premonition that as long as there are rvens inside the tower, the royalty will remain. I forgot to tell you that there are lots of bridges that connect the city acrooss the Thames.  Of course, almost everyone heard of the London Bridge, but it is really rather plain as compared to the Tower Bridge.

We attended the Filipino Christmas Party at the Diplomat hotel few weeks before Christmas.  There were talent numbers of course and a magic show for the kids upstairs.  On the eve of the 25th we cook something for ourselves and mama’s friends from the hospital who came to join us.  We went to mass at midnight where I was seated beside this really gorgeous guy.  Sadly, he had his girlfriend with him, tsk, tsk, tsk…

Let’s go a few weeks, well, months back because I’m too busy to even contemplate what is now going on in my life here. Anyway, let’s start with what happened in November:

As most of you now know, I started working that month at a factory. My job is to pack microwaveable rice (glamorous really!).  I have no choice I do not have working permit, at least there is one place I got hired (through the help of fellow Filipinos, of course).  I work 12 hours a day, which is 6pm to 6am (tropang puyat!); but that’s only for four or five days, then I’m off for five days afterwards.  Initially, i hate it to tell you the truth, I was crying for the first two days because my fingers hurt so much, together with my pride of course (what the hell am I doing here with a bunch of crazy idiots? I ask myself).  I put together myself by the way and faced up to the challenge, now, I’m having my way with them.  I learned the British way of working: you can not force them if they do not want to, and they are entitled to rest every now and then.  Stress is forbidden here (as if!).  I made friends, both Filipinos and Welsh, but most of the people I work with are older than me.  I’m the only female there, by the way, except for Gaynor, our supervisor.  Alan, Gaynor’s husband, is the life of the party. He just do all funny things and stuff and made us laugh all the time.  We also have the three stooges: Gary (bunny stooge-because he only has one tooth), Dai (speedy stooge-always hyperactive just can’t stop working), and John (smelly-loony stooge because he just stinks and a little mental i suppose).  My Filipino co-workers: kuya joel is the one who helped me apply there, he works in the maintenance ( he is an elecrical engineer in the Philippines); Tatay Jeri, (he already went back home as of writing) really a character, he was a teacher in the Philippines and he just can not stand  ‘injustice’ being done at work, and he voice out all his opinions; Kuya Rey (has a farm and piggery in Bulacan) is our muscle man (Gaynor always calls him to do the heavy jobs!); and Kuya Alan a.k.a Attorney ( because he is in the Philippines).  What a crowd we are! It’ really a show to see us all work there!

In November also was the second time we went to London.  We have been there for another three days.  For the second time I boarded the double decker original tour bus tour; and for the first time we went cruising down the River Thames ( which took us to Greenwich; which is like the line between the Western and Eastern Hemisphere).  We also went inside the London Aquarium; a great disappointment really, except for the playful rays you can touch.  I got to see the Cutty Sark, fastest ship of its time at Greenwich.  And this time we walked the whole shopping district of London: Covent Garden-Leicester Square (where the premiere of Harry Potter took place)-Piccadilly Circus(home of the theatres)-Oxford Circus-Bond Street.                                           

Snow, snow, snow!  The first time I really saw, felt, and tasted snow happened the least week of November.  Cool! But I was at work, and then I slept the whole day. When I finally awoke it’s gone. Stupid! I thought snow is supposed to last all winter, only to know that it come only once in a while. just like that I have not even took a photo!