Hello! It's December. We haven't updated in a while because figuring life out has been time-consuming and tiring, but still fun in most respects.

Here are the basics: Ellie got a job working for a marketing agency except we think it may turn out to be a bit of a scam, basically she goes door to door to businesses with a team of other coworkers and sells products, like right now she is selling make-up. The job is a little cheesy and a little pep rally-ish and very very long hours. She works 12 hour days everyday monday through friday and the problem is that it is based on commission so if no one buys the product than she doesn't make a single pound even though she worked all day and walked ten miles. Apparently you can get promoted and make a lot of money but in the meantime you may starve so she thinks she may not go back anymore and she may try to find a job that doesn't kill her self and is guaranteed money. There are some pluses however, she gets a lot of exercise and every single day she gets to see a new part of london by foot and there are people from six continents that she works with which is really cool but its not worth it if you cant enjoy your life outside work.

As for me, so last monday I interviewed with an American family for a nanny position and I got the job on the spot and they seemed to really like me so I began work with them on tuesday. The money was phenomenal, i would be making about 440 pounds a week which is 880 us dollars, but the hours were really long from 7:45 until 6:30. They told me when I first started that I was going to be a member of the household and had to do light cleaning up after the kids and just sort of everyday tasks like loading dishwashers, laundry etc. No big deal right? Well when I get there the children are complete monsters, the two year old who I am in charge of all day is very opinionated and when he doesnt get his way he throws his head and body down regardless of where he is and he starts kicking you and breaking his head on asphalt, wood floors, in musuems etc. He's almost three and he's not potty trained but they are more interested in teaching him french then disciplining him or teaching him how to poop in the potty. The other two kids are three and five, a girl and a boy and they are terrible. The mom turned out to be crazy and she made me get on my hands and knees after dinner with a small dustpan and sweep up crumbs by hand and she has three sponges for different uses, like surfaces, dishes, stemwares, etc. She made me lint-roll her bed sheets, all while watching these monster children. She also told me that I would have to arrange my mom's visit around the childrens school holidays. It seemed very rigid and by the time I was home at night, I was exhausted. Well in turns out, I wasn't the only one who didn't enjoy being there, they apparently wanted someone more "house-keeping oriented" and someone who will worlk 7 days a week, i.e. no life at all. So I got let go and I was shocked, but i think it's for the best. Tomorrow I am going back to my agency to find some more work through them and I think temp work is good because then I can choose when I work.

So ellie and I are back to square one with jobs but so far we have done six jobs between us: hairdressing, audio transcriptions, nanny, door-door salesman, casino receptionist and part-time babysitting for this other family. crazy right?
But kind of interesting in a way and also has taught me to be more resilient.

Ellie and i both agree that so far, regardless of how difficult this trip has been so far, we have learned so so much already about the english culture, about ourselves, about what we enjoy and how we interact with others, and about how much we can take.

We have been trying out a lot of the vegetarian restaurants in london and we are so in love. Last week we went for sunday hangover lunch with lauren to a place near baker street that was pretty good, but not nearly as good as this restaurant that we have already been to twice called 222 vegan. Everything on the menu is vegan and they have homecooked stuff like strogonaff and spaghetti with tofu medallions and its so so amazing;

Friday night we went out to Edinburgh castle which is a pub near our apartment and we really like it there. We ended up seeing gaelle and george met us there and we all drank and then we went to the good mixer which is this weird little nieghborhood place and gena and merlin who were seeing interpol play in london met us and then spent the night. Yesterday, we went out to vegan buffet lunch at 222 and then went to the national portrait gallery. They are hosting an exhibition which was a contest and it is for the best photographic portraits. The stuff that was chosen is simply unbelieveable. I have seen some innovative art exhibits that have stuck with me forever, like some mixed media stuff at the guggenheim in new york city and some at moma in nyc and this exhibit is certainly one to join the ranks. The photos are varied and interesting but I realize that I really like portraiture because its a lot like character studies and makes me feel the same way as when a character is really well-written in a book. Later that night we went out to Soho to try and find some clubs, but the clubs here have really intense entrance fees beginning at 7 or 8 pounds which is such a big commitment. We ended up walking around, stopped in a bar had a beer and then got the best hummus pita salad bar ever and then realized we missed the tube and it was closed and we had to take the night bus home.

The city is so decorated for Christmas and it is really pretty in the touristy areas. We went to trafalgar square and picadilly circus and they looked beautiful. They have these balls that light up and hang throughout the streets. It makes me wish our family and friends could be here at this time with us. Today we went to kensington gardens and hyde park with lauren. We walked around taking photos and enjoying the weather and we made our way towards the christmas fair in hyde park. They had rides and mulled wine and ice skating. They had this weird ride that was a christmas haunted house and santa was hanging from a noose in front, it was disturbing but funny. It was gorgeous though and then we went to dinner at a restaurant called giraffe.

an interesting observation as I watch tv is that they are allowed to say all curse words on cable. I keep looking up in shock as the actors say eff this and eff that and ellie just told me that they are also allowed to be topless on television.

Sometimes when I am walking home from the tube, I just feel so happy. There is so much to see here and to discover and figure out still and there are so many weekend trips to take. Next weekend we are going to norwich for gena's birthday and we are really thrilled to meet her friends and see her place and see where she lives. Then we formally booked our new years eve with lauren in edinburgh, we are taking a night bus on friday night and it takes ten hours by bus. We arrive in the morning and we are staying at a hostel that used to a church but they converted it and there is a huge party there every night pretty much it seems. Then on actual new years eve, also known as hogmanay here there is a street party and we have open bar all night long at our hostel. Then we take the train home on new years day. I can't wait to start traveling around england, scotland and wales.

<3 kelly

Here are some pictures from the last week or so*:

*if you don't see enough of me (ellie) thats because I'm usually behind the lens. But if kel is lucky, I'll let her take the camera on our next few adventures. : )


lauren and kelly. (we didn't go in)


woman outside of the national portrait gallery. I think she was just begging to have her portrait taken.


Thanksveggin Dinner



gaelle, lauren, and kelly laughing after our anti-turkey day


bff tree stump. (one of the bffs' is the photographer) ( :



more of the hyde park photo sesh.



on the escalator on the way to/from somewhere fun.


the entrance/exit of Hyde Park


before a night on the town



just some things pretty and yummy from the winter festival...