its raining, its pouring.

"that 3/4 of an inch between upright and reclined is the difference between agony and ecstasy." -a comment on airplane seats.

i couldn't agree more. it is the small things that make squishing into a metal capsule and rocketing around the world a pleasurable experience. my zoom airlines flight left toronto, and i was excited to have been assigned a window seat. however, when i got there, a lovely nice old man had accidentally stolen 24J. as i began to tell him that he was in the wrong seat -- i realized he was half deaf and so cute -- and i just couldn't bear to ask him to move. so. that is how i ended up in an aisle seat, that did not recline, listening to a movie that i could only hear out of one ear. needless to say, i slept for a sum total of 10 minutes and have arrived in londontown feeling as if i just got hit by a truck.

you would think, from the above description, that my flight was a less than enjoyable experience. yet, it was just the opposite: the flight attendants were funny and friendsly; the older gentleman and i ended up causing a raucus by stealing extra bags of snacks of the cart and getting caught; and everything was remarkably on time. i was able to meet carolynn at our meeting point almost exactly when we had planned! most inspiring of all, i discovered that my gentleman seatmate was quite the adventurer back in the day -- he had a walking stick with all of his climbs carved into it -- everything from everest to kilimanjaro. a 70 year old man make me feel like a wuss.

apparently, london has been experiencing some 'amazing' weather lately (that's what carolynn says, i remain suspicious). because, the minute i stepped out of victoria station, it began to pour rain. and it hasn't stopped since. care is now in classes, so i have invaded her flat, contemplated taking a shower and a nap, and wandered the adorable streets of notting hill.

no matter how many times i see london, my first impression remains the same: it is like a miniature toy city. while the city itself is HUGE, the streets, the cars, the stoplights, the buildings, they all feel as if they have been strategically placed to make visitors feel as if they have entered a live version of toy story. i feel like a character in 'honey, i shrunk the kids' or something. it doesn't feel fake, it just feels miniature. fitting that i feel like a big kid when i am here.