Friday night I went out for drinks and dinner with colleagues from work, which was a lot of fun. First we stopped at a pub right near school for a few pints. It was a really cool spot with a nice relaxed feel - nice wood ceiling, neat lighting, and a big fish tank at the bar. After that we went to a new Thai restaurant down the road from the pub, which was really good. There was a bit of drama between the receptionist and the Year 2 teacher, so that was somewhat awkward. After a smaller group of us stayed at the restaurant bar for some drinks to debrief the events that happened over dinner. It was really nice to hang out with some different people, and to spend time with work people socially.
Saturday was fantastic. Went to Greenwich Market with Jaime, Sheena and Erika. What a cool spot! Lots of really neat stalls - one was full of old bottles, one was these cool little doorstops that you fill with rice that are shaped like all kinds of different animals, and another was these really cool flower/herb pot holders. I definitely want to get one of those at some point. We then walked up to the Royal Observatory, and saw a really great view of London on the way up. Once at the top we saw the Prime Meridian and took pictures, and then checked out the gift shop. In the evening we all went to April and Kiran's flat for a belated house-warming.
Sunday Jess and I went to Hampstead Heath, which is a really posh area in North London. There is a really big park there as well. It was a cool, but bright and clear day - perfect for wandering around. It was great. I came home, called my mom, wrapped up my laundry and did some research for half term.
And now onto the title of the post - half term plans. The school system in the U.K. is set up differently, where you aren't at school for more than 6 weeks in a row before a break. This means that we have a week off from Feb 16 - 20 off - excellent! I originally was planning on Portugal for somewhere sunny and warm, but once I started looking into flights and accommodation it was out of my price range. Also, the temperature at the end of Feb. is only about 15 degrees, so not all that hot. Anyway it looks like Amsterdam will be where I'll be spending 4 nights of that week off, which I'm really excited about. It's a city that I've heard rave reviews about, and have always wanted to visit. There are lots of things I want to see - Anne Frank House, Heinekin brewery, Van Gogh Museum - in addition to checking out the coffee house experience, and possibly renting a bike to ride around. I've found return flights for 30 pounds, and accommodation for about 15 pounds a night, which is much more reasonable. I hope to have everything booked by the end of the week.
Until next time
~h
p.s. A huge thanks to Crystal for mailing me my Christmas present - a wonderful surprise! Thanks again :)
No comments:
Post a Comment