Salzburg tomorrow!

I met with some of my co-operating teachers and the students today.  I'm centered in and around Brixton, in South London (love the accent!), and I've got four schools under my wing.  Let's see, the instruments I'm teaching vary from Djembe to recorder, saxophone to baritone.  On top of that, I have six deaf to partially deaf students that are being mainstreamed in music class.  Yum.  Looks like I'll be teaching them on instruments with a lot of vibration, like drums or trumpet.  These kids are tough - when I met them today they very quickly pointed out that I looked like Harry Potter.  I just shook my head with pure wonder.  I will never escape that resemblance!  Even with a short haircut, different glasses, and all that . . .  I'm listening to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road right now - I can't believe I had never heard the album before.  All the teachers I'm working with seem really nice and well-meaning, but all of them are mainly performers.  I'll be interested to see how they've adapted their teaching styles.  

I finally bit the bullet and bought an A to Zed to save me from the disaster of yesterday, where I got lost completely in South London.  I hate buses.  That is all.  

Elton John is groovy.  

On a lighter note, sometimes I feel like dancing.  Andy, that was meant for you.  Not sure why.

So here's a story:

6:30 - I walk in the door and Omar says to me, "Hey, I just saw this advert in the paper.  There's a restaurant in Soho that's celebrating it's 20th anniversary.  They're serving their meals at 80's prices.  6 pounds for 2 courses.  Let's do it! ".  I said ok.

6:40 - We're on the way to the Tube station.  I get there, realize I don't have my oyster card, and have to go back.  I should have stayed right there .  . . 

7:30 - We arrive and are ignored by the staff.  Alrighty then.  No one speaks English except for the maitre'd and he gets us downstairs, where we are the first customers.  Everyone speaks Italian, so I try to remember my basics.  

We order our meals and our wine, and everything seems fine.  By this point we had been there a while, but not unusually long.  Our wine comes, our bread comes, alright.

8:30 - first course.  Good stuff.  We kill it.  Then we begin the waiting game.  

9:00 - 2nd course.  Delicious, for the most part.  Slightly raw pasta, but still good.  we kill it.  

9:30 - 10 - Customers begin leaving in disgust.  Nobody is getting their food, and the waiters are confused about who is getting it.  I feel bad for them.  They can't speak our language and are blamed for everything.  Not my gig.  

10:30 - We are the last people in the place, waiting for dessert.  We are prepared to stick it out, but Omar has to go hassle the maitre'd, who is a jerk and doesn't remember us, even though he took our orders.  

10:45 - We get the dessert.  Not great, but whatever.  At that point we begin discussing payment.  We consider just leaving, leaving a couple fivers on the table, haggling, and paying full price (HAH!).  We decide to haggle.  We confront the maitre'd, and I can see Omar getting ready for a fight.  He complains that it took three hours for our food.  The guy looks down, clearly PO'd, and says "Just leave".  We are OUT!  We get outside, look at each other, and ask, "What the - ?  Did we just get a free meal?"  The staff gave up close to 40 pounds.  Whatever!

Clearly worth it.

yeahhhhh.   

So . .
In the absence of anything to say specifically, in the past week I have seen a lot of notable architecture, seen some cool exhibits, done some shopping, and caught some good music. That's a brief summation, but accurate.
But I fugured you would be more interested in some little things about London. So here's a list of 10 things I love and 10 things I hate.
Things I love
1) Coke has SUGAR in it. Adds a whole new dimension of flavor (it tastes better)
2) Buskers, or people that play music in the tube stations here, are actually talented.
3) Free newspapers. Even if they're trashy, they're something to keep you head buried in so you don't have to look at people on the Tube.
4) Children with British accents are funny. Really really funny.
5) Old women with British accents are funny. Really really funny. Sometimes they have biscuits as well.
5) HobKnobs were a great idea. Oats and chocolate, dipped in coffee. Who knew?
6) Food is super multicultural. I had no idea curry could be so different.
7) Piccadilly Square is a lot like Times Square, just classier.
8) There actually aren't any Werewolves in London. Warren Zevon, anyone? Anyone?
9) There is still frisbee here
10) Peanut Butter has sugar in it, instead of corn syrup. Not as sweet.

10 things not so great about London
1) Peanut Butter has sugar in it, instead of corn syrup. Weird.
2) Mice are still annoying here.
3) So are landlords.
4) Washer/dryers really just means washer + lie.
5) There's no chicken broth! I don't understand!
6) There's only so much "mind the gap" that you can take.
7) London. Is. Expensive.
8) Why can't I watch the Office online? Man!
9) Why do pubs close at 11 on my road? Don't they know that's when we usually arrive?
10) I miss some aspects of home, like Ithaca townies, Mom's cooking, and certain likeable folk.

Ciao for now!