I miss it already

I've just landed at the Charlotte airport after a painless 8hour flight from Gatwick, and I already miss the place I've called home for the past month. It's so weird to hear other American accents! I'm sitting in the same spot that I sat in to write my very first post on December 29th- it feels like it was just yesterday that I was here. My Winterim at The Ritz flew by. The first week felt like the longest week of my life, but looking back now I can't believe it's already over. I had a great last day in the Events department, helping out with preparations for the weekend and running errands. I went on two different show-arounds and helped plan details for the Sony party for Simon Cowell and an 80th birthday celebration. Fish n' Chips Friday for lunch was a blast, getting to sit and have a laugh with all the different people I've gotten to know over the past 3 weeks. After many hugs, goodbyes and contact exchanges I turned in my uniform and locker key and left The Ritz as an employee for the final time. I made my way into Piccadilly Circus to get my last minute presents and to soak up the last few hours of being in London. When I finally caught the train home I met my family at Auntie Jo's for our final family dinner and our goodbyes. Ofcourse I still had all my packing left to do, but I managed to shove everything into my massive lacrosse bag and get to bed before midnight. Another early morning to get off to the airport in time for my flight. Check in wasn't too bad except for the 25 middle aged men and their golf bags blocking the line. But I managed to get through and waved my final goodbyes to my grandparents as I made my way through security. The time zones changes and long flights have messed up my sense of time so I'm sure I'll be crashing soon enough, but my plane nap had lasted me so far. I can't wait to be home and see everyone again. Hopefully I'll manage to drive on the right side of the road...

I had a great second-to-last day today. Im exhausted so I'll keep it brief! I walked to work due to the major delays on the Victoria Underground line. All the girls were very busy with planning their events today so they gave me different tasks around the hotel and office to do on my own. I typed up all 12 private menu options the hotel offers for special banquets, created table layouts for all the events next week, placed flower orders, finally finished the 2010 Wine List and made multiple runs to The Ritz store to return and pick up orders from Veevee. The Academy of the Culinary Arts is dining at The Ritz tonight so Head Chef John Williams was running in and out of the office confirming menu details with the girls. After work I caught the train back home and fell asleep, but luckily I didn't miss my stop. Grandma, Grandpa, Ellie and Georgia picked me up at the station and we met Uncle Nick and Auntie Jo at Zizzi's Pizza for a wonderful family dinner. It's hard to believe I only have one more day at The Ritz for my 2010 Winterim Experience. These three weeks have flown by, but at the same time my first day felt like years ago. I've learned and seen so many things and met tons of great people. I had no idea how much goes into running a hotel like The Ritz. Before, walking through the hotel felt like everything was calm and relaxing there. But now I know there is so much more behind the scenes at The Ritz that keeps it running so smoothly, and the amount of effort it takes to keep its appearance of luxury is huge. I'm excited to see how my last day goes, and I'll be sad to leave the place I've learned so much about in these three weeks.

The torii gate at the entrance to Chinatown (and Grandpa Tony in the bottom right corner).

The view from our walk past Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night after seeing The Phantom of the Opera. This is also the way I walk to work in the mornings when the underground trains are running late.

Wow this week is flying by! I can't believe I only have 2 days left working at The Ritz. Today was another busy day in the Groups and Events office. I started out extra early this morning, but due to a fire on the bridge, no trains were allowed to cross the Rive Thames, so I arrived a few minutes late to work. Abby, Jo and Natalie were out of the office all day in Opera Training (Opera is the booking program the Events department uses to record and schedule every detail of a guests booking). So Tracy, Anna and I were left in the office. I organized brochure packages for guests, typed up menus, drew out table seating arrangements, and recorded all the events for the next two weeks on the white board. The owners of The Ritz had stopped by The Ritz today so everyone seemed to be in a bit of a frenzy, running around making sure everything was in perfect order. After delivering packages around the hotel I met with Linden, the Head of Accounts, to go over guest payments and copy receipts. Tracy then gave me the tasks of writing a letter to be sent out to all the residents checking out the next morning. So after the letter was drafted and approved, I printed one for each guest (over 100), put them in envelopes with their names and room number, and delivered them to Room Service to leave on the pillow of each guests bed. My day in the office was then over, and I met my grandparents in the lobby with Mr. Stephen Boxall, the General Manager of the hotel. We soon left and went to Selfridges on Oxford Street to have a look around. We finished off the night with a great dinner at Little Italy in Soho and walked back to Victoria Station through the illuminated Chinatown. Another late night and off the bed to wake up early again for my second to last day of work! But of course I can't forget to wish my sister Isabel a very happy 12th birthday :)

Tuesday

Tuesday in the Groups and Events department was great. After arriving on time without train delays I had a bit of locker key trouble, but luckily the security guards helped me solve my small problem. Once in uniform I started my work in the office editing the 2010 Wine List and writing out personalized menus for the events that day. I was then given the huge task of organizing the filing cabinets, and boy was it a LOT! I sorted, labeled, threw away, and organized all the papers and details from every event that had occured in The Ritz during 2009. I sorted through multiple wedding plans and dinners venues, and I even got to see all the details from the week President Bill Clinton stayed at the hotel. After an hour or two of awkwardly crouching on the ground (in heels and a skirt) while organizing the stacks of paper I had sprawled out on the ground, I got to stretch my legs and help Jo and Harsh. Jo is the Groups and Events Manager and is in charge of all weddings that come through the hotel. And Harsh is the man that makes the events happen, doing everything from meeting guests as early as 5:00 AM to go over details (like this morning) and staying at every event to make sure its runs to Ritz perfection. I followed Jo and Harsh into the WKH where a food tasting with two clients was happening. Once they had finished their food the five of us sat down and went over each part of the menu they had tasted and their feedback. These two clients happened to be from a company specializing in creating enviromentally friendly businesses, so The Ritz had designed for them a green themed dinner created from products grown locally. We soon said goodbye to the guests and I returned to the office to continued my battle with the filing cabinet, coming away with a giant blue bandaid (or plaster as it is called here) on my finger from a massive paper cut. I finished my work and checked out for the night, meeting my grandparents outside the staff entrance. The three of us went to dinner at the lovely Langins Brasserie across the road and then went off to see Phantom of the Opera. The play was outstanding and afterwards we had a nice walk back to Victoria Station, passing Buckingham Palace and Nelsons Column all lit up. And in the horizon we could even see the top of Big Ben and The London Eye. Arriving home at 11:45 we were exhausted and went straight to bed!

Fun Fact

In the grand staircase in William Kent House, there is a beautiful mural painted of aristocrats from the 17th century. But the artist painted one man on his cell phone - he obviously had a good sense of humor! Here is a virtual tour of the Grand Staircase- see if you can spot the man on his mobile! http://www.theritzlondon.com/virtualtours/tour.asp?tour=22

Groups and Events

Today was my first day in my new and final department- Groups and Events. At 7:15 AM I hopped on my train and arrived at London Victoria at 8:30. Plenty of time to catch the underground one stop to The Ritz... or so I thought. After waiting in the jam packed station for 30 minutes without moving, I pushed my way out of the huge crowd and started walking (well more like running) to The Ritz. Through the fog, past Buckingham Palace and across Green Park I sped until I finally arrived at work. Once in my uniform I arrived at the Groups and Events office where I met the wonderful five women I will be working with this week. The Groups and Events Team is in charge of any parties in any department greater than nine people, weddings, business meetings, tours of the hotel, large room bookings, and The William Kent House. The William Kent House (aka WKH) is the 18th century building added to The Ritz's property five years ago. It contains the most deluxe suites the hotel offers as well as all the large banqueting rooms. WKH is where most events take place in The Ritz, such as weddings.
Once I arrived I immediately started working with Anna on organizing and confirming events. I spent time on the computer organizing the details for guest bookings, designing custom menus as requested by clients, and typing up the new 2010 Wine List. I then organized Bridal Packages for the many brides that hope to plan their special day at The Ritz. After spending time in the office I went upstairs with Tracy where we met with multiple brides-to-be and gave them a tour of the hotel rooms they will be using. After lunch and more planning, the entire team and I went upstairs into the Wimbourne meeting room in WKH where we discussed recent accomplishments, to-do lists, and goals for this month and year. Before leaving I had the task of looking through brochures and websites for our competitor, five star hotels in the London area. In order to keep at the top of the list for luxury hotels, The Ritz is constantly seeing how they can improve, so studying similar hotels is a great way to stay on top of the competition. The Groups and Events team is always (secretly) checking in on other hotels to compare rates, service and many other components of their department. They're taking prank calls to a whole new level. I can't wait to get started on my hotel investigations tomorrow!

Me, Laura, Eliza, and Elizabeth outside the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Cousin Georgia, Me and Grandpa Tony at dinner Saturday night.

It was a perfect day to play lacrosse....

My mom kept saying it over and over again today, and she was right. The weather today was wonderful! Though it was still a bit chilly London has warmed up significantly since the big snow earlier this week. No scarves and heavy coats needed today! After a fun family dinner of chinese last night, I woke at 9:30 this morning and got ready to head to London on my own. Harpeth Hall's "Britain for Book Lovers" group had gotten back in town last night so I went in to spend the day sight seeing with them. After catching the train I jumped on the Underground to meet them at King's Cross to go to the British Library. With many hugs and warm greetings we headed into the musuem, only to discover most of the exhibits were closed. But we did get to see one room filled with old documents ranging from religious texts and government agreements to Beethoven's rough drafts and the Beatles original lyrics. Next stop was the Victoria and Albert Musuem, which was not filled with stuff related to Victoria and Albert to the groups dismay. But we all enjoyed seeing the many ancient sculptures, castings, fashion designs and jewels. We finished the fun day with a fun (helium) filled dinner in Leicester Square. After walking through the brightly lit Piccadilly Circus we headed our own ways, but hopefully I will get to spend more time with the group tomorrow when they stop by The Ritz!

Here's a link to see some of the great rooms I saw this morning at The Ritz!

http://www.theritzlondon.com/rooms/index.asp

My last day in the Sales and Marketing Department was great. I met Alice in the office this morning but didn't stay there long. With our coats on we headed out to Bond Street to run errands and deliver packages at the post office. We quickly came back, exchanging our warm coats for our suit jackets, and headed to the reception office to get the master set of keys for the hotel. We made our way through William Kent House (a section of the hotel that contains banqueting rooms and access to the suites) to see the many luxurious rooms The Ritz offers. First stop- The Prince of Whales Suite. With 2 king bedrooms, a dinning room, a kitchen, a living room, and 3 deluxe bathrooms, this suite is the nicest at the hotel. And it was beautiful! We then went on to the Royal Suite which was decorated in elegant shades of pink, yellow and green, and contained just as many wonderful assets. Though the Trafalgar Suite was occupied, I learned it was the very room Hugh Grant interviewed Julia Roberts in during the movie Notting Hill. Once done with the tours, we headed back to the office and Alice showed me the entire process of ordering and purchasing in the hotel. But to understand the process fully we had to see the other side of the process, so we headed to the Purchasing Office. There the head of purchases, "Vee-vee" (his Sri Lankin name is too long for anyone else to pronounce or remember) showed us how he amends, confirms, and calculates all the orders that he receives from every department in the hotel. After Alice and I tried to rap our brains around the complicated process, we went back to the office, after stopping by the florist to see the beautiful Ritz Roses. Parked outside the building was The Ritz Rolls Royce and it's wonderful driver Wilkins, just returned from dropping off a guest at Heathrow, so I jumped inside to see the luxurious insides of the monstrous car. I finished up my day in the office and finally said goodbye and thank you to all the great people in the department. I checked out with the security guards and met my mom and Mrs. Bertasi on the Jubilee Line. We headed off to the Borough Market where we walked through the many booths of wonderful food, all lying at the base of a beautiful Cathedral on the Themes River. Unfortunately I'm having trouble uploading the pictures I took at the market, but hopefully I will be able to soon because the rows of colorful booths are an outstanding sight to see, and ever better to smell!

Thursday

After a wonderful day off in the snow, my mom and I finally made it into London on Wednesday night to see the crazy performance of Mamma Mia. To be sure I could make it into work the next day without snow delays we stayed with our family friends in town, after we danced the night away at the musical. Thursday morning I made my way to the underground station and arrived back at work in the Sales and Marketing Department. I organized the large Ritz booklets given to potential clients and worked on more spreadsheets on my laptop. For a change of scenery Alice took me to see The Ritz archives. Filling cabinets, books, boxes and more filled with the history of the hotel from the early 1900's. I flipped through all the old menus and photos of the hotel since it first opened. Surprisingly the hotel has the same appearance from the outside, minus the horse and buggies ofcourse. Just this week they have started the restoration of the hotel and they have just started power washing the entire outside of the building. We then went off into the hotel to deliver packages, pick up boxes and place orders in the purchasing office. I finished my day and I jumped back on the Tube to meet my mom at the National Portrait Gallery, where the new "Beatles to Bowie" exhibit is showing. Once we'd gotten our fix of pictures of bands from the 60's we headed off to the most fashionable tea I'd ever seen. We drank our tea and dined on colorful treats inspired by the Autumn/Winter collections from London Fashion Week 2009. Our stomachs were soon filled with Burbery Prorsum trench coat cookies and Christian Dior sushi rolls so we called it a day and headed back home to our friends lovely house in St. Johnswood (a quick Tube ride from London). At home we received the disappointing news that my lacrosse game with the England National Team had been canceled due to the bad weather. But with my Harpeth Hall lacrosse season still ahead of me I went out for my nightly run through the neighborhood. Though our mothers headed out for Quiz Night at the local pub (I can only imagine how that went...), the kids and I stayed home and had a nice night in.

Snow Day!

Wednesday morning I was up again at 6:30 AM. I jumped in the shower, threw on my clothes for work and packed my bag for the day (with my shoes ofcourse!). I pulled back the curtains to check whether I needed my rain coat or not, and what a surprise I saw. White covered everything! And it wasn't just the snow that hadn't melted from last week. There was a fresh, thick, layer of snow covering the field, trees, chairs, and cars. Before calling it an official snow day, Grandpa and I slowly drove to the train station on the icy roads to see if there was a chance trains where going out. But once we arrived at the packed train station we heard the news that there are no trains going in or out. We carefully drove home to enjoy our day in the snow. With camera in hand I set out to explore the white wonderland that lays beyond the trees in my grandparent back yard. What a sight it was to see the snow covered trees, rolling hills covered in a blanket of white, and sheep with their frozen coats. I felt like Mr. Tumnus was going to pop out any second. After I lost the feeling in my hands I went back inside to have a cup of tea and sit at the window, watching the snow fall down.

Week 2: Sales and Marketing

After an action packed week in The Ritz Restaurant, I have switched gears to the Sales and Marketing Department. On Monday morning, after Victoria Station rush hour, I made my way to the building next to The Ritz. This is where the Sales and Marketing Department is located and where my next week will be spent (the outside of the hotel is being power washed so I had to dodge the many trucks and workers parked outside). Here I met the whole department team and found my desk next to Alice, the hilarious woman I will mainly be working with this week. After a quick tour of the building I was sent to work on my laptop for the rest of the day creating spread sheets and data tables. I was off again this morning, after making my way through the jammed Victoria Station, and began my day just as I had finished yesterday, typing away. But Alice soon snatched me up and we made our way back to the main building. As we walked through the kitchen I heard the familiar French voices of last week, shouting "America!" as I walked by. Once finished with our errands throughout the hotel, Alice showed me more hidden rooms I had not seen before- the ordering room, the signature Ritz china room, the cellar...the list never ends! We finally went back to the office after our adventure, and I began working on the Highland gift bags that are given to special guests after tours of the hotel. More typing and gift bags await me tomorrow, with the promise of a tour of the rest of the hotel. I guess there's always more to see at The Ritz!

Cath Kidston

Me and Mrs. Bertasi outside of Cath Kidston in Spitalfields. We explored the store filled with cute bags, kitchen items and clothes all made out of the stores signature fabrics. So fun! http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/

Spitalfields Market

After getting up early Sunday, we took the train to Liverpool Station and made our way to Spitalfields Market, a covered market area with rows and rows of booths. There is everything you can imagine at Spitalfields, from racks of vintage fur coats, old British records, up and coming designers selling their creations and food galore. This is a picture of one of the many food booths we saw. Check out this link to see all the different things at Spitalfields! http://www.visitspitalfields.com/index.html

The Uniform

Friday

My last day in The Ritz Restaurant! Another crazy and long day of preparing the menu's for the each meal as well as booking reservations and confirming guests. A little twist to the daily routine to set up for the famous Dinner-Dance that happens every Friday and Saturday night at The Ritz. The dance floor and band were all set up while everyone rushed around setting up the tables for the fun night ahead. After finishing at 5:00 I sadly said goodbye to all the waiters and hostesses I had been working with that week. Though I will still be in the hotel I won't be spending as much time in the restaurant. After changing out of my hostess uniform for the last time I headed on a different train route to the American School of London (aka ASL) where our family friends attend school. As I made my way through their city campus I found myself in an orange and black covered basketball gym where their high school basketball teams where playing a team from Spain. It felt just like being in America! Like our family friends, the students that attend ASL are almost all born in the states but are living in England and continuing their American style schooling at ASL, which is exactly like any American high school. After both the boys and girls teams won their games we pilled in our friends Mini Cooper and headed back to their house for the night.

This week has flown by. Can't believe tomorrow will already be my last day in the Restaurant. As the week has gone on I have gotten more familiar with the hotel and I keep meeting more people everyday. With the heavy snow yesterday, I did not get into work until 1:00 pm, but the hotel was very quiet due to the many cancellations from the weather. Though it's been snowing in Kent (where my grandparents live 30 minutes outside of the city), central London hasn't seemed to be touched because the city stays too warm with all the hustle and bustle of cars and people. Staying as a guest at The Ritz last night I had a wonderful time getting to explore the parts of the hotel I don't get to see while working at the restaurant. My mom and I had a fun night out with our family friends and enjoyed an exotic (and garlic filled!) Lebanese meal at a restaurant acrosse the street. Today was another exciting day at work, writing new menus and flyers to get ready for Valentine's day. I was on my feet more than usual today so I am worn out. Off to bed- hopefully my last day in the restaurant will be great!

Britain at a Standstill

With the heavy snow over night, many of the trains were delayed and even canceled. We watched from the other side of the tracks as passengers patiently waited in hope of their train coming. After 45 minutes, we ended up driving into the city.

Winter Wonderland

The beautiful view from my window that I woke to this morning. After snowing all through the night, everything was covered in a blanket of white!

Cousin Ellie and me outside of Waggamama, a soup and noodle restaurant. We ate at this trendy spot Tuesday after I finished my day at The Ritz.

Another day at The Ritz finished and a lot more learned! My second day of work started early. I woke up at 6:15 to get dressed and ready to catch the 7:30 train into London. Off I went with my grandfather right on time, when about 5 minutes away from the house I realized something.. I had forgotten my shoes!! No, I had not walked out of the house into the snow barefooted, but I had forgotten the black heals I must wear with my suit as a hostess. But it was too late to turn around, because we couldn't miss our train. Panic mode set in as a I racked my brain for possible solutions. As we waited at the station (for the train that ended up being late) my grandfather and I decided that the only solution would be to buy a pair of shoes once we got down to London. We hurried through London Victoria and the Underground and arrived at The Ritz right at 9:00 am. I nervously ran up the stairs into the office dreading the fact that I must inform the ladies I work with of my mistake. Forgetting your shoes on your second day- not a good start. I am lucky to be working at a place like The Ritz, because all the people there are always kind and understanding, and this fact held true to how they helped me handle my situation. As they racked their brains for shoe stores in walking distance for me, I heard from the corner office "Hold on... try these!" Out of her office came Hannah with a pair of black shoes. I graciously took them from her, praying that they would fit, and slid them on. They fit! Though a little tight, they would save me from running around London, in the freezing cold, looking for a pair of shoes to buy. Hannah kindly let me borrow them for the day and I quickly hurried down to my locker to change into my uniform and get ready for the day. Out of this whole experience I realized that accidents happen, and it takes accidents to learn new things. From this accident I learned to always be prepared, and that other people will be understanding because everyone makes mistakes at times. One must learn from their mistakes, and I definitly have learned from mine. I can safely say I will never forget a pair of shoes again in my life! This gave me a new outlook on this Winterim experience. I realized that doing things to the best of my ability and will my full effort is all I can do. Mistakes will happen along the way, but there is always a solution to any problem. So I set out for the rest of my day with this in mind.

The wonderful Pamela, who I worked with the day before, would not be arriving until after lunch. Instead, I would be working with Flora, a hostess who moved to London from Paris 3 months prior. Being the only English speaking Ritz staff member in the restraunt at the time, I went about the morning lost in the French conversations going on around me. I answered calls, booked reservations for the guests, confirmed the reservations for the coming week, and organized all the menus for lunch. With the menus in hand, I made my way through the hotel, delivering them to all the chefs, managers, and waiters. Being a quiet morning in the restaurant, I soon was sent upstairs to the offices, where Pamela had arrived and was working. After working on multiple spreadsheets, Pamela and I organized the Valentine's Day selections (The Ritz is always planning ahead). After a bit of laminator problems, we finished our tasks and were able to sneak down stairs to the kitchen where Capaccino made us hot chocolates (yes, the chef who creates all the hot drinks is really named Capaccino). As I finished my tasks around the restaurant, I was greeted by every waiter with a smiling face. After only two days, I already feel welcome and comfortable at The Ritz. With my shoes already in my bag, I'm heading off to bed, while the snow falls heavily on the ground outside my window.

First Day

"Good afternoon this is Olivia from The Ritz Restaurant, how may I help you?" The phones will be ringing in my head as I fall asleep tonight. My very first day working at The Ritz was crazy! After my 45 minute commute into London, I walked into The Ritz to begin my first day. I was greeted by the nice and bubbly Pamela, who I will be working with this week. I was quickly swept away to fill out paper work and be fitted for my uniform. Locker key in hand, I followed Pamela down the curving halls below The Ritz to change into the suit I will be wearing for the next three weeks. As I tucked in my shirt, pulled on my tights, and tied my hair back in a ponytail, I thought to myself "It's my first day, I'm sure I will only be watching. Nothing too stressful." I had no idea of all the things my first day would cover. Once I was groomed and dressed to Ritz perfection (as Pamela says, "Presentation is EVERYTHING at The Ritz") I was taken out on my tour. Down the winding hallways, past the kitchen, and up another winding staircase we went until we came out on the ground floor again. Every room we walked into I was meeting more and more members of the fabulous team that make The Ritz what it is today. It was my first glimpse of everything that must go into running such a famous hotel. After the tour we headed back up stairs into the offices where Pamela works each day. I pulled up a chair to her desk overlooking the street and watched as she answered phones, sent emails, booked reservations and talked with guests- all without breaking a sweat. As I tried to remember all the she was telling me, I watched her every move and message, knowing that in a matter of time that would be me. I quickly jot down the times of the meals, the prices, and the different types of menus offered with each event. The phone rings again, and Pamela turns to me and says, "Why don't you give this one a go." Though it was not the smoothest answering of a phone I've ever done, I got through the call and booked my first guest (using the ever so complicated online system). After about a dozen more calls of answering questions and booking reservations months in advance for VIP guests, I headed to lunch with Sally (the Restaurant managers assistant). Back down beneath the hotel we went, until we arrived at the employee dining area. It was no where near the calibor of the first meal I had experienced at The Ritz, but the ham sandwich I ate got me through lunch. Finally back at the office, there was a new task to learn- Reservation Confirmation. Pamela quickly walked me through the process, and I was soon sitting in the little office behind the ceiling high mirror doors off the side of the restaurant. I start to think "This isn't too bad, I'm can just relax in here while I make these (fifty plus!!) calls." But again, I was wrong. As I sat at the computer speaking with the many guests in regards to their reservations, waiters and hostesses began flying in and out of the tiny 5ft by 5ft office, climbing over and under me to get what they needed, while shaking my had to introduce themselves. After a few hours sitting in the chaotic little room, Pamela came down so we could set up the menus for the evening. I printed the new menus, put them into their cases, and delivered them to all the table's according the the menus requested by each guest. But ofcourse I had to remember when counting tables to skip 13, because no one wants to sit at the unlucky table. I was then sent off through the underground maze to deliver the new menus and guest list to all the waiters and chefs. At last, I found my way back to the restaurant, after getting lost multiple times down below, and finished up calling all the guests for the weekend. Finally, at 17:00 pm (aka 5oclock) I say goodbye to Pamela and all the waiters and make my way to the locker room. I hang up my uniform, walk through the kitchen and out the staff door into the cold. My grandfather was there waiting for me and the two of us make our way back through Green Park, past Buckingham Palace, and into the London Victoria station to catch our train back home. We both fell asleep on the train, but luckily got off on our stop and arrived home at 6:45. We walked into the house with a huge plate of fried chicken (cooked Bare Foot Contessa style) sitting on the table for us and we all sat down to a wonderful meal. With my stomach full, I'm about to get ready for bed. Another busy day awaits me tomorrow. Who knows what else I will learn...

Grandma Rita and me on the river front, with the Millenium Bridge and St. Paul's in the background.

Change of Plans!

We have just received a call from the England National Team Head Coach and the tryouts Monday and Tuesday have been canceled due to the bad condition of the fields. But no worries here, as they have extended an invitation for me to play in one of their upcoming games as an alternative tryout. I will now be starting work on Monday and hopefully lacrosse will come soon as well!

2010 is off to a great start! Dinner at the Ritz last night was excellent. Mr. and Mrs. Kirby, along with his grand daughter and friend, treated us to a wonderful meal with fun conversation and a lively atmosphere. Eight of us had to squeeze around a six person table, but the closer the better! I cannot wait to start working there. Our 23 year old waiter Daniel has already been assigned to look after me while I'm there, but I don't think I will be having any problems considering how nice all the people are. After arriving home after 1:00 AM last night, we were up again at 9:00 AM and off to London. First stop- the Tate Modern. Seven floors of rooms filled with colorful, mind-bending, abstract art. The other visitors might as well have been a part of the exhibits too, with their sideways hair styles, technicolor pants, and matching fur hoods. We were often asking ourselves, "Are they gay, or just really European?". We had our first meal of Fish n' Chips on the 7th floor restaraunt while looking out over the river at the rest of the city. We hit the gift shop and then went back into the cold to our next stop- St. Paul's Cathedral. Along with the large crowd of tourist, we made our way over the Millenium Bridge and into St. Paul's. Their 5oclock service was getting ready to begin so we sat and listened to the choir for a bit before heading home. We grabbed a cab and headed to Victoria Station, laughing all the way with our wonderful cabbie Kevin. After a packed train ride back to our stop at Oxted, we arrived home again. We've just finished a wonderful meal with my favorite food- roast potatoes! Off to bed soon to get a good, long night of sleep!

Check out this link all about Carnaby Street!
http://www.carnaby.co.uk/

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all! After sleeping in late (on accident) mom and I spent New Years Eve in London. We had nice train ride and a beautiful walk past Buckingham Palace, coming out of Green Park right by the Ritz. Due to our jeans we could not go inside, but it was the first of the many walks to work I will be taking. We took a nice (but cold) stroll through the very busy Bonds Street and Oxford Street, and ended up spending most of our time on Carnaby Street. Carnaby Street was decked out for the holidays, with giant bows made of lights, fluorescent Christmas trees hanging on the shop walls, and technicolor blown up signs of Peace, Joy and Love. It was quite a magical place to be. After our feet could take no more we caught a cab back to Victoria Station and headed home, where Uncle Nick picked us up. We went back to their house for a lovely Chinese dinner and a game of Pub Quiz (a British Trivia game that both mom and I new no answers to). Finally we counted down to the New Year (6 hours ahead of everyone back home) and popped our confetti poppers as we watched the London Eye blow off is colorful fireworks. And what a treat it was this morning to wake to a clear sky and beautiful white snow covering the ground! Dinner tonight at the Ritz- can't wait to tell you how it goes. Cheers!