ups & downs

I speak a lot about the things I love here, and there are many of them, but of course I miss things some days and toss and turn some nights.
Being here has made me quite grateful for a lot of things in London. Most of all my friends and family but I like to think that I knew this already and the distance only reminded me. But other things too, more practical things; Today I almost cried in the art store when I saw mount board costs the equivalent of twelve pounds, yes TWELVE of my english pounds for one lousy piece of mount board! & this is the store recommended to me because it is apparently cheaper than the other (there seem to be only 2 in the city?) So I realize I am spoilt at home in many ways, and ohhh little Camberwell shop how I miss you right now, how I took you for granted when you were always there! Another thing about it that bothers me is the paper here, if journals and notebooks are so expensive why then is the paper ghostly thin and not very good quality?! it makes no sense to me. & while I'm ranting lets just mention spray mount shall we? that sucker will set you back twenty nine pounds!

I knew I was coming to an expensive country but don't people say London is one of the most expensive cities? perhaps this refers more to rent and such because by george it seems much more expensive here.

Another thing I intend to not take for granted so much when I return is the Letterpress workshop, I remember the first time I saw it, it was exactly like the first time I saw the textiles department here at HDK, and I swore I wanted to spend my days fixing up type and printing & printing & printing. Then as I often do I put it to the back of my mind somewhere while I worked on projects and other things and only went back twice. Can we have april resolutions? mine will be to remember how special it is down there and go back and experiment more because being here reminds me that we have it and that we're lucky and should take advantage! So there it is in writing- well typing, so it's out there and whoever reads this must insist I stick to my word when I return. No Excuses!

I also plan to be a tourist in my own city, I was thinking if tomorrow I had to leave London permanently where would my photos be of all my favorite spots and such? nowhere because often I don't take my camera with me and feel funny stopping and taking pictures- perhaps it's because of the sheer number of tourists everywhere, and maybe I don't want it to appear that it is not my home. That will all change when I return, I want to just walk like I have done here. Pick a direction on the map and just walk until I happen upon something interesting, if there's nothing to see or to photograph (which I doubt) then I'll just be glad of the fresh hair and walk home again.

So in case anyone was thinking it's like a perma-holiday here and that the sun is always shining and everything is easy and wonderful (it mostly is like this) There are days when it's not so easy. Tomorrow might well be one of them since I have my first presentation which I have to prepare for- lets hope I don't make a mistake on my very expensive paper or get so nervous I can't get my words out! I am expected to have the firmest grip on the English language so I'm crossing my fingers it all comes out ok!

Ohh also some more snow came today whilst I was having my induction to the wood workshop, so NICE! Im crossing my fingers for more tonight and a lovely blanket for my first and favorite visitor on the 17th!!