dmjewelle | [Day 2] Let's Walk Around London In The Rain! (Singing optional)

When I took the lift for breakfast, I bumped into an elderly Swedish couple who were going back home after a few days in London because "It was too cold".

That should give you an idea of the temperature.

I was just about to eat this sumptuous English spread when I was informed that my stay included the Continental Breakfast only, and if I wanted the full english breakfast I had to pay £4/day for it. Since I had already taken the food they let us off the hook just this once, and by god it was delicious. But I am also too cheap to upgrade, so I resigned myself to bread, jam, cereals, and slices of cold meat every day for the rest of the week.

No wonder Europeans are so depressed.

We started the day by taking a walk to Kensington Gardens!

I just love taking pictures of signs. XD

These bikes are for rent: put some money in a machine, unlock your bike, and you're ready to go! Just remember to put it back.

This is why Malaysians can't have nice things.

This is a private house at the edge of Kensington Gardens. I wonder if people actually live there? And if they do, would they be ok with living at the edge of a park where everyone can peer over the fence?

All I can think is, "This would be SO good for a photoshoot!"

Overview of the main garden.

But that's boring - look at these OBESE pigeons!! O__O

This is a statue of the nice man who discovered the smallpox vaccine. Perhaps someday we may discover pigeonpox in this very garden what with all those fatass pigeons waddling about, that is if they don't become sentient first and murder humanity and-

...I'll stop with the Hatoful Boyfriend jokes now.

Around 11 AM we were certain the shops at Oxford Street would be open, so off we went! And by "went" I mean we walked for at least 30-40 minutes to Marble Arch from Kensington Gardens, passing by Little Arab Street on the way (shishas, falafels, and grocery stores where you can buy luggage, recharge your phone, and buy dinner, oh my!).

Marble Arch used to be a well-known execution ground. Now it's a place where people compare coke drinks for a camera and be awed at their own choices. I don't have a picture of it, but I think your imagination should do a pretty good job.

Went to Primark, most famous for £10 jeans, and got a dress and a slimming camisole. I have no idea where is the camisole now.

Unlike our Marks & Spencers, they're everywhere here in London and *cheap*. Sandwiches and salads for £3? Count me in! Unfortunately they're also pro-Israel, so now I'm wondering why are they allowed to operate in Malaysia considering how anti-semitic we are.

But we didn't come to analyse M&S's political leanings, we came for SELFRIDGES!

Selfridges is one of those old departmental stores with the building architecture to match, and it shows. Old doors, old walls, but the interior is mostly modern complete with navigation problems. Ironically mum and Doris left me to find the Illamasqua counter and I found it in no time flat AND they had all the nail colours Nadia wanted.

Met up with family friends, who suggested we head to M&S for cheap lunch. Along the way I got accosted by girls in headscarves asking me to spare them some change in the saddest voice they can muster. I would've bought their ploy if they weren't wearing velvet skirts, AND they didn't convene a meter ahead to compare their earnings, AND have the partner-in-crime beg me for money later. I told the 2nd girl her friend had already spoken to me and she just walked off. Another scammer was a little old English lady who just shoved a tiny tissue flower into my coat and said it was for the homeless. At least she wasn't just asking for handouts, so I gave her some change. A sales attendant at Selfridges noticed the flower and said, "Oh dear, you got caught didn't you?" while dismissing the old lady as harmless. I didn't see scammers anywhere else so it's safe to assume they mainly operate at the shopping district; As long as you say no and walk briskly you'll be fine.

After buying lunch the hard part was finding a place to EAT said lunch, so we returned to the hotel for sandwiches, tea, and conversation.

Doris went to meet up with her cousin while mum took a walk with said family friends to find some really big shopping complex. I went back to the room and took a nice healthy nap. Mum came back with macarons and teabags and biscuits and stuff for everyone. Oh, and an umbrella. That's very important.

In the evening we went to meet cousin Sophie (everyone has a cousin in London) at Covent Garden!

Took the tube to Charing Cross where it started to rain.

I really like the fact that every few hundred meters or so there's a pillar with a map showing your position and everything within a 5-minute radius, and a slightly larger map of the area so you can keep your bearings. This isn't limited to London, I saw some around Stratford-Upon-Avon too. I call them my personal Save Points. <3 That's right ladies and gentlemen LONDON HAS SAVE POINTS EVERYONE GO SAVE YOUR GAME THERE! Paddington has TONS of inns so you can refill your HP/MP bars too!

Reached Covent Garden Market, where the ground is cobblestone and the people are probably actors judging by the amount of theatres I passed.

That's the 2nd largest teddy bear I've ever seen!

Sophie came with Ivan the fiance, and took us to Wahaca, a Mexican restaurant where she used to work.

Despite his hipster-thin frame, Ivan can eat a TON. @@ They also sneakily paid for the bill. Then they took us to La Duree at Covent Garden where mum had hot chocolate, Sophie & Ivan had coffee, and I had one macaron too many and threw up dinner. x__x

Don't worry, they're still an adorable couple! Wish I could attend their wedding in August, but it'll be hard to jostle for leave with 40 other people. :(

This guy was using the road cone as a trumpet. Just as I took this picture a larger man popped up and told us his friend was collecting money to buy sandwiches for the homeless and was trying REALLY hard to squeeze money out of us when our bus came and we all fled in different directions. Disaster averted!

To end this on a nice note, let's have some funny pictures of license plates!