Thanks Radio 6

I love Radio 6. It's the hipsta BBC radio station. I was introduced to it at my friend's house a few weekends ago because it's all her hip Oxford intellectual housemates listen to. I feel like two years of my life could have been a touch better if I had it in my life. No, more than that because you can access BBC radio in America.

Anyways, here's an amazing song by the "Neo Goth" (?!?!?!) American singer Zola Jesus (?!?!) that I discovered via Radio 6. Her music is perfect Autumn/Winter in England music. Haunting and sad.

Also, she's 21... younger than me. Scary.

HELLLL YESSSS

SO EXCITED. I've seriously wanted to see this since I took a Shakespeare and Film course almost two years ago at GW... it was being filmed then. It looks crazy and amazing.

my latest anxiety trigger

I keep thinking about whether I failed my dissertation. If I failed my dissertation then I failed my masters and wasted 35k. And won't even be eligible for my much desired most study visa. I've never failed anything in my life, but I just keep thinking about it. Oy.effing.Vey!

KATE KATE KATE

Sometimes I worry that I've found all the Kate Bush songs I'll ever be obsessed with, that all are left are the obscure and hard to love ones that I haven't exactly been swayed by yet. I'm not even kidding, this is a legitimate fear in my life. Well Saturday morning gifted me with a new obsession.

It lay buried here. It lay deep inside me.
It's so deep I don't think that I can speak about it.
It could take me all of my life,
But it would only take a moment to

Tell you what I'm feeling,
But I don't know if I'm ready yet.
You come walking into this room
Like you're walking into my arms.
What would I do without you?

Ahhhhh AMAZING!

TUBE STRIKE

The tube workers went on strike today for the second time in protest of proposed cuts. During the last strike in mid September I had no problem getting to work. I laughed at people like my boss who had to walk from Paddington. I got to work quicker than usual actually. And I had no problems getting home.

I assumed today's strike would be like the last. I was wrong. Very wrong.

I checked online and saw Moorgate was closed, yet I figured I could just get off at London Bridge and walk for 15 minutes. Well I knew when walking to the tube that my plan was going to fail. Normally I see a few trains pass by, this time I saw none. Further, upon reaching the platform I saw it was crowded, it's NEVER crowded. Then no trains were going via the Bank branch. So I got on a Charing Cross branch and figured I would transfer at Camden. Wrong again. I couldn't even get onto the Bank side at Camden it was so crowded. And there wasn't going to be another train for 15 minutes.

So I checked my London mapbook and saw there was a bus straight from Camden to Moorgate! Great!! Wrong again. I literally waited 40 minutes for the 214 bus. During those 40 minutes only one came and it was TINY. I probably could have forced my way on but I thought another one would soon follow. Well at 905, already late for work, I made a decision, I would walk to Moorgate from Camden. A distance of about 4 miles. So walked I did, getting to work over an hour late.

I learned my lesson.

The way back was fine. Well, on a normal day it would be hellish, but after the morning it was a walk in the park. I waited about 15 minutes for a Northern line train at Moorgate. There didn't appear to be any Edgware bound trains so I just went on the High Barnet line and made a point not to attempt to transfer at Camden, instead riding it to East Finchley where I caught a bus.

Ridiculous. I feel like my whole day was consumed by the strike. And they have more planned! OY VEY.

There was, however, one exciting thing that came out of today. My tale of woe made it onto the BBC.

And I quote:

"1058: Hayley from Golders Green e-mails to say she was 90 minutes late for work in Moorgate after she could only take the Northern Line as far as Camden Town. "It was so crowded that I couldn't even get on to the Bank branch platform (later I saw they had locked the station)," she writes. "I gave up on the Tube and decided to take the 214 to Moorgate. It was a tiny, tiny bus and only one came in 40 minutes. So I gave up and walked from Camden to Moorgate." She says she has no idea how she'll get home."

WIN WIN WIN

HOME ALONE

None of my housemates have been home all weekend. I LOVE IT! I never talk to them anyways (yup, real social house), so I don't miss them. It was great yesterday with Ruth and even better by myself today. I've had the whole house to myself, which means I've been able to binge watch TV all day.

Now I'm watching X Factor and eating carrot cake. I wish I had started watching X Factor when it first started, it's AMAZING (I know it's not a new thing at all... haha). I think my family will love it when they start the American version.

That is all. Yum cake.

I also just realized that three years ago today I moved into my staircase at Oxford. Three effing years!!! How is that possible? Anyways, here's the first of many photos I took in Oxford.

Weekend again

So a clothes update since I know you're all eagerly wondering what I decided on. I returned the H&M sweater and Gap dress number 1. I replaced Gap dress with a top I really liked, that was luckily half the price of the dress so I still got 8£ back. Happy days.

Then Ruth came over and I made her seriously the most amazing dinner. Gordon Ramsay's Mac and Cheese, as featured in the Guardian. It was way too complicated for students (who it was apparently designed for) and it was a lot more expensive than the stated cost, but so delish and it provided a lot of leftovers. And I bought a 5£ roasting pan to cook it in, so now I have something good to cook mah dinner tonight in, Roast Vegetables.

Also, I need to stop spending money. For real this time.

Anyways, Ruth and I watched the Wire and an ep of Law and Order UK, where Ruth told me how it's an inaccurate portrayal of the UK justice system. SAD. Then we watched youtube and she slept on mah floor.

This morning we went to Carmelli's the famous Golders Green Jewish bakery. I didn't think their bagels would be great because now entering my third year in the UK (including Oxford CRAZY), I have yet to eat a decent bagel. Well... Carmelli's have AMAZING bagels. Win win win.

Now I'm laying in bed watching the rain and yet again wishing I had a boyfriend to holddd meeee. And I can't believe the weekend is almost over.