This will have to do.

It's buzzing with excitement. But utterly freezing. Even my fringy sea foam green scarf I can't seem to keep up with the bone-chill. I'm hearing so many words go on, sputtering in waves by the tips of their tongues as they drop their r's and round their a's.

I'm now wondering what took me so long to get here.

And the walking! You should see me bend my legs of steel at the minute! It's absolutely fabulous!

But I'm not shocked. Culture, that is.

The tundra-like-Siberianesque weather, perhaps, but the deathly winters of Michigan has prepared me for that well.

I haven't had a single morsel of rice since I've been here. The food isn't as bland as they say it is, by the way... and whilst we're on the subject of stereotyping among these parts, let me just mention that NOT EVERYBODY has bad teeth. I've run into some - plenty - nice (and not so nice) strangers with some marvelous gnashers, actually.

Yes... I've been picking a bit of the language. I've been saying "bit" and "quite" quite a bit. It can't be helped, you see. I just want to mesh in, and not scream !AMERICAN! in these parts.

Saw Edward Scissorhands ballet last night as well at the... Stedler theatre(??). It was every bit worth of a nice night out. Ballet... not as nutcracky as you think... more like fun dancing... A-freakin-mazing.

And yes, Harrod's... what can I say? But. Lovely...

Tomorrow I'll do the proper roam around, since I've not had much of a chance to. The commute has been pants recently due to the demonstrations in the heart of the city. I'll hopefully find my way around that later.

Right. That has to be it for now. It's overwhelming still, I can't believe that I'm here - but at the same time, I feel like I kind of live here now since I've been here for a little while already.

Will post more soon, my dear friends.

Lots of Love from the other side of the pond.