A week of "firsts"

This week of work was Half Term for the students, so they were on holiday while I was not :(

However, it was a week of many important "firsts":

• I got my first paycheck in the UK!
  

• I received my work email login
  
• I got my NHS Trust ID badge




• I wrote my first two major Speech and Language Therapy reports...where I was thankful that not too much of them needed to be changed due to "Americanisms"




• My UK bank account debit card and cheques came in the mail. Having the bank cark really helps me to feel more like a Local because our US bank cards do not have chips like they do here, so you have to give your card to the cashier to swipe and then sign for it every time, instead of swiping it yourself and then entering your PIN.




• It snowed in London for the first time in October in about 70 years

I did not take this picture; I found it on the BBC London website.

(I didn't see any pretty snow in Notting Hill, but I barely escaped getting caught in a hail storm that night, as I had just walked inside.)

Snow left on the cars and on the ground at the hospital the next morning.

• I went to the London premiere for the new James Bond movie, which was a first for me and also a first for Prince William and Prince Harry! I stood around in the cold for about an hour, but did not see anyone because of the barriers. When I arrived, I heard them announce, "Dame Judy Dench", and then later they played the 007 music and everyone was going crazy when Daniel Craig walked in, but where I was standing, we could not see anyone famous. It was exciting being in the middle of all of it and seeing the red carpet.
  

• I went dressed up for Halloween for the first time in London. Halloween is not 10% as big as it is in the States. They call it "Fancy Dress" when they wear costumes, and it's usually for bachelorette parties. All the girls at work were asking me to take pictures of my costume so they could see it next week. I was worried that we were going to be the only people out who dressed up, but to my surprise, everyone at Notting Hill Art Club was dressed up! It turned out to be a really fun night.

Trish, Elizabeth-Anne, Liuba

A.K.A.

Trinity from The Matrix,

Daisy Duke, "Sergeant Sexy"









Beetlejuice







They really seem to like face paint here

Queen Elizabeth circa 1500s & SHARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The band...looks like they dressed up as a bowling league


Edward Scissorhands!!!