Randomness

I've been pretty busy with work lately. You know when you realize that your summer term is coming to an end and you've only accomplished 25% of what you were hired to do... that's when it's time to get busy! I've noticed that I've been superproductive since coming back from our Europe trip... vacations are a good thing (as Martha Stewart would put it).

Speaking of the Europe trip, here are some observations we made:

1. London is insanely hectic and very densely populated. The houses and rooms are so tiny, you'd think we were in Oompa Loompa land of midgets.

2. Their transportation is very efficient, but always busy. The tube, at any time of the day, is packed beyond belief. Just when you think there isn't room for anyone to get on, sure enough, someone hops on. But their subway system is amazing. Truly, Toronto's subway is a disgrace with it's 2 lines. I think there were around 14 lines in London. We both loved the double decker buses. Every public bus is a double decker. The drivers are like Paki cab drivers - I thought we were going to run over pedestrians at every corner.

3. Londoners are generally very helpful. I got stung by a bee during our tour (yeah, believe it or not!) The policeman, pharmacist, etc. who offered to help were very friendly. In the end, I just put an ice pack and some vinegar (I never knew that homemade remedy) and it reduced the swelling.

4. Paris is much more laid back than London. We both enjoyed it better. It is truly a romantic, serene city. It's a must-see I think.

5. Parisians get offended when you ask them, "Do you speak English?" Hash started off his conversations in French, and people would respond. Me, on the other hand, couldn't bother busting out any high school French, and therefore, I was offered nothing more than a prompt, "no english."

6. There's plenty of halaal food in Paris, thanks to the Algerians and Tunisians.

7. No one leaves a tip in Paris, it's included in the price. Although the gratuities that are included are ridiculous. Case in point: One night, we decided to have pizza. The takeout price was 3.00 Euros and we paid 9.80 Euros for dining in!

That's all for now. I just realized I have a few things to wrap up before the end of the day.