Shopping

Well it has been exactly one week since I have arrived and it feels like everything has been a whirlwind. Not only physically going in every direction, but mentally as well. There’s so much that I want to share, but really no cohesive way that I could share it all and still have what I’m saying make sense. So, Em gave me the idea to just choose one topic and go from there. The topic I have chosen for this posting is, as the title reveals, shopping! Sorry to all you guys who just cringed, it may be more entertaining for you to skip over to espn.com now.

I have spent the last three days (not in their entirety) shopping, not necessarily buying, more like wandering aimlessly through the four story stores, wide eyed and amazed that one whole section of one floor can be dedicated to tights. I don’t know that I can describe the style of Londoners in a brief sentence because style is what you make it here. From conservative, to hip, to off-the-wall chic, everyone looks different but still the same. But even as I say that I feel like it’s obvious that I’m a tourist and don’t categorize into any category of style - although I’m sure no one even notices what I’m wearing so it doesn’t matter : ) However, this feeling gave me the want to refine my wardrobe, so I went shopping.

I walked out of the tube onto the corner of Oxford Circus and was frozen (which isn’t a good idea considering Londoners are always in a hurry and are not afraid to slam into you if you get in their way, but I’ll have to save that topic for another posting). The store fronts rose up around me, huge and all showcasing SALE and HUGE SAVINGS – heaven! I spent the first 15 minutes in the first store, Top Shop, a young, trendy, four-story expanse, just walking and taking it all in. Once I was a little more comfortable, I started picking things up – big step I know. Soon after that I became quite confused when I realized that the sizing was different from the U.S. You can imagine my horror when they told me they didn’t carry shoes above size 8, “what do women with big feet do??” I soon realized that size 8 U.K. = Size 10 U.S. wooo! Embarrassed as I was I finally braved the dressing rooms and came out with a few items. My favorite purchase thus far has been a pair of gray boots. It seems that boots and tights are what “everyone” wears. No jeans or tennis shoes and definitely no t-shirts or hoodies, yikes, so basically my entire wardrobe.

On Saturday we went shopping in Covent Garden. This area was bustling with small boutiques overflowing with people. Not as overwhelming as the previous days adventure. I didn’t buy anything but do want to go back to this area on a weekday when the shops aren’t so crowded. There were many street vendors displaying and selling their crafts. A lot of local families were out spending their day here, wandering from shop to shop, grabbing food at one of the many café’s lining the cobblestone street, and enjoying the street entertainers. Yesterday when we wandered through, there were crowds gathered everywhere admiring a juggler, magician, some mimes and many other entertainers showcasing their “talent”. One man was crouched under a table with his head sticking out through a dog kennel, definitely a little bizarre.

So all in all shopping proved to be quite the adventure. Definitely a flight of stairs up from Battlefield Mall! Love to all!