My Mumbling Thoughts

Believe it or not, but I do think that I eat a lot more here in London than I ever ate back home. I'm not sure why, but I'm very aware of my eating habits here and just food in general.

When I first arrived it was scary not knowing where my next meal was going to come from. The university did provide our first couple of meals since we obviously didn't have any food with us or know of any local places to go and buy food. It really did suck not having any food in the kitchen as well just to have and poke through if I ever got a craving for something and wanted a snack.

These days, however, my cupboard is fully stocked, as is the fridge and freezer. I've discovered that there isn't any meal that you can't eat toast with. I go through a loaf of bread within approximately four days. I've also learned that Super Noodles are just like ramen and I'm eating like a proper college student. Tea is required at all meals and if you make a cup of tea, you have to ask everyone who's in the kitchen if they'd like one as well. It's bad manners not to do so in our kitchen. Fiona and I are the primary tea makers though since everyone has voted and decided that we make the best tea. Being American, I take that as a huge compliment.

The one thing that I have a love/hate relationship with is grocery shopping. It's always fun going to Asda on my lonesome to do a bit of food shopping, roaming up and down each aisle whilst listening to Mini. I still like looking at all of the different brands of food and just how everything comes in smaller portions over here. I always take my time and eventually my cart will be over halfway full and I'll think to myself, "ah, yes. Another successful shopping trip. I won't need to go food shopping for quite a while now." And then I'll remember that I don't have a car. I can't just chuck everything into the trunk and drive it home. I have to take the bus. Where there's limited space. Where I'll look like a dork struggling with all of the heavy items.

Then I'll back track all of my steps and decide whether or not I really need the five cans of Hoops (spaghetti O's).

I don't. I compromise with myself and put three of them back.

Once I'm finished filtering through everything that Asda have to offer, I go to the checkout line and remember that I not only have to carry all of this shit back by myself, but I also have to bag everything.

That's right. We don't have bag boys here in England. People are meant to do it themselves. Honestly!

Since I'm OCD about my food, I take ages and make sure that the refrigerator items are put together, and that the bread isn't with anything that will smush it completely flat. I also try and distribute bag weight evenly so that one bag isn't heavier than another. I can tell that everybody who's in line behind me are regretting their decision to stand behind the small American who takes seven years to bag twenty items. I feel bad, really, I do, but at the same time I don't feel like searching through all of the bags once I get home for all of the freezer items, which is what I always put away first.

I've taken the bus back a couple of times after a big food shopping trip, but then I wised up and learned that it only costs a fiver for me to call the taxi company and have them meet me at Asda. Lauren is a big fan of taxis and has taught me that it's much better to spend the extra money getting a cab where you can sit comfortably by yourself instead of struggling to get on the bus and have everyone look at you and feel sorry for you. Not only that, but the cab drivers usually help you load all of your bags into the boot of the car and take them out for you right at the bottom of the stairs.

Yes, it is totally worth it.

I don't waste as much food as I used to back home and make sure if I buy something, I'll eat it. There's no point in buying something to sit in the cupboard for weeks collecting dust. It's remarkable, but I've never been so conscious about food. These days it's one of my regular thoughts and so far I think I've been doing a really good job keeping up with it all. I cook quite a bit as well and have learned that I'm not too terrible at making some things.

It was definitely unusual adjusting to the food changes but for the most part I think I'm doing alright. I may not have everything like back home and eat properly every single night, but I'm also not a starving artist. Whenever I get a moment or I'm even slightly bored, I know I can go into the kitchen and make Hoops on toast, Super Noodles on toast or nutella and toast.