Living in London

So we have finally arrived in London and hit the ground running. We started work almost instantly- we arrived in London on Monday afternoon and started work at IHQ on Tuesday morning. There are 5 other volunteers here so far and an eighth will join us at the end of the month.

Our first day was spent organizing our room and getting familiar with our neighborhood. Our accommodations are small but newly refurbished. There is a photo of the very English courtyard located in our backyard.

Yesterday we started the day with department devotions in the International chapel and walked around Central London for a couple of hours after that. We got to see all of the typical touristy sites like Parliament, Buckingham Palace, the Thames, the London Eye, etc. After that, we took the train to the O2 Arena where the Boundless Congress will be taking place. This helped us get a general idea of what will be taking place and where it will be happening.

We have started to learn how to use the public transport here and have learned a bit about London in the process:
1) Street signs are on buildings. Look up.
2) Not knowing how to use your Oyster (travel) card will cause a line of disgruntled Londoners to form behind you.
3) Do not talk to or make eye contact with anyone on the tube. Ever.
4) Many newspapers and magazines are free! And actually read!
5) Things aren't as cheap as they look. A British Pound is worth more than a US dollar...
6) Sleep deprivation and jet lag are funny.
7) Layer your clothing. It will rain. Even if your phone tells you otherwise.

 The Courtyard

 From our tour around London

International Headquarters with St. Paul's Cathedral in the background