Crunchy Nut and the search for the giant mug

Today I'm going to do something that I haven't done in my other posts. I'm going to complain. But only a little bit, and I feel like it's warranted. Just turn back now if you're against hearing negative things about the English. Well, not all of them, just the ones I dealt with yesterday.

So right as I was getting into the shower yesterday, all the nice warm water goes away and a beeping noise starts coming from my closet. Apparently here in the land of the angles you have to pre-pay for your non-lighting electricity. So I go down to the reception desk (five minutes walk) to learn that I need to get some electricity cards. I spend 10 pounds on these little cards and they say you stick them in the machine in the closet and the meter resets or whatever. After sticking these cards in the machine, all I get is a reading that says 'card error'. I go back down to reception. Oh yes, those are the right cards, they tell me, you're just doing it wrong. Back in the closet, I still cannot figure out why the little machine hates me. I take a photo of little machine and take my camera back down to reception. After much discussion with the people working there and a random worker man, it is discovered that this is the wrong kind of card. So they give me the correct kind of card for my machine. Back to the closet I go, this time with thought of a light at the end of the tunnel. But no. Card error. Nothing is clicking and nothing is giving me back access to auxiliary electricity. I got back to the reception desk for the 4th time. They tell me that they're going to have to send someone up to do it because I am clearly too stupid to figure out a simple machine (that's not what they said, but you knew that was what they were thinking), but the electrician has legitimate things to do and probably wouldn't get to it that day or even the next day.

Needless to say, it's nearly 4 pm Thursday (this started around 8:30 pm yesterday) and I am still without electricity to power my computer (yay for batteries) and without my personal favorite, hot water. Trust me, this does not lead to a happy showering experience.

So then I went to the bank where I was told to go that day to sign papers to open my account. Upon arrival I am told that because my first name was misspelled on my little bank letter (which was the proof of me being a student for a year) so they haven't opened it yet, but I could go get another letter. I don't have this letter yet, but should be able to pick it up and take it the bank tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.

In the grand tradition of being an American female, after all this I decided to go shopping. I have been searching all over this town for a decently large mug for over a week now to no avail. For some reason the English seem to favor this teeny-tiny little things barely bigger than a shot of espresso. A trip to Starbucks cured all that, where I purchased a nice 20 oz mug that says England on the side, but when you're holding it it just says 'land' and has a giant picture of Shakespeare. To go with said mug I got a cheap coffee maker and some beans and this morning I had my first coffee since arriving (the kitchen still has electricity. Lucky kitchen). I enjoyed said coffee with a fine English cereal entitle Crunchy Nut, which is corn flakes with some sort of brown sugar/honey/nutty coating and is amazingly good. I could go for some right now.

Oh, and then my practically brand new umbrella has already broken and I had to walk back in the rain today holding it with one hand to keep it open. Not ideal.

Finally met the people in my program today. I only have classes on Tuesday and Thursdays, but it goes from 9 am to 6 pm. Weird, I know.