Broadway Market: London's Best Kept Secret

Saturday morning Karli and I headed to Broadway Market. We both just needed to get away from the crowded centre but we also wanted to do something new since it seems like all everyone does on Saturday is go to Camden market or Portabello market. Broadway market is a little more off the beaten track and there really isn't a close tube station. We got off the suggested tube stop and had to ask two or three locals directions. It took us about twenty minutes to walk there but part of the walk goes along Regent's canal and when you finally get to the market it's nestled back in this little fixed up industrial area. This market is exactly the kind of thing my mom and sisters would have loved. The only regret I have about mom and dad not coming to London is mom not getting to see the awesome markets and dad not getting to see the National Gallery and the British Museum. Maybe if I save every penny I earn for the next two years, and I evade taxes I could swing a trip out here for the olympics...then again that plan might have some loopholes.

Anyways this market is a locals-only sort of market and it's mainly young indie types. There are loads of vintage clothing stalls, a stall dedicated to old buttons, and tons of food stalls like at Borough Market. We managed to find the place that makes the BEST burgers. They load them up with this gourmet matured cheddar cheese and grilled onions and I put apple chutney on mine too. Karli tooks lots of photos so that when we come home we will have a billion craft ideas. I love the markets because they inspire me to come home and do so many things. Also I see stuff and I think "If I can't make that my mom can." so I save myself from buying a lot and just write down the idea to copy it. Very ethical of me, I know. But now I have billions of ideas rolling around in my head and it's great. I feel creative for the first time... even though I am technically stealing others ideas.

After the market we came back and I talked to Ana online for about oh... 2hours! I feel connected to home for the first time. It's crazy because a lot of kids around the centre are getting homesick and ready to go home and in a lot of ways so am I but because I can see that I am so close to being home I am just trying to live up my last couple of weeks. I have a list of things that I've got to complete before jetting off and I think I can get it all done.

Last night Karli and Alyssa were absolute saints and came to Laura's baptism. Laura is the only well behaved girl in my primary class and she keeps me sane. I am sort of dreading teaching today without her because she moves up to the next class. I bought her a candy cakes cupcake which I sort of smashed in my bag on the way there but she loved it anyways. It was hilarious to go to a baptism at the Spanish branch. It is so different from our culture in so many ways. Firstly, Hispanic culture often has a hard time grapsing the idea of structured time. They tell everyone that the baptism starts at 7:30, people roll in around 7:40, they sit down at about 8 and around 8:30 they FINALLY get to the baptizing part. It was a long night but still worth it. For the musical number Laura's siblings sang the Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston song from The Prince of Egypt. I may have giggled a little during that part. Because the Peckham ward is in the ghetto, we didn't want to walk back to the tube station. I asked the Branch president if someone could either give us a ride (it's only like five blocks) or if we could borrow a phone to call a cab. Right after the baptism ended the branch president hopped in his car and took us right there. The people in this branch are the nicest people and would do anything for you. I love being a member of the Kennington branch even if it's just for a semester.