Dear Englanders,

I have a question Re: The London Underground aka The Tube. Why is it called the underground when most stations are above the ground? And where does the London Underground begin? And is it still called a “train” even when it’s in the underground or is it simply the tube. I’m slightly confused.

See below a picture montage to illustrate said confusion. (aside: I suppose I could just google/wiki it and i could find out, but then you wouldn’t get to add your smarmy know-it-all comments. plus, i like to get my info from reliable sources, and you, my smarmy British commenting friends are as reliable as they come.)

We start our journey on the Picadilly line at Hownslow Central station located approx. 7 mins from Heathrow Airport. It’s a lovely sunny day, innit? Yes indeed.

This looks like a train to me. A train that is above the ground. I get it that Great Britain is great and can make up their own rules about what to call things, but the train/tube thing is confuuuusing…

Like say you are at Green Park station (see illegal green park underground picture below) would you say: “I’m sat at the train station with my mates on the way to grab some pints and watch the football match.” OR “I’m sat at the tube station sharing a bag of crisps with my mates whilst trying to attract the attention of a well fit bird with our iPhones.” Now would it be different if you were say… at King’s Cross, which seems to be a combo of an underground station and a train station…

Explain me. ta.

I dare you to find a more random and absurd window display. I found this gem in a Dance Shop in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Seriously. If you try to understand it you may hurt your brain, so just let the absurdity wash over you like marshmallow paint… huh? feels a bit sticky doesn’t it? Sure does.

Please note that I am experiencing severe form of “back-to-the-future” jet-lag and withdrawal of daily room service and Butterkist Toffee Popcorn. The only thing that calms my nerves is pirating tv shows for my new iPod. Arrrrr! Just started Dexter Season 1.

Queen’s Diamond Anniversary Bells outside my hotel room from Lisa Bettany on Vimeo.

It’s the Queen’s Diamond Wedding Anniversary! The church bells in outside The Angel Hotel in Bury St. Edmunds have been ringing all day. And by all day, I mean alllll day.

They are ringing in my head… like a Nelly Furtado ring tone. The madness… the beauty…

Starting to hear things. Strange things. Messages from the Scientologists… 911 conspiracy theories… the secret behind Walker’s Marmite crisps…

Apparently it is illegal to take pictures in the London Underground. Oops. I guess video footage isn’t cool either… I swears I didn’t know. Peace loving Canadian here. I love England. Hooray for the Queen and drizzly grey days and darkness that sets in shortly after tea time and Top Gear and access to the iPhone and crisps and breakfasts that come with baked beans…

i felt mildly giddy whilst driving passed Slough and Reading. The driver of the car and the other passenger, however, did not share my giddy delight and would not stop calling it “a right sh*t hole”.

LDN Apple store highlights tomorrow. I got a new toy!!!!

I’m taking the red eye to London tomorrow via Heathrow. I’m very happy to be traveling with British Airways this time. They offer online checking service which allows you to pick your seat 24 hours before your flight. So I managed to nab a coveted over-the-wing/extra legroom/fire exit row seat. Yippee. My unbruised knees are already thanking me.

I am planning all sorts of fun things this trip, the most nerdy fun being my planned trip to the Regent St. Apple Store in London. It’s the biggest Apple store in the whole wide world and I’m gonna get a new iPaaaad as a belated birthday present from Tom and finally get my greedy Canadian hands on an iPhone. Just fondle it for a while. It’s will be difficult parting with it, but at least I will have shared an iMoment with one.

I’ll keep you up to date with my adventures whilst in England. You never know what Mostly Lisa might get up to…. Here are some videos from my last trip to put you in the British spirit!