Well I'm here safe and sound. Today has been my first full day in the UK. It is much better than I anticipate. Yesterday (on arrival) is was quiet low, sad and irritable. I think that this was mainly as the result of only getting three hours of sleep in a 40hour time frame - add the stress of almost missing one of my connecting flights because of a landing delay and you can see why.

The people here have been pretty nice - the were some people that let me push in for the passport line at the airport so that I didn't miss my flight, the street vendor who gave me a hot dog for lunch ande charged me a pound less because I mixed up all of the Australian coins with the UK coins in my wallet - I think he did this because we were both confused - the Australian dollar looks very similar to the UK one pound and finally my room mate for the first night - I was tired and was expecting him to come home late, drunk and wake me up - but he didn't and he was nice, helpful and friendly - well done to you Chris.

So far I have only noticed a numbver of differences between here and home. They include:

1. There are a lot of pay phones here - which is completely different to back home

2. Everyone here seems to read the paper on the train - from children to old people

3. The busses are double deckers

4 The 2 pound coin is bigger than the 1 pound coin - if you compare that to the 2 dollar coin being smaller than the 1 dollar coin back home - this systems semms to work much better.

Dear Dan, this is $VEIN here, from Australia. Living in your room whilst you've been away is great - I get to smoke a pack of darts in there each day and Deb and Reg arn't even suspicious in the slightest. I'll need an air freshener though because my new room smells like an ash tray. My new habit has done wonders for me with chicks though - they love a guy who can take drags and drink bourbon at the same time, which I've also been doing in my new room. I learnt it from hulk hogan from indoor cricket - we've become very good friends in your absence. With my newly found popularity I have even more friends than before and we have parties in your old room - the chicks luv my parties and so does sheriff, but he accidently burnt some of your stuff when trying to illustrate that Chinese manufactured goods are in the most part unflamible.

Anyway, I've got to go and drink more beers in my room (which is your old room).

Chao, $VEIN