(with up so floating many bells down)

Busy, busy, busy is the only way I can describe today. Our professor promised in class on Wednesday to take us on a “Walking Tour of London.” In typical fashion, my flat woke up late and we rushed to the Holborn station to catch the tube to St. Paul’s cathedral. After we walked around there a bit (in order to find our class), we headed towards London Bridge (the long way). We walked down Cheap Side (a street and yes, it lives true to its name) and passed the Banking District. Then passed a “building that looks like a ship” (my professor’s exact words). Then across the London Bridge (beautiful view) to the cathedral where Shakespeare’s brother is buried (the name of both escape me). Next to the cathedral there was a winding staircase that took us into a little market void of tourists but brimming with whole pig heads and large chunks of cheese (and other various foods – those were the most striking).

St. Paul's cathedral

banking district

"A building that looks like a ship."

cathedral where Shakespeare's brother is buried

"To market, to market ..."

"... to buy a fat pig."

We walked through a few more traditional London streets (small, winding, narrow roads, little space, cute shops & homes) and passed a dungeon & torture museum. After contemplating the price, my class decided that we would rather spend our £££s on the Tower of London. We continued our journey.

The Clink!

From there, we visited the Globe Theatre. We went to the gift shop and bought some pins (or badges) and took a few pictures. From there, we walked along the Thames to a small pub that was pretty empty in the off-season. (We also passed by the bridge filmed in one of the Harry Potter films … SO COOL!)

HP BRIDGE

The pub was nice enough. I was still not feeling well, so I asked for some water and had a little of C’s bread that came with her food. After lunch we could have walked to the Tower of London, but it was so cold our professor decided it would be best to take the bus.

I don’t really think I can sum up everything I saw at the Tower of London in words … so I’ll just post pictures and try my best to describe them in the captions. If I have to sum it up, it would have to be: mystifying.

After a great day, we headed back to the flat and had dinner (plain crackers and water). Some of my friends and I decided to go to the student union pub our TA told us about. So around 8:30 we walked over to the University College of London and had a few drinks. There, we met some awesome students from the university. Two of the guys were from America, studying through an exchange program. There was another kid originally from New York whose family had lived in the UK for the past two years. The other two guys have always lived in England.

At the union, I bought my first drink at the bar, which was really cool (they didn’t even ask for my ID … I guess I look older than 18!). When the union closed, we went to another pub called Rocket with the UCL boys. We had a really nice time getting to know them, learning more about London (where the best places are for people our age to go on the weekend) and just hanging out.

Then we walked home and went to bed!

Anyone lived in a pretty how town

This morning we had class at 10:30 AM … a police officer came to our centre and talked to us about crime in London. The number one report they get is stolen purses and wallets … pickpocketing is a big issue in London. They called them dippers (people who “dip” into your purse and grab your wallet) and draggers (if you leave your purse on the floor, they will drag your purse with their foot). These thieves are really big on getting your ATM card and PIN number. They will even put cameras above ATM machines and then try and distract you and steal your ATM card. Now they have both your PIN and your card. Because of this, he advises that we only use ATMs inside banks when we can.

After class, the roomie, C, and I went to an express lunch place called Prêt a Manger. I got a falafel and hummus sandwich (delicious). When we were done eating back at the flat, some of my flatmates and I went to Covent Garden to shop around. I looked for boots again and still could not find any

walking near Covent Garden

inside Covent Garden

An unsuccessful few hours later, we headed back to the flat and had a quick dinner before we had to catch the bus (double decker for the first time!!!). We rode from the station near our flat to just across the river to the South Bank. A very nice German gentleman (and professor at UCL) showed us the quickest route to the theatre. And there was the National!

The National Theatre

first ride on the bus!

We watched The Power of Yes by David Hare who has written other social and political commentaries over the past 20 years.

The Power of Yes is a series of interviews between David Hare (played by an actor) and various business, banking, journalistic, and political figures about what went wrong in 2007 to cause the recession. As my roomie put it, the show was “a glorified powerpoint”. There were a lot of flashing lights and big screen displays but nothing was really accomplished throughout the play. Maybe I understand stocks and banking a bit better (not really). Maybe they were able to get a few laughs (few from the American students). But all in all The Power of Yes was a huge waste of time that put all of the blame on the banks and America. Because “everyone put their faith in the dollar that was too big to fail.” And then some of the British actors were trying to be American CEOs and stock brokers and it was absolutely painful to listen to them attempt stereotypical accents. The doesn’t-give-a-sh*t Californian businessman, the hyperactive New Yawk Wall Street man, the over-annunciating female journalist with big hair (“Some sayyyy that youuuu haaaave an idearrrrr to turrrrnnnnn this re-ce-ssion arowwwwnd”).

Our professor even fell asleep during the show. Yes, it was that bad.

When we got home, C and I worked on fixing her fried computer. After calling the Apple hotline, we made an appointment to visit an Apple Store in London to see if they can fix the problem.

The rest of the night we laid low, watched bad TV, and hung out in the flat.

A Wednesday in London …

After our 10:00 AM class, the roomie, C, and I went to a grocery store near the London Centre. It was really nice and had a wider selection than the store we went to on the first day. It was so neat looking around at all the different packaging and the different types of foods they have. They also have weird flavors for their foods like Sweet Chili crisps. The soda pop bottles look really different. Walkers = Lays chips … it’s all so different!

We then headed back to the flat for some lunch and planned out the rest of our day. Our professor had shown us a shopping center called Brunswick so we decided to try out the shops there. C, A, the roomie, and I all went shopping. I found some earrings for £4 that I really like but I’m still searching for some nice boots!! After we had a nice day of shopping, we got some Starbucks (just like every city in the US, Starbucks is on every corner of London) and headed back to the flat.

Shortly after that, I didn’t feel well and had a bit of a stomachache. My flatmates decided to go out but I stayed home to rest up and catch up on reading. And watch some trashy British telly

Regardless of the slight setback, it was a great day!

When all else failed, love – and a horse – prevailed …

Today has been an exhausting but awesome day. Woke up at 8:00 AM (after sleeping for 11 hours … straight) for a flat orientation with our building manager. We talked about the rules (no guests, no loud noise), how to get into the building after-hours (the whole building is offices, except for our floor which has 4 flats), and other miscellaneous things. The manager was very nice and easy to get along with. We expressed our main concerns (one toilet isn’t working, fuses had popped, and heaters weren’t working properly) and he quickly began calling maintenance to fix all of our problems. The flat itself is really nice and a lot bigger than I expected.

After that, the girls from my flat and I walked to class in the London Centre. It’s really cool – right next to the Charles Dickens Museum. Actually, I think that the university rents from the museum … we might be having class in Dickens’ bedroom! WEIRD.

So after class (three hours of discussing WWI poetry and the play we’re seeing tonight War Horse), we walked to the nearest sandwich shop and had lunch at a place called Café Nero. There were some great sandwiches and coffee … I had a tuna melt and it was delicious!

Later that day, me and 5 other girls from the flats went to the British Museum just down the street from us. It was AMAZING!! My roommate told us that the Museum is full of artifacts “borrowed” from other countries. I guess there are some documents or paintings or something that Greece has asked the Museum to return, but they have refused because Greece does not have the same conservation tactics and supplies that are available in Britain. I guess that makes sense but it still seems like a creepy thing to do.

The British Museum

quote by Tennyson printed on the floor

inside the museum

That night, we had dinner in the flat, which was really nice (and inexpensive), and got ready to see the show War Horse at the New London Theater. We got lost a few times but were able to make it to the theater 15 minutes before the show. We had GREAT seats (2nd row) and got to see everything up close.

Handbill cover

Without giving too much away, War Horse is based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo. The story begins with Albert (our protagonist) and his father out to the market to buy a cow. Chaos ensues when Albert’s father finds himself in a heated betting match with his rival, and brother, Arthur. They end up buying a thoroughbred foal instead of a cow. Shamed (and broke) they make their way home. Upon arriving at their farm, Albert’s mother is furious but decides the best thing to do is raise the horse  and then sell him at a high price. Ecstatic, Albert begins training his new foal whom he has dubbed Joey. Two years pass and Joey has grown into a fine horse; one capable of running faster and hunting better than any other of his kind. In a state of desperation, however, Albert’s father sells Joey into the army and he is shipped off to France to fight the Kaiser’s army. Thus begins Albert’s journey into WWI and his mission to find his best friend. (For more stage photos of War Horse, visit the show’s listing on Playbill.com)

What I loved most about this play was the use of puppetry. All of the horses and animals are puppet driven by some very talented actors. Each horse puppet requires three puppeteers working in unison. As one living, breathing organism you completely forget that the actors are there and focus more on the movement of Joey as a horse. Though it may be hard to suspend your disbelief at first, by the end you will be cheering for Albert and Joey to be reunited.

This play was definitely a spectacle but lacked in acting. The puppeteers were amazing and able to convey so much meaning and emotion through their puppets. But the actors standing on their own lacked the development and core necessary for the audience to connect with them.

All in all, I would highly recommend this play to anyone, especially if it comes to tour in the US.

After the play, my roommate, our friend C, and I went to McDonald’s. That was an experience in itself. Everything tasted the same (except for the ketchup) but the service was really bad. I guess the UK and the US do have some things in common!

First photographs

me and the roomie waiting for our plane!

teeny tiny room

baby kitchen

University of London Library

If you’re interested in more photos, visit my Facebook photo page!!

‘Ello, govenah!

I am in London. I am here! I can’t believe it. But let me start from the beginning…

My journey began in the car with Mom and Dad on our way to the airport. I, being the baby that I am, began to cry when I saw the airport “this way” signs. I can’t believe I get this homesick all the time. I just love my parents and my family and my friends so much that it’s really difficult to leave them! So after my little breakdown, Dad dropped Mom and me off at the terminal. I got my ticket, did a little currency exchange, and got ready to go through to security. I said goodbye to Dad and Mom, shed a few more tears, and I was on my way to London.

Security didn’t take long and soon I was sitting at the gate with my roommate, my TA, and three other girls in my program. We sat there for probably two and half hours and then we boarded the flight.

The flight itself wasn’t too bad. We each had our own little TV, a pillow, a blanket, and some nifty gifts from the airline (a pen, a little toothbrush and toothpaste, a sleep mask, and socks)! It was pretty cramped in our economy seats – we were in a four-person row with less leg room than a SmartCar. But I slept most of the trip and we even got a complimentary dinner and breakfast.

It took us about 7 and a half ours between boarding the flight and leaving the plane in London. We then walked for 15 minutes to the UK border. We were not officially in London yet! When we got to the border, we stood in line and waited for an agent to open up. They asked us for our questionnaire (a little card thing we had to fill out for a speedy exit), our passport, and our letters of intent. Luckily, I had all of my paperwork in my backpack so I didn’t need to search long for what I needed.

Once we were officially in the UK, my group and I waited for our luggage to be brought out. That took about 20 minutes. But immediately after, we walked through customs (by walking through the exit gate you are claiming that you do not have any illegal food stuffs, like meat and dairy, in your luggage … if you walk out of the exit and your hidden food is discovered it will be destroyed and you can be arrested or fined … it’s pretty heavy). We then walked out to the bus stops where our bus was supposed to be waiting for us. It wasn’t there.

So our TA took us back inside and asked the bus services desk and information desk if they knew anything about our group or the bus service that would be taking us into the city. They said they had no idea but we should call the bus company. Of course we didn’t have the phone number – only a vague idea of the company name and where we would meet after our flight.

We all made suggestions. Let’s call the Hotel and see if our group had arrived without us. Let’s call the Professor’s phone and find out where they could be. None of us has working phones and our TA was pretty set on getting us to our rooms. So she decided that we take the Underground into the city and find the hotel after that.

The one thing we didn’t think to do was to see if their flight was on time.

So we take the tube to Russell Square and find our hotel in no time. We get to the lobby and come to find that our group was not there! Without a way to contact our advisor, we sat in the hotel lobby for an hour and a half hoping our group was on their way. Around 11:15 AM, our group and the sociology group show up. Their plane had been delayed and they had waited for us in our terminal for almost two hours. Our professor’s wife chewed the TA out but everyone was just glad to check into the hotel. The bus driver was kind enough to take us to our flat (which is so nice, pictures later tonight) and give us directions to and from the hotel (for future reference).

All in all it was a crazy and stressful morning, but well worth it.

Obligatory introductory first post

So it’s snowing outside my window and I really should go to bed, but I felt the need to somehow begin my blog. And not just with the usual “I’m writing a blog and everyone should read it because it’s going to be so awesome okay bye!” but with a set up of how I came to study in London and my preconceived notions of what this trip will be like. Because with every new experience comes surprises. And what better way to reflect on them than to write my thoughts down while I’m still in America?

How did I end up traveling to London? England is probably the safest, most generic place I could study abroad — especially for my first time out of the country. I chose London for a couple of reasons. 1. The program best suits my field of study. 2. It fills some much-needed requirements. 3. I’m actually very excited to watch British theatre 1- 2 times a week. 4. I want to visit other locales close to London (Edinborough, for one, France, Germany, possibly).

The whole process began last January when I decided that Winter 2010 would be the perfect time to go abroad. I had just switched to the English Education program. I was freaking out about scheduling and field placements. Knowing that graduation was looming closer (I mean, it was three years away, but when you have to student teach for a semester, graduation seems pretty darn close) and that I did not have much time left to go abroad, I was anxious to apply to a program early. In order to be eligible for a scholarship, I applied in February and thus began the seven month wait until acceptances rolled in (it paid off in the end, though, I was fortunate enough to receive $1000).

So why did I choose London? And for winter session? Well, if I studied for a whole semester, I would get extremely behind. Which is not good. Because I have to graduate on time (or run the risk of pulling out all of my hair and running away with the circus). I’ve also heard great things about the city and I am just excited to go out of the country! As a class, we will be visiting Bath, Salisbury, and Stonehenge which will be awesome. And then hopefully I’ll get to see some other parts of the UK and maybe go to other countries. I have to talk to my roommate and traveling buddy before I make any solid plans. There was talk of taking a weekend in Ireland … that would be cool!

Alright, I’m running out of things to say and I am very tired but I’ll leave this post with one thought. I am nervous, excited, scared, and happy all rolled into one. I know this trip will be fabulous but I also know that I’m going to learn a lot a such a short amount of time.

Check back January 4th for my first London post. I can’t believe it’s almost here!