The Strike

April 2, 2010 - En Route to Paris

What a journey this has been! I went to bed early last night so waking up this morning at 4:40 wasn't too horribly painful. I took an early tub to Embankment station where I was picked up by the tour company International Friends at 6:20. There was some initial confusion when it was discovered that I wasn't on the passenger list for some reason. I was so thankful that my mom has always stressed being prepared because I had printed off and brought my confirmation e-mail of my booking. They let me on the coach finally and we pressed on. I was extremely happy to not have to share my seat on the coach and snoozed a bit on my way to Dover, where we were to board the ferry.

Things were going fairly uneventually in Dover as we boarded the ferry. We did board a bit later than expected but it was a normal, relaxing journey until it was announced that SeaFrance (our ferry operator) was now on strike. The engines seemed to shut off and we came to a standstill. Everyone on board just kind of nervously looked around at one another. They told us that it would be 15 minutes until we were in port in Calais, France. At this point, we were sitting right next to shore. Two hours later, they said it would be 30 minutes before they found out if we were going to get a port or if we were going back to Dover. Surely they can't just leave us out in the English Channel right? Wrong! We ended up being on the ferry for a total of six hours! They gave us sausages and chips (fries) which was nearly a riot in itself of people just grabbing whatever they wanted from the food area.

We did finally make it off though and I've never been so happy to be on a coach! It did mess up our plans a bit since we can't do the boat cruise tonight but I really am just happy that we didn't get turned around to Dover. Soemtimes I think France just doesn't want me here. : )

Valetine's Day Weekend in Paris: Day 3

For my last day in Paris, I went on a three and a half hour walking tour of the city. Since it was Valentine's Day, I definitely did not want to spent it alone so it was nice to be with a group and make some friends! I went with the same tour guide that I had the first night when I went on the tour of Montmartre. Prior to the tour, I went to a French restaurant where I had a croque-monsieur, salad, and a glass of wine (hey, it was cheaper than the water, why not?). The tour itself was a lot of fun and extremely interesting. Here are some highlights from the tour itself, again the rest of the pictures are on Facebook.

A view from the middle of the street looking down towards the Arc de Triomphe.

Looking off a bridge down to the River Seine.

The Notre Dame with our tour guide, Alex.

Me standing in front of the Louvre!

The Mona Lisa

The Winged Victory (I think)

The Venus de Milo!

Overall, my trip to Paris was absolutely wonderful. The atmosphere there is definitely completely different than here in London which was something to get used to but I now know for when I go back what the better expect. I met a lot of cool people and will actually be meeting up with a girl I met through this trip while I'm there over Easter break. The journey back to London felt a lot longer than the trip to Paris. I had to take the tube from the station back to my flat and I can honestly say I have never been happier to see my roommates than I was this night. I have become a lot more thankful for the little family we've created here since it's a nice cushion to fall back on. I looove London. : )

Valentine's Day Weekend in Paris: Day 2: My Pilgrimmage

On my second day in Paris, I decided to go to Disneyland Paris. If you are reading this, it's very likely you already know about my Disney obsession so this should come as no surprise to you at all. Considering Disney is basically my religion, this was very much a pilgrimage I was obliged to make. While it was extremely cold, icy, and snowy while I was there, I still had a great time. I was in Disney! How could I not?

There was some sort of party-theme going on throughout the park which was a lot of fun. There were a lot of balloons and welcoming signs that showed this theme, as shown in the picture below:

The entrance to Disneyland Paris was a lot different than at Walt Disney World in that it was actually a hotel that made up the entrance. I can't even imagine the awesome views that some of these rooms must have. I mean to actually be able to see into Disneyland after it closes?! I would be in absolute heaven. Here is the entrance/hotel:

After going through the entrance, you're dropped off at the point where you need to collect a map and park schedule. I had forgotten that I was actually in France until this point when I grabbed the standard map and realized it was completely in French. I put it back and made my way towards the international map section where I happily got my map in English. I walked through the final gates and was greeted by Main Street USA and this wonder:

I realized quickly that I just simply love Disney castles in general. I have a preference for Cinderella Castle but I will really take a Disney castle any day over pretty much anything else. I was amazed by how familiar the park was feeling to me but this feeling was going to fade fast. I made my way towards what I thought was the Indiana Jones roller coaster they have and instead showed up at Pirates of the Caribbean. Since I had wanted to ride this anyway, I went ahead and rode it. I was amazed that there were two large drops in this version! There was also a noticeable absence of Johnny Depp which was quick unfortunate. This version was different, not better or worse, just different! It still had the same feel as the one in Florida though which is all that really matters. I then wandered around the park for awhile in search of the Indiana Jones ride and finally gave into the fact that I was going to have to regress in my Disney park skills and just use the darn map. I used the map and was successfully at the Indiana Jones ride within 10 minutes. The ride itself was pretty anticlimactic, lasting a whole 60 seconds but looked pretty cool anyway so at least I can say that I did it.

I had lunch at Casey's, a hot dog diner that they also have at Disney World. These were not the same hot dogs though. They prided themselves on serving an American hot dog but if we made hot dogs this great I might eat a lot more of them. The hot dogs were served on freshly made buns with tons of cheese (and mayo on the side? I requested ketchup...). The best part was that all of the other tourists there with me used a fork and knife to eat it! At this point, I had a bit of cultural nervousness. I mean, these people came to an American-owned theme park to an American hot dog joint, so should I conform and eat how they were eating or just show it how it's really eaten in America? I tried to be brave and just eat it with my fingers but after some small children started staring at how messy I was being, I decided to just go ahead and use the fork and knife. That afternoon, there was a token Disney parade that I basically just blacked out through from the enjoyment. Here is one of the pictures that I did manage to take, of the Mary Poppins float. I was so excited because Big Ben was on it!

After the parade, I was extremely cold so made my way to a bakery where I got a free hot chocolate and a Mickey brioche. I hadn't ever heard of a brioche of any kind prior to this so didn't know what I was in for. It was this wonderful sweet roll (in the shape of Mickey of course) with chocolate icing inside it. It was absolutely heavenly. After this, I wandered around the park taking in as many rides as I could and even stumbled upon the Black Pearl, albeit frozen in the water.

I then finished out my day in the Studios, the second park. It had a lot of different rides than at any of the other parks so was a lot of fun. There was a coaster from Finding Nemo about riding the EAC with Crush that I seriously want them to bring to Florida! It was awesome. There were also some very French attractions - such as Animagique and Cinemagique. Very fun and very different.
Overall, I really enjoyed my day here and didn't regret at all taking a day out of the normal Paris sightseeing routine to see it. It was interesting to see just how prevalent Disney is everywhere - even in Europe! I loved this day and was totally relaxed upon leaving.

Valentine's Day Weekend in Paris! Day 1

I know this is a little overdue but better late than never right! This is about my long weekend spent in Paris, France.

I left London from St. Pancras International train station on the Eurostar - which is the high-speed train that goes through the chunnel under the English Channel. It was only a little over two hours so it was a pretty enjoyable journey. I decided to go with a tour company and I was glad that I did because I ended up meeting a lot of people that were there with me! I was seated next to Ricardo who was a student from Mexico studying English in the UK. He was a little exhausting to talk to though because he was very eager to practice his English. I, on the other hand, was very eager to get some sleep!

When we arrived in Paris, our tour manager led us to the coach that would be taking us on a panoramic tour of the city. It was really exciting to see everything that I only hazily remembered from my last trip to Paris. The city is laid out so much differently from London so it was great to be constantly reminded of where I was. The best part was that we took a photo stop so I could take a picture with this gem:

Yep, that's me with the Eiffel Tower! No matter how many times I saw it while I was there, it would still make me stop and take a deep breath everytime. It was truly breathtaking! After the panoramic tour, we got checked into our hotel in Paris. I was paired up with a woman from Australia to room with. This all sounded fine until we walked into our room and it was literally two twin beds pushed together - with no room to seperate them! She ended up being very nice thank goodness or that would have been a couple of awkward nights!

View from my hotel room

I was planning on going on an organized tour of Montmartre that evening but had a couple of hours to kill so I decided to hit up a supermarket to get some of my favorite Paris snacks! I got enough cookies for a whole kindergarten class and headed out for my tour. The tour guide was absolutely hilarious and extremely informative as to what we were seeing. I've taken a few tours with this company and I've yet to be at all disappointed. Here are some pictures from my tour and . The rest are on Facebook if you want to check those out.

The Moulin Rouge

Me holding the guy who is stuck in the wall's hand

The Sacre Couer (and Alex the tour guide)

Um, well...I'm an American.

I had an interesting experience on the tube ride home tonight. My school organized an outing to a West End (like NYC's Broadway) show, The Lion King, for the night. It was absolutely amazing and so pretty! Anyway, when the show let out, we all funnelled towards the tube station so it was madly busy. We finally got packed onto the train and I was somehow separated from the other girl I was with on the opposite end of the car because I had made a beeline for the only available seat! I've learned quickly here that you don't pause to think about getting a seat - if you want one, you go for it. The only exception is if someone obviously needs the seat - a child, pregnant woman, elder, you get the picture.

So we had been on the move for a bit when I noticed a very loud young American woman describing her work day in detail to her English friend. She was complaining about her boss, former boss, co-workers, you name it - and very personal stuff about these people. It's useful here to note that the English never talk on the tube. They could ride together with the same person for years and never actually speak. Seriously. So this would be comparable to someone having this conversation at a library or during a church service. You just don't do it. I hear people muttering around me and kind of join in the eye rolling with the group of men and women around me. The man next to me mutters "Damn Americans" at which point, for some crazy patriotic reason, I felt I had to identify myself. I looked at him sheepishly and whispered "Well...I'm an American." He looks at me, starts laughing, then whispers back "Me too." I am not kidding you, the whole crowd of people around me were actually Americans that self-identified very quickly! Of course it would be Americans actually complaining about someone being rude - the English just sit and politely bear it. We all had a good laugh - coupled with a good stare and laugh from the English around us, and went about our night. It was so unexpected but funny to kind of learn about the American culture so unexpectedly. Very cool night. : ) Plus I'm all packed for and off to Paris in the morning - can't get any better than that!

My trip to Scotland

This past weekend, I took a train to Edinburgh, Scotland with a couple of friends I've made in London. It was absolutely amazing and I totally did not want to leave at the end of the weekend. The journey to Edinburgh (pronounced Ed-in-bra) took a little over four hours but we had absolutely beautiful views. We went past the ocean on the way there which was entirely unexpected but so cool. There were huge rocky cliffs next to the ocean and even an old, ancient looking home of some sort. Super cool to see!

On Friday, we arrived a little after noon so set off to check in at our hostel. Since I had never really been to a hostel before, I was a little bit nervous about what I might find. However, it was extremely cosy and comfortable - almost moreso than my flat in London! It was set up like a home, with a kitchen and living room with comfy couches downstairs. We grabbed a late lunch at The Elephant Cafe - which was were J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher here in the UK) Stone! She sat at this window in the cafe all day with a cup of tea to write. After eating there, it was simple to see where she got her inspiration for the book. From the window she sat at, you could see the castle up on a rocky cliff, a fancy school (thought to be the inspiration for Hogwarts), and a cemetary (from which she got many of her characters' names, including Tom Riddle!). I had a yummy jerk chicken stromboli and huge cup of coffee. It was heaven. : ) We wandered around the town a bit just getting our bearings and exploring what it had to offer. We spent over an hour in a quaint bookshop then went to a pub for a bit. The night in the hostel was pretty uneventful and warm. This may not sound like a huge thing but since they turn the heat off in our London flat at nice, it was wonderful.

The next day, we had to meet at 7:50 for our Loch Ness tour. We admittedly didn't do a lot of research so we didn't realize until we got there that this was literally a 12-hour tour! It was awesome though. We travelled through the Highlands of Scotland, which are these huge, majestic mountains. I never have thought of myself to be an avid nature fan but after this trip, I'm seriously reconsidering this. It was so pretty! We stopped many places along the four-hour journey to Loch Ness, including Glencoe, which may be the prettiest place I have ever been. I got motion sick pretty bad going through the mountain roads but finally made it to Loch Ness. We were given a picnic lunch and sent off through the town. I had a ham and tomato sandwich, an apple, a bottle of water, and pickled onion crisps (chips). They were the most horrible flavor of chip I have ever had and left a lingering taste for quite awhile. I'm still trying to figure out if people seriously buy that flavor for enjoyment or just to mess with tourists. After lunch, we took a cruise of Loch Ness. The boat we rode in was fitted with all sorts of sonar machines so we could detect the Loch Ness monster, Nessie, herself! While we didn't see anything too crazy, our tour guide absolutely believes that Nessie exists. He had a picture of something that looked very dinosaur (and very Photoshopped) that he claimed he took two years ago. He was mildly crazy but quite entertaining at the same time. After the cruise, we started back towards Edinburgh and then stopped along the way for supper in a small village. I had the best, freshest fish and chips of my life and then enjoyed the trip back.

Saturday evening, we had planned to take a pub crawl with a tour company we always take free tours with. We showed up and they wouldn't accept our student cards as proper ID! Considering that the drinking age here is only 18, I thought this was a little bit ridiculous. So we continued onward and found ourselves our own happening pub to spend the evening at. I should note that right now the 6 nations rugby tournament is happening and Sunday happened to be Scotland v. France - in Edinburgh. The French were out in full force and we met some very interesting characters in the pub. It was hilarious and one of the best nights out I've ever had.

On Sunday we were thoroughly depressed it was our last day so we went for a late breakfast at The Elephant Cafe again. Breakfast was just as good as lunch had been so we left pretty happy. At 1 p.m., we took a free tour of the city which was very informative and interesting. We left a little bit early so we would have time to grab supper then make our 5:30 train back to London.

Arriving back in London was kind of bittersweet and I'm still left feeling a little sad about being back. I love London but the hustle and bustle is so much more noticeable now after spending a weekend away in peaceful Scotland. It was nice though to have my own food, shower, and bed though. Plus I am going away again this weekend to beautiful Paris so I won't even be here very long, which is kind of strange. I've been here in London for almost a month now and am still just so excited and in awe that I get to experience this all! I'm definitely enjoying ever second of it.

(Also, I don't know if I will be able to put up very many pictures within the blog itself because I have pretty stringent bandwidth restrictions at my flat but I will put up a lot on Facebook later today!)

But dear, you do realize that you can’t get a train here to Cardiff?

On Friday, I made my very first train trip in London and it was quite an adventure! My destination was Cardiff, Wales with a plan to leave from Victoria Station (which is a ten minute walk from my flat) by 8:30. I got to the station at about 7:45 so thought I would have plenty of time. A nice older gentleman activated my rail pass for me and asked where I was going. I told him I was planning on going to Cardiff and he spoke to me for about five-ten minutes about how wonderful the city is, what to see, and so on. As I turned to walk away, he said “But dear, you do realize that you can’t get a train here to Cardiff?” Ughh nope definitely didn’t realize that one! He continued being his absolutely un-English self and was very helpful. He gave me a number to call to check for train times in case I couldn’t figure it out and sent me off with the numbers of two busses that I could catch to get to Paddington Station, where the trains would leave for Cardiff. This was my first experience on a bus here in London (yes, it was double decker) and it actually worked out quite well.

I got to Paddington Station and went to check the board to see which platform I would be leaving from. I noticed the Cardiff train but it didn’t have a platform number listed so I went up to the Paddington counter and asked why the board didn’t say which platform was for Cardiff, since the train was departing in less than 15 minutes! This man, in typical English way, snuffed “Well of course it doesn’t, they’re not ready to board yet!” Ah, okay, thanks a bunch for you help! Hmphf. I went back out and stood like an idiot looking up at the board with a massive group until the platform number for Cardiff popped up. Then the scene turned into something very reminiscent of the running of the bulls. Since seats aren’t assigned, everyone scrambled to try to get the forward facing seats. I grabbed mine quickly and the journey to Cardiff began.

The scenery on the way there was absolutely gorgeous. I obviously don’t see countryside in London so simple things like fields of grass were extremely nice to see. The journey took about two hours and I really enjoyed the time to myself. I read a newspaper, caught up on some of my school reading, and just watched the scenery going by.

I got to Cardiff and proceeded to eat lunch at the Prince of Wales pub. I got fish and chips with a cup of tea for under 5 pounds! Considering just getting fish and chips here in London is 7 pounds, this was quite a steal. I then went to Cardiff Castle, where I spent my day. I started on the self-led audio tour and made it through about one-fourth of the castle walls when it started to absolutely pour. I hurriedly made my way to the welcome center at the front of the castle where I watched a film about the castle’s history. It was a very slow day in Cardiff so I was the only one in the huge theater watching the film. After that, I went and ordered a cup of tea from the café. I don’t know if I just looked miserable from the rain/air conditioning combo but the server gave me the whole pot of tea which was wholly appreciated by this point! I then went on my guided tour and spent the rest of the day exploring the castle. It was one of my favorite days here thus far!

On Saturday, one of my roommates Betsy and I went to La Perla, a Mexican restaurant in Covent Garden. I have discovered I can make it through life without burgers but I need my Mexican. After dinner, the rest of our roommates came to meet us and we headed to Camden Town for a night out on the town. We went to a club called Underworld, which was literally under the pub called World’s End. It was amazing and a real cultural experience as everyone there were locals! They dance very differently here which was something to get used to but a really great time! I also experienced a night bus for the first time since the tube shuts down around midnight. It was largely uneventful but entertaining.

London has been really great. I keep waiting for things to slow down or to get tired of buzzing about but I absolutely have loved everything so far. My roommates and other people on the Missouri-London Program are extremely friendly and energetic which is way helpful to being comfortable here so far from home. Tomorrow I am going on a Harry Potter walking tour of London and then this weekend I am going to Edinburgh, Scotland with one of my roommates and another friend we’ve made here. Then the weekend after I am going to Paris! I am so lucky and so grateful for everything. : )

Walking through the streets of Cardiff - you can see the castle in the distance.

Cardiff Castle's keep in the middle of the courtyard

Inside the apartments (palace) of Cardiff Castle - this was the entertaining room

Cardiff Castle through the small forest

The front of the castle and entrance/exit.

Mind the gap between the train and the platform

I can't believe it's only Wednesday! It's been such a whirlwind week so far in London. On Monday, I had class and then went and saw Wicked that evening. It was absolutely amazing! I loved it so much that my mom and I are going to go see it again when she comes to visit. The best part was that the ticket was only 15 pounds so I didn't have to feel guilty about spending too much money either.

Yesterday, I had class until 1 then had the afternoon free, which was extremely nice! I ended up taking a much needed nap. When I got up, my roommates and I went on a walking tour of the West End. It was fun to see a lot of new places of London that I hadn't yet ventured to. We went to Covent Garden and Chinatown which were cool to see. I can't wait to get back there and try some Chinese!

Today has been equally as jam-packed and isn't yet over. That seems to be the general pace here in London, just go-go-go. I like it though since it makes it nearly impossible for me to get bored or all too homesick. This morning I had a field trip for my class, London and the World Wars, to Apsely House and the Wellington Arch. Apsley House was where Wellington and his relatives lived (and still live) before and has been maintained and refurbished to look as it did at that time period. It was really interesting to see all the different paintings, sculptures, and murals that he had. We also went up in the Wellington Arch where we got a pretty good view of London. This afternoon, my Understanding Britain Today class went on a walking tour of Westminster right along the river Thames. It was, again, an area of London I had yet to really explore and definitely enjoyed. I also got to enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate with our professor, who is British, which was pretty interesting. We told him that most of us were from small towns to which he replied "Well you all look so sophisticated but really..." ha. He said in such a very British way though that it didn't seem quite so rude and at least he was honest! We then ended the day with a lovely walk home through the wind and rain. Needless to say, my hair looks fabulous at this point.

Tonight we're going to go to the International Student House for some free Scottish dancing lessons. I'm not sure what this will involve but it should definitely be an experience. As most things have been here!

Just a Saturday in London

Yesterday was a lot of fun. My roommates and I continued our tradition of taking extremely long walks around London by taking a three-hour walking tour. It was a ton of fun though and we got to see all of the touristy places while learning about the history of the sites themselves. Our tour guide was Ed, who was horribly hung over but hilarious. It seems very normal here for the British to be hungover a grand majority of the time so it wasn't quite as alarming as it may have been in the States. Ed was wonderful though, very typically London and quite informed on where we were going. We saw Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and so much more! It was awesome and I actually wouldn't mind seeing it again sometime. Plus it was free so who can go wrong with that!

Me in front of Buckingham Palace

Big Ben et moi.

Last night the Tate Modern, a modern art gallery in London, was open late until 10 p.m. so several of us went to explore that. We live in an amazing area of London so it is even more apparent than it might normally be to us when we're in areas that aren't quite as picture perfect. The Tate Modern was definitely in an area like that. We had to walk through an area of town that is probably heavily trafficked during the week but felt a little deserted last night since it was a weekend. The gallery itself was kind of frightening to me. It was great to see some of the classic pieces, like ones by Picasso and some by Andy Warhol, but some of the things that they called art were just disgusting and almost frightening. I thought that I liked modern art but I now know much better. I am glad that I experienced it but I definitely will not be returning anytime soon.

Today has been a pretty good day at well. I got to sleep in until around 10 so finally got some good sleep then went to Primark with some of the girls I've met here. Primark is a cheaper, fashion-forward store on Oxford Street here in London. I got a dress, scarf, and some other necessities for only 14 pounds which is quite the steal here! It was extremely interesting to try to figure out my size since they're about two above what you normally would be in the US. However, since we've been walking lots and eating little, it was actually fairly close to what I would be in the US which was a nice surprise! We're planning on heading to a service at Westminster Abbey this afternoon which should be a good time!

My week is looking like it will be pretty exciting as well so I'm not sure I'll be updating as much. I am going to see Wicked (the musical about the land of Oz) tomorrow night, Tuesday is a CAPA tour of the Imperial College Student Union, and then Wednesday my roommates and I are going to learn how to do Scottish dancing! I absolutely love that in London I have so many choices for what to do, and most of them don't even cost very much at all. Hope everyone is doing well at home! I miss you all a bunch but I'm having a wonderful time which helps out a lot! : )

Stonehenge and Bath

Today everyone from CAPA ventured out to visit Stonehenge and Bath. We travelled by coach to Stonehenge first, which was about two hours long. I continued my tradition from France with busses and successfully slept the entire way there. Our bus driver was a little crazy but oh well, that seems to be part of the experience here.

Stonehenge is thought to have been built around 2500-1500 BC but was rearranged and added to for 1000 years after this. No one knows why it was built exactly but the most logical idea is that it was some sort of religious monument. Since there are ancient burial mounds everywhere in the surrounding countryside, this seems to me a very likely explanation. It was extremely strange seeing Stonehenge up close after learning and hearing all about it since elementary school. It's amazing that people were able to get the stones in these positions in ancient times without the technology that we have today. I certainly know I could not hoist a huge rock like that on top of two others. The only downside of the day was that it was incredibly cold, raining, and windy so basically the deadly three did us in. I got my shoes/socks completely wet at this point and then spent the next seven hours with wet feet. It was all most definitely worth it though!

Stonehenge

Me in front of Stonehenge

After spending about 45 minutes in Stonehenge, we boarded the bus again and went another hour to Bath. I again slept the majority of the way. The English countryside was beautiful when I was awake to see it though. I did feel a bit stupid though when I commented that there sure were a lot of sheep around when they were actually the biggest pigs I have ever seen in my life. It was shocking. I then returned to dream world.

Bath was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of city life in London. Many of the streets were nearly empty, the cars weren't zooming around ready to take pedestrians out at any minute, and there was just a general peace that could be felt throughout the city. In around 60 AD, the Romans built a fort on the current site of the city of Bath. They wanted to feel at home so they built Roman baths on the hot springs that were in the area. I looked at the springs themselves today. We got to walk right up to the water, see the steam, and walk on the same walkways that the Romans would have. It was extremely exciting and, most importantly by this time in my cold day, quite warm! I really enjoyed this city.

The Great Bath

Me in front of the Great Bath

After this, we reboarded our coach and set back off for London. I fell asleep and three hours later we were back at my school! I think it's safe to say I had a pretty good Friday. : )

London week one: complete!

It's hard to believe I've only been here for a week but at the same time I feel like I've been here for awhile. Things have been a ton of fun so far!

On Wednesday, I took my first field trip with my London and the World Wars class. It was a lot of fun and kind of strange touring through London leisurely with my professors. I have a lot of moments where I can't believe I'm actually here in London, and this whole morning was one of those. We went to Canary Wharf to the Docklands Museum. The museum used to be a working warehouse for the port that was there. They have the history of London and its' ports from as far back as Roman times, when London was called Londinium. It was extremely interesting to see Roman coins and other artifacts from so long ago! They also had more modern exhibits including a fallout shelter and whole "Sailor Town." The idea of it was to show a whole town that sailors would be at but it generally just scared me. Ha. I somehow ended up alone at this point of the museum so had to walk through this dark road-looking area with strange sounds and smells by myself. I was basically sprinting at one point during it. lol. After this I went to my school for tea and biscuits (cookies) then had my first Understanding Britain Today class. The professor was an Englishman who has taught at Oxford. He was a pretty interesting guy who definitely introduced us all to some new aspects of Londoners. I think it's going to be extremely eye-opening.

Today was a really relaxing day. I had class from 9-1 then me and two of my roommates went and got our library cards from Kensington Public Library. It was on Kensington High Street which is full of all sorts of cool stores and pubs. After that two of us came back to my flat and chilled with some tea and biscuits. We're a bit addicted to both at this point. We then headed out for our tour of International Student House, got lost, and then found our way back. We finally had a good meal there too - lasagna, salad, and garlic bread for only 2.5 pounds! It was a lot of fun to finally meet some other international students and other Americans as well. Sometimes it feels like there are only Missourians (and people from Tennessee) in London since I'm constantly surrounded by them.

Tomorrow we're heading out to Bath and Stonehenge so I should have a good update in by then!

Classes have started!

I started my classes on Monday here in London and they're structured a lot differently than I'm used to at Northwest. My classes are based on the American grading and educational system which is helpful but there are also some major differences. First, I meet with each class twice a week - one day for a two hour block and the other for one hour. Another thing is that we are planning a lot of field trips within each class but outside of class time so it's more time-intensive than it originally looks. Granted, the field trips are to great sites and museums within London but it still cuts into my free time here in London which I didn't expect. My classes are through the Missouri-London program but CAPA also has a larger CAPA London program as well. Since MLP only has around 25-30 people in it, this means my classes are extremely small! My Greening of Europe class only has seven people in it so we have a lot of discussions. I also have a lot more homework and readings than I expected. I guess I am in school still. It's just very easy to forget when I'm surrounded by such a bustling, exciting city. The homework is all very interesting though and it's nice to be able to learn things very hands-on since it's all based on the environment that we're experiencing on a daily basis.

As CAPA students, we all have memberships to the Imperial College Student Union. Imperial College is one of the most prestigious universities within the UK. Tonight we went there to visit which was pretty interesting. The students were all watching football (soccer) on television and were very serious about it. It was a lot of fun though hanging out with some other people our own age since a lot of time in our neighborhood it's only people older than us.Here's a picture of Royal Albert Hall, right besides the Imperial Student Union. It's really pretty and huge in person!


Here are my awesome roommates and some new people I've met in London. I posted the rest of my pictures from the past couple of days on Facebook.

So far this experience has been everything and more than I expected. I've met a lot of great people and have experienced so much. I can only imagine what the next three months have in store for me! We are going to Stonehenge and Bath on Friday with CAPA which should be a lot of fun (plus it's free!). I also booked a four-day trip to Paris over Easter break which should be awesome. It includes a day to Disneyland Paris (my dream! lol) and a half-day to Versailles. I was going to go on my own but I just knew I wouldn't get nearly as much accomplished as with this tour group. Plus I'll be in some pretty nice accomodations! I really can't wait to experience it.

Cheers!

Another day in London!

It was another wonderful day here in the UK! I had a hard time getting to sleep last night due to all of the jet lag still catching up with me so managed only about four hours of sleep. I still had a great day though! I went and purchased an Oyster Card for the tube system here that will allow me to go within central London as much as I want for one month. The best news was that I used my debit card and wasn't charged any fees for using it internationally! I was beyond excited since I was expecting some major fees to be charged for using it but actually got a better deal than I would've (due to fees) using an ATM. I then successfully took the tube to school where I had class introduction meetings periodically throughout the day.

I kept myself very busy between classes venturing out in London today. I spent around two hours in the Natural History Museum, which wasn't nearly as exciting as I had been hoping. At least it was free so I didn't feel too upset by my disappointment. I also was very proud that I only spent 90 pence (cents) on lunch out today! I grabbed a sausage roll (it looked like a Hot Pocket with ground pork in it) from Sainsbury's grocery store for only 50p and then got a bag of Cheddar and Onion chips back at school for 40p. I was so proud not to spend a lot! I want to be able to travel a lot so spending all my money on food is definitely not going to get that accomplished.

We finished out our planned activities with a police safety talk. One of London's cops came in and spoke to us about what not do to and what to look out for. He was the funniest and friendliest (and skinniest) cop I've ever met. I was so surprised though that London cops don't carry any sort of weapon with them because of strict gun laws. It concerns me a bit but since London has relatively low violent crime I guess it's working for them! I finished things up at CAPA by finally getting an emergency cell phone that I'm not charged anything for unless I make calls, everything I receive is free. So if anyone would like to place an international call or text to me just let me know and I'll give you my number! lol

After this point in my day, I was exhausted and just ready to give into the jet lag. However, at the urging of my wonderful roommates (seriously, I've gotten so lucky) I decided to go along with them to ASDA, which is owned by Wal-Mart. This was quite the experience. We had to transfer to a different tube and then take the overground train to get there. We noticed that the class of the people near the ASDA was much lower, the streets busier, and just things generally not being quite as nice as the area that we live in. It was worth it to get some cheap food, but I don't know if I would feel comfortable returning much more often than once a week midday. It was nice to finally get some cheap food to make at my flat.

All in all, London is absolutely amazing! I miss everyone at home a lot but I'm so thankful for this opportunity that I don't want to miss a thing while I'm here. Tomorrow we'll be going on a tour around London and then I am going to attempt to go for a jog with one of my roommates from Tennessee in Hyde Park. I think she runs cross country at her school so hopefully I can keep up somewhat! At least I'll get to see some beautiful scenary as I get some exercise.

My first day out and about in London

I began my day today by attending an orientation meeting at the school I'll be going to here, CAPA. They went over everything we needed to know to get oriented to living here as well as info on traveling within Europe, safety, etc. To get there we rode the tube (subway) which was different than I expected. No one talks to one another or makes any sort of eye contact. The British are extremely reserved so talking to one another loudly on the tube is considered rude and weird to do here. It was very interesting! Below is a picture of a train passing by the window of the computer lab at CAPA.After our orientation at school, I went with two of my five roommates to a nearby pub called Earl's Court Tavern. It looked exactly like something out of a movie would when it came to the decor and people. However - they were playing American music from the 90s which I found a strange choice. Betsy and I split fish and chips and my other roommate Shiloh got bangers and mash (sausages and mashed potatoes). Everything was really good and it was nice to have some real food for once!

The view outside of the window at the pub onto Earls Court.

The fish and chips sign! It was sooo good. They gave up a whole half of a fish, a ton of chips (french fries to us), and then (oddly) a bunch of peas. I guess peas are a British staple here and are served with most meals. This works for me because I absolutely love peas!

The Natural History Museum on Cromwell Road.

Traffic in London early afternoon.The Natural History museum again (and my unsuspecting roommate Shiloh).

Another picture of the Natural History Museum. We went on a walk throughout London and this was absolutely gorgeous. I should have more pictures of this when we actually go inside.

We finished up our first day out here by enjoying a cream tea at the Regency Hotel. We had sandwiches, biscuits, and pastries with some amazing tea. The tea is also a lot stronger here so after three cups I was feeling pretty good! I didn't realize I liked tea that much but I guess I do. Here is a picture of the hotel all set for tea.

All in all, my experience so far has been amazing. I love the hustle and bustle of the city and the approach that the British seem to have towards life. I can't wait to explore the city more throughout my semester here!

My Flat in London

My roommate Betsy and my room. Sorry it's messy, we've been getting settled in the past day! My bed is the one closest to the window and it absolutely beautiful in the morning.

The room with the sink and tub/shower. Our water heater has a personality of its' own and it isn't a good one. It clinks as if someone is banging a hammer upon it constantly when the water is running and then the shower itself randomly turns scalding hot/freezing cold periodically throughout the shower itself. It's something to get used to!

The room with the toilet. Notice the pulley to flush the toilet. The flat definitely is full of character!

Our kitchen, complete with minature washing machine! All of our dishes, pots, pans, etc. came with it which is nice.

The view out my flat living room. It was around 7 p.m. when I took this but it's dark from around 3:30 p.m. - 8:30 a.m. which is definitely going to be something to get used to.

Our kitchen table - which is extremely messy from all of our welcoming package that was here when we arrived.

Our living room - notice the pretend fireplace with heating vent. Our TV is interesting though. We only get some channels past a certain time of night and then some don't come in perfectly during some times of day. The infrastructure here is just so much different than back home.