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.