Our assignment this week for my British Life and Culture class was for each flat group to go grocery shopping at different assigned grocery stores and buy a list of items. On this list were very “English” foods, such as black pudding (you’ve have to Google that – it’s disgusting), a jar of marmite (basically a jelly made of beer residue), stilton cheese, Earl Grey tea, a pasty (yes, a pasty – not to be confused with a pastry), and other various things. Well, my group as assigned to go to the Ginger Pig and La Fromagerie. And that’s where the adventure began.
To begin with, I was dressed like a soccer mom, so it just started off bad. It was surprising warm on Saturday, so I felt like wearing capris. But of course I didn’t have any summer shoes… therefore, I had to wear tennis shoes. Believe me, it just wasn’t a good look. And, as if you couldn’t tell from the name of our stores, they were in the more upscale part of town, so yeah, I definitely did not blend.
We get to La Fromagerie and aren’t really even sure if we’re allowed to shop there because it’s sort of like a restaurant and sort of like a store, but not really. The closest thing to compare it to is probably Panera Bread. Most people go there to eat, but then you still have the people who go there to buy bread and bagels. So anyways, we’re trying to find everything on our list, but for some reason we didn’t Google everything before we left – so, we really didn’t know what everything was. I finally asked a lady working there and she turned out to be really, really nice and helped us a lot! They didn’t have a lot of the things we needed, but that’s okay because our professor, Lyndon, said we probably wouldn’t be able to find everything at our stores. However, La Fromagerie definitely had stilton cheese. In fact, they had a whole refrigerated room of cheese. I can’t even describe the smell – a mix between stinky gym socks and spoiled milk. Unpleasant to say the least. But we got our cheese, so we were good to go.
Next came the Ginger Pig. Oh my, this one almost killed me for several reasons. First of all, I didn’t know it was a butcher’s shop, and anyone who knows me knows I’m not really a fan of killing animals or eating red meat. And right when you walk into the Ginger Pig, you are surrounded by bright red, raw meat of every shape and size. Definitely about lost my lunch on that one. We walk over to the counter and ask a man if we can buy some black pudding. He happened to be from Brazil and very nice as well. (We were very lucky that we encountered nice people that day.) He asked, “Umm… are you sure you want that?” And we said, “Yes, we’re supposed to buy it. Soo… what exactly is black pudding?” So he told us. All I can say is gross. It looks like a sausage and is made with blood and some sort of other material. We were lucky enough to get one with blood and pig’s head. Fantastic. But apparently, it’s quite the popular item in England. There was a whole bowl of it and our little Brazilian man said it would all be gone by tomorrow. Oh, and it also cost 13.50 pounds per kilogram. I can think of about 9,874 things I’d rather spend that much money on, besides a roll of bloody pig’s head. We bought the smallest piece possible and got out of the slaughterhouse as fast as possible.
And now the stinky cheese and black pudding are sitting in our refrigerator at our flat. I can’t wait to find out in class what we’re supposed to do with all that. I’m usually pretty good about making myself try different things, but after seeing pounds and pounds of raw red meat AND learning exactly what black pudding is, I think I’ll skip out on this one.
Oh, and today was another crazy adventure. All of my London books (and the Internet) recommended going to Brick Lane Market, so we thought we’d give it a try. Oh my. That was seriously the first time since I’ve been here that I did not feel safe. This market was supposedly in North London near the tube stop for Liverpool Street. After walking quite a while, passing a man drinking a large can of beer at 10:30 AM, another man trying to “woo” us, and a crack whore (seriously, she was for real – no exaggeration), we decided we were pretty much lost. So we turned down a random street and somehow ran into what was supposedly Brick Lane Market. There wasn’t much there, so I’m not exactly sure if we ever did find it… but let’s just say we didn’t stay long. We walked back to the tube stop as fast as we could and went to Camden Market instead. That market is so much better and makes me so happy. :)
I had some fabulous Chinese food again, and split a triple chocolate donut from the lovely donut cart with Mel. It was wonderful. And a much friendlier place than where we were before. I bought a few things for some people and myself, so it was a definitely a good time.
But of course, that’s not the end of the story. For some reason, they closed the Camden Town tube stop from 1:00 to 5:30 PM on Sundays to cut down on the crowds. (?) I don’t really understand the theory behind that, but whatever. So we had to try to figure out the bus system, which is slightly more confusing than the tube system. We were tired of waiting, so we sort of just jumped on the first bus that came by us. And unfortunately it was headed north and we really needed to be going south. I didn’t actually realize this until we were sitting on the bus and I pulled out my map. We were off my map of central London, so I figured it would be a good time to get off before we ended up in Scotland. Luckily, we weren’t too far from a different tube stop and rode that back to an area we knew without any problems.
Oh my, the adventures of London. Always a good time. :)
Until next time,
Rachel
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The journey to Bath and back again.
Yesterday, I took my first non-official day trip – meaning it was just me and another girl. No groups. Just us. On our own. Luckily, we were only going to Bath, so it’s not like we went to another country and were completely lost. Nevertheless, we went to a place neither one of us had ever been before. But we did it AND made it home all in one piece, so I would say the day was a success.
We left our flat at 8:00 AM, so that we wouldn’t be late for our train leaving Paddington station at 9:00 AM. Well, we live one tube stop away from Paddington, so we got there at 8:15 AM… a little too early. We finally boarded the train at 9:00 AM, and were on our way to Bath. Mel and I ended up in different coaches on the train, and since it was our first train ride of the trip, we didn’t really know if you could get up and switch seats. We both breathed a sigh of relief when we stepped off the train and saw each other because we knew we had both made it to the right place. Go us. :)
When we got out of the train station, we both just kind of looked around and though, “Okay, what do we do now?” It’s a strange feeling because you can read all you want about a place and carefully plan your visit, but it still doesn’t prepare you for that initial feeling of, “Wow I’ve never been here before and really have no idea what to do.”
Bath is a pretty small town, so it was really easy to walk everywhere. We explored on our own for a little while and went into a shop that sells artsy glass pieces made in Bath. The man asked us where we were from and I said, “What? You don’t think we’re from here?” He just laughed and shook his head. Apparently the backpacks, the brightly colored shirts, and loud American accents gave us away. After leaving that store, we found the Jane Austen Centre after some mindless wandering. Apparently she lived in Bath for five years, but wasn’t really a fan so she left. Interesting though that they have a whole centre devoted to someone who didn’t even like the town. Nevertheless, she did get a few ideas from the town for her novels.
We had lunch a Thai restaurant, which was fabulous. I feel like Asian food is all I’ve eaten since I’ve been here, but it’s just so good! Then we found a fudge shop that had DELICIOUS fudge, so of course we had to buy some. (Hello, everyone needs dessert!) I got chocolate with a swirl of white chocolate running through it, and Mel got chocolate too with pecans and a swirl of marshmallow. Both were of course FABULOUS.
After stuffing our faces with fudge, we decided we needed to walk some more, so we went on a free (I love that word) walking tour of the city. It was led by a volunteer who took us all over the city, showing us the where ancient Roman baths used to be and telling us all about the architecture and design of the Royal Crescent and the Circus. The Royal Crescent is a basically a row of houses with the same façade in the shape of half an oval. The whole point of them is for the front of each house to look exactly the same, but apparently one lady didn’t want that. So she painted her front door yellow, instead of the standard white, just to be different. And of course this caused a HUGE uproar. It was so big, that the case was taken to the House of Lords (that would be like the case going to the Supreme Court in the States). Somehow she was able to prove that she had painted her door 48 hours before the law that prohibited this action went into effect. She won her case. And yes, the door is still yellow today.
The Circus is a circle of houses all surrounding a circular road and a grassy area inside that road. The architect of these houses (the same man who designed the Royal Crescent, John Wood) really loved Roman architecture, so he designed them after the Roman Coliseum. The fronts of the houses have the same elements as the outside of the Coliseum – meaning the same types of columns in the same places, etc. Also, there are three ways to get out of the Circus and three ways to get out of the Coliseum. Finally, the dimensions of the Circus are so precise, that the Coliseum would fit perfectly inside. Who has enough time to even think of things like that, I do not know, but regardless, it’s still very cool and really beautiful.
After the two hour walking tour was over, we went and saw the ancient Roman baths because that’s kind of the whole point in coming. (Besides the fun little shops everywhere.) I definitely learned a lot there as well. I had no idea that the main reason the baths were so popular was because they were believed to have powerful healing qualities. People with all kinds of injuries, diseases, and aches and pains would come to these baths in hopes of being healed. The water isn’t quite as beautiful today (the sunlight has encouraged algae to grow), but you can definitely still appreciate the technology it took to build such an elaborate and popular place.
After we were done looking at the baths, we got a little coffee drink and headed back to the train station. I know a lot of people think airports are the best places to people watch, but the train station at Bath definitely had an interesting mix of people. We got on our train, headed back to Paddington Station, and made it home all safe and sound. It was quite the long day, but definitely worth it.
Until next time,
Rachel
We left our flat at 8:00 AM, so that we wouldn’t be late for our train leaving Paddington station at 9:00 AM. Well, we live one tube stop away from Paddington, so we got there at 8:15 AM… a little too early. We finally boarded the train at 9:00 AM, and were on our way to Bath. Mel and I ended up in different coaches on the train, and since it was our first train ride of the trip, we didn’t really know if you could get up and switch seats. We both breathed a sigh of relief when we stepped off the train and saw each other because we knew we had both made it to the right place. Go us. :)
When we got out of the train station, we both just kind of looked around and though, “Okay, what do we do now?” It’s a strange feeling because you can read all you want about a place and carefully plan your visit, but it still doesn’t prepare you for that initial feeling of, “Wow I’ve never been here before and really have no idea what to do.”
Bath is a pretty small town, so it was really easy to walk everywhere. We explored on our own for a little while and went into a shop that sells artsy glass pieces made in Bath. The man asked us where we were from and I said, “What? You don’t think we’re from here?” He just laughed and shook his head. Apparently the backpacks, the brightly colored shirts, and loud American accents gave us away. After leaving that store, we found the Jane Austen Centre after some mindless wandering. Apparently she lived in Bath for five years, but wasn’t really a fan so she left. Interesting though that they have a whole centre devoted to someone who didn’t even like the town. Nevertheless, she did get a few ideas from the town for her novels.
We had lunch a Thai restaurant, which was fabulous. I feel like Asian food is all I’ve eaten since I’ve been here, but it’s just so good! Then we found a fudge shop that had DELICIOUS fudge, so of course we had to buy some. (Hello, everyone needs dessert!) I got chocolate with a swirl of white chocolate running through it, and Mel got chocolate too with pecans and a swirl of marshmallow. Both were of course FABULOUS.
After stuffing our faces with fudge, we decided we needed to walk some more, so we went on a free (I love that word) walking tour of the city. It was led by a volunteer who took us all over the city, showing us the where ancient Roman baths used to be and telling us all about the architecture and design of the Royal Crescent and the Circus. The Royal Crescent is a basically a row of houses with the same façade in the shape of half an oval. The whole point of them is for the front of each house to look exactly the same, but apparently one lady didn’t want that. So she painted her front door yellow, instead of the standard white, just to be different. And of course this caused a HUGE uproar. It was so big, that the case was taken to the House of Lords (that would be like the case going to the Supreme Court in the States). Somehow she was able to prove that she had painted her door 48 hours before the law that prohibited this action went into effect. She won her case. And yes, the door is still yellow today.
The Circus is a circle of houses all surrounding a circular road and a grassy area inside that road. The architect of these houses (the same man who designed the Royal Crescent, John Wood) really loved Roman architecture, so he designed them after the Roman Coliseum. The fronts of the houses have the same elements as the outside of the Coliseum – meaning the same types of columns in the same places, etc. Also, there are three ways to get out of the Circus and three ways to get out of the Coliseum. Finally, the dimensions of the Circus are so precise, that the Coliseum would fit perfectly inside. Who has enough time to even think of things like that, I do not know, but regardless, it’s still very cool and really beautiful.
After the two hour walking tour was over, we went and saw the ancient Roman baths because that’s kind of the whole point in coming. (Besides the fun little shops everywhere.) I definitely learned a lot there as well. I had no idea that the main reason the baths were so popular was because they were believed to have powerful healing qualities. People with all kinds of injuries, diseases, and aches and pains would come to these baths in hopes of being healed. The water isn’t quite as beautiful today (the sunlight has encouraged algae to grow), but you can definitely still appreciate the technology it took to build such an elaborate and popular place.
After we were done looking at the baths, we got a little coffee drink and headed back to the train station. I know a lot of people think airports are the best places to people watch, but the train station at Bath definitely had an interesting mix of people. We got on our train, headed back to Paddington Station, and made it home all safe and sound. It was quite the long day, but definitely worth it.
Until next time,
Rachel
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Canterbury Tales
Nothing I’m about to write about even compares to the excitement of Monday (with the tour of Parliament and the amazing musical that night), but Tuesday and Wednesday were both still fabulously fun days! I had class in the morning on Tuesday, which wasn’t too bad. I’ve been reading a packet my professor gave us about the Cold War and Gorbachev, the man in charge of the Soviet Union at that time. I really didn’t know much about went on during that time, except that Russia and The States just weren’t fantastic friends at that point in history. But I’ve learned a lot just from reading that packet, and I would have to say that Gorbachev seemed to be a pretty decent guy. At least that’s what I got from my material.
Anyway, after that I went on a cleaning rampage around our flat. It’s not that it was dirty and messy, but it was just really unorganized and after a while it just gets to me. So yeah, that was a good time. In the afternoon, a group of us walked to Regent’s Park to play ultimate Frisbee, which was really fun while it lasted. (My dad has helped me perfect my Frisbee skills over that past few years, so I can definitely fling a Frisbee better than I can throw a ball). Then, of course because we’re in London, it started to pour so we all decided to hike it back to our flats. It had stopped raining by the time we got back, but some people had to get ready to go to class and I had to get ready to see Colbie Caillat in concert!
A group of us girls had decided over the summer that we wanted to go see her when she was in London, so we bought tickets a few months ago. They were much cheaper than if we had gone to see her in America, that’s for sure. She was playing in Islington, London at a new, but small, venue that was “standing room only.” We got there fairly early, so we were lucky enough to be about three or four rows from the stage. Her opening act was an up and coming young British man, named Julian Perretta. He was really, really good and I would’ve been fine with watching him perform all night. Colbie Caillet finally came on stage, and of course she was fabulous too. It was a wonderful night, even though my legs were completely dead by the time I got home. :)
On Wednesday, we had our first official group day trip. After a two hour bus ride, we arrived in Canterbury. The town is very cute and quaint – it definitely reminds me of something you would see in an old English movie or even possibly during medieval times. The main attraction of the city (besides its claim to fame through Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”) is the Canterbury Cathedral, which was started in 1070. Again, something else that is almost 1,000 years old! Not only is the cathedral famous for its amazing beauty, but it’s also the place where Thomas Becket, a former archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered. Supposedly it was King Henry II who wanted him dead, but of course the king would deny having said that – or claim that he was “joking”. And for anyone who knows about “The Canterbury Tales”, all the characters in that piece of literature are on their way to Canterbury to visit the shrine of St. Thomas.
After visiting the cathedral and taking a million pictures, I had some fabulous fish and chips at a pub. Then we went on a journey to find the remains of St. Augustine’s Abbey, which are almost 1500 years old. There’s also an old Roman wall that surrounds part of the town of Canterbury, which is kind of cool. After that, there wasn’t a whole lot to do. I mean, there were cute little shops everywhere that were fun to go into, but most of the boys were ready to leave after about two hours. Girls are much better at browsing and getting little coffee drinks, but even I was ready to go.
I was so weird to me that that town is actually a place where people live, go to school, and work. It just doesn’t seem real because it’s like a town out of a story. Granted, there was a Starbucks right NEXT to the cathedral, but for the most part, it is very old-fashioned. A cute place to visit, but I could never live there. I’m sure that’s what people say about Selma and Muncie as well, though. :)
Until next time,
Rachel
Anyway, after that I went on a cleaning rampage around our flat. It’s not that it was dirty and messy, but it was just really unorganized and after a while it just gets to me. So yeah, that was a good time. In the afternoon, a group of us walked to Regent’s Park to play ultimate Frisbee, which was really fun while it lasted. (My dad has helped me perfect my Frisbee skills over that past few years, so I can definitely fling a Frisbee better than I can throw a ball). Then, of course because we’re in London, it started to pour so we all decided to hike it back to our flats. It had stopped raining by the time we got back, but some people had to get ready to go to class and I had to get ready to see Colbie Caillat in concert!
A group of us girls had decided over the summer that we wanted to go see her when she was in London, so we bought tickets a few months ago. They were much cheaper than if we had gone to see her in America, that’s for sure. She was playing in Islington, London at a new, but small, venue that was “standing room only.” We got there fairly early, so we were lucky enough to be about three or four rows from the stage. Her opening act was an up and coming young British man, named Julian Perretta. He was really, really good and I would’ve been fine with watching him perform all night. Colbie Caillet finally came on stage, and of course she was fabulous too. It was a wonderful night, even though my legs were completely dead by the time I got home. :)
On Wednesday, we had our first official group day trip. After a two hour bus ride, we arrived in Canterbury. The town is very cute and quaint – it definitely reminds me of something you would see in an old English movie or even possibly during medieval times. The main attraction of the city (besides its claim to fame through Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales”) is the Canterbury Cathedral, which was started in 1070. Again, something else that is almost 1,000 years old! Not only is the cathedral famous for its amazing beauty, but it’s also the place where Thomas Becket, a former archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered. Supposedly it was King Henry II who wanted him dead, but of course the king would deny having said that – or claim that he was “joking”. And for anyone who knows about “The Canterbury Tales”, all the characters in that piece of literature are on their way to Canterbury to visit the shrine of St. Thomas.
After visiting the cathedral and taking a million pictures, I had some fabulous fish and chips at a pub. Then we went on a journey to find the remains of St. Augustine’s Abbey, which are almost 1500 years old. There’s also an old Roman wall that surrounds part of the town of Canterbury, which is kind of cool. After that, there wasn’t a whole lot to do. I mean, there were cute little shops everywhere that were fun to go into, but most of the boys were ready to leave after about two hours. Girls are much better at browsing and getting little coffee drinks, but even I was ready to go.
I was so weird to me that that town is actually a place where people live, go to school, and work. It just doesn’t seem real because it’s like a town out of a story. Granted, there was a Starbucks right NEXT to the cathedral, but for the most part, it is very old-fashioned. A cute place to visit, but I could never live there. I’m sure that’s what people say about Selma and Muncie as well, though. :)
Until next time,
Rachel
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
When I grow up, I want to work in the House of Lords!
Yesterday was a fantastic day from start to finish. Very packed and busy, but tons of fun. In the morning I had my British Life and Culture class – We talked about how the British Parliament works, the different political parties, and the individual roles that each MP (Member of Parliament) fills. Our professor, Lyndon, taught it in a really fascinating way, and I absolutely loved learning about it. It’s really interesting because as different as their government is from ours (they don’t have any sort of constitution, unless you consider the Magna Carta one), it still has several similarities. For instance, they have a House of Lords and a House of Commons, which are kind of like our Senate and House of Representatives.
Then in the afternoon, instead of watching a British movie, we actually went on a tour of Parliament! Yes, that means I got to go into that beautifully designed building right beside the Clock Tower. It was so interesting and amazing to see the inside. The House of Lords (which has red seat cushions) contains the huge golden throne that the Queen sits on at the opening of Parliament each year. She’s not allowed to go in the House of Commons (which has green seat cushions) EVER, so everyone in there has to come to her when she opens the new term of Parliament. And really, there’s over 650 members in the House of Commons, so there is no way all of them are fitting in the room for the House of Lords. Also, as you enter the House of Commons, there’s a stature of Winston Churchill (a former prime minister and member of the Conservative party) and a statue of a man who was also a former prime minister and a member of the Liberal Democrats. Every time a member of the Conservative Party becomes prime minister, they rub the foot of Winston Churchill. The Liberal Democrats do the same thing with their statue, but the shoe of Winston Churchill is MUCH more worn than the other statue’s shoe. (There is also the Labour Party, which is in power right now, but they don’t have a statue by the doors leading into the House of Commons).
After the tour of Parliament was over, we came back to the flat and I tried to get some homework done. It’s not that I don’t want to do my homework, it’s just that there’s so much stuff I’d rather do instead! Then we had to get ready for the theatre performance we were going to see that night. We saw “Blood Brothers” at the Phoenix Theatre. I had never even heard of this musical before last night, but it was DEFINITELY one of the best performances I had ever seen! I completely recommend it for anyone because both girls and guys would enjoy it – well, as much as a guy can enjoy a musical. You know it’s a good performance when the audience personally gets involved with the characters in the musical. And that’s definitely what happened here.
Then at night, I got to chat with my FANTASTIC friends, Tessie and Dan, online! I hadn’t really talked to them in real time since I’ve been here, so that was definitely needed for everyone. :)
Oh, and I forgot to mention what we did on Sunday. We went “palace jumping” as I like to call it. First we went to Buckingham Palace (the main palace of the Queen) and toured the State Rooms! Very, very cool and absolutely beautiful. They were only open to the public for two months this summer, so we were very lucky to be here during that time. I was hoping I would see the Queen or Prince William, but no such luck.
After that we were all famished, so we had bought lunch at a café and ate it in Green Park. It’s so weird because you actually have to pay extra at certain places if you want to eat their food in their restaurant because I guess they don’t want to have a lot of people taking up their seats? I’m not sure, but I will gladly pay less if that’s an option. And eating in the park was beautiful, so it wasn’t a big deal at all. Then we went to Kensington Palace (the palace Princess Diana used to live in) and walked around the beautiful gardens. The sunken gardens were absolutely amazing – and it was also a lovely day, so it just added to the incredible beauty of it all.
I think the big cities in America could learn a lot from London. I mean, I’ve never spent an extended period of time in any of them, but it always seems like they’re just big, dirty, and trashy. I’m sure some people initially think that same thing about London, but there are so many beautiful places here. I just think it would be nice if our cities in America made a little more effort to beautify everything we already have.
Until next time,
Rachel
Then in the afternoon, instead of watching a British movie, we actually went on a tour of Parliament! Yes, that means I got to go into that beautifully designed building right beside the Clock Tower. It was so interesting and amazing to see the inside. The House of Lords (which has red seat cushions) contains the huge golden throne that the Queen sits on at the opening of Parliament each year. She’s not allowed to go in the House of Commons (which has green seat cushions) EVER, so everyone in there has to come to her when she opens the new term of Parliament. And really, there’s over 650 members in the House of Commons, so there is no way all of them are fitting in the room for the House of Lords. Also, as you enter the House of Commons, there’s a stature of Winston Churchill (a former prime minister and member of the Conservative party) and a statue of a man who was also a former prime minister and a member of the Liberal Democrats. Every time a member of the Conservative Party becomes prime minister, they rub the foot of Winston Churchill. The Liberal Democrats do the same thing with their statue, but the shoe of Winston Churchill is MUCH more worn than the other statue’s shoe. (There is also the Labour Party, which is in power right now, but they don’t have a statue by the doors leading into the House of Commons).
After the tour of Parliament was over, we came back to the flat and I tried to get some homework done. It’s not that I don’t want to do my homework, it’s just that there’s so much stuff I’d rather do instead! Then we had to get ready for the theatre performance we were going to see that night. We saw “Blood Brothers” at the Phoenix Theatre. I had never even heard of this musical before last night, but it was DEFINITELY one of the best performances I had ever seen! I completely recommend it for anyone because both girls and guys would enjoy it – well, as much as a guy can enjoy a musical. You know it’s a good performance when the audience personally gets involved with the characters in the musical. And that’s definitely what happened here.
Then at night, I got to chat with my FANTASTIC friends, Tessie and Dan, online! I hadn’t really talked to them in real time since I’ve been here, so that was definitely needed for everyone. :)
Oh, and I forgot to mention what we did on Sunday. We went “palace jumping” as I like to call it. First we went to Buckingham Palace (the main palace of the Queen) and toured the State Rooms! Very, very cool and absolutely beautiful. They were only open to the public for two months this summer, so we were very lucky to be here during that time. I was hoping I would see the Queen or Prince William, but no such luck.
After that we were all famished, so we had bought lunch at a café and ate it in Green Park. It’s so weird because you actually have to pay extra at certain places if you want to eat their food in their restaurant because I guess they don’t want to have a lot of people taking up their seats? I’m not sure, but I will gladly pay less if that’s an option. And eating in the park was beautiful, so it wasn’t a big deal at all. Then we went to Kensington Palace (the palace Princess Diana used to live in) and walked around the beautiful gardens. The sunken gardens were absolutely amazing – and it was also a lovely day, so it just added to the incredible beauty of it all.
I think the big cities in America could learn a lot from London. I mean, I’ve never spent an extended period of time in any of them, but it always seems like they’re just big, dirty, and trashy. I’m sure some people initially think that same thing about London, but there are so many beautiful places here. I just think it would be nice if our cities in America made a little more effort to beautify everything we already have.
Until next time,
Rachel
Saturday, September 20, 2008
What came first? The mushroom or the road?
So have you ever had one of those days when nothing really goes wrong, but nothing really goes right either? Well, that’s how Friday was for me. It wasn’t a bad day by any means, but I guess everything just looked better on paper than it did in person.
We started off the morning with a trip to the Tower of London (because we don’t have classes on Friday, so I didn’t have to worry about getting up for those!). The tower is so fascinating and definitely must-do if you’re ever in London. Not only is the tower almost 1,000 years old, but there’s something in there for everyone – the crown jewels (meaning the Queen’s crown, the Queen Mum’s crown, Queen Victoria’s crown… you get the picture) for the ladies, weapons and armory for the guys, beefeaters (who are retired military personal, so they’re very grandpa-ish) who tell fabulous stories, and just tons of history to see and learn about. Of course the crown jewels were my favorite part because they look so big that you keep saying to yourself, “There’s no way those can actually be real!” But somehow, they are.
After that we ate at a restaurant called Giraffe, which has a really cute slogan – Live, Eat, Love. But that was all about all it had. The food was unfortunately not the best ever and it was kind of expensive… which is never good for a college kid living in London. So yeah, not the best ever. After that, we went to Covent Garden. It’s sort of like an enclosed market, but definitely not as good. And who in their right mind only puts one restroom in a place where women shop?! This is just not good planning by anyone involved.
So we left there without any purchases and went on a journey to find a teahouse that Mel’s sister Mollie LOVED when she was in London a few years ago. After walking all over Oxford Circus and Regent Street for almost one hour, we concluded that apparently the teahouse no longer exists. Then we decided the day should not be lost, so we went to the nearest McDonald’s and had an ice cream cone with a Cadbury chocolate flake bar tucked in the side. It’s amazing how ice cream always makes everything better. :)
Today (Saturday) was another day packed full of excitement. Going to markets has become one of my favorite things to do since I’ve been in London. They’re always so much fun and you can always find something completely random that you just can’t live without. The market for today was Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill. Now, I know the question you’re all dying to ask… What came first, the mushroom or the road? And I really don’t have an answer because I wondered the same thing! ;D
The reason you may have heard of this market or road name is because the movie “Notting Hill” was set in this area. I haven’t ever seen the movie (although, I will definitely watch it when I return to the States), but I did happen to stumble upon The Travel Bookshop, which is apparently quite important in that movie. So that was pretty cool. The market itself is extremely amazing and stretches along that road for what seems like miles. This market was different from the Camden Market (the first market) because Portobello mostly has antiques. I’m not a huge antique fan, but somehow I still managed to find a few cute things to buy for my friends and family back home. Oh, and there was also a store that had tons of matroska dolls from Russia. It felt like home. :)
Lunch today was absolutely fantastic because market food is the best ever. That’s it. Bottom line. I had a spinach, mushroom, and cheese crepe. I know some of you may think that sounds disgusting, but it was amazing and delicious. After we left the market, I decided to go on a run at Hyde Park because it’s so beautiful there and it was such a sunny, happy day that I didn’t want to waste.
That’s about it. I still can’t believe how much I’ve already seen and learned since arriving a week and a half ago. Oh, I talked to my momma on the phone today! I know I’m almost 20 years old, but I love my family and enjoy talking to my mum about what’s going on with everyone at home and to confide in her about any worries or concerns I have. And I know that even though she’s miles away right now, when we talk on the phone it seems like she’s right here next to me. Just like she’s always been. Thanks, Momma.
Until next time,
Rachel
We started off the morning with a trip to the Tower of London (because we don’t have classes on Friday, so I didn’t have to worry about getting up for those!). The tower is so fascinating and definitely must-do if you’re ever in London. Not only is the tower almost 1,000 years old, but there’s something in there for everyone – the crown jewels (meaning the Queen’s crown, the Queen Mum’s crown, Queen Victoria’s crown… you get the picture) for the ladies, weapons and armory for the guys, beefeaters (who are retired military personal, so they’re very grandpa-ish) who tell fabulous stories, and just tons of history to see and learn about. Of course the crown jewels were my favorite part because they look so big that you keep saying to yourself, “There’s no way those can actually be real!” But somehow, they are.
After that we ate at a restaurant called Giraffe, which has a really cute slogan – Live, Eat, Love. But that was all about all it had. The food was unfortunately not the best ever and it was kind of expensive… which is never good for a college kid living in London. So yeah, not the best ever. After that, we went to Covent Garden. It’s sort of like an enclosed market, but definitely not as good. And who in their right mind only puts one restroom in a place where women shop?! This is just not good planning by anyone involved.
So we left there without any purchases and went on a journey to find a teahouse that Mel’s sister Mollie LOVED when she was in London a few years ago. After walking all over Oxford Circus and Regent Street for almost one hour, we concluded that apparently the teahouse no longer exists. Then we decided the day should not be lost, so we went to the nearest McDonald’s and had an ice cream cone with a Cadbury chocolate flake bar tucked in the side. It’s amazing how ice cream always makes everything better. :)
Today (Saturday) was another day packed full of excitement. Going to markets has become one of my favorite things to do since I’ve been in London. They’re always so much fun and you can always find something completely random that you just can’t live without. The market for today was Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill. Now, I know the question you’re all dying to ask… What came first, the mushroom or the road? And I really don’t have an answer because I wondered the same thing! ;D
The reason you may have heard of this market or road name is because the movie “Notting Hill” was set in this area. I haven’t ever seen the movie (although, I will definitely watch it when I return to the States), but I did happen to stumble upon The Travel Bookshop, which is apparently quite important in that movie. So that was pretty cool. The market itself is extremely amazing and stretches along that road for what seems like miles. This market was different from the Camden Market (the first market) because Portobello mostly has antiques. I’m not a huge antique fan, but somehow I still managed to find a few cute things to buy for my friends and family back home. Oh, and there was also a store that had tons of matroska dolls from Russia. It felt like home. :)
Lunch today was absolutely fantastic because market food is the best ever. That’s it. Bottom line. I had a spinach, mushroom, and cheese crepe. I know some of you may think that sounds disgusting, but it was amazing and delicious. After we left the market, I decided to go on a run at Hyde Park because it’s so beautiful there and it was such a sunny, happy day that I didn’t want to waste.
That’s about it. I still can’t believe how much I’ve already seen and learned since arriving a week and a half ago. Oh, I talked to my momma on the phone today! I know I’m almost 20 years old, but I love my family and enjoy talking to my mum about what’s going on with everyone at home and to confide in her about any worries or concerns I have. And I know that even though she’s miles away right now, when we talk on the phone it seems like she’s right here next to me. Just like she’s always been. Thanks, Momma.
Until next time,
Rachel
Friday, September 19, 2008
The historical and modern worlds meet.
Every Wednesday is devoted to some sort of field trip or field study that will supplement the British Life & Culture class we had on the Monday before. This week’s field trip was a walk along the Thames River. That’s the big river in London that you always see in pictures. A lot people thought the walk was going to be boring because we weren’t leaving London to go see anything cool or different. But the thing with London is that it’s so big, so basically whenever you get off at a tube stop, you’re bound to see something you’ve never seen before.
The walk started at the northwest corner of Tower Bridge. When our professor told us to meet at the northwest corner of Tower Bridge, I look at the graduate assistant and said, “Umm, you’re going to have to tell me where that is because I don’t do northwest directions. I do “it’s by the Wal-Mart” directions.” So he helped me figure it out, and most of the group made it there without any trouble.
Tower Bridge is the most common bridge seen in photographs, although many people always mistake it for London Bridge. A fun little fact about the bridge is that it was built during the reign of Queen Victoria and is painted blue because that was her favorite color. Very close by to Tower Bridge is the Tower of London. This is the place where many prisoners would be put on trial and then most likely beheaded. The main character in the movie “Braveheart”, William Wallace, and a few of King Henry’s wives were brought here. The most amazing thing to me about what my professor told me about the Tower of London is that it was built in 1066, making it almost 1000 years old! That’s absolutely amazing to me when you think about how there probably isn’t even anything half that old in the States.
I’ve never really been a huge fan of history, but I think it’s fascinating how there will be a modern business building right beside another building that has stood there for hundreds of years. I guess you probably get used to all this once you’ve lived in the city for awhile, but I just think it’s so cool! About halfway through the walk, we finally reached London Bridge, which looks just like a plain, old, American bridge. It’s been rebuilt three different times, and apparently a man from Arizona purchased the remains of the first London Bridge when they tore it down thinking it was actually Tower Bridge. So the original London Bridge is actually in Arizona. Hmm, who knew?
Our professor also pointed out a pub across the river and said a man named Samuel Pete (I think that’s it), watched as the Great Fire swept across London on the other side of the river. Apparently when the man saw the fire, he ran home because he needed to bury his cheese. Seriously though. That’s the story. I think because cheese was really expensive back in those days, so he wanted to try to save it. I don’t really know how well that worked out, but I’m thinking not too great.
The walk ended by the buildings of Parliament and the Clock Tower. Our professor told us not to call it Big Ben because that’s actually the name of the bell in the tower and not the name of the tower itself. So there you go. After the walk ended, we went to go see where the Prime Minster lives, which is basically a hole in the wall with five bobbies guarding a gate. Not like the White House at all. We also walked by the Household Calvary, which are the guards who sit on horses for hours and aren’t allowed to smile. There was a girl who kept trying to pet the horse while we were over there… Hello, you can’t do that. Do you want someone touching you while you’re trying to work? No, I don’t think so.
And of course a day is not complete without some shopping. Mel and I decided a trip to Harrods was necessary. That store is really cool to see because everything is so unique, including the elevators. After you use the toilet, you have the option of spraying different expensive perfumes on yourself, like Vera Wang. And the food stalls are incredible also. So much food! But really, everything is out of the price range of a poor college student. I found some delicious lip gloss that I really liked, but when I found out it was 12 pounds for a tiny little tube, I didn’t really want it as bad. There was also Betty Crocker cake mix there for 3 pounds and 50 pence. That’s over 6 dollars!! Craziness. I’ll just have to come back someday with I actually have extra spending money. Until then, Harrods is off limits. But, we did find a really cute store full of accessories and a nice, big H&M on the way home, so the shopping did not end badly.
Yesterday was pretty low-key. It was mostly filled with classes, homework, and grocery shopping so nothing to exciting to report there. But on a side note, my new favorite flavor is blackcurrant. Makes a delicious jam and lovely tea. :)
Until next time,
Rachel
The walk started at the northwest corner of Tower Bridge. When our professor told us to meet at the northwest corner of Tower Bridge, I look at the graduate assistant and said, “Umm, you’re going to have to tell me where that is because I don’t do northwest directions. I do “it’s by the Wal-Mart” directions.” So he helped me figure it out, and most of the group made it there without any trouble.
Tower Bridge is the most common bridge seen in photographs, although many people always mistake it for London Bridge. A fun little fact about the bridge is that it was built during the reign of Queen Victoria and is painted blue because that was her favorite color. Very close by to Tower Bridge is the Tower of London. This is the place where many prisoners would be put on trial and then most likely beheaded. The main character in the movie “Braveheart”, William Wallace, and a few of King Henry’s wives were brought here. The most amazing thing to me about what my professor told me about the Tower of London is that it was built in 1066, making it almost 1000 years old! That’s absolutely amazing to me when you think about how there probably isn’t even anything half that old in the States.
I’ve never really been a huge fan of history, but I think it’s fascinating how there will be a modern business building right beside another building that has stood there for hundreds of years. I guess you probably get used to all this once you’ve lived in the city for awhile, but I just think it’s so cool! About halfway through the walk, we finally reached London Bridge, which looks just like a plain, old, American bridge. It’s been rebuilt three different times, and apparently a man from Arizona purchased the remains of the first London Bridge when they tore it down thinking it was actually Tower Bridge. So the original London Bridge is actually in Arizona. Hmm, who knew?
Our professor also pointed out a pub across the river and said a man named Samuel Pete (I think that’s it), watched as the Great Fire swept across London on the other side of the river. Apparently when the man saw the fire, he ran home because he needed to bury his cheese. Seriously though. That’s the story. I think because cheese was really expensive back in those days, so he wanted to try to save it. I don’t really know how well that worked out, but I’m thinking not too great.
The walk ended by the buildings of Parliament and the Clock Tower. Our professor told us not to call it Big Ben because that’s actually the name of the bell in the tower and not the name of the tower itself. So there you go. After the walk ended, we went to go see where the Prime Minster lives, which is basically a hole in the wall with five bobbies guarding a gate. Not like the White House at all. We also walked by the Household Calvary, which are the guards who sit on horses for hours and aren’t allowed to smile. There was a girl who kept trying to pet the horse while we were over there… Hello, you can’t do that. Do you want someone touching you while you’re trying to work? No, I don’t think so.
And of course a day is not complete without some shopping. Mel and I decided a trip to Harrods was necessary. That store is really cool to see because everything is so unique, including the elevators. After you use the toilet, you have the option of spraying different expensive perfumes on yourself, like Vera Wang. And the food stalls are incredible also. So much food! But really, everything is out of the price range of a poor college student. I found some delicious lip gloss that I really liked, but when I found out it was 12 pounds for a tiny little tube, I didn’t really want it as bad. There was also Betty Crocker cake mix there for 3 pounds and 50 pence. That’s over 6 dollars!! Craziness. I’ll just have to come back someday with I actually have extra spending money. Until then, Harrods is off limits. But, we did find a really cute store full of accessories and a nice, big H&M on the way home, so the shopping did not end badly.
Yesterday was pretty low-key. It was mostly filled with classes, homework, and grocery shopping so nothing to exciting to report there. But on a side note, my new favorite flavor is blackcurrant. Makes a delicious jam and lovely tea. :)
Until next time,
Rachel
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
"Tropic Thunder" comes to London!
Yesterday was completely incredible. Absolutely unbelievable. Not only did I go to my first movie premiere EVER, but it was in London. And not only did I get to see Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and Robert Downey Jr., but I got amazing pictures of all of them AND Ben Stiller shook my hand! Seriously, is it time to wake up yet? Because I can’t even believe this is real.
I had my international relations political science class at 9:00 AM. It was the first day of class, so nothing very exciting happened. After class, some people were talking about going to the movie premiere of “Tropic Thunder” at the Oden Theatre in Piccadilly Circus (the Times Square of London). At first I didn’t think I really wanted to go because I thought it was going to be crazy busy and I didn’t want to stand there for several hours just waiting.
As the day went on, I realized I didn’t have anything exciting to do, so I called a gal who was already at the theatre waiting, and she said there was still room by her so I should come. Right after that, I hoped on the tube to Piccadilly Circus and met up with the group. There was only one person between me and the railing, so it was a really awesome spot. Unfortunately, we had to wait for 3 hours for the stars to show up, but it was TOTALLY worth it!
It started to get really crowded around 6:00 PM (because the premiere started at 7:30 PM), but we were determined to keep our fabulous spots so we stood our ground! The stars started to arrive around 7:00. First there was a really cute, blond guy who is apparently a movie star in Britain. Then a British rapper rolled on through. And the big moment arrived: Jack Black was there! Right after him, Ben Stiller arrived! And finally, Robert Downing Jr. was the last to arrive. Ben Stiller was the first big star to reach our group. He asked us where we were from and if we were having a fun time, and we were all like, “YEAH, we are!!”. I got some great shots of him AND he shook my hand. Pretty awesome.
Jack Black came to us next. He was across the carpet talking to the press, so we started screaming his name. He turns around, points to himself as if he was saying, “Me?”, and then runs over in his own, original Jack Black way towards us. He signed some autographs and posed for some pictures too. He was totally hilarious and acts exactly the same as he does in all of his movies.
Robert Downing Jr. didn’t come over to see us, but he definitely made some serious eye contact with our screaming group. In his defense he did arrive late and needed to get into the theatre to be on time for the movie. And seriously, the man is Ironman for crying out loud.
After all the excitement and giggling and screaming, we went to Pizza Hunt and reflected on our unbelievable, random, amazing day. Seriously though, that would’ve never happened in the States. There’s no way we would’ve been that close to them!
Finally, I would just like to say that I dedicate this post to my brother, Jeffie. He thought studying abroad was a dumb idea, but I always argued back and said that I was going to have an unbelievable time in London. So, wait a minute… What are those four little words? …. Hold on…. Oh that’s right… I believe what I’m trying to say is, “I TOLD YOU SO!” Love you, Jeffie. :)
Until next time,
Rachel
I had my international relations political science class at 9:00 AM. It was the first day of class, so nothing very exciting happened. After class, some people were talking about going to the movie premiere of “Tropic Thunder” at the Oden Theatre in Piccadilly Circus (the Times Square of London). At first I didn’t think I really wanted to go because I thought it was going to be crazy busy and I didn’t want to stand there for several hours just waiting.
As the day went on, I realized I didn’t have anything exciting to do, so I called a gal who was already at the theatre waiting, and she said there was still room by her so I should come. Right after that, I hoped on the tube to Piccadilly Circus and met up with the group. There was only one person between me and the railing, so it was a really awesome spot. Unfortunately, we had to wait for 3 hours for the stars to show up, but it was TOTALLY worth it!
It started to get really crowded around 6:00 PM (because the premiere started at 7:30 PM), but we were determined to keep our fabulous spots so we stood our ground! The stars started to arrive around 7:00. First there was a really cute, blond guy who is apparently a movie star in Britain. Then a British rapper rolled on through. And the big moment arrived: Jack Black was there! Right after him, Ben Stiller arrived! And finally, Robert Downing Jr. was the last to arrive. Ben Stiller was the first big star to reach our group. He asked us where we were from and if we were having a fun time, and we were all like, “YEAH, we are!!”. I got some great shots of him AND he shook my hand. Pretty awesome.
Jack Black came to us next. He was across the carpet talking to the press, so we started screaming his name. He turns around, points to himself as if he was saying, “Me?”, and then runs over in his own, original Jack Black way towards us. He signed some autographs and posed for some pictures too. He was totally hilarious and acts exactly the same as he does in all of his movies.
Robert Downing Jr. didn’t come over to see us, but he definitely made some serious eye contact with our screaming group. In his defense he did arrive late and needed to get into the theatre to be on time for the movie. And seriously, the man is Ironman for crying out loud.
After all the excitement and giggling and screaming, we went to Pizza Hunt and reflected on our unbelievable, random, amazing day. Seriously though, that would’ve never happened in the States. There’s no way we would’ve been that close to them!
Finally, I would just like to say that I dedicate this post to my brother, Jeffie. He thought studying abroad was a dumb idea, but I always argued back and said that I was going to have an unbelievable time in London. So, wait a minute… What are those four little words? …. Hold on…. Oh that’s right… I believe what I’m trying to say is, “I TOLD YOU SO!” Love you, Jeffie. :)
Until next time,
Rachel
Monday, September 15, 2008
"You sound like George Bush."
One thing that was predetermined in my mind, before I ever arrived in London, was that I wanted to try a different London church every Sunday. Unfortunately I did not do much research about which church I wanted to go to for my very first Sunday in London, so I kind of just picked the one that was closest to our flats. It’s called Saint Savior and has a sign on the outside advertising that they “accept people from all denominations”. And it’s only a 3 minute walk from our flats, so it seemed like the best choice.
For those who know me well, you most likely know that my church back in the States is a fairly contemporary, Methodist church. So when I walked into Saint Savior, sat down on the wooden pews constructed at a 90° angle, and read in the bulletin that this church was associated with the Church of England, I was pretty sure this was going to be another one of those times when I was not going to blend in with the crowd.
Luckily, the friend I went with is Lutheran, so she knew much more about what was going on during the service than I did. She was able to help me out with some of the constant standing, sitting, singing, and reading. I’m not saying the service was bad, but it was just MUCH more conservative than what I’m used to. Think of it as surfer from California putting on a business suit and attending a corporate meeting in New York City. The surfer is trying to blend, but his slight awkwardness lets the other business men know he’s just a little different than they are.
One of my favorite parts of the service were watching all the babies and young children and listening to their cute little accents. One boy who would yell “DA DA” as loud as he could during the service told his mom, “Mummy, I am not a naughty boy!” Another boy crawled under my legs and ran all around the church away from his dad. I also enjoyed it at the end when we sang, “Happy Birthday”, accompanied by the organ, to a boy who was turning 11 and an older lady from Wales. Finally, the actual sermon (called the homily) was about hope, which is always a powerful topic. One very noteworthy line from the priest: “Hope is always a risk because it looks to what is not there.”
After the service was over, we walked into our flat and my other roommates thought we had been to a bonfire because we smelled like smoke, which was actually the scent of incense all over our clothing. In the afternoon, a group of us went to the Thames River Festival, which had street performers, tons of food, and cute little shops and stands. It was very similar to a fair in America, just a little less redneck and much cleaner.
Mel and I bought some Chinese food from one of the stands – it was definitely not as good as the Camden Market Chinese food, but the chicken curry portion of this platter was really good. There was also something called tempora, which was basically a bunch of veggies held together by pieces of fried dough.
After leaving the massive crowds behind at the festival, we ventured over to Hyde Park and just walked around without any sort of plan. We ended up walking through Speaker’s Corner, which was completely by chance, but so awesome. Speaker’s Corner is a place where, only on Sundays, British citizens can come and voice their opinions about various topics, ranging from capitalism to the theory of evolution. One British man said something to anger an American in the crowd, and I was pretty sure punches were going to fly. Another man was preaching to a group of Muslim men about the only way to reach Heaven, in his opinion, which definitely butted heads with their opinion.
As we were walking away from one of the speakers, three older men approached me and Mel. One man asked me my opinion on reincarnation. Then we started talking about both British and American politics. He called Tony Blair “Bush’s poodle” and said a few other choice words about their former prime minister. I was completely blown away by their knowledge of the American presidential election. He knew everything about Sarah Palin, but just couldn’t remember her name. I felt almost embarrassed because I definitely do not know that much about politics in different countries! Sometimes it’s hard to even keep up with our own. Probably the funniest part of the whole conversation was when he told Mel that her American accent was not very strong, but that I sounded like George Bush. Awesome. There’s that lovely Muncie accent for shining through once again.
After walking through Hyde Park, you realize that London is not that dark, rainy city most people envision it to be. There are parts of the city that are hidden from the average tourist, that take some time to find, but in the end, are completely worth getting lost for. The best way to explore and experience the city is to just start walking without a plan. It’s always during these times, when you aren’t looking for anything in particular, that you stumble across some the city’s best kept secrets.
Oh, and for everyone who is waiting for the answer to the trivia question I asked yesterday, a Chelsea tractor is 4x4 Landrover type vehicle that football players and rich people drive around the city. Chelsea is a very posh, rich area, so the people who live there have no need for a 4x4 vehicle, but they have the money to buy one.
Until next time,
Rachel
For those who know me well, you most likely know that my church back in the States is a fairly contemporary, Methodist church. So when I walked into Saint Savior, sat down on the wooden pews constructed at a 90° angle, and read in the bulletin that this church was associated with the Church of England, I was pretty sure this was going to be another one of those times when I was not going to blend in with the crowd.
Luckily, the friend I went with is Lutheran, so she knew much more about what was going on during the service than I did. She was able to help me out with some of the constant standing, sitting, singing, and reading. I’m not saying the service was bad, but it was just MUCH more conservative than what I’m used to. Think of it as surfer from California putting on a business suit and attending a corporate meeting in New York City. The surfer is trying to blend, but his slight awkwardness lets the other business men know he’s just a little different than they are.
One of my favorite parts of the service were watching all the babies and young children and listening to their cute little accents. One boy who would yell “DA DA” as loud as he could during the service told his mom, “Mummy, I am not a naughty boy!” Another boy crawled under my legs and ran all around the church away from his dad. I also enjoyed it at the end when we sang, “Happy Birthday”, accompanied by the organ, to a boy who was turning 11 and an older lady from Wales. Finally, the actual sermon (called the homily) was about hope, which is always a powerful topic. One very noteworthy line from the priest: “Hope is always a risk because it looks to what is not there.”
After the service was over, we walked into our flat and my other roommates thought we had been to a bonfire because we smelled like smoke, which was actually the scent of incense all over our clothing. In the afternoon, a group of us went to the Thames River Festival, which had street performers, tons of food, and cute little shops and stands. It was very similar to a fair in America, just a little less redneck and much cleaner.
Mel and I bought some Chinese food from one of the stands – it was definitely not as good as the Camden Market Chinese food, but the chicken curry portion of this platter was really good. There was also something called tempora, which was basically a bunch of veggies held together by pieces of fried dough.
After leaving the massive crowds behind at the festival, we ventured over to Hyde Park and just walked around without any sort of plan. We ended up walking through Speaker’s Corner, which was completely by chance, but so awesome. Speaker’s Corner is a place where, only on Sundays, British citizens can come and voice their opinions about various topics, ranging from capitalism to the theory of evolution. One British man said something to anger an American in the crowd, and I was pretty sure punches were going to fly. Another man was preaching to a group of Muslim men about the only way to reach Heaven, in his opinion, which definitely butted heads with their opinion.
As we were walking away from one of the speakers, three older men approached me and Mel. One man asked me my opinion on reincarnation. Then we started talking about both British and American politics. He called Tony Blair “Bush’s poodle” and said a few other choice words about their former prime minister. I was completely blown away by their knowledge of the American presidential election. He knew everything about Sarah Palin, but just couldn’t remember her name. I felt almost embarrassed because I definitely do not know that much about politics in different countries! Sometimes it’s hard to even keep up with our own. Probably the funniest part of the whole conversation was when he told Mel that her American accent was not very strong, but that I sounded like George Bush. Awesome. There’s that lovely Muncie accent for shining through once again.
After walking through Hyde Park, you realize that London is not that dark, rainy city most people envision it to be. There are parts of the city that are hidden from the average tourist, that take some time to find, but in the end, are completely worth getting lost for. The best way to explore and experience the city is to just start walking without a plan. It’s always during these times, when you aren’t looking for anything in particular, that you stumble across some the city’s best kept secrets.
Oh, and for everyone who is waiting for the answer to the trivia question I asked yesterday, a Chelsea tractor is 4x4 Landrover type vehicle that football players and rich people drive around the city. Chelsea is a very posh, rich area, so the people who live there have no need for a 4x4 vehicle, but they have the money to buy one.
Until next time,
Rachel
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Bless the person who gave us umbrellas.
Hello all! In this entry I will write about all the adventures of Friday and Satuday (September 12 & 13), even though it’s Sunday morning here. Sometimes I might get a little behind, but it will never be more than a few days, so no worries. Also, the wireless internet here isn’t exactly Ball State quality, so it’s been on and off (but mostly off) since Friday morning.
Okay, so on Friday morning we all had to be at the college at 9:00 AM sharp for orientation by the British coordinator of the program and our professor for the British Life & Culture class. We went over basic rules of the college, listened to the company who is providing our accomadations while we’re in London do a little presentation, and also had a Bobbie (a policeman) come and chat with us about how to be safe while we’re in and traveling around London (Basically, hold on to your business).
We had a small break after that, so some of the gals and I went down to a little, local café and got lattes, mochas, and all those fun coffee-ish drinks. During the afternoon session of our orientation, we learned more about our classes and Wednesday field trips – all of which sound absolutely amazing! They are actually offering a class, called British Pop Music, as a free-trial run. This means it doesn’t cost us anything to take it, but we don’t get any credit for it either. However, our graduate assistant said the professor teaching it is fabulous, so I think most students will be taking it – including me. I also think I’m going to tag along with the Art History Class when they go to different museums just so that I can learn more, even though I’m not actually in the class.
After our orientation was over, most of us went out to buy a pay-as-you-go mobile (cell phone), so that we can get a hold of the other students in case of emergencies or just curiosity about what someone has planned for the day. The whole thing was an absolute fiasco because everything is extremely confusing! (But really, when is buying a mobile not confusing in the States as well?) Once we got that out of the way, the group I was with ate at a lovely, little Italian restaurant, which of course was excellent. We also stopped by a Primark store on the way back to the flats because we wanted to check out their clothing selection. That might have been one of the most dreadful experiences of my life! That store must’ve had as many people in it as the entire city of Muncie has within its city limits! Seriously, it was like H&M on steroids AND performance enhancing drugs. Absolutely insane. Oh and then we got caught in our first London downpour on the way home. Luckily I had my umbrella, but sometimes that doesn’t even matter.
That night, a large group of us took the tube to Soho (the theatre region of London) and experienced a London club. It was mostly like any other club I would assume – lots of drinks and dancing. The best part was when we met these British students and asked them about the football teams we’re supposed to be researching for our British Life & Culture. Whenever we said a name, they would just laugh and say, “They are absolutely dreadful – worst team EVER!” I asked them if they wanted to hear my southern accent and of course they thought it was hilarious and laughed and laughed and laughed.
Saturday was definitely the best day I’ve had since I’ve been here. Three of my roommates (Mel, Grace, and Tara) and I got up fairly early and rode the tube to Camden. There’s a famous market that goes on there, which is extra big on the weekends, so I’m glad we went on a Saturday. We went to a different café to get our coffee-ish drinks and then we made our way through the market. The group got split up, so Mel and I ended up by ourselves, but it was seriously so much fun. We ventured down the road and went into the Camden Lock Market, which had eclectic jewelry, vintage items, lovely teas, and indescribable food stands. There was one stand that had the most amazing donuts I have ever seen - they were filled with chocolate, marshmallow, basically anything and everything you could ever think of. There were also stands with different ethnic foods from all around the world – China, West Africa, India, etc. Mel and I bought honey chicken with rice and noodles from the Chinese stand for lunch. And we both agreed that it was by the far the best Chinese food we’ve ever had in our lives!
After we left the market, we rode the tube to the Waterloo stop where we got off and saw the London Eye (that’s the huge ferris wheel). Then we walked across Westminster Bridge (I think that’s the name) to Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. It was a beautiful day, so I was actually able to get some really good pictures! I definitely felt like a tourist though because that’s the area where everyone who visits London goes… and I was wearing bright blue and green, so I didn’t exactly blend. But most of the time in the States I don’t blend, so what’s new? :)
Okay before I end this, I want to ask everyone a British trivia question… Are you ready? I’ll tell you the answer on my next post. Alright, here it is: What is a “Chelsea Tractor” and who drives them?
Thanks again to everyone who reads this and is thinking and praying about me! I love you and miss you all so much!
Until next time,
Rachel
Okay, so on Friday morning we all had to be at the college at 9:00 AM sharp for orientation by the British coordinator of the program and our professor for the British Life & Culture class. We went over basic rules of the college, listened to the company who is providing our accomadations while we’re in London do a little presentation, and also had a Bobbie (a policeman) come and chat with us about how to be safe while we’re in and traveling around London (Basically, hold on to your business).
We had a small break after that, so some of the gals and I went down to a little, local café and got lattes, mochas, and all those fun coffee-ish drinks. During the afternoon session of our orientation, we learned more about our classes and Wednesday field trips – all of which sound absolutely amazing! They are actually offering a class, called British Pop Music, as a free-trial run. This means it doesn’t cost us anything to take it, but we don’t get any credit for it either. However, our graduate assistant said the professor teaching it is fabulous, so I think most students will be taking it – including me. I also think I’m going to tag along with the Art History Class when they go to different museums just so that I can learn more, even though I’m not actually in the class.
After our orientation was over, most of us went out to buy a pay-as-you-go mobile (cell phone), so that we can get a hold of the other students in case of emergencies or just curiosity about what someone has planned for the day. The whole thing was an absolute fiasco because everything is extremely confusing! (But really, when is buying a mobile not confusing in the States as well?) Once we got that out of the way, the group I was with ate at a lovely, little Italian restaurant, which of course was excellent. We also stopped by a Primark store on the way back to the flats because we wanted to check out their clothing selection. That might have been one of the most dreadful experiences of my life! That store must’ve had as many people in it as the entire city of Muncie has within its city limits! Seriously, it was like H&M on steroids AND performance enhancing drugs. Absolutely insane. Oh and then we got caught in our first London downpour on the way home. Luckily I had my umbrella, but sometimes that doesn’t even matter.
That night, a large group of us took the tube to Soho (the theatre region of London) and experienced a London club. It was mostly like any other club I would assume – lots of drinks and dancing. The best part was when we met these British students and asked them about the football teams we’re supposed to be researching for our British Life & Culture. Whenever we said a name, they would just laugh and say, “They are absolutely dreadful – worst team EVER!” I asked them if they wanted to hear my southern accent and of course they thought it was hilarious and laughed and laughed and laughed.
Saturday was definitely the best day I’ve had since I’ve been here. Three of my roommates (Mel, Grace, and Tara) and I got up fairly early and rode the tube to Camden. There’s a famous market that goes on there, which is extra big on the weekends, so I’m glad we went on a Saturday. We went to a different café to get our coffee-ish drinks and then we made our way through the market. The group got split up, so Mel and I ended up by ourselves, but it was seriously so much fun. We ventured down the road and went into the Camden Lock Market, which had eclectic jewelry, vintage items, lovely teas, and indescribable food stands. There was one stand that had the most amazing donuts I have ever seen - they were filled with chocolate, marshmallow, basically anything and everything you could ever think of. There were also stands with different ethnic foods from all around the world – China, West Africa, India, etc. Mel and I bought honey chicken with rice and noodles from the Chinese stand for lunch. And we both agreed that it was by the far the best Chinese food we’ve ever had in our lives!
After we left the market, we rode the tube to the Waterloo stop where we got off and saw the London Eye (that’s the huge ferris wheel). Then we walked across Westminster Bridge (I think that’s the name) to Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. It was a beautiful day, so I was actually able to get some really good pictures! I definitely felt like a tourist though because that’s the area where everyone who visits London goes… and I was wearing bright blue and green, so I didn’t exactly blend. But most of the time in the States I don’t blend, so what’s new? :)
Okay before I end this, I want to ask everyone a British trivia question… Are you ready? I’ll tell you the answer on my next post. Alright, here it is: What is a “Chelsea Tractor” and who drives them?
Thanks again to everyone who reads this and is thinking and praying about me! I love you and miss you all so much!
Until next time,
Rachel
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Let the sparks fly!
Even after having an extreme case of jet lag, I still managed to wake up promptly at 8:00 am. I guess some things never change, despite being on a different continent. The morning was pretty relaxed until I tried to plug my hair straightener into the fantastic electrical outlets they have here. I did everything I was supposed to do (seriously I did) and when I went to turn it on, it popped and sparked. Seriously. But the best part is that after that happened, none of the outlets in the common room worked. Even more fabulous. But by the time we got back to the flat in the evening the maintenance chap had already come and fixed them for us. Thank you kind sir. :)
We had a meeting at the college at 12:45, in which we learned more about our classes and got our ID badges. My picture is slightly less than fabulous considering the whole hair straightener fiasco that happened a few hours earlier. I was also originally registered as “Rachel Shell” because n’s and h’s are very similar, but I assured them I was not a member of the Shell family.
After our meeting, a small group (probably around 8 to 10 students) walked around our area of London (which is in Maida Vale if you’re looking at a map of London) trying to find the best deal on cell phones. Along the way, we found some lovely shopping places, had delicious fish and chips at a random pub, and took a jaunt through Hyde Park, where we saw beautiful foundations and a Peter Pan statue.
I don’t exactly feel like I “fit in” yet, but I think that’s because it’s just a new environment. I definitely think after a week or two, I could see myself living as a “chic hippy” in the city. There’s even an organic grocery store near us and recycling bins not too far down the road, both of which make me very happy! We don’t have our tube passes yet, so I haven’t been able to travel anywhere too far away and I haven’t seen anything exceptionally touristy yet, so right now it just feels like a grand, old New York City… that is until you hear people talking in their charming accents.
Some of the most amazing things to me so far are the tiny, little differences between Britain and America. Just the small things, such as when they write the date, they write day/month/year and we write month/day/year. Also, they name the floors of their buildings differently – what we would call the first floor is called the ground floor and what we would call the second floor is the first floor. And seriously, why is America NOT on the metric system? It’s almost impossible to read nutrition information for food because everything is in 100 ml servings, even though the package contains 247 ml of something. Really, what is that?!
Oh and on a side note, I bought diet apple and black currant juice today. I am DEFINITELY living on the edge. ;D
Until next time,
Rachel
We had a meeting at the college at 12:45, in which we learned more about our classes and got our ID badges. My picture is slightly less than fabulous considering the whole hair straightener fiasco that happened a few hours earlier. I was also originally registered as “Rachel Shell” because n’s and h’s are very similar, but I assured them I was not a member of the Shell family.
After our meeting, a small group (probably around 8 to 10 students) walked around our area of London (which is in Maida Vale if you’re looking at a map of London) trying to find the best deal on cell phones. Along the way, we found some lovely shopping places, had delicious fish and chips at a random pub, and took a jaunt through Hyde Park, where we saw beautiful foundations and a Peter Pan statue.
I don’t exactly feel like I “fit in” yet, but I think that’s because it’s just a new environment. I definitely think after a week or two, I could see myself living as a “chic hippy” in the city. There’s even an organic grocery store near us and recycling bins not too far down the road, both of which make me very happy! We don’t have our tube passes yet, so I haven’t been able to travel anywhere too far away and I haven’t seen anything exceptionally touristy yet, so right now it just feels like a grand, old New York City… that is until you hear people talking in their charming accents.
Some of the most amazing things to me so far are the tiny, little differences between Britain and America. Just the small things, such as when they write the date, they write day/month/year and we write month/day/year. Also, they name the floors of their buildings differently – what we would call the first floor is called the ground floor and what we would call the second floor is the first floor. And seriously, why is America NOT on the metric system? It’s almost impossible to read nutrition information for food because everything is in 100 ml servings, even though the package contains 247 ml of something. Really, what is that?!
Oh and on a side note, I bought diet apple and black currant juice today. I am DEFINITELY living on the edge. ;D
Until next time,
Rachel
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
And so it begins...
I made it. Finally. After a year of planning, more hours of working than I can count, and several teary goodbyes, I’m here. In London, England for the next three months of my life. I left my comfortable, somewhat predictable, cozy life behind as soon as I walked towards airport security and away from the tear-filled eyes of my parents. Now that I think about it, that whole situation was kind of ironic… I was leaving one form, my form, of security and entering another one. As I walked away with tears in my own eyes I realized that I was on my own. But I also realized that I could do this. And I did.
While I waited for the flight to take us from Indianapolis to Toronto, I caught up with some friends and met some new ones. That flight was relatively uneventful, besides the flight attendant who absolutely hated her job and had a serious issue with luggage under the seats. Once we got to Toronto, everyone in our group got out their laptops because there was FREE wireless internet… and we had two hours until our flight to London left, so there’s no better way to waste time than to spend it on Facebook!
The flight to London was lovely (I’m trying to use “British words”). I really have no idea how many hours of sleep I got because one, Ironman was the movie on the flight, and two, frigid does not even begin to describe the temperature on that plane. When we arrived in London, we went through customs (which is always a good time) and then headed to baggage claim. I’ve never been happier to see my two giant, red suitcases (which both weighed in at 49.5lbs – the limit is 50 lbs.) than I was at that moment!
We rode buses from Heathrow International Airport to our flats (apartments), which are located in Clifton Gardens. Our bus driver had an intense Scottish accent and drove slightly crazy. He almost hit street signs, other vehicles, and people, but hey, we made it safely to our flats and that’s all that matters. In my flat, it’s me and two other girls staying in one bedroom, two other girls staying in a second bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen, and a living/common room area. It’s actually very cute and quite London-ish. The location is lovely too and we’re close to the Hilton Hotel and fun little shops.
Besides that we didn’t do too much today. We had a few meetings today - one with the man in charge of our classes at the City of Westminster College and one with the landlord in charge of our flats. They both had charming British accents, which I could listen to all day long! I ventured to the grocery store here with a some other gals, but unfortunately, couldn’t find peanut butter or cottage cheese. So I bought Diet Coke and chocolate instead. :)
Tomorrow will most likely be a much more exciting because we get our college ID’s and buy our tube (subway) passes . And I also won’t have an extreme case of jet lag to deal with.
Until next time,
Rachel
While I waited for the flight to take us from Indianapolis to Toronto, I caught up with some friends and met some new ones. That flight was relatively uneventful, besides the flight attendant who absolutely hated her job and had a serious issue with luggage under the seats. Once we got to Toronto, everyone in our group got out their laptops because there was FREE wireless internet… and we had two hours until our flight to London left, so there’s no better way to waste time than to spend it on Facebook!
The flight to London was lovely (I’m trying to use “British words”). I really have no idea how many hours of sleep I got because one, Ironman was the movie on the flight, and two, frigid does not even begin to describe the temperature on that plane. When we arrived in London, we went through customs (which is always a good time) and then headed to baggage claim. I’ve never been happier to see my two giant, red suitcases (which both weighed in at 49.5lbs – the limit is 50 lbs.) than I was at that moment!
We rode buses from Heathrow International Airport to our flats (apartments), which are located in Clifton Gardens. Our bus driver had an intense Scottish accent and drove slightly crazy. He almost hit street signs, other vehicles, and people, but hey, we made it safely to our flats and that’s all that matters. In my flat, it’s me and two other girls staying in one bedroom, two other girls staying in a second bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen, and a living/common room area. It’s actually very cute and quite London-ish. The location is lovely too and we’re close to the Hilton Hotel and fun little shops.
Besides that we didn’t do too much today. We had a few meetings today - one with the man in charge of our classes at the City of Westminster College and one with the landlord in charge of our flats. They both had charming British accents, which I could listen to all day long! I ventured to the grocery store here with a some other gals, but unfortunately, couldn’t find peanut butter or cottage cheese. So I bought Diet Coke and chocolate instead. :)
Tomorrow will most likely be a much more exciting because we get our college ID’s and buy our tube (subway) passes . And I also won’t have an extreme case of jet lag to deal with.
Until next time,
Rachel
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Five days.
Five days. That's all. Five days until I am on an airplane flying across the Atlantic Ocean to my new home for the next three months: London, England.
I've always loved to travel, regardless of where I was going. Before I could drive, I loved riding along with my dad to go grocery shopping at Walmart or running Saturday errands with my mom and stopping at McDonald's for a hamburger, small french fries, and a medium diet Coke. As I got older, we went on several interesting and extremely memorable family vacations, such as a trip to Colorado which involved white water rafting and me falling completely out of the raft and into the rapids. Or a spring break trip to Arizona where we rode mules to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and then traveled through the biggest snowstorm of the decade on our way back up.
From that love of travel a desire grew to study abroad. Initially I didn't know where or when I was going, but somehow I decided to go to London for the fall semester of my sophomore year.
Several people have asked me why I wanted to do this, including my less-than-genius brother, who I love dearly but thinks buying a motorcyle instead of studying abroad is a much better investment of my money (Because then he could ride it also...?). Anyway, his question made me really wonder why I've always wanted to do this. The easy and obvious answer would be because traveling has always been fun and exciting to me. But that's not the real reason. Maybe it's because no one in my family has ever done it before? Or maybe it's because a semester away from my "comfort zone" that will really allow me to find out who I am as a person?
I guess the bottom line is this: There are many answers that could work, but none of them really answer the question, "Why?". So maybe that's the real reason why I'm going. So that I can figure it out. Because if I already knew the real reason why... is there even any point in going? (Besides that fact that I get to spend 3 months in London and travel all around Europe!)
Finally, I would like to end my very first post with this quote I found online not too long ago. Whenever you have time, I hope you keep up my travels and leave comments so that I can still feel connected to friends and family even though I'm a little further away. :) Thanks!
"You cannot fully understand your own life without knowing and thinking beyond your life, your own neighborhood, and even your own nation." ~Johnnetta Cole
Until next time,
Rachel
I've always loved to travel, regardless of where I was going. Before I could drive, I loved riding along with my dad to go grocery shopping at Walmart or running Saturday errands with my mom and stopping at McDonald's for a hamburger, small french fries, and a medium diet Coke. As I got older, we went on several interesting and extremely memorable family vacations, such as a trip to Colorado which involved white water rafting and me falling completely out of the raft and into the rapids. Or a spring break trip to Arizona where we rode mules to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and then traveled through the biggest snowstorm of the decade on our way back up.
From that love of travel a desire grew to study abroad. Initially I didn't know where or when I was going, but somehow I decided to go to London for the fall semester of my sophomore year.
Several people have asked me why I wanted to do this, including my less-than-genius brother, who I love dearly but thinks buying a motorcyle instead of studying abroad is a much better investment of my money (Because then he could ride it also...?). Anyway, his question made me really wonder why I've always wanted to do this. The easy and obvious answer would be because traveling has always been fun and exciting to me. But that's not the real reason. Maybe it's because no one in my family has ever done it before? Or maybe it's because a semester away from my "comfort zone" that will really allow me to find out who I am as a person?
I guess the bottom line is this: There are many answers that could work, but none of them really answer the question, "Why?". So maybe that's the real reason why I'm going. So that I can figure it out. Because if I already knew the real reason why... is there even any point in going? (Besides that fact that I get to spend 3 months in London and travel all around Europe!)
Finally, I would like to end my very first post with this quote I found online not too long ago. Whenever you have time, I hope you keep up my travels and leave comments so that I can still feel connected to friends and family even though I'm a little further away. :) Thanks!
"You cannot fully understand your own life without knowing and thinking beyond your life, your own neighborhood, and even your own nation." ~Johnnetta Cole
Until next time,
Rachel
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