Well it's approx 4 am and I'm sitting on a coach bus, headed out of London towards Luton Airport where I will board a 6 am flight to Dublin! This weekend will be filled with a tour of the countryside, visits to the Guinness and Jameson factories, stops at Trinity College, Dublin Castle, and St. Patrick's Cathedral...and maybe a "Guinness pie" at The Brazen Head... A pub recommended to us at 3 am by two drunk Brits who happened to wander by us while we waited in an alley for our bus. We are staying in a hostel located in the heart of Temple Bar, Dublin's liveliest region. It's apparently so lively that we each have to pay a 30 Euro "noise deposit"- if we are too rowdy, we lose those 30 E!
So I am sitting in the front row of the coach... We have stopped multiple times to pick up other passengers at other locations. When you get on the bus, you have the option of storing luggage in the belly or bringing it aboard. The belly door is operated electronically by the driver who doesn't need to get on and off to open and close it. After the most recent stop, as we are driving down the road, this American (I know, who am I to judge) girl comes rushing down the aisle, yelling at the (foreign) driver that he forgot to shut the door. She is freaking out that her luggage is just freewheelin out there. The driver has no idea what she's talking about... And basically tells her not to worry about it. She's still paranoid. Funny!
My mom leaves this morning to come and visit! She's spending the weekend in Paris and then coming to London Monday morning. I'm so excited...to see her, stay in a hotel, fine dine, go to the theater, show her what a good time Europe can be! (Then let her take me back in a few years...) She's got a longgg day of flying ahead- starting in what is quite possibly the world's smallest airport, Presque Isle International, and ending up in one of the largest...Charles De Gaulle!
This week has been fun, but school is more work than I'd expected it to be. I settled into this really cute cafe Monday afternoon and read for my sociology class, spent all day Tuesday at school, woke up SICK as a dog Wednesday morning, missed my first class, but made it in time for my second and third ones. Spent approximately 6 hours at school yesterday doing work and getting ahead so I can spend as much time as possible with my mom when she arrives.
A girl I am working on a group project with got in a traffic accident and is spending the weekend in the hospital! I told you all- crossing the street in London is HARD.
This biotch sitting in front of me keeps trying to recline her seat into my lap. No way! I've got my knees locked up onto the seat really tight..not happening.
Congratulations to my alma mater, where the Lady Warriors upset the Stearns Minutemen in overtime to secure a spot at the Bangor Auditorium. Brings me back to my junior year when we rocked Stearns at home on Valentine's Day (after losing to them twice regular season) to make it to Bangor. That game may or may not have been the one where I poured the most cups of water during my high school career...
And 'Cuse basketball?! 24-1?! I would be missing this season. Another win over UConn this week!
I had the opportunity to visit the Michael Jackson exhibition this week at the O2 (London's HUGE concert venue). I saw so much of his life- the white glove, the jeweled red military coat, his Rolls Royce, the Neverland gates, the set design and some of the costumes for the "This Is It" tour, along with hundreds of other items. It was so interesting to see how much of his choreography was inspired by musicians beyond Michael's time, including James Brown and The Nichols Brothers. I never knew Michael wasn't the first one to moonwalk! I also was able to sign and leave a message in a remembrance book that will be given to his family. A cool experience..
I really do love having my new phone. It's made it so much easier to talk to my mom and friends at school. I talked to Courtney this morning at 2 am while I was getting ready and while she was getting ready to go out!
I'll be home Sunday around 6..plan to spend the evening cleaning up my apartment so that it's at least semi-presentable to my mom! :)
Going to try and get some sleep before we get to the airport.. Thanks for reading!
Ps- I'm on the lookout for leprechauns this weekend...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
superbowl sundayyyy
SO...the superbowl from london is nothing like it is in the states. first of all, it's 11:30 pm here. we're watching it on BBC, where one of the announcers just called the field "the pitch." it's going to be a longggg night.
on the other hand, my time here does not seem long at all- it's hard to believe that i've been here three weeks already. the time is FLYING. and with classes just twice a week (technically three, but just one on monday morning, so..) i kind of feel like i'm on a permanent vacation. not a bad life... i think i kind of deserve it!
i've been up to a LOT. this weekend was SU's "love london weekend" production and they held true to their promise...i really do love london even more now. i saw billy elliot at the victoria theater on thursday night and LOVED it; i cried and cried. it's a story of a boy from northern england who's mother has died, father wants him to be a boxer, but he is truly a talented and gifted dancer. the story centers around his struggle to achieve his dream...it's was a great first show to see! on friday i was able to take a backstage tour of london's royal opera house, which was so cool. we saw how everything operates, the dance studios, and got to visit the room where they make all of the hats and jewelry used in the productions. saturday morning brought a bike tour of west london...which was definitely my favorite tour i've taken since i've been here. we cruised nine miles around the city and saw so much of it. two of ten people in our group wiped out, one deserved it because he was being a jackass, but the other was the result of wet ground and our friend trevor trying to do tricks on the concrete. didn't end well for him! :) saturday night brought romeo and juliet at the royal ballet company. we arrived four minutes past 7:00 (because my roommates were straightening their hair) and had to watch the first act on a big screen in one of the dining rooms. we were able to go into the INCREDIBLE theater during the first intermission and watched the capulets and montagues dance through two more scenes. during the second intermission a girl in the SU program pointed out a star seated just across the auditorium from us- DRACO MALFOY, harry potter's arch nemesis in the warner brothers' films, was also at the show that night! my first star sighting... and today i had the opportunity to see a beethoven concert performed by the london symphony orchestra at barbican hall. i can't begin to describe how beautiful, powerful, and emotional this experience was; hands down, it's been my favorite experience since i've been in london. the orchestra performed symphonies one and nine; the first was a great introduction, but the second blew my socks off. the orchestra was accompanied by vocal performers and it was the most beautiful thing i've ever heard. symphony number nine is made up of five different pieces, all of which are popular sounds throughout pop culture, current tv, and current movies. each piece was recognizable, but together it was just breathtaking.
other highlights of my weekend... i spent over five hours at the museum of natural history. it's the most beautiful building i've seen in london; it looks like a castle. i took over 200 photos during the time i spent there. it's also the home of many dinosaur fossils, a "live" t-rex, a charles darwin exhibit, a recreated womb-experience, among many thousands of other items. i loved it! went to lunch at an amazing italian chain, and then headed to st. paul's cathedral for evensong services. england is a protestant state, so a catholic cathedral/services can be hard to come by. the architecture and decor of the cathedral were unbelievable; it's where princess di was married. a choir was visiting from an english college and their performance was beautiful. things were similar to catholic traditions, but the prayers were different and no one knelt. i'll probably go back.
i've got crossing the road down-packed. i've pretty much got all the coins mastered; england has one-pence, two pence, five pence, ten pence, twenty pence, fifty pence, pound, and two pound coins. not really sure the point of a two pence coin. the pence looks like a penny, two-pence looks like a copper american fifty-cent piece, five pence like a dime, ten pence is like a quarter, twenty pence similar to a nickel, fifty pence the same as an american fifty cent coin, pound is a heavier, thicker nickel, and two pence is like a canadian two-dollar coin in both size and color. i can't pick them out by touch, but i can recognize them all by sight. also- on this continent, you've got a ground floor, first floor, second floor, etc. it's weird to get used to.
so it turns out i never learned anything about any european history. who were the huguenots? i don't know much about any kings. napoleon was...english? when was i supposed to learn about this?! i can barely tell the difference between the greeks and romans...
some things don't change. i am still SO cranky in the morning and need an hour's worth of space before i've got any character at all. "i'm crabby in the morning."
i'm going to poland! i'll be spending three days in krakow and the surrounding areas in april. it's the trip i'm most excited for. at this time, i'm actually going by myself, which i'm really okay with. the more i'm here, the more i like myself and hanging out just with myself. so i'm a little cocky and self-absorbed, but it is what it is. i'm also planning to spend my easter break in normandy (northern france) visiting the historic world war two sites and this place called mont-st-michel. i'll probably be traveling there alone, too, and i'm very much looking forward to it.
so i've discovered these amazing cookies since i've been here. they're like...a wafer with one side coated in milk or dark chocolate. only problem- they're called DIGESTIVES. they remind me of a laxative and eating them makes me nervous. like i'm not sure why anyone would ever name something "digestive..."
boys are so dirty. that's all i have to say about that. actually, no: i live with four boys and two of them do not know how to pick up after themselves at alllllllll. they were all gone this weekend and our apartment sparkled. they're back, and the garbage is already overflowing. great. patience...gone.
i'm sharing a bedroom with two sicklings. j and laura both have colds. if i get through this semester without getting sick...i will be thrilled.
i heard through the grapevine about this place called "nandos." nandos, as it turns out... is the BEST chicken place i've ever been to in my entire life. my friends who were here three years ago mentioned it to me, a friend at school raved about it, and then i found one just around the corner from my flat... MMM MMM MMM. also turns out that basically the best mexican food in all of london is also nearby, and the official best filipino food in the city is right down the street. uh oh...
i wandered through selfridges, an upscale store near marble arch last weekend, and ran into an american food aisle. aunt jemima, oreos, marshmellow fluff... everything. d-a-n-g-e-r-o-u-s. our friend jackie brought over a cake she picked up there the other day to share with us...originally 100 pounds, she picked it up on "sale" for 70. tough life.
i saw a woman wearing a cloak the other day. like big fleece blanket, no sleeves, a single button in the front. WHERE AM I?!
i did five loads of laundry today; basically all of my laundry since i've been here. a "quick wash" takes an hour, and to get it 75% dry takes another 55 minutes. so two hours, five loads...did laundry for ten hours today. and thennnnn i had to hang it all around our living room to get the final 25% of dryness, which actually took probably at least another hour. sweet life, learned a lesson.
if you haven't heard yet... i couldn't deal with my blackberry separation. i missed being able to talk to my friends, talk to my mom, receive my email, use google maps... so i spent all afternoon yesterday setting myself up with a uk bb. i found this sketchy-ass electronics shop, bought a second-hand blackberry, went to a store to get it unlocked (where the guy asked me how much i wanted to pay him), got an orange sim card inserted, and activated the blackberry plan. my new pin: 251431A2. BBM me!
special congratulations to my good friend taylor boucher who scored her 1000th career point for the community high school lady warriors this past friday night. she achieved this feat in three years, instead of the usual four, after a season-ending acl tear sat her on the sideline for her entire junior year. congrats, TT, and good luck at the tourney girls!
so on tuesday nights we go to this very american place called sports cafe. it's like being back at a syracuse frat party with beer pong and flip cup. you can get a pitcher of redbull/vodka, sex on the beach, long island ice tea...for six pounds. a pint of beer is a pound fifty, and it's basically taken over by SU on tuesdays. good times, no culture, but fun. usually followed up by a stop at mcdonalds. it's not psiu and it's not campusfood, but it's still good times.
what is UP syracuse basketball?! the orange are having an INCREDIBLE season, currently at 23-1. the SU/villanova game on february 27th is already sold out...to over 36,000 fans. nine times the size of fort kent, no big deal.
speaking of fort kent... my hometown has landed a spot on the 2011 biathlon world cup tour! maybeee i'll be able to go home for a visit... i'll know all about european culture by then and will be able to interact with all the cute german and swedish athletes...
british chocolate is amazing. it can't be describe. cadbury here is different than cadbury in the states, but the company has recently been purchased by kraft, so we'll see how well chocolate and cheese combine.
we're headed to dublin this weekend. (by we, i mean approximately 25 people in our SU program.) i've booked a hostel three doors down from temple bar, a world-famous irish district! i'm excited!
you know, dixon ticonderoga pencils are not sold in england. i can't do my econ homework. welp.
also, the paper here is soooo strangely sized. it's at least an inch longer than we're used to in the states, and a little narrower. it's so weird!
and the best news ever: MY MOM WILL BE HERE IN A WEEK! she arrives on the chunnel from paris on monday and i'm so excited. being in new york while my family is in maine is one thing, but to be across an ocean, five hours away, is entirely different. i can't wait to see her!
chances of me being electrocuted this semester...65%. dealing with american chargers, transformers, and adapters is scary. some of the ones plugged into our power strip spark and hiss and buzz like crazy... i'm really scared to have anything plugged in at any given time. i will NOT be surprised if i get shocked...
a brief list of everything i miss:
american electricity/water pressure/plumbing. golden retrievers (i see dogs everywhere, but not the best breed.) whitman. outback steakhouse. going for rides in the car. having space. dunkin' donuts coffee. carrying a water bottle (no one does that here!). brickbreaker. uggs. warrior basketball. microwave popcorn. being able to talk to my mom 24/7. habitat family. american television. people who get and enjoy harry potter references. swiffer. ed winston. (among many, many other things and many, many other people.)
again, if you want to see my picasa albums, let me know. i'm proud of my pictures and want to share them. there aren't a lot of people in them, but there are a lot of cool scenes and places to see.
things i hope to see this week: the michael jackson exhibition at the O2, shakespeare's globe theater, tower of london, the catholic cathedral, and whatever other exciting things i run into. waiting for my mom to take a ride on the london eye.
loving london! lots more to share and tell, but i've got a superbowl to watch (probably not) and a bed that's calling my name (for sure.) please, please skype, bbm, ichat, facebook chat/message/wall, smoke signal me...i'd love to hear from anyone!
cheers!
on the other hand, my time here does not seem long at all- it's hard to believe that i've been here three weeks already. the time is FLYING. and with classes just twice a week (technically three, but just one on monday morning, so..) i kind of feel like i'm on a permanent vacation. not a bad life... i think i kind of deserve it!
i've been up to a LOT. this weekend was SU's "love london weekend" production and they held true to their promise...i really do love london even more now. i saw billy elliot at the victoria theater on thursday night and LOVED it; i cried and cried. it's a story of a boy from northern england who's mother has died, father wants him to be a boxer, but he is truly a talented and gifted dancer. the story centers around his struggle to achieve his dream...it's was a great first show to see! on friday i was able to take a backstage tour of london's royal opera house, which was so cool. we saw how everything operates, the dance studios, and got to visit the room where they make all of the hats and jewelry used in the productions. saturday morning brought a bike tour of west london...which was definitely my favorite tour i've taken since i've been here. we cruised nine miles around the city and saw so much of it. two of ten people in our group wiped out, one deserved it because he was being a jackass, but the other was the result of wet ground and our friend trevor trying to do tricks on the concrete. didn't end well for him! :) saturday night brought romeo and juliet at the royal ballet company. we arrived four minutes past 7:00 (because my roommates were straightening their hair) and had to watch the first act on a big screen in one of the dining rooms. we were able to go into the INCREDIBLE theater during the first intermission and watched the capulets and montagues dance through two more scenes. during the second intermission a girl in the SU program pointed out a star seated just across the auditorium from us- DRACO MALFOY, harry potter's arch nemesis in the warner brothers' films, was also at the show that night! my first star sighting... and today i had the opportunity to see a beethoven concert performed by the london symphony orchestra at barbican hall. i can't begin to describe how beautiful, powerful, and emotional this experience was; hands down, it's been my favorite experience since i've been in london. the orchestra performed symphonies one and nine; the first was a great introduction, but the second blew my socks off. the orchestra was accompanied by vocal performers and it was the most beautiful thing i've ever heard. symphony number nine is made up of five different pieces, all of which are popular sounds throughout pop culture, current tv, and current movies. each piece was recognizable, but together it was just breathtaking.
other highlights of my weekend... i spent over five hours at the museum of natural history. it's the most beautiful building i've seen in london; it looks like a castle. i took over 200 photos during the time i spent there. it's also the home of many dinosaur fossils, a "live" t-rex, a charles darwin exhibit, a recreated womb-experience, among many thousands of other items. i loved it! went to lunch at an amazing italian chain, and then headed to st. paul's cathedral for evensong services. england is a protestant state, so a catholic cathedral/services can be hard to come by. the architecture and decor of the cathedral were unbelievable; it's where princess di was married. a choir was visiting from an english college and their performance was beautiful. things were similar to catholic traditions, but the prayers were different and no one knelt. i'll probably go back.
i've got crossing the road down-packed. i've pretty much got all the coins mastered; england has one-pence, two pence, five pence, ten pence, twenty pence, fifty pence, pound, and two pound coins. not really sure the point of a two pence coin. the pence looks like a penny, two-pence looks like a copper american fifty-cent piece, five pence like a dime, ten pence is like a quarter, twenty pence similar to a nickel, fifty pence the same as an american fifty cent coin, pound is a heavier, thicker nickel, and two pence is like a canadian two-dollar coin in both size and color. i can't pick them out by touch, but i can recognize them all by sight. also- on this continent, you've got a ground floor, first floor, second floor, etc. it's weird to get used to.
so it turns out i never learned anything about any european history. who were the huguenots? i don't know much about any kings. napoleon was...english? when was i supposed to learn about this?! i can barely tell the difference between the greeks and romans...
some things don't change. i am still SO cranky in the morning and need an hour's worth of space before i've got any character at all. "i'm crabby in the morning."
i'm going to poland! i'll be spending three days in krakow and the surrounding areas in april. it's the trip i'm most excited for. at this time, i'm actually going by myself, which i'm really okay with. the more i'm here, the more i like myself and hanging out just with myself. so i'm a little cocky and self-absorbed, but it is what it is. i'm also planning to spend my easter break in normandy (northern france) visiting the historic world war two sites and this place called mont-st-michel. i'll probably be traveling there alone, too, and i'm very much looking forward to it.
so i've discovered these amazing cookies since i've been here. they're like...a wafer with one side coated in milk or dark chocolate. only problem- they're called DIGESTIVES. they remind me of a laxative and eating them makes me nervous. like i'm not sure why anyone would ever name something "digestive..."
boys are so dirty. that's all i have to say about that. actually, no: i live with four boys and two of them do not know how to pick up after themselves at alllllllll. they were all gone this weekend and our apartment sparkled. they're back, and the garbage is already overflowing. great. patience...gone.
i'm sharing a bedroom with two sicklings. j and laura both have colds. if i get through this semester without getting sick...i will be thrilled.
i heard through the grapevine about this place called "nandos." nandos, as it turns out... is the BEST chicken place i've ever been to in my entire life. my friends who were here three years ago mentioned it to me, a friend at school raved about it, and then i found one just around the corner from my flat... MMM MMM MMM. also turns out that basically the best mexican food in all of london is also nearby, and the official best filipino food in the city is right down the street. uh oh...
i wandered through selfridges, an upscale store near marble arch last weekend, and ran into an american food aisle. aunt jemima, oreos, marshmellow fluff... everything. d-a-n-g-e-r-o-u-s. our friend jackie brought over a cake she picked up there the other day to share with us...originally 100 pounds, she picked it up on "sale" for 70. tough life.
i saw a woman wearing a cloak the other day. like big fleece blanket, no sleeves, a single button in the front. WHERE AM I?!
i did five loads of laundry today; basically all of my laundry since i've been here. a "quick wash" takes an hour, and to get it 75% dry takes another 55 minutes. so two hours, five loads...did laundry for ten hours today. and thennnnn i had to hang it all around our living room to get the final 25% of dryness, which actually took probably at least another hour. sweet life, learned a lesson.
if you haven't heard yet... i couldn't deal with my blackberry separation. i missed being able to talk to my friends, talk to my mom, receive my email, use google maps... so i spent all afternoon yesterday setting myself up with a uk bb. i found this sketchy-ass electronics shop, bought a second-hand blackberry, went to a store to get it unlocked (where the guy asked me how much i wanted to pay him), got an orange sim card inserted, and activated the blackberry plan. my new pin: 251431A2. BBM me!
special congratulations to my good friend taylor boucher who scored her 1000th career point for the community high school lady warriors this past friday night. she achieved this feat in three years, instead of the usual four, after a season-ending acl tear sat her on the sideline for her entire junior year. congrats, TT, and good luck at the tourney girls!
so on tuesday nights we go to this very american place called sports cafe. it's like being back at a syracuse frat party with beer pong and flip cup. you can get a pitcher of redbull/vodka, sex on the beach, long island ice tea...for six pounds. a pint of beer is a pound fifty, and it's basically taken over by SU on tuesdays. good times, no culture, but fun. usually followed up by a stop at mcdonalds. it's not psiu and it's not campusfood, but it's still good times.
what is UP syracuse basketball?! the orange are having an INCREDIBLE season, currently at 23-1. the SU/villanova game on february 27th is already sold out...to over 36,000 fans. nine times the size of fort kent, no big deal.
speaking of fort kent... my hometown has landed a spot on the 2011 biathlon world cup tour! maybeee i'll be able to go home for a visit... i'll know all about european culture by then and will be able to interact with all the cute german and swedish athletes...
british chocolate is amazing. it can't be describe. cadbury here is different than cadbury in the states, but the company has recently been purchased by kraft, so we'll see how well chocolate and cheese combine.
we're headed to dublin this weekend. (by we, i mean approximately 25 people in our SU program.) i've booked a hostel three doors down from temple bar, a world-famous irish district! i'm excited!
you know, dixon ticonderoga pencils are not sold in england. i can't do my econ homework. welp.
also, the paper here is soooo strangely sized. it's at least an inch longer than we're used to in the states, and a little narrower. it's so weird!
and the best news ever: MY MOM WILL BE HERE IN A WEEK! she arrives on the chunnel from paris on monday and i'm so excited. being in new york while my family is in maine is one thing, but to be across an ocean, five hours away, is entirely different. i can't wait to see her!
chances of me being electrocuted this semester...65%. dealing with american chargers, transformers, and adapters is scary. some of the ones plugged into our power strip spark and hiss and buzz like crazy... i'm really scared to have anything plugged in at any given time. i will NOT be surprised if i get shocked...
a brief list of everything i miss:
american electricity/water pressure/plumbing. golden retrievers (i see dogs everywhere, but not the best breed.) whitman. outback steakhouse. going for rides in the car. having space. dunkin' donuts coffee. carrying a water bottle (no one does that here!). brickbreaker. uggs. warrior basketball. microwave popcorn. being able to talk to my mom 24/7. habitat family. american television. people who get and enjoy harry potter references. swiffer. ed winston. (among many, many other things and many, many other people.)
again, if you want to see my picasa albums, let me know. i'm proud of my pictures and want to share them. there aren't a lot of people in them, but there are a lot of cool scenes and places to see.
things i hope to see this week: the michael jackson exhibition at the O2, shakespeare's globe theater, tower of london, the catholic cathedral, and whatever other exciting things i run into. waiting for my mom to take a ride on the london eye.
loving london! lots more to share and tell, but i've got a superbowl to watch (probably not) and a bed that's calling my name (for sure.) please, please skype, bbm, ichat, facebook chat/message/wall, smoke signal me...i'd love to hear from anyone!
cheers!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
cheerio
Hello, hello, hello:
I must start off by apologizing for my absence. I know everyone’s been looking forward to hearing about what I’ve been up to and I’ve been a complete failure about keeping in touch. Know that I’ve been thinking of you all- my friends, family, peers- quite regularly and wish you could all be here with me.
The past few weeks in a whirlwind: I left Portland, Maine, arrived at JFK airport in New York City, left a few hours later for London. My first international flight was smooth but a little emotional- I realized how much I’m going to miss home. I flew Virgin Atlantic…by far the coolest airline I’ve ever been on- wine on the plane, sleep mask, socks, TV and movies all night long…loved it. Arrived in London wicked jet lagged, wiped out in the hotel shower (twice), but thankfully with all of my luggage. I landed a GREAT apartment with six other people, including two of my best girlfriends, a close guy friend, and three other really nice guys. We’re living near Oxford Street in a tenth floor penthouse; there are three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, but we chose the place because of the view. 50% of our walls are actually windows and we’re able to see almost ALL of London. We have a balcony that wraps around three sides of the building, and, ironically, some of our other SU friends moved into the other apartment on the floor. But from the balcony I can see the London Eye (huge Ferris wheel), Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the financial district, Madame Tussads Wax Museum, the BT tower, St. Paul’s cathedral, and basically the rest of the city. It’s unbelievable and I am still in awe every time I check it out. Day, night, sunset: it’s always beautiful.
School is a quick tube ride or twenty-minute walk away, near Russell Square. The building is called Faraday House and is very discreet; you’d never know it was an American or university building. We have three unfriendly security guards who keep us safe. The staff at school are great and incredibly helpful. My professors are INCREDIBLE and I’m going to learn so much about London from them. I’m enrolled in fifteen credits: Strategic Human Resources, London: A History Through Architecture, Multicultural London, Managing in a Global Setting, and The World Economy. My architecture professor is a legend and over the course of the semester, I’ll visit Westminster Abbey/Big Ben, Tower of London, and dozens of other British buildings. Multicultural London is going to be equally interesting, with opportunities to visit the different cultural neighborhoods and religious places of worship around London, including a Jewish temple and a Sikh gurdwara. My economics class is going to be miserable; Janielle already slept through the first three-hour class. The other two management classes will be bearable.
SU London plans this AMAZING weekend for students called Love London. We’re offered discounted trips and opportunities to do really cool things. It’s actually taking place this upcoming weekend… I’ll be seeing Billy Elliot at the theater, Romeo and Juliet the ballet, taking a bike tour of the city, a Beethoven concert, and will take a tour of the Royal Opera House. I’ll be doing all of this for fifty pounds, which is amazing.
Speaking of pounds… everything here is SO incredibly expensive. The exchange is basically 1 British pound to 1.75 US dollars. Send money!
Now when we got to London, we had to get basic necessities for our apartment. To find these things, we were directed to a shop called Argos. Imagine this: walk into a store and find fifty Sears catalogues located throughout the floor, but no products anywhere. You search through the catalogue for the product you want, type the code into this weird Jetsons-looking machine, and check if there are any in inventory. If there are, you fill out a slip, take it to the counter, pay for your products, and then head over to a counter to wait for your order to be passed to you from a conveyor belt. Amazing!
Remember the TV show on CBS called Big Brother? Well, if I flip on one of my five TV channels at any given time during the day, British Big Brother is on. At 2:00 AM…British Big Brother is as uneventful as you could imagine- we have literally spent hours just watching people sleep. It’s the creepiest thing ever; it feels like there are people in the room with you sleep-breathing.
I’m really going to try to take advantage of all the CULTURED opportunities London will present me with this semester. I want to go to the theater multiple times, go to a variety of musical concerts, and visit many museums. I’ve already checked out the mummies at the British National Museum, seen the Rosetta Stone (the key to unlocking ancient hieroglyphics), and fallen in love with the CHARMING, uniformly dressed British schoolchildren. I’ve never had the chance to expose myself to much culture and now that I have the opportunity…I really want to run with it.
My vocabulary has expanded since I’ve been here. I don’t have a cell phone, I have a mobile. To add more minutes onto my mobile, I “top up.” I’ve learned what aubergine is (only after I ate it and had to search it on Wikipedia.) On nights we don’t go clubbing, we go pubbing. Big Brother’s on the telly, my watch is broken if it’s moving anti-clockwise, and instead of waiting in line, I’m on queue. The lift takes me down to the tube, and traveling the streets at night alone is awfully dodgy.
I have done some cool things already- I’ve been to Stonehenge, a small town called Salisbury, and crossed the Prime Meridian (the “line” that separates the eastern and western hemispheres.) I already have plans to travel to Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona over the course of the rest of the semester, as well as intentions to visit Normandy, Krakow, and Prague. I also have the opportunity to spend a weekend with a British family (which I’d really like to do) and to travel to Wales on an “adventure weekend,” where I could surf, hike, go coasteering (cliff jumping), and kayaking. I’m also thinking about spending a week in Italy once the semester is over before I head back to the States.
My mom is coming to visit! She’ll be here for five days in February; she’s prefacing her time in London with a quick trip to Paris. I’m really looking forward to seeing her and already have a few thoughts about what we’ll do together when she’s here. Also- two of my best friends are coming from the US for spring break and I am SO excited! We’re spending our time in Madrid and Barcelona.
I haven’t felt any sense of culture shock. I suspect that’s because I am in an English culture. Still, the differences in food (British cuisine is TERRIBLE), style, conversion, and custom make it clear that I’m not in the States. Still, sometimes I yearn for the familiar…thankfully Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and Diet Coke are found on every corner.
In Europe, beer is water. No one carries bottles of water with them, but enjoys a pint as frequently as one might guzzle Poland Springs in the US. And no one is drinking Coors Light- the beer here is far heavier and much tastier! Corona can be found here, but my drink of choice is Strongbow- a cider brew.
London closes early. Most of the pubs shut by 12:00, so people are out drinking by 7:30 pm. Clubs are open late, but they’re really, really expensive. In order to stay open late, an establishment needs a special, very expensive license granted by the city. Therefore, the places that are open late are costly.
I picked up this great yellow wool coat while over Thanksgiving break, and it has been a HIT here. The staff at school calls me “the girl in the yellow coat” and my roommates like it when I wear it out because they can spot me anywhere. It’s actually in for dry cleaning right now and I can’t wait to get it back.
I’ve been taking tons of photos, but not putting them on Facebook. No one really wants to see an album of 200 pictures of Stonehenge, so I haven’t shared them. I have, however, created a Picasa album where I’ve put all I’ve taken. I can grant access to anyone who wants to see it, so just let me know if you’re interested.
I’ve got lots more to share, but a ton of reading and travel planning to finish conquering tonight. I’d love to hear from everyone and anyone- Skype me! My Skype name is kelsiebouchard. You can send me mail at: 48-51 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AE, United Kingdom.
Oh! One of my favorite things about where I’m living- In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron, and Hermione apparate to Tottenham Court Road (WHERE I LIVE) when the Death Eaters attack at Bill and Fleur’s wedding. There, they duck into a grungy little café…and are taken by surprise when three Death Eaters, dressed as construction workers, attack them. They are able to defend themselves and have to modify the memory of the waitress in the shop, but they survive. And it all happened so close to where I live! (Sorry, non-HP fans!)
Anyways, like I said, lots more to share, but lots of other things to do. Please do keep in touch! I’ll leave you with a few photos from my trip thus far…
Cheers,
Kelsie
I must start off by apologizing for my absence. I know everyone’s been looking forward to hearing about what I’ve been up to and I’ve been a complete failure about keeping in touch. Know that I’ve been thinking of you all- my friends, family, peers- quite regularly and wish you could all be here with me.
The past few weeks in a whirlwind: I left Portland, Maine, arrived at JFK airport in New York City, left a few hours later for London. My first international flight was smooth but a little emotional- I realized how much I’m going to miss home. I flew Virgin Atlantic…by far the coolest airline I’ve ever been on- wine on the plane, sleep mask, socks, TV and movies all night long…loved it. Arrived in London wicked jet lagged, wiped out in the hotel shower (twice), but thankfully with all of my luggage. I landed a GREAT apartment with six other people, including two of my best girlfriends, a close guy friend, and three other really nice guys. We’re living near Oxford Street in a tenth floor penthouse; there are three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, but we chose the place because of the view. 50% of our walls are actually windows and we’re able to see almost ALL of London. We have a balcony that wraps around three sides of the building, and, ironically, some of our other SU friends moved into the other apartment on the floor. But from the balcony I can see the London Eye (huge Ferris wheel), Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the financial district, Madame Tussads Wax Museum, the BT tower, St. Paul’s cathedral, and basically the rest of the city. It’s unbelievable and I am still in awe every time I check it out. Day, night, sunset: it’s always beautiful.
School is a quick tube ride or twenty-minute walk away, near Russell Square. The building is called Faraday House and is very discreet; you’d never know it was an American or university building. We have three unfriendly security guards who keep us safe. The staff at school are great and incredibly helpful. My professors are INCREDIBLE and I’m going to learn so much about London from them. I’m enrolled in fifteen credits: Strategic Human Resources, London: A History Through Architecture, Multicultural London, Managing in a Global Setting, and The World Economy. My architecture professor is a legend and over the course of the semester, I’ll visit Westminster Abbey/Big Ben, Tower of London, and dozens of other British buildings. Multicultural London is going to be equally interesting, with opportunities to visit the different cultural neighborhoods and religious places of worship around London, including a Jewish temple and a Sikh gurdwara. My economics class is going to be miserable; Janielle already slept through the first three-hour class. The other two management classes will be bearable.
SU London plans this AMAZING weekend for students called Love London. We’re offered discounted trips and opportunities to do really cool things. It’s actually taking place this upcoming weekend… I’ll be seeing Billy Elliot at the theater, Romeo and Juliet the ballet, taking a bike tour of the city, a Beethoven concert, and will take a tour of the Royal Opera House. I’ll be doing all of this for fifty pounds, which is amazing.
Speaking of pounds… everything here is SO incredibly expensive. The exchange is basically 1 British pound to 1.75 US dollars. Send money!
Now when we got to London, we had to get basic necessities for our apartment. To find these things, we were directed to a shop called Argos. Imagine this: walk into a store and find fifty Sears catalogues located throughout the floor, but no products anywhere. You search through the catalogue for the product you want, type the code into this weird Jetsons-looking machine, and check if there are any in inventory. If there are, you fill out a slip, take it to the counter, pay for your products, and then head over to a counter to wait for your order to be passed to you from a conveyor belt. Amazing!
Remember the TV show on CBS called Big Brother? Well, if I flip on one of my five TV channels at any given time during the day, British Big Brother is on. At 2:00 AM…British Big Brother is as uneventful as you could imagine- we have literally spent hours just watching people sleep. It’s the creepiest thing ever; it feels like there are people in the room with you sleep-breathing.
I’m really going to try to take advantage of all the CULTURED opportunities London will present me with this semester. I want to go to the theater multiple times, go to a variety of musical concerts, and visit many museums. I’ve already checked out the mummies at the British National Museum, seen the Rosetta Stone (the key to unlocking ancient hieroglyphics), and fallen in love with the CHARMING, uniformly dressed British schoolchildren. I’ve never had the chance to expose myself to much culture and now that I have the opportunity…I really want to run with it.
My vocabulary has expanded since I’ve been here. I don’t have a cell phone, I have a mobile. To add more minutes onto my mobile, I “top up.” I’ve learned what aubergine is (only after I ate it and had to search it on Wikipedia.) On nights we don’t go clubbing, we go pubbing. Big Brother’s on the telly, my watch is broken if it’s moving anti-clockwise, and instead of waiting in line, I’m on queue. The lift takes me down to the tube, and traveling the streets at night alone is awfully dodgy.
I have done some cool things already- I’ve been to Stonehenge, a small town called Salisbury, and crossed the Prime Meridian (the “line” that separates the eastern and western hemispheres.) I already have plans to travel to Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona over the course of the rest of the semester, as well as intentions to visit Normandy, Krakow, and Prague. I also have the opportunity to spend a weekend with a British family (which I’d really like to do) and to travel to Wales on an “adventure weekend,” where I could surf, hike, go coasteering (cliff jumping), and kayaking. I’m also thinking about spending a week in Italy once the semester is over before I head back to the States.
My mom is coming to visit! She’ll be here for five days in February; she’s prefacing her time in London with a quick trip to Paris. I’m really looking forward to seeing her and already have a few thoughts about what we’ll do together when she’s here. Also- two of my best friends are coming from the US for spring break and I am SO excited! We’re spending our time in Madrid and Barcelona.
I haven’t felt any sense of culture shock. I suspect that’s because I am in an English culture. Still, the differences in food (British cuisine is TERRIBLE), style, conversion, and custom make it clear that I’m not in the States. Still, sometimes I yearn for the familiar…thankfully Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and Diet Coke are found on every corner.
In Europe, beer is water. No one carries bottles of water with them, but enjoys a pint as frequently as one might guzzle Poland Springs in the US. And no one is drinking Coors Light- the beer here is far heavier and much tastier! Corona can be found here, but my drink of choice is Strongbow- a cider brew.
London closes early. Most of the pubs shut by 12:00, so people are out drinking by 7:30 pm. Clubs are open late, but they’re really, really expensive. In order to stay open late, an establishment needs a special, very expensive license granted by the city. Therefore, the places that are open late are costly.
I picked up this great yellow wool coat while over Thanksgiving break, and it has been a HIT here. The staff at school calls me “the girl in the yellow coat” and my roommates like it when I wear it out because they can spot me anywhere. It’s actually in for dry cleaning right now and I can’t wait to get it back.
I’ve been taking tons of photos, but not putting them on Facebook. No one really wants to see an album of 200 pictures of Stonehenge, so I haven’t shared them. I have, however, created a Picasa album where I’ve put all I’ve taken. I can grant access to anyone who wants to see it, so just let me know if you’re interested.
I’ve got lots more to share, but a ton of reading and travel planning to finish conquering tonight. I’d love to hear from everyone and anyone- Skype me! My Skype name is kelsiebouchard. You can send me mail at: 48-51 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AE, United Kingdom.
Oh! One of my favorite things about where I’m living- In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron, and Hermione apparate to Tottenham Court Road (WHERE I LIVE) when the Death Eaters attack at Bill and Fleur’s wedding. There, they duck into a grungy little café…and are taken by surprise when three Death Eaters, dressed as construction workers, attack them. They are able to defend themselves and have to modify the memory of the waitress in the shop, but they survive. And it all happened so close to where I live! (Sorry, non-HP fans!)
Anyways, like I said, lots more to share, but lots of other things to do. Please do keep in touch! I’ll leave you with a few photos from my trip thus far…
Cheers,
Kelsie
Thursday, January 14, 2010
pre-departure
so: it's about that time. i guess it's actually a number of different times: time for me to start blogging again, time for me to start packing, time for me to finally head to europe for the semester!
the ability to easily study abroad was one of the major reasons i chose to study at syracuse university. a lot of my initial, pre-college plans, including my intention to study communications, become an RA, and work in non-profit have dissolved since i've been at SU. studying abroad has been one of the few college-related goals that remains three years into my academic career.
choosing a place to study was a difficult decision- i danced around for a while between hong kong and london. hong kong would have been an incredible experience that would have been an unbelievable asset in the corporate world. london offered the opportunity to travel to places i'd read and learned about. my professors encouraged asian studies, my friends were going to the big smoke/the square mile (generally unheard of nicknames used for london). when i sat down and thought about what i ultimately wanted, i chose london. because i've never been to europe and because i don't speak another language, i figured it'd be a great place to really begin what will hopefully be a lifetime of "exotic" travel.
i'm looking forward to this experience more and more with each moment, conversation about it, and packing list i create. there's so much i want to see in europe: world war 2 relics, the bakery at harrods, italian wine country, the swiss alps. there's so much i want to try: hiking along british coasts, belgian waffles, german beer. and i think much of my coursework (yes, i am enrolled in classes) will complement everything i hope to see and experience. i'm taking 15 credits at the SU london program, five three-credit courses. i'm in class mondays 9-10:30, all day tuesday, and all day wednesday, but have wonderful four day weekends. my classes include: strategic human resources, managing in a global setting, the world economy, multicultural london, and a history of london through architecture. i particularly think the last two courses will truly enhance my experience (london through architecture includes a four-day trip to paris!)
we all know that i grew up secluded- geographically, racially, culturally, ethnically, religiously. i really believe, that for the first time in my entire life, i will be introduced to a lifestyle that is truly diverse.
just in case you're wondering, my itinerary for the next few days... PACK, PACK, PACK. i'll be leaving fort kent on saturday, spending a couple of nights in southern maine, and leave from portland on monday the 18th. my flight arrives at jfk in new york city around 12:00 noon, and i depart for london that evening at 7:50 pm. after a seven hour flight and five hour time change, i arrive sometime around 7 or 8:00 on tuesday. i'll surely be cranky.
i plan to use this blog as a way to keep in touch, share photos, and share my observations about life in europe. i can't promise i'll update as frequently as i did this summer in boston, but i'll try to keep you entertained all the same. please, keep in touch! also, feel free to send me your mailing address.
cheers, (thanks, sarah d.)
kelsie
ps- a quick note about the headline used on this blog... the photo itself was taken this summer from the fire tower on top of deboullie mountain in allagash, maine. it was shot minutes before a rainstorm hit. i found an outline of the london skyline online and used photoshop to overlay it onto the photo. i felt it was an appropriate representation of this semester- fort kent to london, country to city.
the ability to easily study abroad was one of the major reasons i chose to study at syracuse university. a lot of my initial, pre-college plans, including my intention to study communications, become an RA, and work in non-profit have dissolved since i've been at SU. studying abroad has been one of the few college-related goals that remains three years into my academic career.
choosing a place to study was a difficult decision- i danced around for a while between hong kong and london. hong kong would have been an incredible experience that would have been an unbelievable asset in the corporate world. london offered the opportunity to travel to places i'd read and learned about. my professors encouraged asian studies, my friends were going to the big smoke/the square mile (generally unheard of nicknames used for london). when i sat down and thought about what i ultimately wanted, i chose london. because i've never been to europe and because i don't speak another language, i figured it'd be a great place to really begin what will hopefully be a lifetime of "exotic" travel.
i'm looking forward to this experience more and more with each moment, conversation about it, and packing list i create. there's so much i want to see in europe: world war 2 relics, the bakery at harrods, italian wine country, the swiss alps. there's so much i want to try: hiking along british coasts, belgian waffles, german beer. and i think much of my coursework (yes, i am enrolled in classes) will complement everything i hope to see and experience. i'm taking 15 credits at the SU london program, five three-credit courses. i'm in class mondays 9-10:30, all day tuesday, and all day wednesday, but have wonderful four day weekends. my classes include: strategic human resources, managing in a global setting, the world economy, multicultural london, and a history of london through architecture. i particularly think the last two courses will truly enhance my experience (london through architecture includes a four-day trip to paris!)
we all know that i grew up secluded- geographically, racially, culturally, ethnically, religiously. i really believe, that for the first time in my entire life, i will be introduced to a lifestyle that is truly diverse.
just in case you're wondering, my itinerary for the next few days... PACK, PACK, PACK. i'll be leaving fort kent on saturday, spending a couple of nights in southern maine, and leave from portland on monday the 18th. my flight arrives at jfk in new york city around 12:00 noon, and i depart for london that evening at 7:50 pm. after a seven hour flight and five hour time change, i arrive sometime around 7 or 8:00 on tuesday. i'll surely be cranky.
i plan to use this blog as a way to keep in touch, share photos, and share my observations about life in europe. i can't promise i'll update as frequently as i did this summer in boston, but i'll try to keep you entertained all the same. please, keep in touch! also, feel free to send me your mailing address.
cheers, (thanks, sarah d.)
kelsie
ps- a quick note about the headline used on this blog... the photo itself was taken this summer from the fire tower on top of deboullie mountain in allagash, maine. it was shot minutes before a rainstorm hit. i found an outline of the london skyline online and used photoshop to overlay it onto the photo. i felt it was an appropriate representation of this semester- fort kent to london, country to city.
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