Kensington Is 'Posh'

Happy Monday everyone! Class is finally over and it is time to listen to my stomach until dinner! The sun was out again today, which was very nice. I never knew how much the sun meant to me until I came here! Ashley and I went for a walk in Kensington Gardens this morning. It took us about an hour to walk through the whole park. We had a very nice talk and I am glad I made such a great friend. She is probably the one I can connect to and get along with best. We saw the Peter Pan statue, which was something I was looking forward to seeing. Finding Neverland is one of my favorite movies and that is what the statue reminded me of. There are so many dogs in the park and they are so well trained. They make me miss Tori, Harley, Azure, and Wrigley...if only they played as well with each other as the dogs here do! =)

Today in History of London, our teacher told us that the taxi drivers have to train for 4-6 years. They have to learn over 100 routes, forwards and backwards. They also learn these on bikes, then the take the driving test when they finish training. My teacher is also a guide for walking tours so he can tell you any way to get around London. I am indifferent on how I feel about him and the class. When I learn something interesting and fun, I love the class and the teacher, but when I am bored, I hate it.

The pub on Saturday was fun. It was a younger crowd, however that meant a lot of drunk people. I believe 5 or 7 pints were dropped on the floor, not something that should happen often in a pub. Ashley's friend Chris called Kensington "posh". This is always funny to us when we hear that word because we automatically think of Victoria Beckham aka Posh, from the Spice Girls. Posh means high class and expensive, which is a very true word for Kensington! Ashley and I had our first fish and chips. It was pretty good, however it was all fried and I felt very unhealthy eating it. My stomach didn't agree with it later on in the night, I think it was just too much grease for one night. Jenn ordered a burger which I have yet to try here, afraid of Mad Cow! Just kidding. All of the pubs have burgers so I am sure I will try it sometime soon. To go along with my first fish and chips, I ordered my first beer with my meal, this is something I have been waiting for and I finally did it. it is interesting because a waiter doesn't come up and take your order, you have to go up to the bar and place your order and pay, then they will bring it to your table.


Yesterday, we went to Old Dutch Pancake and it was soooooooooo delicious! The pancakes were HUGE and there were so many different kinds to choose from. I got apple cinnamon, Jenn got bananas and maple syrup, Mattie got Nutella, and Ashley got fresh fruit salad. We devoured them because they were so good. We will definitely be going back there! After breakfast we went to the Science Museum, it was horrible. It was nothing like the Science and Industry in Chicago. There was no human body to walk through, no mock airplane, no rockets to explore, and no old fashioned cars to sit in. Good thing the museums here are free because we were very disappointed. It was more historical than interesting and fun. There were too many stories that didn't interest us and the history of medicine was disturbing more than anything. There was a section called the "Launch Pad" which would have been somewhat fun if it wasn't so crowded and had a lot of kids running around. We felt bad if we did anything in there because we would have been taking toys away from little kids. All in all, we won't be going back there! Ashley and I have later classes on Mondays so we are going to start going to museums during the day.

Yesterday I booked my Amsterdam flight for February 18th weekend. We leave for Paris on Friday and a few girls and I are planning on going to Barcelona on Spring Break. We get back the day before Gabby comes for a week! So many exciting things to look forward to! Tomorrow will be 4 weeks of me being here, it is going by fast, but I am enjoying every minute of my time here!

That is all for now, cheerio!



-Dad, I hope my grammar is getting better for you! =)

It's Tea Time in Lon-Don!

'Ello mates! I just got back about an hour ago from afternoon tea. It was great! We went to a hotel in Charing Cross and it was beautiful. It was only 18 pounds so we weren't expecting much but it was really elegant and very nice. We had little finger sandwiches, scones, and 3 different desserts. I had the traditional English breakfast and I tried it with cream for the first time. It didn't really do much like it does in coffee so I enjoyed it but probably wouldn't add it again. I am really excited to get tea with my parents when they come. We are going to the Ritz and I heard that is the best place to get tea in London.

Tonight we are going to a pub on High Street. I think Ashley and I are going to try the fish and chips, I have yet to have it here so that will be interesting. We are meeting up with Ashley's friend's cousin so hopefully he will give us more tips on what to do in London. Tomorrow we are going to the Science Museum which will be a lot of fun! It is just around the corner and free, it will be a nice thing to keep us busy on a Sunday. 

It is hard to believe that next Friday I will be on the chunnel going to Paris! It is a dream come true, I have been wanting to go there for years and it is finally happening. The trip is provided through the school, however they give us a lot of free time which will be nice. I can't wait just to stand in front of the Eiffel Tower and be amazed by it, most likely while holding a baguette! :)

Last Wednesday I had two field trips. One was to the Tate Britain and one was to the Museum of London. The Museum of London has a lot of interesting and cool things to see, I just couldn't appreciate it after the Tate and an hour long walking tour in the rain. There is so many things to see in London, just they aren't as interesting when it is raining and freezing outside.

 Some of the things on the walking tour we saw was: what was left of the Roman wall, Guildhall that used to be a gladiator arena, a church, and we walked down the oldest street in London.The Tate had a lot of beautiful art in it, however our teacher spent 10 minutes explaining all this different pictures and paintings we all lost our patience and appreciation for the artwork. I have to write a 500 word paper on one of the works we saw, bleh..not excited to actually do homework while I'm here! My creative writing teacher loved the poem I wrote for class on Friday, however she told me it was so beautifully written that I had to turn it into a short story and tell more..why would I want to do that?! Oh well..

Okay, time for me to get ready for the pub. Cheerio!

My American Get-Away

Sunday night, Trista and I watched the Bears play a tough game followed by an upsetting loss at Sports Cafe. I had a lot of fun there. It was 95% Americans and a lot of fun. Fans from all four play-off teams were there to cheer for their teams and have a good. We met some guys from a suburb of Chicago who worked for a slot machine company. They are in London for a few days before their business meetings start. They were very interesting and intoxicated people. It was funny because the Bears fans were on one side of the bar and the Packers fans were on the other side, but it wasn't designated, it was kind of like we knew who the right fans were. I got a Budweiser just so I could feel at home. I skyped Justin and his friends when they were at the bar and I wished I was home with everyone celebrating the big game. It was a good feeling to go out and be with other people appreciating their teams and football. It was a home away from home feeling, it was great!

Before  the game, Trista and I went to Chipotle. Sunday was my American adventure! The ingredients were a little different but it was still delicious. It is funny because back in Peoria, I would have to go 35 minutes to Bloomington to get Chipotle, but in London I only had a 15 minute tube ride to get to it. We might go back this weekend, can you blame us??

Some more exciting news is that I booked my flight to Dublin! I can't wait! I was excited because it was 54 pounds, but that quickly took $99 out of my bank account, oh how I despise you currency exchange! Oh well, I only live once and $99 for a round trip to Dublin is a lot better than what it could be from home! We are hopefully booking our flights and hotel for Amsterdam tonight. Then Thursday we are planning spring break. Greece, Italy, and Spain are still our options, tough life, I know! :)

Ashley and I went on a walk in Hyde Park yesterday. It was a little chilly and gloomy...I can't wait until Spring so the park can be more enjoyable and its beauty can really show. Around the park are sculptures of Anish Kapoor, the artist of the Bean in Chicago. He has such a unique, beautiful style. These sculptures also made me feel a little at home. Round Pond in the park is full of swans, geese, and different types of birds. There are at least 20 swans and they are all beautiful. A man was feeding all of them and they swarmed together, it was a little scary!

Well, I am off to my Comparative Religions class! Almost 2 months until my parents are here :)

Cheerio!

Bear Down Chicago Bears!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG8OpQyY6TI
^^click^^

Changing of the Guards

Bright and early, despite our 5 hours of sleep, we woke up at 9am and made our way to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards. This was a sight to see. We didn't stay the whole time, for it is very long and you get the point after the first 10 minutes. So many people were there and it was a lot of fun. The changing of the guards happens every day at 11:30am, the guards have a 24-hour shift. As we were watching, we tried guessing what the current guards were thinking...we came up with, "I love hearing this song because it means I'm almost done"..."It has been 24 hours of standing here, I need a shower and to head to the pub"...stuff like that :) It is wonderful that London has kept so many traditions regarding royalty. I can't wait to see how the wedding turns out! I wish we could get a tour of Buckingham Palace, however it is only open to the public in August and September. When we were outside the fence at the palace, we saw a guard walking. This boy tried to touch him and the guard pretty much swatted him off as if he were a fly. These guards are very well trained to be able to stand for 24 hours straight, as well as not being able to talk or look at anyone.

Last night we went out for Indian food at Earl's Court. It wasn't as good as the restaurant back in Kensington but it was still good, however the man next to us didn't agree. When he left, he yelled at his waiter and said "You should be ashamed of yourself. This food is shit and your beer is expensive." We couldn't believe someone could be so rude. After dinner we went to a pub and talked for a few hours. This 40 year old guy from New Zealand started talking to us and let me tell ya, it is interesting the people you meet in England! He went to Oxford and is now a boxing coach for them. He told us a good chunk of his life story, but he was really nice. He told us he was glad he met "genuine Americans" for when he served in the army he only met the 6'5" buff American soldiers who only cared about themselves and America. It is always interesting to hear the different opinions of those in different countries.

Today will be a day of homework and starvation. We don't get served food on the weekends so we try not to spend a lot of money on food. I just made myself some peanut butter, banana, and pita...it should hold for a few hours. Tonight we're going to watch the BEARS WIN at Sports Cafe down in Piccadilly. I can't wait! GO BEARS :)

-cheerio!

One Week Down, Thirteen More To Go!

Ahh done with week one of courses in London. My classes aren't too bad. My Cultures of Imperial Powers class will most likely be my hardest, for I have very little interest in it. I had my Creative Writing class today and even though Friday classes are very unusual for Study Abroad students, I am really glad I am taking it. It was a little rough getting up for the class but once we started writing, I enjoyed it so much. It is going to be a great way to express myself and see what I can come up with, I am excited. After class we went on a bike ride through Hyde Park and by through I mean up and down the center path twice until our hands almost froze off! It was a lot of fun but limited paths you can bike on. We wanted to bike to Buckingham Palace and Parliament, but you can't bike on the sidewalks and we come close to being hit by cars while walking, we weren't going to take the risk of riding our bikes next to them!

Tonight we are going to Piccadilly to go to a club. It should be a lot of fun to just get out and dance. Last night we were out there at a bar and we had a really great time. Nothing is better than taking a cab home from the bar and driving passed Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. It really made the night. I woke up this morning so happy to be where I am and happier than I have ever been here so far.

On Wednesday we went on a field trip for my History of London class to what is known at the "8th Wonder of the World." I don't remember the name of it but it used to be an underground tunnel that they built for transportation for trading under the Thames River. The tunnel wasn't wide enough for trucks that were transporting goods so they turned it into a little underground mall. Once the stores didn't have a lot of success it turned into a sex and drug place. Then they finally closed it off and not it is pretty much just a big concrete cylinder in the ground. We were all confused because there wasn't a tunnel that we were brought to, but only us at 145 other people have been down there, so that is cool! I didn't get a good picture but here is one of how we had to get down there. My friend Lera headed straight to those stairs once we found out two people drowned where we were standing!

Well, that is is for now, I have to start getting ready. Tomorrow we are going to watch the changing of the guards and shopping so I will have plenty more stories for you after the weekend. I can't wait to watch the Bears beat the Packers Sunday! :) Have a good weekend everyone!

Cheerio!

Oh, We're Here To Learn?

First day of classes was today. It went by well, probably because I had a 3pm class and it was History of London. My 64 year old teacher, probably about 6'5", walk in wearing a brown leather trench coat, a Indiana Jones-like hat, and sunglasses with lime green rims. He is one crazy person but knows so much! I am very excited for this class. It will be very informational and a lot of fun, it just sucks I will have to pay for everything we go to :/ oh well! I only get this experience once. A few girls and I went out tonight and I found my cure for homesickness, friends and strawberry beer!

It's the days that I am alone in my room that I miss home and all of you, I just wish the sun would shine so I could go on a walk and enjoy it. Walking in the rain doesn't really brighten my mood that well...Anyway, I am still loving London and I am going to Paris in a few weeks! This weekend we are going to see bigger things maybe go to Oxford or down to Harrods or something, we will see! More classes tomorrow, they will be harder but yes, I am here to learn..sigh. Sweet dreams from London. Cheerio!

Winding Down the First London Weekend

Oh man, oh man. It feels like this has been one LONG weekend! Ever since I got here it has been go, go, go! I am finally in my room and vegging out! My cold isn't getting better, but it also isn't getting worse so that is good. Classes start tomorrow and thankfully I only have one at 3pm. It is history of London so I am excited for that. Friday was the boat party on Thames river and it was SOOO much fun! It was pretty much like post prom on the Spirit of Chicago, however it was on Thames River and 4 hours long! We danced the night away looking at the London skyline. My favorite was going under the Tower Bridge. So pretty!

The girl with me in the picture is Becca. She goes to Lewis University and she is such a sweet girl! We will have a few classes with each other.

Like I blogged, Saturday I went to Westminster Abbey and BBC studios. Long, long day.

Today was a very fun day! I woke up to sunshine!! But it only last about 30 minutes :( I went on a tour of Chelsea Stadium. I enjoyed the tours from yesterday, however soccer is something more relevant in my life and something I can relate to so it was a lot of fun. We went inside the stadium, press room, away and home locker rooms, and through the tunnel that the teams come out from. The locker rooms are called "dressing rooms", cleats are called "boots", and the field is called the "pitch". The home dressing room was much nicer than the away one. In it they have 6 massage tables, lockers that are air conditioned to keep the clothes smelling good-boxes to hold their "bling"-outlets-and a place to hang their Dolce & Gabana suits that are given to them. Rough lifestyle wouldn't you say? :) The away team has a small little white board they can use during half time, however the Chelsea team has a smart board. It is very interesting to see the little tricks they use against their opponents.  It is funny because since London is obviously not the place with the most sun, so they have lamps that they put over the grass so it grows and matures after each match. A few of us were dieing to go on the field which isn't allowed. Because of this, our guide found a chunk of grass on the side and let us take some if we wanted to. Don't worry Paul Johnson, I will have a nice souvenir for you when I return!!

Tonight I went on a Jack the Ripper tour. This was a very different tour, probably like the mafia one in Chicago. We walked around a part of London where he murdered 5 woman I believe. We had the same guide from Westminster Abbey and once again he was great. He told the stories very well and let me tell you, they were gruesome! While on the tour, I got to know this boy, Jose, from Colorado. I met him when I landed because his connecting flight was my flight from O'hare. He is a really nice guy and very interesting! There are so many people here with so many stories, I can't wait to get to know even more of them soon.

Now I am back in my room and relaxing. I am going to Skype some friends and hopefully that will help a little of my homesickness :) I want to give a quick shout out to my dad because his website is amazing and I am so proud of him! First a book and now a website, truly amazing. Also, I wanted to tell Tori that I see soo many yorkies that could be your boyfriend, however I wouldn't want Harley to get jealous! Yesterday I saw a guy walking a boxer and a husky and I had to look at his face to make sure Justin didn't secretly move to London with me. Well that is it for now, two posts in one day should hopefully make everyone happy! I hope everyone has a good Martin Luther King Day...They have a statue of him on the outside of Westminster Abbey as a catholic martyr, however they don't celebrate the holiday here :/

Cheerio!

Westminster Abbey and BBC Studios

If you want to see a beautiful church, go to Westminster Abbey...it took my breath away! The outside is an amazing sight but it doesn't do justice to what is inside of it. Sadly, there is no photography allowed inside, so I can't show you the beauty. I am so blessed to see such a magnificent place. This is where the royal wedding will take place between Prince William and Kate. I can't wait to see what it looks like decorated and all dressed up for the royal reception. A bunch of us are planning an being there for when it happens, of course not inside, but as close as we can get. It is so wonderful that I will be able to say that I was there for a specific moment of history in London and in the whole world. There is so much history in Westminster Abbey, famous people such as Darwin, Newton, many kings, queens, and knights are buried there and Princess Diana's funeral was held there. We had a great tour guide, Shaun-from Scotland, and he told us so much information it was interesting and impressive. I am at loss for words to explain what I have seen. Every bit a architecture that I noticed I thought of my brother, Justin, and how he would love to see that and hopefully he can come visit me and see it for himself! I know he has seen so many churches in Italy but this one is different and just fantastic. There are two schools int he "abbey" off Westminster. They are over 25,000 pounds a year...students under the age of 16 go there. That is A LOT of money just for primary schools! Andrew Lloyd Weber attended one of the schools. Like I said in previous blogs and even this one, there is history all over and its amazing to piece together the famous people and stories we know to where they actually happened. Just down the street from me is where T.S. Eliot lived and died. Just down the street! Amazing? I think so.

After Westminster Abbey I went on a tour of BBC Studios. This was a good tour, however I wish I knew more about the shows BBC broadcasts so I could have related more to the tour. Nonetheless, it was very interesting to see the different studio sets, the news room, and the dressing rooms. After the tour we were brought to a mock studio where I volunteered to be on the Weakest Link. It was goofy and fun. We didn't see any famous people but we heard about them. Our guide told us that when Mariah Carey came to the studio for an interview or whatever, she requested to have a basket full of puppies in her dressing room...sheesh! I wonder what goes through the minds of celebs sometimes!

After the tour I came back and got Indian food with Ashley and Trista. I'm a huge fan of Thai food (what we were originally going to get but it was closed) but Indian food turned out to be good too! There are plenty of restaurants around here so I am sure I will get accustomed to it quickly.

Cheerio!

Legal Alyssa

Good Morning!! I say that because it is only 9:30am there but 3:30pm here. Still searching for some sunshine! Laid around in bed most of the day feeling a tad bit sick, maybe the weather is finally getting to me. Last night I bought my first bottle of wine and didn't get carded, however today when I bought a bottle the girl didn't believe it was my ID..hm. Silly Brits. Tonight is the boat party on Thames River. It is pouring now so I hope it clears up by then so we can see the scenery! I met some more people who are all very nice and a lot of fun. We're all dreading the start of classes so we are living up all of this freedom that we have! Tomorrow I am going to Westminster Abbey and BBC studios and Sunday is the Chelsea Stadium tour and Jack the Ripper walk. Those will all be a lot of fun. Hopefully I can get some Skype sessions to you guys back home sometime tomorrow or Sunday.

One thing that I find very funny is when I talk to British students about my major, they always say that I am studying "maths". I usually stick to the easy route and say education because I want to teach math and they respond, "so you are studying maths." I just think it is another quirky thing they do.

Yesterday, we went to Whole Foods. It is HUGE and VERY VERY hot in there! We had lunch there and it was interesting because it was like their own food court with their own taste of different cultural foods such as sushi, burritos, pizza, etc.

Well, that is all I have to say for now, I will have plenty to say after my weekend! 

this is my roommate, Jenn

not sure the name of the beer in that picture but it literally tastes like liquid bread, ick.

-Cheerio!

When It Rains In London, It's Still London

Hello!! It is my second day here, I started off nice and refreshed after an almost 11 hour sleep, must needed! Don't worry, we still made it to the pub last night so I didn't sleep through all the fun :) First off I want to say, this was the best decision of my life! From the moment I got on the plane, I met a man traveling to Africa to work on solar power technology for an orphanage. After arriving, I have met so many different people from all over the United States. My roommate's name is Jenn and she is from Boston. She is a great girl and her, our neighbor, and I get along great! Yesterday (Tuesday) was the LONGEST day of my life! It was filled with little activities and meetings and I was completely exhausted. The girls and I took a nap in the "common room" and missed 20 minutes of our mandatory meeting, oops! It was well needed to keep us through the day! Today has been rainy all day, thank goodness for rain boots! We shopped at Boots, pretty much like a super Walgreens, and we got hair dryers, strainers, and a toothbrush! High Street here is like a less hectic Michigan Avenue. I will have to venture more down that street later on. From 1:30-4:30 we took a bus tour around London, now the reality set in that I am living in a totally different country and an amazing city! There is history on every block. We saw the Tower of London, London Eye, Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and so much more. London has 53 theaters and we saw probably 10 of them. Sorry Brandon but I didn't see Northern Trust...I'll try to get there sometime :) A few of these places I will be visiting more this week through orientation events, I am so excited! It is such a good thing that they give us this one week of orientation because there is so much to see and I would have hated being in class not know what was out there. Tonight we are most likely going to the pub in the Student Union of Imperial College, just a few blocks away. This is where we went last night. There are many British students there and it is just like a Student Union at any college but you can drink there. Students from another American program invited us to sit with them and they were a lot of fun. There was this very cute boy (his accent made him even more cute), George, from Manchester there and no, he is not a Manchester United fan..I had to ask of course! We messed around with him asking him silly questions of the typical British stereotype and he went along with the fun. It was a great time. Wednesday nights at the Union all the athletes come out and drink, so I am sure I will have stories to come about that :) Well there is a little taste of my first two days here in London. To sum it up, I love British accents & boys, British children, the scenery, and drinking age being 18. I am going to go shower now since I haven't showered since 9am Monday morning, gross I know! The showers on my floor are co-ed..and by that I mean there are 4 showers, barely tinted, and both guys and girls use them...I am not too sure how I feel about that. Does the phrase, "Do as the Romans do", fit? We'll see. Hope everyone is doing well. Miss you all. Cheerio!