Hey guys!
So it's 5:30 AM London time and I'm getting ready to go to Victoria Station with Daisy and Jackie as we begin our completely awsome spring break travels!! I'm so excited and a little nervous but I know we're going to have an amazing time! Our 9 hour bus/ferry ride to Paris leaves in exactly 2 hours so I don't have much time to write this but we will be there for 3 days and then it is off to Brussels for 2 days and then we will be going to Amsterdam for 2 days as well! I can promise LOTS of pictures for facebook!
love,
al
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Ange and Liv come to London and the good times continued! (Stella Stella and more Stella!)
So an update is definitely in order as I have not written in about three weeks now I think.
On the 6th I picked up Liv and Ange at Heathrow for their 8 days London. John joined me on the tube ride since it took about an hour and a half to get there (the airport is in the boonies!!). I pretty much ran into Liv's arms the minute I saw here since I have been anticipating their arrival since I got to London. After the girls got their Oyster cards and picked up their luggage we headed back on the tube to Highgate so they could get situated in my impossibly long room. We vowed to spend as less time as possible in their since it is incredibly cramped (I'm pretty sure my room started swallowing our stuff midweek due to all of our stuff being in such a small space).
We headed back on the tube after some chill time in the dorm and we went to Green Park and then I escorted them to Buckingham Palace where we had some serious photo ops (it was gorgeous that day!).
Afterwards we walked around and went to a bar called 'Bag O Nails' for their first legal UK drink! Of course we documented this as well and enjoyed the bar scene until we headed back on the tube to grab dinner. They were starting to feel the jet lag by this time and I was exausted from the day so we went to a small but amazing Thai place near the dorm and pretty much ate in silence...too tired to speak haha.
After druging back to my room we passed out immidietly...at 9:30 pm.
Saturday we slept in a litte and by noon we were up and heading out to Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill, easily my favorite outdoor marketplace in all of London. Saturdays are the best time to go here because not only do street vendors sell antiques and food but also beautiful jewelry and clothing and yes, football jerseys. We basically spent all day here trying on shoes and Ange and Liv both bought Manchester United jerseys which I was happy about since that is my favourite football team. We tried on impossibly expensive shoes and passed by every type of store imaginabe ranging from vintage stores to rock and roll t-shirts and after all the walking, famished we went to Subway to grab sandwiches and get back on the tube to head back home.
That night me, Liv, and Ange, along with the rest of my housemates went to Camden Town to World's End. This was my friends first real night out in London and I was really exited to introduce them to the nightlife scene since the night before we had passed out so early. We got all dressed up and after a few drinking games in the common room with everyone else we were ready to go. It was a really good night despite a few drunken stupors but we rolled in around 3:30 am!
Sunday the girls slept in again (they took my bed and I slept on the floor...something we alternated throughout the week) and I got some classwork done since I had two papers due that week which I had already started but I was still strapped for time since our days were spent being touristy and the nights spent being adventurous. it was a relaxing day and that night we went to Oxford Circus to see the shopping scene.
The rest of the week was easily the most fun and the most hectic of my time in London so far. Along with getting work done I was having a blast with Ange and Liv, and I was incredibly happy they were finally here since I had been missing Pittsburgh for some time now. Since Tuesdays I have no class we went to South London to see Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, The London Eye, and Westminster Abbey which was absolutely beautiful. The best part about the day was easily the Tower of London! We went on a tour led by one of the beefeaters and it was definitely a highlight to the trip. Seeing pictures of the historical jail where so many prominent people had been held was nothing to actually being there and seeing it in person. We went inside the church where Anne Boleyn was buried and the house where Sir Walter Raliegh was held for some time. We also saw some of the torture chambers and went inside the White Tower which, once held prisoners now is a museum for artillary, armour, and other weaponry. Across from the White Tower is the building where the Crown Jewels and the largest diamond in the world are kept and it was the most breathtaking display I have ever seen (especially Queen Elizabeth I's crown and scepter). The museum also featured a video of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday was spent going to bars, exploring more of London and of course, Thursday night we all went to O'Neills for some quality live music. Friday we woke up late and went shopping again at Oxford Circus before meeting up with Daisy and Jackie at a bar near campus so we could grab drinks and celebrate Ange and Liv's last night in London. We first went to a bar called Shakespeare's Head for dinner and the another place called The Cock for some cheap drinks and a fun scene. By 11 we caught the tube home so the girls could start packing and we were in bed by 1 am since we had to get up at 7; their flight was at 12:30 and we definitely didn't want to risk being late!
Saturday morning we woke up on time (yay!) and we got on the tube for the long ride back to Heathrow. The week went by so fast and I wished they could have stayed longer but I was also thankful I got to see them at all. After they checked in and dropped off their luggage we had a few minutes before they needed to go through security and I got really nostalgic. We said our final goodbyes and we hugged and they left. I headed back on the tube for what seemed forever, got back to the dorm, and truthfully, my room had never looked bigger with only my things in it then, and subsequently, it looked very lonely. I ended up passing out for a six hour nap!
That night I just hung out in the dorm with my mates. Sunday my friend Charlie who was visiting his boyfriend who is also studying abroad in Israel had a layover in Heathrow and extended his visit to the UK so we could meet up for brunch and then we decided to go to Harrods; one of the best places to shop in all of London. Even though we definitely couldn't afford anything we had a great time looking at all the designer clothing and after discovering the champagne bar Charlie offered to pay for two flutes of very sweet champagne. I was absolutely lovely watching shoppers go by and sipping champagne.
Last week nothing too exciting happened...mostly just doing more classwork and celebrating St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday for which we all went to Sports Bar. John invited hs friend Margeret who lives in a different dorm but who goes to Carnegie Mellon which was an awsome suprise since CMU is less than a mile away from Chatham. We had a great time seeing who we knew and reminiscing about greek sing and carnival and just Pittsburgh in general. It was a total highlight to the night since we were at sports bar and there was the usual array of creepy guys haha. I also went to Hampstead Heath one of the largest parks in London with a friend from class. It's all on a hill and the view of the city from the top is breathtaking. It wasn't bad that the weather has been amazing! i actually wore sandals the other day!
This is the last week of lectures so everyone has checked out mentally but I think I can make it through the week. I have two more papers to write and then three exams to study for by the end of April. My dad and sister are coming to visit in a few weeks as well so I cannot wait to see them! I defintely plan on taking them on the Tower of London tour and most of the museums. Sadly my sister is 16 so she's not old enough to drink but the pubs also serve food so she'll still be allowed inside at least.
Finally, a week from today, Daisy, Jackie and I are going to Paris for spring break!!! Woo I am so excited! haha.
I'll write again soon!
love,
al
On the 6th I picked up Liv and Ange at Heathrow for their 8 days London. John joined me on the tube ride since it took about an hour and a half to get there (the airport is in the boonies!!). I pretty much ran into Liv's arms the minute I saw here since I have been anticipating their arrival since I got to London. After the girls got their Oyster cards and picked up their luggage we headed back on the tube to Highgate so they could get situated in my impossibly long room. We vowed to spend as less time as possible in their since it is incredibly cramped (I'm pretty sure my room started swallowing our stuff midweek due to all of our stuff being in such a small space).
We headed back on the tube after some chill time in the dorm and we went to Green Park and then I escorted them to Buckingham Palace where we had some serious photo ops (it was gorgeous that day!).
Afterwards we walked around and went to a bar called 'Bag O Nails' for their first legal UK drink! Of course we documented this as well and enjoyed the bar scene until we headed back on the tube to grab dinner. They were starting to feel the jet lag by this time and I was exausted from the day so we went to a small but amazing Thai place near the dorm and pretty much ate in silence...too tired to speak haha.
After druging back to my room we passed out immidietly...at 9:30 pm.
Saturday we slept in a litte and by noon we were up and heading out to Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill, easily my favorite outdoor marketplace in all of London. Saturdays are the best time to go here because not only do street vendors sell antiques and food but also beautiful jewelry and clothing and yes, football jerseys. We basically spent all day here trying on shoes and Ange and Liv both bought Manchester United jerseys which I was happy about since that is my favourite football team. We tried on impossibly expensive shoes and passed by every type of store imaginabe ranging from vintage stores to rock and roll t-shirts and after all the walking, famished we went to Subway to grab sandwiches and get back on the tube to head back home.
That night me, Liv, and Ange, along with the rest of my housemates went to Camden Town to World's End. This was my friends first real night out in London and I was really exited to introduce them to the nightlife scene since the night before we had passed out so early. We got all dressed up and after a few drinking games in the common room with everyone else we were ready to go. It was a really good night despite a few drunken stupors but we rolled in around 3:30 am!
Sunday the girls slept in again (they took my bed and I slept on the floor...something we alternated throughout the week) and I got some classwork done since I had two papers due that week which I had already started but I was still strapped for time since our days were spent being touristy and the nights spent being adventurous. it was a relaxing day and that night we went to Oxford Circus to see the shopping scene.
The rest of the week was easily the most fun and the most hectic of my time in London so far. Along with getting work done I was having a blast with Ange and Liv, and I was incredibly happy they were finally here since I had been missing Pittsburgh for some time now. Since Tuesdays I have no class we went to South London to see Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, The London Eye, and Westminster Abbey which was absolutely beautiful. The best part about the day was easily the Tower of London! We went on a tour led by one of the beefeaters and it was definitely a highlight to the trip. Seeing pictures of the historical jail where so many prominent people had been held was nothing to actually being there and seeing it in person. We went inside the church where Anne Boleyn was buried and the house where Sir Walter Raliegh was held for some time. We also saw some of the torture chambers and went inside the White Tower which, once held prisoners now is a museum for artillary, armour, and other weaponry. Across from the White Tower is the building where the Crown Jewels and the largest diamond in the world are kept and it was the most breathtaking display I have ever seen (especially Queen Elizabeth I's crown and scepter). The museum also featured a video of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday was spent going to bars, exploring more of London and of course, Thursday night we all went to O'Neills for some quality live music. Friday we woke up late and went shopping again at Oxford Circus before meeting up with Daisy and Jackie at a bar near campus so we could grab drinks and celebrate Ange and Liv's last night in London. We first went to a bar called Shakespeare's Head for dinner and the another place called The Cock for some cheap drinks and a fun scene. By 11 we caught the tube home so the girls could start packing and we were in bed by 1 am since we had to get up at 7; their flight was at 12:30 and we definitely didn't want to risk being late!
Saturday morning we woke up on time (yay!) and we got on the tube for the long ride back to Heathrow. The week went by so fast and I wished they could have stayed longer but I was also thankful I got to see them at all. After they checked in and dropped off their luggage we had a few minutes before they needed to go through security and I got really nostalgic. We said our final goodbyes and we hugged and they left. I headed back on the tube for what seemed forever, got back to the dorm, and truthfully, my room had never looked bigger with only my things in it then, and subsequently, it looked very lonely. I ended up passing out for a six hour nap!
That night I just hung out in the dorm with my mates. Sunday my friend Charlie who was visiting his boyfriend who is also studying abroad in Israel had a layover in Heathrow and extended his visit to the UK so we could meet up for brunch and then we decided to go to Harrods; one of the best places to shop in all of London. Even though we definitely couldn't afford anything we had a great time looking at all the designer clothing and after discovering the champagne bar Charlie offered to pay for two flutes of very sweet champagne. I was absolutely lovely watching shoppers go by and sipping champagne.
Last week nothing too exciting happened...mostly just doing more classwork and celebrating St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday for which we all went to Sports Bar. John invited hs friend Margeret who lives in a different dorm but who goes to Carnegie Mellon which was an awsome suprise since CMU is less than a mile away from Chatham. We had a great time seeing who we knew and reminiscing about greek sing and carnival and just Pittsburgh in general. It was a total highlight to the night since we were at sports bar and there was the usual array of creepy guys haha. I also went to Hampstead Heath one of the largest parks in London with a friend from class. It's all on a hill and the view of the city from the top is breathtaking. It wasn't bad that the weather has been amazing! i actually wore sandals the other day!
This is the last week of lectures so everyone has checked out mentally but I think I can make it through the week. I have two more papers to write and then three exams to study for by the end of April. My dad and sister are coming to visit in a few weeks as well so I cannot wait to see them! I defintely plan on taking them on the Tower of London tour and most of the museums. Sadly my sister is 16 so she's not old enough to drink but the pubs also serve food so she'll still be allowed inside at least.
Finally, a week from today, Daisy, Jackie and I are going to Paris for spring break!!! Woo I am so excited! haha.
I'll write again soon!
love,
al
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The U2 Concert, Raz's Birthday, and the Week from Hell
Hey guys,
So Jackie and I decided to be studious last Friday night before I was meeting another friend for coffee so we headed to Regent campus library to get some work done. On the way out of the dorm we ran into Ann, one of our housemates from Denmark who told us about some secret gig U2 had to play on the roof of the BBC building later that night. The BBC building is right next to our campus so we were a little skeptical but nonetheless we headed off to get some real work done.
On our way our a few hours later the streets of central London were completely packed and of course we could hear U2 from several blocks away. We pretty much ran to center campus and we both got to witness our first U2 concert. We only caught the last two songs (Vertigo and Beautiful Day) but it was probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my life! Just seeing Bono and The Edge in person was definitely a highlight to my week!
Afterward, me, James, Mette, Ann, and Catherine went to get burgers and watch the France vs. Wales rugby game (Wales was annihilated sadly). Following that we all met up with the rest of our mates at Worlds End in Camden for some good hipster fun (drinking). Around 2 we were all pretty tired and headed home. I almost fell asleep on the bus...haha.
Saturday was Raz's birthday so we went to this new bar, Bar 101 on Tottenham Court Road in central London. It was a pretty sweet venue, the music was great, the bartenders were cool, and there were different levels for dancing, and just hanging out. Pre-bar we did the usual at the house; beer pong and drinking games. On the tube Raz was pretty tipsy already and was hanging on one of the overhead bars on the train and subsequently lost his balance and fell causing some prime facebook shots. When we got off he couldn't find his hat and ended up sitting down on the escalator and refused to get off until we found it (thankfully we did before we reached the top). The rest of the night was pretty fun, just dancing and meeting people before we left around 2. It was surprisingly cold when we left so my bed had never been so nice to come back to.
Sunday was spent doing work and laying around in my trainers and trackies (sneakers and sweats). I already knew I had a ton to get through before the week was out so I figured I might as well have started early.
Monday morning I went to my British Economics class and afterwards, wandered around Oxford Circus with Robin and helped him find a gift for a friend who was turning 23...I suggested video games and copious amounts of alcohol. When I got back to the dorm I took a short nap...and ended up waking up at 10 PM!! Luckily the nap had energized me so much I ended up working on another paper until about 3...another quirck to being a college student.
Today and yesterday were pretty much the same, just doing work and awaiting Liv and Ange's arrival from the States! I am so exited for them to get here! I just need to get through tomorrow and then I will be going to Heathrow Friday morning to pick them up!
It's about 4 in the morning now, so I need some sleep before my 10 am lecture and then of course, there will be morning paper writing to do.
love,
al
So Jackie and I decided to be studious last Friday night before I was meeting another friend for coffee so we headed to Regent campus library to get some work done. On the way out of the dorm we ran into Ann, one of our housemates from Denmark who told us about some secret gig U2 had to play on the roof of the BBC building later that night. The BBC building is right next to our campus so we were a little skeptical but nonetheless we headed off to get some real work done.
On our way our a few hours later the streets of central London were completely packed and of course we could hear U2 from several blocks away. We pretty much ran to center campus and we both got to witness our first U2 concert. We only caught the last two songs (Vertigo and Beautiful Day) but it was probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my life! Just seeing Bono and The Edge in person was definitely a highlight to my week!
Afterward, me, James, Mette, Ann, and Catherine went to get burgers and watch the France vs. Wales rugby game (Wales was annihilated sadly). Following that we all met up with the rest of our mates at Worlds End in Camden for some good hipster fun (drinking). Around 2 we were all pretty tired and headed home. I almost fell asleep on the bus...haha.
Saturday was Raz's birthday so we went to this new bar, Bar 101 on Tottenham Court Road in central London. It was a pretty sweet venue, the music was great, the bartenders were cool, and there were different levels for dancing, and just hanging out. Pre-bar we did the usual at the house; beer pong and drinking games. On the tube Raz was pretty tipsy already and was hanging on one of the overhead bars on the train and subsequently lost his balance and fell causing some prime facebook shots. When we got off he couldn't find his hat and ended up sitting down on the escalator and refused to get off until we found it (thankfully we did before we reached the top). The rest of the night was pretty fun, just dancing and meeting people before we left around 2. It was surprisingly cold when we left so my bed had never been so nice to come back to.
Sunday was spent doing work and laying around in my trainers and trackies (sneakers and sweats). I already knew I had a ton to get through before the week was out so I figured I might as well have started early.
Monday morning I went to my British Economics class and afterwards, wandered around Oxford Circus with Robin and helped him find a gift for a friend who was turning 23...I suggested video games and copious amounts of alcohol. When I got back to the dorm I took a short nap...and ended up waking up at 10 PM!! Luckily the nap had energized me so much I ended up working on another paper until about 3...another quirck to being a college student.
Today and yesterday were pretty much the same, just doing work and awaiting Liv and Ange's arrival from the States! I am so exited for them to get here! I just need to get through tomorrow and then I will be going to Heathrow Friday morning to pick them up!
It's about 4 in the morning now, so I need some sleep before my 10 am lecture and then of course, there will be morning paper writing to do.
love,
al
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Expected Birthday Blackout, The Shishah, and Oh Yes, Schoolwork...
So I definitely have not updated the blog in awhile so here goes...
21st Birthday celebration was amazing! Went shopping the day of (last Saturday) with Daisy to find something new to wear that night and found the most adorable purple patent leather ankle boots for £6! Shopping in London is crazy because most of the better (and more student friendly) shops are on Oxford Street near campus so it's always a madhouse to get from one place to another. Primark was where I found the shoes and its basically a mix of Target, Forever 21, and Walmart with pushier people and better deals so the queses are always filled and there is no point trying clothes on, which is great when you're just shopping for footwear. Daisy is a great shopping partner...haha. I ended up wearing the boots with a pair of shiny leggings and a t-shirt dress.
That night we got dinner with a few of our housemates, went to the local package store to pick up beer and began the nights festivities with a celebratory game of beer pong/flip cup (the brits call it flippy cup) and everyone insisted that I needed to be a little more than tipsy before we left to go to the bars.
I was finally handed a glass of white rum which was about enough to do me in before I insisted everyone drink some so by the time we left the flat, got to the tube station, took semi drunk pictures, and arrived in Piccadilly Circus we were all a little beligerent. :)
Since it was the dreaded Valentines Day, after we all showed ID the girls were given tiny locks and the boys got keys so naturally we all went around trying to see who open whose locks. One of my flatmates Teddy opened mine.
We met up with a few more friends at the bar as the night progressed and one of my friends from the rugby team, Romain brought a few of his friends, one of them bought me a double shot of Jack Daniels which was wonderful and awful since I couldnt even taste the alcohol by then. The rest of the night, as I remember it, consisted of hanging out with the girls in the bathroom, dancing with my housemates, getting a shout out from the DJ wishing me happy birthday and then witnessing people throwing up outside the club...I'm still surprised I wasn't a part of that. The next morning I woke up with the worst hangover of my life (we rolled in around 5 am). I spent the day drinking lots of water and had a three hour brunch with Daisy and Jackie as we tried to recall memories from the previous night. It was a good relaxation day and when I got back to the house I got some work done. Alexander and Olivier offered beer pong later that night but just the sight of a beer can was enough for me to say no...haha.
Last week was basically just focusing on schoolwork and going for runs in the park. I already have two papers due in a few weeks for my Area Development and Internataional Security Studies classes so I needed to start on research for those, especially since the week they're due Liv and Ange are going to be here so that needs to get done pronto!
Thursday and Friday was just barhopping with the mates and 2 other friends, James and Joey. We stayed mainly in the Soho area before ending up at O'Neils in Leiscester Square for some live music and cheap student rate drinks where a pint can cost only £1.50!
Saturday I went for a run in Hyde Park which was loveley since the sun finally decided to come out and that night I went out to a Shishah (hookah) bar with Clenton, Mable, Brit, Jaz, Whitney, and Theo and met up with some others who live in a differnet dorm, Alun, and Ross. They brought along their friend James who is probably the most hipster looking guy I have ever seen, could give some people in Pittsburgh a run for their money. We all had a great time just smoking and people watching, James bought me a beer and afterwards we headed out to a 24 hour coffee shop.
Sunday was spent doing more work, I didnt get out of my pajames all day save for food shopping with Jackie and I just finished a lecture about an hour ago. Probably going to head back to the flat in a little while to get some more work done...blah. I'm pretty sure I'll be staying in all week so I can focus on my papers..maybe I'll go out Thursday but we'll have to see.
love,
al
21st Birthday celebration was amazing! Went shopping the day of (last Saturday) with Daisy to find something new to wear that night and found the most adorable purple patent leather ankle boots for £6! Shopping in London is crazy because most of the better (and more student friendly) shops are on Oxford Street near campus so it's always a madhouse to get from one place to another. Primark was where I found the shoes and its basically a mix of Target, Forever 21, and Walmart with pushier people and better deals so the queses are always filled and there is no point trying clothes on, which is great when you're just shopping for footwear. Daisy is a great shopping partner...haha. I ended up wearing the boots with a pair of shiny leggings and a t-shirt dress.
That night we got dinner with a few of our housemates, went to the local package store to pick up beer and began the nights festivities with a celebratory game of beer pong/flip cup (the brits call it flippy cup) and everyone insisted that I needed to be a little more than tipsy before we left to go to the bars.
I was finally handed a glass of white rum which was about enough to do me in before I insisted everyone drink some so by the time we left the flat, got to the tube station, took semi drunk pictures, and arrived in Piccadilly Circus we were all a little beligerent. :)
Since it was the dreaded Valentines Day, after we all showed ID the girls were given tiny locks and the boys got keys so naturally we all went around trying to see who open whose locks. One of my flatmates Teddy opened mine.
We met up with a few more friends at the bar as the night progressed and one of my friends from the rugby team, Romain brought a few of his friends, one of them bought me a double shot of Jack Daniels which was wonderful and awful since I couldnt even taste the alcohol by then. The rest of the night, as I remember it, consisted of hanging out with the girls in the bathroom, dancing with my housemates, getting a shout out from the DJ wishing me happy birthday and then witnessing people throwing up outside the club...I'm still surprised I wasn't a part of that. The next morning I woke up with the worst hangover of my life (we rolled in around 5 am). I spent the day drinking lots of water and had a three hour brunch with Daisy and Jackie as we tried to recall memories from the previous night. It was a good relaxation day and when I got back to the house I got some work done. Alexander and Olivier offered beer pong later that night but just the sight of a beer can was enough for me to say no...haha.
Last week was basically just focusing on schoolwork and going for runs in the park. I already have two papers due in a few weeks for my Area Development and Internataional Security Studies classes so I needed to start on research for those, especially since the week they're due Liv and Ange are going to be here so that needs to get done pronto!
Thursday and Friday was just barhopping with the mates and 2 other friends, James and Joey. We stayed mainly in the Soho area before ending up at O'Neils in Leiscester Square for some live music and cheap student rate drinks where a pint can cost only £1.50!
Saturday I went for a run in Hyde Park which was loveley since the sun finally decided to come out and that night I went out to a Shishah (hookah) bar with Clenton, Mable, Brit, Jaz, Whitney, and Theo and met up with some others who live in a differnet dorm, Alun, and Ross. They brought along their friend James who is probably the most hipster looking guy I have ever seen, could give some people in Pittsburgh a run for their money. We all had a great time just smoking and people watching, James bought me a beer and afterwards we headed out to a 24 hour coffee shop.
Sunday was spent doing more work, I didnt get out of my pajames all day save for food shopping with Jackie and I just finished a lecture about an hour ago. Probably going to head back to the flat in a little while to get some more work done...blah. I'm pretty sure I'll be staying in all week so I can focus on my papers..maybe I'll go out Thursday but we'll have to see.
love,
al
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Hello Sir Rugby Player...Why Yes It's True We Americans Can Drink Til We're Dead.
So a lot has happened in the past week.
Last Thursday at O'Neills we all had an awsome time! Played a few games of beer pong before we left the flat...so while we had originally planned to leave at 9:30 we actually left at 11. Haha. We finally got to the bar, got drinks and headed over to where the band was playing as usual. I'm pretty sure by now all the bartenders know us since our entire house makes Thursdays reserved for O'Neills. I ended up meeting another American student, Chris, who was studying in Ireland but was visiting London with a few friends for the weekend. He recommended I visit Ireland which I definitely plan to do after finals are over!
Friday was spent relaxing, doing some work and basically spending all day in my sweats and a cut off tee (makes me miss the usual Chatham dress...)
Later that night we all planned to go to World's End in Camden Town. Ray, one of my housemates invited one of his friends, Roman, another student at Uni. Westminster. The night was good and we all had a ton of fun and of course ended up closing the night at The Oxford Arms before getting a night bus back to Highgate.
Saturday Ray invited Jackie and I to watch a Rugby match with the university's team at a bar near campus. I have been DYING to see a game so I was in. Jackie and I smuggled in a bottle of white wine into the bar so we wouldnt have to pay for drinks and no one really noticed since Ray and the rest of the school rugby team were fixated on the game. Rugby players are the UK's version of American Football players. Basically, large, incredibly fit guys and one, Adam offered to explain the game...too bad I already know the rules...haha. The entire team is a fun bunch, and by the end of the match they were all sufficiently drunk as were Jackie and I. We went back to Baker Street and then Jackie, Ray, and I headed back to Furnival around 11:30 PM.
When we got back everyone was going to a Hungarian club that was pretty close but we were so tired we just made dinner and I subsequently passed out.
Sunday was a repeat of Friday, just doing work and relaxing. That night we all convened in the common room, made dinner, and watched Sin City which I hadn't seen but I definitely love it now!
Tuesday Me, Jackie, and Daisy went shopping for my 21st birthday which is coming up this Saturday! I'm so excited!! We're all going to Zoo Bar which is in Leiscester Square and is supposed to be amazing! We've al; decided to dress up as well so I'm decided to wear my black t-shirt dress, tights and I found dark purple patent leather ankle boots for 6 Pounds! (We made sure to go to Primark and New Look, basically the 'Forever 21' of London)
Today (Thursday) I'm basically on campus all day. Had my morning lecture at 10 and now I'm just updating stuff including pictures on facebook!!
Tonight we're probably going back to O'Neills so lets hope for a fun night out with the mates!
22 days until Liv and Ange arrive in London!!
love,
al
Last Thursday at O'Neills we all had an awsome time! Played a few games of beer pong before we left the flat...so while we had originally planned to leave at 9:30 we actually left at 11. Haha. We finally got to the bar, got drinks and headed over to where the band was playing as usual. I'm pretty sure by now all the bartenders know us since our entire house makes Thursdays reserved for O'Neills. I ended up meeting another American student, Chris, who was studying in Ireland but was visiting London with a few friends for the weekend. He recommended I visit Ireland which I definitely plan to do after finals are over!
Friday was spent relaxing, doing some work and basically spending all day in my sweats and a cut off tee (makes me miss the usual Chatham dress...)
Later that night we all planned to go to World's End in Camden Town. Ray, one of my housemates invited one of his friends, Roman, another student at Uni. Westminster. The night was good and we all had a ton of fun and of course ended up closing the night at The Oxford Arms before getting a night bus back to Highgate.
Saturday Ray invited Jackie and I to watch a Rugby match with the university's team at a bar near campus. I have been DYING to see a game so I was in. Jackie and I smuggled in a bottle of white wine into the bar so we wouldnt have to pay for drinks and no one really noticed since Ray and the rest of the school rugby team were fixated on the game. Rugby players are the UK's version of American Football players. Basically, large, incredibly fit guys and one, Adam offered to explain the game...too bad I already know the rules...haha. The entire team is a fun bunch, and by the end of the match they were all sufficiently drunk as were Jackie and I. We went back to Baker Street and then Jackie, Ray, and I headed back to Furnival around 11:30 PM.
When we got back everyone was going to a Hungarian club that was pretty close but we were so tired we just made dinner and I subsequently passed out.
Sunday was a repeat of Friday, just doing work and relaxing. That night we all convened in the common room, made dinner, and watched Sin City which I hadn't seen but I definitely love it now!
Tuesday Me, Jackie, and Daisy went shopping for my 21st birthday which is coming up this Saturday! I'm so excited!! We're all going to Zoo Bar which is in Leiscester Square and is supposed to be amazing! We've al; decided to dress up as well so I'm decided to wear my black t-shirt dress, tights and I found dark purple patent leather ankle boots for 6 Pounds! (We made sure to go to Primark and New Look, basically the 'Forever 21' of London)
Today (Thursday) I'm basically on campus all day. Had my morning lecture at 10 and now I'm just updating stuff including pictures on facebook!!
Tonight we're probably going back to O'Neills so lets hope for a fun night out with the mates!
22 days until Liv and Ange arrive in London!!
love,
al
Thursday, February 5, 2009
London vs. The Snowstorm
So this week has been pretty sweet so far...
For starters..we all watched the Superbowl when it aired in the UK at 11:00 PM and we were subsequently up until 3 AM to watch Pittsburgh win!!! It was an awsome night! A lot of the British students didn't really get why we were all so excited though..lol.
London was hit with this HUUUGE snowstorm and as a result, classes were canceled on Monday and the entire city seemed to shut down. Banks and post offices were closed and people just didn't go to work. They don't usually get this much snow at all so no one knew how to handle it...except for the American students (haha). The busses also stopped running and parts of the tube were not in use so it made for a pretty interesting day with literally nothing to do and nowhere to go except for the neighboorhoods we live in. That night, me and a ton of the people I live with got into this hufe snowball fight outside the dorm and it was so much fun! I probably havent done that since I was little. After we all went to a local bar, The Wrestler and warmed up by the fireplace until about midnight.
Tuesday I met Teddy, Ross, and Alun (Welsh spelling) went to Hyde Park to play in the snow, walk around, and get coffee. The three of us went back to Alun's flat and watched several episodes of House until that night when we met up with a few more people and went to get Indian. We all ended up back at Ross's dorm room for some quality drinking time. He has this amazing view of London from his balcony (he's on the 18th floor of the building) so we had a good time just chilling out and Teddy and I headed back to the flat around 10:30 since we both have early morning classes on Wednesday. We usually end up taking the tube to campus together and to say the least....we both were falling alseep on the way in Wednesday morning :).
After the most boring lecture of my life (Area Development) Helen, Ashley and I went to get food which ended up lasting several hours so by the time I got back to the dorm I was exausted and passed out watching Fight Club with a bunch of people in the common room which has the most comfortable couches ever! haha
Then later that night Jackie and I started planning our Easter Break travel-fest! We have about 3 weeks to do whatever.
We found a one-way bus to Paris for £12 which is a definite steal. From there we'll take the train to Brussels and then to Amsterdam. That entire trip including fares for the hostels should be about £230 which is amazing for the amount of traveling it is.We'll fly back to London after that and rest for about 2 days before flying to Barcelona for a few days (the round trip ticket for that is £40!) but we're still trying to decide between there and Copenhagen in Denmark. Overall, I'm so excited! We'll get back just in time for finals!
Tonight we're all going back to O'neils in Leiscester Sq. for some live music so we'll see where the night leads us.
Also...only four weeks until Liv and Angelina come visit me!
love,
al
Saturday, January 31, 2009
An American in London
Hey guys!
So I'm finally adding some pictures to the blog! These are just scenic, mostly of The National Gallery, Hyde Park, and London Bridge and one of me in the famous red phone boxes!
I'm going to be uploading the rest soon and also (hopefully!) to my facebook! The server in my flat is not that great with pictures so I'll probably have to resort to going to campus to get that done!
love,
al
Thursday, January 29, 2009
I Lost the Scot
This week has been pretty awsome so far, mainly just busy with class and of course going to the daily Tuesday night sports bar with the rest of my flatmates.
Sunday night we all took it easy and hung out in the dorm watching movies and getting ready done for class so it was pretty chill, but Monday night we all planned on going out for the Chinese New Year celebration downtown...however...because everyone was taking so long to get ready and decide if they really wanted to leave we ended up playing beer pong in the common room until about 1 (the tube stops running at 12). After we all got into our pajamas and went down the street to get kababs which are meat sandwiches...and at around 1:30 AM they are sooo good! Daisy, Jackie and I stayed up until 3 but then I was ready to crash.
I don't have class Tuesdays so I got some sleep in, went for a run around the neighborhood and did grocery shopping for the week. Around 6 people were starting to text about that night's activities and of course by 10 we were all set to go out, dance, and get inibriated :).
We got to the pub around 10:30, checked our coats and headed to the bar. It was insanely crowded but we managed to flag down one of the bartenders and order our drinks. I was on my way over to our table when I ran into this guy who turned out to be Scottish (I understood his accent which was surprising lol). He bought me a shot of tequila and we ended up talking for awhile but then my friends wanted to dance and I lost him as a result.
The rest of the night consisted of the French boys getting very drunk and dancing around and me, Josh, Raz, and Daisy going outside to get fresh air and so they could smoke before going back inside to order another round of drinks. Jackie got very drunk and started yelling at everyone about something (I wasn't really sure) but she was definitely ready to go home and by then it was about 3 AM (and it was last call anyway).
Daisy got sick on the night bus that took us back to our dorm and it had started to rain which was just lovely as most of us girls were in heels but we got back and headed right to bed...it was about 5 AM and I had to be up at 8 for class...brilliant!
Wednesday and today have just consisted of class and hanging out with people in the common room. Last night me, Kate, Cory, Daisy, and Carlos went to get Italian and watched Disney movies for some reason. Around 11 the French boys suggested beer pong and when both teams were down to one cup each it took another hour and a half to finish the game....probably because were tired and drinking Stella Artois...gross...haha.
Might just take it easy tonight since my last lecture tonight doesn't get out until about 9 PM but we'll see. Lily Allen is supposed to play some club in Central London this weekend so we're going to try and make it out..it would be so awsome so her her live!
love,
al
Sunday night we all took it easy and hung out in the dorm watching movies and getting ready done for class so it was pretty chill, but Monday night we all planned on going out for the Chinese New Year celebration downtown...however...because everyone was taking so long to get ready and decide if they really wanted to leave we ended up playing beer pong in the common room until about 1 (the tube stops running at 12). After we all got into our pajamas and went down the street to get kababs which are meat sandwiches...and at around 1:30 AM they are sooo good! Daisy, Jackie and I stayed up until 3 but then I was ready to crash.
I don't have class Tuesdays so I got some sleep in, went for a run around the neighborhood and did grocery shopping for the week. Around 6 people were starting to text about that night's activities and of course by 10 we were all set to go out, dance, and get inibriated :).
We got to the pub around 10:30, checked our coats and headed to the bar. It was insanely crowded but we managed to flag down one of the bartenders and order our drinks. I was on my way over to our table when I ran into this guy who turned out to be Scottish (I understood his accent which was surprising lol). He bought me a shot of tequila and we ended up talking for awhile but then my friends wanted to dance and I lost him as a result.
The rest of the night consisted of the French boys getting very drunk and dancing around and me, Josh, Raz, and Daisy going outside to get fresh air and so they could smoke before going back inside to order another round of drinks. Jackie got very drunk and started yelling at everyone about something (I wasn't really sure) but she was definitely ready to go home and by then it was about 3 AM (and it was last call anyway).
Daisy got sick on the night bus that took us back to our dorm and it had started to rain which was just lovely as most of us girls were in heels but we got back and headed right to bed...it was about 5 AM and I had to be up at 8 for class...brilliant!
Wednesday and today have just consisted of class and hanging out with people in the common room. Last night me, Kate, Cory, Daisy, and Carlos went to get Italian and watched Disney movies for some reason. Around 11 the French boys suggested beer pong and when both teams were down to one cup each it took another hour and a half to finish the game....probably because were tired and drinking Stella Artois...gross...haha.
Might just take it easy tonight since my last lecture tonight doesn't get out until about 9 PM but we'll see. Lily Allen is supposed to play some club in Central London this weekend so we're going to try and make it out..it would be so awsome so her her live!
love,
al
Sunday, January 25, 2009
WWTCGD: What Would the Chatham Girls Do?
This weekend has been absolutely ridiculous...and by the that I mean completely Chatham worthy!
On Thursdays I have my International Security Studies lecture at 10 and then the seminar following it at 11:30 until 1 and then I have my second class, Third World Politics at 6 pm until 8..(my professor for this course is your quintessential English man...he would start swearing mid lecture when he got really into it...so funny!) So in between killing the time in between the classes and then the tube ride back to the flat I was completely exhausted...but the minute I got back I got a text from my friend Jackie who lives one floor below me (I'm on the 2nd floor of our building) to let me know that of course, we were all going out. The great thing about the people I'm living with is that they all have this great energy to go out and we always have a great time together...it also makes going home real easy since we're such a large group.
Anyway, so I had about 10 minutes to grab food since I hadn't eaten all day and change my shirt and shoes and look a little going out worthy. In London a lot of girls go all out...but since its still cold I haven't really done that yet but that fashion styles here are phenomenal. My friend Daisy loves to wear this bright pink trench coat when we go out with pink lipstick and a pink headband. She has be most adorable sense of style I've seen here yet!
So we all meet up in the front lobby and head to this Irish bar, O'Neils in Leicester Square near Oxford Circus, it's a quick tube ride away from the flat which is nice. The first floor of the bar is a club, the second is the bar with live music and the third is the roof access. We stayed where the live music was and the band was awsome. I got a ton of great pictures and so did my friends when they used my camera for me, especially one of the French students Olivier who went crazy taking everyone's picture while we rocked out.
Fridays I don't have class so I slept in a little, went for a run and got groceries of which I was in dire need!
Then me, Jackie, Laura and Katerina made dinner together and had some girl time, thinking it would be a night off from all the going out madness...but no
Around 10, Carlos, who lives down the hall from me came into the common room to let us know we were going to Camden Town to this bar called The World's End which is supposedly the largest bar in London. To say the least it was amazing! We finally were able to edge our way to the bar which was basically a shrine to every type of alcohol imaginable...I got a shot of Jack (which is my favorite now) and a beer and we all toasted to a fun night out. We headed into another room and hung out for awhile, drinking and people watching. We heard there was club called The Underworld having an 80s night right next door so of course we headed there next and danced like mad to every known work of 80s pop. I went to the bar and there were these two guys standing there who looked like the singers of MGMT...very messy hair, thin, hipster types and being the tipsy one who was I to keep any thought to myself at this point. Their names were Jack and Tom and they introduced me to the rest of their group, Mark, Johnson, and Simon. Jackie had joined me at the bar and the guys had a great time hearing our American accents (they really love them in England, its pretty sweet). So we all headed back to the dance floor and around 3 it was last call so we grabbed our coats and left to find the night bus that takes us back to Highgate where we live.
Saturday was our friend Cory's 23rd birthday so of course we needed to celebrate. We all (and when I say all I mean about 10-15 of us) headed back to The World's End where we met a few more people, Luca and Rolfe who were from London and they came with us to this other bar called The Salon. It wasn't too crowded so we were able to get a table and by then it was the two boys, me, Daisy, Wayne, Josh, James, Joe, and Raz. A few of us were a little belligerent (Joe and Josh got sick on the way back to the bus) but yet again, it was an incredibly fun night.
One thing about men in London, at a bar, if you make eye contact or show interest of any kind, they WILL come over to you and probably offer you a drink. In most cases, if you accept its almost like an obligation to stay with that person the REST of the night.
When we got back, me, Daisy, Raz, Olivier and his friend Charlie and girlfriend Christine who were visiting from France were up until 6 playing Kings which was hilarious since every time someone lost Daisy would yell out "drink bitch!." By 6:30 I decided I needed sleep (surprisingly) and passed out the minute my head hit the pillow.
But seriously....this weekend was legendary!
Today I'll probably just take it easy and hang out with people in the common room. I've got some reading to do for my British Economy class tomorrow so I need to get that done as well.
love,
al
On Thursdays I have my International Security Studies lecture at 10 and then the seminar following it at 11:30 until 1 and then I have my second class, Third World Politics at 6 pm until 8..(my professor for this course is your quintessential English man...he would start swearing mid lecture when he got really into it...so funny!) So in between killing the time in between the classes and then the tube ride back to the flat I was completely exhausted...but the minute I got back I got a text from my friend Jackie who lives one floor below me (I'm on the 2nd floor of our building) to let me know that of course, we were all going out. The great thing about the people I'm living with is that they all have this great energy to go out and we always have a great time together...it also makes going home real easy since we're such a large group.
Anyway, so I had about 10 minutes to grab food since I hadn't eaten all day and change my shirt and shoes and look a little going out worthy. In London a lot of girls go all out...but since its still cold I haven't really done that yet but that fashion styles here are phenomenal. My friend Daisy loves to wear this bright pink trench coat when we go out with pink lipstick and a pink headband. She has be most adorable sense of style I've seen here yet!
So we all meet up in the front lobby and head to this Irish bar, O'Neils in Leicester Square near Oxford Circus, it's a quick tube ride away from the flat which is nice. The first floor of the bar is a club, the second is the bar with live music and the third is the roof access. We stayed where the live music was and the band was awsome. I got a ton of great pictures and so did my friends when they used my camera for me, especially one of the French students Olivier who went crazy taking everyone's picture while we rocked out.
Fridays I don't have class so I slept in a little, went for a run and got groceries of which I was in dire need!
Then me, Jackie, Laura and Katerina made dinner together and had some girl time, thinking it would be a night off from all the going out madness...but no
Around 10, Carlos, who lives down the hall from me came into the common room to let us know we were going to Camden Town to this bar called The World's End which is supposedly the largest bar in London. To say the least it was amazing! We finally were able to edge our way to the bar which was basically a shrine to every type of alcohol imaginable...I got a shot of Jack (which is my favorite now) and a beer and we all toasted to a fun night out. We headed into another room and hung out for awhile, drinking and people watching. We heard there was club called The Underworld having an 80s night right next door so of course we headed there next and danced like mad to every known work of 80s pop. I went to the bar and there were these two guys standing there who looked like the singers of MGMT...very messy hair, thin, hipster types and being the tipsy one who was I to keep any thought to myself at this point. Their names were Jack and Tom and they introduced me to the rest of their group, Mark, Johnson, and Simon. Jackie had joined me at the bar and the guys had a great time hearing our American accents (they really love them in England, its pretty sweet). So we all headed back to the dance floor and around 3 it was last call so we grabbed our coats and left to find the night bus that takes us back to Highgate where we live.
Saturday was our friend Cory's 23rd birthday so of course we needed to celebrate. We all (and when I say all I mean about 10-15 of us) headed back to The World's End where we met a few more people, Luca and Rolfe who were from London and they came with us to this other bar called The Salon. It wasn't too crowded so we were able to get a table and by then it was the two boys, me, Daisy, Wayne, Josh, James, Joe, and Raz. A few of us were a little belligerent (Joe and Josh got sick on the way back to the bus) but yet again, it was an incredibly fun night.
One thing about men in London, at a bar, if you make eye contact or show interest of any kind, they WILL come over to you and probably offer you a drink. In most cases, if you accept its almost like an obligation to stay with that person the REST of the night.
When we got back, me, Daisy, Raz, Olivier and his friend Charlie and girlfriend Christine who were visiting from France were up until 6 playing Kings which was hilarious since every time someone lost Daisy would yell out "drink bitch!." By 6:30 I decided I needed sleep (surprisingly) and passed out the minute my head hit the pillow.
But seriously....this weekend was legendary!
Today I'll probably just take it easy and hang out with people in the common room. I've got some reading to do for my British Economy class tomorrow so I need to get that done as well.
love,
al
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Fog and Tea Time
Sorry I haven't written in awhile! This week has been a total blur!
We finally started our classes on Monday and they are so intense! They're all in two hour and a half segments; a lecture and then a seminar with class groups, so bascially I have 4 3-hour classes a week!
The classes are really self directed though, there's definitely not going to be any hand holding besides deciding on final papers/projects (one of my final papers for my Political Area Development class needs to be no less than 3,500 words! jeeez...) But one of the really awsome aspects of my courses so far is that the lecturers have real world experience which makes class interesting in order to gain perspective on the subject. I have two lectures tomorrow, International Security Studies and Third World Politics so I'll see how they go, but they should be amazing given the topipcs. Also, most, if not all the readings for classes can be found at the main campus's library
so best case scenario, I won't have to spend money on books this semester!
The weather hasn't been to bad. Random rain showers every once in awhile so I always have to have my umbrella on me just in case! Other than that its usually between 40 and 50 degrees with a little wind and yes, it is usually foggy although today there was some blue sky! It is definitely still boot, scarf, and jacket season though!
On Tuesday, me and two other girls in my dorm, Caitlin and Sara went to the Natioal Gallery. Annie Liebovitz has a photography exhibit open until next month so we went and it was so amazing! I have always loved her work so seeing it blown up in a huge gallery was an awsome experience. The exhibit cost about 9 Pounds for students but the actual museum itself is free (like many of the museums in London) and we went to the Tudor gallery which shows a huge amount of artwork from the Elizabethan Era. I had seen these works so many times in books but to actually be standing in front of the real thing was so thrilling! We went to see another huge gallery that coverd the Stuart period which came after Elizabeth I's death in 1603 when James I was named her successor which brought an end to the enture Tudor period itself. We didn't see the entire museum because it would definitely have taken the whole day! I got some really great shots of the exterior of the museum including one of Big Ben and the fountains outside the museum. Afterwards we got tea and went for a walk and by the time I got back to the dorm I was exausted.
But of course about an hour after I got back Inaguration parties were going on in the halls and two of my neighboors, Federico and Kate invited me out with a bunch of other people who live in our dorm. A few people were attempting to play beer pong with very cheap white wine and small cups so it was a definite let-down for the Americans...the Brits who live with us loved it however and just started drinking the cups instead of even trying to shoot the pong ball...haha.
Around 9 a huge group of us headed to this bar near us called The Wrestler and hung out there for awhile before heading back to the Sports Cafe in Piccadilly Circus. It was insanely crowded because of the inaguration (which we all watched in the common room before going anywhere that night) and all night whenever someone heard our accents they would always ask us how excited we were..so it was a really fun night....lots of dancing!
Today I got up around 8 for my lecture at 10. Around 1 class let out and me and another girl in my class, Helen, went for tea. She's from a suburban area just outside London.
Also, I finally got my UK phone! It's the tiniest, cheapest thing but I'm only here for a few months so buying an expensive phone is definitely not worth it...need that extra money for my travelcard and other things :).
I'm still a little homesick sadly. Going out and meeting people is always a blast, but I wish people back home could be here sometimes, a part of this feels like freshman year all over again with meeting people but it's completly nornal to have culture shock for the first few weeks. There are so many things that are different here but thats part of the experience itself!
Anyway, its almost midnight here and I have to be up early yet again for class tomorrow. Who knows what the weekend will bring! Especially since I don't have class Fridays! (yay!)
love,
al
We finally started our classes on Monday and they are so intense! They're all in two hour and a half segments; a lecture and then a seminar with class groups, so bascially I have 4 3-hour classes a week!
The classes are really self directed though, there's definitely not going to be any hand holding besides deciding on final papers/projects (one of my final papers for my Political Area Development class needs to be no less than 3,500 words! jeeez...) But one of the really awsome aspects of my courses so far is that the lecturers have real world experience which makes class interesting in order to gain perspective on the subject. I have two lectures tomorrow, International Security Studies and Third World Politics so I'll see how they go, but they should be amazing given the topipcs. Also, most, if not all the readings for classes can be found at the main campus's library
so best case scenario, I won't have to spend money on books this semester!
The weather hasn't been to bad. Random rain showers every once in awhile so I always have to have my umbrella on me just in case! Other than that its usually between 40 and 50 degrees with a little wind and yes, it is usually foggy although today there was some blue sky! It is definitely still boot, scarf, and jacket season though!
On Tuesday, me and two other girls in my dorm, Caitlin and Sara went to the Natioal Gallery. Annie Liebovitz has a photography exhibit open until next month so we went and it was so amazing! I have always loved her work so seeing it blown up in a huge gallery was an awsome experience. The exhibit cost about 9 Pounds for students but the actual museum itself is free (like many of the museums in London) and we went to the Tudor gallery which shows a huge amount of artwork from the Elizabethan Era. I had seen these works so many times in books but to actually be standing in front of the real thing was so thrilling! We went to see another huge gallery that coverd the Stuart period which came after Elizabeth I's death in 1603 when James I was named her successor which brought an end to the enture Tudor period itself. We didn't see the entire museum because it would definitely have taken the whole day! I got some really great shots of the exterior of the museum including one of Big Ben and the fountains outside the museum. Afterwards we got tea and went for a walk and by the time I got back to the dorm I was exausted.
But of course about an hour after I got back Inaguration parties were going on in the halls and two of my neighboors, Federico and Kate invited me out with a bunch of other people who live in our dorm. A few people were attempting to play beer pong with very cheap white wine and small cups so it was a definite let-down for the Americans...the Brits who live with us loved it however and just started drinking the cups instead of even trying to shoot the pong ball...haha.
Around 9 a huge group of us headed to this bar near us called The Wrestler and hung out there for awhile before heading back to the Sports Cafe in Piccadilly Circus. It was insanely crowded because of the inaguration (which we all watched in the common room before going anywhere that night) and all night whenever someone heard our accents they would always ask us how excited we were..so it was a really fun night....lots of dancing!
Today I got up around 8 for my lecture at 10. Around 1 class let out and me and another girl in my class, Helen, went for tea. She's from a suburban area just outside London.
Also, I finally got my UK phone! It's the tiniest, cheapest thing but I'm only here for a few months so buying an expensive phone is definitely not worth it...need that extra money for my travelcard and other things :).
I'm still a little homesick sadly. Going out and meeting people is always a blast, but I wish people back home could be here sometimes, a part of this feels like freshman year all over again with meeting people but it's completly nornal to have culture shock for the first few weeks. There are so many things that are different here but thats part of the experience itself!
Anyway, its almost midnight here and I have to be up early yet again for class tomorrow. Who knows what the weekend will bring! Especially since I don't have class Fridays! (yay!)
love,
al
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Orientation and feeling Dis-oriented
So this week was the start of Orientation! I was pretty excited because I only knew the people I had met in my dorm and random people at the pubs. The only downside was that I had to get up around 7:30 since it started at 9:00. The walk to the tube station is about 15 minutes downhill and then I needed to by my Oyster card which is like a month pass (students get about 30% off everything here which is incredible!)
Despite me missing the New York subway system, one of the greater thing about the tube here is that there are maps everywhere for the lines and each of them are color coded. The link below can show you.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/travel/downloads/tube_map.html
The route I have to take is the Northern Line which is black and then sometimes I'll need to switch over to the Victoria Line which is light blue. My school is located in Central London but there are four campuses and luckily, the campus where I have all my classes is on Regent Street which puts me right in the middle of one of the busiest areas in all of London which is pretty sweet. There's always a ton to do!
I got a little lost on the way to orientation because the Northern Line splits and if you get on the wrong one it will take you the wrong direction which is not good at all, hence, my need to switch trains :).
But in the end it all worked out. I got to orientation on time and met a lot of really interesting people. We were given the task to do a scavenger hunt based on historical places on the schools campus and in London itself. My group members and I ended up going to a small English deli and poured over maps and just ended up talking for the longest time! So we all had a good time!
After, myself and one of my group members, Renee, went for a walk down Oxford Street so we could look at new phones since we hadn't done that yet. I found out that I can just buy a SIM card for about 2 Pounds (about $4.50) for my Blackberry! Then we went for this walk along the side of Hyde Park and since it had begun to rain a little and some fog was setting in it was really beautiful out so I took a few shots with my camera (I'll post them soon!). Then we went to Piccadilly Circus which is like a mini Times Square with shopping and bars and lots of foot traffic! But by then it was about 5 pm (12 pm EST) so I took the Piccadilly Line (dark blue) to Leicester Square and then switched to the Northern Line back to the dorm. So the tube was getting easier to navigate.
By the time I had left the Archway tube station (where my dorm is) I walked back up the hill to my room...and after several hours of walking I had never been so happy to lay in my bed!
The next day I had to go back to campus to finalize my class schedule. I'm taking Third World Politics, International Security Studies, the British Economy since 1945, and Political Development. I definitely have a lot of work ahead of me this semester!
Later when I got back to the dorm, one of my flatmates, Joe wanted to know if I wanted to come out with a few people later that night. We ended up going to a sports bar in Piccadilly Circus with two other guys, Joey and James and two girls, Rachel and Sara. We sat at a table and drank for a little while and played pence (quarters) and then when we were good an inebriated we finally decided to go dance...we had such a blast! By then it was about 3 am and it was last call so we grabbed our jackets and left. The tube runs only until midnight so we had to navigate using the various night buses that would take us back to Archway. I partly don't remember the bus ride...haha
I only woke up about an hour ago but my calves hurt like hell and I need to go grocery shopping. More to come soon!
Despite me missing the New York subway system, one of the greater thing about the tube here is that there are maps everywhere for the lines and each of them are color coded. The link below can show you.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/travel/downloads/tube_map.html
The route I have to take is the Northern Line which is black and then sometimes I'll need to switch over to the Victoria Line which is light blue. My school is located in Central London but there are four campuses and luckily, the campus where I have all my classes is on Regent Street which puts me right in the middle of one of the busiest areas in all of London which is pretty sweet. There's always a ton to do!
I got a little lost on the way to orientation because the Northern Line splits and if you get on the wrong one it will take you the wrong direction which is not good at all, hence, my need to switch trains :).
But in the end it all worked out. I got to orientation on time and met a lot of really interesting people. We were given the task to do a scavenger hunt based on historical places on the schools campus and in London itself. My group members and I ended up going to a small English deli and poured over maps and just ended up talking for the longest time! So we all had a good time!
After, myself and one of my group members, Renee, went for a walk down Oxford Street so we could look at new phones since we hadn't done that yet. I found out that I can just buy a SIM card for about 2 Pounds (about $4.50) for my Blackberry! Then we went for this walk along the side of Hyde Park and since it had begun to rain a little and some fog was setting in it was really beautiful out so I took a few shots with my camera (I'll post them soon!). Then we went to Piccadilly Circus which is like a mini Times Square with shopping and bars and lots of foot traffic! But by then it was about 5 pm (12 pm EST) so I took the Piccadilly Line (dark blue) to Leicester Square and then switched to the Northern Line back to the dorm. So the tube was getting easier to navigate.
By the time I had left the Archway tube station (where my dorm is) I walked back up the hill to my room...and after several hours of walking I had never been so happy to lay in my bed!
The next day I had to go back to campus to finalize my class schedule. I'm taking Third World Politics, International Security Studies, the British Economy since 1945, and Political Development. I definitely have a lot of work ahead of me this semester!
Later when I got back to the dorm, one of my flatmates, Joe wanted to know if I wanted to come out with a few people later that night. We ended up going to a sports bar in Piccadilly Circus with two other guys, Joey and James and two girls, Rachel and Sara. We sat at a table and drank for a little while and played pence (quarters) and then when we were good an inebriated we finally decided to go dance...we had such a blast! By then it was about 3 am and it was last call so we grabbed our jackets and left. The tube runs only until midnight so we had to navigate using the various night buses that would take us back to Archway. I partly don't remember the bus ride...haha
I only woke up about an hour ago but my calves hurt like hell and I need to go grocery shopping. More to come soon!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The First Night
Today has been the most ridiculous day! I boarded the plane at 11:00 last night from JFK and we were in the air about 6 hours..i tried to get some sleep but it was really bumpy towards the end so that definitely was not going to happen. We landed around 11:20 London time (6:20 in the states) and got my luggage, and got my ride up to the dorm.
My dorm, while beautiful and historical is incredibly small, so figuring out how I was going to organize my clothes and my bags was quite a task! While unpacking a met a girl, Anna, who lives across the hall. We made plans to go looking for bars with a few other people living in our building later that night.
After that it was pretty standard. We took the tube (subway) to Oxford Circus in Central London where we went to a college bar and we met a lot of really interesting people! So of course, the group grew and then after going to a few more bars took the tube to Camden which is close to where my dorm is. A few people stopped to grab food but then it was off to another bar which had roof access so we grabbed a round of drinks and went upstairs to get a good view of the city.
By this time it was around 10:30 and we were all still jet lagged so we headed back to the dorm and I finished unpacking. Orientation stars on Monday morning so I'll get my ID and my finalize my schedule with my adviser! I cannot wait!
Overall, it was the perfect first day in London!
Al
My dorm, while beautiful and historical is incredibly small, so figuring out how I was going to organize my clothes and my bags was quite a task! While unpacking a met a girl, Anna, who lives across the hall. We made plans to go looking for bars with a few other people living in our building later that night.
After that it was pretty standard. We took the tube (subway) to Oxford Circus in Central London where we went to a college bar and we met a lot of really interesting people! So of course, the group grew and then after going to a few more bars took the tube to Camden which is close to where my dorm is. A few people stopped to grab food but then it was off to another bar which had roof access so we grabbed a round of drinks and went upstairs to get a good view of the city.
By this time it was around 10:30 and we were all still jet lagged so we headed back to the dorm and I finished unpacking. Orientation stars on Monday morning so I'll get my ID and my finalize my schedule with my adviser! I cannot wait!
Overall, it was the perfect first day in London!
Al
Friday, January 9, 2009
6 Hours and 6 Minutes
Dad and I will be leaving for JFK in a little while! Day was spent doing almost nothing which was almost awsome...except for a little more packing and of course missing all my girls at school...
Probably the worst part about all the packing was that I definitely could not bring everything including all my books and dvds and I still have to pack up my computer cords..blah...
I pretty much wish I was already in London, probably because then I would have more to write about...and I'm sure with the 7 and a half flight over there I might! :) My flight leaves at 11:30 tonight and gets in about noon London time on Saturday (7 AM in the States).
love,
Al
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
1 Day, 23 Hours, and 40 Min...
Hey guys!
So i have just under two days left in the U.S. until I leave for London! I'm so excited, besides being sidetracked about paying for my monthly rail pass and making sure I haven't forgotten anything I can get here first...I'll probably save getting notebooks for lectures when I get there...damn airlines charging for bag weight.
It's so strange to think that just a few months ago I was applying for schools with study abroad programs, half not sure if I would get in and half thinking about whether or not I would ultimately even go, and thinking about it now I basically just can't believe it!
I'm going to miss my friends at school so much! Honestly, I probably won't find a cooler group of friends than the one I have now...so thank god three of them are coming to visit over Chatham's spring break! It's going to be amazing!
Anyway, just wanted to make a quick post before heading to bed...its already about 5 AM London time.
Al
So i have just under two days left in the U.S. until I leave for London! I'm so excited, besides being sidetracked about paying for my monthly rail pass and making sure I haven't forgotten anything I can get here first...I'll probably save getting notebooks for lectures when I get there...damn airlines charging for bag weight.
It's so strange to think that just a few months ago I was applying for schools with study abroad programs, half not sure if I would get in and half thinking about whether or not I would ultimately even go, and thinking about it now I basically just can't believe it!
I'm going to miss my friends at school so much! Honestly, I probably won't find a cooler group of friends than the one I have now...so thank god three of them are coming to visit over Chatham's spring break! It's going to be amazing!
Anyway, just wanted to make a quick post before heading to bed...its already about 5 AM London time.
Al
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