January 4th 2011
So, looking back…my first week in London was absolutely spectacular. I was thrown into London straight away and with the help of a scavenger hunt during our first day of “orientation,” I was able to see some of the most famous and beautiful landmarks and quirks of London – beginning with the Tube.
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| Our New University |
Sure, this was because we had to get to City University but this commute started our transition into London culture. We travelled with Phillip on the Circle line, changed at Bank and got onto the Northern Line and exited at Angel and hobbled along like ducklings behind Phillip to the left and about ten minutes down the road and a sudden right after approaching a City University sign lead us to AN INCREDIBLY OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF STAIRS up to a lecture hall full of students and American accents.
I found seats with Emma, Dana and Dani towards the front and after attempting to meet new people and noticing the professor that exactly resembled Mr. Schuester from Glee, I was talked at about London and things to do and avoid. ON the list of DO NOTs: Get in a cab in front of a club that is not registered and/or legitimate because you WILL get raped.
We were all handed a worksheet that was to introduce us to some interesting terms that separate American English from English…for example:
- Pants = underwear
- Quid = bucks
- Rocket = Arugula
- Rubber = Eraser
- Flat = Apartment
At first these all seemed very funny but as time passes here they are all becoming
a part of my vocabulary.
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| Big Ben, Dana, Me and Dani |
On our journey we saw St. Paul’s Cathedral, Covent Garden, the National Gallery Museum (I saw a painting by Henri de Toulous Lautrec…my favorite artist…it was the portrait of Emile Bernard…I cried...Also there was Child with Dove by Picasso and Sunflowers by Van Gogh), Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, The London Eye and the Houses of Parliament/Parliament Square.
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| The London Eye |
We arrived at our desitnation post-hunt and our shivering bodies were not relieved inside as the location in which we ate was not at all heated. Dinner was lovely however and the strawberry cheesecake did ease the pain of my cold-induced goose bumps. After dinner and an unfair quiz won by Tylyn and Grace (WITH ASSISTENCE OF PHILLIP!) that provided them with free tickets to the London Eye! Once over, the ladies of Palace Court accompanied Phillip back to our place of residence and we may or may not have stayed up incredibly late getting groceries, speaking with our loved ones and writing in our journals...meaning stalking people on Facebook…
January 5th 2011
Another silly day of orientation at Uni but it was followed by the discovery of Comida Mexicana, absolutely LOVELY conversation, exploration, fun and then a cute wine and cheese put on by the Student Union event followed by a tour of the City of London by Simon.
We saw the most amazing sights here as well. Starting outside of Monument Station, and after a trip to the Loo in Starbucks, we met with Dan (sarcastic but funny American FYSAE employee) and our 11-year veteran tour guide Simon. Shall I share some of the spectacles? Yes. The London Bridge, The Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, where Scrooge would have eaten after he fired Bob Kratchet in A Christmas Carol, we saw cathedrals by Christopher Wren (one of which was partially destroyed), Diagon Alley, the Leaky Cauldron and other lovely things!  |
| Bank of London |
After the tour Emma, Dana, Grace, Tylyn, Dani, Steph and myself ventured to a pub called The Carpenter and the Walrus and we met three incredibly pleasant and entertaining people that just add to my fascination with people, conversation and fate. Too complicated to explain at this time, however, the following are essentially their profiles (from what I can remember).
Two Bartenders at The Walrus and The Carpenter near Monument Station
- One, 29 from France originally and had dreadlocks held in a gorgeous black scarf with a lovely sparkling barrette or clip
o Slender and very sweet but definitely has been through enough
- Other, larger and a little less delicate but fabulous in that sense
o Very funny and has a taste for hard liquor and ales (the strong stuff)
o Fantastic though, gave us a lot of time and patience as we asked about alcohol and what the best kind would be to drink (asked her preferences and general opinions)
We were there until they closed and we had fabulous conversation with them (I left knowing that we would HAVE to go back)
It was a night of bonding, tasting, enjoyment and firsts.
January 6th 2011
WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY 6TH?!?!?!?!?!? We got our phones, supplies, cookbooks and made dinner together as a family. Mediocre…but we were in London.
January 7th 2011
This was an incredibly pleasant and curious day that proved (once again) that this world we live in is small…just as those little dolls so repetitively claim. Let’s begin at City University before we were able to Register for our classes. About ten minutes after sitting in the back of a lecture hall, waiting for the rest of the students studying through Arcadia University, a friendly-looking girl sat right in front of me and when I asked where she was from she replied with my own well-rehearsed response, “Princeton.” So this could have meant one of two things…first, she was truly from Princeton (which was exciting because that is an area close to my hometown that I am very familiar with) or second, she was from an area near Princeton but said Princeton because it is a more recognizable name in New Jersey. So this girl, Sami, after I clarified where I was from, Pennington, she revealed that she was from Hopewell Hunt…and went to the same Middle School as I did. She was in London at the same time as me…through the same program…in the same room…she sat right in front of me. Just happened to get there as early as my companions and myself…What. Are. The. CHANCES?! REALLY NOW?!?!?
But here is the rest of my day, after getting the best schedule ever (Mondays and Fridays off with a late class on Tuesday…mhmm), centered around the people that I met on this fine day.
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| Kadir |
FIRST!
- Kadir – waiter in Gallipoli Café (Turkish Café)
- Said that it was 5P to take photographs (jokester), helped us to arrive at the conclusion that on their menu both “fries” and “chips” are chips or fries respectively
- Told us that when he learned to speak English, they told him that “Aubergine” was the real word for Eggplant…just not true.
- He literally brought out the eggplant because we didn’t understand what he was talking about (more like couldn’t believe it was called “aubergine”)
AND THEN!
- The two girls in Eccenctricities, the most fabulously hip vintage store in all of London (just up the road from Angel Tube Station)
- Horribly sweet, the one (blond) was sick and had the cutest sniffle and still told me all of the best places to go while eating her Innocent Mexican Bowl
- Told us where to stay away from – meaning the places that the “…football player wives…(odd looks from us)…you know, the big fake boobs?”
- She explained the typical fashion trends of the winter in London (big chunky sweaters and scarves)
- And those of right now – button up men’s’/flannel/dress shirts, tight jeans, big glasses and then obviously the chunky sweaters/scarves
- I purchased the most delicious sweater (oversized, cozy, wool, men’s’ sweater)
When we returned Phillip took us to a pub and it was absolutely divine. We bonded and realized the difference between Americans and the English…volume.
January 8th (and into the morning of the 9th) 2011
Three words…PORTOBELLO ROAD MARKET.
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| Me, Dana, Dani, Grace and Emma |
Phillip took us to Portobello Road Market (the lovely market featured in the silly little film called Notting Hill) and bought each of us coffee! But really…this was one of the most fantastic days ever…I was amazed by the intricacies of the market itself. I practiced and perfected my haggling skills and by the end of the day had procured a scarf, a shirt, two necklaces, rosemary crackers, bananas, a falafel (THE ONLY ONE I HAVE EVER LIKED!), hipster glasses, a jewelry box (a rad one at that), and a pocket sized mirror. Although it was absolutely frigid and for about ¾ of the time out I could not feel my toes, I shopped until 6 PM when the moon shone bright with Dani and Dana (for Emma and Grace left early and Tylyn was sick).
By the time we got home, ate dinner, surfed the web and obsessed over our purchases…it was 12 AM and I was anxious to dress up and go to the convenience store…random. I convinced Dana, Dani and Emma to come with me and so I did everyone’s makeup to correspind with their dressy outfits and we headed to Tescos…to find it was closed. So we went into a creepy convenience store and bought milk, Nutella, oreos (and later a baguette) to be consumed together back at Palace Court…and once again…Dana chose the WRONG shoes. My little lovely hobbler.
Oh. And on this night I foolishly stayed up until 6 AM to Skype with my boyfriend…sure I had nothing to do the next day but man…never again.
January 9th 2011
This was the shortest day of this adventure so far. Woke up at two and travelled to what we thought was Hyde Park but really Kensington Gardens. The pictures speak for themselves.
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| Le Pond at Sunset |
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| Da Swans Even |
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| Some Brilliant Monument Dedicated to Someone |
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| Strange Reflective Sculpture |
Pretty chill day. Went to City to get our ID cards (my head looks like a hard-boiled egg) and then from there went to TOAST for lunch and then went to Primark and I got some lovely articles of clothing and a MUCH NEEDED bath mat along with a duvet coverrrrrr! HOLLER! But really…I got harem pants…they are amazing.
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