As I am no longer living in London and wasnt very good at keep this blog anyway this is probably going to the last post here. However, I am now keeping a London related blog, for the purposes of a writing course. And I actually think its rather great so go check it out!
http://regardstothequeen.blogspot.com/
Cheers!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Return to the Land of Kilts and Haggis
Surprise surprise to all of you who know me well that I would want to go back to Scotland just over a month after I went the first time. I had previously gone with USC up to the Highlands with a brief stop in Edinburgh so I felt a more substantial trip to the city was in order. So I grabbed two of my best guy friends, Riley and Eric, and Natalie, for a little girly influence, and headed on up. Natalie had already been to Edinburgh so she didnt join for all of our adventures. We missed her but it made our continual quoting of Lord of the Rings easier because Elvish is a second language to the three of us. This was especially the case when we climbed up Arthur's Seat, a mountain overlooking Edinburgh, as it resembled what we picture Middle Earth to look like. Edinburgh Castle was great fun too, especially when Riley and Eric locked me into a prison cell. Yes, the door actually locked! This trip was also particularly memorable because I tried haggis, black pudding and fried Mars bars for the first time. I tried Eric's haggis for dinner the first night and wasnt a fan, it was too peppery. But we all ordered Scottish breakfast the next morning from The Elephant House, where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter, and it was a bit different. So different in fact that I absolutely loved it and ate every last bit! And yes, I was just as surprised as you are. The black pudding (which is really just coagulated blood and some oats) didnt actually taste that bad, similar to a cinnamon carrot cake and just a bit denser in texture but I couldnt get over its ingredients. But I was super proud of myself for trying it, having always pushed it aside previously when ordering breakfast here. I also finally found a chippy that sold fried Mars bars and they sure lived up to their reputation. It was amazing, and I felt it clog my arteries moments after swallowing. The four of us shared the one because it was so rich. Enjoy the pictures of this weekend because I really enjoyed taking them!
Friday, May 14, 2010
ITALY AND GERMANY
I managed to take out my camera minus its battery when in Rome so unfortunately I will need to be stealing pictures from friends. But here is what I did take in Rome and Florence before heading off to Munich and Berlin!
Italy was incredible, I cant wait to go back. Im sad I didnt make it to Venice but Im hoping Ill go soon. We hadnt planned to go to Italy on this trip, instead having planned for May, but our only way out of Spain was by cruise to Rome. A cruise to Rome, terrible right? So we ate our way through Italy and were a good five pounds heavier before arriving in Germany.
I absolutely adore Munich. The food was delicious and the town was super easy to cover by foot. You could definitely tell you had left Bavaria by the time we reached Berlin, which is a fascinating blend of new exciting city and left over eastern block country.
Enjoy!
Rome
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044747&id=1326330123&l=f84381fe7d
Florence
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044806&id=1326330123&l=5d6bffac40
Munich
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044825&id=1326330123&l=bf1c9e4f34
Berlin
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044843&id=1326330123&l=457742cf3b
IRELAND and SPAIN
More pictures!! It was cool to see Belfast prior to Dublin because Belfast is still part of the UK. It was also really different from Dublin, as you will probably note in the pictures. Dublin was awesome, very similar to London but with even crazier pubs and on the Euro.
Barcelona was really fun, even though we ended up staying there a week instead of under 5 days because of the volcano. It also allowed us to take lots of siestas and sleep til noon like the locals do.
Belfast
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044523&id=1326330123&l=9c43d973c3Dublin
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044533&id=1326330123&l=5bce5ec406
Barcelona Part 1
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044734&id=1326330123&l=53ca96d368
Barcelona Part 2
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044738&id=1326330123&l=5baf874a63
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
SCOTLAND Pictures
I was only in Scotland for a few short days yet I managed to take 4 albums worth of pictures... What can I say, Ive only wanted to go to the Highlands for years!
Friday, May 7, 2010
An Epic Fail of a Blog
Greetings good people,
If there are any of you left actually checking this thing I want to apologize for leaving you hanging. I am afraid that keeping up with this completely got away from me and I would forget to update, and then remember but not have the time. But here is the proof that I am alive and doing well.
For the last month I would not have been able to update anyways though because I have been trekking across Europe, battling the ash clouds that have been roaming over the continent. It was all part of my Grand Tour that was expertly planned, only to have those plans destroyed in a puff on an island not so covered by ice.
In the next couple of days I will endeavor to put up my pictures from Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands along with some tidbits and facts about my journeys.
Im sorry it took so long to return here and show that I still exist. Cheers!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Cambridge: Where the buildings are older than my country
So this past weekend one of my best mates here, Stephanie, and I went up to Cambridge to visit my friend who goes there, Rikesh. He and I met about 7 years ago when I went on the cruise to Alaska and have kept in touch ever since. We went for Saturday and Sunday but getting there, and the trip in general really, was quite an adventure. Note: This is written in both past and present tense. I am aware of that. And I really dont care. This is me procrastinating on homework.
First, we had tried to buy our coach tickets online but the site would not accept credit cards with non UK billing addresses. The site then said that we could purchase our tickets from the driver when boarding, but only if there were seats available. There was a bus leaving at 9:05 from the tube station just down the street, so we thought, "Perfect, how many people can be going to Cambridge at 9 in the morning on a Saturday?" A lot more than we thought, as it turns out. We got up nice and early to catch the bus only to be turned away. But no worries, there was going to be another bus coming at 10:05. Now having an hour to spare we went to grab coffee then went back to our rooms to find an alternate route in case this bus fell through. Of course, with our luck, the 10:05 was also full. This meant we needed to take a train (which we had previously avoided because they are more expensive) which would leave from another station. Normally we would get on the tube at the station we were already at, Mile End, but of course on this random weekend the station wouldnt open til 12:30. So we had to run to the next station, Stepney Green, to take a tube to Liverpool Train station. Got to the station, got tickets that were only 3 pounds more than the coach would have been and even had a few spare minutes to grab a pastie for lunch. (Btw, pasties=delicious. The British do have good taste in food occasionally!) Phew! All that work, just to get out of the city. By the time we got on the train we felt like we had had a full day.
The train ride was pleasant enough, just over an hour long and through countryside. We both fell asleep a couple of times but when awake I loved watching the green pastures and cows and streams going by. It was finally what I have longed to see. England. As much as I adore London, which is massive loads, it is still a city like any other. This was England. The green England that I have imagined since childhood. The weather of course was changing every few minutes as we put miles behind us. We saw snow, and rain, and wind, and clear skies. And Cambridge really isnt that far! We arrive around noon and as we pull up we see dilapidated crumbly buildings. This is not what we expected of this famous town but we figure this must just be the outskirts so we leave the train hoping to find better. Oh and of course, as we exit the station cue the rain!
Cambridge, being the internationally renowned university that it is, has class on Saturday (OMG right?!) so Rikesh was not going to be able to join us for another hour or two so we made our way into what we assumed was the center of town. And dont forget that its raining, not hard but still raining. And that my hair had looked so lovely and straight because I got up early in the morning to make it look that way. We walk and walk and start passing pubs and restaurants and businesses but it takes a bit to see anything that looks like the university. Now cue the snow. Yes, snow. Normally I prefer the snow because it doesnt seem to get you as wet as rain, but coming after previous drizzle - and soon to be followed by legit rain- it wasnt so fun. The overnight case I was pulling along didnt help either. We finally realize that we should duck into a restaurant so when a maitre de from an Italian restaurant beckoned we happily ran inside. This is when we notice that we appear to have just stepped out of the shower. Dripping hair and soaking coats and all we had lunch, after the hot chocolate the waiter brought out almost without even asking. As we sit in the restaurant discussing our bad luck we notice the weather outside changing once again. Wait, where are those clouds going? Hold on, is that sky bright blue? Whoa, look, those people now entering the restaurant look perfectly dry! Yes, the weather completely cleared up as we ate lunch. It was still bloody cold out but dry when we left. Too bad we now had the fabulous Jew hair we had desperately tried to tame.
We continued our walk through town and saw lots of buildings that belong to the university. Some fascinating facts about Cambridge and Cambridge University
After dinner we went to the pub in the school and had a pint while Rikesh's friends came in to join us. Most of them had been asleep or hung over all day because the previous night there had been a ball. Yes, a ball, like in Cinderella or something. The way I have heard it described the students pay 75 pounds, dress up and party with free food and drink until the wee hours of the morning (wee hours of the morning being 5 or 6 am). We hung out there for a bit and it turned out there was to be a stand up comedy show at 9. Feeling nostalgic for Second Nature (our improv team at USC) I couldnt wait, and the Brits were curious to see whether Steph and I would even get the jokes. I am very proud to say that I understood almost everything, even a sketch song about the current political drama! And there were a couple of American exchange students who performed that were quite funny. And a guy with a very lovely Irish accent that talked about Legos and Duplos and crap, it was super entertaining.
I would have to say though that our favorite part of the evening came in the pub after the show. Rikesh had run to loo and Stephanie and I were chilling by ourselves against the bar. This guy comes up and asks if he can join us. We look at each other, fully aware that we both look like absolute shite, but say sure why not- because this guy is hot. Like really hot, maybe the hottest we have seen, especially met, since we have been in this country. And he asks if we go to Kings because he is in another college in Cambridge but was here with friends and for the show. We replied no that we were actually American and he all but jumped in the air. He thought it was the greatest thing ever, especially once we told him that we were from LA. It was hilarious. We talked for ages, he couldnt get enough of us and our tales of life in Los Angeles. He wanted to know about Compton and could barely accept that we went to school nearby. "I cant believe that. And you could totally be lying to me because Im this stupid Brit. Compton is really like that?!" And we have been to Hollywood. "Whoa, you guys are like movie stars to me! You hang out there? Omg" He wanted to know if the American Pie movies are true to reality and was ecstatic to hear that fraternities and sororities actually exist. Then he asked if we had seen Love Actually and if girls in America really like British accents. "So like a guy could actually get girls with the accent, like the guy in the movie? Youre serious..? Youre not joking? The accent really does it? So are you guys like shaking as Im talking?" -Yes, we absolutely were. The whole time we couldnt believe our luck, this guy was super hot and we looked super terrible and yet he thought we were amazing. And he kept getting phone calls and felt terrible taking them, and would then apologize profusely when he returned. He almost felt bad for monopolizing our time "Wait, sorry Ive just one more question" "And now tell me..." We even discussed the traffic in LA vs the the tube, which being a London boy he hates. Unfortunately his friends finally found him and all but had to drag him away. And the worst part? We know his name was Rory. And that he went to Kings College London but was doing a year at Cambridge. And Rikesh doesnt know him. Well shit. Why didnt we swap info? I dont know. We kicked ourselves and each other after he left. But we were just so surprised? And not feeling the confidence knowing that our hair was straight out of an 80s music video and our makeup went with the rain. Needless to say, we were on the lookout for him the following day and have an excellent reason to return to Cambridge.
The night dragged on after that, though there was another very pretty boy but we didnt get a chance to talk to him. Despite the early hour (midnight-1am) we were pretty tired so we went back to Rikesh's flat and fell right to sleep. Got up the next morning and wanted to do a little shopping for souvenirs (fudge and a jumper). We also had not been allowed into the Kings College Chapel the previous day, and being the most famous (for its choir and its architecture) and rumored to be the most beautiful we had to go in there. Yay for being with a Kings student and not needing to pay tourist fees! And Rikesh hadnt been boasting, that chapel really was amazing. The pictures really dont do it justice.
It even has a Rubens painting in there worth over 70 million pounds. There is also a lot of Tudor symbolism as it was built by Henrys VII and VIII so I really liked it. The outside of the chapel is also the imagery that is most associated with the University of Cambridge, with its green grass and river outside. And the weather was gorgeous. It was nice that we got to see the area in the sunlight, we just wished the days had been reversed. For breakfast we went to Kings again because both Stephanie and I thought English breakfast would be nice. I got the full English breakfast but for some reason the lady serving me didnt hear me say hash browns and eggs and so gave me a plate full of hash browns and then asked if I wanted any eggs with that and then covered it all with eggs. It was delicious though. I love beans and toast. And we got to eat in the amazing room again, and because it daytime it was easier to see the room because of the light streaming through the stained glass windows. And I was able to sneak some pictures! I had felt too silly to do so the previous night with the professors in there.
That was pretty much the trip. Rikesh walked with us back through the town to the train station and we got our tickets back to London. All in all it was a good time, and definitely gave us some good stories. I am hoping to go back in May or June to go punting (like rowing) down the river as that requires better weather and is the quintessential Cambridge experience or so I am told. 
Stephanie and I cant wait for the boat races in April when Cambridge and Oxford crew teams come to London to compete. Just maybe we will run into the boy. Or find some new ones! And now that I have spent a good hour avoiding an essay due tomorrow I will sign off here. I hope you have enjoyed this tale. Cheers!
This is what Rikesh referred to as the "postcard picture" Cambridge spot. And funny, that green area at the bottom left? Used to have cows roaming, so that when the professors looked out from the windows it would look like a Dutch landscape!
More pictures coming soon to my album site thingy
First, we had tried to buy our coach tickets online but the site would not accept credit cards with non UK billing addresses. The site then said that we could purchase our tickets from the driver when boarding, but only if there were seats available. There was a bus leaving at 9:05 from the tube station just down the street, so we thought, "Perfect, how many people can be going to Cambridge at 9 in the morning on a Saturday?" A lot more than we thought, as it turns out. We got up nice and early to catch the bus only to be turned away. But no worries, there was going to be another bus coming at 10:05. Now having an hour to spare we went to grab coffee then went back to our rooms to find an alternate route in case this bus fell through. Of course, with our luck, the 10:05 was also full. This meant we needed to take a train (which we had previously avoided because they are more expensive) which would leave from another station. Normally we would get on the tube at the station we were already at, Mile End, but of course on this random weekend the station wouldnt open til 12:30. So we had to run to the next station, Stepney Green, to take a tube to Liverpool Train station. Got to the station, got tickets that were only 3 pounds more than the coach would have been and even had a few spare minutes to grab a pastie for lunch. (Btw, pasties=delicious. The British do have good taste in food occasionally!) Phew! All that work, just to get out of the city. By the time we got on the train we felt like we had had a full day.
The train ride was pleasant enough, just over an hour long and through countryside. We both fell asleep a couple of times but when awake I loved watching the green pastures and cows and streams going by. It was finally what I have longed to see. England. As much as I adore London, which is massive loads, it is still a city like any other. This was England. The green England that I have imagined since childhood. The weather of course was changing every few minutes as we put miles behind us. We saw snow, and rain, and wind, and clear skies. And Cambridge really isnt that far! We arrive around noon and as we pull up we see dilapidated crumbly buildings. This is not what we expected of this famous town but we figure this must just be the outskirts so we leave the train hoping to find better. Oh and of course, as we exit the station cue the rain!
Cambridge, being the internationally renowned university that it is, has class on Saturday (OMG right?!) so Rikesh was not going to be able to join us for another hour or two so we made our way into what we assumed was the center of town. And dont forget that its raining, not hard but still raining. And that my hair had looked so lovely and straight because I got up early in the morning to make it look that way. We walk and walk and start passing pubs and restaurants and businesses but it takes a bit to see anything that looks like the university. Now cue the snow. Yes, snow. Normally I prefer the snow because it doesnt seem to get you as wet as rain, but coming after previous drizzle - and soon to be followed by legit rain- it wasnt so fun. The overnight case I was pulling along didnt help either. We finally realize that we should duck into a restaurant so when a maitre de from an Italian restaurant beckoned we happily ran inside. This is when we notice that we appear to have just stepped out of the shower. Dripping hair and soaking coats and all we had lunch, after the hot chocolate the waiter brought out almost without even asking. As we sit in the restaurant discussing our bad luck we notice the weather outside changing once again. Wait, where are those clouds going? Hold on, is that sky bright blue? Whoa, look, those people now entering the restaurant look perfectly dry! Yes, the weather completely cleared up as we ate lunch. It was still bloody cold out but dry when we left. Too bad we now had the fabulous Jew hair we had desperately tried to tame.
We continued our walk through town and saw lots of buildings that belong to the university. Some fascinating facts about Cambridge and Cambridge University- You can pretty much see the entire town in an hour or two
- The university is actually made up of 31 colleges- this here is St. Johns- its gorgeous
- Kings College is considered the most left wing and hippie like which explains why they are broke (thats where Rikesh is), St. John's is where all the posh kids go (Their May Ball is considered one of the best parties in the world according to Time Mag) and Trinity is overflowing with money (I heard something about how Trinity could give 5 pounds to every person in the country and still have more money than the Queen, well maybe not the Queen, but something like that)
(This is St. John's chapel. Probably my favorite from the outside, we werent allowed in) - Cambridge Kings College and Eton (the boys prep school) have almost identical crests because Henry VI founded them and the university used to be just for Eton guys.
- You get your bachelors degree in three years like at any other UK uni. But how do you get your Masters? You wait three years and then pay a small fee to get a new diploma because in the past three years your education has "matured". Is that insane or what?!
- And what does the MA get you? 6 free meals at the university per year and permission to walk on the grass.
- Oh yes, you cant walk on the grass until you have your masters. If you try, you might be shot. (Well they dont actually shoot you, but those guards would still be displeased) Note the sign in the picture below- but also see the Bridge of Sighs in the center because its pretty)
- Every college has its own pub. And dining hall. Which, in the case of Kings at least, looks straight out of Harry Potter with long wooden tables, candlelight and stained glass windows. The fellows can also choose to have a multi-course dinner with waiters if they would like. They even wear their robes! I saw them!
After dinner we went to the pub in the school and had a pint while Rikesh's friends came in to join us. Most of them had been asleep or hung over all day because the previous night there had been a ball. Yes, a ball, like in Cinderella or something. The way I have heard it described the students pay 75 pounds, dress up and party with free food and drink until the wee hours of the morning (wee hours of the morning being 5 or 6 am). We hung out there for a bit and it turned out there was to be a stand up comedy show at 9. Feeling nostalgic for Second Nature (our improv team at USC) I couldnt wait, and the Brits were curious to see whether Steph and I would even get the jokes. I am very proud to say that I understood almost everything, even a sketch song about the current political drama! And there were a couple of American exchange students who performed that were quite funny. And a guy with a very lovely Irish accent that talked about Legos and Duplos and crap, it was super entertaining.I would have to say though that our favorite part of the evening came in the pub after the show. Rikesh had run to loo and Stephanie and I were chilling by ourselves against the bar. This guy comes up and asks if he can join us. We look at each other, fully aware that we both look like absolute shite, but say sure why not- because this guy is hot. Like really hot, maybe the hottest we have seen, especially met, since we have been in this country. And he asks if we go to Kings because he is in another college in Cambridge but was here with friends and for the show. We replied no that we were actually American and he all but jumped in the air. He thought it was the greatest thing ever, especially once we told him that we were from LA. It was hilarious. We talked for ages, he couldnt get enough of us and our tales of life in Los Angeles. He wanted to know about Compton and could barely accept that we went to school nearby. "I cant believe that. And you could totally be lying to me because Im this stupid Brit. Compton is really like that?!" And we have been to Hollywood. "Whoa, you guys are like movie stars to me! You hang out there? Omg" He wanted to know if the American Pie movies are true to reality and was ecstatic to hear that fraternities and sororities actually exist. Then he asked if we had seen Love Actually and if girls in America really like British accents. "So like a guy could actually get girls with the accent, like the guy in the movie? Youre serious..? Youre not joking? The accent really does it? So are you guys like shaking as Im talking?" -Yes, we absolutely were. The whole time we couldnt believe our luck, this guy was super hot and we looked super terrible and yet he thought we were amazing. And he kept getting phone calls and felt terrible taking them, and would then apologize profusely when he returned. He almost felt bad for monopolizing our time "Wait, sorry Ive just one more question" "And now tell me..." We even discussed the traffic in LA vs the the tube, which being a London boy he hates. Unfortunately his friends finally found him and all but had to drag him away. And the worst part? We know his name was Rory. And that he went to Kings College London but was doing a year at Cambridge. And Rikesh doesnt know him. Well shit. Why didnt we swap info? I dont know. We kicked ourselves and each other after he left. But we were just so surprised? And not feeling the confidence knowing that our hair was straight out of an 80s music video and our makeup went with the rain. Needless to say, we were on the lookout for him the following day and have an excellent reason to return to Cambridge.
The night dragged on after that, though there was another very pretty boy but we didnt get a chance to talk to him. Despite the early hour (midnight-1am) we were pretty tired so we went back to Rikesh's flat and fell right to sleep. Got up the next morning and wanted to do a little shopping for souvenirs (fudge and a jumper). We also had not been allowed into the Kings College Chapel the previous day, and being the most famous (for its choir and its architecture) and rumored to be the most beautiful we had to go in there. Yay for being with a Kings student and not needing to pay tourist fees! And Rikesh hadnt been boasting, that chapel really was amazing. The pictures really dont do it justice.
It even has a Rubens painting in there worth over 70 million pounds. There is also a lot of Tudor symbolism as it was built by Henrys VII and VIII so I really liked it. The outside of the chapel is also the imagery that is most associated with the University of Cambridge, with its green grass and river outside. And the weather was gorgeous. It was nice that we got to see the area in the sunlight, we just wished the days had been reversed. For breakfast we went to Kings again because both Stephanie and I thought English breakfast would be nice. I got the full English breakfast but for some reason the lady serving me didnt hear me say hash browns and eggs and so gave me a plate full of hash browns and then asked if I wanted any eggs with that and then covered it all with eggs. It was delicious though. I love beans and toast. And we got to eat in the amazing room again, and because it daytime it was easier to see the room because of the light streaming through the stained glass windows. And I was able to sneak some pictures! I had felt too silly to do so the previous night with the professors in there.
That was pretty much the trip. Rikesh walked with us back through the town to the train station and we got our tickets back to London. All in all it was a good time, and definitely gave us some good stories. I am hoping to go back in May or June to go punting (like rowing) down the river as that requires better weather and is the quintessential Cambridge experience or so I am told. 
Stephanie and I cant wait for the boat races in April when Cambridge and Oxford crew teams come to London to compete. Just maybe we will run into the boy. Or find some new ones! And now that I have spent a good hour avoiding an essay due tomorrow I will sign off here. I hope you have enjoyed this tale. Cheers!
This is what Rikesh referred to as the "postcard picture" Cambridge spot. And funny, that green area at the bottom left? Used to have cows roaming, so that when the professors looked out from the windows it would look like a Dutch landscape!More pictures coming soon to my album site thingy
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Classes!
So here, finally, is the lowdown on my classes. I have one class per day starting on Tuesday. I enjoy them all quite a bit, though two would be better if they didn't start at 9, sadly those are my favorites.
Tuesday: 2-4 pm: Geographies of Home
Geography here is like a combination of sociology and history, human geography that is. This class is a 3rd year course, which means it is taken by geo students in their final year at university. It seems quite easy and straightforward for being an upper level but I am most definitely not complaining. It is also very interesting material though this is somewhat ruined by the fact that my professor gives us the slides and then reads directly from them on the screen. She seems to be a nice lady but people talk in class while she lectures and she does nothing about it. I cant comprehend that; at home the students would be tossed out. Anyway! The class is focused on the meaning of 'home' be it the physical dwelling or the feelings/emotions we connect to the word. We study particular places at particular times looking at the human relationships and connotations of the word home. For some home is a place to relax, feel loved and escape to, while for others it is a place to fear or run away from, or home could be a place to long for when you do not have one. Fascinating stuff really. Were discussing home in relation to the concept of the 'motherland' and the design of a physical house in relation to the dynamics of the family who lives in it (i.e. the situation of the kitchen as a the focal point of many family homes, and who spends the most time in there, who has the power, etc. etc.) The class will include a field trip to an interior design museum I am very excited for; it has rooms that are decorated according to the styles of decades from the last few hundred years. More on that as it comes closer.
Wednesday: 9-10 and then 12-1: Politics and Society During the Reign of James I
The first hour is a lecture that never starts on time because no one, the students and professor, can get there on time. That second hour is a seminar, or the discussion equivalent for Brits. However, what is wonderful here is that I have no TAs. We meet in the professors office and discuss the packet he gave us in lecture. The professor is awesome by the way, probably late 40s to early 50s and exactly what I always imagined a British professor to be like. Somewhat thin with rimless glasses, sometimes just in slacks but today wore a 3 piece gray suit that made me very happy. He is a history professor but cant for the life of him remember genealogies or names (i.e. "Catherine was his first wife? Or Margaret? Wait no, that was his sister? Oh I don't know, never mind!") He also makes excellent connections between James I's reign and current American politics, Hitler's regime, and the upcoming British general elections. Witty and cynical, he is utterly wonderful.
As for the class itself I am really interested in the material (not just the professor!) : ) I have always studied right up to James I (who was the monarch of England right after Queen Elizabeth I) because I was so fascinated by the Tudors. An excellent background to have I must say, and I am excited to continue my education down the line to the Stuarts, though this course will only cover James I and thus I will need to study on my own for the rest of his dynasty. And that will not be a problem because it leads to the English Civil War and later the Jacobite Rebellions (which thanks to a certain historical fiction I know lots about).
Thursday: 9-1pm: Contemporary Hollywood Cinema
So who would have guessed that this is my favorite class? I am one of only 4 Americans in the class, and along with a friend of mine we are the only ones from LA. This had the professor (awesome guy who is 40 but is so cool that I wouldn't have put him over 29) very excited. The first day he asked the class who had been to Hollywood and if their visions were destroyed and some of the class raised their hands. He called on some Brits and then pointed to Danny and I saying "What about you, I saw hands over here." Danny and I looked at each other and said ,"Well were from LA so..." The professor thinks we are just great, its just lovely. The class focus can be read in the name, with emphasis on the relation between film and American politics, economics, etc. in the current period. We started with 1970s the first week with a screening of Shampoo and last week was the 1980s with Flashdance. As he said, not necessarily the best movies but those that are of their time. Tomorrow we will discuss the 80s and watch a 90s movie. Its really great to discuss American film from the point of view of a non American with non American peers. He gave us a handout that had a flow chart of American politics that explained the United States political parties better than anything I had ever seen in my life as it was so dead on. Also, the only project for the class will be a film note that is about an American film from 2001 on as he wants us to be able to discuss film following 9/11. I think I am going to do Catch Me If You Can (which is good because I have that DVD with me) and because I can relate it to cinematic nostalgia for the past, the crime/detective genre and American flight/travel following 9/11. Go me!
Friday: 2-3: Reinventing Britain
Another geography class though this is a first year course. Which is surprising because it seems way more intense than my other class. Three of my friends and I really only signed up for it because the title sounded good and it has a FIVE DAY FIELD TRIP to northern England the last week of the semester. How cool is that? The class is basically about how Britain, though England in particular, is transforming as the industrial economy it was once known for is being exchanged for what they are calling a 'knowledge' economy. This will be a bit more difficult for us Americans, thank goodness my grade doesn't really count and I have friends in it, because we have little to no knowledge about current English affairs of this sort. But I figure I will know a lot more about contemporary Britain when I leave. Plus, that field trip, which will take us to areas most affected by the closing of factories and manual labour industries, is going to be awesome.
And that's all folks. Sorry if I rambled a bit. Questions? Comments? Sarcastic remarks? : )
Tuesday: 2-4 pm: Geographies of Home
Geography here is like a combination of sociology and history, human geography that is. This class is a 3rd year course, which means it is taken by geo students in their final year at university. It seems quite easy and straightforward for being an upper level but I am most definitely not complaining. It is also very interesting material though this is somewhat ruined by the fact that my professor gives us the slides and then reads directly from them on the screen. She seems to be a nice lady but people talk in class while she lectures and she does nothing about it. I cant comprehend that; at home the students would be tossed out. Anyway! The class is focused on the meaning of 'home' be it the physical dwelling or the feelings/emotions we connect to the word. We study particular places at particular times looking at the human relationships and connotations of the word home. For some home is a place to relax, feel loved and escape to, while for others it is a place to fear or run away from, or home could be a place to long for when you do not have one. Fascinating stuff really. Were discussing home in relation to the concept of the 'motherland' and the design of a physical house in relation to the dynamics of the family who lives in it (i.e. the situation of the kitchen as a the focal point of many family homes, and who spends the most time in there, who has the power, etc. etc.) The class will include a field trip to an interior design museum I am very excited for; it has rooms that are decorated according to the styles of decades from the last few hundred years. More on that as it comes closer.
Wednesday: 9-10 and then 12-1: Politics and Society During the Reign of James I
The first hour is a lecture that never starts on time because no one, the students and professor, can get there on time. That second hour is a seminar, or the discussion equivalent for Brits. However, what is wonderful here is that I have no TAs. We meet in the professors office and discuss the packet he gave us in lecture. The professor is awesome by the way, probably late 40s to early 50s and exactly what I always imagined a British professor to be like. Somewhat thin with rimless glasses, sometimes just in slacks but today wore a 3 piece gray suit that made me very happy. He is a history professor but cant for the life of him remember genealogies or names (i.e. "Catherine was his first wife? Or Margaret? Wait no, that was his sister? Oh I don't know, never mind!") He also makes excellent connections between James I's reign and current American politics, Hitler's regime, and the upcoming British general elections. Witty and cynical, he is utterly wonderful.
As for the class itself I am really interested in the material (not just the professor!) : ) I have always studied right up to James I (who was the monarch of England right after Queen Elizabeth I) because I was so fascinated by the Tudors. An excellent background to have I must say, and I am excited to continue my education down the line to the Stuarts, though this course will only cover James I and thus I will need to study on my own for the rest of his dynasty. And that will not be a problem because it leads to the English Civil War and later the Jacobite Rebellions (which thanks to a certain historical fiction I know lots about).
Thursday: 9-1pm: Contemporary Hollywood Cinema
So who would have guessed that this is my favorite class? I am one of only 4 Americans in the class, and along with a friend of mine we are the only ones from LA. This had the professor (awesome guy who is 40 but is so cool that I wouldn't have put him over 29) very excited. The first day he asked the class who had been to Hollywood and if their visions were destroyed and some of the class raised their hands. He called on some Brits and then pointed to Danny and I saying "What about you, I saw hands over here." Danny and I looked at each other and said ,"Well were from LA so..." The professor thinks we are just great, its just lovely. The class focus can be read in the name, with emphasis on the relation between film and American politics, economics, etc. in the current period. We started with 1970s the first week with a screening of Shampoo and last week was the 1980s with Flashdance. As he said, not necessarily the best movies but those that are of their time. Tomorrow we will discuss the 80s and watch a 90s movie. Its really great to discuss American film from the point of view of a non American with non American peers. He gave us a handout that had a flow chart of American politics that explained the United States political parties better than anything I had ever seen in my life as it was so dead on. Also, the only project for the class will be a film note that is about an American film from 2001 on as he wants us to be able to discuss film following 9/11. I think I am going to do Catch Me If You Can (which is good because I have that DVD with me) and because I can relate it to cinematic nostalgia for the past, the crime/detective genre and American flight/travel following 9/11. Go me!
Friday: 2-3: Reinventing Britain
Another geography class though this is a first year course. Which is surprising because it seems way more intense than my other class. Three of my friends and I really only signed up for it because the title sounded good and it has a FIVE DAY FIELD TRIP to northern England the last week of the semester. How cool is that? The class is basically about how Britain, though England in particular, is transforming as the industrial economy it was once known for is being exchanged for what they are calling a 'knowledge' economy. This will be a bit more difficult for us Americans, thank goodness my grade doesn't really count and I have friends in it, because we have little to no knowledge about current English affairs of this sort. But I figure I will know a lot more about contemporary Britain when I leave. Plus, that field trip, which will take us to areas most affected by the closing of factories and manual labour industries, is going to be awesome.
And that's all folks. Sorry if I rambled a bit. Questions? Comments? Sarcastic remarks? : )
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Cruising down the Thames... and a fire alarm
Good morning all. At least its morning for me.
I have my first class this afternoon, called Geographies of Home. Here geography is like a combination of sociology and history, two subjects that interest me, and since I couldnt get into any of the history classes I ventured over here. Here is a description of todays class.
"The module aims to explore geographies of home on scales from the domestic to the global; to introduce feminist, cultural and postcolonial studies of home in work both within and beyond geography; and to consider the theoretical and empirical importance of geographies of home."
Not really sure what that means but the professor guy thought I would like it.
So since the last time I blogged a great deal has happened, or very little depending on how you look at it. We did go to Brick Lane for dinner that night. FYI Brick Lane is a really long road in the East End that is crammed with almost all Indian/Bangladeshi restaurants. The proprietors stand in front and try to persuade you to come in by making outrageous offers. We went in a group of 12, which was insane trying to walk there, and ended up going to the practically last restaurant on the street because our unofficial leader for the night, my friend Robert, knew of that one. It was okay, the nan was really thick and tasted funny I thought but it wasnt a bad meal. A couple of my friends had never had Indian before and they all enjoyed it, which is good because it means we can go find other restaurants.
In the days in between there has been a lot of pubbing and restaurant touring. The Brits did not arrive til yesterday so we have had no cookware making it necessary to check out the local food scene. We had Japanese at a place across the street which was relatively good, I liked my chicken rice dish but those that had the salmon sushi werent so impressed. And we found another Indian restaurant, next door to the Japanese one, that does a Sunday buffet. Best meal we have had so far, though still not up to my shmancy Los Angeles standards : ) However they had fresh fruit that we all agreed we would pay for alone. The pineapple and honeydew were delicious. They also had these potato things that were like latkes and there was an orange sauce that we dipped them in- SO GOOD. The end of the table that I was with has also somewhat convinced me to make latkes in the near future because none of us managed to have any or many during Hanukkah. - I am pleased to note that there are actually 3 or 4 Jews in my little group! And I found some others around-
Sunday was our bus tour of London. Originally I had not signed up but was convinced by two of my friends at 2 in the morning on Saturday night that I should try to go. Having been sightseeing in London before I did not see a whole lot of new things, though the financial area was a nice addition and I had a good time with my friends. It also worked out that the tour guide never collected the tickets so I went for free!
And yesterday was the first day of the semester. I didnt have any classes but I needed to run around to different departments trying to finalize my schedule. I will provide more info on them as they arrive. The exciting part of yesterday was the cruise down the Thames. Or the booze cruise as we crude Americans termed it. And did I mention that it was only for the Americans? It was a sort of welcome event for the study abroad students. Not knowing if alcohol would be served onboard (though looking back, why were we unsure? There is not a joint in this country that doesnt serve alcohol) a good number of the Americans decided to pregame before we left. With the exception of one or two people everyone was able to hold their liquor and fortunately there were no cases of seasickness. The cruise itself was very nice and gave us all an exquisite view of the city via the river. There was a slight buffet of sandwiches and chicken on sticks which wasnt enough for most people and the dance floor was inside and too tiny. However a good time was had by almost all I would say.
By the end of the evening though a lot of us were very tired. Upon our return to campus we went to Drapers Bar, the student pub on campus, to check out the scene because its not like anyone needed more alcohol. We went in and it looked really cool but it was overflowing as it was the Brits first night back and we all felt like we had American signs on our foreheads. Thus we returned to our flats where some of us hung out for a while and others went to bed. I went to bed somewhere around midnight I think and fell asleep right away. But just over a half hour later I was rudely awoken by an extremely loud ringing noise. A fire alarm... great... And this was not a drill. We have yet to hear what the cause was but the entire building had to troop out into the cold at 1 in the morning. The people in charge then tried to call roll which was absolutely impossible and beyond time consuming. Finally after they seemed to have tried every flat one of the few adults in a yellow vest called for flat 26 from the doorway. Freaking out as we walked up, thinking that "what?! omg?" that the fire alarm was caused by our flat we were told that it was now fine to go back in and we were just the first to be called. Phew. The English really do take fires very seriously; at orientation we had a half hour lecture dedicated to fire safety alone.
And as I just woke up a little while ago that brings us up to the present. There are a few pictures included with more on the way. Enjoy! And hope you are all enjoying your better weather at home, no matter where in the country you are, as I freeze over here.
I have my first class this afternoon, called Geographies of Home. Here geography is like a combination of sociology and history, two subjects that interest me, and since I couldnt get into any of the history classes I ventured over here. Here is a description of todays class.
"The module aims to explore geographies of home on scales from the domestic to the global; to introduce feminist, cultural and postcolonial studies of home in work both within and beyond geography; and to consider the theoretical and empirical importance of geographies of home."
Not really sure what that means but the professor guy thought I would like it.
So since the last time I blogged a great deal has happened, or very little depending on how you look at it. We did go to Brick Lane for dinner that night. FYI Brick Lane is a really long road in the East End that is crammed with almost all Indian/Bangladeshi restaurants. The proprietors stand in front and try to persuade you to come in by making outrageous offers. We went in a group of 12, which was insane trying to walk there, and ended up going to the practically last restaurant on the street because our unofficial leader for the night, my friend Robert, knew of that one. It was okay, the nan was really thick and tasted funny I thought but it wasnt a bad meal. A couple of my friends had never had Indian before and they all enjoyed it, which is good because it means we can go find other restaurants.
In the days in between there has been a lot of pubbing and restaurant touring. The Brits did not arrive til yesterday so we have had no cookware making it necessary to check out the local food scene. We had Japanese at a place across the street which was relatively good, I liked my chicken rice dish but those that had the salmon sushi werent so impressed. And we found another Indian restaurant, next door to the Japanese one, that does a Sunday buffet. Best meal we have had so far, though still not up to my shmancy Los Angeles standards : ) However they had fresh fruit that we all agreed we would pay for alone. The pineapple and honeydew were delicious. They also had these potato things that were like latkes and there was an orange sauce that we dipped them in- SO GOOD. The end of the table that I was with has also somewhat convinced me to make latkes in the near future because none of us managed to have any or many during Hanukkah. - I am pleased to note that there are actually 3 or 4 Jews in my little group! And I found some others around-
Sunday was our bus tour of London. Originally I had not signed up but was convinced by two of my friends at 2 in the morning on Saturday night that I should try to go. Having been sightseeing in London before I did not see a whole lot of new things, though the financial area was a nice addition and I had a good time with my friends. It also worked out that the tour guide never collected the tickets so I went for free!
And yesterday was the first day of the semester. I didnt have any classes but I needed to run around to different departments trying to finalize my schedule. I will provide more info on them as they arrive. The exciting part of yesterday was the cruise down the Thames. Or the booze cruise as we crude Americans termed it. And did I mention that it was only for the Americans? It was a sort of welcome event for the study abroad students. Not knowing if alcohol would be served onboard (though looking back, why were we unsure? There is not a joint in this country that doesnt serve alcohol) a good number of the Americans decided to pregame before we left. With the exception of one or two people everyone was able to hold their liquor and fortunately there were no cases of seasickness. The cruise itself was very nice and gave us all an exquisite view of the city via the river. There was a slight buffet of sandwiches and chicken on sticks which wasnt enough for most people and the dance floor was inside and too tiny. However a good time was had by almost all I would say.
By the end of the evening though a lot of us were very tired. Upon our return to campus we went to Drapers Bar, the student pub on campus, to check out the scene because its not like anyone needed more alcohol. We went in and it looked really cool but it was overflowing as it was the Brits first night back and we all felt like we had American signs on our foreheads. Thus we returned to our flats where some of us hung out for a while and others went to bed. I went to bed somewhere around midnight I think and fell asleep right away. But just over a half hour later I was rudely awoken by an extremely loud ringing noise. A fire alarm... great... And this was not a drill. We have yet to hear what the cause was but the entire building had to troop out into the cold at 1 in the morning. The people in charge then tried to call roll which was absolutely impossible and beyond time consuming. Finally after they seemed to have tried every flat one of the few adults in a yellow vest called for flat 26 from the doorway. Freaking out as we walked up, thinking that "what?! omg?" that the fire alarm was caused by our flat we were told that it was now fine to go back in and we were just the first to be called. Phew. The English really do take fires very seriously; at orientation we had a half hour lecture dedicated to fire safety alone.
And as I just woke up a little while ago that brings us up to the present. There are a few pictures included with more on the way. Enjoy! And hope you are all enjoying your better weather at home, no matter where in the country you are, as I freeze over here.
Cheers!
Snowy mini on the street
Snow falling on the British Museum
Dad with a DumDum in the British Museum
Carnaby Street
Minerva Street for all you HP fans : )
The Barney purple trash cans around campus
The Tower Bridge
The London Eye at night from the Thames
My friends and I in front of Parliament on the cruise
Friday, January 8, 2010
Greetings from freezing London!
Shiver...
Greetings and Salutations!
Welcome to my blog. I will do my best to make it interesting and informative for those of you who want to keep up with me. And if you dont find it interesting, thats just too bad. : )
I dont have much time to write a lot at the moment so just a couple of things for those of you who were dying to know where I disappeared to. So here is just a bit.
Weather: I am currently sitting my flat in a coat, scarf and gloves as the heating is not working properly and the people that are can fix it cant get here because of the snow. London has been in a state of confusion and disrepair due to this snowfall. They really dont know how to function. That said... I absolutely love it here. I am more than happy to watch the snow fall and adding colorful scarves to any outfit is awesome.
Flat and people: I just got my internet here at Queen Mary and that is more than can be said for a number of my friends. I already have a little group here comprised of 3 of my flatmates (all American, and two who are from SC!) and maybe 5 or 6 others. We have yet to meet any of our British flatmates because they are still on holiday. They should be here within with next day or so. My room is pretty small but I dont have a roomie which is fabulous. I also have my own bathroom, though the floor flooded when I showered this morning because the shower is not a separate entity. That was lovely...not.
Classes: Schools begins on Monday but I dont think I have any until Tuesday or Wednesday. I am currently registered for two film classes and two history classes. The film classes I was already registered for so that makes me happy. The history classes on the other hand were not my first choice. All the history classes I was interested in were closed or not open to the study abroad students- not cool, there were some great WWII classes offered, damn. But well see how they turn out so more details on those later.
Food and drink: Have I mentioned that Im legal here? So exciting! I am a big fan of cider, Strongbow in particular, and am having a great time trying ales and bitters from around the country and Europe as well. My friends and I went to one of the local pubs last night- where my Dad and I had had lunch earlier- and the bartender remembered me. I think he and I will become good friends. We had a great time, even though we went out at about 530 and left by 9. It was good fun to realize that we were leaving the bar hours before we usually go out at home. The food has also been good. Im excited for tonight because we are heading to Brick Lane, the Bangladeshi neighborhood of the East End of London which supposedly has hundreds of restaurants. Speaking of which I need to go get ready.
More updates and pictures coming soon. The weekend has no plans yet so I will be back here.
Love to all. Cheers!
Greetings and Salutations!
Welcome to my blog. I will do my best to make it interesting and informative for those of you who want to keep up with me. And if you dont find it interesting, thats just too bad. : )
I dont have much time to write a lot at the moment so just a couple of things for those of you who were dying to know where I disappeared to. So here is just a bit.
Weather: I am currently sitting my flat in a coat, scarf and gloves as the heating is not working properly and the people that are can fix it cant get here because of the snow. London has been in a state of confusion and disrepair due to this snowfall. They really dont know how to function. That said... I absolutely love it here. I am more than happy to watch the snow fall and adding colorful scarves to any outfit is awesome.
Flat and people: I just got my internet here at Queen Mary and that is more than can be said for a number of my friends. I already have a little group here comprised of 3 of my flatmates (all American, and two who are from SC!) and maybe 5 or 6 others. We have yet to meet any of our British flatmates because they are still on holiday. They should be here within with next day or so. My room is pretty small but I dont have a roomie which is fabulous. I also have my own bathroom, though the floor flooded when I showered this morning because the shower is not a separate entity. That was lovely...not.
Classes: Schools begins on Monday but I dont think I have any until Tuesday or Wednesday. I am currently registered for two film classes and two history classes. The film classes I was already registered for so that makes me happy. The history classes on the other hand were not my first choice. All the history classes I was interested in were closed or not open to the study abroad students- not cool, there were some great WWII classes offered, damn. But well see how they turn out so more details on those later.
Food and drink: Have I mentioned that Im legal here? So exciting! I am a big fan of cider, Strongbow in particular, and am having a great time trying ales and bitters from around the country and Europe as well. My friends and I went to one of the local pubs last night- where my Dad and I had had lunch earlier- and the bartender remembered me. I think he and I will become good friends. We had a great time, even though we went out at about 530 and left by 9. It was good fun to realize that we were leaving the bar hours before we usually go out at home. The food has also been good. Im excited for tonight because we are heading to Brick Lane, the Bangladeshi neighborhood of the East End of London which supposedly has hundreds of restaurants. Speaking of which I need to go get ready.
More updates and pictures coming soon. The weekend has no plans yet so I will be back here.
Love to all. Cheers!
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