Thursday, 31 January 2008
Here we go.
So Click the Big picture in the entry below and it will take you to an album of all my photos so far. Above the pictures are the titles...I titled them by where they are mainly. Underneath some have descriptions. In the upper right hand there should be a button that says next so you can click through all the pictures. They are not in order really, I apologize.
Sorry
Hmmm....Sorry the past two posts are kinda out of whack...it's the pictures...I'll figure it out.
Pictures!!!
Okay so I got all my pictures off my camera so I can start actually showing you whats been going on here. I don't understand the formatting so sorry if they're set up annoyingly.
Okay so these first 3 are the hotel I stayed in the first night. Biggest place I'll be in all trip unless I go to Vienna with John and stay at their place.
But yea it had a little kitchen area and such. The bed was probably even more uncomfortable then the ones here though.
There's my new guitar/case...Yay Alanis sticker I've been waiting about 8 years to put somewhere.
Here's the Palace Theater where SPAMALOT is playing. It's a very cool theater. There's a lot to do around this area. The jazz club we went to is walking distance. I wish I took pictures of it. We were afraid to take them inside because it was a pretty posh place and we didn't want to look like obnoxious Americans.
This is Wimbledon and the backs of Tony and Vanessa's heads.
So the day I went walking a lot on my own I found this really cool spot where people were using as a skate park. It was on the other side of the river near the National Theater. I'm sure this is like a well known spot with a name but I just happened to stumble across it. I was a big fan of all the graffiti.
Okay so this is Covent Garden which is where I had my first Pasty. This place is awesome. It has vendors and shops and food. Again it's like the Quincy Market of London.
IT EVEN HAS A DISNEY STORE!!!
I forgot to rotate the picture but this is one of the street performers, he was like one of those human statues. A lot of people seemed to like him. I thought he was crazy for being out in the cold. Maybe the paint keeps him warm.Okay this is difficult putting pictures up like this so I'm going to try another way. If not I'll be back with more.
My counting was off....It's Officially Day 24
So it was miserable out. Cold and Rainy. Which was a shame because well the Globe is an outdoor theater. But despite the weather it was AMAZING! I was in heaven. Of course no one there cared as much as I did except for maybe the professor but this was her second tour this week and it seems as though shes seen every show there since they opened. It was so so cool. First we went to the exhibit hall and just looked around at all the neat stuff they had on display. That area is really cool, it has a fake oak tree in the middle and a stage where they do small show stuff sometimes and today there was a guy teaching an actor how to fence. It was really cool. The instructor talked to us and told us what was going on. He was really old and joked about having to pass on his craft before he forgets and it dies. Back in the day boys started learning how to sword fight at a really early age so by the time they were old enough to be main character in a work Shakespeare's they would have been very very good and therefore the actors need to make it seem effortless. And the boys are hypothtical, not like real people who are then characters in the play....I know most his plays are not real. I already had one stupid moment like that today but we'll get to that in a bit.
So yea after the exhibts we walked over to the original site of the Rose Theater. This is the theater considered to be the first our buddy Will would have ever seen and of course the one where all his beginning works were performed. Archaeologists discovered the remains of the theater and the site is now protected....of course theres a very big office building on top of it. There wasn't too much to see but they were able to get an outline of the structure which they had outlined in that like colored tube lighting stuff you would decorate stuff with. The area is just a flooded hole of dirt really. They keep it flooded because what was left of the theater was crumbling once it was exposed to the air. It was really interesting and it was something I wouldn't have gotten to see if I wasn't taking the theater class so that's cool.
But it was very cold...and wet...and we walked to the original site of the Globe, saw the plaque and then went to the new Globe. The Globe that stands now is actually the 3rd. The first burnt down when a canon they were using as a special effect caught the thatched roof on fire. Surprisingly no one died which is crazy since there was probably about 2,000 people in the theater and only 2 exits. So the first Globe stood for I think 15 years. The second was built after the fire but after 30 years was deserted once theater was banned in London. So fast forwarding to 1949 an American actor Sam Wanamaker (I had no idea who he was) came to London and asked to be taken to the Globe. When he realized that all that was in it's place was a plaque he made it his life goal to rebuild a theater in honor of Will and the Globe. He didn't envision a exact replica but I guess scholars said that was the best way to go so that it could be used as a way to study and experiment with the way theatre was performed in the past. So in 1997 the Globe was finished. There's not a single nail in the whole thing. They built it like it was in the past with wooden pegs and a thatched roof which is technically illegal now in London. It's SO cool. I mean it's really like it was back in the day except for a few things to keep it to code and there's night lighting in order for there to be shows at night. A theater now a days couldn't stay open if it only did shows during the day. But there's only lighting to simulate day light. There no fancy stage lighting. I think I can post pictures on here and I have my cord now so you'll see but it looks much different then I expected. The decoration and painting is very gaudy. Things are painted to look like marble and gold. The season doesn't start till the end of April but after seeing it I HAVE to go to a show. Plus they're doing Midsummer's. For 5pounds you can stand on ground level like you would have back in the day....of course then it smelled very bad, the tickets would have been 1 penny and they would have stuffed 1,000 people into an area the size of...i don't know what to compare it to but it isn't very big. I'll probably splurge so I can sit...on a wooden bench.
It was just incredible. And the gift shop was easily the coolest one I have EVER been in. I could have bought everything so I'm going to wait and go back. I would like to go again when it's nice out and I can pay more attention to the theater than how cold and wet I was.
OH! The best part and my stupid moment. So they wouldn't let me on stage or backstage because of insurance reasons which I was very disappointed about but they did let a group of kids on who were doing some educational thing. Well they did McBeth on stage in about 2min. IT was just great. Probably the best version I've seen. The kids were adorable. A little boy played Lady McB....he's gonna be a big star. But yea I turned and said it was the best version of Hamlet I had seen jokingly only for it to click later that I said Hamlet and not McBeth...I felt pretty dumb. But yea, we got a free show...how cool. Oh! And they had the 3 witches and all I could think of was acting class in high school when Nicole, Steph and I did that speech for our monologue....still loved how we managed to do a monologue with 3 people.
So after the professor took us to a pub but I didn't stay because I had class. That was miserable....the rain got worse and I got really wet. I ate at KFC because well why not. They don't have mashed potatoes here....just french fries but they did have coleslaw but not as good as in America. After I went to the Post Office and the lady kept calling me Love. At home that would tick me off but I dunno maybe it has something to do with the accent but she came off very nice to me. So yea then it was over to class which was about externalities which wasn't as bad as supply and demand. The economics part of the class is over and we have next week off in order to work on one of 2 papers for the entire semester.
When I got back to Wigram my package from Mom got here!! It was great!! I've got so much I want to eat now it's hard to decide. I'm still trucking through all the Shepard's Pie though....I did eat it with ketchup though just because I could because she sent Heinz from Pittsburgh and I mean it doesn't get much better than that. I also go Oreos, Veggie Wheat Thins, Candy Bars, Metal Forks Knives and Spoons!!!, American Cereal, Pineapple Salsa, Kraft Mac and Cheese, Hot Chocolate, OMG BACON!!...Like american bacon not the weird stuff they have here....Bacon cheeseburgers are in order for as soon as the S. Pie is done. Also got good ol Fajita Dust, Hamburger Helper, Lindt Truffles, Jelly Bellies and M&Ms and Wash Clothes...I'm forgetting a couple things but it's been a very exciting day.
So now it's the weekend and I get to sleep in tomorrow and not worry about anything. It's going to be great. I love London. I'm really on like food overload right now, it's time for dessert and I have no idea what to eat. It's still early though...I'm sure there's time for 2 desserts and it's the last day of the month for internet usage so I might try and download a movie since I don't think I've used even close to all my bandwidth.
Alright, if anything exciting happens tonight I'll post again.
Okay so here's the inside of the Globe. This picture isn't as big as the actual picture but I don't really know how to work this uploader yet. But yea you can kinda see how the stage is decorated. And the ground there in front is where you would stand to see a show. My professor said you can like lean on the stage and use it to put your drink on and that the actors will interact with you and bring you into the show kinda. There's two levels...well 4 levels to the stage. You hav
e below, the actual stage, the balcony and the heavens. But the balcony you see
there is where the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet would take place.
So this is the remains of the Rose. You can see the circle thats like the outer wall and then the line in
the middle kinda is the stage.
The heavens! If there were gods in a show or something of the sort they would be dropped down through a trap door where you can see that like puff of cloud is.
So yea after the exhibts we walked over to the original site of the Rose Theater. This is the theater considered to be the first our buddy Will would have ever seen and of course the one where all his beginning works were performed. Archaeologists discovered the remains of the theater and the site is now protected....of course theres a very big office building on top of it. There wasn't too much to see but they were able to get an outline of the structure which they had outlined in that like colored tube lighting stuff you would decorate stuff with. The area is just a flooded hole of dirt really. They keep it flooded because what was left of the theater was crumbling once it was exposed to the air. It was really interesting and it was something I wouldn't have gotten to see if I wasn't taking the theater class so that's cool.
But it was very cold...and wet...and we walked to the original site of the Globe, saw the plaque and then went to the new Globe. The Globe that stands now is actually the 3rd. The first burnt down when a canon they were using as a special effect caught the thatched roof on fire. Surprisingly no one died which is crazy since there was probably about 2,000 people in the theater and only 2 exits. So the first Globe stood for I think 15 years. The second was built after the fire but after 30 years was deserted once theater was banned in London. So fast forwarding to 1949 an American actor Sam Wanamaker (I had no idea who he was) came to London and asked to be taken to the Globe. When he realized that all that was in it's place was a plaque he made it his life goal to rebuild a theater in honor of Will and the Globe. He didn't envision a exact replica but I guess scholars said that was the best way to go so that it could be used as a way to study and experiment with the way theatre was performed in the past. So in 1997 the Globe was finished. There's not a single nail in the whole thing. They built it like it was in the past with wooden pegs and a thatched roof which is technically illegal now in London. It's SO cool. I mean it's really like it was back in the day except for a few things to keep it to code and there's night lighting in order for there to be shows at night. A theater now a days couldn't stay open if it only did shows during the day. But there's only lighting to simulate day light. There no fancy stage lighting. I think I can post pictures on here and I have my cord now so you'll see but it looks much different then I expected. The decoration and painting is very gaudy. Things are painted to look like marble and gold. The season doesn't start till the end of April but after seeing it I HAVE to go to a show. Plus they're doing Midsummer's. For 5pounds you can stand on ground level like you would have back in the day....of course then it smelled very bad, the tickets would have been 1 penny and they would have stuffed 1,000 people into an area the size of...i don't know what to compare it to but it isn't very big. I'll probably splurge so I can sit...on a wooden bench.
It was just incredible. And the gift shop was easily the coolest one I have EVER been in. I could have bought everything so I'm going to wait and go back. I would like to go again when it's nice out and I can pay more attention to the theater than how cold and wet I was.
OH! The best part and my stupid moment. So they wouldn't let me on stage or backstage because of insurance reasons which I was very disappointed about but they did let a group of kids on who were doing some educational thing. Well they did McBeth on stage in about 2min. IT was just great. Probably the best version I've seen. The kids were adorable. A little boy played Lady McB....he's gonna be a big star. But yea I turned and said it was the best version of Hamlet I had seen jokingly only for it to click later that I said Hamlet and not McBeth...I felt pretty dumb. But yea, we got a free show...how cool. Oh! And they had the 3 witches and all I could think of was acting class in high school when Nicole, Steph and I did that speech for our monologue....still loved how we managed to do a monologue with 3 people.
So after the professor took us to a pub but I didn't stay because I had class. That was miserable....the rain got worse and I got really wet. I ate at KFC because well why not. They don't have mashed potatoes here....just french fries but they did have coleslaw but not as good as in America. After I went to the Post Office and the lady kept calling me Love. At home that would tick me off but I dunno maybe it has something to do with the accent but she came off very nice to me. So yea then it was over to class which was about externalities which wasn't as bad as supply and demand. The economics part of the class is over and we have next week off in order to work on one of 2 papers for the entire semester.
When I got back to Wigram my package from Mom got here!! It was great!! I've got so much I want to eat now it's hard to decide. I'm still trucking through all the Shepard's Pie though....I did eat it with ketchup though just because I could because she sent Heinz from Pittsburgh and I mean it doesn't get much better than that. I also go Oreos, Veggie Wheat Thins, Candy Bars, Metal Forks Knives and Spoons!!!, American Cereal, Pineapple Salsa, Kraft Mac and Cheese, Hot Chocolate, OMG BACON!!...Like american bacon not the weird stuff they have here....Bacon cheeseburgers are in order for as soon as the S. Pie is done. Also got good ol Fajita Dust, Hamburger Helper, Lindt Truffles, Jelly Bellies and M&Ms and Wash Clothes...I'm forgetting a couple things but it's been a very exciting day.
So now it's the weekend and I get to sleep in tomorrow and not worry about anything. It's going to be great. I love London. I'm really on like food overload right now, it's time for dessert and I have no idea what to eat. It's still early though...I'm sure there's time for 2 desserts and it's the last day of the month for internet usage so I might try and download a movie since I don't think I've used even close to all my bandwidth.
Alright, if anything exciting happens tonight I'll post again.
Okay so here's the inside of the Globe. This picture isn't as big as the actual picture but I don't really know how to work this uploader yet. But yea you can kinda see how the stage is decorated. And the ground there in front is where you would stand to see a show. My professor said you can like lean on the stage and use it to put your drink on and that the actors will interact with you and bring you into the show kinda. There's two levels...well 4 levels to the stage. You hav
e below, the actual stage, the balcony and the heavens. But the balcony you seethere is where the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet would take place.
So this is the remains of the Rose. You can see the circle thats like the outer wall and then the line in
the middle kinda is the stage.
The heavens! If there were gods in a show or something of the sort they would be dropped down through a trap door where you can see that like puff of cloud is.
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Day 20...I think, I'm not too sure.
So today was Devising London. I met up with Aaron before class so he could go to the Pound Shop. He got a sword and fake flowers for class. I thought they were pretty good finds. We went to Mark and Spencers too because I forgot my sweat pants and figured if I could find a cheap pair it would be worth it not to have to go all the way back to Victoria. No such luck. We were over by the Angel Tube stop though which is where that burrito place is so we stopped to get lunch...sooo good...Except I would never pay $11 for a take out burrito at home.
We had enough time so we ran...well took the tube back to my place so I could grab my sweats and then headed to Oxford Circus where class is and I wrote my journal in the 5min before. With all the free time I have I still can't manage to do homework on time. I hate writing in the journal for class because she reads them and I think expects great things. I wrote how I play guitar to seem impressive but now I think she'll try to get me to play so I'm going to stop mentioning it.
We started class with yoga today which I am just not very good at. She talks too softly so I can't hear her so I'm constantly looking at here to see what we are suppose to be doing and she corrects me and I feel really stupid. It's frustrating.
So most the class was spent acting with all the junk we brought in. That's what it pretty much all was, junk. So the place was a mess because all people really did was throw stuff and rip stuff, it was very stupid and boring. We don't have too much talent. Then she told us what she liked and we had to break into groups and make a little skit. She didn't like anything Aaron, Laura and I did so we came up with something new. We tried to make it weir and abstract because she's weird and abstract and in the end she didn't understand it. Aaron was Captain Planet but I don't think we were going for the cartoon character I think it's just what we thought of because I was a dragon who was ruining the ozone layer. We didn't have much time or energy so it was the best we had. But yea the prof, I'm going to just call her Dawn...didn't understand it. I thought that was good I mean if she doesn't understand it it must be brilliant in her standards.
So we ended up getting kicked out of the room because there was a lecture that was going on after class so we got out early which was great. The class is going to get really old real fast. Next week she wants us to sit and observe an ER. I feel that's not appropriate or a good idea. She's a wingnut.
So that kinda brings me to now. Laura, Jessie and I took the tube back. Jessie lives downstairs, she's cool...I like her...her name might be spelled with a y but I dunno.
I had Shepards Pie for dinner and there is still sooo much left. Boredom got the best of us and Laura and I went to the grocery store for dessert. I got these microwavable chocolate cake things with chocolate sauce...very good. I love finding things here that I like. It's getting easier now that I know what to look for and have gotten more comfortable with everything.
Gonna change topics abruptly...
So in the tube they have this contest going on for all the Buskers...it's pretty cool. They have like specific spots for them to play in the stations and then you can go online and vote for the best. I thought it was a great idea. I haven't been on the website yet though...I never remember to. But some of the people who perform are really good.
Performance is such a big thing here....or at least I feel like it is. I mean with the theaters alone it's crazy and easily the best place for me to be right now.
Life is great here. It's sooo stress free. Everyone should take a break from Babson to both recharge and appreciate the education we're receiving. It's great though, I've gotten to just relax and play a lot of guitar since I don't have much else to do. Once it starts getting lighter out at night I can do more exploring after class but until then nights are early for me.
Tomorrow I'm going on a tour of the Globe for class...I'm so so so excited. I can't wait. I passed by it over the weekend..it's soooo cool. AH! Love Shakespeare. Maybe I'll actually spend the money and get something there. I still have a lot of time though and can always go back.
I'm not looking forward to Tourism Development tomorrow...it's going to be more intro to economics which is so lame. Hopefully I start actually learning something soon.
Alright I might go put in a movie or something. Post Later, Jeannie
We had enough time so we ran...well took the tube back to my place so I could grab my sweats and then headed to Oxford Circus where class is and I wrote my journal in the 5min before. With all the free time I have I still can't manage to do homework on time. I hate writing in the journal for class because she reads them and I think expects great things. I wrote how I play guitar to seem impressive but now I think she'll try to get me to play so I'm going to stop mentioning it.
We started class with yoga today which I am just not very good at. She talks too softly so I can't hear her so I'm constantly looking at here to see what we are suppose to be doing and she corrects me and I feel really stupid. It's frustrating.
So most the class was spent acting with all the junk we brought in. That's what it pretty much all was, junk. So the place was a mess because all people really did was throw stuff and rip stuff, it was very stupid and boring. We don't have too much talent. Then she told us what she liked and we had to break into groups and make a little skit. She didn't like anything Aaron, Laura and I did so we came up with something new. We tried to make it weir and abstract because she's weird and abstract and in the end she didn't understand it. Aaron was Captain Planet but I don't think we were going for the cartoon character I think it's just what we thought of because I was a dragon who was ruining the ozone layer. We didn't have much time or energy so it was the best we had. But yea the prof, I'm going to just call her Dawn...didn't understand it. I thought that was good I mean if she doesn't understand it it must be brilliant in her standards.
So we ended up getting kicked out of the room because there was a lecture that was going on after class so we got out early which was great. The class is going to get really old real fast. Next week she wants us to sit and observe an ER. I feel that's not appropriate or a good idea. She's a wingnut.
So that kinda brings me to now. Laura, Jessie and I took the tube back. Jessie lives downstairs, she's cool...I like her...her name might be spelled with a y but I dunno.
I had Shepards Pie for dinner and there is still sooo much left. Boredom got the best of us and Laura and I went to the grocery store for dessert. I got these microwavable chocolate cake things with chocolate sauce...very good. I love finding things here that I like. It's getting easier now that I know what to look for and have gotten more comfortable with everything.
Gonna change topics abruptly...
So in the tube they have this contest going on for all the Buskers...it's pretty cool. They have like specific spots for them to play in the stations and then you can go online and vote for the best. I thought it was a great idea. I haven't been on the website yet though...I never remember to. But some of the people who perform are really good.
Performance is such a big thing here....or at least I feel like it is. I mean with the theaters alone it's crazy and easily the best place for me to be right now.
Life is great here. It's sooo stress free. Everyone should take a break from Babson to both recharge and appreciate the education we're receiving. It's great though, I've gotten to just relax and play a lot of guitar since I don't have much else to do. Once it starts getting lighter out at night I can do more exploring after class but until then nights are early for me.
Tomorrow I'm going on a tour of the Globe for class...I'm so so so excited. I can't wait. I passed by it over the weekend..it's soooo cool. AH! Love Shakespeare. Maybe I'll actually spend the money and get something there. I still have a lot of time though and can always go back.
I'm not looking forward to Tourism Development tomorrow...it's going to be more intro to economics which is so lame. Hopefully I start actually learning something soon.
Alright I might go put in a movie or something. Post Later, Jeannie
Tuesday, 29 January 2008
London Day 19
So forgot to post yesterday so I'll start with that.
Laura and I got up early and went to Harrods and this sketchy...sorry...dodgy little pound shop. We walked which wasn't too bad, don't recall how long it took but probably only like 20min or so. You figure by the time you get into an Underground station and walk and go up the stairs and various escalators it takes less effort to walk....taking the bus is even easier.
Harrods is CRAZY. It's I mean kinda like the Macy's in NYC but much more high end and it has food. So the goal is to find something under a pound for Devising London that we can improvise with in class tomorrow. We first walk in and see a rack of hair clips...like run of the mill hair clips you would by anywhere in a pack of two. These had glitter on them so they were a little more fancy but I mean at home they're what a few dollars? So yea these hair clips were 250 pounds ( I really need to find the symbol for pounds)...thats $500, for a plastic hair clip. It was outrageous. I mean in situations like that I like to act cool and not be all weird about how expensive things can be but I mean $500 for a plastic hair clip...with a little glitter. So yea pretty much figured we were out of luck for this assignment but we went up and tried our luck in the kids/toys section. Once we walked by the little Armani suits we found the toys which were not too bad. I found noise putty which I think is like silly putty but it makes noise....I dunno I didn't open it. The most exciting part was that they were playing music from High School Musical. I enjoyed that...a lot.
Before leaving we checked out the Food Courts where I got that amazing chocolate thing as mentioned before. There was a lot of food, it seemed like there were a lot of Sushi bars too....that part kinda smelled...I preferred the bakery area. Oh and the Harrods Gift area was cool, some cute touristy stuff.
So next was the 99pence store which I thought I found online before we left but we couldn't find it once we got to where we thought it was. So we ended up at this weird little pound store attached to the back of a post office. We had a harder time finding something there for under a pound then we did at Harrods. The lady tried to help us who worked there but she was confused and though we were doing something for a marketing class. Laura got a can of air freshener and I got a washcloth....no idea what were suppose to do with them.
Laura had to be to class at 2 so I took the bus over with her and then made my way over to Woolworths to get some plastic containers and I also got a poster of Ratatouille. Then came the grocery store where I picked up stuff to make Shepards Pie for the week. Being a big fan of Sweeney Todd I was a little cautious about buying ground beef in London but it turned out to be pretty good. They didn't have creamed corn though which is the best part and I tried to make my own which really didn't turn into anything but it didn't ruin it so that was good. So I ate and watched a movie until I finally fell asleep.
Unfortunetly I was woken up at 5:45am by the fire alarm. So it was the scariest thing ever because I had no idea. But I got dressed and walked down the five flights of stairs. For some reason everyone I went and talked to commented on how I was wearing jeans and I dunno I didn't think it was a big deal that I got dressed to go wait with a bunch of people I don't really know in the streets of London. Someone asked if I had just gotten in....it really seemed to baffle them. I was excited about the number of people I knew to talk to though. I haven't seen everyone in a group so big so it was like a buffet of friends. But I guess people flooded one of the first floor kitchens because thats the type of people that live here and in the process not only set off the alarm but broke the alarm system in the entire building. This meant the RAs had to patrol the building for the rest of the night making sure that people were aware in the event of an actual fire. I'm pretty sure if you told us RAs at Babson that we would walk out. I wonder what compensation is here. Also, they like stay in the building...please if there was a fire I would be very far away from the building...not holding the doors for everyone.
So yea of course I get back into bed and people start cooking because well again they have the need to make noise and eat at all hours of the day. Well, except for the normal hours. Really who needs to be cooking at 6am. Because of all the cooking being done I've realized that it always smells like onions here.
Outside though I was talking to more people who live on the interior of the building and I like feel bad because we complain so much but then I mean when you haven't slept in 3-4 weeks it's really hard not to.
Today again, Laura and I woke up early with the intention of buying and sending out cards and postcards but it didn't really happen and we ended up at McDonalds. Oh well. Class wasn't too bad. I brought my laptop but it's weird when no one else is using one. I feel really guilty. Yea not really much happened. We went to the grocery store again I got some cool sweet and sour sauce stuff to put over chicken and rice which will be dinner once my Shepards Pie runs out. Last night left me pretty tired so hopefully I'll pass out soon....I have to remember to write my journal for class tomorrow. Hmm I should get sleep so that I have energy for yoga. I'm nervous, I'm not very good at it and she comments on me more than others...eh. Okay, I'm still hungry time to have dessert maybe. Post Later, Jeannie
Laura and I got up early and went to Harrods and this sketchy...sorry...dodgy little pound shop. We walked which wasn't too bad, don't recall how long it took but probably only like 20min or so. You figure by the time you get into an Underground station and walk and go up the stairs and various escalators it takes less effort to walk....taking the bus is even easier.
Harrods is CRAZY. It's I mean kinda like the Macy's in NYC but much more high end and it has food. So the goal is to find something under a pound for Devising London that we can improvise with in class tomorrow. We first walk in and see a rack of hair clips...like run of the mill hair clips you would by anywhere in a pack of two. These had glitter on them so they were a little more fancy but I mean at home they're what a few dollars? So yea these hair clips were 250 pounds ( I really need to find the symbol for pounds)...thats $500, for a plastic hair clip. It was outrageous. I mean in situations like that I like to act cool and not be all weird about how expensive things can be but I mean $500 for a plastic hair clip...with a little glitter. So yea pretty much figured we were out of luck for this assignment but we went up and tried our luck in the kids/toys section. Once we walked by the little Armani suits we found the toys which were not too bad. I found noise putty which I think is like silly putty but it makes noise....I dunno I didn't open it. The most exciting part was that they were playing music from High School Musical. I enjoyed that...a lot.
Before leaving we checked out the Food Courts where I got that amazing chocolate thing as mentioned before. There was a lot of food, it seemed like there were a lot of Sushi bars too....that part kinda smelled...I preferred the bakery area. Oh and the Harrods Gift area was cool, some cute touristy stuff.
So next was the 99pence store which I thought I found online before we left but we couldn't find it once we got to where we thought it was. So we ended up at this weird little pound store attached to the back of a post office. We had a harder time finding something there for under a pound then we did at Harrods. The lady tried to help us who worked there but she was confused and though we were doing something for a marketing class. Laura got a can of air freshener and I got a washcloth....no idea what were suppose to do with them.
Laura had to be to class at 2 so I took the bus over with her and then made my way over to Woolworths to get some plastic containers and I also got a poster of Ratatouille. Then came the grocery store where I picked up stuff to make Shepards Pie for the week. Being a big fan of Sweeney Todd I was a little cautious about buying ground beef in London but it turned out to be pretty good. They didn't have creamed corn though which is the best part and I tried to make my own which really didn't turn into anything but it didn't ruin it so that was good. So I ate and watched a movie until I finally fell asleep.
Unfortunetly I was woken up at 5:45am by the fire alarm. So it was the scariest thing ever because I had no idea. But I got dressed and walked down the five flights of stairs. For some reason everyone I went and talked to commented on how I was wearing jeans and I dunno I didn't think it was a big deal that I got dressed to go wait with a bunch of people I don't really know in the streets of London. Someone asked if I had just gotten in....it really seemed to baffle them. I was excited about the number of people I knew to talk to though. I haven't seen everyone in a group so big so it was like a buffet of friends. But I guess people flooded one of the first floor kitchens because thats the type of people that live here and in the process not only set off the alarm but broke the alarm system in the entire building. This meant the RAs had to patrol the building for the rest of the night making sure that people were aware in the event of an actual fire. I'm pretty sure if you told us RAs at Babson that we would walk out. I wonder what compensation is here. Also, they like stay in the building...please if there was a fire I would be very far away from the building...not holding the doors for everyone.
So yea of course I get back into bed and people start cooking because well again they have the need to make noise and eat at all hours of the day. Well, except for the normal hours. Really who needs to be cooking at 6am. Because of all the cooking being done I've realized that it always smells like onions here.
Outside though I was talking to more people who live on the interior of the building and I like feel bad because we complain so much but then I mean when you haven't slept in 3-4 weeks it's really hard not to.
Today again, Laura and I woke up early with the intention of buying and sending out cards and postcards but it didn't really happen and we ended up at McDonalds. Oh well. Class wasn't too bad. I brought my laptop but it's weird when no one else is using one. I feel really guilty. Yea not really much happened. We went to the grocery store again I got some cool sweet and sour sauce stuff to put over chicken and rice which will be dinner once my Shepards Pie runs out. Last night left me pretty tired so hopefully I'll pass out soon....I have to remember to write my journal for class tomorrow. Hmm I should get sleep so that I have energy for yoga. I'm nervous, I'm not very good at it and she comments on me more than others...eh. Okay, I'm still hungry time to have dessert maybe. Post Later, Jeannie
Monday, 28 January 2008
Chocolate Amazingness
So went to Harrods today which I'll talk about later but while there I got the most amazing pastry/chocolate dessert I have ever had in my life. I'm eating it now. It's just glorious. It's like a brownie underneath a dome of chocolate and chocolate mousse. Had to share. It's amazing.
Sunday, 27 January 2008
London Day 18
So yep slept till 2 today. It was great.
Laura and Aaron got back from Spain today so Laura and I went to the grocery store. I got flavored sparking water which is actually very good. The buy of the day was a Bailey's Drink Shaker for 8pence...it's the perfect size for a cup and I mean it was 16 cents. We also got mix to make cookies.
We had dinner up in Laura's kitchen which is busier than mine. A lot of people were in there including one English woman making this traditional English meal which was like a stew (maybe?) that had everything in it..I dunno if it looked appetizing but I mean I'm sure neither does most American food. Another girl was really worried about people stealing her ice cream and was trying to tell everyone to lock the kitchen when they leave.
In the middle of cookie baking...well I guess more towards the end the fire alarm went off so we grabbed the sheet out of the oven and took them outside with us. Spatula in hand I served them out to well only us and this other girl we just met....well I just met, Laura already knew her. They were okay I mean you can't expect much out of cookie mix you only have to add water to though.
After the fire alarm and cookies my laundry fiasco as stated in the previous entry occurred. An interesting girl came in wearing only a mans button down shirt. I don't know who the experience was more awkward for...me or her....but then again a person with the guts only to wear a shirt around must not find run ins like that awkward.
OH! So I go to get my dinner from the kitchen and nearly fall right on my bum (next to the word "naughty" but I think it's the funniest word they say here). I think the guys on the floor had a water fight or something because the floor and walks were soaked. AND they stole my ice. These people are stupid.
Well my wash should be dry so I'm going to get it before something goes wrong. Oh yay theyre blasting the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Argh so inconsiderate.
Tomorrow is an early day to go to Harrods and a 99pence store for Devising London...ha love this class. Post Later, Jeannie
Laura and Aaron got back from Spain today so Laura and I went to the grocery store. I got flavored sparking water which is actually very good. The buy of the day was a Bailey's Drink Shaker for 8pence...it's the perfect size for a cup and I mean it was 16 cents. We also got mix to make cookies.
We had dinner up in Laura's kitchen which is busier than mine. A lot of people were in there including one English woman making this traditional English meal which was like a stew (maybe?) that had everything in it..I dunno if it looked appetizing but I mean I'm sure neither does most American food. Another girl was really worried about people stealing her ice cream and was trying to tell everyone to lock the kitchen when they leave.
In the middle of cookie baking...well I guess more towards the end the fire alarm went off so we grabbed the sheet out of the oven and took them outside with us. Spatula in hand I served them out to well only us and this other girl we just met....well I just met, Laura already knew her. They were okay I mean you can't expect much out of cookie mix you only have to add water to though.
After the fire alarm and cookies my laundry fiasco as stated in the previous entry occurred. An interesting girl came in wearing only a mans button down shirt. I don't know who the experience was more awkward for...me or her....but then again a person with the guts only to wear a shirt around must not find run ins like that awkward.
OH! So I go to get my dinner from the kitchen and nearly fall right on my bum (next to the word "naughty" but I think it's the funniest word they say here). I think the guys on the floor had a water fight or something because the floor and walks were soaked. AND they stole my ice. These people are stupid.
Well my wash should be dry so I'm going to get it before something goes wrong. Oh yay theyre blasting the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Argh so inconsiderate.
Tomorrow is an early day to go to Harrods and a 99pence store for Devising London...ha love this class. Post Later, Jeannie
Problem Solved!
My clothes were there, no beating anyone up...I'll be staying here longer and will be clothed.
Where are my clothes?!?!
So I'm standing guard in the laundry room. About an hour ago I put in a load of wash, hit start and it said I had like 40min so I went back upstairs played some guitar and waited.
When I got back down here my washing machine still had 35min and my clothes are no where to be found. So traditionally when a person is late getting their laundry it's okay for the next person to take them out and just throw them in the dryer. So if someone came down and took my clothes out and put theirs in I have no idea where my clothes are. Which is a problem.
So I mean I guess maybe the machine malfunctioned and is running my clothes through again or for some reason it may have started 40min late but the door is locked at the moment and I have no idea. So I'm sitting here...I have 7min left to either magically find my clothes in the washing machine or KILL whoever stole my clothes and is coming down to switch theirs into the dryer. Wish me luck.....If this is anything like America I will be kicked out of school for ripping apart a person for stealing ALL my clothes....you may see me soon.
When I got back down here my washing machine still had 35min and my clothes are no where to be found. So traditionally when a person is late getting their laundry it's okay for the next person to take them out and just throw them in the dryer. So if someone came down and took my clothes out and put theirs in I have no idea where my clothes are. Which is a problem.
So I mean I guess maybe the machine malfunctioned and is running my clothes through again or for some reason it may have started 40min late but the door is locked at the moment and I have no idea. So I'm sitting here...I have 7min left to either magically find my clothes in the washing machine or KILL whoever stole my clothes and is coming down to switch theirs into the dryer. Wish me luck.....If this is anything like America I will be kicked out of school for ripping apart a person for stealing ALL my clothes....you may see me soon.
Saturday, 26 January 2008
So my days here either consist of me sleeping in and then being back in bed by 7 or me waking up early and then not getting to bed until Midnight.
Yesterday I slept in...as late as I could. Again, the noise here is obnoxious college kids until 5am and then the cleaning people around noon. So it doesn't leave too much time.
Manasi sent me this downloadable MP3 Sweeney Todd London audio tour so my plan was to get up and go do that. It wouldn't download so I ended up just going off to Fleet Street on my own but wasn't able to find anything. So like most days I just ended up walking around a lot. My plan to put off buying my tube pass failed because it started to get dark and I don't like the idea of wandering around alone at night.
When I got back to my dorm I watched a couple movies and went to sleep.
Today was busy.
I woke up early and met up with Manasi and a friend of hers from home and then his friend from school. We met at the Angel tube stop and found our way down to the Tower of London which I hadn't seen yet. It was pretty cool. After we just kinda started walking along the Thames River exploring. We came across some pretty cool little areas with waterfront condos and sailboats. I'll post pictures as soon as I can. We walked A LOT. Manasi had to leave to meet up with her cousin so I was kinda left with her friends. I walked with them for awhile but then it just got awkward and I was hungry so I went back to my dorm, had some cereal and took a nap.
Manasi got tickets for the sample show at the Sadler's Wells Theater. It's a dance theater near where she lives and they put on a show to showcase all the shows (sorry, for all the "shows") this season. It was really cool and the theater was awesome. Very trendy chic, I enjoyed myself and it gave me a chance to dress up a little or at least get out of jeans.
After we went to a take out mexican place that was REALLY good. I had a burrito, it was great.
Overall a very good day. Tomorrow I get to hopefully sleep in more since I don't think the cleaning people come so that's exciting.
Yesterday I slept in...as late as I could. Again, the noise here is obnoxious college kids until 5am and then the cleaning people around noon. So it doesn't leave too much time.
Manasi sent me this downloadable MP3 Sweeney Todd London audio tour so my plan was to get up and go do that. It wouldn't download so I ended up just going off to Fleet Street on my own but wasn't able to find anything. So like most days I just ended up walking around a lot. My plan to put off buying my tube pass failed because it started to get dark and I don't like the idea of wandering around alone at night.
When I got back to my dorm I watched a couple movies and went to sleep.
Today was busy.
I woke up early and met up with Manasi and a friend of hers from home and then his friend from school. We met at the Angel tube stop and found our way down to the Tower of London which I hadn't seen yet. It was pretty cool. After we just kinda started walking along the Thames River exploring. We came across some pretty cool little areas with waterfront condos and sailboats. I'll post pictures as soon as I can. We walked A LOT. Manasi had to leave to meet up with her cousin so I was kinda left with her friends. I walked with them for awhile but then it just got awkward and I was hungry so I went back to my dorm, had some cereal and took a nap.
Manasi got tickets for the sample show at the Sadler's Wells Theater. It's a dance theater near where she lives and they put on a show to showcase all the shows (sorry, for all the "shows") this season. It was really cool and the theater was awesome. Very trendy chic, I enjoyed myself and it gave me a chance to dress up a little or at least get out of jeans.
After we went to a take out mexican place that was REALLY good. I had a burrito, it was great.
Overall a very good day. Tomorrow I get to hopefully sleep in more since I don't think the cleaning people come so that's exciting.
Thursday, 24 January 2008
London Day 16
So today was not exciting...just kinda long.
London Theater in Performance was pretty good. We went through a lot of theater history which was cool.
In between class I tried figuring out the library but had no luck so instead just used the computer lab.
Tourism Development was pointless. We are still doing economics stuff...we covered supply and demand today. I left during the break. So did the kid next to me who is one class short of his degree in Economics.
I cooked dinner, cleaned my room and watched a documentary on Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The doc was pretty good except I no longer can pretend that their story is one of great romance like most their films.
It's 8 and I'm tired and lazy and the dorm is very loud. I think I'll pop in another movie with my headphones on to try and drown them out and fall asleep.
Tomorrow I dunno what I'll do. Sleep in...I should do laundry. I think I am going to try and put off buying my weekly tube pass for a few days and just try walking. I've missed a lot of the city by taking the tube so much and with nothing I really have to do the next few days some more exploring is in order...maybe I'll go find ear plugs. Post Later, Jeannie
London Theater in Performance was pretty good. We went through a lot of theater history which was cool.
In between class I tried figuring out the library but had no luck so instead just used the computer lab.
Tourism Development was pointless. We are still doing economics stuff...we covered supply and demand today. I left during the break. So did the kid next to me who is one class short of his degree in Economics.
I cooked dinner, cleaned my room and watched a documentary on Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The doc was pretty good except I no longer can pretend that their story is one of great romance like most their films.
It's 8 and I'm tired and lazy and the dorm is very loud. I think I'll pop in another movie with my headphones on to try and drown them out and fall asleep.
Tomorrow I dunno what I'll do. Sleep in...I should do laundry. I think I am going to try and put off buying my weekly tube pass for a few days and just try walking. I've missed a lot of the city by taking the tube so much and with nothing I really have to do the next few days some more exploring is in order...maybe I'll go find ear plugs. Post Later, Jeannie
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
London Day 15 Part 2
Annnd we're back, where did I leave off??......
Right people pushing people in chairs obsession.
After she finished having her moment with that she told us we had to come together and combine the two skits into one, incorporating the best parts of each into it. So we got a 10min break and then had to come back and had 15min to do the said exercise. Aaron and I had the idea that we looked at the experience from the mind of the hill and then that lead to doing a thing where we gave a voice to those things that typically don't such as the dog and the wheelchair. It was better than I expected but at the end she was still obsessed with the people and chairs thing. So she told us to pair off and take a chair and just like freestyle (?) with it. It was weird, so we just kinda I guess played with a chair if thats would you could call it. We weren't allowed to talk or communicate in any way and then at the end she told us to reenact our favorite moments of the exercise. She then took her favorites and we had to put them together into like a routine which was then added to some weird interpreted dance like thing the group did last week that she expected us newbies to learn on the spot.
It was....interesting....
To say the least, I don't know what we got ourselves in but we're getting 4 Babson credits for it and are stuck in it now whether we want to be or not. I hope we can record the final performance because like you don't even understand how freaky it all is. Thinking back I can't even believed I spent 3 hours of my day participating in it. I mean it will be a great thing to look back on at Graduation. Aaron, Laura and I will be able to see each other and be like "Hey, remember that time we did the interpreted dance with the chair that was suppose to somehow represent a walk we took to that hill at the park where it started raining and where we didn't sit or even see a chair." I feel Wednesdays will provide me with great blogging material.
After the complete shock of that we hopped (I don't know if I picked up the term "hopped" here or if it's something I've always used and just noticed all of a sudden, but I use is a lot now) the tube back to Wigram. Found another girl that lives here which is GREAT.
I ate dinner.....well attempted. I made that microwave meal thing I bought but it was gross so it's still sitting on my desk....I should clean it up before I go to sleep. After dinner I headed over to the National Theatre (I would say theater because well I feel as though the actual building should be refered to as a theater and not theatre but oh well I won't argue with them). It was probably the most overwhelming theater I've ever been to because I there's 3 in 1..or is it 4. Anyways there were 2 plays going on at the same time and A LOT of people and places to go so being there alone was intimidating. I was in the balcony which here is referred to as the circle. I've never been to a show alone before....it was a weird experience that I will have to avoid doing in the future. It's strange being stuck between two people you don't know. Present Laughter was pretty good. It really wasn't about anything really, just a run around comedy with people sleeping with each other and affairs and lots of overacting...which was on purpose I think. But it was easy to sit through despite being 3 hours and the set was really cool. Overall just a enjoyable show.
The observation I noticed though...well I've noticed it before but tonight confirmed it...most British people smell like a college dorm room. Easily it's all the alcohol and the ability for almost everyone to be able to drink it wherever and whenever they want but if you sit next to 2 people here you're sure to feel like you're about to have to break up a game of beer pong.
Since I didn't eat dinner really I was starving. I was good though, I managed to make it by all the fast food places in the tube station but then the sign said McDonalds was down an escaltor....one I had to go down. I was sure I was going to end up with a double cheeseburger but as I rode down like a wonderful little...I dunno...something wonderful....a Cornwall Pasty Co popped up and it was brilliant. I got a vegtable and cheese pasty and easily the rest of the tube ride to Victoria was the greatest moment of my life. The flaky cheesy goodness was just overwhelming....it was amazing...I'm getting all warm and fuzzy inside just thinking about it. I'm pretty sure the pasty is the greatest thing in the world. Cornwall Pasty Co is like the New England Soup Factory of London....I mean I could live off soup and pastys for the rest of my life. Mmmm. To make it EVEN better Glamorous came on my MP3 player....it was just perfect.
But anyways. Tomorrow I have class at 10 so I actually have to wake up. It's going to be a long day since I have class until 5. After I get to come back, cook dinner and then I have until Tuesday to catch up on sleep and recover from all the walking done this week and the yoga done today. I'm sure I'll post tomorrow....G'nite.
Right people pushing people in chairs obsession.
After she finished having her moment with that she told us we had to come together and combine the two skits into one, incorporating the best parts of each into it. So we got a 10min break and then had to come back and had 15min to do the said exercise. Aaron and I had the idea that we looked at the experience from the mind of the hill and then that lead to doing a thing where we gave a voice to those things that typically don't such as the dog and the wheelchair. It was better than I expected but at the end she was still obsessed with the people and chairs thing. So she told us to pair off and take a chair and just like freestyle (?) with it. It was weird, so we just kinda I guess played with a chair if thats would you could call it. We weren't allowed to talk or communicate in any way and then at the end she told us to reenact our favorite moments of the exercise. She then took her favorites and we had to put them together into like a routine which was then added to some weird interpreted dance like thing the group did last week that she expected us newbies to learn on the spot.
It was....interesting....
To say the least, I don't know what we got ourselves in but we're getting 4 Babson credits for it and are stuck in it now whether we want to be or not. I hope we can record the final performance because like you don't even understand how freaky it all is. Thinking back I can't even believed I spent 3 hours of my day participating in it. I mean it will be a great thing to look back on at Graduation. Aaron, Laura and I will be able to see each other and be like "Hey, remember that time we did the interpreted dance with the chair that was suppose to somehow represent a walk we took to that hill at the park where it started raining and where we didn't sit or even see a chair." I feel Wednesdays will provide me with great blogging material.
After the complete shock of that we hopped (I don't know if I picked up the term "hopped" here or if it's something I've always used and just noticed all of a sudden, but I use is a lot now) the tube back to Wigram. Found another girl that lives here which is GREAT.
I ate dinner.....well attempted. I made that microwave meal thing I bought but it was gross so it's still sitting on my desk....I should clean it up before I go to sleep. After dinner I headed over to the National Theatre (I would say theater because well I feel as though the actual building should be refered to as a theater and not theatre but oh well I won't argue with them). It was probably the most overwhelming theater I've ever been to because I there's 3 in 1..or is it 4. Anyways there were 2 plays going on at the same time and A LOT of people and places to go so being there alone was intimidating. I was in the balcony which here is referred to as the circle. I've never been to a show alone before....it was a weird experience that I will have to avoid doing in the future. It's strange being stuck between two people you don't know. Present Laughter was pretty good. It really wasn't about anything really, just a run around comedy with people sleeping with each other and affairs and lots of overacting...which was on purpose I think. But it was easy to sit through despite being 3 hours and the set was really cool. Overall just a enjoyable show.
The observation I noticed though...well I've noticed it before but tonight confirmed it...most British people smell like a college dorm room. Easily it's all the alcohol and the ability for almost everyone to be able to drink it wherever and whenever they want but if you sit next to 2 people here you're sure to feel like you're about to have to break up a game of beer pong.
Since I didn't eat dinner really I was starving. I was good though, I managed to make it by all the fast food places in the tube station but then the sign said McDonalds was down an escaltor....one I had to go down. I was sure I was going to end up with a double cheeseburger but as I rode down like a wonderful little...I dunno...something wonderful....a Cornwall Pasty Co popped up and it was brilliant. I got a vegtable and cheese pasty and easily the rest of the tube ride to Victoria was the greatest moment of my life. The flaky cheesy goodness was just overwhelming....it was amazing...I'm getting all warm and fuzzy inside just thinking about it. I'm pretty sure the pasty is the greatest thing in the world. Cornwall Pasty Co is like the New England Soup Factory of London....I mean I could live off soup and pastys for the rest of my life. Mmmm. To make it EVEN better Glamorous came on my MP3 player....it was just perfect.
But anyways. Tomorrow I have class at 10 so I actually have to wake up. It's going to be a long day since I have class until 5. After I get to come back, cook dinner and then I have until Tuesday to catch up on sleep and recover from all the walking done this week and the yoga done today. I'm sure I'll post tomorrow....G'nite.
London Day 15
I'm ready for bed but I still have to go see Present Laughter in like a half hour.
I got to sleep in a little today which was nice but then Laura and I decided we would try and take the bus to class. Online says its about a half hour class but today not so much. I guess there was a police strike going on. There was probably like a mile worth of officers marching down the street protesting pay....at least thats what the signs made it seem like. It was pretty crazy seeing that many people in the street. So it took a little longer than it should have but we left early so it worked out.
I don't even know where to begin describing Devising London.
The professor starts by handing Aaron, Laura and I her notebook so we can draw a picture of ourself for her to use for attendance.
She's an interesting lady. She looks like a taller, more fit version of Maureen from Lyman's (not that more than 2 people reading this know who that is). She teaches yoga at like 4 different places around the city and has a band....who me and this other girl might go and see on Friday. She is VERY soft spoken and just kinda like a wing-nut. One kid asks if she received his email. She responded by saying "I haven't checked my Westminster email in 7 years.". So very crunchy granola out there.
The first exercise was an improv game where like the new people were interviewed. It wasn't that exciting, we're not really a funny group of people. Not as good as Dick and Auden's class.
After was the yoga...it kicked my butt...or bum as the professor would say. I didn't think it would be that hard but I am not flexible at all which made it difficult. We did like 20min worth. I'm going to be sore but it was pretty fun. I think I might try to do it at Babson if I get the hang of it here. She went off about like being in the womb and then had us rock back and forth on our backs in a circle...that was a little weird.
But so far the class isn't too bad and hey I'm getting exercise out of it. Then she tells us to break into two groups and put together a skit about going to Primrose Hill. So I mean heres Aaron and I, seasoned Babson Players and I mean theater is partially my life so I was a little excited of course until this ANNOYING girl took over...she was horrible...and Aaron found out a theater major...I feel sorry for her....but I won't be mean anymore. So our piece was well...the only part the professor liked was when Aaron pretended to be my dog. She's very wacky and out there and wanted it more surreal. So then the other group goes and at one point they had a girl in a wheelchair because I guess that's what someone saw when they were on the hill and she LOVED it. I mean like she was obsessed with the idea of people being pushed in chairs. We were soo confused.
Okay gotta run, I'll pick this up again tonight.
I got to sleep in a little today which was nice but then Laura and I decided we would try and take the bus to class. Online says its about a half hour class but today not so much. I guess there was a police strike going on. There was probably like a mile worth of officers marching down the street protesting pay....at least thats what the signs made it seem like. It was pretty crazy seeing that many people in the street. So it took a little longer than it should have but we left early so it worked out.
I don't even know where to begin describing Devising London.
The professor starts by handing Aaron, Laura and I her notebook so we can draw a picture of ourself for her to use for attendance.
She's an interesting lady. She looks like a taller, more fit version of Maureen from Lyman's (not that more than 2 people reading this know who that is). She teaches yoga at like 4 different places around the city and has a band....who me and this other girl might go and see on Friday. She is VERY soft spoken and just kinda like a wing-nut. One kid asks if she received his email. She responded by saying "I haven't checked my Westminster email in 7 years.". So very crunchy granola out there.
The first exercise was an improv game where like the new people were interviewed. It wasn't that exciting, we're not really a funny group of people. Not as good as Dick and Auden's class.
After was the yoga...it kicked my butt...or bum as the professor would say. I didn't think it would be that hard but I am not flexible at all which made it difficult. We did like 20min worth. I'm going to be sore but it was pretty fun. I think I might try to do it at Babson if I get the hang of it here. She went off about like being in the womb and then had us rock back and forth on our backs in a circle...that was a little weird.
But so far the class isn't too bad and hey I'm getting exercise out of it. Then she tells us to break into two groups and put together a skit about going to Primrose Hill. So I mean heres Aaron and I, seasoned Babson Players and I mean theater is partially my life so I was a little excited of course until this ANNOYING girl took over...she was horrible...and Aaron found out a theater major...I feel sorry for her....but I won't be mean anymore. So our piece was well...the only part the professor liked was when Aaron pretended to be my dog. She's very wacky and out there and wanted it more surreal. So then the other group goes and at one point they had a girl in a wheelchair because I guess that's what someone saw when they were on the hill and she LOVED it. I mean like she was obsessed with the idea of people being pushed in chairs. We were soo confused.
Okay gotta run, I'll pick this up again tonight.
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
London Day 14
2 weeks ago I was just about making my way through customs.....today it feels like I've been here forever.
After posting last night I hung out and watched movies and partook in McFlurry Monday in which a few of the Americans in my dorm head to McDonalds for ice cream. They're 99p ( 99 cents kinda to the British....$1.98 in America) so that's pretty cheap so we like to indulge. Of course the machine was broken so they kinda just handed us vanilla ice cream with candy on top. Once I got back to the dorm I feel asleep to Roberta a Fred Astaire/Ginger Rodgers movie....LOVE THEM! I think I have only 1 more with me though that I haven't seen.
Today was busy. I find either my days are either very lame or very busy...I can't seem to find a happy medium.
I woke up and went grocery shopping with Laura...did pretty well, I got: cream cheese, bagels, individually wrapped chicken breasts (the exciting find of the day), red pepper, onion, mushrooms (I'm sure mom, you can guess what I'm making), sugar (because it was less work to just buy some then keep stealing it from McDonalds), milk and a like microwave meal but they're classier here...I hope it's good. But yea should be enough to get me through the weekend so I don't have to make the trek back to the big store for a little while. I need to do wash so I'll go pick up detergent at the little Sainsbury down the street tomorrow before class.
So we came back to the dorm ate lunch and then went to the Girl Scout headquarters here because Laura's Aunt wanted patches for her daughters. It was..cute? I dunno the people were really nice and offered to take us on a tour but we had to get back in time for class. There was an itty bitty gift shop with some neat stuff...but alas I restrained myself as badly as I wanted to buy a new Girl Scout Fleece Pullover. We did ask if they had cookies, they don't, but the girl went off about biscuits in Australia....i dunno.
After is was on to Leisure and Recreation Development. I think the professors all have ADD here because they never teach more than one week in a row. Today our prof was a woman from Japan who didn't speak really clear English. She was nice but it was very hard to keep from laughing since all we did was talk about who provides leisure and why it is important.....for 2 hours. At least Laura, Aaron and I got in a group with another American for the group project so it should be easier now.
OH! I learned how to use the printers. That was exciting. It's similar to Babson in the way that you have to release print jobs at a printer....the only difference being you have to pay for everything you print.
We we're let out of class almost an hour early and Laura and I headed over to the Bayswater tube stop to go see Sweeney Todd. The movie theater was in the closest thing to a mall we've seen. It wasn't really big but it was cool. We got there too early so we went to Burger King and did the 99p menu thing.
The screen was soo small...like 4 times the size of our television...well maybe a little bigger....but not worth paying to see something there. We were at a preview of the movie since it doesn't come out until Friday....it was cool to very easily be the only person there who had seen it already since it's been out over a month in the States. I was a little less disappointed with it the second time around since I knew what to expect. I still have issues with the fact that he builds his barber chair and that the gore was way too fake when I always thought the show was as classy as they could be with it....well at least the revival was...the original cast I guess it pretty much was just all slit the throats. But yea I like Depp as Todd.....but you can't even pretend to compare Carter to Angela Lansbury and Patti LuPone.
So now I am completely exhasted but don't need to wake up until late-ish tomorrow since Devising London isn't until 2...speaking of which I have to write my journal entry and pretend to be moved by Primrose Hill. Tomorrow again will be busy because I am going to see a play after class which gets out at 5. Present Laughter, I'll let you know how it is. It's 3 hours long so I really hope it's good and funny.
I'm trying to think if anything else exciting happened...I'm sure it did and I always think of things throughout the day but forget them once I sit down to type this. The cops were really nice to us today when we needed directions to the movie theater...like really nice...it was refreshing.
The girls in class were really rude. I think it was because of the professors accent and our inability to understand her. The funny part was I turn around and the girl has out an English Dictionary Translator because shes from another country and didn't understand some of the words the professor was using. I thought that was classic.
I almost died. I guess the cross walk like changed real fast or I'm all of a sudden colorblind because the light showed the little green walking man so I went and then found Laura like dragging me across the street just as a car came whizzing by. I was oblivious so it scared her more than me but I live to tell the tale so it's all good. But right across the street there was a movie rental place with a BIG Sully and Mikey from Monsters Inc, that was pretty cool and next door was a Gourmet Burger Kitchen but we refrained from getting Oreo Milkshakes.
Haha the little wooden penguin I have is like angled so it looks like he's trying to open my DVD case with his beak.....hmm yea that's the cue that I have nothing more to talk about...I'll post tomorrow, Jeannie
After posting last night I hung out and watched movies and partook in McFlurry Monday in which a few of the Americans in my dorm head to McDonalds for ice cream. They're 99p ( 99 cents kinda to the British....$1.98 in America) so that's pretty cheap so we like to indulge. Of course the machine was broken so they kinda just handed us vanilla ice cream with candy on top. Once I got back to the dorm I feel asleep to Roberta a Fred Astaire/Ginger Rodgers movie....LOVE THEM! I think I have only 1 more with me though that I haven't seen.
Today was busy. I find either my days are either very lame or very busy...I can't seem to find a happy medium.
I woke up and went grocery shopping with Laura...did pretty well, I got: cream cheese, bagels, individually wrapped chicken breasts (the exciting find of the day), red pepper, onion, mushrooms (I'm sure mom, you can guess what I'm making), sugar (because it was less work to just buy some then keep stealing it from McDonalds), milk and a like microwave meal but they're classier here...I hope it's good. But yea should be enough to get me through the weekend so I don't have to make the trek back to the big store for a little while. I need to do wash so I'll go pick up detergent at the little Sainsbury down the street tomorrow before class.
So we came back to the dorm ate lunch and then went to the Girl Scout headquarters here because Laura's Aunt wanted patches for her daughters. It was..cute? I dunno the people were really nice and offered to take us on a tour but we had to get back in time for class. There was an itty bitty gift shop with some neat stuff...but alas I restrained myself as badly as I wanted to buy a new Girl Scout Fleece Pullover. We did ask if they had cookies, they don't, but the girl went off about biscuits in Australia....i dunno.
After is was on to Leisure and Recreation Development. I think the professors all have ADD here because they never teach more than one week in a row. Today our prof was a woman from Japan who didn't speak really clear English. She was nice but it was very hard to keep from laughing since all we did was talk about who provides leisure and why it is important.....for 2 hours. At least Laura, Aaron and I got in a group with another American for the group project so it should be easier now.
OH! I learned how to use the printers. That was exciting. It's similar to Babson in the way that you have to release print jobs at a printer....the only difference being you have to pay for everything you print.
We we're let out of class almost an hour early and Laura and I headed over to the Bayswater tube stop to go see Sweeney Todd. The movie theater was in the closest thing to a mall we've seen. It wasn't really big but it was cool. We got there too early so we went to Burger King and did the 99p menu thing.
The screen was soo small...like 4 times the size of our television...well maybe a little bigger....but not worth paying to see something there. We were at a preview of the movie since it doesn't come out until Friday....it was cool to very easily be the only person there who had seen it already since it's been out over a month in the States. I was a little less disappointed with it the second time around since I knew what to expect. I still have issues with the fact that he builds his barber chair and that the gore was way too fake when I always thought the show was as classy as they could be with it....well at least the revival was...the original cast I guess it pretty much was just all slit the throats. But yea I like Depp as Todd.....but you can't even pretend to compare Carter to Angela Lansbury and Patti LuPone.
So now I am completely exhasted but don't need to wake up until late-ish tomorrow since Devising London isn't until 2...speaking of which I have to write my journal entry and pretend to be moved by Primrose Hill. Tomorrow again will be busy because I am going to see a play after class which gets out at 5. Present Laughter, I'll let you know how it is. It's 3 hours long so I really hope it's good and funny.
I'm trying to think if anything else exciting happened...I'm sure it did and I always think of things throughout the day but forget them once I sit down to type this. The cops were really nice to us today when we needed directions to the movie theater...like really nice...it was refreshing.
The girls in class were really rude. I think it was because of the professors accent and our inability to understand her. The funny part was I turn around and the girl has out an English Dictionary Translator because shes from another country and didn't understand some of the words the professor was using. I thought that was classic.
I almost died. I guess the cross walk like changed real fast or I'm all of a sudden colorblind because the light showed the little green walking man so I went and then found Laura like dragging me across the street just as a car came whizzing by. I was oblivious so it scared her more than me but I live to tell the tale so it's all good. But right across the street there was a movie rental place with a BIG Sully and Mikey from Monsters Inc, that was pretty cool and next door was a Gourmet Burger Kitchen but we refrained from getting Oreo Milkshakes.
Haha the little wooden penguin I have is like angled so it looks like he's trying to open my DVD case with his beak.....hmm yea that's the cue that I have nothing more to talk about...I'll post tomorrow, Jeannie
Monday, 21 January 2008
London Day 13
So today was exciting.
Aaron met me here at my dorm at 11 and we set off exploring for the day.
First we stopped off at a store to buy notebooks to use as journals for Devising London (haha) and then headed toward Buckingham Palace. It was really crowded and unfortunately in January they only do the changing of the guard on even numbered days and there were no guys in the red outfits and funny hats...we'll have to go back. It was pretty gloomy all day but it was still cool to look around that area...it was pretty.
After we headed to Covent Garden for pastys...two days in a row...yummm. We found our way through little side roads with shops and found a really cool theater store selling stuff from all the shows including posters. Towards the end of the semester I am going to have to go back and pick some up. Again not the nicest day but it wasn't too cold and we ran into the theater where Chicago is which was pretty neat.
I hadn't been over to Knightsbridge yet which is were a few of the bigger museums are so we hopped the tube and went to the Science Museum. It's very stylish for a Science Museum....very confusing too though. Aaron and I kept getting lost because only certain lifts go some places and then floors were closed...it was all very strange. Needless to say we didn't manage to explore everything....but there is still time.
With the Devising London class we are required to go to certain places before each class and journal or perform some task (not quite as cool as the Amazing Race though). By Wednesday we had to go to Primrose Hill which is above Regent Park so we figured we would take care of it today. It was an adventure. There was no road that led right to it that was close to the tube stop so we got sent down a sketchy road that was really a driveway...we think...but it took a bit of time. The houses were all really nice in the area though so it was cool to check those out. Once we finally got to the hill it started raining...as it tends to do here a lot. We figured it would pass like it usually does but it didn't. It DOWN POURED. We had like a 15min walk to get back to the underground and it was just a mess, we were soaked to the bone.
We finally got to the Camden Town stop and parted ways. Public transportation drenched is not a pleasant experience. I was going to make my way over to the National Theater to see Present Laughter tonight but the rain got the best of me....I just ordered tickets though for Wednesday night so I'll be all set for class. So a little miserable I got Burger King. I need to go grocery shopping so I didn't really have anything I could eat here anyways....or at least I keep telling myself.
I'm hoping the walking today will get me to bed at a reasonable hour but with no class until 2:30 sleeping in just always seems like a good idea.
Manasi won tickets to see Sweeney Todd (the movie) tomorrow which she gave to me so hopefully I'll get to go and they don't give me a hard time because I don't look like a Manasi.
So overall a very good day and the next few days are going to be very busy so the week will go by fast...whether that is good or bad who knows. Now it is time to relax. Post Later.
Aaron met me here at my dorm at 11 and we set off exploring for the day.
First we stopped off at a store to buy notebooks to use as journals for Devising London (haha) and then headed toward Buckingham Palace. It was really crowded and unfortunately in January they only do the changing of the guard on even numbered days and there were no guys in the red outfits and funny hats...we'll have to go back. It was pretty gloomy all day but it was still cool to look around that area...it was pretty.
After we headed to Covent Garden for pastys...two days in a row...yummm. We found our way through little side roads with shops and found a really cool theater store selling stuff from all the shows including posters. Towards the end of the semester I am going to have to go back and pick some up. Again not the nicest day but it wasn't too cold and we ran into the theater where Chicago is which was pretty neat.
I hadn't been over to Knightsbridge yet which is were a few of the bigger museums are so we hopped the tube and went to the Science Museum. It's very stylish for a Science Museum....very confusing too though. Aaron and I kept getting lost because only certain lifts go some places and then floors were closed...it was all very strange. Needless to say we didn't manage to explore everything....but there is still time.
With the Devising London class we are required to go to certain places before each class and journal or perform some task (not quite as cool as the Amazing Race though). By Wednesday we had to go to Primrose Hill which is above Regent Park so we figured we would take care of it today. It was an adventure. There was no road that led right to it that was close to the tube stop so we got sent down a sketchy road that was really a driveway...we think...but it took a bit of time. The houses were all really nice in the area though so it was cool to check those out. Once we finally got to the hill it started raining...as it tends to do here a lot. We figured it would pass like it usually does but it didn't. It DOWN POURED. We had like a 15min walk to get back to the underground and it was just a mess, we were soaked to the bone.
We finally got to the Camden Town stop and parted ways. Public transportation drenched is not a pleasant experience. I was going to make my way over to the National Theater to see Present Laughter tonight but the rain got the best of me....I just ordered tickets though for Wednesday night so I'll be all set for class. So a little miserable I got Burger King. I need to go grocery shopping so I didn't really have anything I could eat here anyways....or at least I keep telling myself.
I'm hoping the walking today will get me to bed at a reasonable hour but with no class until 2:30 sleeping in just always seems like a good idea.
Manasi won tickets to see Sweeney Todd (the movie) tomorrow which she gave to me so hopefully I'll get to go and they don't give me a hard time because I don't look like a Manasi.
So overall a very good day and the next few days are going to be very busy so the week will go by fast...whether that is good or bad who knows. Now it is time to relax. Post Later.
Sunday, 20 January 2008
London Day 12
So dinner with John's dad was great. We found a burger place...well Rick found it...but it was great. I had a cheeseburger and fries and coke in a glass bottle. It was awesome. There's another place called Hamburger Union that is suppose to be good so I am going to check that out as well. After we got Ice Cream in Leicester Square which is like the Broadway of London....most the theaters are there. It's very touristy...I think it's great. Right now there are huge posters for the Sweeney Todd movie. After I took a bus back....the buses here are pretty easy...I still prefer the Tube though.
Yesterday did count lol. I woke up late and vegged in bed all day. I did go to the grocery store and bought Cherry Coke and Ice. The Coke here just isn't the same....they must do something different to it. Oh right I cooked...Ravioli. Not too bad but I really should have taken up mom's offers to teach me how to cook awhile ago. Another American girl was in the kitchen and we vented about how the people have stolen our stuff. I streamed Brothers and Sisters, Grey's and Nip/Tuck....so it took about 8 hours to get through them. Good thing the writers are on strike.
Today was more interesting.
I was woken up at first at 10am by church bells (Westminster Cathedral is a stones throw away). I thought cool 10 chimes and then I can fall back asleep....nope...it was like 10mins worth....I gotta go figure out what that was about. So I fell back asleep until 1 and then woke up and did some sightseeing.
I took the Tube to Covent Garden which is kinda like Quincy Market in Boston....it even has a Build a Bear (I got Bacon a rugby shirt...it seemed only right). I looked in some stores, including the Disney Store, watched the street performers and had a Pasty which is like an awesome version of a Hot Pocket. It was amazing and relatively cheap...I see more of them in my future.
So then I just took off walking and ended up on the other side of the river where the Eye is and the National Theater. It was pretty awesome.....I can't wait to be able to post pictures. I need to look at my tour guide to see where I actually was.
So now is time for computer games and relaxing. I'm meeting up with Aaron to do some more seeing of the sights. I'll post on everything we see.
Yesterday did count lol. I woke up late and vegged in bed all day. I did go to the grocery store and bought Cherry Coke and Ice. The Coke here just isn't the same....they must do something different to it. Oh right I cooked...Ravioli. Not too bad but I really should have taken up mom's offers to teach me how to cook awhile ago. Another American girl was in the kitchen and we vented about how the people have stolen our stuff. I streamed Brothers and Sisters, Grey's and Nip/Tuck....so it took about 8 hours to get through them. Good thing the writers are on strike.
Today was more interesting.
I was woken up at first at 10am by church bells (Westminster Cathedral is a stones throw away). I thought cool 10 chimes and then I can fall back asleep....nope...it was like 10mins worth....I gotta go figure out what that was about. So I fell back asleep until 1 and then woke up and did some sightseeing.
I took the Tube to Covent Garden which is kinda like Quincy Market in Boston....it even has a Build a Bear (I got Bacon a rugby shirt...it seemed only right). I looked in some stores, including the Disney Store, watched the street performers and had a Pasty which is like an awesome version of a Hot Pocket. It was amazing and relatively cheap...I see more of them in my future.
So then I just took off walking and ended up on the other side of the river where the Eye is and the National Theater. It was pretty awesome.....I can't wait to be able to post pictures. I need to look at my tour guide to see where I actually was.
So now is time for computer games and relaxing. I'm meeting up with Aaron to do some more seeing of the sights. I'll post on everything we see.
Friday, 18 January 2008
London Day 10
So classes are a joke....here's my schedule:
Tuesday: 2:30 - 5:30, Leisure (pronounced Lezz-ure here) and Recreation Development
Wednesday: 2 - 5, Devising London
Thursday: 10-1, London Theater in Performance
2:30 - 5:30, Tourism Development
Leisure isn't too bad....Aaron and I get to talk a lot because we are easily the smartest people in the class...Laura will be joining as well so the high ratio of Babson Students may just be too much for these people to handle...it's great. We get to go on a field trip to a big shopping center.
Devising London I just switched into like an hour ago from Feminism. The course catalog says we have to do yoga every class...I don't really know what to expect but after next Wednesday I am sure I will have a lot to report on. Laura and Aaron are also in that class as well.
London Theater should be pretty good....the shows are as followed:
Tourism Development is sooo stupid. We spent the whole class learning about scarcity and opportunity cost....two things I covered I think in DECA in high school. So thats an easy A.
None of the classes have exams which means I am officially done on April 30th but could be done as soon as April 5th if I can turn in one assignment early. I really don't know what it means though...I have to see where I'm at when I'm done and whether I'll be working or have the chance to do some traveling. It's cool though to think all I have is 2 1/2 months of school and 8 assignments. This is all very easy....I find it funny that Babson gives us credit for coming here.
So Tuesday after class Aaron and I went on a search for notebooks....an item that seems sooo easy to find. It ended up being a 2 hour adventure through the London streets. We ended up at a Woolworths which I guess is the closest to a Walmart we were going to get....not as big and a lot more sketchy. I found a duvet though that I'm using as like a feather bed which makes sleeping sooo much better.
The dorm is still loud and it's a weird type of living. I've met a few people but everyone seems to rather be in their room....even more so than me which is just strange. When I cook people tend to come in and out of the kitchen but I can't get anyone to stay there....oh well. I went serious grocery shopping Wednesday and did pretty well. I got some chicken and stuff to make a version of Mom's cream cheese enchiladas. It came out pretty well but basically I just ate the filling as a meal which really worked for me. Someone stole my fry pan though and my wooden spoon thing so I took a fry pan that looked like mine and am keeping it in my room. My butter also went missing....I don't like the communal kitchen.
Yesterday was a long day. I woke up at 9:55 for my 10:00 class and unlike Babson where you can get anywhere in like 3min if you run I had a 35min commute to class. I didn't get in trouble or anything but it make the rest of the day seem worse off. I hung out with Laura and another girl in the common room and we decided McFlurries were a must so we went to McDonalds....I had a Smartie McFlurry....I really wished there were Oreos.
This morning we woke up early to drop classes because it was the last day. We walked which wasn't too bad and I found the T.G.I. Fridays which was cool....no Cheesy Bacon Cheeseburger though.
So that kinda brings me to now. I just cooked up the rest of the veggies I had so I can make pasta tomorrow and now I am eating Ritz with Cheddar Cheese and Strawberry Jame. Tonight John's dad is in town and is taking me to dinner which should be good. I'm looking forward to sleeping tonight and for the rest of my 4 day weekend. I have to go see Present Laughter by Thursday so thats on the schedule.
Post Later, Jeannie.
Tuesday: 2:30 - 5:30, Leisure (pronounced Lezz-ure here) and Recreation Development
Wednesday: 2 - 5, Devising London
Thursday: 10-1, London Theater in Performance
2:30 - 5:30, Tourism Development
Leisure isn't too bad....Aaron and I get to talk a lot because we are easily the smartest people in the class...Laura will be joining as well so the high ratio of Babson Students may just be too much for these people to handle...it's great. We get to go on a field trip to a big shopping center.
Devising London I just switched into like an hour ago from Feminism. The course catalog says we have to do yoga every class...I don't really know what to expect but after next Wednesday I am sure I will have a lot to report on. Laura and Aaron are also in that class as well.
London Theater should be pretty good....the shows are as followed:
- Present Laughter (Noel Coward)
- Helter Skelter/Land of the Dead (Neil LaBute)
- A Comedy Club Performance
- Dealer's Choice (Patrick Marber)
- Avenue Q
- Brief Encounter (Noel Coward)
- The Lover/The Collection (Harold Pinter)
- Speed the Plow (Mamet)
- Much Ado About Nothing
- The 39 Steps (Hitchcock Adaptation)
Tourism Development is sooo stupid. We spent the whole class learning about scarcity and opportunity cost....two things I covered I think in DECA in high school. So thats an easy A.
None of the classes have exams which means I am officially done on April 30th but could be done as soon as April 5th if I can turn in one assignment early. I really don't know what it means though...I have to see where I'm at when I'm done and whether I'll be working or have the chance to do some traveling. It's cool though to think all I have is 2 1/2 months of school and 8 assignments. This is all very easy....I find it funny that Babson gives us credit for coming here.
So Tuesday after class Aaron and I went on a search for notebooks....an item that seems sooo easy to find. It ended up being a 2 hour adventure through the London streets. We ended up at a Woolworths which I guess is the closest to a Walmart we were going to get....not as big and a lot more sketchy. I found a duvet though that I'm using as like a feather bed which makes sleeping sooo much better.
The dorm is still loud and it's a weird type of living. I've met a few people but everyone seems to rather be in their room....even more so than me which is just strange. When I cook people tend to come in and out of the kitchen but I can't get anyone to stay there....oh well. I went serious grocery shopping Wednesday and did pretty well. I got some chicken and stuff to make a version of Mom's cream cheese enchiladas. It came out pretty well but basically I just ate the filling as a meal which really worked for me. Someone stole my fry pan though and my wooden spoon thing so I took a fry pan that looked like mine and am keeping it in my room. My butter also went missing....I don't like the communal kitchen.
Yesterday was a long day. I woke up at 9:55 for my 10:00 class and unlike Babson where you can get anywhere in like 3min if you run I had a 35min commute to class. I didn't get in trouble or anything but it make the rest of the day seem worse off. I hung out with Laura and another girl in the common room and we decided McFlurries were a must so we went to McDonalds....I had a Smartie McFlurry....I really wished there were Oreos.
This morning we woke up early to drop classes because it was the last day. We walked which wasn't too bad and I found the T.G.I. Fridays which was cool....no Cheesy Bacon Cheeseburger though.
So that kinda brings me to now. I just cooked up the rest of the veggies I had so I can make pasta tomorrow and now I am eating Ritz with Cheddar Cheese and Strawberry Jame. Tonight John's dad is in town and is taking me to dinner which should be good. I'm looking forward to sleeping tonight and for the rest of my 4 day weekend. I have to go see Present Laughter by Thursday so thats on the schedule.
Post Later, Jeannie.
Monday, 14 January 2008
London Day 7 Part 2
Dinner - Burritos = Pretty Decent....Free Soda!!
Spamalot - Better than I expected....I enjoyed it.
After we went to a Jazz Club which was nice....my type of place more so than a dance club. I paid $10 US for 2 cokes though which is pretty outrageous.
Because we were out so late I had to take a bus back by myself which was scary....I mean it was all very safe I just get really nervous with not knowing where I am. But I think I've got the system down and it's cheaper than the Tube so it's good to know.
Class starts tomorrow...I'm pretty excited.
Spamalot - Better than I expected....I enjoyed it.
After we went to a Jazz Club which was nice....my type of place more so than a dance club. I paid $10 US for 2 cokes though which is pretty outrageous.
Because we were out so late I had to take a bus back by myself which was scary....I mean it was all very safe I just get really nervous with not knowing where I am. But I think I've got the system down and it's cheaper than the Tube so it's good to know.
Class starts tomorrow...I'm pretty excited.
London Day 7
So the people at the International Office are pretty stupid at Westminster. Luckily I only had to sit through a make up orientation and not the whole thing. I went and dropped Project Management because the class is VERY far away and would cost me $4 a week extra to get there. So now I'm signed up for a level 6 Feminist Issues class which sounds awesome but level 6 is the hardest level and these people don't think us Americans can handle it. I think they expect me to drop it. Other than that the schedule is set and I start class tomorrow afternoon.
I took my first nap in London today which was exciting. I think I am finally getting on a proper sleep schedule. Tonight is a FREE dinner with my program people and then SPAMalot with Babson....super excited.
Oh so I went looking for a notebook to buy for class....I can't find one...except for a very expensive one at the grocery store. Where's good ol Target when you need one. Oh and I had Subway today...comparable to home...and cheap...which is very good.
Gotta go meet Aaron, post later.
Lesson of the Day: Just because it's not raining outside my dorm doesn't mean it's not raining 2 stops away....
I took my first nap in London today which was exciting. I think I am finally getting on a proper sleep schedule. Tonight is a FREE dinner with my program people and then SPAMalot with Babson....super excited.
Oh so I went looking for a notebook to buy for class....I can't find one...except for a very expensive one at the grocery store. Where's good ol Target when you need one. Oh and I had Subway today...comparable to home...and cheap...which is very good.
Gotta go meet Aaron, post later.
Lesson of the Day: Just because it's not raining outside my dorm doesn't mean it's not raining 2 stops away....
Sunday, 13 January 2008
London Day 6
So lets see....
Metamorphosis was weird....really weird...don't recommend it. Afterwards I went to my first pub which was cool and I've found the benefit of not drinking is that is A LOT cheaper...I mean I guess the point of going to the pub is lost but I find that anything is fun as long as you are in good company.
I slept in again today which I have to stop doing and get on schedule with London time. I went out to dinner with Manasi, Erik and friends of Manasis and had Chinese....pretty good. After Manasi, Erik and I went to a little pub...I had an AWESOME latte...checked out her place (which is very very cool) and then got some ice cream. The most exciting part was riding on my first double decker bus on the way home. It was soooo cool.
Yea not too much exciting just another day. Hopefully I can get to sleep...I have to wake up early for a make up orientation.
Metamorphosis was weird....really weird...don't recommend it. Afterwards I went to my first pub which was cool and I've found the benefit of not drinking is that is A LOT cheaper...I mean I guess the point of going to the pub is lost but I find that anything is fun as long as you are in good company.
I slept in again today which I have to stop doing and get on schedule with London time. I went out to dinner with Manasi, Erik and friends of Manasis and had Chinese....pretty good. After Manasi, Erik and I went to a little pub...I had an AWESOME latte...checked out her place (which is very very cool) and then got some ice cream. The most exciting part was riding on my first double decker bus on the way home. It was soooo cool.
Yea not too much exciting just another day. Hopefully I can get to sleep...I have to wake up early for a make up orientation.
Saturday, 12 January 2008
London Day 5
So I'm sitting in the kitchen waiting for my water to boil to make some pasta for lunch/dinner.
Yesterday was pretty busy. I was up by 8 to get ready and head over to Paddington where the Babson Winter Theater Course people were staying. Yesterday was their presentations so I went to watch and sit in on class....of course I wish someone told be before hand that is was THREE HOURS long. So I bought my Oyster Card (weekly Underground/Tube pass) and took the Tube to the Paddington stop where Tony picked me up and as mentioned I sat through class. It really paid off for me though because Professor Dietrick who is teaching the class had an extra ticket to see The History Boys because his wife had to leave early so I ended up getting it!
After class Shaun, Vanessa, Tony and I went to a Diner and I tried my first Bacon Cheeseburger....no I'm sorry Bacon AND Cheese Burger....it was very depressing.
After Lunch Tony, Vanessa and I went to Wimbledon. It was pretty cool...one of the best museums I've been to.
After Wimbledon we went back to their hotel, got some pizza and headed to the show.
History Boys was pretty good, I'm really glad I got to see it.
I couldn't really sleep last night....it's REALLY loud here at night...people talk all night and the way the building is set up I hear everything. And by all night I mean until like 5am and they've got the TV going. I'm hoping it will calm down once classes start on Monday.
Today I slept in again....not till 3:30 though only 1:30. I managed to find a real grocery store so I went there and picked up some more stuff and got to see more of the area I am in which is really nice. The flats around sell for $2,000,000 or more.
So that kinda brings me back to my pasta in the kitchen which should be done by now. I'm going to see Metamorphosis tonight with the Babson kids...once again thanks to Jon Dietrick's wife. We'll see how it is. I'll try to update tomorrow.
Quick Facts:
Yesterday was pretty busy. I was up by 8 to get ready and head over to Paddington where the Babson Winter Theater Course people were staying. Yesterday was their presentations so I went to watch and sit in on class....of course I wish someone told be before hand that is was THREE HOURS long. So I bought my Oyster Card (weekly Underground/Tube pass) and took the Tube to the Paddington stop where Tony picked me up and as mentioned I sat through class. It really paid off for me though because Professor Dietrick who is teaching the class had an extra ticket to see The History Boys because his wife had to leave early so I ended up getting it!
After class Shaun, Vanessa, Tony and I went to a Diner and I tried my first Bacon Cheeseburger....no I'm sorry Bacon AND Cheese Burger....it was very depressing.
After Lunch Tony, Vanessa and I went to Wimbledon. It was pretty cool...one of the best museums I've been to.
After Wimbledon we went back to their hotel, got some pizza and headed to the show.
History Boys was pretty good, I'm really glad I got to see it.
I couldn't really sleep last night....it's REALLY loud here at night...people talk all night and the way the building is set up I hear everything. And by all night I mean until like 5am and they've got the TV going. I'm hoping it will calm down once classes start on Monday.
Today I slept in again....not till 3:30 though only 1:30. I managed to find a real grocery store so I went there and picked up some more stuff and got to see more of the area I am in which is really nice. The flats around sell for $2,000,000 or more.
So that kinda brings me back to my pasta in the kitchen which should be done by now. I'm going to see Metamorphosis tonight with the Babson kids...once again thanks to Jon Dietrick's wife. We'll see how it is. I'll try to update tomorrow.
Quick Facts:
- They don't refrigerate their eggs here.
Thursday, 10 January 2008
London Day 3
So it is my 3rd day in London and so far has been a roller coaster.
My flight wasn't bad except for the stewardess telling me I was suppose to buy a ticket for my guitar and the girl across the way getting sick on take off.
Rick (a family friend of John's family) picked me up to take me to my friend Manasi's to stay the night since it was too late to go to my dorm. On the way there she sent a text saying I would need to leave all my luggage at a train station in lockers that would have cost 8 pounds a piece.....that was not going to happen. So it was quite stressful with the price of cabs and how heavy all my bags were but Rick got me safely to a Comfort Inn where I spent my first night for a cool 80 pounds ($160). At this point I was ready just to go home.
The next morning I had to get myself to the IFSA Butler (these are the people who organized the abroad program) at 9:00. Again too much luggage and had no idea where I was going so luckily my friend Tony met me at the hotel and get me there via the Tube where we met up with Aaron who is also from Babson and in my program at the University of Westminster.
The Butler people were really nice and got Aaron and I to my dorm (Tony is here just for a Babson winter course and had to go to class) and even helped carry my guitar. It's not too bad of a place. The room has it's own sink and its a decent size. The only issues are the walls are aqua and someone wrote "It's Over" all over the walls oh and the bed is easily the most uncomfortable thing in the world. There's a bathroom across the hall and a kitch around the corner. I haven't met anyone yet, it seems like everyone keeps to themselves. I haven't even met the RA yet....so much for community building...HA. No door tags either....that was a little sad.
After dropping off my stuff Aaron and I went to get me a cell phone and other things I needed. We went to this place called Argos which is a catalog store where you look through a catalog pick what you want and then wait for them to call your number and pick the stuff up....it's pretty cheap which is very good for me.
I also had to go register for classes so Aaron showed me where the Abroad office was and I signed up for Project Management, London Theater, Tourism Development, and Leisure and Recreation Development. Should be a fun semester.
For dinner I broke down and had McDonalds which wasn't bad. The menu is much much smaller and of course it ends up to be more expensive. So I spent the night unpacking, talking on Skype and watching Nip/Tuck. I then proceeded to sleep until 3:30 this afternoon.
I needed the sleep but it made this day very short. I went out and bought pots and pans and did some grocery shopping . Other then that I have just been lounging around.
I'll post again tomorrow.
Quick Facts:
My flight wasn't bad except for the stewardess telling me I was suppose to buy a ticket for my guitar and the girl across the way getting sick on take off.
Rick (a family friend of John's family) picked me up to take me to my friend Manasi's to stay the night since it was too late to go to my dorm. On the way there she sent a text saying I would need to leave all my luggage at a train station in lockers that would have cost 8 pounds a piece.....that was not going to happen. So it was quite stressful with the price of cabs and how heavy all my bags were but Rick got me safely to a Comfort Inn where I spent my first night for a cool 80 pounds ($160). At this point I was ready just to go home.
The next morning I had to get myself to the IFSA Butler (these are the people who organized the abroad program) at 9:00. Again too much luggage and had no idea where I was going so luckily my friend Tony met me at the hotel and get me there via the Tube where we met up with Aaron who is also from Babson and in my program at the University of Westminster.
The Butler people were really nice and got Aaron and I to my dorm (Tony is here just for a Babson winter course and had to go to class) and even helped carry my guitar. It's not too bad of a place. The room has it's own sink and its a decent size. The only issues are the walls are aqua and someone wrote "It's Over" all over the walls oh and the bed is easily the most uncomfortable thing in the world. There's a bathroom across the hall and a kitch around the corner. I haven't met anyone yet, it seems like everyone keeps to themselves. I haven't even met the RA yet....so much for community building...HA. No door tags either....that was a little sad.
After dropping off my stuff Aaron and I went to get me a cell phone and other things I needed. We went to this place called Argos which is a catalog store where you look through a catalog pick what you want and then wait for them to call your number and pick the stuff up....it's pretty cheap which is very good for me.
I also had to go register for classes so Aaron showed me where the Abroad office was and I signed up for Project Management, London Theater, Tourism Development, and Leisure and Recreation Development. Should be a fun semester.
For dinner I broke down and had McDonalds which wasn't bad. The menu is much much smaller and of course it ends up to be more expensive. So I spent the night unpacking, talking on Skype and watching Nip/Tuck. I then proceeded to sleep until 3:30 this afternoon.
I needed the sleep but it made this day very short. I went out and bought pots and pans and did some grocery shopping . Other then that I have just been lounging around.
I'll post again tomorrow.
Quick Facts:
- I'm one min from Wicked and Billy Elliot!
- I get to see 10 shows through the Theater Class
- Orange Fanta is Gross here.
- The Tube is soooo much faster than the T
- They no longer drink their beer warm
- Coke tastes funny
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