Tuesday, 24 February 2009

Up to my 21st

Hi all! Sorry for the long time between posts. As I'm procrastinating finishing up my personal statement for my last internship applications, I thought I might as well do something useful!

I think I left off on the 11th, a Wednesday. It's so nice to have Wednesdays off because Tuesdays I'm gone from about 10am-5:30pm since I have two classes and my lunch break isn't long enough to go home. So Wednesday is usually my workout and get some work done day, since, like tonight, I'm pretty beat on Tuesdays. Sheena, Danielle and I met up with Sheena's English friend Samara at one of our usual haunts, The Big Chill. It was nice to talk art with her (I believe she's into sculpture and such) and talk about the different school systems. She also had some good stories from when Sheena and her were in Barbados. We then went to another of our favorites, The Other Side for some food. We grabbed some dessert at the convenience store on the way back to Nido, where the owner loves us and gives us free stuff whenever we go in. This time it was one of those MASSIVE Toblerone bars. Toblerone and Ritter Sport will always remind me of when we lived in Munich. And Kinder Eggs! We also caught the end of a football match back at the cafe in Nido.

On the 12th I checked out the library at the North Campus on Holloway Road. They didn't have the art textbook I needed but I found it later on the other campus. Once the apps are in, I'll have to catch up on my Art in London research from that. After hitting up the library, I went to Human Structure and Function and had my first practical. Practicals are basically short labs where you have some work to do, fill out a worksheet, and complete a quiz at home afterwards to get credit for completing them. There are only two a semester so it isn't like a full lab class. This one was on the heart and we got to take out blood pressure and hook ourselves up to an ECG machine (with all the wires and graphing of your heartbeat) before and after exercise. After class, I went to The Sound of Music, which was amazing! I went with Alex, who is a theater major, and Jaime. The sets were gorgeous, the kids were totally adorable, and the singing gave you chills at times. And I realized that the Alfs are totally the Von Trapps-5 girls and two boys haha. Except for the whole singing, being Austrian, and nun/stepmom situation. Otherwise exactly the same!

Friday the 13th was your typical Friday-nothing scary!

Saturday was Valentine's Day! We had a GSE event during the day which was fun. We went to the National Gallery in the morning and then Michael gave us a really interesting history lesson about how Charing Cross is the official center of London that everything is measured by. He also told us the story of and how legend has it that "Charing" comes from from the French chère reine or "dear Queen", which is what Edward I called his wife Eleanor. He has crosses placed at each night's stop on the procession of her body from outside London to where Charing Cross is now, and the cross still stood there until the revolution. It's a pretty fascinating story-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_of_Castile#Queen_consort_of_England.
We then stopped for Italian for lunch, and then continued on to cross the Millenium Bridge over to the Tate Modern. We were pretty wiped from the National Gallery so we only did half of the museum. Luckily, most of the major museums in London are free so we can always go back. Plus, we did the Tate Modern last time we were here. On our way back over the bridge I randomly ran into one of my friends from Nido. Small world in a city of 8 million people or so. I then headed back for a quick nap and dinner at The Other Side again as I was desperately needing to go grocery shopping at that point. Some of the girls took a trip to Bournemouth and met some of Samara's brother's friends a few days before this. They decided to come visit us in our neck of the woods on Valentines day. So a big group of us got dressed up and went out to this place called Barfly in Camden Town. The event photographer showed us that the actor that played Fogell ("Mclovin") in the movie Superbad had JUST been there and she'd snapped a picture. It was pretty funny since we had just watched Superbad the night before.

The next day was very busy spent out and about in London. I went with a friend to Covent Garden, which had a ton of street performers and markets since it was Sunday. We grabbed some Italian and then walked around some more and grabbed coffee. We walked to Trefalger Square and around Picadilly Circus before deciding to take the tube to Shepherd's Bush, which is this HUGE, ultra modern mall. We just looked around for a bit but didn't really shop. We then went to another Walkabout near Shepherd's Bush which was a lot bigger and had a stage and live music.

Last Monday I got up early to go to City Campus to finish shellacking my prints for printmaking. Then I worked at lunch and headed to the other campus for programming.
Tuesday was another long day. I got a little lost finding the Wallace Collection for Art in London, but it was really beautiful! It's a converted old house that holds a private collection. We were looking at the Rococo and Dutch art. It also has all sorts of armor and arms. I completed my first prints and they're dry now so I just need to buy some tape and I'll be able to decorate my walls with them! Then we had another GSE event: seeing the West End show The 39 Steps. It's adapted from an Alfred Hitchcock movie. It was pretty silly humor but the actors did a great job because there was only 4 of them playing something like 120 roles. Lots of quick changes and rapid dialogue! Tons of fun.

On my day off I did my usual gym, laundry etc routine. I made some plans for my birthday outings and invited everyone. I also was unsuccessful in my search for a roommate for next year when I'm a CA off campus in the Fairfax building, so I'll probably get a random person. A group of us also saw He's Just Not That Into You, which was really good! We met another one of the New York crew, Zoey, as well as a random friend of a friend that had been talked up, ANOTHER Sebastian.

Thursday was a frustrating day at human structure and function because we were only told how to access the lecture online AFTER our homework was due. Plus, pretty much the whole class didn't realize that we didn't have tutorial and that it was a "self directed learning day" until we all sat there for about 20 minutes. I did have a good conversation with someone in my class, so it wasn't a total loss!

Friday we went out touristing. We finally all got going and headed to The Tower of London. I think all the medieval history is absolutely fascinating and it's always cool to see the guards, Beefeaters, and guys dressed up like royalty. I loved seeing the medieval graffiti and original chopping block and axe. I'm glad I went again. Afterwards we tried this tasty Japanese noodle place, Wagamama. Then we walked around Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

And now on to my 21st birthday! The day before I got a note in my mailbox that I had a package. It was flowers, a balloon, and chocolates from my mom! The RAs kinda gave the "FLOWERS" box a look over and I explained it was my birthday. They said they had thought that SOMEONE forgot Valentine's Day, which was funny. I was online when it turned midnight so I got all sorts of messages and well-wishes. I got a birthday wake up call early in the morning from Morgan, Chris, Candi, John, and Sarah, which was amazing. A friend took me out for omelettes (yum!) for my birthday breakfast. I then went back to bed and celebrated in my laziness. I watched a movie with the guys before it was time to start getting ready for the festivities. I got a happy birthday chat with my family back home, so I got to celebrate with them for a little! Everyone started meeting up at my room at 6pm, and then we went out for Indian food which was really delicious. We then came back to Nido where I was surprised with cards, wine, and a CAKE! Luckily they didn't set off the smoke detector with the candles. We then headed out to Cafe de Paris in Picadilly Circus. Luckily we took someone who knew maps so we could get the night bus home. Overall, a WONDERFUL birthday and I felt so loved all day <3

Sunday I did absolutely nothing since I was still recovering. I skyped some more with Morgan, I love getting to see my friend's and family's faces!
Yesterday I was awoken at 9:15am by the stupid drilling and construction that seems to be going on right near our room. So loud! Then I had programming. Afterwards I booked a weekend trip to Dublin! I'm really excited and we're picking out our tourist attractions we most want to see. Then I finalized the last internship applications I'm applying to. I just need to finish off my cover letter and submit them all.
Today was Art in London, which brought us back to the National Gallery to see Neo-Classical and Romantic art. I gave a short presentation, so I'm glad that I have that done. I also finished the rest of my collograph prints, and next week we're doing color!

Not too many upcoming plans, tomorrow we'll probably go out and watch the Liverpool game. I hope you all are doing well at home! Cheers!

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Last Friday was a relaxing day around home, not much going on. I've been working hard on my applications for summer internships. They're mainly biology labs, and I'm applying to ones close to home first, since I'm sure I'll miss it after not seeing my family and friends all semester. I've got almost maybe 5 done, and I'll keep going as long as there are ones that work with my qualifications and the due dates don't pass! Danielle, Sheena, Ashley and I ended our exciting night by grabbing some milkshakes. Then Ashley and I almost got hit by a bus heading to The Big Chill (the closest pub to home) but left after maybe a half hour. I'm going to miss the crazy adventure just getting to my tube station everyday is. King's Cross is always mad. It was fun, but going out with a big group is definitely more fun!

I was glad to get a good night's sleep because Saturday we went to Windsor! We went through Paddington Station, which brought back memories of my last trip to London there-The Hilton, sleeping on the floor, the Sushi boat place. The train ride was only about 20 minutes which went by really fast. I remember seeing Windsor Castle as I was flying in-it's hard to miss! It's the largest inhabited castle in the world. The distinctive round tower and enclosed garden were definitely memorable. The GSE gang went through security, got our uber-nerdy audio guides (somehow by the end we were rather affectionate with them), and headed into Mary's Dollhouse to start. Everything in it is authentic-the mini vacuum works, the mini table settings are made from real silver, the mini crown jewels are real jewels, even the PLUMBING works. We all agreed that the dollhouse was about the size of our dorm rooms. We then saw a photo/memento exhibit about the royal family. I definitely learned/was reminded of a lot, like how Prince Charles served in the Royal Air Force. Also, they save mementos of EVERYTHING the royal family does haha. Then we went in the main rooms. They were absolutely gorgeous, with amazing gold, tapestries, paintings, furniture, and clocks everywhere. There was the original King's bedroom, dressing room, drawing room etc. as well as large banquet rooms that are still used for functions. There were enormous armory rooms with huge displays of guns and swords to traditionally show how well the crown is protected. The bullet that killed Lord Nelson was on display as well as many a famous figure's personal guns/swords. A large portion of the castle was burned down in a fire in 1992 and had been restored. We then walked further along to St. George's Chapel where many monarchs including Henry VIII are buried. Since we were starving we then headed into the town of Windsor to get some grub before heading out. Overall, an amazing experience that I highly reccomend. One of the GSE folks, Jessie, who has already been here for a semester, brought along a friend who was from Saratoga! Small world.

Sunday I met up with Alex and Jessie to catch the end of a Tottenham vs. Arsenal match. Gotta get into the sport while I'm here! Sadly, the game was a bit disappointing since it ended tied 0-0. We watched at a cute place called "A Friend At Hand" in Russell Square. I stopped by Angel on my way home for some quick grocery shopping before meeting back with a group that planned to go to The Hard Rock Cafe. It's actually the original one. However, the wait was an hour and forty minutes since they had a big group so we decided to skip it. We were by Hyde Park so we knew we could find some other restaurants. We ended up wandering into a little area that suspiciouly said that the police knew that a brothel was operating in the area and to call with any information. I then looked up and noticed that there were indeed red lights in a cluster of the windows. Don't you think that would be the police's first clue? Every day is an adventure here, I swear. We had a quiet Italian meal in a little hole in the wall before heading back to Nido. We all got in our pjs and went on an odyssey trying to find a TV lounge that was unoccupied and had a working TV and DVD player. It was harder than you think. We finally found one and watched National Lampoon's Family Vacation. If only it was European Vacation!

Monday was my first day of Intro to Computer Programming. It's made up of three parts. A one hour lecture, a one hour tutorial, and a one hour workshop. It doesn't really make sense to me why these all need to be in different rooms, but I guess it's good to get up and stretch. We just familiarized ourselves with some terms and did some basic making shapes and moving them around. The teacher seems like a nice one, though pretty much who you would expect to be teaching computer programming :) My roommate then introduced me to The Office and I think I still hurt from laughing. I wish I had time to watch more shows!

That brings us to today! Today we met up at a rainy Trefalgar Square to see the Renaissance paintings in the Sainsbury wing of The National Gallery. It was definitely good to get a refresher on the background as well as really thinking about the differences between the early and late periods. Need to do my writeup asap! Thursday before physio maybe I'll head into the library early and do some research. I was definitely excited to see Michaelangelos, Botticellis, and the Arnolfini portrait. Afterwards I headed over to city campus for my second printmaking class. Today we took a look at a TON of different types of prints and then were instructed on how to start making our first ones. If you have any ideas of stuff I should print, let me know! Getting back home was horrendous, however. There was some sort of signaling error on the tube which caused everything to be majorly mucked up. I had to take three different trains and it took way longer than it should have. Everything was super crowded. Oh well, it happens. It's weird what you slowly get used to here. I'm definitely starting to walk on the left side of sidewalks and stairs now, that habit will be hard to break when I come home, I'm sure.

Tomorrow will be some major application work, then hopefully on Thursday I'll be seeing The Sound of Music! Saturday I'm returning to the National Gallery and the Tate Modern. Should be fun! Love and miss you all.

Tuesday, 3 February 2009

Hey again!

So Friday was our first day without a scheduled orientation activity so some sleeping in was in order. The first few days I was waking up a lot (and needing lots of water because of the dry dorm rooms!) but I've definitely adjusted and gotten comfortable sleeping in. I tried out the Nido (pronounced NEEdo, not NIdo, they get very upset about that) gym, which seemed like it haseverything I need so no need to pay the 40 extra pounds to tube over and use the fancy school gym. I'm definitely getting lots of walking in during my city explorations. Since it was Friday we checked out Yate's and Tiger Tiger in Picadilly Circus and had a great time. I was with some friends from New York and as we were leaving they played "New York, New York" so we left with smiles on our faces. Our late night tradition has turned into getting schwarmas, doners, and french fries, YUM.

On Saturday I met up with my GSE group and went to St. Pauls. My friends in other programs are getting jealous that our program has so much planned out for us. We're all already brainstorming a long weekend in France (Ryan Air has really cheap flights-like 15 pounds!) and some sort of trip for spring break. We had an adorable librarian-like lady take us around St. Pauls-she was so excited about it and really interesting! We saw where St. Pauls was hit in the blitz, learned about Sir Christopher Wren, and where Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington were buried. I am absolutely in LOVE with the wood carvings and glittering mosaics. And I marveled at how Anglican priests dress strangely like Neo from the second two Matrix movies :) We also grabbed a few post cards and had some delicious turkey, brie, and cranberry sandwiches before trekking up the 267 stairs to the whispering gallery and then the base of the dome for some amazing photo angles.

Afterwards, Jaime, Ryan, Alex, and I tourist-ed it up at the London Bridge & London Tomb experience. Pretty cheesy, but fun. And yes, I clung to my friends for dear life when actors jumped out at us in the London Tomb.

Even better was when we wandered down the Thames and stumbled upon an open air farmers market. It was HUGE and everything looked and smelled amazing. We tried tons of samples and grabbed some authentic fish n' chips. I love that there's always something going on everywhere you go in this city. It's definitely one big playground!

Monday Danielle, Sheena, "the boys" and I went to the famed Oxford Street for some shopping. I had to check out Topshop because many people who had visited before reccomended it. It was overwhelming! Just the accessories section was massive. I ended up holding back and getting one top and tights. We window shopped around and got some tasty crepes for lunch. I'll miss LG farmers market crepes though!

Jaime found a pub called The Golden Lion that had live country music on Sunday nights and it was excellent! It was also cool because it was definitely a neighborhood place with a lot of relaxed, actually British people. It really started snowing on our way there though! Afterwards, it was Superbowl time! We went to International Students House to see it. It's somewhat like Nido, except that it also has short stay rooms available. We met lots of people our age from around the globe-America, Iraq, Argentina. I found some fellow Steelers fans and I was beyond excited to see them win. The next day I was definitely checking up Facebook to see riot pictures. Pittsburgh definitely went crazy as expected. We really liked it there so we'll definitely be back for their event nights.

Yesterday I woke up to find out from my roommate that our first day of classes were cancelled. Most tube lines and busses were also closed so we spent pretty much the whole day at Nido. We watched Pride and Prejudice (sorry mom!) in a floor lounge and then tried to watch V for Vendetta in the comfy bean bag lounge but the RA couldn't get it to work :( They require that you sign out remotes to use a lounge here. We also had to be inducted into the gym to be able to use it without sneaking in haha.

Today was my first day of class and it was all really good. I found my classes pretty easily. Art in London will be great, since we will be visiting museums as a part of the curriculum. I definitely had to hold myself back from talking about the works on the slides forever! And printmaking seemed pretty awesome. Our "tutors" as they call the professors have had lots of experience with printmaking (since 1969 and 1972) and were really entertaining. They'll provide everything but the paper but we will have to carry all our work to and from the studio since they're low on storage space. Can't wait to have ink permanantly under my fingernails!

Now we're off to check out Rocket, the London Met student lounge for the International Student welcome party. Should be fun but some people have early classes so it'll be an early night. I have no classes on Wednesday and Friday, yay! Having class from 10:30-12:30 and then 2-5 will make up for that fact. Tuesday will be the worst since I have to switch campuses. Monday and Thursday I have one class each. Anyways, hope everyone is doing well at home! Lots of love and kisses <3