My 3 1/2 month London takeover

Clarity in London

showard4 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:55:45 +0000

I feel like I am learning so much about myself in London. This last week has been a little interesting but I feel like I am starting to understand myself and the people in my life so much better now.

I went to Elle Fashion Week yesterday! It was so fun! We got to see a catwalk and look at all of these really expensive clothes. I actually made a couple of purchases, believe it or not. I bought a purse and a wallet by this cute little designer, Kate Sheridan. We actually got to meet her, which was cool. Her stuff was really cheap. A lot of the stuff was actually really cheap, which suprised me. I guess the recission is hitting everywhere. I am tryig to be as careful as I can will my purchaces here. I only want to buy things that feel very London and not things that I can find in the US. This is only because I go shopping blackout on a regular basis in America and I can’t afford to here. So far I have bought a lot of vintage jewelry pieces to bring back to the states. I would like to find a really cute vintage hat to wear. You know, one that doesn’t make me look bald.

The catwalk was amazing and I want to go to more. It is just so cool to see all these amazing avant-garde type clothes. I felt like I was in the middle of a project runway episode. I hope I can figure out a way to see more fashion shows here in London.

I am continuing to have an amazing time and as each day passes I become more and more appreciative of my time here.

Finally! A update!

showard4 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:32:53 +0000

Update! I am so sorry I haven’t updated everyone! Being here in London is such a wirlwind and I do so much that I never feel like I have time to sleep let alone sit down and write something. All of my flatmates are gone for the evening so I am using this time to relax and write an update of my life here.

I feel like I skipped over the tourist part and became a Londoner immediately. I haven’t taken a ton of pictures because I feel like I am taking pictures of my home. I wouldn’t take pictures of Grayson! Haha. I am going to get better at doing that, though. I honestly can see myself living here. My family believes it is because I have never traveled but I honestly think it’s just because I feel so comfortable here and I love it. I feel so independent here and I know that I can take on anything when I get back to the U.S.

I don’t know what to say specifically, so much has happened. I have made it a point to find really cheap food and great vintage market finds. I have purchased some really beautiful jewelry from Portabella Market. . As far as food, we have found so much. We got a lot of guides before we came to London that gave us suggestions for food. Wagammama was the overwhelming favorite for the people who have been here. Well, we found Wagammama’s much cheaper brother. Tuk Tuk. You can get a large plate of noodles or rice for 3.80 pounds. That is compared to Wagammama’s way overpriced noodles. We have also found curries for 2.50 pounds and buffets for 5.60.

My internship is the most amazing thing ever. I can’t put it into words. I am learning so much and the people I am working with are great. I have a lot of responsibility and I get to see first hand what working at a company is like. I don’t have to answer emails or anything like that. The most I have ever had to do is buy milk.

I love going out dancing here! It is so much fun and the people here dance so much differently. There isn’t any of that grinding stuff, it is just fun.

Today we went on a boat ride down the Thames for our GST class. I loved it! It reminded me of the cruises my family and I take every year and I started to wish they could be here to share the experience with me. We also visited the National Maritme Museam and answered questions. Afterwards, Karena and I went to the British Library to try to finalize some spring break plans. We think we are going to end up getting a train pass to one country and exploring it for a couple of days. A country pass is actually really cheap. For about 90-100 dollars we can explore any country in Europe.

Internship and China Town

showard4 — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:18:44 +0000

The last couple of days have been really great. I have spent a lot of them on my own, actually. That is when I feel the most like a Londoner. I love all the people I am here with but when we walk around we are loud and attract so much attention. I love standing at the crosswalks alongside other Londoners and reading the newspaper on the tube next to them. Yesterday after class I spent time wandering around London in what I call my “bus crawl” I began by walking from the top, all the way to the bottom of oxford street. I went to a lot of stores, including Primark, which is a zoo. I got some really cheap socks and a 2 pound scarf. If you know me well, you know I am normally not a fast walker. I seem to be adapting to London well because I walk fast and I get asked for directions quite a bit. I never thought I would adjust to London so well. I have never lived in the heart of the city but London and I are meant to be. I jumped on a bus and just headed to wherever.
Before anyone in my family freaks out on me, I just want to say that I know the bus map really well. Sometimes I just sit and stare at it. As a result, I know where the buses I need stop in almost all of the communities in our zones. So no worries, mom and dad. I actually ended up in China Town and I love it there! I bought a hat and scarf for 5 pounds. You can also get a really cheap meal for 3 pounds. My favorite thing was the “chicken bun” which sounds strange but is REALLY GOOD. It is only 1.30. All of the shops have so many different things in them and it is almost a little bizarre. I also walked down a street full of book stores and I got one of the books we needed for theater class. Speaking of theater class, tonight we went to see our first play, spring awakening. It was really good, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It wasn’t like anything I had ever seen and the music was fantastic. A lot of my flatmates stayed afterwards to talk to the characters but I knew that sitting in a big room with lots of girls fawning over singing theater boys was not a situation I wanted to be in.

I am going to try to make it to a market tomorrow after class and take some pictures. I haven’t had my camera with me as much as I thought I would. I am too afraid it will get stolen and it doesn’t fit in my little bag that fits under my jacket. I am hoping to do a lot this weekend.

Miss everyone!

My first ( very long ) I am in London entry!

showard4 — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:38:24 +0000

So after a very very long two days, we were finally here, in London! I could say so much about the last couple of days but I have to say it has been such a blur. They kept us very busy the first couple of days with orientation and tours around the city. My flat is really nice, actually. Unfortunately we live three to a room which is interesting. I really like all of the girls in the flat and we all get along pretty well but sometimes living with that many girls can be overwhelming. I have only lived with three other girls and now I live with two other girls in my actual room. It will take some getting used to but I hope I can find some people outside of the flat .

We were all extremely tired when we first arrived in London. While our flight did not feel like it was extremely long, we were traveling throughout the night and didn’t get back until the next morning. There isn’t much to report on the first day other than the fact that it was extremely long. I had a pretty good time getting unpacked in but I really have a lot of clothes. I can’t buy much while I am here. Unfortunately, my clothes still are not doing much against the weather here. I am still really cold and wet. Apparently this awful weather is not actually the norm. I have been told that it doesn’t get that cold here and the snow is not at all typical. For our first night in London we went to this pub called the Prince Alfred. I didn’t get anything to drink because all of the drinks were so expensive. 12 dollars for a cocktail? Not unless it gives me wings. Yesterday we had orientation which was really long. They told us all of the stuff in the handbook. They told us about safety and getting around and all that. My favorite part of the orientation was when she taught us about the bus. Oh, I need to back track. I had my first trip on “the tube” yesterday. The tube is pretty straightforward but it can be busy. Really busy. I was almost cheek to cheek with some businessman. I don’t like the tube as much as the bus because the tube makes me feel a little closed in. I love that no one talks on it, though The tube involves a lot of pushing and shoving which isn’t really my thing either. I really love the bus because I can see everything. It is a great way to point out things or places I would like to go and I find the people watching on the bus to be a lot more fun.

Today we took a bus tour of London and a walking tour of Maida Vale, our neighborhood. It was a really long day but we saw all of the key things around London. I could go on for another 30 pages talking about the things I saw and how I felt about them. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great day so I didn’t get the chance to take any really good pictures. I was too cold to take my camera out. I am most excited to visit a lot of the museums and the Harry Potter landmarks. My mouth dropped when we saw the alley where Harry Potter filmed the diagon alley scenes. There is just so much here, it was almost stressful. I have no clue how I am going to do it all! Then we went on the walking tour which was interesting but long, it took two hours to get around. It was also really cold and wet. I already think that I am loosing weight from being here. We do so much walking and climbing. After the walking tour, my roommate and I took a trip to the grocery store via bus.

This was a huge achievement for me because I am really trying to figure out the bus system. We got there ok and got so many deals while we were there. It was surprising how cheap it was compared to the tesco express near our house. Getting the groceries back to the flat was not as fun. There is an ikea here somewhere and I really want to get one of those really big bags that my aunt uses for her groceries. I will look a little strange walking around but at least I will get my groceries there.

Sorry this was so long but I miss you all and I will talk to you all soon! Also, any suggestions for me if you have been to London?

London?

showard4 — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 04:31:22 +0000

Everyone keeps asking me if I am excited yet and I just can’t be. It does not seem real. Moving out of the country for three months/ completing a internship in an awesome part of town / traveling around Europe. That was a serious fragment. Grammer nazis, I apologize. That sentence was not that great either. Maybe it will hit me when I get on the plane. During winter term, my roommate and I would say it out loud. “We are going to London in a month/2 weeks / 1 week / 4 days.” It never sunk in. I am afraid that when it does, it will all come crashing down and I am going to go crazy.

I hope everyone is doing well and I can’t wait to tell you all about my adventures!

Hello world!

showard4 — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:58:47 +0000

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