Hey London....

Where do I even start to write a beginning to my end here? With not that much time left in London, I figure now is the time to get my feelings out there while it’s still not too upsetting to say. It will be short sweet and to the point, for no words can truly sum up the feelings I’ve conjured up whilst I’ve lived here. This place has become my home quicker than I could ever imagine. I’ve spent the past years of my life devising ways of making it to this beautiful country and when I found out I’d finally get that opportunity there were no words to express just how blessed I was with this chance. The moment I stepped out of the underground and saw Big Ben, a sight I’ve been dreaming of seeing for what feels like forever, I finally was able to breath a sigh of relief at finally feeling like I’ve found the place for me. I’ve become the person I’ve always wanted to be. In a sense growing into who I’ve always dreamed of becoming: independent, no longer a shy little girl living her years out in Jersey. I’m not afraid to put myself out there, I’ve been able to do more things by myself and can now walk around London with an air of confidence I’ve never had before. That is something I will forever be indebted to this city for.

 Living here has given me the chance to see more things then most will ever see in a lifetime & these past months will forever live on as the best of my life, nothing will change that. The people I’ve met on this journey are people I will cherish forever. I’ve been lucky enough to make friendships that will last a lifetime. It's a lot harder to utter the words goodbye or at least think of uttering them. I don't like goodbyes, they always feel to final, so I can hope that someday soon we'll meet again for if it's meant to happen it will find a way.

The people here in London have been welcoming to say the least and I’ll miss actually being able to have a conversation with someone and not have it sound so structured. I’ll miss the atmosphere of this country, the easy way of life; one I know I’m truly meant for. I can’t wait to move back here and start my life off the way I know I’ve always been intended to. I’ve found the place I can truly call my home and will be counting down the days until I’m reunited. So London this isn’t goodbye, it’s just us taking a break from one another for a bit.

So on that note, thanks everyone for taking the time to read my rambles, it’s been a pleasure showing you my experiences near and far. Till next time. Cheers.

 Xx

Can I have some Roman bath water?

What better way to put off writing papers, than updating this little blog for everyone? With these weeks winding down of my time abroad I find myself clinging to the last moments, taking in every bit I can and storing these images in my mind to hold me over. My last big adventure, not so big but made me venture out of London, included Stonehenge and Bath with my British Life and Culture class. While Stonehenge was both beautiful and exciting, I found myself over it by the 5th picture I had taken of the same sight, sun shining through the stone & the millionth tourist jumping in my picture. I’m not bashing it by any means, for it was a sight to see and therefore a trip worth taking, I just was thrilled within the first couple minutes and that was it. After we walked the circle around, my friends and I took to trying the famous rock cake in the area. While it was interesting and mildly delicious, it was no American cake that’s for sure. When we were finished up our next stop was Bath, and the minute we pulled up to this beautiful sight I felt as though I had stumbled right into a Jane Austen novel. The houses all looked the same, made out of the same colour stone creating a picturesque back drop for our guided tour. Musicians playing in the courtyards in front of the churches and their high street littered with people who looked as though they were clones of one another with beautiful blonde hair and a face to go along. We took a walking tour of the city, with an adorable old man who was more than willing to talk about anything and everything. We got to see what’s known as the circus, a circle of beautiful homes that cost more than I’d probably ever see in my lifetime. Further down the street we came across a park in which the grass was the greenest I have ever seen, the sky the brightest blue and fluffy clouds to go with. The temperature was perfect and I could not have asked for a better atmosphere. We also had the oppurtunity to visit the Roman baths which was an amazing sight. Although the water was pure green, due to pollution, the architecture and seeing just how old this structure was was pretty brilliant. They were a head of their time, and the layout of this place was fascinating, maybe one of the best parts of the trip. There was also a big rugby match taking place that day, so there were more men in drunken stances, ridiculous costumes, and slurring their words then previously seen. The sight was quite comical and I found myself becoming fascinated. When the coach was pulling away, the house lined in front of us, a beautiful river underneath, I started envying those who lived in Bath, I did not want to leave. Last Thursday I took a trip to the National History Museum, which was running rampant with school children, cute but a lot to handle. I just wanted to enjoy the Dinosaur exhibit in peace but found none, and while the exhibit was decent, and held a mechanical T-Rex, I found myself being spoiled by the Smithsonian and a bit disappointed on what was on display. Although the museum held small dinosaur part, it did hold a giant sized skeleton in the main lobby, which was pretty decent to see. The museum itself was rather large and held a lot of interesting things, but I was there for a research observation and all alone, so I figured I’d rather not test my luck and get out of there as fast as I could. Over this past weekend Tricia and I have seen more of the beautiful city of London, than we have all term. We took to trying out a vintage fair, where I snagged a sweet ring, JFK adorning the top, and tramping through the on again off again rain. At one point Starbuck’s was closing and the weather decided in that moment to downpour. We also stumbled upon a giant food market, that held anything you could think of, and even scored a delicious pulled pork sandwich. There were so many people at this market that it was hard to walk, but I guess they just let their noses direct them because the smells wafting out of everywhere were amazing. We visited a quant little museum that was once the site in which the Clink Prison stood. Many torturous things took place there and I learned a lot about how cruel they really could be. Finding out disturbingly enough that some of the persons died by being placed into a hole, which was filled with water carrying diseases and were forgotten about, their limbs falling off because they had been so waterlogged. I hope that painted as gruesome an image for you as it did for me, because that had to be the scariest thing I read while visiting this space. It was nice to get the chance to visit these places one more time. As this last week has come to a close, I am officially done with classes and now must bunker down with writing a million essays and starting to pack up my flat to travel home. Not something that sounds enjoyable in the least bit, but essay’s are all that’s expected of me for these courses so I can’t complain to much I guess, right? Til next time, Cheers xx

The Luck of Being irish.

It was week three of my Spring Holiday and with my trip to the Stansted Airport going much smoother than last time Tricia and I set out for Dublin, Ireland, the homeland of my ancestors. This had to be one of the most exciting trips I’ve had. It’s always been a dream of mine to visit and finally having the chance was amazing.

            Dublin itself was like any other city tall buildings, old antique looking windows as well as the statues to show their battles they’ve been through, but it was the people who lived in this great city that made it extra special, all the Gingers mulling about didn’t help the situation my love for them is endless ;). I have never met more people who seemed to be genuinely nice because that’s just who they are then what I found here. Just making a purchase at a local shop brought massive amounts of conversations over anything and everything, they seemed to care what I had to say. Even asking locals for directions, which was a task because no one had any idea where anything was, showed that they were more than willing to help us find our way.

            We happened to be staying in a Hostel right off of O’Connell Street, and this place could make for a story all by itself. Once inside this hostel it did not seem as though it was going to be that bad, but after not being able to check in until 12 and carrying my suitcase up three flights of stairs I was a bit apprehensive as to what this endeavor would cause. Our roommates consisted of two other females who spoke basically no English, which in all honesty was not that big of a deal. The room I had no problems with, it was the toilets, which will forever haunt my dreams. Two showers, looked as though they haven’t been cleaned since before Ireland was discovered as well as two toilets. These facilities were to be used by all females on this floor and that never ends well. The showers were a complete nightmare, only produced cold water and in order to turn them on a button had to be pressed and held in. When the water shot out you had better ducked for cover unless you wanted to feel as though you were being stung by a bee multiple times over. Let’s just say I gave up and did not believe showering was that necessary while I was in Dublin, believe me you would have felt the same.

During the first day, we decided to purchase a sightseeing bus ticket, touristy to the max, but proved to be the best decision. Able to hop on and off of the bus was beneficial seeing as there was quite a bit to see. Our first stop was the Guinness Factory, the best part of this tour was the free pint that I was able to consume in a gravity bar some 7 stories up. Shockingly enough the Guinness was quite delicious and the sight before me was beautiful. After the factory we hopped back on the bus and took a ride along the city, seeing a beautiful park in which the deer roamed freely and did not bother with people. This was pretty cool to witness seeing as back home they’d be frigid and scared half to death.

            Once we made it back to the hostel we decided to call it a night and finally got a decent nights sleep. The next day brought some souvenir shopping, a visit to Oscar Wilde’s statue, a walk around Dublin Castle and a shop to find our family crest’s, sadly my name is listed nowhere. We also had the chance to see Christ’s Church where a lot of the awesome show the Tudors was filmed. Sadly we couldn’t tour the church but the reason behind it was pretty amazing for the creator of The Tudors is working on a new show called The Stuarts and they were filming on location. This was really cool to find out because we were able to see some of the actors in their costumes and such.

When we were done with our sightseeing bit we finally took time out to act in true Irish fashion and visit some pubs. In our adventure we visited the Oldest Pub in Ireland, The Brazen Head (1198). It was a cute little place and I was shocked to see $ bills all over the wall, messages written in sharpie. We took to also visiting a few more pubs, hearing traditional Irish music and tasting some great cider. When we finally settled on the ending pub I must say we made the right choice. The atmosphere was amazing, the people happy and very friendly. There was a guy in the front doing cover songs and when Zombie by the Cranberries came on I almost lost it. It was already one of my favorite songs, but to hear it in an Irish pub has now given it more meaning with a great memory attached to it. It was the perfect ending to my time in Dublin, but I’m counting the days until I can go back and see the beautiful green hills.

            Once we left Ireland, our next stop was Liverpool, the birthplace of the legendary Beatles. This was an amazing experience as well, four people who changed the face of music grew up here and I was lucky enough to get the chance to see. Although Liverpool itself isn’t the prettiest (no offence), Albert Dock was quite charming. Nice little boats in the water and the Beatles Story museum up a head. This was a nice treat, being able to see some of the instruments they used to record items as well as John Lennon’s shades proved to be most exciting. If you do happen to decide to take a trip to Liverpool plan to stay longer than a night, there is a lot more to do. The past two weeks have been some of the best, and hold so many memories that I’ll never forget. Sadly now, it’s back to classes and preparations for my final essay. Before I know it, it’ll be time to go home, so here’s to making the most with what I’ve got left.

Till next time.

Cheers

xx

Ciao!

Where do I even begin to try to depict the story of my time in Italy? It will forever live to be one of the best weeks of my life, & I will forever live on being jealous of myself for that experience. Sadly I can’t go in to full detail as to what I did while I was there, it would take days, but this is my attempt to convey what I saw/experienced.

            It was an early Saturday morning (2 AM kind of early) and Tricia and I had to head downstairs from her flat in order to start our two-hour journey to the Stansted airport. Unfortunately for us, London, one of the worlds most populated cities, does not believe in 24-hour train services or underground, our flight gate closed at 5:30. To make things short, because this story could go on for days, we missed our first bus, got on the wrong second bus got off at Vauxhall and were at a loss as to how to get to Liverpool Station, which is where we needed to catch the train to take us to the airport. We flagged for a taxi to take us and got a nice tour of the city and the pissed people who littered the street. We arrived at the train station with 10 minutes to spare and were thankfully on our way. We arrived at the airport at about 5:00 and had 30 minutes to make it through bag check as well as security. By the grace of God we made it through everything and had about 5 minutes to spare and so the running began. Now normally I would be the one sitting comfortably at my gate watching as these idiotic people dashed to their gates, wondering why they simply could not make it on time, but now I found myself in the same predicament and couldn’t help but be a bit mad. So here is my apology to anyone I have ever laughed at for being late for his or her gate, because I now completely understand what you’ve been through. Thankfully through the struggle and running on zero hours of sleep, we made the flight and were now on our way to Calabria, Italy.

            My friend Tricia has some family who lives in this quite little town so we lucked out and were able to stay in this quant little Bed and Breakfast located among the main road. The scenery was quite breath taking. Standing on the back balcony the lining of trees and hills in the distance were beautiful, and it did not help that it was sunny and warm. There was even an adorable old lady outside, an apron adorning her waist, grabbing the laundry she had hanging out to dry. When i picture Italy, cute little old ladies such as this one are exactly what I picture so this made it completely surreal that I was in this beautiful country.  If you walked through to the kitchen and stood along that balcony you could look out and see exactly where the Mediterranean Sea lined with the skyline and couldn’t help but smile at how pretty it all was.

            Once we got settled in we decided to go out and explore this little town, where everyone knows everyone, and we were those American girls who had come for a visit. We had to walk along the man highway and when I tell you the men do not hold back on the honks, I am not kidding we had our own little theme music along our walk. It did give a nice little boost of confidence but was also very comical as well. Even the men who were driving with their wives did not hold back on the honks and were sometimes the worst offenders.

            We took a nice little hike through the town, finding the city center and realized everything was closed so we decided to scope out the grocery store and snag some food. We thought we were ahead of the game by grabbing things for Easter dinner, seeing as literally nothing would be open, but boy were we wrong. Our dinner ended up consisting of frozen Cordon Bleu and chocolate nutella sandwiches. Let’s just say that’s one holiday dinner I’d never forget.

            Later Saturday night, after some much needed rest we were picked up by the owner of the B&B and brought to this cute little bar. We didn’t have to pay for anything, which I was shocked to experience and the owner was nice enough to introduce us to some of the local boys around town, they even invited us to a BBQ on the beach that coming Monday, which happens to be a holiday in Italy.

            So when Monday rolled around some of the boys came to pick us up to drive us to the beach where they had a BBQ set up and began to make us food. For one, I have never eaten so much in my life I was afraid they were going to keep feeding us and never stop, two this delicious meal was prepared by GUYS, which is simply a shocker in itself. It was nice to be let in on this tradition and to experience with locals that were our age. While communication was a bit difficult it was nice to be out of the touristy areas and in to normal everyday life. While we were at this BBQ I must also point out that a large cattle of goats stampeded down the trail we were on with the head herder on a four wheeler, the most hilarious site I’ve seen.

Throughout the week we visited the beach, which was a crystal clear blue and were able to relax on the sand underneath the warm sun. I also had the chance to try real pasta, gelato, wine as well as PIZZA (the thing I had been looking forward to the most)! The people in this little town were some of the nicest people I have ever met. They worked with us on trying to convey exactly what we wanted or needed and didn’t become snobby when they realized all we knew how to say was hello, goodbye and thank you. Even the little old man who I’ve dubbed Donatello was helpful and tried communicating with us the best way he knew how. When they say Italians know how to be hospitable they were not lying. I honestly cannot wait to go back and do it all over again. It was a beautiful country with some beautiful people (if you know what I mean) and if you ever have the opportunity to take a trip to Italy, do not be afraid to break out of the tourist area’s. Try to travel down the path less traveled by people such as yourself, you’ll never know what you’re bound to find. 

I am quite enough in love.

Well hello everyone, it’s been quite sometime since I’ve posted on this. In my defence I’ve simply been spoiled with a couple visitors from the states and haven’t had much time to sit and digest everything that’s happened.

Last post I believe I mentioned I was taking a trip to see Jane Austen’s house in Alton, England with my friend Trisha who was visiting from the states. That was an adventure to say the least. We set out from Surbiton station, I had compiled the right direction and was feeling pretty confident on where about we needed to go. We correctly made it to the Alton train station where we were to catch a bus, and thankfully we at least got on the right bus but completely missed our stop. Nervousness started to settle in as we watched the sign for the Jane Austen house come into view as the bus turned the opposite way.  Needless to say we were stuck on the bus for over an hour and ended up in some town way out of the way. Thankfully we purchased a return ticket and hopped back on this time getting off of at the right stop and finding our way. The only upside to being lost was having a nice little tour of the country side, a different scene then what I’m use to.

When we arrived at the Jane Austen house it was a quaint little setting, with lush green grass and a cute little cat to go along with it. Walking the halls of this small house was such an awesome experience. They had some of her personal belongings, as well as her writing desk, which was fantastic to see. When I was looking out of the windows in the house I tried my best to picture what she saw everyday, where she gathered her inspiration. The sight I saw before me, just like hers, was beautiful even if now it faced onto a nice little tea restaurant. I could only imagine what it must have looked back then with the sun shinning along the fields and being able to paint a picture for her. Visiting this house taught me a lot about this great author and was happy to have experienced this.

Unfortunately for me there was no Mr. Darcy lurking about ready to pop out around the corner, so I guess it’s back to the book for me.

While I’ve been abroad I have experienced both Valentines day, completely a hallmark holiday here minus the hallmark and just a bit more flowers &hearts, as well as St.Patrick’s Day. It was strange for me to not see people dressed head to toe in green, stumbling drunks and the smell of disgusting beer. Yes some of the pubs here were holding events, but that was partially because it was the Six Nations Rugby, so the atmosphere was intense and there was no where to sit. Luckily we found a spot in an Irish pub settled in a grabbed some traditional Irish stew. I must say this was pretty fantastic, nothing like what I’m use to on St.Patty’s Day, but it was the next best thing. It was strange to see everyone back home posting things about St.Patty’s day and here was a calm setting with nothing much but a rugby match going on that weekend. It became very clear to me just how much St.Patty’s Day was simply an American holiday.

This past week I’ve also had the chance to visit with my friend Alexis, who came to stay for a bit., it was great to see another familiar face.  We were able to just hang out and explore the city as well. This past Saturday we ventured out of familiar territory so she could get to experience the Doctor Who Shop. which I’m starting to think was the sole reason she came to visit me(HA!), as well as visiting Kensington Gardens, which was very beautiful even with the freezing rain. Stretches of vast green grass, dogs running about, and beautiful fountains to paint the scene.  I was most excited about this trip because I would be able to see Prince Albert’s memorial, but because of my luck, the monument was under construction and was closed. I must say they are very lucky I live here and not just a visitor because I would be very upset had this happened to me under those circumstances. The only benefit to this is now I have an excuse to return when it’s sunny and somewhat warmer, more enjoyable.

Sadly both of my friends have returned home, to normal life with their families and I can’t help but feel a little envious. I’m beginning to miss home, family and the warmth of the sun more so than normal, although now New Jersey is inches in snow. When I start to feel this way I have to stop and tell myself that in less than a week you will be getting ready to venture to Italy, Ireland and Leed’s, you can’t want to go home just yet. This little bit of excitement will be giving me the push I need to pass through this week. So here’s to an amazing Spring Holiday doing what I love to do, exploring new places. Till next time!

Cheers

x   

These great men are never at home

It was about two Saturdays ago, that I took a trip to Oxford and was able to take a tour of all the universities that make up this historic place. A lot of things had taken place in the town but my most favorite moment of the tour was when I found myself in an alley that was believed to have inspired C.S Lewis’ “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe”. It was a cute little alley, a lone lamppost at the end which is said to be the same lamp Lewis was depicting in his book. Along with the post we came upon a door that held a lions head along with a mini version of Mr. Tumnus, these pieces were also said to be inspiration for the characters of this book and you could clearly see the visions of these characters played out in your head.

            Along with C.S Lewis, Tolkien was also a predominate figure in Oxford, both of these authors would gather at a pub called “The Eagle and Child” and would brainstorm/discuss ideas for future creations. Some of the books you may know include: Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Tolkien) as well as Chronicles of Narnia (Lewis). Knowing that some of these great writers created right down the road from where I stood was quite an exciting thing to learn as well as think about, these little facts made the two hour trip  completely worth it.

Last Sunday I hopped on a train in to Central which put me right between Big Ben and the London eye, and I found myself not in awe of what was before me, but severely annoyed with all the tourists that lined that Westminster Bridge. Experiencing this crowd of people was eye opening because it gave me a chance to show that I was a local and could no longer compare myself to a tourist. That may sound a bit odd to some, but once I was put into that mindset it was quite liberating to know I was finally making a home here. Tricia and I even adapted the ways of the locals and slammed our way through the people gathered along the bridge. That may sound harsh but that’s just how things get done around here, they don’t move for you so don’t move for them.

When we were done fighting our way through the crowd, a couple of friends and I decided to try out one of London’s big attractions, The London Dungeon, and I must say I was completely impressed. In this attraction you move to different rooms that depicted certain gruesome aspects of English history. Some included King Henry VIII, the Black Plague, for some humor Sweeny Todd as well as a recreation of the Tin Bells where Jack the Ripper did some of his haunts. There was just the right amount of funny with a proper bit of horror that anyone could enjoy it. So if you ever find yourself in Central London be sure to take the time to check it out. We also got our first taste of a traditional Sunday roast which certainly won't be my last. It was quite yummy and held all the nutritional value I have been lacking since I've arrived here, I truly do believe I will eventually turn into a pizza I've consumed so much. If you ever find yourself here in England on a Sunday make sure to take part in this dish. 

Thursday brought some proper bit of excitement as I found myself making a trek to Heathrow to pick up one of my friends from home. Trish is here for a week and it’s great having her. She and I were once roommates so I must point out this will work well with the current living situation since my room is very small. It’s a pretty awesome experience to be given the chance to see a familiar face from home. It's great having the opportunity to show them everything you’ve learned as well as experienced while you've been abroad.  

Tomorrow we are setting out to Old Spitalfields market; I’ve heard great things about this place, as well as Tin Bells, which has been made famous due to Jack the Ripper. I visited this pub once before and the atmosphere is fantastic. I also found myself being called Doris repeatedly by a 50 something year old man that night, but that’s a story for another time.

Tuesday we will be venturing to Jane Austen’s house so I am completely excited to see where this legend composed some of the best books in history; you can’t tell me you’re not a sucker for Austen novels. Who knows, maybe I can find my Mr. Darcy!
I’m completely kidding, but I had to throw his name in there somewhere right?

Hope all is well wherever you call home.

Cheers

Dreaming My Dreams

So looking back on past blogs I’ve realized I haven’t talked much about my town nor the people who live in it and figured now would be a good time to debrief you on this, if that’s what you want to call it.

            I live in the town known as Surbiton, has a cute little center of town with trendy thrift shops, cute little café’s and a decent amount of pubs. You also can’t forget the McDonalds and Starbucks, of course. The only downside to living here is the fact that I am the farthest from literally everything. I need to catch a bus to get to Uni and a bus to get into town to do anything. This showed to be most unfortunate last night when I was trying to catch the bus and the road was under construction which left me completely at a loss as to where to catch another bus without walking back to campus. 

        The upside to this nice little town is the fact that I am two minutes away from the Thames, which if you do not know, is the largest river here in England. Recently I took a walk along the Thames and with all the ducks swimming in the water and the trees that dress the path, the sight is pretty beautiful, I’m just sad it’s taken me a month and a half to take advantage of this beauty.

Along with the beautiful scenery you have the people that live here. I must discuss the fact that everyone here, young and old dresses topnotch and has left American’s looking like they’ve just stumbled out of a garbage can. Not to offend anyone, we do have a fair share of decently dressed individuals, but even the worst dressed is the best dressed here. If the men in the states could take a second to think about what they look like when they step out of the house, I’m sure they’d be scoring big with the ladies. I have yet to see one badly dressed person, they make the ugliest outfits work somehow, sometimes I swear it’s without them even trying. Even the older ladies know how to put together an outfit, and half the time they look ten times better than I do, what’s that saying?

The people here are also super friendly, you have your occasional person who seems to be a little tough around the edges but for the most part, they tend to show more kindness in their actions.  Maybe it’s just my perception of Jersians but everyone is rather enjoyable. The only thing that I still have a hard time dealing with is the fact that literally no one say’s excuse me when they walk by, they literally just plow right into you with no regard. Forget it if you apologize for hitting them, they look at you as though you have two heads and stammer a quick it’s alright or no worries, they tend to look taken back when I say sorry. It utterly confuses me.

 There’s also a greeting that is a bit difficult for anyone coming from the states to adjust too. This statement is: Hey you alright? While that seems like such a little thing to adjust to it honestly is posing to be the most difficult. In America if someone is asking you if you are alright you automatically feel utterly pissed off or like you need to spill all your feelings until your hearts content, maybe maybe not, but by asking if you’re alright they are simply asking what’s up? My biggest problem with adjusting to this phrase is how to respond to that sort of statement. I feel quite silly saying I’m alright you alright, so the natural response is yes, which in turn makes me sounds like a complete idiot, but you try it out and see how you’d respond. Not so easy when you think about it.

I’m honestly finding a hard time with hating it here. I wonder when’s the day I’ll wake up crying to go home because I can’t take it here but I honestly never see that day coming. I do truly miss home, my family and friends, especially my CAR, I’ve never walked so much in my life, but anyone that’s ever been abroad can relate when I say that life is just so much more relaxed and enjoyed over here. Everyday I wake up feeling more blessed than the day before, I finally feel like I’m living life the way I was meant to and that is such an awesome feeling.

            So with that being sad thanks for reading the words above, seeing as it had no relevance to anything and was just random opinion. I’ll be sure to give a run down on oxford later in the week.

Till next time.

A howling monster...

Warning, this post is quite mundane and boring.

On the 15^th of February I took a trip to Central with my British Life and Culture class to take tours of both Parliament and the Globe Theater.

Parliament is a very antique building with many beautiful rooms attached inside. King Henry VIII was the last king to actually inhabit this “palace”. Walking through the doors we stood in a corridor that was over a 1000 years old, I was utterly confused and quite scared as to how or why we were standing under this structure but marveled at the sight of the angels perched up along the archways.

            While we ventured through Parliament we were able to see the beautiful structures and designs that adorned the ceilings. We came upon the room in which the Queen get’s ready when she has called a meeting with parliament. The site was beautiful. The room in which she prepares herself before adressing parliament was also once the room of Queen Victoria. Her initials were painted into stain glass that were than placed along the ceiling where they still lay today.
 I suddenly became very excited when I was told that inside this room was the seat in which Queen Victoria would sit. You may ask yourself how one could become excited over a chair, but I mean come on tell me you wouldn’t be, this chair was quite old and held the markings of being used by a great ruler and a very big historical figure. It was a very beautiful chair and was quite small in size; she was a little thing, that’s for sure. Paintings of both her and Albert were hung on either side of the wall and the sight was pretty awesome.

            We were able to take a tour of both the House of Lords as well as the House of Commons. The queen herself cannot actually walk into the House of Commons so having this opportunity was neat. If you fancy finding out why she cannot step inside do so, it’s quite an interesting story and what she must do now in order to ask for an audience with members is quite comical. 

The set up for both the house of commons as well as the house of lords is simple, multiple benches on either side facing each other so they can square off when discussions are to begin. Unfortunately there were no members in wigs, but I did see a man wearing a wig and black suit later during the week, the sight of this was hysterical.

After we finished with Parliament we set out to the Globe Theater, which was quite brilliant, Sam Wanamaker constructed the new Globe.  During the tour they discussed the recreation of the theater, which has been done to the best of their knowledge with the use of writings and descriptions during Shakespeare’s time.

The stage is very grand with two trap doors, one in the floor for those coming up from “hell” and one in the ceiling to represent “heaven”. The tour guide gave us a break down on how a play would be conducted back in the day, and just how much it was more important to listen to the words as opposed to solely paying attention to the acting. I was most excited about seeing the Globe Theater when I signed up for this culture class so the atmosphere was great.

Unfortunately I spent the weekend stuck in bed sick, worst weekend since I’ve been here. Just wanted my dog to snuggle with and make me feel better but atlas I had to be without.

When Monday rolled around Tricia and I were both feeling slightly better so we decided to take advantage of the nice sunny day and head into Central on a whim. Once we got into Central we decided to just get off at Waterloo and venture out. Little did I know that my quick decision to step back and take a picture of Big Ben before I crossed the street would cause me to be hit by a bicycle. Poor Tricia was across the street and the poor man riding the bike almost fell completely off. Here’s hoping his bike suffered no damage and still worked afterwards. I simply asked if he was alright, looked around with a shocked expression and booked it across the street laughing so hard I couldn’t breath.

After that whole incident occurred we ventured towards Piccadilly Circus and Chinatown, as well as Covent gardens where there was a LOVE display. Huge letters were stretched three dimensional, and were decorated with metal hearts that people had decorated with sayings of love, declaring their feelings for one another or just simply drawing pictures. It was a pretty cool display and seeing it in the nighttime made it ten times better, all the light was reflecting off of the metal. There was also a man playing guitar and sounding a lot like James Taylor so it was a nice display/market to come upon. 

Tuesday was also a picture perfect sunny day so it was spent walking around and ending up at Hampton Court Palace, once lived in by King Henry VIII, which is set along the Thames with a beautiful park along side it. Many boats lined the river and the water was gleaming with sun, I was half tempted to just dive right in.

Today I attended my first football match to see Chelsea play against Sparta! It was an intense match, but such a great way to dive into the culture here. I honestly had such a great time and cannot wait to go again. Hearing the chanting and listening to the songs, made it that much more enjoyable and was a completely different atmosphere from any Philly game I have ever attended. Next time though, I have to make sure better seats are chosen, so we can at least see the whole field.  

Off to Oxford this weekend, so I’m sure I’ll have much to report. Till next time.

-Tally-Ho

On a completely random note I just have to let you all in on the horrific moment Tricia and I experienced while I was cooking lunch. A pigeon decided he wanted to come join us and tried flying in my window, literally scared the crap out of me and thought we were going to die. The birds are seriously out to get us here, I can promise you that.

Coffeeshop Soundtrack

I’ve literally written and rewritten the start to this post so many times, I’m at a lost as to where I should begin, I feel like so much has happened in the past week that there’s really no correct way to begin it I suppose. 

            In the past week, I’ve been to three different countries, heard a different language spoken I haven’t heard so fluently spoken before, had true Belgium Chocolate as well as a Belgian waffle, and got a little bit of an eye opener strolling through the red light district (let’s just say the set up is the same as how animals would be on display at an animal rescue, this time with humans.)

            Last Friday was a very very long day filled with about a two-hour ferry ride into France as well as a 6-hour bus ride through Belgium into the Netherlands, where we set up camp for the weekend. The bus ride through the country side was just beautiful the lush green grass, little sheep grazing along the river and the old style houses making everything feel real. When we reached our final destination of Amsterdam we were put into an awesome hotel, the room and view were just beautiful.  It was a bit complicated trying to figure out the lights I must say, you had to place your key card into a slot in order to get any sort of power or heat in the room, Tricia and I had quite a bit of difficulty trying to figure this out naturally. If America thinks they are a head of the times with technology and saving energy, than they have yet to be to Europe, that’s all I have to say. 

Enough about my room, now to the nitty gritty. We regrouped with the tour group we came with and set out for the main central part of Amsterdam. Walking out of the train and seeing the sight in front of me was crazy. In the span of two days I saw to Geisha’s riding bikes as well as someone dressed as the Joker and a smurf. The nightlife was in full effect and the old buildings along the water were just a sight to see. Due to Amsterdam being a “swamp” there were canals at every corner, with many buildings directly inline with the water, only inches from the windows. 

Amsterdam is very keen on saving the planet so they bike everywhere. When I tell you I have never seen so many bikes in my life I am not lying. They were chained on every corner and they even have their own bike paths, that if you dare cross, you may not survive, they are quite ruthless.

The next day I awoke to a nice breakfast and beautiful top floor scenery of the city, coated with snow. It was a spectacular view, and breakfast was mighty good. Next on saturdays agenda we were setting out to visit some traditional Dutch towns in Holland, Edam and Volendam. Edam was a place for me, they are famous for their cheese so I was excited to get the chance to take a bite into some freshly made, later I wouldn’t be too excited when I was literally scooping it out with a spoon because I forgot to purchase a knife. 

When we arrived at Edam I walked with a content feeling, the little town was very quite and very antique looking so it was hard to not feel something. Yet again there were canals along the city center and with the snow, it just painted a picture more beautiful as you walked further. This was literally someone’s home town so as we casually strolled through the streets we came across an elderly couple sitting at a table by a window relaxing, reading the paper and just eating breakfast, but it honestly had to be the sweetest thing I have ever seen and honestly made the whole experience a little bit more magical.

Next on Saturday’s journey we set out to a little harbor town called Volendam. This town was set along the water, kind of like back home with a fancier boardwalk. Volendam is known for having the best fish and their main dish is fresh RAW Herron. I made a deal with myself before I came to study abroad that I would try any odd foods that seemed to be the main dish, so naturally I was set to shovel some down. I honestly hate fish, I’ll eat the occasional salmon on tilapia but this is raw fish we are talking about here. I put on a brave face and just went for it, and when I tell you it was good, I tend to even surprise myself. They covered the fish in onions so it was able to have a little seasoning, but that was all they offered. I was shocked I was able to eat the whole thing but I did and was honestly proud of myself, accomplishment of the weekend. 

Once we finished up with visiting the towns we were dropped off at central and were able to do what ever we pleased. The one museum I was most excited to see was Anne Frank’s house. The house in which Anne Frank hid was right along a canal, the outlook I’m sure beautiful back than, even in the midst of the chaos she experienced. Once we were inside there were no words to express just how one feels in this situation. I was overcome with an overwhelming amount of sadness for this little girl as well as her family. They had writings from her diary set up on the walls as you walked through as well as many pictures of what the place looked like back than. When we reached the rooms in which her family and friends hid it just became surreal. In one of the rooms there were original pictures of magazine clippings she had cut out to decorate the room still lining the walls, as well as a section of the wall specifically to keep a growth chart of the children living inside. The rooms in which they lived were very small and when you think of how many years they spent in hiding it was quite crazy. 

At the end of the tour they had many of her journals on display and being able to see her words, in her hand writing, was just an awesome experience, even though in the end she was not able to make it through, she did accomplish the one goal she was set on completing, becoming a well known writer. 

When the tour was over, Tricia and I set out along the city walking around the shops and just exploring the city, the thrift store we found was by far the best. We played it smart that night and called it in early, we needed to be to the bus by 8:30 or they made it clear we would be left. 

Sunday morning there was more snow on the ground and an even prettier view as I sipped on my coffee and ate some yummy breakfast yet again. As we all piled on the bus we began our journey to the town of Burgee, Belgium. This too was also a great city. The town center held all medieval type buildings and was also set along canals. There was a strong aroma of chocolate through out the city and a wind chill of freezing. This had to be the coldest I have been while living abroad so it was tough to fully enjoy the impact of this beautiful city, but all in all it was a beautiful sight to see. 

One thing I did realize while on this trip was that for the first time I actually missed my new home, my small flat with an airplane sized bathroom. This was a great realization because it made me feel as though I was finally believing this was my home, I guess it should be now for in two days time I will have officially been living abroad for a month. Can you believe it? I know I can’t. 

Tomorrow I am taking a trip to Parliament as well as the Globe Theater so I’m very excited. Until next time. 

-Cheers

Here Comes the Sun

When you picture Abbey Road, what are your first thoughts, a non crowded street with four Beatles walking by? Well I hate to crush your dreams, but the times have changed. The amount of traffic that now runs through the street had me at times fearing for my life, it’s amazing to see the difference through the years. While mayhem in sued I must say I was still in awe walking across the same road the Beatles once did, trying my best to replicate their strut across while having cars stare me down because I may not have been walking fast enough. It was quite comical watching all the tourist recreating a picture, I’m sure at the time, was not believed to be a moment in history. Sometimes it baffles my mind just how much we let things of this nature become something we get so excited over, I guess it’s all about the little things. It was definitely something I had been looking forward to doing since I found out I was coming here, so it was such a fun experience. 

            Next on Saturdays agenda was to visit Camden Town, there’s a huge market in old Camden Stables. While there were some decent prices, there were just too many people for me to navigate around. I’m not much for crowds to begin with but when you’re running on a few hours sleep and freezing because of the wind chill, you’re just asking to be miserable. It was still rather enjoyable but I must say I could never visit the market again and be completely content with life. My friend Tricia and I were craving some decent Chinese food so we set out on a mission to find some after we pushed our way through the market. Finally we stumbled upon what we thought was an expectable place, but how wrong we were. They called this restaurant a buffet, and what I was expecting was just how it is back home, a thousand choices and real Chinese food, they didn’t even have General Tso chicken, how is that even possible? While the food wasn’t that great the ice cream machine they had was decent so I snagged some of that but I must say I’m missing my fix of Chinese food back home. 

            I must also state that the food is decent but totally bland, I’m piling my food high with salt and it seems to not make a difference. There’s two things I miss desperately Wawa hoagies and Wings, if I could have those two things within my reach here I would be set for life. I have also discovered they carry my Cadbury Egg’s all year round, now that makes me happy. I just want a decent meal, something that doesn’t have chips (fries) as a side.

Other than those two things, there isn’t much I miss about the United States, the life here is so much more relaxed, and time seems to pass slowly here. Three weeks in and I can already tell the English know how to actually enjoy their lives, in America it’s just go go go, which has it’s ups and downs, things close early here so there’s lots of sitting around, I’ll be thankful for it when I return back to normal life and need a break. 

I’m off to Amsterdam this weekend. I’ll be visiting Anne Frank’s house, which is something I am most excited about. Not looking forward to getting up at 5 am tomorrow with no decent coffee to give me the pick me up I need, but I’m just praying it will be worth it. This marks my first adventure outside of England since my arrival so I am truly excited. I will be sure to keep you all updated on how it went. 

Until next time. 

Behind Castle Walls

So it’s official. Today marks two weeks already, while it feels like I’ve been living here for a month, I can’t believe just how fast it has been. This week has also marked the start of home sickness, it’s kicking my butt, locking yourself in your room for three days and watching Dexter on repeat wasn’t helping in the least bit. I made sure to get myself outside and soak up the sun while it lasted today, the grass is still a lush green here, and can you believe it?

After tomorrow I will have officially completed my first week of “modules” here as well. While some seem like they may be a bit boring, politics and research methods, I’m pretty excited to learn a lot about the British culture. The way the classes are run here is something I need to get use to, 190 students in one class is a lot to take in.
I also would like to state that while I am making a conscious effort to make friends, no one seems to want to sit anywhere near me unfortunately, they can smell the American in me I guess. 

Last Saturday I had the chance to take a trip to Windsor Castle with my British Life and Culture class and I must say this place was breath taking. I say that with all honesty. I could not walk in to a room or a court yard seeing the sun shine through the castle alls without being in awe and having no other words but Wow.

 I have never seen anything more magical than this Castle and the fact that the Queen gets to call that home makes me seethe with envy. Seeing King Henry’s grave was a sight to see as well, finding out he was buried with his first wife came as a shocker to me. He’s burial held no monument not Cleary written marker but a little slab in the ground with his name and date of death. Cleary he was one of the most hated amongst the rulers. I was upset to find out that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were not buried here but just outside, it has now become my mission to visit their memorial, how could you not? Their story is one for the books. 
If you ever fancy taking a trip across the pond, this is a place you will not want to miss. 

This weekend seems like it should be rather enjoyable, I’m going to ABBEY ROAD! it honestly can not get any better than that. I will be checking out Camden Town Market which shall be great as well, heard many things about this place, let’s see if it’s all its cracked up to be. 
Highlight of the week? Venturing to a club where there Friday nights are called the “Big Cheese” which plays mostly American music. What’s that saying about our culture? We make cheesy but danceable music, bittersweet victory if you ask me. 

I’ve begun to ramble and it’s turned into pointless babble and not very good. My excuse? Long day, tired and a low-key week so far, next week shall be rather interesting.