And so we have entered April. It's crazy to think that I only have a little more than two weeks left here in London and to be honest I am really excited to go home. Don't get me wrong I love the city and I don't want to leave but at the same time I'm anxious to be home. Not to mention seeing Serendipity pictures at Guilford makes me wish I was there with my friends. Furthermore I'm at the point where I'm just frustrated with school and stuff happening with next year such as uncertain housing arrangements. I want to be in the States and able to take care of it in person instead of being helpless on the other side of the world.
Aside from getting ready to leave, I have been having a lot of fun the past few weeks. During St. Patrick's Day I watched the parade that went through Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square and that weekend in general I was out having fun. It was most likely my second favorite weekend I've spent here. As for Easter I didn't do much. I didn't have work on that Friday and Monday which meant I could focus on a paper that was due on Tuesday. Therefore I was a bit of a hermit. However I did go out on Friday night with a girl from Marist. We went to a concert in Stepeney Green (kind of a sketchy place) and the band was called The Gaslight Anthem. I hadn't heard of them but I am never one to turn down a good rock concert. And man was it fun! There are pictures up on my Facebook and they were the only good ones I could get. Other than that one night out, I only went outside to go run.
Speaking of running, on Easter Sunday I decided it was a day where I needed to get out of my room and what better way to blow off some steam than go for a run in the park? Well while I was doing a loop around Kensington Gardens I thought I would shake it up a bit and go somewhere else. So I ran to the tube station and hopped on the District Line to St. James' Park. In that little park you had an excellent view of Buckingham Palace when you crossed a little bridge placed idylically over a flowing brook. When I ran around the park I realized from street signs that Westminster wasn't too far from where I was so I thought why not take a run past Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament? That led me to Westminster Pier, with the London Eye right in front of me, and running along the Thames. But it doesn't stop there. Oh no, I decided to be a full on nutter and take the tube to South Kensington station and finish my run around that area before heading back to Metrogate. In total, I did almost two hours of running. It seems like a half marathon should be no problem after all that but my legs were hurting me later on. Still it was nice to get the chance to run around the city even if it was windy and cold.
I have been a running machine lately though. I'm not sure what has gotten into me but I think that really long run, partnered with the stress of school, made something click inside me because anytime I think "I'll go for a nice, easy run", I end up wanting to go longer and even at work I can feel my legs twitch, wanting to go run around the area where I work. But hey if this gets me through conditioning in the summer I have no qualms about it. Also it now feels more like something I need to do rather than what I have to do. Running allows me to let my mind wander and release everything I am feeling. If I'm angry or happy I let my body fly because if I don't I feel ready to spontaneously combust. I have always been one to love running for the sake of running. I don't like competing because then I feel like I have to prove something to everyone instead of just myself. Of course that isn't to say I'm not a competitive person. Get me angry and you'll see just what I can dish out. But I think running is something that should allow you to feel unrestricted by everything else in your life and not cause added stress because you have to win a race or beat somebody. There is nothing worse than having what you love turn into something you despise because others think you should take it just as seriously as they do. What's the point of working hard at something when you don't even have the desire that drives you forward?
Sorry for the small digression but when I get a thought I just go with it. I guess that's why I have tons of notebooks at home filled with unfinished stories.
Anyway, this week at my internship the full-time runner, Luke, had the whole week off and headed back home up north so on Wednesday I had to work with someone else because that is the day where he and I are the only runners. On the one hand I was glad to have someone there and not have to do everything myself. I was also grateful that it wasn't very busy that day. However she was very new to running and had only had one running job before this so she was still searching for something permanent. I had to step up that day and take the lead because I was the veteran. It wasn't as terrifying as I thought it would be and my co-workers were really impressed with how I handled myself, which was fantastic. Also the girl, Alice is her name, and I got on really well. There was a lot of laughing going on and we were the main cause of it. Thursday and Friday, however, I was really glad that I had Brad to help because he has been there a month longer than I have and so it was nice to have someone I'm comfortable with there to help. But I am super excited to see Luke on Wednesday because the place is definitely not the same without his wacky personality.
I will definitely miss both of those guys when I leave and I will also miss working at Lucky Cat because everyone there is really chill and it's a great atmosphere. I was so excited that I got to help out with tapes coming in because it gave me the chance to work with the program Avid a little bit and I hope I can do more of that before I leave.
As for my remaining time here, I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do because it feels like I have a lot to on my plate in order to finish up the semester and get ready to head home. Plus it's hard to figure out what else there is to see when you've already seen so much. Today I just walked around Covent Garden and Leicester Square because it was sunny and blue sky (compared to the snow we got earlier this week) I couldn't waste it indoors. I ended up finding this place called Cyber Candy where it sold sweets from different countries in the world. I had found one in Camden but this is the store Luke told me to go to. Both stores have pretty much the same products but the one in Camden had Cheerwhine! You can't even get that in New York, it's pretty much a southern thing. Also there were biscuits called Tim Tams from Australia that looked really good and also Korean watermelon flavored bubble gum and even Japanese cereal. However I will say the shop in Covent Garden had a giant Willy Wonka gumball machine right in front of the store as soon as you walk in. It took some restraint to not buy everything there.
But I did end up buying a MoonPie from the shop because I had to see if it was "nummie nummie". If you understand that reference and aren't my parents then we need to be best friends. A MoonPie is essentially a biscuit topped with marshmallow covered in chocolate. A huge mallomar if you even know what those are. I may have to get more at some point, which reminds me that I need to start making a box of things to send home that won't go in my suitcase. Ugh so much to do! I am ready to shut my brain off for a long while. So fair warning Mom, once my head hits the pillow of my bed, don't expect me to wake up for a week.
Just so you know there will definitely be a couple more posts before I head home. As for the content, you and I will both have to see what I have to talk about.
Cheers!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Some Personal Reflection
This isn't really about anything, it's more to about getting my thoughts down and thinking about all that I've been through in the past three months.
Kelly says I shouldn't think so much but when you have been an English major for the last three years, you are taught to think about what you have in front of you. Usually it's a text in which I have to go underneath the surface to find meaning. But this time I am digging into myself and realizing that I am so not the same person I was when I left the States back in January.
I'll give you a few examples.
Number one: Independence. When I got into college I thought I had gained some form of independence because I was far from home, I had to depend on myself, and I had to adapt to a new situation. It took some time but I eventually ended up making friends and finding my interests. However, that is nothing compared to what I've done over here. For one thing, I wasn't homesick at all until I ended up getting a Valentine's Day card from my Dad. I took for granted the fact that my Mom and Dad were just a phone call away and they could come get me if I was having a miserable time in my first year of school (and even anytime after that). It's not the same when you're on the other half of the world and your main communication is Skype and Facebook chat, which only occur if the internet doesn't decide to crap out on you. But I think what got me through everything is the fact that I know I am going home. I can always come home. With that in the back of my mind, it allowed me to really open up to this city I have been dreaming of for who knows how long. Which leads to my second example, experience.
I'm from a small town and in high school I wanted to get out. My sister had done it and she seemed happy, I don't know what I couldn't do the same. And hell, I wanted Guilford as my top choice, which ended up becoming a reality and it was the best choice I made in a school. Don't get me wrong, I love New York and it most likely would have been cheaper to go to a state school than to Guilford but I felt that if I stayed in New York, I would never get out and deep down, I wanted to let my adventurous side show and prove to myself that I was capable of leaving the nest. I'm sure my sister and my parents had doubts about how I would get acclimated (I even had my doubts) but I was doing this for a new experience. Again this doesn't compare to any of my experiences over here. I went to two countries where the language barrier was a pain to navigate and I had to deal with issues from people who have different ways of expressing themselves which added to the frustration. However these are the results that came from that: I have started speaking up when I think I am onto something, I don't care what anyone says about me behind my back because in the end all that matters is how I view myself and how I want people who I care about to see me, and I am one strong person when it comes to handling situations. I still need to work on communicating my feelings because I'm such an introvert but that will come with time.
I will add this last little thing: I am not a mind reader and I cannot tell when someone is mad at me so if you have an issue with me, bring it up, we'll talk calmly about it and try to find a solution. Otherwise I am not to blame if you hide your feelings from me. Personally I don't like confrontation myself but I am good at ignoring things and making situations tolerable. If you cannot do the same, then things need to be dealt with.
The fact that I just said all of this brings me to my third example: self-confidence. Like all women I do not have the best self-esteem issues; I never have. Since middle school I always felt body conscious, unworthy, inferior, and pretty much didn't like who I was. In high school it changed but I was still had some issues with myself. After a while I think I started, slowly but surely, seeing myself in a different way. I was running a lot and looking and feeling strong, I was doing a great job at being an editor for the newspaper and found out other agreed as well, and despite all the emotional issues I went through by losing one of my best friends I came out stronger than ever. I feel better about myself than I ever have and it's fantastic to actually admit it. Tieing this back into independence, I feel like I can now rely on myself for most things. I do still need help along the way (and I'm trying hard to still admit it to myself) but I feel confident that once I'm done with college, there isn't anything that I can't handle.
Even though I feel myself growing into a much more mature person, I wouldn't have gotten through most of my hurdles without the help of my family and friends. They were my crutch and I've still had their support the entire time I've been in England. I feel bad when I hear people say that their families are not the greatest and can be dysfunctional most of the time because that has never been the case with my family. Granted my sister and I almost killed each other while we were growing up but then again that is just how siblings are. We quarrel and shout but at the end of the day we would die for each other. Kelly is the person I go to for things most of the time (sorry Mom) now that I'm no longer the annoying little sister and I love seeing how she backs me up and gives me advice that I tend to follow because it almost always works. My parents are the same way and I am pretty open with them on certain topics, which I don't think a lot of people can say but I'm proud to be able to tell them about stuff that is happening in my life because at the end of the day, as long as my sister and I are happy, they have done their job.
Finally, I have the best friends in the entire world. It's been hard to communicate with most of my friends back at home because of the time difference as well as the fact they are busy with their semesters. However I can always count on Molly, my cousin Matt, and Amanda to get me through a lot of stuff. Molly will always be my best friend and confidant because we can go months without speaking and then finally pick up where we left off as if we had just seen each other the other day. That is a friendship that is meant to last and I wouldn't have it any other way. Matt is my second favorite guy (Dad will always be number one) but we've been tight ever since we were babies and can talk about anything (even though he takes forever to answer back on Facebook chat). Finally Amanda is just someone who can make me laugh anytime anywhere, even if it's just a comment on my picture.
I'm also not forgetting the rest of my friends who I love dearly and cannot wait to get back to in April but this is me showing you a glimpse into how I have found the strength to do what I have done. I may have done most of the work but everyone else has given me the shove to actually act on it. There have been those who have impacted my life more than others but everyone I've met and gotten to know has made an impact on me, whether good or bad. The ones who have stayed in my life have shown me that there are people who are worth the effort and think the same about you. So thank you to all of you because you have helped me reach this level I never thought I would get to.
I'm not going to repost this in Facebook because I think a lot of people read this, even those who are here and I feel like I may indirectly hurt someone if they read it so I would rather avoid that altogether. So this is kind of like an early Easter egg for anyone who decides to look at my blog again. Also I'll be writing about my weekend in my next post which deals with how I celebrated St. Patrick's Day UK style and updates about my weekend because it was a lot of fun.
That is enough of my ranting for now but I will probably post another reflection like this at the end of my blog when it is time for me to head home so be prepared for that. Otherwise I will see you next time :)
Cheers!
Kelly says I shouldn't think so much but when you have been an English major for the last three years, you are taught to think about what you have in front of you. Usually it's a text in which I have to go underneath the surface to find meaning. But this time I am digging into myself and realizing that I am so not the same person I was when I left the States back in January.
I'll give you a few examples.
Number one: Independence. When I got into college I thought I had gained some form of independence because I was far from home, I had to depend on myself, and I had to adapt to a new situation. It took some time but I eventually ended up making friends and finding my interests. However, that is nothing compared to what I've done over here. For one thing, I wasn't homesick at all until I ended up getting a Valentine's Day card from my Dad. I took for granted the fact that my Mom and Dad were just a phone call away and they could come get me if I was having a miserable time in my first year of school (and even anytime after that). It's not the same when you're on the other half of the world and your main communication is Skype and Facebook chat, which only occur if the internet doesn't decide to crap out on you. But I think what got me through everything is the fact that I know I am going home. I can always come home. With that in the back of my mind, it allowed me to really open up to this city I have been dreaming of for who knows how long. Which leads to my second example, experience.
I'm from a small town and in high school I wanted to get out. My sister had done it and she seemed happy, I don't know what I couldn't do the same. And hell, I wanted Guilford as my top choice, which ended up becoming a reality and it was the best choice I made in a school. Don't get me wrong, I love New York and it most likely would have been cheaper to go to a state school than to Guilford but I felt that if I stayed in New York, I would never get out and deep down, I wanted to let my adventurous side show and prove to myself that I was capable of leaving the nest. I'm sure my sister and my parents had doubts about how I would get acclimated (I even had my doubts) but I was doing this for a new experience. Again this doesn't compare to any of my experiences over here. I went to two countries where the language barrier was a pain to navigate and I had to deal with issues from people who have different ways of expressing themselves which added to the frustration. However these are the results that came from that: I have started speaking up when I think I am onto something, I don't care what anyone says about me behind my back because in the end all that matters is how I view myself and how I want people who I care about to see me, and I am one strong person when it comes to handling situations. I still need to work on communicating my feelings because I'm such an introvert but that will come with time.
I will add this last little thing: I am not a mind reader and I cannot tell when someone is mad at me so if you have an issue with me, bring it up, we'll talk calmly about it and try to find a solution. Otherwise I am not to blame if you hide your feelings from me. Personally I don't like confrontation myself but I am good at ignoring things and making situations tolerable. If you cannot do the same, then things need to be dealt with.
The fact that I just said all of this brings me to my third example: self-confidence. Like all women I do not have the best self-esteem issues; I never have. Since middle school I always felt body conscious, unworthy, inferior, and pretty much didn't like who I was. In high school it changed but I was still had some issues with myself. After a while I think I started, slowly but surely, seeing myself in a different way. I was running a lot and looking and feeling strong, I was doing a great job at being an editor for the newspaper and found out other agreed as well, and despite all the emotional issues I went through by losing one of my best friends I came out stronger than ever. I feel better about myself than I ever have and it's fantastic to actually admit it. Tieing this back into independence, I feel like I can now rely on myself for most things. I do still need help along the way (and I'm trying hard to still admit it to myself) but I feel confident that once I'm done with college, there isn't anything that I can't handle.
Even though I feel myself growing into a much more mature person, I wouldn't have gotten through most of my hurdles without the help of my family and friends. They were my crutch and I've still had their support the entire time I've been in England. I feel bad when I hear people say that their families are not the greatest and can be dysfunctional most of the time because that has never been the case with my family. Granted my sister and I almost killed each other while we were growing up but then again that is just how siblings are. We quarrel and shout but at the end of the day we would die for each other. Kelly is the person I go to for things most of the time (sorry Mom) now that I'm no longer the annoying little sister and I love seeing how she backs me up and gives me advice that I tend to follow because it almost always works. My parents are the same way and I am pretty open with them on certain topics, which I don't think a lot of people can say but I'm proud to be able to tell them about stuff that is happening in my life because at the end of the day, as long as my sister and I are happy, they have done their job.
Finally, I have the best friends in the entire world. It's been hard to communicate with most of my friends back at home because of the time difference as well as the fact they are busy with their semesters. However I can always count on Molly, my cousin Matt, and Amanda to get me through a lot of stuff. Molly will always be my best friend and confidant because we can go months without speaking and then finally pick up where we left off as if we had just seen each other the other day. That is a friendship that is meant to last and I wouldn't have it any other way. Matt is my second favorite guy (Dad will always be number one) but we've been tight ever since we were babies and can talk about anything (even though he takes forever to answer back on Facebook chat). Finally Amanda is just someone who can make me laugh anytime anywhere, even if it's just a comment on my picture.
I'm also not forgetting the rest of my friends who I love dearly and cannot wait to get back to in April but this is me showing you a glimpse into how I have found the strength to do what I have done. I may have done most of the work but everyone else has given me the shove to actually act on it. There have been those who have impacted my life more than others but everyone I've met and gotten to know has made an impact on me, whether good or bad. The ones who have stayed in my life have shown me that there are people who are worth the effort and think the same about you. So thank you to all of you because you have helped me reach this level I never thought I would get to.
I'm not going to repost this in Facebook because I think a lot of people read this, even those who are here and I feel like I may indirectly hurt someone if they read it so I would rather avoid that altogether. So this is kind of like an early Easter egg for anyone who decides to look at my blog again. Also I'll be writing about my weekend in my next post which deals with how I celebrated St. Patrick's Day UK style and updates about my weekend because it was a lot of fun.
That is enough of my ranting for now but I will probably post another reflection like this at the end of my blog when it is time for me to head home so be prepared for that. Otherwise I will see you next time :)
Cheers!
Monday, March 11, 2013
She Works Hard (But Not for the Money)
I'm just becoming a blogging monster because I can't believe I'm about to update y'all again. This time it's just about my first week at my internship. I told a few people about this already so for those who are seeing this again, sorry, but for anyone who is curious about how my week went, read onward.
So before I came to London, I had to apply for a student visa that allows me to work in the UK (and the process takes forever and stresses you out more than it should). As you can see, I acquired it a week before I left the States and can now happily work at my internship. The sucky part is I can't get paid for it (and it's a 9 to 5:30 job!). Oh well, that's adulthood for you.
As I mentioned previously, my internship is at a post production company called Lucky Cat that is based in the Soho region of London (and an awesome place to work I must add). Their clients work mostly with Channel 4 but sometimes there will be clients from other television networks and their job is to cut together trailers or promos for televisions and movies that will be premiering on the network. This week we had a guy working on a promo for Get Him to the Greek (not the greatest movie but it had some funny parts) and someone else working on one for the show Revenge. There were other small jobs going on at the same time, mostly in the audio suite which was right above my head and because the place is so small, you can hear everything. Sometimes it's cool but after a while you just want to unplug the equipment.
There are around six rooms in total that are used for editing. Three on the main floor and three upstairs but two are main offices for two regulars, Craig who does sound and Jonathan who is an editor. The biggest room is the audio suite (which is amazing inside. Honestly the sound board is huge) and Craig takes great pride in it. Both of them are really nice. Craig always asks how I'm doing and will even give me work out tips because he is a part time personal trainer. Jon doesn't talk to me much but when he opens his mouth I can't stop laughing.
The same goes for everyone else that I work with. They are all extremely nice and I have become really close with Luke, who is also a runner and shares responsibilities with me. He helps me out a lot and we joke around all the time; he's becoming like a big brother in a way. Brad is the other guy I work with and is in the FIE program with me. He attends Temple University in Philly. Unfortunately I only got to work with him for one day because he was sick on Friday and only comes in twice a week as opposed to my three times a week. Still it will be cool to get to know him better as well.
I'm seriously excited to go back on Wednesday because I like going to work, despite having to wake up early. I get a lot of down time when people are working and it allows me to chat with everyone else and there is also a bookcase that has a bunch of books (I'm currently half way through Treasure Island) which I am thankful for because that passes time and even sparks conversation with people who come in and out. Although the fact that I'm not from England interests people too.
For example, one woman came in to do voice over work on Friday and requested a latte. So I delivered it to her and as I handed it to her, she asks where I am from. I hesitate for a second trying to formulate what exactly to tell her but before I can say anything, the next thing out of her mouth is, "Are you Canadian?"
That was definitely a first for me. I never thought I had any kind of accent, not even a New York one. So the fact that this woman thought I sounded Canadian was a complete blind side. I wasn't offended or anything but the inside joke that my friends have here with me is a woman at the airport when we were heading to Barcelona told us to tell British people that we were from Canada because they are nicer to Canadians than Americans. I related this information to the woman, and the two other guys in the room and had them laughing. One of the guys even confirmed that this observation was partly true. The woman explained it was probably because Canada is still part of the UK in a way. Makes sense.
And that isn't even the end of it. When I told my friends this later on, they agreed that I sounded Canadian. Does everyone agree with that? If so, thanks for telling me (sarcasm).
Anyway that is what my first week was like back and with my internship. I honestly have nothing planned for my next entry or what it will be about. I'll probably just shoot the breeze or something or maybe talk about the fact that I have only six weeks until I am back in the States. Who knows. However spring break pictures are up on Facebook so go check them out and give me over a hundred notifications if you please.
Cheers!
So before I came to London, I had to apply for a student visa that allows me to work in the UK (and the process takes forever and stresses you out more than it should). As you can see, I acquired it a week before I left the States and can now happily work at my internship. The sucky part is I can't get paid for it (and it's a 9 to 5:30 job!). Oh well, that's adulthood for you.
As I mentioned previously, my internship is at a post production company called Lucky Cat that is based in the Soho region of London (and an awesome place to work I must add). Their clients work mostly with Channel 4 but sometimes there will be clients from other television networks and their job is to cut together trailers or promos for televisions and movies that will be premiering on the network. This week we had a guy working on a promo for Get Him to the Greek (not the greatest movie but it had some funny parts) and someone else working on one for the show Revenge. There were other small jobs going on at the same time, mostly in the audio suite which was right above my head and because the place is so small, you can hear everything. Sometimes it's cool but after a while you just want to unplug the equipment.
There are around six rooms in total that are used for editing. Three on the main floor and three upstairs but two are main offices for two regulars, Craig who does sound and Jonathan who is an editor. The biggest room is the audio suite (which is amazing inside. Honestly the sound board is huge) and Craig takes great pride in it. Both of them are really nice. Craig always asks how I'm doing and will even give me work out tips because he is a part time personal trainer. Jon doesn't talk to me much but when he opens his mouth I can't stop laughing.
The same goes for everyone else that I work with. They are all extremely nice and I have become really close with Luke, who is also a runner and shares responsibilities with me. He helps me out a lot and we joke around all the time; he's becoming like a big brother in a way. Brad is the other guy I work with and is in the FIE program with me. He attends Temple University in Philly. Unfortunately I only got to work with him for one day because he was sick on Friday and only comes in twice a week as opposed to my three times a week. Still it will be cool to get to know him better as well.
I'm seriously excited to go back on Wednesday because I like going to work, despite having to wake up early. I get a lot of down time when people are working and it allows me to chat with everyone else and there is also a bookcase that has a bunch of books (I'm currently half way through Treasure Island) which I am thankful for because that passes time and even sparks conversation with people who come in and out. Although the fact that I'm not from England interests people too.
For example, one woman came in to do voice over work on Friday and requested a latte. So I delivered it to her and as I handed it to her, she asks where I am from. I hesitate for a second trying to formulate what exactly to tell her but before I can say anything, the next thing out of her mouth is, "Are you Canadian?"
That was definitely a first for me. I never thought I had any kind of accent, not even a New York one. So the fact that this woman thought I sounded Canadian was a complete blind side. I wasn't offended or anything but the inside joke that my friends have here with me is a woman at the airport when we were heading to Barcelona told us to tell British people that we were from Canada because they are nicer to Canadians than Americans. I related this information to the woman, and the two other guys in the room and had them laughing. One of the guys even confirmed that this observation was partly true. The woman explained it was probably because Canada is still part of the UK in a way. Makes sense.
And that isn't even the end of it. When I told my friends this later on, they agreed that I sounded Canadian. Does everyone agree with that? If so, thanks for telling me (sarcasm).
Anyway that is what my first week was like back and with my internship. I honestly have nothing planned for my next entry or what it will be about. I'll probably just shoot the breeze or something or maybe talk about the fact that I have only six weeks until I am back in the States. Who knows. However spring break pictures are up on Facebook so go check them out and give me over a hundred notifications if you please.
Cheers!
Monday, March 4, 2013
It's Good to be Back
So yes spring break is done and I can honestly say I am very happy to be back in South Kensington. As wonderful as Barcelona and Paris were, London has started to feel like home and when I got back, I wanted to jump for joy. It's not so much that I didn't have fun over break because the places I went to were both amazing but I definitely had my eyes opened and it feels as though I've aged at least ten years. Mom and Dad says it's because I'm experienced now. I couldn't agree more.
My last entry was a bit rushed because I had a tour that was about to take off and I really wanted to share how great Barcelona had been so far. I thought I would do the same with Paris but most of my days I was out and about in the city and when I got back to my hostel I was too tired to actually write anything. Seriously, I went to bed around 10:45 the first night and 11:30 subsequently for the rest of my time there. Still I enjoyed being in Paris. Never in my lifetime did I think I would get the chance to visit.
However the toughest part of the whole trip was the language barrier. Between the five of us traveling, there were two semesters of college French and one year of high school French. I remembered a decent amount from French class, mostly vocab but I can't speak sentences and to be honest, I am a perfectionist when it comes to languages. If I can't say it right, then I won't say it at all. I'm always nervous I'll say something wrong and the context will be misinterpreted or I will not know how else to get what I am saying across. Of course it ended up causing problems within my group, especially when two of the five don't know any French whatsoever, so I have to learn how to be a little bit more comfortable when it comes to a country where I know the language a bit more than others.
Although I will say, if I ever end up going back to Paris (and I kind of want to because it's probably a lot nicer in late spring/early summer and there are other things I didn't get the chance to try) I will either need another semester of French under my belt (or Rosetta Stone), a French boyfriend, and either my sister, my best friend, my cousin (or all three) to go with me.
Aside from what was going on with me and my group, I got to do some amazing things I never imagined would be possible. First of all, yeah I went up the Eiffel Tower. I didn't go to the very top because I don't like heights and would have most likely had a panic attack on the elevator ride up there. So I settled for the second floor and still got an enchanting view of the city. Granted the day was overcast and a bit misty, it was still fantastic to be able to be up there. My Mom had done the same when she was younger and when I skyped her, it felt really nice to actually talk about it with her because she has been there and done that (though she was not a fan of the city at all and I can't really blame her). Also, did anyone know that the Eiffel Tower sparkles at night on the hour? It's gorgeous! I still get chills whenever I think about it. Of course being the nerd that I am, whenever I thought of the Eiffel Tower, all I could think about was the scene from the movie Anastasia when they finally make it to Paris and that damn musical number. If you don't know what I'm talking up, look up "Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart" from Anastasia and you'll see what I mean.
Of course the Disney movie references didn't stop there because I visited Notre Dame cathedral. To make you even more jealous, I WENT INSIDE! Holy cow that place is gorgeous and I even lit a candle (2 euros well spent I say) and I even got to hear the bells ring. You can actually go up to the bell tower and take a tour up there but my money supply was running low and I still had Versailles to go to but maybe next time. And judge me all you want here but when we were heading back to the metro, all I could think about was how badly I wanted to watch the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I even compared and contrasted how the church looked in the movie to how it looked when I was right in front of it.
Before I get to Versailles, which is the last big thing I will say in this post, I did go to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa as well as Venus de Milo (I have pictures of both!). However it was too overwhelming for me. At one point I sat down and just stared at a portrait for fifteen minutes just to process what the hell I was doing. You need two days to get through that museum to appreciate it all. I did most of it in two hours and I wanted to get the hell out and never go back. Seriously my brain imploded and it felt as though my energy was completely depleted from my body.
So my last day in Paris ended with a trip to Versailles and it was the best part. Versailles is just outside of Paris and is home to Versailles Palace which was first built by King Louis XIV and last inhabited by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette when the French Revolution broke out. Now I can see why. That place is the epitome of French oppulence. Gold gates, doors ten times my size, fireplaces that use trees instead of logs, an entire wing that was an art gallery filled with sculptures and paintings, and a large garden that was a labyrinth with at least ten different fountains plus the long canal that was in the middle of it all. I bought the Passport ticket which allowed you all of Versailles for 18 euros (a pretty damn good price if you ask me) and it was so worth it! Also, despite the fact the day was chilly and gray, the place still looked magnificent (and the garden wasn't even in bloom!). The gardens were free and open to the public so I saw quite a few people running and felt very jealous. I would love to run around that place; it would be the best long run of my life!
I would love to go back when the garden is completely green and maybe when they have a special event going on, like a concert or fireworks show, which they do have but of course it was a bit too cold for events like that. That was my favorite experience of France and something I definitely wouldn't mind repeating if I were to ever go again.
Paris itself is a gorgeous city, though a little dirty (a lot of the metro stations smelled like urine but I'm sure that was mostly to do with the large number of homeless people who live there) but I think you can find that with any type of city. Go to New York and you have one of the dirtiest cities around. However that shouldn't take away from what it offers you. Not many get the chance to be in a famous city and some probably never will but the fact that you have that chance now, I wouldn't take it for granted. Hell, I got to even see the Moulin Rouge and the cafe from Amelie because I got lucky enough to stay in the Montmarte neighborhood. I'm sure not a lot of people can say they have done that and I am grateful to be one of the few who can.
However I am just so glad to be back in London and I'm glad I don't have anymore immediate travel plans because I need a break. My internship starts on Wednesday and I am super stoked for it. This means I only have seven weeks left of my semester before I'm back in the States. I am excited for home because I miss my parents and I've been mostly homesick for Guilford. I feel sad when I see news about my teammates breaking records and doing work and I can't be there to celebrate with them. I also miss my job at the Sports Info Office and it hurts that I won't be able to say goodbye to a few people who will be graduating that I've worked with for the past two and a half years.
Mostly though, I miss my sister, my best friend Molly and my cousin Matt. I think I finally hit the place where being back in the States is something I want so badly. But at the same time I don't want to leave London. I love it here. I've had such good times already and met wonderful people that I know when April comes I will not want to go home.
So for right now I am completely content to be here as it has become a third home to me (Guilford is my second home). I loved London the moment I stepped off the plane back in January, but it took me an entire week to really appreciate just how much it has become a part of my life.
Just for the record, I do have a lot of pictures from break but I think I'll post them on Facebook if you want to check them out. I can't just pick a few to post here and there are over 200 photos so you might as well hop on over to my page and look at all of them (and they will be up shortly though it might take a day or two depending upon how lazy I am feeling).
Cheers!
My last entry was a bit rushed because I had a tour that was about to take off and I really wanted to share how great Barcelona had been so far. I thought I would do the same with Paris but most of my days I was out and about in the city and when I got back to my hostel I was too tired to actually write anything. Seriously, I went to bed around 10:45 the first night and 11:30 subsequently for the rest of my time there. Still I enjoyed being in Paris. Never in my lifetime did I think I would get the chance to visit.
However the toughest part of the whole trip was the language barrier. Between the five of us traveling, there were two semesters of college French and one year of high school French. I remembered a decent amount from French class, mostly vocab but I can't speak sentences and to be honest, I am a perfectionist when it comes to languages. If I can't say it right, then I won't say it at all. I'm always nervous I'll say something wrong and the context will be misinterpreted or I will not know how else to get what I am saying across. Of course it ended up causing problems within my group, especially when two of the five don't know any French whatsoever, so I have to learn how to be a little bit more comfortable when it comes to a country where I know the language a bit more than others.
Although I will say, if I ever end up going back to Paris (and I kind of want to because it's probably a lot nicer in late spring/early summer and there are other things I didn't get the chance to try) I will either need another semester of French under my belt (or Rosetta Stone), a French boyfriend, and either my sister, my best friend, my cousin (or all three) to go with me.
Aside from what was going on with me and my group, I got to do some amazing things I never imagined would be possible. First of all, yeah I went up the Eiffel Tower. I didn't go to the very top because I don't like heights and would have most likely had a panic attack on the elevator ride up there. So I settled for the second floor and still got an enchanting view of the city. Granted the day was overcast and a bit misty, it was still fantastic to be able to be up there. My Mom had done the same when she was younger and when I skyped her, it felt really nice to actually talk about it with her because she has been there and done that (though she was not a fan of the city at all and I can't really blame her). Also, did anyone know that the Eiffel Tower sparkles at night on the hour? It's gorgeous! I still get chills whenever I think about it. Of course being the nerd that I am, whenever I thought of the Eiffel Tower, all I could think about was the scene from the movie Anastasia when they finally make it to Paris and that damn musical number. If you don't know what I'm talking up, look up "Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart" from Anastasia and you'll see what I mean.
Of course the Disney movie references didn't stop there because I visited Notre Dame cathedral. To make you even more jealous, I WENT INSIDE! Holy cow that place is gorgeous and I even lit a candle (2 euros well spent I say) and I even got to hear the bells ring. You can actually go up to the bell tower and take a tour up there but my money supply was running low and I still had Versailles to go to but maybe next time. And judge me all you want here but when we were heading back to the metro, all I could think about was how badly I wanted to watch the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I even compared and contrasted how the church looked in the movie to how it looked when I was right in front of it.
Before I get to Versailles, which is the last big thing I will say in this post, I did go to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa as well as Venus de Milo (I have pictures of both!). However it was too overwhelming for me. At one point I sat down and just stared at a portrait for fifteen minutes just to process what the hell I was doing. You need two days to get through that museum to appreciate it all. I did most of it in two hours and I wanted to get the hell out and never go back. Seriously my brain imploded and it felt as though my energy was completely depleted from my body.
So my last day in Paris ended with a trip to Versailles and it was the best part. Versailles is just outside of Paris and is home to Versailles Palace which was first built by King Louis XIV and last inhabited by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette when the French Revolution broke out. Now I can see why. That place is the epitome of French oppulence. Gold gates, doors ten times my size, fireplaces that use trees instead of logs, an entire wing that was an art gallery filled with sculptures and paintings, and a large garden that was a labyrinth with at least ten different fountains plus the long canal that was in the middle of it all. I bought the Passport ticket which allowed you all of Versailles for 18 euros (a pretty damn good price if you ask me) and it was so worth it! Also, despite the fact the day was chilly and gray, the place still looked magnificent (and the garden wasn't even in bloom!). The gardens were free and open to the public so I saw quite a few people running and felt very jealous. I would love to run around that place; it would be the best long run of my life!
I would love to go back when the garden is completely green and maybe when they have a special event going on, like a concert or fireworks show, which they do have but of course it was a bit too cold for events like that. That was my favorite experience of France and something I definitely wouldn't mind repeating if I were to ever go again.
Paris itself is a gorgeous city, though a little dirty (a lot of the metro stations smelled like urine but I'm sure that was mostly to do with the large number of homeless people who live there) but I think you can find that with any type of city. Go to New York and you have one of the dirtiest cities around. However that shouldn't take away from what it offers you. Not many get the chance to be in a famous city and some probably never will but the fact that you have that chance now, I wouldn't take it for granted. Hell, I got to even see the Moulin Rouge and the cafe from Amelie because I got lucky enough to stay in the Montmarte neighborhood. I'm sure not a lot of people can say they have done that and I am grateful to be one of the few who can.
However I am just so glad to be back in London and I'm glad I don't have anymore immediate travel plans because I need a break. My internship starts on Wednesday and I am super stoked for it. This means I only have seven weeks left of my semester before I'm back in the States. I am excited for home because I miss my parents and I've been mostly homesick for Guilford. I feel sad when I see news about my teammates breaking records and doing work and I can't be there to celebrate with them. I also miss my job at the Sports Info Office and it hurts that I won't be able to say goodbye to a few people who will be graduating that I've worked with for the past two and a half years.
Mostly though, I miss my sister, my best friend Molly and my cousin Matt. I think I finally hit the place where being back in the States is something I want so badly. But at the same time I don't want to leave London. I love it here. I've had such good times already and met wonderful people that I know when April comes I will not want to go home.
So for right now I am completely content to be here as it has become a third home to me (Guilford is my second home). I loved London the moment I stepped off the plane back in January, but it took me an entire week to really appreciate just how much it has become a part of my life.
Just for the record, I do have a lot of pictures from break but I think I'll post them on Facebook if you want to check them out. I can't just pick a few to post here and there are over 200 photos so you might as well hop on over to my page and look at all of them (and they will be up shortly though it might take a day or two depending upon how lazy I am feeling).
Cheers!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Hola from Barcelona!
I didn't think I would have time to update my blog while on spring break but I found myself with some extra time before my Gaudi tour to catch you up on my time in Barcelona. Considering the fact I don't want to write a long post about my spring break in it's entirety when I am back in London, I might as well break it up into when I'm in which places. However because I didn't bring my laptop and I am currently using one of the computers at my hostel, pictures won't be up until next week.
So since Friday I have been in the gorgeous city of Barcelona, Spain. As always, whenever you are traveling somewhere, the journey itself is always an adventure. We got to Gatwick airport no problem and because we have Brandon who is on crutches, we were escorted to the gate early by a very sweet woman who was originally from Canada. Let me tell you I have never heard anyone say too many bad things about England but she was definitely not the country's biggest fan. She had a lot of mishaps from doctors to dentists to racist neighbors and I think anyone who experiences that would end up being jaded. I haven't had anything like that happen to me but I am also no stranger to the fact that Americans are not very popular with many English people. Teens and young adults love America (and funny enough a lot of people in England love Obama) but from what she told me, elder people don't really give a damn.
After her depressing stories we were finally able to board the plane and the flight was mostly smooth, although I am starting to hate landings more and more because I feel like pilots don't know how to land the plane and it's always very bumpy. Turbulence is not my cup of tea and the main reason why I can't stand flying. However we made it to Barcelona in one piece and that's all that matters. Now it was just a matter of how to get to our hostel and then find something to eat. Thankfully the guy who in special assistance who helped Brandon escorted us to the train station and showed us how to get tickets for the train and the metro. Of course by now everyone was cranky and grumpy because of the long day and the equally long flight that everyone started to get paranoid about being on the wrong train and not knowing where to go. We did end up on the right train and I helped navigate us through the metro and we found the hostel no problem. Still it's hard when you yourself are cranky and in a foreign country where you don't speak the language.
By the way, Barcelona Spanish is entirely different from what I learned in high school. They speak Catalan which is a mix of Spanish, French, and Italian. So there are a few things that I can understand but otherwise I try not to bother. It's been working out okay so far.
The following day we ended up taking a walking tour of the Gothic district which our hostel offers everyday and at first the day started out wet and cold but thankfully the sun came out and it was blue skies for the rest of the day. It was amazing. Also the tour lasted about two hours and then we all decided to walk around even more. By the time we got back to the hostel it was around 5:30 and we had been walking for more than five hours. My legs and hips are still hurting me. However I ended up taking a nice hour long nap before eating dinner and went out for a little bit before falling dead asleep in my bed.
Unfortunately yesterday wasn't as pleasant. Due to a mix of sangria, a weird tasting crunch bar, and inhaling a bit of shisha (it's nothing bad but I would rather not say exactly what that is. Just know it wasn't any type of drug; I don't do those sorts of things) I ended up getting sick the next morning and had a bad pressure headache. I thought I would be okay once I emptied out the contents in my stomach but the headache was so much worse so I had to stay in and sleep. And that sucked because it was warm and sunny out and it was not fair that I had to stay in. I did end up feeling better towards the end of the night and I went to sleep decently early so I can make the most of today.
So I'm feeling really good today and I am ready to take on my last day here. Tomorrow afternoon we fly to Paris for the rest of break and I cannot tell you how happy I am to see that city and all it's sights.
Also if you didn't know, my sister completed the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Orlando yesterday and I couldn't be more proud of her. She is also doing it again with me in 2015 when I don't have school anymore. So if you are friends with her on Facebook or have her number, congratulate her because 13.1 miles is not an easy feat.
That is all I have for now but I am sure you'll hear from me again in Paris!
Cheers!
So since Friday I have been in the gorgeous city of Barcelona, Spain. As always, whenever you are traveling somewhere, the journey itself is always an adventure. We got to Gatwick airport no problem and because we have Brandon who is on crutches, we were escorted to the gate early by a very sweet woman who was originally from Canada. Let me tell you I have never heard anyone say too many bad things about England but she was definitely not the country's biggest fan. She had a lot of mishaps from doctors to dentists to racist neighbors and I think anyone who experiences that would end up being jaded. I haven't had anything like that happen to me but I am also no stranger to the fact that Americans are not very popular with many English people. Teens and young adults love America (and funny enough a lot of people in England love Obama) but from what she told me, elder people don't really give a damn.
After her depressing stories we were finally able to board the plane and the flight was mostly smooth, although I am starting to hate landings more and more because I feel like pilots don't know how to land the plane and it's always very bumpy. Turbulence is not my cup of tea and the main reason why I can't stand flying. However we made it to Barcelona in one piece and that's all that matters. Now it was just a matter of how to get to our hostel and then find something to eat. Thankfully the guy who in special assistance who helped Brandon escorted us to the train station and showed us how to get tickets for the train and the metro. Of course by now everyone was cranky and grumpy because of the long day and the equally long flight that everyone started to get paranoid about being on the wrong train and not knowing where to go. We did end up on the right train and I helped navigate us through the metro and we found the hostel no problem. Still it's hard when you yourself are cranky and in a foreign country where you don't speak the language.
By the way, Barcelona Spanish is entirely different from what I learned in high school. They speak Catalan which is a mix of Spanish, French, and Italian. So there are a few things that I can understand but otherwise I try not to bother. It's been working out okay so far.
The following day we ended up taking a walking tour of the Gothic district which our hostel offers everyday and at first the day started out wet and cold but thankfully the sun came out and it was blue skies for the rest of the day. It was amazing. Also the tour lasted about two hours and then we all decided to walk around even more. By the time we got back to the hostel it was around 5:30 and we had been walking for more than five hours. My legs and hips are still hurting me. However I ended up taking a nice hour long nap before eating dinner and went out for a little bit before falling dead asleep in my bed.
Unfortunately yesterday wasn't as pleasant. Due to a mix of sangria, a weird tasting crunch bar, and inhaling a bit of shisha (it's nothing bad but I would rather not say exactly what that is. Just know it wasn't any type of drug; I don't do those sorts of things) I ended up getting sick the next morning and had a bad pressure headache. I thought I would be okay once I emptied out the contents in my stomach but the headache was so much worse so I had to stay in and sleep. And that sucked because it was warm and sunny out and it was not fair that I had to stay in. I did end up feeling better towards the end of the night and I went to sleep decently early so I can make the most of today.
So I'm feeling really good today and I am ready to take on my last day here. Tomorrow afternoon we fly to Paris for the rest of break and I cannot tell you how happy I am to see that city and all it's sights.
Also if you didn't know, my sister completed the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Orlando yesterday and I couldn't be more proud of her. She is also doing it again with me in 2015 when I don't have school anymore. So if you are friends with her on Facebook or have her number, congratulate her because 13.1 miles is not an easy feat.
That is all I have for now but I am sure you'll hear from me again in Paris!
Cheers!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Oh the Places You'll Go
I know it's been over two weeks since my last post and that is for a number of factors. One, I was getting over a really nasty cold. Two, I had a weekend trip to Stratford-upon-Avon and it was the best trip I've had in my life, and most importantly, I'm just really really lazy. If that isn't a suitable excuse then I had a lot of homework to get done (and I am not kidding about that). I still have a paper to finish for tomorrow but I figured everyone has waited long enough to know how my trip went and to be honest, I can't help but brag at how wonderful it was.
I'll try not to bore you with so many words when I have lots of pictures that can tell you more.
First off, Stratford-upon-Avon is in the English countryside and it is absolutely gorgeous! Granted it was very rainy when I was there but the experience was still spectacular. Also if you don't know already, this is Shakespeare's hometown and the people there will definitely never let you forget that fact. Not to mention the the Royal Shakespeare Company is headquartered there and they put on plays all year round. So the moment I stepped off the train, I was having such a freak out. I like Shakespeare, hence why I chose to take the class over here and getting the chance to be around people who like the same things and were having minor freakouts of their own, made me feel like I had found the perfect place for me.
Anyway, the first night there we were treated to dinner at one of the bed and breakfasts we were staying at. Homemade lasagna and banoffee pie for dessert. Both were amazing and the banoffee pie was the best dessert I have ever had. Just to clarify it's banana and toffee pie that has cream on top, chocolate chips and a graham cracker crust (now don't tell me that doesn't sound like heaven to you). Afterwards we were off to the Royal Shakespeare Company where we saw a production of the Life of Galileo. It was a pretty good play, though I was so tired from the trip and extremely full from dinner that it took a little bit to get into it. However what boggled me the entire performance was the fact that the guy who played Galileo looked so familiar. It wasn't until afterwards when I saw the cast list that it was IAN MCDIARMID! PALPATINE FROM STAR WARS!!
And to rub it in your face just a little more, I GOT TO SPEAK WITH HIM THE NEXT DAY! He was on his break and another girl went with me to congratulate him on the play. We didn't get a picture because he didn't want to be disturbed while he relaxed, which is very understandable but the fact that I got to actually meet this guy and speak words to him was the highlight of my whole trip.
The following day was jam packed with visits to Shakespeare's Birth Place, Hall's Croft, Nash House, Shakespeare's grave, a filling dinner at a pub called the Dirty Duck (where I saw another actor from the play but she was talking to friends), and seeing The Winter's Tale to end off the night. When I got back to my room I was exhausted! Thankfully we were able to sleep in the next morning before heading to Anne Hathaway's cottage (Shakespeare's wife, not the actress) and having afternoon tea before boarding the train back to London.
Let me just say this: I have never eaten so much or drank so much tea in my life. I was full the entire weekend that when I got back I didn't eat dinner. I also must have had at least 10 cups of tea over the course of the trip but it was so worth it! I don't like coffee and the fact that England is big on tea makes it even better.
Here are some pictures from my weekend:
I also made a lot of new friends on this trip who not only share my enjoyment of Shakespeare but other things as well. It also allowed me to get to know my professor a bit more because he is pretty chill and really really funny. Furthermore I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the Royal Shakespeare Company building. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me to take one but my camera died on Saturday (the batteries in the UK suck fyi) so most of the time I was taking pictures on my phone. However since it was really rainy and wet, I didn't want to take it out so much and waste that battery. Also can you blame me for being really into this experience? I thought coming to London was a dream come true but actually being in Shakespeare's hometown and walking the same ground where he walked, as well as his family and not to mention where famous actors have been, was just something I never thought was imaginable. So if you ever come to England, definitely go to this town. Also there is a milkshake shop near the birth place called Blue Cow that has some REALLY good milkshakes and you can mix and match whatever you want. I had the Merchant of Vanilla (vanilla ice cream, milky bar, marshmallows and a few other things) and it was delicious!
So that was my Stratford trip and can you believe that spring break starts Friday? That means I'm already halfway through with my spring semester and I'll be starting my internship when I get back. Oh yeah I almost forgot about that! Half of the semester is classes and the second half is an internship and I was placed with a post-production company located in Soho. I wanted to see if film production was a career path I wanted to follow because I'm torn between wanting to continue writing (such as Journalism) or get into film editing because I like how the process works. I'm glad I get the opportunity to see how this goes because over here, there are a lot of independent companies that work with television and film. The one I was placed with does a lot of things for Channel 4 and MTV. It's a relatively new company called Lucky Cat but everyone seems nice and it looked like a great atmosphere when I went in for my interview. Not sure how I'll handle working 9 to 5:30 three days a week but hey, welcome to the real world.
As for my next trip, I'm heading to Barcelona and Paris for spring break and I'll be leaving Friday afternoon. It's weird to think that by this time next week I'll be in Spain and then jetting off to France. Sometimes I still have to pinch myself because it's hard to believe that I'm actually traveling around Europe. I never thought I would ever get the chance to do this and I'm super excited but also very nervous about being there on my own. Well, not technically on my own, I'll have people with me but I'm pretty much responsible for everything and that is terrifying in itself.
However this is what it means to grow up. At some point or other you have to learn that although you can be in a comfortable environment, whether it is in school with your friends or being at home with your family, you will be placed in uncomfortable situations that you will have to handle on your own and that's what I have been doing for the past two months that I've been here. England is deceivingly similiar to the US. I am still trying to navigate my way around on buses and figure out what food is equivalent of something from back home. It's not easy and there are times I wish my parents could be here to help me out. But then I wouldn't learn anything. Not every day will be smooth and I've finally had my share of rough days here, especially when you have a fever and all you want are your mother's hugs to make you feel better.
I know Barcelona and Paris will have something in store for me and although I'm nervous to find out what that is, I'm also excited to take on this adventure. Hopefully this time I can make my camera last the entire week without the batteries failing. There are just some things about home that you can't help but miss.
Cheers!
I'll try not to bore you with so many words when I have lots of pictures that can tell you more.
First off, Stratford-upon-Avon is in the English countryside and it is absolutely gorgeous! Granted it was very rainy when I was there but the experience was still spectacular. Also if you don't know already, this is Shakespeare's hometown and the people there will definitely never let you forget that fact. Not to mention the the Royal Shakespeare Company is headquartered there and they put on plays all year round. So the moment I stepped off the train, I was having such a freak out. I like Shakespeare, hence why I chose to take the class over here and getting the chance to be around people who like the same things and were having minor freakouts of their own, made me feel like I had found the perfect place for me.
Anyway, the first night there we were treated to dinner at one of the bed and breakfasts we were staying at. Homemade lasagna and banoffee pie for dessert. Both were amazing and the banoffee pie was the best dessert I have ever had. Just to clarify it's banana and toffee pie that has cream on top, chocolate chips and a graham cracker crust (now don't tell me that doesn't sound like heaven to you). Afterwards we were off to the Royal Shakespeare Company where we saw a production of the Life of Galileo. It was a pretty good play, though I was so tired from the trip and extremely full from dinner that it took a little bit to get into it. However what boggled me the entire performance was the fact that the guy who played Galileo looked so familiar. It wasn't until afterwards when I saw the cast list that it was IAN MCDIARMID! PALPATINE FROM STAR WARS!!
And to rub it in your face just a little more, I GOT TO SPEAK WITH HIM THE NEXT DAY! He was on his break and another girl went with me to congratulate him on the play. We didn't get a picture because he didn't want to be disturbed while he relaxed, which is very understandable but the fact that I got to actually meet this guy and speak words to him was the highlight of my whole trip.
The following day was jam packed with visits to Shakespeare's Birth Place, Hall's Croft, Nash House, Shakespeare's grave, a filling dinner at a pub called the Dirty Duck (where I saw another actor from the play but she was talking to friends), and seeing The Winter's Tale to end off the night. When I got back to my room I was exhausted! Thankfully we were able to sleep in the next morning before heading to Anne Hathaway's cottage (Shakespeare's wife, not the actress) and having afternoon tea before boarding the train back to London.
Let me just say this: I have never eaten so much or drank so much tea in my life. I was full the entire weekend that when I got back I didn't eat dinner. I also must have had at least 10 cups of tea over the course of the trip but it was so worth it! I don't like coffee and the fact that England is big on tea makes it even better.
Here are some pictures from my weekend:
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| self explanatory |
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| the street where Shakespeare's Birth Place is located |
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| the actual birthplace |
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| an extremely energetic guy who performed Shakespeare sonnets and skits |
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| letters from Oscar Wilde to Bram Stoker (not Shakespeare related but still really friggin cool!) |
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| best way to exit off a stage |
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| Garden outside Nash's Hall |
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| statue representing Macbeth |
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| can't remember which statue this is but it's cool nonetheless |
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| Statues in the garden of Nash's House each represented a Shakespeare play |
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| Here we go 'round the mulberry tree! |
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| again can't remember which statue this was but it's funky looking (in a good way) |
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| Shakespeare with his muse |
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| the bed and breakfast I stayed in (they also had a very playful black lab named Harry who was adorable!) |
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| church where Shakespeare's grave is held |
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| the inside of the church |
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| again self-explanatory (his wife, daughter, and son-in-law are buried next to him) |
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| Anne Hathaway's cottage |
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Afternoon tea! By the way, scones with clotted cream and jam is the best snack with tea ever invented. Highly recommend you try it. |
I also made a lot of new friends on this trip who not only share my enjoyment of Shakespeare but other things as well. It also allowed me to get to know my professor a bit more because he is pretty chill and really really funny. Furthermore I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the Royal Shakespeare Company building. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me to take one but my camera died on Saturday (the batteries in the UK suck fyi) so most of the time I was taking pictures on my phone. However since it was really rainy and wet, I didn't want to take it out so much and waste that battery. Also can you blame me for being really into this experience? I thought coming to London was a dream come true but actually being in Shakespeare's hometown and walking the same ground where he walked, as well as his family and not to mention where famous actors have been, was just something I never thought was imaginable. So if you ever come to England, definitely go to this town. Also there is a milkshake shop near the birth place called Blue Cow that has some REALLY good milkshakes and you can mix and match whatever you want. I had the Merchant of Vanilla (vanilla ice cream, milky bar, marshmallows and a few other things) and it was delicious!
So that was my Stratford trip and can you believe that spring break starts Friday? That means I'm already halfway through with my spring semester and I'll be starting my internship when I get back. Oh yeah I almost forgot about that! Half of the semester is classes and the second half is an internship and I was placed with a post-production company located in Soho. I wanted to see if film production was a career path I wanted to follow because I'm torn between wanting to continue writing (such as Journalism) or get into film editing because I like how the process works. I'm glad I get the opportunity to see how this goes because over here, there are a lot of independent companies that work with television and film. The one I was placed with does a lot of things for Channel 4 and MTV. It's a relatively new company called Lucky Cat but everyone seems nice and it looked like a great atmosphere when I went in for my interview. Not sure how I'll handle working 9 to 5:30 three days a week but hey, welcome to the real world.
As for my next trip, I'm heading to Barcelona and Paris for spring break and I'll be leaving Friday afternoon. It's weird to think that by this time next week I'll be in Spain and then jetting off to France. Sometimes I still have to pinch myself because it's hard to believe that I'm actually traveling around Europe. I never thought I would ever get the chance to do this and I'm super excited but also very nervous about being there on my own. Well, not technically on my own, I'll have people with me but I'm pretty much responsible for everything and that is terrifying in itself.
However this is what it means to grow up. At some point or other you have to learn that although you can be in a comfortable environment, whether it is in school with your friends or being at home with your family, you will be placed in uncomfortable situations that you will have to handle on your own and that's what I have been doing for the past two months that I've been here. England is deceivingly similiar to the US. I am still trying to navigate my way around on buses and figure out what food is equivalent of something from back home. It's not easy and there are times I wish my parents could be here to help me out. But then I wouldn't learn anything. Not every day will be smooth and I've finally had my share of rough days here, especially when you have a fever and all you want are your mother's hugs to make you feel better.
I know Barcelona and Paris will have something in store for me and although I'm nervous to find out what that is, I'm also excited to take on this adventure. Hopefully this time I can make my camera last the entire week without the batteries failing. There are just some things about home that you can't help but miss.
Cheers!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Busy Bee
Before I get into the new post, there was something I forgot to mention in my last one and I feel like I have a right to brag about this a little bit. For those of you who don't know, my middle name is Wendy after my maternal grandmother. Peter Pan has been a big part of my Grandmom's family because my great grandma Toots was in a production of the play and J.M. Barrie created the name Wendy. I was very lucky that my program placed me in South Kensington, near Kensington Gardens where the Peter Pan statue resides. It was my mission to find it, not only for me, but for my Grandmom and on a run in the snow, I ended up finding it. I can't post the picture here because I took it on my iPhone but if you want to see it, it's up on Facebook. I was glad that I ended up making her happy and on a more sunnier (and hopefully warmer) day, I'll go back and find a picture to post on here.
Anyway, onwards we go!
This week has been the busiest I've had because it's been filled with class field trips, seeing plays, a late night foam party, and wandering around the city. Where to start? How about with my field trip to the BBC Studios?
One of the classes I'm taking over here is called Media in Britain where we discuss British broadcasting, such as television and radio, as well as film. It meets on Tuesdays once a week and last week we had our trip to BBC Studios. It was the last week the BBC would be in its building because they were moving to central London, therefore we were being given the last tour. It was absolutely amazing! We were able to see the main room where every news piece was being broadcasted and people sitting at their desks watching computer monitors. Our guide told us their average work day is about nine or more hours long and by the time we were there, everyone had been working for at least three. Sounds really rough but when you are the biggest broadcasting company in the world, those are the breaks.
However that wasn't the most exciting part for me. Before we entered the studio, there was a very familiar blue box outside of the building and my crazy fan girl persona squealed in major delight. It was back in May when I got into Doctor Who and BBC airs the episodes so I found it extremely fitting to take a picture with the TARDIS.
FYI, TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Mock me all you want, I am not ashamed of being a Who fan and a good portion of my motivation on taking a picture with the TARDIS was to make my equally Doctor Who crazy cousin extremely jealous, so eat your heart out Matthew McCarthy!
Of course it would have made the day a lot sweeter if the Doctor himself, Matt Smith, had been present but he wasn't. However two girls in my afternoon class met him on the Tube and got his autograph so I'm very bitter about that but maybe I'll get lucky and spot my favorite Doctor, David Tennant. Here's to hoping!
So that was Tuesday. Wednesday was a little more chaotic. I had to find my way to the Fulham Football stadium (by myself I might add) because I had a ticket for the evening match against West Ham. Getting there went smoother than I thought. Thankfully most British people are avid football fans and I was able to follow the large crowd to my destination. If you want to know just how big the crowd was, here's a parallel. In the movie Modern Times, with Charlie Chaplin, there is a scene in the beginning where you see a herd of sheep being clumped together as they try to move and then it dissolves into a similar picture but this time of men bustling out of the subway to get to work. That is pretty much how it was from the Tube to the stadium. Also if my film professor ever sees this post, at least you know one student really paid attention in class.
Okay so aside from comparing the crowd to a movie scene, the stadium itself was huge and loud. Once the match was underway, you heard all kinds of chanting from both the Fulham and West Ham crowds. This was the first legit football game I have ever been to. Before this my football was limited to me playing from ages four to 10 and being the ball girl at my sister's matches in high school, so it was interesting to see how different the atmosphere was. Also I've never heard so much swearing in my life. The men in front of me were particularly amusing and I've also learned that the British love to use the F-word more than any other swear word.
Anyway, onwards we go!
This week has been the busiest I've had because it's been filled with class field trips, seeing plays, a late night foam party, and wandering around the city. Where to start? How about with my field trip to the BBC Studios?
One of the classes I'm taking over here is called Media in Britain where we discuss British broadcasting, such as television and radio, as well as film. It meets on Tuesdays once a week and last week we had our trip to BBC Studios. It was the last week the BBC would be in its building because they were moving to central London, therefore we were being given the last tour. It was absolutely amazing! We were able to see the main room where every news piece was being broadcasted and people sitting at their desks watching computer monitors. Our guide told us their average work day is about nine or more hours long and by the time we were there, everyone had been working for at least three. Sounds really rough but when you are the biggest broadcasting company in the world, those are the breaks.
However that wasn't the most exciting part for me. Before we entered the studio, there was a very familiar blue box outside of the building and my crazy fan girl persona squealed in major delight. It was back in May when I got into Doctor Who and BBC airs the episodes so I found it extremely fitting to take a picture with the TARDIS.
FYI, TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Mock me all you want, I am not ashamed of being a Who fan and a good portion of my motivation on taking a picture with the TARDIS was to make my equally Doctor Who crazy cousin extremely jealous, so eat your heart out Matthew McCarthy!
Of course it would have made the day a lot sweeter if the Doctor himself, Matt Smith, had been present but he wasn't. However two girls in my afternoon class met him on the Tube and got his autograph so I'm very bitter about that but maybe I'll get lucky and spot my favorite Doctor, David Tennant. Here's to hoping!
So that was Tuesday. Wednesday was a little more chaotic. I had to find my way to the Fulham Football stadium (by myself I might add) because I had a ticket for the evening match against West Ham. Getting there went smoother than I thought. Thankfully most British people are avid football fans and I was able to follow the large crowd to my destination. If you want to know just how big the crowd was, here's a parallel. In the movie Modern Times, with Charlie Chaplin, there is a scene in the beginning where you see a herd of sheep being clumped together as they try to move and then it dissolves into a similar picture but this time of men bustling out of the subway to get to work. That is pretty much how it was from the Tube to the stadium. Also if my film professor ever sees this post, at least you know one student really paid attention in class.
Okay so aside from comparing the crowd to a movie scene, the stadium itself was huge and loud. Once the match was underway, you heard all kinds of chanting from both the Fulham and West Ham crowds. This was the first legit football game I have ever been to. Before this my football was limited to me playing from ages four to 10 and being the ball girl at my sister's matches in high school, so it was interesting to see how different the atmosphere was. Also I've never heard so much swearing in my life. The men in front of me were particularly amusing and I've also learned that the British love to use the F-word more than any other swear word.
I ended up meeting with Brandon and his sporting class and followed them so I didn't have to go back by myself. It took an hour and a half to get home because of the nearby Tube station having too much traffic and then going in the wrong direction three times. Still it was an overall fun time and I would be open to going to another match but maybe an Arsenal or Chelsea match to mix it up a bit.
Speaking about getting lost, Thursday evening I had to go north of South Kensington to this small pub that had a production of Twelfth Night and it was in a residential area in Kentish Town, a little bit further than Camden Town. That was an adventure in itself. First off, I left around 6:40 and got on the Piccadilly Line ten minutes later. It stopped twice to even out gap times between the itself and the train in front of it. By the time I got to the Northern Line, it was 7:15, which meant I had 15 minutes until the play started. The Northern Line was worse with stops and when I finally got to Kentish Town, it was 7:29. Thankfully I knew what street to go to and once I cleared the exit of the station, I shot off like a bullet. Made it within three minutes and still had a little bit of time before the play started. These are the times where I'm so thankful I am a runner.
The play was hilarious and the actors were brilliant considering the fact I was up close and personal with a lot of them (and it didn't hurt that Orsino and Sir Toby were some pretty good looking guys). Just to make this clear, this was for my Shakespeare class so I had to go and I'm glad I did. We have another show to attend Monday evening but this one is a promenade. We are put into small groups and walk through. I can't wait to tell you all about that.
Weekends here I love because I get to do anything I want, whether it is going to local markets where all the food is amazing and you can buy goods at a very reasonable price. One market I can't wait to go back to is Partridges because it had freshly made fudge, pies, confectionary, and vendors selling jams, popcorn, and curd (which is really really good. It's essentially jam but with butter and eggs. So creamy!). I'll be sending home some raspberry flavored curd before I leave here and no one is allowed to touch it until I'm back at home.
Here are a few pictures of the market
One last thing before I go. Last night a few of the girls and myself went to a foam party at a club in Elephant & Castle, just across the river near the London Eye and it was a lot of fun. We were covered in glow sticks and even got free t-shirts. When it came time to leave, we were all soaking wet and had to figure out the bus route to get back home. The one that would have gone to South Kensington was not in service so we jumped onto one heading for Trafalgar Square. Thankfully we had a very nice bus driver who promised to help us figure a way back home and when it came to the end of his route, he called over a manager who then escorted us to the right bus to take. By then I was absolutely freezing and my feet were completely numb (it also didn't help that they were still covered in foam) so when I got to my room, I changed into sweatpants, cranked the heat, and fell right asleep. I nearly didn't go last night but I was glad I was kind of coerced into going because I had a freaking awesome time.
Just a warning I may not be posting until after next Sunday because I'll be in Stratford-upon-Avon for a study tour and I want to include that in my next post because I'll have a lot of pictures and, most likely, stories I will want to share. So be on the lookout for next post and I hope you enjoyed this one.
Cheers!
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