Epic Update

This posting is evidence of two things:
1) I must stop trying to cram all of London into a short period of time...I will be here for months
2) I must update my blog more often so that I do not give my followers a headache. I apologize in advance!

Thursday 14th January 2010
On Thursdays we have two classes. First is Art in London, The Global City with Kathy Adler. the class is fantastic! Every weel we hold class in a different gallery around London. We keep a journal of all that we see and talk aboutwhice we will turn in at the end of the term and get to keep it as a memory of all the beautiful art we saw while in London. Our first trip was to the National Portrait Gallery which is in Trafalgar Square. Before we went into the gallery, we walked around for a bit in the square, which is amazing! We went inside the curch called St. Martin's In the Field. The Church is beautiful with grand ceilings, statues...the architecture is jaw-dropping. The church has a very impressive history. There is one balcony for admiralty and another for royalty. A king was once a warden of this church, but he rarely fulfilled his duties (I guess he was a little busy). The church is named "in the fields" because it literally used to be in the middle of the country side. This is hard to believe because it is such a bustling place now in the center of London.

Outside the church is Trafalgar Square with a large statue of Nelson and many other war heroes. Nelson's statue is so high up that he looks tiny. In actuality, he is seven times the size of a real man! On one side of the square is the National Gallery (different from the National Portrait Gallery). We didn't go inside, but we soon will I am sure. Outside of the National to the right is a small statue of George Washington donated to England by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Because the British did not wish to put our good ole' George on their soil, they had Virgnian soil shipped over and put him on that instead! A truly British thing to do.

Inside the Protrait Gallery we got to see the newest portrait of Prince Harry and Prince Edward in their military uniforms. I love all the references to kings, queens, princes, princesses, lords, ladies...it makes me feel like I am living in a land of fairy tales. For class we looked at an exhibition of a competition of modern portrait photography. It was pretty good, but I look forward to going back and taking a look at some of the other exhibits inside.

After the art class, we have British Imperial Worlds, a history class with Professor Fae Dussart. Her focus of studies is the 19th Ce, which is good for me because it is my favorite time period of British history (largely because of my love for Jane Austen, Doyle, Dickens, Bronte, and other Victorian writers). It should be a great class!

On Thursday evening, we had a private tour of the British Museum as part of our London Experience class (which is a series of field trips for one credit hour). Our tour guide was Sam Moorhead, a UNC alum and top historian at the museum. I felt very privileged to have such a prestigious guide! He loves UNC and says that going there is the best decision that he has ever made...Sam and I have a lot in common ;) He loves to help out and get to know as many Tar Heels as possible. He wants to give us another tour and has arranged for us to be allowed inside the ropes at Stonehenge!

Friday 15 January 2010
Another eventful day! In the morning, we had a walking tour of Wesminister. We started in Bedford Place and walked back down through Trafalgar Square, to the Horse Guard, through Green Park and St. James' Park, to Buckingham Palace, Westminister Abbey, Parliament, and ending at Big Ben. Needless to say, my feet were very sore. However, I hardly noticed because I was constantly walking around with my mouth open in awe. I actually walked into a lamp post because I was so busy looking up that it sneaked up on me. Don't worry, no bruises! The tour was great for getting a taste of some of the amazing sites and figuring out where I would like to return (which is everywhere). I enjoyed a lot of the info that the guide gave us about King Charles. When he was beheaded after the British Civil war, his head was sewn back on so that he could be buried at I think it was St. Paul's Cathedral. Another very British thing to do. In front of Parliament is a statue of Cromwell who lead the revolution and ruled in between Charles I and Charles II. Directly across from this statue is a bust of Charles I mounted on the side of the building. The two of them are literally staring each other down. Very tongue and cheek.

Later that day, I met up with my friend Erin who was visiting London on a few days lay over before she headed to Eastern Europe for her study abroad program. It was nice to see a familiar face over here where everything else is so new! We ended up walking the exact same route that I had earlier that day and I felt like a pro spouting out all of my tour guide information as we walked around. I am starting to get the hang of things down here and can get around pretty well. The more touring that we do the less I feel like I am in a maze. Which is why on Saturday we took a bus tour....

Saturday 16 January
Our bus tour was called "The Original London Tour" and covers all of the major sites. You can hop off the bus whenever you like and hop back on when you are done exploring that area. In the winter they give you a deal and you can use your ticket for 48 hours and get free cruise down the Thames. The bus is double decker, which is fun and terrifying at the same time. We definitely did a lot more walking than riding! Another example of my overly-ambitious site-seeing goals. I have calmed down a bit since this weekend so that I won't burn out before we even get started! Our first hop off was at Covent Gardens. We saw the market there and a street performer who rode a unicycle while juggling and telling jokes. It was a quality show! Very funny. I have many pictures and a video or two that I will be happy to share as soon as I get around to uploading the 250 pictures that I have already taken to my computer.

Our next stop was at St. Paul's Cathedral. One thing I find quite odd is that most museums are free but several churches charge for admission. A bit backwards if you ask me...However, St. Paul's is definitely worth going back to and paying for a tour. It is breathtakingly beautiful. I literally gasped when I walked inside. It has so much history too! I love home, but the United States seems like an infant compared to all I have seen here. From there we walked across the Millenium Bridge and saw Shakespeare's Globe Theater. I got a bit lost on our searc for the bus stop, but when I finally made it there the rest of the group and I were glad to be sitting down. We rode the bus across the Gate Bridge and the London Tower and back up to Trafalgar Square. It was great to get out and around and again I found about a MILLION more things that I want to do. I am glad that I have so much time to spend here!

Sunday was Jessica's birthday, but we decided to celebrate on Saturday. We went to Sports Cafe (which is quickly becoming a favorite!) and watched the Tar Heel basketball game versus Georgia Tech. Talk about absolute nail biter and disappointment. Though those baby heels will grow up soon, I am sure! They probably just miss me being in the stands ;) Erin was with us watching the game, so the loss definitely lost some of its sting. Im hoping things will turn around soon so staying up to strange hours in the evening doesn't exhaust AND depress me. Though I find it hard to be too sad in the lovely city with such great friends. My roommates and I get along so well and I am incredibly grateful to be in such a great living situation. Couldn't have worked out better! Katherine and Mary Katherine are great! We giggle all the time and are constantly having sing alongs...we already have so many inside jokes with each other and the rest of our program that I feel like we have known each other forever!

Sunday 17 January 2010
When I woke up on Sunday I literally jumped out of bed and ran to the window. The sun was shining and the sky was beautiful Carolina blue! Sunday was the first and only time that I have seen the sun and blue sky since we arrived over a week ago. It put me in a good mood all day and I used it to the best of my advantage.

I hopped back on the bus with my friends and rode around different parts of London. I made it over to Hyde Park, Harrod's, Kensington Gardens and Palace, and much more...Today we stayed on the bus (I don't think our feet could have handled it any other way) but it was worth it because we got to sit at the top of the open air bus and take everything in. It felt like a gray lid had been lifted from on top of the city and fresh air and energy could come in and finally get us some vitamin d!

We used up every part of the sunny day that we could. Around sunset, we all got on a boat for a cruise down the Thames. We started at Parliament and ended at Tower Bridge. Its a short cruise, but definitely worth it. You get a new view point of some of the most fantastic sites in London and our guide was hilarious.

Monday18 January 2010
On Monday, I finally slowed down a bit. In the morning, we had a tour of BBC's historical Bush House as part of our London Experience class. It's not open to the public, so it was special to go inside. It was pretty neat to get to see how the radio station works from an insider's view. We saw a live studio, the work room, and recorded our own little bit via a mobile phone and edited it for the radio. BBC is massive, with several buildings in the city. The Bush House holds the World Service, so the range of news is gigantic and very impressive.

The rest of the day was full of rest and relaxation, which is a definite change of pace. It felt good to finally chill out for a bit. Katherine, Mary Katherine, and I cooked dinner for each other and Doug. We made a delicious chicken and pasta dish and it tasted even better because we knew that we had made it! There are several pictures documenting the process which I hope to share soon.

Stay tuned for further adventures!!

So I should just preface this post with the fact that I no longer think that it is possible for me to write down everything that I have done and everywhere I have been! I will do my best...I have done so much already and it hasn't even been a week. I LOVE it here. Just try to get me to come home (just kidding Mom and Dad).

On the 12th, we had our first day of classes. Every Tuesday I have "The Art of Listening to Music: Public Performance in London." We have lecture for a bit and then head out into London to hear a free concert. They have free concerts during the lunch hours at various places around London. Did I mention that I love this place?? We heard a string quartet and then a quintet with a clarinet at St. George the Martyr Church in Holborn. This concert was in a direction that I have not walked down yet, so it was nice to explore some more.

I think that the best thing that I have decided to do is to be about and and about around London as much as possible. I have been cramming my days in with exploring and wandering. I feel that no matter how long I spend walking around I will never see it all. But I am going to try!! I can already feel my leg muscles...my calves hate me right now. At the end of the day I am so sore that I can hardly move but that makes me happy. Every day I can go longer without feeling like I am going to drop. Chapel Hill feels as big as a postage stamp compared to here!

After class on Tuesday, my roommate Katherine and I hopped over to the British Museum to get a feel for it. It is around the corner from our flat so I hope to be able to become well aquainted with it. Its a good thing that I started early, because that is going to be QUITE the task. My tour book recommended to take one exhibit at a time in order to really get everything out of it and more than one person has suggested going in for a bit each day, even if it is only for a few minutes. On Tuesday we chose the smallest section and couldn't even get all the way through that! I looked at the first floor of the Ancient Egypt Exhibit. It was absolutely incredible. You must go to this museum...its unlike anything I have ever been too. I got to see the Rosetta Stone! I felt like my history textbooks had moved off the page and I was walking around in everything that I have learned and seen pictures of.

Today we had a private tour with one of the top people at the museum who is a UNC alum. We hit a few key points around the museum and it was great because he had uncovered and worked with most of the things that he pointed out! An absolutley briliant bloke, Sam Moorhead. I can't wait until he shows us around again soon! So much more to see...

Wednesday's classes weren't quite as intriguing but I am going to blame that on the jet lag. Yesterday was the worst in terms of jet lag (the culmination of many nights with little sleep finally hit me yesterday). Today I feel like my clock is pretty much reset so hopefully those days are behind me. It would certainly help if the sun came up! I haven't seen it since we got here. That's right...6 DAYS WITHOUT SUN. And it looks like it may not come up for a week. Its worth it though, the sights make up for the clouds and rain. I may be Vitamin D deficient though.

After class Mary Katherine, Beatrice, Doug and I discovered an OUTSTANDING Thai restaurant in SoHo that was not far from our flat. London is the most multicultural city in the world and you can get food from all over the world that tastes like it was home-made in their countries of origin. The Thai was the best I ever had and SoHo isn't far from China Town...I think I will try that next. I believe it when they say that there are more people from around the world here than in any other place. I have heard as much French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, German, Russian, and more than I have heard English!

Also, yesterday I went with Doug and saw a play called War Horse. It was absolutely brilliant and fantastic and amazing. It's based on a book by Michael Morpurgo and was adapted to the stage by Nick Stafford. I did the standby liine and we almost didn't go because of the price. I am SO glad that we turned around and went inside. I teared up several times during the performance and was dying to give a standing ovation. It is about a cavalry horse from England during WWI and how the relationship between man and horse affected men from both sides of the war. Our Shakespeare professor said that she has seen it four times already and I can understand why. I would go and see it again in a heartbeat. I can't wait for more London theater that is coming my way...next up is hopefully The Misanthrope with Keira Knightly. We also get to see several plays as part of our program.

Had many more adventures today and will soon be having more tomorrow...it's getting late here (5hr difference is A LOT), so stay tuned....

Orientation, orientation., orientation!

Today was quite a day! We started very early this morning (around 8am GMT), and it felt even earlier because of jet lag. Last night I went to bed at 4am GMT because it felt like 11pm to us Yanks. It also didn't help that we trekked out to Picadilly Circus to the one place that plays all sorts of American sports in the cold. It really woke me up! Unfortunately, the website was not accurate and it was closing after the last NFL game of the night. I had about an inch of slushy ice-snow melted on my hair! But, as the group says after every slip-up, it was a memory! And now I know how to get there for the next ball game...

Last night I had my first experience with British late night television...all I have to say is that they DEFINITELY have seriously different television standards. I was shocked!!! Sometimes, because of all the American stores and products that are here, I don't always realize that I am across the pond. While watching that late night show (before we hastily changed the channel), there was no doubt in my mind about where I was.

Today's theme was orientation! When went over to Winston House, which is the builiding that UNC owns. It is absolutely beautiful and I can't believe that it is actually where I get to take classes. As an English major who is used to Greenlaw, it is definitely a pleasant change of scenery. We also received a tour of the University of London student Union (the ULU). Our lovely tour guide was not too keen of anything American. American football makes him sleep, he thought that UNC was extravagant for having its own building, and said that we don't appreciate real football enough. Pleasant fellow, he was! For the most part, people are really friendly and interested. I am just going to wright Mosh off as bitter for not being a Tar Heel ;)

Afterwards we went over to the British library. Between the sleep deprivation and jet lag, I really didn't appreciate it as much as I could have. We had a guided tour that was over 2 hours long and not quite on point. He was fascintate with the digital library that the library has been compiling in order to save space. I was more interested in the actualy texts, as was the rest of my program. We plan on returning and getting a library card (which is free!!) and going through several more times to really get the feel of it. It is intimidating and a bit overwhelming, but AMAZING! It is the 3rd largest library in the world, but definitely "the greatest" according to the Brits ;) The Magna Carta, the Gutenburg Bible, Shakespeare's handwritten drafts, the Beatles music, and so so much more are all in there! The world's largest book, the world's smallest book, and every book in the English language that exists today is part of the museum. They receive around 8,000 new books every day! I am still having a hard time imagining that...

This evening we went to dinner with our professor, his wife, and the Winston House facilities manager. The manager is only a few years older than us, and afterwards hung out with us for a bit. We ate British pot pies and had bread pudding for dessert at the Newman Arms. Whoever said that British food is terrible never ate there! Afterwards, we went to a pub on the street that Virginia Woolf and many of her contemporaries and other writers lived and wrote. The craziest thing happened there...I met a girl who overheard that I was from Virginia when me and one of my roommates where in the loo. She asked me where in VA I am from. It turns out that we are from the same town, went to the same high school, had the same principal, and she knew and played in the orchestra with my older sister. Imagine that! In the bottom floor restrooms in a random pub in London a fellow Warhawk! What a small world! London is the most international city in the world, and I believe it! I feel like I hear as much French, German, Spanish, Swedish, etc. as I do English. I hope that they think my accent is as cool as I think their's are :)

First day of classes tomorrow! Music class at 11:30 and then the rest of the day free to explore. What a life!

Day 1: Jet Lag

The best way to describe today is fuzzy. I arrived this morning at 7am GMT (2am EST). I had hoped to get some sleep on the plane, but the German snorer next to me had other things in mind. However, Virgin Atlantic is an amazing air line and overall I enjoyed the flight. Once I was through customs I grabbed a trolley, stacked my suitcases, met some of my classmates, hopped on a train, got in a cab, picked up the keys to my flat...you get the idea. Needless to say, I was clutching my coca cola wandering if I could somehow consume it intravenously. Instead, I unpacked and broke the rule of jet lag and took a nap. The whole day has been a blur and I cannot wrap my head around the fact that it is only 8:12pm. My roommates and I are hanging on as best we can to make it to 10pm...its a struggle.

Today I have seen glimpses of what I have to look forward to. Over fish and chips, some of my classmates and I talked about all the places to which we hope to travel. Every time somebody says "I want to...." I find myself, without fail, replying "me too." Because my brain is not firing on all cylinders right now, I am not ENTIRELY sure of what I have signed up for. However, I do know that I am excited about all of it. I will figure out exactly what I am doing when my brain no longer feels like it has been stomped on.

Great day. Fuzzy, but great. Tomorrow should be a little more in focus and it will only get better from here!

Cheerio! (somebody actually said that to me today. I felt like I was in a British movie, and then I had to remind myself that I am actually in England).

I'm leaving on a jet plane

Tomorrow is the day! I'm off to London, leaving tomorrow evening and arriving early Saturday morning. I can't wait to start writing about actual adventures (instead of in anticipation of adventures). My guide books are packed and ready to go and so is the rest of my stuff...or at least most of what I am supposed to have already packed. It really wouldn't be me if I didn't procrastinate. Let's hope that I don't forget anything too important because I seem to have a tendency to do that...I once left for a week without my glasses. If you know me, you would know that those are pretty essential (blind as a bat without 'em).

London here I come! Cheers!