My Life in London

Breaking news

2011-07-19T12:58:00.001-07:00

Read my latest blog here:

http://breakingnewzfromsamandmerrl.blogspot.com/

Cheerio.

2010-08-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

I woke up in London at 6 a.m., to knock on Tori’s door and make sure she was up to catch her bus. She wasn’t. She came running out, and I grabbed one of her suitcases for her and raced out the door with her, looking like hell. Then I hurried back upstairs, before anyone got a good look at me, and went back to sleep until 7 a.m., when I woke up to finish packing. I soon knocked on Liz’s door, to make sure she was up and packing (She hadn’t started the night before.) She jumped up all flustered asking what time it was… I don’t know what these loons would have done without me as their alarm clock.

When I got to the airport in London, I checked in and went through security and all that. Then while I was waiting to board, I got called up to the front desk. “Samantha Scott, please come to the check-in desk.” I nervously walked over there, and they told me they were moving my seat. Instead of being in the last row, crammed in the middle seat, I got moved to the front row. Not in first class but right behind the curtain of the first class. Why do they put up the curtain? Can we not even look at the first class folks? Anyway, I had lots of leg room and bragged to the other British Studies students about it as they walked by. “I’ve got a whole dance floor to myself up here. Come visit me during the flight and we’ll have a dance party.”

During the flight, which seemed way longer than the flight over to London, I watched a movie and made some lists… and cried a little. I made a list of things I’ll do when I go back to London someday: Shakespeare’s Globe, Courtauld Gallery, Notting Hill, Hampstead, and Ladbroke Grove; and I made a list of places I want to visit next: Greece, Ireland, Australia, and some others.

And, I started a list of little pointers/recommendations for future British Studiers: (I’ll expand it and maybe publish it in The Printz. Or just ask me for it.)

- Don’t bring more than three pairs of shoes. I wasted room on shoes. I only needed my Keds, my sandals and my semi-dressy flats.

- Plan mini-break ahead of time. They tell you to wait until you get there, but don’t.

- Get the unlimited weekly Oyster Card each week in London.

- Buy Rick Steves’ London guidebook and use it. Bring it with you everywhere.

- Get high tea at the Orangery in Kensington.

- Tour Westminster Abbey.

- Watch the Changing of the Guard. Get there no later than 10.

- Go see Billy Elliot.

In Rome (aside from seeing the basics):

- Eat at Hostaria Pizzeria on Via Nazionale.

- Eat lunch in Travestere.

- Eat San Crispino gelato, near Trevi Fountain or the Pantheon.

Anyway, when I got off the plane in New Orleans, I saw my dad first, then Mom’s frantic hand waving, then Tyler and Trevor. I thought only Mom was going; I was especially surprised that Dad was awake so long past his bedtime. (My plane landed at 11:20 p.m.) I waved my British flag as I walked up and then hugged them all. After the initial hellos, my mom said she was glad to see I wasn’t obese after all the gelato I ate in Rome. You’re probably just as surprised as she is, but with all the walking I did, no worries. However, if gelato was on the corner of every block in Mandeville or Hattiesburg, we’d have a problem. But it’s not. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.

I babbled the whole way home and then handed out souvenirs when we got back. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and when I walked out of my room this morning, my four little cousins were hiding in the living room, waiting patiently for me. They popped out from behind the couch and yelled, “Welcome home, Sam!” I love them. Then I had a dentist appointment, and I told the dentist and dental hygienist about my trip, too.

I have a feeling I’ll be talking about this for a long time. Most likely for the rest of my life. And I plan to start saving up now for another trip abroad someday. As soon as I choose my destination, I’m going to buy Rick’s book for it. And I’ll blog again, because I’ve had so much fun telling you about this trip. Thank you for reading.

And until next time… Arrivederci, ciao, and cheerio.

The Orangery.

2010-07-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

I just finished (almost) packing up my room; I'm saving the last little bit for the morning. I can't believe I'm going home tomorrow. This has been the fastest month of my life.

I took my final this morning. I was the last one finished, as usual. Then I ate lunch in the kitchen, then went with Tori to Hard Rock Cafe (the original) and then we went to tea! We went to Kensington Gardens, to this place called the Orangery. I wish we'd discovered the place before our last day here. It was so cute, and the food was to die for. After tea, we attempted to find Ladbroke Grove, the setting for these two books I read recently. But that tube was closed and therefore we went to Covent Garden instead. We shopped around and then came back for dinner. We were going to start packing and get in bed early, but there was a going-away party at the pub tonight, and everyone noticed our absence. So after many texts, we decided to abandon our plans and go to the pub for a while. I'm therefore exhausted and ready to go to sleep.

Tune in tomorrow. I'll blog once more for y'all when I get home.

Hey Rachel. Thanks for reading.

Final days.

2010-07-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

Liz, Tori, Yessie and I got our tired selves out of bed this morning and got on over to Buckingham Palace early enough to get first and second row spots.My book had said the Changing of the Guards was overrated, but I disagree. I loved it. The guards actually told us hello when they marched near us, which I didn't know they could do. I think one guard even laughed at us. Probably because I kept waving at him, thinking at first that they couldn't interact with us. But I bet it is funny to look at all those people crammed up against a fence to watch you march around at work. And the crowds are indeed ridiculous. As soon as you move your foot a little, someone else's foot moves on in and tries to take your spot, leaving you to stand on one foot or lean on your friends. Anyway, it was a fun morning.

For lunch Liz and I had a picnic in St. James Park, right in front of Buckingham Palace. The park was crowded with people, and daring pigeons. While walking around the park, Liz and I had to keep ducking the pigeons as they flew fearlessly near our faces. I really think if we hadn't ducked out of the way, we'd each have been hit in the face by at least five pigeons today.

We then headed to Hyde Park and walked through it to Kensington Gardens. We saw Princess Diana's memorial fountain and the famous Peter Pan statue. Then we headed home for the Research Symposium. Then I hunkered down and studied for my final for a while. It's tomorrow morning. Wish me luck.

Busy day.

2010-07-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

Aaah, it's late. And I'm waking up early to get a front row spot at Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guards. So, just a quick update...

My class visited the BBC today. Then James and I went to the Imperial War Museum and walked through a fake trench. Tyler and Trevor, add this to the list of things I've said you'd love. After that, I ran home, inhaled a PB and J, then went out to the National Portrait Gallery with Liz. We followed Rick's tour, taking turns being the narrator. Then I convinced Liz we should walk home, since our days left to walk around London are dwindling. When we got home, I buckled down and prepared my presentation for tomorrow night. (One person from every class has to give a presentation at this British Studies research symposium tomorrow night... I'll let you know how it goes... Maybe.) Aaah, bye.

British Museum.

2010-07-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

This morning my class visited the South London Press, a local paper. The editor spoke to us, and we met writers and managers and others as we toured the newsroom. The editor was so nice, giving us cookies, drinks, and goody bags. (As soon as I started eating a cookie though, I wished I hadn’t because I felt like everyone could hear me chewing. But then I noticed that I couldn’t hear Holli chewing, so I figured I was safe.)

After the visit, I dragged James with me to the British Museum. Look closely in the picture; you can see James and me in the reflection. You can also see my book. And the picture's of the Rosetta Stone, by the way. Anyway, the place was packed. But I wiggled through the crowds like a madwoman. You should have seen me. I read my London guidebook as I went, because the author outlines a self-guided tour for it and tells you the order in which to see things. I tried not to walk around with my nose in my book, because I get annoyed at those people, but at one point I was glancing down at my book and when I looked up I was in an Asian tour group. The guide was speaking another language and they were all trying to crowd around him and I’d accidentally landed myself a front-row spot. I just smiled and quietly moved over to another exhibit.

Anyway, Rick Steves, the author of my book, was such a great tour guide. I really feel like I learned something. He was funny, too. When he was telling me about the Pediment Sculptures, which I’ll attach a picture of, he said, “Over on the right, Aphrodite, goddess of love, leans back in to her mother’s lap, too busy admiring her own bare shoulder to even notice the hubbub. A chess-set horse’s head screams, ‘These people are nuts – let me out of here!’”

I also attached a picture of the Nereid Monument from Xanthos, which was so neat. It was a Greek temple, which means it housed a statue of a god or goddess. People worshipped from outside the temple, so the exterior was generally the more impressive part.

After the museum, I came home, ate a PB and J, and then texted my friend Rachel to see if she was interested in seeing Billy Elliot. She was. So we hopped on the tube and got decent seats for a decent price. And the show was so good. I can’t believe I almost didn’t see it. I'll tell you more about it later though. I'm so tired. Good night.

Ticket to ride.

2010-07-27T15:54:00.000-07:00

My class visited this journalism pub called Frontline today. The club frequently hosts journalism discussions and has memorials around the club to local journalists who’ve lost their lives while reporting. Our speaker, a member of the club, told us that we were in the heart of the biggest story in the news right now: the White House condemning these leaks. The WikiLeaks representative was upstairs, in town for a PR conference, I believe. How cool. After our speaker finished, we had lunch at the pub. I had Shepherd’s Pie; isn’t that a British dish? Either way, it was scrumptious.

After lunch, we took the tube to our next visit and did some souvenir shopping before to kill time. We visited the Press Complaints Commission and talked about recent cases that the commission dealt with. (The commission receives complaints from readers about possible PCC code violations in the media, whether they be inaccuracies, invasions of privacy, whatever.) Anyway, after the visit the main topic of discussion amongst the class was how cute the speaker was.

Then the class took a bus home, which I missed because my Oyster card, or tube and bus pass, had run out of money. James kindly hopped off the bus and stayed with me. Dr. Davies just waved goodbye from the bus window. So after I bought a bus ticket, James and I headed back and decided to get pizza for dinner in Gabriel’s Wharf on the Thames. James actually eats slower than I do. I didn’t know such a person existed. After dinner, I headed back to the room and did some laundry and some grocery-shopping with Tori and Liz. Liz left her wallet at the grocery store and then walked all the way back in a panic only to discover it was in her purse.

I didn’t take very many pictures today, so I took some of my dorm for you. And I took one of the beautiful painting I bought in Rome the other night. It’s of Trevi Fountain.

Home Sweet London.

2010-07-26T15:30:00.001-07:00

We ate breakfast in the hostel before heading out this morning. Then I spent the majority of the day in the airport, on an airplane, on a bus, and on the tube back to London. I had Sudoku contests with Cassy and David while we travelled. I'm proud of us for making it back so smoothly.

Arrivederci.

2010-07-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful way to end our time in Rome. We just went to a restaurant in Piazza Navona for dinner, where there are gorgeous fountains, street performers, artists, restaurants and zillions of people. We sat outside, and I had eggplant parmesan and champagne that came with our meal. Then we had our last serving of gelato, which I miss already.

On the way to dinner we saw our waiter from the other night - the energetic, funny one from Hostaria Pizzeria. We've actually seen him every day because we usually walk by the restaurant at some point during the day. We were on the other side of the street, and he waved us over frantically. We decided to go visit him and have a glass of wine. Then we saw him again on the way home from dinner and told him goodbye.

We took it easy today, sleeping a little late and then visiting the national museum of Rome. We then took a bus ride over to Travestere, on the other side of the Tiber River. We were surprised to find such a cute little area hidden over there. (The book had recommended we check it out.) So we browsed the shops over there and bought some souvenirs.

We're leaving in the morning to head back to London. Being away from London has made it feel more like home. I miss it. But I've had a lovely time in Rome. I'm going to have to come back to Italy someday.

Arrivederci.

The Vatican.

2010-07-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of us for today. We were out the door around 8 a.m. and we made it to Vatican City without any problems. Rather than waiting in the long line, we found an unofficial tour guide, which means we go in with a tour group and wait in the shorter VIP line. (This was book-recommended, like everything else we do.) It seemed sketchy at first; I got a peek at the "Staff Only" room, and it was a bathroom. But our tour guide turned out to be fantastic. She was from Boston, and she said she's been giving tours for nine years. We learned that in the past when a Pope died, it was tradition to tap him on the head with a hammer three times to assure he was dead. We also learned that in Michelangelo's "Sun and Moon" portion of the Sistine Chapel, the angel is mooning the viewer - Michelangelo wasn't always very enthusiastic about his work on the chapel.

After the Vatican, we had lasagna for lunch. Then we took the metro for the first time, and when Tori was trying to figure out what stop we were at, she determined we were at "uscita". Good thing I'd already picked up on the fact that "uscita" means "exit" in Italian, and that wasn't the name of the metro stop.

We then visited Santa Maria Immacolata Church to see the remains of thousands of friars. Basically, skeletons everywhere. It was kind of creepy. Tyler and Trevor, you'd have loved this.

For dinner we went to a nice restaurant near our hostel. I had pasta, and it was scrumptious. Then of course we had a bit of gelato. Then we headed back home because we're literally walking zombies at this point.

An Evening in Roma.

2010-07-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

Tori, Liz and I woke up this morning after all of our alarms went off simultaneously around 7 a.m. (Tori slept through all of them; I had to get up and walk across the room to turn hers off.) We had breakfast hanging in a basket on the doorknob - this hostel treats us like royalty - and then we were off to roam around the city. (I had the song "Roam If You Want To" stuck in my head all morning, until I switched to Dean Martin's "On An Evening in Roma"... I drove Tori and Liz crazy with that one, because I don't actually know the words. I just make them up, which is easy because it's partly in Italian.) Anyway, we hopped on a double-decker tour bus and then hopped off throughout the day to see the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Coliseum, and the Spanish Steps. We also passed Trevi Fountain again and browsed some shops. And we ate food along the way - calzones. Mmm.

The first picture is the Pantheon. The second is Liz being a total tourist. She's got one map in her hand and another in her mouth (We had a little trouble getting home... In fact, we walked right by our hostel and didn't recognize it. We're morons.) The third is the Spanish Steps. The fourth is the Roman Forum... I just liked that picture. We were taking a break from the heat and just sitting down for a second in the shade, and I'd just told Liz and Tori that I was glad we paid 25 euro to sit on an old rock.

Anyway, got back around 6 and freshened up for dinner. Liz laid down to rest and quickly decided she was too tired for dinner. So Tori and I headed out to a book-recommended place. (Tori bought a Rome guidebook, by the author of my London guidebook.) It was hard to find; I'm amazed that we found it. It was near Trevi Fountain but still somehow kind of hidden from everything. Anyway, it was really cute and incredibly tasty. We split a four-cheese pizza. Then we got gelato from this place I've been on the lookout for since we got here. It's called Sans Crispini, I think, and it's supposedly the best gelato in Rome, according to the book. And man, I haven't tried all the gelato in Rome, but that gelato was heavenly. I swear it was made by angels. We plan to go back tomorrow.

Aaaah, gotta go to bed. We're getting up early again.

When in Rome.

2010-07-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, I'm in Rome. I just got back from Trevi Fountain. Tori, Liz, and I had gelato over there. And of course we threw coins in and made wishes. We also had dinner before at a delicious little place we stumbled upon; I don't remember the name. Our waiter was great though. He was very hyper, and he liked to mock us. He was hilarious. And the pizza... So, so good. And the Ryan Air flight today wasn't bad. The airport was complete chaos, but the actual flight wasn't bumpy and rickety like I'd worried it would be. Oh, and this hostel's fantastic. I was worried about that, too. But it's great. Kind of fancy, even. Anyway, night. We're getting up early. Love love love.

J'adore Paris.

2010-07-22T03:58:00.000-07:00

I’m going to be quick because I have to wake up at 3:45 a.m. to fly out to Rome.

J’adore Paris. Some of us went to the Louvre this morning, and I could have stayed in there all day. I saw the Mona Lisa and a few things I had to learn for fine arts in high school – the Seated Scribe, the Seated Statue of Ramses II (very cool), Venus de Milo, and Akhenaton. And I saw Cupid and Psyche, which Holli and I went on a wild goose chase to find.

After the Louvre, some of us got lunch at a cute café we stumbled upon. I had quiche again, and some chocolatey dessert that I spilled on my white dress. Ugh, I’m a slob.

Then we walked a long way to the Arc de Triomphe, letting ourselves be distracted by the cute stores along the way, including the outrageously expensive Louis Vutton store. We looked, but nothing really caught our eye. We were exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel. I went out for a fancy dinner with some folks in the WWII class. Yeah, I splurged. Twenty-three euros for lasagna, a glass of wine, and chocolate mousse. It was all well worth it. Hey, it’s my last night in Paris. But I’ll be back.

Hot, hot, hot.

2010-07-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

After Normandy yesterday, we got back to Bayeux and Malary, Holli and I saw the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Then we had dinner at a café near our hostel – I had quiche. And then we had dessert – I had a chocolate éclair. Then we got back to the hostel, and I crashed around 8. It was lovely.

Today, after three hours on a bus, we arrived in Paris. It’s as hot as the Bahamas. The class had lunch at a café. I had a green bean salad, with mushrooms and lots of feta cheese, which made me forgive Paris for the miserable heat. Then we visited the Associated Press. I was too hot to fully pay attention. We headed to the Louvre after our visit, only to find out that the world-famous Louvre closes on Tuesdays. What? So we went to Notre Dame, and I walked around the church singing to myself the song that Esmeralda sings in the Hunchback of Notre Dame – “God Help the Outcasts”. Then Malary, Holli and I shopped a bit and met up with Dr. Davies for a riverboat cruise, which brought us to the Eiffel Tower… Wow. Some of us waited in line to take the elevator up to the top of it. I took some videos and pictures and then just sat there staring. By the time we got back down to earth, which was around 9:30, we were more than ready to eat dinner. We found a café nearby, so we could hurry back over to see the Tower light up. (It lights up every hour for ten minutes; we missed the first one because we were inside the Tower.) Anyway, we finished eating at 10:55, so we had to run back. I have a bumpy video of us racing back over there. Then after sitting around for a while and taking the metro back, I’m here in my hot room, wishing I had Internet.

(I wrote that before I had Internet.)

(Hey Kenzie.)

Normandy.

2010-07-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went to Normandy. It was unbelievable. To see all those white cross graves in real life and to read all the names on them was… incredibly sad. As I started walking down the first row of graves, reading each name, it just became so real. Before I even finished the first row, I had to stop and just breathe. I was crying so much I was starting to hyperventilate or something. When I had calmed down, I kept walking and looked for a grave to focus on, like Dr. Mackaman had suggested to us on the bus ride over. I walked down row by row, waiting for a name to strike me, and seem significant for whatever reason. But after a while, I chose an unknown one. That way I’m fairly certain this soldier hasn’t had a visitor come to see him specifically. So I thanked this guy and just thought about who he may have been, what his family was like, what his life was like. I then noted where I was – row 7, grave 20, about the 3^rd or 4^th section on the right – and I promised myself I’d come back or send someone back. I might send Trevor on that mission; I don’t know why. Anyway, then we walked out to Omaha Beach. The WWII teacher talked about his time serving, until he was crying too much to continue. Then Dr. Mackaman took over, and we read excerpts from a book of soldiers’ war stories. Their stories and the teacher’s story made me understand the importance of the site.

Jack, I'm flying.

2010-07-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

Today was exhausting. I had to be out in the courtyard at 4:45 a.m. to start our trip to France. We first took a bus. I fell fast asleep with my head just hanging there at a complete 90-degree angle. Malary took a picture. After the bus, we took a ferry. I continued my nap on the ferry. I sprawled out across a few chairs, as most of them were empty, and I slept like a baby. When I woke up, Cassy and I explored the ship’s deck. It was like Titanic in real life, minus Leonardo DiCaprio, unfortunately. Then we got coffee and soon got off the ferry onto another bus. This time the bus took us to a famous bridge, where the WWII teacher told us its story. I was still a little drowsy and didn’t catch all of it, to be honest. We arrived at our hostel, which features short ceilings and bunk beds. It’s cute though. There’s a life-size chess game in the courtyard outside. We ate dinner down the block at a pizza place. Delicious. Then David, James, and I explored until we found ice cream.

I'm still so excited that I met Nick Jonas, by the way.

Nick Jonas: Part Two.

2010-07-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

The class visited Parliament this morning. We also learned why Dr. Davies likes to leave for our visits ridiculously early. As we were getting on the bus, four of our tube passes were rejected. We were left behind to go add money to our cards and then catch the next bus there. The next bus took forever. When we finally got there, the class, especially Dr. Davies, was eagerly awaiting us at the bus stop.

In the afternoon, Liz and I went to Covent Garden. As soon as we arrived, we got distracted by street performers and spent an hour clapping along with some energetic violin players. Then we shopped around, each of us debating for an hour on every purchase we made or almost made. Then we headed to Leicester Square for more shopping and decided since we were so close to the Les Miserables theatre and more importantly Nick Jonas, we’d just wait around and get a front row spot at the barricade.

Tori met us for dinner at Pizza Express, which my book said was a good eat. And it was. I ate a whole pizza – it was pretty small, but still, probably the first time Sam Schott’s done that in her life. Anyway, after dinner, we decided it would be reasonable to mosey on over to the side door of the theatre. We staked out our spot, rehearsed what we’d say and do when Nick came out, and then rehearsed what we’d say and do again, as we had an hour of time to kill. Then eventually he walked out the door, and when he came near us we said, “Marius, will you marry us?!” (Marius was the character he played in the show.) He laughed at us, and then we both begged for pictures like 12-year-olds. He loved us. By the way, Tori was down the street getting ice cream during this whole ordeal. She had nothing to do with this nonsense. She’s secretly jealous though, I’m convinced.

Then we took the tube back and now I must go pack for London Away and mini-break! And then wake up to meet in the courtyard at 4:45 a.m. Ugh, this is not good. That’s in, like, four hours.

Churchill and Harrod's.

2010-07-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Another exhausting but wonderful day in London. I let myself sleep until 10:00 today - I needed it - and then I ate lunch in the kitchen with Liz and Tori before Liz and I headed out for the day. We went to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, which was even better than my book made it out to be. And my book said it'd be great. We walked through the underground rooms where Churchill and the British government met frequently and basically lived during World War II. Tyler and Trevor, you'd have loved it. Some of the rooms, including the very important map room and Churchill's bedroom, haven't been touched since the war's end. And when the war ended, the lights in the Cabinet War Rooms were turned off for the first time in six years. We watched videos of people who worked down there telling stories of what it was like and how they had to keep their job and what they knew a secret from everyone, including their families. Then in the Churchill Museum, we learned more about Churchill's life. We learned that he rarely changed out of his pajamas while working during the war, except for his meetings with staff. Also, there was an interactive timeline thing through which you could find out what Churchill did on almost any given day of his life.

After spending a good three hours with Churchill, Liz and I headed over to Harrod's. We just walked around the store - the largest department store in the world -drooling over Gucci, Prada, Luis Vutton and more. We also let a persuasive salesperson talk us into letting her show us how great this one-hundred pound straightener was. We each sat in the chair while she straightened our hair and told us how much we needed that straightener. She was insistent. So we said we'd think about it, and she said we didn't have time; the price will be going up very soon - we should buy it now. We said we'd walk around and think about it. The store closes in an hour. Buy it now. We said we'd think about it for an hour, bye.

(The picture is of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed's memorial in Harrod's. Dodi's father is the owner of Harrod's.)

Then we successfully took the tube home during rush hour. I made a quick grocery run and then ate dinner in the kitchen. I'm hoping not to move again for the rest of the day. My feet are killing me.

Also, I ran into Dr. Davies today, just as Liz and I were looking for someone to take our picture in front of Big Ben. So he took our picture and got a big old bus covering Big Ben... But then he said he took two, one of which was bus-less. Anyway, it was funny.

And here are a couple of Churchill quotes for you:

"Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put."

"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."

"We are all worms, but I do believe that I am a glow-worm."

My book says...

2010-07-15T16:53:00.001-07:00

I can't tell you how many times a day I start a sentence with "My book says..." I'm referring to my London guidebook. It's getting obnoxious.

Anyway today was perfect. I had class this morning. We went to a university to hear a professor talk about British journalism. When I got back home, I had lunch at the flat with Tori, Liz, and Yesenia. Then Yesenia and I headed out for the afternoon. We attempted Shakespeare's Globe, but tours stop at noon because of performances. We ended up at Covent Garden instead, which is a little area filled with shops and cafes and street performers. Tori soon met up with us, and we shopped some more. We eventually headed toward Les Miserables, dodging a few crazy pigeons and stopping at a souvenir place, where I bought myself an Abbey Road pin. We ate at a place called Bella Italia. We had a nice three-course meal, ending with gelato. Then we hopped on over to the theatre and crammed into our crowded row of seats. We were in the front row of the balcony, which sounds like good seats, right? Well, if you want to comfortably sit back in your chair, you can't see past the guardrail in front of you. So everyone in the row had to sit on the edge of their chair and lean onto the guardrail. Imagine an entire row of well-dressed theatre-goers hunched over in their chairs and hanging their arms over the balcony rail. I kept giggling during the first song of the show because it was just ridiculous. Eventually I got used to it. But soon everyone's backs started hurting, and the lovely gentleman beside me didn't hesitate to bump and nudge me every time he had to move around in his seat. But it was all well worth it. The show was excellent, leaving me sobbing at the end of it. When the lights came up, Tori so kindly told me that I looked like my cat had just died.

After the show I dragged Tori with me to the side door of the theatre to await Nick Jonas. We ran into Liz and Cassy there. And I realized later I got Liz in the background of my pictures. Anyway, I kind of screamed at Nick, along with all the other psycho people around me. I couldn't help it.

Then we caught a bus home, and here I am blogging at 1a.m. again. Gooood night.

A rainy day in London.

2010-07-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

Mom, I bought you a souvenir today! Dad, I decided not to get you one - you know, to save some of your money.... Kidding.

We didn't have class until noon today, so Jacquie, James, Malary and I toured Westminster Abbey this morning. It was... I don't even know how to describe it. I'm running out of words to describe all these places. It was wonderful. First of all, it's enormous. There are so many beautiful little chapels and tombs hidden around the place. (We used the audio-guides, so we knew where to find everything.) We saw where Elizabeth I and Mary I are buried and heard their interesting story. (Elizabeth I had Mary I killed but then Elizabeth died without having any children so Mary's son became king, and he saw to it that Mary's tomb was as elaborate as Elizabeth's.) We also saw where Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Geoffrey Chaucer, and others are buried. And we saw the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

Then we headed back for class and visited a PR firm. Then we had a break before we met again for an evening lecture. During this break, Tori and I decided to make a quick run to Leicester Square to check out ticket prices for Wicked. Both of us decided to leave our rain gear at home since we'd only be out for a bit. Well, that was a mistake. It poured, and I ended up buying an umbrella, which broke within minutes. So I exchanged it for another after some arguing. When we got to the ticket booth, we were drenched. But we ended up getting two tickets for Les Miserables for tomorrow night for only thirty pounds! Woo! Now I get to see Nick Jonas!

Then I grabbed Pret for dinner and ran back out to meet with class. We went to Paddington to a fancy club called Frontline for a lecture by the BBC. Then I came home, exhausted, and sat around in the kitchen talking to Tori, talking to Dad, and ironing clothes. Now I'm going to bed. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

A rainy day in Oxford.

2010-07-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

Whew. Long day. The class took a train to Oxford this morning, and I took a nice nap during the ride. I mean, I was out. Funny story, actually. I was sitting next to Dr. Davies, and you know how your head kind of starts to fall around when you’re sleeping and you sort of wake up to jolt it back in place? Well, my head suddenly plummeted onto his shoulder. I instantly woke up and apologized. He then offered me his jacket as a pillow, but I declined, opting to just stay awake instead.

When we got to Oxford, it was lunchtime. Some of us went to Pret A Manger, a little sandwich and soup chain over here. We also shopped a bit, and I bought a cute change purse featuring Big Ben and a double-decker bus.

Then we visited Oxford University Press. While waiting in reception, their fire alarm went off. We exited the building, along with herds of employees. While we were evacuated, Dr. Davies made us take pictures looking scared. When we went back inside, we took a tour of their museum, and one of the most interesting things we learned about was the origination of the terms “uppercase” and “lowercase”. The metal pieces used for capital letters were kept in the higher of the two cases of metal. Pretty self-explanatory maybe, but I’d never really thought about it before.

Then after the tour we ventured to Christ Cathedral (I think) to see the dining hall that was used in the Harry Potter movies. Then we came home, and I ate with Liz and Yesenia, and then Liz, Cassie and I headed over to the South Bank of the Thames (again, I think), which is near our apartments, to get ice cream. We couldn’t find ice cream so it ended up just being a nice walk.

Tea Time.

2010-07-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

I revisited the National Gallery today with my class. I saw Michelangelo's paintings, which I missed last time because the exhibit was closed. I also stared at Monet’s pieces a little longer. I decided I really like him. I almost bought a book on him from the gift shop but I decided not to make any impulse decisions considering he’s only a brand new favorite of mine. Oh, I also saw a beautiful work by Paul Delaroche, who I learned is famous for painting scenes from the lives of British royalty. It was called The Execution of Lady Jane Gray. Remember her? If you’re a dedicated blog-reader of mine, you do. I heard her story on my double-decker bus tour. Anyway, I bought a postcard of the painting. I’ll show you, if you remind me. Then the class broke for lunch, and we went back to our Mexican place – the one we went to after Chicago. We wandered around some after that and ended up at a gelato place. Delicious. Then we took a tour of LBC radio. We met their showbiz correspondent, and she told us that she’s interviewed Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston. Justin is hyperactive, and Sean likes to eat a lot. She also said Jessica Biel’s coming in on Friday for an interview. Dr. Davies then told us that their Leicester Square is like our Times Square. They have movie premiers there. And the LBC office is right there overlooking Leicester Square. Pretty cool. After the tour, Jacquie, Malary and I, seeing that it was tea time, headed for the National Café, recommended by my book. We had cream tea (Earl Gray) and scones and jam. “Tea with jam and bread, with jam and bread.” (Name that musical.) Anyway, Jacquie was really excited about the jam. “Oh, I didn’t realize there was jam! Pass the jam! I want to put jam on my scone!” Then Liz, Rachel, Cassie and I went to Stamford Arms pub for a while.

The Crown Jewels.

2010-07-11T15:48:00.001-07:00

Jacquie and I went to church at Westminster Abbey this morning. Then we had sandwiches for lunch. Then we went to the Tower of London. We saw where Anne Boleyn was beheaded and buried and where Lady Jane Gray was buried. We also saw the Crown Jewels, including the Cullinan I and II. (I learned some stuff today.) The Cullinan diamond is the second largest cut diamond in the world, I believe. And the Cullinan I and II are the largest pieces of it, also called the Star of Africa and the Lesser Star of Africa. They were gifts to King Edward VII. The Cullinan I is part of the Sceptre with the Cross, which is King Edward VII's sceptre. The Cullinan II is part of the Imperial State Crown. Anyway, it was all really neat. The picture is me, Jacquie and the tour guide.

After the Tower of London, I went out for dinner with Katrina and Allison. We went to The Wellington, right across Waterloo Bridge. Katrina and I decided to be adventurous and get meat pie things. Well, I got a fish pie. Anyway, here's a picture of us and our food.

Also, Tori and Liz just got back from Paris. So we celebrated with ice cream.

Dover Castle.

2010-07-10T14:12:00.001-07:00

I went to Dover and Canterbury today. I saw Dover Castle and the white cliffs. Both amazing. I also went to Canterbury and just moseyed around. Katrina, Barbara, and I went to a little café for lunch and then headed to the Canterbury Cathedral. Unfortunately, most of the cathedral was temporarily closed for whatever reason. So rather than paying to see only a tad bit of it, we went to a museum of Canterbury history instead. It was interesting. Then we went back to the bus, stopping for ice cream along the way. Then on the bus ride home, I actually fell asleep. And fast asleep at that. (That picture is the white cliffs. It was foggy, so they're hard to see.)

When we got home, Katrina and I ignored our exhaustion and hurried up to our rooms for ten minutes to freshen up and then head out to Billy Elliot. After successfully taking the tube and getting to the theatre on time, the tickets were too expensive for our liking, so we took a bus home and stopped at the grocery store. Then I Skyped my family, and now I’m going to sleep. Billy Elliot, we’ll reschedule. (This picture to the right is the English Channel.)

Stonehenge and Bath.

2010-07-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

I went on the group bus trips to Stonehenge and Bath today. Both were incredible. To see Stonehenge was just so unbelievable; I feel like I've seen so many pictures of it in textbooks. And now I've taken my own pictures of it. The way they have it set up, you walk around it in a circle. You can't actually go between the rocks. So as we circled it, I stopped every ten steps and took another picture.And Bath was just as picture-worthy. I wish we'd had more time there. We had about two hours, but the first thing everyonewanted to do when they got off the bus was eat. So Katrina and I grabbed lunch then headed for the Roman Baths Museum. We used the audio-guides, which I've decided totally beats reading. I thought about getting a postcard of the Roman Baths to send home to my family, but I didn't know if they'd appreciate it. I'm clearly the most worldly individual in the family now. (Haha) So I decided against it. Anyway, Bath was great.The hot springs are still bubbling.The water's green though. I assume they don't clean it because that'd lose some of the coolness. There were signs saying not to drink or even touch the water. But Katrina apparently didn't see them. At one point she leaned over and touched the water, and I was surprised. She's usually such a rule-follower. Then I realized she didn't see the signs. So I pointed to one, and she immediately started worrying she'd catch a disease.

Then after a three-hour bus ride home, Katrina and I went back to our rooms for a quick dinner and then kept going. We visited the Tate Modern to see Monet's Waterlilies and the Andy Warhol room. Then we walked home and stopped for ice cream. We sat on a bench to eat our ice cream, looking at the Thames and all the Londoners around us.

Now I must be off to bed. I've got to wake up early, and I'm completely exhausted.

All that jazz.

2010-07-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Today was another non-stop day. We had class this morning and toured The Telegraph. We ate at a little pasta place for lunch. We then visited Buckingham Palace and next a park to have a lecture and recap the week. Then some of us shopped in Oxford at H&M and New Look. Then Malary, Jacquie and I took a while to figure out which bus to take back home, and when we did figure it out, the bus was stopping at our desired stop a half-block away. So we sprinted. We took the bus home and then ran up to our rooms to change for Chicago. We attempted the bus again and this time gave up, hailing a cab instead. Much easier. We saw Chicago and all that jazz, and it was incredible. Then Malary, Holli, James and I ate dinner at a Mexican place on the edge of Soho.

Let It Be.

2010-07-07T17:40:00.000-07:00

I'm so tired, so I'm going to rush through this tonight. This morning my class went back to St. Bride's to hear a talk on the printing press. Then I came back to the room and met up with Tori. We went to the National Gallery. I saw Van Gogh's Sunflowers painting,and Monet's Water Lily Pond, and William Turner's The Fighting Temeraire, which I did a huge project on for Fine Arts in high school. It was so neat to see those paintings in real life. Just to think that the canvas I'm looking at is the actual canvas they sat there and painted on. It's amazing.

Then we decided to be adventurous and go to Abbey Road, which was perfect because it's Ringo Starr's birthday. We had to take a tube and then a bus. When we got off the bus, we immediately saw a news reporter and camera man interviewing someone. I waited until the end of their scene or whatever and then asked them what crosswalk the Beatles walked across. They told us and then they asked if we wanted to be on TV! Of course we said yes. Then they interviewed us and told us to call our parents and tell them we'd be on TV. So we did. And we got a picture with them. They liked us. The guy's name was Nick Perkins, I believe. But apparently they lied because we weren't on TV, according to Jonathan Andrews. But that's okay. They were still nice. They filmed me walking across Abbey Road and smiling at the camera, after they'd already interviewed Tori and me. Tori heard them say, "Oh, look. Let's get our girls walking across the crosswalk." Anyway, it was really neat. Then we went to Stamford Arms for another British Studies Welcome Party. It was a whole lot of fun. Nighty night.

Oh, and Tori and I had gelato in Trafalgar Square today.

Welcome to Avenue Q.

2010-07-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

Today my class went to St. Bride’s church, known as the “journalists’ church”. We saw the memorial for journalists who’ve died, mainly war correspondents. We saw a creepy closet full of skulls and bones in the crypt of the church (from before St. Bride’s was St. Bride’s). We ate at Cheshire Cheese, where Charles Dickens used to dine. We then stopped by the British Library, and I saw the Magna Carta and the original scribbled lyrics of hit Beatles songs. It. was. so. cool. Then we took a bus home. I came back to my flat and inhaled a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while talking to Tori. Then I went to see Avenue Q with my new friend Luke. When we hopped on a bus to go home, we traveled a block and then the bus driver forced everyone off the bus. We couldn’t figure out what that was all about, but we soon realized we’d traveled a block in the wrong direction. So we waved down another bus and traveled home. As the bus drove over Waterloo Bridge, we passed Big Ben and Parliament all lit up and beautiful.

Ohmygod you guys.

2010-07-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

Ohmygod you guys! Yesterday Tori, Katrina, and I saw Legally Blonde the Musical. We got our tickets at the box office right before the show for only 25 pounds. Elle was faking her "American accent"; it was obvious when she tried to say "opportunities". But she was still fantastic. Everyone was so high-energy. It was difficult for me to sit still in my chair and not run up on stage and sing with them.

Oh, and I survived last night in my own room, like a big girl.

Anyway, we went to St. Paul’s in the morning, with a group of people from the British Studies program. We attended a service, and the music was just amazing, for lack of a better word. The choir’s voices sounded so perfect and echoed all over the cathedral. And after the service, Tori and I asked someone to take our picture in front of the cathedral. This guy talked like us and therefore asked where we were from. He was with his dad, who we found out knows my dad. How weird is that? Dad, I was told to tell you I met one of the McClowsky boys.

By the way, they’re big fans of Lady Gaga over here.

Anyway then we made our way to Legally Blonde, and as we were coming back to our rooms, we ran into some girls that were about to go eat with the political science teacher from the program. So, we joined them, and we all walked to the Texas Embassy for dinner. They sold the tickets for Titanic at this building. They also posted the missing persons list there after the ship sank. The picture below is me and Trafalgar Square, on the way home from dinner. I'm laughing because Tori and Liz are yelling at me not to raise my eyebrows when I smile.

Shakespeare knew what he was talking about.

2010-07-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

I took a double-decker bus tour today. And I got a discount by bringing my London guidebook! Thanks, Mom. It’s being put to good use. We went after our photography London Alive walk. “We” refers to Sam, Liz, Tori, and two new friends from our walk, Cassie and Tori.

Anyway, the book also helped us out by advising that we switch tour buses if our tour guide was “more boring than entertaining”. So, after a few minutes, we decided ours was only okay. Well, Tori decided. I’d already riled everybody up telling them how good the bus tour would be and how we had to do it right now today because otherwise we’ll wake up and we’ll be back on the airplane going home; I wasn’t going to create a fuss again and make them switch buses. But, Tori did. And it’s a good thing. We hopped off and hopped on to another bus, and our next tour guide was just lovely.

He first told us the very long, very sad story of Lady Jane Gray, instantly captivating his five new audience members. (After being queen for nine days, she was executed at age 16, refusing to deny her Protestant faith. Her husband was executed an hour before she was.) He pointed out Little Ben, the smaller version of Big Ben, which was a wedding gift to Princess Diana and Prince Charles. He pointed out Margaret Thatcher’s house and the policeman pacing in front of it. He shared some funny stories about Winston Churchill, which I’ll share with you.

A woman in Parliament once told Churchill that if he were her husband, she’d poison him. Churchill said that if she were his wife, he’d drink it.

Churchill’s friend sent him two tickets for opening night of a show he was in. He wrote, “Here are two tickets to my show, for you and a friend, if you have one.” Churchill replied, “I can’t make your first performance. I’ll go to the second show, if you have one.”

The tour guide also quoted Shakespeare at one point, very perfectly and poetic-like. He recited a nice description of a place in London. Then he dropped the formality and said, “You’ve gotta hand it to him. Shakespeare knew what he was talking about.” You may have had to be there for that one, but it was a funny moment.

After the bus tour, we headed to the London Eye, the huge ferris wheel that overlooks the city. After dinner at a little café, we took a ride and took a zillion pictures. Then we hung around until the sun set to see Big Ben and Parliament in the evening light. And it was beautiful.

Good day.

Except for the fact that I hate not having a roommate. Despite the jetlag I told you about earlier, I could not fall asleep last night. I was so exhausted but as soon as I hit the bed I just sat there bug-eyed, freaking myself out. If I’m not used to it after tonight, I’m moving my mattress to the floor of Tori’s room.

Oh, look! They're American!

2010-07-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

I’ve made it to London! Without losing my passport, my luggage, or my mind. I’m finally here. I’ve been waiting three years for this, ever since speakers came to visit my World Civ class freshman year and told us how great this experience was.

But man, I underestimated the jet-lag. I can’t function. I can’t even hold a conversation with someone because I can’t stop thinking about how desperately I need to sleep. And I tried to sleep on the plane. But I just can't sleep sitting straight up like that. It wouldn't happen.

We took a bus ride from the airport to our apartments, and I stared eagerly out the window the whole time, ready to get out there and see everything. After unpacking (shoving my clothes into the dresser) Tori, Liz, and I hurried out into London. We ate at Fishcotheque, or something, for lunch. I had fish and chips. Then we went to the store and bought shampoo, hair straighteners, and big fans to cool our non-air-conditioned rooms. The workers at the store were eager to help us and take our brand new pounds, and the British Studies students kept a steady queue going.

After shopping, Dr. Davies (Mr. London himself) led us around, pointing out everything we need to know, from the Laundromat and the bank to Waterloo Station and good eateries. (We’ll see if I can actually get back to any of these places without his direction.) We ate at a pizza restaurant for dinner and then continued wearing down our worn-out feet.

Liz, Tori, and I later went back to Waterloo Station for dessert and some grocery-shopping. The hustle bustle from earlier had died down significantly, and we could actually walk at a comfortable pace and not get run over by the 100 mile-an-hour Brits. While we were there, two British guys stared at us and said, “Oh, look! They’re American!” Meanwhile, we’re marveling at all the British accents around us.

It still hasn't completely hit me yet.