Due to Othello, I got to bed very late on Thursday. I had to turn something in and I stayed up until about 12:30 am finishing. This was a shame because Friday was an early start -- be on the Metro at 8:30 am to go and enroll in an UK University. It was waaaay too early for my liking (I may be a morning person in the sense that my body will happily wake up at that time, but I don't like getting up early if I can help it. It's better than late night though) but I figured that it was worth it.
Getting registered took a while but once we were shown around campus, it was worth it. In a lot of ways, it seemed like my dream school. It was so big, open and friendly. And we even got goodie bags with a sweatshirt, pen, highlighter and various handbooks, plus a magazine for international students. Very cool. It was really neat to look around. We had a tour given to us by the assistant director of international programs. He was young and very nice. The campus was amazing. There was so many places to eat and a library that we are able to access. Everyone we ran into was so nice. There was a student who was trading cupcakes for you writing on this big piece of paper what made you happy. I wrote books, of course, and had my cupcake. It was, of course, delicious. We'll see what the class is like but I really loved it there and have high hopes for the place --
Until next time (aka, when I have something interesting to write about)
~ E
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Friday, February 6, 2015
Windsor Castle (and Othello)
Windsor Castle
Thursday morning we had another early start, but this time it was worth it since we were going to see Windsor castle. I wasn't that excited at first -- we did see castles in Paris after all -- but then when I saw it, I was very happy.And the train ride was nice. We saw the MI6 building on our way over there. Then we arrived. The castle was very pretty and very different from the French castles.
See?
Before we went in though, we stopped for food. THAT was amazing. It reminded me so much of one of my favorite movies, Wild Child, on the scene where Emma Roberts and Alex Pettyfer go on a date and he makes her try the "humble chip butte" and it is the most adorable scene ever.
And this restaurant was the cutest thing ever. I tried their version of pot pie. It was a bit weird. They had a version with lamb (ugh! I can't. It seems so evil!) and a version with what I thought was beef and pork. It turned out to be "beef and ale" (it was cooked in at least) so, maybe not my favorite thing of all time. BUT the fries (chips) were pretty much the best thing I have tasted. It was worth it just for that. Plus, the weird lemonade I was served was delicious. (Plus the waiter was cute. :p )
After that we entered the castle. It was so big! And green! Lots of spaces between things. Here are a few shots.
After that, we went inside. The entrance hall was amazing.
After that we weren't allowed to take photos, but there were some pretty cool highlights. I loved seeing the original portraits of Elizabeth 1, Mary 1, Edward, and Henry. They were fantastic. In addition I really loved the throne room for the Order of the Garter Ceremony.
After we had come out of the castle, we saw three things.
The St. George Chapel, the changing of the Guard, and Queen Mary's Doll House.
The guards were, as you'd expect, pretty straight-faced in their uniform grey winter jackets. (the red are for summer)
St. George's Chapel was much like the chapels in France, but with an obviously stronger gothic influence. The most unnerving thing about it was that they had the remains of Jane Seymour buried in a vault under one of the tiles. It was an honor, I'm guessing, since she was favored by Henry VIII (his 3rd Wife, died in Childbirth) but personally, I found it a little claustrophobic, but then, I think I'd rather be cremated anyways.
One of my favorite things was Queen Mary's Doll House (no photos allow for any of this)
We actually finished in the Chapel, so after that several of us bought postcards and the like (our director decided to splurge on a mug, much to the amusement of several of the students). He did ask our advice though.
One of the coolest bits of this though, was when he asked which of the two mugs he should buy, one of the girls pointed to Mug #1 and said, "that one, because it's less girly," she did have a point, but since I really believe in gender equality, I said, half joking, half seriously, "way to reinforce gender stereotypes,"
And her answer? She stopped, looked at me seriously for a moment and said, "Yeah, you're right, that really is reinforcing gender stereotypes." and then went on with her advice giving. It was a very cool moment, because even though that is SUCH a Hollins thing, she was able to pull back and realize what she was doing on accident and give my comment value. Needless to say, I was impressed and happy.
We headed back, after that, and split off, some of us going to Shakespeare, and some of us going home. I was in the Shakespeare group, as the performance we were going to was for a class.
The way over there was gorgeous.
And then, of course, here was the theater:
We met our theater outside the theater and she informed us that it was not common for the Londoners to dress up to go to shows, since most of them come from straight from work. I could have sworn she was looking at me when she said that (but of course she wasn't, since I was wearing a long coat at that point that was in no way overly fancy) since I had on a red velvet dress. Oops.
The show itself was . . . not bad. It had a lot of dance numbers, which was weird but cool, and interestingly moving sets. The thing that bothered me the most though, was they had this electronic game thing -- arcade game, sort of -- that was lighting up and moving and oh my goodness, it was distracting. I think it stole the show. It made up for it a little though, by the actress who played Emilia, who was VERY good. She moved me deeply with her performance. Othello was good too, though I did struggle to understand the modern twist (SPOILER: Desdemona is murdered on Pool Table, not her bed, which I think takes away a lot of the symbolism.) Still, it was worth seeing and I enjoyed hanging out with my classmates.
That's all for now -- stay tuned tomorrow to hear about my adventures at a London University!
Hope you've enjoyed!
~ E
P.S My overly fancy dress.
 |
| Overdressed much? Red velvet . . . |
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Tower Bridge, Big Ben, and the London Eye -- a brief look
I'll start with where I left off last night: The Hollins Library (well, mini library. I want to see the real ones very soon. I intend to make a bucket list. Anyone have ideas? Leave them in the comments!).
After I'd written my blog post, two of the girls in my year came in. I wound up chatting with both of them -- particularly the taller of the two, who I'd met before. It was a very nice conversation and at some point the girl who had already been in the room before me joined in too. We talked about all kinds of things -- everything from books, Shakespeare, and religion, people (human nature, to be exact) etc. It was refreshing as well, since both girls are extremely academically smart (meaning only that they are extraordinarily bright and like to discuss intellectual subjects more than the average person). Our conversation lasted for several hours, and by the time we were finished it was time for the faculty-student dinner.
That was really fun too. They had egg roll-ish things, mini burgers, and fishy looking things. The burgers and egg rolls were quite good. During the dinner, I spoke to the Professor of my Acting Shakespeare class. He seemed excited about the class and wore a yellow tie. That is all I recall. After that, I spoke a lot to one of the girls from before. This time, we really spoke in detail about favorite Hollins profs in the English Dept and fantasy novels, which we both have an interest in. Once again, it was a great conversation and I enjoyed it tremendously. At the end of the night, we all headed back together to the metro and turned in for the night.
This morning we met at our school to go on a bus tour of London. Our tour guide was pretty fantastic and we saw a bunch of major sites along with a smattering of history.
We started out by talking about how in the academic district, where our school is, there had been a lot of writers, most notably, (and closest) Virginia Wolfe and Charles Dickens.
I won't go into all the details, (because honestly, lots were fun facts and I don't remember all of them) but here were some of the highlights --
Tower Bridge. I really loved seeing this and we got out and walked around for this one. It just seemed so majestic and imposing. I loved it.
Across the River, was the Tower of London, which apparently wasn't as bad as people made it out to be since it hosted other events other than beheadings. According to our guide, there was 35 such beheadings. The most famous being Catherine Howard, Henry's 5th -- and 19 year old -- wife. Still, if you ask me, that's too many beheadings for one place. And it's a shame. It's so pretty from the outside. Fun fact? Elizabeth 1 and Mary, Queen of Scots were both kept in the tower as political prisoners.
 |
| The water was so pretty . . . |
Personally, I thought it was really beautiful. Very symmetrical.
Another thing I really enjoyed seeing from the Bus was the Big Ben, also for its majestic quality.
And that's all for now folks! We saw plenty more today, but as I'm sure you all have google I won't post any more of those pictures here, since it was more of a glimpse of the city.
Hope you've all enjoyed! Until next time!
~ E
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Walk around town
Well, here we are at day 3 in London. Today was the first real day we got to walk around and see the city a little bit -- tomorrow will be more. There's a tour planned for us and everything. Today has been rather long, and it's not even at its finish. In a few hours we are having a dinner with our faculty. I'm really excited and my only regret is that I can't change into something nicer, well, I could but it would be silly since it is a 10 pound ride both ways and since I don't have my metro pass yet (called an Oyster Pass. Why? I don't know. the name baffles me. I would be very curious indeed to see if there was history behind it.) so it's very expensive to get from one place to the other, particularly for just a few hours. So I've found Hollins library and sat down here. It's a nice spot. Very quiet. Just me and another girl who is just as quiet. Maybe more so, since I'm tapping at the keys. Very peaceful. London's taking some getting used to, particularly in regards to the whether. It is colder than Paris, though, then again, I don't know what Paris is like in February, and there was snow on the ground this morning. Not much, but a good dusting. I was very surprised when I looked out my window, and saw that it was white. I blinked. "That had better not be snow!" I mumbled. But, of course, it was. The girls and I -- aka, my flatmates -- rode the Tube together to get to school. We did not get lost this time but unfortunately they did very nicely wait for me while I had to buy a ticket (they had their Oyster Cards) in a rather long line. Despite this though, we were on time.
And then we were off to the London University Students club (or at least what it was the equivalent of really) it was a really . . . interesting place. Very colege-y. I thought it was nice though. I am most exited that they offer things like Kung Fu and Sailing, supposedly, because that would be cool. They also offer concerts, food, and parties as well as a gym (for a small extra fee). It's a privilege to have membership to this place though and hopefully, I'll be able to meet students there.
After that, we did lunch. Well, sort of. I had already bought a chicken salad sandwich, but I joined the others at this place that specialized in chicken and just ordered a drink. It was a decent lunch. Not much eventful happening.
After that we walked with our director around London. Mostly we just walked, but every once in a while he would point out something of interest and we rode in those huge red buses a few times.
We also went to the British Museum, for about Twenty minutes which was fun. We saw things like the Rosetta Stone, for example.
There were also some really great tablets with early forms of writing on them as well. They seemed like something Mom would like.
One of the really cool things is that there is a lot of history and basically everything cool or hip starts in this city, which is pretty amazing. I'd be really interested in writing on the literary history of this place, honestly. But then, who wouldn't? There are also so many theatre shows and musicals advertised. Personally, I'd love to go see Wicked or Mamma Mia, but we're going to see a lot shows so hopefully I don't get sick of them by then.
That's all for now --
Hopefully tomorrow will be even more exciting and fun!
¬ E
And then we were off to the London University Students club (or at least what it was the equivalent of really) it was a really . . . interesting place. Very colege-y. I thought it was nice though. I am most exited that they offer things like Kung Fu and Sailing, supposedly, because that would be cool. They also offer concerts, food, and parties as well as a gym (for a small extra fee). It's a privilege to have membership to this place though and hopefully, I'll be able to meet students there.
After that, we did lunch. Well, sort of. I had already bought a chicken salad sandwich, but I joined the others at this place that specialized in chicken and just ordered a drink. It was a decent lunch. Not much eventful happening.
After that we walked with our director around London. Mostly we just walked, but every once in a while he would point out something of interest and we rode in those huge red buses a few times.
We also went to the British Museum, for about Twenty minutes which was fun. We saw things like the Rosetta Stone, for example.
There were also some really great tablets with early forms of writing on them as well. They seemed like something Mom would like.
One of the really cool things is that there is a lot of history and basically everything cool or hip starts in this city, which is pretty amazing. I'd be really interested in writing on the literary history of this place, honestly. But then, who wouldn't? There are also so many theatre shows and musicals advertised. Personally, I'd love to go see Wicked or Mamma Mia, but we're going to see a lot shows so hopefully I don't get sick of them by then.
That's all for now --
Hopefully tomorrow will be even more exciting and fun!
¬ E
Monday, February 2, 2015
Orientation
Today was first real day in London. It was a busy day, if a bit dull at points.
This morning started off with Breakfast with the girls in my Flat. There are only 4 of us, so it was very nice. I was exhausted, having not been able to fall asleep until 4:30 last night, but somehow I made conversation. We had breakfast at a small cafe down the street. The food wasn't incredible, but it was certainly edible. It was interesting to note the difference of the cashier people from France to England. Personally, I think the French are a little warmer, but I think I'm a bit bias. In Paris, I thought I blended rather well. Here I stand out like a sore thumb. It could be that it's just easier to notice here though.
It's actually funny how much I miss the french language. I keep thinking in French, and every time I hear someone speak in French (five times today, all strangers) I want to listen to practice, but of course, I don't, since it would be ease dropping. Still. I miss the language. British English is very confusing to me. It's not that it's bad, it's just different enough to be baffling. After breakfast and lovely conversation, we got on the subway, which, as I'm sure you know, the Londoners call the Tube. After being on it, I can see why. It looks like a Tube of metal. Other than that, and the seating arrangements, it wasn't all that different from the Metro. I think the Tube might be a bit faster and cleaner, but honestly, I like the Layout of the Metro better. But I think I'm bias. We had a relatively short commute which was good, but then we got lost looking for our school. It seems that not all "streets" go in a straight line. Our square ACTUALLY went in a square. That was a shock. But I guess the name should have warned us. Drivers in London, much like Paris, are scary. They don't wait for much of anyone. I know people don't believe me, but LA drivers don't try and kill pedestrians and it's always a shock when the drivers seem like they're going to make you into road kill.
Our orientation lasted a few hours. It was pretty basic stuff. Our director seems nice and there were plenty of girls I hadn't seen in a while.
After that was over, one of my flatmates and I went shopping for towels and other supplies to brighten up our rooms. They're decent rooms, don't get me wrong, but they're much like hotel rooms in that they don't have any personality. I suppose that's a good thing since I wouldn't want to be stuck in a bubble gum pink room or something. Shopping was fun and this particular flatmate and I have a lot in common -- none the least of which is that she is also a creative writing major!
After that, (well, after we were done getting lost, for the second time that day anyways) we went grocery shopping, since we have to provide all our own dinners since we are not in a homestay. Since there are no dishes or pots of any sort in our kitchen, we picked up some easy microwave dinners.
It wasn't a bad lot though. They were ready quickly and we had a nice chat over dinner.
After a while, the other two girls in our flat -- also from our program -- joined us and we had a nice time.
All and all, a better day than I expected. The girls I had a chance to speak with were all so nice.
At the moment, I feel like I haven't really seen the real London, so I hope I can soon.
Well, that's all for the moment. Sorry for the lack of photos but it would have been strange to take them today.
Tomorrow is more orientation and should, in theory, be more interesting.
Until whenever --
~ E
P.S
I ended my day with Mamma Mia, crocheting, and a chocolate orange. I am ok with this.
And here, just for fun, is Meryl Streep as Donna.
This morning started off with Breakfast with the girls in my Flat. There are only 4 of us, so it was very nice. I was exhausted, having not been able to fall asleep until 4:30 last night, but somehow I made conversation. We had breakfast at a small cafe down the street. The food wasn't incredible, but it was certainly edible. It was interesting to note the difference of the cashier people from France to England. Personally, I think the French are a little warmer, but I think I'm a bit bias. In Paris, I thought I blended rather well. Here I stand out like a sore thumb. It could be that it's just easier to notice here though.
It's actually funny how much I miss the french language. I keep thinking in French, and every time I hear someone speak in French (five times today, all strangers) I want to listen to practice, but of course, I don't, since it would be ease dropping. Still. I miss the language. British English is very confusing to me. It's not that it's bad, it's just different enough to be baffling. After breakfast and lovely conversation, we got on the subway, which, as I'm sure you know, the Londoners call the Tube. After being on it, I can see why. It looks like a Tube of metal. Other than that, and the seating arrangements, it wasn't all that different from the Metro. I think the Tube might be a bit faster and cleaner, but honestly, I like the Layout of the Metro better. But I think I'm bias. We had a relatively short commute which was good, but then we got lost looking for our school. It seems that not all "streets" go in a straight line. Our square ACTUALLY went in a square. That was a shock. But I guess the name should have warned us. Drivers in London, much like Paris, are scary. They don't wait for much of anyone. I know people don't believe me, but LA drivers don't try and kill pedestrians and it's always a shock when the drivers seem like they're going to make you into road kill.
Our orientation lasted a few hours. It was pretty basic stuff. Our director seems nice and there were plenty of girls I hadn't seen in a while.
After that was over, one of my flatmates and I went shopping for towels and other supplies to brighten up our rooms. They're decent rooms, don't get me wrong, but they're much like hotel rooms in that they don't have any personality. I suppose that's a good thing since I wouldn't want to be stuck in a bubble gum pink room or something. Shopping was fun and this particular flatmate and I have a lot in common -- none the least of which is that she is also a creative writing major!
After that, (well, after we were done getting lost, for the second time that day anyways) we went grocery shopping, since we have to provide all our own dinners since we are not in a homestay. Since there are no dishes or pots of any sort in our kitchen, we picked up some easy microwave dinners.
It wasn't a bad lot though. They were ready quickly and we had a nice chat over dinner.
After a while, the other two girls in our flat -- also from our program -- joined us and we had a nice time.
All and all, a better day than I expected. The girls I had a chance to speak with were all so nice.
At the moment, I feel like I haven't really seen the real London, so I hope I can soon.
Well, that's all for the moment. Sorry for the lack of photos but it would have been strange to take them today.
Tomorrow is more orientation and should, in theory, be more interesting.
Until whenever --
~ E
P.S
I ended my day with Mamma Mia, crocheting, and a chocolate orange. I am ok with this.
And here, just for fun, is Meryl Streep as Donna.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
London Calling
So, once again, I am preparing to set off into the far off land of Europe. Only, this time, to London!
I thought I'd prep my blogging for England by going over a basic packing list. It's gotten to the point where I've done this so many times that while I am not a master, I have figured out a basic running list of what I need -- and what I do not.
Clothes:
I pack about 2 weeks worth. More is silly (I packed 2 1/2 weeks worth last time and it was over the top). While less . . . doesn't work.
Last time I made the mistake of not packing enough warm pjs so there are more of those this time, as well as this beautiful white robe from a friend. I know that will come in handy. It was another thing I really wished I would have had last time.
I am also packing 2 pairs of warm tights, since I wear a lot of skirts, gloves, and a bathing suit (according to many travel sites, this is the thing that most people forget and wish they had).
Now, trying to decide which 28 (14 x 2) or so pieces of clothing come with you out of all your outfits can be very tricky. I have a few suggestions:
1. If you don't wear it in your everyday life, don't bring it because you think you "might" need it or "it'll be practical" (unless you're going backpacking or something). Example: I don't wear a lot of pants. I wear skirts. When I went to Virginia, I packed lots of pants for that first year. And guess how many times I wore them? Very little. I always pack one pair of pants, in case I need them for an adventure, but I don't pack mostly pants anymore.
2. Think about how comfortable you'll be wearing something in the culture you'll be going to.
For me, it was short skirts. Back home, when I'm hanging around my parents or a boyfriend, short skirts aren't an issue and it suits the California weather. But, when I was thinking about Paris and riding the Metro every day, I realized that personally, I was not comfortable with a short skirt. I think I packed one. I don't recall ever wearing it, because when I got there, I had the same feeling I'd had back home.
3. If you're like me and pack many different colored skirts, you'll need to make sure that you have shirts that will go with as many of them as possible, so you can make different combinations.
4. One mistake I made in Paris was I packed too many tank tops. For days when you're feeling lazy -- girls you know exactly what I mean, t-shirts are a life saver.
So, thus far, I have 10 skirts, 11 shirts, and a pair of pants. I have 4 dresses and a really fancy dress for a special occasion.
Under consideration is a really gorgeous dress that I'm not sure I need -- but might. And a sundress that I'm still looking for.
Shoes:
These are always easy for me: I discovered in France that there was no need for heels -- I wore them once and felt silly for doing so. And so, packed are Mary Janes (or flats), flip flops, and tennis shoes -- for said adventuring. I will wear my boots on the plane, like always.
For jackets, a light layer (for me a grey sweater), a medium layer -- a white jacket -- and something very heavy that I will wear on the plane.
A scarf is a must have.
I also always bring bags with me, for everyday use. A over the shoulder bag, a hand bag, my traveler's bag, and my backpack, which I use as my personal item.
Added to this is an umbrella. I don't pack a raincoat.
Toiletries --
Standard stuff.
Jewelry -- I've learned that I don't wear nearly as much jewelry as I think I do, day to day. Therefore, 3-4 pairs of earrings and necklaces seem to do just fine.
Music -- this time I wound up bringing most of my CDS
Books -- I actually wound up with relatively few. I always bring stuff I can read on the plane and one or two books I can't live without
Notebooks -- I brought more than usual, I think. I brought my Mara's story notebooks, my WTMW notebook, a blank notebook, a journal, and a sketchbook. For a writer, these things are essential. For everyone else a journal and a notebook are probably plenty.
Documents -- Standard stuff. Passport, etc.
Snacks -- (I'm a gummy worm hound)
Electronics -- (AKA computer, phone + cords) and headphones.
Plugs -- Just adapter plugs in this case since phone and computer have build in conductors. If you use anything other than a mobile or a computer, you'll need a converter as well or you'll fry the circuits ( learned this the hard way).
Movies -- Normally something I don't bring, I made an exception in this case because I wished I had them
Essentials -- Earplugs and sleepmask for the plane. Priceless.
And that's all!
I actually did not over pack for once -- though I did under-pack a little. I should have packed a towel, which is not something that I usually need, but it's, like a said, a little under-furnished here. Not that I mind. Just wish I would have known a little in advance.
But I'm happy. And that concludes my packing list.
I thought I'd prep my blogging for England by going over a basic packing list. It's gotten to the point where I've done this so many times that while I am not a master, I have figured out a basic running list of what I need -- and what I do not.
Clothes:
I pack about 2 weeks worth. More is silly (I packed 2 1/2 weeks worth last time and it was over the top). While less . . . doesn't work.
Last time I made the mistake of not packing enough warm pjs so there are more of those this time, as well as this beautiful white robe from a friend. I know that will come in handy. It was another thing I really wished I would have had last time.
I am also packing 2 pairs of warm tights, since I wear a lot of skirts, gloves, and a bathing suit (according to many travel sites, this is the thing that most people forget and wish they had).
Now, trying to decide which 28 (14 x 2) or so pieces of clothing come with you out of all your outfits can be very tricky. I have a few suggestions:
1. If you don't wear it in your everyday life, don't bring it because you think you "might" need it or "it'll be practical" (unless you're going backpacking or something). Example: I don't wear a lot of pants. I wear skirts. When I went to Virginia, I packed lots of pants for that first year. And guess how many times I wore them? Very little. I always pack one pair of pants, in case I need them for an adventure, but I don't pack mostly pants anymore.
2. Think about how comfortable you'll be wearing something in the culture you'll be going to.
For me, it was short skirts. Back home, when I'm hanging around my parents or a boyfriend, short skirts aren't an issue and it suits the California weather. But, when I was thinking about Paris and riding the Metro every day, I realized that personally, I was not comfortable with a short skirt. I think I packed one. I don't recall ever wearing it, because when I got there, I had the same feeling I'd had back home.
3. If you're like me and pack many different colored skirts, you'll need to make sure that you have shirts that will go with as many of them as possible, so you can make different combinations.
4. One mistake I made in Paris was I packed too many tank tops. For days when you're feeling lazy -- girls you know exactly what I mean, t-shirts are a life saver.
So, thus far, I have 10 skirts, 11 shirts, and a pair of pants. I have 4 dresses and a really fancy dress for a special occasion.
Under consideration is a really gorgeous dress that I'm not sure I need -- but might. And a sundress that I'm still looking for.
Shoes:
These are always easy for me: I discovered in France that there was no need for heels -- I wore them once and felt silly for doing so. And so, packed are Mary Janes (or flats), flip flops, and tennis shoes -- for said adventuring. I will wear my boots on the plane, like always.
For jackets, a light layer (for me a grey sweater), a medium layer -- a white jacket -- and something very heavy that I will wear on the plane.
A scarf is a must have.
I also always bring bags with me, for everyday use. A over the shoulder bag, a hand bag, my traveler's bag, and my backpack, which I use as my personal item.
Added to this is an umbrella. I don't pack a raincoat.
Toiletries --
Standard stuff.
Jewelry -- I've learned that I don't wear nearly as much jewelry as I think I do, day to day. Therefore, 3-4 pairs of earrings and necklaces seem to do just fine.
Music -- this time I wound up bringing most of my CDS
Books -- I actually wound up with relatively few. I always bring stuff I can read on the plane and one or two books I can't live without
Notebooks -- I brought more than usual, I think. I brought my Mara's story notebooks, my WTMW notebook, a blank notebook, a journal, and a sketchbook. For a writer, these things are essential. For everyone else a journal and a notebook are probably plenty.
Documents -- Standard stuff. Passport, etc.
Snacks -- (I'm a gummy worm hound)
Electronics -- (AKA computer, phone + cords) and headphones.
Plugs -- Just adapter plugs in this case since phone and computer have build in conductors. If you use anything other than a mobile or a computer, you'll need a converter as well or you'll fry the circuits ( learned this the hard way).
Movies -- Normally something I don't bring, I made an exception in this case because I wished I had them
Essentials -- Earplugs and sleepmask for the plane. Priceless.
And that's all!
I actually did not over pack for once -- though I did under-pack a little. I should have packed a towel, which is not something that I usually need, but it's, like a said, a little under-furnished here. Not that I mind. Just wish I would have known a little in advance.
But I'm happy. And that concludes my packing list.
Here and now
So, I'm in a new place which mean lots of new posts. I have a lot of backlog so I hope you don't mind if I alternate between what's going on here and now and what went on in France.
For those of you who don't know, I landed in London, England, this morning.
As of now, I've had 5 hours of sleep. 2 on the plane and 3 when I got here. I always feel like I'm somewhere very far away and I'm thinking through a hazy fog. I can never sleep on planes, or very, very little, but I suppose it's for the best because it makes the shift to whatever timezone you're in easier. In other words, if you're exhausted and you make yourself stay awake until it's time to go to bed in your current, physical, present location, when you wake up, you'll be in the correct time zone -- more or less.
It's actually a trick I learned from the director of the Hollins Abroad Paris program. That woman really knows her stuff. In Paris, they taught me to stay awake, but, because you are exhausted when you land, take a 2-3 hour nap (they suggest shorter, actually, but that is what works for me) in the afternoon so that you're up for dinner and don't feel like you're going to fall over.
My flight over here was nice. I've heard a lot of good things about Air New Zealand. Did they hold weight? Ehhh. They were definitely good -- 10 minute delay here or there -- and had nice service but honestly, Delta/Air France was just as nice (As was LAN air which I flew with to get to Peru) I think Air New Zealand had a better selection of movies and TV shows -- I even found new Bob's Burgers! -- but honestly, for international service, they were standard. Not that I'm complaining though. International flights are 10 times better than domestic ones. I did make a sort of friend on the flight though. I was seat with a girl who was going home to Germany, and she spoke decent English. She was very nice. I felt bad for not knowing any German though. But you can't learn all the languages. It was really difficult not to speak French to the people on the plane. I was so aware of my accent. Unlike French though, where they know you're making an effort when you're speaking in their tongue, such things do not exist for UK English, since I'm pretty sure trying to imitate the accent, like you do in French, would get people assuming that I was mocking them. If I could count the times I nearly said Merci though! I miss the French Language dearly.
The people here -- like Paris -- were very nice though.
But anyways -- enough with the airplane bits. I'm sure you'd rather here about what happened when I landed.
But first, some cloud shots, as requested by my mother.
I always think it's pretty amazing that we can fly over the clouds like that. While I think planes are very out of date in someways (they fly so slow!) there are some things where you just sort of loose your breath for a moment and have to think, "we invented this??"
And then, I got my first glimpse of England.
When I actually landed, I was very tired, but I got through border control (they were very nice). picked up my baggage (that was a bit tricky as it was under the Auckland sign), and found the Taxi driver with my name on his card. For the record, he was much easier to find then the Paris Director, but then, there was a good deal less people and I knew what to look for this time.
For those of you who don't know, I landed in London, England, this morning.
As of now, I've had 5 hours of sleep. 2 on the plane and 3 when I got here. I always feel like I'm somewhere very far away and I'm thinking through a hazy fog. I can never sleep on planes, or very, very little, but I suppose it's for the best because it makes the shift to whatever timezone you're in easier. In other words, if you're exhausted and you make yourself stay awake until it's time to go to bed in your current, physical, present location, when you wake up, you'll be in the correct time zone -- more or less.
It's actually a trick I learned from the director of the Hollins Abroad Paris program. That woman really knows her stuff. In Paris, they taught me to stay awake, but, because you are exhausted when you land, take a 2-3 hour nap (they suggest shorter, actually, but that is what works for me) in the afternoon so that you're up for dinner and don't feel like you're going to fall over.
My flight over here was nice. I've heard a lot of good things about Air New Zealand. Did they hold weight? Ehhh. They were definitely good -- 10 minute delay here or there -- and had nice service but honestly, Delta/Air France was just as nice (As was LAN air which I flew with to get to Peru) I think Air New Zealand had a better selection of movies and TV shows -- I even found new Bob's Burgers! -- but honestly, for international service, they were standard. Not that I'm complaining though. International flights are 10 times better than domestic ones. I did make a sort of friend on the flight though. I was seat with a girl who was going home to Germany, and she spoke decent English. She was very nice. I felt bad for not knowing any German though. But you can't learn all the languages. It was really difficult not to speak French to the people on the plane. I was so aware of my accent. Unlike French though, where they know you're making an effort when you're speaking in their tongue, such things do not exist for UK English, since I'm pretty sure trying to imitate the accent, like you do in French, would get people assuming that I was mocking them. If I could count the times I nearly said Merci though! I miss the French Language dearly.
The people here -- like Paris -- were very nice though.
But anyways -- enough with the airplane bits. I'm sure you'd rather here about what happened when I landed.
But first, some cloud shots, as requested by my mother.
And then, I got my first glimpse of England.
It was actually a rather . . . almost spiritual moment, but I have to admit my first thoughts were something along the lines of . . . "it looks like a hobbit town!" but all in the best ways of course, it looked very magical. And then my second thoughts were somewhere along the lines of "I feel like I'm coming home . . ." Which is a fairly odd thing to think, but it was the first thing that popped into my mind. Looking down it seemed much wilder than Paris (I thought of the difference between the french and the english garden). It was very green and I thought instantly of Roanoke. And thus far, England has reminded more of Roanoke while Paris and LA seem quite similar to me even now.
 |
| The buildings seemed almost to form ancient letters to me.It was very fantastical seeing it come out of the fog. |
 |
| There was a large part of me that was going OOOOO! Is it the THAMES?? |
He was a nice man, who, for some odd reason, reminded me of the butler (Martin) in the remake of Parent Trap that I'm so fond of.
My driver was quiet and nice and I listened to some British radio on the way over. He did, however, have a VERY hard time finding the place. We must have circled for an hour. I felt so bad, and so did he.
The chaos didn't stop there though. Once I had gotten to the gate I found it was locked. Lucky for me, that gate, and the ones after it (2 others) were opened by friendly strangers. But when I got to the sign in window it was closed. I nearly lost it there. I could feel the panic rising in my throat. I called the London Director, because I didn't feel like feeling sorry for myself, and while I was on the phone with him, the window began to open. I quickly told him all was well and signed myself in. Turned out the guy was just out for lunch. He was quite nice and actually helped me carry my bags to my room as well as retrieve the bedding that had not been put in the room.
Once inside, I unpacked and looked around. The room itself was nicer than I expected in someways (lots of storage space) but not so nice in others. There were no towels, or hangers, the bedding is thin, and the bathroom is unstocked -- if you know what I mean.
Nevertheless, I am in love with the huge desk and the . . . interesting view from my window. While it definitely seems the sort of thing to fix up, and in some ways I feel like maybe I should have picked a host family, in others I am confident that it will work well for me. I have my own bathroom, plenty of shelf space, and I can be completely alone if I so desire, because it's a space that's MINE. Additionally, there are a handful of us here so it's nice to know that there is company if I want it.
And that's all for now --
More soon!
~ E
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)