London Bridge...
from the movie, "Closer" in Postman's Park.
Outside of the National Gallery
Platform 9 and 3/4 at King's Cross Station!!!
More Pictures! Better updates coming soon!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Picture Update # 2 (scroll to previous post for more!)
London Bridge...
from the movie, "Closer" in Postman's Park.
Picture Update!
Hello all!! I don't have time to update right now, homework awaits! But the weekend is coming up, and I have so much to tell you all! I will just leave you with some images of beautiful London for now!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Weekend Update
If you can't tell, above are some pics of me and Hill enjoying our first class experience.
Since the last time we talked, not much more has gone on, considering it's only been like a day and a half. Friday we continued our fast paced travels around London, and I do mean fast! The drill is that we all meet in the lobby of our building at 9am sharp, then we walk to the nearest Tube station with the line that will take us to the Tube station closest to where we want to end up for the day. Taking the tube in the morning is a really stressful task, especially with a large group of Americans that aren't very familiar with public transportation. The Tube is packed and hot in the mornings with business people going to work. The Londoners keep to themselves and like it if that's what you do as well. They usually read their paper, or a book, or sit quietly and listen to music. The underground system here is still new and slightly confusing, but the more you use it and study the route maps, it's not as overwhelming as I once thought. It's really a shame that America doesn't have a train system like here in Europe. Getting places is for the most part easy and cheap.
Friday we went to the part of town called Cheapside. It was full of very significant London history. Along the way, we basically traced the steps in T.S. Eliot's poem, The Wasteland, only backwards. We stood where the Great Fire of 1666 began in a Baker's shop on Pudding Lane and burned the whole city of London. We saw Tower Bridge (which is the one most famously recognized) and London bridge, and walked over a few other bridges which Dr. Saliba (our engineering teacher) had the pleasure of describing the mechanics off all kinds of bridges to us, something I haven't exactly grasped. We stopped in a few churhces, most of which were designed by Christopher Wren, who has become an important figure in our discussion of architecture. We were also surprised, while winding through the many back alleys of the city, feeling quite lost at times, to come out at a familiar park called, Postman's Park. If you have seen the movie, "Closer", you would surely recognize it as well. It was a nice treat.
After another long day of keeping up with Sean, my flatmates and I decided to get dressed up and face the Tube all by ourselves to get to the National Portrait Gallery in order to see the Vanity Fair exhibit. We successfully got their, and the exhibit was incredible! It contained most of the portraits that have appeared in Vanity Fair since 1910, in photographic print form. Some of my favorite photographer's pieces were there, and it was really special to see them in physical form. After that, our feet were killing from our heels, so we took the double decker bus back to our flat and changed into pub clothes. Then we went down the street to a pub we are quickly becoming regulars at called, The Duke of York. Some of the group went out to a club afterwards, while me and few stayed and enjoyed the laid back pub atmosphere.
Today me and Hillary realized how much homework we have due this upcoming week, and became a little nervous. So what do we do? Come to the internet cafe of course!! Now I gotta go and be productive in a new way.
Peace and Love
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Finally Here!
Hello everyone!!
It's taken a little longer than I expected to update this and let everyone know I've arrived safely. Well, I have!
Hillary and I had a magnificent travel experience. We were supposed to fly out of Dayton into Charlotte, then onto the London Gatwick airport. However, our one flight was delayed which would make us miss our connecting flight, so they re-routed our whole trip and accidentally upgraded us to first class all the way to London!!! It was really fun. Now I'm convinced it's the only way to travel! We basically got a little tipsy on all the free alcohol they kept offering, were pampered by the hot towels and five star meals, and got a beautiful view of the full moon over the Atlantic ocean and above the clouds. We felt a little like kids in a candy store, and I'm pretty sure everyone could tell it was our first time in first class. We took pictures or pretty much everything, and took full advantage of the fully reclining mechanical chairs and sleep masks provided with us, along with falling asleep watching a classic movie on our own TVs...Pocahontas!=)
Once here, we had to catch the Heathrow Express train into Paddington Station, there we bought our Oyster Pass, which is our access to the underground transport system, and then we caught one of the bubbly cabs to our flat. Our flats are in central London, and are pretty nice. I'm rooming with really great girls (5 of us) and the only complaints I have are the tempermental toilet flushings and the ice cold shower water. Besides that, all is well.
Last night we went to a group dinner at a Lebanese restaurant called Aldar, and then unpacked and hit the pubs for the end of the Euro Cup tourney which was a real hoot. That was quite the breaking in for us in London pubs. Very fun...
Today we went on our first site study trip to the area of Westminster. We saw all kinds of things like Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye, and so on and so forth. I don't really have time to go into detail and post pictures because the internet cafe is closing in 5 minutes.
Even after seeing the staple sites of London, it hasn't fully set in that I'm here. People are for the most part, hurried and impatient with our large group of Americans. I think we all used our 9 lives when attempting to cross the street. Cars come FAST from the right, and people don't stop. It's really intimidating! Someone actually got hit by a cyclist, who I think are worse than the cars! Anyways, I've got to wrap this up and get back to the flat for some homework! I love and miss you all. We'll talk soon. =)
It's taken a little longer than I expected to update this and let everyone know I've arrived safely. Well, I have!
Hillary and I had a magnificent travel experience. We were supposed to fly out of Dayton into Charlotte, then onto the London Gatwick airport. However, our one flight was delayed which would make us miss our connecting flight, so they re-routed our whole trip and accidentally upgraded us to first class all the way to London!!! It was really fun. Now I'm convinced it's the only way to travel! We basically got a little tipsy on all the free alcohol they kept offering, were pampered by the hot towels and five star meals, and got a beautiful view of the full moon over the Atlantic ocean and above the clouds. We felt a little like kids in a candy store, and I'm pretty sure everyone could tell it was our first time in first class. We took pictures or pretty much everything, and took full advantage of the fully reclining mechanical chairs and sleep masks provided with us, along with falling asleep watching a classic movie on our own TVs...Pocahontas!=)
Once here, we had to catch the Heathrow Express train into Paddington Station, there we bought our Oyster Pass, which is our access to the underground transport system, and then we caught one of the bubbly cabs to our flat. Our flats are in central London, and are pretty nice. I'm rooming with really great girls (5 of us) and the only complaints I have are the tempermental toilet flushings and the ice cold shower water. Besides that, all is well.
Last night we went to a group dinner at a Lebanese restaurant called Aldar, and then unpacked and hit the pubs for the end of the Euro Cup tourney which was a real hoot. That was quite the breaking in for us in London pubs. Very fun...
Today we went on our first site study trip to the area of Westminster. We saw all kinds of things like Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye, and so on and so forth. I don't really have time to go into detail and post pictures because the internet cafe is closing in 5 minutes.
Even after seeing the staple sites of London, it hasn't fully set in that I'm here. People are for the most part, hurried and impatient with our large group of Americans. I think we all used our 9 lives when attempting to cross the street. Cars come FAST from the right, and people don't stop. It's really intimidating! Someone actually got hit by a cyclist, who I think are worse than the cars! Anyways, I've got to wrap this up and get back to the flat for some homework! I love and miss you all. We'll talk soon. =)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
If I Leave Here Tomorrow...
If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I must be traveling on now
'Cause there's too many places I've got to see...
Ah, yes. I quoted Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" because I am one of 5 people who really dig that song, well at least the first 3 minutes.
Anyways, I felt it was quite fitting, considering I am leaving my comfortable home in Westerville tomorrow, well, technically today. Hillary will be picking me up tomorrow afternoon and we'll be staying at her house in Oakwood tomorrow night. We fly out Dayton the next day (Tuesday) and will be on our way to London!
Since school got out a few weeks ago, I have to admit, I haven't done much of anything productive. I was sick after school, so I made sure to rest and get rid of that. I ended up getting a 4.0 this semester, which was really exiciting because I worked my butt off for that! It was my hardest semester, with 19 credit hours and I pulled it off! I guess I work well under pressure! Anyways, I've been shopping waay to much for this trip, but I figure it's all worth it! I've also been seeing as many movies as possible since it's my favorite passtime, and just hanging out with my friends and family. It's been a nice few weeks.
I'm getting really excited/overwhelmed for the trip. I just started settling into a nice, relaxing Westerville summer, full of boating on Hoover Dam, bonfires, bowling, going to the movies, and just spending a lot of quality time with family, friends, and my beloved pets, and now I'm going quite far away from all that for half of the summer, and I'm not sure I'm ready. Also, my grandpa, who is my last living grandparent, fell last weekend and broke his hip. He had emergency surgery to put a pin in his hip and he's now in the healing process. However, today they found a blood clot in his lung and have to peform another emergency surgery tomorrow, which is supposedly a life-threatening procedure for someone of his age. It really upsets me that this is all happening right before I hop on a plane across the ocean. Right now I just wish I could postpone the trip awhile and be with my family to find out what's going to happen. I'm glad I took the time to go to Toledo to visit with him this week. Please keep him in your prayers.
On a lighter note, I am getting more and more excited about going to a place where no one knows me (but the people I go with of course). I feel like I'll be able to really explore a new place, and myself, as cliche as that sounds. There's something about independence in a new place that is so exciting and terrifying. I feel like now is one of the best times (and last times) for me to take advantage of the opportunities I have as a student and exploring a new place and myself. There will be a lot of changes in everything I'm familiar with over the next year, and I feel like this is a way to jump start that and test my limits.
Anyways, I've got to get going and finish up some last minute packing and cleaning, and get to bed. I've got a long plane ride ahead of me!
I'll leave you with some London slang for you to work into your vocab and quotes!!
Peace, Love and Happiness to all!!!
I'll miss you!!
SLANG
Anork=nerd
Barney=an argument or fight
Bin=garbage receptacle (also, Rubbish Bin)
Bob's Your Uncle=that's it, that's all there is to it, "You turn the key, press the button, and Bob's Your Uncle!"
Bollocks=testicles, but more typically nonsense or screwed up "That's Bollocks!"
Bugger All=nothing: "That's worth bugger all." OR Fuck all/Sod all
Cack-handed=clumsy
"There is a numerous class of people in this great metropolis who seem not to possess a single friend, and whom nobody appears to care for."
~Charles Dickens, 1835
Would you still remember me?
For I must be traveling on now
'Cause there's too many places I've got to see...
Ah, yes. I quoted Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" because I am one of 5 people who really dig that song, well at least the first 3 minutes.
Anyways, I felt it was quite fitting, considering I am leaving my comfortable home in Westerville tomorrow, well, technically today. Hillary will be picking me up tomorrow afternoon and we'll be staying at her house in Oakwood tomorrow night. We fly out Dayton the next day (Tuesday) and will be on our way to London!
Since school got out a few weeks ago, I have to admit, I haven't done much of anything productive. I was sick after school, so I made sure to rest and get rid of that. I ended up getting a 4.0 this semester, which was really exiciting because I worked my butt off for that! It was my hardest semester, with 19 credit hours and I pulled it off! I guess I work well under pressure! Anyways, I've been shopping waay to much for this trip, but I figure it's all worth it! I've also been seeing as many movies as possible since it's my favorite passtime, and just hanging out with my friends and family. It's been a nice few weeks.
I'm getting really excited/overwhelmed for the trip. I just started settling into a nice, relaxing Westerville summer, full of boating on Hoover Dam, bonfires, bowling, going to the movies, and just spending a lot of quality time with family, friends, and my beloved pets, and now I'm going quite far away from all that for half of the summer, and I'm not sure I'm ready. Also, my grandpa, who is my last living grandparent, fell last weekend and broke his hip. He had emergency surgery to put a pin in his hip and he's now in the healing process. However, today they found a blood clot in his lung and have to peform another emergency surgery tomorrow, which is supposedly a life-threatening procedure for someone of his age. It really upsets me that this is all happening right before I hop on a plane across the ocean. Right now I just wish I could postpone the trip awhile and be with my family to find out what's going to happen. I'm glad I took the time to go to Toledo to visit with him this week. Please keep him in your prayers.
On a lighter note, I am getting more and more excited about going to a place where no one knows me (but the people I go with of course). I feel like I'll be able to really explore a new place, and myself, as cliche as that sounds. There's something about independence in a new place that is so exciting and terrifying. I feel like now is one of the best times (and last times) for me to take advantage of the opportunities I have as a student and exploring a new place and myself. There will be a lot of changes in everything I'm familiar with over the next year, and I feel like this is a way to jump start that and test my limits.
Anyways, I've got to get going and finish up some last minute packing and cleaning, and get to bed. I've got a long plane ride ahead of me!
I'll leave you with some London slang for you to work into your vocab and quotes!!
Peace, Love and Happiness to all!!!
I'll miss you!!
SLANG
Anork=nerd
Barney=an argument or fight
Bin=garbage receptacle (also, Rubbish Bin)
Bob's Your Uncle=that's it, that's all there is to it, "You turn the key, press the button, and Bob's Your Uncle!"
Bollocks=testicles, but more typically nonsense or screwed up "That's Bollocks!"
Bugger All=nothing: "That's worth bugger all." OR Fuck all/Sod all
Cack-handed=clumsy
"There is a numerous class of people in this great metropolis who seem not to possess a single friend, and whom nobody appears to care for."
~Charles Dickens, 1835
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Getting There
I just got back to my dorm room after my last final. I just finished my junior year of college and I am officially on summer vacation, sadly, my last one as a student. However, doing as I usually see fit, I decided to go out with a bang and take maybe one of the last opportunities I'll ever have to study abroad as a student. So, in a little less than three weeks time, I will be landing in London with my partner in crime, Miss Hillary Hopkins. We'll live and study in central London for 5 weeks and then we'll travel for about 10 days to France, Switzerland, and Ireland.
It feels like it has been coming for so long, and after the last 3 chaotic weeks of school, it still hasn't really set in that I'll be living across the Atlantic, away from everything I know, for 6 weeks. I know 6 weeks seems like nothing to more fortunate people who have spent extended periods of times overseas, but in my case, it's my first time doing anything like this for longer than a few days. This is really going to be a test of character and, hopefully, a life changing experience.
The way the program is set up is really intense, but the only way I see fit to "study abroad." Basically we there are three courses I'm taking (history, english, art/engineering) that are all structured around the city of London. It's been embedded in our heads in our preparation mini-course, "The City Is Our Text." Of course there are 4 novels to read and binders worth of assignments, but this is only to further our understanding of what we'll be learning on the go. We meet in a common area once a week to discuss what we've been learning and experiencing, but other than that, we are weaving our way through the city and learning as we go. No doubt about it, that's pretty sweet.
After I return from my European adventures, I plan on taking a road trip to Springfield, Illinois and Memphis, Tennessee with Dom, possibly a trip to Florida with my best girlfriends, and a greyhound bus ride to Boston with Hill to visit a fellow friend and photo major, Lauren, which will all end up documented in here at some point. Money will be an issue, but when isn't it?? I may have to reinstill my job as a newspaper delivery girl to pay for my lavish (haha) lifestyle during the weeks I'm actually home, but that's okay with me. This is what I want to do with my time and I'll find a way to make it happen!
So now what? Well, I've got to tie up some loose ends around UD and move out. Then I'm home for about 2 weeks, not working, which is probably a mistake on my part. Nevertheless, I'm going to take that time to recover from finals, catch up on some London reading, shopping, and packing, and just spend some quality time with my family, friends and pets. There will probably be a couple odd photo jobs here and there, but nothing too heavy before leaving on that jet plane!
I wish you all the best with finishing up school. I will do my best to regularly update while I'm away. Feel free to comment or email me @ bakeramc@notes.udayton.edu, and keep me posted on your summers as well!
It feels like it has been coming for so long, and after the last 3 chaotic weeks of school, it still hasn't really set in that I'll be living across the Atlantic, away from everything I know, for 6 weeks. I know 6 weeks seems like nothing to more fortunate people who have spent extended periods of times overseas, but in my case, it's my first time doing anything like this for longer than a few days. This is really going to be a test of character and, hopefully, a life changing experience.
The way the program is set up is really intense, but the only way I see fit to "study abroad." Basically we there are three courses I'm taking (history, english, art/engineering) that are all structured around the city of London. It's been embedded in our heads in our preparation mini-course, "The City Is Our Text." Of course there are 4 novels to read and binders worth of assignments, but this is only to further our understanding of what we'll be learning on the go. We meet in a common area once a week to discuss what we've been learning and experiencing, but other than that, we are weaving our way through the city and learning as we go. No doubt about it, that's pretty sweet.
After I return from my European adventures, I plan on taking a road trip to Springfield, Illinois and Memphis, Tennessee with Dom, possibly a trip to Florida with my best girlfriends, and a greyhound bus ride to Boston with Hill to visit a fellow friend and photo major, Lauren, which will all end up documented in here at some point. Money will be an issue, but when isn't it?? I may have to reinstill my job as a newspaper delivery girl to pay for my lavish (haha) lifestyle during the weeks I'm actually home, but that's okay with me. This is what I want to do with my time and I'll find a way to make it happen!
So now what? Well, I've got to tie up some loose ends around UD and move out. Then I'm home for about 2 weeks, not working, which is probably a mistake on my part. Nevertheless, I'm going to take that time to recover from finals, catch up on some London reading, shopping, and packing, and just spend some quality time with my family, friends and pets. There will probably be a couple odd photo jobs here and there, but nothing too heavy before leaving on that jet plane!
I wish you all the best with finishing up school. I will do my best to regularly update while I'm away. Feel free to comment or email me @ bakeramc@notes.udayton.edu, and keep me posted on your summers as well!
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