One Month Already!

It seems absolutely crazy, but I have already been here a whole month. Time is going so fast! This past week I did a lot of exciting and interesting things. I have finally gotten over my 2 weeks of being sick. It was just a cold with sore throat and cough, but it took me forever to get rid of it. Normally I get over a cold in like 5 days. However, our program director told us that we will get more sick over here because there is more moisture in the air. I didn't go to the doctor though because it was just a regular cold; instead I bought some cough drops at the store. A lot of people in my house have been getting sick and today in class our program director, Mark, told us he was sick all week with the worst cold he has had in 10 years. He then told us that he was given some American medicine and has been on a buzz all week because we are allowed to put different elements in our drugs. He is quite comical. We have finally figured out that Mark is gay and has a life partner. There are a lot more gay people here and it is widely accepted as they allow gay marriage too. I find more difficult to tell if someone is gay here because everyone dresses very formal all the time and clothing is usually one of my main ways of telling in the States.

In class the past week we have been learning all about the government. There are many differences between the US and UK governments. The elections in the UK are completely different then ours. They do not have a set length of time for a term; they just have time periods when an election must be within. The next election has to be called by May, so I will be here for an election! The elections here are not nearly as big of deal as they are in the States. Partially because they don't have a President; they have a Prime Minister. However, they don't vote on a Prime Minister; they vote for a party and then the party leader automatically becomes the Prime Minister. Prime Ministers have a similar position to a US President only with less power because they have to run everything by the queen and House of Lords. Since there are not set dates for the elections, the media doesn't get nearly as involved. I learned that the political leaders have a specific budget that they are allowed to spend on campaigning. A common budget is about 20,000 pounds, which is nothing compared to how much our political leaders spend. For instance, Obama spent 96 million dollars in TV advertisements over a 5 day period in our past election; these guys have 20,000 pounds to use over the entire campaign for pamphlets, advertisements, employees, and the whole bit. Another reason why campaigning isn't as big of deal here is because the country already has some of the major issues settled. Here are some of the issues they have figured out that the US still debates over: Health care - free, Gay/Lesbian Marriage - Legal, Abortion - Legal, Gun Control - Guns Banned. The biggest issues at the moment are the war and legalizing euthanasia. The UK is unique in the fact that they don't have states so their laws for drinking, gambling, tobacco, and driving laws are all the same. I think the US should really adopt this policy too as it is silly to have some states that allow gambling at age 18, some states that allow same-sex marriage and some that have capital punishment. My opinion is to keep it the same all the way across the country. Anyways, I also find their gun control laws interesting. They don't allow guns at all; no one can purchase a gun in the UK. We learned that this law came into effect long ago after there was a shooting massacre at a grade school. Our professor told us that he had never seen or touched a gun in his life and British people are very afraid of guns. The police do not even carry guns around; instead they are armed with a stick! However, if the people don't have guns, why would the police need them. Hunting is not allowed here, but they do have a process of minimizing wild animal populations, such as deer. They call it culling and it is a very prestigious job where they obviously get to use guns to kill overpopulated wildlife. We discussed the American Constitution's right to "bear arms" and how the US will probably never eliminate gun ownership. I find all the differences between the countries very interesting.

On Sunday I went to the Colombia Road Flower Market. This is now my favorite market. A whole entire street lined with vendors selling fresh cut flowers and plants. You could buy everything from a dozen roses to a banana tree. It was incredible. The stores on the actual street were cute too. I spent the morning browsing the area. Luckily I do not have a lot of luggage space to bring things home or I would have bought some cute nick knacks in the garden stores. However, I couldn't resist trying out my green thumb in London. So I bought two small plants for a pound each. I also had to purchase 2 terracotta pots as the plants just came in plastic containers. I couldn't stop smiling; I was so excited to get these planted! I got daffodils and muscari; each container had about 5 bulbs. After the flower market I checked out the Spitafields market, which is a craft and clothing market. I really enjoyed this market and saw a lot of exciting things. So after my day of markets I decided I better get planting. I got my plants out and separated them into pots, but realized I needed more dirt. Where was I going to find dirt in this city? It was night by this time so I thought it would be a good idea to go steal some dirt from St. James Park a few blocks away. I had to steal a spoon for digging from downstairs and I was on a mission. Walking to the park I noticed a patch of grass in front of an office building. There was dirt around a shrub. Perfect! The dirt was different from Iowa dirt, more of a clay consistency. However, I figured it was pretty good because when I got it home I noticed it had worms in it. I decided to flush the worms, as I didn't want them making themselves at home in my room. My pots turned out great. We have a nice, big window in our room so they get a lot of sun. The flowers have absolutely been flourishing; it must have been a combination of my green thumb genes and that dirt. Above picture of the market, below pictures of my progress from start to 3 days later!

On Monday I went to the famous British Museum. This building is absolutely massive. The outside architecture of the building was impressive alone. The museum houses a vast collection of world art and artifacts. The museum is free and was packed with all sorts of different people. There were so many things to look at. I was there for 3 hours and I only saw the first floor. I was very impressed with the Rosetta Stone and the double-headed serpent. Pictures below of the British Museum, Rosetta Stone, and double-headed serpent.

I have had my internship two full days now. I am enjoying it, but have decided I won't be content just sitting at my desk and looking at my computer all day for the rest of my life. Another issue is the fact that my boss doesn't give me enough work to do. I always feel like I am sitting around waiting for her to give me something else to do. The biggest problem is that she is busy on the phone or with other people so I sit there with my project done just waiting for her to give me feedback or give me directions for the next task. I have made a leaflet and a newsletter for the organization already. I am amazed at how much I have learned about the organization in just a short time. The other day my supervisor took me out for lunch to have a typical greasy spoon. She told me that she usually fills up at lunch because she has a baby and doesn't have time to eat a big dinner. She ordered an omelet, salad, and tea. I ordered an omelet as well with chips (fries) and tea. She ate her food so fast that I had a hard time keeping up while we were chatting. However, afterwards we just sat there for a long time talking and drinking tea. She ordered a KitKat when she was done and gave me half. KitKats and tea are very good together. We talked about the differences I have noticed and things to do in London. I learned that her "baby" as she calls it, is actually 2 and a half. I am not for sure if she is married or not because she told me she let the baby's dad pick out the middle name. I also have gathered that she makes the majority of her income by owning and renting out flats. She is always on the phone discussing rent and fix ups. After lunch we went to a convenient store to get a extension cord she needed. We saw a mom pulling her kid around the store on a harness/leash (around the body). My supervisor was disgusted and said something harsh to the lady that I didn't quite catch. When we left she said that I would see that in the poor neighborhoods and that it never used to bother her until she had a baby. I really like my supervisor; but after witnessing her mad in the store and on the phone to contractors, I have decided I definitely don't want to make her mad.

On Tuesday night we went to a football game as a whole group. The weather was terribly cold and rainy so only about a third of the entire program went. I decided to brave the storm and go since it was free and a typical British experience. I actually really enjoyed it a lot more then I thought I would. This was hardcore soccer. The fans and the stadium atmosphere was like nothing I have ever experienced before. It was basically a huge stadium filled with rowdy fans cheering back and forth. The people are very proud of their teams and have organized chants and cheers the whole entire crowd gets into. I have a lot more respect for soccer as a sport now. The professional athletes have to be very fit and in shape as they run around the entire time. The game consisted of two 45 minute halves, but only 3 substitutes went in the whole game. The footwork of the players was amazing to watch as well. I have seen a little professional soccer on TV, but it doesn't compare to seeing it live! The London team, Charlton, ended up losing 1 - 2, but it was still a very fun time. Believe it or not, tea was sold at the concession stands.

On Wednesday night I went to Harrods with Carissa and Allison. I can't believe I waited this long to go there, but it was incredible. Harrods is the famous, luxury department store in London. The store occupies a 4.5 acre site and has over one million square feet of selling space in 330 departments. It is one of the largest department stores in the world. You can literally buy everything in this store, especially name brand and expensive. They sell clothing for all, electronics, jewelery, sporting gear, bridal wear, handbags, health and beauty items, food and drink, pet and pet accessories, toys, furniture, housewares, home appliance and basically anything you can think of. I couldn't believe they sold pets; the puppies were very cute and cost at least 1,000 pounds. The food halls were mind boggling. You could get everything from a bag of frozen peas to a cake that cost 3,000 pounds. I am not exaggerating at all. It was like the best grocery store I have ever been to and it was inside of a huge department store. Of course you can eat there too. The ice cream parlor looked the delicious, but so did the pizza. There were a lot of people buying sushi and other meat delicacies from the meat counter. The sweets room was very impressive too. Then I went to the women's clothing. It is amazing that all the money I had saved to study abroad would only buy about 2 outfits total. The evening gowns were gorgeous, but out of this world expensive (some were over 10,000 pounds). The shoe section was likewise. Ugg boots were basically the cheapest shoe in the department, where as they are probably one of the most expensive shoes in our department stores at home. Every single designer handbag that you could think of was available, especially the big brands like Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Prada, etc. There was a Tiffany & Co store inside along with Cartier, Rolex, and the famous British jewelry store, De Beers. I ended up just buying a cookie, which tasted great. I couldn't believe everything I saw. This was a fabulous place to go and just look around. Pictures below: left - Harrods, right - sweet display inside. By the way, I made all the pictures a little smaller so they didn't take up so much room, but double clicking them should make them larger.

Wales for the Weekend

Last weekend I went to Wales! Elliot is studying abroad there; I had not seen him for about a month and it was Valentine's Day, so perfect time for a trip. By planning ahead, I managed to get a return train ticket (which means round trip ticket here) for 25 pounds. A pretty good deal! Since I had been bragging to Elliot for two weeks about all the excellent produce here in London, I went to the market to get some fruits and veggies on Thursday to bring along for the weekend. I got potatoes, green beans, pears and apples. While I was wondering through the market I ran into the meat section...big mistake. I saw and smelt things that made me want to vomit! First to catch my eye were 5 huge octopuses hanging off a fresh fish display. I don't do seafood and dead, slimy octopuses are quite disgusting. Next I saw a whole, skinned pig head in a cooler that was FOR SALE! Then I saw rabbits and pheasants hanging in the middle of the market un-skinned and ready to purchase. I managed to get a picture of this (below) because I could not believe it! I was only in the meat section for 3 minutes, who knows what I would have discovered if I stayed longer. On Friday morning I had to get up very early to catch my 07:10 train to Bangor, Wales. I got up around 06:00 to get ready because I was planning on leaving Vandon House at 6:35 to give myself plenty of time to take the tube to Euston Station, where my overground train departed from. It is usually about a 15 minute tube ride from my closest station to Euston Station and when I bought my ticket I was informed to arrive 15 minutes prior to the train's departure time. Well by the time I got ready in the dark (because my roommate was still sleeping), got all my bags, and my produce from the kitchen; I was running about 5 minutes late. It was still dark outside so I took the long, but most safe route to my tube station. Of course, it had to be raining this morning too! When I got to the tube I was surprised to find it busier than I expected at 06:45 a.m. By the time I finally made it to Euston Station I was within my 15 minutes of my takeoff time. Since the tubes are underground there are usually a series of escalators or stairs to get to the top of the actual station. Euston station is one of the rare stations that has lifts (what they call elevators here). Well as my luck would have it, the lift line was massive. I was getting nervous about missing my train and decided to take the stairs. Silly me, I forgot that I had a backpack, shoulder bag, purse, and sack full of produce to carry up those stairs too. 283 steps later, my American thighs were cramping and I was literally sweating and panting. The lift had probably gone up and back down 3 times by now too. Permanent mental note: always take the lift! After all this, I was bound to catch my train; I mustered up enough strength to run to the departure boards, find my platform and board my train with 2 minutes to spare. It was quite the morning! It is a 3 and a half hour train ride to Bangor, Wales from London so I had time to relax. I later found out that I was supposed to be on Coach A, but I rode the whole way on Coach B. I only had to change trains once, which was fairly simple to figure out. I enjoyed the country side the entire ride to Wales. I have never seen so many sheep in my life. The grass is quite green here and there were a lot of pretty, little country homes along the way. At one point on my trip my train went straight through a huge mountain!

I was in Wales by 10:45 and Elliot was waiting for me at the train station. Of course he laughed at my "London fashionable" dark jeans and leather boots and said I was overdressed for Wales. The atmosphere was much more country. Welly's (which are what they call rain boots) are all the hype in Wales. We dumped off my luggage and went to get a bite to eat! Elliot took me to a restaurant called Yates, which had a special for 2 meals for 6 pounds. This was a very good deal and I soon found out that everything in Wales is a lot cheaper than London. I had BBQ chicken and chips (over here french fries are called chips, crisps are what they call potato chips). I think it was the best meal I have had since I have been here. Afterwards we walked around town. It was a great day and the sun was even shinning. Elliot showed me the pier, as Bangor is right on the Menai Straight, which leads into the Irish sea. We also walked through the town center and browsed some shops. After I got the tour of the town we got some groceries to complement my vegetables for supper. Elliot lives in the dorms on the Bangor University campus, so he shares a flat with other British students. About 6 of them share the kitchen. They definitely do not keep the kitchen neat and tidy, but that is college for you. We made chicken breasts and green beans for supper. We both thought it was nice to have someone to cook and eat with, as we both usually cook alone. That night we went out and visited some other Central students that are studying in Wales. It was nice to see more familiar faces and talk about different experiences. Picture of the Pier below.

The next day I went on the field trip with the Wales study abroad students. I was just going to explore Bangor for the day, but the Wales program director insisted I come along so I could brag about my fun experience to my program director in London. Since Elliot had already shown me the entire town of Bangor the day before I decided to go. Everyone boarded a mini-bus for the field trip around Northern Wales. I was very glad I did go because I got to see a lot of interesting things! We visited the town with the longest name in the whole world, of course it was in Welsh. Wales reminded me a lot of Hawaii, with all the crazy Hawaiian town names I couldn't pronounce. Next we visited an island with a light house and a very old church. We also went to a castle, which was extremely impressive. There are a ton of old castles in Wales. Our last stop was a beautiful beach; it was amazing. On one side there were mountains, then giant forests of trees and the sea. The whole group explored for about 2 hours. We walked a mile or two along the beach to get to a lighthouse. Along the way we saw some wild horses. This was so cool, like something you read about! Actually I think they were wild ponies and someone must feed them because they were kind chubby too, but still cool! There are pictures below. It felt great to get some fresh air and see the vast country side. I also got to see the United Kingdom's January flower, called the snow drop. That night we made chicken breasts and potatoes. We put cheese on the chicken breasts and it made a great meal. This night we went out on the town to some of the popular college bars with Elliot's friends. I noticed that nightlife is a lot cheaper here too. The people in Bangor were more outgoing and drank a lot. Afterwards, we stopped at a small pizza place and got an 8 inch pizza for less than 4 pounds and it tasted amazing!

Picture of castle (top left), Wild horses/ponies ( top right)

Picture of the lighthouse with mountains (bottom left), Elliot and I at beach (bottom right)

On Sunday, we had planned to climb a mountain, but it was pouring rain so instead we stayed in and also explored some more of Bangor. Elliot and I planned a trip to Scotland together and I beat him in the card game, Speed, many times. That afternoon Elliot asked me to trim up the back of his hair. I thought I could handle this easily, but not such a great idea. Before we knew it, snip snip... he had a hair cut. It actually turned out pretty good though! That night we made pasta and more green beans. Then he took me out for dessert, which tasted very delicious.

On Monday it was still raining, but we decided to go climb the foothills of Snowdonia (largest mountain in Wales) anyway. It took us about 45 minutes by bus to get to get to the bottom of the mountain. The scenery was excellent. Climbing a mountain is harder than I thought, but good exercise with great views. There were sheep all over the mountain. At one point we were walking up a path and a few came over the hill and ran right past us. They are quite funny animals and we got some good laughs when one started jumping as it ran. It was 4 and a half hours to get up the top of the mountain, but since it rained the entire time we only went half way and just admired the scenery. It reminded me of scenery that I have seen in a movie based in Ireland. We made chicken and potatoes for supper again before Elliot had to go to his night class. I got some homework done while he was out and then he brought back a pizza from the little shop again! I arrived safely back in London, greeted with rain and rush hour on the tube. I love the city, but had a great weekend in Wales. Pictures Below: Wales scenery (left), Sheep (right). Click any picture to enlarge!

Time Flys

Sorry that I have not written in a while, but I am a busy girl! I have been in London for 3 weeks now and I feel like I am getting a pretty good handle on everything. I have mastered the 24 hour clock (army time). I can't believe how many people complain about it when all you have to do is subtract 12 from the afternoon double digits. I drink tea almost everyday here. I do this partly because it is free at Vandon House and my internship and because I actually like it (with plenty of sugar, of course). The British take tea time very seriously! I have learned that tea time was all started by the late Queen as a social snack time to hold ladies appetites over until dinner. At a typical British tea time there are lots of little snacks, such as biscuits (what they call cookies), cakes, desserts, and other sweet finger foods. The grocery stores have entire isles just for tea and tea time treats. Tea time reminds me a lot of my Great Grandmas. Grandma Ann was always drinking tea and had tea parties with us. I remember Sam used to eat the sugar cubes whole like candy. On Sunday night we used to go to Omie's and have what she called lunch. It was exactly like tea time here only with coffee, hot chocolate, pie and sweets. Also at all the tea times here there is a little vase of flowers, which Granny always had on her table, not to mention her collection of tea cups and spoons! You can book a table for tea at the Ritz in London for 34 pounds. I have heard that this is fabulous, but a lot of money for tea and snacks! Speaking of money, the exchange rate is dropping. It cost me 155 dollars to get 100 pounds out of the ATM this week. A picture of tea time at The Ritz I got off the website (above)

I did a lot of exploring this week. On Monday I went to Bond Street, which is where all the fanciest stores in London are located. I saw Tiffany's, Burberry, Prada, Gucci, Armani, and many more designer shops. I only did window shopping on this street! At the end of the street was The Ritz, the very impressive hotel that was in the London based movie, Notting Hill with Julia Roberts. I also went to London's largest shopping mall, Westfield Shopping Center. It was absolutely huge, comparable only to the Mall of America. Many of the stores were 3 stories high. Everything in the mall was large, white and incredibly clean. I was surprised that I didn't see any food courts in the mall. However, I did find some more American stores like Hollister and Abercrombie. I read a lot of travel books on London before I left and I had read a lot about Portobello Road. So continuing my shopping frenzy, I also checked this place out. It is really hard to explain this road, but imagine Valley Junction in Des Moines only times 5! It was awesome. There were a lot of antique stores full of interesting things. They had everything from old golf clubs and suitcases to tea pots and cups. I saw so many unique things. I went in one store that was just full of knobs. There were huge, glass door knobs and then hundreds of small cabinet knobs in all sorts of designs. I am thinking that I will take my Mom here when she comes to visit and get some knobs for the bathroom in the basement. These were very reasonably priced too. Since I absolutely love unique things, this was just the place for me to spend an afternoon. I browsed so many stores! I also found the best cupcake store ever. It is called the Hummingbird Bakery and they have tons of different kinds of cupcakes, all frosted to perfection. I was surprised to find that a cupcake cost 50 pence more just to eat it in the store. Since I was alone anyway I just got one to go with a coke. The coke came in a glass bottle with a straw in it. What a perfect treat! I will definitely have to go back there.

Pictures of Hummingbird Bakery with amazing cupcakes!

This was my second week of classes and they are actually getting quite interesting. In my advertising class we discuss a lot about the differences in cross-cultural advertising. We watched Superbowl commercials and my professor thought they were a riot. He is Russian, but speaks French and English as well. His accent is harder to understand than the regular British accent, but I am getting used to it now. In my British Experience Seminar we mainly talk about our adventures and how we feel about them. This week we discussed British newspapers. There are over 12 well-known newspapers that circulate in London, 2 are free and you can't miss them because they get shoved into your hands as you get off the tube. There are tabloid, economic, national and local newspapers. Many of us students agreed that we were shocked at the nudity in the papers. In the most popular newspaper there is a naked girl everyday on page 3. She is called the page 3 girl and it is not considered a huge deal to have a naked girl in you paper everyday here! This is apparently a tradition that has been going on for 40 years. Our director told us that no one really thinks anything of it, as nudity is not that big of an issue to the British. He also told us that he remembers being in grade school and seeing the page 3 girl in art class when the teacher laid out newspaper to paint on. I was also surprised at how much US news the newspapers over here cover. Everyday I could find something about the US. My professor said that this is because the UK looks up to the US so much. In my Contemporary Britain class we are mainly learning about history and facts right now. For instance, I have learned that Great Britain includes Scotland, England and Wales. Where as the United Kingdom includes Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. So the United Kingdom is the country, England is like the state (they don't call them states though) and then London the capital city. I also have learned that when the current Queen dies or is ready to hand over the throne, it may go straight to Prince William because the people are not very fond of his father, Prince Charles, who is actually the next in line. I find this very interesting and have been reading up on it a lot.

This week I did something exciting, I scheduled 2 trips. I am going with Carissa and Allison to Switzerland in March and Greece in May. I can't wait; I have heard great things about both places. Flights around Europe are quite cheap, which is nice. I got a round trip to Switzerland for 70 pounds and we booked a hostel for 2 nights for about 40 dollars. I hope to go skiing in Switzerland.

Thursday night was the big Valentine's Day movie premiere. Some of the students went to the premiere at 1:00 in the afternoon when the show didn't start until 7:30 at night! I couldn't bear standing in the cold that long so I waited until about 6 to go. It has been bitter cold here lately with temperatures well below freezing. Yeah, I know there is not 12 feet of snow on the ground like in Iowa, but you also don't go walking around outside for hours in Iowa. Here you walk everywhere, so you have to experience the cold weather a lot! Anyways, I got to see Jessica Alba and Ashton Kutcher at the premiere. It was pretty cool and I was very impressed.

Pictures of Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Alba

A Weekend in Liverpool

On Friday we left at 8:30 a.m. for Liverpool. The whole group of 54 students boarded a double decker charter bus (or a Coach as they call it here). Apparently I am an unusual bus passenger because within minutes of the bus leaving I felt like I was the only one awake. I sat on the top level of the bus and had great views due to the large windows all around. It was fun to see the city and the countryside this way. After getting out of the city it was basically just an interstate. I saw a lot of green grass and some interesting homes. I was surprised to see that most of the livestock grazing in the fields were sheep. I did see a few herds of cattle, but mostly sheep. On our way to Liverpool we stopped in Chester, a small city with some appealing sites to see. The city has the most complete City Walls in Britain, dating back to the Roman occupation 2,000 years ago. The Chester Cathedral was also very impressive, along with the oldest racecourse in the country and many shops in the city center. We only had 2 hours in Chester, but it was small enough to see all of the sites and get a bite to eat. In the small cafe where we stopped to eat we met the owner who asked us where we were from. It turns out that he was from Wisconsin, but came over here because of an operation (I am not for sure why he had to come here for an operation?). Overall I really enjoyed Chester a lot and thought it was an intriguing little town. Pictures below of Chester.

City of Chester ( top left), Chester Cathedral (right) Racetrack (below)

After our stop in Chester we continued on to Liverpool. It took us about 4 1/2 hours total to reach the city. I was thinking I was going to get some fresh air in Liverpool, but actually Liverpool is one of the largest cities in the UK. Located right on the River Mersey, Liverpool used to be the biggest trading center in the country. Our tour guide informed us that Liverpool had been a more established city than London. However, during WW2 much of the city was bombed and they never fully came back from it. Today Liverpool is better known for its association with the Beatles. Liverpool was colder, less safe, and cheaper than London. We stayed in a Youth Hostel Friday and Saturday night. I thought the hostel was pretty decent. I guess I was expecting far worse. We were 6 to a room and had private bathrooms. The rooms reminded me of what one would stay in at summer camp. Each room just had 3 plain bunk beds. I was pleased to find that the linen seemed very clean and fresh. I have heard from other students that linens can be an issue in hostels. We also got a towel to use and free breakfast, which I guess is a perk at a hostel. We were assigned random roommates within our group so it was a good learning experience to see who I would want to travel with and who I wouldn't. The one thing I didn't like about the hostel was the fact that there was only 2 keys for a 6 person room. So basically whenever someone wanted to get in the room you would have to go down to the front desk and ask for the key, then go up to the room and unlock the door and bring the key back down to the desk for the next person. All you had to do to get the key to your room was say your room number. They didn't ask your name or anything and this was a pretty big hostel. So basically all a stranger would have to know to get in a room was the room number. Everything turned out fine, but it still seemed strange to me. I probably would have been more skeptical of this if I wasn't with my big group.

On Friday night we had some time to get some supper and then we were scheduled to take a Ghost Walk called "Shiverpool." I ate with Carissa and Allison at HaHa Bar and Grill. The food was pretty good and decently priced, but we still couldn't get a split bill. I have heard a lot of people complain that the drinks are always warm here. They definitely don't believe in half a glass full of ice here, but all of the water I have ordered usually has at least 2 cubes of ice in it. The portions of food that you get are a lot smaller too, but I almost think this is a good thing. It seems like whenever I go out to eat at home I stuff myself and feel so full. However, here I just eat a good porportion and feel satisfied, maybe that is why everyone is skinny here. After dinner we met up with the group to walk to where our Ghost Walk began. I was extremely glad that I had remembered my hat and mittens because it was freezing out and we had to walk around outside for 2 hours. As we trekked through the town I began to notice a few things about Liverpool. The people were very different from Londoners, I didn't feel as safe in Liverpool as I do in London, and the city was pretty dirty. The people in Liverpool (or Liverpudlians as we were told) are not as reserved as those in London. Some people in my group got things thrown at them and others were followed by people. Overall I just got a very sketchy vibe from this place. Anyways, the ghost walk was quite humorous, not really that scary as I am pretty sure half of the stories were made up. The tour guides, wearing capes and face paint, were kind of creepy. They did not have a problem getting in someone's face or grabbing people to try to scare them (definitely not standard Iowa haunted house rules of NO TOUCHING like I am used to). One of the tour guides kept licking things which really grossed us out. After the tour we called it an early night and went back to the hostel.

On Saturday morning we had a scheduled City Tour. So we all boarded the double decker bus and the tour guide just spoke to us on board as we cruised around the city. This was pretty interesting as we learned a lot of stuff, especially about the Beatles. We toured Albert Dock, a trendy area with lots of trading port history. The company that owned Titanic has a huge building right on the dock and apparently a lot of the slavery ships were based out of Liverpool as well. We learned about the huge Anglican Cathedral, which I will talk about more later. I saw where the Beatles first preformed (Cavern Club), where John Lennon and Paul McCartney lived, Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields. Imagine our huge bus cruising down Penny Lane as the Beatles song, "Penny Lane" blasts out the speakers - can't get much more tourist than that, but it was a good time. Pictures below.

Penny Lane sign (left), Strawberry Fields (top right)

After the tour we had the rest of Saturday to explore. My group walked around the dock for a while and then went to get some lunch. We were told by our program director that we had to try a pasty (not to be confused with a pastRy). So we found a little shop and decided to get one. Pasties are basically a meat and veggie turnover. These are cheap and delicious. I had a chicken and veggie one and thought it tasted very similar to a chicken pot pie. Next we went to check out the Cathedral up close. I can't even explain how large this building was. Some statistics: the largest cathedral in Britain with the world's highest and heaviest bells, highest and widest Gothic arches and the largest organ in Britain. It was very impressive inside and out. The architecture was incredible. We went inside and took a jaunt to the top of the tower. The view was excellent as we could see for miles. Pictures below.

Liverpool Cathedral ( top left), cemetary below Cathedral (right)

For dinner we went to a Mediterranean restaurant. I had a panini that was very good. Then the majority of the group met up at a pub called the Flute. It was pretty busy as a Football game was showing (when they say Football here is means soccer, but they do not like calling it soccer, our kind of football is referred to as American Football). Football (soccer) is a huge sport over here. This pub was supposed to be known for their cheap drinks so much of the group was in rare form towards the end of the night. Our program director told us before we left that Liverpudlians know how to drink so we shouldn't be tempted to keep up with them! My friends and I decided to refrain from much of the celebrations as we were leery about the town and walking home. We did have an excellent piece of chocolate cake at the pub though. Many students had difficulties making it back to the hostel and a few didn't make it home until just before the bus left on Sunday! One girl also told me that she spent 100 pounds on alcohol (about $170) Crazy! Sunday was pretty much a long day of riding in the bus until finally we were home! I was very glad to be home. I went for a run in St. James Park and then sat and watched the birds. I don't think I will need to go back to Liverpool, but it was a interesting experience.

An Experienced Londoner

London has so much to do all the time. There is always something to see or experience. On Sunday night we went to a movie premiere! (we didn't actually go to the movie; we just went to see the stars walk in!) This was very exciting. It was the premiere of Invictus. I believe this movie has been showing in the States for a while, so the premieres must just be later here. Anyways, there was a red carpet and lights and people everywhere. We went about an hour early so we would be sure to get a good spot, but it was already really crowded (luckily I am tall). It was fun to see the limos pull up and the celebrities get out, everyone went nuts. I got to see Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, and Clint Eastwood. It was interesting to see how the actors interacted with the audience. Morgan Freeman took a few pictures for the paparazzi, waved, and walked right past into the theatre. Clint did sign some autographs and mingled. However, Matt Damon walked up and down the sides of the carpet signing autographs, taking pictures with people and the whole bit. I must say that he looks just as good in real life as in the movies. I was a little disappointed that there were not many actresses in the movie or at the premiere because I was looking forward to checking out their dresses. However, Valentine's Day, another movie, premieres here on the 11th. I fully plan on being there because my favorite actress of all time, Julia Roberts, is in the movie! I can't wait. I will let you know how it goes!

(Above) My Picture of Matt Damon

Yesterday I had my internship meeting. I found out that I am not doing my internship at Parliament because there are a lot of Political Science majors here and that is more of their department. I was really hoping for a nice business firm or something great to put on my resume. Turns out that I am interning at a non profit organization in a part of London called Hoxton. My program director told me there were not any ghettos in London; but if there were, then I work in one. Of course, where else did I expect a not for profit business to be located? This has made me even more aware of how nice an area that I live in. The business is called Hoxton Trust and it basically serves the community in many ways. Their biggest area is offering legal advice, but they also offer English classes too. The Hoxton area is mostly Turkish people and a lot of them don't speak English. My internship is about a 15 minute walk from the tube. Now, Imagine me in my smart clothes (what they call dress pants and nice shirt) and heels walking through Hoxton in the rain (because it at least sprinkles about everyday). My initial feelings were not good about this whole thing. When I finally found the building after only a few minor mix ups, I definitely was not excited. Green and yellow paint every where, even on the inside! I was just happy I found this place though. So I waited for the director of this organization for a little bit as I pondered how I was going to get myself out of this situation. Soon enough Karina, my boss, showed up and things started getting a lot better. She is a very nice lady and was extremely excited to have me there. She explained a little more about the business. We worked out that I will be going in every Tuesday from 10 -6 and I get an hour lunch break to explore Turkish food (Yikes!). Karina is completely British, but thinks that I will love the Turkish meal called a greasy spoon. This frightens me a bit, but I will let you know how it turns out! I think I will be packing my lunch. Anyways enough pouting for me... The good news is that I get my own desk and computer. I will be working on creating a monthly newsletter for Hoxton Trust and I also get to interview past customers about their experience and then put that together to illustrate how well the services that Hoxton Trust offer really are. It turns out that I am a pretty lucky intern because most of the other students have told me they have to make their boss tea and pretty much get no hands on experience. This makes me a little more optimistic, considering that Karina offered to get me tea! Hopefully my first day goes well!

On Saturday we went on a walking tour. We saw St. Paul's Cathedral where Princess Diana got married. It is impeccable. Then we also saw the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's plays were put on. A lot of history in a small area. On Monday I went to take pictures of some of the sites near my house. It is hard to explain what I walk past every day. Hopefully the pictures below do some justice. It really amazes me how much history there is here. There are so many impressive buildings, museums, parks and things to do here.






















(Left) St. Paul's Cathedral, (Right) Westminster Abbey




















(Left)Houses of Parliament, (Right) Me by a huge Lion at Trafalgar Square

Yesterday some one asked me for directions! This pleased me very much because it means one of two things. One: that I look like I am from here and know what I am doing or Two: that I look nice enough to approach and ask about directions (which is hard to find here). Either way, still exciting. So, I was just waiting for the Tube when a young man came and asked me if I was from here and could help him with directions. As soon as I told him that I had only been here about a week and could try my best to help him, he asked me if I was American (must have been my accent, or lack there of). Turns out he was a foreign student from Africa and had only been here about a week too. However, I had a lot better navigating skills than him. He told me where he was from in Africa, but I had no idea where it was and he said that most people didn't. However, he did tell me that the U.S. has a military base there. So I helped him find his way to his stop and explained the Tube to him a little bit. I had to get off a few stops ahead of him as I was going to do some shopping, but I am fairly sure my directions got him to where he was going. He told me that the London Tube was a very difficult network compared to the Metro in Paris and some other underground train networks. Although I still have to look at my map at times; I am feeling pretty confident with the Tube.

This day I also went out and bought a pair of new, casual boots. Everyone here wears skin tight, dark trousers and boots. There is so many great stores in London. I definitely find it beneficial to pinch on food and splurge on fashion and traveling. This weekend we are going to Liverpool. Our director has told us that Liverpool is completely different from London. It will be very interesting to see another culture in England. I am also looking forward to seeing some country side. Believe it or not, but I am in need of a little fresh air! I probably will not have a chance to write until Sunday night. Until then, as they say here, Cheers!

This reminds me of some new words I have learned this week. For starters, everyone ends conversations with Cheers! They use it on the phone instead of good bye, they close emails with it, and I hear it on the street. I have also learned that knickers mean underwear. I know I have heard this before, but I actually saw a sign today that said knickers: 2 for 5 pounds. Bugger, buggered, and buggers is used pretty commonly and I haven't quite figured out the meaning, but I believe it has multiple, such as shoot, troubled, shucks, etc. Another common word used here is bloody, which is equivalent to our damn only maybe a little stronger. I hear it all the time, such as someone on the tube saying, "I found a bloody rat in my flat last night!"

By the way if you double click on the pictures, they should get bigger!















(Right) My Room (Left) Me, Allison and Carissa at Texas Embassy