Sorry for the delay in posting! I have been super busy
(which is a great thing) and have not had time to update! Thursday, I do not
have class in the morning so I was able to study and clean my room. After
lunch, I walked to Primark (about 2 miles away). It was rather complicated to
get there but I managed to quite easily. Now, at this point, you are probably
thinking, “wow, Riley is doing so well in London and navigating wonderfully. I am so impressed, we have taught her well, etc”, but do not
worry, just keep reading. After shopping, I wanted a smoothie at McDonalds.
They had a mango-pineapple smoothie so I got one. It was 2.20 so I gave the
worker a 2 pound coin and a 50p coin. He looked at me strangely, so I assume
that I must have given him a 5p instead of 50 p so I gave him a 1 pound coin.
He continued to look at me weirdly, so I just gave up and gave him a 5 pound
bill. When he gave me the change back that I had given him, I realized I had
given him a 2p coin instead of 2 pound coin.
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| Very confusing coins! There are way too many and they have no size order! The 2 pound is large, 1 pound is gold and fat, and the 1 and 2p are bronze. The 5, 10, 20 and 50 are really hard to tell apart! |
Whoops! Still learning! After
that, I walked to Trafalgar Square (see pics below) and it was very pretty.
Lots of cool statues and tons of people!
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| Street performer- floating two feet in the air |
Then we had art class in the National Gallery.
We spent 1.5 hours looking at 4 pieces of art. It was nice to have someone so
knowledgeable to explain the art. We also saw some pieces we had studied on Tuesday,
so that was fun! Once class was over, I went home to do some studying and get
ready for the play. We walked to the theater and found our seats. We had wonderful
seats in row G! The play, Chimerica, was absolutely fabulous! The set was a
large square that rotated every few minutes for the sets so it was really neat.
The play was about the photographer who took the picture of the person standing
in front of the tanks. It was dramatic, funny, a little bit of a love story and
a little history. We all enjoyed the British actors attempting American accents
(as some of the people in the play were American) and they had hilariously
weird New York accents, of sorts. There were also a few jokes about the US that
we found very funny.
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| Outside the theater! |
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On Friday morning, we started the day with a 45 minute walk
to Westminster. We had a hour and a half walking tour for “class” and learned a
lot more about Parliament, Westminster, and British history. Afterwards we
walked to the tube station and then went to the teaching site for our next
class. In the afternoon, I had “class (neuroscience)” at the Hunterian museum.
It is at the Royal College of Surgeons and contains thousands of jars of
animals, peoples hearts, lungs, knees, etc. I have not posted a picture but you
are welcome to google it! (https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hunterian+museum&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS459US459&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=31ojUpOSMIathQej_ICICA&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=600)
After class, we had lunch at home and then went on a pub crawl to some local
spots (The Coach and Horses, Exmouth Arms, The Wilmington Arms). It was great
to hang out with Grinnellians and get to know each other better.
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| Two levels of jars- this is only part of the museum. |
On Saturday morning, we once again walked to Westminster. We
got on a boat and had a nice guided tour on the Thames to Greenwich. It was a
great way to see the city and learn more about the area. Once at Greenwich, we
went to the Maritime museum. They have a special “Visions of the Universe”
exhibit which was wonderful! It was about space and had beautiful pictures of
the moon, planets, and other galaxies. (https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=visions+of+the+universe&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS459US459&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=O1wjUtflIoKnhAeAmYEw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=600_).
Afterwards, we were hungry for lunch so we went to the market. It was full of
food from all over the world (except America). I got chicken samosas which were
incredibly flavored and delicious. For dessert I got a churro which was made in
front of me and FILLED WITH CHOCOLATE. Absolutely amazing! Unfortunately I did not
get a picture, maybe Wednesday when we go to Greenwich for History of London so
I can get another!
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| Panini |
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| Truffles |
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| 100% fruit drinks |
After lunch, we wandered through the rest of the market and
then went to the observatory. We took the obligatory photos at the Prime
Meridian and then headed to the Island of Dogs. It was rather (VERY) overrated;
however, it was fun to walk under the Thames.
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| Prime Merician |
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| First picture in a phone booth |
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| Much needed break! (L to R: Kate, Sara, Eleanor) |
Finally, we got on the boat to go
home and saw most Grinnellians on the boat so it was a fun ride to Westminster.
From Westminster, we walked home, grabbing a few groceries on the way. The trip
was wonderful, especially because all of the tickets were paid for us! However,
unlike field trips where we were little, here we were given a list of cool
things, a map, and information on when the boats left and told to do what we
want. We all were able to explore at our own pace and everyone found things
they enjoyed! In the evening, we hung out with some other Grinnellians and then
went to bed.
Today, September 1st, we went to Kings Cross
station. We made our way to platform 9 ¾ so we could get on the Hogwarts
Express. There were a lot of people, some wearing robes (they were supposed to
be wearing muggle clothes….) and some singing songs from “A Very Potter Musical”.
It was entertaining and we got some great pictures!
Afterwards, we went to a fabulous farmers market! I got freshly
made pasta, a mango, corn, cilantro and a cut of lamb. When I tried to buy the
cilantro, I asked for a bunch of cilantro and the guy looked at me confused. I
repeated, cilantro and he looked me like I was out of my mind. So, I did what
any sensible person would do and picked it up and said, this. He responded that
he calls it coriander, but liked calling it cilantro better and thought it was “brilliant”.
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| Veggies |
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| Veggies |
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| Veggies |
Then we went to a large Sainsburys (grocery store). It was like Christmas, but
better! So many food options, so much cheaper, etc! The only bad part was the
long walk home with a lot of groceries but 20 minutes later we made it home. At
the store, I got crispy M&Ms and real groceries!
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| Crispy M&Ms! First time since 2005! |
It is kinda crazy to think that we have been
here for almost two weeks! I am loving every moment and am starting to feel
very well adjusted. I still sometimes get on the wrong subway, get a little
lost, and struggle with change, but I am just seeing more of the city. The
sticker shock has started to wear off. Prices look comparable (bag of lettuce
for 1.50 pounds) but with the conversion rate, it adds up quickly. Meat is much
more expensive here, as it eating out, especially since water is not free.
Yogurt is really cheap (30p for 4 pack of medium sized cups), but not much else
is cheaper. Transportation is also crazy expensive, 1.30 -2.10 pounds per trip,
so we walk everywhere within three miles unless we are in a rush. Overall, I am loving London, our busy lives,
the super busy city, and the culture, activities and people that surround us. Here are some random pictures from the first two weeks! <3
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First day of class pic.
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PS. Gilly, if you are reading this, here is a sneak peak of the care package which will arrive in a week or two.
