Using London as Our Classroom

Yesterday was the first day of class and I had my art history. I felt very out of my element because I have not studied art, art history, religion or European or British history, but I will learn a lot very quickly. The professor is a short woman who is exactly what I would picture for a British art professor. She was wearing a pink dress, pink belt and carrying a pink bag. For art we will go to an art gallery once a week to study the art in person. After class we went grocery shopping and I have started to understand the nuances of the grocery store. We had some creamy mac and cheese for dinner and then did some homework. Today was the second first day of classes. My first class, History of London, has a very entertaining professor. She is against the monarchy (she went to Germany when the Royal Wedding occurred) and really entertaining as she is very opinionate and British. We will be going on a walking tour of London once a week. Furthermore, our homework involved going to museums and other places in London. It will be a great way for me to explore London. My second class, Ethno-National Conflicts, will be a very interesting class as well. I do not have much prior knowledge (besides MoPro) and am not well versed in political science, but it just means I will learn that much more. Our professor seems incredibly intelligent- she teaches at several universities and she consults for the government on policy. Our course will study a range of conflicts all over the world. My final class was neuroscience which I am most excited for (I am a neuroscience concentrator after all). We will be studying all aspects of neuroscience and it will incorporate study at multiple museums and field trips to the Freud museum, Bethlem Royal Hospital and Cambridge.

As of today, I have lived in London for 8 days. Today as I walked home from class, I realized that I recognized the restaurants on the walk home, the chipperies, the cafes, and the takeaway places. However, when I diverge from the well-known paths, I am quickly lost. Tomorrow my art class is at the National Gallery, a 1.5 mile walk from home, so it will be a good test of my abilities. Another interesting thing in London is the languages that exist. London is a multicultural city and thus I regularly hear 5+ languages on my walk to class (especially because everyone is currently on holiday). Furthermore, I now notice people’s accent, whether it is American or British. It is interesting to learn the language differences that occur, even when we all speak English. Here are a few of my favorite words:

Loo (bathroom)

Queue (line that you wait in)

Plaster (bandaid)

Cuppa (cup of tea)

Bin (trashcan)

Rubbish (trash)

Lorry (truck)

Brolly (umbrella)- learned this while going through security at the Parliament and they asked me to put my brolly in the bin.

Bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes)

Chips (French fries)

Pants (underwear)

Car Park (where you park your car)

Cashpoint (ATM)

Chemist (pharmacist)

Surgery Hours (open hours like at a doctor)

(bank) holiday- vacation

Jacket potato (baked potato)

Lift (elevator)

Petrol (gas)

Takeaway (to go)

Wellies (rainboots)

Zebra Crossing/Pelican Crossing (different types of crosswalks)

Pitch/Match/Football (field/game/soccer)

Okay, so that was more than a few but oh well!

Our professors also use some funny pronunciations including laboratory (pronounced la-bor-a-tor-e), schedule (pronounced shedule), and frequently say naughty, brilliant, and bloody. We have also learned that we should say we study (instead of go to school) and go to university (or uni) instead of college. Other funny thing here is the money. The smallest notes are the tener (10 pounds) and fiver (5 pounds) and the notes are in different sizes based on their value. Coins vary from 1 pence, to 2 pounds and some in between (5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pence). It is weird to use the pound and two pound coins so often and sometimes feels like we are playing with monopoly money. I have started to get used to looking left first, but getting on a bus on the left side feels really weird.

My favorite fun fact I have learned is that after the 2012 Olympics, boroughs which had a resident win gold get the main mail boxes painted gold (normally they are a boring red).

Get Interviewed by BBC- Check

Saturday was a very British day. It was very dreary and rainy all day! In the morning, we went to Oxford Street (think Times Square) to buy Eleanor new shoes. With good walking shoes, we headed to Parliament. I did not know very much about parliament before our tour, so it was a great opportunity to learn about British government. There are many traditions for the House of Lords and House of Commons which are not seen in the Senate or House. The palace was very well guarded. To get in we had to go through airport security and then there were guards everywhere in the palace! It can technically be considered a palace because there are rooms that the queen uses to get ready for the first day of parliament and thus those rooms are apartments. Because the building houses royal apartments, it is technically a palace.

Stained Glass in Entryway

In front of Elizabeth Tower (Home of Big Ben)

Rain

After our tour, we walked towards the Victoria & Albert (V&A); however, we got hungry on the way in stopped in Harrods. It is a huge department store that even has its own giftshop! We decided to get afternoon tea while we were there (a classic tourist activity). We each got a pot of tea (I got English Breakfast- No.14 English Breakfast Blend, A classic English Breakfast tea. The full-bodied flavour of Ceylon complements the bright colour of a fine Kenyan tea, while malty, bold Assam contrasts with a delicate Darjeeling), and Eleanor and Sara got scones while I got two “fancies” (Sticky Toffee Pudding Gâteaux- Layered toffee and date cake and Passion Fruit Posset-Whipped cream and passion fruit mousse . They were the most delicious desserts I have had!

My fancies!

Sara's biscuits and cottled cream

Enjoying Tea

Other Fancies

With very fully stomachs, we wandered around Harrods looking at expensive bathtubs, fancy dinnerware, and loads of clothes! Then we set out in the rain once again, so we could go the Royal Albert Hall where we saw a wonderful concert, the BBC promenade. The BBC Proms were founded in 1895 and run every year from July to September. The concert we saw was Wagner, Rienzi-overture; Ravel, Piano Concerto in G major; and Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 in D minor, with Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Jean-Yves Thibaudet on piano, and Philippe Jordan as conductor. I enjoyed the concert, especially the jazzy first piece and latter dramatic pieces.

Albert Memorial

Royal Albert Hall

Inside Royal Albert Hall

On Sunday, we had a bus tour around the city. Our guide was an outspoken and opinionated Londoner; however, hilarious and thoroughly entertaining. It was great to learn a little about many of the sites that I pass daily. We also stopped at several stops to look at St. Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and a market used as Diagon Alley for the Harry Potter movies.  In the afternoon we went to a lovely garden party at Professor Vinter’s house. She had many cakes and cheeses for us and it was nice to talk to the other people on the program more. Also, I got my mobile (phone) to finally work!

 

Tower Bridge

"Diagon Alley"

Yesterday was a very exciting day. In the morning, Kate, Matt and I went to the Notting Hill Carnival. It is the largest street festival in Europe. We were heavily warned against bringing anything so I did not bring a camera; however, BBC took pictures which I have uploaded. It also felt very safe due to the 7,000 officers in attendance. The parade is amazing because each group will have a procession of dancers, floats, props and a band that takes up 2+ blocks each. The costumes are absolutely gorgeous and incredibly intricate (and revealing!). After watching the parade for a while, we got some delicious corn on the cob and jerk chicken. Just as we were finishing, a woman from the BBC came over and asked if we would like to be interviewed, so we said sure. Our quotes (mine is the quote after Kate’s) and picture made the article. Given all of the spectacular food and costumes, not sure why our picture got chosen, but oh well! The link is here:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-23843154 

Kate and I at the Nottinghill Carnival- picture by BBC

After the festival, we came home and ate dinner and then went to the Bowler (local pub) and got strongbow. A football match was on which the entire pub was watching. We were the only ones not getting upset by the lousy calls, yellow cards and other parts of the game.

Today we start classes! I have my art class ( The Early Renaissance in Florence and Flanders) today so I need to go find somewhere to buy school supplies. Who knows how easy or difficult that will be.

Orienting Ourselves to the City

Thursday was a very touristy day! In the morning, we went to the Tower of London. Also known as Her Majesty’s Palace, is a historic castle on the Thames River. We took a tour with the beefeaters (guards of the tower), and took a tour of the white castle. We also were able to go see the crown jewels; however, no photography was allowedL.  Kate and Eleanor had already seen the tower before and wanted lunch so they headed off. I spent another hour exploring the castle.

I then walked across tower bridge, and then walked along the Thames and across London Bridge. It was wonderful to walk at my own pace and I even got a delicious smoothie. From there I took the underground (subway) to the International Student House where we had a tour. After a tour of the facilities, Kate and I took a scenic walk home. We walked through the theater district. It is like New York, but way larger and no cars! We found some great restaurants that we want to check out in the future. I cannot wait to come back to see lots of plays here!

After our two hour walk, we were starving and enjoyed pizza and a salad. We finished the night watching Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (the British edition). It was hilarious but we lacked a lot of the British culture knowledge.

Today, we had a very useful orientation at the teaching site. We got our class schedule, field trip schedule, and lots of useful information. For lunch, we went to a hummus place. It is a delicious and filling meal! 

After orientation and a tour of the area, we walked home. Because today is Eleanor's birthday, we went out to dinner. My "personal" pizza was huge! See the pictures below.

Day 2-Venturing Around City

On Tuesday afternoon we went and grabbed some lunch and groceries at a local convenience store, Tesco. We finished unpacking, went grocery shopping, had a quick dinner and settled in to our flat. I was able to fall asleep easily and got 9 well needed hours of sleep.

Today, we had a busy morning, visiting the bank, ATM, St. Pauls Cathedral, Millenium Bridge (over the Thames River), Boots the chemist (drug store), and then enjoyed fish and chips at a pub. St Paul’s Cathedral was gorgeous and amazing. See the picture below. 

We did not tour it, but plan to at a later date. Due to our proximity to the Themes (pronounced Tems), we walked over to see the river. We walked across Millennium Bridge and from there we could see the London Eye and Tower Bridge.

We made our way to the teaching site where we got our IDs. We had our first fish and chips at a restaurant called Fish and Chips. 

With some time to kill, we went to the British Museum and spent a little time in the mummy exhibit. We had afternoon tea at the teaching site and we learned some basic information about the program and our first week here. Afterwards we walked home and grabbed dinner before heading out to a pub. We called it an early night, but unfortunately it is 3am and I cannot fall asleep.  

Traveling!

Well, I am finally in Britain, but first some stories from my travels so far! I arrived at the Minneapolis airport at 1:40 and was at my gate by 2.25. Once I sat down, I messaged Nana CJ and told her I was at the airport. She was also at the airport and so she came to my gate and we hung out for an hour! It was a great way to pass the time. In classic CJ style, we made friends with two schoolteachers from Ireland.

Nana CJ

The first flight (to Toronto) was painless and I ended up having a row to myself and I was able to see Lake Michigan, Huron and Ontario, which I identified due to the map on the plane.  Unfortunately, it also meant that I got to watch us approach the airport (within 1 mile) and then go south and then east and then north and then west and then south again, thus making a large 15 minute loop around the airport. The girls from Ireland ended up across the aisle from me. I walked with them to customs and was able to quickly get through Canadian customs and get the first stamp on my passport! As luck would have it, my gate was the farthest one away. Once I arrived I was able to email both my parents and let them know that I arrived. With some time to kill, I went to a cafe place and got a lemonade before waiting with 300 other travelers to board the plane. 

Then, we boarded and there was no one sitting next to me in seats B or C. Time passes, it's 8:20, 8:30, 8:40 (scheduled departure time), still just me in my row, they announce three people missed the flight and there will be a delay as they remove their luggage. I hold my breath as four or five more people get on. As we back away from the gate, I am still alone in my row! Unfortunately, someone decided to change seats and take the aisle seat, but two seats are better than one. As we took off, I realized that I am actually going to London. It was a little late to have that realization, but oh well.

Map of Flight

Two Empty Seats Next to Me

The flight was nice, I had three pillows, three blankets, and a personal tv. I got my meal early because I got a fruit plate for my meal (Dad?), but it was great because I still got a warm dinner roll, chocolate pudding, and a salad along with my large bow of fruit. I also got my meal earlier, with all of the special meals which was great since it was already 9pm CT and I was starting to get hungry. Then, half an hour later when they came around with the regular meals and I got a second dinner roll!

Dinner

After that, it was rather uneventful. I watched The Wedding Planner while enjoying my pudding and white wine. 

Wine and The Wedding Planner

I got a little bit of sleep, but the cabin lights went back on at 7am London time (1am CT!) which was when I was finally getting really sleepy. Luckily, a fruit plate quickly arrived along with coffee. I ate this while watching the movie Argo. It was a rather strange way to wake up (it is 7am after all...). When the regular breakfast came out (a piece of banana bread) I got one, which I will enjoy at a more appropriate breakfast time. Well, our plane is about to land...better turn this off and enjoy the descent.



I got to my flat without too many struggles. We took the Heathrow Connect to Paddington Station and then a taxi to our flat. Our flat is way nicer than I expected....see pictures below.

Living Room

Part of One Bedroom

Part of Other Bedroom

Kitchen