Post 6: Beckhams

So... David Beckham and his family have decided to move back to London. And not just London, but Kensington. Not just Kensington, but TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM ME! He went to Builder's Arms, the pub on the corner of my street, just a couple days ago. That's where I got my first fish and chips meal! It's quite exciting haha, maybe I'll get to babysit his kids??

Victoria Beckham, previously known as Posh Spice, is going to open a fashion store just a couple of Tube stops over in Knightsbridge. (Funny, since now I know posh is actually a common term here!) I think her store is going to be right next to Harrod's... so here comes some competition.

That's all for now, cheers!

Post 5: Stonehenge and Bath

Yesterday, we took a day trip to Stonehenge and Bath! It was truly beautiful. Stonehenge, as one of the most famous sites in the world, has the remains of a ring of giant standing stones. To me, it appears almost like an altar or a worship site. Archaeologists believe they were built anywhere from 3,000 B.C. to 2,000 B.C. Stonehenge was constructed by a culture that left no written records,  so its purpose is a mystery. It appears that the people dragged (how??) these stones from as little as five miles to as far as 20 miles away - some of the stones weighing as much as 40 tons! That's twice as much as the bus we took to get there!

Bath, the location of England's only hot spring, was even more amazing. There is a legend that Bath was founded in 860 B.C. when Prince Bladud, father of King Lear, caught leprosy. He was banned from court and forced to look after pigs. The pigs also had a skin disease, but after they wallowed in hot mud, they were cured. Prince Bladud followed their example and was also cured. Later, he became king and founded the city of Bath.



The Romans then built a temple at Bath dedicated to Sul, a Celtic god and Minerva, the Roman goddess of healing. They also built a public bath, which was supplied by the hot springs. I touched the water and not only was it surprisingly warm, but my fingers felt tangibly smoother afterward. It was really interesting. We also got to drink the water but...  it tasted like metal, so I only gave it a quick sip.




Afterwards, I bought my parents little gifts from the gift shop, because I wanted to bring them something from somewhere as unique as Bath. I bought soothing lavender aromatherapy incense for my dad and a silver bracelet modeled after the twisted Roman torc for my mom. Torcs were originally worn around the neck, the arm, or the wrist. It's like our modern bangle, and I thought it was pretty. I got one for myself, too!

Post 4: Fascism

Well... Media Ethics and Law didn't work out so well. The class was full of senior journalism majors with extensive knowledge of world events, both past and current, who all were well-versed in the language of reporting. On top of that, it was focused on Britain's journalistic past. I thought I wasn't caught up on my U.S. journalistic history... I don't even want to know how little British journalistic history I know. I've never taken a class that covered things of this nature and honestly I felt very out of my league. Once I heard we were to give a 20 minute oral presentation on a professor-given topic that counted for 20% of the grade, I knew this was not the class for me.

Don't worry though, it all worked out for the best. Upon returning to my room, I looked up my Assumption adviser's email to me and found out that the Feature Writing course I'm taking here already counts for the journalism credit back at Assumption. Essentially, I would be taking this Media Ethics and Law class as an elective because I don't need it in addition to the other. Also, I went to talk to my adviser over here to drop the class and he ended up being the professor for a class I wanted to pick up! Long story short, I'm out of that ridiculous journalism class and in an interesting history of fascisms throughout the world.

I lucked out today. Now it's time to look up fascism...

Cheers!

Post 3: Classes

I had my first Human Sexuality class today and it went well! My professor seems genuinely friendly and very willing to help. I was surprised how small the class was, since I've been expecting the typical 100-student-lecture-hall type classes. There were only about 25 or 30 students in the class which is basically what I'm used to.

In any case, this class seems to be heavily writing focused with two major research papers. I feel pretty confident I can do well in this class and that I will be really interested in what I'm learning. Because it is a psychology course, we will be looking at the various psychological approaches like biological, cultural, behavioral, cognitive, etc. The professor will make the class notes available online, which I really like. Alex and I agreed to share the textbook as its 75 pounds... or equal to more than $120. We live in the same building and see each other every day so it's easy enough to switch off.

Eric, Alex, and I went shopping briefly before class to buy notebooks and pens. I also bought a mirror as it was a good price and I've needed one the past two years at school yet just never got around to it. I'm absolutely in love with my satchel bag and I bring it everywhere. It's simply perfect for what I need and I feel my things are safe. That safety issue is particularly important after both Alex and Jenna lost their iphones this weekend. I don't intend on losing ANYTHING the whole semester; I will take every precaution I need to.

Tomorrow I have Media Ethics and I'm not sure what to expect. This class, like most of the others, counts towards my major back at Assumption but I haven't heard much about it concerning the workload or the professor's focus. Hopefully it will go as well as my class did today. Wednesday is my killer day, with three classes starting at 9 and finally finishing at 6. Ah. Well, I'm off to shower. Cheers, readers!

Post 2: Adventures

Well, Jenna and I finally did it. We got lost. We got off the Tube too early and wound up in a different part of the city. Luckily, we were able to get back on and figure it out quickly. The fact that it was snowing sure didn't help, and we had been on our feet for hours. This morning, we got up to go on the Harry Potter walking tour with our favorite tour guide from the bus tour. It was pretty cool to go to King's Cross Station and take a picture at Platform 9 and 3/4, but traveling in the snow for four hours was miserable. I did learn a lot about J. K. Rowling though, and I had fun answering the Harry Potter quiz questions she prepared for us.

Classes start tomorrow, and I'm a little nervous. I hope I like my professors and the way they run their class. Technically, I only have one class tomorrow, and it's at 1:30 so I'll have time to mentally prepare. I've walked past most of the buildings where I have class so I'm at least accustomed to the route.

This weekend has been way too fun. We went to "Cirque Du Soir" on Friday and the "Jalouse" club on Saturday. Both are really posh clubs - heels and dress required. Jenna and I were lucky enough to meet a girl who was here last semester so she knows a lot of the best places and people. On Friday night, we got in without a cover charge and didn't have to pay for drinks the whole night because we got in with a promoter. He sat us at his table and brought us a bottle of Grey Goose with a huge sparkler attached! This particular club is carnival-themed. There were people walking around in circus costumes - some were dressed as animals, a few were clowns, and there even was a snake handler with a live snake! There were lots of crazy colored lights and decorations, and they even had popcorn and mini pancake carts! Each bathroom stall had a gigantic 3-D clown face mounted on the wall above the toilet so when you turn around, it's staring you right in the face. Clowns are one of my biggest fears, but it all added to the theme. I really enjoyed the whole night.



After all the fun, I'm exhausted. I think it's time for a nap. Cheers!

P.S. This guy was really creepy but I put on my brave face...

Post 1: Across the Pond

I can't believe I'm here. It's already been four days, but it's still sinking in. I, Lauren Tyler, am in London. LONDON, ENGLAND.

The flight went well, except for the severe ear-popping pain I endured. Sitting next to Eric Reither meant that I got no sleep whatsoever, but that's alright. Each seat had a personal screen display with movies, television, games, and flight information, so I watched two movies and became a champ at Bejeweled. The in-flight meals were better than I expected, and the flight attendants were very attentive (as "attendants" should be...). Eric and I sat next to a very friendly woman who grew up in London but has lived in America for the past 15 years. She told us that her daughter is amid the college application process so she asked us, as current college students, about things like financial aid, housing, and (appropriately) studying abroad.

We spent the last three days shopping and exploring. Our program provided a guided walking tour of just our area and a bus tour of the main boroughs in London. We checked out some shops, pubs, the nearest tube station, the Kensington area, and central London. We also went to the "Miss London" store, and I bought a nice gray jacket for only 15 pounds and a tan satchel because I've found that it is absolutely necessary for any nighttime activities.

But food is SO EXPENSIVE. Kensington is one of the wealthiest areas in London, so it's difficult to find cheap prices anywhere near me. I actually got my first fish and chips on Wednesday, and I really liked it. That was a pleasant surprise, seeing as fish has never been my favorite. Of course, we had to try the bar's signature beer, as well!

My money is FLYING out of my hand, and I'm experiencing intense monetary separation anxiety. I have been, and probably always will be, extremely financially conscious.

On Thursday, we went to see the west end production of 39 Steps in central London at the Criterion Theatre. It was pretty funny! There were only four actors even though the play featured seven or eight different characters all with different accents and ways of speaking. True talent. That being said, most of their humor centered around poking fun at the customs, history, or accents of local British, Scottish, and Welsh people. I've found that the British have a very self-deprecating sense of humor. Our bus tour guide was making fun of the royal family nearly the entire time.

My room is better than I was expecting, and I love my roommate. That's always a huge plus. Her name is Jenna, and she's from Florida. I also love my RD; he is genuinely helpful and super funny. Actually, all of the staff and professors I've met have been downright hilarious. Both the walking tour guide and the bus tour guide had me laughing out loud. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if our bus tour guide, Eleanor, has a second job as a stand-up comedian.

Unfortunately, I've had a different experience with the people I've met on the street. On the first day, Eric asked a woman where to buy a cell phone on this street, and she looked him full in the face for a moment, rolled her eyes dramatically and just walked away! Then he asked another man who sure took his time with answering. (He didn't even help us in the end.) I was rather taken aback.

I've already found myself picking up an English accent... and I can't say I'm too upset about it. I'm signing off for now... until next time readers! Cheers ;)