Our jaunt to Oxford

was beautiful!

Crossing the bridge from the train station into town

We mostly just walked around campus (or at least parts of it) and had dinner in this little cafe (Cafe Bar Cafe?). We finally got our Oxford sweatshirts we'd been wanting so bad, and then on the way home we had our train car all to ourselves! So naturally, we had a dance party.

The town was wonderful; not surprisingly, we got a little excited every time we saw groups of people who were obviously students... just imagining what it must be like to go to school there, to live there. 

In a few hours we're leaving for Paris! I'm very excited, and just a wee bit nervous. We're going as a group, though, so no worries. This will be the first place I go, on this trip, where English isn't the primary language. And I know no French! (Take that back, courtesy of my roommate, I can say, "It's cold.")

Until then, cheers!

Americans and Australians in Scotland

Our first night in Edinburgh, we shared a room with three girls from Sweden and a girl from Australia. We didn't spend much time with the Swedish girls, but the girl from Australia is 18 and has already spent a month and a half traveling around Europe (by herself) on a "gap year," which is apparently quite common in Australia. (She'll begin "university" in West Australia the coming school year.)

In our hostel in Edinburgh

Talking to her, we discovered that both Texans and Australians use the phrase "Tell you what" as a complete sentence. (And as a phrase in general.)

The view of part of the Royal Mile from our hostel window

I'm sure it depends on the expectations, but our hostel was above my expectations! We had a great location, not far from the train station, right along the Royal Mile. We didn't directly interact with many of the other people there (we weren't in the hostel that much), but the mix of personalities and nationalities was obvious. 

The Jack-the-Ripper Tour

was pleasant.

We began outside the Tube stop near the Tower of London, and proceeded to cover most of the East End, notorious in the Victorian period for its poverty and crime.

Our tour guide explained in great detail not only the murders themselves, but also the various jurisdictions involved, the suspected murderers, conspiracy theories, etc. It was very interesting, but I literally came extremely close to getting sick around the third stop. (I really think I had just locked my knees, because I was fine after that. But still - the details of the murders are beyond gruesome.)

I'm not really going to go into detail, but here are a few random pictures from before and toward the end of the tour...

The Tower of London, in all of its intimidating glory.

Our tour guide, speaking to us on the East side of the London Wall.

Walking down one of the last alleys of the tour (one of the few alleys remaining exactly as it was in the 1800s).

First Test Down!

My first test here is down, and it was a success! Tomorrow the whole group is going to the Globe Theatre to see Henry V, and then Friday morning everyone is splitting up to go out of town for the weekend, primarily Scotland and Amsterdam.

After class I walked around the Bloomsbury area trying to find the post office, which I eventually did (after some help by a local). I then wandered into an incredible antique bookseller's shop. Every volume in their was one of the early (if not original) prints of novels from Dickens to Thackeray to Austen. (Put it to you like this, the smallest, single volume books were a couple hundred pounds.) It was beautiful.

We have a test in my second class tomorrow, but it won't be bad at all. A group of us is thinking about taking the Jack the Ripper tour tonight; if it happens, I'll be sure to let you know how it goes. I'm pretty excited. And a little nervous.

Until then!

(For your viewing pleasure, I'm just adding a few more pictures from around the procession yesterday.)

We saw the Queen!

Today after the test, Kelsey, Morgan, Erinn, Heather, and I found our way to the square of statues right outside Westminster Abbey where we were able to spot the Queen's carriage!

This feat was extra extraordinary in that at every stop along the way we were turned away by barricades and policemen. Kelsey continued to lead us with the use of her phone's map and a picture of the procession route. In miraculous fashion, after several sprinted blocks (and I do mean several), we found ourselves outside of one of the most incredible buildings in the world - with a slim, eyeline shot of guard-lined streets. 

After all of the physical exertion, we decided to stop for a pint at The Geencoat Boy (or something like that). While there, we were able to join with the locals to watch the Royal family wave from the balcony. I think they were amused at our perceptions of the Royals and the Jubilee festivities as a whole.

We met some lovely Brits along the way - a couple near us that took our picture in front of the flags and a man on the Tube with whom we compared notes of the procession and wave. 

Lights, Tests, then Action!

Last night I blew the fuse in our bedroom, so we were without light (really power, in general) for about half an hour. Two of my flatmates were busy studying for our upcoming test, and another was in the shower. I felt terrible, but we ended up having a wonderful time during the much-needed study break!

Fortunately, one of the girls on the trip celebrated her 21st birthday the night before, and we all (mostly) still had our light-up rings that her mother had given to everyone as part of the lavish celebration.

We couldn't seem to find a solution by examining and fiddling with the circuit breaker, so the next logical step was to ask the boys, who live several floors below us. Unfortunately they were too busy booking their hotel for their trip to Amsterdam. (Needless to say, we were a bit disappointed at the apparent lack of chivalry. And masculine know-how.) So then we contacted maintenance, and our lights were back on in no-time.

The wonderful ladies of Flat E, from left to right Morgan, me, India, Kelsey, and Erinn.

Now, our main focus is on the two tests we have this week. Research & Evaluation is tomorrow (and guaranteed to be tough), and Media in Britain is on Thursday. Thursday evening the fun begins. We're going to see Henry V at the Globe Theater in the evening, and then Friday morning Morgan, Erinn, Kelsey, Gage, Heather, and I leave from Kings Cross (I know!) for Edinburgh.

I must also add a note that contrary to one of my more recent posts, I'm beginning to feel more comfortable with those on the trip. At the Jubilee celebration and over the course of the past day or so, I've come to really enjoy spending time with my flatmates and the girls that I'm going to Scotland with this weekend. I'm not feeling like such the outsider/loner anymore!

Moving beyond the Questions

One of the obstacles I have found in acquiring any true sense of British culture or day-to-day norms is the size of the group with which I am traveling, though this is by no means the only inhibitor. At times I attempt to reflect on the lessons I’ve learned since arriving in London and the experiences I’ve had; I ask myself what stories I’m going to share with my friends and family back home to give them a glimpse of life in London. I wonder if so far I haven’t just transplanted an American existence – granted, a more urban existence – into a prettier, less familiar scenery.

I wonder what I can do to get to know the “natives” around me better. What enhances familiarity? Should I talk to the nice man at the café each morning? Should I simply sit and observe others in restaurants? Should I spend time studying in the park rather than in my flat? I’d imagine, not surprisingly, the answer rests in the mix of these (and other) behaviors.

Cultural submersion does not simply entail changing locale. We must make conscious decisions throughout each day to go out into the culture. Make no mistake, this requires a bit of courage. My curiosity about various random facets of British life won’t be assuaged by remaining in my flat and/or around other American college students.

Finding differences alone will not broaden my cliché “horizons;” similarities are also essential. 

We’ve already spent some time making observations, and from those observations we’ve constructed questions, mostly for class but not entirely. The longer we are here, the more excuses for not seeking out those answers diminish. I, for one, am excited (though nervous, of course) to begin interacting with the international community around us in research.

Jubilee with the Masses

Well I lied a bit this morning. We did have plans for today - the Diamond Jubilee flotilla! While we didn't actually see a single boat (the Brits really love their Royals), we had a blast walking through the crowds and trying to see the river.

Snap-happy Morgan...

We still want our own Royal masks. I called dibs on Kate Middleton.

India, Gage, and me

We weren't quite that dedicated. Actually we just didn't think of it first.

I also got a legit Diamond-Jubilee scarf with the Queen's face on it. I have to say, I rather think I appreciate the British expression of patriotism. Because they're so generally understated, their love for their country and its symbols and traditions seems all the more sincere.

Weekend Update

Sorry for the teaser - Oxford didn't happen after all. I'm still planning on going, but probably on the Monday that Dr. Coleman is canceling class. Instead we just stayed around the apartment most of the day, and then we celebrated one girl's 21st birthday last night.

Her mom and several friends flew in from Texas and took all 25 of us out for dinner, dessert, and drinks. (I know.) Everyone else was going out for the night from there, but I wanted to head back to the apartment, so I caught a taxi. Well, I attempted to catch a taxi, and fortunately a nice man also waiting outside the pub hailed one for me.

It's been an interesting trip so far, I must admit. I've really had to evaluate my comfort zone and examine everything I say and do. And though there are several people in the group that I enjoy hanging out with, I feel very alone most of the time.

On the bright side - and I know this will thrill my mom - I feel a very new sense of independence. The fear that I had going into this trip of traveling alone, the what-ifs, etc. have vastly diminished. One of the blessings of that flight delay in Philly, I think. Once the fear became reality, it became manageable.

Anyways, all that to say it's been a pretty uneventful weekend, so I'm looking forward to all of the remaining weekends. Today will probably consist of a lot of studying for our first test and hanging around the apartment and the surrounding neighborhood. Cheers!

The Changing of the Guard

Today we witnessed the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace! Above all, the music (particularly the bagpipes) was incredible. As were the crowds. Happy Jubilee weekend!

In addition, we are making a day trip to Oxford tomorrow, which I am very excited about!

Far yi fae?

As of this afternoon, my flatmates and I are headed to Scotland next weekend! We bought our round-trip train tickets to Edinburgh from Kings Cross (and yes, we will be taking pictures at Platform 9 and 3/4). We found a hostel, and we found a tour!

As for this weekend, it's the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, so we'll be stickin' hereabouts for the processions and parades and such. It'll also be our weekend for typical London sight-seeing, including the changing of the guard, Windsor Palace, Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul's Cathedral. Oh yes, and a tour of the Chelsea FC stadium.

Pictures will soon follow, I'm sure! In the meantime, we have a test Tuesday, so we're trying to get a bit of studying in.

Cheerio!

Tour of the Olympic Village

While the pictures may not seem like all that much, we toured the Olympic Village today in East London!

After exiting the Tube and seeing the buildings surrounding the station, my first thought was why on Earth would they choose to situate the Olympic Village here? The array of abandoned warehouses were complete with graffiti and broken windows, and old parking lots were filled with rusting, broken down cars and machinery.

I found the strategy behind the village's construction most fascinating. Our wonderful tour guide explained to us that the government wanted to avoid sinking money into the vast development and construction of the Olympic settings, for all to go to waste after 5 short weeks of use. Instead, the investment stemmed from a desire to improve the previous wasteland East London had once been. As a result, in just two years, the face of East London has begun to completely transform. New, modern housing developments have replaced acres and acres of rust and debris and empty buildings, and plans have already come to fruition to alter all of these buildings - the housing for the athletes - into residential areas, complete with schools, medical offices, and a new Tube stop. The area is now also home to Europe's largest shopping mall.

I don't have any photos of the apartments, only the various Olympic stadiums and arenas, but I appreciate the foresight the English applied in planning their reception of the Olympics.

The Brits

In addition to postings of my own design, I'll be including my daily blog posts written for one of my classes. The overall intention of those specific posts is just to think about observations, ask questions, etc., specifically with relation to the culture of London and of England. These posts may at times may not seem to make much sense, as some will be related to course concepts and terminology, but you'll have an idea the kind of work we're doing! Below is the first of these "daily journal entries."

One of the first aspects of London life that I noticed upon arriving is the prevalence of parks, and with that, the large numbers of people who spend time sitting in those parks. Truly, on their days off, people go to the park. They simply sit, rest, read, eat lunch, visit with others. The parks are also close to full during lunch hour. This park culture is fascinating, as Americans rarely take the time to slow down long enough to enjoy a break or pleasant conversation.

Walking back to the flat from the grocery store, my flatmates and I talked about if we think Americans, specifically Texans, would take the time to sit outside in a park if the weather were more like London's. We still didn't think Texans would, which leads me to wonder if this disinterest stems from a subtler factor than the hot weather. Perhaps this difference is yet another indicator of America's often cited stress and inability to rest. 

Later in the afternoon, when on our bus tour of London (tourist-y, but so worth it), I took the second photo. While characteristic of most urban areas, the diversity of those around me continues to surprise me. I wonder if perhaps this is because I've seen many diverse people groups, but rarely totally mixed as they are in London. In many urban areas it seems like the multiple nationalities still tend to remain in their own neighborhoods, while this seems to be less the case here. Or I could just be imagining things in some sort of researcher bias. 

I took the above picture while on the Tube to Bond Street. These two people are representative of about two-thirds of those around us on the train. Many appeared to be headed home from work, yet so many chose to read the news. This dedication to news reminded me very much of our readings for Media in Britain, particularly the discourse about the Brits' superior appetite for the news. I admire such commitment. To attempt to avoid the possibility of proving the "stupid American" stereotype, I made sure to catch up on The economist. Even this publication makes it clear that unlike American news, the British have a desire to remain informed about the global community, not just the United Kingdom. 

My New Spot

And yes, the chairs are as ridiculously comfortable as they look.

P.S. Best Caffé Mocha I've ever had.

When in London

I have arrived, safe and sound (and sweaty), in the beautiful city of London!

After a comparatively quick breeze through Customs, etc., I found my baggage, the Express to Paddington, and a cab with a very sweet driver to take me to my new home.

I had a little hiccup getting up to my flat on the fifth floor. In a building without elevators, my flat is at the very top. With my extremely heavy carry-on backpack, I lifted my 48-ish pound suitcase up 4 flights of stairs - only to see a door for the fourth floor and no more stairs. I then took my suitcase all the way back down to talk to the office several doors down the street. I then returned, assured that I would have to go through the door on the fourth floor to find the rest of the stairs. I then lifted my backpack and suitcase back up 5 flights of tight stairs.

Thankfully, everyone else was still in bed, so I didn't make introductions while sweaty and out of breath.

Now I'm just taking it easy, waiting to go stock the kitchen with some of the other girls. I wish I had more important or interesting news to share, but now you have the update!

and again I say, rejoice!

My departure to London has taken a few rough turns. Everything went smoothly getting to DFW and finding my gate, and despite the delayed flight that left just before mine, Flight 1274 boarded on time. We then sat in the plane for 3 hours before finally departing for Philly. The three-hour layover I was originally anticipating to precede my connection to London Heathrow was no longer sufficient; I missed it. US Airways booked me for the next flight to London - 24 hours later.

So now I'm hanging out in the City of Brotherly Love until precisely 9:50 this evening. Rather than having a weekend to acclimate to London, I'm down to about an afternoon before classes start. I'm determined not to prattle further about the inconveniences incurred by these changed plans. (See below)

I've always dreamed big, and along with that I want to be the kind of person who isn't afraid of adventure. So as I frequently had to calm myself down while waiting on the plane, flying on the plane, and speaking to the booking agent, I tried to remind myself of this aspiration. Even as my plans have changed, I will eventually arrive in London. I will eventually see a dream come true. And blessedly, the Lord has given me a peace that passes all understanding, especially mine.

I'm ashamed to admit, though, that I have still had weak moments of despair, mostly of frustration over little details, rather than the bigger picture. My prayer eventually became that whatever travel detours He had in mind, I would humbly accept, asking that He would show me and teach me what He desires and that I would continue to trust in His faithfulness and provision. He didn't promise a smooth journey, just a safe landing (pun intended). And ultimately, everything in this life is fleeting (ooh! another pun!).

I'm still not looking forward to waiting eight hours in the Philadelphia airport, but I'M GOING TO EUROPE! And, I got to stay in a really nice hotel, free of charge. And, I can now tell you from experience that true Philly Cheesesteaks are incredible.

My dream to study abroad and to see the world (cliché as they may be) has always stemmed from a desire to be a person, a servant, willing to step out of my comfort zone, to trust in the Lord's guidance and sufficiency. It's taking baby steps (although this has felt more like leaps-for-mankind to me), but I will trust in Him. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Man U!

Yep! Latest on my list, Old Trafford.

If we're being honest, if I wasn't with Brian I probably wouldn't include this stop, although I'm pretty certain I would have wanted to see something of Europe's famed "football" culture. This will definitely be a souvenir stop.

Postagrammm!

I'm becoming the enthusiastic digital media consumer that I learn about 18 hours a week in advertising and public relations classes. And it feels great. Today, while scrolling through news on my Google Reader RSS feed, I flipped past an article about Justin Bieber and Instagram. (I wasn't much interest, seeing as how Instagram has yet to reach Android, and I couldn't care much less about Biebs.)

However, at the bottom of the article was a list (and I LOVE lists) of items you can purchase/make using your Instagram images - bracelets, books, etc. This caught my interest, so I clicked to the actual article and clicked through that gallery. While there, I discovered an app called Postagram, which uses your images from Instagram, Facebook, and even your phone (which is nice, because I'm still rather impatiently waiting for Instagram to reach Android). You can send an image as a postcard to anyone your heart desires.

I then immediately got the app and set everything up on my phone. I even sent one to myself to test it out. (Guess who can't wait to check her mail in 5-7 days...) I then proceeded to tweet about my new find, and a friend replied to me out of curiosity. Thanks to RSS, blogs, and micro-blogs (a.k.a. Twitter), a business now has one (actually, make that two) new consumers - very excited consumers at that.

Seing the connection to travel yet? I'm more psyched than ever to go to Europe. Now, I can send pictures of places that I go as postcards to my loved ones back home.

Announcement

For many months this blog served as a vessel for class reflections, specifically for my design class. I am now in the process of converting it into a travel blog. (I never thought I'd see the day!) I leave for London in May, so until then I'm going to use this as a sort of planner. And while I'm there, my wonderful family and friends can keep up with my adventures here.

I have a growing "To Do" list, including multiple castles, scenic routes, and shopping markets. Hopefully I'll be able to better plan and choose from among these options along the way. In the mean time, I eagerly await my departure date! Although to be honest I also dread it in a way. I'll be leaving behind my boyfriend, friends, and family for a long period of time, and part of me is scared to the point of simply not dwelling on it too much.

Top of my list, Oxford!