Author Archives: tbv5008

Trying to find Neverland

“But Peter… how do we get to Neverland?”
“Fly, of course!

“Fly?”
“Yeah, it’s easy!”

Peter Pan is a classic that is usually remembered for the Disney classic of the 3 Darling Children flying over London with the boy who didn’t want to grow up. Or, it’s also remembered for the movie that saw him actually grow up Hook. Or possibly the musical also called Peter Pan. Either way, Peter Pan is a classic English story and he is immortalized here for eternity.

London is usually known for the cold, damp weather. People hide under their coats and umbrellas, not bothering to see what is around and just trying to get to where they are going. But, Spring has arrived in all its majesty and brought a new life to London this past week.

I live right on the corner of the King’s Road in London. It’s a pretty famous street for its window shopping (or actual shopping if you can afford the designer boutiques). King’s Road now has people everywhere in bright colors showing their faces and carrying huge bags of new clothes to brighten up the season. I adored London before, but seeing this new weather makes me want to never leave!

Because the weather was so warm and the sun was out, I couldn’t stay inside being tied up with Finals. I knew I wasn’t going to start work until the end of the weekend anyways. So, why not go to one of the parks?

I wanted to go to the park that had the Peter Pan statue. I had seen it in so many films and it was one of my favorite movies growing up. I looked up in my tour book and saw it was in Hyde Park. So off I went with my friend Becca to find Peter Pan.

In the background is a Ferris Wheel. I believe it is known as the mini- London Eye. I went to Hyde Park not long after Christmastime and there was a winter festival to liven the place up. But, in the spring, it’s just beautiful. The flowers are bloomed, people are out lying in the sun, and the Serpentine is a method of traveling for anyone.

We got a little lost on the way to finding Peter Pan, but we still saw more interesting and popular sites in Hyde Park. One of the most prominent figures in modern history was Diana, Princess of Wales. And Hyde Park was where she resided in Kensington Palace. There are other memorials devoted to her- the Diana Memorial Playground (which is set up to look like Neverland) and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. I wished I could join all the people in the fountain. Never had I seen such an intimate fountain before. Diana would have enjoyed it.

After an hour of searching down winding paths and chasing puppies around, we finally found Neverland and Peter once and for all.

I was so relieved and happy that I finally found Peter and he wasn’t trying to fly off to Neverland without me. It makes me though never want to leave London. But, it’s only a week away that I’m going back home and I do have to leave. But maybe I’ll try to take one more trip around Neverland and do some things in London I have yet to do before I go back to Pennsylvania.

Location: Hyde Park, London, UK

The Two-Week Crunch: Anxious Excited or Anxious Nervous?

I’ve just started my last week of classes, which means next week is finals. And the following week I will return back to the good ol’ USA for the first time since 2010. It’s time for the two-week crunch as I’ve called it. A last ditch effort to get everything out of London I can in two weeks while also putting a ton of effort into those finals to make sure the grades stick.

When I first set in foot in London, I had instant culture shock that I thought I could never get over. Now, I’m pretty used to life in London, whether it’s hitting Tesco’s to grab a chicken wrap and bag of crisps or heading to a pub with friends for a quick pint between studies. I’ve made some friends that I will keep for the rest of my life. Some go to Penn State so I can see them every now and then during my senior year. My closest friends live in Boston, Connecticut, California, and Washington respectfully, so keeping in contact won’t be the easiest. But, Facebook definitely will help and I know that the friends I’ve met here will be around for a long time.

Right now, my classes are killing me. I’ve had a lot of work to get done and still have four final exams to go before I can go home. And since my grades transfer, everything I turn in is at the utmost importance. I”m definitely feeling the pressure, especially after working hard and receiving some grades that weren’t completely satisfying. It’s a different league in terms of schooling- professors definitely expect a lot from us and it’s been difficult for me adjusting, kind of like the transition from high school to college was. But, even if my grades aren’t straight A’s and I receive a grade I didn’t want, I will still be taking what I learned here back at home. I feel that my work ethic has improved tremendously and even though I felt these classes were extremely difficult at times, it will make completing my senior year at Penn State a little easier (or simpler rather).

But enough about the classes. What about London?

The image I had of London was from photos in magazines or movies like The Parent Trap, so quite romantic. But, London is a modern international hub that was overwhelming at first but now is quite pleasant. I love living in a place that is accepting of everyone and anyone; I feel like anyone can easily belong here. I’ve seen and been to a bunch of places so far: Harrod’s, Big Ben, The London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Picadilly Circus, Hyde Park, and the Tower of London to name a few. But, I still need to check out Abbey Road, Kensington Gardens, Covent Garden, Portebello Road among others. It’s virtually impossible for me to see everything in London; it’s like New York City in that respect.

But even without the major sites, I’ve taken a lot out of London. The theatre district, an icebar (pictured above), the BFI, the East End Markets on a Sunday, walking down the King’s Road every day, learning how to use and appreciate the Tube, the Double Decker buses, the nightlife… everything.

Now, I’m getting ready for my return. Back to the land where I can drive my huge gas-guzzling SUV, watch television again with a DVR, use the data on my iPhone, and see my friends and family yet again. But, I don’t know how to approach these next long two weeks. Anxious is the word, but is it more excited or nervous like Lindsay Lohan asked in The Parent Trap. Sure, I am nervous about my finals (especially for the borderline ones), but I would say as she did, “Anxious excited; definitely.”

Location: Manresa Road, Chelsea, London, UK

Paris Holds the Key to your heart, and all of Paris plays a part!

Most people have a pretty epic 21st birthday, especially at Penn State. For me, I knew I would most likely be abroad so having the “Penn State” birthday was not going to happen. So I decided to head to Paris for my 21st birthday weekend, and I was joined by my mother and younger brother Tyler! I’ve always wanted to go to Paris, and I figured maybe 6 years of intense French lessons would finally pay off (actually they really didn’t).

My mom and brother were waiting for me at Paris Gare du Nord when my Eurostar train dropped me off, and there wasn’t much time to waste because we had a full day of sightseeing. The first stop was, naturally, the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is absolutely amazing in person. I couldn’t believe how tall it actually is! It was a beautiful day outside, sunny and 65 so the line to go to the top was extremely long. But we waited and it was definitely worth it! You can see all of Paris from the top! Here are two photos, the first of my brother and I enjoying champagne at the top (hey, it was my 21st!) and another of my favorite view of Paris from the top!

After enjoying the views from the Eiffel Tower, we hopped on a Metro to check out the Notre Dame Cathedral. It’s truly an architectural masterpiece- can you see the carvings and gargoyles in the photo below? My mother and I were slightly disappointed with the inside- Notre Dame is more of a huge tourist attraction than a church. There was a mass going on inside but it was heavily distracted by the millions of tourists. But, it is beautiful.

We then walked all the way from Notre Dame to the Louvre and down Champs-Elysees. I think my brother and mom were going to kill me (it was a 2 hour walk). But definitely a nice one. We didn’t go into the Louvre but we did take pictures outside of it. The Louvre is a full-day excursion and we didn’t have time to check it out, but we needed to at least see it.

Now, I had to make a choice about where to go the next day. It was to be one or the other. The Palace of Versailles or Disneyland Paris. Most people would choose Versailles. Well… I’m not most people.

The reason I chose to go to Disneyland was simple- I love Disney and one of my lifetime goals is to visit every single Disney park in the world. I have now visited 8 of the current 11 Disney Theme parks (4 in Florida, 2 in California, 2 in Paris- the other 3 are the two in Tokyo and 1 in Hong Kong). But, there was some interesting history I learned about Disneyland before going there.

This is the most “European” of the Disney castles possibly because of its location. Disney wanted to bank on bringing their parks to Europe since many of Disney’s classic tales took place in old time Europe. With the success of Tokyo Disneyland, they thought Euro Disney would also be successful. But, Disney’s strict American rules lost the park lots of money. Among them, the no alcohol rule. Drinking is a huge part of culture in Europe and Disney had to adapt to the European flair. Now, Disneyland Paris is the most visited tourist attraction in all of Europe- yes, even more people go to Disneyland than the Eiffel Tower! The park seemed inconsistent with using French and English- some rides were in French, some in English, some in both. Probably the most interesting ride was “it’s a small world” which has a section dedicated to America. And also, a glimpse of the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty in New York in 1886- I guess the French like to remind we Americans that THEY built us the Statue of Liberty. Yes France, thank you. We appreciate it.

The last day we spent back on Champs-Elyssees for a few final photos. It’s one of the most famous streets in the world because of its beauty and illustrious shopping. At the end of Champs-Elyssees is the Arc de Triomphe, truly majestic and beautiful symbol for France. Overall, je t’aime Paris. Whether I’ll return one day is yet to be determined. For now though, bon soir et au revoir!

Location: Paris Gare du Nord, France

Flat Stanley Goes to London

Ever hear the story of Flat Stanley?

Apparently I’m the only person who hasn’t. But, if you’re like me and don’t know, Stanley was a young boy who was sadly flattened. Although he was sad at first, he found out he could easily be mailed to cool places for a flat USPS rate rather than paying $700 on Continental Airlines.

My 8-year old cousin, Lea, is reading the story for her class and they all had to send Stanley somewhere, so she decided to send him to me in London. I was excited at the chance to rediscover what makes London great (hey, after living here for a while, it’s easy to lose track of the majesty of the city that a tourist enjoys) while educating her class. See, England and the USA may have the common language but London is very different from what I expected. It is foreign to someone used to living life large in America (like me). So, although Stanley mainly saw the landmarks of London, he did gain some history of London (from what I’ve learned from my classes and experiences living in London for 3.5 months). Here it goes…

Stanley learned about the Tower of London. First major fortress in London built by “William the Conqueror” during the early years of the Middle Ages. Many kings and queens have lived here, and although it’s more famous for its prisoners, is still a residence today. It also holds the Crown Jewels. Stanley loved the bling the current Queen dons. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take pictures of the Jewels (lame rules here).

Stanley is sitting on the Tube in this picture above (the District line to be specific). It was here that Stanley learned some of the discrepancies in words between British English and American English. See, the Tube in the Underground would be known as the Subway back somewhere like New York (or the Metro to be specific). But, a Subway in London is either the restaurant (of course) and an underground walkway to get easily from one side of the street to the other. Over 2 million people travel through Central London on the Tube everyday. He loved the Tube rides.

Stanley visited one of the most famous streets in the world: Oxford Street. Oxford Street is comparable to Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles and 5th Avenue in New York City. Lots of famous shopping. There are a lot of awesome department stores on Oxford Street, and Regent Street (right off of Oxford Circus) has some fantastic shopping too. Although I’m more interested in going to an awesome department store like Debenham’s, Stanley was more interested in checking out the Nike Store (which was filled with official Olympic merchandise, since the 2012 Summer Olympics will be in London!).

Of course, Big Ben and the House of Parliament was number one on the list to see. Mainly because it’s the most famous landmark in London. Interesting fact: Big Ben is actually the bell inside the clock tower; the tower is called St. Christopher’s. The House of Parliament is attached to Big Ben and it’s where Parliament gathers to create important legislation. Parliament comprises of two houses: The House of Commons (who are elected by the people) and The House of Lords (who are appointed in various ways).

Although London has the Olympics next year, something else big is happening next month that Stanley is upset to miss (but hopes to check it out on TV, or “telly” as the English call it) the “Wedding of the Century” between HRH Prince William and Catherine “Kate” Middleton (second picture above) at Westminster Abbey (first picture above) on April 29, 2011. Westminster Abbey has been the place for coronations and royal weddings and the city will be completely shut down to accommodate the Royal Family. Unlike in America where the President is the all mighty ruler, the Queen rules all, making England a monarchy. Though the Queen is nowhere near as powerful as the royal family used to be (the Prime Minister exercises her power to run the government), the Queen still signs laws into power and lives in quite a few castles, but her main residence is in London’s Buckingham Palace (third picture above). Stanley thinks the royal family is cool and wishes he could be around, but he has other places to see. Off to Paris- hopefully he doesn’t need to know too much French.

Location: Central London, UK

The Luck of the Irish

I’m fortunate that with my study abroad program, I can go on little school field trips. It kind of reminds me of my high school band days and although there are certain things we’re required to do, it’s still a lot of fun. One of those opportunities came up with our midterm break trip to Ireland. Since I’m half-Irish, I knew I definitely had to go to my homeland and explore.

We landed in Dublin to absolutely gorgeous weather- mid 50’s and sunny, something we weren’t used to being in London. And we were especially surprised since the weather in Ireland can be just as bad as London’s. But, we were off to the western part of Ireland to a little town called Ennis. On the way, we stopped at an old monestary right off the river Shannon where I took this photo above.

Next stop though was Ennis. The town reminded me of State College- very small but full of life even at nighttime. It was a traditional old Irish town that had something for everyone- the traditional stuff with live music that some of us got to be a part of and even a bar playing the best American music targeted towards our age group. We explored it all- even meeting one of the leading candidates vying to be Ireland’s next president. We were there during the elections, but I never did find out who won… anyways, we had a fun night. Of course, one thing anyone must have is Guinness, but we decided to wait for that and had Smithwyck’s instead, which is also a traditional Irish ale. Below are photos of Ennis and me with that pint of Smithwyck’s…

Then it was off to Galway. First stop was to the Cliffs of Moher, more famously known as the Cliffs of Insanity from The Princess Bride (a movie I have not seen) and boy, was it windy! All us girls scrambled into the bathroom looking like we had just gone surfing! But, it was definitely worth it- the view was incredible! Here are some more photos from that!

Galway was also an interesting town. We didn’t stay there long enough for me to have photos or experiences to share. We mainly stopped there for a bite to eat. But, then it was off to Dublin! Dublin I equated to my hometown of Bethlehem, PA. It honestly is a city but has that small-town feel. A bunch of us did think that Dublin was cool but we preferred the nightlife in Ennis and would have liked to stay there longer. Dublin does have its beauty with Trinity College and being right off the river. It’s an old city in a modern world and I would have loved to explore more of the town. Here’s a photo of Dublin Castle, then (hopefully it works) a video of the bells of Christ Church ringing, and another photo taken from the O’Connell bridge.

DSCF1355.AVI

When our tour guide finished giving us a walking tour of Dublin, he asked us if there was anything else he could help get us too. All of us looked at each other and replied practically in unison- “Where’s the Guinness Factory?!” Probably the one thing we all wanted to check out was the Guinness Storehouse, which is a museum all about Guinness (anything you can think of; how to make it, the history, media and advertisings… think Hershey Factory but way more intense). It was pretty cool. We got a sample of Guinness and even a complimentary pint (with an Irish twist just for me). Definitely a highlight for an Irish girl like me, and though it’s expensive, you should check it out (but only if you have a taste for Guinness… if you don’t, then skip it).

After that, it was time to return to London. After enjoying 60 degree weather in Ireland, we returned to a light drizzle and 40 degree weather (which after having 2 weekends of warm weather felt like 30 degree weather). I honestly loved Ireland- the people and culture were amazing and I was so happy to go with people in my program. If you ever have the opportunity to check out Ireland, do. And it’s true what they say- it’s very green and mystical. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find that pot of gold!

Location: Ennis, Ireland; Dublin, Ireland

Do as the Romans do

Hopefully this blog entry will publish fully this time… I’ve been trying to post it for two weeks.

Anyways, after lots of papers, I needed a break, so why not fly way up to the clouds to Rome?

I hopped on a plane and decided to embark on a journey solo. Since it was the weekend before midterms, I had no choice but to go by myself, and I knew there would be no opportunity to get to Rome otherwise. It was upsetting but I still had a good time exploring the city at my own pace (though next time, I would for sure go with my future husband- quite a romantic city).

First up was trying the local cuisine. Italian food is one of my favorites, so I went to a local Italian restaurant and was served their special. Probably the best Italian food I’ve ever had in my life, and probably ever will have. It was amazing. And the gelato there is to die for good. People rave about it and I understand why- it’s way better than ice cream.

Next up was the Vatican City, the smallest state in the world. The Vatican is its own state, so our tour guide told us we actually visited two countries at once! The Vatican Museum was absolutely unbelievable- amazing architecture and more art than the Louvre in Paris! The entire museum would take over 8 hours to explore, but our tour thankfully took us through the major rooms and the Sistine Chapel. We weren’t allowed to take photos in the Sistine Chapel, but after being there, I know that photos don’t do it justice. The Sistine Chapel is something you must see to believe! But, here are some photos from my day at the Vatican (probably the best part of the trip!).

(Above is a statue Michaelangelo studied and gave him some inspirations when painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel)

Instead of trying to pick where to explore my final day, I decided to take a tour, once during the day and once at night, to see everything in Rome. I saw the Colesseum and a beautiful nighttime shot of St. Peter’s, along with the Victor Emmanuel monument, which is absolutely stunning!

Rome is a beautiful city, but I was happy to return to London. London is definitely my favorite thus far. The city life is incredible and it’s astoundingly diverse. Sure, it’s expensive, but I have felt right at home in London. Plus, the principle language is English, not something else- which is an automatic plus. Next stop is Ireland though- and that I am quite excited for.

Location: Via Torino, Rome, Italy

Seeing Wonderland and Hogwarts in one day

Hearing the word “Oxford” is prestige at its finest. Oxford University isn’t the Harvard of England, no, Harvard is the Oxford of America. Oxford University is probably one of the most prestigious universities in the world and a lot like our wonderful State College, the town surrounds the university.

Now, here’s an interesting fact about Oxford I didn’t even know. When someone asks you where you went to college, you wouldn’t say, “I went to Oxford;” you would say what specific college you went to, for example, “I went to Christ Church College.” People would know right away you went to Oxford. See, Oxford is comprised of 38 colleges so there’s a reason why you would say what specific college you would go to. And, you would go to that specific college if it had a reputation for what you’re studying or if your family all went there. That’s just a bit of history.

I took a tour of Christ Church College when I arrived and eventually saw the famed hall. The stairs were used when students would first enter Hogwarts in the Harry Potter school, and although the dining hall wasn’t used in filming, the Harry Potter movies made an exact replica of Christ Church’s dining hall for the movies (see the pictures below for proof).

We also saw the Turf Tavern, a pub that many famous people have wandered into, like Ben Kingsley and Elizabeth Taylor and even CS Lewis. And we also saw the inspirations for the Lewis Carroll classic “Alice in Wonderland.” Actually, Wonderland had it’s inspirations from Oxford. Carroll took quite in interest in the Dean’s daughter, Alice Liddell and inspired the character of Alice from her. The Cheshire Cat in the tree was because a tree outside Christ Church College was where the Dean’s cat would hang out many of times. There was a souvenir shop right across the street from the visitor entrance of Christ Church for enthusiasts to grab their Alice gear.

Overall, the town was beautiful and quaint. It’s rich in history and thrives on tradition. It’s also a place of vast knowledge and cobblestone streets. It is a working university town and reminded me of a much older version of State College. It did make me a little bit homesick because it was just like being back at Dear Old State, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Europe in general is rich in history, and that’s why later this week I am traveling to Rome. I’m definitely excited- history was practically invented in Rome. Final thoughts of Oxford: Wow, going here would be crazy- but I would never trade Penn State for this… well… maybe. No… I think I’ll stick with Penn State.

Me in front of Christ Church College

The quad inside Christ Church. In the center is a fountain.

Photo above is of the Turf Tavern, where our tour guide told us Bill Clinton “didn’t inhale.” Lots of famous people entered there for a drink. Below is the dining hall in Christ Church. The inspiration for the dining hall in the Harry Potter movies.

Alice in Wonderland souvenir shop

Location: Oxford, England

The “Theatre”

When people think of London, there seems to be a few general things that come to mind. Of course, there’s the monarchy, especially with the much-anticipated wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton coming up in a few short months. But another thing that comes to mind is the theatre.

Maybe it was the one and only William Shakespeare that started the London theatre craze. His plays were written for everyone- whether it was to entertain the royals or the street merchants that made minimal money. Everyone loved his plays and could relate to them- it was something that brought all of London together to the Globe Theatre.

In America, going to the theatre or to see a Broadway show is very “elitist.” Shows in NYC are way too expensive for me- I have yet to see a ticket for under $80 and even going with a huge group it costs a lot of money. So when I came here and saw that some of the best Broadway shows were gracing the stage in London, like Les Miserables and Wicked, I was excited but skeptical. With the conversion, I thought that it would be way too expensive to even think about seeing a show.

But, I found out by taking my Introduction to London Theatre class that the arts is heavily supported by the government here in London. It gets x amount of funding annually due to taxes, and the people here don’t mind paying taxes to fund the theatre because they can see an amazing show and be entertained. So, because of that, theatre in London is quite affordable.

I have always wanted to see Les Miserables in London, but ticket prices in NYC were steep and I couldn’t take too much money out of my pocket to see the show, even if I wanted to. But, I saw it was playing here in London and I knew there would possibly be student priced tickets I could take advantage of. When I went to the theatre, there weren’t any available, so I found a discount theatre ticket kiosk and decided to try my hand in that. The cashier informed us that no discount tickets were available for that night’s production, just the upper circle for 26.40 pounds, equivalent to about $42.50. For a Broadway show, getting a ticket at that price is almost unimaginable. I bought the ticket and enjoyed a most wonderful production of Les Mis.

I love that here, the arts is well-funded. The museums are all FREE here too. Every single one, of course, due to taxes. It’s unimaginable to us in America, having to pay $15 to check out the Museum of Modern Art in NYC for example. And paying buckets of money just to see a show on the stage. I’m paying 125 pounds to see 10 productions on the London stage, and every single one of them have been excellent shows. One in particular was called Vernon God Little, based on the novel by DBC Pierre. It takes place in Texas and is a dark comedy about a boy whose friend killed all his classmates and himself and everyone points to the boy, looking for a scapegoat. The play would never fly in America because although it’s a satire, it deals with almost every tough issue faced in America. This play was interesting for me because it gave me a glimpse of what the Brits think of Americans, for example, gun violence and media bias. I’m planning on reading the novelization to learn more.

The theatre in general is for everyone and anyone, not just for people saving up money to go out on the town one night in New York. I wish America would try and do something like that, but it will never happen in this time. But honestly, I wouldn’t mind my taxes funding the arts because I love to be entertained; then again who doesn’t?

Location: Picadilly Circus, London

My day in a typical English home with typical English people

There are definitely many positives to attending a huge school like Penn State. One is how there are students there from all over the world. Even in my sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma, we have sisters from all over. One of my sisters, Eleanor, is from London. And I wasn’t sure if I would be able to visit her because she and her family are moving to Bermuda. But, the moving day was pushed back and I was invited to her home!

Eleanor lives in Ealing Common, which is west of Central London just outside of it. She lives in an English row of homes, similar to this. She gave me a tour of her house as well. One of the main differences I noticed when I first came to London was how everything seems so “small” here compared to the United States, and I do mean that in terms of living space. Eleanor pointed out that in America, we have room to build wide whereas in London, they build up. Her home though was (to me at least) a good sized home like I would see in a city like New York. Her mother is American while her father is English so they do have a mix of both America and England in their home.

A few of her friends also came over for lunch and they were just as interested in America as I was interested in England. One thing I was worried about when I arrived in London was whether people here would receive an American like myself well. Luckily, most of the ones I’ve ran into are very kind and very interested in America. Probably the number one question I get from the English here is “What do you think of President Obama?” They are very surprised when they run into an American who says they don’t approve of him. I do approve of him so I give them a straight answer of “A good job, better now that things are getting better in the economy.” And yes, I was quite bummed to find out the President would make a visit to Dear Old State while I’m here. But, I’m getting over it… slowly.

Some questions Eleanor’s friends asked me was about how big soccer is in the States (I said around the World Cup it’s big but not very celebrated otherwise); is New York City worth a visit (Absolutely- it never disappoints); how big is Disney World (huge, way bigger than Disneyland Paris and though expensive, worth it); what are the winters in Pennsylvania like (much worse than London, the 38 degree weather we’re having right now is actually balmy compared to State College); and summer in Pennsylvania (very hot).

In turn, I asked questions to them, like is it worth it to go to a football match (definitely- it’s like going to a Penn State football game); is American football here big at all since the Super Bowl is coming up (not really; people will watch the Super Bowl but they’re more into their version of football); and what vacation spots are popular with the English in the summer (more southern places usually in Europe like the south of France, Spain, and Italy because it’s very easy and cheap to travel around Europe).

I also finally had my first cup of tea! Eleanor made sure to use the special china to serve tea in. I put sugar and milk in because I thought it would be necessary. I was worried about trying it, but it was delicious! I never really had tea back in the States, but I definitely enjoyed my tea here. I’m actually craving tea right now! I think I’m going to go to the local supermarket, either Waitrose’s (which I equate to Wegman’s) or Tesco’s (which I equate to Weis) to get some.

It was definitely a joy to spend the day with Eleanor. I feel so lucky to have a friend from school who actually lives here. Now that she has graduated, I’m able to see her here more than back at school. I am hoping to see her again before she moves because it’s a little of home for me to see a friend. And I loved being able to interact more with other English (and they do refer to themselves as English. British accounts for all of the UK whereas English refers to just the people of England) students and staying in an English home for the day. It’s an experience I’m getting that other students here didn’t really have and I hope to have the opportunity again.

““Me and Eleanor back at Penn State!!

(Ask user for permission to view photo)

Location: Ealing Common, London, England

One week of classes; a bit overwhelming

Sometimes when I was at Penn State, I was so caught up in the fun of it all that I forgot completely about my academic responsibilities. This is one of those times.

It’s not that I’m irresponsible; I certainly wasn’t at Penn State! But getting sidetracked is easy, and put studying abroad in one of the biggest cities in the world on top of it, and things get complicated.

When I came here, I was thinking about all the sights I was going to see, the shops I would shop, and more importantly, the other countries in Europe that I want to visit. But I forgot the most important thing; the whole reason I came here in the first place: classes.

After the first day of classes, I felt EXTREMELY overwhelmed. There’s a lot of homework, but it’s not like it is at Penn State. It’s all reading. Sure, they tell us in class we have to read but since the classes are bigger and they teach it anyways, you can get away with not reading. Not here. You must read material to understand the class and lecture is mainly for questions about the reading. So if you don’t read, well good luck passing the class.

And there is A LOT of reading to do. Thank goodness there’s only one day I have two classes and it’s a Monday. But that’s not all. Midterms and Finals are going to consist of me locked up writing 2,000 word papers for 5 classes! And finals will be even more. Some classes are papers, some are examinations. It depends, and there are of course papers in between. Participation is necessary because the classes are small. I believe my largest class has 19 students in it. I think that was my smallest class back at Penn State!

Now that a week of classes has gone by, I’ve calmed down a bit. I like the set-up here a bit more at times because I only have my classes once a week for 2 to 2.5 hours. And although the homework is all reading, I can manage it well. The thing I must worry about is concentration.

The professors are very good though. They are a little strict but they’re engaging, which I like. The classes here are very interesting and for the most part, we are all learning something completely new for the first time. One class that I’m excited about is the Theater in London: An Introduction. We get to see theater productions almost every week! We saw one last night in this theater (which used to be a pool). The production was called “Amphibians,” a new show about Olympic swimmers 3 years after they win the gold medal. The show was made for the set and theater it was performed in, known as a “sight-see production.” I love having the opportunity to explore the arts in London too- it helps me gain insight to the culture.

One week has gone by and there are 13 more weeks of classes! It’s going to be a whirlwind of a semester class-wise, and I still need to make time to explore not only London, but Europe! Time management will make or break me.

Location: Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom

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