(Originally posted September 3, 2007)
Goodness I didn't realize how long it has been since I've written. My sincerest apologies but I've just been crazy busy doing a lot of stuff for work and in/around London. I'll give you a brief rundown of my acitivites in August, since Amsterdam, but I promies to elaborate more when I have some free time.
Edinburgh: Aug 10 -12
I was very lucky to get to spend the weekend with some family. My American Aunt and Uncle were in Scotland participating in a week of Orienteering meets. Then I got to spend time with them, and my cousins, in Edinburgh for the weekend. On Friday I flew in because trains were too hard to book and I got to stay with Elizabeth and have a girl's night in with her daughters Sophia and Athena. The next day we were joined by the rest of the family - Chris, Nicholas and Eleni - as well as my Aunt and Uncle. I got a wonderful tour of the city and lunch with the girls and was able to spend the morning and afternoon getting to know my Scottish cousins better. At night we were taken to dinner by Elizabeth and Chris to an amazing place in Edinburgh. Chris followed dinner up by taking us to his club for a drink. Edinburgh was crazy that weekend due to the festival so I'm excited to get an opportunity to see the city without it being overcrowded with festival goers. Then on Sunday I got to see the sites with my aunt and uncle - we took an open top bus tour of the city, visited Edinburgh castle, and followed up with dinner in a great pub. It was a wonderful weekend and experience! Unfortunately I haven't had the time to sort through and upload the photos yet but they're on my long list of things to do.
Gisele Visits: Aug 23 - 28
My good friend from the States, Gisele, visited me at the end of August. The timing was perfect becaues it was the summer bank holiday so I already had a 3 day weekend and then I took Friday off to make it a 4 day weekend. We were a whirlwind of activity and saw more in those 4 days than I'd seen in 2 months.
Friday we did an open top bus tour of London, a walking tour of Royal London including viewing the changing of the Horse Guard, then we visited the Tower of London, followed by a trip up to Tower Bridge, and finished Friday off with a cruise down the River Thames. That night we went to dinner with Kate and Leigh-Anne at Pizza Express.
- Saturday we (and my friend Ainura) took a bus trip out to Stonehenge and then to Bath. We decided to ditch the bus group in Bath after they told us we'd only have 2 hours to view the amazing city. We ended up staying until 8pm and took a train back into London. That same night we joined my flatmates out for a drink in a pub.
- Sunday was another busy day but we took it a bit slower. We visited Hampton Court Palace - the maze and the gardens. Then when we returned to the city we went to Camden Markets. That night we finished off with dinner in a pub and going out to see the Harry Potter movie with Leigh-Anne and Kate.
- Monday, our last day, we kept busy tidying up the loose ends that we'd made. We participated in our own planned walking tour of the city that involved buying souvenirs for her brothers and sisters and visit some of the more fun areas - Covent Garden, Leicseter Square, Trafalgar Square, etc. We followed up our day with a spin on the London Eye, dinner and a movie - Bourne Ultimatum at the Leicester Square Odeon theatre - which is where I originally saw Harry Potter.
Brighton: Sep 1
This past weekend I joined my roommates and my friend Elizabeth in a trip down to the south coast of England to Brighton. We got to enjoy a cloudy day on a pebble beach. Then we toured the city a little by walkin through it after lunch and returned to the beach. Elizabeth and I enjoyed the Brighton Pier (partook in a little gamblin with 10p pieces and a carousel ride) before we rejoined the boys. Chris and I, brave individuals that we are, chose to swim in the ocean. It was deceptively warm after a few minutes and we enjoyed the chance to swim.
Scrum in the Park: Sep 2
Yesterday, Sunday, I joined my friend Kate for "Scrum in the Park". This is an open event where the England Rugby team participates in events with their fans before they leave for a game and the stretch before the World Cup. It was real fun to see all the different Rugby players and how much England is into this sport.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Weekend in Amsterdam
(Originally Posted on August 6, 2007)
England. France. Belgium. Holland. Four countries in 3 days?
London. Dover. Calais. Amsterdam. Brugge - and back again.
That's about the summary of my weekend long trip to Amsterdam. It was a trip my flatmates and I had decided to take with our Visa sponser here in England. I'd guestimate that there were roughly 50 people on this trip. In short I'll tell you that I had a crazy fun time on the entire trip. Yes.. even the bus ride.
It all started in London on Friday morning at 7am. We got a bright and early start to the day travelling from London to Dover. I was surprised to learn that besides myself and my flatmates I knew another person comin on the trip - Michelle had decided to come and I was only aware of this at the last minute. I was excited to know she was coming.
We arrived at ISH to catch our coach and off we were on our Amsterdam weekend.
Originally I had no idea on how long the trip would be taking - I suspected we'd reach Amsterdam by 4 or 5 in the afternoon. (Stay tuned to see how long the trip actually took!) We drove through the British country side early in the morning - I think everyone on the bus was sleeping but me. I was too excited to be away from the city lights and to see the country side that I couldn't sleep. It is remarkably beautiful. There's a lot of pastures but I think what struck me the most was how quickly city turns into country side in England (and in Europe). Lots of rolling hills, pastures, sheep, cows and all the things I could've imagined.
A few hours later we were on the south coast of England in a town called Dover - it's the major port city of England to continental Europe. Before we entered the little town of Dover (which I'm determined to visit before the summer is over) we stopped to stretch our legs and view the town from above. Better than that.. there was a magnificent view of the Dover Castle from where we stopped (be sure to look at those pictures in the gallery!). Once in Dover we switched coaches and then waited to get on the Ferry - of course nothing goes as planned and we're stuck in Dover for an extra hour. While on the bus we made a new friend - Kerry. She's from New Zealand and unfortunately the friend she'd planned to come on the trip with didn't come. Kerry did and we were glad to meet her!
One more thing to mention about Dover: the cliffs. The cliffs of Dover are unbelievable. They're basically stark white, straight down and so tall. I have a picture of them from the ferry port and I was just taken by the entire area of Dover. Completely in love with it.
The ferry ride from Dover to Calais (France) is actually pretty quick - a little over an hour. We used our time wisely and made some new friends while on the back of the boat on the open deck. We befriended Elizabeth, Connie, Jeff, Erica and Julie. Turns out that we have a lot in common! I was glad to have the wind in my hair and be on the water because it's something I've been missing of home.
From Calais we crossed through France and into Belgium. I was pretty deeply into my book by now (brought one to read on the bus ride.. otherwise I would've been bored out of my mind!). They put on.. get this.. the Departed.. for the movie on the bus. Too bad itw as too noisy for anyone to truly watch it (and everyone who's seen it knows that you need to pay attention). We stopped in Belgium for a quick relief break - which Scott and Chris used to play frisbee (our tour guide dubbed them the "Frisbee Champions" back in Dover).
I'd been completely comfortable in England, on the ferry and in France as far as getting off the bus and interacting with local people went. Except when we got into Belgium I was suddenly aware that I didn't know a single word in their language. That was really intimidating for me. I've never been to a country where I couldn't get by as far as language was concerned before. Only when I went to the counter to graba soda did I learn that people can speak enough English to make me feel more comfortable.
We made a stop for dinner in the Netherlands. Again I was reminded that I knew nothing of their language and I did my best to make myself understood in the simplest manner possible. As far as rest stops go.. this was really nice compared to the ones I've been subjected to throughout the US. Up until this last stop I'd been fine on the trip. I wasn't antsy, I was comfortable and entertained. By the time we left the Netherlands rest stop I was restless. I was getting bored and I wanted to get to the destination as soon as possible.
About two hours later we were in Amsterdam and it was about 9:30pm local time (+6 hours to EST). First order of business was getting settled into our hostel.. at the rest stop we'd been assigned rooms (and I was sharing with Michelle, Kerry, Erica, Julie and Connie - basically the group I'd been socializing with since the ferry). We dropped off our bags and met back outside to get a tour of the Red Light district.
I was told, before leaving, that the things that weren't be missed about Amsterdam were: coffee shops, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank's House and the Red Light district. Immediately my eyebrows were raised.. I mean.. who puts Van Gogh and Prositution in the same thought? Amsterdam was full of oddities like that which gave it a certain flavor of charm.
The first thing I did while in Amsterdam was to receive a tour of the Red Light District. We wove in and out of the streets and I immeidatley understood why it was called the "red light" district. It was covered in sex shows, souvenir stores and the red lit windows for the prostitutes. All the while.. a beautiful canal ran down the middle of the main strip. Again.. the oddity of Amsterdam put this section of town along a lovely canal and in a nice area.
After the tour we walked around the area near (but outside) the Red Light District. Eventually we found our way back to the hostel and to bed around 1am (early night because we would be up early the next day for more touring). The hostel itself was a hopping place - there was a bar and a night club on the bottom level (which I only caught a small glimpse of).
Up bright and early the next morning we were shipped out of town to visit a clog and cheese factory in a quaint Dutch village. We were showed how clogs were made and how cheese was made. The clog demonstration was really interesting because he basically made the basic clog in front of us (shaping out the wood of the clog). There's a step later where they let the clog dry for 4 days without any sun or heat to speed the process. The amount of work that goes into making a clog is amazing (and yes.. I bought a pair!). Cheese making was interesting too - but I didn't end up getting cheese. A lot of other people did and a group of them were sampling all the wares as well. It was really an interesting tour of the clog and cheese factories and available were little gift stores of Dutch souvenirs and gifts as well as a pewter store and a group of working windmills.
Immediately I wanted to climb into a windmill. When people think of Holland they thing of clogs and windmills, right? I had to go into one. They charged €2 to visit but it was well worth it. We got to see the grinding stone and the flour they were smoothing out. Then we climbed to the next story (the entire building is made of wood, it's really beautiful) and stood out on the deck overlooking the small river and the neighboring windmills. We climbed higher to another level and got to feel the sway of the windmill and look out the small windows. We went up to the third (and last open level) floor and that's when you really feel the power behind the windmill and the wind that operates it. The room had only a small window and the walls were made of the thatch roof on the windmill. It was something of an amazing experience!
Around noon we had to leave the windmills, the cheese and the clogs and return to the city. There we were taken on a canal cruise. This part I was really looking forward to because canals are a huge part of the Amsterdam culture and scape. We were taken along the canals - on a hot day - and everyone in the city seemed to be out and about (it also is prudent to mention that there was a gay pride celebration happening in the city that weekend too). All along the canals were party boats, pleasure boats, cruise boats and every inch of bank in the busier areas of town were covered by people dangling their legs over the edge and enjoying the afternoon sun.
When the cruise ended we were set on seeing the Anne Frank house. I'd read about her as a young girl and I was interested in seeing what it was like to be where she'd lived. It's a very moving place - and though the line was long we waited in it. It's well preserved and even more than that it's well presented to the audience with little video clips and lots of information regarding the young girl and her family. But here's where the Amsterdam oddities come in.. while we were in the house there was a gay pride parade on the canal just outside. It was very loud and at one point the girls I was with and I stopped by a window and stared out at the parade. Later we wondered if that is where Anne had stood and watched the Nazis.
Afterwards the group split up. The sub group I travelled with wanted to explore the city. We decided to head towards the Van Gogh museum because it's something we were told to see. While there we'd take our time and view the city. We walked along the streets, by the canals, stopped into souvenir shops and made a slow journey of it. Of course.. when we reached the museum we learned it had closed about an hour earlier (around 6pm). While I was somewhat dissapointed it's not like I haven't seen Van Gogh paintings elsewhere.
There's a little park by the museum and we bought ice cream and sat on the benches just to relax. In this park were giant letters spelling out "I AMsterdam". People were posing with the letters, climbing on them and taking pictures. Kerry and I, of course, wanted to join in so we went to take our pictures with the gigantic letters. I took one with the letter "a" (for my last name) and I also went on the backside of the letters to take a picture with "re" (since my last name twists the letters er into re I thought this was clever). As we were standing the letters out of no where a group, including my flatmates, joined us. We ended up getting a really great group picture of us on the letters.
We joined the new group (Michelle, Kerry and I) and grabbed dinner at an outside Dutch restaurant. It was really nice to sit back and talk with all of the new people and my friends. We returned to the hostel around 9pm and relaxed for a little while longer (it had been a long and hot day.. Kerry, Michelle and I had gotten quite burnt in the process). While the others were deciding what bars or coffee shops to go to Kerry and I had our hearts set on making it an easy and quiet night.
We decided to go to the Torture Museum (Erica and Connie joined us). This museum was one of the most interesting I've seen. They showed variious torture devices and explained various torture techniques throughout the museum from the medeival times. Some were very creative, others were very brutal and by the end we came upon the guillotine and suddenly found it to be more humane than we'd previously imagined.
That night we were home and in bed around midnight or 1am. Again we had an early morning as we were shipped out of lovely Amsterdam. I was excited though. I was sad to leave Amsterdam behind, I found it to be a very interesting town full of oddities and paradoxes but I enjoyed the stay. However.. my excitement was for our brief stop over visit to the medieval town Brugge located in Belgium.
I was not dissapointed. Brugge was one of the most wonderous places I've been to. It's easily my favorite city now. It was very laid back and relaxing - especially after spending time in Amsterdam. The demeanor and character of the town were much different than Amsterdam and I was in love. We explored the city by foot (Chris, Michelle, Kerry and myself) and ended up walking itno the more residential area. We followed the canals through the town and were awed by the cobble stone streets, the flower boxes along the canal walls, the canal houses and the canal streets. We had an absolutely amazing time just touring around. We stopped for a quick bite - and a quick souvenir run - and we were off having only spent a mere 2 hours in this amazing medieval town. It was all cobble stones, slim houses, canals, monuments, squares, markets and gables.
The remainder of the trip back to London was pretty dull compared to the weekend - we stopped in France to visit a hyper market. We had dinner aboard the ferry and visited the duty free shop (where I picked up some new purfume). We traveled back through Dover (more beautiful than I remembered it) and along the English country side where I got to watch the sun set in the distance. Back in London we passed our street on the bus (quite frustratin to have to see where I live but no get off!) and returned home by tube.
It was a wonderful weekend and I'd recommend Brugge to anyone who's looking for a lovely city to stay for a weekend or a quick stop. Amsterdam is a little more stressful but still a beautiful place to see. Be sure to check out my 200 some pictures on my Gallery but there are a few I'll link directly since these are my favorites..
England. France. Belgium. Holland. Four countries in 3 days?
London. Dover. Calais. Amsterdam. Brugge - and back again.
That's about the summary of my weekend long trip to Amsterdam. It was a trip my flatmates and I had decided to take with our Visa sponser here in England. I'd guestimate that there were roughly 50 people on this trip. In short I'll tell you that I had a crazy fun time on the entire trip. Yes.. even the bus ride.
It all started in London on Friday morning at 7am. We got a bright and early start to the day travelling from London to Dover. I was surprised to learn that besides myself and my flatmates I knew another person comin on the trip - Michelle had decided to come and I was only aware of this at the last minute. I was excited to know she was coming.
We arrived at ISH to catch our coach and off we were on our Amsterdam weekend.
Originally I had no idea on how long the trip would be taking - I suspected we'd reach Amsterdam by 4 or 5 in the afternoon. (Stay tuned to see how long the trip actually took!) We drove through the British country side early in the morning - I think everyone on the bus was sleeping but me. I was too excited to be away from the city lights and to see the country side that I couldn't sleep. It is remarkably beautiful. There's a lot of pastures but I think what struck me the most was how quickly city turns into country side in England (and in Europe). Lots of rolling hills, pastures, sheep, cows and all the things I could've imagined.
A few hours later we were on the south coast of England in a town called Dover - it's the major port city of England to continental Europe. Before we entered the little town of Dover (which I'm determined to visit before the summer is over) we stopped to stretch our legs and view the town from above. Better than that.. there was a magnificent view of the Dover Castle from where we stopped (be sure to look at those pictures in the gallery!). Once in Dover we switched coaches and then waited to get on the Ferry - of course nothing goes as planned and we're stuck in Dover for an extra hour. While on the bus we made a new friend - Kerry. She's from New Zealand and unfortunately the friend she'd planned to come on the trip with didn't come. Kerry did and we were glad to meet her!
One more thing to mention about Dover: the cliffs. The cliffs of Dover are unbelievable. They're basically stark white, straight down and so tall. I have a picture of them from the ferry port and I was just taken by the entire area of Dover. Completely in love with it.
The ferry ride from Dover to Calais (France) is actually pretty quick - a little over an hour. We used our time wisely and made some new friends while on the back of the boat on the open deck. We befriended Elizabeth, Connie, Jeff, Erica and Julie. Turns out that we have a lot in common! I was glad to have the wind in my hair and be on the water because it's something I've been missing of home.
From Calais we crossed through France and into Belgium. I was pretty deeply into my book by now (brought one to read on the bus ride.. otherwise I would've been bored out of my mind!). They put on.. get this.. the Departed.. for the movie on the bus. Too bad itw as too noisy for anyone to truly watch it (and everyone who's seen it knows that you need to pay attention). We stopped in Belgium for a quick relief break - which Scott and Chris used to play frisbee (our tour guide dubbed them the "Frisbee Champions" back in Dover).
I'd been completely comfortable in England, on the ferry and in France as far as getting off the bus and interacting with local people went. Except when we got into Belgium I was suddenly aware that I didn't know a single word in their language. That was really intimidating for me. I've never been to a country where I couldn't get by as far as language was concerned before. Only when I went to the counter to graba soda did I learn that people can speak enough English to make me feel more comfortable.
We made a stop for dinner in the Netherlands. Again I was reminded that I knew nothing of their language and I did my best to make myself understood in the simplest manner possible. As far as rest stops go.. this was really nice compared to the ones I've been subjected to throughout the US. Up until this last stop I'd been fine on the trip. I wasn't antsy, I was comfortable and entertained. By the time we left the Netherlands rest stop I was restless. I was getting bored and I wanted to get to the destination as soon as possible.
About two hours later we were in Amsterdam and it was about 9:30pm local time (+6 hours to EST). First order of business was getting settled into our hostel.. at the rest stop we'd been assigned rooms (and I was sharing with Michelle, Kerry, Erica, Julie and Connie - basically the group I'd been socializing with since the ferry). We dropped off our bags and met back outside to get a tour of the Red Light district.
I was told, before leaving, that the things that weren't be missed about Amsterdam were: coffee shops, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank's House and the Red Light district. Immediately my eyebrows were raised.. I mean.. who puts Van Gogh and Prositution in the same thought? Amsterdam was full of oddities like that which gave it a certain flavor of charm.
The first thing I did while in Amsterdam was to receive a tour of the Red Light District. We wove in and out of the streets and I immeidatley understood why it was called the "red light" district. It was covered in sex shows, souvenir stores and the red lit windows for the prostitutes. All the while.. a beautiful canal ran down the middle of the main strip. Again.. the oddity of Amsterdam put this section of town along a lovely canal and in a nice area.
After the tour we walked around the area near (but outside) the Red Light District. Eventually we found our way back to the hostel and to bed around 1am (early night because we would be up early the next day for more touring). The hostel itself was a hopping place - there was a bar and a night club on the bottom level (which I only caught a small glimpse of).
Up bright and early the next morning we were shipped out of town to visit a clog and cheese factory in a quaint Dutch village. We were showed how clogs were made and how cheese was made. The clog demonstration was really interesting because he basically made the basic clog in front of us (shaping out the wood of the clog). There's a step later where they let the clog dry for 4 days without any sun or heat to speed the process. The amount of work that goes into making a clog is amazing (and yes.. I bought a pair!). Cheese making was interesting too - but I didn't end up getting cheese. A lot of other people did and a group of them were sampling all the wares as well. It was really an interesting tour of the clog and cheese factories and available were little gift stores of Dutch souvenirs and gifts as well as a pewter store and a group of working windmills.
Immediately I wanted to climb into a windmill. When people think of Holland they thing of clogs and windmills, right? I had to go into one. They charged €2 to visit but it was well worth it. We got to see the grinding stone and the flour they were smoothing out. Then we climbed to the next story (the entire building is made of wood, it's really beautiful) and stood out on the deck overlooking the small river and the neighboring windmills. We climbed higher to another level and got to feel the sway of the windmill and look out the small windows. We went up to the third (and last open level) floor and that's when you really feel the power behind the windmill and the wind that operates it. The room had only a small window and the walls were made of the thatch roof on the windmill. It was something of an amazing experience!
Around noon we had to leave the windmills, the cheese and the clogs and return to the city. There we were taken on a canal cruise. This part I was really looking forward to because canals are a huge part of the Amsterdam culture and scape. We were taken along the canals - on a hot day - and everyone in the city seemed to be out and about (it also is prudent to mention that there was a gay pride celebration happening in the city that weekend too). All along the canals were party boats, pleasure boats, cruise boats and every inch of bank in the busier areas of town were covered by people dangling their legs over the edge and enjoying the afternoon sun.
When the cruise ended we were set on seeing the Anne Frank house. I'd read about her as a young girl and I was interested in seeing what it was like to be where she'd lived. It's a very moving place - and though the line was long we waited in it. It's well preserved and even more than that it's well presented to the audience with little video clips and lots of information regarding the young girl and her family. But here's where the Amsterdam oddities come in.. while we were in the house there was a gay pride parade on the canal just outside. It was very loud and at one point the girls I was with and I stopped by a window and stared out at the parade. Later we wondered if that is where Anne had stood and watched the Nazis.
Afterwards the group split up. The sub group I travelled with wanted to explore the city. We decided to head towards the Van Gogh museum because it's something we were told to see. While there we'd take our time and view the city. We walked along the streets, by the canals, stopped into souvenir shops and made a slow journey of it. Of course.. when we reached the museum we learned it had closed about an hour earlier (around 6pm). While I was somewhat dissapointed it's not like I haven't seen Van Gogh paintings elsewhere.
There's a little park by the museum and we bought ice cream and sat on the benches just to relax. In this park were giant letters spelling out "I AMsterdam". People were posing with the letters, climbing on them and taking pictures. Kerry and I, of course, wanted to join in so we went to take our pictures with the gigantic letters. I took one with the letter "a" (for my last name) and I also went on the backside of the letters to take a picture with "re" (since my last name twists the letters er into re I thought this was clever). As we were standing the letters out of no where a group, including my flatmates, joined us. We ended up getting a really great group picture of us on the letters.
We joined the new group (Michelle, Kerry and I) and grabbed dinner at an outside Dutch restaurant. It was really nice to sit back and talk with all of the new people and my friends. We returned to the hostel around 9pm and relaxed for a little while longer (it had been a long and hot day.. Kerry, Michelle and I had gotten quite burnt in the process). While the others were deciding what bars or coffee shops to go to Kerry and I had our hearts set on making it an easy and quiet night.
We decided to go to the Torture Museum (Erica and Connie joined us). This museum was one of the most interesting I've seen. They showed variious torture devices and explained various torture techniques throughout the museum from the medeival times. Some were very creative, others were very brutal and by the end we came upon the guillotine and suddenly found it to be more humane than we'd previously imagined.
That night we were home and in bed around midnight or 1am. Again we had an early morning as we were shipped out of lovely Amsterdam. I was excited though. I was sad to leave Amsterdam behind, I found it to be a very interesting town full of oddities and paradoxes but I enjoyed the stay. However.. my excitement was for our brief stop over visit to the medieval town Brugge located in Belgium.
I was not dissapointed. Brugge was one of the most wonderous places I've been to. It's easily my favorite city now. It was very laid back and relaxing - especially after spending time in Amsterdam. The demeanor and character of the town were much different than Amsterdam and I was in love. We explored the city by foot (Chris, Michelle, Kerry and myself) and ended up walking itno the more residential area. We followed the canals through the town and were awed by the cobble stone streets, the flower boxes along the canal walls, the canal houses and the canal streets. We had an absolutely amazing time just touring around. We stopped for a quick bite - and a quick souvenir run - and we were off having only spent a mere 2 hours in this amazing medieval town. It was all cobble stones, slim houses, canals, monuments, squares, markets and gables.
The remainder of the trip back to London was pretty dull compared to the weekend - we stopped in France to visit a hyper market. We had dinner aboard the ferry and visited the duty free shop (where I picked up some new purfume). We traveled back through Dover (more beautiful than I remembered it) and along the English country side where I got to watch the sun set in the distance. Back in London we passed our street on the bus (quite frustratin to have to see where I live but no get off!) and returned home by tube.
It was a wonderful weekend and I'd recommend Brugge to anyone who's looking for a lovely city to stay for a weekend or a quick stop. Amsterdam is a little more stressful but still a beautiful place to see. Be sure to check out my 200 some pictures on my Gallery but there are a few I'll link directly since these are my favorites..
The National Gallery
(Originally Posted on August 1, 2007)
I'd become so wrapped up in work and routine that I'd forgotten what an amazing city I live in. After 3 weeks of working at the Royal Exchange I had casually written it off as nothing more than an office building. I see Russell Square, the Bank of England and Holborn every day and barely bat an eyelash.
I stopped myself, the other day, walking into the Royal Exchange. I stepped back and gazed upon the grand old building and it all came back to me. That feeling of beauty and amazement when I look upon the building came straight back to me. I work here! (Yes and I need to upload pictures soon too. Perhaps tonight.) Then on the way home I stopped off at Russell Square, instead of Holborn, and walked through the garden. I live here!
There's nothing like taking the time to enjoy everything that's around you. Routine is helpful but actually appreciating the beauty, the grandeur and the brilliance of the Royal Exchange or Russell Square can't be forgotten.
Now that I was back in the saddle as an architecture and history loving human it was only fitting that I go visit a tourist attraction. Luckily for me my friend from work, Ainura, was looking for the same exact thing and we chose Sunday to be our day of enlightenment. (And since have agreed... that every Sunday we'll do something together that pertains to the city, history and culture.)
But where do you begin?
I'd become so wrapped up in work and routine that I'd forgotten what an amazing city I live in. After 3 weeks of working at the Royal Exchange I had casually written it off as nothing more than an office building. I see Russell Square, the Bank of England and Holborn every day and barely bat an eyelash.
I stopped myself, the other day, walking into the Royal Exchange. I stepped back and gazed upon the grand old building and it all came back to me. That feeling of beauty and amazement when I look upon the building came straight back to me. I work here! (Yes and I need to upload pictures soon too. Perhaps tonight.) Then on the way home I stopped off at Russell Square, instead of Holborn, and walked through the garden. I live here!
There's nothing like taking the time to enjoy everything that's around you. Routine is helpful but actually appreciating the beauty, the grandeur and the brilliance of the Royal Exchange or Russell Square can't be forgotten.
Now that I was back in the saddle as an architecture and history loving human it was only fitting that I go visit a tourist attraction. Luckily for me my friend from work, Ainura, was looking for the same exact thing and we chose Sunday to be our day of enlightenment. (And since have agreed... that every Sunday we'll do something together that pertains to the city, history and culture.)
But where do you begin?
Week of the Geek
(Originally Posted on July 20, 2007)
Forgive me for the lapse but I've been busy here in London.
Last weekend I chose to attend a Star Wars Convention that was being hosted in London. What were the odds, right? I'd never gotten to go in the US becaues it was always far away.. usually on the west coast. But within two weeks of moving to my new country I'd end up at the European Star Wars Convention. It was only by chance that I saw all the advertisements along the tube walls for it. It was a 3 day extraveganza and I knew I had to attend.
Friday I had to work but after work I made the trip to the Excel Center (big London convention center) a little ways outside the central city. That night they were going to play A New Hope on a big screen in a courtyard to benefit a British charity. Introducing it was Ian McDiarmid (aka. Emperor Palpatine) from the Star Wars movies. The entire weekend was a hoot. Definitely a fun time for geeks all around. I graciously got to meet a group of Brits from a little island and I spent the 2 days going around the convention with them.
Monday night I continued my geeky trend.. I went to see the latest Harry Potter movie. I went with a group of friends and we had an absolute blast at the movie. Check out the picture of the theatre on my gallery section. I only regret that I didn't take a picture of the inside. It was a classic old theatre complete with red curtains and a balcony. It was really something to see (Odeon Theatre at Leicester Square).
Tuesday I took it easy when I bought the last Harry Potter book so that I might read it before the latest comes on tonight (Friday). I also finally purchasd a fan. It's too hot to sleep with the windows closed in London but I can't sleep with them open either because of the noise on the street. I solved the problem and bought a fan. The room is much more comfortable. Also.. I'm keen to point out.. speaking of new gadgets.. that last weekend we received our TV! Chris was quite brilliant and found someone selling it on Gumtree. We called them and the next day we had a gorgeous TV. Perfect.. now we just need satellite.
Wednesday was the first pub meet I got to attend through Bunac (my Visa sponser). Basically they hold them frequently and it's a social gathering for the students here in the UK through Bunac. We meet at a pub and meet new faces. What a great night! I met several people who I adore already. I got 4 phone numbers and we've already planned to hang out since then.
Last night.. Thursday.. I got to hang out with one of the girls I met at the pub meet. Her name is Kate and she's a mid-westener but no one's perfect! Back at home I joke about my friend Gisele being my twin.. but if Gisele is my twin than Kate is our triplet. We get along famously and I'm thankful for that! We were together yesterday to pre-order her copy of Harry Potter because...
TONIGHT Harry Potter comes out. That's why I'm writing this now - because I know I won't be writing until that blasted book is finished. It's a big deal over here.. more so than in the States and heck.. I worked at a bookstore the last time it came out.
I'm going with Kate, Michelle and Leigh-Anne (one of the folks I met at the pup meet) to pick up the book. It's going to be a blast and I'll fill you all in on that later.
So that's what my busy week has looked like. The most amoutn of touring I've done of actual London was last night. Kate and I walked around Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square and the Strand. There are definitely some beautiful sites to see there but I only came out with a single picture (of a small monument for Oscar Wilde.. how could I pass that up? He's absolutely my favorite playwright and author!).
Forgive me for the lapse but I've been busy here in London.
Last weekend I chose to attend a Star Wars Convention that was being hosted in London. What were the odds, right? I'd never gotten to go in the US becaues it was always far away.. usually on the west coast. But within two weeks of moving to my new country I'd end up at the European Star Wars Convention. It was only by chance that I saw all the advertisements along the tube walls for it. It was a 3 day extraveganza and I knew I had to attend.
Friday I had to work but after work I made the trip to the Excel Center (big London convention center) a little ways outside the central city. That night they were going to play A New Hope on a big screen in a courtyard to benefit a British charity. Introducing it was Ian McDiarmid (aka. Emperor Palpatine) from the Star Wars movies. The entire weekend was a hoot. Definitely a fun time for geeks all around. I graciously got to meet a group of Brits from a little island and I spent the 2 days going around the convention with them.
Monday night I continued my geeky trend.. I went to see the latest Harry Potter movie. I went with a group of friends and we had an absolute blast at the movie. Check out the picture of the theatre on my gallery section. I only regret that I didn't take a picture of the inside. It was a classic old theatre complete with red curtains and a balcony. It was really something to see (Odeon Theatre at Leicester Square).
Tuesday I took it easy when I bought the last Harry Potter book so that I might read it before the latest comes on tonight (Friday). I also finally purchasd a fan. It's too hot to sleep with the windows closed in London but I can't sleep with them open either because of the noise on the street. I solved the problem and bought a fan. The room is much more comfortable. Also.. I'm keen to point out.. speaking of new gadgets.. that last weekend we received our TV! Chris was quite brilliant and found someone selling it on Gumtree. We called them and the next day we had a gorgeous TV. Perfect.. now we just need satellite.
Wednesday was the first pub meet I got to attend through Bunac (my Visa sponser). Basically they hold them frequently and it's a social gathering for the students here in the UK through Bunac. We meet at a pub and meet new faces. What a great night! I met several people who I adore already. I got 4 phone numbers and we've already planned to hang out since then.
Last night.. Thursday.. I got to hang out with one of the girls I met at the pub meet. Her name is Kate and she's a mid-westener but no one's perfect! Back at home I joke about my friend Gisele being my twin.. but if Gisele is my twin than Kate is our triplet. We get along famously and I'm thankful for that! We were together yesterday to pre-order her copy of Harry Potter because...
TONIGHT Harry Potter comes out. That's why I'm writing this now - because I know I won't be writing until that blasted book is finished. It's a big deal over here.. more so than in the States and heck.. I worked at a bookstore the last time it came out.
I'm going with Kate, Michelle and Leigh-Anne (one of the folks I met at the pup meet) to pick up the book. It's going to be a blast and I'll fill you all in on that later.
So that's what my busy week has looked like. The most amoutn of touring I've done of actual London was last night. Kate and I walked around Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square and the Strand. There are definitely some beautiful sites to see there but I only came out with a single picture (of a small monument for Oscar Wilde.. how could I pass that up? He's absolutely my favorite playwright and author!).
One Royal Exchange
(Originally Posted on July 12, 2007)
I was nervous coming into the first day of work. I had every right to be! It was not only a new country but an entirely new sector for me. I'd never done work in Finance before. I'd taken one Finance class my sophomore year and hadn't quite thought about it since then. My past two jobs I've worked for co-op had both been in a field I was comfortable in from my private life: web development and content management. Now I was entering an entirely new field in the Financial sector of Transition Management.
I'd been given a crash course while I was in Boston about what the team does. I understood the concept which was a fine place to begin. Yet on the first day of work I had butterflies and was all jittery. I had an idea of how long the commute to work would be. I figured that it would be around 30 minutes from door to door. I left my flat that morning early to give myself wiggle room if there was heavy commuter traffic. (As it turns out I do like a reverse commute.. everyone gets off at the tube stop on which I enter!)
And I arrived at work... 40 minutes early. I sat myself down at the local cafe within the building to calm my neves and ordered an apple juice (at £4 a glass rest assured that it won't become a habit). I drank and read the news papers (a free edition which since has become a morning commute habit) and watched my watch tick by slowly. With 10 minutes left to go I started hunting for the exact office I'd be working in.
Heading out the back of the building I walked along the area and looked for the address which simple was "One Royal Exchange". Everything was the Royal Exchange! I entered one building and inquried after the address. I was sent to another. They in turn had no idea what I was looking for. So I trotted back to where I'd found my apple juice. The bottom level was all expensive stores (Tiffany's and Bvulgari, to name a few) and looked up. I could actually see the offices but had no idea on quite how to reach them.
Stepping out the front door I paused to ask a local and they graciously directed me to "One Royal Exchange". Wouldn't you know that 1 Royal Exchange was the door directly to the left of the major entrance to the Royal Exchange? Yes and you can imagine that 2 Royal Exhcange is simply on the other side. Inside I asked for my boss and his PA was waiting for the elevator. She took me up and here I was to work!
A whirlwind of a day later I stumbled back out of the Royal Exchange and down into the tubes to ride home. I'd spent the morning waiting on internet access but had been given literature to read and inform myself with. I had a brief introduction meeting and otherwise was left to my own devices. The next day it would be a little of the same but by lunch I'd been taken under the wing of one of my bosses to explain the set up of the team. The third day I was being instructed on how to do different kinds of reporting for my job and joined the American interns to lunch. And today? More learning.
Overall work has been going swell. I feel comfortable here and my nerves were misplaced. I have a nice little desk set up and the team is all kinds of friendly. The building is to die for and is one of the oldest in London. It took a few days but I now have gotten into the groove, gotten comfortable and it feels like I'm starting to get some work sent down the pipe line.
I was nervous coming into the first day of work. I had every right to be! It was not only a new country but an entirely new sector for me. I'd never done work in Finance before. I'd taken one Finance class my sophomore year and hadn't quite thought about it since then. My past two jobs I've worked for co-op had both been in a field I was comfortable in from my private life: web development and content management. Now I was entering an entirely new field in the Financial sector of Transition Management.
I'd been given a crash course while I was in Boston about what the team does. I understood the concept which was a fine place to begin. Yet on the first day of work I had butterflies and was all jittery. I had an idea of how long the commute to work would be. I figured that it would be around 30 minutes from door to door. I left my flat that morning early to give myself wiggle room if there was heavy commuter traffic. (As it turns out I do like a reverse commute.. everyone gets off at the tube stop on which I enter!)
And I arrived at work... 40 minutes early. I sat myself down at the local cafe within the building to calm my neves and ordered an apple juice (at £4 a glass rest assured that it won't become a habit). I drank and read the news papers (a free edition which since has become a morning commute habit) and watched my watch tick by slowly. With 10 minutes left to go I started hunting for the exact office I'd be working in.
Heading out the back of the building I walked along the area and looked for the address which simple was "One Royal Exchange". Everything was the Royal Exchange! I entered one building and inquried after the address. I was sent to another. They in turn had no idea what I was looking for. So I trotted back to where I'd found my apple juice. The bottom level was all expensive stores (Tiffany's and Bvulgari, to name a few) and looked up. I could actually see the offices but had no idea on quite how to reach them.
Stepping out the front door I paused to ask a local and they graciously directed me to "One Royal Exchange". Wouldn't you know that 1 Royal Exchange was the door directly to the left of the major entrance to the Royal Exchange? Yes and you can imagine that 2 Royal Exhcange is simply on the other side. Inside I asked for my boss and his PA was waiting for the elevator. She took me up and here I was to work!
A whirlwind of a day later I stumbled back out of the Royal Exchange and down into the tubes to ride home. I'd spent the morning waiting on internet access but had been given literature to read and inform myself with. I had a brief introduction meeting and otherwise was left to my own devices. The next day it would be a little of the same but by lunch I'd been taken under the wing of one of my bosses to explain the set up of the team. The third day I was being instructed on how to do different kinds of reporting for my job and joined the American interns to lunch. And today? More learning.
Overall work has been going swell. I feel comfortable here and my nerves were misplaced. I have a nice little desk set up and the team is all kinds of friendly. The building is to die for and is one of the oldest in London. It took a few days but I now have gotten into the groove, gotten comfortable and it feels like I'm starting to get some work sent down the pipe line.
Routine & Tour de France
(Originally Posted on July 10, 2007)
It's been a week now since I arrived. I thought about that as I boarded the tube this morning - the trip down to the Royal Exchange is already a routine. Last Tuesday I landed in this amazing city for the first time. It was an experience to be remembered as I struggled to get from Heathrow to Russell Square. Since then I've had more interaction with the city than I could write about and it's slowly become familiar and home.
Of course it'll take months yet for me to know my way around the city. But with a map and the tube nothing is out of reach. Everything is possible and I'm no longer intimidated by the hussle and bussle of the tube. Only a week later and I'm comfortable shoving myself into a crammed, without air conditioning, tube car, fighting alongside my fellow workers. I'm comfortable strolling about the twisting and winding streets of London (very similar in their confusing layout to Boston). I'm becoming familiar with the accents, understanding conversations in full instead of in pieces, and the lingo is starting to settle.
Yes I've started calling an elevator the "lift" and while Americans pronounce the letter Z as "zee" I've started saying "zed". It's safe to say that I'm becoming Britainized.
The Bus tour I took last week has given me a general layout of the city. I know where I live in relation to the city. I know where I work in relation to the city. And I know the connection of the boroughs and somewhat the streets.
I surprised myself last Saturday. The flatmates and I went to visit Trafalgar Square where the Tour de France time trials were going on. It was a big to do with millions of people flocking to the center of London to watch the bicyclists. The streets were crowded and one could barely glance over the heads of the spectators to see the bicyclists and cars wiz by at crazy speeds. From Trafalgar Square we were invited to meet friends in Hyde Park. The normally short walk between the two areas was crazy with activity and detours as we parted out way through the crowds and to the grassy green knoll through which the Tour de France looped.
Along the way I started recognizing landmarks from my bus and walking tours. Suddenly the route between Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park was clear in my mind! It was an amazing feeling of accomplishment that I felt when we finally reached Hyde Park. Of course we didn't quite locate our friends but we got to view the race, the spectators and the spectacle up close and that was good enough for me.
It's been a week now since I arrived. I thought about that as I boarded the tube this morning - the trip down to the Royal Exchange is already a routine. Last Tuesday I landed in this amazing city for the first time. It was an experience to be remembered as I struggled to get from Heathrow to Russell Square. Since then I've had more interaction with the city than I could write about and it's slowly become familiar and home.
Of course it'll take months yet for me to know my way around the city. But with a map and the tube nothing is out of reach. Everything is possible and I'm no longer intimidated by the hussle and bussle of the tube. Only a week later and I'm comfortable shoving myself into a crammed, without air conditioning, tube car, fighting alongside my fellow workers. I'm comfortable strolling about the twisting and winding streets of London (very similar in their confusing layout to Boston). I'm becoming familiar with the accents, understanding conversations in full instead of in pieces, and the lingo is starting to settle.
Yes I've started calling an elevator the "lift" and while Americans pronounce the letter Z as "zee" I've started saying "zed". It's safe to say that I'm becoming Britainized.
The Bus tour I took last week has given me a general layout of the city. I know where I live in relation to the city. I know where I work in relation to the city. And I know the connection of the boroughs and somewhat the streets.
I surprised myself last Saturday. The flatmates and I went to visit Trafalgar Square where the Tour de France time trials were going on. It was a big to do with millions of people flocking to the center of London to watch the bicyclists. The streets were crowded and one could barely glance over the heads of the spectators to see the bicyclists and cars wiz by at crazy speeds. From Trafalgar Square we were invited to meet friends in Hyde Park. The normally short walk between the two areas was crazy with activity and detours as we parted out way through the crowds and to the grassy green knoll through which the Tour de France looped.
Along the way I started recognizing landmarks from my bus and walking tours. Suddenly the route between Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park was clear in my mind! It was an amazing feeling of accomplishment that I felt when we finally reached Hyde Park. Of course we didn't quite locate our friends but we got to view the race, the spectators and the spectacle up close and that was good enough for me.
Independance Day & Sun Sets
(Originally Posted on July 5, 2007)
It’s been 3 days now and I’m still as much in love with London as I was before I started. More so! People were warning me about how rude Londoners are, even at the Bunac (my Visa sponsor) orientation. Yet everywhere I go people are friendly and polite. Maybe it’s because I came from a rude town (Boston) anyways but something about London is cheery despite the gray clouds that never seem to disappear.
Last night I got a taste of America. I joined almost 300 fellow Bunac participants on a cruise of the Thames to celebrate our independence day. Our independence day from England, I should add, and the irony of celebrating in the capital of England was not lost on me. The night was fun and I even came away with a new, hopefully, friend. Despite the cold I spent a good portion of the night on the open aired deck chatting with Chris and Christine (my new friend). IT was a pleasantly cold evening, something that I’m starting to get used to, as we cruised down the Thames. Oh yes.. and we caught a small show of rogue fireworks somewhere along the southern bank of the thames east of the city.
This morning I had every intention of starting my Big Bus Tour of London. (What’s fabulous about this company is that they’ll issue a ticket that’s good for 24 hours, not just the day of purchase.) Before I got around to doing that it seemed like Chris was quite fed up with his sleeping arrangements. Consider this: a young man of 6’4 on a European twin mattress. I assure you it’s as comical as you’re imagining.
Instead of keeping me in stitches, from laughter, Chris decided it was time for a new bed. I decided it was time to actually have a comforter (somehow one was missing on my bed upon arrival). We got the directions to the closest Ikea (close being a loose term) and set out on Chris and Jamie’s Great Adventure.
I’m not kidding.
Three tube lines and any number of stops later we exit the tube station and promptly are circled around the neighborhood in a figure-eight style formation. Leave it to the English to constantly turn us in circles. When we’d seen the map of Ikea in relation to the train station we’d found it odd that it said it would be a 2 mile walk. Sure it was a 2 mile walk but it would’ve been less than half a mile by the way the bird flies. Apparently the English think differently.
Eventually we reach the store. A megastore. The biggest store I’ve seen in my life (yes and I’ve been to Jordan’s Furniture on Rt-9.) So big we got lost quite a few times in the maze of rooms. Chris set off to find a mattress and I set off to find an affordable comforter or blanket. Whichever I could better afford. Hours later, no less than 2, I stumbled out of the maze looking dazed and confused but being the proud new owner of a comforter and duvet cover. (I, of course, went for the cheapest I could find but it was a hideous yellow print that was a throw back from the 70s. I settled in stripes in shades of green and blue which I found to be better on my stomach.)
A little while later I reenter the maze of crazy to help Chris load his new futon onto a “trolley” (carriage for you silly Americans out there) and out we go. At this point I was dreading the trip back to Russell Square.. considering it was a 2 mile hike through suburban London, 3 tube lines and a short trot to our door. Instead we were positively lucky when the delivery guy at Ikea agreed to take us on and bring us home with Chris’s new futon. My savior!
We got back and I was exhausted. I assembled my new comforter (comfy!) and nearly got snuggled it in when I remembered what I’d planned, originally, for the day. I wanted a tour of London! I’d put it off for days and I wasn’t ready to do it anymore. To be fair yesterday I took time to visit the British Museum.. but it’s 2 blocks behind my flat and free entry. I bought a self guided tour book and took one of the 15 tours. I wanted to spread them out and not do them in one day so I’ll probably go back periodically to complete my little book.
Not to get off the beaten track here..
Tours! I wanted my bus tour of London. What better way to get acquainted with a new city? Thanks to my Aunt Mia for that idea. I packed my camera, an umbrella, a little cash and my phone. Then I was off down the street to catch the tour with the Big Bus Company of London (Dubai and Philly too!).
I hopped on the bus and was greeted by a friendly tour guide and driver. However that didn’t last long. They kicked me off to join another bus who would take me around town. And along I went. I saw some of the greatest sights that London had to offer, but tonight was just my appetizer to the bigger menu tomorrow. Tonight I wanted just the bus tour so that I could scout which places I wanted to visit in depth tomorrow.
I saw the London Eye, Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Green Park, Marble Arch, Westminster Abbey, St. James Cathedral and many other major London sights. At least now I know where they all are and won’t have to rely too heavily on a map. Eventually I’m dying to get a chance to see each major London site. I’ve even gone so far as to highlight the important ones in my travel guide. Yes, I’m obsessive, anyone who knows me knows that much. I particularly liked all the commentaries on the tour. Needless to say I’ll review more of that tomorrow after I’ve returned.
For now the sun has set on London.. speaking of which the sun sets around 9:30 here. How bizarre! Beyond all other London oddities.. such as driving on the wrong side of the row, accents, and their specialty stores (more coming on this topic) I’ve found the most disconcerting aspect of London to be the late sunsets.
It’s been 3 days now and I’m still as much in love with London as I was before I started. More so! People were warning me about how rude Londoners are, even at the Bunac (my Visa sponsor) orientation. Yet everywhere I go people are friendly and polite. Maybe it’s because I came from a rude town (Boston) anyways but something about London is cheery despite the gray clouds that never seem to disappear.
Last night I got a taste of America. I joined almost 300 fellow Bunac participants on a cruise of the Thames to celebrate our independence day. Our independence day from England, I should add, and the irony of celebrating in the capital of England was not lost on me. The night was fun and I even came away with a new, hopefully, friend. Despite the cold I spent a good portion of the night on the open aired deck chatting with Chris and Christine (my new friend). IT was a pleasantly cold evening, something that I’m starting to get used to, as we cruised down the Thames. Oh yes.. and we caught a small show of rogue fireworks somewhere along the southern bank of the thames east of the city.
This morning I had every intention of starting my Big Bus Tour of London. (What’s fabulous about this company is that they’ll issue a ticket that’s good for 24 hours, not just the day of purchase.) Before I got around to doing that it seemed like Chris was quite fed up with his sleeping arrangements. Consider this: a young man of 6’4 on a European twin mattress. I assure you it’s as comical as you’re imagining.
Instead of keeping me in stitches, from laughter, Chris decided it was time for a new bed. I decided it was time to actually have a comforter (somehow one was missing on my bed upon arrival). We got the directions to the closest Ikea (close being a loose term) and set out on Chris and Jamie’s Great Adventure.
I’m not kidding.
Three tube lines and any number of stops later we exit the tube station and promptly are circled around the neighborhood in a figure-eight style formation. Leave it to the English to constantly turn us in circles. When we’d seen the map of Ikea in relation to the train station we’d found it odd that it said it would be a 2 mile walk. Sure it was a 2 mile walk but it would’ve been less than half a mile by the way the bird flies. Apparently the English think differently.
Eventually we reach the store. A megastore. The biggest store I’ve seen in my life (yes and I’ve been to Jordan’s Furniture on Rt-9.) So big we got lost quite a few times in the maze of rooms. Chris set off to find a mattress and I set off to find an affordable comforter or blanket. Whichever I could better afford. Hours later, no less than 2, I stumbled out of the maze looking dazed and confused but being the proud new owner of a comforter and duvet cover. (I, of course, went for the cheapest I could find but it was a hideous yellow print that was a throw back from the 70s. I settled in stripes in shades of green and blue which I found to be better on my stomach.)
A little while later I reenter the maze of crazy to help Chris load his new futon onto a “trolley” (carriage for you silly Americans out there) and out we go. At this point I was dreading the trip back to Russell Square.. considering it was a 2 mile hike through suburban London, 3 tube lines and a short trot to our door. Instead we were positively lucky when the delivery guy at Ikea agreed to take us on and bring us home with Chris’s new futon. My savior!
We got back and I was exhausted. I assembled my new comforter (comfy!) and nearly got snuggled it in when I remembered what I’d planned, originally, for the day. I wanted a tour of London! I’d put it off for days and I wasn’t ready to do it anymore. To be fair yesterday I took time to visit the British Museum.. but it’s 2 blocks behind my flat and free entry. I bought a self guided tour book and took one of the 15 tours. I wanted to spread them out and not do them in one day so I’ll probably go back periodically to complete my little book.
Not to get off the beaten track here..
Tours! I wanted my bus tour of London. What better way to get acquainted with a new city? Thanks to my Aunt Mia for that idea. I packed my camera, an umbrella, a little cash and my phone. Then I was off down the street to catch the tour with the Big Bus Company of London (Dubai and Philly too!).
I hopped on the bus and was greeted by a friendly tour guide and driver. However that didn’t last long. They kicked me off to join another bus who would take me around town. And along I went. I saw some of the greatest sights that London had to offer, but tonight was just my appetizer to the bigger menu tomorrow. Tonight I wanted just the bus tour so that I could scout which places I wanted to visit in depth tomorrow.
I saw the London Eye, Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Green Park, Marble Arch, Westminster Abbey, St. James Cathedral and many other major London sights. At least now I know where they all are and won’t have to rely too heavily on a map. Eventually I’m dying to get a chance to see each major London site. I’ve even gone so far as to highlight the important ones in my travel guide. Yes, I’m obsessive, anyone who knows me knows that much. I particularly liked all the commentaries on the tour. Needless to say I’ll review more of that tomorrow after I’ve returned.
For now the sun has set on London.. speaking of which the sun sets around 9:30 here. How bizarre! Beyond all other London oddities.. such as driving on the wrong side of the row, accents, and their specialty stores (more coming on this topic) I’ve found the most disconcerting aspect of London to be the late sunsets.
Jet Lagged
(Originally Posted on July 3, 2007)
Never underestimate the power of jet lag.
My flight (and yes, I’m here!) was an 8pm departure from Logan Airport landing at 7:30am at Heathrow in London. Easy enough, right? An over night flight usually is the way to go for long distance travel but it was only, really, a 5 hour flight! By the time I was situated it was too early on American time to sleep and by the time I fell asleep it was only a few hours before I’d be awaken for landing. How would 3 hours of sleep get me through my first exciting day in London?
It didn’t.
If I thought I was tired deboarding the plane it would feel insignificant to how tired I was by the time we arrived at our flat. Between the plane (which landed at 7am British time) and arriving at our destination (which occurred around 10am) I lugged (with the help of Chris) my 2 overstuffed, giganticized suitcases through Heathrow airport (after dealing with Immigration) and to the Tube. Then I nearly got separated from my luggage and Chris since the tube is a voracious opponent when it wants its doors closed. Forty minutes later, with much shoving and pushing, we tumbled off the tube and into Russell Square.
This is the good part of the story. About how I already love the British. Here I am, all 5 feet of me, with 2 suitcases that I can barely handle (Chris was a big help, to be fair) and I’m faced with the daunting task of climbing stairs. I finally determined it couldn’t be done in one trip so I was set to leave behind one of my bags when very nice (and handsome) British gentlemen offered to lug my 70 pound bag up those stairs. (I have to wonder if he knew what was getting himself into.) Oh yes.. and after those stairs we had to patiently wait for a lift (elevator for all those back in the US) to take us to the ground level. Apparently there’s something to be said about how deep underground the Russell Square tube station really is.
A few blocks later, and no incidents, we arrive at our destination! We’re promptly greeted by a very charming porter and shown the way to the lift. After stuffing ourselves and our bags into this ancient lift we ascend to our 5th floor flat. Open the door and voila! Home.
By any stretch of the imagination it’s a nice flat and the location can’t be beat. Yet somehow after all that traveling (and jet lag), all that anticipating, and all those stairs I felt a little let down. A few hours and a short nap later, as I write this entry, I realize that it’s the kind of flat that grows on you. No need to be magnificent or outstanding if it can be turned into a home.
Never underestimate the power of jet lag.
My flight (and yes, I’m here!) was an 8pm departure from Logan Airport landing at 7:30am at Heathrow in London. Easy enough, right? An over night flight usually is the way to go for long distance travel but it was only, really, a 5 hour flight! By the time I was situated it was too early on American time to sleep and by the time I fell asleep it was only a few hours before I’d be awaken for landing. How would 3 hours of sleep get me through my first exciting day in London?
It didn’t.
If I thought I was tired deboarding the plane it would feel insignificant to how tired I was by the time we arrived at our flat. Between the plane (which landed at 7am British time) and arriving at our destination (which occurred around 10am) I lugged (with the help of Chris) my 2 overstuffed, giganticized suitcases through Heathrow airport (after dealing with Immigration) and to the Tube. Then I nearly got separated from my luggage and Chris since the tube is a voracious opponent when it wants its doors closed. Forty minutes later, with much shoving and pushing, we tumbled off the tube and into Russell Square.
This is the good part of the story. About how I already love the British. Here I am, all 5 feet of me, with 2 suitcases that I can barely handle (Chris was a big help, to be fair) and I’m faced with the daunting task of climbing stairs. I finally determined it couldn’t be done in one trip so I was set to leave behind one of my bags when very nice (and handsome) British gentlemen offered to lug my 70 pound bag up those stairs. (I have to wonder if he knew what was getting himself into.) Oh yes.. and after those stairs we had to patiently wait for a lift (elevator for all those back in the US) to take us to the ground level. Apparently there’s something to be said about how deep underground the Russell Square tube station really is.
A few blocks later, and no incidents, we arrive at our destination! We’re promptly greeted by a very charming porter and shown the way to the lift. After stuffing ourselves and our bags into this ancient lift we ascend to our 5th floor flat. Open the door and voila! Home.
By any stretch of the imagination it’s a nice flat and the location can’t be beat. Yet somehow after all that traveling (and jet lag), all that anticipating, and all those stairs I felt a little let down. A few hours and a short nap later, as I write this entry, I realize that it’s the kind of flat that grows on you. No need to be magnificent or outstanding if it can be turned into a home.
Living History
(Originally Posted on June 18, 2007)
Every High School history student knows all about the Nazi bombings on London. The bombings are also better known as the "Blitz" and it killed over 51,000 habitants of London. I knew all about these bombings and the attack against the British during World War II. I mean.. I've read the "Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis more times than I can count. What history, and even C.S. Lewis, didn't capture was the sheer magnitude of destruction that the Blitz left behind.
Its 53 days and counting until I take flight for London. Today I bought my tickets from StaTravel at Northeastern University. They offer a great service there that I didn't know about until this year. I'm leaving on July 2nd and will be landing at Heathrow on the 3rd. I got a discount rate and now I'm in possession of a student discount card. I've been assured this is a great thing to flash around when you are trying to save money. That's my brief update before I segway into the Blitz attacks.
Its 53 days and counting. Since the day I knew I'd gotten the position in London I'd been immersed in London travel guides. As far as history goes and common knowledge I'd like to think that I have above average intelligence. I studied in High School and I tried hard. It didn't always show in my grades as I would've liked but the effort was there. Like I've said - I knew what the Blitz was and I understood on a historical level what the casualties were.
As I began reading the travel guides there were various mentions to areas of London that had been destroyed in the bombings. I don't think that I truly understood the complete consequences of these bombings. Maybe it was because in my head it was long ago and far away (though really it wasn't) but something never clicked until I read about old buildings destroyed by the bombings. The death toll is humungous as I turn around and begin to study the Blitz again.
The destruction is unthinkable in today's society especially with the way we wage wars. Today if one historic building is bombed or threatened it becomes a huge deal. In those days they lost blocks upon blocks of old English architecture and tens of thousands of people. It's inconceivable to think how far we've come since that.
It also explains much of the European need for unity even further. The European countries don't have the benefit of having the entire Atlantic Ocean, and then some, between them and their adversaries like the Americans do. Unity is the only way to ensure their safety and peace.
Where am I going with this? I was surprised that someone with my schooling and intelligence couldn't wrap my head around the pure devastation caused by the Blitz. History, to many students has always been a jumble of wars and dates. Money and power shifting back and forth and country's borders forever changing. Learning history is a way of going through the motions and getting the briefest understanding of a period of time and events. Living history is when you put yourself in the shoes of those soldiers, citizens or victims. Most everyone can empathize with those Jewish people who were persecuted and executed only because of their beliefs. It is because they have given us a window to understand the toll and the repercussions of those brutalities committed against them.
In preparing to move to London I've been studying their city as well as their culture. It is the only way that I could ever come to grasp what the real toll of WWII was for the British. I suspect I will pay my respects at the memorial for everyone and everything lost... but even more for the courage of the London habitants and the British citizens.
Every High School history student knows all about the Nazi bombings on London. The bombings are also better known as the "Blitz" and it killed over 51,000 habitants of London. I knew all about these bombings and the attack against the British during World War II. I mean.. I've read the "Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis more times than I can count. What history, and even C.S. Lewis, didn't capture was the sheer magnitude of destruction that the Blitz left behind.
Its 53 days and counting until I take flight for London. Today I bought my tickets from StaTravel at Northeastern University. They offer a great service there that I didn't know about until this year. I'm leaving on July 2nd and will be landing at Heathrow on the 3rd. I got a discount rate and now I'm in possession of a student discount card. I've been assured this is a great thing to flash around when you are trying to save money. That's my brief update before I segway into the Blitz attacks.
Its 53 days and counting. Since the day I knew I'd gotten the position in London I'd been immersed in London travel guides. As far as history goes and common knowledge I'd like to think that I have above average intelligence. I studied in High School and I tried hard. It didn't always show in my grades as I would've liked but the effort was there. Like I've said - I knew what the Blitz was and I understood on a historical level what the casualties were.
As I began reading the travel guides there were various mentions to areas of London that had been destroyed in the bombings. I don't think that I truly understood the complete consequences of these bombings. Maybe it was because in my head it was long ago and far away (though really it wasn't) but something never clicked until I read about old buildings destroyed by the bombings. The death toll is humungous as I turn around and begin to study the Blitz again.
The destruction is unthinkable in today's society especially with the way we wage wars. Today if one historic building is bombed or threatened it becomes a huge deal. In those days they lost blocks upon blocks of old English architecture and tens of thousands of people. It's inconceivable to think how far we've come since that.
It also explains much of the European need for unity even further. The European countries don't have the benefit of having the entire Atlantic Ocean, and then some, between them and their adversaries like the Americans do. Unity is the only way to ensure their safety and peace.
Where am I going with this? I was surprised that someone with my schooling and intelligence couldn't wrap my head around the pure devastation caused by the Blitz. History, to many students has always been a jumble of wars and dates. Money and power shifting back and forth and country's borders forever changing. Learning history is a way of going through the motions and getting the briefest understanding of a period of time and events. Living history is when you put yourself in the shoes of those soldiers, citizens or victims. Most everyone can empathize with those Jewish people who were persecuted and executed only because of their beliefs. It is because they have given us a window to understand the toll and the repercussions of those brutalities committed against them.
In preparing to move to London I've been studying their city as well as their culture. It is the only way that I could ever come to grasp what the real toll of WWII was for the British. I suspect I will pay my respects at the memorial for everyone and everything lost... but even more for the courage of the London habitants and the British citizens.
A Change of Scenary
(Originally Published on June 18, 2007)
Things changed quickly over spring break when I came to the realization I was not cut out to be a Computer Science major. The classes were overwhelming and taught in a much more complicated manor than I was used to. Overall I knew it wasn't going to work out and instead of wasting my time by struggling with the CS classes I decided that electives would be a better use of my time.
In the process I opened a lot of doors that had been closed to me. The first door that caught my attention was the ability to apply for a Study Abroad in Lyon, France. Of course this was appealing because I love France, I was in a French Culture class at the time and I'd taken years of classes in French. Anything to put those classes to good use, right?
The next door that opened was connected to the study abroad. I wondered that if I could study abroad why couldn't I concentrate time, energy and resources on finding a job in the UK or even Australia. I began sharing email conversations with the International Co-op Advisors about the opportunity. I wasn't expecting to get much out of it but I thought I had to take the chance. I would kick myself if I didn't try.
A month and a few weeks later I had gotten myself an interview with State Street in London. I had expected something in Glasgow or Edinburgh in Scotland but instead something bigger had come my way. State Street is a company I had worked for during my last co-op but with their Boston office and the subsidiary of SSgA. I was excited for this opportunity because I thought London would be a great fit and State Street was a company I really wanted to work for again. Another week and a few job offers later I was finally offered the position in London within an hour of the original interview. I accepted immediately and quickly owned 2 travel guides on London before another hour had passed.
And now here I am. Two months and counting until I move to London.
I decided that a blog/journal would be the way to go. There are a lot of people interested in my trip to London and my experiences in the UK. There'll also be an additional photo gallery to go along with this trip. I hope that you all get to enjoy it and I hope I can stay on top of my experiences.
Things changed quickly over spring break when I came to the realization I was not cut out to be a Computer Science major. The classes were overwhelming and taught in a much more complicated manor than I was used to. Overall I knew it wasn't going to work out and instead of wasting my time by struggling with the CS classes I decided that electives would be a better use of my time.
In the process I opened a lot of doors that had been closed to me. The first door that caught my attention was the ability to apply for a Study Abroad in Lyon, France. Of course this was appealing because I love France, I was in a French Culture class at the time and I'd taken years of classes in French. Anything to put those classes to good use, right?
The next door that opened was connected to the study abroad. I wondered that if I could study abroad why couldn't I concentrate time, energy and resources on finding a job in the UK or even Australia. I began sharing email conversations with the International Co-op Advisors about the opportunity. I wasn't expecting to get much out of it but I thought I had to take the chance. I would kick myself if I didn't try.
A month and a few weeks later I had gotten myself an interview with State Street in London. I had expected something in Glasgow or Edinburgh in Scotland but instead something bigger had come my way. State Street is a company I had worked for during my last co-op but with their Boston office and the subsidiary of SSgA. I was excited for this opportunity because I thought London would be a great fit and State Street was a company I really wanted to work for again. Another week and a few job offers later I was finally offered the position in London within an hour of the original interview. I accepted immediately and quickly owned 2 travel guides on London before another hour had passed.
And now here I am. Two months and counting until I move to London.
I decided that a blog/journal would be the way to go. There are a lot of people interested in my trip to London and my experiences in the UK. There'll also be an additional photo gallery to go along with this trip. I hope that you all get to enjoy it and I hope I can stay on top of my experiences.
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