Stupid Metropolitan line, grr!

Well this morning I went with Debbie to CAPA.  I mailed my postcards on the way.  Please let me know it you get them.  We got some coffee from Starbucks first then used the computers for a while.  We had dressed up for this meeting Amanda wanted us to go to, and Debbie wore heels.  After CAPA we came back to eat something and so she could change shoes.  Then we left for this annual meeting of the Eastern Atlantic Group. 

We managed to get to baker street just fine.  At baker street we got on the Metropolitan line to go to the hotel where the meeting was.  The platforms are not labeled and the trains don't announce where they are going, so we picked one and just figured if it was the wrong one, we could jump on the one going the other direction and it would be fine.  At this point we had about thirty minutes to get there.  We get on the train and it takes us the wrong direction, to finchly road.  We realize that we were going the wrong way, so we get on a train that was going the other way.  So we are on the train, and it gets to Baker street and we stay on figuring that it would continue to the next stop, but it doesn't, it goes all the way back to Webley Park, way out in zone 4.  So we get off of the train and get on the one going the opposite way again.  None of the platforms say anything.  So we eventually make it back to Baker street, but this time we get off, and get on the circle line, not that they said anything about it ending there.  So we managed to get there via the circle line, but it only took us an hour to go from Baker street to the place we were supposed to be.  I probably could have walked it in like ten minutes.  We ended up being late by thirty minutes, but they hadn't started yet, so it didn't matter much.  I really want to form a complaint about the metropolitan line, and it will not be formal. 

Basically the meeting was stuff I didn't understand.  The EAG mostly plans events and stuff for important political figures to talk about stuff.  I still don't think I really understand, but I didn't fall asleep during the meeting.  Since they are trying to get new younger people to join, they gave me and Debbie a free year membership to the group.  It will be good to put on my resume if I ever actually make one. 

After the EAG meeting, we went out with some people Amanda works for, and got drinks at the pub called The Green Man.  Debbie recommended that I try a vodka and cranberry, so I did.  I liked it more than anything else I have had so far.  I thought I might have been a bit tipsy when I left, because I kept swaying a bit when I walked, but still felt fine other than that. 

When we got back we three decided to cook a group meal together.  It was a lot of fun, especially after drinking.  I made fried potatoes.  Debbie and Amanda were helping cut them up, but Amanda had not had them before so she was cutting them in centimeter thick slices.  I had to fix all that she had done, so it would actually cook.  Well, slightly tipsy girls with large knives probably wasn't a good idea, but we did it anyway.  I fried the potatoes, Amanda and Debbie make some stir fry veggies, and some veggie soup.  It was nice to eat more than one food item at a time.  Apparently, I am amazing at making fried potatoes, and now Amanda knows what they are. 

We were getting worried that Alysa wasn't back from her trip yet, but she just came in, so I guess it is OK. 

We got free football tickets for tomorrow.  I am excited.  It is supposed to be Millwall Lions vs.  Burnley Clarets.  I think anyways. 

Wonderful Wednesday is really pretty Wonderful.

Tuesday was a busy day of class.  I had my child development class at CAPA, and then my Aesthetics class went to the Tate Modern.  I was almost late, because I went to the Waterloo tube stop, and it was quite a walk from the station. 

Wednesday was pretty amazing.  First I went to CAPA.   I was going to work on a project but decided that I would just go find the bookstore for the book signing.  I went and found the area no problem, but I saw there was a cinema there, so I looked at the show times and decided that I would watch Troll Hunter since it was playing in like ten minutes.  I got a Odeon membership rewards card, and a student discount.   I got to set in the premier seat, because there were only like 10 people there.  The movie was OK, It was mostly all subtitles, and weird.  I don’t think I would advise anyone to watch it in the Cinema, but maybe to watch it on DVD if you like that sort of thing.  I really don’t know how to describe it. 

After the movie, I went to look for the bookstore,  I walked around forever looking for this store and couldn’t find it.  Finally I decided to look in this store called something like entertainment cult and saw that there was a little forbidden planet sign there on the door.  I felt like an idiot.  Anyway, I looked around a bit, bought my two Inheritance books, then got in the queue to wait.  I waited for like an hour, but then I got a good spot in the queue.  When he first showed up, we all left the queue and gathered around the table so he could read some from Inheritance and answer some questions.  I took a video of most of the reading and questions along with some pictures.  I got my books signed and talked to the author a little.  He seems not quite so nice as he does in his online videos and such.   Oh, well it was cool, now I own two signed books.  Afterwards, I looked at all the doctor who stuff and managed to restrain myself.  I intend to return later. 

Today has been interesting.  I ended up getting lost at Paddington looking for the Hammersmith and City line.  I never found it, but I managed to get on the circle and switch to the other one at the next stop.  After getting lost, and leaving late, I barely managed to make it to the West Ham station on time.  I think I might have had three minutes to spare.  Well, the Olympics walking tour was interesting, sort of.  It was really hot here today and of course it was all an outside tour.  Basically we took the Green Way to the Olympic Park.  Most of the Olympic park was still under construction, so we didn’t see a lot that I will recognize when they show it on TV next year.  Basically our guide just talked about how the Olympics is going to affect London.  I am glad I am not going to be in London next summer, that would be a nightmare. 

Well tonight I went to a different Sainsbury's and got some more food.  Then I was going to get some coffee, but the Starbucks was closed already. 

Kensington Gardens

Today we had our Understanding Modern Britain class actually in the classroom.  We mostly talked about terrorism, violence, and random other stuff like weather. 

After class I went to Bayswater.  I found a place that sells really cheap postcards, so I bought a bunch.  Then I went to the park, more specifically Kensington Gardens.  It is sort of part of Hyde Park.  I saw the round pond, with millions of birds: ducks, geese, swans, pigeons, and other little birds.  Then this guy came up to me and asked if I would take his picture, so I did.  Then he asked if he could take my picture, that was kind of weird, but I said ok.  Then he said he was from Jordan, and he was here for two weeks, he asked where I was from and if I was here with family.  i just told him that I was a student from America.  Then he asks me if I wanted to get some coffee.  I was like I have class, I need to go, sorry.  I totally lied, but the guy was like probably 35 or so.  I am apparently a magnet for older guys, even in another country. 

Well, after running away, I found the Albert Memorial.  it is pretty cool, I took pictures.  I also found the Serpentine Gallery, but it was closed so I didn't get to see anything.  Basically after that I headed back towards the Queens Gate Tube station.  On the way out, I saw a bunch of squirrels, and all sorts of birds.  People here have a weird fascination with watching and trying to pet squirrels.  It was nice to just be away from buildings for a bit.  The park is so huge, and foresty meadowy it seems like actual outside at home.  I never realized that I missed the smell of trees, but it was nice today.  I also saw Kensington Palace, well the outside and garden.  The garden is awesome, there are fountains and flowers.  All the flowers smelled nice. 

After I got home, I wrote all my postcards and turns out that I got an A on my Aesthetics paper. 

Google Map

Here is a google map that I have marked a lot of places I have been. 
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=217809372632072082958.0004ab4a1ea5a7df782b6&msa=0&ll=51.519639,-0.168657&spn=0.016129,0.042057

Adventure

Today I slept late since I was up till four talking to my family.  when I did get up, I decided that I didn't want to stay in all day, so I headed to the tube stop.  I was going to just pick a tube station and explore the neighborhood around it.  There was a bus stop on the way so I looked at the sign and saw that it said ASDA on it, so I decided to just take the bus to ASDA and look around.  It wasn't hard to get there, but the buses are better than the Springfield ones.  They have a screen that shows what stop it is and then what stop is next so you can push the button to make the bus stop. 

So ASDA is pretty much like a huge Walmart, except for the massive amount of alcohol.  I bought a DVD and some groceries.  I got some Treacle Tart like I read about in Harry Potter.  i guess I will try it after my dinner is done, I am making hash brown casserole again.  It smells good.  

So when I was done, I couldn't find the bus stop for the same bus going the other way, so I took a double decker line 260 to the train station.  I even set on the top deck.  It was really cool, but hard to go up and down the stairs when the bus is moving. 

I managed to get to the train station, and took the overground train to another station to get on the tube.  The overground is not that good.  I had to wait forever and then I had to stand because there are not very many seats.  Eventually after probably more than an hour I made it back to the flat. 

Well that was my adventure today, who knows what I will do tomorrow. 

A pretty good day!

Today was the play at Shakespeare's Globe.  I made it to the platform at Warwick Avenue before I realized that I forgot my ticket, so I had to go back and get it.   So I got on the train and went to the Waterloo station, but that station is very confusing.  It is also a lot further than it looked on the map.  It took me almost twenty minutes to walk to the globe from there, including the stops I made to look at the maps.  When I finally got there i didn't have to wait very long to go in. 

We watched Much Ado About Nothing.  It was a romantic comedy in the most literal sense.  Basically it is about two people who a very witty and think they hate each other.  Then their friends end up almost getting married the others fix the problem, and in the process they end up finding out that they love each other.  It was awesome just to watch it.  We stood right around the stage, and the actors talked to us.  One even splashed actual water on me.  It lasted for a little over two hours, but it was worth standing for that long.  I really enjoyed it and I wish I could go see another one. 

During the play I had some sort of dizzy spell.  I felt sick at first, then everything seemed really pixely, scrambled, and really bright colors.  For a few minutes I had no idea what was going on.  I thought I was going to pass out.  I sat down and it got better.  Luckily I didn't miss anything important in the play, mostly just a dancing part.  I made sure I had my medical alert bracelet on, just in case. 


We came back to the flat to rest for a while, then Amanda, Debbie and I went to eat.  First we stopped at the ATM.  There happened to be a Starbucks there, so we got some coffee for the trip to Chipotle.  I had never been to a Chipotle before, but it was amazingly good.  It is like a Mexican food subway.  I got soft tacos with white rice, marinated chicken, cheese, mild salsa, and lettuce.  i really liked it.  I never had rice in a taco before, or chicken, but I think I prefer it that way now.  It would have been perfect if they had tomato and green onions. 

Well I have no idea what I am going to do tomorrow, maybe the park since it is supposed to be warm and not raining. 

Shakespeare

Yesterday was a lazy day for me, but I did manage to get some reading done and I wrote a paper for my Aesthetics class. 

Today was fun.  I went shopping for a jacket this morning on Oxford Street.  Wow, people wear crazy stuff in Europe.  It is supposed to be fashion week in London, so there were some sales and such.  I went to a few different places including 2 different H&M stores, Gap, Accessorize, and soem others.  Shopping in London is an ordeal.  In the USA they have sections of clothes for each gender and age, but in London there are different floors. 

I must admit that I was semi afraid of down escalators before.  I have quickly gotten over that here.  There are escalators everywhere, and when there are stairs I want there to be escalators.  People don't use the lifts (elevators) very much.  Now I even read the paper on the escalator, because it takes forever to go down like four floors to the tube platform.  "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform." 

Well in my philosophy of sport class we watched Invictus.  I didn't like this movie the first time I watched it, and I still don't like it.  Now I have to write a three page paper relating something to the movie.  Next week we are going to the Olympic Stadium for a tour.  I think it will be fun. 

After class we went to a lecture on Shakespeare.  The professor talking was very funny, but he talked really fast.  I'm just glad I didn't have to take notes.  He talked about the play Much Ado About Nothing, and we watched a clip of the movie.  CAPA offered us the chance to see a play at the globe after a lecture, so that is why I went.  Tomorrow we are going to see Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare's Globe.  I got my ticket and now I am really excited about it. 

Next Wednesday one of my favorite authors will be in London for a book signing.  I fully intend to go since I don't have class.  I think it is funny that he is an American author, but I have to go to London to get my book signed. 

Today I saw that the exchange rate was about 1.52, wich is really good compaired to the 1.66 or higher we had before.  I withdrew 100 pounds today because of the good rate, and I got charged 156.00USD, Wow. 

More Museums and Harry Potter Tour

Today I went to two more museums.  First I went to the Childhood Museum.  It was pretty cool.  i saw a lot of toys I had when I was younger.  There were a lot of different toys and such, but mostly toys.  They had some Dr. Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, and LOTR toys.  They had some Lego's and some duplex for the kids to play with.  Most of the toys seemed like they were very expensive, mostly the doll houses and tea sets. 

For my aesthetics class we went to the National Gallery.  We looked at some famous paintings that they have there, and talked about them.  We have to write another paper about a painting. 

The best part of the day was the Harry Potter Walking Tour.  First we met on platform 8 at Kings Cross Station.  We then went and looked at the barrier between the platforms like what would be where platform 9 3/4 would have been if the platforms were next to each other.  The walkway with the clock was taken down, so we didn't get to see that part.  Next we went to the platform 9 3/4 where they have the trolley bolted to the brick wall with a sign.  Of course I got my picture taken.  We saw a lot of things.  We went to see the door of the leaky cauldron from the first movie, and then the leaky cauldron from movie two next to the bookshop and with the window that Harry looks out of.   We saw the outside of St. Pancras Station where Ron drove the car in COS.  We saw the area where the phone box takes Harry and Arthur to the MoM, and the tube station that they used to get there, Westminster.  We saw some other things too including the millennium bridge, London Bridge, and some of the areas where they filmed people looking for Harry  in POA and various shots of the Ministry.  It was a lot of fun.  Out guide was really nice, kind of like another Molly Weasley just the muggle version.  She even gave us a lemon drop. 

The City and London Museum

On Monday, my Understanding Modern Britain class went to The City.  We met at Mansion House and went and looked at several buildings.  We saw the Lord Mayor's house, and some building that looks like a cake.  We saw how the modern buildings are popping up everywhere.  During the Blitz, The  City of London was basically destroyed, so there are not a lot of old buildings and such left.  we did go and Look at the Guild Hall of London.  It is a really cool restored Medieval building.  We also went to see this Roman Temple that someone found underground and decided to move to street level between two modern office buildings.  It seemed very out of place.  We also saw the first indoor shopping mall, made to give people a nice place to do their trading business.  After walking around, we went to look at the Museum of London.  Basically they have all sorts of stuff about the history of the city from the time the Romans built the city of Londonium, to modern London.  This includes Medieval London, and everything else like the fire, plague, and wars. 

Later I went back to CAPA and I talked to Mom and Dad on skype.  I also watched another episode of Dr. Who.  I have looked up some Dr. Who sites in London, and really want to go find the Tardis in Earls Court.  I heard that there is also a giant toy store somewhere, and they might have Dr. Who toys. 

Natural History Museum

Well today I went to the Natural History Museum with Debbie.  We went through most of the stuff I had not seen yet.  My favorite parts must have been the dinosaurs, human evolution, or the part where we went on an escalator through the center of the earth.  I took a bunch or pictures of everything.  I found out that Cyclopes are real, they had a skull.  I saw a lot of rocks, and some pretty gems.  There was a part where you go stand in this grocery store, and the floor shakes and simulates an earthquake that supposedly happened in 1995.  The shelves and stuff move, but they have everything rigged so it doesn't actually fall over.  They even had an animated Tyrannosaurus.  We walked around and took pictures of basically everything in the dinosaur area.  We looked at some other extinct animals too, like the giant sloth, mammoth, dodo bird, and lots of sea dragons.  The ecology part was really cool.  It had a giant size model of a plant cell.  I wish I had that to look at when I was learning about that stuff.  Generally the whole Museum was very interactive like the science museum.  There were a lot of red buttons to push, and things to do.  I liked it a lot, and hope to go back and get my brain cell that I had my eye on. 

The Scienc Museum

Today I went to the Science Museum.  It was pretty cool.  I learned a lot about the early history of the steam engine.  They had a lot of engines and parts in the first room.  The next part ha,d about everything related to space.  There was a projection of the earth on this ball showing the weather patterns, the night lights, energy, and currents.  It was pretty cool.  They also had models of rockets and space things.  The next room was just a mass amount of various machines, and just about everything else.  Some of the things that stood out to me was the looms, really old tractor, space capsule, tiny cars, mini factory, ship models, and the particle accelerator.  It was really cool.  The next floor was about humans.  It had a lot of games for kids, and some displays and such.  The second floor had stuff dealing with the earth's atmosphere.  Basically it was to learn about weather, climate and how global warming works.  The last floor was about the future.  There were some questions asking what you think of possible technology advances.  The rest of the room had some game tables where one player chose a game and everybody played.  I am not sure what that had to do with the future.  I went to the gift shop and looked around a bit.  They have a lot of fun toys, but I didn't buy anything except for a key chain that has a level and says science museum on it.  I took some pictures there but I don't actually want to put them on here since my camera is downstairs and I don't want to go get it. 

I got a nice sub at a place called "Miss Ellies" for 2.75.  It was pretty good, I will have to remember that place.  All of the meat they have is minced or close to that, it was kind of wierd. 

I heard that some place in Bayswater has postcards for like 10p or 13 for a quid.  I might go see about buying some tomorrow, and then I might actually write on them.  I already bought the stamps. 

Greenwich

On the boat.  With the Tower Bridge in the background

Today we went on a cruise boat to Greenwich.  We sat on the top of this boat and took pictures along the way.  Our guide on the boat was good, he told us a lot about the buildings along the Themes.  We passed almost every bridge, the London eye, the tower of London, City Hall, Helen Mirren's house, St. Paul's, and then we made it to Greenwich.  When It was time to get off of the boat, I couldn't hardly walk, and I thought I had at least some experience walking on boats.  After making it to dry land, we all went to the Discover Greenwich tourist center.  We saw some weird and interesting things there, mostly stuff used for building or such. 

Painted Hall

After that, we went to the Painted Hall.  it is huge, and the ceilings and almost any available wall was painted.  It was pretty amazing.  There were rolling mirrors, so you didn't have to look up so far to see the artwork.  I took a lot of pictures.  Pocahontas is supposed to be in it somewhere, and a trap door.  The buildings in that area are pretty cool too.  there are four separate buildings including the chapel and painted hall.  The Queen's House is behind them, but positioned so that it has a view of the Themes, Because the other buildings were built not to block the view. 

The view from the top of the hill

Next we went up to the Observatory and the Prime Meridian.  We had to climb this huge hill, and I mean it is huge, and steep.  I didn't think I would make it for a while.  At the top of the hill is the best view of London I have seen.  We all took pictures of the view, then we went to stand in both hemispheres: East and West.  I had my picture taken.  I didn't go in the Observatory, because it was getting late and we were hungry, so we went to eat at this Italian restaurant.  I had some fancy sort of spaghetti, and made a mess with the sauce.  It was a nice splurge, about 8 pounds or 14 dollars.  After lunch, we checked out this shop across the street and headed back.  We took the DLR, which is like the tube, just one line, and more fancy.  Then we had to get on the central and bakerloo line.  Finally after over an hour we made it back to the flat. 
I had a lot of fun, I want to go back sometime to look at the observatory and maritime museum. 

Me at the Prime Meridian

Weekend is here, Yay!

Well yesterday was fun, I didn't leave the flat all day, I just watched TV and read some stuff.  I did manage to get my Aesthetics paper done, so now I don't have to worry about that this weekend. 

Today I had my Philosophy of Sport class.  We watched a movie about Jackie Robinson, and then some clips about the Olympics.  We managed to get out of there with only a reading assignment, which I have already done.  I went to Sainsbury's again to get some taco sauce to make some quesidillas, then I came back to the flat.  I managed to make some fried potatoes for dinner.  They may not have been done all the way, but they were pretty good, for my first try. 

Tomorrow I am going to Greenwich, I get to go on the boat for free since I signed up fast.  I can't wait to see the observatory, and go to the Eastern Hemisphere. 

By the way, Big Ben told me that my phone is two minutes slow. 

Another Week Begins

Monday, I went to class and we walked around Westminster.  We saw the Themes, some status, Giro's grave, The banqueting hall, and steps that used to be part of white hall.  We also went to see the horse guards, and the parade grounds where the beach volleyball part of the 2012 Olympics will be.  The horses didn't seem too happy, all those people petting them and such.  I went to CAPA and used their Internet to Skype Mom and Dad.  Then I went to get some stuff from the Sainsbury's and got some batteries and a notebook.  I went back to the flat and just chatted with the rest while I started my laundry. 

Today I went to CAPA for my first class then went to the National Galleries for my Aesthetics class.  I had some trouble getting there, I was sort of late, and had to find the people, but they knew I was going to be late.  I watched another street performer for a while after I left the museum.  He was pretty funny, he kept talking about the After that I went to tesco to get some actual food.  Now we are just sitting around talking and drinking gin and tonics.  Gin isn't so bad once you drink more of it.  Gin is interesting, it leads to talking about cute celebs. 
Tomorrow I don't have class, I might go see what kind of shows I can go to for reasonably cheap. 

Mayor's Themes Festival

Today I went to the the Mayor's Themes Festival.  I went early around noon.  I walked along the north bank of the river for a while, then I crossed over the bridge to the South Bank, and explored the festival market.  It was a little like Camden Market, but with more arts and crafts and kid friendly stuff.  They had food stalls from all different countries, but I didn't buy anything to eat.  I got a sample of whiskey.  I smelled it first and thought it smelled like beer or something, so I tried it.  It took me like five minutes to recover.  Good thing I wasn't just standing there in the middle of the sidewalk.  That stuff is powerful, I don't know why anyone would choose to drink it.  I did buy a scarf thing, and I got some free sour gummy candy, and hot sauce. 

I came back to the flat for a few hours, and had my tea and a rest, then I went back.  I went with Debbie and Alyssa and we watched the parade part of the festival.  There were so many different costumes, it mostly felt like a fancy circus more than a parade.  I can't seem to find the right words to describe it, but I took some pictures, hopefully they will turn out alright.  I haven't looked at them yet, they are downstairs now and I don't want to go get them, so maybe I will add some later.  It turned pretty cold, but we stayed for the fireworks anyway.  There were a lot of them, like at least 4 at a time for like thirty minutes and most of the time there was a lot more.  It was a lot bigger show than I had seen before.  It was kind of weird seeing fireworks and it not being July.  I think this festival was supposed to celebrate the last days of summer. 

Bath and Stonehenge

Stonehenge

             Today we went on a coach ride to Stonehenge and Bath.  It took almost two hours to get to Stonehenge.  When we got there, it almost looked just like a few fields and some rocks, except for the people.  We got audio guides to tell us about the history and myths about it.  I listened to almost the entire guide, it is kind of hard to pay attention when you are trying to take pictures and stay out of everybody else’s pictures.  It is pretty amazing how many myths there are about it. 



A closer look at Stonehenge

Supposedly, these ancient people carved the inner circle of rocks out of some mountains in Wales.  They are called blue stones because if you broke them open, they are blue and white speckled.   The outer circle was from nearby. Still, somehow in the Stone Age these people whose only tools were deer antlers, and cow shoulder bones, manages to get these huge rocks there and into a circle.  They also dug a giant ditch around the outside of it.  The whole thing is sitting on the top of a hill overlooking a lot of the surrounding area.  It really seems like it has a really cool purpose, we just don’t know what exactly.  It might have something to do with the sun.  There are several mounds around that are supposed to be where these ancient people are buried. 

Me at the Roman Baths

The Main Bath



The Head of Minerva

            After about forty-five minutes on the bus, we arrived in Bath.  First we mostly just looked at the abbey, then we actually got to go into the Roman Baths.  Basically there are three main baths.  The main bath is huge and you can see it from the upper level before you go down.  You have to go all through the museum part before you actually get to go to the Baths.  In the museum, they have a lot of sandstone with writing on them, I assume it was Latin.  There is also this head of Minerva.  The main bath is in the shape of a rectangle.  There are columns around and sculptures of people on the top.  You can see how they channel the water into the Baths as well.  Basically there is a supply of warm water in bath, and the Romans took advantage of it and made a healing spa.  The other two baths you cannot get very close to, but one of them is round.  It is in the dark, but you can see that the bottom of it sparkles.  The other just looks old.  You can’t see much of it at one time, but it has a lot of arches and such.  I wish we could have actually gone out to see the whole thing. 

Another Bath



The circle drive

The Royal Crescent

Well, other than the baths, we went on a tour and say the first circle drive, with the buildings divided into three parts.  There are acorns along the roofs, something to do with pigs.  Supposedly, Nicolas Cage had a house here, but I heard that he had to sell it.  J Depp also has a house in bath near the circle.  Then we went up to the Royal Crescent, and saw how they tried to make this house look like a country mansion, putting a nice huge lawn out front, and building a fence, called a “ha ha” to keep the animals out.  After the tour I had a few minutes, so I watched this street performer for a while.  He was an American.  First he ate fire, and then he was playing with this thing on a string, I forget what it was called.  He was going to juggle knives, but I had to go. 



            It took two and a half hours to get back to CAPA.  It was nice to finally get back to the flat, after twelve hours of buses and tours.   I bought some stuff too, a ring from Stonehenge, and a owl and gladiator from bath. 



Phone Number

I realized that I never put my phone number on here like I promised, so.  To call or text me in the UK from the USA, you have to first put in 011 then 44 then my number 7528203161.  I guess that's it, but be aware that international calls and texts are more expensive. 

Fun at CAPA

Today I didn't have class, but I had to get up and clean up my stuff so the cleaning service could come and clean the floors and linens.  After Breakfast, I went to the CAPA center and used their Internet.  I watched some parts of the Chariot of Fire movie again, so I could write my paper.  I then watched an episode of the Big Bang Theory.  I did manage to get my Aesthetics and Philosophy of Sport papers done.  I got another two books in the mail, so now I am just waiting on one more.  I went on the tour of the Imperial College, which we are supposed to be members of, but it was pretty stupid.  We just walked by the buildings and that was it. 

I looked up some weekend travel deals, and I think I want to go to Scotland, Dublin, Paris, Rome, and Germany at the end.  There are weekend trips to Paris and Scotland, but they are kind of expensive.  I think I can go see the things that I want to see in Paris by myself, and do it cheaper.  I do think I want to do the Scotland Weekend trip.  It sounds like exactly what I want to do, and since I can't drive, it would probably be better just to go on a tour of Scotland with a group.  I think I might take a day trip to Wales as well.  I like castles, and Wales has a cool one.  I have a 9 day midterm break, so I think I just might wait and visit Paris and Rome then. 

An older American Couple stopped me on Cromwell Road today and asked me where Hyde Park was.  I had a general idea, but wasn't sure, so I pulled out my map.  It's a good thing I did, because she thought we were on the South Bank.  Anyways, I got them headed in the right direction.  She sounded surprised when I first answered, she said "You're American."  I was like "Yes."  It was funny. 

Apparently when I went to the travel fair the other day I was entered in a raffle for random prizes, and I won two free tickets to The Tower of London.  How cool is that?  I never hardly ever win anything. 

Every day life.

Wednesday was nice; basically I just watched The Big Bang Theory and got on facebook.  I probably should have done some homework, but I didn’t, so maybe I will tonight.  Today I went to my first Philosophy of Sport class.  It is the same teacher as my Aesthetics class.  We watched Chariots of Fire.  We are supposed to write a 2 page essay on some aspect of the movie related to sports.  I went to Sainsbury’s and bought the rest of the stuff to make some hash brown casserole.  I started working on making it about three hours ago and now it is about done I think.  

I found a Barclays by the school, and found that there is a post office right next to it, so now I know where I can mail stuff. 

V&A

Today I had two more classes.  My Child Development teacher is Norwegian.  She has a different accent and sometimes it is really hared to understand her.  Well that class seems  like it will be interesting.  We talked about some different court cases and what separates children from adults.  During the break I went down to the travel fain and got a bunch of information about student travel opportunities.  I haven't looked at it very closely yet, but the trips looked pretty cool.  My Aesthetics class teacher is pretty strange.  We talked about the plans for the class, and then We went to the Victoria and Albert Museum.  It has a lot of cool stuff.  I didn't get to see much of it because I was so tired I left as soon as possible.  As a class we looked at the Raphael Cartoons and talked about different aspects that add together to tell a dynamic story.  We also looked at a piece called breathless.  It is a collection of smashed brass instruments hanging from the ceiling.  From the bottom it looks as if it is encased in class, but it is just hanging by all those strings.  It was raining a lot when I went back to CAPA for the My Education Information session, so I got all wet.  I don't have class tomorrow, so I can find something else to entertain me. 

First Class

Today I went to my first class of the semester, Understanding Modern Britain.  It was a very interesting class.   He talked about a lot of random things from the geography, to the monarchy and other laws.  I learned who in next in line for the throne, stuff about the queen's children, and the rules for who becomes the next monarch.  We also got a lesson on how the UK has an identity crisis, and how they relate more to the United States than to the rest of Europe.  It is so funny to hear the Brits talk about France.  He said some stuff about the riots, firearms, and terrorism too.  Next class we are going to Westminster to walk around a bit. 

After class I went to sainsbury's to get some food.  Apparently they don't eat shredded potato type hash browns here, because I asked some guy about it and he said he didn't know what that was.  I did find some ramen type noodle, just called instant noodles.  I got some Lipton tea, and sugar cubes. 

I picked up my books at CAPA on the way back, and paid for my spot on the Harry Potter walking tour. 

I went down to the Bakery Spice and got tea while I was Skypeing.  I love the tea.  I put milk in it and brown sugar cubes.  It was pretty good, and a little cheaper than the coffee. 

I made cheese ball stuff, it was quite an ordeal, cutting up the onions, opening the Worcestershire sauce and smaching the nuts

I got my classes fixed so now I will have class Monday morning, most of Tuesday, and Thursday afternoon.  Somehow I managed to only have a three day school week again.  I probably should tell the MSU study away office that I changed my classes. 

Tomorrow I have class and then a travel fair thing I am going to try to go to between classes.  There is a My Education Information session later, so I might go to that as well. 

Saturday we are going to Stonehenge and bath with CAPA.  It is going to be pretty awesome, even though I am not a Jane Austin fan. 

Camdern Market

Today we went to Regents Park and climbed to the the top of Primrose Hill.  It has a great view of the city.  It is quite a hill too, I was fine walking up it, but some people were like lagging, and out of breath.  We walked to Camden market, and I looked around there for a few hours.  They have everything you would ever want to buy.  It is a lot like those trapping conventions, except for the stalls mostly sell clothing or jewelry.  There was even a book store, but I didn't buy anything.  I think a lot of the stuff was pretty expensive for used clothing and books and such, but there were those places selling new stuff and crafty like things.  I saw some really cool, hand carved hair sticks, and some dresses that were just too cool, but at 60 pounds each I didn't get one.  I really don't even know how to describe them either.  I saw a Laslow Dr Who figurine too.  I had some Chinese food for lunch, teriyaki chicken and noodles.  It was pretty good, but I couldn't eat it all.  I also sampled something that I didn't know what I was, but I think it was chicken.  I had a sample of lemonade too.  I got two little boxes of cereal for free, and a voucher for 30p of a big box.  It rained off and on throughout the time I was there, but it cleared up before I left, so I didn't have to walk back in the rain.  I bought a The Big Bang Theory tshirt with the soft kitty song on it.  I also got some money from the ATM.  I had to change lines twice to get back to my flat because the circle is still closed.  That is all I did today, but tomorrow I start classes, I just have one, but I also have to check to see if my books came in and sign up for the tours.  I am going to go on the Harry Potter one, but I might do the Jack the Ripper one, but I don't know. 

Ok, here are some things related to movies. 
The stairs to Dumbledor's Office were filmed in St. Paul's Cathedral, and it even has a Phoenix on the outside of the building.  There are 365 stairs to the top, just so you know. 
There is a real Fleet Street, and I went there.  Like in Sweeney Todd. 
Remember remember the 5th of November.  Kinda in V for Vendetta. 

Oh, Debbie learned that the tv here is unsensored after 9 pm.  Befire nine, everything is sensored including words like crap.   After nine, there are no rules, and nudity is popular, so beware. 

Panoramic Tour

St. Paul's Cathedral

The Millennium Bridge

I stayed up later than I probably should have last night, but I was talking to Amanda and Debbie and kind of lost track of time.  Anyhow, I got up early this morning and went on the panoramic tour of the city.  I thought it was going to rain, because it was cloudy this morning, but it still hasn’t rained since I have been here.  First thing we went by the Natural History Museum, and then we stopped at Buckingham Palace and walked up to the front.  We heard a little about the history and saw that Union Jack was flying, because the queen is gone to Scotland I think.  They were working on part of the fountain, so it wasn’t that great for pictures, but I took some anyway.  Then we went and looked at Westminster Abbey, The House of Parliament, Big Ben, The London Eye, and St. Paul’s Cathedral,  We also went on a walk over the Millennium Bridge, the wobbly bridge, and saw Shakespeare’s Globe Theater.  The River Themes was at low tide, so we saw the mud lurkers looking for stuff in the sand.  We got back on the bus and drove by the Tower of London, The Gherkin, the other theaters on the north side of the river, and some of the major shopping areas.  We even went down Fleet Street.  There was a lot of construction going on because London is really trying to get everything ready for the 2012 Olympics.  There was also some sort of conservative march, like a protest, going on, so there were police everywhere.  They had to make sure that no rioting occurred.  Due to all this, several streets were blocked off, so we didn’t get to see some things. 

Shakespeare's Globe

Buckingham Palace

Some things I learned on the tour

·       There are two cities in London (a tale of two cities), Westminster and The City.  The City was the area badly damaged in the Blitz, so It is now rebuild as a modern business area.  Westminster is the part of London that has most of the Old buildings and shops.  Supposedly, People go to The City to make the money, and go to Westminster to spend it. 

·       You can tell when you enter the city, because on the roads the boundary is marked by two dragons holding swords, one on each side of the road. 

·       There are statues everywhere.  The great heroes and bad guys alike are captured in stone, including kings and even Abraham Lincoln. 

·       There are three hills in London, and Three main Colleges. 

·       The Bridge that opens is the Tower Bridge, not London Bridge.  London Bridge has a spike at one end of it to put William Wallace’s head on.  It is called “Stiletto in the ghetto.”

·       Red brick roads mean royal roads, and you can’t drive on them. 

Fish and Chips

So after the tour, I went to get some cash, then I went to a place called The Patisserie, and got my fist order of fish and chips, with tea of course.  Since I have been here, I haven’t been eating all that much, and what I have ate has been mostly bread, sandwiches, or fruit, so that fried, greasy food kind of made me feel sick.  I ate most of it, but I was really surprised that they had such huge portions of stuff.  The tea was good, and I drank it with milk and sugar. 

A while after I got back, I left again to go to Tesco but I didn’t buy anything, I went to boots and got some Tums and some stamps. 

Then I came back to the flat for a bit, and then I left to go to the Bakery Spice to use the free wifi.  I am glad that I don’t have to go to the old man’s pub across the street.  I bought a coffee, and skyped for a bit, but my computer got overheated, so I left and came back. 

Tomorrow we are going to Camden market.  It is supposed to be like a giant flea market. 

Today was horrible on the tube, but not as bad as yesterday I guess.  Yesterday it was just really crowded.  Today the circle line and district line were closed, so we had to go the really long way.  We had to go like five or six stops on the Bakerloo line, then switch to the Jubilee Line for five or six more stops.  On the Bakerloo and circle its only like five stops all together.  Well I got to hear this guy singing American Pie with a guitar and his British accent.  It was pretty cool. 

South Kensington

This morning we had a safety talk with a police officer.  It was pretty informative.  Basically he told us not to get so drunk that we pass out on the walkways, or bother the police.  Then he ranted about how Americans cannot drink, and how British beer actually has alcohol in it, nice.  Then he said that basically all drugs that are illegal in the USA are illegal here as well, and there are worse consequences over here.  Then he talked a bit about terrorism.  Apparently there are no trashcans on the streets, because they are afraid that people will put bombs in them.  They freak out if you leave anything unattended.  Oh, and you can have open alcohol on the streets, just not on public transport.  Sergent Paul was so funny talking about us Americans, but most of it was very helpful.  By the way, pepper spray or mace is classified as a firearm and so is illegal here.  If you get caught with it, it is a 5 year jail sentence.  Wow they are serious about this stuff if you get turned in, but from what I have heard, the police are really good about giving warnings. 

Well today I explored South Kensington.  I walked along Harrington then up Queens Gate to Cromwell to the Natural History Museum.  I accidentally got on the wrong street, so I took the long way I guess, but at least I know more about the city now, at least that area.  Right as you walk in the front door, there is this huge dinosaur skeleton.  The Natural History Museum is huge.  I stayed only for like an hour so I didn’t get to see much, I just looked at the hall of mammals.  They had just about every animal you can imagine either stuffed, skeleton, or both.  They even had a huge whale, Ito probably took up a room almost as big as a football field, I never realized how big they were.  I also saw a giraffe, elephant, and mammoth skeleton.  Then I went to the Human anatomy area.  It is a lot like the discovery center, except for just this part of the museum is as large as the whole discovery center.  I did this one thing where they play a video of a crime scene and ask questions.  It was to see how good we are at remembering things when stressed or distracted.  I got some of the stuff right but most of it I got wrong. 

I stopped at a place called Cafe Nero for a muffin around 3:30.  They have free wifi, so I will have to remember that. 

After the Museum, I went to find the Regency Hotel.  All of the CAPA students went for a traditional cup of English Tea.  We had raisin scones with what tasted like butter but I think it was their clotted cream stuff.  I also had a cucumber sandwich and some cake with mandarin orange topping.  It was amazing.  I even tried to drink the tea like the Brits do.  I put some milk and sugar in my first cup, but then realized that the milk does not make the tea taste good when it is cold.  It doesn’t have much of an effect when it is hot.  We sat and had tea with some guys from MLP like us. 

Last night was kind of interesting.  Sometime around 1:00 am, these boys, who were clearly drunk, were running up and down the stairs yelling at each other.  Amanda went out there and told them to be quiet, but she didn’t say it like that.  What she said was very funny, but I won’t repeat it. 

So I have figured out some things since I have been here. 

• NHS is like free health insurance that everyone gets in the UK.  Mostly, anyone can use it, even me, since they don’t really ask for ID or anything and they treat everybody at their walk in clinics. 
• Car Insurance is very expensive here.  I heard it was 1.500 pounds for some girl about our age. 
• I apparently don’t have a Mountain Grove accent when I talk normally.  Supposedly most people from MG do.  My excuse is that I have been mostly living in Springfield for two years. 
• I can kind of tell the difference between British accents and what that means. 
• Also, on the escalator, you stand to the left and walk to the right. 

• 
• I think I have an idea about the tube lines.  The inside bars to hold onto  color of the tube line for bakerloo(brown), circle(yellow), and Central(Red).  I haven’t been on any other tube lines I don’t think, except for I might have been on the district line accidentally, but I don’t remember if the bars are green. 
• If you stop walking, people will run into you. 

I think that is all for now.  Tomorrow at 9 am is the panoramic tour of London, I hope we get to sit on the top deck of the bus. 

CAPA center, and Kensington High Street

So today we all went to the CAPA center for the orientation.  It was pretty informative.  They talked about getting around London, classes, and the Capa building.  After that I went to Sainsbury’s.  They had some decent priced stuff.  I only spent 5.02, and got strawberries, clementines, apples, and shampoo.  After that I went to try to get a phone, I got kind of lost, but luckily I have my map, so I made it to the carphone warehouse to buy a phone.  I got my phone then I went to get something to eat.  Kensington High Street is like a mall itself, it has all sorts of stores, even Claire’s and a store affiliated with Express.  I can’t wait to see more of the city.  My first actual meal that I bought was a cheese and bacon pastry.  I also got some pirate water.  After that, I went to barcley’s to get some money and then tried to go back to the flat.  I went a couple of stops too far and had to get on another train to go back, but I made it eventually.  I think I might have got my phone to work now, but I am not sure.  Well, I have a safety orientation tomorrow and then a reception at the Kensington hotel.  We are supposed to have a real English tea.  Saturday we go on a panoramic tour of London.  It is supposed to be pretty awesome.  It is nice to actually see the city, not just the underground stops.  Sunday we can go on a tour of Camden Market.  I have wanted to go since I read about it in my travel guide.