Reading Week 31/10/09- 11/11/09

Daria, Kate, Andy, Gam, Nan, Karen, Kelly, and I left for Dublin on Halloween. We got to the hostel and settled into our smelly 20-person room and went out for a pub crawl! The next 2 days were spent exploring and having a bit of fun. The Guinness Factory was awesome and I got to pour my own pint! Dublin is actually kind of boring and if I were to go back to Ireland, I want to be in the countryside rather than a crazy tourist area.

From Dublin we flew off to Amsterdam!(Kelly and Nan went back to London) This place is amazing and there are few words to describe it. First off, it is a gorgeous city and everyone there is incredibly friendly. We rented bikes, rode around and explored, and went to the Anne Frank House. The Red Light District was okay, but nothing to go crazy about. And the cafes were amazing. Nuff said. =)

Our last 4 days were spent in Paris. We took a bus from Amsterdam and drove through the countryside of Belgium and Paris. We pretty much did every tourist attraction on our first day, which was nice because it allowed us to relax and explore some more. We ventured off to the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, The Louvre, Pere Lachaise- it was all beautiful and incredible. Wine on the Champs Elysees and the Moulin Rouge. Paris was great. Then we flew back to London to end our little European Tour.

Back in London, we took a trip to Windsor and got to check out the Queen’s residence. It was awesome AND she was there while we were walking around…unfortunately we didn’t get to see her, but the fact that we were in the same building at the same time as she was, was just really freaking cool. =) On the 23rd, Daria, Kelly, and I went to see Ingrid Michaelson play at Scala. This woman is amazing and is perfect live. Then came Thanksgiving. We had all the trimmings; turkey, potatoes, veg, gravy, wine, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and decorations! The Loring Family had a wonderful meal. Along with a few shows- La Cage aux Folles, Sweet Charity, Othello, Annie Get Your Gun, it has been really crazy. December hits and there’s only a few weeks left. Kate and I went to the London Aquarium. I ventured out to the Natural History Museum and Kelly and I went to the Science Museum. For our Shakespeare class, we have had walks around the city and a day trip to Stratford-upon-Avon to see Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Woo! And it has been fun =)

And now comes the sad and serious part. Feel free to stop reading if you don’t want to hear me blab about my experience here hah. It’s really crazy to think that the semester is over. It feels like yesterday that I told Daria that I was going to study in London  with her. This year has flown by and I feel almost lost, I guess. Today I fly back to NY and go back to real life. But it’s strange, I say real life and yet, hasn’t this all been real life? I guess I mean back to the daily grind of being home and being an actual student again. I just can’t grasp that feeling yet. I don’t want to leave. This whole semester has been one giant lesson in my life and I feel like there should be an exam coming up. Maybe there is…maybe going back home is the test; to see if what I have learned and experienced here has really changed me. Meh, I don’t know, just babbling on here…

The people in London are truly amazing. They were mostly friendly and treated you with respect. And, for some reason, they got really excited when you said you were from America (well, some of them). The public transportation here is amazing and so easy to follow. Everywhere you walk there is some sort of history or crazy story that goes along with whatever you happen to see. There is a special bond I hold with a lot of things here now; the 453 to…Marylebone, Deptford Bridge, or the 172 to St. Paul’s, Elephant & Castle, the Northern Line, Ben, Abbey, the Thames, making funny bird sounds when people sneeze, cough, burp or whatever…jeez, just everything I guess, huh?

I feel really nervous right now. I don’t know what to do. I have no idea how I will react to actually being home. I don’t want to leave my family. I love them all- yes, even Joe, the child that nobody wanted. They really are my family, no matter how much I wanted to strangle them at times, they are a part of me and I can’t imagine my life without them. Nobody can understand what it is that we have been through and how much we have grown. Whether it’s sharing a pint of Guinness with a new friend or tightening bonds with the old or nearly vomiting from the odor of someone, it’s really something special we have. Andy was the first to leave and it already felt awkward not having everyone together. Today, Joe, Kelly, and I leave. It’s unreal. I know that when we all see each other back home we might look back at this and wonder why we were so upset about leaving each other. I mean, we have already made plans for us to get together back home so what’s the big deal right?

I think I will stop here. Really though, it has been one hell of a ride, like a big road trip with all the little pit-stops and rest areas along the way. And now, it seems as though we have reached our destination, even if we can’t exactly say where or what that is.

The Loring Family- It’s been real and I love you guys so much. Thanks. For everything…

I bid you farewell, London. I hope to see you again soon.

And for the last time-

Cheers

The storm is coming but I don’t mind
People are dying, I close my blinds

All that I know is I’m breathing now

I want to change the world
Instead I sleep
I want to believe in more than you and me

But all that I know is I’m breathing
All I can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing now

All that I know is I’m breathing
All I can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing

All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing
All we can do is keep breathing now…

Anyhoo- it was a crazy week!

Monday- For the first time in a month, our whole flat got together for dinner! It was really  nice to have everyone together and chat over some delicious food. I made bruschetta, B made salad and salad dressing, and Tori made this pasta dish with feta and spinach. Delicious! And a wonderful start to the week.

Tuesday- After class and TACO TUESDAY, Andy, Kate, and I went down to the New Cross Inn. It was open mic night and there were some really good acts- there was a woman singing who sounded just like Lauryn Hill…except she was white haha. =p What made the night really fun though, was the fact it was one of the bartender’s(Mark) birthday! So we decided to help him have fun and bought him some shots. So what was going to be a casual night out with a few beers, turned into total chaos with tons of drinks! To sum up, I had: 2 Strongbow, 2 Baileys over ice, 1 Guinness, 2 Jack and Ginger, 1 Tequila Shot, 1 Sourz Green Apple Shot, 1 Sourz Cherry Shot, and a shot made by Mark(it was 2 kinds of Sambuca, Toffee Vodka, lemon and I believe pepper? It was really good!) During the tequila shot, Andy couldn’t down it so he just spit it back out and right into Mark’s face! He didn’t really care since he was drunk and claimed it “was the best birthday present ever.” So at the end of the night Mark told us he was having a birthday party on the upcoming Sunday and invited us! We exchanged numbers with him and called it a night! OH and the absolute best part of the whole night: on our way back to the flat, I looked down and on the sidewalk I found £20!!!!! It was freakin’ awesome! Definitely an amazing night!

Wednesday- Class and a show! The show was totally unexpected. The class that Joe and Daria take; London Theatre, sees a show every week. Well this week they had an extra ticket and I got to go see the show with them! It was called Orphans and it was really good. After the show a few of us headed out to the Hob to chill. Pretty fun day. =)

Thursday- Day off and good day to explore. I went up to Greenwich and walked around for a bit. My main goal was to find a thrifty bookshop where I could pick up a copy of The Complete Works of Shakespeare. After a few stores, I came across “The Junk Shop.” This cramped little thrift store literally has thousands of books, although they are not organized in any way. I spent nearly 2 hours looking for the book and I finally found it and for £2! I also discovered that the book was printed sometime in the 1930s, pretty interesting! Back from Greenwich, I joined Kate and Andy for some homemade hot wings. Fun, fun, fun! =)

Friday- Whoo! Two classes and then it was party time! We had Power Hour. And pizza. Yeah, that’s about it for Friday! LOL =D

Saturday- I was up early and had quite the busy day! Laundry and off to Lewisham Shopping Centre. It was incredibly busy and there were tons of bratty kids running around. Eh, it’s what I get for going out on Saturday, I guess. I strolled the market again and picked up 12 tomatoes and 11 apples for £2- I love being thrifty I also explored a few butchers in search of a turkey for us to attempt a Thanksgiving Dinner here. I found giant turkey legs, so at least that is an option. A little more browsing, new hoodie from Primark, and then back home to relax.

Sunday- It’s Mark’s birthday party! Okay, to be honest, Kate and I didn’t think anything was actually going to happen but still, we chose to have a Becks and a Strongbow for breakfast to jump-start a day of drinking. We were told to meet at the New Cross Inn and when we got there it was still closed and no one else was there, so we thought at this point it was definitely a hoax. But Mark eventually made his way outside and invited us in- he apparently lives in the hostel that is adjacent to New Cross Inn. So we went to the bar and played some pool and set up for beer pong! It was pretty cool since he’s Canadian and actually know about pong- not like these silly Brits that no nothing of it! It was kinda awkward for a while since it was just the three of us for like an hour or so. So we played some pong- the cups were half-full, mind you, so after one round we already downed at least 3 pints of beer! A few more people showed up and then just some normal customers to the bar. We were supposed to go to this place called The Church, which is only open on Sundays from 12pm-3:30pm- WEIRD. Instead we went up to Camden and Mark got a tattoo and Kate got her tongue pierced…I was going to get the industrial bar done, but I chose not to at the moment. After the piercing/tattoo, we went to a bar for a few drinks and then for some Thai. Mark got his food to go so he could see a friend’s band play and Kate and I stayed and reflected on our day. We didn’t head right home though; we decided to head to Brixton(where Mark’s friend was playing) and walked around. It was kinda creepy- it really felt like Jersey City LOL. Anyhoo, we then came home around 11 and came to the conclusion that it was an incredible day. =)

Whew! That was definitely a crazy week! AND this Saturday(Halloween!) we leave for our Dublin, Amsterdam, and Paris trip! 11 days touring 3 countries and I am so excited! I can’t wait!

Cheers,

Chris

Monday and Tuesday- I don’t really remember- most likely because I slept and did my normal grocery shopping. I tend to forget boring things haha.

Wednesday- Acting in London keeps getting better and it’s teaching me a whole new and interesting way to look at plays. As for the evening, it was chilling and drinking and then off to the Hobgoblin. After a few drinks at the Hob, Daria, Karen, and I went to Karen’s house for a bit, had a chat, and played with her kitten Roland! Fun night. =)

Thursday- LAUNDRY. And then some packing for the weekend in York. That night CEA planned for us to see Wicked. It was great. Two things irked me about the show, but I guess they were minor and the show was still amazing. The Elphaba, I thought, was a bit weak and seemed to childish. She resembled Galinda more but could belt so it wasn’t that bad. Fiyero was awkward. That’s it. He stumbled around trying to dance and he cut his notes too short. Awkward. The only other issue I had was the conductor. He rushed many parts causing the actors to rush and trip over lines and at some parts he was too slow and created an awkward silence. AND One Short Day was incredibly slow which took away from the excitement of the characters and the Emerald City. BUT the show was still phenomenal and I still got chills during the performance(this being my 4th time seeing Wicked), so the little issues didn’t really matter. Another good night!

Friday- Shakespeare- fun and uncomfortable at the same time. No performance analysis today! Instead, our class went to see Mother Courage at the Royal National Theatre. Fiona Shaw is incredible and the show was awesome. It was a version done by Tony Kushner and he really made the play great.

Saturday- Off to York!…at 6am…and on a bus for 4 hours… But we at least had a really cool tour guide- Sean. He is from Scotland. And that makes him awesome. =) We got to York and walked around for a bit and walked on the city wall. We then grabbed lunch and headed to York Minster, which if I remember correctly, is the largest minster in northern Europe. We got greeted by the Canon and got a tour guide named Mary. This place is beautiful and there was a choir singing while we were there. So from the minster we went to our Hostel, which was actually pretty nice. I roomed with Joe and the only Westminster boy, Eric. After settling in and grabbing a drink at the bar, we went back into York and had dinner and a ghost walk. The stories were actually really interesting but the walk itself wasn’t that great. Oh well. When the walk was done, we decided to stop at a pub. Well, half of the group went first while the rest of us figured out what we wanted to do. We wound up picking up some alcohol and drinking it on the way to the pub! Bailey’s! At the pub we met this Scottish guy and his girlfriend, who were both drunk and very friendly. We talked for quite a long while and he gave us the names of pubs to go to in Edinburgh.(I guess that means a trip to Scotland!) A long and tiring, but very fun day!

Sunday- English breakfast at the hostel. Delicious. We went to the Jorvik Viking Centre and saw what York was like when the Vikings were there. There was a “time machine” and this ride took us through a viking village complete with sounds and smells…..yes, smells and parts were horrible. From the Viking Centre we walked around before heading to lunch. Soup and sandwiches were perfect for a chilly day. =) Kate and I bought bagged Vikings while at the Jorvik Centre and they are now joining us on our travels throughout London and the rest of Europe! Kate’s is called Thorvik Odinthor(pe) and mine is Helvitica and Magnum Odinthor(pe), his wife and child. (Yes, I know we are crazy, but anyone reading this should have already known that!) And now it was time to leave York and go back on a bus for 4 more hours back to London. This time, however, our bus driver Ken decided to reveal the TV at the front of the bus. So we watched Blues Brothers on the way home. =)

Whew! Busy week! But it was a lot of fun. I’ll try to get the next week up this Sunday or Monday so I can get back on schedule with you guys!

Cheers,

Chris

The beginning of the week wasn’t too interesting, but it was nice to relax. =)

Monday- Grocery shopping and lounging.

Tuesday- Musical Theatre- I love this class. It just gets better and better every week! AND Taco Tuesday! Once again, a delicious round of tacos with rice and beans, and some beer pong to follow!

Wednesday- I think this was the worst day I’ve had since arriving in London. My acting class was at 1 and for some reason I could not remember how to get to it. At all. So I walked through Deptford, 2 miles out of the way, then back to campus to start all over, grabbed the bus and got to somewhere where I thought it was, and managed to get to class an hour late. Oh well, at least it was a fun class. That night was the CEA welcome dinner for the Westminster students. We ate at Porter’s Restaurant in Covent Garden. The food was awesome- I had Shepherd’s Pie (Lamb and veggies topped with mashed potatoes) with a side of chips(fries), and for dessert: Dark Chocolate Pudding.

Thursday- Free day. We (Daria, Kate, Emily, Andy, Joe, and me) went to Shakespeare’s Globe to see Love’s Labour’s Lost. When we got to the box office, it was sold out but we waited in the return line and managed to get Yard(standing) tickets for  £5. The show was unbelievable and I am so glad that I got the chance to see a show at the Globe. After the show we searched for a place for some food and wound up back at the London Bridge Station to get pasties and Burger King(Which, by the way, sucks- just the same as back home- McDonald’s still rules over here!) Then we went to our favorite place: O’Neill’s! Emily introduced me to a new favorite: Guinness. Now I’m not big on beer, but this stuff is delicious. Definitely a great night. =)

Friday- Class, class, class. Shakespeare was up first- interesting and fun as usual. Performance Analysis- Dull. As usual. But Friday night was great! Joe, Kelly, Kate, Andy, and I went to the Landor Theatre to see Into the Woods! It’s a really small theatre, maybe 50 seats, above a pub. Good dinner, good show, good night. =)

Saturday- Up early for Stonehenge and Bath. We were all going to meet at 6:45 to go to Baker Street, where the bus was picking us up. Unfortunately, I slept until 6:45…but I still made it there on time! So on the bus for almost 2 hours to Stonehenge with a crazy tour guide: Suzanne. Stonehenge was  absolutely beautiful and it was interesting to see this huge stones that have been standing there for thousands of years. Back on the bus for the ride to Bath. Okay, so that crazy tour guide? She gave us a history of England from William the Conqueror to the present, and letting us know that she hated one king because of the havoc he wreaked upon Scotland (she informed us she was from around the Scotland border) But, she did say that all she would give him was that he was an excellent warrior. If any of that seems confusing, good. We were just as confused while she was telling us, haha. Anyhoo, we arrive in Bath and get some lunch. Lamb burger. Nuff said. We went through the Roman Baths  and saw the hot water spring that flows into the baths. At the end of the museum, you could sample the spa water. So, for 50p, I got a glass of hot, mineral-enriched water(43 minerals to be exact) It’s definitely an acquired taste but at least I got to try it. After the museum, we went on a walking tour of Bath and saw some interesting buildings and heard more from our crazy lady tour guide. I got some nice pictures out of it so it wasn’t that bad. =) We didn’t really get any free time, so right before the bus left I “went to the bathroom” so I could sneak off and get some fudge from one of the shops nearby. On our way back to the flat, we stopped at Tesco(which Suzanne hates, by the way) and picked up pasta and bread for dinner. Homemade garlic bread and sauce with penne. AWESOME. So we now have Spaghetti Saturdays! We finished off dinner with fudge, carrot cake, and scones! And now for some much needed rest.

Sunday- I’ll admit it. I woke at 11:40, ate, and passed back out until around 5pm. Then I had a nice chat with mum and met with Daria, Kelly, Emily, Kate, and Andy, to plan our trip to Dublin, Amsterdam, and Paris during reading week! Lots of great deals on flights and hostels and I am freakin’ excited! We then decided to go the New Cross Inn which is 2 minutes down the road for some drinks. I got a bottle of Katy Cider (it was apple-flavored) and then a FREE shot from the bartender! I saw a sign for Toffee Vodka and wanted to know what you could make with it, so the bartender told me about this drink. I think he called it the Black Heathen: 1 part Toffee Vodka, 1 part Bailey’s, 1 part White Rum, and 1 part milk. He unfortunately didn’t have the milk (and I didn’t have the £10 for it) but the other bartender decided to make the three of us shots! It was 2 parts Toffee Vodka and 1 part Bailey’s and it was amazing! Then Andy was very generous and bought the five of us a round of shots. So, the bartender made almost the same thing, except reversed: 2 parts Bailey’s and 1 part Toffee Vodka- Either way it still tasted delicious (kinda like a B52). We finished the night off with Square Pizza(which is funny since the pizza is still a circle lol) It’s not that bad and for £2, who can complain? Another great night and a nice end to the week.

Lots of stuff coming up! Wicked and York this week!

Cheers,

Chris

Monday- I didn’t do much of anything. It was nice to just stay in my flat and relax and get ready for class on Tuesday. I picked up a few groceries and spent the night in. =)  — Got some bad news from home, which brought the day down =( RIP girls, you’re in my thoughts Dor…

Tuesday- This was a really fun day! It was the first day of class for me and it wasn’t until 4:00! Unfortunately, we found out later that class actually started at 3:00, but no worries, the teacher is awesome. The class is British and American Musical Theatre and you know what’s really great about it? We get to go see 4 shows as part of the class! We are scheduled to see Annie Get Your Gun, Billy Elliot, La Cage Aux Folles, and Sweet Charity! I am so excited for this class and it was already a great first day. And since it was Tuesday, thanks to Andy, we had Taco Tuesday! It was delicious and we are going to continue this every Tuesday for this semester. After some tasty tacos we decided to head into central and go to Sports Cafe. It was student night…and beer pong night…so it was really just full of Americans! Kate, Andy, and I left and walked around Picadilly Circus to try to find something else to do. We came across a casino and tried our hands at a little bit of gambling. I spent around £7 and lost it, but it was fun to play some of the slots and video Roulette with other people there. We went down to the tables and thought about playing some Blackjack/Roulette but decided it was best not to. =) So we left and walked around a little more, avoiding some really annoying people trying to get us into clubs. Finally, a man offered me free entry into this club called Oxygen, and I was able to get him to let the three of us in for free! The club had a £10 cover charge, so it was awesome that we avoided that. Instead of the cover we got some cocktails and relaxed in the lounge. We told some great stories and headed back to our flats. It was good night. =)

Wednesday- The only class I have on Wednesdays is Acting in London. It’s not on capmus so we have to walk down to Deptford(a 10-15min walk). The teacher is really fun and it looks to be an exciting class. I don’t think much of anything else happened…it was a bit rainy and cool out so staying in was nice.

Thursday- Kate and I went to Primark to find some cheap clothes! I got a pack of tees and a nice button-up while Kate found a duvet and a few other items. Primark kinda reminds me of JC Penney- set-up and prices. Afterwords, we walked around and discovered and grocery store called Morrisons. Aside from the fact that they have two aisles devoted to alcohol, their prices are pretty reasonable. I picked up a Banana Bread Beer(which wasn’t that good- tasted like a bitter Coors with a banana inside) while Kate got some mini bottles of cider. That night I went to the Drama Society meeting and signed up for two workshops which will hopefully be fun! I pretty much spent the rest of the night just relaxing.

Friday- Okay, so two classes on Friday is not really what I had in mind, but it isn’t that bad I guess. Shakespeare’s London is actually a fun class with a  teacher who is completely out of his mind. We are seeing four shows with this class: Cymbeline, Othello, Twelfth Night, and The Spanish Tregedy- I think. We are studying Hamlet, but we won’t get to see it. The other class, Performance Analysis:Contemporary Performance in London, is a complete bore as of right now. We are also seeing four shows with this class: Mother Courage, Shraddah, The Fahrenheit Twins, and a trip to the Shunt Lounge, which is supposed to be really good. Daria, Joe, Kate, Emily, and Andy took a trip to the London Eye and Kelly and I met up with them later at The Silver Cross- a nice pub in Central London. The pub had a deal on cider: 4 for the price of 3, so Kate and I decide to split it and attempt to finish them in 10-15mins. They were pretty big bottles and they got us feeling pretty good. =) We all walked around a bit more and then came back to the flats and drank a little bit more. Andy played some guitar and then he and Joe sang for us! It was a late and great night.

Saturday- I slept until around 2- I have not slept that late in a very very long time haha. I went grocery shopping and got some good deals. We decided to start drinking/partying a bit earlier and it was pretty fun to just stay at the flat. That just about does it for Saturday- a few drinking games and lots of laughs. =)

Sunday- CEA had a guided tour through 2 galleries at the British Museum. The first tour took us through the Middle East and Islam- the pieces were interesting but, unfortunately, the museum tour guide was dull and boring. Our CEA guide told us that we didn’t have to do the second tour after seeing how boring the woman was. So we had free time to just explore the museum and I went right for the Rosetta Stone. It is amazing- a huge slab that has Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Greek chiseled into it. Afterwords I met up with Daria, Kelly, Joe, Emily, Kate, and Andy, who left after the tour for some food, at Pizza Express down the street. I ordered a personal pie- Pollo ad astra, which equals delicious! Emily, Joe, and I went back to the museum to do a little more exploring. I saw The Lewis Chessmen- the most famous chess set in the world, The Sloane Astrolabe- a mechanical map of the heavens, and the Coin Room. The pieces were all really fascinating, and I wanted to take every coin I saw as I am an avid coin collector(interesting fact!). The room with the astrolabe had some interesting science equipment, books, and a few statues. I have some pictures from the museum, but they are on my phone because I forgot to charge my camera. =( Hopefully I will have them up soon. Back at the flat I settled down with some tea and ginger snaps. Another good week here in London!

The Westminster students have arrived in London and we have a welcome meal on Wednesday. It should be fun! On a side note, I really enjoy reading the news over here…It’s interesting to hear and see things that normally wouldn’t make the mainstream back in the states.

Cheers,
Chris

Okay, so after counting down the days from over 100, it was finally time to leave! I got to the airport and met up with Daria, Kelly, Kate, and Jose; the whole lot of us were headed across the pond! On Saturday, we arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport around 815- a little ahead of schedule, which was nice. After waiting in line at customs for well over an hour, we were finally able to get our luggage and look for the CEA people who were going to take us from the airport over to Goldsmiths. The two girls, Kerrie and Sharlene, got us some food while we waited for the last person to arrive at the airport. Then it was off to the college! Squished into two vans with all of our luggage, the group of us made the hour-long trek to Goldsmiths. Upon arrival, we checked in, unloaded, and went up to our flats. Jose and I are in a flat with 4 other girls and a boy: Two Americans- Tori and Jessica, one Irish-(I am going to call her B for now only because I can’t remember/don’t have the symbols to spell her name, but she says she has been called B before) one Welsh- Hanna, and a native- Apir (Spelling?)(sounds like Amir-forgive me for the names but sometimes it’s hard lol.)from Oxford. The rest of the day was spent shopping and meeting new people.

Sunday- We had a CEA orientation in Central London, so we left New Cross with what we thought was plenty of time, and as it turned out, we were 45  minutes late. After this little introduction with the other CEA students(there are 10 of us including the 5 others we didn’t know initially- Tori-flatmate, Kasey, Emily, Andrew, and Julian), we got a walking tour of some big sites in Central London.

Monday- There was a Goldsmiths orientation for all international students, which was essentially a re-hash of everything from keeping yourself safe to campus life. Not gonna lie, it was kinda boring. Anyhoo, spent the rest of the day getting some more stuff for my room and unpacking the rest of my suitcases. There is a Student Union(SU) in campus and they have their own bar/club on campus so we decided to head over there for bit that night. A few of us also went to the Hobgoblin, a pub just around the corner from our flats, and saw some of Daria’s friends and had good time.

Tuesday- A departmental meeting at 9am was cause for excitement since I was going to finalize my classes and get ready for all of the classes that I was going to have with other British students at Goldsmiths. And after a 15 minute meeting and being told that I am in classes with other study abroad students(mostly American), that excitement was quickly turned into anger/disappointment. Oh well. I spent the afternoon heading up to Greenwich and scoping out the area. On my way back I ran into Kate, Daria, and Kelly and I joined them in going to the Lewisham Shopping Centre which is a mall.  That night we ventured to Picadilly Circus in Central London and wandered about to find an Irish pub in Chinatown…right, it was called O’Neills and it was pretty fun. After the pub we went to a club called On Anon, drank a little and danced a little and then came home. It was definitely a fun night!

Wednesday- At 2:30 there was Afternoon Tea for the CEA students. So up to Leicester Square and over to Brown’s Restaurant! We had tea, sandwiches(cucumber/cream cheese and smoked salmon/cream cheese) and scones with jam and clotted cream. It was delicious! We walked around a bit after tea and I went off with Kate, Kelly, and Daria to Trafalgar Square where they had a life-size chess set that had commentary and people moving the pieces! We played around the lion statues and then Kate and I went off to Oxford Street for some shopping at TopShop! I got two shirts for £8,50 thanks to an awesome 15% student discount. We ran into Joe, Andrew, and Tori there and grabbed a bus back to campus. Wednesdays at the SU is Club Sandwich- they open up the dance floor and it’s really just a crazy club/bar. In any event a few drinks, some dancing, and meeting a bunch of new people, made for a good night.

Thursday- Kate and I decided to go on a little adventure to Catford to go to a Salvation Army. We walked around the market and in and out of stores. She picked up some clothes and I got a bag. That night we all went back to Central London to O’Neills! There were live bands playing and it was so much fun! Lots of dancing and singing and seeing things that we shouldn’t have seen lol. Kate also broke three(3) Guinness glasses with her foot. One foot. Three glasses. BUT she did also get the set lists from both bands, so breaking the glasses just added to how awesome she is. =)

Friday- There was a Fresher’s Fayre on campus. It had all the clubs and societies and all kinds of offers for students to check out. I got a ton of free handouts and I signed up for the Drama Society (which might have a performance put up in December!). Then it was back to the Hobgoblin for the night, but first a little drinking at Daria’s flat- which by the way has a HUGE kitchen, much bigger than any other. I didn’t really drink at all but had fun watching the others(mostly Daria and Joe) be really drunk. =) I had a chat with a fellow New Yorker, Taryn! We left and went to a place called Square Pizza, which had OK pizza. It wasn’t that bad for £2 and the fact that it’s pizza in London lol.

Saturday- An unbelievable day. We (Daria, Kelly, Kate, Emily, Andrew, and myself) went to tour the staterooms at Buckingham Palace. They only open these 19 staterooms for a short time at the end of the summer. The palace is immense, with over 400 rooms and 78 bathrooms, the artwork, architecture, and history left me speechless. The tour was museum-like, so you could take as long as you wanted to look around. It also came with a free audio tour that guided you through each of the rooms. Just a few of the things that I saw: the embroidered chairs/thrones that were used for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, many of the gowns the Queen has worn from the beginning of her reign to present days fittings, gifts she has received during her visits to Commonwealths,  the ballroom- this room is huge and covered in red velvet- I sat for a while in this room and just took it all in, and the west end of the gardens. The amazing thing about the palace is that it is used everyday. The rooms that we walked through are the same rooms and halls that visiting dignitaries and the Queen herself use on a daily basis. It’s truly unbelievable. After the tour we found a restaurant, Bumbles, for dinner. There was a deal for a 3-course dinner for £10 and I started off with Gnocchi, then we all had fish and chips, and I finished with a warm lemon tarte. Awesome day =)

Sunday- Again an amazing day with sights galore. CEA planned an excursion to Oxford. So it was early to rise to catch a bus to Paddington Train Station to meet our tour guide, then a 2 hour train to Oxford. This city is absolutely gorgeous. It has 38 colleges; 30 of which are undergraduate colleges, for a total of 20,000 students. We toured the city and walked about the wall of Medieval Oxford and saw a few of the colleges. One chapel, at Merton college, has stained-glass windows that are over 700 years old! We then went to Christ Church(Harry Potter!!!)- the basis for Hogwarts and where a bit of the filming took place.  We saw the Great Hall and a window that has the characters from Alice in Wonderland painted on! Oxford was amazing and so beautiful! Another great day =)

Cheers!

Chris