"Have you ever had a Snog?"

You would think after all the adventures I have been having I would really want to take a day for myself and just sit down and watch British themed movies on Sidereel (since Hulu doesn't work here). My body would agree with you. However, this city has so much to offer, and I feel as if I will never have enough time to see all of it, let alone the country surrounding it and different parts of Europe! I feel as if this is my Herculean task.

The day started off with a "Study Skills" session in order to familiarize the study abroad students with the University system in the UK. Everything is based on essay writing here. In fact, for many of the courses I am taking, I have one essay. "One essay? That's it?!?!?!" you may say. Yeah. One essay that counts for 100% of my grade.

Did I mention that I have not had to write a formal essay stating my opinions and backing them up with facts since high school? I'm a little out of practice. So obviously, I was the only kid in the lecture hall feverishly writing down every word the speaker spewed out and put on his slide show. Guess we'll have to see how this one goes...

After our session, Caitlin, Annie, and I decided to venture out into the city and get our culture on. Seeing as the National Portrait Gallery is right next to the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, we decided to get our culture on there.

This museum is like 23 others in London- FREE! Best price ever, right?! It holds over 12,000 portraits of people, including the famous paintings of Queen Elizabeth and Henry VIII, artwork by Thomas Lawrence, the ONLY picture of Jane Austen made from life (drawn by her sister), and even artwork of the Queen by Andy Warhol! Marble, bronze, and terracotta busts of famous figures are also present here. There is literally a portrait for every famous British person...EVER.

While most of the portraits are your run-of-the-mill paintings, there are some eclectic pieces. A portrait of Isabella Blow, a famous British fashion icon, is made out of stuffed birds. A light makes the piece cast a shadow, and on the wall, a perfect profile of Isabella Blow is achieved.

In one of the more disturbing pieces, an artist made a self portrait bust of himself. In 10 pints of his own frozen blood. Yeah, you read that right.

After spending a few hours perusing the Gallery's spoils, we made our way towards Covent Garden. On the way, we found this cute little cupcake shop. Afterwards, Caitlin left for a meeting, and Annie and I continued onto Snog.

"Snog", the British slang word for 'kiss' or 'make-out', would not be what I would name a frozen yoghurt (Yeah, it's spelled like that here) place. I have never been to PinkBerry, but apparently this is what Snog is. Annie and I walked in and were greeted by some lovely British boys who inquired whether we "have ever had a Snog". To any single girls out there- say no and go in for the kiss! Just kidding! After recieving some free samples, we made our creations. Mine was a mix of Spiced Apple and Green Tea froyo, with mangoes, kiwis, and raspberries mixed in. YUM! The £4.95 price tag is worth every penny. Annie and I plan to go once a week as a treat to ourselves.

Covent Garden is kind of like Quincy Market in Boston. Lots of little stands of knickknacks, with the Jubilee Market in the center, where you can get cheap handbags, shirts, and souvenirs after haggling with the stand keepers. After going through some of the shops (our favorites being Candy Cakes and Octopus, the interior of Candy Cakes is shown below, and they sell cupcakes, ice cream, and candy) Annie and I decided on a new mission.


We were going to find Primark. Primark is a haven for frugal shoppers who want to follow the trends. Accessories are not more than £4, and the priciest thing I saw was a £21 Jacket. Yeah, that cheap. They expect you to buy a lot there, so instead of having little totes to put your finds in, they give you huge laundry hampers to carry around your loot. I have been on the hunt for a cheap brown leather shoulder bag to carry around instead of my backpack since I am afraid of pickpockets in big crowds, and I ended up finding one for only £3. This store also has every flat supply you would ever need. Fleece blankets for £2, hampers for £2, towels, cutlery, and bedding for £4. Imagine my anger after realizing I spent around £60 for all of this at Robert Dyas. However, it was a good find, and I would certainly go back again.

After walking over 5 miles that day, and being over a mile from home at 7pm, we took the tube back to Waterloo to get back to the flat. In 3 minutes, we were there. I am amazed at public transit here.

At 8 I had my gym orientation at King's College London Gym. Since I signed up and paid £75 (EEK!!! And that is the cheapest gym in London!) for 3 months membership, they show you around and make sure you can use the equipment. Yay liability! But it was good, and I ran a couple miles after it, enjoying British TV on my very own telly, attached to each treadmill.

Overall a successful day! Tune in text time!