Leprechauns are difficult to catch...

You know how I have gone on and on about wanting to move to London, and how it is the perfect place for me? Forget all of it. I was born to live in Ireland.

Ok, so I didn't even spend two full days there. But the time I did spend there was nothing short of perfect. Or surreal. Really- I can't believe that I am actually living this life. And one of the best parts? For the entire trip, including travel and food, I only spent 20 euros. On a claddagh ring and some post cards. Yeah. Be jealous. Why? Because Interstudy paid for it! WIN!

So my journey to Ireland started out on Friday (April Fool's Day... yeah, it's big in the UK too.). Even though London supposedly has three airports, all these airports are at least 45 minutes outside the city by train.

Because of this, the London Interstudy kids met up at London Bridge tube station, and took a train to Gatwick Airport. After a pleasant ride full of catching up with each other, we were there, and ready to go check in and make our way through security...

...which took all of 20 minutes. I have seriously had the best luck with airports this trip. (Knock on wood.)

So what were we to do for the two hours until our plane departed? Well, turns out Gatwick is more of a mall than an airport. Because it was mid-afternoon, I decided to get a snack. Although PRET was right there, calling to me as it promised me delicious sandwiches, porridge, and coffee, something else caught my eye. A shop that specialized in milkshakes. Milkshakes that contained blended British candies. Really. ANY British candy. After contemplating which candy to choose (in a very Rebecca Black style... "Which candy should I TAAAKKKKKEEEEEEE?!?!?!?!?!") I settled with Cadbury Creme Egg. Can anyone say best milkshake ever?

Afternoon snack in hand, I then walked over to WHSmith. Although I had a book to read for the trip, it was a school book. About the history of the Victoria and Albert Museum. For a paper I had to write. SNNNOOOOZZZZEEEEE. I decided I could go for a non-academic read. However, with the selection available to me, this was a process. How could I only choose one? After debating between various titles, I settled on "Eat Pray Love". Not only have I not read this book yet, but it was the cheapest out of all my choices. Done.

With a tummy full of delicious milkshake and a book in hand, I was ready to sit and wait with my friends for the plane. Finally, our gate was displayed on the board. We were really going to Ireland!

Within an hour of take-off, we were in Ireland! Specifically, Cork, Ireland. When we arrived, we were supposed to meet an Interstudy liaison who would bring us to our hostel in Killarney (1.5 hours away), but their plane to Cork was delayed 3 hours. So instead of arriving 1 hour before us, they arrived 2 hours late.

By this time, we were all starving and tired. Cork is a small airport- 8 gates total. With only a few food places to choose from, we were happy to find that the airport had a restaurant and pub. So we made our way to it, and became what seemed to be its sole patrons for 2 hours. After selecting fish and chips from the menu, I sat with my fellow Londoners and discussed the issues in the world today... just kidding. Although a decent part of our conversation involved the horror show that is Rebecca Black's "Friday".

The most delicious airport food you will ever have.

Before we knew it, 2 hours had passed, and our liaison had touched down. After greeting her and her husband, we jumped into some vans (not the sketchy kind, unfortunately) and made our way to University College Cork (UCC) to pick up some more Interstudy kids on our way to Killarney.

1.5 hours of curvy, wet roads later (there was heavy rain that night...) we were in Killarney. By this time it was after 11pm, and everyone was exhausted. Upon arriving at the hostel, we were greeted by other Interstudy kids- coming from Galway, Dublin, and other parts of Ireland. After hanging out for a little while and introducing ourselves it was time for bed- we had a long day ahead of us tomorrow.

Saturday, April 2:

Today was going to be a long day. But a fun day!

Our day started at 8:30 am. Not usually a bad thing, but after a day full of traveling and less than 7 hours of sleep, this is early. Especially when you are looking at hiking 8 miles through an Irish National Park.

After heading down to the hostel kitchen for some breakfast, it was time to set off. The sky was blue with only a few clouds. It was perfect.

After a short walk through Killarney's main streets, we boarded a bus. Which had rainbow and leprechaun window decals. Way to play into the stereotype, guys. The bus brought us to Ross Castle, a ten minute ride away. This is where our journey began.

Ross Castle... reminds me of something out of Monty Python.

As we arrived, the clouds started to accumulate and get dark. On the mountains behind the castle, you could see the rain start to fall. And all of a sudden, even though it was sunny over us, we were hit by rain. This became a common theme throughout the day- one minute you would be dry, the next minute it was only raining on the person next to you, and then all of a sudden, we would all be enveloped.

Still, this rain/sun combo didn't bother me, since it made for some BEAUTIFUL rainbows. Seriously, I saw at least 20 today. How perfect. Too bad I didn't find any gold...

You do not find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow... you find a swan.

As our group "OO'ed" and "AH'ed" at the rainbow, castle, and mountains, taking hundreds of pictures, our tour guide was emptying our boats.

O. I didn't mention the boats? How silly of me. Yeah, we had to take a boat on an 14 mile, hour long trip TO the place we would be hiking. Pretty intense, right? And this 14 mile trek would take place entirely in this one national park. It was that big.

Because of the intense rain the night before, the guide had to pump a foot of water out of the boats. So we all took this time to pose for pictures and play with our guide's dog, Charlie.

Me in front of the back of Ross Castle.

Soon enough, we were in the sopping wet boats, listening to our guide. He was so wonderful. Besides referring to all of us as "My Loves", and joking that it was only his 4th day on the job, (so if he managed to damage the boat, the rule was that the captain jumps out first, then Charlie, and then us, since we don't matter to him) he gave us a really good history of the area. For example, on the top of this mountain (pictured below) there is a giant lake. It is called something like, "The Devil's Drinking Bowl", and legend has it that if you swim to the bottom, you will end up in Australia.

Swim to the bottom of the lake at the top of this mountain, and end up in Australia!

Also, did you know that the 14 mile boat journey we were on only became motorized in 1980? Yeah. Up until 30 years ago, this trip was done entirely by rowing. 4 men would man each boat, row 14 miles to the hiking trail in the morning, and then 14 miles back in the late afternoon. Our guide told us that they had vigorous training for this... in the form of Guinness. (Typical...) Every night, after returning to the mainland, the rowers would go to a local pub, and each get a gallon of Guinness. They would spend all night drinking this Guinness, go home, sleep, and then do the 28 total miles of rowing. They would do this everyday. Because of this, they say that the rowers would get '28 miles to the gallon'- better than their cars.

The boat ride, although very wet (my jeans were soaked through by the end) was soooo much fun! And I couldn't believe how beautiful everything around me was.

Views on our boat ride to Dunloe's Gap

Finally we reached land. Although the boat ride was fun, it was nice to get out so I could start to dry off... and this process of drying out turned into a photo op. With our butts facing the sun, everyone got pictures. Why? Because what was behind us was so damn gorgeous. Two birds with one stone. Picture of us with gorgeous Irish countryside in the background AND we dried off. WIN.

This picture really doesn't do it justice.... everything was so incredibly green, the sky was blue, and the flowers in the field were bright yellow!!!!

Now it was time to start our 8 mile hike. I am not going to write much about this, but I will include some pictures. If you want to see more, check out my Facebook!

So when we started our hike, it was bright and sunny. This changed over the course of the hike. All of a sudden the clouds rolled in, and as we climbed the mountain you could see the rain take over the mountains in back of us, the clouds steadily moving toward us. Even when the rain overtook us, and got us wet and cold, I couldn't believe how beautiful everything was! It was exactly how I pictured Ireland. As the rain passed over us, the clouds grew thinner, and by the time we finished our hike, the sun was peeking through! Talk about coming full circle!

You could SEE the rain coming for us...

Views from the top of one of the smaller mountains.

Me in Dunloe's Gap, Co Kerry, Killarney, Ireland

Towards the end of the hike

By the time we reached the end of our hike, we were exhausted. We had stopped to eat a small packed lunch during the hike, but it was rainy and cold, and we couldn't really find shelter. Instead of hiking back to wear we started and taking the boat back to Ross Castle, a bus picked us up and drove us to our hostel. By this time it was 4pm, so with 2 hours to spare everyone took hot showers and napped. I read my schoolbook. What a nerd.

At around half seven, we headed to dinner in town. A three course dinner. On Interstudy's tab. YES. Here are the pictures of my DELICIOUS FOOD! Course 1: Fried Brie. Course 2: Roast of Lamb with mixed veggies. Course 3: A Selection of Ice Cream (Vanilla, Mint, and Strawberry).

At dinner we were a party of 27 people. In order to better accommodate us, the restaurant gave us three tables- 2 long rectangular ones, and a smaller circle one. Guess where I sat?

That's right. The "Kids" table. We were so cool. While the other tables discussed serious topics, we discussed life-changing ones. For example: Pirate or ninja? (The whole table agreed on pirate) Werewolf or Vampire? (Not the "sparkle in the sun" crap... REAL vampire. 4 out of 5 agreed on vampire) What superpower would you want? ... All of these questions were followed by intense debate. It was amazing.

After our 3 course dinner, which lasted a good 2.5 hours, we all headed to different pubs. There was a rugby match going on, and even though I don't watch rugby, or know anything about it, it was fun. After awhile though, I sat with a small group of new kids from Interstudy in the front of the pub where the game wasn't playing. Out of the 6 of us, 4 were studying in Ireland, so we talked about our study abroad experience thus far, exchanging funny stories in the process. It was a blast.

That's one thing I love about the UK and Ireland: pubs. I don't drink, but man, you can't help but love a pub. I love how everyone here just comes to relax and talk with their friends. You don't need to drink to have fun here. The goal is not to get hammered. Just to enjoy your friends.

Because I hadn't been drinking, I was getting thirsty. It was around 10:30, and we were all eager to get moving. We got up, and made our way out of the bar. Only to be greeted by a dive across the street with burgers, hot dogs, and.... MILKSHAKES!

It didn't take much convincing on my part before we headed into this little joint. After ordering our milkshakes, we decided to make our way back to the hostel. Once there, we hung out in the lobby, sipping our milkshakes and talking late into the night. Finally, it was time to go to bed. After all, all 6 of us had to be up for 8am the next morning. Why? PONIES.

Sunday, April 3:

GOOD MORNING IRELAND!

The sky was blue, it was warm out, and it was going to be a great day.

After a quick breakfast we were off to go ride some ponies through the Irish countryside! About half of the Interstudy kids went at 8:30, and the other half went at 10:30. Although at first I wasn't thrilled about having to get up so early, it ended up working out great!

The stables we went to were a 5 minute ride from our hostel. Look how gorgeous it was out!!

How quintessentially Irish...

Upon entering the stables, we were matched up with horses based on our riding experience. I have only ridden a horse once in my life, so I was paired up with Monty. Yes. As in Monty Python. Needless to say I was very excited. In my opinion, I was only outdone by Julie's horse, Leroy. As in LEROOOYYYYYY JENKINS!!!!! The fact that we both shouted it when we heard her horse's name kinda made my day....

Don't you wish your girlfriend was HOT like me? ... You don't? :(

Once on our horses, we walked and trotted through the countryside. It was so much fun, and the wonderful weather held out! Not a raindrop to be had! I took a ton of pictures- everything was so gorgeous! (I feel like I say that a lot. But it's true)

One of the amazing views we got on our horseback ride through Killarney

As we went along, I started to have trouble with Monty. No, he did not try to kick me off. He just kept trying to eat. I WOULD GET THE HORSE THAT ALWAYS WANTS TO EAT! Although most of the time a quick pull on the reins would get him to behave, there was one time that no matter how hard I tried, he wouldn't lift his head. I pulled with all my weight on the reins, and even gave him a few kicks to get him to get moving. Nothing. What's worse? I was near the beginning of the line, so I held everyone up. Luckily, this proved to not only be hilarious, but a good photo op:

Me and Monty... I WOULD get the fat-ass horse!

After our ride was over, a group of us went to St. Mary's, the cathedral in Killarney. It is a relatively new Cathedral, finished in the 20th century. However, it was still beautiful.

Me in front of St. Mary's Cathedral in Killarney

By the time we were done with that, we walked through the town towards the restaurant we had to meet at for lunch. After stopping in a couple shops, it was time to head to the restaurant, where all the Interstudy kids and our guides gathered for the last time. After eating some great Chicken Cordon Bleu, it was time to go. Already.

Chicken Cordon Bleu at Scott's Hotel

After bidding adieu to our new friends, the Cork and London kids got back in the vans that brought us to Killarney, and the other Ireland kids got on trains and buses. And just like that, we left Killarney.

This time though, it wasn't night time, so I got to see the countryside as we passed along... it was amazing. Seriously, I could live here.

One of the prettiest pictures I got on our drive to Cork

Before I knew it, 1.5 hours had passed and we were in Cork. We dropped off the Cork kids, and then realized that we had 3 hours before we had to be at the airport.

Because of this, our Interstudy guides decided to bring the remaining Londoners and I to Blarney, home of Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone. Apparently when you kiss it, you get "the gift of Gab".

... no one told me that this stone was 5 stories in the air, over a gap, and when you kissed it, you had to be lying down, grab two poles, and go UPSIDE DOWN to kiss it. 5 STORIES OVER THE GROUND!

I am so afraid of heights, but I had to do it. So I did:

Me kissing the Blarney Stone

After, we walked the grounds of the castle. We explored the Poison Garden, which held poisonous species and narcotics, and then all got photos taken in front of the castle. See that gap at the very top? Right above that top window? THAT is where the Blarney Stone is, and you have to kiss the bottom. Hence the laying down, upside down. FRICKEN SCARY.

Me in front of Blarney Castle. The Blarney stone is at the top, in that gap facing the front of the castle where you can see the sky. I kissed it. And almost had a heart attack.

We ventured further into the Castle grounds, and came upon the Wishing Steps. Apparently, if you go up and down the stairs BACKWARDS with your eyes closed, and only think of your wish for the entire time, your wish will come true in 1 year. No one wanted to do it, so I finally did. And I did it without falling! ... and no, I'm not telling you what I wished for. And no, it wasn't marriage, like Mark said. haha!

The Wishing Steps

Before we knew it, it was time to go to the airport. And just like that, our trip was over.

My last view of Ireland... :(

Is it possible to be homesick for a place that ISN'T my home? And that I only visited for 2 days? Because that is exactly what I felt when I took the above picture. All I can think of is how much I want to go back to this beautiful country. The people here are so friendly, the country is beautiful, and there is so much to do! The city is all well and good, but I think that as much as I LOVE London, I love the Irish countryside even more. I guess I am just a country-livin' kind of girl. I am kinda sad I can't make it again on this trip...

... O well! One more reason to have to come back!!!!

Cheers!

Finishing up my Junior Year... kind of.

So right now I am sitting in my final class of my Junior year. In London. Jealous?

Don't be. Although I am done with classes 5 weeks before my friends back in the States, there is still a significant hurdle to jump before I can truly be done with my Junior year...

... in the form of 16,000 words.

Yeah. 6 papers. 16,000 total words. The best part? One paper is due May 3rd. And FIVE papers are due at 12:30 on May 6th. HA!

Normally, this would mean that I would not have a life for the next month or so. But there is a problem- I have some travel plans!

For the first week of April I will be out and about. I am spending the first couple days of my birthday month hiking through the Irish countryside, and after a short 2 day break, I will then be jet-setting off on my second trip to Scotland. However, the destination this time is Edinburgh. What a stressful life I'm living, right?! Haha!

Then, my family will be visiting me for a little more than a week later on in the month. We plan on spending 4 days in London, and then renting a car and traveling around the English countryside, and stopping in Wales. I'm so excited!

Although I didn't really leave the UK or Ireland for this trip (I planned on traveling around Europe), I feel like I have gotten so much more out of the experience since I did stay in the UK and explore all of these little towns and cities. I have learned so much about the culture and history of this little corner of the world. I feel like if I traveled Europe, I would have been rushed. I want to spend a couple weeks in Germany and Austria- not a weekend! I wish to drive through Italy someday, not just bop around from hostel to hostel for a week. Looking back, I was naive thinking that I could finish London AND Europe in five months. I haven't even finished seeing all of London yet, and I'm living here! How crazy is that?

Although I still have a couple places to go in England, I calculated it out, and with all my travel plans coming up in April, I have only 20 days to complete my 6 papers. So the heat is on. Not only do I need to write those 16,000 words, but I need to do research for 6 different topics. This is gonna be fun.

So, while everyone else is partying away their April, I will be stuck at my desk with my nose in a book or pressed against my computer screen, typing madly away. And while some people spend their 21st birthday bar hopping or clubbing, I will be writing about classical architecture and sculpture at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Food Politics, the Greenhouse Effect, the Carbon Cycle, Risk in Present Day Society, and Environmental Risk Theory. Yay.

So, if you need to find me and are in the UK, check my room. Unless I decide to no longer care. Then check the streets of London. I still have 28% of my list to complete.

Cheers!

The day two Germans and an American took on the city of York

What can be better than going to a town that is the home of the European Nestle? NOTHING. Too bad you can't tour the factory- they don't even put it on the map! However, there was plenty more to explore in this small city, and I had a blast!

The day started early- since York is 2.5 hours north of London by train, we didn't want to waste any time. Who is this "we"? I met my friend Svenja and her roommate Sara at King's Cross. Svenja and I met last year in Germany when I went on a German Study Tour with URI. Now Svenja is living and working in London! It was so nice to see her, and it was a pleasure to meet her roommate.

In order to get to York in time to be able to explore the city, we took the 7am train to York. It was a pleasant trip, and upon getting off the train, the first thing I saw was this sign:

I have never gotten so hungry from such a simple advertisement - to bad they don't put the factory on the city map, and it is not open for tours

After drooling for awhile over the sign, our first mission was to get into the center of the city and find somewhere to get coffee- we were all exhausted. So we left the train station, and the first view we got of the city was this beautiful view with York Minster- the city's cathedral- in the distance.

Our first view of York

After wandering into the City Centre and getting coffee and scones (Svenja and Sara's first!), we headed towards the travel center to find out about getting tours of the city. But not before we wandered upon an inn. Now, usually this would not be a big deal, however this was different. I spotted the Guy Fawkes Mask on the Inn's sign. Then I saw the name: "Guy Fawkes Inn".

The Guy Fawkes Inn

Now, one of my favorite movies is "V for Vendetta". Even though Americans don't know who Guy Fawkes is, the Brits celebrate the death of this man every year- on the fifth of November. As a man who tried to blow up Parliament, Brits get a scarecrow, which they call a "Guy", put a mask on it (the Guy Fawkes Mask), tie it to a stake, and burn him.

So when I saw this inn, I was wicked excited. And then I saw this sign on one of the windows:

OMG!!!!

Yeah. He was born in this building. How cool is that?

Ok, enough on that tangent....off to the travel center! But not before seeing this random guy rolling a piano down the main road. Yeah. A piano. What the WHAT?!?!?!

So we headed to the travel centre and found at that at 1:15 there was a free walking tour of the city. We still had about 3 hours till it started, so we decided to go on a boat tour of the city. It was so much fun, and we learned so much! For example, the local private school, St. Peter's, claims to be the oldest school in the UK. They say a school has existed on this ground since 620 AD. However, another school in a neighboring town also claims this. So how do they settle this dispute? By having a rugby match. Yes. Every year. And whoever wins this match gets to claim they are the oldest school in the UK for the year. Really.

On the boat tour with Svenja and Sara!

By the time the boat tour was done we still had about an hour to explore the town before the walking tour began. We wandered over to the ruins of St. Mary's Abbey, a church that was destroyed during the reign of Henry VIII.

In front of the ruins of St. Mary's Abbey

Jumping picture #1, in front of the ruins of St. Mary's... way too joyful here, considering I was in the cemetery of the Abbey....

After exploring the ruins, we headed to our walking tour. Our guide was a nice old man that could strangle a child with his nose hairs. Really. The tour was supposed to only be 2 hours, but he went over his time limit. By a lot. O, old men and their tangents. Still, we got to see some old ruins and even walk on an old Roman city wall! Pretty cool...

After the tour was done it was around 4, so we headed to the Minster to tour it before it closed. It was a beautiful cathedral, and it took over 250 years to build! And to gage how big it was, the small person in the red coat is me. I am standing about a football field away from the cathedral. Yeah. It's big.

After our tour of the Minster, we headed toward the Castle Museum. Although it was closed, we still got to see the buildings, and right nearby was Clifford Tower. It reminded me of something out of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We stayed there for awhile despite being frozen through and took lots of pictures.

Jumping picture #2, in front of Clifford Tower

The three of us in front of Clifford Tower

By the time we were done frolicking around the daffodils surrounding Clifford Tower, we were cold and hungry. Our trains were due to leave for London in less than two hours, so we headed to a local pub, where I had my first Bangers and Mash. Bangers and Mash is a dish of mashed potatoes and sausage. And at this pub, it has a garnish of onion rings. SOOOO healthy! HA! But it was good, even if it took a year off my life.

Bangers and Mash is yummy, but not healthy!

We finished our meals just in time, and decided to head to the station so we could get good seats on the train. And we were greeted by an unpleasant surprise.

Long story short, due to a massive signal failure all trains to Scotland were cancelled, and slowly all the trains to London were getting cancelled. Only one more train was going to London- the 8:15. And everyone in that station was going to try to get on it. Commence panic.

Also, a detail I should mention. Apparently there was some sort of massive rugby match happening the next day. The station was FILLED with drunk Scottish men wearing kilts. FULL kilts. And they were angry since they couldn't get to Edinburgh. Drunk and angry. Not good. Also, before today, I didn't know that when you wear a kilt, you don't wear underwear. And that it is considered in good fun to flash passerby. This tendency is only more popular when the men are drunk. So, for the hour I spent in the station and the 2.5 hours I spent on the train, I am pretty sure I saw more male genitalia then even the most seasoned doctor.

When the departure board finally lit up with the platform of the last train to London, Svenja, Sara and I booked it to the platform. We were lucky to get seats. At this point I was exhausted and relieved to be on a train to London. And even though our car was filled with loud, drunk Scottish men, I passed out.

Soon enough, we were back in London. It was 11:30. The men were so excited they started singing. Badly. But it was hilarious. What an interesting end to a fun trip! After exchanging goodbyes and a promise to do another day trip together, Svenja, Sara and I parted ways at the Underground since we were headed in different directions.

I returned to my flat by midnight. Almost too tired to do anything, I decided to check my e-mail just in case. And guess what I found?

I HAVE BEEN GRANTED ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT FOR MY EXAMS! This means I will be able to go back to the States on May 8th still! What wonderful news to end a wonderful day!

Until next time, cheers!

x

One of the most productive days of all time

Friday, March 25, 2011. I basically finished ALL of St. James and Mayfair. In one day. This day will live down in infamy.

The day started off with me dropping off my friend Kayla at Paddington Station so she could head back to the States. It was only 10am, and the sun was out, it was 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and there was a nice breeze. What better day to walk around London?

So this is exactly what I did. Not only did I save a tube fare back to Waterloo, but I checked eighteen- yes, EIGHTEEN things off my list of things to do in London. On my list of 212 things to do, that is 8.5% I completed... in ONE DAY!

I like to think of this as my day of "squares". I saw SIX town squares today, and two parks.

Instead of boring you and making you read forever about all the things I saw in detail, I'll make a list, and include anything memorable from the time I spent at this area. No pictures either. Besides the amazing fish and chips I had. And the spotted dick and custard. Yes, I finally had some. And was pleasantly surprised.

So here it goes.... after I left Paddington, I did the following:

1. Selfridges, the famous department store. Here, you can actually find peanut butter. (not that I care, but I have friends that do) Only problem? It is £6 a jar. So that is roughly $8.40 a jar. Highway robbery. Also, you can find Aunt Jemima maple syrup for £8.
2. Grosvenor Square, home of statue of FDR, a memorial to the victims of 9/11, and the American Embassy. Yay America!
3. Berkely Square, surrounded by some of the most expensive car dealerships and high end designers.
4. St. George's Gardens, a lovely little garden area where palm trees are abundant, and ball games are not allowed (Really- they had a sign). Also referred to as the Mount Street Gardens.
5. Hanover Square, a pretty little square near the homes of Jimi Hendrix and George Handel, who would have been neighbors if they lived at the same time.
6. Handel House Museum
7. St George's Church, where George Handel worshipped.
8. Manchester Square, next to the
9. Wallace Collection, which me and Adam tried to find when he was here, but my map had it in the wrong place. But I found it today! It is a GORGEOUS mansion that is filled with paintings.
10. Bond Street, home of the high end designers.
11. Mount Street, home of more high end designers.
12. Bruton Street, home of high end car dealers, like Rolls Royce and Bentley, as well as Porche and many other names I don't remember, but I know Adam got excited when he heard that they were there.
13. Conduit Street, home of even more high end designers.
14. Savile Row, home of the most exclusive suit tailors in London.
15. St. James's Square, surrounded by homes of the rich and important.
16. London Library, YAY BOOKS!
17. White Cube Gallery, home of some weird modern art. And I've been to the Tate.

For my 18th item off my list, I stopped at The Golden Hind for lunch. My guidebook promised me that this is where I could get the best fish and chips in London. It is right near Regent's Park (aka FAR north for me).

Not only were these definitely the best fish and chips I have had in London, but they were also the cheapest! It was only £3.70 for fried cod, £0.90 for a side of chips, and £1 for a side of mushy peas. That means that the total for this meal was £5.60. SO MUCH CHEAPER (and better) than Fishcotheque!

I was so impressed, and had a little room to spare, so I looked at the dessert menu. And they had spotted dick in custard. Although people make fun of this for obvious reasons, I knew I had to try some- it is a traditional British dessert. Now, I am not usually a fan of custard. But I had to have it.

And you know what? I LOVED IT! Make that almost 80 days without a bad bite of food! Spotted dick and custard is basically a small fruitcake surrounded by piping hot custard. I am so surprised I liked it! From now on, whenever it is offered on the menu, I am getting it- no matter how full I am.

Originally the fruitcake part was covered by custard... I cleared some custard away before snapping this photo.

Until next time, cheers!

x

I should become an official London Tour Guide. For real.

First off: Shout out to whoever is following me in Russia! It totally made my day when my homepage alerted me that I had a reader in Russia, aka coolest country EVER! (No pun intended...)

Ok, now onto my week! So here we go!

Saturday, March 19:

So today I greeted my second guest from the US- my friend Kayla. After meeting her at Paddington and getting her settled in, we wasted no time- it was off to Notting Hill! First we went to Kensington Gardens, admired Kensington Palace, and walked around the park. We then made our way to Notting Hill, where we walked around, taking in the sights and smells of Portobello Market. I'm not the biggest fan of crowds, but even though it was one of the most crowded places I have ever been in my life, I still had a blast! The area was absolutely gorgeous, and there were so many things to see, including the home of George Orwell! (GAHHHHHH!!!!!)

Kensington Palace, and the Gardens in front of it

Kayla in Kensington Gardens

GEORGE ORWELL'S HOUSE!!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!

Walking to Portobello Market... loving the colors of the houses!

The World Famous Portobello Market!

After finishing up Portobello Market, we set out to find "The Travel Bookshop"- the bookshop Hugh Grant works in in the movie "Notting Hill", also starring Julia Roberts! And we found it! EEEKKKKK!!!!

The Travel Bookshop storefront

Next, we made our way through Hyde Park towards the V&A so Kayla could see my favorite museum. But not before I could snap this awesome picture of the Albert Memorial from Hyde Park! Even though it is March, all the flowers and trees are in full bloom. Isn't it amazing?!

The Albert Memorial from Hyde Park

Unfortunately we arrived at the V&A only an hour before closing, so I quickly showed Kayla the main attractions of the museum. We then headed back out. We walked by Harrod's, Hyde Park, the Wellington Arch, Green Park, Buckingham Palace, and down the Mall. After walking through Admiralty Arch, we walked around Trafalgar Square.

It was too early to head back to the flat, so I decided to show Kayla Leichester Square, Piccadilly Circus, and Covent Garden. After a quick stop at Tesco to get some supplies for the week, it was finally time to head back to the flat. We walked over Waterloo Bridge, and Kayla got her first glimpse of how amazing London looks at night. However, as we reached National Theater, something was different. Some of the side of the theater had more concrete blocks on it- a course of sorts. Turns out Red Bull was sponsoring an event called "Art in Motion", where the next day a bunch of par core athletes from around the world were going to compete for the title of Red Bull Athlete.

Exhausted, we headed back to the flat, promising to catch the competition the next day.

Sunday, March 20:

Today was a busy day. After a late start, I gave Kayla a tour of the east end of the South Bank. After heading over Tower Bridge we headed into the heart of The City. I still hadn't seen a bunch of the buildings in it, so I decided to cross some more things off my list. First off was Llyod's of London. It's kinda an ugly building....

Lloyd's of London

Next up was the Royal Exchange, the Bank of England, and Mansion House. The Bank of England has been central to the British economy since 1694, and the current building was designed by Sir John Soane in 1788. Behind it lie the buildings containing the British Stock Exchange, and also Tower 42- the tallest completed building in London. Too bad the Shard will soon take that title... Mansion House is where the Mayor of the City of London (Not the Mayor of London) lives and entertains. We even found St. Stephen of Walbrook Church, a Wren church with a "practice dome" for St. Paul's. SWEET!

Prominent Buildings in The City

Speaking of Saint Paul's, we headed there next! It is free to get in on Sundays, so I decided this was a good a time as any to show it to Kayla. Turns out, at 3:15 on Sundays they have Evening Song, so we got to attend a mass and hear the choir! It was truly amazing, and I even got to hear prayers sung in German!

After St. Paul's we headed down Fleet Street and then the Strand, all the way to the Strand Palace Hotel, where we had afternoon tea. Then we went to Covent Garden and had Snog. And Kayla wasn't wowed by it. WHAT? Don't worry, she is getting plenty of flack for that opinion... After Snog we headed in for the night.

On our way to my flat, we remembered that the par core championships were happening, so we headed to the National Theater, and caught the last 10 athletes do their thing. We even stayed around for the crowning of the champion. Although a Brit got 1st place, it was the Russian that won "Best Move" that everyone loved. When asked if he had any words for fans, he replied, "...Russia? Um, o wait.... RUSSIA!!!!!" as he put his hands in the air and bowed. Yeah, he didn't speak English....

Monday, March 21:

Today I actually did have class for once- one of my classes rescheduled to my free day! NO! My class started at 4, so I didn't want to waste time. I suggested going to Wimbledon, home of the Tennis Championship, for the day. I LOVE tennis and was a really competitive player in high school, and it has always been my dream to see Centre Court. And today I did.

You can get to Wimbledon by the tube from Waterloo, so we got an early train out. After arriving in Wimbledon, it was a 25 minute walk to the Lawn Tennis Museum and site of the Championship. Needless to say, when it came into view, I freaked out a little.

YAY!

After buying our tickets for the museum, we were guided to a viewing platform for Centre Court! AHHH! I was soooo excited! A friendly security guard who "loves Americans" pointed us in the right direction. He was adorable! As I walked onto the viewing platform, I started taking massive amounts of pictures. The first thing I noticed was that the court looks SO much smaller in real life than it does in TV. Still, I was sooooo excited to be here, where all the tennis greats have played for the last 125 years!

Me in front of Centre Court... being here is a dream come true!

In front of the main entrance to Centre Court... and no, that bright light is not the Sun, but the light of God showing me that I was destined to be here...

Next up was the museum. It was really interesting, and I got to see all the uniforms and racquets of the greats, as well as the Wimbledon trophies. Except for the trophies, the museum was very similar to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport. But still.

As we wrapped up at Wimbledon, we still had some time before we had to head back to London. So we explored the town! It is filled with tons of cute shops and bakeries, as well as a beautiful church atop a hill near the Tennis Museum called St. Mary's.

St. Mary's Church

After stopping for a quick Tesco meal deal, it was time to head back to class. Normally I would be mad that I had this class on a Monday, but that feeling quickly subsided when our Professor held class on the terrace of Somerset House. Instead of listening, I gazed down the Thames in either direction... St. Paul's to the left, and to the right were Big Ben, Parliament, and the London Eye. Life couldn't get any better....

That is, until I got hit with the news that I had to write a 4,000 word essay in order to get my exams changed! O well! That night, I cranked it out, and it was ready to be handed in the next day.

Tuesday, March 22:

Today I had class at 2 in the British Museum due to a teacher's strike at King's. My professor should have been in the strike since she was in the union, but she decided to go to the British Museum to avoid her fellow union members, and give us a lecture at the cafe.

I didn't want to waste any time, so since Kayla likes books I decided to go to the British Library. We took the tube to King's Cross Station, which is nearby. However, I HAD to see Platform 9 and 3/4. After asking the security guard where it was, we found the spot and I HAD to pose for a picture. I don't care how dumb this is, the Harry Potter nerd in me was proud.

Off to Hogwart's... BRB

As we headed out of King's Cross towards the British Library, we came upon St. Pancras International Station. My guidebook had told me to go here, but I ignored it. Seriously, how can a train station be a must see? Um, this is why:

St. Pancras Station

Finally, it was time for the British Library. The books within it used to be in the British Museum, but as both collections expanded, the British library decided to abandon ship and get it's own building. There we got to see 2 original Magna Cartas, a Guttenburg Bible, and Jane Austen's writing table. It was amazing! After we finished exploring what the library had to offer, we had a quick lunch, and then headed to the British Museum.

Entrance to the British Library

Posing with the midget statue at the courtyard of the British Library for Mary....

Kayla couldn't come to class with me, so when I learned, Kayla explored the museum. However, by the time my class was over and I met her, she still hadn't seen the Parthenon Marbles OR the Rosetta Stone because she couldn't find them (but they are in one of the first rooms, haha!), so I had to give her a quick tour...

After that, it was time to eat again, so because Kayla is a fan of hummus, we headed to Hummus Bros., where I got a delicious Vegetable Salad hummus plate covered in Feta Cheese. Delicious! But really, how can you ever go wrong with hummus?

Hummus is Yummus

Wednesday, March 23:

Today was my long day in classes, so Kayla went to the National Gallery.

After I got out of class and handed in all my exam situation paperwork, I met Kayla and we headed to the Globe Theatre. I still hadn't been, so it was one more thing to check off! We took a tour, and learned about the history of the Globe while sitting in the actual theater! Our tour guide (as well as all the others) are actually actors at the Globe, so they know pretty much everything! After hearing that they are putting on "Much Ado About Nothing" this season, I decided that this was not going to be my only trip to the Globe. I love that play, and for only £5 I can stand in the pit and watch it acted out for me! YES!

The Globe Theater

Me in front of the stage at the Globe

After finishing up at the Globe we were hungry, so we headed to my favorite pub for dinner. But first we had to pass under the Millennium Bridge, where I finally managed to get a decent shot of the bridge and St. Paul's in the background.

Millennium Bridge and St. Paul's

So yeah, then it was on to the pub. It's my favorite and they just got a new menu, so I decided to try the Salmon and Broccoli fish cakes. SO. GOOD. Looks like I have another recipe to add to my cookbook! And that makes 70 days without ANY bad food in London! SCORE!

Salmon and broccoli fish cakes = YUM! So "yum" in fact, that I didn't even use the tartar sauce. And I LOVE tartar sauce

Thursday, March 24:

Today was Kayla's last full day in London. Although she was supposed to go out with a friend from High School, her friend unfortunately had to cancel. So instead, me and Kayla explored Westminster and then some of the Mayfair area. It was gorgeous out, so obviously I HAD to snap some pictures of my London boyfriend....

Big Ben and the London Eye

Next we headed through St. James's Park. Then it was off to Mayfair, where we saw Waterstones (the biggest bookstore in Europe- it had 7 floors!!), St. James's Church, Royal Academy of the Arts, Burlington Arcade, Bond Street (home of high end shopping... including Chanel and Ralph Lauren!!!), Royal Arcade, St. James's Palce, Spencer House (home to the ancestors of Lady Di), and Clarence House (where Prince Charles lives and works). All in all, it was a day of Jameses. So instead of boring you with details, here are some pictures!

St. James's Park

St. James's Church

St. James's Palace

Spencer House

View from St. James's Park of the Eye

London Eye and County Hall

After this walking spree I brought Kayla to Pizza Express so she could experience the awesomeness. Then we spent the night in, and had a Skype date with Mary! Yay roomie love!

All of a sudden, Friday was upon us, and it was time for Kayla to leave. By 10am we were on the tube to Paddington, where I helped her to the Heathrow Express. It was hard to see her leave, but at least I got to see her!

Until next time, cheers!

x

A light at the end of the long, long (In the form of a 4,000 word essay) tunnel?

That's right my followers! 4,000 words. Read on if you are genuinely interested in my academic Hell (detailed in my last post). If not, check in later this week to see what I did in London this week!

Ok, now onto the update. After a weekend dreading the worst, I received an e-mail yesterday morning from the Geography Department at King's! YAY!

But first, I must go back to Friday. I met with the second professor that I had an exam with, and he was SUPER kind, and sympathized with me. He too had studied abroad and been in a similar situation, so he said he would do whatever he could to help me. PRAISE THE SWEET BABY JESUS!

So even though it was Friday, and even though the professor was really ill AND had a meeting till 6pm that night, he managed to write up a wonderful little e-mail and send it not only to the head of the Geography Department, but ALSO to the head of the Exam Board! HOORAY! Because of this, my stress level decreased even more.

Then, on Monday morning, I opened up my e-mail at 9:30 to find a little gem in my Inbox. The solution to my problem (hopefully). I am to fill out a "MCF" or "Mitigating Circumstances Form" AND write a essay up to 4,000 words, detailing why I can not sit for exams at King's. I will attach my new plane tickets to this essay, as well as correspondence between my internship boss and myself to prove that I will not be here.

Then the Board will consider my case, see whether I have good cause, and decide whether I am telling the truth. And then, by the Grace of God, they will allow me to take some other form of assessment. HUZZAH! There is hope that I will be US bound May 8th!

...and then I get to play with mosquitos. Yay for being a Biological Sciences and Wildlife & Conservation Biology double major!!!!! I live such an exciting life....

Ok, yeah, I know I do NOW since I am here in London, but once I'm back in the states? Not so much.

Welcome to the Academic Hell of an Honors Student in the top 10% of her class... for now.

How should I describe the last few days... I guess it would have to be "Survival Mode". What a change from the happy-go-lucky girl of last week that frolicked around London with her boyfriend.

After fighting off a nasty cold in less than 3 days, I thought it would be an awesome week, filled with being productive for my final essays....

And then my world came crashing down. Just last week, I moved up my flight to get home early because I had received an e-mail entitled "Exam Revision", (which I assumed to mean that it was an amended Exam Schedule) and figured from the chart that I would be done May 6th. Which meant if I could get home before June 4th I could start my internship early and get more research time in order to write my thesis.

And then on Wednesday morning I found out that "Revision" in the UK means REVIEW. EXAM REVIEWS. THEY REVIEW MATERIAL. I would be done REVIEWING material the 6th. The real Exam period starts May 9th.

And when did I book my flight for? May 8th.

And I had to pay a $300 fee to change the flight. Figures.

Upon receiving this news, I freaked. Silently. Since I was in lecture. However, I think even if I wasn't, I still would've been silent. If you know me well, you know that if I am freaking out silently, that means I am freaking out to the EXTREME! In panic mode, everything shuts off but my brain.

The second my lecturer shut up, I ran to the Geography Department office and told them the situation in the calmest way possible. I then asked them for the Exam Schedule. Their response? "The exam schedule is not published until next Thursday. But it is too late in the term to do anything."

TOO LATE?! HOW THE @$#? IS IT TOO LATE?!?!?! YOU HAVEN'T EVEN PUBLISHED THE EXAM SCHEDULE!!! HOW THE HECK ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO KNOW IF THEY HAVE CONFLICTS?!?!?!?!

Did I say this? No. I'm a coward. Instead, I calmly and politely thanked them and ran to my next class, which I got to just in time. After class I headed to the Study Abroad Office, which was even less of a help than the Geography Department, if that is even possible.

Seriously, the Brits could have used the Germans taking over in World War II. Maybe they would be more organized and efficient. Harsh? Maybe. But really, the lack of organization at this school is astounding. Especially when it comes to classes.

Enter "Survival Mode". I have to say, I am one scary girl when I am in this mode. I AM IN THE ZONE!

Long story short? After finding the office hours of the professors of the two classes (yeah, only two) affected by this mess, e-mailing them to request meetings, e-mailing the Study Abroad Office, Geography Department, and my Tutor about the situation, writing a speech to give the professors about my situation, and planning out possible options for myself if the professors couldn't think of any, I was prepared. And slightly calmer. Emphasis on the word "slightly". And this was all on Wednesday afternoon.

This got me in a very productive mode. Therefore, I took advantage of this mood and worked out next semester's schedule at URI, and even signed up for 3 online summer courses. And guess what?! I MIGHT GRADUATE ON TIME NOW! Take that double major! No extra semester for me!

This should've made me feel like I was on top of the world, but it didn't since I felt like my academic life at King's was falling apart.

Enter Thursday. 2 of the 3 professors I needed to talk to had office hours. Luckily, the two that had hours co-teach one of the classes effected. The first started at noon, the next started at 16:00 (4pm). Shaking, I waited to meet with my first professor, rehearsing my speech under my breath. Finally, he called me in.

I sat down, calmly explained the situation (that's right, no tears! Just had to fight for my voice a little), and waited for the professor's response.

Did I mention that this professor is one of the lead Risk Analyzers in the UK, and his help is frequently enlisted by the government and the BBC? And that since the earthquake in New Zealand and now the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, he has been on the news CONSTANTLY? Yeah. Intimidation to the extreme.

He listened to my spiel, and then told me not to worry. He would talk to the co-lecturer for the class, and told me he thought he could make it so I just had another essay to do if worse came to worse, meaning I could still go home. He told me to cancel my meeting with the other lecturer- he would tell him about my situation in his meeting with him that day, and they would discuss my options.

Breathing a sigh of (hesitant) relief, I thanked him profusely for meeting with me even though he was so busy. And you know what he did? He asked me to tell him about myself! What I studied at home, where I came from, and my career goals! We actually had a decent conversation! Finally, I bid him adieu, walked down the hall, and around the corner.

And all but collapsed against the wall with a hugh sigh. THERE WAS HOPE! Then I realized that I had done this in a common area, which happened to have some poor guy sitting there waiting for a meeting. He must've thought I was crazy. Or maybe I terrified him, since he was apparently waiting to meet with the same professor. HA! O well!

For now, this is where I stand. Although I am considerably less stressed, I still have to meet with the last professor AND wait for word from the other two.

If worse comes to worse and I have to sit for these exams, you can expect that I will be on the phone ALL DAY with Virgin Atlantic trying to find a way around paying ANOTHER flight change fee. Seriously- I'll be in "Executive Bitch Mode" (a la Sandra Bullock in "The Proposal"), and that is a mode which you do not want to deal with me in.

So watch out King's/Virgin Atlantic. You've been warned.

Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion! (I hope it will be exciting in a way which allows me to still come home May 8th)