Well, that wasn't so bad.
I only had one class (Early Modern Britain and Europe) from one to three today. It seems like it will be an enjoyable class, especially since I have technically already studied Early Modern Europe through a couple different courses at Central.
The only thing I might have a hard time with is that the UK university system is based more on personal study, rather than assessment. I'm not going to take one test or quiz this semester, or really even have homework to turn in. My grades are based around a combination of a paper, portfolio, and a presentation. It's a little daunting, but I'm fairly confident in my paper writing abilities!
After class I had to wait a couple hours for my first Feminist Society meeting! It went well, they basically discussed what they hope to do during the next school year and all the events they have planned so far. It seems like a great society and I'm looking forward to being a part of it!
Tomorrow, I have two classes and then we're going to the London Premiere of THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER.
If I see Emma Watson, I might cry.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
a night out, greenwich, and more!
Friday night was a night out on the town! We got dressed up and headed out to The King's Tun for an evening of dancing! It was a lot of fun to just let loose and experience the nightlife of Kingston! We all made it safely home too, which is always a good thing! :)
Saturday we went to Greenwich! Greenwich is a city located down the Thames from London. King Henry VIII held his court for twenty years there during his reign and his daughters were born there! (I love Henry and his daughter Elizabeth, so this was so cool to me.) Unfortunately, the palace of Greenwich was destroyed during the Civil War so I wasn't able to see where Henry, Elizabeth, Mary, and their contemporaries lived. But I was able to visit The Queen's House, which was built for James I wife. Now, it's an naval art museum. We also visited the Greenwich Market, which was really, really cool. It had a lot of different retail and food vendors set up, and it was bustling with people. We ate lunch at a local burger joint, which had the BEST burgers so far. It was almost like being home! We also got free cake and tea from Kingston, which we enjoyed while sitting underneath a statue near the Maritime Museum. I actually liked the tea too, which was surprising!
One of my favorite parts of the trip though was the boat ride down the Thames to Greenwich, because one of the crew members gave some historical commentary and pointed out important buildings and landmarks. It was really awesome to see The Globe Theatre, The Tower of London and rest of the city from the river. While going down the river, it was almost like seeing an abandoned city. You couldn't hear or see the city life which was really quite strange.
And today, it rained. A lot.
I had signed up for Photo Frenzy, a photo scavenger hunt in Central London for this afternoon. It would have been a lot more fun if the weather had been nicer, but we got to eat at Planet Hollywood afterwards and the food was really good! And then we made a trip to Primark, because I was in desperate need of rain boots...
Classes start tomorrow! But luckily I don't have Monday classes... so I get to sleep in! :)
Saturday we went to Greenwich! Greenwich is a city located down the Thames from London. King Henry VIII held his court for twenty years there during his reign and his daughters were born there! (I love Henry and his daughter Elizabeth, so this was so cool to me.) Unfortunately, the palace of Greenwich was destroyed during the Civil War so I wasn't able to see where Henry, Elizabeth, Mary, and their contemporaries lived. But I was able to visit The Queen's House, which was built for James I wife. Now, it's an naval art museum. We also visited the Greenwich Market, which was really, really cool. It had a lot of different retail and food vendors set up, and it was bustling with people. We ate lunch at a local burger joint, which had the BEST burgers so far. It was almost like being home! We also got free cake and tea from Kingston, which we enjoyed while sitting underneath a statue near the Maritime Museum. I actually liked the tea too, which was surprising!
One of my favorite parts of the trip though was the boat ride down the Thames to Greenwich, because one of the crew members gave some historical commentary and pointed out important buildings and landmarks. It was really awesome to see The Globe Theatre, The Tower of London and rest of the city from the river. While going down the river, it was almost like seeing an abandoned city. You couldn't hear or see the city life which was really quite strange.
And today, it rained. A lot.
I had signed up for Photo Frenzy, a photo scavenger hunt in Central London for this afternoon. It would have been a lot more fun if the weather had been nicer, but we got to eat at Planet Hollywood afterwards and the food was really good! And then we made a trip to Primark, because I was in desperate need of rain boots...
Classes start tomorrow! But luckily I don't have Monday classes... so I get to sleep in! :)
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
BRIGHTON.
I spent today in the beautiful coastal town of Brighton!
Kingston took a group of international students down in a double decker coach (which was super cool) and we were able to walk around the city, eat lunch, and tour the Royal Pavilion.
So, when we first arrived Cat, Kelly, Kalee, Kelsey, and I went straight to the pier. We all really wanted to see the ocean and the coast, which didn't disappoint at all.
Kingston took a group of international students down in a double decker coach (which was super cool) and we were able to walk around the city, eat lunch, and tour the Royal Pavilion.
So, when we first arrived Cat, Kelly, Kalee, Kelsey, and I went straight to the pier. We all really wanted to see the ocean and the coast, which didn't disappoint at all.
The pier had a lot of snack shops and two huge arcades, with some carnival rides as well. We bought a "flaky cone" at one of the ice cream stands, because my best friend Meagan told me I had to try one while I was here. It's basically vanilla ice cream (which does taste different than vanilla ice cream in the States), with a soft chocolate stick inserted in it. AND IT WAS DELICIOUS. We headed out to lunch then and stopped at the All Bar One restaurant. Thank GOD we did, because there was an Adam Levine look-a-like waiter working there. Not kidding, he was so attractive.
Next was the tour of The Royal Pavilion! The Royal Pavilion was King George IV's "party palace". Up until last century, Brighton didn't have the best reputation in England. So, naturally for the notoriously over-indulgent George, he chose Brighton as a place he wanted to have a home. So he bought a little house when he was young and as soon as he had the money to build, he began to build this beauty.
The Royal Pavilion is said to be one of the most exotic places to visit, because of the clash of cultures. The exterior was greatly influenced by Indian architecture, but the inside was influenced by the Chinese. However, since none of the people working on it had ever BEEN to China... they failed on some of the details. Regardless, this is still the most beautiful building I have ever seen. We weren't allowed to take pictures, and I can't even begin to describe the beauty of the interior. So many colors, so much gold, so many chandeliers, so many dragons, so many details... it's absolutely stunning. As a history major and British history fanatic... this was one of the coolest things I've done so far in England.
After the tour we walked around for a bit more and then ended up sitting on the pebble beach, which was quite different than Lake Michigan beaches, but still very beautiful. Actually, the pebbles were much dirtier than I thought they would be!
We headed home afterwards, which was fine until I realized that the girls sitting behind Kalee and I were the definition of a vapid American girl. It was really frustrating (and almost insulting) to listen to them discuss their sex lives, drug and alcohol use, and how daddy pays for everything!
Not too much planned for the next couple of days but I'm visiting Greenwich on Saturday so expect a blog then! :)
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Hello, my name is HPG.
Today, I went on a Harry Potter themed tour of London.
Oh my.
I stood where Emma, Rupert, Dan, and Jo stood at the Deathly Hallows part 2 premiere.
I stood where they filmed some of the scenes for different movies.
I was at Platform 9 3/4.
I geeked out.
It was kinda hectic tour, because we went on the Underground and I was not familiar with the tube at all. Without our tour guide, we would have been SOO lost.
There's a couple other stops I'd like to visit before I leave London, like Millenium Bridge (and obviously Leavesden Studios!!) but I really enjoyed the tour!
Tomorrow, Kingston is taking all of the international students to BRIGHTON for the day! I'm excited to see more of this beautiful country! :D
Oh my.
I stood where Emma, Rupert, Dan, and Jo stood at the Deathly Hallows part 2 premiere.
I stood where they filmed some of the scenes for different movies.
I was at Platform 9 3/4.
I geeked out.
It was kinda hectic tour, because we went on the Underground and I was not familiar with the tube at all. Without our tour guide, we would have been SOO lost.
There's a couple other stops I'd like to visit before I leave London, like Millenium Bridge (and obviously Leavesden Studios!!) but I really enjoyed the tour!
Tomorrow, Kingston is taking all of the international students to BRIGHTON for the day! I'm excited to see more of this beautiful country! :D
Friday, September 14, 2012
loving london.
So, I visited London today.
Yea, I can cross that off my dreams checklist. :)
First off, it was beautiful. I can't even begin to tell you just how beautiful the city is. Walking down the street you'll pass cathedrals and monuments that have been around for centuries, and then right next to those would be modern shops and businesses. It was so interesting to see the past and present collide, in a way I have never seen in the States before.
Well, we started the day taking a train to get into the city. (On a sidenote, I think trains might be one of my favorite forms of public transportation.) We got off at Waterloo Station and headed right into the city. None of us girls really had a plan... or an idea of where to go... or a map. But honestly, I wouldn't have done it any other way. There were so many signs and maps around the city that we never got lost. We were able to head right to the London Eye, Parliament, and Big Ben. I couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face after I saw Big Ben for the first time. It was so crazy to see that awesome of a monument RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
Next we visited Westminister Abbey which was... wow, beautiful. Such detail and the architecture was breathtaking. After that, Trafalgar Square and lunch!
Lunch was... interesting. It was our first time at a sit-down restaurant in the UK and we weren't 100% sure how they operate. But the staff was kind of rude and confusing, so it wasn't the best first experience. I definitely like British pubs more than restaurants so far! After lunch we went souvenir shopping for a bit and then headed to BUCKINGHAM PALACE. God, that place was just awesome. I know I keep saying how beautiful everything was, but I'm not joking when I say that. EVERYTHING WAS. Like Hyde Park, which we went through after Buckingham.
On our way back to Trafalgar Square and The National Gallery, we went down some ritzy avenues and saw upper class shoppes (definitely felt underdressed!). Kalee and I visited the National Gallery for a bit, which was really interesting because I've never been in an art gallery before, but I found it really cool to walk around and actually see real art for once. Especially since most of it was from the Renaissance era and I just took a class where we discussed some of the Renaissance artists and such.
Then we went on the London Eye, which was relaxing and cool to see how the city is laid out and watch the sun set over it!
We ended the day catching a train to Kingston where we went to The Kings Tun Pub (again!) for some food, and then home!
Overall, today was brilliant. :)
Yea, I can cross that off my dreams checklist. :)
First off, it was beautiful. I can't even begin to tell you just how beautiful the city is. Walking down the street you'll pass cathedrals and monuments that have been around for centuries, and then right next to those would be modern shops and businesses. It was so interesting to see the past and present collide, in a way I have never seen in the States before.
Well, we started the day taking a train to get into the city. (On a sidenote, I think trains might be one of my favorite forms of public transportation.) We got off at Waterloo Station and headed right into the city. None of us girls really had a plan... or an idea of where to go... or a map. But honestly, I wouldn't have done it any other way. There were so many signs and maps around the city that we never got lost. We were able to head right to the London Eye, Parliament, and Big Ben. I couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face after I saw Big Ben for the first time. It was so crazy to see that awesome of a monument RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
Next we visited Westminister Abbey which was... wow, beautiful. Such detail and the architecture was breathtaking. After that, Trafalgar Square and lunch!
Lunch was... interesting. It was our first time at a sit-down restaurant in the UK and we weren't 100% sure how they operate. But the staff was kind of rude and confusing, so it wasn't the best first experience. I definitely like British pubs more than restaurants so far! After lunch we went souvenir shopping for a bit and then headed to BUCKINGHAM PALACE. God, that place was just awesome. I know I keep saying how beautiful everything was, but I'm not joking when I say that. EVERYTHING WAS. Like Hyde Park, which we went through after Buckingham.
On our way back to Trafalgar Square and The National Gallery, we went down some ritzy avenues and saw upper class shoppes (definitely felt underdressed!). Kalee and I visited the National Gallery for a bit, which was really interesting because I've never been in an art gallery before, but I found it really cool to walk around and actually see real art for once. Especially since most of it was from the Renaissance era and I just took a class where we discussed some of the Renaissance artists and such.
Then we went on the London Eye, which was relaxing and cool to see how the city is laid out and watch the sun set over it!
We ended the day catching a train to Kingston where we went to The Kings Tun Pub (again!) for some food, and then home!
Overall, today was brilliant. :)
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
feeling like a tourist.
Today we (as in the girls that came from Central with me) walked around Kingston!
Cat and I live just down the road from each other, so we rode the bus to Kingston University. We had to wait for the others to join us, so we walked around the campus building a bit. We found a lovely student diner that had cheap meals, so I'm sure I'll eat lunch there a lot! You can even buy a BAKED POTATO. Yea, like a really big potato and buy toppings to put on it. Super awesome.
After everyone arrived we started walking around Kingston. We all bought phones, visited Primark (which is like, the best store I've ever been to. It's going to be really hard to not spend all my money there!), tried to buy our Oyster cards but failed miserably, so instead we went to The King's Tun Pub and enjoyed a nice drink!
Then, we had to start heading home. So I got on a bus and thought everything was going to end out okay.
WELL, I got off at the wrong bus stop. Silly me. So I walked down the road, THINKING I knew where I was going but I was so wrong. So I stopped at a place to buy my Oyster card, which is a card that you use when you use public transportation so you don't have to pay every time you get on a bus, I got some Chinese for dinner, and I bought some groceries. Then I got hopelessly lost and confused, carrying around my hot dinner and three heavy bags of groceries. Yea, not my happiest or best moment.
So, I just get on a bus and hope for the best. Thankfully, this nice old man helped me, probably because I looked like a lost fool, but he told me what I had to do and I eventually found my way home!
Tomorrow, orientation!
Yay? :)
Cat and I live just down the road from each other, so we rode the bus to Kingston University. We had to wait for the others to join us, so we walked around the campus building a bit. We found a lovely student diner that had cheap meals, so I'm sure I'll eat lunch there a lot! You can even buy a BAKED POTATO. Yea, like a really big potato and buy toppings to put on it. Super awesome.
After everyone arrived we started walking around Kingston. We all bought phones, visited Primark (which is like, the best store I've ever been to. It's going to be really hard to not spend all my money there!), tried to buy our Oyster cards but failed miserably, so instead we went to The King's Tun Pub and enjoyed a nice drink!
Then, we had to start heading home. So I got on a bus and thought everything was going to end out okay.
WELL, I got off at the wrong bus stop. Silly me. So I walked down the road, THINKING I knew where I was going but I was so wrong. So I stopped at a place to buy my Oyster card, which is a card that you use when you use public transportation so you don't have to pay every time you get on a bus, I got some Chinese for dinner, and I bought some groceries. Then I got hopelessly lost and confused, carrying around my hot dinner and three heavy bags of groceries. Yea, not my happiest or best moment.
So, I just get on a bus and hope for the best. Thankfully, this nice old man helped me, probably because I looked like a lost fool, but he told me what I had to do and I eventually found my way home!
Tomorrow, orientation!
Yay? :)
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
the longest 2 days of my life.
Monday, September 10
7:20- Woken up by my siblings as they said their goodbyes.
8:00- Showered and dressed
9:00- Lunch with mum
11:20- Arrive at Muskegon Airport for 12:05 flight
11:40 (Chicago Time now): Arrive in Chicago
6:10- Flight to London delayed 50 minutes
7:10- Board plane
8:00- Take-off
Tuesday, September 11
9:20- Land in London
12:30- Leave airport
1:30- Arrive at Kingston for orientation
And I haven't left yet.
I haven't been to my home stay yet. I haven't ate since 8 AM this morning. I haven't showered. I haven't even changed my clothes yet. I am exhausted, sore, and grumpy.
Thankfully, I have all of tomorrow to do whatever I want. Like sleep. A lot.
However, I'm not letting this awful beginning ruin my experience!
I am already in love with Kingston, the city, and the surrounding area. It is all so beautiful and I'll post pictures when I finally get a moment to take some! Probably tomorrow. :)
7:20- Woken up by my siblings as they said their goodbyes.
8:00- Showered and dressed
9:00- Lunch with mum
11:20- Arrive at Muskegon Airport for 12:05 flight
11:40 (Chicago Time now): Arrive in Chicago
6:10- Flight to London delayed 50 minutes
7:10- Board plane
8:00- Take-off
Tuesday, September 11
9:20- Land in London
12:30- Leave airport
1:30- Arrive at Kingston for orientation
And I haven't left yet.
I haven't been to my home stay yet. I haven't ate since 8 AM this morning. I haven't showered. I haven't even changed my clothes yet. I am exhausted, sore, and grumpy.
Thankfully, I have all of tomorrow to do whatever I want. Like sleep. A lot.
However, I'm not letting this awful beginning ruin my experience!
I am already in love with Kingston, the city, and the surrounding area. It is all so beautiful and I'll post pictures when I finally get a moment to take some! Probably tomorrow. :)
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