Last days

This is one of my Uni buildings on Regent St. 

This is outside my flat- yes that is snow on the ground.

I figured I'd post some pics before I leave. Its snowing again which is great and pretty but I'm worried Gatwick is going to be closed tomorrow when I leave. I'm hoping for the best. I'll be at the airport in less than 24 hours. That's really weird to fathom. I love London, I just wish I could bring my life over here.
I turned in the last of my coursework on Thursday. Woohoo! I won't get my grades until the end of February though, so that's a long time to wait. Packing has gone pretty well so far. I just have a few more things to fit in. I'm hoping it'll work.

One week

Wow, it's crazy to think I leave London one week from today. In fact, one week from right now my flight will probably just have taken off. I have spent a majority of the last 10 days working on my finals, with some occasional Christmas shopping thrown in.

Things I want to do my last week in London:
-finish my finals and hand them in
-finish Christmas shopping
-make curry again
-read in the British library

...that's all I can think of.

Snow

Also, it has snowed the past two days in London.

Craziness ensues

 Gina and I at the Basilica in Quito. We climbed to the top to get a view of the city.

 The view from the top!

 

This is Gina and I in her house on the day we were stuck inside because Ecuador was doing their census.

I officially have less than three weeks left in London. In that time I have one more book to finish. I feel so accomplished having read 27 books in less than three months. However, I have five papers due my last week here (on the 15th and 17th on December). I've rough drafted two of them, have solid idea and research for two others, and have almost no idea on the last one. The last one being the one I have to present to my professor tomorrow afternoon. Oi. Currently, this last book I'm reading ("Woman on the Edge of Time" by Marge Piercy) is quite interesting. It's taking me the longest to read- mostly because I took a break while I was in Quito! But it's about this woman who is debatable-y mad and in this alternate reality she sees which is in the future, there is no gender! All people use the pronoun person, or per for short. I'm curious to see how the book ends. 

I've been insanely busy for so long now. Between my travels to Edinburgh and then my travels to Ecuador, I haven't been in London that much recently. Although I love London, I've really enjoyed traveling. I can't believe two of my papers are due two weeks from today. I have to really start working on these.

I will attempt to post more during the next few weeks before I leave.
Also, upon my travels to Ecuador, I realized that I forgot how to count American money- I like the British coins better. And that I thought it was weird when cars drove on the right side of the road instead of the left.

Edinburgh

Hey!
I'm in Edinburgh, Scotland for a few days. I like the Scottish accent quite a lot, even better than the British. It's fantastic. Figured I'd post from here because I'm always so busy when I'm in London. I have just about 5 weeks left of my program. I'm having insanely mixed feelings about that. I really love London and the UK in general. I could honestly see myself coming back here, even living here in the future. But at the same time being here for just about three months hasn't actually allowed me to make any really good friends. That's been kind of rough. It has taught me that I do really enjoy a big city though and I'm looking forward to going to grad school in an urban area. I love public transportation. Even though every one in London actually hates the tube, I think it's fantastic. Even though I was trapped underground in one for ten minutes the other day. It will be interesting going back to the American education system. In Britain, it's such a community- every in one major takes almost the exact same courses each semester and they form a little group. I've been reading so much and doing my own research so that I feel like I'm in this own little world of academia. Although I have less assignments, I feel more immersed in the ones I do have. I have read about 20 books in less than two months. And even though I haven't enjoyed all of them, it makes me feel like maybe after all I'm not a TOTAL failure at being an English major.
I'm off for a night of poker and a Spanish club.
I'll post pics from Edinburgh when I get back to London.

I figured I'd post some pics since I haven't for the last few weeks. This first shot is of some street art near my flat.  The second is of the ocean in Brighton. They have rocks on that beach. It blew my mind. The next pic is the Brighton Pier. The following two pics are of Gina and I when she came to visit. The first is in Camden and the second is on the Tower Bridge.

These next two pics are of me from my trip to Wales.

Hope you enjoy!

I've lost track of when I last posted...

It's November 1st and I can't believe it. Things have started to settle back down a little bit here but now I'm realizing I really need to get working on my end of the semester projects before I get too overwhelmed in December. Not to mention the 11 more books I have to read in the next month.
I went to a meeting with the LGBT society at Westminster and that was good. I've made some more friends which is always nice.
There is supposed to be another tube strike starting Tuesday night and lasting all through Wednesday. Which isn't that great considering Tuesday and Wednesday is the only days I have class. But I'll deal.
Last week, I went to the London Library and spent the afternoon there. It was definitely one of my favorite libraries I've ever been to. There were so many hidden corridors full of books. I loved it so much that I set my prose piece for my Writing London class there.
Last week I spent a day in Brighton. It was really nice there, although a bit cold. I think it would have been better if I had gone with someone as well. I might go back for a writers conference later this month.
There is only so many things I can do by myself before it gets sort of boring.
We've changed our clocks back an hour here now so that means the days must be getting shorter. It has been getting colder too. I'm trying not to break out the hat and gloves yet. But it's not far off.
I'm going to the Tate Modern with my Writing London class tomorrow so that should be exciting.
Well.... I don't have much else to say at this point. I've got to read some more.

So it's been a little while

I got very busy the past few weeks and haven't had time to post. The last time I posted was just before I went to Wales for the weekend. It was with the social programme for my school so it was like 75 international students. It was pretty fun. I made a friend named Garrett and went to all these ruins and an awesome castle. And I fell in love with the Welsh flag. Interestingly enough, Wales is entirely bilingual down to the street signs (with Welsh and English) but since Welsh uses other letters as vowels like w and y, the words look insane to me. That was really interesting to see. I enjoyed being out in the mountains and with grass and trees and everything because even though I go to the parks in London, I still miss the wilderness.
After my weekend in Wales, my girlfriend came and visited me for five days. That was a blast. She'd never been to London before so I took her to a few tourist-y places. We ate lots of good food and went out a lot. I was really glad to experience London with her. It made me more conscious of some of the cultural differences though. Because I've gotten accustomed to some of the differences or not thought they were a big deal, but she thought they were revolutionary. Especially compared to Ecuador, where she's studying this semester. I'm excited to go see her in Quito at the end of November.
Then that weekend, my friend from middle school and high school came to visit from Edinburgh, Scotland. I hadn't seen her in about five or six years. That was really fun to catch up. It was good to discuss differences between Scotland and Britain. I plan to visit her in November as well to get a taste of Scotland.
The following week my parents came for a visit as the first part of their vacation. It was really good to see them and cured any little bit of homesickness I had. We ate so much good food. We also went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum, and the British Library. I love going to museums with my mom, she always knows so much. I also really liked knowing so much about the city we were in because then it was like I was on the same level with my dad, where as usually he is the only one that knows where we're going.
I saw them off yesterday and now have to catch up on all of this work that I'd been putting off due to constant adventures and company. I will post again soon with pictures and things. But right now I must be off to read a few books and write a paper.

Week 3

Classes went significantly better this week now that we've actually started the coursework. This week I read "Sheepshagger" by Niall Griffiths which although extremely well written was so graphic that I actually had nightmares from it. It was also quite lengthy which made it a task but I finished it in three days and two of those days I had nine hours of class. I also read "Landscape for a Good Woman" by Carolyn Steedman which I was expecting to be more about gender but it's main focus was a historical view of class. Then I read "Bartleby the Scrivener" by Herman Melville which is a rather short novel about a strange man. I'm still not sure how to feel about it. It wasn't life-altering, clearly. I read selections from "City-Lit: London" as well.
This week I went to the British Library which was fantastically modern and  had lots of comfortable places to sit. However, to actually get to the books you had to have proof that they had something you couldn't find anywhere else and you had to go through all these security things and could only bring like pencils and laptops into the rooms with the books. So I didn't actually get to SEE the books. Oh well...
I spent more time reading in Regent's Park which was nice because I managed to catch it on a sunny afternoon. Supposedly this is going to be the last week of relative warmth before it starts to get cold. I'm not excited for it to get super cold because I like being outside.
I've been frequenting the gym and trying to eat fruits and veggies and have thus gained some muscle which is nice. I know I'll be taking a week off so I worked out extra hard this week. Hah.
I went on my second trip to Camden today. It was way less crowded on a Friday than on a Sunday so I enjoyed it a lot more.
I'm headed to Wales in the morning until Sunday night. Then Gina arrives on Monday morning! So I probably won't get around to posting again for a little while.

Here are some pics of the British Library.

Week Two a success

Sorry it's been a little while since I posted. I got pretty busy.
This past week I had my classes for the first time. Most of them are ok. I'm most excited for my class called Reading Women. It's really interesting- I really enjoy talking about gender. I have my first project due in that class this Wednesday. I'm a little nervous because its 30% of my final grade and the other 70% is entirely my  final essay.
Last week, I also went to Regent's Park and sat and read some Virginia Woolf there. I also finished "The Scarlet Letter" and a play called "Blue/Orange." I've read some theoretical texts about what it means to be a woman writer as well as some short pieces about defining place this week.
What else have I done?
I went to the British Museum one day which was really nice but kind of boring by myself. I went used book shopping for an entire morning one day. That was pretty fantastic, although somewhat fruitless.
This weekend, I hung out with some friends in Soho on Saturday night. Sunday we went to Camden Market which was epic. I'll definitely have to go back there. Starting last night, there was a tube strike. So the tube didn't run much today at all. That was interesting. I knew how to take the bus and had done it a few times before but it was a mess because so many people were trying to take it. It took me two hours just to get to campus this morning.
I've been going to the gym on campus a lot now. It's really nice. I'm thinking about doing some classes.
I took a night bus for the first time which was way less sketchy than I thought it would be.

I'm still searching for a good place that has comfy chairs where I can sit and read.

Also, last week me and my friend Claudia got locked into a park. There were no signs saying it closed and no one told us to leave. We ended up having to climb a fence to get out. Ooops. But here is a picture from the park.

The library I spend most of my time in.

Me and my friend Amy

Getting settled in

So it's been a few days since I've posted and I've officially been here more than a week!
On Thursday, we had a river cruise for all of the international students. Although we all agreed it was too long, it was still fun and I met a group of people who live in my dorm and who I've been hanging out with.
On Friday, I went and explored a little more near campus so hopefully I won't get lost on the way to my classes.
Then I hung out with a friend a little.
Yesterday was Saturday so in the morning I went and explored the area around Russel Square. I checked out a used bookstore and got a book for one of my classes. Then I found the first real sized grocery store which was truly exciting. However, no where carries pitchers. So I"m still without the ability to make sweet tea. :(
But I'm over it...sort of...
Last night I hung out with my Romanian friends in Soho. We ate at Pizza Hut which does indeed taste the same in Britain. We had a good time. Eventually I'll be able to stay out past 11 if I can figure out how the buses work.
I picked up a bus route map in a tube station yesterday and when I open it all the way, it is literally the whole length of my arm-span. If it were even an inch longer I wouldn't be able to hold the whole thing open.
I've been pretty much relying on the tube and walking. If google says it will take a half hour or less to walk somewhere, then I walk. If it says more, then I take the tube.
Although I would like to ride a bike here, because I do so much in Virginia, I'm a little bit nervous. There are a lot of cyclists, but I still feel like I wouldn't be bold enough to pull out and I'd end up getting hit. I might try renting though and see if I can handle it.
I've been trying to join a rugby team but I missed their practices last week and emailed to ask if they had any openings but they haven't gotten back to me. So I might just end up doing a gym membership at my university instead.
Classes start tomorrow, but since I only have modules on Tuesday and Wednesday, I'm free tomorrow.
I think I'm going to go to the campus bookstore so maybe I can at least get the other books I have to read first for my modules.
For my Reading the American Dream class, the first book I have to read is "The Scarlett Letter" which I purchased from the used bookstore I mentioned, call Skoob. I didn't like it the first time, but I'm hoping the 6.5 years since I read it will let me enjoy it more this time.
Today, I went to some markets again. I do really enjoy them. I went to Columbia Road Flower Market which was absolutely beautiful. I'm thinking about getting some sort of plant for my room to give it some life. Then I went over to Brick Lane Market (yes, I actually found it this time). Brick Lane was big and colorful and they had a ton of food. I got steamed bbq pork buns. They reminded me so much of when my mom and I went to China a few years ago. They tasted so good, just like the ones in China.
Then I went over to Old Spitalfields Market which I'd been to last Sunday but I went further this time and found its attached to several covered market areas that are lined with actual stores and eateries.
It's been a good week. :) I'm learning my way around and making friends.
I'll keep you posted on how classes go!

 

Some pictures from the markets today.

Scavenger Hunt

For part of orientation, we had to do a group scavenger hunt in the city. It was a good experience because I'd been avoiding the tourist attractions. So this what I got to see them without feeling too much like a tourist. Then I didn't feel well in the afternoon so I just hung out in my room.
This morning I went to Ikea and bought some things for my room which was an adventure. There was supposed to be a shuttle bus to the store from the Tube station. But there wasn't so I walked. But then I got lost. It took me about an hour and a half to actually make it to the store from my room (what should have only taken an hour). Oh well. I made it there and back.

Later today I have my advisor meeting to finalize my course schedule. That's exciting. I can't wait to start classes.

Successful Day!!

Yesterday, I had a very successful day. I went to two markets in the morning (although they weren't the one I was initially looking for...). Then I went down to Oxford St and Regent St and checked out some more stores. I haven't really bought much though besides necessities. I found another grocery store close by that sells fair trade products. So that's pretty awesome. I chilled in my flat in the afternoon some and then I went to Soho last night and met two girls from Romania. They were really nice. We're going to hang out next weekend again.
This afternoon, I have orientation. We'll see how that goes. Things are going pretty well. Last night I ate my first like sit down place (not take out) so I was feeling a bit awkward about the whole getting a check deal but it wasn't bad at all.
Below are two pics. One of my flat building. The other of the area around Old Street (where I catch the tube).

First day

I landed in London this morning at around 7. I took the train into the city and then a taxi to my dorm where I got all checked in before 10am. I'd call that a success. The taxi driver totally held up to everything I'd read about them. That they are insanely knowledgeable about the city. After I checked in, I set out to find the grocery store which after some aimless wanderings, I did find. Then I went further into the city and explored some. I resisted the urge to carry my map around in my hand like a tourist. Having read so many books and guidebooks about London and the UK in general, I feel like I'm picking up on things I probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise. For example, people say sorry and please a lot here (but not thank you). Also people don't just randomly start up a conversation with strangers as much. Where as I noticed Americans definitely do this. I'm currently reading a book by Sarah Waters called Night Watch and its set in 1940s London which is really interesting to compare to what I'm experiencing everyday. The resident assistants are taking a bunch of us to this cafe tonight for music which should be interesting. I've meet three of my flatmates so far. But I forgot two of their names already...Attached are a few pictures. One of my closet when I unpacked. One of my desk..its kind of bare. I hope I get good books to read for my classes. Another is of a street near my flat.

First Post

I'm leaving for London tomorrow. Finally. I plan to post at least weekly, hopefully twice a week. With pictures. :)