...was the general consensus while 100 ND juniors strolled around the path surrounding Stonehenge. The real one. The stones weren't as pretty, there was no fountain, and it was freezing cold. Well, that last part is true of ND's Stonehenge as well for most of the school year, but still.
Stonehenge was the initial stop on our day trip yesterday, which was organized by the ND London Program for one of the classes, but is then offered to those who aren't in the class. I am not in the class (Archaeology and Ethics), but thought it would be a fun trip and I could see some pretty historic things along the way. We went to Bath from Stonehenge, which was a very cute, very English town, which is also home to the Roman Baths. We had a little time to stroll around and explore and see some of the famous Georgian architecture, and then we had a tour of the baths, which are pretty impressive, especially when you consider how long they've been around (since 75 AD).
As well as having a day trip, yesterday was coincidentally two of my eight roommates birthday. When we got home, three of the girls who had not gone on the trip had a delicious meal prepared for us, including homemade mulled wine. We then successfully inundated another club with the majority of the program, and danced to some horrible British techno. I'm really jonesing for a night when I can hear Africa, Let Her Cry, and Cooking by the Book in succession. I guess that'll just have to wait for Corby Row...
Last week I did a pretty good job with food. I only ate out twice, once was for the famous kebab place in Leicester Square and once for my really hot date with Chronert at the Wagamama, thanks to Maggie. Sparks flew. 'nuff said. The other nights I made food, like Rachael Ray's Lime and Honey Glazed Salmon with Warm Corn Salad, and chicken sauteed with peppers and onions. Liza might not be the foodie in the family after all. Well, that's just not true, but while she's not here to show me up I can believe it a little bit.
On the horizon: More workouts with Jillian! Petticoat Lane Market! Better blog posts than this one! More exclamation points!
Swindles and Deals
Claiming to be from a pretty big city, from my experience, I expect pretty straightforward business transactions. However, over the past two weeks I have found that this is not the case.
In order to use our phones, we have to "top up" which is basically putting money on our account, and then calls and texts deduct from the account. Well, the second day of my semester in London, I stopped into the convenience store on the corner, and asked to get topped up. Well the guy gives me the voucher, and explains to me that I just have to dial the 16-digit number on the receipt and it will put the money on my account. I take it home and try it, and it says that the code is "invalid". Well, the next day the store was closed, and then the next day I went in and told him that the code was invalid. He then automatically says, "Well that is becuase you have an O2 voucher and your service is T-mobile". Well, my first response is, "can you exchange it?" and he says, "No. If you had come in the same day that would be fine but now I cannot do anything. you can leave it with me and I will sell it for you." I obviously I looking like I am very suspicious of this whole transaction and he says, "what, you don't trust me?" and I, being my tell-it-like-it-is self says without hesitation, "well, not really."
So I walk away and try to deal with the situation on my own, contacting the company directly, etc. But everything is a dead end. So I sheepishly go back to the convenience store and leave my very expensive piece of paper with this guy (who is there ALL the time, quite literally) and told him I would stop in every day in order to collect my money.
The following day was the day I went to Cambridge, so I didn't go to the store, and the next day was Sunday, and the store was closed. So first thing Monday, I stop in the store and he immediately recognizes me and says, "I sold it, I don't get why you don't trust me." I am profusely thankful until he hands me a ten pound note out of the cash register, and I say, "My voucher was twenty pounds." He says adamantly, "No it was a ten pound voucher."
Now I had been carrying this piece of paper with me for a week, so I know how much it was worth. But in order to never see this horrible man's face ever again I just said to him, "It was a twenty pound voucher. You are a thief and a liar," and I walked out.
The next day, I had to go to the dry cleaner because I had stained my new beautiful yellow coat. Total fail. I go to the dry cleaner on the corner and explain the stain and the guys says, "I will probably have to do two cleans, which is normally 16 pounds, but I will do it for you for 11." Coming off of my recent scam, I was leery, but I thought it was I nice gesture. I still haven't picked up my coat yet, but I have a feeling that this guy just thought that I was cute.
Tonight, I went to the grocery store to pick up some staples (aka beer) for our floor dinner, and I realized after I had checked out that the guy had charged me for an extra pack. If I hadn't looked at the receipt closely , I would have never know this, so I went to the customer service desk and got refunded.
I guess it's experiences like these that make me wish that I wasn't a young American woman. But that category has its benefits as well.
In order to use our phones, we have to "top up" which is basically putting money on our account, and then calls and texts deduct from the account. Well, the second day of my semester in London, I stopped into the convenience store on the corner, and asked to get topped up. Well the guy gives me the voucher, and explains to me that I just have to dial the 16-digit number on the receipt and it will put the money on my account. I take it home and try it, and it says that the code is "invalid". Well, the next day the store was closed, and then the next day I went in and told him that the code was invalid. He then automatically says, "Well that is becuase you have an O2 voucher and your service is T-mobile". Well, my first response is, "can you exchange it?" and he says, "No. If you had come in the same day that would be fine but now I cannot do anything. you can leave it with me and I will sell it for you." I obviously I looking like I am very suspicious of this whole transaction and he says, "what, you don't trust me?" and I, being my tell-it-like-it-is self says without hesitation, "well, not really."
So I walk away and try to deal with the situation on my own, contacting the company directly, etc. But everything is a dead end. So I sheepishly go back to the convenience store and leave my very expensive piece of paper with this guy (who is there ALL the time, quite literally) and told him I would stop in every day in order to collect my money.
The following day was the day I went to Cambridge, so I didn't go to the store, and the next day was Sunday, and the store was closed. So first thing Monday, I stop in the store and he immediately recognizes me and says, "I sold it, I don't get why you don't trust me." I am profusely thankful until he hands me a ten pound note out of the cash register, and I say, "My voucher was twenty pounds." He says adamantly, "No it was a ten pound voucher."
Now I had been carrying this piece of paper with me for a week, so I know how much it was worth. But in order to never see this horrible man's face ever again I just said to him, "It was a twenty pound voucher. You are a thief and a liar," and I walked out.
The next day, I had to go to the dry cleaner because I had stained my new beautiful yellow coat. Total fail. I go to the dry cleaner on the corner and explain the stain and the guys says, "I will probably have to do two cleans, which is normally 16 pounds, but I will do it for you for 11." Coming off of my recent scam, I was leery, but I thought it was I nice gesture. I still haven't picked up my coat yet, but I have a feeling that this guy just thought that I was cute.
Tonight, I went to the grocery store to pick up some staples (aka beer) for our floor dinner, and I realized after I had checked out that the guy had charged me for an extra pack. If I hadn't looked at the receipt closely , I would have never know this, so I went to the customer service desk and got refunded.
I guess it's experiences like these that make me wish that I wasn't a young American woman. But that category has its benefits as well.
Week 1 Recap
My lack of posting this week has not been for lack of wanting to write the post, but merely for lack of time to write said post. This first "real" week has been overwhelmingly hectic, but still one of the best weeks I've ever had. I'll try to keep it snappy...
Let's talk about "New Things" -
Monday: Drink like a local. These four words came as advice from the directors of our program during orientation. It basically means that instead of beginning to drink prior to going out, drinking more more while "out", and then drinking whatever alcoholic beverages are left in the vicinity, you go to the pub for happy hour, have a leisurely, few drinks with a few friends, and then head home. Well, that's what I did. It was a Monday night, but hey there were plenty of locals there too.
Tuesday: Pub Dinner and West End show. A burger and chips (fries) and a Guinness for 8 pounds and then The Little Dog Laughed at the Garrick Theatre. The show was very entertaining and I went in to it totally unaware of what it was about, which was somewhat refreshing. A lovely introduction to London theatre. And pretty funny hearing Brits attempt American accents.
Wednesday: Run through St. James Park, the Green Park, including a loop through the circle at Buckingham palace. This was such a surreal experience that it's kind of hard to conjure up the right words for it. It was a truly London day - overcast skies with sprinkling off and on rain. I started the run not really knowing where I was going, and ended up seeing the majority of quintessential London landmarks. There were also so many runners in the parks that for the first time I didn't feel like I stuck out like a sore American thumb. It was probably the happiest I've been since arriving in London, and listening to Bad Romance while running past the guards and Big Ben made it all the better.
Thursday: Curry Club night at Sir John Oldcastle. We had to watch The Queen with the entire programs and afterward we were starving so we hit up this pub right near the flats. The Thursday special was a Curry Club - chicken curry with naan and rice and a beer - 6 pounds. Not too shabby...
Friday: Borough Market, Tate Modern. Check out the pictures for most of this. Borough Market is this amazing specialty food market on the south bank, right near the Globe Theatre. After tasting all sorts of fun, ethnic food, we wandered to the Tate Modern and I got to see some Jackson Pollock, Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner, and Andy Warhol works up close after studying them for an entire semester.
Saturday: Cambridge. The oldest college town in the world, essentially. Pubs, bookstores, cafes, scenic lawns, impressive chapels, and cobblestones define this quaint area where it is totally normal to see students walking along in their dinner robes. Yes, some of the colleges require their students to wear collegiate robes to dinner every night! It's definitely a sight.
I'm dedicating tomorrow to resting, finding a curling iron, applying for my internships, and doing some homework, in that order. Goals for the coming week: Run, Run, Run. And cook a new recipe.
Let's talk about "New Things" -
Monday: Drink like a local. These four words came as advice from the directors of our program during orientation. It basically means that instead of beginning to drink prior to going out, drinking more more while "out", and then drinking whatever alcoholic beverages are left in the vicinity, you go to the pub for happy hour, have a leisurely, few drinks with a few friends, and then head home. Well, that's what I did. It was a Monday night, but hey there were plenty of locals there too.
Tuesday: Pub Dinner and West End show. A burger and chips (fries) and a Guinness for 8 pounds and then The Little Dog Laughed at the Garrick Theatre. The show was very entertaining and I went in to it totally unaware of what it was about, which was somewhat refreshing. A lovely introduction to London theatre. And pretty funny hearing Brits attempt American accents.
Wednesday: Run through St. James Park, the Green Park, including a loop through the circle at Buckingham palace. This was such a surreal experience that it's kind of hard to conjure up the right words for it. It was a truly London day - overcast skies with sprinkling off and on rain. I started the run not really knowing where I was going, and ended up seeing the majority of quintessential London landmarks. There were also so many runners in the parks that for the first time I didn't feel like I stuck out like a sore American thumb. It was probably the happiest I've been since arriving in London, and listening to Bad Romance while running past the guards and Big Ben made it all the better.
Thursday: Curry Club night at Sir John Oldcastle. We had to watch The Queen with the entire programs and afterward we were starving so we hit up this pub right near the flats. The Thursday special was a Curry Club - chicken curry with naan and rice and a beer - 6 pounds. Not too shabby...
Friday: Borough Market, Tate Modern. Check out the pictures for most of this. Borough Market is this amazing specialty food market on the south bank, right near the Globe Theatre. After tasting all sorts of fun, ethnic food, we wandered to the Tate Modern and I got to see some Jackson Pollock, Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner, and Andy Warhol works up close after studying them for an entire semester.
Saturday: Cambridge. The oldest college town in the world, essentially. Pubs, bookstores, cafes, scenic lawns, impressive chapels, and cobblestones define this quaint area where it is totally normal to see students walking along in their dinner robes. Yes, some of the colleges require their students to wear collegiate robes to dinner every night! It's definitely a sight.
I'm dedicating tomorrow to resting, finding a curling iron, applying for my internships, and doing some homework, in that order. Goals for the coming week: Run, Run, Run. And cook a new recipe.
No Bachelor!
Tonight, I sat down on the couch in my flat after a day of class, exploring, and seeing my first play in London to negate all of that newly discovered culture by indulging in one of my not-so-guilty pleasures: The Bachelor. Let me say, I am extremely partial to the concept of The Bachelorette, since I find that the Bachelorette, while still horribly pathetic, tends to be a little more discerning than the Bachelor, who claims he is "looking to marry my best friend" and really want a beautiful person "on the inside". This Bachelor, after telling Chris Harrison all of this, then meets 25 leggy, tanned women who appear to have made best friends with Dr. 90210, and his tongue hangs out of his mouth while he thinks, "why weren't women like this pursing me when I wasn't allowing ABC to televise my personal life?"
Despite all this, I can't help but enjoy analyzing the body language, relentlessly mocking the collective stupidity of the girls, and basically devoting and hour and a half of every week to believing that truly anyone can find love - at least for some amount of time. However, I can't watch it in the UK! I was hopeful because I was able to watch last night's How I Met Your Mother, but I have searched and searched, but have had absolutely no luck.
So maybe this is the cosmos telling me to grow up and stop relishing in such asinine entertainment, but hey, after a day of so much culture, sometimes it's nice to just watch beautiful people do stupid things.
Despite all this, I can't help but enjoy analyzing the body language, relentlessly mocking the collective stupidity of the girls, and basically devoting and hour and a half of every week to believing that truly anyone can find love - at least for some amount of time. However, I can't watch it in the UK! I was hopeful because I was able to watch last night's How I Met Your Mother, but I have searched and searched, but have had absolutely no luck.
So maybe this is the cosmos telling me to grow up and stop relishing in such asinine entertainment, but hey, after a day of so much culture, sometimes it's nice to just watch beautiful people do stupid things.
So much to blog, so little time...
It is hard to believe that I have already been here for more than three days! There has been so much going on and I feel like everything I do could count towards my "one thing a day that I can only do in London". Although not all of these things are particularly exciting, they count in my book.
A New Thing I Learned:
"Did I just detect an American accent?" the leather-clad man carrying a purse-sized dog into the Hat and Tut on Thursday night says to me and the gaggle of men with me. It was somewhat alarming, which was probably augmented by his attire and the few front teeth he was missing, but we affirmed his observation. "Well, I'm from Missouri!" I unfortunately did not do my third grade state project on Missouri, so my knowledge of the fine midwestern state is somewhat limited, and I was also pretty bummed that our first "local" encounter was American too. However as the night continued, we learned that there is a very fine but serious distinction. English is, yes, a language, and before coming to London, I thought that American and British were adjectives describing nationality. However, this is not the case. "American" is apparently an entirely different, inferior, language, and "British" does not exist. "We're not British" the locals keep insisting. "We're English". And they speak English too, the "real" language.
Some New Things I Did:
1) I went for a run along the Thames with my roommate Maureen!
Although it wasn't like running in South Bend with Matt, it was definitely one of the coolest runs I've been on. We ran down Farringdon Road from our flats across the Blackfriars Bridge and then past the London Eye and across another bridge to Big Ben. While this sounds absolutely amazing, the only hiccup was that it was pouring rain. Everything I was wearing was soaking wet five minutes in, but we just kept running. I know it sounds like I"m complaining, but it was the most quintessentially "London" experience I could think of to hopefully define my semester.
2) I cooked dinner! And it wasn't a tuna melt. (I had a tuna melt on Friday night...) I made dinner for the boys upstairs, and for never having successfully cooked a meal on my own, it turned out pretty well. I'm definitely not going to be A Voltaggio's sous chef anytime soon, but it is only my third day here...
3) I navigated public transportation - and made it to Notting Hill, home of the Portobello Road Market. We just walked up and down the street, looking at all of the antiques and jewelry and scarves and bags that vendors had for sale, while also admiring the stunningly quaint neighborhoods and candy-colored row houses. And being the adventurous group we are, we decided to take the bus to Paddington Station instead of retracing our steps to the Notting Hill Gate tube stop, and taking another train back to the flats.
The Plan:
Right now, I think I have lived up to my three initial goals (I've been writing down every tuppence I spend - thus living up to budget goal) so I just need to make sure I can keep it up! I need to get into running schedule for the week and get reacquainted with my new friend Jillian. Also, if you have some easy, relatively cheap recipes you like, I am welcoming all suggestions. I will probably get sick of chicken sooner or later...
A New Thing I Learned:
"Did I just detect an American accent?" the leather-clad man carrying a purse-sized dog into the Hat and Tut on Thursday night says to me and the gaggle of men with me. It was somewhat alarming, which was probably augmented by his attire and the few front teeth he was missing, but we affirmed his observation. "Well, I'm from Missouri!" I unfortunately did not do my third grade state project on Missouri, so my knowledge of the fine midwestern state is somewhat limited, and I was also pretty bummed that our first "local" encounter was American too. However as the night continued, we learned that there is a very fine but serious distinction. English is, yes, a language, and before coming to London, I thought that American and British were adjectives describing nationality. However, this is not the case. "American" is apparently an entirely different, inferior, language, and "British" does not exist. "We're not British" the locals keep insisting. "We're English". And they speak English too, the "real" language.
Some New Things I Did:
1) I went for a run along the Thames with my roommate Maureen!
Although it wasn't like running in South Bend with Matt, it was definitely one of the coolest runs I've been on. We ran down Farringdon Road from our flats across the Blackfriars Bridge and then past the London Eye and across another bridge to Big Ben. While this sounds absolutely amazing, the only hiccup was that it was pouring rain. Everything I was wearing was soaking wet five minutes in, but we just kept running. I know it sounds like I"m complaining, but it was the most quintessentially "London" experience I could think of to hopefully define my semester. 2) I cooked dinner! And it wasn't a tuna melt. (I had a tuna melt on Friday night...) I made dinner for the boys upstairs, and for never having successfully cooked a meal on my own, it turned out pretty well. I'm definitely not going to be A Voltaggio's sous chef anytime soon, but it is only my third day here...
3) I navigated public transportation - and made it to Notting Hill, home of the Portobello Road Market. We just walked up and down the street, looking at all of the antiques and jewelry and scarves and bags that vendors had for sale, while also admiring the stunningly quaint neighborhoods and candy-colored row houses. And being the adventurous group we are, we decided to take the bus to Paddington Station instead of retracing our steps to the Notting Hill Gate tube stop, and taking another train back to the flats.
The Plan:
Right now, I think I have lived up to my three initial goals (I've been writing down every tuppence I spend - thus living up to budget goal) so I just need to make sure I can keep it up! I need to get into running schedule for the week and get reacquainted with my new friend Jillian. Also, if you have some easy, relatively cheap recipes you like, I am welcoming all suggestions. I will probably get sick of chicken sooner or later...
What Do You Do When You Go To London?
I think the post entry says it all. I'm leaving the States today to study in London for the semester, and I've decided to record my trip with a blog. It's fitting in a way. I have just completed a chapter of my college career, and am now one step closer to becoming a "real person". Never again will I have a have a room on campus, a meal plan, and a Starbucks 100 yards away from my bed. And it's a good thing I am accustomed to hardship, because starting tomorrow, all of that will change. I'll be on my own in a new city with new routines and customs and an entirely different lifestyle. Well, not on my own. In an apartment with eight other girls. Yep. Eight.
I have a few goals for this semester. My first and probably my most lofty, is to do something everyday that I can only do in London (or whatever city I'm in that day). This seems daunting, but it can be anything from seeing an exhibit at the Tate Modern to having a beer at a pub I haven't been to to going for a run along the Thames. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
Speaking of running, the next goal is to train for another half marathon OR run a twenty mile road race in Wales on March 20, my last day of being twenty. It sounds a little corny, but I've become somewhat of a runner ever since I ran my first half marathon last spring, and I've been itching to run another distance race. My parents have also expressed interest in running a 10 mile race when the fam comes out to visit over Easter, and what better way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus than with a long run? And then Mass of course...
My other goal is not fun or interesting, but must be done. And that is budgeting my funds (yeah, Dad. That's right). I have a little saved up from my seasonal position at J.Crew and other fine corporations, but I also get a stipend for "living expenses" - food, transportation, etc. My goal is to "live" on my stipend, and then do my best to travel *safely* (Mom) with my own money. This goal is partially inspiration for the name of this here blog, given that there might be more than one time that the beer fund is more important than a third meal, but I'm all about sacrifices. I'll have to figure out what category beer falls into. I guess we'll see how generous random British guys are.
So that's it. A few goals, a few bucks, and one great city. I think the adventure song is in order...
I have a few goals for this semester. My first and probably my most lofty, is to do something everyday that I can only do in London (or whatever city I'm in that day). This seems daunting, but it can be anything from seeing an exhibit at the Tate Modern to having a beer at a pub I haven't been to to going for a run along the Thames. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
Speaking of running, the next goal is to train for another half marathon OR run a twenty mile road race in Wales on March 20, my last day of being twenty. It sounds a little corny, but I've become somewhat of a runner ever since I ran my first half marathon last spring, and I've been itching to run another distance race. My parents have also expressed interest in running a 10 mile race when the fam comes out to visit over Easter, and what better way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus than with a long run? And then Mass of course...
My other goal is not fun or interesting, but must be done. And that is budgeting my funds (yeah, Dad. That's right). I have a little saved up from my seasonal position at J.Crew and other fine corporations, but I also get a stipend for "living expenses" - food, transportation, etc. My goal is to "live" on my stipend, and then do my best to travel *safely* (Mom) with my own money. This goal is partially inspiration for the name of this here blog, given that there might be more than one time that the beer fund is more important than a third meal, but I'm all about sacrifices. I'll have to figure out what category beer falls into. I guess we'll see how generous random British guys are.
So that's it. A few goals, a few bucks, and one great city. I think the adventure song is in order...
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