Hello, blogulators. I was trying to think of a way to share the wonders of my 3.5 months in London and thoughts an email simply wouldn't suffice. A blog seems appropriate (though not completely original). Why is this blog starting so late into my excellent adventure? Well, it was really a question of connectivity. Both the hotel my mom and I were staying at and my dorm failed to give us access to the information superhighway. I just got my username from the college yesterday--that's right, a full week after I had moved in--and now, I'm cruisin' with the best of them.
So, from the beginning. Mom and I took a glorious Air New Zealand flight from LAX to Heathrow starting Tuesday September 9th and ending Wednesday 10th September. And when I say glorious, I mean jamazing! The plane (2 stories!) basically had a ton of movies and television shows to watch so I caught up on a mostly media-free summer with Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Kung Fu Panda, and My Blueberry Nights (Norah Jones' acting debut for those who don't know). I also caught some 'sodes of The Office and 30 Rock. For my suitehearts reading this, fear not! How I Met Your Mother was also featured. Mom watched a New Zealander film that made her a bit weepy as well as an episode of Ugly Betty (not her favorite) and I managed to convince her into watching some 30 Rock. (After her first episode: "It's crazy." After her second: "How does [Tina Fey] come up with all this stuff" Aside from the non-stop stream of delightful entertainment, we both enjoyed the down underian accents of the flight staff. When we arrived in London at our accommodations by the Tower Bridge, mother and I immediately took a 5 hour nap.
When we awoke, Mom and I decided to take a stroll around the area. We walked up Tower Bridge Road and across the bridge were we stood near the Tower of London before returning to the South Bank. As we came back, mom saw a quaint cobblestone road that passed below us and so we ventures towards it for some eats. We ended up at the Bengal Clipper--that's right, Indian!--and split two dishes and appetizers. The food was quite good and I think from the southern region of India, which I learned today is less common than the other areas in London. If you're interested, the Trader Joe's Indian Food that you make at home was spicier.
Day two (Thursday) will surely not be topped in the future of sightseeing for a long while. We started the day by going to the hotel restaurant to partake in their advertised breakfast. Mom was first excited and then extremely let down by two offerings: a sunny side up egg that she deemed too plastic looking to eat and rhubarb yogurt that was not delicious. We decided to walk over to my housing so that move-in would be that much easier but accidentally took the wrong street. Never fear! We found it without stopping to ask for directions. When we got there, though, we asked someone to let us in to see where I would be living. I'm not sure if there was a cultural barrier, but the men lazing in the lobby showed us to what I would later find out was Greenwood Theatre, which is in my building, but is not a bedroom. Mom and I tried to figure out what was going on for a few moments before shrugging our shoulders, letting ourselves out, and making our way to the London Bridge tube station to purchase Oyster Cards.
We took the Jubilee Line to Bond Street, which is a lot like Times Square with the repetition of the same shops every few steps. We managed to cross a few streets before arriving at Vodaphone where I "ToppedUp" my international SIM card. (I mention crossing the street because stepping off the curb here is really taking a chance with your life. Drivers are craycray!) After Vodaphone, mom and I consulted our maps and determined that the British Museum was not too far and immediately set in that direction. Because I am a fool and did not completely understand how and Oyster Card worked, I made us walk there even though there were 2--perhaps 3--stops that would have taken us closer.
The British Museum is super baller. Mom and I sat outside resting our feetsies in the courtyard for a bit before going inside to the roofed courtyard. The British Museum is the world's oldest public museum (1753) and boasts the largest covered public square in all of Europe thanks to the glass and steel roof. On top of that it's got the Rosetta Stone, Cleopatra's mummy, and the controversial Elgin marbles. (Apparently the Greek government has been trying to get these Parthenon sculptures back for over 200 years. I guess there's a lot of talk about them since the B.M. has brochures for tourists that detail "The British Museum's Stance on the Elgin Marbles.") Unfortunately, I was confused about which marbles they were and took pictures of a different set of marbles: Statues of the Nereid Monument.
After that, we took the tube (of course, I went down with a fight!) to Covent Garden where we were less than impressed with its offerings: a group of ritzy shops and a street performer. Having heard my mom say how much she wanted to go to St. Paul's Cathedral, I pointed towards St. Paul's Church, which lies across the street from Covent Garden and behind the performer's stage. Mom and I went inside where we learned that it is considered the Actor's Church. Fun Fact: the portico where the street performer was is in the opening scene of George Bernard Shaw's
Pygmalion, known to most of us as
My Fair Lady. We thought it a loverly factoid.
We walked over to the National Gallery while splitting a blackcurrant frozen yogurt that we watched the clerk make with fresh fruit pressed into his froyo machine. We passed by the London Palladium (only finding out what it was much later). Among others, the National Gallery houses some Boticelli, Degas (my fave), Renoir, Van Gogh, Seurat (which made me think of Bernadette Peters belting "Sunday in the park with Geoooooorge!") and Monet. There was also this cray cray painting that used amorphism so that it looked like this one part of the painting had been straight up pasted on top of the rest. It only regained it's original shape if
you stood far to the right of it. Can you tell what it is? Luckily, mom had a guide book that told us what were "must see paintings" so we were able to buzz through the museum like pros, which was important since we got there barely an hour before it closed. We stepped outside to take photos of Trafalgar Square, which was, like everywhere else in London, crazy busy. After consulting our books that we took everywhere, we realized that the church across the street, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, was important in that it housed soldiers and the homeless during the World Wars and may or may not have hosted one of Mozart's concerts. And anyone who has enjoyed the magic that is
Amadeus can never pass up some Mozart lovin'. That's the thing about London: it seems like every place has so much historical significance! Anyway, we went inside and got to sit down briefly before the usher practically shoved us outside because an evening concert was about to begin. Mom and I rested on the steps outside for half an hour until we figured out what to do next since most venues had closed at 6.
Of course, we couldn't let time hold us back so we walked down Whitehall Road towards Westminster, which had a sight to see at nearly every step. We passed 10 Downing Street (the home of the Prime Minister--I didn't know!), Horse Guards, Banqueting
House, Cabinet War Rooms, in addition to a memorial to the Women of World War II. According to my guide book, "[t]he bronze monument has work clothes hanging from pegs to represent the many different work roles that seven million women took on during the war. The Speaker of hte House who presided over the 2005 unveiling ceremony said, 'They quietly took them off at the end of the day, hung them up and let the men take the credit.'" Mom was later upset she had not taken a picture so I returned after she went home.
We ended our tour of Whitehall as a ridiculous intersection. On one corner is Big Ben (named for the bell--a 19th century replacement--not the clock) and the Houses of Parliament and across the street is St. Margaret's Church and Westminster Abbey. We took a ton of pictures before crossing Westminster Bridge and walking along the Thames for a while. Across the river from Big Ben is the London Eye, which many may recall from the cinematic wonder that is Bride and Prejudice. We then proceeded to walk past the London Aquarium (not to be confused with the nightclub called the Aquarium where people take off their clothes and go swimming) and the London Movieum (clever) on our way home.
We finally made it back to our hotel room where we practically collapsed from exhaustion. We toyed with the idea of going to the hotel restaurant for dinner but I refused in the same way I wouldn't let us go into any of the four billion Starbuckses around the city. We ended up going back to our cobblestone road near the Tower Bridge and eating at Pizza Express, which we both fully recommend.
We took pictures of the bridge on the way back home. if you would like a mental image of the the street we were frequenting, think of the scene in Disney's
Hunchback of Notre Dame when Esmeralda takes Quasi from the cathedral. Sure, that takes place in Paris, but who's keeping track? Not me.
The next day Mom and I met up with my friend Lili from high school who is also studying in London for the semester. She's staying in South Kensington. The three of us met up at the
Green Park tube stop at 10am to go to Buckingham Palace because Lili had heard it would be closing at the end of the month. We walked through Green Park (the actual park, not the stop--though we did that too) before we decided to go on the State Room tour (opting out of the Royal Mews/Carriage House and Royal Gallery tours) with an audio guide. Let me tell you, that place is ridonkulous. Over 300 people work there, and there is basically an art museum inside. I can't even begin to describe the scale and grandeur of it all. The Queen has secret entrances so that she can go directly from private quarters to meet guests. They fly in water from the River Jordan for baptisms. They start preparing for state dinners up to six months in advance, and when the day finally arrives preparations start around noon. There are six drinking glasses per setting and all of them are perfectly in line with the six at the place settings next to them. (
Buckingham is a Palace) Lili said it must be boring to live there without Scrabble. What does the Queen of England wear on her days off? (That reminds me of another stumper: What do nudists wear on Casual Fridays?)
Because Lili wasn't busy until 2 and we had finished by 12, we hustled over to the Tate Britain, picking up Cornish pasties on our way at Lili's insistence. I was pleased to find that the beloved potato, vegetable treats that I had thought were native to the U.P. actually originated in Cornwall. They had a ton of options so I got sweetcorn, broccoli, and cheese while mom chose tomato, basil, and onion. Both were good. I thought Mom's tasted like pizza. Lili got something with onions maybe? Anywho, the Tate Britain houses only British art, which is kind of neat. They also have these minty collection brochures so you can give yourself whatever kind of tour you're in the mood for. Some standouts: "The I'm Hungover Collection," "The I'm Happily Depressed Collection," and "The I Like Yellow Collection."
Lili dipped while Mom and I kept looking, and the two of us later took the tube from that area to St. Paul's thinking we could make it inside before it closed. We ended up sitting in the church's garden enjoying the first day of sun we had seen and agreeing to return on a different day. We walked across the Millennium Bridge, which was constructed for pedestrians, to the Tate Modern and looked around amid tremendous masses of people. From there, mom and I wound our way back to the hotel after stopping to pick up some Stella Artois (since I'm legal and all--over here) and some chips (a.k.a. "crisps"). What flavor? Roast chicken, of course. Concerned we wouldn't like them, we also picked up Chili and Lemon flavored ones. The chicken crisps really did taste like chicken! Mom, of course, kept it classy with some roasted almonds and Australian wine she had brought from home. We chillaxed in the hotel room for a bit while looking for a restaurant in our books. Once we found one we set out but got sidetracked by a pub on the way there and ended up the "Burger and a Beer" dinner they advertised.
The following day was move in. Mom and I arrived at just after ten to check in and fill out paperwork before getting to see my room: 1001. We sat in it for a bit before going to the hotel to get my stuff and then doubling back. Thanks to mom's brill ideas, we manages to do it all in one trip. After setting everything up, we went to Canary Wharf (an underground mall) to pick up some lunch and cooking necessities since it's self-catered. That evening, mom left me in my room while she returned to the hotel. Just after she peaced, we had an extremely brief floor meeting before going downstairs for the building activity: pizza, wine, and beers, followed by a pub crawl. I have to say that the most noticeable difference between American and British orientation programming is the availability of drink. At every single King's event I have been to, there has been a supply of wine and beer. It certainly substitutes awkward sober interactions with socially lubricated, awkward drunken ones. Anyway, I didn't know about the events in advance and hadn't made arrangements with mom, so I tried to call her but I had already used my £5 TopUp plan so I couldn't make any calls. So I briskly walked over to the hotel and ended up video chatting with the Club and Nick while they got ready for an Ervin event at WashU.
After sorting out phone issues the next day, which wasn't so much sorting as them telling us we really had no options without a British bank account, Mom and I had a lovely Mediterranean lunch at Marouch V near Bond Street with freshly squeezed pineapple juice. A delight! Before our next destination, we popped into John Lewis (a department store) to get me a watch. Dean McLeod always wears one, and I know it's one of the Habits of Achievement. I'm spreading the Ervin love all over the globe! Anyway, we ended up at the Wallace Collection for a quickie tour of the museum that contains many pieces that had been rendered homeless when their owners rested their heads on the guillotine during the French Revolution. Mom hurried to get me back to the halls so that I would be there in time for the next Student Union event: the opening of Guy's Bar! It's one of the two campus bars on King's campus, and since I live on Guy's campus, I went over with some of my flatmates. (The other bar is called Tutu's, after King's most famous alumnus: Desmond Tutu. It's also at the Strand Campus, which is about 30 minutes away.)
Next day was mom's last, so we made it a day of churches. I
didn't know that she had such a love of them, but it's the gospel truth! We got off at the Westminster tube stop just as Big Ben was starting his longest bell ringing of the day at noon. We crossed the street to Westminster Abbey where we took an audio tour, narrated by Jeremy Irons, of the place. It's got a ton of baller people buried there like Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Chaucer, the Brontës, Jane Austen... They also have the coronation chair that has been used at every coronation ceremony since 1308. It's amazing to think that things built in the 1800s in America are so "old," but here that's just a regular building. (Some McDonald's here look like they're in buildings from the Victorian era!) When places start over 500 years old, it really blows your mind. Oh, America! What a cute little puss!
Afterwards, we took the tube to St. Paul's Cathedral where we immediately set to climbing the 528 steps to the Golden Gallery, which is at the top of the dome. In case you were wondering, the dome at St. Paul's is
the second largest in the world--second only to St. Peter's in Rome. After the first set of stairs, we were let off at the Whispering Gallery where you can whisper something on one side of the dome and it can be heard across the dome, 32 meters away. As anyone who has been in St. Louis' Union station can verify, St. Louis has got that bit down.
We took a ton of pictures once we had gotten to the tip top and then scurried downstairs to sit briefly before realizing how little time was left before they closed for the evening service and we went down to the crypt. We whirlwinded it but managed to see where Lord Nelson (who entered the army at 14 and has a huge monument in his honor at Trafalgar Square) and Florence Nightingale were buried. We finished up and walked across the street to the
memorial to the World War II firefighters who worked so hard to protect St. Paul's since it was the most bombed in all of Britain and then crossed the Millennium Bridge to get back to South Bank. We stopped at some markets for essentials--Nutella, peanut butter, jelly--before returning to my dorm. The whole trip, mom had been eager for us to enjoy some English fare, so after having already gotten to a pub, all that was left was fish'n'chips. Luckily, on our walk
back, we passed by the Anchor, which was the setting for a scene in Mission Impossible and where Samuel Pepys watched London burn in the Great Fire of 1666. We enjoyed fish'n'chips and peas followed by treacle sponge and Cornish ice creams: toffee, chocolate, and strawberry. It was quite lovely and felt very English. We walked back to my dorm where we had an emotional farewell before parting. I have to say that my biggest regret was not taking any pictures together.
Since Mum left, I've been getting to know my flat, and they're quite a lovely bunch. Everyone on it it from England except two other study abroad students: Laura from American University and Vicky from Germany (I can't remember exactly where she's from, but it's the 5th largest city in Germany. Most, she says, have not heard of it because it doesn't have a lot to offer tourists.) Jen is a kooky Welsh with pink and brown hair who's studying biomedicine. Her friend Tom lives at the end of my hall, and they took the A levels together. Adam is my next door neighbor who's studying physiotherapy. He worked at Toys'R'Us HQ last year in the accounting department before figuring out he didn't want to work in an office. For some reason I thought he was from Surrey but he insists he's from Windsor. Mary is also studying medicine and she's fro outside Wimbledon. Neil (maths) is from Guernsey, an island with a 40 mile perimeter that you may not have heard of but it's off the coast of England. He shared Guernsey tales with us on the first night I stayed here; from what I can gather, it seems like anytime someone murders someone else, he runs to his parents who tell him he ought to turn himself in. Neil says the murderer doesn't really have a choice since there's nowhere else to go. Despite the low numbers of crimes, the police force does have one trained sniper. (For more information on Guernsey,
Visit Guernsey or
Wikipedia that beezy.)
Aside from being dazzled by Guernsey lore, I've been going to college events for study abroad students. Yesterday we went on a boat trip along the Thames, which was nice but I couldn't understand the driver's accent. It's been very interesting to hear all the accents from the different regions of England. Friday I went to the Fresher's Fair and was in line with a girl from Manchester, and hers was really light. But Southeast Londones' accents are much harsher--more "normal" as Louisa (from the West part of London, which is considered posh) said when I marveled at the euphony of sounds around me while we went on a scavenger hunt through the city. What I miss most about America/Wash U right now is their registration system. If I want to switch classes, I have to personally notify the administrator and study abroad advisor of the department from which I am dropping a class as well as those people from the department where I want to pick up one. Nothing is online! Not that it would have mattered since I just got the internet two days ago... I had to go to my department's meeting to find out when and where my classes were, which wasn't that helpful since I have a class in room KS 1B04. No clue what that means. Canadian Mark Betz, who is the head of the Film Studies program this semester told us that nothing in Britain works and that you could give yourself a heart attack trying to fight it. I bought my course readers the other day and was pleased to find that they cost less than my American books would have. Apparently, they don't have to worry about copyrights here, so professors can photocopy to their hearts' content, and believe you me, some of them did. My Third Cinema and Beyond course has one reader for the Lent Term and one for the Michaelmas Term. I have no idea when what those mean.
At the Fresher's Fair on Friday I was suddenly made acutely aware of how diverse Wash U's community is, which is not to say that KCL's is not, but I was certainly disappointed by the clubs they had. The large majority of tables were dedicated to sport, nation(ality) appreciation, medicine, or religion. Unfortunately, none of these really appeal to me. I ended up signing up for Marrow (which is tangentially related to Mixed), the Film Society, and the Business Club (peer pressure). But I was sad that there wasn't a cultural group I could really call my own. There wasn't even an Association of Black Students (needless to say there wasn't an Association of White Students), so that it seemed almost too divided. I was saddened to suddenly realize that I had lost that mixed community that was so important to me at Wash U. I feel sort of disconnected from anything mixed here. (In case you're wondering, the American was the first--and so far only--person to ask about my race outright. It was barely an hour since we had met: "What's your heritage?" Mom says I should have asked her what hers was. True that. When I was on the scavenger hung, this guy Leon was certainly trying to figure it out as he asked me where I was from. Los Angeles. Had I always lived there? Yep--born and raised. What about your parents? American. It was the same roundabout questioning that Indian people always use with me. Anyone who has heard me pre-frosh testimonies knows this be the case.)
Last night I went to The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Globe, which is about a 10 minute walk from my hall (and near The Anchor that I went to with la mama). It was really fun but when that breeze sweeps through, it bites to the bone. Everyone was very funny and it was a really good time. I'm glad I got to see it before the season ends on 5th October. No pictures because I assumed I wouldn't be able to take any. When someone who I went with puts them on Facebook, I'll put some up! (Or maybe I'll go by at a later date!)
British-American Glossary/Recap!
1. Flat=Floor in a dorm or an apartment
a. Flatmate follows
2. Uni/University=American college
a. College=British high school
i. "Did anyone else form your sixth form come?"="Did anyone from your high school come with you?"
b. A Levels=British version of the SAT IIs. You study specifically for your A Levels when you are in sixth form so that by the time you get to uni you've already studied your subject for two years.
c. Fresher=Freshman
3. Oyster Cards=Card for London transportation
4. TopUp=British (possibly all of Europe's?) way of dealing with phones without purchasing a plan. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but I can already tell it's a crock.
Sorry this post is so long, but it was 2 weeks worth of fun. Laters to be shorter. Plomise!
This is a picture I couldn't figure out where to put. It's the view from the South side of the Thames looking back across the Millennium Bridge at St. Paul's Cathedral. Sweet, right?
I'm sure my post the other day about being left out of the King's cultural mix sounded really emo of me, but it's the truth. Anyway, I found evidence of the Indian thing that I mentioned before in some reading I've been doing while waiting for my text books to arrive. I'm reading Danzy Senna's Caucasia, which I heard about through my moms. Mount Holyoke assigned it as summer reading for the incoming freshman class. Knowing how much I love mixed things, she recommended it to me. Swell lady. Needless to say it's tremendously better/more interesting than Wash U's assigned book when I was a freshman: One Nation, Underprivileged. Here's one of the passages that really spoke to me in terms of its honesty and relatability:
