The return to reality

Now that it has been a little over a month since my return, I can honestly say studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  I have returned to campus with a deeper appreciation for the cultural differences that make London and Austin such different, and yet similar, cities.  Both Austinites and Londoners are vibrant, exciting, and engaging people, yet they express themselves differently through style and taste. I deeply love both cities and cultures.

Sometimes I think of London and wonder if it was all a dream, but when I look back on the relationships formed, I know that the friendships I made are tangible proof of my trip.  Studying abroad is as much about the people you'll meet as it is the food you'll experience, or the famous artwork you'll get to see up-close.  It's an overall rich, eye-opening experience that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.

Day 55

The trip is over!  Almost.  But I had my oral presentation today, which ends all my academic responsibility.  All that is left is the flight home.  It has been a terrific trip, but I am super excited to return back to Texas.  Hooray, America!

The things I did these last couple of days:

• Saw the Olympic Torch!
• Visited Camden Market again
• Ate at Byron again
• Had Snog
• Visited the Victoria & Albert Museum
• Visited the British Museum (and saw the Rosetta Stone!)
• WALKED SO MUCH

Opening ceremonies are tonight!  All the Olympic buzz around London has gotten me super excited.  I've even seen a couple of athletes walking around!  Wonder what it feels like to be them.

Pizza Hut

The Pizza Huts here house themselves in fancy, sit-down restaurants with posh wooden tables accompanied by a dim-lit, evening-time ambiance.  They also deliver.

That is all.

Cambridge!

I visited Cambridge on Monday and had an absolutely delightful time.  The sun was out the whole day, which was a nice change from all the rainy weather (though it was a little hot at times).  My body no longer knows what 100 degree weather feels like...

Highlights from Cambridge:

• Punting!  We took a boat down a river and casually drifted along as our tour guide meandered down the river with a long metal rod.
• Stopped for candy at a local candy shop
• Had tea and cakes at Fitzbillies
• Bought some tasty spring rolls from the local market
• Visited the Cambridge University Garden
• Dinner at the Copper Kettle

Today, I saw the Dark Knight Rises (which was so good) and noticed a couple of things about watching movies in the UK:

1. You buy your ticket with an assigned seat (which you get to pick)
2. Even though the showtime might say 15:50, the actual movie doesn't start until about 30 minutes after the listed time.  15:50 is the start of commercials, then previews, then more commercials, then the actual movie.  It was ridiculous.
3. Most movies come out later here (like, apparently The Lorax is coming out this week when it has been out since March in the States)
4. At the movie theater I went to, you buy your ticket where you buy your concessions 

Seeing The 39 Steps tomorrow with a friend studying abroad in Oxford!  Can't believe I'll be back in the States in just a few more days.

I frolicked in a field of cows

I went to the Tower of London on Friday and was slightly underwhelmed by it all.  The place is full of tall, stone buildings rich in history and information, but being surrounded by streets of traffic and lofty apartments buildings made me feel like I was in a theme park.  A lot of things within the Tower were replicas, understandably so, but still a little bit disappointing for the price I paid (almost $30 to get in).  I got to see the crown jewels, though!  Very shiny and pretty.

Today, I took a day trip to Oxford with some friends.  I made it on the train five minutes before it left!  I don't think I've ever power-walked so hard.  Oxford is very pleasant, especially the open fields (some full of cows too).  I don't know if it's somewhere I would ever live, but it's a nice place to go for a quick getaway.

Highlights from Oxford:

• Taking pictures of cows
• Taking jumping pictures next to cows
• Seeing Christ Church
• Seeing Oxford University
• Enjoying the sun (it didn't rain at all today!)
• Eating ice-cream while enjoying the scenery 
• Eating dinner at a place called Shanghai 30's - a Chinese restaurant with a 1930s decor 

A week from now, I'll be on a plane back to the States!  Surreal. 

The eats

Wednesday: Smiths of Smithfield, a trendy place where each level has a different menu. Had a goodbye lunch here with the fellow interns and our mentors.

Thursday: Dinner at Chop Chop Noodle Bar, delicious and really cheap food.  My bowl of duck noodle soup was only like five pounds!

Friday: Lunch at Franco Manca again and dinner at Ottolenghi.  Looking forward to it!

Farewell, Aqueduct

Aqueduct Interns, Summer 2012!

Last day of work today felt so unreal.  To summarize my experience, here's the final e-mail I sent to my mentor.  Already missing everyone!

Interning at Aqueduct has been much like trying out a new, obscure restaurant you found on Yelp.  You’ve been anticipating it, having looked at the website and everything, but when you actually arrive you’re unsure of how to handle yourself.  Where do you sit?  Is someone going to come talk to you?   Where are the toilets?  What happens when you go to the toilet and get locked out and have no way of contacting anyone?  The common questions everyone asks themselves, I'm sure.  

With that being said, if Aqueduct was a restaurant I could review on Yelp, I would definitely recommend it to all my friends.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here, and though it has been short, I walk away with much knowledge gained.  One of my favorite things about coming into the office (beside competitive ping pong matches working as my background music) was knowing that my hundreds of powerpoint slides have/had a purpose in life.  I never received any “busy work,” nothing that seemed boring and purposeless.  I really appreciate all the time that was put into individually assigning all of the interns tasks despite the un-human schedule Aqueduct seems to run on.  I remember talking to you about my interest in charity work/marketing during my phone interview, and I feel like that interest of mine was catered to through the assignments I received through Age Scotland and London Cancer. It was great seeing my work contribute to someone else’s and be part of a bigger process, a source of much joy and pride for me.  I imagine that’s what seeing your child grow up and graduate feels like, only perhaps there will be more tears.

I very much enjoyed the work environment as well.  It wasn’t awkward talking to others, and it wasn’t awkward not talking to others.  Everyone maintains a very genuine, organic feel, which allowed me to feel right at home in a matter of weeks.  Some of my favorite moments have been random run-ins at the kitchen accompanied by small chats here and there (my other favorite moment was getting a ping pong balled kicked into my face – danger in the workplace!).

In light of my previous paragraph, working more with others or even the other interns is something I would have liked to do.  It would have been great to collaborate with another intern for a project, or perhaps brainstorm different ideas with them.  The people in this office cover a wide variety of skills, and I would have very much enjoyed getting more of an insight as to what people do here.  While everyone was very friendly and kind, I felt disconnected at times because I had no idea what everyone else was doing, who was involved with which accounts, etc.  The individualization of projects definitely gave me more ownership over my work, but I think it would have been beneficial to talk over projects with some of the other interns. 

Also, even though I feel like a whiny child saying this, I would have really enjoyed more time talking with you.  One of the best ways to learn (I think) is to hear from other people who have gone before you, who have that extra experience that you lack.  Aqueduct puts out some really exceptional work, and I would have loved to hear from you about how the company has changed, has evolved, or how it is growing.  However, I don't mean to sound unappreciative. I know both of you are very busy, and I already feel like you donated a generous portion of your schedule to us.  If there is ever a clone machine in the works, I will definitely recommend you or Mario Balotelli as the first test subjects.  Both of you would make for some exciting/terrifying clones (just kidding, you're not terrifying)!

Thank you so much for everything!  I am very grateful for your guidance and mentorship these past six weeks.

Sincerely,

Deandra

The weekend

I got my hair cut by a very friendly Japanese lady on Thursday, which was great because my hair was feeling so heavy and gross.  The best part was when she tried to get all the knots out of my hair for about five minutes.  I don't even know how those got there.  Regardless, thank you to the Danny Oh salon for such a great haircut and head massage. 

Friday, I took a brisk walk to Chancery Lane and met my friend for Korean food!  I hadn't eaten out all week, so I was super excited to try out Tohbang.  All the reviews were spot on; this place is extremely delicious.  I literally could not even talk to my friend in front of me because I was too enamored by the food.  We commenced conversation like twenty minutes later.  After lunch, we stopped over at Bubbleology, a bubble tea shop with a very scientific feel to it.  I think it was my first time going to a bubble tea place that didn't look/feel super Asian.  Everyone was wearing lab coats inside!  I want to go again.  Our bubble tea stop was followed by a trip to Portobello Market.  It has all your typical market things like clothes and cheap produce, but my favorite part was looking at all the antiques and vintage items.  The further you went down Portobello road, the more genuine it felt.  

Later that night, I ate at Franco Manca with some friends and was able to taste some very savory and fresh pizza made on sourdough bread.  The pizzas are very reasonably priced, especially for how good they taste.  We snagged some bags of popcorn and headed back to the tube stop to head over to the London Eye.  After going through the 4D London Eye experience (which was just bizarre), we hopped on board the London Eye!  It was exciting, but it was also not as dark outside as I would have liked.  It also started raining, so that didn't help anything (rain is pretty unhelpful at times).  After our thirty-minute go around the wheel, we walked over to London Bridge to see the Olympic rings.  It was quite a long and rainy walk, but seeing London lit up at night was worth it.  

Saturday was spent finishing my research paper.  It was painful.

And as of today, so far I have gone to church, eaten some sushi, and taken a trip to Hampstead Heath.  Also, it has yet to rain today!!  Yaaaay!

Ping pong

Got a ping pong ball kicked into my face today during work (followed by much laughter and apologies), ate a huge thing of falafel from Pilpel for only four pounds (so like $6), ate a twizzle (marshmallows hand-dipped in white chocolate and rolled in deliciously crunchy sprinkles)from Starbucks, which looks like:

And ended the day by running through sporadic showers of rain in order to buy some fresh apples.  

Good day!

I'm actually on an eat abroad trip

Yesterday:

• There was a lot of rain, but I walked to church anyway.  The tube just seems so stuffy and smelly to me now...
• No shoes are waterproof in London.  NO SHOES.  
• 11:00AM service 
• Singleness is a gift
• Lunch at Wasabi
• A woman from the church I go to overhead the conversation I was having with my friend and joined us.  ChristChurch go-ers are so friendly!
• Dinner at The Breakfast Club (but by dinner, I mean I had an English breakfast)

I think when people ask me what I did this summer, I'm just going to say I went on an "eat abroad" trip.  I spend more time eating and thinking about eating than I do studying . . . let's be honest.  

Haha studying.

July 4th

July 4^th is not a big deal here in London which I’m sure no one finds particularly shocking.  I saw one girl with the American flag peaking out of her backpack while I was walking to work, but its nonchalant waving in the wind made it seem more like a style choice as opposed to an act of American pride.    

A fellow intern and I were sent on a small excursion during work yesterday (I wrote this on the 5th, so on July 4th).  I can’t give away much detail, but basically we had to go find a nice, white, jewelry/fountain pen box for free.  Though we were both unsure of this task at first, it was exciting to leave the office for a couple of hours.  We headed over to a shopping center near St. Paul’s and politely asked as many jewelry/high-end stores about their availability of nice boxes.  To my surprise (and to my friend’s as well), everyone was very nice about our bizarre question.  We were able to snag some boxes from a couple of companies, but even the ones who couldn’t give us the boxes recommended us to other places.  The more we asked around, the more suspicious I felt.  Our interactions usually went like this:

“Hey, we’re working on a project for our company and we need a nice, white jewelry box…for something…so if you have a spare one…you know...but yeah….”

I don’t even know how we ended up with three boxes.  Many of the employees we talked to expressed that they were afraid of counterfeits popping up if they just gave out boxes, which made sense to me.  We returned to the office and handed in the boxes, hoping that at least one of them would be helpful.

I have been asked if the people of London are rude, inconsiderate, or spiteful toward Americans.  For the past month I’ve been here, I have yet to encounter such a person.  Everyone has been very kind and friendly.  I have nothing but pleasant things to say about the Londoners. 

and then my feet were like "why are you doing this to us?"

Yesterday, I walked around Regent’s Park for about two hours.  Regent's is really beautiful, but I don’t think my existence has ever experiencing walking so much.  I was trying to meet up with a friend (it was her last day in London), but after searching for her for two hours I headed back to my dorm and realized I had misunderstood things…so then we met around my area and got some smoothies.  And then we said farewell!  I’ll see her again in a month, though.  Yay Texas.

Today!  Woke up at 11:00AM, ate a quick breakfast, wriggled into some clothes, popped on my new shoes from Peacocks (only 10 pounds!), scurried down the stairs and made my way outside.  I walked over to the Old Spitalfields area (after making a wrong turn and fighting some crazy wind/rain combination) to meet up with some friends (more like friends of a friend) for lunch.  A mutual friend back in Texas brought us together, but after conversation started I felt like we had always been friends.  I really enjoy meeting new people.  There’s something eye-opening about crossing paths with people who don’t belong to your “circle.”  We ate at Scarlet Dot and parted ways, but not before snapping a couple of photos together.

Took the tube over to Knightsbridge and met up with a friend at Harrods.  Harrods is probably the most extravagant store/place/everything I’ve ever seen.  It’s like all the luxury stores packed into one building.  Everything is priced ridiculously high.  The most entertaining part of the store was the “Egyptian Escalators.” They was decorated very ornately and even had a woman signing from a balcony…in a room full of escalators….

We did some souvenir shopping afterward, walked around Hyde Park, picked up some more souvenirs from an Olympics store, and ended the day with a tasty dinner at Tortilla (as my friend put it, the British version of Chipotle).  Good day!

Bath, a bullet points edition

Day 1

• Took the train to Bath from Paddington. Train was pretty nice, but the best part was passing by beautiful scenery and taking in the countryside.  Also, COWS EVERYWHERE!!  
• Checked into our B&B.  It is not as bad as all the reviews say!!  TripAdvisor is just mean. I very much enjoyed my stay there.  
• Ventured over to The Crescent. 
• Strolled over to The Circus.
• Went to the Fashion Museum and got to try on some fabulous Victorian dresses.
• Walked by St. John's.
• Saw Bath Abbey.
• Went to the Jane Austen Centre! Was definitely falling asleep at this point...my apologies to the woman who gave the presentation.  I will never sit in the front row again.

Day 2

• Went to Stonehenge.  It's a very interesting thing to look at.  I listened to an audio guide for about an hour about all these different theories as to why Stonehenge was created.  My favorite was the one about Merlin the wizard.  I bet it's that one.
• Made our way over to the Roman Baths.  History everywhere!  I dipped my hand in the water and had this yellow film on my fingers afterward.  Cool.
• Ran through the rain to get to The Beau Nash to get some dinner and watch the Span v. France game.
• RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN

Day 3

• Enjoyed my last full English breakfast (sausage, bacon, toast, fried egg, mushrooms, beans, and more) of the weekend
• Went to a worship service at Bath Abbey
• Holburne Museum
• Lunch at Cafe Au Lait
• Victoria Art Gallery
• Ate some ice cream while enjoying the sunny day
• Bought a copy of Jane Austen's Persuasion from a local bookstore
• Took the train back to London!

Excellent weekend.

Boyce Avenue

I am officially a City University student!  I was able to register today after slogging through the rainy weather, only to be met by waves of humidity as I walked back from grocery shopping.  Groceries are so heavy!  There's only so much I can buy at a time, which I guess is a good thing.  I kind of miss cars and not having to carry groceries...but walking is also nice.

Headed over to Camden Market afterward with some friends.  As cool as markets are, I always feel like the people at the stalls are very sketchy and want to take as much money from you as possible.  It makes me very antsy and wide-eyed, and I end up looking like:

 
Anyway, I was able to get some pretty cool things after some sad/successful attempts at haggling.  Every time someone would "lower the price" I knew they were just acting like they were being kind.  Stall owners seem to be very deceptive, or maybe I'm just being cynical.

We walked around the area for a while, browsing around and pointing at all the things that entertained us.  It's a pretty hipster/punk park of town.  We somehow ended up strolling through Regent's Park and ended our walk at Regent's College, where one of my friends is staying.  After resting our feet for a bit, we ventured out to eat at Gourmet Burger Kitchen.  Good meal!  And it also came with a 40% student discount!

To end our night, we made our way over to the Hammersmith Apollo to see Boyce Avenue!  I was surprised that the concert was sold out.  Who knew Londoners were such big fans of Boyce Avenue?  The line we waited in to get inside was crazy of all kinds.  We ended up missing the very first opener (Alex Goot) because the line was so long, but after getting inside and finding our seats we were able to catch the second opener (Tyler Hilton).  And then Boyce Avenue!! They were very good, as expected. A man proposed to his girlfriend on stage during the concert!  Good thing she said yes.  Concert would have been super awkward otherwise...

Leaving for a weekend trip tomorrow!  I'm visiting Bath!  Fun times await.

Also, everyone needs to try eating Coco Shreddies at least once in their life.    

Confidential

I met the founder of Aqueduct (the agency I work at) today!  After listening to him talk about how he wants to engage us in the company and give us hands-on experience, I concluded that he is very charming and nice.  Aqueduct treats their interns so well.  One of my advisors talked to me about Austin, TX today!  I was so giddy when I told him I was from there/I study there.  Rackin' up the cool points!!  But then I lost them when he asked me if I knew anything about football, to which I said "there is ball and your leg body parts hit it sometimes I guess maybe."

I worked off of a confidential brief today!!  I felt so special that I decided to create a powerpoint with 88 slides to document how special I felt.  Not really, but I did create that jumbo powerpoint for some research I'm doing.  Even though it took me around five hours, I'm still not done yet!  Is this what the rest of my life will be like?!  Just kidding, it's really not that bad.  Today was probably the most enjoyable day of work thus far.  I like being able to focus upon a long-term project instead of a bunch of smaller ones.  It's those smaller ones that slowly kill you inside and make you drink your weight in tea/water so you can use the restroom more to avoid work...

The day ended well with a showing of Les Mis at the Queen's Theatre.  It's such a beautiful piece of work and I cannot wait for the movie so I can watch it as many times as I want!  I saw a student production of Les Mis a couple of years ago at a local theater in Texas.  Seeing it then helped me appreciate it much more now.  There are so many layers of complexity that go into the story, so many human truths that emerge out of the songs.

"He gave me my life, he called me brother...can such things be?"

St. Paul's

Sat on the steps of St. Paul's today after having a light dinner at Cafe Rouge with a new friend.  As the wind gently carried our laughter off toward the sun's beaming rays, I couldn't help but think that it's the simplest evenings that are the most satisfying.

Six

After hitting my snooze button numerous times and ignoring the light coming from my window, I was able to get myself out of bed at 11:00AM.  So lazy, I know.  I meant to wake up earlier to look at art at the Tate with my uncle, but instead I just ended up meeting him for lunch there.  I think I'll go back later when the Munch exhibit drops by.  We walked around for about an hour or so after lunch and then stopped to get some pistachio gelato from Gelatorino.  It was a pleasant afternoon.  After some browsing around (and stopping by Muji, which I am convinced is my uncle's favorite store), it was time to say farewell to hipster uncle!  I'm sad he's gone, but I'll see him in another six months or so.  

Speaking of the number six, I have exactly six weeks left in London as of today.  It's strange to think that a quarter of my time here has already passed.  There's still so much left to do!

Today was a windy day

I quite enjoy having a four-day weekend.  London is such a busy place, and with every cobblestone road my tiny feet tread upon, the more it dawns on me that seven weeks in London isn't enough to experience it all. I would imagine that it would take a least a couple of years for one to really know the city. With that being said, I am glad I have free time to explore all those curvy roads and little shops that make London what it is - a combination of the unique, the old, the fun, the posh, and the urban.  It's a fantastic city.

I visited Oxford Circus today.  As I emerged out of the subway station, immediately my eyes were drawn to the large crowds and even larger buildings.  The area was packed with skinny arms full of shopping bags, methodically swinging side to side as if to flaunt themselves.  I didn't have anywhere to be until 1:00PM, so I wandered into what has to be the largest TopShop ever.  Clothing, accessories, shoes, bags...and also frozen yogurt, a cupcake bar, a hair salon, and an EAT food court.  I was stunned. An hour passes by very quickly in there.

After getting lost and calling my friend for directions (thank you Corrie!!), I made my way to Yauatcha to meet my hipster uncle for lunch (same uncle from yesterday). Pretty sure he doesn't think he's hipster, but he totally is. Anyway, we ate some delicious dim sum and then made our way to the National Gallery. For anyone who even has the slightest interest in art, you have to go here. Not only is the inside beautifully designed, but the amount of paintings and the history behind them is amazing.  It's way too big to comprehend in one day, so I hope to go back in the upcoming weeks.  Art is the best.

A hour or so later we were back to casually walking around.  We checked out Superdry since apparently it is getting quite popular (or so my uncle tells me). Neither of us were impressed. It's like faux Japanese clothing at Abercrombie and Fitch prices.  I observed my uncle drink a cup of coffee afterward, and we then split for a couple of hours to do some shopping.  I managed to snag some pieces from Vero Moda which was exciting since there isn't a Vero Moda open in the states as of now.  Finally did some legitimate UK shopping!

Met with the uncle around 8PM for dinner.  We ate at a somewhat sketchy looking Korean restaurant (it was named Corean Chili), but it was tasty none the less. Got to each the England vs. Sweden game while eating too!  Congrats on the win, England! I'm still amazed at how hard football players can hit the ball with their heads.

Things:

1) Sizes are a lot smaller here.  I fit into a 2 or 4 (depending on the store) comfortably in US sizes, but I'm struggling to fit into 8's here...think I need to go for a 10. Or maybe I've just gained that much weight since the two weeks I've been here

2) Londoners are willing to pay a lot for their clothing. Everything I bought today was from the sale rack, and even then I thought it was a little pricey.

3) I love not being in 100 degree weather.

4) My uncle saw Gordon Ramsey standing outside one of his restaurants today.  I want to see Gordon Ramsey!

5) I saw a girl from my high school while passing by a Chipotle window.  So random, but so cool.

Eating everything

Woke up, ate lunch at New Culture Revolution with Phoebe, did some grocery shopping, did some laundry doing, ate some snacks, went to Leicester Square/Covent Garden, met up with my suspicious violinist uncle (he's not actually suspicious), walked around, ate at Sagar, went home, ate a variety of things from my fridge.

If this is any indication of the future, my days off will be spent stuffing my face with as much food as possible.  AT ALL TIMES.  As the great poet, Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba, once said, "there's a party in my tummy / so yummy / so yummy."

Yes.

Work!

Got lost while going to my first day of work today! Of course. Google maps tricked me, that sneaky thing. I was only ten minutes late after power-walking up some escalators in a pencil skirt (terrible experience), so that was nice.  Upon arriving, I learned that there would be four other interns!  Exciting news!  Four of us all live in the same house, and apparently we all got lost today thanks to Google maps.  GOOGS, WHY.

I enjoyed my first day.  At Aqueduct, there's an abundance of tea, coffee, and the color yellow. Everyone is super down-to-earth and chill.  Here are some e-mails I received today:

J: "Hi all. There are new interns near the kitchen end of the office here for the summer. Please make them welcome."
D (in response to J): "Wa gwan new homies! Feel free to come and say 'Hi' and put some new fresh music on! the rain's making me depressed so i'm playing depressing rap...."
C (in response to J): "Hi interns! I'm quite new here too.  Once you get through the hazing it's really good fun."
T (in response to C): "You're not through the hazing yet C."


After eating out with the other interns at The Distiller, the five of us gave presentations over Euro 2012.  We researched websites and phone applications in relation to Euro 2012 and how well they were set-up, what they were missing, what could have been better, etc.  It was pretty chill first day.  There was a lot of tea drinking.  At 5:00PM we got to watch the England v. France game with co-workers which was fun.  The game ended up being a tie.

Met Tacy for dinner at Byron after work and then successfully made my way back home in the rain. Everyone keeps telling me the weather isn't usually like this, so I hope it'll get better later this week.  It's no fun walking to/from work in the rain!

Old Spitalfields Market

Went on a market outing today! Us Thoresby kids made our way to Old Spitalfields Market to do some genuine London shopping around 12:00PM. There was so much stuff to see, though like most markets I've been to the stuff started repeating after a while. Regardless, was able to buy a cute sweater and a dress.  I also had my first experience of haggling!  I didn't even end up getting the dress, but he totally lowered the price by two pounds for me.  SCORE.

I ate at Wagamama for lunch around 1:30PM, inhaling a tasty bowl of wagamama ramen.  I need to start eating breakfast, or at least an earlier lunch.  Said goodbye to my friends and then headed over to the tube to meet up with people at a Starbucks in front of St. Paul's.  St. Paul's is giant and gorgeous, and I along with many other tourists stood and listened to the bells chime from within.  A couple of minutes later, I met up with some girls from ChristChurch London, a church I have decided to check out for my duration in London.  It was nice getting to know them and hear what they thought about Texas (mostly cowboys and open land).  We headed over to the building service is in and it totally reminded me of the church I go to back in Austin.  Everyone was familiar with one another, hugs and smiles encompassing the room. I really enjoyed the service. I was reminded once again of what it feels like to be a newcomer to a church, how strange and scary it can be to walk into a room where you don't know anyone. I hope I can remember this feeling back in Austin whenever someone new comes.  It definitely can be an overwhelming experience.  Points from the sermon:

1) Faith always has an object. You can't have faith in nothing. Are you putting your faith in the right thing?

2) It's not about how much faith you have, but who your faith is in.    

3) Healing people through prayer was discussed today. It's not about the words, but about the faith.  When you pray for someone, remember that illness does not get scared by eloquent words or decibels of loudness.  People do.  Be genuine.  And when you pray, start off with thanks.  It is a way of reminding yourself of what God has done and His faithfulness.

Relaxing at home right now and preparing myself for work tomorrow!  Got my Oyster card today (with the Queen's face on it too) and am ready to go.  I think.  Still need to figure out how to get to work.

Oh, and:

1) People say "bless me" here when they sneeze.

2) Another word for exhausted is "shattered."  This probably isn't just a British thing, but I hadn't heard it before.

3) Television is the "telly."

4) SXSW is pretty well known in the UK, or at least with the people I've talked to about it. Woo woo, Austin!  You go.

5) University is called "uni."

Greenwich

Took a boat to Greenwich today.  It was a nice little cruise down River Thames, but I was definitely falling asleep part of the time.  That jet-lag, you guys.  The worst.  Walked around the Greenwich marketplace and saw lots of cute things!  It was kind of like the street markets of Hong Kong/Philippines, except less Asian.  And probably cleaner.

Ate fish and chips at a cute little restaurant and then proceeded to go see some touristy things in the area.  We headed over to the Royal Observatory, home of the GMT!  Woop woop!  Went to the Queen's House afterward and got to see some pretty nice paintings.  Greenwich is definitely a very cute area, but it's quite small and is mostly just filled with tourist attractions.  There was some contraction going on for the Olympics, though.  That was exciting to see!

We took a bus back to central London and then transferred to the tube.  I took a nice three hour nap when we got back.  As my friend put it, being a tourist is hard!  Not really, but I think I'm still adjusting to the time here.  The rest of the night was nice, just relaxing and catching up with e-mails/people/books/everything.  I feel like it's the end of vacation and I'm going home soon, but in reality I'm just about to start my internship and my one class.  None the less, I am excited.

Random notes:

1) British people really like putting things in glass jars

2) My pronunciation of the word "water" does not please British people

3) Americans slur their words

4) Prêt A Manger is EVERYWHERE

Keep Left

Today went at a nice pace.  With registration being canceled, my day was free except seeing my uncle play in a concert (though he ended up not being able to get in the country, so that didn’t happen . . .).  After waking up, I did some reflection over my day yesterday and took care of a couple of things.  Around 1:00PM I headed out to Westminster to meet up with some friends, and I traveled on the tube all by myself!  Intimidating at first, but it was actually kind of fun to pretend I knew what I was doing.  I felt like a young British woman, ready to take on the world!  Sort of.

I arrived at Westminster around 1:40PM and made my way to Westminster Abbey (as my friend put it, it is THE church).  After meandering my way in (also scoring a student discount with my UT ID), I was overwhelmed by the quintessence of the place.  Its grandness is absolutely stunning.  Intricate architecture fills up your eyes and pours into your peripheral, lights and stained glass adding a splash of color here and there.  The church is so rich in history that I couldn’t help but try to imagine who was standing where I was hundreds of years ago.  After getting over the initial shock of how captivating the church is, I wandered around until I ran into my friend Frederick!  Frederick belongs to my fellowship back at home in Texas, as do the two other people he is traveling with, Francis and Derek. It was so strange to see him.  His presence (along with Derek’s and Francis’) made me feel like we were back in Austin. We finished touring together, stopping to marvel at how many graves were inside the church and how amazing it was to be there.  We saw the grave of the author of the Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer!  And John Keats' grave.  And many others.

We made our way to Westminster Cathedral afterward, another very majestic and grand building.  It was a lot quieter than Abbey, and I found myself drawn to the peacefulness of the cathedral.  It seemed as though no one wanted to interrupt the quietness of the building.  I observed many people sitting and kneeling, praying facing the hanging cross with a picture of the crucifixion on it.  It was a moving sight, to be so little in front of such a majestic and grand building whose purpose is to bring glory to God.  I couldn’t help but think of how I’m still so young at 20, especially in comparison to these buildings that have been existing for hundreds of years.  It was definitely something to think about. 

I said goodbye to my friends around 5:30PM and headed back to Angel station.  Ate some yummy chicken at Chicken Cottage and decided to make my way back home. While I was walking back, I ran into my neighbor and decided to do some grocery shopping with her at Sainsbury's.  I made my way back with bags of frozen food to keep me for the next few days.  Got home, dropped off groceries, and now I’m typing this at a coffee shop/bike shop called Look Mum No Hands.  It’s quite the trendy place, and many bikers (or what I assume are bikers) are standing off to my left conversing.  This shop is quite cute, but I think it’d be better for me to come back in the afternoon.  It’s a little too noisy to focus on things at times.  About to head back home – hope I don’t get lost!

UPDATE: Totally got lost!!  Made it back okay, though :)

Also, random things to note:

1) Ice is not a thing here, but the weather has been cold enough so it has not been needed anyway

2) ALWAYS KEEP TO THE LEFT

3) The streets here are extremely confusing

Familiar face

Yesterday was quite a tiring day. After waking up around 10:30AM (not that early, I know), I got ready and headed out to the Arcadia University housing office at Palace Court with some of my friends.  We took the tube and grabbed a quick lunch at EAT.  It was a tasty meal.  We looked at a couple of small cafes/shops before deciding on one, but it seems that London has pretty good eating options regardless of where you choose to go.  One thing I really enjoy about London (though I'm not sure if this is just a big city thing) is that there doesn't ever seem to be huge restaurants like in the U.S.  Most sit-down places are still pretty small, making your eating experience seem more intimate and peaceful.

After we finished lunch, we headed over to Palace Court to get our course packets.  My course packet is pretty big. . . sometimes I forget I'm on this trip to study and not to just play.  Carrying my course packet around with me the whole day was a good reminder of this.  I headed out to the Natural History Museum afterward with a friend I made from the best airplane ride of my life (also known as my arrival flight, and it wasn't actually the best).  While we were stuffing ourselves on the tube, a petite asian girl managed to get her hand and bag stuck outside of the door after barely getting in.  It was scary.  I was afraid the tube was going to go, leaving her hand and bag subject to the high speeds of the tube and the hard concrete walls.  The doors opened for her, but now I'm paranoid of getting stuck in the doors of the tube.

The Natural History Museum is a giant building in South Ken that looks much like a castle.  It is a beautiful building, holding an old charm to it.  We waited in line for about thirty minutes before entering, holding our umbrellas and trying to stay as dry as possible (not very possible).  Most museums here are free, so once we entered we began to explore as much as we could.  It was really crowded, but I was kind of expecting that.  It's a very informative and fun museum - would definitely recommend it to anyone who comes here, though I wouldn't recommend going around 3:00PM.

Afterward, I headed over to Greenfields Sandwich Emporium to wait for some friends to meet me for dinner.  I had about an hour and half before we met for dinner, so I ordered a hot chocolate, pulled out "This is Not a Pipe," and sat outside on a cute green bench and watched the rain pour down.  I thoroughly enjoy watching the British people go about their daily lives and picking up bits of conversation here and there.  They're all so stylish and put together.  I hope to have more times like this.

Around 6:00PM, two of my friends showed up and then we met with Tacy, my friend from high school!  It's crazy that she's studying abroad in London as well, but I cannot even express how happy I was to see her.  It's nice to see a familiar face after throwing yourself into a new environment.  We walked around for a bit and decided at eating at Carluccio's.  Food was good, but we ended up being charged for our water.  Note to self: When a waiter asks you for still or sparking water, just ask for tap. . . or just run away because that restaurant is probably too expensive for you anyway.  Went to the Kensington Creperie afterward for some dessert, then headed out to Westminister!

Westminister is where all the touristy stuff is.  Right when we exited the tube station we were greeted by a pleasant view of the very tall and majestic Parliament building.  It's crazy to think I have a friend interning there.  I saw the London Eye, Westminister Abbey, and Big Ben! We watched darkness blanket the area slowly, only to have Big Ben and Parliament to light up to counteract the night.  It was an amazing site, and I really feel like I'm in London now.  Well, kind of.  Sometimes I feel like I'm still in the states.  But it was a great night none the less, fighting the wind and enjoying some laughs with one another along the way.

Returned home afterward and was super knackered.  I didn't end up sleeping until late though, catching up on e-mails and other things.  I need to start managing my time better.  And this trip just started! Ugh.  Why are there so many things to do here?! There's not really anything planned for today until nighttime, so I hope I can catch up and start sleeping at a good time again.

Knackered

Today was my first full day in London! Well, kind of. I suppose yesterday was technically a full day in London as well since I arrived at 8:30AM-ish, but it wasn't very eventful. Yesterday included buying necessities from Marks & Spencer (kind of like Target), walking around Angel station, getting adjusted to my new dorm room (cozy single room), and meeting a lot of new people. It felt like freshman year all over again - new people, new city, new building. Everything is new to me, which is both a source of excitement and anxiety (or, as I like to call it, exciety).

I woke up with my eyes being greeted by a steady flow of light, leading me to believe it was at least 8:00AM. It was actually 5:30AM. I went back to sleep and woke up around 8:00AM and decided to start my day. I don't really remember what I did anymore during that time beside dip my bread in my glass jar of peanut butter (the joys of living alone), but whatever I was doing it kept me busy until 9:30AM.  Everyone from my building gathered and we departed for City University. The walk there was confusing, but I hope to get a hang of it since I'll be studying there for the next two months. A couple of orientation meetings later (and a nice lunch at Cafe Coco), I walked away with some tidbits of information:

1) You should never make eye contact on the tube (equivalent to the New York subway). Eye contact is considered rude. The best options are to stare at your feet or at people's knees, especially when it gets crowded and people's faces are literally pushed up against one another. Being short means I stare at people's knees all the time anyway, so that wasn't too much of a change. Joking! Kind of.

2) Don't start up random conversation on the tube (or just in general).  It's just weird and you just shouldn't. This totally killed my plan of making British friends on the tube, but I suppose I'll just have to get creative with it.    

3) The British are more reserved and timid. I have yet to come across a loud British person.  Everyone seems to mind their tone and pitch quite well in public. I should learn how to do this.

4) The British apologize a lot. Which leads to...

5) The British are very polite. Any small offense or social blunder will cause a waterfall of apologies.

6) Jellied Eel is a thing here. Must try!

7) When the British are exhausted, they say they are knackered. Other fun things to know are: dosh means money, water closet means toilet, peckish means hungry, queue means line, etc.  Acclimating to these words is a little like adapting a whole new vocabulary.

8) "Cheers, thanks!"

After orientation, I traveled back to Angel station with some of my friends and shopped around. We stopped by H&M and I discovered that it is definitely less exciting to go there now that one has opened up in Dallas. Oh well. Following shopping was a trip to South Kensington to meet our academic supervisors who will be working with us on a 5,000 word paper of our choice. South Kensington is a very modern and aesthetic area, overflowing with cafes and museums. I plan to go back tomorrow and soak it all in.

Overall, today was quite nice. Now that I have gotten more familiar with the tube, I can't wait to go see more things!

False Start

After landing in Newark and making my way to the baggage check in, I felt relieved that things were finally settling down. With a new friend in hand, we made our way to the terminal and waited patiently for our plane to get there. Some sandwiches and hours of CNN later, there was an announcement that our flight was delayed.  It wasn't my favorite thing to hear, but I was glad that I had people to wait around with.  Two hours later we were informed that the flight would be delayed again due to engineering problems; however, this time they didn't tell us how long the delay would be, leading us to believe that it would be a long time and that they didn't want to further upset everyone.  It wasn't long until the flight was eventually canceled and everyone was shuffled over to a hotel nearby.

Though the whole situation has been stressful, I am thankful for these things:

1) I can still find joy in God's unchanging character, His sacrifice for me, and all the things He has done for me in the past
2) Everyone I've met so far seems to be pretty friendly, despite the situation
3) Was able to room with two very cool girls; sad we're all staying in different buildings
4) Hotel room is nice and was paid for
5) No one is judging each other for not showering/changing clothes

I hope my next update will be from London!  I'm supposedly flying out at 7:20PM tonight, but I wouldn't be surprised if that doesn't work out...

Missing out?

This upcoming Sunday, June 3, 2012, will mark the start of my trip to London. I'll be there for 56 days interning at an advertising agency named Aqueduct, studying at City University, and hopefully seeing and experiencing as much as I can. I'm super excited, though a little anxious as well. The mixture of these feelings reminds me of combining my favorite juice with Spirte in attempt to make some sort of carbonated fruit beverage - there has to be a perfect mix or it just tastes like really nasty Fanta.

It's so weird to me that this trip is actually happening. I still remember vacillating over the decision in January - study abroad this summer or stay in Austin? I was conflicted. Austin is pretty much home now, or at least a second home. I stayed there last summer, meaning if I left this summer it'd be my longest time away since I started college in 2010. Last summer was probably the best summer of my life (though I'm only 20, so that's not saying too much). Memories include (but are not limited to): late night food runs, trying to hone my cooking skills during dinner parties, dinner parties, brewing coffee at 3AM, concerts every other week, new friends, old friends, fellowship, busting into my neighbor's apartment uninvited (and invited), intense Texas heat, and a lot of muffin baking. Summer of 2011, you were most excellent. 

While there is definitely so much in Austin, the one thing that held me back from committing to studying abroad was my fellowship. Koinonia has been such an integral part of my college experience thus far, and there's no way I could ever tell someone about these past two years of college without mentioning it. I've learned and experienced so much about God, and I was really concerned about what studying abroad would mean for my relationship with God - could I thrive abroad? Koinonia has been such a safe haven for me; could I grow in my relationship with God apart from it? Or would I return from these two months spiritually dry and distant from my creator? Would studying abroad sabotage the one relationship in my life that matters most? Also, my heart has grown quite fond of everyone in Koinonia, especially toward my peers. The thought of leaving everyone for the summer was a saddening one.  It would have been sadder had I known almost all of my peers would end up staying for the summer. 

After a lot of thinking, dwelling, pondering, writing, dreaming, and talking I decided to go. There are a number of reasons why I chose to do so ranging from breaking out of my comfort zone (see: Asians who are Christian . . . or just Asians . . . or just Christians) to traveling around before I'm working, but fundamentally my decision was based upon knowing that I could experience Christ in London. I can grow in my relationship with Him while I am there. I can attempt to get a glance of what his vision is for that city. I've grown up in Texas all my life, but I know God isn't limited to Texas. He's in London, too, and I want to meet Him there. I know it's not going to be easy; there will definitely be a lot of self-discipline involved, but with everyone's prayers and well wishes I hope to stay grounded.

Following the decision, one topic that kept appearing in my mind was the “missing out” on things aspect.  Austin literally has boatloads of things to do, memories to make, and relationships to build. How much would I be missing out on this summer? I have realized that making a decision to stay in once place means you’re missing out on another place. That’s just a fact of life. When you decide on one thing, you don't get the other. Instead of focusing on what I’m missing out on, I want to focus on the opportunities in front of me.  I'm going to travel to a continent I've never even stepped foot on. I've chosen to go on a trip where the amount of uncertainty I feel can only be matched by how excited I am. I will definitely be missing Austin while I'm out of Austin, but as far as feeling as though I'm "missing out?" Perhaps not.