Hola! I just got back from my weekend in Portugal and I'm exhausted, a little stressed about booking more trips and finishing (aka starting) schoolwork, and having what seems like only a very short amount of time left in London - the city I've fallen in love with.
I traveled to Lisbon - the capital city of Portugal - this past Thursday with Molly and three other girls from Villanova. We traveled on EasyJet, one of the cheap European airlines that is a business based on scamming people. There was no free wine on this trip... there was no free anything on this trip. But it was fine! We landed in both Lisbon and back in London safely so I guess I don't personally have too much to complain about... though one of my friends was completely ripped off. So warning: beware of easyjet. Anyway, immediately after getting to Lisbon, I knew I would love it. PALM TREES and a warm night greeted us as the five of us scurried into a cab that we would, days later, realize had severely ripped us off. But I'll get to that story...
We arrived at our hotel, which was in an amazing area of Lisbon. Against calm weather of the night, the streets surrounding our hotel bustled with people enjoying themselves at outdoor cafes and restaurants as musicians played steel drums and guitar in the street. The whole time, we were there, as we would try to siesta in the afternoon after touring, this amazingggg guitar player would play loudly as all of his fans cheered. It was such good music that I didn't care it was interrupting my nap.. aka my reading (I'm currently reading The Time Traveler's Wife, which is not what I expected it to be but is pretty good regardless - I can't put it down). What good music........ I'll write about my musical internship/service thing later! - I officially play the cowbell.... but I'll explain in a different post at another time... I'm stuck on Portugal right now.
Every night we were in Portugal, my friends and I - for some reason - ended up having long, lavish dinners. Every single night we ordered four bottles of wine between the five of us and were legitimately the last table to leave the restaurant as the employees closed down for the night. On our first night, after getting lost walking around aimlessly - though we had a destination we never found, we ended up at this cute Italian place in a really cool part of the city that ended up being down the block from our hotel.... its funny how we always get lost or disoriented in new cities. Somehow, the two Liverpool guys sitting next to us got conned into buying us all roses from street vendors that relentlessly heckled tables at the restaurants so we chatted with them about England and Portugal and America and life...
Later we also befriended our waiter, Luciano, and talked to all the waiters there after closing about what to do in Lisbon -Spanish came in handy during this trip a little bit (but not that much)- and we somehow ended up convincing our new friend Luciano to come out with us! So he rushed back to get his "roommate," Andre, and they took us to some bar. This bar was very strange but I liked it. It was more of like a tackily over-decorated, multi-room, old school (aka traditional) parlor than a bar but the drinks were delicious and it was just funny to be in this strange place with two random Portuguese people - who we think may be lovers more so than roommates.
The next day we put on our shorts to enjoy Lisbon weather, ate lunch at an outdoor cafe in a really cute part of Lisbon a few blocks from our hotel where I ordered cod - which is the main thing to order besides Italian food in Portugal, and then we hopped on a bus tour around the historical part of the city. Lisbon is gorgeous. The buildings are right out of the old world and come in many different colors. However, you can tell that Lisbon - and even Portugal, in general - is a poorer place because though the buildings are beautiful, they're also pretty decrepit, some more than others. Some were perfectly fine actually but if it were a richer country, the buildings would most definitely be preserved or restored a lot better. Another day we took a bus tour around the modern part of the city, which architecturally (word check?) reminds me of Millenium Park in Chicago. Everything in the modern part of the city was named after Vasco da Gama, the explorer I know we all learned about during AP World History and forgot about, but after hearing it so many times on this tour, I will likely never forget that he is the Portuguese explorer who found the maritime route to India. What a good student.
Sintra. Oh Sintra, my love! Sintra is a city we took a 40 minute train ride to from Lisbon and it's where my heart is currently living. A cross between the road to Hana in Maui and Positano in Italy, this small town is out of a dream. I fell in love. We took a bus up the winding roads with hairpin turns - we thought we were going to die - to the Palacio de Pena up in the mountains. The palace, colored beautifully in deep purples and yellows and pinks and grays, stood on top of the mountain and was quite possibly the most peaceful place I've visited recently. The palace - inside and out - was gorgeous. Of course, I paid special attention to the ceilings, which apparently I have a new obsession with. They were decorated differently than the ones at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, both in England, without so much gold and silver detail, but were regal and beautiful in their own sense. You would think visiting castles would get old, but it really just doesn't... plain and simple. The cool thing about Palacio de Pena was that you could really explore it - it wasn't as stuffy as Buckingham or Windsor - though you still weren't permitted to take pictures inside (whoops, I snapped a few anyway). We walked up towers and in and out of state rooms and terraces. The view from the palace was spectacular. Through the stone railings of the palace you could see the entire town of red and white houses below with the Atlantic in the distance. All of this was just too perfect. I did not want to leave. I wish I was still there....
On our way down from Palacio de Pena, we stopped at another part of the town, which reminded me of Positano with its outdoor cafes, quaint alleyways leading to artisan shops, and beautiful views of the towns below and the ocean beyond. I had some amazing gelato - as I did everyday while in Portugal (which is why I've gained 200 lbs)- and searched through the little shops as I fell more in love with this quiet little town that I wish I was still in right now. There were so many more castles and churches to see in Sintra, but time just didn't permit.... I guess I'll have to travel back. I sincerely hope I have the chance to... I liked it so much better than Lisbon and it just seemed like one of those places where you could never be anything but serenely happy... all the townspeople seemed to be. One even fell in love with one of my friends... and expressed it on a napkin ;)
That night after another long dinner in a secluded restaurant behind many cobblestoned and tiled alleyways in Lisbon, we headed to Club Lux. We heard that the lady at the door was scary and hated Americans and would threaten to charge 240 euro for entrance so we went unsure if we would actually get inside the club - but we did - and without such a hefty cover. It wasn't a problem to get in because we showed up early - at 1:30 am! Yup, the clubs there don't really fill up until later than 2:30, which is extremelyyyy unlike London. Lux was cool ... clubbing isn't really my scene - I much prefer bars and pubs and live music to techno and warehouse-like settings... but it was a cool venue regardless. There was a rooftop terrace that allowed us to lay on these oversized comfy loungechair/couches that overlooked the river and the city as we waited for the crowd to arrive in the company of other earlycomers. In the warm weather, it felt similar to lying in the sand at Tobay beach on a warm summer night looking out onto the ocean - except I was actually wearing heels and a dress at a Portuguese nightclub and unfortunately, there was no sand. Those summer nights... it felt so good to be back.
Another night we went to Doxas, which probably means docks in Portuguese, though I'm completely guessing. Doxas was a row of restaurants, bars, and clubs set on a dock to the side of a main Lisbon bridge that looks just like the Bay Bridge in San Francisco and connects to the other side of the river. We ate dinner on the dock next to sailboats and the bridge and... as usual, we were the last ones to leave the restaurant before heading out to the bars/clubs on the same strip. Portuguese people - in Lisbon at least - were not the friendliest to us. We came across a few disgruntled cab drivers, and I don't know, something about us just did not lead us to making very many friends there. They don't have the same obsession with Americans as the Brits (lucky for me) seem to... though my friends did manage to meet some fellow American college students at Lux. ;)
Cascia was another town we visited during our trip - just yesterday I was there, actually. Cascia was a beachy resort town that people from other parts of Portugal and Europe travel to for vacation. Palm trees, outdoor restaurants and bars, gelaterias, boats, and beaches, this town was such a treat in the midst of October in London. I was reminded of coming home on Long Island late at night and smelling the ocean during low tide as we walked along the marinas and searched for good food and wine (ended up having delicious sangria... which made me miss Zim Zari even more) during our last hours in Portugal.
Similar to how Amsterdam was obsessed with marijuana and penises, Portugal was obsessed with roosters. I didn't understand why so I asked a guy in a souvenir shop and he told me a story about the roosters and how they symbolize good luck in Portugal. I meant to buy something with a rooster on it and I never did so I'm really upset because I love good luck! Who doesn't?! Dangggggg, I missed out. I did, however, buy myself boots, a dress, a little tile painting thing of Palacio de Pena, and rose-scented rosary beads... which are sooooo cool... my grandma will be sooo proud. hahaa
Cabs in Portugal are super cheap. Like, ridiculously cheap... we took them everywhere. Our cab from the airport, which was about 25 minutes away when we first arrived, was probably around 35 euro, which between 5 people, wasn't very much for airport transport. So we decided that would be the best way to get back to the airport last night. We couldn't find a van and the taxis are really strict with only taking 4 people, so we split up, upset that this ride would be more expensive. Maybe about 10 minutes after getting in the cab, we arrived at Lisbon airport. The ride cost 8 euro. It was at this point, three days after our 35 euro and 25 minute arriving ride, that we realized we had been ripped off by the first cab! Imagine our shock - though, it was actually kind of a pleasant surprise since we were expecting to pay a lot more, especially since we had to take two taxis between the five of us. Soooooooo I consider myself pretty smart & this is probably the second time I've been ripped off by a cab in Europe - though who knows, maybe it's been more times. Whateverrrr.... it was just a funny realization at that point.. whoopsss! Obrigado! ...... that's pretty much the one word I learned in Portuguese and used over and over and over and over and over and over... it means thank you - you say obrigado if you're thanking a male and obrigada if you're thanking a female.... I almost said obrigado to the passport agent in London because I got so used to it.... it's really a very catchy word.
So I'm back in London now. I just booked my flight to Athens & Budapest for two weeks from now and my train to Paris to meet up with Eileen. All I have left to book is my flight from Budapest to Prague to visit Colleen and my trip to Interlaken, Switzerland for my grand finale sky-diving trip with Amy, a friend from UCL. If I chicken out, I will be so mad at myself. So I better not chicken out. Period.
Anyway, I love London. So much. I am getting so freaked out looking through my planner and realizing I don't have that much time left here. I'm so jealous of everyone coming here next semester - like actually jealous, not even just as a phrase... I'm actually kind of mad about it. I want to stay... and if you know me at all, you know how much I'm obsessed with Villanova. And even though I miss everyone there, it's so cool living in a city & I'm not ready to even think about having to leave, which I guess is good since I have stillllll not booked a flight home yet. Maybe I'll stay here for another semester... too bad I definitely can't afford that after all these trips. I wish.
Obrigado for a great weekend, Portugal :) ............ so corny. don't care. loveeeee<3
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
FML
I finally went to the UCL library... first time in the month I've been here. It is beautiful. More so than a library, it looks like a museum of Renaissance art. It was huge and gorgeous and has a million different rooms with specific subjects. Students don't really buy textbooks here (which is great for me) because they do a ton of reading from many different books so the library is set up so it's easy to find books by subject.
As amazing as the library was with all its splendor [and the rows and rows of beautifully organized philosophy books, which I seriously got excited about like it was a chocolate store], it doesn't compare to Falvey Memorial Library at Villanova - which I just realized spells out FML hahaa.
Don't get me wrong, there is no doubt that UCL has a better library - by a million. What UCL doesn't have, though, is a community. I saw very few people socializing in the library, which is pretty much my reason for going to the library at home (Villanova). People were actually there to study and to get books and to do assignments. This isn't a bad thing... and of course that's a large part of the reason many students go to Falvey... but there was no sense of comraderie among students in the UCL library. It's not even set up to encourage that - there are long rows of study areas in grand halls - not home-y or cozy at all.
That's the difference between Villanova & other schools, especially large research universities. "Community" is one of those phrases Villanovans like to toss around a lot, but being at UCL has made me realize even more how special of a place it really is because of that community. But since I've chosen not to be there now, I might as well take advantage of the incredible library. Maybe I'll actually read for my classes this semester. Probably not.
Tourist notes: I went to Windsor Castle this Sunday. It was gorgeous - highly recommended - and the Queen was even there! Still haven't met her =/ The pictures don't do it justice -especially because you can't take pictures of the inside, which is aggravating since it's the best part. I love looking at the ceilings of the different rooms inside - they are so ornate and beautiful and unique and I'm legitimately jealous that I'll never have ceilings like that! It was such a cute town around the castle, also. It was part touristy (there was a Topshop) but part small-town England with many little pubs.
On the note of pubs, I think we need more in the US. It's completely acceptable to go to the pub everyday here just for a drink or two and to catch up with friends after school or work - or during - as they're normally crowded during lunch hours too. They provide such a cozy atmosphere, exactly the type that's conducive to spending quality time with good friends... which is -beyond anything else -my favorite thing to do. Maybe I'll open one. Probably not. But it would be so cool.
Peace. Love. FML ;)
As amazing as the library was with all its splendor [and the rows and rows of beautifully organized philosophy books, which I seriously got excited about like it was a chocolate store], it doesn't compare to Falvey Memorial Library at Villanova - which I just realized spells out FML hahaa.
Don't get me wrong, there is no doubt that UCL has a better library - by a million. What UCL doesn't have, though, is a community. I saw very few people socializing in the library, which is pretty much my reason for going to the library at home (Villanova). People were actually there to study and to get books and to do assignments. This isn't a bad thing... and of course that's a large part of the reason many students go to Falvey... but there was no sense of comraderie among students in the UCL library. It's not even set up to encourage that - there are long rows of study areas in grand halls - not home-y or cozy at all.
That's the difference between Villanova & other schools, especially large research universities. "Community" is one of those phrases Villanovans like to toss around a lot, but being at UCL has made me realize even more how special of a place it really is because of that community. But since I've chosen not to be there now, I might as well take advantage of the incredible library. Maybe I'll actually read for my classes this semester. Probably not.
Tourist notes: I went to Windsor Castle this Sunday. It was gorgeous - highly recommended - and the Queen was even there! Still haven't met her =/ The pictures don't do it justice -especially because you can't take pictures of the inside, which is aggravating since it's the best part. I love looking at the ceilings of the different rooms inside - they are so ornate and beautiful and unique and I'm legitimately jealous that I'll never have ceilings like that! It was such a cute town around the castle, also. It was part touristy (there was a Topshop) but part small-town England with many little pubs.
On the note of pubs, I think we need more in the US. It's completely acceptable to go to the pub everyday here just for a drink or two and to catch up with friends after school or work - or during - as they're normally crowded during lunch hours too. They provide such a cozy atmosphere, exactly the type that's conducive to spending quality time with good friends... which is -beyond anything else -my favorite thing to do. Maybe I'll open one. Probably not. But it would be so cool.
Peace. Love. FML ;)
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Business as usual... No big deal
Last weekend, I flew to Amsterdam with my beautiful friends from UCL. The flight was super quick.... free wine & chocolate was involved. I was happy. We didn't get to our hotel until about 1:30am (Saturday morning, I guess) because my friends and I were stupid... and possibly said the wrong hotel or possibly got ripped off... so after many many euros too many, we finally arrived at the hotel, which later in the weekend, I found out was about .5 miles from where we initially were. Whooopsss.. Anyway, immediately upon arriving we walked around seeing what the city had to offer and decided that late Friday night/early Saturday morning would be the perfect time to go to the Red Light District.
Walking five minutes from our hotel, we arrived - after passing a million chocolate covered belgian waffle & kebab stands (the food in Amsterdam was incredible) - in the heart of the Red Light District. I was expecting sex shops, strip clubs, erotica galore... and while those existed, I was shocked when I arrived and there were actually women standing in bathing suit-like outfits in windows lit up by red lights trying to seduce the thousands of men [old, young, seedy, foreign, nerdy, etc.] that passed by dancing, shaking, blowing kisses, pointing fingers. If Frederick's of Hollywood mannequins came to life & wanted to put their products to use.. this is probably what it would look like.... only Frederick's would probably be less seedy. It was weird seeing empty windows, knowing what was going on in the back room or behind the drawn curtain. It was equally weird seeing men knock at the door or leave the little "shops" - with looks on their faces that were just business as usual. I couldn't decide if I felt sad for these girls because they were reduced to this type of life or if they were actually practicing the ultimate type of liberation, i.e. they grew up wanting to do this for a living and found a place where it was legal, safe, and also flourishing industry.
The next morning, my friends and I woke up early to experience what this different city had to offer.... and then to explore it. We ate the best scones & jam I've ever had in my entire life at a nearby French bakery.... I cannot get over how delicious the food in this city was. After that, we headed out to hit up the Van Gogh museum & the Heineken Experience.
The city is populated primarily by people, prostitutes, and bikes. No joke.... there are bikes everywhere. One bike garage - which is a multi-level parking garage - held 60,000 bikes. Everyone rode a bike - women with heels, women with children, children themselves, old men, and everyone in between. I think I almost got run over by a bike about 50 times and the bikers are not friendly. If you're in their way - they do not stop. They either ring their bell, yell at you, or just try to barely avoid hitting you to scare you and probably try to teach you a lesson about walking in their way.
So though we ventured to see the Van Gogh museum... our feet were dragging through the beautiful canal-lined streets so we never actually made it there... plus, we heard the lines were outrageously long. Instead we made it to Noordrmarket... a farmer's market that takes place every Saturday. Here, they had the normal stands you would suspect would be at a farmer's market and some things you would never think would be there. For example, at the chocolate stand.. they sold fudge, and peanut brittle, and chunks of belgian chocolate - and chocolate penises of all sizes and variations. White chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, tiny ones in packs of three, large ones with different types of chocolate, etc. Not to forget about repping the women, the stand also had chocolate boobs of similarly wide variations. We were at this stand for a while because one of my friend's dads is a urologist so he took some time to pick out which chocolate penis would be durable enough to last for him to bring it home at the end of the semester, which was hilarious. While we were there, a woman - who looked like she was at the age to be buying after-school snacks for her kids - came to the stand and casually ordered some chocolate fudge, a large dark chocolate penis, and a medium-sized white chocolate pair of boobs.... no big deal.
And though I ventured to go to the Heineken Experience, I knew my roommate, Colleen!, who's studying in Prague, would coincidentally also be in Amsterdam. So I broke away from my London amigos and began to search for my roommate in the everything-is-legal-and-we-speak-Dutch-city, during which time it started to rain. But don't worry! I found her and we got to spend a few lovely hours enjoying what Amsterdam allowed us to while catching up on our separate lives abroad. It does not actually feel real that we met up in the Netherlands... but it happened and we have a miserable rmfl picture to prove it =] The rest of the night with my UCL friends brought some good memories and new experiences, as well. I realized while I was in Amsterdam that things you would normally do at home with friends you've known & loved for years is not the same as doing those same things in a city you don't know.. where everything is legal.. and the people speak Dutch (even though most also speak English). And that little realization was pretty much the moral of the story of this trip.
The next day we woke up early, grabbed some more of our favorite scones & jam, and headed for the Anne Frank House. While some of us waited on the line, I went to find some souveniers nearby. While I ended up with a little Delft blue wooden shoe-like necklace, I did have the choice to buy Delft blue (you know what it is & just didn't know the name, because that's how I felt before this trip) large penis salt and pepper shakers. Classy, useful, and shocking... I left them behind. It was funny that it was this innocent-looking old lady who was running the souvenier shop that sold these types of items.... it's just business there, it's no big deal.
The Anne Frank House was worth going to for anyone who ever read her diary - and for those who haven't, you really should. It was both cool and eerie to be in the same place where a) I read about in vivid detail in her diary when I was younger and b) you are aware that a Nazi invasion and capture took place. The museum was well-organized and interviews and testimonies of Otto Frank, Anne's father, played throughout some of the rooms in the warehouse and Secret Annex, which is what of course made me cry. Nothing gets me like a father talking about his daughter... who wrote a remarkable piece of literature... at a very young age.... during the Holocaust... who did not survive. Anne's actual diary was encased in the museum so it was very neat to visualize her sitting there with that exact bound paper writing the story of her life.
So I definitely advise people to travel to Amsterdam - it was a beautiful city - similar to Venice with the canals, only the streets were more organized and the canals less smelly. Next time I'm there, I will definitely go to Van Gogh and Heineken, and I will absolutely be renting a bicycle - with a bell.
Back in London, I finally went to Harrods... and returned three days in a row. It is heavenly. Someone has asked, so I'll explain: Harrods is a luxury department store - which is the biggest understatement. Harrods is actually retail heaven. I can't even talk about it in too much detail or knowing me, I'll jump on the tube and be there way too soon for anyone's good. I actually did not have high expectations for Harrods, which is probably why I'm so obsessed with it now because it exceeded anything I could have imagined.
The food halls are like an international farmer's market - for the rich and famous. They have absolutely every type of food there and it's lined up in such a luxurious way. My friends and I got samples of chocolate, Spanish mole, and in the meat department... a butcher stood in the aisle with a leg of cow and cut off pieces of prosciutto that was to die for. Every single designer from around the world was represented many times in different sections of Harrods. But besides designer and luxury everything, Harrods also has entire floors of electronics, bikes (should have went before Amsterdam), toys, wines, pharmaceuticals. In the toy department, my friends & I came across "instant magic snow," which contrary to many false advertisements, it was exactly what it said. You put sand in your hand, poured some water on it, and instantly the sand rose like magic into wet, cold snow... and could stay like that for weeks & then be re-used. I contemplated buying it but decided I'd probably never find a use for instant magic snow.
During this first trip to heaven, my friends & I were standing in the crowded chocolate halls and a man said to me "Excuse me, can we get by?" So of course, I smile and say yes before my friends and I quickly realize that this man is surrounded by security guards. Naturally, we decide to follow him to see why he's important enough to have an entourage and in the process we noticed employees whispering to each other and giving each other the shocked/excited glances that made us realize - along with his Egyptian appearance & our quick search on Google blackberry - that the owner of Harrods had just asked us to get by!! Yep, I pretty much met the creator of Harrods heaven! And by met, I mean almost banged into him. No big deal.
My second trip to Harrods was with Eileen - my friend from H.S. - and her friend from Nottingham. We had met up earlier in the week at Sports Cafe - typical - and I got to meet a bunch of her new English friends, which was fun. We went to lunch in South Kensington and walked over to Harrods - which is when I made the dangerous realization that my Monday night Villanova class is about 15 mins walking from Harrods. I didn't buy anything but a cupcake during this trip.
The next day, after a random 4-hour session of Villanova class in S. Ken., Molly and I - with my new discovery in mind - travelled over to Harrods and made some impulse purchases. Since I've been here, I've been needing to acquire my "London" everything (which I've been made fun of for)... for example, so far I have my London dresses, my London bag, my UK tourist shirt, and the beginnings of my London wardrobe.. and probably other things that I've forgotten. When Molly & I got to Harrods, we somehow ended up in the perfume room and we decided to acquire our London scents. In the process, I opened up a Harrods reward card - for no other reason than to have that beautiful card in my wallet forever as a permanent reminder of that heavenly place in London.
After this third trip to Harrods, my friends & I went to see Breakfast at Tiffany's at the Haymarket Theater in Piccadilly Circus. The play was really good. I have never read the book by Capote... I've just seen the movie - and don't even remember that too well either. However, having read other works by Capote, the play was most likely taken more directly from his novella than from the glamourized Hollywood version of the tale. "Never love a wild thing," was a quote that I picked up from the play... I'm not sure if I agree with it or not but it struck me in some way. We went to my favorite Thai place on Charlotte Street right by my dorm afterwards.
Earlier in the week, I had drinks on Charlotte Street with my cousins! Well, they're actually something like my third cousins twice removed - my grandmother's cousin's children. That extension of the family lives in England and I've met only one of them, Emily, before. I spent a few fun hours with Emily and her brother Ed. We talked about London, culture, music, things I must see, and family members we mutually know or remember. It was really cool/weird to be able to talk about my very own family with these British cousins who I don't know all too well. I had a really good time and I'm thankful they wanted to meet up with me!
And finally, yesterday I traveled to Oxford University with the Villanova program. Oxford is a cool place. When you decide to go to Oxford - which I did not - you're deciding to join a school of traditions from the Medieval times, which is crazy but cool. We coincidentally visited on Matriculation Day which is when the fresher's have ceremonies that induct them into the school. They all wear these cape/gown things that they're also required to wear to take final exams and for formal dinners every Wednesday, as one of my friends told me beacuse I also very coincidentally ran into him - he goes to Villanova but is spending the semester at Oxford - on a random isolated street in Oxford so he hung out for a while.
I thought Oxford was going to be an isolated campus amidst rolling hills - but it was quite a bustling college town - similar to Penn Sate - only much bigger, much more medieval, and even much more British. Yes, there was a Topshop there! We went inside ChristChurch while we were there, which is one of the most famous builidings at Oxford.... a bunch of Harry Potter scenes were filmed there - but regardless, it was gorgeous and still in use by students today. The dining halls were similar to the Pit at Villanova - NOT! They were exactly like the grand dining halls in Harry Potter with long mahogany tables, fine china, candelavres, and portraits of historical people along the high-spanning walls. I would rather eat at the Pit though... for real. I can't imagine going to school at Oxford - it's definitely a different experience than both Villanova and UCL.
I can't help but feel like I'm living the dream here. It's been almost a month and I litrally (fave British word) cannot believe that this is my life. I'm so lucky to be here and be doing all these things - it's absolutely absurd and I love every second of it. This post is a novel and a half.
peace. love. litrallyyy everthing.
or peace. love. tacos. - because I miss Zim Zari!
Walking five minutes from our hotel, we arrived - after passing a million chocolate covered belgian waffle & kebab stands (the food in Amsterdam was incredible) - in the heart of the Red Light District. I was expecting sex shops, strip clubs, erotica galore... and while those existed, I was shocked when I arrived and there were actually women standing in bathing suit-like outfits in windows lit up by red lights trying to seduce the thousands of men [old, young, seedy, foreign, nerdy, etc.] that passed by dancing, shaking, blowing kisses, pointing fingers. If Frederick's of Hollywood mannequins came to life & wanted to put their products to use.. this is probably what it would look like.... only Frederick's would probably be less seedy. It was weird seeing empty windows, knowing what was going on in the back room or behind the drawn curtain. It was equally weird seeing men knock at the door or leave the little "shops" - with looks on their faces that were just business as usual. I couldn't decide if I felt sad for these girls because they were reduced to this type of life or if they were actually practicing the ultimate type of liberation, i.e. they grew up wanting to do this for a living and found a place where it was legal, safe, and also flourishing industry.
The next morning, my friends and I woke up early to experience what this different city had to offer.... and then to explore it. We ate the best scones & jam I've ever had in my entire life at a nearby French bakery.... I cannot get over how delicious the food in this city was. After that, we headed out to hit up the Van Gogh museum & the Heineken Experience.
The city is populated primarily by people, prostitutes, and bikes. No joke.... there are bikes everywhere. One bike garage - which is a multi-level parking garage - held 60,000 bikes. Everyone rode a bike - women with heels, women with children, children themselves, old men, and everyone in between. I think I almost got run over by a bike about 50 times and the bikers are not friendly. If you're in their way - they do not stop. They either ring their bell, yell at you, or just try to barely avoid hitting you to scare you and probably try to teach you a lesson about walking in their way.
So though we ventured to see the Van Gogh museum... our feet were dragging through the beautiful canal-lined streets so we never actually made it there... plus, we heard the lines were outrageously long. Instead we made it to Noordrmarket... a farmer's market that takes place every Saturday. Here, they had the normal stands you would suspect would be at a farmer's market and some things you would never think would be there. For example, at the chocolate stand.. they sold fudge, and peanut brittle, and chunks of belgian chocolate - and chocolate penises of all sizes and variations. White chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, tiny ones in packs of three, large ones with different types of chocolate, etc. Not to forget about repping the women, the stand also had chocolate boobs of similarly wide variations. We were at this stand for a while because one of my friend's dads is a urologist so he took some time to pick out which chocolate penis would be durable enough to last for him to bring it home at the end of the semester, which was hilarious. While we were there, a woman - who looked like she was at the age to be buying after-school snacks for her kids - came to the stand and casually ordered some chocolate fudge, a large dark chocolate penis, and a medium-sized white chocolate pair of boobs.... no big deal.
And though I ventured to go to the Heineken Experience, I knew my roommate, Colleen!, who's studying in Prague, would coincidentally also be in Amsterdam. So I broke away from my London amigos and began to search for my roommate in the everything-is-legal-and-we-speak-Dutch-city, during which time it started to rain. But don't worry! I found her and we got to spend a few lovely hours enjoying what Amsterdam allowed us to while catching up on our separate lives abroad. It does not actually feel real that we met up in the Netherlands... but it happened and we have a miserable rmfl picture to prove it =] The rest of the night with my UCL friends brought some good memories and new experiences, as well. I realized while I was in Amsterdam that things you would normally do at home with friends you've known & loved for years is not the same as doing those same things in a city you don't know.. where everything is legal.. and the people speak Dutch (even though most also speak English). And that little realization was pretty much the moral of the story of this trip.
The next day we woke up early, grabbed some more of our favorite scones & jam, and headed for the Anne Frank House. While some of us waited on the line, I went to find some souveniers nearby. While I ended up with a little Delft blue wooden shoe-like necklace, I did have the choice to buy Delft blue (you know what it is & just didn't know the name, because that's how I felt before this trip) large penis salt and pepper shakers. Classy, useful, and shocking... I left them behind. It was funny that it was this innocent-looking old lady who was running the souvenier shop that sold these types of items.... it's just business there, it's no big deal.
The Anne Frank House was worth going to for anyone who ever read her diary - and for those who haven't, you really should. It was both cool and eerie to be in the same place where a) I read about in vivid detail in her diary when I was younger and b) you are aware that a Nazi invasion and capture took place. The museum was well-organized and interviews and testimonies of Otto Frank, Anne's father, played throughout some of the rooms in the warehouse and Secret Annex, which is what of course made me cry. Nothing gets me like a father talking about his daughter... who wrote a remarkable piece of literature... at a very young age.... during the Holocaust... who did not survive. Anne's actual diary was encased in the museum so it was very neat to visualize her sitting there with that exact bound paper writing the story of her life.
So I definitely advise people to travel to Amsterdam - it was a beautiful city - similar to Venice with the canals, only the streets were more organized and the canals less smelly. Next time I'm there, I will definitely go to Van Gogh and Heineken, and I will absolutely be renting a bicycle - with a bell.
Back in London, I finally went to Harrods... and returned three days in a row. It is heavenly. Someone has asked, so I'll explain: Harrods is a luxury department store - which is the biggest understatement. Harrods is actually retail heaven. I can't even talk about it in too much detail or knowing me, I'll jump on the tube and be there way too soon for anyone's good. I actually did not have high expectations for Harrods, which is probably why I'm so obsessed with it now because it exceeded anything I could have imagined.
The food halls are like an international farmer's market - for the rich and famous. They have absolutely every type of food there and it's lined up in such a luxurious way. My friends and I got samples of chocolate, Spanish mole, and in the meat department... a butcher stood in the aisle with a leg of cow and cut off pieces of prosciutto that was to die for. Every single designer from around the world was represented many times in different sections of Harrods. But besides designer and luxury everything, Harrods also has entire floors of electronics, bikes (should have went before Amsterdam), toys, wines, pharmaceuticals. In the toy department, my friends & I came across "instant magic snow," which contrary to many false advertisements, it was exactly what it said. You put sand in your hand, poured some water on it, and instantly the sand rose like magic into wet, cold snow... and could stay like that for weeks & then be re-used. I contemplated buying it but decided I'd probably never find a use for instant magic snow.
During this first trip to heaven, my friends & I were standing in the crowded chocolate halls and a man said to me "Excuse me, can we get by?" So of course, I smile and say yes before my friends and I quickly realize that this man is surrounded by security guards. Naturally, we decide to follow him to see why he's important enough to have an entourage and in the process we noticed employees whispering to each other and giving each other the shocked/excited glances that made us realize - along with his Egyptian appearance & our quick search on Google blackberry - that the owner of Harrods had just asked us to get by!! Yep, I pretty much met the creator of Harrods heaven! And by met, I mean almost banged into him. No big deal.
My second trip to Harrods was with Eileen - my friend from H.S. - and her friend from Nottingham. We had met up earlier in the week at Sports Cafe - typical - and I got to meet a bunch of her new English friends, which was fun. We went to lunch in South Kensington and walked over to Harrods - which is when I made the dangerous realization that my Monday night Villanova class is about 15 mins walking from Harrods. I didn't buy anything but a cupcake during this trip.
The next day, after a random 4-hour session of Villanova class in S. Ken., Molly and I - with my new discovery in mind - travelled over to Harrods and made some impulse purchases. Since I've been here, I've been needing to acquire my "London" everything (which I've been made fun of for)... for example, so far I have my London dresses, my London bag, my UK tourist shirt, and the beginnings of my London wardrobe.. and probably other things that I've forgotten. When Molly & I got to Harrods, we somehow ended up in the perfume room and we decided to acquire our London scents. In the process, I opened up a Harrods reward card - for no other reason than to have that beautiful card in my wallet forever as a permanent reminder of that heavenly place in London.
After this third trip to Harrods, my friends & I went to see Breakfast at Tiffany's at the Haymarket Theater in Piccadilly Circus. The play was really good. I have never read the book by Capote... I've just seen the movie - and don't even remember that too well either. However, having read other works by Capote, the play was most likely taken more directly from his novella than from the glamourized Hollywood version of the tale. "Never love a wild thing," was a quote that I picked up from the play... I'm not sure if I agree with it or not but it struck me in some way. We went to my favorite Thai place on Charlotte Street right by my dorm afterwards.
Earlier in the week, I had drinks on Charlotte Street with my cousins! Well, they're actually something like my third cousins twice removed - my grandmother's cousin's children. That extension of the family lives in England and I've met only one of them, Emily, before. I spent a few fun hours with Emily and her brother Ed. We talked about London, culture, music, things I must see, and family members we mutually know or remember. It was really cool/weird to be able to talk about my very own family with these British cousins who I don't know all too well. I had a really good time and I'm thankful they wanted to meet up with me!
And finally, yesterday I traveled to Oxford University with the Villanova program. Oxford is a cool place. When you decide to go to Oxford - which I did not - you're deciding to join a school of traditions from the Medieval times, which is crazy but cool. We coincidentally visited on Matriculation Day which is when the fresher's have ceremonies that induct them into the school. They all wear these cape/gown things that they're also required to wear to take final exams and for formal dinners every Wednesday, as one of my friends told me beacuse I also very coincidentally ran into him - he goes to Villanova but is spending the semester at Oxford - on a random isolated street in Oxford so he hung out for a while.
I thought Oxford was going to be an isolated campus amidst rolling hills - but it was quite a bustling college town - similar to Penn Sate - only much bigger, much more medieval, and even much more British. Yes, there was a Topshop there! We went inside ChristChurch while we were there, which is one of the most famous builidings at Oxford.... a bunch of Harry Potter scenes were filmed there - but regardless, it was gorgeous and still in use by students today. The dining halls were similar to the Pit at Villanova - NOT! They were exactly like the grand dining halls in Harry Potter with long mahogany tables, fine china, candelavres, and portraits of historical people along the high-spanning walls. I would rather eat at the Pit though... for real. I can't imagine going to school at Oxford - it's definitely a different experience than both Villanova and UCL.
I can't help but feel like I'm living the dream here. It's been almost a month and I litrally (fave British word) cannot believe that this is my life. I'm so lucky to be here and be doing all these things - it's absolutely absurd and I love every second of it. This post is a novel and a half.
peace. love. litrallyyy everthing.
or peace. love. tacos. - because I miss Zim Zari!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Mind the Gap
Something big just happened to me. In the past week, I've traveled to Amsterdam, experienced Harrod's, and met my British relatives - all of which I'll discuss in a different post at a different time... because those experiences are not the momentous something big I'm talking about (though they all meant a lot to me and were incredible!!!).
I finally saw into the British perspective. Yup, that's the big thing that just happened to me. It was an ah-ha moment that happened within me... and in explaining it, I will seem like a complete nerd, which I'm okay with; this is probably also quite dull... but I'm excited, lo siento! Let me explain.
I was just sitting in my seminar for Intro to British Politics, in which there are - unfortuately - all American students minus one Brit, and we were discussing the issue of the British constitution. Specifically, should there be a written consitution?
This question made me focus on why I'm a political science student and consequently, why I love government. I love it because I love people. I love it because I want all people to live good lives (props to why I'm also a philosophy student). I think that government has considerable power in helping people live the good life. This perspective helps explain why I'm in favor of big government, particularly for social issues. This perspective may also explain why I'm opposed to overwhelming government authority and abuse of power. I like power to reside with the people. Government of the people, for the people, by the people... love of my life, my cup of tea, yum.
Okay so with that fragmented thought process in mind, my American perspective quickly thought OMG how do they not have a written constitution?! How are citizens' rights protected?! How are the powers established?! How is it that the winner-take-all system works without written guidelines in a consitution?! How are British citizens not up in arms over this?! I literally (litrally, hehe) had to take a chill pill because I was thinking that there should of course be a written consitution, in fact, its a few centuries overdue! ... it's funny that this excites me.
So then people - as in, Americans - started to chime in with similar thoughts to what flew through my head initially. And in a turn beyond my belief at the moment, the British girl commented that it probably wouldn't be favorable because "it's so British" that there is no written constitution. AH-HA!
I've been travelling via the tube quite a lot for the past three weeks and every time the doors open and there's a transfer of passengers, the automated voice warns to "mind the gap." For some reason, I always chuckle when I hear this and often imitate it with my friends... probably because the automated voice is - obviously - in a British accent.... actually, that is definitely why I find it funny. And to that regard, I'm laughing because it's different from the "watch the gap" announcement that I'm used to hearing on the LIRR at home. I hear "mind the gap" and I'm instantly reminded that I'm in a different country & I casually chuckle at that reminder.
This ah-ha moment caused more than a casual chuckle... it caused me to think. I am in a different country. There is a different perspective towards living, which I've been noting all along. With this comes a different perspective towards governing.. which I started to realize during my first classes last week. What I didn't notice - and this is why it was an ah-ha moment - is that my American attitude no longer applies. Britain should not have a written constitution, and with my new British perspective - and part of my solid American one - they never will, it's nearly impossible. Even if it were possible, it's completely unnecessary here because of their way of life and their frame of mind. I would think that it's necessary since I'm American and it's what I'm accustomed to, but in truth, the British don't need one.
This realization about the difference in attitudes means a lot more than just learning a new fun fact in British Gov. It changed my American perspective and also my personal perspective. As an American I thought our way of governing, our way of life, was always so good. Naturally, I thought that other countries should strive to be like us - at least in some ways. At the very leaset, I thought that in some light, they wanted to be like us. This thought is crap. American crap.
Every country is different. There are attitudes, lifestyles, and perspectives that vary from place to place. Not every country is America. Not everyone wants to be America. Not everyone can be America. Not everyone should be America. The American way works for America. And I love that way.... but I think that we have to realize that our superiority complex actually ignores the world around us and prevents us from becoming an even better country.
We celebrate how we're different from other countries. What makes us think that every other country wants to - or has to - be just like us? As Americans, we have to "mind the gap" between ourselves and other countries... and there are a lot of differences to mind.
So that's my little rant/discovery for today... I had to sort through what was going on in my head and why I could not sit still in my seminar. Anyway, I'm headed to South Kensington to meet up with a friend from high school for lunch [Eileen!!!] & then who knows! Next time, expect stories of Amsterdam, Harrods, & third cousins twice removed!!
<3 <3 <3
I finally saw into the British perspective. Yup, that's the big thing that just happened to me. It was an ah-ha moment that happened within me... and in explaining it, I will seem like a complete nerd, which I'm okay with; this is probably also quite dull... but I'm excited, lo siento! Let me explain.
I was just sitting in my seminar for Intro to British Politics, in which there are - unfortuately - all American students minus one Brit, and we were discussing the issue of the British constitution. Specifically, should there be a written consitution?
This question made me focus on why I'm a political science student and consequently, why I love government. I love it because I love people. I love it because I want all people to live good lives (props to why I'm also a philosophy student). I think that government has considerable power in helping people live the good life. This perspective helps explain why I'm in favor of big government, particularly for social issues. This perspective may also explain why I'm opposed to overwhelming government authority and abuse of power. I like power to reside with the people. Government of the people, for the people, by the people... love of my life, my cup of tea, yum.
Okay so with that fragmented thought process in mind, my American perspective quickly thought OMG how do they not have a written constitution?! How are citizens' rights protected?! How are the powers established?! How is it that the winner-take-all system works without written guidelines in a consitution?! How are British citizens not up in arms over this?! I literally (litrally, hehe) had to take a chill pill because I was thinking that there should of course be a written consitution, in fact, its a few centuries overdue! ... it's funny that this excites me.
So then people - as in, Americans - started to chime in with similar thoughts to what flew through my head initially. And in a turn beyond my belief at the moment, the British girl commented that it probably wouldn't be favorable because "it's so British" that there is no written constitution. AH-HA!
I've been travelling via the tube quite a lot for the past three weeks and every time the doors open and there's a transfer of passengers, the automated voice warns to "mind the gap." For some reason, I always chuckle when I hear this and often imitate it with my friends... probably because the automated voice is - obviously - in a British accent.... actually, that is definitely why I find it funny. And to that regard, I'm laughing because it's different from the "watch the gap" announcement that I'm used to hearing on the LIRR at home. I hear "mind the gap" and I'm instantly reminded that I'm in a different country & I casually chuckle at that reminder.
This ah-ha moment caused more than a casual chuckle... it caused me to think. I am in a different country. There is a different perspective towards living, which I've been noting all along. With this comes a different perspective towards governing.. which I started to realize during my first classes last week. What I didn't notice - and this is why it was an ah-ha moment - is that my American attitude no longer applies. Britain should not have a written constitution, and with my new British perspective - and part of my solid American one - they never will, it's nearly impossible. Even if it were possible, it's completely unnecessary here because of their way of life and their frame of mind. I would think that it's necessary since I'm American and it's what I'm accustomed to, but in truth, the British don't need one.
This realization about the difference in attitudes means a lot more than just learning a new fun fact in British Gov. It changed my American perspective and also my personal perspective. As an American I thought our way of governing, our way of life, was always so good. Naturally, I thought that other countries should strive to be like us - at least in some ways. At the very leaset, I thought that in some light, they wanted to be like us. This thought is crap. American crap.
Every country is different. There are attitudes, lifestyles, and perspectives that vary from place to place. Not every country is America. Not everyone wants to be America. Not everyone can be America. Not everyone should be America. The American way works for America. And I love that way.... but I think that we have to realize that our superiority complex actually ignores the world around us and prevents us from becoming an even better country.
We celebrate how we're different from other countries. What makes us think that every other country wants to - or has to - be just like us? As Americans, we have to "mind the gap" between ourselves and other countries... and there are a lot of differences to mind.
So that's my little rant/discovery for today... I had to sort through what was going on in my head and why I could not sit still in my seminar. Anyway, I'm headed to South Kensington to meet up with a friend from high school for lunch [Eileen!!!] & then who knows! Next time, expect stories of Amsterdam, Harrods, & third cousins twice removed!!
<3 <3 <3
Friday, October 09, 2009
Slow ride, take it easy...
I finished my first week of classes yesterday & I'm currently putting off packing for a rainy weekend in Amsterdam. Despite the rain, I CANNOT WAIT!
Classes are cool. That was lame. What I mean is that I don't mind my classes, they seem pretty good - I'm taking five classes but one doesn't start until next week & another one I signed up for is being taught at another school all the way by the Thames.... did not realize that! Whoops. So that's being changed & now I'm taking Marxism instead of Medieval Philosophy.. lovely, lovely. The other classes I'm taking are 19th & 20th Century Art in London Collections - which is taught by two artsy young professors and includes going to different galleries and museums each week, should be cool. I'm also taking Politics of the EU and Intro to British Politics. It's weird because somehow I usually end up taking classes that I already kind of know a thing or two about and I only end up learning filler information & random facts until mid-semester. However, the first week of class I actually learned a lot since I really don't know anything about the EU, British government, or art history. What's even better is that I will not have a single exam this semester - only papers - not to mention, my grades don't count. The fifth class I'm taking is Service-Learning in the British Context through Villanova.. so I'll be teaching acting - I think - to little kids... should be fun. Even though UCL is apparently now ranked the fourth best university in the world (WHAT?!), everything is so disorganized and just generally more laid back... which I'm seriously finding as a general trend here.
Tourist flash: I went on the absolute last tour given through Parliament for the year last week, which was extremely cool. Though it was an hour & a half long and my friend and I were starving and sick of walking (we spent a few hours couch hopping in the National Gallery - museums are free here so they're a great place to just chill and relax), it was the perfect precursor to all my government classes. Not to mention, it was just so cool to see all through their government system and traditions. I'll write more about their government later but fun facts: they have no written constitution - no bill of rights - and a complete winner-take-all majoritarian party system yet it works and pretty well. I'm amazed by this & I think there's a huge correlation between that and the difference between the American and British mindset/attitude/lifestyle, which I'm excited to keep learning about. If an American political party had control over the system without any opposition, forget about it - life would be over. Here, it's just not like that - from the little I know, it doesn't seem like hunger for power is the over-arching theme of British politics.. rather, they just want things to be good. Slow ride, take it easy keeps playing in my head while I learn about it.. seems so appropriate. But anyway, it was GORGEOUS inside Parliament and the political geek who lives inside me loved being inside the House of Lords and House of Commons where their entire system is administrated. It's especially cool because I really didn't/don't know anything about the British government or the EU so this semester is kind of like a first-hand tour & fieldtrip through all of it.
My friend & I were walking down the stairs of our dorm yesterday and passed a flyer that looked like a nightclub promotion... except it was about chlamydia. A few hours later, some girls in the lobby tried to give me free condoms and tell me about the effects of chlamydia and give me a test for it. No longer in Villanova... at all! Between this instance and the co-ed bathrooms (which my other friends visiting from Villanova - guys, even, were shocked about too), I feel like I'm freaking Dorothy waking up in a completely different land of free love & pee. That was gross. No filter right now. What's even more shocking to me, though, is that I really don't consider myself an extremely modest or conservative person yet both of these situations made me feel oddly uncomfortable. I guess I'm just not accustomed to it... I don't know!
We went to Ministry of Sound the other night, which everyone kept telling me was one of the best clubs in London. Well, we took a cab ride over the river down to the venue, which was in a sketchy area and ended up in a club that had three rooms and just wasn't that cool. Overrated. Though, my friend & I did get to rock out to teenage dirtbag in one of the rooms, which is never a bad time. Later that night, we got a glimpse into the nightclub/cop/taxi cab alliance that I never knew about ...but I'm not making it up. The bouncer at the club legit would not let my friends & I get in any cab until he said it was okay... the cab was not a black cab, which are the ones you're always advised to take, and it cost almost 10GBP more than the incoming ride and we had to give them the money up front. While this was all going on outside Minstry of Sound cop cars were circling all around.... weird. It reminds me of the BYOB deals on Lancaster at Villanova - you cannot tell me that those restaurants that don't ID and allow everyone to drink don't have some deal with Radnor cops, some of the biggest hardass cops around.... not that I don't completely benefit & love it. Also reminds me of Dizzy's by Hofstra's campus on Long Island.. never felt safe there when there's so clearly a ploy going on between the cops & the bar when you only have to show your 18year old ID to get in and drink while the cop cars never stop driving back and forth in front of the place. Whatever. Anyway, moral of the story - Ministry of Sound = overrated. I hear Fabric's a lot better & in a much more centrally-located area so I'll be checking that out soon.
Topshop had a student 20% discount this Wednesday - with my friends and I all off on that day, we took complete advantage - spending sooo much time going through every corner of that store while it poured outside. There were some pretty good deals but I continue to go through money as though I'm a millionaire in a third world country. Whoops.... I'm only in London once though and I'm spending it on things like airfare & hotels, so I think it's worth it to see Europe. I didn't work nearly everyday this summer to not enjoy every last dollar/pound I have. I also keep getting anxiety that eventually I'm going to have to leave, which is ridiculous considering I haven't even been here three weeks. There are just so many trips I want to take and I don't feel like I'm taking full advantage of even London yet.... it's only been three weeks, it's only been three weeks.....
I keep running into people who I somehow know in some way. I ran into my roommate's ex-bf from high school in Seattle the other night, whose friend knows some kid who I went to elementary school with. I also ran into someone who I used to volunteer at the nursing home with even though we went to different high schools. I saw a girl from my high school running through Leicester Square one night. Oh, and my roommate and I realized that coincidentally we will both be in Amsterdam this weekend, which makes me that much more excited to get there.
Speaking of, I have to go pack for my rainy weekend in the Netherlands. A few of my friends from Villanova are here this weekend so we went to the pub this morning.. which is why this post is probably gramatically incorrect.
I'll be in Amsterdam in t minus seven hours. Peace. Love.
Classes are cool. That was lame. What I mean is that I don't mind my classes, they seem pretty good - I'm taking five classes but one doesn't start until next week & another one I signed up for is being taught at another school all the way by the Thames.... did not realize that! Whoops. So that's being changed & now I'm taking Marxism instead of Medieval Philosophy.. lovely, lovely. The other classes I'm taking are 19th & 20th Century Art in London Collections - which is taught by two artsy young professors and includes going to different galleries and museums each week, should be cool. I'm also taking Politics of the EU and Intro to British Politics. It's weird because somehow I usually end up taking classes that I already kind of know a thing or two about and I only end up learning filler information & random facts until mid-semester. However, the first week of class I actually learned a lot since I really don't know anything about the EU, British government, or art history. What's even better is that I will not have a single exam this semester - only papers - not to mention, my grades don't count. The fifth class I'm taking is Service-Learning in the British Context through Villanova.. so I'll be teaching acting - I think - to little kids... should be fun. Even though UCL is apparently now ranked the fourth best university in the world (WHAT?!), everything is so disorganized and just generally more laid back... which I'm seriously finding as a general trend here.
Tourist flash: I went on the absolute last tour given through Parliament for the year last week, which was extremely cool. Though it was an hour & a half long and my friend and I were starving and sick of walking (we spent a few hours couch hopping in the National Gallery - museums are free here so they're a great place to just chill and relax), it was the perfect precursor to all my government classes. Not to mention, it was just so cool to see all through their government system and traditions. I'll write more about their government later but fun facts: they have no written constitution - no bill of rights - and a complete winner-take-all majoritarian party system yet it works and pretty well. I'm amazed by this & I think there's a huge correlation between that and the difference between the American and British mindset/attitude/lifestyle, which I'm excited to keep learning about. If an American political party had control over the system without any opposition, forget about it - life would be over. Here, it's just not like that - from the little I know, it doesn't seem like hunger for power is the over-arching theme of British politics.. rather, they just want things to be good. Slow ride, take it easy keeps playing in my head while I learn about it.. seems so appropriate. But anyway, it was GORGEOUS inside Parliament and the political geek who lives inside me loved being inside the House of Lords and House of Commons where their entire system is administrated. It's especially cool because I really didn't/don't know anything about the British government or the EU so this semester is kind of like a first-hand tour & fieldtrip through all of it.
My friend & I were walking down the stairs of our dorm yesterday and passed a flyer that looked like a nightclub promotion... except it was about chlamydia. A few hours later, some girls in the lobby tried to give me free condoms and tell me about the effects of chlamydia and give me a test for it. No longer in Villanova... at all! Between this instance and the co-ed bathrooms (which my other friends visiting from Villanova - guys, even, were shocked about too), I feel like I'm freaking Dorothy waking up in a completely different land of free love & pee. That was gross. No filter right now. What's even more shocking to me, though, is that I really don't consider myself an extremely modest or conservative person yet both of these situations made me feel oddly uncomfortable. I guess I'm just not accustomed to it... I don't know!
We went to Ministry of Sound the other night, which everyone kept telling me was one of the best clubs in London. Well, we took a cab ride over the river down to the venue, which was in a sketchy area and ended up in a club that had three rooms and just wasn't that cool. Overrated. Though, my friend & I did get to rock out to teenage dirtbag in one of the rooms, which is never a bad time. Later that night, we got a glimpse into the nightclub/cop/taxi cab alliance that I never knew about ...but I'm not making it up. The bouncer at the club legit would not let my friends & I get in any cab until he said it was okay... the cab was not a black cab, which are the ones you're always advised to take, and it cost almost 10GBP more than the incoming ride and we had to give them the money up front. While this was all going on outside Minstry of Sound cop cars were circling all around.... weird. It reminds me of the BYOB deals on Lancaster at Villanova - you cannot tell me that those restaurants that don't ID and allow everyone to drink don't have some deal with Radnor cops, some of the biggest hardass cops around.... not that I don't completely benefit & love it. Also reminds me of Dizzy's by Hofstra's campus on Long Island.. never felt safe there when there's so clearly a ploy going on between the cops & the bar when you only have to show your 18year old ID to get in and drink while the cop cars never stop driving back and forth in front of the place. Whatever. Anyway, moral of the story - Ministry of Sound = overrated. I hear Fabric's a lot better & in a much more centrally-located area so I'll be checking that out soon.
Topshop had a student 20% discount this Wednesday - with my friends and I all off on that day, we took complete advantage - spending sooo much time going through every corner of that store while it poured outside. There were some pretty good deals but I continue to go through money as though I'm a millionaire in a third world country. Whoops.... I'm only in London once though and I'm spending it on things like airfare & hotels, so I think it's worth it to see Europe. I didn't work nearly everyday this summer to not enjoy every last dollar/pound I have. I also keep getting anxiety that eventually I'm going to have to leave, which is ridiculous considering I haven't even been here three weeks. There are just so many trips I want to take and I don't feel like I'm taking full advantage of even London yet.... it's only been three weeks, it's only been three weeks.....
I keep running into people who I somehow know in some way. I ran into my roommate's ex-bf from high school in Seattle the other night, whose friend knows some kid who I went to elementary school with. I also ran into someone who I used to volunteer at the nursing home with even though we went to different high schools. I saw a girl from my high school running through Leicester Square one night. Oh, and my roommate and I realized that coincidentally we will both be in Amsterdam this weekend, which makes me that much more excited to get there.
Speaking of, I have to go pack for my rainy weekend in the Netherlands. A few of my friends from Villanova are here this weekend so we went to the pub this morning.. which is why this post is probably gramatically incorrect.
I'll be in Amsterdam in t minus seven hours. Peace. Love.
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