Hello Everyone!
Sorrie this Blog update is a day late, I just got back from Edinburgh last night and I had a midterm today (eek!) to study for!
Anyway, week four has passed and I mostly spent the time studying for my final. We had Module I exams on Wednesday and Friday for me. It was for my economics class and I had in-class essays to write on Wednesday and then problem sets on Friday for my exam. They went okay, although I know I got the last problem wrong on Friday!! My work is all right...I just have a wrong answer...I hope they give partial credit here at Cambridge! Ahh....I don't want to fail...I need this class for my major.
Anyway, besides all the studying, we had a Pub Quiz on Thursday in which our lovely TAs asked us random questions about science, geography, or themselves! Quite fun...especially, when I didn't know any of the answers! That's okay though...we weren't last at least...only, second to last. Whoops..! Oh well, all in good fun. I also got to see Transformers on Friday after my exam at the cinema which is only a 20 minute walk from the college. I left for Edinburgh the next morning, bright and early at 7am. It was a 7 hour coach ride, two stops, and not horribly bad. I guess I'm used to being on a bus for a long time...lots of band trips have toughened me up.
After dropping our stuff of at the hostel, which was really nice...up to the point where we had to take showers, my friends and I went exploring around the Royal Mile, the main street of the old-part of Edinburgh. We found some good Indian food...yum...and then went shopping around for souvenirs. We also went on a ghost tour because, if you didn't know it already, Edinburgh has a very dark history. I didn't know this, so I was surprised at all this focus on ghosts, underground vaults, and gothic shops. It was really fun though...I love to be scared! And we went down underneath into the underground vaults where there were "reported" sightings of ghosts and paranormal activity. We also had a very animated tour guide with an awesome Scottish accent, so that was a bonus. Afterwards, we retired to a bar and then spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to work our shower in our hostel.
The next morning, we decided to get up early and go the Elephant House which is the same cafe that JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book! It was very good...and I tried Haggis (which isn't bad at all!) and then we headed to Edinburgh Castle. The castle was very beautiful and we took many picturesque candid shots. It had a great view as well...and lots of exhibits. After the castle, and a rather interesting meeting with a Pigeon that i have now named Prince Henry the VI, we went to the National Gallery. The Gallery was bigger than I expected and I enjoyed the Renaissance art of the 1500s a lot. They had impressionists like Monet on the top floor and then Scottish painters on the bottom. After seeing all the works and analyzing them to the extent that I fully can, we went shopping in the new town area of Edinburgh. We ate at a reasonably priced pub that turned out to have really good food. Afterward, our group split and I went with three other girls back up the hill to old town Edinburgh. We shopped some more, as us girls tend to do, and I got a cool video of a 12 year old boy playing the bagpipes on the streets. It was so adorable!! And he was really good! I've always wanted to play the bagpipes..and the accordian. Hmm...well, anyway, I decided to go the Jazz Festival that they were having in Edinburgh, so I left to go get stand-by tickets.
The venue was located near Edinburgh University, so I got to see some parts of the buildings. I saw the Ken Mathieson Jazz Band and they were fabulous! Playing a lot of General Morton songs, they delved into the beginnings of Jazz around the 1900s and then played the classics up to the 60's. There was also an amazing clarinet soli! They did a "battle" type duet and it was very intense and musically euphoric. I loved it!
Afterward, I bought a couple things around the area and then went to explore more of the new town Edinburgh. After walking around for a while, I found some food on a stand and went back to my hostel to eat. The rest of my friends met up with me after I finished eating and we went on a mission to find desserts and coffee. After settling down at a chain Italian restuarant which was one of the only places open that late, I shared a massive sundae with my friend Kristen. OMG...soooo good. Vanilla and toffee ice cream, caramel, bananas, chocolate wafers...yummy. And it was enormous too...which made me extremely happy. After our sugar rush, we went back to the hostel.
I woke up early to get coffee with my friend before the bus left and we found a place called Chocolate Soup. After boarding the bus, we headed back to Cambridge, but made a stop to Fountains Abbey on the way. We found a dilapidated old church, dating back from the 12th century. Using my architecture knowledge that I know possess...my friend and I tried to figure out the parts of what now remained and we took many hilarious pictures. Then we boarded the bus again, and went back to Cambridge. We got in around 6pm and ate dinner. I went off to study for my Architecture midterm, chatted wih a friend, and then went to bed. That was my week four...yay!!
Have a wonderful week everyone..! I just realized how much money I've spent already...and my gosh, it is not a pretty picture. I need to get crackin' on Campus Tours when I get home...!
Sherilyn
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Week 3
Well, another week down. Unfortunately, this one has been full of ups and downs. Let's begin, shall we?
After getting sick two Thursday ago and losing my voice, I finally got it back on Tuesday (thank goodness). However, my cold/flu conditions didn't get any better. I had a midterm/paper due on Thursday which was about 7 pages long on economics. Difficult only because I wasn't well informed on the subject, I spent the rest of the week finding sources and perfecting my paper (which actually isn't worth anything and is more like a test to see what the grading system is like).
On Thursday, after turning in the paper, I was more relaxed and went on a King's College Chapel tour. Our chapel, if you did not know, is absolutely amazing and we studied it as part of my gothic architecture class. It is my favorite so far and I am planning on doing my paper on it, if I haven't told you already. Anyway, this tour was better because we actually got to go on the roof! We walked up the side torrets...towers, whatever they are called...actually, more like climbed. It was so cool! Number one, because it looked just like Harry Potter...! But also because the stairs that we were climbing were stone and you could see the indentures on it from many years of peope climbing up. It was also very narrow and there was nothing to hold onto except a robe that someone had put around the middle column, probably because of a safety regulation. The stairs went up...and up....and up.....my legs DID get tired. Then finally, we got to the top and were able to stand on top of the stone vaulting and touch wooden beams that had been there since the 1500s! It was very dark, very creepy, and very haunting. I loved it. You could barely see anything as you stood up there, balancing on the shallow floors of the rippling fan vaults and ducking your head from bats, spiders, and whatever else might have been up there. There were two small windows on each end, and Father Peter, who was giving the tour, told us that there would have been open windows on the top before they built the wood ceiling on top. Anyway, we continued up...or actually, across. We got to walk aross the stone vaulting on a middle plank and it was quite scary trying to balance in the dark and duck your head under the wooden beams...and take pictures. :) Once you got across, you could go up a couple more circling steps to the roof. You were outside...on top of the chapel....I have no clue how far up we were, but if you had fell, you would most definitely die...unless the chapel is truly blessed and a miracle occurred. We walked up the slanted roof...and stupidly, I had worn flip flops which I must tell you...is NOT the best footwear for walking on an extremely slanted roof with a flat plank, possibly three inches across the top and hundreds of feet in the air. In the end, I took off my shoes as my feet felt much better, and more sturdy, walking around up there. It was an amazing experience and I felt so privileged and happy that I was able to do it.
Later that evening, I met with four other friends of mine to plan our trip to London the next day for the Harry Potter Book Release. Fortunately, I was able to secure tickets to the Biggest Harry Potter Party Ever in Piccadilly Circus at Waterstones. This Waterstones bookstore is 6 stories high and is the largest bookstore in Europe! Out of around 2500 people, I was able to get tickets to a Harry Potter podcast for around 800 people. Anyway, we dicussed our plans and train tickets that night while in the bar and I was able to have my first "British" beer. Seeing that I don't really like the taste of beer, it was an interesting experience and I actually found that it tasted much better than what I was used to (I had the bartender give me the one that, and I quote, "doesn't taste like alcohol," because that was what I requested...hehe).
After the bar, I went to a potluck party held in my common room in my hostel and tried to watch "The Departed," while eating random asian foods and trying not to cough on anybody. The next morning, I woke up early and packed for our adventure to London. I grabbed breakfast at the dining hall, and then we walked about 30 minutes to the train station after meeting at Pembroke. We got on the train from the Cambridge station and got into King's Cross about 50 minutes later. Amazing! Last time...it took about 1.5 hours just to get to Liverpool...I guess the Express train really makes a difference. We got off at King's Cross, took many Harry Potter related pictures (as we were on a HP themed day trip), and set off towards our hostel, only a ways from Piccadilly. We split up and two of us went to Leicester Square to get HP movie tickets to watch at the Odeon-exactly the place where the London premiere was held, and the other three of us went to check-in at the hostel.
After meeting up again, we ate a quick lunch and saw the movie. Unforunately, again, at this time...about 20 minutes into the movie, my left eye got very irritated and started welling up with tears. I made it through the entire movie, but discovered afterward when I went to the toilets, that it was red and infected. I went back to the hostel to take out my contacts. This event has happened before, and at the Odeon, but two Tuesdays ago at the Premiere. On that occasion, after going to sleep that night, I found in the morning it had gone away. I assumed it would be the same this time. We continued to PIccadilly after I returned from the hostel and got dinner. Then we went to the party! And oh man...what a party it was!!
There were already a hundred people who had been sleeping, camping, living outside of that bookstore...dressed up in the finest robes and hats and carrying signs which said that they were from Norway. We took many pictures of the crazy fans inside and continued into the store. We went to check out the floors where the podcast was going to be held and find our seats, that is, if we were able to get in early. I was extremely lucky to get there early enough to find two of the podcasters walking around, arranging things, and got to meet, talk, and take pictures with them. Also, while waiting on the stairs, (the podcast was two levels), I also met another podcaster...but unfortunately, did not take a picture with him (something I seriously regretted after realising my mistake). Anyway, time passed...we went to the podcast and it was so fun and full of laughter, joy, theory, and unity.
Afterwards, I got my pillow signed (they gave us pillows to sit on, on the floor) by all of the podcasters who hosted the show and got pictures. Then we joined the enormous queue outside. There were actually two full queues...four kinda. Each one about two blocks long. There were sooo many people..!! I wasn't surprised, I had expected it...and I was more excited then annoyed or tired. We waited for about 2 hours..enjoying the costumes, entertainment, and meeting other fans from around the world. Finally, the clock struck midnight...and we began moving. Slowly...but moving nevertheless. There were still cars coming through the streets, which was the stupidest thing ever, because every time a car passed, everyone had to get back on the curb, crushing and pushing and shoving those on the curb already...like me. It was a mosh pit! However, I am very good at mosh pits..and so, I didn't mind and I enjoyed the chaos...slightly amused by the fact that this huge queue was for a BOOK. Just....a book. (of course, I am aware it is not JUST a book...but in a way, it is.)
We got our books around 1:30 am...I had expected worse, so we were pretty happy. After finding that we couldn't take a bus..we had no clue where and how and if there was a bus that we could take...and unable to call a taxi...it would have taken 40 minutes anyway...some nice gentleman at the bus stop gave us directions to the street where our hostel is...apparently, we could walk to it as the tube was closed.
We walked...we walked...it was long, we were tired...slightly lost..but asked the policemen everywhere we went for directions..and finally got home. By the way, at night...around that time...London seems to be extremely dangerous. Walking through Leicester Square was a bit frightening and if there hadn't been 5 of us together, we never would have done it. Police were breaking up fights, people were throwing bottles and cigarettes, and it was very very sketchy (dodgy..as the gentleman warned us at the bus stop). However, all of us had our wits about us and we got back to the hostel fine.
The next morning, I found that my eye had not gotten better, but worse. We were going to Leicester Square to look for musical tickets and then to Covent Garden. After realising that I could get tickets to Mary Poppins, the musical of my choice, much cheaper during the weekdays than the weekends, we retreated to Covent Garden while two of the girls saw another musical they wanted to see. 15 pounds...not bad for them! Mary Poppins was over 50...and the seats weren't THAT great anyway...I knew I could get a deal later if I just waited. I had 4 more weeks anyhow.
Covent Garden was nice and I was explicitly looking for the marketplace where they have cheap clothing. Unfortuantely though, they don't hold the marketplace on the weekends and there was an arts and crafts market there instead. My friend and I retreated to a cafe, as it began POURING rain...it had been doing so throughout the day and was flooding the tube stations on top of it...and began reading my Harry Potter. A bit uncomfortable because of my inflammed eye, of which I could barely see out of, I ended up staying in that cafe for 4 hours while my friends came and went, shopping and seeing musicals. Finally, we went to get dinner and got back together.
We went back to Cambridge and got in at 11. I had decided to go the the emergency room and so I went with a friend to the hospital in Cambridge. After waiting for 2-3 hours, I got treated and was giving an antibiotic for my eye.
I stayed inside all day Sunday, even forgetting to eat, while finishing my book (I DID finish!!!) Today, I had class...so I tried to do the rest of my forgotten weekend homework..and prepare for my final exams..one on Wednesday and the other on Friday.
That is my update as of now. My eye has not gotten better, however, the pain has subsided.
I hope all is well in SD and wherever you are!...and the weather of course...it's raining here..DUH!
Laters!!
Sherilyn
After getting sick two Thursday ago and losing my voice, I finally got it back on Tuesday (thank goodness). However, my cold/flu conditions didn't get any better. I had a midterm/paper due on Thursday which was about 7 pages long on economics. Difficult only because I wasn't well informed on the subject, I spent the rest of the week finding sources and perfecting my paper (which actually isn't worth anything and is more like a test to see what the grading system is like).
On Thursday, after turning in the paper, I was more relaxed and went on a King's College Chapel tour. Our chapel, if you did not know, is absolutely amazing and we studied it as part of my gothic architecture class. It is my favorite so far and I am planning on doing my paper on it, if I haven't told you already. Anyway, this tour was better because we actually got to go on the roof! We walked up the side torrets...towers, whatever they are called...actually, more like climbed. It was so cool! Number one, because it looked just like Harry Potter...! But also because the stairs that we were climbing were stone and you could see the indentures on it from many years of peope climbing up. It was also very narrow and there was nothing to hold onto except a robe that someone had put around the middle column, probably because of a safety regulation. The stairs went up...and up....and up.....my legs DID get tired. Then finally, we got to the top and were able to stand on top of the stone vaulting and touch wooden beams that had been there since the 1500s! It was very dark, very creepy, and very haunting. I loved it. You could barely see anything as you stood up there, balancing on the shallow floors of the rippling fan vaults and ducking your head from bats, spiders, and whatever else might have been up there. There were two small windows on each end, and Father Peter, who was giving the tour, told us that there would have been open windows on the top before they built the wood ceiling on top. Anyway, we continued up...or actually, across. We got to walk aross the stone vaulting on a middle plank and it was quite scary trying to balance in the dark and duck your head under the wooden beams...and take pictures. :) Once you got across, you could go up a couple more circling steps to the roof. You were outside...on top of the chapel....I have no clue how far up we were, but if you had fell, you would most definitely die...unless the chapel is truly blessed and a miracle occurred. We walked up the slanted roof...and stupidly, I had worn flip flops which I must tell you...is NOT the best footwear for walking on an extremely slanted roof with a flat plank, possibly three inches across the top and hundreds of feet in the air. In the end, I took off my shoes as my feet felt much better, and more sturdy, walking around up there. It was an amazing experience and I felt so privileged and happy that I was able to do it.
Later that evening, I met with four other friends of mine to plan our trip to London the next day for the Harry Potter Book Release. Fortunately, I was able to secure tickets to the Biggest Harry Potter Party Ever in Piccadilly Circus at Waterstones. This Waterstones bookstore is 6 stories high and is the largest bookstore in Europe! Out of around 2500 people, I was able to get tickets to a Harry Potter podcast for around 800 people. Anyway, we dicussed our plans and train tickets that night while in the bar and I was able to have my first "British" beer. Seeing that I don't really like the taste of beer, it was an interesting experience and I actually found that it tasted much better than what I was used to (I had the bartender give me the one that, and I quote, "doesn't taste like alcohol," because that was what I requested...hehe).
After the bar, I went to a potluck party held in my common room in my hostel and tried to watch "The Departed," while eating random asian foods and trying not to cough on anybody. The next morning, I woke up early and packed for our adventure to London. I grabbed breakfast at the dining hall, and then we walked about 30 minutes to the train station after meeting at Pembroke. We got on the train from the Cambridge station and got into King's Cross about 50 minutes later. Amazing! Last time...it took about 1.5 hours just to get to Liverpool...I guess the Express train really makes a difference. We got off at King's Cross, took many Harry Potter related pictures (as we were on a HP themed day trip), and set off towards our hostel, only a ways from Piccadilly. We split up and two of us went to Leicester Square to get HP movie tickets to watch at the Odeon-exactly the place where the London premiere was held, and the other three of us went to check-in at the hostel.
After meeting up again, we ate a quick lunch and saw the movie. Unforunately, again, at this time...about 20 minutes into the movie, my left eye got very irritated and started welling up with tears. I made it through the entire movie, but discovered afterward when I went to the toilets, that it was red and infected. I went back to the hostel to take out my contacts. This event has happened before, and at the Odeon, but two Tuesdays ago at the Premiere. On that occasion, after going to sleep that night, I found in the morning it had gone away. I assumed it would be the same this time. We continued to PIccadilly after I returned from the hostel and got dinner. Then we went to the party! And oh man...what a party it was!!
There were already a hundred people who had been sleeping, camping, living outside of that bookstore...dressed up in the finest robes and hats and carrying signs which said that they were from Norway. We took many pictures of the crazy fans inside and continued into the store. We went to check out the floors where the podcast was going to be held and find our seats, that is, if we were able to get in early. I was extremely lucky to get there early enough to find two of the podcasters walking around, arranging things, and got to meet, talk, and take pictures with them. Also, while waiting on the stairs, (the podcast was two levels), I also met another podcaster...but unfortunately, did not take a picture with him (something I seriously regretted after realising my mistake). Anyway, time passed...we went to the podcast and it was so fun and full of laughter, joy, theory, and unity.
Afterwards, I got my pillow signed (they gave us pillows to sit on, on the floor) by all of the podcasters who hosted the show and got pictures. Then we joined the enormous queue outside. There were actually two full queues...four kinda. Each one about two blocks long. There were sooo many people..!! I wasn't surprised, I had expected it...and I was more excited then annoyed or tired. We waited for about 2 hours..enjoying the costumes, entertainment, and meeting other fans from around the world. Finally, the clock struck midnight...and we began moving. Slowly...but moving nevertheless. There were still cars coming through the streets, which was the stupidest thing ever, because every time a car passed, everyone had to get back on the curb, crushing and pushing and shoving those on the curb already...like me. It was a mosh pit! However, I am very good at mosh pits..and so, I didn't mind and I enjoyed the chaos...slightly amused by the fact that this huge queue was for a BOOK. Just....a book. (of course, I am aware it is not JUST a book...but in a way, it is.)
We got our books around 1:30 am...I had expected worse, so we were pretty happy. After finding that we couldn't take a bus..we had no clue where and how and if there was a bus that we could take...and unable to call a taxi...it would have taken 40 minutes anyway...some nice gentleman at the bus stop gave us directions to the street where our hostel is...apparently, we could walk to it as the tube was closed.
We walked...we walked...it was long, we were tired...slightly lost..but asked the policemen everywhere we went for directions..and finally got home. By the way, at night...around that time...London seems to be extremely dangerous. Walking through Leicester Square was a bit frightening and if there hadn't been 5 of us together, we never would have done it. Police were breaking up fights, people were throwing bottles and cigarettes, and it was very very sketchy (dodgy..as the gentleman warned us at the bus stop). However, all of us had our wits about us and we got back to the hostel fine.
The next morning, I found that my eye had not gotten better, but worse. We were going to Leicester Square to look for musical tickets and then to Covent Garden. After realising that I could get tickets to Mary Poppins, the musical of my choice, much cheaper during the weekdays than the weekends, we retreated to Covent Garden while two of the girls saw another musical they wanted to see. 15 pounds...not bad for them! Mary Poppins was over 50...and the seats weren't THAT great anyway...I knew I could get a deal later if I just waited. I had 4 more weeks anyhow.
Covent Garden was nice and I was explicitly looking for the marketplace where they have cheap clothing. Unfortuantely though, they don't hold the marketplace on the weekends and there was an arts and crafts market there instead. My friend and I retreated to a cafe, as it began POURING rain...it had been doing so throughout the day and was flooding the tube stations on top of it...and began reading my Harry Potter. A bit uncomfortable because of my inflammed eye, of which I could barely see out of, I ended up staying in that cafe for 4 hours while my friends came and went, shopping and seeing musicals. Finally, we went to get dinner and got back together.
We went back to Cambridge and got in at 11. I had decided to go the the emergency room and so I went with a friend to the hospital in Cambridge. After waiting for 2-3 hours, I got treated and was giving an antibiotic for my eye.
I stayed inside all day Sunday, even forgetting to eat, while finishing my book (I DID finish!!!) Today, I had class...so I tried to do the rest of my forgotten weekend homework..and prepare for my final exams..one on Wednesday and the other on Friday.
That is my update as of now. My eye has not gotten better, however, the pain has subsided.
I hope all is well in SD and wherever you are!...and the weather of course...it's raining here..DUH!
Laters!!
Sherilyn
Monday, July 16, 2007
Week 2
Hey everyone!
It's been another week and I have been having a fabulous time (of course!!!). I got a new phone, which cost me some money....but, I have to have a phone!! I have done Scottish barn dancing which is very tiring, but tons of fun and we went night punting on Tuesday night and I actually got to try and be the punter. Appparently, I seem to have a knack at it because I did really well. Hehe. But it was a lot of fun getting lost, on the river cam and going horizontal. It is harder than it looks!
I went to the Grafton Center on Wednesday which is a mall about 15 minutes walking from my hostel. It was nice, except a lot of shops close earlier than I am used to. Shops and stores usually close around 5 or 6pm here, which is a lot earlier than our stores back at home. Still, it was a nice walk and I got to see part of Cambridge I hadn't been yet.
My friend Rowena came to visit on Thursday and she stayed with me until Saturday. It was quite fun and we got to see the new Harry Potter movie together with people in PKP. It was the most awesome movie yet!! I was so happy afterward but unfortunately, had been getting sick since Wednesday and lost my voice finally that night. I haven't been able to speak properly since Thursday! It still hasn't come back and I'm writing on Monday. It's quite sad.
Friday, I showed her around and did some errands (buying a lot of medicine) and also we went to some good Indian food near the train station. Afterward, there was a party in our common room of our hostels, with our TA's/RA's (they definitely know how to party!), and went to bar to hang out. I love this atmosphere-it is very chill and so different from home! Saturday we did a day-trip to London which was fun and got to go to the National Art Museum and see paintings from Rembrandt, Michelangelo and da Vinci! It was stunning! My friends and I were also able to get some good Japanese food in Chinatown-London AND we got to see Othello play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (although we stood the entire time for 3 hours...!! Which wasn't as bad because the show was amazing!) I attended eveningsong at St. Paul's Cathedral (my favorite cathedral of all time!) and did a riverboat cruise down the Thames. It was a pretty tiring day and not being able to speak did pose some problems, but overall, the day was very satisfactory. I will be returning to London for the 3rd time this Friday for the Book release!!! (You know which BOOK!!)
School has been rough as I figured out my Economics II class is a corporate finance class and I haven't taken anything in that area and am kinda confused. I have a 8-10 page paper/midterm due on Thursday that I haven't started on and so I need to do some research! I think I will go to the library to study for the first time today after lunch. My architecture class is amazing! We got to check out the King's College Chapel which is absolutely gorgeous (I am thinking of doing my paper on it) and enjoy the men's choir one more time before they left.
Besides that and the coming back of rainy days after a beautiful weekend last weekend (which is probably why I got so sick!), it has been very enjoyable. We are having another formal dinner tonight, followed by kareoke (which I will probably not be partaking in) and our official PKP picture.
Hope everyone is enjoying their summer as much as I am!
It's been another week and I have been having a fabulous time (of course!!!). I got a new phone, which cost me some money....but, I have to have a phone!! I have done Scottish barn dancing which is very tiring, but tons of fun and we went night punting on Tuesday night and I actually got to try and be the punter. Appparently, I seem to have a knack at it because I did really well. Hehe. But it was a lot of fun getting lost, on the river cam and going horizontal. It is harder than it looks!
I went to the Grafton Center on Wednesday which is a mall about 15 minutes walking from my hostel. It was nice, except a lot of shops close earlier than I am used to. Shops and stores usually close around 5 or 6pm here, which is a lot earlier than our stores back at home. Still, it was a nice walk and I got to see part of Cambridge I hadn't been yet.
My friend Rowena came to visit on Thursday and she stayed with me until Saturday. It was quite fun and we got to see the new Harry Potter movie together with people in PKP. It was the most awesome movie yet!! I was so happy afterward but unfortunately, had been getting sick since Wednesday and lost my voice finally that night. I haven't been able to speak properly since Thursday! It still hasn't come back and I'm writing on Monday. It's quite sad.
Friday, I showed her around and did some errands (buying a lot of medicine) and also we went to some good Indian food near the train station. Afterward, there was a party in our common room of our hostels, with our TA's/RA's (they definitely know how to party!), and went to bar to hang out. I love this atmosphere-it is very chill and so different from home! Saturday we did a day-trip to London which was fun and got to go to the National Art Museum and see paintings from Rembrandt, Michelangelo and da Vinci! It was stunning! My friends and I were also able to get some good Japanese food in Chinatown-London AND we got to see Othello play at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (although we stood the entire time for 3 hours...!! Which wasn't as bad because the show was amazing!) I attended eveningsong at St. Paul's Cathedral (my favorite cathedral of all time!) and did a riverboat cruise down the Thames. It was a pretty tiring day and not being able to speak did pose some problems, but overall, the day was very satisfactory. I will be returning to London for the 3rd time this Friday for the Book release!!! (You know which BOOK!!)
School has been rough as I figured out my Economics II class is a corporate finance class and I haven't taken anything in that area and am kinda confused. I have a 8-10 page paper/midterm due on Thursday that I haven't started on and so I need to do some research! I think I will go to the library to study for the first time today after lunch. My architecture class is amazing! We got to check out the King's College Chapel which is absolutely gorgeous (I am thinking of doing my paper on it) and enjoy the men's choir one more time before they left.
Besides that and the coming back of rainy days after a beautiful weekend last weekend (which is probably why I got so sick!), it has been very enjoyable. We are having another formal dinner tonight, followed by kareoke (which I will probably not be partaking in) and our official PKP picture.
Hope everyone is enjoying their summer as much as I am!
Monday, July 9, 2007
First week
Hello Everyone!!
So, this first week has been completely amazing!! My flight was great...didn't even have to use my air sickness patches! (like you really care...) and I got to Cambridge alright with a couple of fellow travelers along the way.
My room is gigantic! About 3 times the size of the singles in ERC and comes with a minifridge and wash basin. I'm staying at a hostel right across the street from King's College, so it's not far at all. And the best part is that I'm in the market area so I just walk a quarter of a block to my left and I'm in the shopping center! I can get fresh fruit at the farmer's market or coffee at the independent coffee shops. I can get all kinds of food and go shopping everyday before class! I love Cambridge...haha
Fresher's Week, like Welcome Week, has been extremely exhausting because of all the activities but lots of fun. I've met tons of new people and we have participated in formal dinners, Pub crawls, clubbing, punting on the river in the back of King's, and I've already gone on a field trip (excursion to be fancy...) to Ely, about 15min. train ride to see the cathedral for my gothic architecture class.
My Economics I class was super easy because it was introductory so I switched into Econ II. I've already missed a full week of that class, so I hope its not too hard!
I met some fellow Harry Potter fans and we went to the London Premiere on Tuesday! We took a train from the Cambridge station and got a great group rate along with an all day tube pass. There were soo many people...and we would have gotten there waaaay earlier except we still had class in the morning. However, it was the most incredible experience I have ever had and we got tons of pictures...check facebook if you're my friend...lol....and got to scream in the POURING rain for 2 hours. OMG! There is soo much rain here! It's cleared up now though and looking quite nice, but the first week was heavy storms. I love rain though, but its kinda awkward when I think that back at home, it's over 100 degrees!
Unfortunately, I had my cell phone stolen at a club on Saturday night. I just got a new one though and I got a fairly good deal...although with these exchange rates, its not a good deal at all.
I love my TA's (they're like RA's except British...lol) and they are very friendly and CUTE!!!
Hope to write at least once a week to update you on my travels...Bye for now!! Cheers!!
So, this first week has been completely amazing!! My flight was great...didn't even have to use my air sickness patches! (like you really care...) and I got to Cambridge alright with a couple of fellow travelers along the way.
My room is gigantic! About 3 times the size of the singles in ERC and comes with a minifridge and wash basin. I'm staying at a hostel right across the street from King's College, so it's not far at all. And the best part is that I'm in the market area so I just walk a quarter of a block to my left and I'm in the shopping center! I can get fresh fruit at the farmer's market or coffee at the independent coffee shops. I can get all kinds of food and go shopping everyday before class! I love Cambridge...haha
Fresher's Week, like Welcome Week, has been extremely exhausting because of all the activities but lots of fun. I've met tons of new people and we have participated in formal dinners, Pub crawls, clubbing, punting on the river in the back of King's, and I've already gone on a field trip (excursion to be fancy...) to Ely, about 15min. train ride to see the cathedral for my gothic architecture class.
My Economics I class was super easy because it was introductory so I switched into Econ II. I've already missed a full week of that class, so I hope its not too hard!
I met some fellow Harry Potter fans and we went to the London Premiere on Tuesday! We took a train from the Cambridge station and got a great group rate along with an all day tube pass. There were soo many people...and we would have gotten there waaaay earlier except we still had class in the morning. However, it was the most incredible experience I have ever had and we got tons of pictures...check facebook if you're my friend...lol....and got to scream in the POURING rain for 2 hours. OMG! There is soo much rain here! It's cleared up now though and looking quite nice, but the first week was heavy storms. I love rain though, but its kinda awkward when I think that back at home, it's over 100 degrees!
Unfortunately, I had my cell phone stolen at a club on Saturday night. I just got a new one though and I got a fairly good deal...although with these exchange rates, its not a good deal at all.
I love my TA's (they're like RA's except British...lol) and they are very friendly and CUTE!!!
Hope to write at least once a week to update you on my travels...Bye for now!! Cheers!!
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