A weekend visit to Amsterdam!

I left for Amsterdam right after my class on Friday. I met Curtis at one of the tube stops and we took the train to Gatwick Airport. It was about a 30 or 35 minute ride on the train to the airport. Our flight left at 3 and it was about a 45 minute flight. We had to take the train again in Amsterdam to get to central Amsterdam. Then we went straight to our hostel which was in a very nice location! Our hostel was called the Botel Zebra. It was a boat hotel that was on one of the many canals in Amsterdam. It was owned by a very nice lady and was a lot nicer than I expected. It also came with free breakfast! We checked in and dropped all of our stuff off in our room and then set off to explore Amsterdam. We got something to eat first at a restaurant. I was really surprised that most people spoke English there. Then we walked around in the city for awhile. Right when we turned the corner of the restuarant we found the Red Light District. We walked down the street. It was very interesting and was quite the experience walking through it. There were coffee shops and sex stores on every corner. We called it a night after walking around for awhile. We woke up and got breakfast on Saturday and went to try and find a market. Unfortunately we could not find the market. We decided to head to the Anne Frank museum, but we took a wrong turn and ended up right by the Heineken Brewery. We go there right at it was opening! We bought tickets for the tour and we got free hats! The Heineken Brewery was a lot better and bigger than I thought. We learned how Heineken started, how beer was made, and much more! We each got 3 free beers (Curtis had the potential for 6 free beers because I only had a sip of mine haha). After the tour we headed to the Anne Frank house. I wasn't able to get any photos, because they aren't allowed but it was an amazing place. From there we walked around a little bit more. We ran into the tulip market. There was so many people there to get their tulips in one of the squares. I wish I could have been there sometime in the spring or summer and made a trip out to the tulip fields. Then we headed back to the Botel Zebra and took a short nap and then went out to get dinner. On Friday night we saw a lot of places that had food that were probably for people with the munchies coming from the coffee shops so we decided to get a bunch of snacks for dinner. We went to a place and Curtis got a hot dog covered with a bunch of stuff and I got a slice of pizza. We also went on a mission to find a place that sold just fries. We were looking for a really long time for this place, but we finally found it. It wasn't as good as we were expecting, but I'm still happy I got my fries! On Sunday we spent most of the day in the airport and got back home eventually. Our flight was delayed and we ended up getting back really late, but we both got back and were ready to go for class on Monday! I had British Life and Culture and Art History on Monday. After that I met Curtis at Oxford Circus and we had dinner at Garfunkel's. Today I had British Pop Music and we talked mostly about the rise of pop in Britain and Beatle Mania. Right after class I headed to the Prince Edward Theatre to see Jersey Boys! It was really good! Here is a preview:

River Thames Walk, National Art Museum, War Horse, Greenwich

The past couple of days have been very busy! Monday I had to be at the Tower Bridge at 9:15 in the morning, which meant leaving my flat by 8. This was for my British Life and Culture class. We took a river walk on the Thames. Lyndon was the leader of my group. We first discussed the Tower Bridge. The Tower Bridge was cutting edge technology during the Industrial Revolution. It use to open up to allow ships through up to 1000 times a year, but now it only opens a few times a year. From there we talked to the Tower of London, which was built in 1066. The old London zoo use to be next to the Tower of London and I learned that the zoo use to keep their polar bear on a chain and let it swim in the River Thames. The walk lasted about 4.5 hours and we saw so much more! This walk helped us learn about how London developed as a city.
Right after the tour we had about 30 minutes to grab a quick lunch before we had to meet Philippa at the National Art Museum. I ate with Shelby and a place called Pret. I had a mozzarella and tomato croissant, which was delicious. All of the art museums are free to get in to in London, so Philippa will be taking us to museums most of the time for class. The museum was amazing. Here are some of the painting I saw:






This is a portrait of The Baptism of Christ. This is a portrait of the Fighting Temeraire. This is the Equestrian Portrait of Charles I. Charles I was less than 5 ft tall so he had most of his portraits on horse to make him appear taller. You can also notice how the head of the horse is a lot smaller than it should be also making him appear bigger than he really is.

This is The Arnolfini Portrait.

An interesting fact that I learned was that back in the day blue was the most expensive color to have in a painting. It had to be imported form the Middle East.The museum was a lot more fun than I expected and I learned a lot about how to observe art. After awhile in the art museum I was able to meet up with Curtis after we were dismissed. We went to dinner at a place called The Wharf. Curtis ordered the fish of the day, which was sea bass and got this! He wasn't sure how to go about eating it, but he figured it out!

On Tuesday I met my two other teachers at school. First I had class with Rob. He is my British Pop Music professor. He actually doesn't teach anymore except for this class for the Ball State students. He seems really cool. He said we will be talking and listening to music for 3 hours from Britain from 1950-1990's. Then I meet my British Literature, Nora. I am not too excited for this class. We had to analyze British poetry and then she gave us the assignment of going to the Charles Dickens Museum. London is celebrating Charles Dickens this year because it is the bicentennial of his birthday. Then right from class I had to get on the tube to make my way to the New London Theatre to see War Horse. It was amazing! What they did with the horses was so cool. At first I couldn't get over the fact that people were there to move the horses, but eventually they disappeared and all I could concentrate on was the horses. Here is a preview video I got off the internet:





Today our program went on our Wednesday day trip. Basically, every Wednesday we go on a day long field trip. Today we took the train to Greenwich, London, which is a suburb of London. On the train ride there I was able to see some of the Olympic venues and the financial center of London. When we first arrived in Greenwich we took a tunnel under the River Thames. Philippa told us that Greenwich is where a lot of movies are filmed including Pirates of the Caribbean and Sherlock Holmes. This is also where the equestrian competitions for the Olympics will be. Then we toured the Old Royal Naval College Chapel and the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College. I ate lunch at Pizza Express, which was really good. I have been really confused about how to pay for my meals at restaurants here, so I asked the waitress. She said that you need to ask the waiter for the check or else the waiter is being rude if they just bring it to you. After lunch we met on top of a hill where the Greenwich observatory is. It was a great view of the city! This is also the spot where the Prime Meridian is and where it was discovered! The picture of me on the left shows me in the Western and Eastern hemispheres at the same time. On the way back we took a boat ride on the Thames to Parliament. It was very cold, but still fun! Today was also our first typical London day. Cloudy and chilly! For the first week I had nothing but sunshine!








Some interesting things I've learned or noticed:
- London has very few trash bins so that people can't put bombs in them
- I hardly ever see people on their phones here. It is really nice actually. People enjoy spending time together at dinner and not on their phones and lots of people read books or newspapers on the tube instead of playing on their phones.
- The streets on London either say "Look Right" or "Look Left" to help make sure you don't get hit by a car

Platform 9 3/4 and Harrods

Last night I went to Old Bell Pub with Shelby and two of our flat mates Stuart and Chad. I got my first beer while I was there. I wasn’t sure which one to get, but I decided on Stella. I was able to drink about half of it and then gave it to one of the guys to finish. It was karaoke night. No one participated though; we just sat around and talked.

This morning I slept in and Shelby and I made plans to go see Platforms 9 ¾ and Harrods. We mapped out how to get there one the tube. We had to switched tubes a couple of times to get where we needed to be this time. Platform 9 ¾ is located in King’s Cross Train Station, which is connected to the tube area. We were able to get off the tube walk a little ways under ground and see Platform 9 ¾ from Harry Potter. And it was free!! We stayed long enough to get a few photos and then headed back on the tube to go to Harrods. Harrods is a HUGE department store. I had never heard of it before, but when we got there I was amazed. I couldn’t afford anything there because it was all designer items (Gucci, Prada, Channel, Fendi, Dior, and pretty much anything else you can think of), but it was so much fun to look. The place is 5 stories tall and had so much stuff! We walked around the bags, jewelry, women’s, and gifts sections of the store and headed back out. On our way back out we stopped past the food court. OH MY GOSH. There was the most deliciously looking food. The chocolate shop was probably my favorite. I didn’t get any, but I will definitely be going back to get some before I leave.

After getting back on the tube to the flat, I went to Iceland’s grocery store to buy some food for the week. Someone told me that it was the cheapest place to get food here. When I got there almost everything was a pound! I got some frozen garlic bread, pizza, ice cream bars all for a pound and frozen chicken for 3 pounds.

Tomorrow will be the first day of class. We are meeting Lyndon on the Thames river for a 3 ½ hour tour of London on the Thames. I had to do some research on Queen Victoria and Prince Albert so that I can share it with everyone tomorrow on the tour. Queen Victoria ruled for 63 years during the 1800’s. She married Prince Albert who was her cousin. They had 9 children together and 26 surviving grandchildren who all married royalty throughout Europe giving her the nickname the grandmother of Europe. After that I have a lunch break, and then I will be taking a tour of the National Art Museum in Trafalgar Square with Philippa.

Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, and More!

Today I visited Buckingham Palace! Shelby and I took the tube to meet Curtis and we walked down to the Palace. We walked around there for a while and then we walked in the Royal Park on Princess Diana of Wales Memorial Walkway. There were so many birds there! I’m not really a fan of birds so I was trying to avoid them as much as possible. There was even a huge pelican bird. Then we walked over to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. From there we went to a café on the Thames River and I had the best cookies and crème ice cream ever! It was called Jack’s Italian Ice Cream. We stayed there for a while because and sat by the window to people watch where it was warm. Then we went to Waga Mama’s restaurant where I had the chicken teriyaki donburi. After dinner the three of us went to the Tower of London Bridge to see a ship pass through. This was the first time in almost a year that the bridge has been opened and it will not open again until September. Our teacher Philippa suggested that we go see it tonight. Then Shelby and I headed back to the flats and are getting ready to go to a karaoke bar with out flatmates!

London=Best place ever!

Today was amazing! Shelby and I left for orientation at school really early, because we had to get there on our own today. We had to be at school at 8:45 so we decided to leave at 8 to make sure we could get on a bus. I have decided it is faster to take the bus instead of the tube to school. Yesterday our director had the 30 Ball State students split up into three groups. One group took the tube, the other the bus, and the rest walked. The bus group got to school in 15 minutes, the walkers 25 minutes, and the tube riders 30 minutes. I also like to take the bus to school because I get to look outside the windows and see lots of London! The tube is still great though! It just depends on where you are going. Shelby and I got to school at about 8:20 and were the first ones there! Most places in London don't start until around 9, so we were the only students there along with a few of the college's professors. We tried to go to the computer lab to hang out and check our email, but it didn't open until 9. A little different from the early and late hours at Ball State's library.
Lyndon and Philippa were there to talk to us again today! We also had a guest speaker from the police station come to speak to us. An interesting fact that I learned today was that 98% of police officers here do NOT carry guns with them. London has strict policies on carry guns. Hardly anyone is allowed to carry a gun. The officer talked to us about preventing theft. As I mentioned the other day theft is very common here. It is important to keep your bag close to you at all times. Men do not carry their wallets in their back pockets, because it is easy to pick pocket. After the officer left Lyndon taught us about British school systems. I also learned that I live on the border of Westminster. Westminster has a lot of really rich people and a lot of people in poverty. There is not many middle class people living here. I also learned that the next borough (like a county in the states) is Brent. Brent is the most diverse borough in London. 52 languages are spoken there. Then, after a few questions we were free to have the day to ourselves. I went back to the flat to each lunch. I cooked some pasta that I had bought at the market yesterday.
After lunch Shelby and I went to find Little Venice. Little Venice is about half way between our flats and the school. It was very pretty! People live in the boats on the river. I saw an episode of house hunters international when someone was buying a boat in Europe to use as their homes. It was quite interesting to see in person. We walked around for about an hour and then headed back to the flat and took a short nap.

I finally got to see Curtis! After our nap Shelby and I found our way to his flat all on our own! We took the tube. It is about a 25 minute tube ride. Curtis lives really close to the London Eye. He lives in central London and I live a little out of central London. I
got to see his flat and meet his flatmates. Then we took off to find a place to eat. We ended up going to some sort of Mediterranean Restaurant where I got fish and chips. It was my first fish and chips in London! It was delicious! Then we took Curtis to Piccadilly Circus where we found the M&M store. It was 4 stories and was filled with so much cool stuff. I got scanned to see what M&M colour I was and I was a "Mixed Dark Chocolate". This meant that I was a very likable person and if someone didn't like me they probably were confusing me for someone else. Curtis was the White M&M, which meant that he was "a very nice person, probably the nicest in the store". Then, we went to a pub called The Brew Master where the three of us got drinks and talked for awhile. Then, we walked to Trafalgar Square and Chinatown. We all shared a piece of chocolate cake and called it a night.My classes sound like so much fun! I can't wait to learn all about British culture and people! On Monday I am taking a 3.5 hour walk on the Thames River for my British Life and Culture class and then going to the National Art Museum for my Art History class! Can't wait! Hope everyone at home is doing well!

Here is a list of some more of the differences I have noticed:
-British paper is a different size than US paper
-Binders and paper only have 2 rings holes
-People wear really nice shoes

Exploring London!

Hello from London!

Today was a very busy day! After falling asleep at 7:00PM London time I woke up at 7:00 AM to get ready for the day. I left the flat at 9:00 to walk to the school. We were having orientation again today. Lyndon Sly meet with us. We got some supplies from him for school and he taught us a little about the British. Here is a list of some of the things I learned from him today or have picked up in the past 2 days:

-British men wear scarves

- Stay on the right side of the escalator so that people on the left side can run down

- You don’t usually tip at London restaurants

-London is the most diverse city in the world

- Wimbley stadium holds 98,000 people

- Always give your sit away on the bus or tube to an older person or woman with child

-All stores are specialized (No superstores)

-Food expires very fast- usually within 2 or 3 days so you have to go to the market often

-British dress very smart casual and you don’t see many people wearing sneakers or hoodies. I have not seen one person in a t-shirt.

- You are always quiet on the tube or bus

-Most things start or open in the morning around 9

-Most stores close early around 7 or 8

-Security is very high here. You have to use a card to swipe into and out of the tube and my school. Also, most stores have security guards walking around the isles. Petty theft is big here.

-Erasers are called rubbers

- Restrooms are called toilets

- Cookies are biscuits

-Chips are crisps

- To go is called take away

After some time with Lyndon we went to get our student ID’s, which took a long time because they were having technical difficulty. After waiting about 45 minutes we finally got them. About 5 others and I left the school and went to try and find the best way back to our flat. We found the closest bus stop and got on. However, we got off at the wrong stop and found another bus that was a better route back to our flats. Now I know which bus to always take to and from school! The same people and I went to a pub right next to our flats. It was called The Queens Arm. The owner really likes all of the American students, because they always live right next to the pub. I split a magrherita (cheese) pizza with 3 other girls. It was only 5 pounds for the whole pizza! They have very traditional British food there that I want to try eventually. The fish and chips look really good! Right after lunch we had to meet outside of the flat to take the tube to Piccadilly Circus, which is in central London. It was amazing! I think I need to adjust more to living in a big city than living in Europe! We then meet up with one of our professors. Her name is Philippa and she will be teaching my art history class. She gave us an hour and a half tour of central London. We saw Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Chinatown, and Covenant Garden. Piccadilly Circus is best described as the Times Square of London. Shelia she should us where the half priced ticket booth was! You can buy half priced theatre tickets there! They pretty much have every Broadway show you could imagine here. War Horse, Legally Blonde, Lion King, Mama Mia, and Chicago are just a few of the ones I saw. Chinatown was very cool! Philippa said that the food is good, but she always has to go home and drink water all night long because it contains a lot of sodium. Chinese New Year is coming up and Philippa said that it would be a great time to go to Chinatown. Covenant Garden is a huge market and shopping place. Philippa ended her tour here and left us to explore. St. Paul’s Cathedral is right by Covenant Garden so I got to see that. I stopped into an organic and vegan soap shop. It was pretty interesting. I thought about getting some lotion, but it was really expensive. I saw a European Mickey Mouse there! My friend Shelby and I got our picture with him. Then we realized we didn’t have any pounds to give him so Shelby gave him an American dollar. We found a cell phone store called Orange and Shelby and I both bought phones. I went in and asked the man working where was the cheapest phone I could find! I bought a small flip phone for 9.99 pounds and put 10 pounds of pay as you go minutes and text on it. Then we got back on the tube and rode back to our flat. We went to a pub for dinner called Betsy Smith and I had nachos. Everything is made very fresh here in London. Then I went to grocery store get some food for the next few days. I also stopped at the ATM so that I had UK cash. Then finally back to the flat! I skyped with my roommate/ best friend from home Erika and her roommate Ashley to say hi! PS. Shelia you should tell Uncle Bob that I tried to listen to his wine tips and buy wine that was 2008 or 2009 and older, but I have only seen wine made in 2011 here.

Trafalgar Square

Hello London!

Hello from London! I arrived in London early at about 6:30 AM this morning! I was only able to sleep for able 2 hours on the plane and I have been up for almost 30 hours straight! After getting our luggage, a coach bus came and picked us up. There was awful traffic on the way to our flat, but we finally got there! I share a bedroom with a girl named Shelby and Ashley. We each have our own bed, closet, dresser, and we share a bathroom. Here is a picture of my bed and the view from my window!

Our flat has four levels. 3 levels have bedrooms and one level is a common living room and kitchen. I got unpacked quickly when we first arrived at the flat. Soon after I went to buy my Oyster card, which allows me to ride the buses and the tube around London! On the way to the tube children having recess from a primary school were yelling “Americans!” so apparently we stuck out. All of the Ball State students got on the tube and went to our school, City of Westminster College. I met the director of the school and of our classes. His name was Lyndon Sly and he has been working with Ball State for the past five years. He was really nice and we have orientation with him tomorrow! Then I explore the area around our flat for a little. I went with Shelby and a girl I met named Brittany and we bought a few groceries and a hair straightener. I was surprised to see how many young children walk around after school by themselves in the busy city, but it makes be feel safe to see that twelve year olds are able to walk around by themselves. It gets dark around 4:30 here. We had perfect weather today though! The high was 50 and it was sunny! Now it is time for a much needed shower and some sleep! I have to be up at 9 tomorrow for orientation at school.

Shout out to Erika! I miss you!