Posts under the ‘England’ category

 

Buckingham Palace

Today I perused through some other Kingston University student blogs to try to get some inspiration for something to write about.  What I found was mostly a lot of long drawn out diary entries detailing every moment of the students life.  I was not even able to get through the first paragraph before I got bored and gave up.  My life is surely not exciting enough to have someone read five paragraphs detailing my day.  Hopefully my blogs aren’t that terribly boring although I’m sure they have some  moments.

Anyway this week I played in my first polo match, or chukka.  Polo is probably the most challenging sport that I have ever played or even spectated.  The game is so incredibly intense it combines riding skill, balance, coordination, and gives hockey a run for its money for physical aggression.  Like in hockey, if the opponent has the ball you ride up to them and literally check them with your horse.  You can also ride up and hook someone else’s mallet when they are trying to hit the ball.  However, it is also a game of etiquette and there are strict rules that need to be followed to try to avoid horses colliding.  My first game I fouled a lot and I got scolded for riding dangerously.  A little embarrassing but I guess I just got carried away in the excitement of it all.

Squirrel whisperer

Speaking of embarrassing I was telling my mom the other day how I feel like the poor kid of the polo world.  Saturday morning, while everyone else was driving their BMW’s up to the polo arena, I was taking two trains, the London underground, a bus, and a two mile walk to get to the arena.  I can’t even describe how intimidating it is walking up the drive to the arena with my backpack on and an old helmet in hand.  On the walk home one of the professional players was driving by and stopped to give me a ride.  This gave me a chance to further embarrass myself by asking a round of what I thought were seemingly innocent questions.  When I asked Henry, one of the ascot professionals, how old he was he responded by saying, “that is a very personal question.” Alright, not too bad, but then after Tarquin, another professional, was talking about his house nearby and I asked him if he lived alone, the outraged look on his face gave me the hint that this was not at all an appropriate question.

This got me thinking about the difference between British and American culture.  Is this rigidness a product of the silver-spooned polo type or just a typical British politeness?  The more I thought about it I came to the conclusion that it is more of a British politeness.  It makes me wonder, why is it not acceptable to ask a person their age or if they live alone, when these same people are kissing complete strangers on the cheek as a greeting.  Also as far as bartending and customer service go, some British people seem almost embarrassed for me if I am overly nice and welcoming.  A typical British bartender will ask you what you want to drink, give it to you, and that is that.  I think I much prefer American standards of service that include some witty banter, good conversation, and the server being a part of the dining or bar experience.  Many of the people that I have met complain about Americans being too friendly and say they hate the ‘fake aspect’ of American customer service.  I for one would much prefer someone to be friendly and outgoing towards me, and I miss the friendliness of the States.

St. James' Park

In other news, this week I have finally gone to see Buckingham palace!  It was great fun, one of the best times I have had out in Central London.  I spent a lot of time after in St. James’ Park and I have learned that I am officially a squirrel whisperer.  I had no less than ten squirrels that day climb up my leg and onto my chest to eat food out of my hand.  After the park, my tour guide and I went to a fancy cocktail bar called Cactus Blue which apparently is host to many celebrities including various football players, and Laurence Fishburne who was apparently filming across the street recently.

I would like to also mention that my study abroad experience is amazing and I am having a great time.

Cheers Mates!

Best

Lauren

London at night (you can see Big Ben in the background!)

Starting this week I am now on my mid term break, or as Kingston University refers to it, enrichment week. My five American friends left for Barcelona on Sunday morning and will also be traveling to Rome this week. Unfortunately money has been tight and I was unable to go with everyone. Instead I am using this week to catch up on my school work and work a few extra shifts to save up some money for my upcoming trip to Dublin.

I am very thankful to have a week off to catch up on school work because it is starting to pile up very quickly. I think that since I am in London school has taken a back seat to my tourist side and I have been putting off homework to travel into central London and go sightseeing. However, that is going to have to stop for awhile since I have some huge assignments that are due after the break. Since the semesters here are an entire month shorter than they are in the States the workload is a little more demanding and due dates on projects are coming up very quickly.

Kurran and the Wolfnotes

Although I have vowed to try to spend more time on school I have also been trying to get out and experience the London lifestyle as well. I saw an amazing band in Soho a few weeks ago called Kurran and the Wolfnotes, http://www.myspace.com/kurranandthewolfnotes.

I liked the band so much that I also went to their next show in oxford, which was about an hour and a half drive from where I live. The show was sponsored by Levi’s Jeans who is doing a concert series called “Levi’s Ones to Watch.” I met someone while i was working that knew the band so we got on the guest list and I was introduced to everyone (meeting tons of people is the biggest perk of having a bar job).

Getting my album signed

During the show I found myself just smiling at the fact that I was in London, watching an amazing band, and having the time of my life. It was one of those surreal moments that i seem to be having quite often lately. Sometimes the monotony of work and school everyday gets me a little down but then I remember I’m not just working at any bar . . . I am at a trendy late night bar in London, England!!!! . . . and then it’s not so bad anymore. Speaking of work though, I honestly really love my job; it is more having fun than it is actually working and I get to meet new people every single time I work.

This past weekend at my work we had a Halloween party and the bar was so busy we had a line outside to get in and even had to turn some people away. In England Halloween is not celebrated as much as it is in the States. There was not even one trick-or-treater that showed up at my house. I also didn’t notice any trick-or-treaters anywhere else in the neighborhood, so I am not sure if it is very popular. Also, in England when people do dress up it is almost always as something scary. In the US people dress up as anything, it doesn’t have to be scary, so I dressed up as a nerd. I had a lot of people come up to me and ask why I was dressed like that or tell me that I wasn’t scary enough. Once I got to Barcadia though I thought the costume went over well, even though I’m pretty sure one of my managers didn’t know i was dressed up.

Dressed up as a nerd with Richard dressed up as a "victim"

Well that’s about the only excitement for this week, but I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to go out during my week off. So far I am planning on going to see the Shawshank Redemption at Wyndham’s Theatre in Central London, going to see Buckingham palace, and possibly taking a trip to Brighton which is a few hours from here on the coast.

Most of all though, I will be enjoying some much needed relaxation and doing lots of homework and reading!

Until Then…

Best

Lauren

The Thames River pigeons.

Time in London is going by much faster than I expected it would. Friday evening my friends and I celebrated our one month anniversary of arriving in London. I can’t believe I have been here for over a month already! Its been frustrating lately not to have the time or money to travel and go places in central London. The value of the USD is killing me. Prices here are about the same as prices in the U.S. except they are in pounds which one USD is equivalent to about 0.61 GBP. I am barely surviving off of my minimum wage bartending job and may have to resort to shamelessly begging for tips at work. Every tip I do make is going towards the polo fund to try to pay for as many polo lessons as possible.

I have been trying to take polo lessons at least once a week at a polo club in Chobham called Ascot Park. It takes me about an hour and half by train and bus and then about a 20 minute walk to get to the polo club. So far I have been using an appendix quarter horse named Pepe as my fearless polo mount. Unfortunately for Pepe my swing still needs a little work and he has been hit by the mallet a few times. Thankfully Pepe is extremely forgiving and has been an awesome horse to learn polo on. Last week my polo lesson was taught by one of Ascot Park’s professional players, Tarquin Southwell. I learned so

Tarquin Southwell playing in the Ascot Part Arena

much from him during the lesson and my polo skills are really starting to come around. I even managed to score a couple goals! The amount of strength it took me to gallop around the polo arena holding the mallet was insane! The day after I could barely walk! I had to stock up on the pain killers just to make it through the night at work. In class I also noticed that my hand would shake whenever I gripped my pen, from clutching so tightly on the polo mallet. However all the money and pain is worth it, polo is the most exciting and challenging sport that I have ever done before. I am definitely hooked on polo for life!

Other then polo my life really has not contained too much excitement. I have just been working extremely hard to try to save up for polo and a trip to Amsterdam and another to Ireland that I have planned with a group of friends. I am also hoping to be able to go to some theatre sometime in the near future, but for now its back to the old grind of work and school.

Best

Lauren

Well, the initial excitement of being an England newbie is unfortunately wearing off and giving way to the normal worries and responsibilities of everyday life. I feel as though I am no longer at tourist status and I am now just another person living life. I have been so busy this week with work and class that for the first time I have not been able to do any sightseeing or exploring. I have gotten into the full swing of things with class and work and along with that I have also been spending time in the library figuring out which books I will need for my courses.

Work has been going surprisingly well. I get along smashingly with all the other bartenders and we have tons of fun while we are working. Saturday I am going to be working with all my favorite bar staff; Patricia, Hana, Neil, and Ryan, and I am sure we will have a great time. I will try to get a picture of all of us in action to put on the blog next week. The only bad thing about work is getting home after. Last night for example while walking to the bus stop I had to cross the street twice to avoid fights that were breaking out in the street. After avoiding that I waited at the bus stop for about 30 minutes, and then had to make the 15 minute walk home after I finally arrived at my stop. The walk isn’t too bad during the day but after a long night of bar-tending it is quite miserable. To make matters worse the other night I left my keys at work (people who know me will know that losing my keys is a common occurrence ) and I had to scale the 7 foot stone wall in the back and climb through the kitchen window. In the morning my British Mum Torrie almost called the police because she thought someone had tried to break in!

I also feel like I have been spending tons of time waiting at bus stops! Some days I like the facts that I don’t have to drive anywhere and it’s nice to get outside and walk, but other days it is such a pain to have to wait on the buses. They never come when they are supposed to, and it makes getting to your destination so much longer. I also believe I have come up with a stable mathematical law which states that if you leave a bus stop and start walking the probability of that bus showing up is greatly increased. I have also learned that bus drivers won’t stop in-between stops for me, no matter how much I have previously buttered them up . . . I think I am going to start bringing them presents . . . just in case.

On the brighter side of things my first polo lesson was amazing! I had tons of fun playing and I am going back for my second lesson tomorrow. After the first lesson I was surprised at how sore I was. Polo is a lot harder than I initially thought it was going to be and I give the players credit for what a tough sport it is.

Nothing else noteworthy happened this week, like I said been pretty busy with work and school and trying to sort my schedule out. Tonight I am booking a trip to Amsterdam with some friends so there will be more excitement in the near future!!

Best

Lauren

The past week has been a very hectic and exciting week for me. I have started all of my classes and I have also starting working at Barcadia, a late night cocktail bar in Kingston.

The courses here are pretty different from the courses I am used to taking at Michigan Tech. Because the semester is shorter, the lecture periods are much longer. For example my molecular genetics course has a three hour lecture on Tuesday and then another two hour lecture on Friday.

There is also anywhere from two to four professors for each course. The courses seem to be split into different subtopics with a different professor teaching each one. In my advanced physiology course there is one professor who does lectures covering cardiovascular physiology, one that lectures on sensory physiology, and then another who does all the practicals. There is also a module leader who is the head of the course and writes and grades all of the exams. So far I am not sure which teaching method I will prefer. It seems harder to get a feel for the type of exams your professor will give if you don’t have them in lecture everyday; however, it may be beneficial to have someone specialized lecturing on each different topic.

The courses so far have definitely made me appreciate Michigan Tech and some of the professors at MTU. I miss Dr. Murthy’s biochemistry lectures and the fact that professors at Tech are so approachable and willing to help. It seems like most of the professors here have very limited office hours and are not as welcoming to students coming to their office.

Besides being busy with school I have also been busy working some long hours at my new job. Barcadia is a late night bar with DJs every night, student specials, and some pretty awesome drinks. The bar is open until 3 am every night and after cleaning I don’t get home until around 4 am so it makes waking up for that 9 am class a little difficult but it is a fun job and I work with some really nice people. There is a dress code to get in, nothing too fancy but no shorts or tennis shoes. I had a little laugh about this because I know there would never be a dress code at any bar back in Houghton. I was actually talking to a friend from home about how people in Houghton don’t care as much about dressing up and wearing expensive clothes. I have to admit it is slightly intimidating being around people who dress up for everything when I feel like my clothes are a little plain. On the other hand I love how in London as far as clothes, hair ect. anything goes. There is such a diversity of people which is a great difference from Houghton where I feel like anyone different stands out a lot.

Along with school and work there always has to be a little play right? I’ve been hanging out with the same group of American girls that I had met from my study abroad orientation seminar. We all had a dinner party one night in clapham junction and have been exploring central London together. On Sunday our British friend Tom took Megan, Cate, and I to Camden town, an area in central London known for its alternative, punk, and goth culture. One of my favorite bands, the Clash, recorded demos for their album London Calling in Camden town. We also went to primrose hill which overlooks all of central London.

For the upcoming week I have my second week of classes, more working at Barcadia, and most importantly my first polo lesson! Thursday morning I will be taking a lesson and hopefully I will be on my way to Polo superstardom shortly thereafter.

I’ll let you all know how that works out for me

Best

Lauren

For the past week I have been settling in and adjusting to my new life in England. Today is my first day of classes so I am not sure how they will go, but of course, I am hoping everything will go smoothly.

Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament

Since I had two weeks with no classes I decided to strap my camera around my neck and do the tourist thing. Saturday I went all out and took a boat tour in the Thames River beginning at Westminster Pier, overlooked by Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

The London Eye

Other noteworthy attractions were the Millennium Wheel (better known as the London Eye), St. Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe theatre, the Tower Bridge, and really just too many more to mention! The boat tour was definitely the highlight of my week, and I had a geeky smile on my face for the rest of the day. After the boat tour I walked around for hours taking pictures and navigating through the busy streets of London with my Irish friend Jay. After living in the Upper Peninsula for a couple of years the crowds in London cannot be described as anything less than massive.

Myself and my Irish tour guide Jay

During the week I also visited Hampton Court palace, The York House in Twickenham, and Bushy Park near Kingston. Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace across the river from Kingston. It was lived in by the British royal family up until the 18^th century and I believe was originally lived In by King Henry VIII. The York House in Twickenham is the current headquarters for the London borough of Richmond and contains borough council offices and chamber.

Bushy Park is adjacent to Hampton Court Palace, and is apparently the second largest royal park in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera with me to the park that day but I was shocked to see groups of as large of 100 deer lying or grazing the park together. You can get 10 feet from them and they will not so much as flinch! I was tempted to try to pet one but luckily I was able to resist the urge. There were also tons of horses, which easily make this park a new favorite spot of mine.

This coming week starts my first week of classes, that along with my luck so far with public transport I am sure there will be many more interesting stories for next week. Cheers!!

Best

Lauren

Sightseeing in Central London

I have survived my first week in London! After the long plane ride the University came and picked up students in about groups of 15 people and brought us to the school where they provided a free cab service to our homes. I live in a little house about 2 miles from the school called the Cosy Cottage. Along with my landlady Torrie, there is just myself and two dogs here. By the time I got to my new house and had everything unpacked it was already about 5:00. My landlady took me to the store to buy some groceries and then I set off on a mission to find a job! I found a job at a late night pub called Barcadia and my first “trial night” is on Wednesday, so hopefully it goes well.

After the job search I decided to reward myself yooper style and head off to the local pub for a cold beer. The first bar that I came across I stopped at, bought a beer, and in no time people were coming over and asking me where I was from. I met two professors one was a pathology lecturer and the other biology. These two talked to me all night and sort of gave me a crash course on blending in with the brits at the bar. Some useful words to know were bollocks meaning nonsense, a mate is a friend, and a partner is a boyfriend or girlfriend, and being engaged means dating.

Eating near the national museum

The next night didn’t go quite as well. After a long day of international student seminars and registration I decided instead of taking the 40 minute walk I would catch a bus home. I knew my house was right by the river in an area called Thames Ditton. Unfortunately the bus went to the south side of Thames Ditton and I live on the north side.

Shopping in Oxford Circus

At the last stop the bus driver told me I had to get out and I started walking towards the river to see if I recognized anything. Unbeknownst to me the river curves around right after the area I live in so walking towards the river meant I was walking further and further away from my house. After about two hours of walking around I finally went into a bar, starting crying, and luckily for me someone knew where I was talking about and drew me a map of how to get there. Quite an embarrassing first bus ride!

Today the bus riding went a lot smoother. I caught a bus to the kingston train station and met up with four other girls from the international program. We took the train into central London and spent the day shopping and looking around. Last night i was also in central London to watch the Gaelic football championship. It was such a fun sport to watch and the team i was rooting for won! My classes don’t start until next Monday so I am looking forward to another week of more exploring! Until then….

Best

Lauren

Goodbye Houghton!

After a long process of applying for my visa, having it rejected, and then reapplying I finally have my UK visa and I am on my way to London! My visa was originally rejected for a few reasons but mainly because I used my Mother’s bank accounts as my proof of funds. Since my Mom is remarried and has a different last name than me the British Consulate said I did not prove my relationship to her. One way my Mom and I thought of to prove our relationship was to send a copy of her marriage license and my birth certificate, which both have her maiden name on it. Luckily, I was able to transfer the funds to an account under my name and I received my visa in just enough time to make my trip. Greta in the study abroad office helped me a lot through the whole visa process, I almost gave up hope that I would make it to England but fortunately Greta was there to help me when i needed it.

Since getting my visa on Friday afternoon I have been very busy getting ready for my trip. Trying to prioritize everything I needed for an entire semester and having it fit in two little bags was not an easy task! I decided that I am going to buy new appliances, such as hair dryer, curling iron etc. once I am in the UK because I was told voltage converters don’t always work very well. This also saved me a little bit of room for new clothes so I think it was a good decision.

I flew out of Marquette into Detroit this afternoon and I am flying into London tomorrow morning. I checked everything but a small backpack all the way to the London airport so hopefully it will not be an ordeal trying to get my bags in the baggage claim once I arrive. The University of Kingston arranges a pick up service that you can sign up for on-line and they will bring you right to wherever you are staying. I was happy to hear about this because I was definitely not looking forward to taking the 30 minute train ride with all my luggage.

Although it was very sad to say goodbye to all my friends, my family, and my dog Ketone, I am so excited that I am finally going to school in England! It is hard to believe that tomorrow I will be in England and the next day I will be at orientation. The next time I talk to you I will be in the UK!!!

Best

Lauren

First off, greetings and welcome to my “ParentNet: A Student Abroad” blog! I am a senior here at Michigan Tech and I will be studying abroad in London, England at Kingston University.

Me: Your blogger/photographer extraordinaire

I chose to study abroad in London partly because of my English and Scottish heritage, but mostly just as an escape from the known. After spending two years in Houghton working towards my bachelors in chemistry I am hoping to find the excitement I crave in this iconic city.

I will be documenting the good, the bad, and the amazing aspects of studying in London while hopefully giving some useful tips along the way for other students thinking about studying abroad. As of now I am waiting on getting my work visa from the British Consulate and as soon as that comes in the mail I will be off! Like most students before me I am going through mixed emotions of excitement, worrying, anticipation, and feeling overwhelmed. Wish me luck!!!

Best

Lauren