Eliana has a friend (we'll call him Chris) here that brings her and her friends out. That means I got to go out.
Denysha, Eliana, and I got dolled up, and we met Chris at Leicester Square.
We got in his car. He drove us to a club.
I haven't a clue what club it was. It was called Departure. It was on Tower Hill. It was all red.
And I was one of a few white people in the entire place.
It was wonderful.
Beautiful black men everywhere, too.
Chris's friends met up with us, and we danced until 4am.
Now I'm getting ready for bed.
I had a great time tonight.
Night.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Cambridge
Today I woke up early to get to Bedford Square at 9 so I could take a bus with some NYU kids to go see Cambridge (it was either Oxford or Cambridge, and I chose the latter).
It is the cutest town I've seen yet. Little tiny streets that meander with close buildings. It's all very medievally set up still. And there are churches up the wazoo! Every corner, there they are!
We started off in this square where a big market took place. From fish to tea, from CDs and used guitars to knitwear. Then these cute hometown tour guides split up our group into groups of 15, and we went on our merry way. It was a University tour, essentially, but hey! isn't that what Cambridge is all about?
Cambridge University, mind you, is made up of all of the Cambridge colleges. The university does all of the teaching and administrative stuff, and the colleges are the reputable names that you apply to. Kinda like NYU, Stern College....get it?
My guide started us off with Trinity College (the richest and largest college there). Henry the 8th founded it, and they have a sculpture of him holding a "holy hand-grenade" and....a chair leg. Long story...
I have to stop now to make a note at how impressed I was with the grass here. Sounds stupid, I know. But seriously, this grass here is amazing! It's iridescent-green! And it's incredibly well maintained! I felt like I was looking at a velvet carpet, or something out of the Wizard of Oz!
Now, mind you that it is forbidden to trod on any ounce of grass.
Then off to King's College, made by Henry the 6th. Very quadrilateral, I say.
But the King's College Chapel (you know, where the King's College Chamber Choir sings every Christmas Eve?), now that was something!!!! Massive. Half modest and half overembellished. It was stunning. The outside is very gothic, but the inside...wow.
We weren't allowed to photograph the inside, but it's amazing. The walls in the antichapel are very gawdy, but still beautiful. The stained-glass windows are massive and luminous, and they're the 85% of the original windows, too (because they took out all of them during WW2 for safe keeping)! There's a very large oak organ in the middle of the huge church (by Henry the 8th) that's all carved out. And the chapel part is so pure...I can't explain it.
But the ceiling was my favorite. The columns of the building went up and fanned out on the ceilings...they truly looked like fans! All stone, but they looked weightless!
At the end of the tour, the lady brought us to a small restaurant-pub. Eliana and I ate some fish & chips there, and along came the rest of the NYU brigade into this little pub. It was awkward.
Then our supervisor, Paul (25, british, cute, Master student at Birbeck...), sat and ate with us. We just talked to him in the pub for the rest of the 2 hours there, and it was wonderful.
I will end this post by simply stating that though I've never been to Cambridge before, and though Paul was with Eliana and me for the rest of the time, I was the one who had to walk us back to our check-in point. Right.
It is the cutest town I've seen yet. Little tiny streets that meander with close buildings. It's all very medievally set up still. And there are churches up the wazoo! Every corner, there they are!
We started off in this square where a big market took place. From fish to tea, from CDs and used guitars to knitwear. Then these cute hometown tour guides split up our group into groups of 15, and we went on our merry way. It was a University tour, essentially, but hey! isn't that what Cambridge is all about?
Cambridge University, mind you, is made up of all of the Cambridge colleges. The university does all of the teaching and administrative stuff, and the colleges are the reputable names that you apply to. Kinda like NYU, Stern College....get it?
My guide started us off with Trinity College (the richest and largest college there). Henry the 8th founded it, and they have a sculpture of him holding a "holy hand-grenade" and....a chair leg. Long story...
I have to stop now to make a note at how impressed I was with the grass here. Sounds stupid, I know. But seriously, this grass here is amazing! It's iridescent-green! And it's incredibly well maintained! I felt like I was looking at a velvet carpet, or something out of the Wizard of Oz!
Now, mind you that it is forbidden to trod on any ounce of grass.
Then off to King's College, made by Henry the 6th. Very quadrilateral, I say.
But the King's College Chapel (you know, where the King's College Chamber Choir sings every Christmas Eve?), now that was something!!!! Massive. Half modest and half overembellished. It was stunning. The outside is very gothic, but the inside...wow.
We weren't allowed to photograph the inside, but it's amazing. The walls in the antichapel are very gawdy, but still beautiful. The stained-glass windows are massive and luminous, and they're the 85% of the original windows, too (because they took out all of them during WW2 for safe keeping)! There's a very large oak organ in the middle of the huge church (by Henry the 8th) that's all carved out. And the chapel part is so pure...I can't explain it.
But the ceiling was my favorite. The columns of the building went up and fanned out on the ceilings...they truly looked like fans! All stone, but they looked weightless!
At the end of the tour, the lady brought us to a small restaurant-pub. Eliana and I ate some fish & chips there, and along came the rest of the NYU brigade into this little pub. It was awkward.
Then our supervisor, Paul (25, british, cute, Master student at Birbeck...), sat and ate with us. We just talked to him in the pub for the rest of the 2 hours there, and it was wonderful.
I will end this post by simply stating that though I've never been to Cambridge before, and though Paul was with Eliana and me for the rest of the time, I was the one who had to walk us back to our check-in point. Right.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Tourism
Today after classes, I felt a need to go out and be a tourist.
I hope on the tube with my new Oyster card, and went down to the West End, and toured:
British Airways London Eye (aka the ferris wheel)
Jubilee Walking Bridge (suspension bridge. cute.)
Trafaglar Square (National Gallery, that big needle, embassy central...)
House of Parliament/Big Ben (it's really big. and gothic. and pretty)
Westminster Abbey (also pretty, right next to Big Ben, but costs way too much money)
St. James Park (green.)
Buckingham Palace (in the middle of park land)
Hyde Park (green. big. pretty.)
Then I got kind of screwed up on the tube. Don't worry, it only took 45 min. to get back home... hahaha.
I put up some of my key pictures from my romantic adventure with myself.
I hope on the tube with my new Oyster card, and went down to the West End, and toured:
British Airways London Eye (aka the ferris wheel)
Jubilee Walking Bridge (suspension bridge. cute.)
Trafaglar Square (National Gallery, that big needle, embassy central...)
House of Parliament/Big Ben (it's really big. and gothic. and pretty)
Westminster Abbey (also pretty, right next to Big Ben, but costs way too much money)
St. James Park (green.)
Buckingham Palace (in the middle of park land)
Hyde Park (green. big. pretty.)
Then I got kind of screwed up on the tube. Don't worry, it only took 45 min. to get back home... hahaha.
I put up some of my key pictures from my romantic adventure with myself.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
I Think This Is Worth A Blog..
So, last night some random person went on MSN to IM me...I didn't know this person, but I thought maybe it was just a person I didn't remember from some time back. So I was playing nice.
This guy was from the Caribbean, he was really religious, found me on Skype, and wanted to see a picture of me. I basically said, "Nope. I don't trust strangers." And he frustratingly went his way.
In my head, I was thinking, wow, there are always those one or two people per country that has no life and bugs strangers however they can...
Then about 10 minutes ago, I got called on Skype from these 3 Italians who apparently wanted to be "your a friends. we is fun." I pretended that I didn't have a microphone, so I only IMed them, but they were laughing and speaking in italian, and kept on asking questions. I think they were drunk.
And I said, "ciao."
.....
If this keeps going on, I'm going to have to start a blog about my random creepy international encounters.
This guy was from the Caribbean, he was really religious, found me on Skype, and wanted to see a picture of me. I basically said, "Nope. I don't trust strangers." And he frustratingly went his way.
In my head, I was thinking, wow, there are always those one or two people per country that has no life and bugs strangers however they can...
Then about 10 minutes ago, I got called on Skype from these 3 Italians who apparently wanted to be "your a friends. we is fun." I pretended that I didn't have a microphone, so I only IMed them, but they were laughing and speaking in italian, and kept on asking questions. I think they were drunk.
And I said, "ciao."
.....
If this keeps going on, I'm going to have to start a blog about my random creepy international encounters.
Monday, January 23, 2006
One Score
So yesterday we (Eugene, Eliana, Denysha) went to find the International Student House (ISH) for a Cabaret. When we met at Bedford Square, it so happened no one had brought the directions.
That means we walked around lost for 2 hours.
Well, we know Bloomsbury and Tottenham really well now...but it was really frustrating. We ended up going to the ULU (University of London Union) building to ask for directions.
When we got to the ISH Cabaret, it was LOADED with Americans! I'm not in London to meet Americans, mind you...and they were all very very drunk in a very cramped party space, and many were smoking. It was a fast trip for us.
Today, I have received handfuls of birthday wishes. Many thanks to all of you. To answer many of your questions, no, I did not get really trashed at a bar (nor have I since being here :-D).
I woke up, went to the gym, ate a sandwich and relaxed for a good amount of time, did some travelling research, and then went all the way to Marble Arche because Eugene made a birthday dinner for me (thanks again, Eugene).
Then I came home, had a bowl of cereal, and here we are.
Classes start tomorrow. And I will try my hardest to immerse in the British college student culture!
That means we walked around lost for 2 hours.
Well, we know Bloomsbury and Tottenham really well now...but it was really frustrating. We ended up going to the ULU (University of London Union) building to ask for directions.
When we got to the ISH Cabaret, it was LOADED with Americans! I'm not in London to meet Americans, mind you...and they were all very very drunk in a very cramped party space, and many were smoking. It was a fast trip for us.
Today, I have received handfuls of birthday wishes. Many thanks to all of you. To answer many of your questions, no, I did not get really trashed at a bar (nor have I since being here :-D).
I woke up, went to the gym, ate a sandwich and relaxed for a good amount of time, did some travelling research, and then went all the way to Marble Arche because Eugene made a birthday dinner for me (thanks again, Eugene).
Then I came home, had a bowl of cereal, and here we are.
Classes start tomorrow. And I will try my hardest to immerse in the British college student culture!
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Jetlag Catches Up
Guess who has a sinus infection in London?
Yup.
Nice.
Note: most stores in London are closed on Saturdays. Including Boots (like a CVS) and Superdrug. I found one store that was opened, but they can't sell Robetussin on Saturdays or something....
So I'm souped up on pills and lozenges that I am completely unfamiliar with.
I feel really funky.
Yup.
Nice.
Note: most stores in London are closed on Saturdays. Including Boots (like a CVS) and Superdrug. I found one store that was opened, but they can't sell Robetussin on Saturdays or something....
So I'm souped up on pills and lozenges that I am completely unfamiliar with.
I feel really funky.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Late Night Excursions
So, last night was interesting and quaint. Just to let you know, where our flats are located compared to the academic center (and compared to the other half of the flats where students live), there's A LOT of walking. Think about a little more than a mile to the academic center (25 minutes, give or take?), and about the same distance to the other flats FROM the academic center....
Eugene, Eliana, 2 other people, Kenneth and I decided to meet at Oxford Circus. That's rougly 30-35 min. from Kenneth and my flats. So, that was quite a walk. And to meet at Oxford Circus is vague; there are 4 points that you could meet at that place, and none of them are very easily accessible from the others. Traffic here is psycho.
Got some italian buffet...
Kenneth and I decided to meander to Picadilly Circus afterwards (he doubted my navigational skills, but I prevailed once again). Then, it was about 11:30, and we were 40 minutes from home. Rough.
He griped the whole way back.
Men.
Today, I had to bite 6 pounds just to go to the gym FOR ONCE. Let's hope I can get a membership soon.
Tonight looks like, either Buckingham Palace, or Tower of London? Not so sure yet.
Eugene, Eliana, 2 other people, Kenneth and I decided to meet at Oxford Circus. That's rougly 30-35 min. from Kenneth and my flats. So, that was quite a walk. And to meet at Oxford Circus is vague; there are 4 points that you could meet at that place, and none of them are very easily accessible from the others. Traffic here is psycho.
Got some italian buffet...
Kenneth and I decided to meander to Picadilly Circus afterwards (he doubted my navigational skills, but I prevailed once again). Then, it was about 11:30, and we were 40 minutes from home. Rough.
He griped the whole way back.
Men.
Today, I had to bite 6 pounds just to go to the gym FOR ONCE. Let's hope I can get a membership soon.
Tonight looks like, either Buckingham Palace, or Tower of London? Not so sure yet.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Pictures are relocated...
Because this blog doesn't post pictures the way I want them to right now...to see my new pictures (and I put up about 7 already), go to:
Kim's Pictures.
Cheers!
Kim's Pictures.
Cheers!
Live From London!
Wow, I just got here to London...and let me tell you, it doesn't hold out; DRIZZLING RAIN!
The plane ride was fine. I watched "In Her Shoes", listened to some David Gray, read some of Interview With the Vampire....napped...smooth ride. They served ridiculous (in a good way) meals. Dinner was a BBQ chicken dish, and breakfast was a muffin. I was at the VERY beginning of the customs line when I got in at 6:30am, too! So it was fast, and I didn't have to deal with mean customs-folk.
The busride to the dorms was terrible (rush hour), and I was very very grumpy from jetlag (it's 11am here, and I feel like I've been up forever, because I have been)...until I got to the dorm. My Lord, I think I'll be able to deal. The room is small, and I'm sharing with 2 others, but the common room&kitchen? Well, I definitely can't complain.
Because I'm soooo tired, I'm going to take a shower and nap. Then NYU's taking us out to tea. ROIGHT!
The plane ride was fine. I watched "In Her Shoes", listened to some David Gray, read some of Interview With the Vampire....napped...smooth ride. They served ridiculous (in a good way) meals. Dinner was a BBQ chicken dish, and breakfast was a muffin. I was at the VERY beginning of the customs line when I got in at 6:30am, too! So it was fast, and I didn't have to deal with mean customs-folk.
The busride to the dorms was terrible (rush hour), and I was very very grumpy from jetlag (it's 11am here, and I feel like I've been up forever, because I have been)...until I got to the dorm. My Lord, I think I'll be able to deal. The room is small, and I'm sharing with 2 others, but the common room&kitchen? Well, I definitely can't complain.
Because I'm soooo tired, I'm going to take a shower and nap. Then NYU's taking us out to tea. ROIGHT!
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Preparing for Flight
Well, I'm leaving for England soon, and I have decided to keep a blog so everyone can see what I have to say about life. Yes, I have succumbed to blogging.
Just to let you know, I will be staying in Crawford Passage in London. My mailing address is located in my website (that you should have if you know me by now), which is different from my flat address.
I turn 20 years 4 days after I get to London. Sweet.
I'll miss you all.
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