My 21st birthday!

It's been a really long time since I've updated my blog, whoops! Since I last blogged, I've visited Wales, fallen into a good routine, booked a lot of flights, and.... I turned 21! (Wow, when did that happen!?)
First off, Meagan visited this weekend! It was so great to see her, I've really missed everyone who isn't here. It's so weird to spending almost every waking hour with people for 9 months for three years, and then living and going to school in different countries than them. Especially when they're your best friends!!! We had class all day Friday, and then we picked her and her 3 friends up at the High Street Kensington tube station that night. We all went back to our flat, made them pasta, and went to a bar/nightclub named Verve. I had a pretty good time, but most people didn't like it very much. I think we may have just picked a bad night to go. I was really excited that the bouncer wished me a happy birthday at the door! It was only 5 pounds to get in, which is pretty good as a cover charge for weekends here. I decided to splurge for my birthday and get a 7 pound cocktail... and it was SO worth it! It was called a Japanese Fizz, and it was so delicious! It tasted like melted Hagen Daas raspberry sorbet.

Japanese Fizz: 2 parts Midori, 1 part Rasp. Schnapps, rasp. puree, and oj.

The next day, we had a tourist day with Meagan and the girls. We had lunch at Arch Angel, and then we headed over to Westminster. We saw Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, literally on top of us when we got out of the tube station! Then, we saw the London  Eye, Westminster Abbey, among other things.

Hey, Ben!

London Eye

Westminster Abbey, where Royals are wedded :)

Standing right where Kate walked in!

London Eye

Hello!

Good evening, Ben!

That night we went to Camden and ended up at a bar named Monarch. It was really crazy in there! I helped Meagan and her friends check their bags, which they had to bring with them, as they had to leave the bar at 1:30 am to catch their early flight back to Barcelona, behind the bar and then we got a seat in the back. We had a pretty good time! We left pretty late, and went to McDonalds. We happened to walk in while this lady was going... absolutely nuts. She was holding a caution wet floor cone, waving in the air, trying to attack someone with it. They were screaming, and they pulled her out of McDonalds three different times... she kept getting back in and attacking this group of people! Eventually, the police came, so she wasn't able to get in again.. but that certainly was a show! We were a little worried about getting hit by accident, but this nice guy behind us kindly told us how these things work in Britain. "You see, in America, its just chaos. But in Britain, its organized chaos. As long as you don't yell or do something to get involved, you just enjoy the show!" (Gotta love british humor... and accents!) And that we did!

Meagan, me, Katie, Erin, Lia (and Dana in the background) :)

I turned the big 2-1 this past Monday, and I had a really great day! I woke up and went to my British Life & Cultures class. On the way home, Lia and I stopped at a convenience store, and I bought a few Strongbows and a Malibu & cranberry juice can. The guy asked if I was over 18, and Lia, very excitedly told him, "It's her 21st birthday today!" His response? A mere, "Okay." I guess it really isn't a big deal here, which kind of took the excitement of the day away, but that's okay. Then, Lia and I took the 9 down to Hammersmith. We went to Primark, and then I got dinner at Tortilla. I had a chicken fajita wrap, which was pretty good!  From there, we went to Urban. I got a really pretty cream knit blouse to wear that night, a watch necklace, and some really thick, warm, wintery socks for 40 pounds.. which is great, especially for Urban! We poked around in TK Maxx after that, and then we headed home.

We all got ready to go out. I was in the main room, and Lia told me that Katie needed me for something. I should have found this shady, but I went down to our room, and Katie told me, "Oh, I wanted to borrow your perfume, but I found mine, so never mind." We then walked down the hallway, and walked into the main room.... and everyone was gone. HMMMMM. So I walked into the living room, and saw balloons everywhere. Then, I turned and heard everyone scream "Surprise!!!" It was so nice! They bought me a cake, which was delicious, macaroons (!!!!!!!!!!!!), a HUGE, shiny "birthday girl" pin, which they made me wear all night long, a card, and a BEAUTIFUL watch that I fell in love with at Urban a few weeks ago, but couldn't bear to pay the price..!

The beautiful watch that Lia, Katie, Erin, and Dana gave me for my birthday. (The brown one)

That was really, really great, and I was genuinely surprised! I was really touched, but I held myself together :) Then, we left for Roadhouse. We got there a little after ten, which is when free entry ends. They tried to barter the 5 pound fee to get in, but the bouncers wouldn't budge. Then, they said "Not even the birthday girl!?" And their response? "Oh, the birthday girl can come in for free! We can do that...!" So that was awesome! I felt sooo special :) When they checked my ID, they wished me a happy birthday, and said "come in this way, birthday girl!" They let me in through the VIP line, which was also very cool. I walked right in, past the cashier, and downstairs. VIP! We checked our coats, and headed to the bar. Happy hour lasted until 10:30, so I decided to get two drinks at once, to save some dough. I ordered a Passionfruit Daiquiri and a "Hollywood Hills" which had vanilla vodka and raspberry liqueur, with other fruity things in it. I definitely liked the daiquiri better, but both drinks were pretty good! The lady gave me such a great look when I ordered two cocktails at once, but hey, I ended up saving about 5 pounds that way, and only ended up spending 10.20 that night... success!

Mondays at Roadhouse are karaoke night, so we had some interesting music. But it ended up being a lot of fun. It wasn't that crowded, but hey, all that matters is that I was with my friends on my birthday, so I didn't mind. We just had fun with each other, and decided to go home around 1AM. Here are some pictures from the night!

Flustered by the surprise!

Cutting my yummy cake!

Dana, me, Katie, Erin, and Lia!

Erin, Dana, Lizzi, Mary, Emily, me, Juliana, Katie, and Lia

I've had a great week, and I'm looking forward to the weekend!

The past few days

Its been really hectic so I haven't gotten around to posting here.. sorry about that! The past few days have been crazy!

Sunday we took a coach ride around Central London in the morning. We got out at Buckingham Palace and the Tower Bridge for pictures, but we saw all the huge London landmarks... Big Ben, Parliament, Westminister Abbey, the London Eye, etc. and got a nice tour of London.

Me in front of Buckingham Palace

Me, Erin, Dana, Lia, and Katie in front of the Tower Bridge
(No, it's not called London Bridge!)

Later that afternoon we had a walking tour of our neighborhood, which was really interesting. Our tour guide had the infamous British humor, and told us things such as "The difference between a New York cab driver and a London cab driver is that the London cab driver speaks English.. and knows where he's going" It was really fun! We got to see a lot of our neighborhood and learned that Winston Churchill lived and died on the street we live on... fascinating! Later that night we just relaxed at our flat. Walking around London so much is exhausting!

Monday
On Monday, we had our first class, British Life & Culture. I really like our professor, and I think the class will be enjoyable. We are taking a few field trips, and I am looking forward to that. The more I get to see London (and the more I get to miss class...!) the better! After class, Lia and I went to Sainsbury's to do some grocery shopping. I got some essentials but am still getting used to their brands and such. I miss US brands and food a lot, but I'll get used to it eventually I suppose. I just wish I could find a nice big bag of salty pretzels and have an American Pepsi! (And not to mention a huge bowl of french onion from Panera... sigh!)
Tuesday
So then, on Tuesday, we took the 10 Bus to Hammersmith. It was a pretty cool neighborhood with lots of cheap shops and stores (even a 'pound' store, like our dollar stores!) We walked through Primark, where I have to go back. We were told by our tour guides on Sunday that you can get an entire outfit for 20 pounds! (Which translates to about $30, but that's still not too bad!) We also went to Poundland, where I got two sodas, some candy, and a package of pens for 3 pounds. Woo-hoo! I'll be going back there! We wandered around a little more and then we had lunch at a Pub for the first time. It was called the Hammersmith Ram. I had a burger, which was kinda weird, but not too terrible. I also had a drink called a Pimms & Lemonade.. no idea what it was, but it was okay. Probably not something I would order again, but I came here wanting to try all different types of drinks, so that's what I'm going to do! After that, we took the bus home and headed over to Kensington Gardens across the street. We rented the Barclay bikes and rode through the park into Hyde Park, around the Long Water and back. It was a real workout, and especially difficult because I'm so tiny, but I made it through!

Riding a bike in Kensington Gardens

After that we went home and had a quick bite to eat. Then around 9, we all decided that we wanted ice cream, so 9 or 10 of us jumped on the bus and went to Ben & Jerry's. We walked in as the woman was closing up the store, but she served us our ice cream which was really nice of her. I had 2 scoops of Cherry Garcia! It is so weird how everything here closes so early.. The ice cream shop was attached to a movie theater which was closing too. At home, the movies are open really late, even on a Sunday, so its yet another thing that we have to get used to.

Ben & Jerry's!

Wednesday
Wednesdays are going to be tough! I had my first British History 1815- Present day class from 9-12 with Lia and Dana. After that, Lia and I grabbed lunch at Pret A Manger. I had a hot spicy chicken wrap and tomato soup. I also had a can of sparkling apple juice which was a good treat! I love carbonated drinks and soda tastes so different here, its nice to have something bubbly and not be disappointed by what I'm drinking. We then walked around in a drugstore called Boots, and I bought some nail polish, polish remover, heat pads for achy bones (ah, my back and arms!) and some water. After that, Lia and I headed back over to Foundation House for our Islam class. That class is going to be extra slow.. the classroom was very hot, and very dark, making it near impossible to stay awake. It was definitely a struggle, even with two breaks. And I don't really have a huge interest in the subject, but it should be interesting, so I'm staying positive. After class we walked back to our flat and relaxed for a little bit. I took a quick nap, and then we got ready to go to the FIE welcome reception over at Imperial College. We got two free drink vouchers, and I donated one pound for a raffle. I didn't win, but that's okay. The profits go to helping kids get an education in Sudan. The winners won trips to Amsterdam and other places, so it would have been nice to win. Oh well! They served us our choice of a hamburger, grilled chicken sandwich, or a veggie patty. First, I had a grilled chicken sandwich. It wasn't too bad, but I decided to also try the veggie patty. It was pretty good! It was crunchy and had a lot of flavor, and it was nice to try something different for a change. I also had some pretty delicious coleslaw with that. After the reception we ended up going to Glouscter Arms, a local pub, but it was crawling with old people. (Sorry Mom and Dad!) I was really tiered, but it was only about 8:30 PM and I didn't want to go home alone, so I tagged along and went to Camden with everyone. We went to a pub called the Elephant Head, and it was pretty nice in there! I had a Bacardi Breezer, which was essentially a wine cooler but with rum. I liked it but it was way overpriced, so I'll be avoiding those from now on. We were there for a few hours, and some of us decided to head home around 11:30 so we could take the tube. We went to McDonalds, or MacDonalds as they say here, and then went home. It was a pretty good night, despite my extreme exhaustion and super sore body!

At the FIE reception

Thursday

Thursday is one of my days off! I slept in and got up around 12, and hung out until everyone was awake. Around 3 we headed off with the intention of finding Notting Hill, but wandered to the right instead of the left. It's nice to just walk around and see something new. We turned back and then found Notting Hill, and Cafe Diana. It was Princess Diana's favorite shop to go to, and she always used to bring Harry and Wills there when they were kids. There are pictures of here everywhere in there, and I definitely want to go back there to eat. We walked a lot until we got the High Street, and then we ate in a Pub. I had the "Hunters Chicken" which had BBQ sauce, mozzarella, bacon, chicken, and ..... tomato sauce. It was definitely interesting. I also had the best, most American tasting pepsi I've found since I've been here, which totally made my day! After that we headed home and got ready to see a show in Piccadilly Circus. It was Alfred Hitchcock's 39 Steps. It was pretty good, although totally different than plays I have seen in America. The theater was small and we had really good seats, so thank you FIE! After that, I got a cinnabun, which was delicious, and we headed to a pub in Leicester Square, but we got there just as they were ringing the bell for last call. We decided to head home and call it a night. I'm looking forward to tomorrow being over so I can get pumped for our trip to Stonehenge and Baths!

Sunday 8 January 2011

Yesterday, Lia, Katie, Erin, Dana and I decided to explore High Street Kensington. We really enjoyed the area. It's essentially on our road, so we just walked down the road about 5 minutes and were there! We walked through TK Maxx (the British TJ Maxx), TopShop, Urban Outfitters, and other stores. We found an adorable square with shops and restaurants which we really want to return to soon! There was a cafe called Cafe Rouge that offers a cup of coffee and a slice of cake for 3.99 which certainly sounds like a great deal!

After wandering High Street for a while, we decided to grab something to eat, and somehow ended up at Pizza Hut...! It was really good and kind of different than the Pizza Huts back home. It was a little fancier, as people were enjoying glasses of wine with their cheesy bread, but the pizza basically tasted just as good. It was a nice little touch of home in the middle of the day, so we all really enjoyed it.

After Pizza Hut, we crossed the street to Whole Foods. It was another little touch of home which I enjoyed. They even had wine samples! (I am definitely not in America anymore!!) I ended up finding one of those reusable shopping bags that says Whole Foods London on one side and Whole Foods Kensington on the other. It was my first purchase of something that says "London" on it. I also bought a chocolate bar with toffee pieces in it for only 89 pence, which was awesome! I bought a polka dotted watch at Urban, which I was excited about!

The Beginning!

I arrived at JFK around 1:30 and went to check my bags. After waiting about 20 minutes, they began checking bags, and of course, mine were both overweight. I had to pay a small fee and then I went to find something to eat with Mom, Dad, and Joe. We ended up eating at a restaurant called The Palms bar and grill, it was pretty good! I got a grilled chicken sandwich with cheese, bacon, and avocado mayo. After that, we walked back to the bag check in where I found Lia and Katie. We walked down to security with our families and said our goodbyes. That was kinda rough, but it’s only four months, and that’s what Skype is for! We went through security and had to go through the body scanners. We laughed it off, and the lady had to squeeze Lia’s bun to make sure she wasn’t sneaking something through. We found that really funny, but not until we walked away, of course! We went to our terminal, and eventually the other Marist kids on our flight showed up. Our friends came and we were having a good time in the terminal! It was the three of us, plus Erica, Erin, and Dana. We bought water and sandwiches to bring on the plane (which I never actually ate, whoops) and eventually boarded. Upon boarding we were told that the trade winds were extremely high, and that our flight would only be about 5 and a half hours, but we could not land at Heathrow until “not a minute before six” so our flight was delayed an hour. We took off without problems and the flight began. Lia and I decided to watch “The Help” and it was really good. We were given a menu with choices for our meal, and we all decided to try the Penne with Spinach. Unfortunately, they were out of it when they got to us,  so Katie opted for the Chicken Korma and rice… after seeing that, Lia and I opted for the Beef in Red Wine Sauce with mashies. They were okay. It kind of tasted like hospital food. It came with banana pudding which was pretty good. I also had a ginger ale, and that was odd. It was very gingery, and it was British. It said something about the Queen on the can. Oh those crazy Brits!

After the meal they turned the lights off, and we all decided we should try to sleep. We never got to sleep. Katie dozed off a little but as Lia and I were both about to fall asleep, they turned the lights on again! (About an hour and a half later. It was only about 11 or so East Coast time, so that’s why we weren’t tired!) The girl next to me was kinda big and taking over my space, so I was a little uncomfortable the whole ride. She was asleep for a lot of the flight and she was from Ireland! I bumped into her a lot, but she was in my way so too bad :P 

After turning on the lights, they gave us breakfast. It was a croissant, orange juice, and strawberry ‘yoghurt’. I also had a coffee. I had wanted one earlier, but they decided to skip me after dinner. Sigh.

We arrived too early to London, as the winds were extremely, extremely strong. We had to circle the airport for a while, and they kept going up and down, which caused a whole lot of people to get sick. It was kinda gross. After what seemed like forever, we finally landed!

There was an adorable baby on our flight two rows ahead of us. She was very good the whole time and slept. She didn’t cry much, besides small cries and such. She always made a shriek or cry right before we’d go down or up a little.. what a smart baby! Unfortunately she got sick with the crazy landing too! But by the time we landed she was smiling again!

After our hectic ordeal with the driver, (they paged us on the airport speaker multiple times, and we paged him) we finally found him. He drove us to the Metrogate House to pick up our keys. He waited outside and then took us to our flat.

We helped each other carry the luggage up the stairs and found our room. Its at the end of the hallway, room E. We have our own bathroom. Its a little small but its fine for the three of us! There is a bunk bed and one separate bed, I have the single. The floors are squeaky, and if you out our window, you look into the Netherlands Embassy. So our curtains are closed.

We went to the Foundation House, which is our class building, to make copies of our passports and to pick up packets and books. We also had to pay for a reading pack. (Sorry!) Then we signed up for a 1PM tour of the area, and walked across the street to Starbucks. It is very different here, and their menu and food is not the same as back home. I got a Croque Monsieur sandwich, (which the lady called a Crocky Misser) with mustard that I tried to avoid. (Ew!) I also got a vanilla spice latte, which tasted like a hot vanilla bean frappe. Interesting to say the least!

The tour was kind of useless, as we were running on being awake for over 20 hours at that point, and we were getting really giggly and silly. They showed us the college (Imperial College Union) whose facilities we can use, and where our orientation is today. After that we went to the grocery store/super store to pick up a few things. I only bought a big water, a bag of pasta, a small jar of sauce, orange raspberry juice, and two boxes of Special K bars.. I’ll have to go back and get some more food. We walked home after that, and accidentally took the very very long route.

When we got home we unpacked and relaxed. Around 7 we had a meeting with our RLS in the building. They are basically RAs but have already graduated and this is a part time job. They live in flats 3 and 4 above us. There are about 16 girls and 2 boys in our flat. We have a few friends down the hall and everyone else seems to be pretty friendly, and we’re excited to actually go out and see London. 

After our meeting, we all took showers. That was interesting… Our shower is in a tub and is about a foot to a foot and a half above the floor, making it a little hard to get in and out. The water pressure is also a little weak and goes out intermittently while you shower. But I already figured out how to continuously make it work. The building is very old and apparently there is Dubai royalty 2 flats down. I bet their water doesn’t lose pressure :)

Haven’t seen any Royals yet. Maybe today we’ll wander down the Kensington Palace and try to see Wills and Kate! Not sure if they are in town, so we’ll have to check it out.

The beds are okay, a little uncomfortable and strange but we’ll make due. We might buy a small pillow or something to make it more comfortable. We’re not sure where to go to buy things like that! Hopefully we are on our way to a normal sleeping schedule, as we all woke up around 6:15 and we’re wide awake! Some strange bird or bat or something was squawking and apparently there is construction going on right outside, it was loud yesterday but hasn’t started yet today.

Onward!