london living

This week has been filled non-stop with flat hunting. So far, we have been able to view 5 flats but none have been the one. I really thought I was an easy going person when it came to flats and my needs. Basically, Bianca and I just need 2 beds and a kitchen and a bathroom. Simple living & we don't even mind sharing. For our budget, so far we have toured a flat in the ghetto, a flat on the outskirts of town, a flat on the main floor probably built in the 1700s with bars on the windows and post war furniture, a flat where the landlord told me that she would not allow 2 girls to live there, and finally a 'cruise ship size' room in the basement with 1 small tiny port window and no washer, no fridge, no closet, and no safety. Bianca and I feel like we have literally called all agencies and are constantly looking. The real estate market is ridiculous here. Places come available and are under contract in a matter of hours! This morning a real estate agent told us about a flat and we immediately told her we wanted it. By the time she responded, she informed us that it already had an offer. I write all this in desperation. We are accepting any and all thoughts of encouragement and prayer. We are going to see an unfurnished flat tomorrow in hopes that it will be fine and we will just have a shopping trip to IKEA! The prices in London are so expensive and no one wants to let to students. 

BUT- on a brighter note, my final exam is tomorrow and Meredith is coming! We are going to be crazy American tourists till Saturday and then go to Dublin and then north England. So excited and ready for my holiday! & then HomeSweetUSA. And if anyone was wondering, I have been practicing my British accent and slang in case people want to hear my best attempt. 

<3cate

sink water

daily living continues. & at this point, I am thankful to be moving next semester. I can honestly say that I am only going to miss some particular and not always enjoyable traits of my flatmates that I try to consider comedic. 

As I am sitting at the table with Bianca, one of our favorite instances just occurred. This characteristic could be described as 'green' or 'eco-friendly' but Marc Antoine rarely ever uses a glass for water. I am saying rarely ever but I have NEVER seen him use one. Instead, he only uses the kitchen sink. And by this, he literally puts his head in the sink, opens his mouth, and turns on the faucet. Probably not actually that funny but Bianca and I just take great joy in seeing him do this. In addition to him doing this, his house guests consisting of his friends and his brother have been spotted doing this as well. In my mind it is very odd and I think "get a glass" but to him, he probably thinks I am being wasteful and it is unnecessary to put my cold, filtered water in a glass. 

happy saturday <3

90 Days

So tomorrow marks my 90th day in London. Cannot believe it has been 3 months already. When I look back and think about all my apprehensions of coming like where I was going to live, who I was going to meet, what I would be doing everyday, etc. I am so thankful for how it has all worked out. I have a flat (currently- may be homeless come January though), I have friends from all over the world, and I am enjoying what I am doing (maybe not all of the papers). It is so weird because last year at this time, I never imagined being here and being a student still. Maybe next December 1st I will have a job?! 


The countdown is on though:
-8 days till I am done with the first semester of my masters program & the day my sister arrives in London
-18 days till I leave the UK and come back to the US
-25 days till Christmas
-28 days till my Birthday
-29 days till I return to London for NYE with my best friends


Thank goodness I will only be in US for 11 days because I do not know what I would do without a Strongbow cider and Muller yogurt for too much longer. (joking but definitely some of my favorites)


Anyone reading this obviously is a close friend so I hope to see you while I am home! I am so excited and ready for this holiday season.
<3 <3 <3

Thanksgiving Miracle

So I celebrated my first Thanksgiving abroad and successfully cooked my first turkey, Abraham Ben Franklin Lincoln I. Honestly, I had no idea that turkeys came with giblets? That is disgusting. But Carolyn used it all and made gravy! Such the Betty Crocker. Thursday was definitely different than most holidays and did not really feel like Thanksgiving. No one was traveling to be with family, no one was off work, and the Macy's Day parade was not on.....But ESPN America was! Carolyn and her boy friend ordered the channel for the month so it could feel more like Thanksgiving. Now I have never thought of myself as very knowledgeable of the game but it was hilarious trying to teach everyone the rules of American football. 


Carolyn and I ultimately had a dinner party for 11 (everyone wanted to celebrate!) and it turned out perfect. We cooked all day and had: Turkey, Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, Corn Casserole, Rolls, Pumpkin Pie, Banana Pudding, and Mulled Wine! The most enjoyable and comical part was telling everyone that before we ate, everyone had to say what they were thankful for. It was everyone's first Thanksgiving and they got rather nervous. Our guests included: 4 Brits, 1 Canadian, 1 Norwegian, 1 Swede, 1 Italian, and a Portuguese.  It was a great night that I am sure I will never forget. 

 Abraham Ben Franklin Lincoln I and his neck (which took us 10+ minutes to figure out)

 Cleaning the bird.

 The Brits excited for their first Thanksgiving

 Siri, Charlotte, Natalie, Chris, Steve, and Maria

 About to say what we are thankful for

Hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving. & 3 weeks from tomorrow, I come back to America. 

Things I am Thankful For

Normally, I love this week because.... 

-it is a 2 day week (if I even went to those 2 days of classes)

-Home Sweet Home

-it's a holiday!

-watching Duke basketball with my parents/ Christmas movie with my sister after eating

-cooking deliciousness with Mer/ Mer having a weird fetish with carving the turkey

-my puppies

-naps

-family time

Well this year is obviously a little different but nonetheless, more about the true meaning of the holiday-Thanksgiving. & I am thankful for so many things this year. I am thankful to have the opportunity to live in London. I am thankful for family & friends. While I am 4,196 miles away from my family in Tennessee and 4,326 miles away from my friends in Alabama, I am encouraged and so blessed by them every day. I am also thankful for new friends. Friends from England, Italy, Norway, Sweden, France, Canada, & even Kansas City helping to make my experience here better every day. I am thankful for good shoes and a warm coat because I walk a lot here and it is getting pretty cold! I am thankful for modern technology, especially my iPhone/viber app. And of course, the list could continue for forever. 

Don't fear though, I am going to have a Thanksgiving dinner! This year, my American friend, Carolyn, and I will be cooking a feast for all of our international friends. It is going to be a "Thanksgiving Miracle" (quote from Friends) if we can pull it off. We have already made 2 trips to the American grocery store and now face the battle of converting everything to pints and grams and centigrade, etc. 

I definitely will document the moment and blog later. Good news though- Carolyn ordered ESPN America so we can watch all the sports! ha. Also, please enjoy the invitation made my Carolyn's British boyfriend. I know you are definitely jealous now. 

 

Taste The Freedom!

UK Grades

So I have never been a straight A student but obviously enjoy getting 85,90,95 type of grades. Anyone can imagine my amusement when a fellow classmate here told me that they got a 45 and were okay with it because it was a tough assignment. I just thought they were not very bright until I learned the grading system. No one gets in the 80s or 90s here. In fact, a 70 is basically an "A"and a 40 is like a "C". Other nationality-students are also throwing around words and phrases like "I got a first" and "distinction". To me, this is foreign but I guess I will learn. Also, one can get an "E", "FX", or "F".

Super random, I know, but somewhat weird and interesting. I also had to post so Dad can read and understand in case he ever hears I get a 40.


<3 cate

This week's British Slang

Blimey.....Rubbish....Dodgy. All brit words used in daily conversation. While I have now been in the UK for over 2 months, I still have trouble, OCCASIONALLY, understanding British accents or at least slang phrases.  Yesterday, I was introduced to an excellent new phrase that definitely has a meaning that I did not guess: Taking the piss. Urban Dictionary defines it as: 
Making fun of something or someone

Hey, Jim, you're fat.
No, I'm not!
Naw, you're not really fat; I was just taking the piss.

The example is really the best. May not recommend using that phrase in Alabama/Tennessee but I thought this blog post would be most helpful for Kelsey & #friemds when they come for a visit in January. 

Miss y'all <3

Lady Gaga & London Problems

LadyGaga

Halloween in the United Kingdom is somewhat a different holiday than it is in the United States. When I stumbled upon the Halloween section at the large grocery store in early October, I knew it was going to be celebrated in a different manner. The Halloween section consisted of a 3 ft. shelf area. On the top, it read, "All Your Halloween Essentials" and consisted of pumpkin stickers, a few bags of random candy, and a banner! Not quite the rows and rows of costumes, candy, pumpkins, witches, etc, that one might find at a Walmart or Target. Halloween, here, also is about being scary! Costumes are worn only by adults (aka No trick or treating for candy) and about 90% of costumes consist of blood! For example, my flatmates & their friends' costumes the first night. 

(Above: Marc Antoine as a sheep's death, Dario as a dead Elvis, Clarissa as herself, & Bianca as a zombie flapper)

Besides being asked about all of my best costumes in the past, I was also asked my best 'trick'? Personally, I have never tricked someone on Halloween. Not sure if it is common or perhaps used to be. If not, where did we get "Trick-or-Treat"? 

Since there are no pre-created costumes in a bag that you can buy at any store, I decided to be cost-effective and create a costume from my clothes. That got me with Lady Gaga. Bianca, my roommate, suggested that I just buy meat from the grocery store and wear that but I figured no one would be my friend for the night. 

 (Above: Lady Gaga & my American friend, Carolyn, as a football player)

(Above: My absolute favorite costume and picture of the night! The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge)

The Apocalypse 

That night, when we were leaving the party, the cash machine was not working. We got a cab and just figured we would get cash at the next machine. After trying 7 cash machines with different bank cards (None Working), our cab driver asked us to leave the cab! It was honestly, somewhat creepy. I thought the world was ending. It was the first time that I seriously had 0 money & no way to get any. We called the bank in the cab and they told us that ALL BANKS in London were not working. NO debit, NO credit, NO cash machines! Luckily, Carolyn's boyfriend said that he had a check in his flat. Come to find out, that morning was "daylight savings" in London and the time changed. With the time change came all bank systems shutting down. You would think that in the year 2011, they would figure how to fix that. 

#London Problems

The next morning Bianca and I decided that we wanted pancakes for breakfast. We talked about our love for American pancakes and eventually decided to get up and make pancakes. Luckily, my Italian roommate knew how to make American pancakes or at least attempted. I, on the other hand, only know how to make pancakes from the mix. Anyways, we set off to the first grocery store to buy the ingredients. Sadly, No syrup! We ended up going to 5 grocery stores ALL without maple syrup. The closest thing they have is 'Golden Syrup', which is actually corn syrup in a tin can. We did not buy any but the pancakes were more like crepes anyways so we just ate them with jam!

Anyways, we are going to buy maple syrup on Amazon so no worries. 

Cheers! 

Just a normal Friday with French boys

So basically, I use my blog to write about all the weird/unusual experiences here that I have DAILY! Well, this one is for the books. So my flat is pretty much like a hostel. All the time. With friends coming and going and there is always at least one person on the couch, so if you are in the area and need a free place to stay, I will check the couch's availability. Anyway, we currently have 3 guests staying with us. One is in an extra bed and 2 are on the couch. I came home from classes yesterday to my french flatmate, Marc Antoine, with his 2 french friends. They asked me to sit with them so I did and found out that one of the boys got a 5 out of 20 in his English class and the other boy speaks 0 English. His English is like my French. I know how to count to 10 and I can say: Hi, bye, how are you, & I love you.So basically all the essentials. not. Well I sat down with the boys and we proceeded to become besties. They would speak french to me and I would say yes or no depending on how I felt and smile. Then I would speak English and they would respond with something in french. It was a true relationship. Every now & then Marc Antoine would translate but for the most part, I just laughed. 
That is pretty much all for now. Have a great weekend.
Cheers!

Cultural learning

As many of you know, I have not just had to adapt/learn about the British culture while in London, but more of every other culture because of my flatmates and classmates. In my MA program, there is one other American and one girl from Canada. Besides the three of us from North America, there are people from Sweden, France, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Germany, India, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Greece, and many other countries as well. It is amazing to hear about their culture, life, goals, religion, etc. Most of the time, I have to start off a sentence with "I am lacking knowledge about your culture but..." In the same way, I am often asked plenty of questions. Yesterday, my friend, Bader, from Oman, asked me about the ease of obtaining weapons in the U.S. or in Tennessee. I somewhat did not understand what he meant so I asked him to continue explaining. He said that he pictured most of the U.S. having the ability to easily get a gun and he also pictured lots of gangs. He asked me if I had seen any gangs in my neighborhood. True story, I then tried to explain "the South" to him and what life was like. 
Right after talking about this, a guy in my class from Saudi Arabia began talking about hybridization or lack of that in his country. He was telling us a recent story of a brave woman. In Saudi Arabia, women are not even allowed to drive (I did not know this). Also, if they want to leave Saudi for work or holiday, they have to ask a male's permission. This male can be their husband, brother, dad, or even their son! Anyways, one courageous woman recently wanted to end the rule set by their religion which forbids women to drive a car. She said that she could not afford a driver and was tired of being dependent on men to do simple errands like go to the grocery store. The woman started a Facebook group to try and encourage women to all drive on a certain day. She even videoed herself driving and uploaded the video to show women that they could do it. Unfortunately, the police came to her house in the middle of the night and took her away. While that is the story/ situation of events that I heard, who knows the real story and what really happened to that woman. All I know, is that I feel blessed and glad to be an American! 
It is very interesting going to school with so many cultures and constantly working with different people in groups. I have learned that many males do not feel comfortable with females taking control or if they accept it, they need to feel that they are right and I am wrong. Sometimes I do feel attacked and disrespected. It is tough, but that is how many have been raised. Honestly, I think it is good motivation. It encourages me to do better and try to prove my worth. I know why I am in school and I know my goals in life. These are just times to remind me of the speed bumps that I may encounter along the way. 


On other news- I just found out that my sister-in-law & brother, along with their friends, are coming to London for Thanksgiving! yayay Nothing gives me more thanks than Americans coming to the U.K.  


Cheers!

Our Humble Abode

I know everyone has just been dying to see our "lounge" AKA Bianca and my new laundry servicing center. This weekend, we spent the majority of the time doing laundry and moving ALL of our stuff out of the room and into the lounge. The bug man came today & sprayed the chemicals, so we are not allowed to go into the bedroom. Therefore, we are sleeping on our couches. Fortunately, I am somewhat excited about sleeping on the couch because I think it may be more comfortable than my old mattress. We shall see.

Cheers!

Steve Jobs

Yesterday, I was walking back from Chinatown and on my way home, I passed the Apple Store. The Apple Store is on Oxford Street which is always terrifying to be on a Saturday because of all of the shoppers. Yesterday, it was the same except at the Apple Store. One couldn't just walk by fighting the crowd because everyone was just stopped and starring at the windows. A memorial of flowers, hand- written notes, and bitten apples had been collected over the days and people were still coming to pay tribute to Steve Jobs. It was really a cool experience. I had been talking to all my class mates about Steve Jobs and realized again, the impact he had. In a way, he helped bring the world together. We were from Spain, Italy, France, Chile, Sweden, Pakistan, Germany, and of course, the U.S. While there are many differences in cultures, the way we were raised, and the languages we speak, all of us knew of Steve Jobs and the impact he had on the world with technology. Not to mention, we all had at least 1 Apple product. In a way, he is bigger than a great celebrity, or a person in control of a country, because he touched everyone's life and his creations will continue for many generations to come.
"Stay hungry, Stay foolish."- Steve Jobs







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Apple Store on Oxford Street, London

Bed.Bugs.

So this week was just another normal week in Flat 9 until Bianca convinced me that we had bed bugs. Last week, the weather in London was incredible. With incredible weather here, it was actually hot. It never gets hot in London so our windows were constantly open and everyone in London spent their weekend at the park. At the beginning of the week, Bianca and I noticed bug bites on our arms. We thought about it and narrowed it down to the windows being open and the heat bringing bugs in or that they were from our weekend spent at the park. Little did we know, we had bed bugs. Every morning, Bianca would wake up and show me all of her new bites. That is when I started to grow concerned. She had clusters all over her arms, while I just had a few welts on my forearms and back. By Wednesday, we had done the research and decided that it was probably bed bugs so we went to a pharmacist. The pharmacist confirmed this idea of ours and while I began to scratch myself by instinct just thinking about it, she consoled me by saying she had bed bugs in her flat this year too. That definitely did not help my feelings and concern. We asked about sprays or anything we could buy there to get rid of them and the pharmacist insisted that we would have to hire professional help and that it was very pricey. YAY!
Bianca and I returned that night to begin our bug hunt investigation. We tried to be very tricky and almost sneak up on them by turning off all the lights and then quickly turning them on and ripping the top mattress off the bed. We could not see anything, so we searched further & finally had success. A dead bug! I, of course, wanted to save it. Not for a collection but rather to show the bug man/ our flat tenant, so we put the dead bug in a tupperware container and placed it on the mantel. Lovely. I am not going to post a picture because that is just gross but you can definitely google it.
Since I am kind of over this bug talk, I will just get down to business. The flat tenant apologized and was immediately bringing the bug man into our room on Thursday. He then told us the news that we would have to wash EVERYTHING and the room would be sprayed on Monday morning. So this weekend, I have spent my time washing clothes, drying clothes, and then ironing clothes.
Please do not think we are dirty people. The bugs were here before us they assured us. We are just blessed and have to deal with it. When in Rome.
Cheers!

Cheek Kissing. European Style

Not going to lie, I think one of the biggest adjustments I have had to make, accept, adapt to is the cheek kissing. Cheek kissing is the way girls greet girls and girls greet guys throughout Europe and the UK. It is done when you meet someone or just see a friend. It can also be done when one leaves. But in my case, it is sometimes, and by that I mean almost always, awkward or uncomfortable. In the beginning, I was all for it. I loved being so "european" and meeting all of these people and doing the cheek kiss. But now, it is mostly just weird. I never know if a person is going to go for the cheek kiss or not, so I just wait back and make them make the first move. Then, if they do go in for the cheek kiss, I never know if it is going to be just one cheek kiss, two, or even three. It is so confusing. With different cultures comes different number of times one kisses. But sometimes they will know I am American and I think just kiss once because of that regardless of their culture. Again, SO confusing. It is a new adaption that I am having to make. Especially getting over my American bubble of personal space. Lately, it has been so hot outside with no air con. and so one is rather sweaty/sticky/smelly. And at that moment, you really do not want anyone, especially a complete stranger, to get inside your bubble and touch their face with yours. 

I will now give an example of an awkward moment experience with the cheek kiss:

On Saturday night, I was at a formal bar for a friend's birthday. A male, Norwegian classmate arrived and instantly came over. He came to me first, so I just assumed that we would kiss cheeks at the normal number of times, 2. I went to the left to kiss his right cheek first and then after was going to the right (his left). He, in the mean time, had moved on to my friend, Charlotte, to kiss her cheek while I was kissing the air. Luckily, it was a dark and noisy bar so no one noticed but yes, I found myself confused again about the kiss cheek and that ultimately, made me decide to write about this topic. 

I have had this discussion with some friends here from other countries and they normally just laugh at me because I have made this more into a studied science than a greeting. Regardless. It is tricky stuff. I guess I will just have to keep practicing. Happy Wednesday!

Cheers!

Living&LovingLife

So I have finished my first week of graduate school and it is going to be a good year. I have to take accounting again this semester so that will be.....not so fun. Brittany Ross did tell me that she was jealous because I am learning the IFRS (International standards). I do not think my attitude is quite to her excitement for accounting, but other than that class, I enjoy the rest. Especially with a global view and constant inputs from my fellow colleagues from all around the world. It is a little outrageous how cultures sometimes clash. Regent's makes a huge deal about being on time to lectures and seminars. It is because these Europeans will show up 20-40 minutes into class. I really do not know what they are thinking.


Other than class, I am absolutely, positively, 100% living&lovinglife. I could not have imagined it going better. I know that I have only been away from the U.S. for a month and away from my parents for 2 weeks but I think that these 2 weeks have been incredible.


I am really trying to speak British. Not necessarily with their accent to the Brits here but at least pick up on slang and then practice privately with friends. The word for the day is one of my favorites: Dodgy. It is pretty easy to use because it is the replacement of our word, sketchy. You can also abbreviate it and say "dodge" too. So whatever way it is used, that person,place, or thing should be avoided.


One last thing, last night I did a pub crawl up the River Thames. This was my first view, St. Paul's Cathedral and Millennium Bridge. We later walked up and saw the London Bridge and Tower Bridge. The Tower Bridge was absolutely beautiful at night. It was probably around 21 degrees Celsius so like 70 degrees fahrenheit. Watch out, London is having a heat wave! & today I am going on a French pic-a-nic.
Cheers!

Lost In Translation

Our professor showed us this video today. I laughed. A Lot. Because this is basically my flatmates and I. Something is always #LostInTranslation.

Another lovely London day

Today, Bianca and I spent the early afternoon at the National Gallery of Art. We wondered the halls looking at the famous impressionist work of Van Gogh, Monet, and so many more. We also found the 2012 Olympics countdown in front of the museum in Trafalgar Square- 306 days baby!



After leaving the museum, I persuaded Bianca to walk around with me. We started off towards Big Ben and twice I was convinced that we stumbled upon Prince Charles' living accommodations. The first time, it was a horse museum (but I swear it was the prettiest and nicest horse museum ever! And it looked like the place I saw on tv where Charles and William and Harry live). The second time, it was where the Prime Minister lives! So a little bit closer to Charles? Anyways, the picture below is just a random street but it had the old-style of London buses stopped on it so I had to take this photo.



Then, I had to take a photo of the London eye!



And lastly, Big Ben!



I love these famous British sights but honestly do not know if I will be back there for a while because there are SO Many tourists!!
Beautiful weekend with lovely weather for the most part. I actually saw the sun the past 3 days. And that says a lot for London.

Cheers!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Beautiful day in the park

Today has been an absolutely amazing day filled with coffee (of course) and walking in Regent's Park all morning. After our long induction week at school, we had today off and I decided to spend it at the park. Luckily, today was not grey but blue skies and the sun! Something very special in the city that never sees the sun. After getting my coffee at Costa-the big competitor of Starbucks- I went to the park to explore.

There are public parks everywhere in London and they are so well-kept. They are called the "Royal Parks" and royal they are. The best thing, in my opinion, is walking around and stumbling upon a beautiful, old statue or monument. I found the one below this morning donated in the late 1800s to England from a middle Eastern man to thank and honor the Brits for protecting him and his wife. It was written a little differently on the statue but that is the overall gist of the story. 

Lastly, I found a group of Rugby players practicing. The team looked like it consisted of mostly older men so I was somewhat confused why they were practicing rugby, in the park, at 11:00 on a Friday but I didn't really care as I watched them for about an hour. There is a saying here that, "Football (American soccer is a gentleman's sport played by hooligans and Rugby is a hooligan's sport played by gentlemen." I am curious to learn more about this sport but today I watched them practice basically running into each other and driving the other player to the ground. These guys were also just wearing shots and a t-shirt. No pads, no pants, no helmet, etc. After about an hour, I started feeling like a slight creeper so I left. But tomorrow, my french friend, Charlotte, and I are going to a pub at 9:30 to watch the Rugby World Cup: France vs. New Zealand. I told her that she would have to explain the game but that I would cheer for France. I am sure I will be cheering for Jean Claude or some frenchmen with all the fans but it will be grand.

Cheers!

British things...

Everyday, something happens that I find peculiar, different, laughable, annoying, etc. because it is not "'merican" enough for me. For example, the sinks have two faucets. 

This is something that I find very annoying. Not because I cannot get the perfect temperature but because the "cold" is freezing and the "hot" is scolding. This extreme temperature difference causes my flatmates and I to have to constantly wash our hands in a state of anxiety as we move our hands back and forth as fast as possible so we can attempt to not get burned/ frozen. 

#FirstWorldPain

Other than that, today was a great day filled with coffee, coffee, coffee, & learning an African tribal dance. 

Cheers!

Living with Boys

I have never lived with boys, besides my brother and my dad. It is actually very interesting. Especially since the past 4 years I have been living with girls, girls, and more girls in a dorm and then in my sorority house. I know that if there were 5 girls in my flat and not the 2 girls and 3 boys, we would probably kill each other, but still....I live with 3 boys. Age 20. At university for the first time. WHAT was I thinking?

What I have learned in my 72 hours of living with boys:

1. Boys are Dirty! I knew this but the boys we have are especially dirty. Not necessarily dirty but just do not clean up after themselves. My flatmate, Mang Yin (the Chilean) loves to cook. Unfortunately, he does not like to clean up after himself. It is 8 pm on Monday and the rice, onion, chicken flavor concoction that he cooked last night is still in a pot in the kitchen. We told him to clean it up but he said that it was for the dog and left the flat. We do NOT have a dog!
2. Boys eat. A Lot. & sometimes with weird foods. Exhibit A:

Chicken Cubes! This is what I would compare to the chicken flavoring in Ramen Noodles. A huge container of these mysterious "chicken cubes" is sitting on our kitchen counter because it is used so often that no one bothers to put it away.
3. Boys say whatever the heck they are thinking. This comes to me after, unfortunately, hearing things that I wish I had not heard from them. Anything is game for a conversation topic at any time at our flat and I am learning to just prepare myself for that.
4. Boys are really easy to live with. Aside from #1-3 listed above. These boys are so easy to live with. If I can just get over the fact that the kitchen is going to be messy, it is a pretty easy life and I think it will be a great semester.

Anyways, I went to school today and had a wonderful day! School is basically a fashion show for the majority of the students but I met some great people from all over the world and could not be more excited.

Cheers!

Becoming a Londoner

Growing up in Franklin and attending my private school, I was always in my own little bubble. Even after I graduated and went to Samford, I was still with people very similar to myself and protected somewhat by having christians surround me. I was never questioned about my faith or seen people baffled that I am a christian, until last night.  It was last night that I shared openly with 2 girls that I was excited about going to church today. I think I kind of expected them to tell me that they wanted to come. Instead, I got the response, "So you are like REALLY religious!" It was not necessarily the statement but the tone that went along with it. It was also the first time that I had ever been questioned even a little about my faith in a way that was derogatory. I know that God led me to London for a great many reasons and maybe it was to be placed as a christian in others' lives. 

I attended Hillsong London church in the Dominion Theatre tonight. Hillsong originally began in Sydney, Australia but now has grown across Australia and internationally as well. Hillsong London actually has 4 services every Sunday with each service translated into 2 languages! It is in the Dominion Theatre in London, home to broadway show, We Will Rock You. The theatre, as seen below, is absolutely beautiful. 

The whole day, I thought about church and needing to go. I, actually, have never felt as compelled and determined to go to a church service as I did today. I wanted to praise God for all that He has done these past few weeks and be in fellowship with other christians.
I went alone and sat by myself, and it wasn't until I heard the African man behind me singing loudly with his strong accent that I realized how cool the service really was. I was surrounded by people from all over the world with all different backgrounds that had come together to worship the same God. The next hour and a half was absolutely incredible ending with this verse: Acts 2:46-47 NKJV
        So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

What I took from this verse was exactly what I was feeling. With one accord....sense of oneness....christianity. However you want to think about it, together is better and today was a great day spent with new people.

B&B

So what exactly is a B&B?
A B&B or bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment offering overnight accommodation and breakfast, but no other meals. Typically, bed and breakfasts are private homes with less than 10 bedrooms available for commercial use. 


This past week of traveling, my parents and I have stayed at 2 different B&B's. The whole idea of a bed and breakfast was fairly new to me but extremely popular in the United Kingdom. In a small town, you cannot drive a mile without seeing at least 1 Bed and Breakfast sign. In fact, we often found ourselves in the middle of no where. No services (no food nor gas), no pubs, but a B&B. They are everywhere. Really makes me think about the whole concept as I read that they are usually open all year round except Christmas and New Years. That means, that these house owners/ B&B runners have guests constantly at their house. The guests have a key, they are making noise, they are asking you for wifi passwords, towels, hair dryers, etc.; and the owner has to play "hotel" and "restaurant" at their own house. To me, my house is my home and I can't imagine sharing, but I guess it is a job. And you get to meet some interesting people.


Review of my 2 B&B experiences:
1. B&B in Warwick, England- I previously wrote about it but I will re-cap again. Mama Joy called and made the reservation. She told the owner that we had 3 adults and that we would be arriving around 3 pm and staying 1 night. Upon arrival, we lugged our suitcases up this extremely narrow and winding staircase to the 2nd floor. After that experience, I started taking a smaller night bag every night and leaving my big suitcase in the car. Anyways, we walked into our 1 room for 3 adults. This room had been styled at least 20 years ago and consisted of a double bed with about 2 feet space and then a single bed for me. It had a tv, a desk, and a shower all in the room. Again, I want to clarify that this shower was just  a 4 ft. square in the corner of the room. very weird. and none of us showered that day but waited for our next hotel. The toilet for us to use was underneath the staircase in the hall leading to the third floor. This cupboard under the stairs was tiny and only enough room for a small toilet and an unusually small sink. Good thing we are not a tall family. oh wait.
2. The Badger Towers. B&B in Chiltenham, England- I am currently laying in my bed in the B&B right now. The badger theme has actually inspired me to write this because I am looking at 2 framed badger artworks, a badger plate on the wall, And a badger stuffed animal on the chair. Yikes. My room is a single on the 3rd floor. It is room #7 and I am pretty sure that all rooms contain the same amount of "Badger gear". My room was definitely the attic that has been converted into a guest room. The toilet is in a closet-converted toilet room by itself. The shower is in another converted-closet. Again, I had shower issues. This shower does not have a handle or knob to turn on the water but only a "start/stop button". I just assumed that you pushed the button to start it. Simple enough. After failing miserably this morning with turning on my shower, I resorted to my parents' shower, complete with a normal handle.


I know it may seem like my B&B experience was bad or that I am bashing them. I definitely do not mean to as I find everything to be a memory and funny story. The time here has been lovely. It is kind of cool staying at a random house as a guest. It is also just a part of the Brits' culture. The best part, especially for my parents, would be meeting the other guests at English breakfast: Bacon, eggs, mushrooms, and tomatoes. 


Well, I guess I better go to sleep in my badger room and get ready for my English breakfast tomorrow morning. My mouth is watering already.


Cheers!

Tour around the U.K.

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Rough guideline of our daily travels throughout the United Kingdom.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

On Friday the 7^th, Mama Joy, Papa Croley, and I began our holiday travels through the United Kingdom. We started by renting a car in London. That is when the true excitement began with riding up front on the left side of the car and the left side of the road. Luckily, dad is a great British driver and he has only scared me once when we were literally less than an inch away from having the left-side mirror being ripped off.

After renting the car, we traveled north to Warwick, England, a quaint town with a castle that is supposedly the best representation of medieval-style castles. Mom and Dad visited the last time they were here and it was mom’s favorite. It was okay. We stayed at a B&B in town. Our room was very interesting. It was a room for 3 in that it had a double bed and a single bed. In the room was also a shower. There was no bathroom but just a 4 ft. by 4 ft. square standing shower. Needless to say, we skipped showering in that B&B room. The bathroom was a tiny room under the stairs. It reminded me of Harry Potter in his cupboard under the stairs because that is exactly what it was.

On Saturday morning, we began the journey further north into Scotland. We drove and drove and drove. And it rained and rained and rained. And all we saw were sheep, sheep, and more sheep. But it was absolutely beautiful. Mom actually showed me pictures of our family (12 years ago) at the same rock below. Shout out/ thank you to Mama Joy for always taking a million photos. 

Sunday was spent touring the beautiful Edinburgh Castle. Bagpipes, kilts, and castles got me in the Scottish mood so I actually found a Highland game in Peebles, Scotland, which was only 20 miles away.  

From the age 8-11, I took Highland dance in Brentwood, TN and our family would travel around the South on the weekends to different Highland games so that I could compete. I was curious how the games from Glasgow, Kentucky would differ from the legitimate Highland games in Scotland. To my astonishment, they are pretty much the same. On that rainy day in Scotland, I saw the same dances being danced in the same kilts and tartans that I had seen so many times before in the United States. At the end of the games, two of the bands represented walked in performed a Scottish song. The bagpipers and drummers played beautifully and then the master of ceremonies gave a speech about how important tradition can be with all of the distractions like television, internet, etc. Even in the midst of rain, it was a perfect day and one that I will never forget.

Yesterday, Monday September 12^th, we left Edinburgh with the warning of “Caution: Strong Rains And Gales” and began our tourney toward towards Fort William with making a quick scenic tour through Loch Ness (aka where the Loch Ness monster lives). Unfortunately, no one in our car spotted Nessie. We stayed in the Clan MacDuff Hotel in Fort William. Chosen by Mama Joy because it has the same name as our dog, MacDuff. It was interesting.

Finally, today, Tuesday September 13^th. Woke up and Mama Joy had gotten us 3 tickets to ride on the train used in the Harry Potter Movies! It was awesome. I am pretty sure that we were in the car where Harry, Ron, and Hermione met. Just kidding, I have no idea but it looked the exact same. We took the train over the Viaduct (the bridge where Ron and Harry drive through and Harry almost falls out of the car in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) It was grand. We also saw the moor where they buried Doby in the latest movie, and plenty of other beautiful scenery used in the movies. I learned that most of the scenes were built/filmed in the first few year of filming and then taken down. The building (like Hagrid’s hut) was then superimposed for any scenes in later films.  Just a fun fact that I learned. Hope all HP fans and maybe even non- Harry Potter fans enjoyed that information.

Now we are continuing to Glasgow, Scotland and it is still pouring rain from this Hurricane that we are experiencing. Thank goodness I am not driving.

Cheers!

Flatmates of Flat 9!

At the request of Jessica Carroll, I am will update my blog. I cannot believe that I have not even been in this country for a week and so much has changed already. The past 6 days have been crazy, exhausting, anxious-filled but also exciting, adventurous, and turned out to be awesome. 
So I found my flat and moved my stuff in yesterday because I have still been staying in the hotel with mama Joy and papa Crol. After moving in yesterday, I stayed at the flat to go to the school at 7 for a free dinner for the "Freshers Week" party. This "fresher's week" is all new to me. Here, the programs start at different times but the freshmen/ first years start first and kick everything off with a week-long party. I, obviously not a fresher, went last night as a guest and was truly amazed. Let's just say that my school knows how to party. Outside the school is a huge courtyard or quad and there were tables and chairs and a huge white tent. Inside the tent was a nice floor, lights everywhere, a DJ, amazing catered food, and a bar. As I walked around, I just stared at all of the girls (who looked like they were at Fashion Week) with their Louboutins, Chanel bags, and designer clothes. I was somewhat in shock but then I also found "normal-looking" students too. Luckily, my flatmates are "normal" or at least semi.


I have only seen Three's Company once but I think we could be compared to that in the flat. 


Bianca is the first. She is from northern Italy and absolutely great. I talked to her on Facebook right before I left for London and she told me about the flat. We met last Saturday and instantly hit it off. She is only 19 but speaks Italian, fluent English, some German, some Spanish, and is now learning Chinese. I am jealous. She actually studied abroad in Seattle, Washington for a year so we talk about her favorite American t.v. shows: How I met your Mother, Wheel of Fortune, and Family Feud!! So random but she is fabulous. I knew right when I met her and she brought up being embarrassed that she was Italian because of Jersey Shore that we would be great together. Bianca is so easy to get along with and helps bring all of the flatmates together.


Mang Yin (aka Mr. Chow) is next. Mang Yin is an Asian from Chile. He speaks Spanish, Chinese (not Mandarin so I am not sure what) and pretty good English. I gave him the nickname Mr. Chow last night. If you have ever seen the Hangover, please picture him now. Mang Yin is hilarious. He found the flat originally and then Bianca told him that we would be his flatmates. He showed us the flat on Saturday and seemed mad and not friendly. From that, I did not want to live with him. Now, he is the exact opposite- hilarious, entertaining, and very friendly. He told me last night that he is very "timid" at first when meeting someone new but now he is "confident". So funny. On Monday, we signed the contract for the flat and they wanted to move in that night so we all had to pay a 550 GBP down payment and then we could pay the first 8-weeks rent by getting a bank wire the following day. Mr. Chow went back to his hostel and returned with his suitcase and a fanny pack. Inside the fanny pack he pulled out two huge wads of cash. He paid his deposit, Bianca's deposit, and his rent in cash on the spot. So sketchy. I have no idea who he really is but I look forward to finding out.


Marc Antoine. MA is from Paris, France and I found out last night that he is 1 of 12 children! He showed us his house and it is basically a castle in France but I guess you would have to have something large for a family of 14. I compared Marc Antoine to Kelsey Welch (my dear friend and roommate from college). He is so weird! but I enjoy his company. He also does not speak English too well, so he is pretty entertaining to listen to. At the Fresher's party last night there was a dance floor and DJ. Marc Antoine and I went straight there and pulled out some awesome moves. Basically, any spastic movement of our body was all that we did. On the walk home from the party, I put some music on my iPod and we continued to dance most of the way home. Because of his poor English, he is always trying to learn new words/ understand anything we are saying. I feel like a thesaurus with him because I am always trying to come up with synonyms for words.


Lastly, there is Nino. Nino is from France too but is actually portuguese. His real name is Stephane but his nickname in his family is Nino because he is the youngest of his extended family. Nino is probably the most mature guy of the group, which does not say too much. He seems like me but in male form. Whenever I though to tell the guys to be quiet last night because they would disturb our neighbors, Nino told them first. He also cleans up after himself. He has a girlfriend and they have already been Skyping a lot but I think it is cute because he misses her. Nino speaks French, Portuguese, some Spanish, and some English.


Together, we represent some of the United Nations. With all of our different languages it is so entertaining to listen to us communicate. For example, Marc Antoine was talking in French to Nino. Nino did not know the English word so said it to Mang Yin in Portuguese. Mang Yin then told me the word in Spanish to come up with it- finally in English! I have a feeling, we will lose a lot in translation but hopefully, I will learn some things along the way. 


Mama Joy, Papa Crol, and I begin our UK adventure tomorrow to North England and Scotland. This shall be interesting....


Until the next time I have wifi, 
Cheers!

Home Sweet Home

It has been an interesting time in London thus far. Instead of the usual sightseeing one would do, my time has been filled researching for flats, trying to meet other students, figuring out my iphone, and most importantly- where to have the best fish&chips and Strongbow! Regardless of how our time has been spent, I have found a flat! And I honestly, cannot be happier.

The flat is off the Regent's Park tube station (exactly where my school is) and it is only about a 10 minute walk from the college. It is also next to: a Starbucks, a grocery store, and plenty of other good pastry shops, etc. & about a 10 minute walk to Oxford Circus- the retail center with all of the shopping. I think the overall selling point for the flat was that there are 3 bathrooms! I am actually going to live with 4 other students from Regent's. There is: Mang from Chile, Marcus and Nino from France, and Bianca (my roommate) from Italy! We are definitely going to have an interesting culture in our flat. 

Now that I have a flat to stay in until at least December, I feel so relieved and relaxed. I cannot wait to start my new British life and see what is to come from this experience. I know that God is with me as He has handled all of my anxiety and answered my prayers. 

Home Sweet Home- The Hampden House

Above & Below is Bianca and my room! It is so cute & quaint. 

Now that some of the business has been taken care of, let the touring begin!!

Cheers!