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!

Today is THE day!

Well it happened. September 1st has come and I am actually, seriously, really going to move across the Atlantic Ocean and began a new journey and chapter in life titled- My British Year. I seriously haven't had time to be sad or miss anyone because I have been bombarded with phone calls, FB messages, texts, and more just to have "one last talk". I want to clarify to all that we can still talk just using different means than a quick phone call. Thank goodness for skype, Belluga and Viber apps to help me text and talk while in another country. I have loved all of the calls though (I felt really popular. Better than my birthday!) but everyone wants to know what I am feeling. Anxious, excited, nervous, scared, too happy for words, etc? And the truth is, I feel all of those emotions and more. The exact word I have been using is, "weird". The word definitely does not explain enough but it is a weird feeling. I keep forgetting about London- the best city I have ever been to, and just think about moving to a different country where I do not know anyone, do not know where I am living, never been to my school, and the list continues with the unanswered questions. I am not trying to be pessimistic because I know it will all work out, but if you truly know me, I am sometimes a little anal with organization. I have always been the type to try to plan ahead for class. I was often made fun of because I would try to have assignments finished multiple days in advance. Regardless, I am now being pushed outside of my comfort & moving to the land of the unknown. Of course, London has almost 8 million people making it the most populous municipality in the European Union so I think it is going to be "brilliant" (British talk). 


About 8 months ago, I began my British dream of moving to London after I completed a study abroad trip in January. I remember sitting on my bed one night in London and skyping with my mom and dad because I was absolutely so excited about my day. I wanted to tell them everything and that I had decided to move there. They were just happy to talk to me and that I was having a great time and probably thought I was joking about the living there part. I have been blessed my whole life with passionate parents who are adventurous and enjoy traveling enough to share it with the entire family. I have always loved to go to new countries, talk with people, learn about their culture, and try their foods. It is somewhat odd, in Spain I had no problem eating worms with our madre, Mama, but in America, I still refuse to try bologna with dad. 


As I leave today I am comforted by with my sister's note to me and the verse Isaiah 43. I will not fear because I know that I am never alone and that God is always with me. He is in my future and preparing in London. While there are still unknowns about my living and friends and school, they are just unknown to me. God has everything planned and will reveal them at the right time.


Thank you to everyone who has called, texted, written, and prayed for me. I am so extremely blessed to have supportive friends and family that I know will continue to shower me with love when I am feeling homesick and be ready to listen to my adventures. 


God Bless & Cheers,
Caitlin