Class & A Chinese Feast

I had my first day of classes on Tuesday and to be honest, the way that scheduling courses here works is so much less orderly and efficient than at home. It's rather frustrating because students here do not mix classes that have different levels and take corresponding courses based on their year of study. Because of this, some weeks classes might have a conflicting meeting time/practical/assessment that makes it all the more difficult to understand the schedule. Hopefully I gain more understanding on this as time goes on, but it is a bit of a nuisance at the moment.

Aside from that, classes have been going well so far. I like the content of my mammalian evolution class as it's so far a lot of review from what I have learned at home, but is still interesting (I'm a big studier of biological evolution though, so I love the topic). Here, universities expect you to do a lot more work on your own time instead of busy work and random little assignments like we have in the US. As such, my four biology classes meet twice a week but on the same day (it's so different!) and my film course meets for four hours, with two of those hours being a screening time to watch a film we've learned about. What this then means is that I only have class Monday and Tuesday, but both of those days are pretty packed.  I don't mind too much, but my Tuesday class ends with the film screening and it's a bit hard to stay alert (and awake) in a dark film room after having had class for hours back to back all day.

What I picked up at the market for my dinner

The following day I went to Sainsbury's with a friend of mine to get a few ingredients to make a shrimp fried rice, one of my favorite dishes. She had to get more home essential-type items and some groceries as well so it worked out nicely. It's about a mile away or so we walking two miles in total to get a full selection of groceries is a bit of a challenge, but I made sure to only buy enough that I could carry. My dish was a success- though I made way too much. I always do this with rice and other grains. I don't have a measuring cup, and I'm awful at eyeballing how much to cook so I ended up with way more than I needed. On the bright side, I can eat it when I don't feel like cooking again and I can share it with my flatmates too. I also got some frozen spring rolls and sweet chili sauce which are probably my favorite appetizer/fried snack.

My fried rice and spring rolls! So proud of how it turned out!

Since it was my day off, I basically just ran errands and didn't do too much in particular aside from getting a few groceries and stopping by a mobile phone company to reassess my plan. It was nice to sort of have an off-day to chill out and just take it easy, so I was glad to be able to do that. After cooking, I video-chatted with a couple friends and family members back home and then fell asleep for a few hours. After waking again, I went into the kitchen I share with my flat and chatted with my flatmate (a medical student) who was eating a late dinner about evolutionary biology and how it's handled (or perhaps more accurately, often mishandled) in American schools and government. It was very interesting to hear about public attitudes about science here versus back home, as it seems as though in the UK people are more open to accepting scientific data and appreciating its contributions to our understanding of the world (Charles Darwin is on the £10 note after all!), but I digress. Until next time- thanks for reading!

-Rita

Cruise on the Thames and Union

LDN Skyline photo I took on the boat

This past weekend (well, technically Monday.. Mondays are pretty big socializing nights) the study abroad program at the university I'm studying at organized a cruise on the River Thames. We had hors d'ouevres and a bar with a DJ and music. It's pretty cold at nighttime here especially on the water, so the top part of the boat was pretty cold. Overall the cruise was pretty fun and I got to meet some other study abroad American students but it was longer than I thought it would be and we were all hungry as they originally told us that dinner would be served (not just finger food). We got to get spectacular views of Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and the buildings of Downtown London, which was definitely fun to see at nighttime.

Big Ben- up close & personal

After the boat docked some friends and I headed over to the campus union which houses its own pub and dance club (this is so different from student unions at my campus in The States, but apparently a lot of European universities have on campus bars, etc.). We all danced and had a lot of fun. I noticed that here a lot of the European people are more willing to share and also be more free with their belongings. For example, people just leave their coats/jackets/and sometimes handbags on the bar-stools while they go off to dance, as there was no coat check. I'm not sure if it's just because it's on campus so people feel more secure, but I and my other American friends definitely noticed that. We all danced for awhile and the guys there seem to do a lot of dance-in-a-circle type stuff which is different from in the US. The guys are less creepy in their approach of approaching girls, too (at least it seemed that way).

After awhile I ran into my flatmates and we all chatted for a bit and danced awhile longer as well. I met some of their friends who go to the university here full-time and it was cool to meet more Brits. One of my flatmate's friends was really impressed with the fact that I was American and called me "peng" which I didn't know the definition of at the time so I just smiled and nodded. Apparently it's a compliment (according to Urban Dictionary), but it's still funny when people use British slang and I don't understand what they're saying exactly; I feel a bit like an alien or something who isn't in-the-know. Once I'm more savvy, I'm sure I'll soon be using British slang back in the US. Speaking of slang, I used the word "dude" or "man" at one point and they all seemed to love that as well, which is pretty entertaining. Maybe one day I'll do a post with a ton of terminology/phrases I've picked up and their American English equivalent that I can reference later.

Me and my flatmates at the union

Eventually we all left and headed back to the flats and one of my flatmate's friends from Bath said that's a town I should check out while I'm in England apparently. I've heard of it before, but don't know where I really want to go outside of London in England. I think it would be fun to do a weekend trip to Brighton which is more a seaside town with a pier and cute shops and things like that. For now, London will be my main stomping grounds until I head to Edinburgh, Scotland later this month to visit my lovely best friend Julie, who will be there within a few days! Until next time - thanks for reading.

Weekend Markets & Convenience Shops

After lunch at Leon in Spitalfields

Yesterday after having a rather interesting incident waiting for the Sainsbury's delivery man to deliver my groceries (basically, he was supposed to arrive in the designated time slot which was between 11 and noon and he was like 20 minutes late, which normally isn't a huge deal, but I was supposed to meet friends promptly at 11:15 to catch the bus. I called the store to see if I could reschedule and when he finally got here he got mad that I called the store and started swearing and saying "he'd get in trouble," which I didn't know but still isn't my fault because they guarantee they will deliver within that time frame. He ended up calling me back after he left and apologized but it was still rather odd), we went to Petticoat Lane Market and Spitalfields Market. Petticoat Lane Market was very similar to some areas of New York City that have outside vendors selling designer-inspired goods and what has to be counterfeit or bootleg movies and CDs. It was fun to see, but I doubt I'd go back anytime soon. Spitalfields was really nice! I loved it there a lot. The market area is huge and there are a ton of vendors with a large variety of goods, from baked items to posters to jackets and jewelry. That was a ton of fun to see!

There are also a ton of restaurants near there and we had a hard time choosing where to grab lunch, but I had heard of Leon on Youtube so we decided to go there. We all really liked it! The Meal Deal they offer is a pretty good value, I got a sweet potato falafel wrap, chips, and a freshly made lemonade they make there for about £6. After that, we continued browsing the markets a bit longer and saw the cutest cheese and wine shop that has fondue! I love fondue!

Eventually, we figured out how to get back to campus and then a friend and I stopped by a local market to grab cheese for the dinner I was going to prepare for myself (a spinach and feta omelette - which ended up being made with mozzarella, as I couldn't find feta). After making dinner, I chatted with my flatmates for a bit and figured out my classes a bit more with my friend who is in three of my four classes that begin meeting tomorrow, and then fell asleep promptly after. I still get tired here at sort of off-times and end up waking up in the wee hours of the morning from my sleep sessions, but hopefully I'll be more regular with sleeping soon. Thanks for reading!

Bakery vendor - look at those pretzels!

Lunch at Leon

Olives and Baklava

This made me laugh

Candy bars we don't have in the US

Pubs & Famous Places

Me and a couple of my flatmates

Today I got my very own Oyster card! We were a bit confused when buying it but the attendant was very nice and explained it a bit better. We lucked out and sort of guessed which train to get onto and ended up on Oxford St. which is a pretty busy area. I want to go back on a weekday when it'll hopefully be less crowded. We stopped in Topshop and in Boots (my first time going to a Boots!). It was a bit too crowded to truly shop but I picked up a scarf and a Barry M. nail varnish at Topshop before we grabbed lunch at a cute French cafe called Cafe Rouge, which is apparently a chain restaurant here. I felt so dehydrated from walking so much and having been sick the night before so I just had a light side ceasar salad and several glasses of water. After that pit stop, we used the compass on our iPhones (this was pretty resourceful of us) and figured out how to get to Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and Big Ben, and the other famous landmarks. We lucked out because we actually figured out how to get there on a bit of a whim. We walked so much though and my back and feet were so tired from all the walking. After sightseeing for a bit and taking a short rest break near a fountain by the Palace, we continued onward to head back to campus.

After coming back to campus I grabbed dinner with a few friends at a local pub that was surprisingly very inexpensive! I had a veggie burger with fries (or should I say "chips") and a drink for all only about £5.10! Afterward we headed back to campus once again and hung out in the flats for a bit. I ended up running into my British flatmates and joined them at the pub for a bit. They're both so nice! I really like everyone I've met so far, which for the most part has been quite a few American students, as the British students are still on holiday as classes don't begin until this upcoming week. My flatmates are awesome though! That was basically my day yesterday for the most part. I will probably end up updating this less as classes pick up, but for now updating daily has been rather fun! Thanks for reading.

Me and some of my American friends at Buckingham Palace

Obligatory London phone booth shot!

Sick & Whatnot

Today was our orientation in which we learned more about the different departments, London as a whole, tips and tricks for being a Londoner and what have you. This was quite a long presentation that became rather tedious toward the end and unnecessary, but we did get to break for lunch. A few friends and I tried a cafe on campus and the vegetarian prepared meal options were scarce so I ended up eating an apple and having an Evian (which seems rather popular here, Evian in particular. It was only 80p which isn't as much as it is in the States I think?).

Prior to orientation we were given a free breakfast at an on campus eatery. I had eggs, half a slice of toast and jam. I was more thirsty than hungry to be honest, but I hadn't had a proper meal that I picked out for myself in awhile so I got a plate. I'm fairly certain the breakfast is what made me feel ill, but after orientation festivities I was supposed to go to Sainsbury's market with a few friends. I came back to my flat and oddly felt very ill all of a sudden and became nauseous. I decided to take a nap and try to feel better and thus didn't end up going grocery shopping, which I do want to one day check out for sure. Anyway, once I woke up two of my flatmates were back and preparing dinner so I joined them in conversation but didn't end up eating anything for the rest of the day as I had lost my appetite. I just now had a banana I brought from home and am feeling much better thankfully so tomorrow should be my first real day outside of campus exploring more in depth or being "a tourist" as they called it.

 We ended up staying up until almost 4am talking about everything from Russel Brand (one of my flatmates is huge Russel fan) and Katy Perry's relationship to Amy Winehouse to British and American food. My other flatmate came home later and joined in for a bit as we discussed cereal as I noticed Kellogg's markets different cereals here when I went to a local market yesterday. For their chocolate-y cereals, instead of Cocoa Puffs or Rice Krispy in chocolate flavor, the markets sell Cocoa Pops which looks like chocolate rice krispy cereal but they do not sell Cocoa Puffs, interestingly enough. She and I had a cup of tea (she has so many different kinds! I tried a Green Tea w/ Lemon by Twinings and added honey) and then after she went off to bed I was up for a bit longer talking with my other flatmates for awhile longer (and we each showed our American and English accent ability off well - which was pretty funny). I unfortunately am on a super irregular sleep schedule still especially after having napped today after feeling ill, but hopefully the jet lag will wear off sooner rather than later. Because I didn't go grocery shopping today, I decided to order my groceries online and have them be delivered which I'm very excited to see how that process works. It's only about £5 to have them deliver your groceries which will be handy for my first trip where I need more essential-type items. I am hoping to check out the open markets on Sunday probably to get fresh fruits and vegetables and peruse the offerings.

Well that's basically the update for my day today, hopefully tomorrow will be less sickly and tedious. Thanks for reading!

Flight to London

So... I arrived in London safe and sound! The flight went smoothly and was shorter than anticipated, which was nice. I traveled elite business class, which was awesome and my first time for an international flight! The seats were very comfortable (they could lie entirely flat to allow you to sleep like you would in a bed!) and the service was fantastic - I was seriously served countless food items. In the complimentary toiletry kit I even received socks, an eye mask, Korres lip balm and lotion, and travel toothbrush and toothpaste. I watched Crazy, Stupid, Love and "Top Chef: Just Desserts" while on the aircraft and slept for a few hours while listening to their music selection feature (they actually had one of my favorite Norah Jones collaboration albums, so I didn't even use my iPod on the flight). Here are some pictures of the meals we were served, amenities, and of the seating of the flight.

After first being seated, I was served warm mixed nuts and ginger ale

Toiletries bag! Very handy actually and Korres stuff was nice too

Appetizer. I didn't eat the first plate as I don't eat meat. The bread & bisque was nice!

Spinach and walnut salad w/ balsamic vinaigrette. LOVED this course!

Main course of fettucine with broccolini and hazelnuts

Dessert was a cup of black coffee and ice cream with chocolate sauce & nuts.

After I watched the movies/shows and after my rest, I tracked how far the plane was from London with a GPS-type system the flight has on the screens in front of each seat. This was really useful and handy, as you could tell what you were flying above at all times!

In the middle of the ocean approaching the UK!

For breakfast, we were served granola, fruit, yogurt and a choice of pastries/danishes.

I wasn't very hungry at breakfast and had a bit of granola w/ yogurt and pineapple.

Once I landed at the airport, we had to get to the correct terminal to meet up with representatives from the university and boarded a coach to campus. The ride was almost two hours due to traffic and everything but it was fun to scope out bits of central London. Saw many-a-Starbucks and double decker buses, in addition to random shops or restaurants named after American cities or that were "American-style," which was a bit funny but interesting to see. After I got moved into my flat, I met up with my friend's boyfriend who is also studying here with us as we waited for her to arrive on campus. He and I tried to find the coffeehouse that had free Wifi that the students on campus recommended. After bumbling around for a bit we found it and I was able to FINALLY message my friends and family and go on Twitter briefly. Unfortunately my Internet won't be set up until next week so I have to bum Wifi where I can or use someone else's login. Anyway, after getting my Internet fix, we stopped by a small marketplace that sells convenience items and even produce and frozen food. I picked up a Mars bar just for fun and took a few pictures of some interesting brands that were different from the American ones I'm used to back home in The States.

Generic brand of "American-Style" sodas

Looks like they might've been "inspired" by Lays potato chips, eh?

We don't have Mansize Kleenex in the USA to my knowledge! LOL

After browsing the surrounding area briefly, we came back to campus and I met two of my flatmates. They're both guys- one is from Ireland and the other is from just north of London. After dinner on campus of a rather interesting tasting quiche and chips, I came back to my flat and took a nap. I tried staying up as much as I could so as to get on schedule with the time difference but it was difficult and I caved in. After I awoke, I met my other flatmate who is a girl from Wales and her mum who was moving her back in for the semester. I chatted with my flatmates for a bit about the differences between the British and American education systems and universities and about music and places to eat and shop in London.

That's pretty much my trip so far - everything has been going very well so far! I only initially felt confused when I first got to campus and had to lug my luggage to my flat and figure out where my packages would be delivered, but aside from that I love London so far! Hope you're all well and thank you for reading my post here. I want to update this blog frequently so it will serve as a reminder of my time here once I move back home in June.

-Rita

Budgeting & My Plan

I leave the USA in just a few days now and have been busy as ever finishing up last minute packing and errands. One of my main concerns while I am gone is how I am going to be wise about my budget and how expenses will be within reason. After some thought, I have decided to set a monthly budget that I need to stick to and be cognizant of while I'm in England and elsewhere. As I discussed the way in which I was going to visually divide up funds for each month with my friend, she decided she was going to use my method as she studies in the UK, too! This prompted me to make this post and share what my plan is with you - as it might help others studying or traveling abroad.

As you can see in the image above, I have sorted a collapsible coupon file envelope into 5 main sections. The first four slots of the envelope are labelled Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4. I then have sorted my maximum weekly budget of cash notes into each week's respective slot. Visually separating my monthly funds into a weekly allotment will make each week's spending be more planned and hopefully make everything run smoothly, as each week's allotted spending is more generous than it technically need to be, in order to allow for "fun" expenses, etc.

I know some of you might be wondering what I'd do if I go under my weekly budget on a given week. In this instance, I will use my designated slot labeled Left Over in the back. My plan is to add about £20 or so to this slot each week. That way, at the end of the month I will have a nice "bank" to pull from if need be or for extra travel expenses. I know some of you might also be wondering what I'd do if I go over my weekly budget. Simple, I won't. Okay, but on a serious note, I really do not intend to go over my weekly budget. If that were to happen, I will pull from my Left Over slot and/or use my regular bank card, which is where back-up funds will hopefully stay.

Anyway, I hope this post has helped some of you who might be in a similar traveling situation get ideas for how to be a reasonable budgeter. Happy travels!