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Published: September 1st 2008
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My class room
doubles as a 17th century kitchen Let me just pick up exactly where I left off. Yesterday after I came back up to the flat from blogging I realized we had nothing much to do. Then I came up with the brilliant idea that since I now knew where Trafalgar square was, thanks to our lovely jog on the scavenger hunt, I should take advantage of some of their free museums. So Andy, Matt, and I walked down to the National Portrait Gallery to have a look. My favourite is the Tudor gallery of course. Although they don't have my favourite Holbein of Ann of Cleeves, I wonder where it currently resides. Look at that, barely a week in London and I already sound more sophisticated. Every art gallery is just too big for any patron to give all the works any justice, so I have a method. Whenever I enter a new room, I find one or two that catch my eye and study them in great detail. These are usually ones I recognize and to see them in person is kind of thrilling.. I know I'm a nerd.
When we got back I decided to make dinner, I made some chicken with cream of
The oven
that I sat next to mushroom soup and some vegetables. I made a bunch so it should last me at least another 3 nights. Everyone agreed it was a bad night to go out because it was a Sunday, so we all watched "A Perfect Murder" on one of 4 TV channels. I went to bed super early though. Like 9:30 or 10. I was... as the British (and my facebook) would say "completely knackered." I always thought I would be scared living in a 17th century building but I've been so tired every night I just pass out without time to think about it. The walls are so thin though I can here everything, from Matt and Andy talking in the room next to us, to the neighbours across the street who must love each other very much. I'm telling you folks, there are some times when you need to close the window. :/
Today was our first day of class and boy was I ready! We had one assignment for First Year experience, which shall from here on out be referred to as FYE, and that was to make a "London me Bag." Very juvenile I know, but it was fun. We
presented those this morning in class. My class room is the old kitchen. I am not kidding you, it is outrageous. I sat next to the oven! Look at the pictures. After we were done with the class Dr. Paul, who is one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met. Man, I love British people, took us to the London university student union and showed us how to get a membership. We can because "associate students" and join clubs and teams, but unfortunately to use their gym there is still a fee. But this means that I could potentially audition for one of their school productions, but who has time for that. The idea is just exciting.
On the way back we stopped at this egg sculpture sit in thingy... actually I'm not quite sure what it was, but it was in Bedford square, and this is where Dana, Techie, and I presented my bag because we hadn't finished everyone. I almost cried when I had to talk about my family but I don't think anyone noticed, and yes mom, I took that picture you hate of me you and Emily when we were little, and everyone saw
Louise
My archeology professor it. 😊
I only had a few minutes to spare before my next class started so I ran up to my flat, grabbed a bag of carrot sticks stuffed them in my purse and went to find my next class room. Which is also on the very top of the building next door. Which also has to elevator. Funny. No what is funny is that tomorrow and thursday, I have 3 more classes in that same room. Which doesn't have and oven by the way. This class is Shakespeare. We went over just the basics today, you know, England in the time of Shakespeare and iambic pentameter. I don't remember iambic pentameter being as difficult as he made it seem, but maybe it was just because he gave me the hardest one. There are only six people in my class, so that's great fun. Dr. Rudd is this charming little English fellow who knows alot! He is very young, but very learned. After about 2 hours of sitting in a class room, he took us to a book store to buy the four plays we need for the course. He said we would just have a "pop around the
Can you find the plasitc spider?
She said it was placed there when the design team was in a tiff with the museum directors. corner." Well, it was more like a pop around 20 corners. Geeze, I don't think he realized that most of us had classes that began only 10 minutes after that one ended. So alot of us had to run down Bedford all the way back to the centre.
But when I got to my Archeology class only one other student was there. Turns out other people were also held up from going somewhere. So my professor decided (partly because she took pity on me, when I told her the carrot stick hanging out of my mouth was my lunch) then and there that class would from then on begin at 3:15 rather than 3. She is by far my favourite teacher so far, and I don't think that will change. My first impression of her was that she didn't look like a professor at all. She was wearing a short sports dress, some ankle high Adidas and this huge gaudy necklace. I told you British people were great. It turns out she doesn't require us to get a text book, and class will never last the full three hours. But she did claim that on some days we will
our neighbour
the British Museum be studying some ancient wine and cheese, and by that she means a garden party at her nearby home! For the second half of class she took us for an introduction to the British museum, which she was curator of the early Greek collection of for 13 years! But she had spent the last two years living in a tent in Ethiopia 5 miles from her nearest water source. I can't talk her up enough, the lady is crazy. Crazy amazing! We talked about the ethics of displaying humans in the museum and told us the controversy behind some of the exhibits. How am I ever going to go back to a regular university after this?
Tonight we went to go see Spamalot at the Palace Theatre, paid for by FSU. For those of you that don't know the play, some of what I say might not make since but, yeah, the West End sure is different from Broadway. The man who playing King Arthur was indian and they made a few jokes of that which were hilarious. The Lady of the lake was much better than the one I saw in Orlando, but Galahad was probably my favourite.
Spamalot
at the Palace Theatre There were some jokes that had been Britainified. For instance, in Divas lament instead of constantly being replaced by Britney Spears, it was Heather Mills. There were also alot more crude jokes. I tell you, they get away with so much here. I won't go into detail, but I was shocked, and that is saying alot. I also heard the F word on TV.
I'll leave it there for tonight, Matt is baking chocolate biscuits up at the flat, so I can't miss that.
Observation: The people I have met here are nice, but I really miss MY friends.
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Mama
non-member comment
I'm so happy you had a great first day!! Love you and miss you, Mama