I had one of the most amazing days in my life today.
WIMBLEDON!!!!
My friend Margaret and I went to London [Wimbledon Village] to watch The Championships at Wimbledon and it was AMAZING! This was the first time I actually freaked out in UK! hahaha
I was really really excited. It took forever to plan, and I thought things weren't going to follow through...BUT IT DIDNT! We planned on leaving by 7:00 but Margaret didnt wake up in time so we left at 8:30. It took about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to the Wimbledon Station ...but it didnt seem that way. Once we got out of the station, we weren't exactly sure where to go, but luckily, we found the bus that was going to take us to the Wimbledon grounds. It took FOREVER to find the parking lot to join "the queue" for buying tickets that day...it was probably about 20 minute walk.
One of the "official stewards" told us that we'd be in line ALL DAY [and i started to freak out in my head...]. Thankfully it didn't take all day--it took 2 hours, which again didn't seem like 2 hours. The line was very organized and CLEAN. The staff had people line up and broke them up in different sections and they would move the line section by section. I learned a catching game while waiting in line:
you have a group of people and you throw a spherical object [those people were using a grapefruit]...if you drop it once, you get down on one knee...if you drop it twice, you drop down on both knees...if you drop it 3x, you sit on your knees...etc. it looked kinda fun.
Margaret and I only waited for 2 hours...then we got to the turnstiles and HOLY FREAKIN' SHIT IM IN WIMBLEDON! Grounds tickets cost 20 pounds and you can watch all the games except for Centre Court, Court 1 and 2 [which have reserved seating and cost more].
First thing we did was buy food[and we were craving hot dogs]....we got the closest thing: a "duchee"--it's sausage with onion marmalade on a baguette...it's not as weird as it sounds...it's actually pretty good. the marmalade tastes like denny's syrup...hahaha
we watched several tennis matches...Zheng vs. Szavay, Ancic vs. Verdasco, the beginning of Rederer vs. Hewitt, the beginning of Petrova vs. Kudyavetseva...I got to see Centre Court [evevn if it was just for a minute] and take a few pictures :D
A very nice lady gave me and Margaret her court 1 tickets, so we got to see Nadal vs. Youzhny and Safin vs. Wawrinka [but got really bored and left to watch the Murray vs. Gasquet match...Andy Murray lost].
Souvenirs were EXPENSIVE! I only bought 2 things because I was charging them to my credit card[which my dad is paying for so I dont use it]...I got my dad a wimbledon shirt and i got myself a shot glass. IT'S PRETTY. im not sharing. special occasions only[with expensive alcohol]. All-in-all, I still can't believe that I got to watch a day at Wimbledon. It feels like a dream...BUT IT'S NOT! happiness.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Greetings from England! Day 7
I am tired. I possibly have a cough/cold.
Groceries:
majority of British groceries are "all natural" or at least don't have preservatives and so you have to keep buying food. They don't buy in bulk like we do in America.
Metric system much, much smaller than imperial system. I'm almost done with one litre of orange juice that i bought last thursday.
I miss rice.
British coins:
the coins vary in color and size depending on the denomination. While that's all good and dandy, it can still be confusing sometimes. 10p is bigger than 20p. 5p and 20p are roughly the same size, except different shape [20p is septagonal]. 2pound coins are the same size as 2p coins...however, 2pound coins are silver in the middle and gold on the outside. 1pound coins feel like tokens.
Cell phone:
i love my phone because it's unlocked and i can use any sim card from any country, BUT DAMN IT! the sim card i bought from platform 3000[it's an american company that caters to students abroad] suuuucks ass! it's t-mobile UK...but i don't really get reception indoors or my room. I got service from my at&t sim card from the states, but that's HELLA EXPENSIVE. i didnt set my phone to international roaming. oh well, whatever.
Cravings:
i really want asian food! hahaha...i dont want to make it myself because i dont want to buy ingredients myself...i'm scared to try the asian take-out places here. this is want when i get back to the states...when i get back to california, we have to stop at pho house at san jose and get the meatest pho there is! [size small...]
Internet:
my internet here is much slower that it is at home. it's not dial-up...but it makes my facebook act weird and everything is just slower...make me a little sad.
Yesterday:
we went to LONDON!!!! AHHH!!! on the way to the bus, i tripped, hurt my ankle and broke my shoe[eh...it was 5 pounds...i'll live]. We did a walking of London starting from London Dungeon to the House of Parliament [about 7miles!]. I was very,very trigger happy in London. I just took lots of pictures of interesting things, mostly architecture. London has no exact architecture style...it's like a hodge-podge of different architecture styles: neo-gothic, tudor, victorian, modernist, industrial...
We saw lot's of major tourist spots [but not all! haha]: Buckingham Palace, Trafalger's Square, Westminster Abbey, House of Parliament and Big Ben, and other stuff... hahaha
The river cruise was really relaxing. It was great to sit down and not walk everywhere. One of the staff[who was acting like a tour guide] had a cockney accent...i was kinda excited coz I havent heard it since I've been here. LOL NERD.
By the end of the day, everyone was really tired. We ended the river cruise at Greenwich...I had no idea it was near London at all...hahaha. I wanted to go see the meridian line...but that was not on the tour agenda. oh well...maybe one day.
Today:
have done NOTHING ALL DAY! well i did do my readings for class :D...then took a nap.
i absolutely want more meringue cookies[nest]! They are delicious! it's just egg whites and sugar! even though andy roddick isnt playing at wimbledon anymore...IM GOING TO WIMBLEDON TOMORROW!!!
Groceries:
majority of British groceries are "all natural" or at least don't have preservatives and so you have to keep buying food. They don't buy in bulk like we do in America.
Metric system much, much smaller than imperial system. I'm almost done with one litre of orange juice that i bought last thursday.
I miss rice.
British coins:
the coins vary in color and size depending on the denomination. While that's all good and dandy, it can still be confusing sometimes. 10p is bigger than 20p. 5p and 20p are roughly the same size, except different shape [20p is septagonal]. 2pound coins are the same size as 2p coins...however, 2pound coins are silver in the middle and gold on the outside. 1pound coins feel like tokens.
Cell phone:
i love my phone because it's unlocked and i can use any sim card from any country, BUT DAMN IT! the sim card i bought from platform 3000[it's an american company that caters to students abroad] suuuucks ass! it's t-mobile UK...but i don't really get reception indoors or my room. I got service from my at&t sim card from the states, but that's HELLA EXPENSIVE. i didnt set my phone to international roaming. oh well, whatever.
Cravings:
i really want asian food! hahaha...i dont want to make it myself because i dont want to buy ingredients myself...i'm scared to try the asian take-out places here. this is want when i get back to the states...when i get back to california, we have to stop at pho house at san jose and get the meatest pho there is! [size small...]
Internet:
my internet here is much slower that it is at home. it's not dial-up...but it makes my facebook act weird and everything is just slower...make me a little sad.
Yesterday:
we went to LONDON!!!! AHHH!!! on the way to the bus, i tripped, hurt my ankle and broke my shoe[eh...it was 5 pounds...i'll live]. We did a walking of London starting from London Dungeon to the House of Parliament [about 7miles!]. I was very,very trigger happy in London. I just took lots of pictures of interesting things, mostly architecture. London has no exact architecture style...it's like a hodge-podge of different architecture styles: neo-gothic, tudor, victorian, modernist, industrial...
We saw lot's of major tourist spots [but not all! haha]: Buckingham Palace, Trafalger's Square, Westminster Abbey, House of Parliament and Big Ben, and other stuff... hahaha
The river cruise was really relaxing. It was great to sit down and not walk everywhere. One of the staff[who was acting like a tour guide] had a cockney accent...i was kinda excited coz I havent heard it since I've been here. LOL NERD.
By the end of the day, everyone was really tired. We ended the river cruise at Greenwich...I had no idea it was near London at all...hahaha. I wanted to go see the meridian line...but that was not on the tour agenda. oh well...maybe one day.
Today:
have done NOTHING ALL DAY! well i did do my readings for class :D...then took a nap.
i absolutely want more meringue cookies[nest]! They are delicious! it's just egg whites and sugar! even though andy roddick isnt playing at wimbledon anymore...IM GOING TO WIMBLEDON TOMORROW!!!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Greetings from England! Day 5
Current Time: 6:49 PM
The weather today is what my mom would call "a typical English day". I woke up and it was sunny but windy, then when I got to class it was cloudy, then it cleared up, got cloudy and windy, and is not currently starting to clear up. At least it hasnt rained yet...
I'M TIRED.
Yesterday:
I woke up to the house cleaning ladies pounding at my door around 9 in the morning. I stayed in bed until 11. I had a class field trip to the Thistle Hotel in Brighton, near the marina. We talked about how a hotel lobby can be a "non-place", how we identify with a place and in turn, the place is identifying us. After class, i finally got my other adapter! YES! Walked around and had lunch with girls in my class.
On custard tart: it tasted good at the first few bites...but then it started to taste like fake sugar. It has a flaky crust...I think it would be better if it has a graham cracker crust. Also, it has the the same consistency as jello. yeah.
Jeany, Kathie and I missed the first group bus to the "Big, Bad Pub Crawl" but luckily we met up with friends who missed the bus as well and we all took the train together. It was kinda frustrating because the guy who knew which pub we were going to[his friend was in the first group...the one we missed and he was communicating with that person] didnt know where the pub was so we were just walking around in circles. But thankfully, we found our group with people we know. They said the 1st pub wasn't that great.
OH WELL. The second pub we went to was called The Globe. They gave me a business card that has discounts on drinks! WHOOOT! I got a Tanqueray and Splash [gin and tonic]. I think I like gin now. It doesnt hit you as hard a vodka, I guess. At any rate, it's really good. I learned that Strongbow is a cider beer! It's good. This pub has a very chill atmosphere. They have comfy couches downstairs with coffee tables. They also have boardgames and stuff. It was kinda dim so I was starting to fall asleep.
The next club we went to was really nice. I forgot what it was called [Water something...] It had a very sleek, modern look to it. Leather booths and low tables. There was also house music, so that was great. I went to the bar to got vodka and cranberry juice and turned around NO ONE WAS MY TABLE! I had a milli-second freakout until I found them at the next table with another group. They were really cool. The guy[Kyle] was kinda cute[I agree Jeany...he does look like the guy from Across the Universe]. A bunch of guys played a drinking race, where there were 2 lines of guys and the lined that finished their pints of beer first wins. That is some insane game! Those guys all chugged their beers! There were girls that played too, but they drank 1/2 pints. That is INSANE! I can't chug a beer...the bubbles would go to my head and I'd throw up.
We finally went to the club. We got in free because the school had a deal going on with that club or something. THAT CLUB IS HUGE! It had 2 floors, several lounge areas and 2 dance floors. The lounge areas were separate from the dance floor rooms[although the dance floor rooms do have lounge areas]. Each room was a different theme. The Ski Lodge [ASPEN] was reserved for ISS students only!We had a bouncer in front of that lounge room and everything! That room was very log-cabin-in-the-winter feel.Played alot of American rock music. There was the Boudoir [PARIS]. It's very Moulin Rouge type of room. Most comfortable sitting area EVER! Instead of booths, they had beds [with tables in the middle for drinks] with pillows. Elevator music. Very chill, relaxing. The Tiki Room was closed :(. Then there was the Monte Carlo Lounge [Monte Carlo]...very upscale casino/club type of feel. Very bling bling.
The 2 dance floors: I love Disco [New York in 1970s]. This room was how I imagined Studioi 54 to be..it's very Saturday Night Fever...complete with the disco ball and light up dance floor! Very very fun! I don't know if the other dance floor had a name, but the theme was kinda like a winter wonderland...everything in the room was either white, silver or crystal [except for the floors...they were black]. They played a lot of different music from hip-hop/rnb to techno and whatever's in between. They projected the music videos [or just videos] on the walls surround the dance floor. It was really fun until it got really crowded and people started getting pushy, grabby and then violent. Some guy w as trying to dance up on Jeany all night and I tried to stop him, but he was very persistent! We moved to a different spot and he found us again! Then there were a bunch of guys who were trying to mosh to Mr. Brightside and one guy was trying to start a fight. Thank goodness for those 2 older guys[who I pressume are gay because they were all up on each other] for protecting us! They made the creeper go away and got us off the dance floor without getting hurt! They had cheap drinks at the club! 2 pound drinks!! WHOOOT! I had this drink called VK Vodka Blue...if blue had a taste, it would taste like that drink! I also had a Malibu and OJ...it had a weird after taste because it was coconut Malibu...but it was still good nonetheless.
I have noticed in mixed drinks, they don't put too much alcohol, so you dont get messed up as quickly...yay for trained professionals!
At the end of the night, it was very sausage fest at the dance floor. There were lots of guys dancing together in groups. LOL. At the end of the night, I was tired and hungry, but had LOTS OF FUN! there will be a repeat.
Today:
I woke up early to do my readings for class that I thought was going to take awhile but didnt! After finishing my readings, I went back to sleep until 12! hahaha The fire alam went off because my flatmate burned the chicken she was making. Kathie freaked out! hahaha
Went to the grocery store ...took freakin' forever because there was traffic!
I need rice. I live on rice.DAMMNN ITT! I can't even make rice in the pot because it doesnt have a lid. I resorted to microwavable rice...eh. I'm just going to stay home and do my readings for next week so I don't have to worry about it.
Random note: today I hate 442 kJoules of cookies! hehehehe [it says it on the nutrition facts]
MERINGUE COOKIES ARE AMAZING.IMUSTHAVEMORE!
The weather today is what my mom would call "a typical English day". I woke up and it was sunny but windy, then when I got to class it was cloudy, then it cleared up, got cloudy and windy, and is not currently starting to clear up. At least it hasnt rained yet...
I'M TIRED.
Yesterday:
I woke up to the house cleaning ladies pounding at my door around 9 in the morning. I stayed in bed until 11. I had a class field trip to the Thistle Hotel in Brighton, near the marina. We talked about how a hotel lobby can be a "non-place", how we identify with a place and in turn, the place is identifying us. After class, i finally got my other adapter! YES! Walked around and had lunch with girls in my class.
On custard tart: it tasted good at the first few bites...but then it started to taste like fake sugar. It has a flaky crust...I think it would be better if it has a graham cracker crust. Also, it has the the same consistency as jello. yeah.
Jeany, Kathie and I missed the first group bus to the "Big, Bad Pub Crawl" but luckily we met up with friends who missed the bus as well and we all took the train together. It was kinda frustrating because the guy who knew which pub we were going to[his friend was in the first group...the one we missed and he was communicating with that person] didnt know where the pub was so we were just walking around in circles. But thankfully, we found our group with people we know. They said the 1st pub wasn't that great.
OH WELL. The second pub we went to was called The Globe. They gave me a business card that has discounts on drinks! WHOOOT! I got a Tanqueray and Splash [gin and tonic]. I think I like gin now. It doesnt hit you as hard a vodka, I guess. At any rate, it's really good. I learned that Strongbow is a cider beer! It's good. This pub has a very chill atmosphere. They have comfy couches downstairs with coffee tables. They also have boardgames and stuff. It was kinda dim so I was starting to fall asleep.
The next club we went to was really nice. I forgot what it was called [Water something...] It had a very sleek, modern look to it. Leather booths and low tables. There was also house music, so that was great. I went to the bar to got vodka and cranberry juice and turned around NO ONE WAS MY TABLE! I had a milli-second freakout until I found them at the next table with another group. They were really cool. The guy[Kyle] was kinda cute[I agree Jeany...he does look like the guy from Across the Universe]. A bunch of guys played a drinking race, where there were 2 lines of guys and the lined that finished their pints of beer first wins. That is some insane game! Those guys all chugged their beers! There were girls that played too, but they drank 1/2 pints. That is INSANE! I can't chug a beer...the bubbles would go to my head and I'd throw up.
We finally went to the club. We got in free because the school had a deal going on with that club or something. THAT CLUB IS HUGE! It had 2 floors, several lounge areas and 2 dance floors. The lounge areas were separate from the dance floor rooms[although the dance floor rooms do have lounge areas]. Each room was a different theme. The Ski Lodge [ASPEN] was reserved for ISS students only!We had a bouncer in front of that lounge room and everything! That room was very log-cabin-in-the-winter feel.Played alot of American rock music. There was the Boudoir [PARIS]. It's very Moulin Rouge type of room. Most comfortable sitting area EVER! Instead of booths, they had beds [with tables in the middle for drinks] with pillows. Elevator music. Very chill, relaxing. The Tiki Room was closed :(. Then there was the Monte Carlo Lounge [Monte Carlo]...very upscale casino/club type of feel. Very bling bling.
The 2 dance floors: I love Disco [New York in 1970s]. This room was how I imagined Studioi 54 to be..it's very Saturday Night Fever...complete with the disco ball and light up dance floor! Very very fun! I don't know if the other dance floor had a name, but the theme was kinda like a winter wonderland...everything in the room was either white, silver or crystal [except for the floors...they were black]. They played a lot of different music from hip-hop/rnb to techno and whatever's in between. They projected the music videos [or just videos] on the walls surround the dance floor. It was really fun until it got really crowded and people started getting pushy, grabby and then violent. Some guy w as trying to dance up on Jeany all night and I tried to stop him, but he was very persistent! We moved to a different spot and he found us again! Then there were a bunch of guys who were trying to mosh to Mr. Brightside and one guy was trying to start a fight. Thank goodness for those 2 older guys[who I pressume are gay because they were all up on each other] for protecting us! They made the creeper go away and got us off the dance floor without getting hurt! They had cheap drinks at the club! 2 pound drinks!! WHOOOT! I had this drink called VK Vodka Blue...if blue had a taste, it would taste like that drink! I also had a Malibu and OJ...it had a weird after taste because it was coconut Malibu...but it was still good nonetheless.
I have noticed in mixed drinks, they don't put too much alcohol, so you dont get messed up as quickly...yay for trained professionals!
At the end of the night, it was very sausage fest at the dance floor. There were lots of guys dancing together in groups. LOL. At the end of the night, I was tired and hungry, but had LOTS OF FUN! there will be a repeat.
Today:
I woke up early to do my readings for class that I thought was going to take awhile but didnt! After finishing my readings, I went back to sleep until 12! hahaha The fire alam went off because my flatmate burned the chicken she was making. Kathie freaked out! hahaha
Went to the grocery store ...took freakin' forever because there was traffic!
I need rice. I live on rice.DAMMNN ITT! I can't even make rice in the pot because it doesnt have a lid. I resorted to microwavable rice...eh. I'm just going to stay home and do my readings for next week so I don't have to worry about it.
Random note: today I hate 442 kJoules of cookies! hehehehe [it says it on the nutrition facts]
MERINGUE COOKIES ARE AMAZING.IMUSTHAVEMORE!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Greetings from England! Day 2
technically today is day 3.
current time: 4:03 PM
Yesterday:
Orientation was like any other school orientation...welcome...have fun...ACADEMICS IS IMPORTANT...have fun...stay safe...useful info...IT stuff...have fun...welcome.
I also learned that many places [aside from the grocery store] give student discounts...all you have to do is ask.
After orientation, we went to the Student Union store to get dibs on merch because they don't get new stock of clothing until the next school year. YAY ME! i got a sweater! Also got ONE adaptor, I need 2 more for the external hard drive and my chargers. So, I've been hearing that US hair driers get messed up in the UK, so I havent even tried using it. Kathie, Jeany and I met up with other girls to go get ID cards. Freakin' A! T'was a journey up several sets of stairs, then a hill, then more stairs! It took a while, but it's ok...my ID is cute! hahahaha [again...pictures later]
speaking of cute...there were cute british boys getting their ID's too...well, actually, they were getting replacement IDs.
Got a pay-as-you-go SIM card. 10 bucks! not pounds, dollars! yay! it's T-mobile and it kinda sucks. I don't get reception in my room or in some places in campus. I'm kinda upset about that, but it's ok. Incoming calls are free and text messages aren't that bad...I'm going to text the way I do in the US. Anyway, having my crappy SIM card is better than using my SIM from home. Over here, I've been able to get roaming via Orange, O2-UK, and Vodafone-UK networks, but I bet that was hella expensive. It was just so that my parents could call me...but it's ok, now my parents can call me[and it would be free for me] and I can have it for emergencies and keeping in touch with people I made plans with.
We went on a walking tour of Brighton with the ISS staff. It was really nice. The weather was great. NO RAIN. nice breeze. We got to see, I guess, "Downtown Brighton" where the majority of restaurants, pubs, and shops were located. We saw the mall[H&M and Borders] at Churchill Square, and the stores and pubs in The Lanes[it's kinda like a maze of buildings and the alleyways get very narrow], and all the other pubs and stores in the area. We went to the Royal Pavilion. It is a former royal residence. It was built in the 1800s by George IV. It was his seaside retreat [apparently, the seawater in Brighton is good for the health]. It was also his getaway from the Royal Court in London and he was able to "visit" his mistress, Mrs. Fitzherbert. It's really pretty. The architecture style is so different from the rest of Brighton.
It's got an Indo-Chinese [not Indo-China] influence. The outside looks Indian, and the interior is Chinese and Indian. This called the "Regency Style."We also visited the Brighton seafront. The beach here is very different. It's not sandy, it's very pebbly--and not small pebbles that can fit in your shoe type of pebbles, but the kind you use to skip rocks with. We also saw the Brighton Pier [it's got a boardwalk thing going on, but it's very small]. There are actually 2 piers, but the other one is burned down and they can't take it out because it's a historical landmark.
After all that walking, my group was REALLY HUNGRY. So we followed the ISS staff because they said they were going to a pub to eat. Go to the pub it was 8:30. To our dismay, the pub stopped serving food at 8! WTF! The only other food places that were open to serve food were Italian restaurants, and fast food. We wanted to go to the Fish and Chips shop we passed but we forgot which way it was. We ended up at The Lanes and tried to find out way to the chip shop, but we found 2 restaurants that were still serving so we decided to check them out.
First restaurant served "home cooked British food" ...they didnt have very many in their selection and we were looking for something more familiar [less bangers and mash]. So we ended up at an Italian Restaurant called Donatello. It was a really nice and cheap restaurant. Their antipasti, pasta and pizza were very reasonably priced. They ranged from 3 to about 8 pounds. The pricier dishes were the seafood and meat dishes. I had a pizza Donatello. It had cheese, mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, shrimp, italian sausage and anchioves. IT WAS THE BEST PIZZA EVER! I don't think I can look at another pizza the same way ever again. The crust was very thin and perfectly cooked. The toppings didnt fall off the pizza. OMG. IT WAS JUST AMAZING. Half of us got cocktails. A few girls got Pina Coladas. Their Pina Coladas are different...they're not slushy-like....its more of a Pina Colada on the rocks hahaha. Jeany got a Sex on the Beach. GOOD CHOICE! I got a Boozie Suzie...I've never heard of that drink before...could be a British thing? It had gin, appletiser(sparkling apple juice) and grenadine...really good. Tasted very light. hehe...very pink. I think Italians ran the place. Our server was Italian, by the way. Jeany thought he was cute but was not feeling the Italian accent. I thought the accent was cute. HAHAHA. Who would have thought that my first meal outside the campus would be at an Italian restaurant.
Today:
School started today. I didnt finish my reading [UH-OH!]....good thing about a philosophy class is that you can bull shit your way out :D hahaha. My teacher ?[he's a grad. student, but not a teaching assistant] is cute! hahahaha. ACCENT <3...in words that end ing -ing, be doesnt pronounce the "g"...he kinda reminds me of Colin Firth but he doesnt look like him. He's got curly hair and he's scruffy and dresses well...hehehehe.
After class, Kathie and I went to Brighton to go shopping. I got Maddie's present and I got something cute for Mary. We went to the mall so that Kathie can buy some clubbing clothes because she didnt bring any. We got to Brighton around 5 so we didnt get to explore many of the shops because a lot of them were closing. We found a 1 pound store and a 99p store. We finally had FISH AND CHIPS for dinner. It was really good...the fish was really fresh and it was HUGE [we ordered a medium]...their chips were kinda weird because the potato was not white on the inside like American fries, they were yellow on the inside too.
We went exploring after...just for a little bit. We went back to the pavilion to take nicer pictures. We also learned that the Brighton Museum is free [coming back for that one]. Then we went to Karaoke Night at Ye Ole King and Queen Pub at Brighton with ISS. That pub was how I imagined pubs to look like...historic looking [the pub is historic....something about it being an old farm house and royalty or something like that] and kinda dark...it sorta looked like the Green Dragon from Lord of the Rings [minus the hobbits]! Drinks: 2 for 6 pound cocktails...Kathie: Cosmo, Ann: Screaming Orgasm. Our RA sang SEX BOMB...funny shit! Kathie and I didnt stay that long....we were getting really tired so we caught the 11 PM train at the train station and went home.
I WANNA GO TO WIMBLEDON! I'LL GO BY MYSELF IF I HAVE TO!
current time: 4:03 PM
Yesterday:
Orientation was like any other school orientation...welcome...have fun...ACADEMICS IS IMPORTANT...have fun...stay safe...useful info...IT stuff...have fun...welcome.
I also learned that many places [aside from the grocery store] give student discounts...all you have to do is ask.
After orientation, we went to the Student Union store to get dibs on merch because they don't get new stock of clothing until the next school year. YAY ME! i got a sweater! Also got ONE adaptor, I need 2 more for the external hard drive and my chargers. So, I've been hearing that US hair driers get messed up in the UK, so I havent even tried using it. Kathie, Jeany and I met up with other girls to go get ID cards. Freakin' A! T'was a journey up several sets of stairs, then a hill, then more stairs! It took a while, but it's ok...my ID is cute! hahahaha [again...pictures later]
speaking of cute...there were cute british boys getting their ID's too...well, actually, they were getting replacement IDs.
Got a pay-as-you-go SIM card. 10 bucks! not pounds, dollars! yay! it's T-mobile and it kinda sucks. I don't get reception in my room or in some places in campus. I'm kinda upset about that, but it's ok. Incoming calls are free and text messages aren't that bad...I'm going to text the way I do in the US. Anyway, having my crappy SIM card is better than using my SIM from home. Over here, I've been able to get roaming via Orange, O2-UK, and Vodafone-UK networks, but I bet that was hella expensive. It was just so that my parents could call me...but it's ok, now my parents can call me[and it would be free for me] and I can have it for emergencies and keeping in touch with people I made plans with.
We went on a walking tour of Brighton with the ISS staff. It was really nice. The weather was great. NO RAIN. nice breeze. We got to see, I guess, "Downtown Brighton" where the majority of restaurants, pubs, and shops were located. We saw the mall[H&M and Borders] at Churchill Square, and the stores and pubs in The Lanes[it's kinda like a maze of buildings and the alleyways get very narrow], and all the other pubs and stores in the area. We went to the Royal Pavilion. It is a former royal residence. It was built in the 1800s by George IV. It was his seaside retreat [apparently, the seawater in Brighton is good for the health]. It was also his getaway from the Royal Court in London and he was able to "visit" his mistress, Mrs. Fitzherbert. It's really pretty. The architecture style is so different from the rest of Brighton.
It's got an Indo-Chinese [not Indo-China] influence. The outside looks Indian, and the interior is Chinese and Indian. This called the "Regency Style."We also visited the Brighton seafront. The beach here is very different. It's not sandy, it's very pebbly--and not small pebbles that can fit in your shoe type of pebbles, but the kind you use to skip rocks with. We also saw the Brighton Pier [it's got a boardwalk thing going on, but it's very small]. There are actually 2 piers, but the other one is burned down and they can't take it out because it's a historical landmark.
After all that walking, my group was REALLY HUNGRY. So we followed the ISS staff because they said they were going to a pub to eat. Go to the pub it was 8:30. To our dismay, the pub stopped serving food at 8! WTF! The only other food places that were open to serve food were Italian restaurants, and fast food. We wanted to go to the Fish and Chips shop we passed but we forgot which way it was. We ended up at The Lanes and tried to find out way to the chip shop, but we found 2 restaurants that were still serving so we decided to check them out.
First restaurant served "home cooked British food" ...they didnt have very many in their selection and we were looking for something more familiar [less bangers and mash]. So we ended up at an Italian Restaurant called Donatello. It was a really nice and cheap restaurant. Their antipasti, pasta and pizza were very reasonably priced. They ranged from 3 to about 8 pounds. The pricier dishes were the seafood and meat dishes. I had a pizza Donatello. It had cheese, mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, shrimp, italian sausage and anchioves. IT WAS THE BEST PIZZA EVER! I don't think I can look at another pizza the same way ever again. The crust was very thin and perfectly cooked. The toppings didnt fall off the pizza. OMG. IT WAS JUST AMAZING. Half of us got cocktails. A few girls got Pina Coladas. Their Pina Coladas are different...they're not slushy-like....its more of a Pina Colada on the rocks hahaha. Jeany got a Sex on the Beach. GOOD CHOICE! I got a Boozie Suzie...I've never heard of that drink before...could be a British thing? It had gin, appletiser(sparkling apple juice) and grenadine...really good. Tasted very light. hehe...very pink. I think Italians ran the place. Our server was Italian, by the way. Jeany thought he was cute but was not feeling the Italian accent. I thought the accent was cute. HAHAHA. Who would have thought that my first meal outside the campus would be at an Italian restaurant.
Today:
School started today. I didnt finish my reading [UH-OH!]....good thing about a philosophy class is that you can bull shit your way out :D hahaha. My teacher ?[he's a grad. student, but not a teaching assistant] is cute! hahahaha. ACCENT <3...in words that end ing -ing, be doesnt pronounce the "g"...he kinda reminds me of Colin Firth but he doesnt look like him. He's got curly hair and he's scruffy and dresses well...hehehehe.
After class, Kathie and I went to Brighton to go shopping. I got Maddie's present and I got something cute for Mary. We went to the mall so that Kathie can buy some clubbing clothes because she didnt bring any. We got to Brighton around 5 so we didnt get to explore many of the shops because a lot of them were closing. We found a 1 pound store and a 99p store. We finally had FISH AND CHIPS for dinner. It was really good...the fish was really fresh and it was HUGE [we ordered a medium]...their chips were kinda weird because the potato was not white on the inside like American fries, they were yellow on the inside too.
We went exploring after...just for a little bit. We went back to the pavilion to take nicer pictures. We also learned that the Brighton Museum is free [coming back for that one]. Then we went to Karaoke Night at Ye Ole King and Queen Pub at Brighton with ISS. That pub was how I imagined pubs to look like...historic looking [the pub is historic....something about it being an old farm house and royalty or something like that] and kinda dark...it sorta looked like the Green Dragon from Lord of the Rings [minus the hobbits]! Drinks: 2 for 6 pound cocktails...Kathie: Cosmo, Ann: Screaming Orgasm. Our RA sang SEX BOMB...funny shit! Kathie and I didnt stay that long....we were getting really tired so we caught the 11 PM train at the train station and went home.
I WANNA GO TO WIMBLEDON! I'LL GO BY MYSELF IF I HAVE TO!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Greetings from England! Day 1 cont.
It's 7:51 AM. I have orientation at 9 so I'll make this quick.
Trying to set up the internet took FOREVER! I had to configure my network card and it was kinda confusing. No wireless in the flats.
I got my welcome pack with the schedule of activities, campus and brighton maps and my class reader[class reader was FREE!]
We have our own kitchen//lounge area. It's really cute. The freezer hates us. It's very temperamental...sometimes the door will open, sometimes it won't.
There was a welcome party from 6-9 PM with lots of finger foods and drinks[alcoholic and non-alcoholic]. I tried 2 of the beers: Carlsberg and Carling Extra Cold. I liked Carling better because the taste was lighter than Carlsberg . The beer cans are way bigger than the beer cans in the US. I think volume-wise, the beer cans here have the same amount as a beer bottle in the US.
Finished unpacking, then figured out the internet, started reading for class and crashed.
Trying to set up the internet took FOREVER! I had to configure my network card and it was kinda confusing. No wireless in the flats.
I got my welcome pack with the schedule of activities, campus and brighton maps and my class reader[class reader was FREE!]
We have our own kitchen//lounge area. It's really cute. The freezer hates us. It's very temperamental...sometimes the door will open, sometimes it won't.
There was a welcome party from 6-9 PM with lots of finger foods and drinks[alcoholic and non-alcoholic]. I tried 2 of the beers: Carlsberg and Carling Extra Cold. I liked Carling better because the taste was lighter than Carlsberg . The beer cans are way bigger than the beer cans in the US. I think volume-wise, the beer cans here have the same amount as a beer bottle in the US.
Finished unpacking, then figured out the internet, started reading for class and crashed.
Greetings from England! Day 1
Current date and time: June 22, 2002 11:08 PM
After over 14 hours of flying, I'm finally in ENGLAND!
It didn't really hit me that I'm in the UK until I got out of the Gatwick Airport and onto the train going to Brighton. I wasn't that excited leaving the US because I was super tired from few days before I left.
I almost missed my flight from Newark to London because the wrong gate was printed on my boarding pass. Good thing I checked the screen!
I like Continental Airlines now. First of all, they fed us breakfast [not a snack] of egg and cheese bagels, fruit yogurt, and fruit on a DOMESTIC FLIGHT [SFO to Newark). They fed us dinner and breakfast going to London. Most importantly, they did not lose my luggage.
I got to London around 7 AM. No problems with immigration, that's a plus. I waited for Kathie and Jeany for about 1-2 hours because we were gonna go to school together. We made new friends from the airport since a lot of us were all going to the same place. We pretty much took over the trains going to Brighton with our giant amounts of luggage.
My "flat" is not exactly on campus...it's near the entrance, but it's right behind the train station and right in front of a bus stop. Jeany, Kathie and I ended up being flatmates! hahahah RANDOM! Our rooms are all right next to each other too. Our flat is on the ground floor [not 1st floor...that's the floor after ground]. We got lost trying to get out because all the hallways look alike hahaha.
The campus is nice...everything is built with brick from the 1960s. Lots of trees [and evil sea gulls!] It's way smaller than UCSB...the walk from my apartment to the end of campus is like 10 minutes.
On public transportation: the train going from Brighton to Falmer [the stop for the school] is really nice...there are tables in the train. The seats in the trains in general all face each other.
Brighton still uses the double decker buses. They are DANGEROUS! hahahah It's hard trying to get down the steps in a hurry because the steps are steep.
Lots of things happened today but I can't write them right now because I'm really tired and I have to wake up early for orientation.
Pictures to come!
After over 14 hours of flying, I'm finally in ENGLAND!
It didn't really hit me that I'm in the UK until I got out of the Gatwick Airport and onto the train going to Brighton. I wasn't that excited leaving the US because I was super tired from few days before I left.
I almost missed my flight from Newark to London because the wrong gate was printed on my boarding pass. Good thing I checked the screen!
I like Continental Airlines now. First of all, they fed us breakfast [not a snack] of egg and cheese bagels, fruit yogurt, and fruit on a DOMESTIC FLIGHT [SFO to Newark). They fed us dinner and breakfast going to London. Most importantly, they did not lose my luggage.
I got to London around 7 AM. No problems with immigration, that's a plus. I waited for Kathie and Jeany for about 1-2 hours because we were gonna go to school together. We made new friends from the airport since a lot of us were all going to the same place. We pretty much took over the trains going to Brighton with our giant amounts of luggage.
My "flat" is not exactly on campus...it's near the entrance, but it's right behind the train station and right in front of a bus stop. Jeany, Kathie and I ended up being flatmates! hahahah RANDOM! Our rooms are all right next to each other too. Our flat is on the ground floor [not 1st floor...that's the floor after ground]. We got lost trying to get out because all the hallways look alike hahaha.
The campus is nice...everything is built with brick from the 1960s. Lots of trees [and evil sea gulls!] It's way smaller than UCSB...the walk from my apartment to the end of campus is like 10 minutes.
On public transportation: the train going from Brighton to Falmer [the stop for the school] is really nice...there are tables in the train. The seats in the trains in general all face each other.
Brighton still uses the double decker buses. They are DANGEROUS! hahahah It's hard trying to get down the steps in a hurry because the steps are steep.
Lots of things happened today but I can't write them right now because I'm really tired and I have to wake up early for orientation.
Pictures to come!
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