uni.

last week was my first week of uni(versity). tuesdays, i have class at the design museum. the design museum is just up the tube line from where i live. it takes me about 20 minutes by tube to get there, plus about 20 minutes walking from the station. the design museum is located along the thames, close to the tower bridge. (in case you needed a visual.) along my walk i get to pass the infamous london bridge, city hall (design by norman foster), peer across the river at the tower of london, pass by the tower bridge, and then i reach the museum. it's a pleasant walk, but the wind gave me a small taste of what's to come when i gets cold. i got to meet our adjunct professor (or tutor as they seem to call it), who is the head of the curatorial team at the design museum. we also got to meet all the members of the curatorial team. they described their work and took us through two of the current exhibitions that they curated. both are very interesting. one exhibit is the brit insurance designs of the year and the other is the architect's john pawson's works.

wednesdays, i have class in kingston. i have to take a bus from where i live to the train station. the train takes about 25 minutes. the big if in getting to kingston is the bus. the bus should only take about 10-15 minutes to get to the station. that's only if i don't have to go during rush hour. however, the rain on top of rush hour makes for a long journey. ie on wednesday, i left around 8:10, and it was raining. so i didn't arrive to the station until after 9. good thing i left super early! wednesday we went to the kingston gallery and met the director there. we got an introduction to what the gallery does and how students are involved. then, we got a slight introduction to an upcoming exhibit the gallery is putting on. apparently there will be some student involvement...as to how much i'm not quite sure yet. we got a little vip tour to the stanley picker house in kingston as well. stanley picker was a wealthy american, living in london, who was an art enthusiast and collector. he has quite a range of art pieces all displayed in his house, yard, and a small detached gallery on the property. we got to tour it because a-he left the house as a trust for the university and left the money to build the gallery at kingston and b-the project we will be involved with is based off of the house. the upcoming project/exhibition will actually be put on by ab rogers--richard rogers' son. he is practicing in london and we have the opportunity to meet with him in a week or two. i'm excited!

hmm, on another note....i had my first official high tea. yes it was as british as it sounds, complete with delicious scones. i actually had a greenville native, K, who is a friend of friends, take me to tea. she just completed her masters in london and is currently looking for a job. so yay for new friends, and one from home! there's also been some patches of nice weather here and there. when it has been sunny, or pleasant, i've been taking advantage of my close proximity to clapham common. it takes me about 5-10 minutes to run there. and it's quite nice to be back on a workout routine, albeit a slightly half-assed one. believe it or not, friday was sunny for most of the day and was about 70. sunday was quite nice as well. i ventured out to hyde park and the serpentine gallery. the gallery was ok, but the park was very nice. due to the nice weather and the half-marathon finish line in hyde park (who knew?) there were tons of people out and about. but, there were some crisp fall leaves, lots of green, and sunny weather, so i spent the better part of my day reading in the grass. also, i have decided i have the worst bus timing ever. every time i walk to the bus station, i can see my bus approaching, but there is no possible way for me to make it in time. while this may not seem terrible, it literally happens to me every-single-time. and then i have to wait for about 10 minutes (usually a few more) for the next one. 10 minutes isn't that long, but i'm not looking forward to that when it is pouring down rain or in the middle of winter. otherwise, i've been missing pumpkin spice lattes, football games, and other fall luxuries those of you in the states are fortunate enough to have. i think that about sums up my daily happenings over the past week or so. until next time!

look right.

after 23 years of looking left before crossing the street, it completely goes against my natural instincts to look right. while this statement seems so elementary, you try remembering to looking right instead of left when you get to a cross walk. it's harder than you think. the first week i was here, i felt like my head was constantly spinning back and forth and right and left every time i approached a crosswalk. i am eternally indebted to the geniuses who wrote 'look right' or 'look left' on the crosswalks at large intersections. however, i took my life into my own hands every time i crossed smaller streets. simply because i couldn't read what to do before i crossed. i know this may sound funny, but i am finally comfortable crossing the street here. (i know this because i don't have to wait for the little green man anymore. i have also become quite the daredevil and don't always cross at the crosswalks.)

the cars are not the only thing that move opposite the rest of the world. this also goes for all escalators, trains, tubes, and sidewalk etiquette. the escalators, trains, and tubes don't bother me as much. however, i am still getting used to the 'keep left' of sidewalk etiquette. several times a day, i get caught up in the awkward sidewalk dance with a stranger. (you know, where you each try getting around each other, but always end up trying to go the same direction.)

on another note, i have managed to get sufficiently lost several times now...in my own 'neighborhood.' i use the term neighborhood loosely, in that yes, relatively speaking it is my corner of london, but in that finding my way back home takes at least 45 minutes walking. (and i walk fast!) i find this troubling for several reasons. first, i pride myself on my internal compass. it usually doesn't fail me. second, i usually don't have my comprehensive london map with me when these situations arise (which is a book, not map, therefore i hate lugging it around all the time). third, i like to think i map out my course before i leave, so i can avoid the getting lost. and fourth, i really hate using a map in my own neighborhood. with that being said, i've never really been terribly lost, just more in the wrong place at the wrong time. i also really hate the bus system. i have no problems navigating the tube. the bus is a whole different story. you would think it would be easier since you are above ground and can see where you are going, but for some reason the bus system and i don't really get along. a lot of my hatred towards the bus system arises because i always grossly misjudge how long it should take me to get from point a to point b. while the journey isn't terribly far, the traffic is always terrible. however uncomplicated it should seem, i have almost mastered one bus route in my area that i need to take to the train station. this did come at the price of two or three (eh, who's counting?) failed journeys to get where i needed to be in a timely manner. i will say the bus gets bonus points because it runs 24 hours, while the tube does not. but, bus routes change at night and be warned that they don't always go where you anticipate. (i did have one late night mishap, but i now know which bus not to take!) also, bus routes are not subject to transportation strikes. which the tube and tfl workers did today. thankfully, i wasn't really affected by this.

ok i think that's enough of my current thoughts and grievances on transportation do's and don't's in london. there will probably be more to come. until then, keep looking right.

life in londontown.

now that i have officially been in london for two weeks, i suppose it's time for an update. when i last wrote, i had just moved into my hostel, where i spent my second week. that meant moving all of my luggage via tube from central london to northwest london. one roundtrip with some 50+ pound suitcase took about 2 hours. so imagine doing that twice. oh, and not to mention some of the tube stations don't have elevators (lifts). the hostel was nice and specializes in long-term stays for people who have just moved to london. i was fortunate enough to meet some really nice people who i have been hanging out with. it's nice to finally be meeting people.

after the chaos of first arriving and getting everything for school straightened out, i began the 'flat' hunting process. fortunately, the second place i went to look at was perfect. i am living in the clapham area located in southwest london. it's considered zone 2 (zone 1 is central london). the tube station is about a 5 minute walk from my flat. there is a nice park about 10 minutes away, although it's too cold to actually want to go out there. the area is pretty lively, with lots of restaurants, stores, buses, and tube stations around.

school officially starts next week. last thursday-sunday were two big design events in london and as students we were able to get in free. i met a few people from my program at these events. this week, I met everyone from my program for a meet and greet session on tuesday. today we had a nice gallery tour with one of our professors. our first stop was the wellcome collection. there were two nice exhibits focused on science, the body, and various health related topics. the collection housed some very interesting older cultural artifacts, as well as some thought provoking pieces on issues relevant today. from there the group proceeded to the british museum. i have been there before. the museum houses far too much to see in one day, and we just poked around a few exhibits. we then went to the john soane museum. it is located in the holborn area of london, it's really a beautiful part of london. when i studied in charleston, we discussed this museum. it was nice to finally see it, and not just read about it. john soane was an architect and collector. he designed his house to display all of his objects. there are lots of neoclassical and older cultural artifacts. some original models soane did, as well as original piranesi drawings, and other paintings, etc. it's quite a hodgepodge of items, but very interesting, nonetheless. next tuesday and wednesday will be my first day at the design museum and my official first day of class. i'm looking forward to finally getting into a routine.

overall, i am getting acclimated to the lifestyle here. i now know, unless i am going somewhere just a few blocks away, i can plan on it taking me at least 30-45 minutes to get anywhere. the tube is easy to navigate, although there are lots of weekend closures, which complicates things. i learned the hard way on sunday when i couldn't change lines and had to walk about 15 minutes in the cold rain to get to the station i actually wanted to get to. with the exception of 3 days last week, the weather has been cold, and windy. there's been a few rainy days, which is to be expected i suppose. it's been between 55-60 everyday. everyone keeps saying it's actually quite unusual and feels way more like winter than fall. i've visited the tate modern and the sunday brick lane market. beyond that, i haven't done anything too touristy. the british-american language discrepancies are quite entertaining. i've had fish n chips, but that's about as much british food as i've experienced to date. oh, i've definitely consumed my fair share of tea as well. ok i think that catches everyone up to speed...for the most part. more to come soon!

greetings from across the pond.

just a quick update...i arrived in london bright and early tuesday morning with D and her mom. i had a direct flight which was quite nice. and managed to take most everything i packed in my slightly overweight suitcases. we took a lovely taxi from gatwick to our condo. the past few days have been quite a whirlwind. i think i've spent more time on the tube and southwest train or staring at the computer searching for flats than anything else. moving luggage and in and out of various flats/hostels has constituted more of my time here than i'd care to admit. on the whole D and i (and D's mom) have all felt waves of stress, tiredness, hope, confusion, and shed quite a few tears and had a some laughs. after a high strung night on thursday, things have been starting to look up. friday we had to move out of the nice flat we stayed in, right behind the london eye and big ben. currently, we are staying in a hostel in northwest london for a week. it's actually pretty nice despite shotty internet, and being in a slightly inconvenient location. but the neighborhood is quiet and pretty. not too shabby for a last minute accommodation. otherwise, nothing exciting. i have done zero sightseeing or really done anything fun or relaxing besides grabbing a meal out. i kinda figured the first week would suck and that's pretty much been the case. however, i am starting to feel better about things and i am no longer totally doubting this trans-atlantic move like i was on days one-three. also, it's quite brisk in london. it's been about 60 everyday...overcast a lot, sunny occasionally. on our first day london so kindly gave us a sample of what's to come-- chilly, gray, and rainy weather. my already aggravated sinuses have not been taking to this well. so i'm battling a bit of a cold. good thing the cold medicine i packed isn't in any of the suitcases i have with me. how naive of me to think i wouldn't need it for a few weeks!

things i've accomplished to date:

opened a bank account in the uk

gotten a cell phone

found a flat!!!

learned the ins and outs of waterloo station

seen several tube lines and trekked around various areas in search of a place to live or sleep

moved about 150 lbs of luggage across the greater london area

well, i think that about sums up my life for the past six days. as you can tell, it's been super exciting. don't be too jealous!

ps my camera battery officially died, so i'll be lacking in the pictures department for a few weeks. (sorry dad, i wanted to get a picture of big ben for you! i guess you'll have to wait a while.)

behold, the future.

for those of you who care (or only keep up with me via the blog?) i finally, finally, finally have a plan! drum roll please.....in one week, i will be moving to london. yes, i realize this sounds all too familiar. this go round i will be working towards a masters in curating contemporary design at kingston university. kingston is a small suburb on the outskirts of london. i will be studying there, as well as working with the design museum in central london. unlike the failed au pair trip, or europe round two as i like to call it, i will not be going alone. by shear luck, i met a girl from greenville who also will be studying at kingston. i have learned, by trial and error, about power in numbers, or rather the comfort of having a familiar shoulder to lean on.

currently, this post finds me packing and wondering what the future holds. i have all those similar feelings of anxiety and anticipation that lingers with the beginning of something new.

i now have one week to soak up the good ole us of a and take full advantage of my parents' good graces. next time i check back in, you will probably learn more than you ever cared to know about flat-hunting in london and all this mishaps that will undoubtedly follow me during my trans-atlantic move.

summer 2010.

so summer is basically over. mostly i've not had a summer due a job in the wonderful thing called 'the real world.' don't get me wrong, i like my job and i am grateful for it. and i always have had a summer job, but this is the first summer that hasn't spurred some sort of change of pace or new job. i suppose there has to be a first time for everything though.

since i last wrote, i've read quite a few books. i mentioned reading an old favorite, the shadow of the wind by carlos ruiz zafon. it takes place in barcelona (my adopted city) and is truly a wonderful story set in a beautiful city. i also reread the seventh harry potter as a refresher before the movie comes out in november.

currently, i am in the midst of reading the stieg larson 'girl' series. i needed to find out what all the fuss was about. the girl with the dragon tattoo was a little slow at the start, but definitely picked up the pace. i guess i wasn't paying attention to all the media buzz, but i wasn't anticipating the series to be such thrillers. the girl who played with fire was much faster paced than the first of the series. it ended with quite the cliffhanger and i've only just begun the girl who kicked the hornet's nest. all in all i like the series. i also was not expecting such dark and misogynistic, and even some feminist undertones. the series will keep you on edge while you're reading, but i'm not sure i quite understand all the hype. regardless, the books are all enjoyable and worth picking up.

the girl who kicked the hornet's nest is currently on hold, and i am reading little bee by chris cleave.

la furia roja!

i'm so excited that spain won the world cup today!! i had world cup fever like i get with all international competitions occurring only every four years. i enjoy the games and the international rivalry, but the eye candy definitely vamps up the world cup appeal.

my top three looker teams in no particular order:

spain--torres, casillas, villa, ramos, navas, need i say more?

us--gotta support the boys namely bocanegra, bornstein, feilhaber, donovan, dempsey, etc.

france (only because of this hottie)

favorite world cup moment:

landon donovan's goal in the 91' in the algeria group game.

thanks for the eventful month, until next time world cup...