Ladies and gentlemen, my klutzy ways have officially followed me overseas.
Yesterday, I wore heels to work to balance out the fact that my internship lets me wear jeans. Unfortunately, when I was walking home down Oxford Street where the sidewalk is uneven, I twisted my ankle. It is now swollen, and I am pretty sure they don't sell ACE bandages in England.
Also, a few minutes ago my computer fell off my bed and hit me in the face, and the bridge of my nose is now cut and bleeding. I wish this were a lie, but it is unfortunately so true.
Combine this with my normal spilling and falling tendencies, and you have a recipe for disaster. Here's to hoping I don't die walking to class today! More later :)
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Another week in paradise
London has been hit by a heat wave.
Temperatures were up to the high 80's on Monday, which coincided perfectly with our group's marathon day of class, media visits and theater excursions. Despite a great day, everyone in our group was tired and agitated from a long day of running around London in heavy dress clothes. It was definitely worth the trouble though. In the morning, we visited the BBC and got a private tour of the world's largest newsroom. Even though I know places like the BBC are news agencies just like every other one, it still feels like a privilege and a surreal experience. We also got to speak with the director of the BBC's Olympic news coverage, and got a sneak peek on how the BBC intends to cover the Games on its home turf.
That night, we journeyed down to the theater district to see Wicked. Other than the jarring nature of hearing random phrases in British accents, the play was great and the actress playing Elphaba was phenomenal. I also ate my first real meal in about two weeks- we stopped at a small Italian restaurant and enjoyed pasta and vegetables with gelato. A nice quiet dinner in a classy, air conditioned place made the night so much better. It was deathly hot underground taking the tube back, so we were all exhausted and ready to sleep.
Another long week at work... two bylines in the next issue! I am also feeling more confident in my interview ability- It's very hard to ask questions and write stories on a topic you don't yet fully understand, but I'm getting closer. One more day of work and one day of classes, and it's off to Paris!!
As promised, here's some pictures...
All the girls at the Covent Gardens Market
Amy and I being touristy in a phone booth
The Millennium Bridge... yes I walked on it, yes I have been to a scene in the HP films :)
Melissa and I at Tower Bridge
Temperatures were up to the high 80's on Monday, which coincided perfectly with our group's marathon day of class, media visits and theater excursions. Despite a great day, everyone in our group was tired and agitated from a long day of running around London in heavy dress clothes. It was definitely worth the trouble though. In the morning, we visited the BBC and got a private tour of the world's largest newsroom. Even though I know places like the BBC are news agencies just like every other one, it still feels like a privilege and a surreal experience. We also got to speak with the director of the BBC's Olympic news coverage, and got a sneak peek on how the BBC intends to cover the Games on its home turf.
That night, we journeyed down to the theater district to see Wicked. Other than the jarring nature of hearing random phrases in British accents, the play was great and the actress playing Elphaba was phenomenal. I also ate my first real meal in about two weeks- we stopped at a small Italian restaurant and enjoyed pasta and vegetables with gelato. A nice quiet dinner in a classy, air conditioned place made the night so much better. It was deathly hot underground taking the tube back, so we were all exhausted and ready to sleep.
Another long week at work... two bylines in the next issue! I am also feeling more confident in my interview ability- It's very hard to ask questions and write stories on a topic you don't yet fully understand, but I'm getting closer. One more day of work and one day of classes, and it's off to Paris!!
As promised, here's some pictures...
All the girls at the Covent Gardens Market
Amy and I being touristy in a phone booth
The Millennium Bridge... yes I walked on it, yes I have been to a scene in the HP films :)
Melissa and I at Tower Bridge
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Excursion #1
Yesterday the J-School took the group on our first trip outside London, to Stonehenge and Bath. Our whole group has been busy with work and exploring the city in smaller groups, so it was really great to see everyone again!
Stonehenge was about a 2 hour drive from London. I woke up from my nap just in time to see the rock formation out the window, and I must say I was unimpressed at first. It just looked like a bunch of rocks in a circle. When we were admitted to the site, we were given headsets to walk us through a tour. Some of the folklore surrounding Stonehenge was quite humorous, and the weather was beautiful- perfect for photo opps! There is also a huge field of sheep right next to Stonehenge, and we had fun watching them run around.
Bath was our second stop, and it was absolutely spectacular. The buildings in the city are all made of this honey colored stone, and the whole town sits on the river. We had a few hours to explore the city, so we walked around and saw the shops and attempted to go to the Fashion Museum. Somewhere in that time, I thought I had lost my wallet. My friends calmed me down and helped me focus on the day until the bus got back, and thank god it was in my seat. Needless to say, I will be much more careful about my wallet. Then we took a tour of the Roman baths, which was awesome! Archaeologists preserved the sites of a Roman temple and gathering place, so we got to walk through those and see things found at the site. The baths were fully restored, and we walked around and talked to actors in character about the history.
It was a fun day, and now it's work time. We have a paper due for our class tomorrow, so I am hanging out with some people at a cafe and trying to get as much done as I can. Wish me luck!
Stonehenge was about a 2 hour drive from London. I woke up from my nap just in time to see the rock formation out the window, and I must say I was unimpressed at first. It just looked like a bunch of rocks in a circle. When we were admitted to the site, we were given headsets to walk us through a tour. Some of the folklore surrounding Stonehenge was quite humorous, and the weather was beautiful- perfect for photo opps! There is also a huge field of sheep right next to Stonehenge, and we had fun watching them run around.
Bath was our second stop, and it was absolutely spectacular. The buildings in the city are all made of this honey colored stone, and the whole town sits on the river. We had a few hours to explore the city, so we walked around and saw the shops and attempted to go to the Fashion Museum. Somewhere in that time, I thought I had lost my wallet. My friends calmed me down and helped me focus on the day until the bus got back, and thank god it was in my seat. Needless to say, I will be much more careful about my wallet. Then we took a tour of the Roman baths, which was awesome! Archaeologists preserved the sites of a Roman temple and gathering place, so we got to walk through those and see things found at the site. The baths were fully restored, and we walked around and talked to actors in character about the history.
It was a fun day, and now it's work time. We have a paper due for our class tomorrow, so I am hanging out with some people at a cafe and trying to get as much done as I can. Wish me luck!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Kensington Gardens and Oliver
Yet another excellent day in London.
This morning, I went with some girls to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park to explore. It was beautiful... we walked probably 5 miles at least across the acres of grass and trees. We stopped at the lake and watched the swans, we saw puppies frolicking, and we found (and took way too many photos with) the Peter Pan statue and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. The park was so tranquil and peaceful.
I feel like people here are so much healthier than in the States because of the lifestyle. You walk everywhere, you buy food from meal to meal, you don't eat fast food, and you never sit still. I feel like I never want to stay in the flat because I don't want to miss a thing in this city. And even though it's annoying to go to the market like every day, it makes you so much more conscious about your food choices and the money you spend. I feel like this is the kind of life I want to have after college, living in a big city like London.
It was Danielle's birthday, so tonight we went for dinner at this place called Yo Sushi (it's a London chain I think?). The restaurant has a conveyor belt that wraps around the booths, and you take what you want off the belt to eat. It was kind of scary at first because I had no idea what I was eating, but it ended up being pretty fun. Tonight was another theater night for our group: Oliver! It was SO GOOD. I didn't realize how many of the songs I remembered from my childhood. It was a great show.
Off to work tomorrow! Good night everyone :)
This morning, I went with some girls to Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park to explore. It was beautiful... we walked probably 5 miles at least across the acres of grass and trees. We stopped at the lake and watched the swans, we saw puppies frolicking, and we found (and took way too many photos with) the Peter Pan statue and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. The park was so tranquil and peaceful.
I feel like people here are so much healthier than in the States because of the lifestyle. You walk everywhere, you buy food from meal to meal, you don't eat fast food, and you never sit still. I feel like I never want to stay in the flat because I don't want to miss a thing in this city. And even though it's annoying to go to the market like every day, it makes you so much more conscious about your food choices and the money you spend. I feel like this is the kind of life I want to have after college, living in a big city like London.
It was Danielle's birthday, so tonight we went for dinner at this place called Yo Sushi (it's a London chain I think?). The restaurant has a conveyor belt that wraps around the booths, and you take what you want off the belt to eat. It was kind of scary at first because I had no idea what I was eating, but it ended up being pretty fun. Tonight was another theater night for our group: Oliver! It was SO GOOD. I didn't realize how many of the songs I remembered from my childhood. It was a great show.
Off to work tomorrow! Good night everyone :)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Catch up
So I promised to blog every day, and that's not working out too well... but if it's because I am so busy having fun, I'm okay with that. Here's a little catch up on what I've been up to since Thursday:
1) Thursday: I went to cover an event for work, and ended up getting lost in London. I made it to the event a minute before it started and my editor was understanding, so it all worked out. I also wrote my first real story... look for it online next week!
2) Friday: We had our first class, International Reporting. Our instructor is a 20 year vet of the BBC and he seems great. We have a lot of big projects for the class, including an article, a group presentation, a research paper and a multimedia project. I am kind of bummed because I had wanted to spend most of my time this summer learning by exploring the city, but oh well. Friday night we went to a pub in the financial district, and got hit on by 40 year old men. It was really bizarre, people are so open here with PDA and blatant flirting... something to get used to?
3) Saturday: I went to the Tate Modern with my flat mates and LOVED it. It was so cool to see art from all my favorite artists... Monet, Picasso, Miro, Mondrian... aahh I was geeking out so much. I took some awesome pictures, look for them soon! We also walked over the Millennium Bridge and explored downtown London. We also spontaneously bought tickets to see Third Eye Blind perform in a theater in the suburbs of London, and it ended up being a lot of fun! It turns out that the British LOVE Third Eye Blind and sing the lyrics very loudly and off key. The only issue was that the map made the venue look a lot closer to our flat, but it was actually an hour's walk. Next time, we take the tube for sure!
4) Today: We went to Covent Gardens, to the street market. There were so many cute vendors and the streets were winding and so packed. Unfortunately, we made a rookie mistake: we didn't bring an umbrella, so we got absolutely soaked to the bone walking home. I won't do that again!
I love London and am having a great time. This week flew by... I hope the rest of this trip doesn't go by so fast!!
1) Thursday: I went to cover an event for work, and ended up getting lost in London. I made it to the event a minute before it started and my editor was understanding, so it all worked out. I also wrote my first real story... look for it online next week!
2) Friday: We had our first class, International Reporting. Our instructor is a 20 year vet of the BBC and he seems great. We have a lot of big projects for the class, including an article, a group presentation, a research paper and a multimedia project. I am kind of bummed because I had wanted to spend most of my time this summer learning by exploring the city, but oh well. Friday night we went to a pub in the financial district, and got hit on by 40 year old men. It was really bizarre, people are so open here with PDA and blatant flirting... something to get used to?
3) Saturday: I went to the Tate Modern with my flat mates and LOVED it. It was so cool to see art from all my favorite artists... Monet, Picasso, Miro, Mondrian... aahh I was geeking out so much. I took some awesome pictures, look for them soon! We also walked over the Millennium Bridge and explored downtown London. We also spontaneously bought tickets to see Third Eye Blind perform in a theater in the suburbs of London, and it ended up being a lot of fun! It turns out that the British LOVE Third Eye Blind and sing the lyrics very loudly and off key. The only issue was that the map made the venue look a lot closer to our flat, but it was actually an hour's walk. Next time, we take the tube for sure!
4) Today: We went to Covent Gardens, to the street market. There were so many cute vendors and the streets were winding and so packed. Unfortunately, we made a rookie mistake: we didn't bring an umbrella, so we got absolutely soaked to the bone walking home. I won't do that again!
I love London and am having a great time. This week flew by... I hope the rest of this trip doesn't go by so fast!!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
All grown up
Today was probably the best day I've had since I've been here.
1) Work was great. I am finally hitting it off with my coworkers, and I got to write some legit stories.
2) In England, beats are called patches and they say brilliant and cheers all the time.
3) I am covering my first event tomorrow!
4) There is a Hare Krishna center outside my office building, and they have a parade every day.
5) I cooked for myself. Stir fry. And it wasn't delicious, but for a first meal it was pretty darn good.
6) We wandered around London and found new parts of town and didn't get lost.
7) I went to a real British pub and had a blast.
I am very tired and probably could write this more eloquently if I weren't still jet lagged, but I was doing so good writing every day that I knew I had to keep it up. I LOVE London.
1) Work was great. I am finally hitting it off with my coworkers, and I got to write some legit stories.
2) In England, beats are called patches and they say brilliant and cheers all the time.
3) I am covering my first event tomorrow!
4) There is a Hare Krishna center outside my office building, and they have a parade every day.
5) I cooked for myself. Stir fry. And it wasn't delicious, but for a first meal it was pretty darn good.
6) We wandered around London and found new parts of town and didn't get lost.
7) I went to a real British pub and had a blast.
I am very tired and probably could write this more eloquently if I weren't still jet lagged, but I was doing so good writing every day that I knew I had to keep it up. I LOVE London.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
1 day down...
I was so nervous getting to my internship this morning. I headed out the door this morning knowing only that I needed to get to Oxford Circus on the tube, and get on at the Farringdon station if I could find it. I had to stop and ask for directions more than a few times, and then when I finally made it to my stop, I had to take a gamble on which way my street would be and wander around the shopping district for awhile until I found it. But once I found my office building, and it looked just like the image I saw on Google Maps, I was so proud of myself for getting there.
I can't disclose where I'm interning online because I don't want to get in trouble, but I can tell you that it's a finance magazine. Most of you are probably laughing imagining me dealing with numbers all day. The people at my office were brilliant, as the British like to say, but I had to keep a running word document of all the terms I needed to learn during my internship. It was chaos in the office because it was their publishing day, and I am still jet lagged, so it was a long day. But I did get to experience a day working in the British media, and I got to write up a few briefs and a small story, so not too bad for Day 1.
After work, a few friends and I wandered downtown and ended up eating dinner at a cute hole in the wall Middle Eastern joint- delicious, and probably the cheapest food we'll find around here. Everything is so expensive! Then we went grocery shopping, and I felt so grown up and awesome when I got ID'd buying a bottle of wine. It's amazing how laid back everything is here. Two days in London, and I'm already loving it here.
I can't disclose where I'm interning online because I don't want to get in trouble, but I can tell you that it's a finance magazine. Most of you are probably laughing imagining me dealing with numbers all day. The people at my office were brilliant, as the British like to say, but I had to keep a running word document of all the terms I needed to learn during my internship. It was chaos in the office because it was their publishing day, and I am still jet lagged, so it was a long day. But I did get to experience a day working in the British media, and I got to write up a few briefs and a small story, so not too bad for Day 1.
After work, a few friends and I wandered downtown and ended up eating dinner at a cute hole in the wall Middle Eastern joint- delicious, and probably the cheapest food we'll find around here. Everything is so expensive! Then we went grocery shopping, and I felt so grown up and awesome when I got ID'd buying a bottle of wine. It's amazing how laid back everything is here. Two days in London, and I'm already loving it here.
Monday, May 10, 2010
First day in London!!
Today was my first full day in London and wow... I already wish I could stay here forever. My adjustment process has not been totally seamless: I'm still learning to navigate the British pounds, and I learned that you do NOT buy organic milk at the corner market. But other than a few minor speed bumps, I love it here.
Today we took a bus tour around all of the major sites in London- Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Bridge, etc. While taking photos at all the major sites, it hit me that I'm really here. It was so amazing to take in the sites, but to know that I had the next 8 weeks to come back and see everything at my own pace. The historic buildings and monuments are absolutely gorgeous, and I love that random parks pop up in the middle of metropolitan areas. We also stopped and ate fish and chips at a pub downtown- we're really British now :)
After our tour and an orientation session at Anglo-American, the IU School of Journalism hit the tube for our first adventure. Getting my oyster card and navigating the stops during rush hour was kind of insane at first, but I feel like with practice it will become second nature after awhile. We also saw The Phantom of the Opera in the theater district, and it was amazing!! The singers were great, the costumes and set were incredible... you guys know how much I love musicals, so I was in heaven. Apparently we get to see shows every Monday, which will be great!
I'm starting my internship tomorrow, and I am excited but nervous. I always get nervous about my employers liking me, and I feel even more nervous that it's British people with different standards and a sense of humor. I am also nervous about how to get there... I've planned which tube stops to take, but after that it's all luck and the kindness of strangers. Wish me luck tomorrow! Hopefully I'll have some good stories to tell.
Today we took a bus tour around all of the major sites in London- Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Bridge, etc. While taking photos at all the major sites, it hit me that I'm really here. It was so amazing to take in the sites, but to know that I had the next 8 weeks to come back and see everything at my own pace. The historic buildings and monuments are absolutely gorgeous, and I love that random parks pop up in the middle of metropolitan areas. We also stopped and ate fish and chips at a pub downtown- we're really British now :)
After our tour and an orientation session at Anglo-American, the IU School of Journalism hit the tube for our first adventure. Getting my oyster card and navigating the stops during rush hour was kind of insane at first, but I feel like with practice it will become second nature after awhile. We also saw The Phantom of the Opera in the theater district, and it was amazing!! The singers were great, the costumes and set were incredible... you guys know how much I love musicals, so I was in heaven. Apparently we get to see shows every Monday, which will be great!
I'm starting my internship tomorrow, and I am excited but nervous. I always get nervous about my employers liking me, and I feel even more nervous that it's British people with different standards and a sense of humor. I am also nervous about how to get there... I've planned which tube stops to take, but after that it's all luck and the kindness of strangers. Wish me luck tomorrow! Hopefully I'll have some good stories to tell.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
I'm here!
I am writing this blog entry from my flat in London! We just got here not too long ago, and we're just putting our feet up before we head out into the city to buy phones and essentials for the flat. It is insane that I'm actually here!!
Our apartment is small, but it's really adorable and modern. And the location can't be beat... we're a short walk away from the Thames and the London Eye! Anyways, just wanted to let you all know I'm here safe. The adventure begins now :)
Our apartment is small, but it's really adorable and modern. And the location can't be beat... we're a short walk away from the Thames and the London Eye! Anyways, just wanted to let you all know I'm here safe. The adventure begins now :)
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Thoughts from the airport
I am sitting in the Indianapolis Airport waiting for our 3:30 flight. It's hard to believe that this trip is finally here!! My parents came up yesterday to help me pack. I was surprisingly good about being able to choose what to pack and what to leave behind, but my bags are still so heavy that I can barely pull them. I also bought the wrong size carry on bag and I had to pay $50 to check it. Oops...
As long as I make it there safely and my bags make it there too, I don't think much else can bring me down right now. Finals week was a nightmare, and I have spent so much of the last week running around preparing for this trip. I am not used to being able to sit here without residents to deal with, exams to study for or articles to write... it's relaxing, but I kind of don't know what to do with myself. I downloaded every season of the West Wing, have 10 magazines I stole from the MMM in Eigenmann, and a bunch of new music, so that's a start.
I am ready for 8 weeks of fun and adventure in London, and wherever else this trip takes me. Bon voyage everybody! Next time I write it will be from Londontown :)
As long as I make it there safely and my bags make it there too, I don't think much else can bring me down right now. Finals week was a nightmare, and I have spent so much of the last week running around preparing for this trip. I am not used to being able to sit here without residents to deal with, exams to study for or articles to write... it's relaxing, but I kind of don't know what to do with myself. I downloaded every season of the West Wing, have 10 magazines I stole from the MMM in Eigenmann, and a bunch of new music, so that's a start.
I am ready for 8 weeks of fun and adventure in London, and wherever else this trip takes me. Bon voyage everybody! Next time I write it will be from Londontown :)
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