Hey guys! I have lots of work to do today (as I predicted) so I'll try to make this entry quick.
So today we went to the British Library! It was soooooooo cool! In addition to the Magna Carta, they have an ORIGINAL WRITTEN COPY OF JANE EYRE, ORIGINAL SHAKESPEARE FOLIOS, and ORIGINAL BEATLES LYRICS! SQUEE! I loved looking at all of the things on display and learning the history of the library. Unlike the London Library, the British Library doesn't allow open browsing in the stacks- you have to browse their online catalogue, find out what you need to see for research or whatever, and get a letter sponsoring you, etc. I don't really know if I'll need to do that at the moment, but I'll probably go back to view some of the exhibits.
We had about an hour and a half to ourselves to explore the library/go home or whatever and then we had class from 2-5. It was with my "Meeting the Writer" professor, so that was nice.
At 7:30, I went with members of the "Meeting the Writer" class to this comedy show in Kilburn, where Robbie Hudson, who we met earlier this week, was performing. It was really cool! "Comedy show" isn't really the right word- it was more of a storytelling/music show that was really funny, lol. If I *didn't* have class tomorrow, I'd probably be going out now, but I have a presentation due tomorrow for my class that is meeting. For most people, it was their last day of classes (before midterms) so they're going out, but I'm going to stay in for the rest of the night.
Tomorrow, I might go out to Club Egg because they're doing a promotional thing where you get free entry and a free drink! I need to find people to go with, though. All of the CGS kids are leaving this weekend because their break starts tomorrow, lucky ducks. Meh.
- Miranda
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Rain, Package
The best news about today is that I GOT MY PACKAGE WOOT WOOT! I'm so happy to have my LEATHER JACKET, WHEAT THINS, an long-sleeved tops. THANK YOU MOM AND DAD! This made my day.
Today was good in theory. My "Meeting the Writer" class went on a walk through Hampstead, where many famous people lived (Keats, D.H. Lawrence, Katherine Mansfield, Robert Louis Stevenson, etc.) Sounds fun, right? (Well, fun if you're into literature like I am.)
Not that it wasn't fun, it just RAINED. THE ENTIRE TIME. And I TOTALLY wasn't dressed for it. I got the package AFTER I got back from the walk, so I didn't have a jacket or anything. That wasn't too much of a problem, though, because it wasn't that cold. The main issue was that I wore BALLET FLATS, which was a terrible idea. They are now SOAKED and I am trying to salvage them because I really like them. Also, my khaki pants are long on me (because I'm so short) so the bottom of my pants are soaked too. Meh. I had an umbrella, though. And if it was raining when I initially left for class, I wouldn't have worn that outfit, let me tell you. Because of the rain, I didn't take many pictures, but I plan on going up there one weekend when it's nice out and taking pictures, because it really was gorgeous.
Tomorrow I'm going to be mad busy. I have a field trip with my research class to the BRITISH LIBRARY! I'm excited to go because the MAGNA CARTA is on display there (and the Book of the Dead too, I think, but that might be at a random museum. I know it's on display SOMEWHERE in London...). The only thing I'm not excited about is leaving at 9:30 AM...I've been really, really spoiled here, as most of my classes start at 1:15 or noon. I haven't had to wake up early since I went to the Tower of London. I'm still excited, though. I don't know how long that'll take, but then I have class from 2-5. At 7:30, I'm leaving for Kilburn to go see Robbie Hudson (the author who talked to us yesterday) in a comedy show with the rest of my class. It'll be busy but good!
- Miranda
Today was good in theory. My "Meeting the Writer" class went on a walk through Hampstead, where many famous people lived (Keats, D.H. Lawrence, Katherine Mansfield, Robert Louis Stevenson, etc.) Sounds fun, right? (Well, fun if you're into literature like I am.)
Not that it wasn't fun, it just RAINED. THE ENTIRE TIME. And I TOTALLY wasn't dressed for it. I got the package AFTER I got back from the walk, so I didn't have a jacket or anything. That wasn't too much of a problem, though, because it wasn't that cold. The main issue was that I wore BALLET FLATS, which was a terrible idea. They are now SOAKED and I am trying to salvage them because I really like them. Also, my khaki pants are long on me (because I'm so short) so the bottom of my pants are soaked too. Meh. I had an umbrella, though. And if it was raining when I initially left for class, I wouldn't have worn that outfit, let me tell you. Because of the rain, I didn't take many pictures, but I plan on going up there one weekend when it's nice out and taking pictures, because it really was gorgeous.
Tomorrow I'm going to be mad busy. I have a field trip with my research class to the BRITISH LIBRARY! I'm excited to go because the MAGNA CARTA is on display there (and the Book of the Dead too, I think, but that might be at a random museum. I know it's on display SOMEWHERE in London...). The only thing I'm not excited about is leaving at 9:30 AM...I've been really, really spoiled here, as most of my classes start at 1:15 or noon. I haven't had to wake up early since I went to the Tower of London. I'm still excited, though. I don't know how long that'll take, but then I have class from 2-5. At 7:30, I'm leaving for Kilburn to go see Robbie Hudson (the author who talked to us yesterday) in a comedy show with the rest of my class. It'll be busy but good!
- Miranda
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
In which I find out about my package!
So today I FINALLY found out what happened to my package! Yay! So apparently I need to pay the Value Added Tax (VAT) before my package can be delivered to me. It was about 40 pounds :( but at least I know that it will be delivered to me TOMORROW! YAY I CAN HAS MY LEATHER JACKET! AND WHEAT THINS! (Although I later discovered that Partidge's sells Wheat Thins. But they're really expensive. Meh.)
So today in my "Meeting the Writer" class, we interviewed Robert Hudson, who wrote "The Kilburn Social Club". He was REALLY funny and nice! He's performing in some sort of comedy night thing on Thursday at a pub, and our class is going to go (I think) so I'm pretty excited about that!
Also, in the newsletter today we FINALLY got some information about when Imperial College starts, etc.! This also makes me really excited. Even though I've been attending classes, living in a dorm, etc., the environment around here isn't very collegiate (we really have no campus AT ALL, even less than BU, and the buildings are all about a 10-15 minute walk away from each other). But I don't mind that as much. What I've REALLY been missing are extracurricular activities. Well, I'll be able to get over that next Tuesday, when Imperial has their version of Splash and you can join all of their clubs. They even have a cheese club! Seriously! I'll have to bring that over to BU...
That's it, I think. Just doing homework for tonight.
So today in my "Meeting the Writer" class, we interviewed Robert Hudson, who wrote "The Kilburn Social Club". He was REALLY funny and nice! He's performing in some sort of comedy night thing on Thursday at a pub, and our class is going to go (I think) so I'm pretty excited about that!
Also, in the newsletter today we FINALLY got some information about when Imperial College starts, etc.! This also makes me really excited. Even though I've been attending classes, living in a dorm, etc., the environment around here isn't very collegiate (we really have no campus AT ALL, even less than BU, and the buildings are all about a 10-15 minute walk away from each other). But I don't mind that as much. What I've REALLY been missing are extracurricular activities. Well, I'll be able to get over that next Tuesday, when Imperial has their version of Splash and you can join all of their clubs. They even have a cheese club! Seriously! I'll have to bring that over to BU...
That's it, I think. Just doing homework for tonight.
Monday, September 27, 2010
NEW HEADPHONES....no package
So, today I GOT NEW HEADPHONES! They were only 5 pounds at Sainsbury's! (I was estimating them to be 10, so this was a little extra bonus). I also bought some gum, which I've been missing. For some reason, the Brits aren't really into gum-flavored gum: it took me forever to find a flavor that wasn't spearmint, peppermint, cinammon, etc. I wonder why this is- I guess gum-flavored gum is an American thing. The only non-minty gum they had was this Trident strawberry lime thing, which is ok. The pieces are mad small, though, so I have to chew 2 at once, which means I'm going to go through the pack really quickly. Meh.
Also "meh" about today is the fact that I DIDN'T GET MY PACKAGE YET. My parents mailed a package that was supposed to come by today at the latest, and apparently on Saturday they "attempted" to deliver it but it still hasn't come yet. I talked to the people behind the security desk who handle the mail and they were pretty ineffectual. They just were like "oh, all the packages that come will be on this counter". DUH, I KNOW THAT ALREADY! I want to know why my package hasn't come yet! I want my leather jacket already!
All right, enough ranting, lol. I have homework to do.
- Miranda
Also "meh" about today is the fact that I DIDN'T GET MY PACKAGE YET. My parents mailed a package that was supposed to come by today at the latest, and apparently on Saturday they "attempted" to deliver it but it still hasn't come yet. I talked to the people behind the security desk who handle the mail and they were pretty ineffectual. They just were like "oh, all the packages that come will be on this counter". DUH, I KNOW THAT ALREADY! I want to know why my package hasn't come yet! I want my leather jacket already!
All right, enough ranting, lol. I have homework to do.
- Miranda
Sunday, September 26, 2010
A more productive day than yesterday
As the title of this blog states, today was much more productive than yesterday! I only have ~100 pages left in the book I have to read for Tuesday, so I'll probably finish tonight, which is good. Then I can start on the other 2 books I have to read (one due Wednesday, one due Thursday). I really love all the reading I'm doing here, though. It's the first time I've taken all English classes, and I love it.
My headphones died today AND my cell phone ran out of money, so I have to take care of both of those things tomorrow. AND my Oyster Card (subway pass) ran out of money yesterday so I had to do that. Urgh I hate getting hit with these expenses all at once. I'm doing pretty good on food, though, so that's good. I'm really mad about my headphones (because when I'm on the computer I'm listening to music CONSTANTLY) but they've lasted me the longest out of any pair of headphones I've owned- I think I got them during my junior year of high school. Maybe, if I look at my Livejournal, I'll be able to pin down the exact date. Of course, this would also result in more time-wasting, lol.
Other than that, I don't really have much to say. Didn't get out much again today, but it was still pretty cold and rainy. Also, our room is in the basement and it gets sooooo cold at night (I don't know if I wrote about this in my last post or not). I didn't bring any hoodies here, but I might try to buy a cheap one just to sleep in.
- Miranda
My headphones died today AND my cell phone ran out of money, so I have to take care of both of those things tomorrow. AND my Oyster Card (subway pass) ran out of money yesterday so I had to do that. Urgh I hate getting hit with these expenses all at once. I'm doing pretty good on food, though, so that's good. I'm really mad about my headphones (because when I'm on the computer I'm listening to music CONSTANTLY) but they've lasted me the longest out of any pair of headphones I've owned- I think I got them during my junior year of high school. Maybe, if I look at my Livejournal, I'll be able to pin down the exact date. Of course, this would also result in more time-wasting, lol.
Other than that, I don't really have much to say. Didn't get out much again today, but it was still pretty cold and rainy. Also, our room is in the basement and it gets sooooo cold at night (I don't know if I wrote about this in my last post or not). I didn't bring any hoodies here, but I might try to buy a cheap one just to sleep in.
- Miranda
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Procrastination!
Didn't do much today! It was cold out, so I didn't feel like going for a huge walk. (Side note: I will be sooooo happy when my leather jacket comes in the mail!). I totally didn't pack as many long-sleeved things as I should for this trip, as it got cold here REALLY quickly. That's why I'm really happy that my parents have sent me some of my long-sleeved things from home. I would go shopping here but a) it's expensive and b) I don't really know how easy it would be to find clothes that fit me.
I meant to tackle a lot of my homework today, too, but I kept getting distracted. I know procrastinating is really bad for you, but sometimes it's hard for me to focus when I know that I don't need to have a particular book read until Tuesday, for example...so I just waste my time on the computer. Lol.
I keep going back and forth on whether I should join the gym here or not.
THE POSITIVES:
- It satisfies my need to have things to do every day, especially due to the fact that it's about a 15 minute walk away (probably even more than that, actually). The distance is also a negative, but we'll get to that. The positive side is that it gives me something to do every day, so I feel like I'm not just lazing around like I did all day today.
- I get to weigh myself at the gym. I know some people don't subscribe to this ideology, but I really, really like weighing myself every day. It REALLY helps to keep me in check.
- The obvious one: I'll lose weight and be able to continue the workout thing I did over the summer. Yay!
THE NEGATIVES:
- It costs money. I am a poor college student. Plus, I don't even really use all the things that the gym offers (I probably won't take any classes there, as they make me feel self-conscious) so I won't feel like I'm getting enough for my money. All I really do at the gym is the treadmill and bike, anyway. I don't like running outside as much and it's getting colder out anyway, so it's useful to have these things at the gym, but I don't like paying for them.
- The distance. Yes, a 15-minute walk is not far. However, if I spend about an hour at the gym, that's an hour and a half of my time, in total, spent for the day. And on days that I have class (ESPECIALLY Thursdays, which is when I usually go out) sometimes that's too much time to be taken up. It's nice for the weekends, but it might be hard to go every weekday.
- The irrational one: the last time I worked out at the gym, it started my EPIC 5 DAY SINUS HEADACHE. I now associate the gym with my EPIC 5 DAY SINUS HEADACHE, even though exercising is probably not what caused said headache. I'm paranoid that if I work out there again, I'll get another EPIC 5 DAY SINUS HEADACHE.
- At this gym in particular, I often get bored. At the gym I went to in Rochester, there was closed-captioning under the TV's, but at the gym here there isn't. So just listening to music and watching the people on TV doesn't do it for me, really. I don't want to buy a membership to a gym where I'll be bored. I can try other gyms and see what their facilities are like, but I don't know how I'll like them.
That ended up being way more in-depth than I wanted it to be. Oh well.
I meant to tackle a lot of my homework today, too, but I kept getting distracted. I know procrastinating is really bad for you, but sometimes it's hard for me to focus when I know that I don't need to have a particular book read until Tuesday, for example...so I just waste my time on the computer. Lol.
I keep going back and forth on whether I should join the gym here or not.
THE POSITIVES:
- It satisfies my need to have things to do every day, especially due to the fact that it's about a 15 minute walk away (probably even more than that, actually). The distance is also a negative, but we'll get to that. The positive side is that it gives me something to do every day, so I feel like I'm not just lazing around like I did all day today.
- I get to weigh myself at the gym. I know some people don't subscribe to this ideology, but I really, really like weighing myself every day. It REALLY helps to keep me in check.
- The obvious one: I'll lose weight and be able to continue the workout thing I did over the summer. Yay!
THE NEGATIVES:
- It costs money. I am a poor college student. Plus, I don't even really use all the things that the gym offers (I probably won't take any classes there, as they make me feel self-conscious) so I won't feel like I'm getting enough for my money. All I really do at the gym is the treadmill and bike, anyway. I don't like running outside as much and it's getting colder out anyway, so it's useful to have these things at the gym, but I don't like paying for them.
- The distance. Yes, a 15-minute walk is not far. However, if I spend about an hour at the gym, that's an hour and a half of my time, in total, spent for the day. And on days that I have class (ESPECIALLY Thursdays, which is when I usually go out) sometimes that's too much time to be taken up. It's nice for the weekends, but it might be hard to go every weekday.
- The irrational one: the last time I worked out at the gym, it started my EPIC 5 DAY SINUS HEADACHE. I now associate the gym with my EPIC 5 DAY SINUS HEADACHE, even though exercising is probably not what caused said headache. I'm paranoid that if I work out there again, I'll get another EPIC 5 DAY SINUS HEADACHE.
- At this gym in particular, I often get bored. At the gym I went to in Rochester, there was closed-captioning under the TV's, but at the gym here there isn't. So just listening to music and watching the people on TV doesn't do it for me, really. I don't want to buy a membership to a gym where I'll be bored. I can try other gyms and see what their facilities are like, but I don't know how I'll like them.
That ended up being way more in-depth than I wanted it to be. Oh well.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday and Friday
So I was literally dancing at the club last night when I thought to myself "I haven't updated my blog yet for today!" But at that point, it was technically Friday (morning) and I try not to do much on the Internet after I go out. So today you'll get an entry about Thursday AND Friday!
Today is my roomie Andrea's 21st birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA! (I don't know if you read my blog or not. I know Chelsea does, but I don't know about my other roomies. Hi, Chelsea!) She's in Paris for her birthday with her friends, so yesterday, when she actually *was* here, we celebrated her 21st and all went out to a club. It was great fun! No pictures as I don't like taking my camera with me when I go out (I don't know HOW everyone else is so comfortable taking their cameras...I'm such a klutz, I know for sure I'd drop it or spill something on it...).
And I technically had PLENTY of time to update yesterday, but I just forgot about it. Meh. Blame it on my excitement at going out for the week, because the "going out" in the Lake District consisted of playing Kings with the rest of the people in the Literature program. Which is still epic, but I wanted to get all dressed up for once. Heh.
Onto today! Today I did something that I can't do yet in the States- I went to a beer tasting! It was WONDERFUL! We also got a free lunch at a pub beforehand, which was nice. We toured the Fuller's Brewery in Chiswick (pronounced "Chissick", not "Chis-wick"). After the tour, we got to try the beer! We had half an hour to try 8 beers, but as we're all college students, this was not hard at all. And no, this was NOT like a wine tasting where you spit out the drink after you taste it. No, we all got about half a glass of each beer. My favorite beers were the London Pride and the Honeydew beer (which is organic! Cool!). It was a great time! I wish my family and friends could've been there- I know sooooo many people who would've enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than I did.
So for the rest of the day I haven't been doing much. I like to just go out once a week (less strain on my wallet) so I probably won't go out tonight unless I get invited somewhere. This is also the first weekend that I don't have any big trips planned. I don't know how I feel about that. On the one hand, I like having the free time to catch up on my work (I have 3 books I have to read by certain points this week). Free time also gives me time to explore different parts of the city, etc. But on the other hand, I sometimes have a tendency to get bored if I don't have any structured activity scheduled for the day (God, I sound like a little kid or something). If I have time, I might go down to the London Library and do some research there for my paper. I think now I've solidly decided that I *am* going to do something on Bronte, since I think we're doing Twelfth Night in my Shakespeare class but aren't doing the Bronte sisters in any of my other classes. Visiting the Parsonage just inspired me a lot, I guess. But having a definite topic for my paper will really put me more at ease.
That's all for now!
- Miranda
Today is my roomie Andrea's 21st birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA! (I don't know if you read my blog or not. I know Chelsea does, but I don't know about my other roomies. Hi, Chelsea!) She's in Paris for her birthday with her friends, so yesterday, when she actually *was* here, we celebrated her 21st and all went out to a club. It was great fun! No pictures as I don't like taking my camera with me when I go out (I don't know HOW everyone else is so comfortable taking their cameras...I'm such a klutz, I know for sure I'd drop it or spill something on it...).
And I technically had PLENTY of time to update yesterday, but I just forgot about it. Meh. Blame it on my excitement at going out for the week, because the "going out" in the Lake District consisted of playing Kings with the rest of the people in the Literature program. Which is still epic, but I wanted to get all dressed up for once. Heh.
Onto today! Today I did something that I can't do yet in the States- I went to a beer tasting! It was WONDERFUL! We also got a free lunch at a pub beforehand, which was nice. We toured the Fuller's Brewery in Chiswick (pronounced "Chissick", not "Chis-wick"). After the tour, we got to try the beer! We had half an hour to try 8 beers, but as we're all college students, this was not hard at all. And no, this was NOT like a wine tasting where you spit out the drink after you taste it. No, we all got about half a glass of each beer. My favorite beers were the London Pride and the Honeydew beer (which is organic! Cool!). It was a great time! I wish my family and friends could've been there- I know sooooo many people who would've enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than I did.
So for the rest of the day I haven't been doing much. I like to just go out once a week (less strain on my wallet) so I probably won't go out tonight unless I get invited somewhere. This is also the first weekend that I don't have any big trips planned. I don't know how I feel about that. On the one hand, I like having the free time to catch up on my work (I have 3 books I have to read by certain points this week). Free time also gives me time to explore different parts of the city, etc. But on the other hand, I sometimes have a tendency to get bored if I don't have any structured activity scheduled for the day (God, I sound like a little kid or something). If I have time, I might go down to the London Library and do some research there for my paper. I think now I've solidly decided that I *am* going to do something on Bronte, since I think we're doing Twelfth Night in my Shakespeare class but aren't doing the Bronte sisters in any of my other classes. Visiting the Parsonage just inspired me a lot, I guess. But having a definite topic for my paper will really put me more at ease.
That's all for now!
- Miranda
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
It's back!
YAY THE INTERNET IS BACK!!!!!!
We just got the Internet back, I don't know when exactly. Probably within the last half hour or so because I just got back from dinner. I'm really happy to have it back! God, I'm so technologically-addicted...just a child of Generation Y, I guess.
I got all worried because I got an email from Travelocity saying that the airline changed the time of my flight home on December 11th, but they just made it slightly later, which is fine. Just a slightly longer layover for me, which is probably better.
Don't have any other plans for today, really...just homework and stuff like that, I guess. And hopefully FINALLY finding a recording of the Apprentice premiere that I can actually watch over here, which is proving to be harder than I thought. Meh.
- Miranda
We just got the Internet back, I don't know when exactly. Probably within the last half hour or so because I just got back from dinner. I'm really happy to have it back! God, I'm so technologically-addicted...just a child of Generation Y, I guess.
I got all worried because I got an email from Travelocity saying that the airline changed the time of my flight home on December 11th, but they just made it slightly later, which is fine. Just a slightly longer layover for me, which is probably better.
Don't have any other plans for today, really...just homework and stuff like that, I guess. And hopefully FINALLY finding a recording of the Apprentice premiere that I can actually watch over here, which is proving to be harder than I thought. Meh.
- Miranda
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Let's take the Internet away from a bunch of college students!
See the title of this blog? Ok. Does that seem like a good idea to you? Well, that's what's happened this afternoon for the people in my dorm. Apparently, someone's computer has been sending out viruses, so the head of the program needed to get the "Mac Address" (some computer thing) from everyone's computer to determine who was sending the viruses. Since they didn't receive everyone's "Mac Address" by a certain time, they decided to cut off our Internet until they receive the remaining addresses/find out which computer is sending out the viruses. This is making everyone extremely mad, including me. The people in the other dorms are probably laughing at us now though, haha.
How am I updating, you may ask? The computer lab gets Internet still, so when I need my computer I update from there. I can also *sometimes* pick up another wireless stream from my room, but it goes in and out. That's what I'm doing now. I hope InternetGate is over soon!
- Miranda
How am I updating, you may ask? The computer lab gets Internet still, so when I need my computer I update from there. I can also *sometimes* pick up another wireless stream from my room, but it goes in and out. That's what I'm doing now. I hope InternetGate is over soon!
- Miranda
Monday, September 20, 2010
In which Miranda interviews a playwright!
Today was quite exciting! As part of my "Meeting the Writer" class, everyone in our class has to interview one of the writers that come and talk to us. Today it was my turn! I interviewed the playwright Stephen Brown about his play that we read, Future Me. The play itself deals with quite controversial themes. Very briefly, it's about a lawyer, Peter, whose computer develops a virus that sends an email with an attached image to his entire address book. This image turns out to be some graphic child pornography, and he is sent to jail. The play deals with how Peter is able to come to terms with what he did, and how his family and friends cope with this. It's quite an interesting play.
ANYWAY, Stephen Brown was great to interview! He gave really interesting answers to my questions, which was really nice. The interview was actually supposed to run from 4-5:15 but we actually continued talking to him as a class until 5:30 because he was so interesting...this is the first time this has ever happened in the class. Cool!
After class, I went grocery shopping, talked to Mom on the phone for a bit, and ate dinner. Now I'm going to do some reading for my class tomorrow and finally watch the Apprentice premiere!
ANYWAY, Stephen Brown was great to interview! He gave really interesting answers to my questions, which was really nice. The interview was actually supposed to run from 4-5:15 but we actually continued talking to him as a class until 5:30 because he was so interesting...this is the first time this has ever happened in the class. Cool!
After class, I went grocery shopping, talked to Mom on the phone for a bit, and ate dinner. Now I'm going to do some reading for my class tomorrow and finally watch the Apprentice premiere!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
THE EPIC LAKE DISTRICT ENTRY
Hey everyone!
So the hostels that we stayed at did NOT, in fact, have wifi. Wowwww. So that's why I didn't update while I was there. Meh.
But anyway! This weekend was AMAZING! It's probably the best time I've had this whole trip. It was so nice to be out in the country for a while (and I'm saying this as a total city person) around such beautiful scenery.
Also: readers of this blog get to see some of the pictures first, as Facebook is being stupid and not letting me upload them!
So we left for Haworth (where the Bronte sisters lived) bright and early at 8:30 Friday morning. It took about 4 hours to get there. My headache (which is now basically gone, you'll find out about that later in the entry) was bugging me a LOT during the bus ride. I tried to read (we have to finish a 500 page novel for Tuesday's class) but that made it worse. I was still thrilled to be at Haworth, however, not in the least because of views like this:
Before our tour of the Bronte parsonage started, we had time to walk around Haworth for a little bit. To my delight, I discovered that there were lots of cats wandering around the town that didn't mind being photographed:
After that nice break, we had a very informative talk and tour through the Bronte Parsonage! I had such a geeky thrill as I walked through all the rooms that the Bronte family lived in. It made me want to do my research paper on Bronte. I have so many ideas! Here's the parsonage:
After the museum, we went for a walk along the moors. Having read Wuthering Heights twice already, I had always wanted to actually go to the moors and experience them for myself. Well on Friday, I got my wish. This is the beginning of the "breathtaking scenery" part of the program:
Also, there was lots of farmland around Haworth, so I took pictures of lots of farm animals (including a cow we attempted to feed:
After traipsing around the moors, we drove to our hostel and had a HUGE dinner there! I don't know if we were really hungry or if we were just taking advantage of the fact that it was an all-you-can-eat buffet, but we were soooo stuffed by the time we left the dining hall area. We all hung out as a group for the rest of the night because one of the girls in the program was celebrating her 21st birthday! So we all went to a bar together and then had an awesome time the rest of the night.
THE NEXT DAY:
On Saturday my headache was a lot worse (yes, yes, drinking is bad, I know, bla bla bla) but I was still excited for the Lake District! It took us another 3-hour bus ride to get there. First, we visited Wordsworth's grave:
The scenery around there was beautiful too and included A BUNNY RABBIT!
We then had a tour of Dove Cottage (where Wordsworth lived and wrote a majority of his poetry) and a talk about Wordsworth. This, too, was quite interesting to see. The cottage is quite small, considering that Wordsworth, his wife, their children, his sister, and several guests often stayed there. Here it is:
We also took a hike in the surrounding area, where Wordsworth would often work and be inspired. I can see why:
Then, we had some extra time (because our bus driver ALWAYS got to places early) so we walked along Langdale, this farm/valley thing which was REALLY pretty:
Then we went to our hostel and the surrounding town, where EVERYTHING closed really early. We got dinner at this Indian place, and then we got some tea (and in my case, chocolate cake!). Then it started raining, so we walked back to the hostel. My headache was really bad again, so I went to bed at 10 (!!!!) and had a nice, long sleep.
TODAY:
I finally showered! (I was feeling too bad on Saturday to shower). It was raining all day, so I had no chance to take any pictures :(. But we took a lovely boat ride across Lake Windemere (the largest lake in England) to the town of Bowness, where I FINALLY bought some decongestant! Over the weekend, Mom and I determined that my headache was probably caused by sinus pressure. My headache was basically gone after my epic sleep yesterday, but the decongestant has definitely helped too. I had a great chocolate ecalair in Bowness (SO.MUCH.CREAM.) and then we went back on the bus to London. We got back at around 5:30, where I've basically spent the rest of the day on the computer.
Love you all!
Miranda
So the hostels that we stayed at did NOT, in fact, have wifi. Wowwww. So that's why I didn't update while I was there. Meh.
But anyway! This weekend was AMAZING! It's probably the best time I've had this whole trip. It was so nice to be out in the country for a while (and I'm saying this as a total city person) around such beautiful scenery.
Also: readers of this blog get to see some of the pictures first, as Facebook is being stupid and not letting me upload them!
So we left for Haworth (where the Bronte sisters lived) bright and early at 8:30 Friday morning. It took about 4 hours to get there. My headache (which is now basically gone, you'll find out about that later in the entry) was bugging me a LOT during the bus ride. I tried to read (we have to finish a 500 page novel for Tuesday's class) but that made it worse. I was still thrilled to be at Haworth, however, not in the least because of views like this:
Before our tour of the Bronte parsonage started, we had time to walk around Haworth for a little bit. To my delight, I discovered that there were lots of cats wandering around the town that didn't mind being photographed:
After that nice break, we had a very informative talk and tour through the Bronte Parsonage! I had such a geeky thrill as I walked through all the rooms that the Bronte family lived in. It made me want to do my research paper on Bronte. I have so many ideas! Here's the parsonage:
After the museum, we went for a walk along the moors. Having read Wuthering Heights twice already, I had always wanted to actually go to the moors and experience them for myself. Well on Friday, I got my wish. This is the beginning of the "breathtaking scenery" part of the program:
Also, there was lots of farmland around Haworth, so I took pictures of lots of farm animals (including a cow we attempted to feed:
After traipsing around the moors, we drove to our hostel and had a HUGE dinner there! I don't know if we were really hungry or if we were just taking advantage of the fact that it was an all-you-can-eat buffet, but we were soooo stuffed by the time we left the dining hall area. We all hung out as a group for the rest of the night because one of the girls in the program was celebrating her 21st birthday! So we all went to a bar together and then had an awesome time the rest of the night.
THE NEXT DAY:
On Saturday my headache was a lot worse (yes, yes, drinking is bad, I know, bla bla bla) but I was still excited for the Lake District! It took us another 3-hour bus ride to get there. First, we visited Wordsworth's grave:
The scenery around there was beautiful too and included A BUNNY RABBIT!
We then had a tour of Dove Cottage (where Wordsworth lived and wrote a majority of his poetry) and a talk about Wordsworth. This, too, was quite interesting to see. The cottage is quite small, considering that Wordsworth, his wife, their children, his sister, and several guests often stayed there. Here it is:
We also took a hike in the surrounding area, where Wordsworth would often work and be inspired. I can see why:
Then, we had some extra time (because our bus driver ALWAYS got to places early) so we walked along Langdale, this farm/valley thing which was REALLY pretty:
Then we went to our hostel and the surrounding town, where EVERYTHING closed really early. We got dinner at this Indian place, and then we got some tea (and in my case, chocolate cake!). Then it started raining, so we walked back to the hostel. My headache was really bad again, so I went to bed at 10 (!!!!) and had a nice, long sleep.
TODAY:
I finally showered! (I was feeling too bad on Saturday to shower). It was raining all day, so I had no chance to take any pictures :(. But we took a lovely boat ride across Lake Windemere (the largest lake in England) to the town of Bowness, where I FINALLY bought some decongestant! Over the weekend, Mom and I determined that my headache was probably caused by sinus pressure. My headache was basically gone after my epic sleep yesterday, but the decongestant has definitely helped too. I had a great chocolate ecalair in Bowness (SO.MUCH.CREAM.) and then we went back on the bus to London. We got back at around 5:30, where I've basically spent the rest of the day on the computer.
Love you all!
Miranda
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Laundry day, see you there...
So, as you can guess by the title of this post, I FINALLY did my laundry today! I had been putting it off for a while because it costs 7 pounds for a load (and I only did 1, to save money) and it's at least a 15-minute walk to the least-expensive laundromat. (There's one closer to where I am, but it's 12 pounds a load, I think). Carrying a HUGE bag of laundry for 30 minutes counted as my workout for today, I think.
Anyway, my headache was realllllllly bad last night. I bought some migraine medicine (I was out of Tylenol) and took a nap for an hour (those of you that know me know that I NEVER do this). That made the headache better, but it's been going on and off ever since then. It hasn't been as bad as it was yesterday, though. Mehhh I hate headaches.
So, tomorrow I leave for the Lake District for the weekend! Originally, I thought I'd have to leave Lappy here, but it turns out that our hostel will have internet access, so I'll be blogging from there. :)
That's all for now.
- Miranda
Anyway, my headache was realllllllly bad last night. I bought some migraine medicine (I was out of Tylenol) and took a nap for an hour (those of you that know me know that I NEVER do this). That made the headache better, but it's been going on and off ever since then. It hasn't been as bad as it was yesterday, though. Mehhh I hate headaches.
So, tomorrow I leave for the Lake District for the weekend! Originally, I thought I'd have to leave Lappy here, but it turns out that our hostel will have internet access, so I'll be blogging from there. :)
That's all for now.
- Miranda
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Featured Online!
Hey people!
I'm not sure if this link requires a BU login or not, but it turns out that my blog WAS featured in the newsletter!
http://students.bu-london.co.uk/newsletter/fall10/fall10_03.html
I think what they're going to do is feature a couple blogs in each newsletter and then pick the best 4 at the end of the month. Again, there's no voting involved, just think good thoughts :).
Over in the US, it's the premiere of Survivor tonight, but I guess I'll have to watch it tomorrow. Meh.
My class went well today, but I've had a headache ever since I got back from working out yesterday. It's been getting better slowly, but it's still mad annoying.
I DON'T HAVE CLASS TOMORROW! YAY! Because we're leaving for the Lake District on Friday, they're giving us tomorrow to pack/buy stuff for the trip, I guess. Yay! I'm going to do my laundry, probably work out again, and sleep in!
- Miranda
I'm not sure if this link requires a BU login or not, but it turns out that my blog WAS featured in the newsletter!
http://students.bu-london.co.uk/newsletter/fall10/fall10_03.html
I think what they're going to do is feature a couple blogs in each newsletter and then pick the best 4 at the end of the month. Again, there's no voting involved, just think good thoughts :).
Over in the US, it's the premiere of Survivor tonight, but I guess I'll have to watch it tomorrow. Meh.
My class went well today, but I've had a headache ever since I got back from working out yesterday. It's been getting better slowly, but it's still mad annoying.
I DON'T HAVE CLASS TOMORROW! YAY! Because we're leaving for the Lake District on Friday, they're giving us tomorrow to pack/buy stuff for the trip, I guess. Yay! I'm going to do my laundry, probably work out again, and sleep in!
- Miranda
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Poetry, the amazingness that is green tea with mango
Hey all!
Today I had my "Meeting the Writer" class again. We got our first assignment back (just a 500-word summary on our meeting with Aida Bahr and translation) and I got an A on it! WOOT WOOT! It was really awkward at first because she handed our papers out to us and would talk about what she liked and didn't like about them ("So-and-so, you need to proofread better, Cheerleader, the summary was too negative, etc.) So I was really scared that she was going to say really negative about mine, but she didn't! Yay!
Today in class, we met the Irish poet/novellist Martina Evans. She was VERY nice and soooo talkative! Talking with her actually made me WANT to write poetry, which basically never happens (the only good poem I wrote was during my freshman year of high school). So I came home from class wanting to write, but I have lots of other poems to read first (by Dryden, Swift, and Rochester, for my other class).
I'm going to work out again today (pretty soon, in fact). Before I work out, I like having green tea (apparently it boosts your metabolism or something like that...). So when I bought green tea here, I decided to be adventurous and purchase green tea WITH MANGO. BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE. This stuff is soooo good! The mango gives it such a sweet smell and taste. YAY GREEN TEA!
- Miranda
Today I had my "Meeting the Writer" class again. We got our first assignment back (just a 500-word summary on our meeting with Aida Bahr and translation) and I got an A on it! WOOT WOOT! It was really awkward at first because she handed our papers out to us and would talk about what she liked and didn't like about them ("So-and-so, you need to proofread better, Cheerleader, the summary was too negative, etc.) So I was really scared that she was going to say really negative about mine, but she didn't! Yay!
Today in class, we met the Irish poet/novellist Martina Evans. She was VERY nice and soooo talkative! Talking with her actually made me WANT to write poetry, which basically never happens (the only good poem I wrote was during my freshman year of high school). So I came home from class wanting to write, but I have lots of other poems to read first (by Dryden, Swift, and Rochester, for my other class).
I'm going to work out again today (pretty soon, in fact). Before I work out, I like having green tea (apparently it boosts your metabolism or something like that...). So when I bought green tea here, I decided to be adventurous and purchase green tea WITH MANGO. BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE. This stuff is soooo good! The mango gives it such a sweet smell and taste. YAY GREEN TEA!
- Miranda
Monday, September 13, 2010
Gym and more!
Hey guys!
Today I had my "Meeting the Writer" class. Apparently, I was the ONLY ONE able to get the play (Amy Rosenthal's On the Rocks) online beforehand, so we spent the majority of the class reading the play out loud with some copies that my professor brought in. That was pretty fun. Then we had an interview with Amy Rosenthal, who was really nice. The play is about the lives of D.H. Lawrence, his wife Freida, and the writers Katherine Mansfield and Jack Middleton Murry when they all live together for a summer in Cornwall. I didn't know much about Lawrence beforehand, so it was interesting to hear about his life and the lives of the people he lived with.
After that, I ate dinner and then went to the gym here for the first time! We had 3 gyms to pick from, but I decided to go to Club Kensington. I had a free 3-day voucher from them, but after that I'm going to join. I had a good time there, I went on the bike for about 45 minutes. I also found out that I've lost 5 pounds since I've been here WOOT WOOT!
So tomorrow I have my "Meeting the Writer" class again, and then I'm going to the gym again. I might actually DO MY LAUNDRY if I have time, too!
- Miranda
Today I had my "Meeting the Writer" class. Apparently, I was the ONLY ONE able to get the play (Amy Rosenthal's On the Rocks) online beforehand, so we spent the majority of the class reading the play out loud with some copies that my professor brought in. That was pretty fun. Then we had an interview with Amy Rosenthal, who was really nice. The play is about the lives of D.H. Lawrence, his wife Freida, and the writers Katherine Mansfield and Jack Middleton Murry when they all live together for a summer in Cornwall. I didn't know much about Lawrence beforehand, so it was interesting to hear about his life and the lives of the people he lived with.
After that, I ate dinner and then went to the gym here for the first time! We had 3 gyms to pick from, but I decided to go to Club Kensington. I had a free 3-day voucher from them, but after that I'm going to join. I had a good time there, I went on the bike for about 45 minutes. I also found out that I've lost 5 pounds since I've been here WOOT WOOT!
So tomorrow I have my "Meeting the Writer" class again, and then I'm going to the gym again. I might actually DO MY LAUNDRY if I have time, too!
- Miranda
Sunday, September 12, 2010
What, in thy quips and thy quiddities?
^ I just really like that line...
ANYWAY! Today I went to THE GLOBE THEATRE! OMG OMG OMG! I was kind of impressed that I made it there on my own pretty well, since there isn't a Tube Stop right next to it or anything. Of course, this meant that I had to take lots of pictures as I walked over the Millenium Bridge to get there...
HERE IT IS!
Side note: at the same time, the Thames Festival was going on. It was this cute little craft fair/entertainment type thing. I'll stop here later for an amazing crepe!
Onto the inside of the theatre! For Henry IV: Part I, I was a "groundling" and stood at the center of the theatre. Here's my view:
The performance was AMAZING! I was was EXTREMELY excited to find out that Falstaff was being played by Roger Allam! Who's Roger Allam, you may ask? Well, he's kind of the person who ORIGINALLY PLAYED JAVERT IN LES MISERABLES! *geeky musical theater squee* He was probably the best, I think, but the guy playing Hotspur was really good, too. I just loved watching the actors act, even if my feet hurt and I was short and couldn't see some of it, lol. It was really cool being a groundling, though- I felt so much closer to the action. Also, the weather was BEAUTIFUL, thank God. Yay for not getting rained on!
After part I was over, I walked down to the street festival to get something to eat. What did I find? CREPES, BABY!
I had an epic crepe there, it was wonderful! Then I walked around the festival for a bit and went back to the theatre for part II!
Now, for part II, I was actually sitting in a seat, thank God. This was my new view:
Even though it was kind of a sideways view, I think I enjoyed Part II better than part I! The actors seemed to have stepped up their game, if that was even possible!
It was an AMAZING experience! If any of you ever go to England from May-October, you MUST go to the Globe!
ANYWAY! Today I went to THE GLOBE THEATRE! OMG OMG OMG! I was kind of impressed that I made it there on my own pretty well, since there isn't a Tube Stop right next to it or anything. Of course, this meant that I had to take lots of pictures as I walked over the Millenium Bridge to get there...
HERE IT IS!
Side note: at the same time, the Thames Festival was going on. It was this cute little craft fair/entertainment type thing. I'll stop here later for an amazing crepe!
Onto the inside of the theatre! For Henry IV: Part I, I was a "groundling" and stood at the center of the theatre. Here's my view:
The performance was AMAZING! I was was EXTREMELY excited to find out that Falstaff was being played by Roger Allam! Who's Roger Allam, you may ask? Well, he's kind of the person who ORIGINALLY PLAYED JAVERT IN LES MISERABLES! *geeky musical theater squee* He was probably the best, I think, but the guy playing Hotspur was really good, too. I just loved watching the actors act, even if my feet hurt and I was short and couldn't see some of it, lol. It was really cool being a groundling, though- I felt so much closer to the action. Also, the weather was BEAUTIFUL, thank God. Yay for not getting rained on!
After part I was over, I walked down to the street festival to get something to eat. What did I find? CREPES, BABY!
I had an epic crepe there, it was wonderful! Then I walked around the festival for a bit and went back to the theatre for part II!
Now, for part II, I was actually sitting in a seat, thank God. This was my new view:
Even though it was kind of a sideways view, I think I enjoyed Part II better than part I! The actors seemed to have stepped up their game, if that was even possible!
It was an AMAZING experience! If any of you ever go to England from May-October, you MUST go to the Globe!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Buckingham Palace!
So today I went to Buckingham Palace! Yay!
We *did* figure out how to get there, eventually. The map that my lovely Mom gave to me FINALLY came in handy, as it showed us what Tube stops were near Buckingham Palace. After walking for a while, we finally reached BUCKINGHAM PALACE!
It was pretty epic.
Unfortunately, we missed the changing of the guard (it's on alternate days) and the guards were behind the gates of the castle. Meh. This is the best picture I got of them:
So instead of taking a picture with them, I took a picture in front of the gates, which were also pretty epic:
After some picture-taking, we actually went inside the palace to tour the State Rooms! Unfortunately, there was no picture taking allowed in there. The inside was BEAUTIFUL! Crystal chandeliers, famous paintings, etc...so wonderful.
After the state rooms, we were led to the gardens, which allowed picture taking and were also very pretty:
Then we made our way home. I finished part of my homework for Monday. I might go out tonight to a bar with some friends, I don't really know.
AND TOMORROW I'M SEEING HENRY IV (PARTS 1 AND 2) AT THE GLOBE THEATRE! OMG!
- Miranda
We *did* figure out how to get there, eventually. The map that my lovely Mom gave to me FINALLY came in handy, as it showed us what Tube stops were near Buckingham Palace. After walking for a while, we finally reached BUCKINGHAM PALACE!
It was pretty epic.
Unfortunately, we missed the changing of the guard (it's on alternate days) and the guards were behind the gates of the castle. Meh. This is the best picture I got of them:
So instead of taking a picture with them, I took a picture in front of the gates, which were also pretty epic:
After some picture-taking, we actually went inside the palace to tour the State Rooms! Unfortunately, there was no picture taking allowed in there. The inside was BEAUTIFUL! Crystal chandeliers, famous paintings, etc...so wonderful.
After the state rooms, we were led to the gardens, which allowed picture taking and were also very pretty:
Then we made our way home. I finished part of my homework for Monday. I might go out tonight to a bar with some friends, I don't really know.
AND TOMORROW I'M SEEING HENRY IV (PARTS 1 AND 2) AT THE GLOBE THEATRE! OMG!
- Miranda
Friday, September 10, 2010
BARELY ON TIME!
Man, this "not updating yesterday" thing is really throwing me off. This entry will probably also be quite short. Maybe I should've combined the last 2 entries into ONE BIG HUGE SUPER-ENTRY. Lol.
So today I went to the London Library again with the other members of the program. That was pretty cool. I started thinking more about what I wanted my paper topic to be. I'm thinking about writing about gender roles in Shakespeare (specifically in Twelfth Night, because I wrote a paper on that last year) but a lot has been written about that already, and I want my paper to be unique. I'm thinking about maybe doing something about the male actors who had to play roles like Viola, Rosalind in As You Like It, etc... the experience of a man playing a woman playing a man, and how that affected things at the time. Not too sure yet though. Aunt Jenny once told me that she loved libraries because while you're researching your subject, you often find out about other things relating to the subject that you might be interested in, and your knowledge just grows and grows. I hadn't openly browsed in a library in a loooooooooong time, and that statement was SO true for me today. God, just being in a library as epic as the London Library, which has soooo many books and allows for open browsing in the stacks...ah, it's like heaven to me.
Tomorrow I'm going with Chelsea and Tamara to Buckingham Palace! It should be pretty fun. We're probably going to do some exploring, too, as none of us really know how to get there. This should be interesting...
Well, I better get this in before it reaches midnight (my time). I think I'm juuuuuuuust going to make it...
- Miranda
So today I went to the London Library again with the other members of the program. That was pretty cool. I started thinking more about what I wanted my paper topic to be. I'm thinking about writing about gender roles in Shakespeare (specifically in Twelfth Night, because I wrote a paper on that last year) but a lot has been written about that already, and I want my paper to be unique. I'm thinking about maybe doing something about the male actors who had to play roles like Viola, Rosalind in As You Like It, etc... the experience of a man playing a woman playing a man, and how that affected things at the time. Not too sure yet though. Aunt Jenny once told me that she loved libraries because while you're researching your subject, you often find out about other things relating to the subject that you might be interested in, and your knowledge just grows and grows. I hadn't openly browsed in a library in a loooooooooong time, and that statement was SO true for me today. God, just being in a library as epic as the London Library, which has soooo many books and allows for open browsing in the stacks...ah, it's like heaven to me.
Tomorrow I'm going with Chelsea and Tamara to Buckingham Palace! It should be pretty fun. We're probably going to do some exploring, too, as none of us really know how to get there. This should be interesting...
Well, I better get this in before it reaches midnight (my time). I think I'm juuuuuuuust going to make it...
- Miranda
9/9
Today's update is actually from yesterday! Weeeeeeeeha! (I just made up a new sound effect).
So! Yesterday I had class at 3 instead of 12 because we had a guest lecturer. She was REALLY cool! We talked about psychoanalysis, Freud, and Woolf's "To the Lighthouse".
After class, I ate dinner and then went to a bar with some friends until it closed. It was a LOOOOONG way away but it was pretty fun. There were some REALLY hot British guys there.
Sorry this update isn't very long. I'm going to write today's update, which will hopefully be longer? I don't know.
So! Yesterday I had class at 3 instead of 12 because we had a guest lecturer. She was REALLY cool! We talked about psychoanalysis, Freud, and Woolf's "To the Lighthouse".
After class, I ate dinner and then went to a bar with some friends until it closed. It was a LOOOOONG way away but it was pretty fun. There were some REALLY hot British guys there.
Sorry this update isn't very long. I'm going to write today's update, which will hopefully be longer? I don't know.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card!
So I actually didn't end up going out last night, lol. But that was kind of nice because it meant I was well-rested for my excursion today to...
THE LONDON LIBRARY!!!!!!!
But I'm going to taunt you guys for a while and talk about what happened before that (which isn't much, so you won't have to hear that much before I get to the fun stuff).
So today I had one of my Core classes, where we discussed Spenser's Prothalamion. The professor was impressed because I knew what an Aeolian Harp was (thank you, the tons of Romantic poetry I studied last year!). Then class let out an hour early so we could take the Tube over to the library together. This library is EPIC and BU is giving everyone in the literature program a FREE membership! (It's a private library so normally people have to pay a lot of money for a membership).
Past members of the library included:
- Charles Dickens!
- George Eliot!
- Charles Darwin!
- T.S. Eliot!
- Virginia Woolf!
- Winston Churchill!
- Agatha Christie!
- George Bernard Shaw!
- Henry James!
Oh my God, it makes me soooo excited to know that I am now a member of this library. It has sooo many books (they never throw any of their books away) and it's HUGE. I could spend hours in there. We're going back on Friday, so I'll probably have an opportunity to then.
On our way back from the library, I was going to go eat at a pub with some other girls from the program but then IT POURED RAIN. Luckily I had my umbrella with me but some parts of me still got sooooooooo soaked! So we just decided to take the Tube back to Kensington, and by that time it wasn't raining anymore. Go figure.
Again, don't really know what I'm doing tonight...but tomorrow, I don't have class until 3 (!!) because we're having a guest speaker and she can't come until later. Yay sleeping in even more than usual!
NOW ONTO THE GEEKY LIBRARY PICTURES! (I didn't get any pictures of the inside of the library, but I'll try to one of the times that I'm researching there!)
"May I extend the warmest of welcomes to the best library in the world" is probably the one of the best sentences ever.
AND IT'S EVEN BETTER WHEN IT'S FROM TOM STOPPARD!
LIBRARY CARD! :)
- Miranda
THE LONDON LIBRARY!!!!!!!
But I'm going to taunt you guys for a while and talk about what happened before that (which isn't much, so you won't have to hear that much before I get to the fun stuff).
So today I had one of my Core classes, where we discussed Spenser's Prothalamion. The professor was impressed because I knew what an Aeolian Harp was (thank you, the tons of Romantic poetry I studied last year!). Then class let out an hour early so we could take the Tube over to the library together. This library is EPIC and BU is giving everyone in the literature program a FREE membership! (It's a private library so normally people have to pay a lot of money for a membership).
Past members of the library included:
- Charles Dickens!
- George Eliot!
- Charles Darwin!
- T.S. Eliot!
- Virginia Woolf!
- Winston Churchill!
- Agatha Christie!
- George Bernard Shaw!
- Henry James!
Oh my God, it makes me soooo excited to know that I am now a member of this library. It has sooo many books (they never throw any of their books away) and it's HUGE. I could spend hours in there. We're going back on Friday, so I'll probably have an opportunity to then.
On our way back from the library, I was going to go eat at a pub with some other girls from the program but then IT POURED RAIN. Luckily I had my umbrella with me but some parts of me still got sooooooooo soaked! So we just decided to take the Tube back to Kensington, and by that time it wasn't raining anymore. Go figure.
Again, don't really know what I'm doing tonight...but tomorrow, I don't have class until 3 (!!) because we're having a guest speaker and she can't come until later. Yay sleeping in even more than usual!
NOW ONTO THE GEEKY LIBRARY PICTURES! (I didn't get any pictures of the inside of the library, but I'll try to one of the times that I'm researching there!)
"May I extend the warmest of welcomes to the best library in the world" is probably the one of the best sentences ever.
AND IT'S EVEN BETTER WHEN IT'S FROM TOM STOPPARD!
LIBRARY CARD! :)
- Miranda
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Announcements!
Ok, so I have 2 important announcements to make regarding this blog. Everybody listen up!
1. ANYONE CAN NOW COMMENT ON THIS BLOG! That's right, ANYONE! You no longer need a blog/AIM/whatever to comment on it. You can even comment anonymously if you want! The possibilities are endless! So comment everyone!
2. I have *officially* entered this blog in a contest of sorts that BU is having. There's a newsletter for the London program, and the people at Student Life are going to pick the best 4 student blogs to feature in the newsletter! The authors of these 4 blogs will win LONDON EYE TICKETS! (A word about that below). This isn't a "go to this website and vote for me" type of contest, it's all up to the people at student life to choose, as far as I know. But send me good vibes, everyone!
Note: For those of you that know me, you'll know that I have a lot of trepidation about going on the London Eye. I'm generally not very good with ferris wheels. I know it's a weird thing to be scared of, but I saw someone on Maury that was afraid of pickles once, so this isn't as bad. However, since I'm in London and everyone I know that's been there has said OMG YOU HAVE TO GO ON THE EYE, I think I'm going to go if I win the tickets. We'll see how I do. I'll probably have to bring some people with me for moral support, but I don't know how many tickets we'd win (this is all hypothetical, of course- I'm sure most people have much better blogs than I do).
Onto my day!
So today I had the second meeting of the "Meeting the Writer" class, which was really interesting because we actually had a writer come in and talk to us today. Aida Bahr talked to us about the short story we read for today and about the problems of translating stories in general. I love talking to writers, finding out about their creative process, etc. She talked about how she liked leaving the end of her stories rather ambiguous so that readers could "continue the story for themselves" and so she could always leave them wanting more. It was really, really cool to talk to her, she was a really nice person.
Tonight I'm probably hanging out with some of my friends. I don't know where we're going, but it's going to be pretty awesome!
- Miranda
1. ANYONE CAN NOW COMMENT ON THIS BLOG! That's right, ANYONE! You no longer need a blog/AIM/whatever to comment on it. You can even comment anonymously if you want! The possibilities are endless! So comment everyone!
2. I have *officially* entered this blog in a contest of sorts that BU is having. There's a newsletter for the London program, and the people at Student Life are going to pick the best 4 student blogs to feature in the newsletter! The authors of these 4 blogs will win LONDON EYE TICKETS! (A word about that below). This isn't a "go to this website and vote for me" type of contest, it's all up to the people at student life to choose, as far as I know. But send me good vibes, everyone!
Note: For those of you that know me, you'll know that I have a lot of trepidation about going on the London Eye. I'm generally not very good with ferris wheels. I know it's a weird thing to be scared of, but I saw someone on Maury that was afraid of pickles once, so this isn't as bad. However, since I'm in London and everyone I know that's been there has said OMG YOU HAVE TO GO ON THE EYE, I think I'm going to go if I win the tickets. We'll see how I do. I'll probably have to bring some people with me for moral support, but I don't know how many tickets we'd win (this is all hypothetical, of course- I'm sure most people have much better blogs than I do).
Onto my day!
So today I had the second meeting of the "Meeting the Writer" class, which was really interesting because we actually had a writer come in and talk to us today. Aida Bahr talked to us about the short story we read for today and about the problems of translating stories in general. I love talking to writers, finding out about their creative process, etc. She talked about how she liked leaving the end of her stories rather ambiguous so that readers could "continue the story for themselves" and so she could always leave them wanting more. It was really, really cool to talk to her, she was a really nice person.
Tonight I'm probably hanging out with some of my friends. I don't know where we're going, but it's going to be pretty awesome!
- Miranda
Monday, September 6, 2010
Monday Monday...
So, today I had the first meeting of my "Meeting the Writer" class! Normally it goes from 1:15-5:15, but today our prof decided to be nice and let us out at around 2:30, yay! The class seems really cool so far! There are only 3 other people in it- I've never had a class that small before! The prof seems really cool too- she's REALLY knowledgeable about everything and seems very nice. The class itself is really neat- a different contemporary British writer is going to come and talk to us at every class, and we get to interview them/ask them about their books. SO COOL! Tomorrow, Aida Bahr (a short story writer) is going to talk to us about the problems inherent in translating a short story (she's Caribbean, I think, and the story we read was originally in Spanish). The class is on Mondays and Tuesdays.
I didn't do that much else today besides going to class, lol. It was pretty windy/cold today and started to rain for a bit- I think the typical London weather has started! Oh, I did sign up for my student Oystercard (subway pass) today, which was good.
Tomorrow I have the "Meeting the Writer" class again. After that, I don't have any concrete plans- I might sign up for a gym here. It's all pretty up in the air at this point.
- Miranda
I didn't do that much else today besides going to class, lol. It was pretty windy/cold today and started to rain for a bit- I think the typical London weather has started! Oh, I did sign up for my student Oystercard (subway pass) today, which was good.
Tomorrow I have the "Meeting the Writer" class again. After that, I don't have any concrete plans- I might sign up for a gym here. It's all pretty up in the air at this point.
- Miranda
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Bloody Cyclists! OR The post about the Tower of London
Today I went to the Tower of London!
Originally, we were supposed to see some other sights in addition to the Tower of London, but that plan was quickly thwarted by...
CYCLISTS!!! DUN DUN DUN
Let me explain this.
So today was the London Skyride, which was a city-wide bike ride sponsored by the mayor of London to get everyone outside and on their bikes. Sounds like a good idea, right? WRONG.
First of all, this bike ride went on for basically THE ENTIRE DAY and it wasn't a race or anything, just like a general route, so we basically saw cyclists EVERYWHERE. The worse part was that they closed off lots of the roads, making it difficult for our bus to park anywhere and let us explore. We spent a reallllly long time getting to the Tower itself because our tour guide and driver didn't know which roads were closed (and the police officers that we asked for directions/information basically didn't know this either). We stopped for a bathroom break at the London Eye:
A really funny thing happened after we got back. We left the door of the bus open during the bathroom break, and these incredibly drunk Australians came onto the bus with a bottle of Jagermeister and were all like "Jager! Woooo! You want some Jager?!" We quickly shooed them away but it was soooooooo funny.
Then we drove for a loooooooong time to the Tower of London. Once we got there, I went to get some pizza for lunch. Then, we started our tour of the Tower!
It looks really pretty from the outside:
First, we went to see THE CROWN JEWELS! SOOOO SHINY! Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures of those, but they were breathtaking. Then we walked outside a bit and saw the famous ravens of the Tower of London:
Legend has it that if the ravens ever leave the Tower, then the whole country will fall! DUN DUN DUN! But their wings are clipped, so they technically can't leave anyway. Also, some of them are in cages because they apparently are evil little things that can peck you to death:
We then moved into the White Tower, where lots of suits of armor, weapons, etc. were displayed. After that, we went back on the bus. A very fun trip indeed!
- Miranda
Originally, we were supposed to see some other sights in addition to the Tower of London, but that plan was quickly thwarted by...
CYCLISTS!!! DUN DUN DUN
Let me explain this.
So today was the London Skyride, which was a city-wide bike ride sponsored by the mayor of London to get everyone outside and on their bikes. Sounds like a good idea, right? WRONG.
First of all, this bike ride went on for basically THE ENTIRE DAY and it wasn't a race or anything, just like a general route, so we basically saw cyclists EVERYWHERE. The worse part was that they closed off lots of the roads, making it difficult for our bus to park anywhere and let us explore. We spent a reallllly long time getting to the Tower itself because our tour guide and driver didn't know which roads were closed (and the police officers that we asked for directions/information basically didn't know this either). We stopped for a bathroom break at the London Eye:
A really funny thing happened after we got back. We left the door of the bus open during the bathroom break, and these incredibly drunk Australians came onto the bus with a bottle of Jagermeister and were all like "Jager! Woooo! You want some Jager?!" We quickly shooed them away but it was soooooooo funny.
Then we drove for a loooooooong time to the Tower of London. Once we got there, I went to get some pizza for lunch. Then, we started our tour of the Tower!
It looks really pretty from the outside:
First, we went to see THE CROWN JEWELS! SOOOO SHINY! Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures of those, but they were breathtaking. Then we walked outside a bit and saw the famous ravens of the Tower of London:
Legend has it that if the ravens ever leave the Tower, then the whole country will fall! DUN DUN DUN! But their wings are clipped, so they technically can't leave anyway. Also, some of them are in cages because they apparently are evil little things that can peck you to death:
We then moved into the White Tower, where lots of suits of armor, weapons, etc. were displayed. After that, we went back on the bus. A very fun trip indeed!
- Miranda
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Windsor Castle!
So today I took a day trip to Windsor Castle! It was soooo much fun!
We took a bus there, which left at 10 AM. It took about a half hour to get there, so I slept most of the way. We arrived in the cute town of Windsor, where we were led by a tour guide to the castle.
After we entered the castle grounds, our tour guide led us into the chapel. We weren't allowed to take pictures of the inside, so I took some pictures of the outside:
The inside of the chapel was really cool. Many famous British rulers are buried there, including Henry VIII! Everything was very ornately decorated. After our tour of the chapel, our tour guide basically let us go off and explore the castle and tour the state apartments. But there was a more important thing for us to see first....
LEGIT BRITISH GUARDS!
Of course, I had to do the touristy thing and take a picture with them:
Then my friends and I made our way to the state apartments and Queen Mary's dollhouse. Again, they don't let you take pictures inside, but the scenery from the grounds was BEAUTIFUL:
The state apartments were breathtaking. First, we went to Queen Mary's dollhouse, which was really cool to look at. It's basically a miniature version of the castle, with an EXTREME attention to detail. EVERYTHING in the dollhouse works- it has working plumbing, actual wine in the wine bottles, etc. Sooooo cool!
Then we moved into the state apartments. We saw ACTUAL DRAWINGS BY DA VINCI!!!! and works by other famous artists as well. We then walked around the rooms of the state apartments. There was almost too much to take in, everything was so beautiful. We saw more fascinating portraits and amazing rooms. I wish we were allowed to take pictures so I could show you all what I saw.
After we finished touring the state apartments, we got tea and scones with clotted cream and jam (sooooooo caloric, yet sooooooo good)! Then, we went to explore the village of Eton, which is just over the bridge from Windsor. Eton is the home of Eton College, an exclusive private all-boy's high school. Unfortunately, school was not in session today. The campus is gorgeous, though- Shakespeare in Love and The Secret Garden were filmed there!
Well, that's it for now!
We took a bus there, which left at 10 AM. It took about a half hour to get there, so I slept most of the way. We arrived in the cute town of Windsor, where we were led by a tour guide to the castle.
After we entered the castle grounds, our tour guide led us into the chapel. We weren't allowed to take pictures of the inside, so I took some pictures of the outside:
The inside of the chapel was really cool. Many famous British rulers are buried there, including Henry VIII! Everything was very ornately decorated. After our tour of the chapel, our tour guide basically let us go off and explore the castle and tour the state apartments. But there was a more important thing for us to see first....
LEGIT BRITISH GUARDS!
Of course, I had to do the touristy thing and take a picture with them:
Then my friends and I made our way to the state apartments and Queen Mary's dollhouse. Again, they don't let you take pictures inside, but the scenery from the grounds was BEAUTIFUL:
The state apartments were breathtaking. First, we went to Queen Mary's dollhouse, which was really cool to look at. It's basically a miniature version of the castle, with an EXTREME attention to detail. EVERYTHING in the dollhouse works- it has working plumbing, actual wine in the wine bottles, etc. Sooooo cool!
Then we moved into the state apartments. We saw ACTUAL DRAWINGS BY DA VINCI!!!! and works by other famous artists as well. We then walked around the rooms of the state apartments. There was almost too much to take in, everything was so beautiful. We saw more fascinating portraits and amazing rooms. I wish we were allowed to take pictures so I could show you all what I saw.
After we finished touring the state apartments, we got tea and scones with clotted cream and jam (sooooooo caloric, yet sooooooo good)! Then, we went to explore the village of Eton, which is just over the bridge from Windsor. Eton is the home of Eton College, an exclusive private all-boy's high school. Unfortunately, school was not in session today. The campus is gorgeous, though- Shakespeare in Love and The Secret Garden were filmed there!
Well, that's it for now!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Relaxing day!
Hi guys!
Didn't really do too much today, but that's ok! Basically, I just went to my class at noon, picked up a couple things from the grocery store after class, and then just hung out in my room, ate dinner, etc. But that's been kind of nice. Today's been my one day where I didn't have anything huge planned, so it's nice to relax for a change.
Just some miscellaneous stuff for now:
- Megan wanted to know what I've been eating since I've been here. At the pub yesterday, the food was great (as I told you guys already). I had a vegetable stroganoff that was really, really tasty! The red wine wasn't too bad either ;)
- I found some pictures on Facebook from my activities yesterday, so I'm going to post them here now.
DINNER AT THE YE OLDE CHESHIRE CHEESE:
This is everyone in the literature program.
PRE-START OF SEMESTER PARTY:
Didn't really do too much today, but that's ok! Basically, I just went to my class at noon, picked up a couple things from the grocery store after class, and then just hung out in my room, ate dinner, etc. But that's been kind of nice. Today's been my one day where I didn't have anything huge planned, so it's nice to relax for a change.
Just some miscellaneous stuff for now:
- Megan wanted to know what I've been eating since I've been here. At the pub yesterday, the food was great (as I told you guys already). I had a vegetable stroganoff that was really, really tasty! The red wine wasn't too bad either ;)
- I found some pictures on Facebook from my activities yesterday, so I'm going to post them here now.
DINNER AT THE YE OLDE CHESHIRE CHEESE:
This is everyone in the literature program.
PRE-START OF SEMESTER PARTY:
Daily update fail again
Ok, so I know I said I'd write every day, but yesterday was just WAYYY TO BUSY for me to do that. So this entry covers yesterday. I don't know when I'll post today's entry...maybe once I know what I'm ACTUALLY doing tonight.
Also, two nights ago I had a really great Skype chat with Sarah. It made my life.
Yesterday I had my first class, the research seminar. The two "core classes" that we have to take in London are both taught by the same professor, Mark Allen. He's REALLY nice and funny, too! All of the classes here are 3 hours long (12-3) which is going to take some getting used to. We do have a 30 minute break in between, though, so sometimes I like to think of it as a 1.5 hour class followed by an hour long class. I don't know, it makes me feel better, lol.
After class, I went back to my dorm quickly and headed out on the Tube to go to dinner at a pub with the people from my program! The pub was my favorite one I've gone to so far (and not just because BU paid for everything, lol). It's called the "Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese" (which is a really cool name) and so many famous people ate there: Charles Dickens, Samuel Johnson, etc. which makes it even cooler! Also, the food is excellent. I had a really great meal! The people in my program are very chill and nice, too. We all seem to be very like-minded people, which is good because we see each other for at least 6 hours every week, lol.
After the pub I quickly took the Tube home and got ready for the start of semester party! I went down with Andrea, Brittany, and some other girls (Chelsea didn't go). It was sooooo much fun! We went to the party and then went to another club. My feet were KILLING me because I wore high heels, and after the night was over my ears were seriously ringing because of how loud the music was, but it was amazing!
I wish I had pictures to show you...I should've brought my camera to the pub, but I didn't want to bring my camera to the party because I was afraid I'd lose it.
Next entry should come tonight, but today I haven't really done that much exciting stuff. Maybe this will change.
- Miranda
Also, two nights ago I had a really great Skype chat with Sarah. It made my life.
Yesterday I had my first class, the research seminar. The two "core classes" that we have to take in London are both taught by the same professor, Mark Allen. He's REALLY nice and funny, too! All of the classes here are 3 hours long (12-3) which is going to take some getting used to. We do have a 30 minute break in between, though, so sometimes I like to think of it as a 1.5 hour class followed by an hour long class. I don't know, it makes me feel better, lol.
After class, I went back to my dorm quickly and headed out on the Tube to go to dinner at a pub with the people from my program! The pub was my favorite one I've gone to so far (and not just because BU paid for everything, lol). It's called the "Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese" (which is a really cool name) and so many famous people ate there: Charles Dickens, Samuel Johnson, etc. which makes it even cooler! Also, the food is excellent. I had a really great meal! The people in my program are very chill and nice, too. We all seem to be very like-minded people, which is good because we see each other for at least 6 hours every week, lol.
After the pub I quickly took the Tube home and got ready for the start of semester party! I went down with Andrea, Brittany, and some other girls (Chelsea didn't go). It was sooooo much fun! We went to the party and then went to another club. My feet were KILLING me because I wore high heels, and after the night was over my ears were seriously ringing because of how loud the music was, but it was amazing!
I wish I had pictures to show you...I should've brought my camera to the pub, but I didn't want to bring my camera to the party because I was afraid I'd lose it.
Next entry should come tonight, but today I haven't really done that much exciting stuff. Maybe this will change.
- Miranda
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
I'M ON A BOAT
So! Today I was on a boat (tour!) on the Thames! It was really fun! Last night I didn't end up going bar-hopping, but I went out to Covent Garden and explored with Brittany, Tamara, and Ben from our floor. It was really fun- it was down where the West End stuff was. They're doing lots of cool shows there now- Billy Elliott, Oliver!, Les Miserables, etc.
The boat cruise was really cool! We went all up and down the Thames and saw sooooooooooo many sights- Big Ben, the Tower of London, etc. Some professors lectured while we were on the boat, and it was really informative and cool.
Some pics from the boat:
London Eye
Big Ben
Blurry picture of the Globe Theatre!
The rest of the pictures are on Facebook.
After the boat took us to Greenwich, they basically let us loose to explore the city. I hung out with Tamara and Brittany for most of the time. We bought some things in a shop (including postcards that some lucky people will be receiving!) and then had lunch in a little cafe. After that, we went to the Greenwich Market, which was this really cute little craft fair/market thing with lots of stuff for REALLY cheap! I didn't buy much, just this bracelet:
I know, I know, typical Miranda, right? We also got some fudge and pastries at a bakery and just browsed around a bit. We did lots of walking around the area- it was BEAUTIFUL. Again, more pictures are on Facebook.
At around 4, we took the Tube back to our flat and hung out for a bit there. I FINALLY met my other roomie, Andrea, and she's way cool! We talked for a really long time, it was great. I had dinner and I've just been hanging out in my room ever since. I don't have any huge plans for tonight or anything, I'm just chilling in my room. If someone invites me somewhere, I'll go with them, but it looks like just a chill night for me. Same with my roomies, but they basically all have class at 9 while I don't have it until noon, so I could go out if I wanted to. But I think most people are thinking "first day of classes tomorrow, I don't want to go out..." which is fine with me. Tomorrow I'm going out to a pub with the people in my program and later it's the start of semester party, so that should be really fun.
Love ya!
- Miranda
The boat cruise was really cool! We went all up and down the Thames and saw sooooooooooo many sights- Big Ben, the Tower of London, etc. Some professors lectured while we were on the boat, and it was really informative and cool.
Some pics from the boat:
London Eye
Big Ben
Blurry picture of the Globe Theatre!
The rest of the pictures are on Facebook.
After the boat took us to Greenwich, they basically let us loose to explore the city. I hung out with Tamara and Brittany for most of the time. We bought some things in a shop (including postcards that some lucky people will be receiving!) and then had lunch in a little cafe. After that, we went to the Greenwich Market, which was this really cute little craft fair/market thing with lots of stuff for REALLY cheap! I didn't buy much, just this bracelet:
I know, I know, typical Miranda, right? We also got some fudge and pastries at a bakery and just browsed around a bit. We did lots of walking around the area- it was BEAUTIFUL. Again, more pictures are on Facebook.
At around 4, we took the Tube back to our flat and hung out for a bit there. I FINALLY met my other roomie, Andrea, and she's way cool! We talked for a really long time, it was great. I had dinner and I've just been hanging out in my room ever since. I don't have any huge plans for tonight or anything, I'm just chilling in my room. If someone invites me somewhere, I'll go with them, but it looks like just a chill night for me. Same with my roomies, but they basically all have class at 9 while I don't have it until noon, so I could go out if I wanted to. But I think most people are thinking "first day of classes tomorrow, I don't want to go out..." which is fine with me. Tomorrow I'm going out to a pub with the people in my program and later it's the start of semester party, so that should be really fun.
Love ya!
- Miranda
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