I already love my job. My immediate supervisor has been out ill for the past two days, but I've already been given responsibility over some projects and have gotten a lot of exposure to other people and their jobs. I've reformatted some information to be presented as case studies on the company website and today learned a little html magic to put it all online. This sort of thing is generally not my cup of tea, but I like that I'm learning this kind of stuff. It's become pretty essential in our computer-based world. I've also done some work with promotions and got to call some contest winners today, which was way fun. People get so excited.
There is just so much going on inside the company. It will be impossible not to get a good taste of the ad world after this experience. I'm excited for Lillian, my supervisor, to return and take me under her wing for a bit. I get to sit in on client meetings and do a lot of strategic brainstorming for future projects. I'm really excited to get involved with the strategic planning bit. I think that's the stuff that's right up my ally.
With the internship starting, I've already noticed how quickly the days go. The pace of the office makes time fly, which is refreshing since I feel like I've been here two months already when it's only been two weeks. I also get to work with the other two interns who are in the Mizzou program with me. They are incredibly sweet and fun girls, and I know we're all going to do well at Emap. The three of us treated ourselves to a nice lunch at a French braisserie down the road from us yesterday in celebration of our first day. It was absolutely delicious and another fine example of the great variety of restaurants and cafes you find in an international city like London. I definitely can't afford to eat at these places more than once a week, but it's nice to enjoy them when I can.
Speaking of money, I was very proud of myself for buying two weeks worth of groceries for under $22 last night. Don't worry, it wasn't just peanut butter and bread. I definitely have enough for a good breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Sure it's a lot of pasta and soup (and peanut butter sandwiches), but I've been eating apples and oranges as well. I've also rediscovered my love for a turkey, hummus and pita sandwich. I could eat one every day. It's my quesadilla substitute while I'm gone. And everyone knows how much I love my quesadillas. (I seriously considered bringing my quesadilla maker over with me, but decided I liked clothes more.)
Tomorrow, we're off to Stonehenge and Bath early in the morning. Bath is an ancient Roman bathhouse, hence the appropriate name. I've already seen Stonehenge, but I'm excited to see it again. England has such rich history, and I feel like I'd be cheating myself out of the full experience of studying abroad if I went to all of these museums and sights with an ambivalent attitude.
In full British style, Pam and I are going to watch Pride and Prejudice to cap off our night, if we can drag ourselves away from the breaking news about Heath Ledger's death. Very sad.
I still have some photos to upload and will undoubtedly have some from tomorrow's field trip.
Cheers!
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
Sunday, 20 January 2008
Castles and coasts
The gales in Wales have continued. Pete laughed at me yesterday because I was complaining how sick I was of the gloomy, rainy weather I’ve experienced thus far in my trip. “You chose to study abroad in the UK and it’s winter, Sam. What’d you expect?” Needless, to say, it was a reality check. What would I do without him?
Despite the weather, we made the most of our Saturday in Cardiff. We started out with a nice continental breakfast at our amazing hostel, and then traveled up the road to Cardiff Castle. It was an incredible castle on the inside and out. It’s about 2000 years old, established by the Romans when they held the land before the Normans came in around 800 A.D. We took a tour of the main interior, which was redecorated in the 19th century by a wealthy lord who owned it. Each room was absolutely gorgeous—every square inch was covered in intricate paintings, designs, woodwork and tiles. One of the rooms was estimated to cost £10 to 15 million to redesign today. Jewels, gold, you name it—they were somehow incorporated in the decoration. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed inside. I’ll attach a few from online so you can see what I’m talking about.
This is a gorgeous picture from the clock tower room. Every image in the room is related to the zodiac, the days of the week, the time of day or the seasons. It was my favorite room.
The fireplace in the grand dining hall.
Lord Bute's bedroom. He commissioned the redecoration of the castle to what it is today.
After the tour we were allowed to explore the grounds and the keep, a stone fortress right in the middle that was surrounded by a moat. A real moat! I got kind of excited by this. You always read stories and watch movies with all these medieval castles surrounded by moats, and I think this is the first legitimate moat I have seen thus far.
From inside the keep.
The moat!
From atop of the keep. Beyond you can see the castle towers and Millenium Stadium where Cardiff's national rugby team plays.
I came to Wales with the hope of taking a coastal hike or walk. The rain set my roommates to different destinations, but I was still set on my coastal walk. Charlie, one of the hostel owners, told me that Penarth, a small town across the bay from Cardiff, had a good pebble beach and pier. So I set off on a nice public bus ride to Penarth. I missed my stop, but I befriended the bus driver and he dropped me off right at the entrance to a gorgeous green park which lead me right to the boardwalk and pier on the bay. Weird as it is, I got a little choked up when I heard the sound of the waves. I’ve always loved going to the ocean, so I knew I had to take this opportunity away from London to enjoy it. I spent a good leisurely hour walking up and down the boardwalk. Yeah it was a little gray and the water was a little brown, but the little ghost town of a pier was gorgeous in its own light. There were a few other people, most of them fishermen, and me along the pier, but I enjoyed the seaside solitude. I’ve constantly been around three to six girls the past week and a half, so it was nice to finally get some alone time to think and enjoy the scenery.
The boardwalk.
Kind of gloomy, but still beautiful in its own way.
The pier.
The gorgeous green park en route to the bay.
Afterwards, I took the short walk up to town and bought some Welsh original beer, Double Dragon Ale. I sampled one last night. Not my favorite beer, but I like sampling the wine and beers of the area. Fact: Though a lot of stories and pictures associate dragons to all Britain, it’s actually indigenous to the Welsh. I didn’t know that until today.
Pam spent her afternoon at the National Museum and Gallery of Wales and Steff went to the Dr. Who exhibition. It’s a sci-fi show shot in Cardiff that she is absolutely obsessed with. It was nice when we all returned to share pictures and stories of our adventures. Pam and I ended our night with a nice Italian dinner at a restaurant on the bay. It was quite a walk to get there, so we burned off the pasta on the walk back.
Today we just relaxed a bit before we caught the bus back to London. It's been homework and preparation for our internships since then. I hate how quickly weekends go. I now am officially heading into my school and workweek, so these weekends are going to have more value placed on them in weeks to come. I am excited to get into the groove of things and get more accustomed to everything by spending my days at emap and nights at class. I have a feeling time is going to start speeding up, which I guess is good and bad. Stay tuned for internship updates!
Despite the weather, we made the most of our Saturday in Cardiff. We started out with a nice continental breakfast at our amazing hostel, and then traveled up the road to Cardiff Castle. It was an incredible castle on the inside and out. It’s about 2000 years old, established by the Romans when they held the land before the Normans came in around 800 A.D. We took a tour of the main interior, which was redecorated in the 19th century by a wealthy lord who owned it. Each room was absolutely gorgeous—every square inch was covered in intricate paintings, designs, woodwork and tiles. One of the rooms was estimated to cost £10 to 15 million to redesign today. Jewels, gold, you name it—they were somehow incorporated in the decoration. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed inside. I’ll attach a few from online so you can see what I’m talking about.
This is a gorgeous picture from the clock tower room. Every image in the room is related to the zodiac, the days of the week, the time of day or the seasons. It was my favorite room.
The fireplace in the grand dining hall.
Lord Bute's bedroom. He commissioned the redecoration of the castle to what it is today.
After the tour we were allowed to explore the grounds and the keep, a stone fortress right in the middle that was surrounded by a moat. A real moat! I got kind of excited by this. You always read stories and watch movies with all these medieval castles surrounded by moats, and I think this is the first legitimate moat I have seen thus far.
From inside the keep.
The moat!
From atop of the keep. Beyond you can see the castle towers and Millenium Stadium where Cardiff's national rugby team plays.
I came to Wales with the hope of taking a coastal hike or walk. The rain set my roommates to different destinations, but I was still set on my coastal walk. Charlie, one of the hostel owners, told me that Penarth, a small town across the bay from Cardiff, had a good pebble beach and pier. So I set off on a nice public bus ride to Penarth. I missed my stop, but I befriended the bus driver and he dropped me off right at the entrance to a gorgeous green park which lead me right to the boardwalk and pier on the bay. Weird as it is, I got a little choked up when I heard the sound of the waves. I’ve always loved going to the ocean, so I knew I had to take this opportunity away from London to enjoy it. I spent a good leisurely hour walking up and down the boardwalk. Yeah it was a little gray and the water was a little brown, but the little ghost town of a pier was gorgeous in its own light. There were a few other people, most of them fishermen, and me along the pier, but I enjoyed the seaside solitude. I’ve constantly been around three to six girls the past week and a half, so it was nice to finally get some alone time to think and enjoy the scenery.
The boardwalk.
Kind of gloomy, but still beautiful in its own way.
The pier.
The gorgeous green park en route to the bay.
Afterwards, I took the short walk up to town and bought some Welsh original beer, Double Dragon Ale. I sampled one last night. Not my favorite beer, but I like sampling the wine and beers of the area. Fact: Though a lot of stories and pictures associate dragons to all Britain, it’s actually indigenous to the Welsh. I didn’t know that until today.
Pam spent her afternoon at the National Museum and Gallery of Wales and Steff went to the Dr. Who exhibition. It’s a sci-fi show shot in Cardiff that she is absolutely obsessed with. It was nice when we all returned to share pictures and stories of our adventures. Pam and I ended our night with a nice Italian dinner at a restaurant on the bay. It was quite a walk to get there, so we burned off the pasta on the walk back.
Today we just relaxed a bit before we caught the bus back to London. It's been homework and preparation for our internships since then. I hate how quickly weekends go. I now am officially heading into my school and workweek, so these weekends are going to have more value placed on them in weeks to come. I am excited to get into the groove of things and get more accustomed to everything by spending my days at emap and nights at class. I have a feeling time is going to start speeding up, which I guess is good and bad. Stay tuned for internship updates!
Friday, 18 January 2008
Gales in Wales
Wicked was absolutely amazing. I was a little nervous going in because I knew the voices of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth so well from the soundtrack that I might not like the vocal change. But Kerry Ellis and Diane Pilkington were an incredible Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The show was everything I had imagined it could be and more. I had figured out most of the plot through listening to the soundtrack far too many times, but I enjoyed actually seeing the show filled in the blanks and delivered an unexpected ending. Thanks, friends who have seen this before and not ruined the ending for me! Check out my excited pictures before the show. Note how close we are to the stage, too!
Kerry Ellis was incredible as Elphaba!
Glinda making Elphaba "popular."
Wicked at the Victoria Apollo Theatre.
After two years of waiting, I was very excited to see the show.
It's a little blurry, but you can kind of tell how close we were to the stage. The curtain was a map of Oz.
Pam and I pre-show.
Today we traveled to Cardiff, the capital of Wales. We booked a cheap and comfortable bus ride through Megabus and arrived here around 6 p.m. Sadly, gale-force wind and rain greeted us. After a few minor turnarounds, we managed to find our adorable hostel, Riverside Backpackers Hostel. I’ll take some pictures tomorrow and have them posted. It is newly refurbished and is incredibly stylish and comfortable. It’s owned by a really hospitable brother and sister who have been wonderful to us so far, giving us club, pub and activity suggestions for our stay. We had delicious and pretty cheap meal at a local pub called The Bethany. I had the smothered chicken, basically chicken smothered in cheese and bacon (which is actually ham here). I haven’t really had a full meal like that since I’ve been here. Needless to say, I was extremely happy.
Tomorrow, we plan on visiting Cardiff Castle in the heart of downtown Cardiff. We could see it from the window of our bus, but the darkness didn’t allow for the best view. We originally had hoped to attend a theatrical Welsh dinner there tomorrow night, but they need 40 people to attend in order to host the dinner. I guess there weren’t enough for this weeked. It’s not too surprising that January doesn’t bring in too many tourists.
I hope that we can get a good hike in tomorrow along the coast as well. The bay is only about a mile down the road from us, so I’m sure I can at least get a couple of hours down in that region. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for semi-decent weather tomorrow. It rains in the UK every day. If you ever visit, I don’t care what else you bring—just be sure that you at least have an umbrella. Besides Pete and my family, I would say that sunshine is the thing I miss the most from home. Sad but true.
I’m going to take a moment to sum up some of the things I’ve learned in my first ten days of my London/European adventure:
-Fries are called chips; chips are called crisps; cookies are called biscuits. There are so many other words and expression differences, I could spend an hour or two listing them. The most important one is not using the term “bathroom.” It is instead called “the toilet.” If this is a little too weird for you, “loo,” “W/C,” or “restroom” works just as well.
-On the subject of cultural differences, making a peace sign with two fingers is ok, but if you do that and flip your hand around you pretty much just flipped someone off, if not worse. Please keep your deuces back in the states.
-The Underground (Tube) system is one of man’s greatest engineering accomplishments. I absolutely love it. If only Kansas City had something even remotely similar.
-You actually can enjoy London for cheap. Most museums are free, so you should never run out of things to do. It’s the living expenses that really rack up the costs. But lucky for us, we have an amazing supermarket down the road. You can, in fact, survive on peanut butter sandwiches and apples, especially if it means a trip to Spain or Italy down the road.
-On the subject of money, you don’t have to tip here! Hooray!
-Londoners dress exceedingly well, but I’ve found you can kind of mimic their style by having a few essentials, namely boots, skinny jeans and tights.
-Like I said, umbrellas here are clutch. This is my golden rule for London.
I’ve also learned that doing the whole across-the-ocean-relationship thing is in fact very doable. Pete and I have been sending e-mails back and forth every day, and I honestly feel like we’ve become stronger. His e-mails are great—they sound just like he talks, so the distance isn’t as difficult.
Lucky for me, the distance isn’t permanent. I get to see him in 13 days (but who’s counting?) when he visits for a couple of days en route to his semester in Pamplona, Spain. We’re planning small trips to Paris and Ireland this semester and after I’m done with my program, I’ll spend two weeks traveling through Spain with him. I’m so excited for him to finally get to Spain and get the experience he’s been wanting for so long. He’s going to do great there.
I’m going to finish up a few more things, then hit the pillow. Updates from Wales and pictures to come! Cheers!
Here are a few more pictures of the past few days:
This was Trafalgar Square during the Russian Festival last Sunday.
We went to the Tate Modern on Tuesday. Inside the front entrance was a huge, manmade crack. It got everyone's attention right away.
A close-up of the intriguing crack.
From the seventh floor of the Tate Modern, we got a pretty good view across the Thames into downtown City of London. There's St. Paul's!
Here is emap's world headquarters where I will be working the next three months!
Kerry Ellis was incredible as Elphaba!
Glinda making Elphaba "popular."
Wicked at the Victoria Apollo Theatre.
After two years of waiting, I was very excited to see the show.
It's a little blurry, but you can kind of tell how close we were to the stage. The curtain was a map of Oz.
Pam and I pre-show.
Today we traveled to Cardiff, the capital of Wales. We booked a cheap and comfortable bus ride through Megabus and arrived here around 6 p.m. Sadly, gale-force wind and rain greeted us. After a few minor turnarounds, we managed to find our adorable hostel, Riverside Backpackers Hostel. I’ll take some pictures tomorrow and have them posted. It is newly refurbished and is incredibly stylish and comfortable. It’s owned by a really hospitable brother and sister who have been wonderful to us so far, giving us club, pub and activity suggestions for our stay. We had delicious and pretty cheap meal at a local pub called The Bethany. I had the smothered chicken, basically chicken smothered in cheese and bacon (which is actually ham here). I haven’t really had a full meal like that since I’ve been here. Needless to say, I was extremely happy.
Tomorrow, we plan on visiting Cardiff Castle in the heart of downtown Cardiff. We could see it from the window of our bus, but the darkness didn’t allow for the best view. We originally had hoped to attend a theatrical Welsh dinner there tomorrow night, but they need 40 people to attend in order to host the dinner. I guess there weren’t enough for this weeked. It’s not too surprising that January doesn’t bring in too many tourists.
I hope that we can get a good hike in tomorrow along the coast as well. The bay is only about a mile down the road from us, so I’m sure I can at least get a couple of hours down in that region. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for semi-decent weather tomorrow. It rains in the UK every day. If you ever visit, I don’t care what else you bring—just be sure that you at least have an umbrella. Besides Pete and my family, I would say that sunshine is the thing I miss the most from home. Sad but true.
I’m going to take a moment to sum up some of the things I’ve learned in my first ten days of my London/European adventure:
-Fries are called chips; chips are called crisps; cookies are called biscuits. There are so many other words and expression differences, I could spend an hour or two listing them. The most important one is not using the term “bathroom.” It is instead called “the toilet.” If this is a little too weird for you, “loo,” “W/C,” or “restroom” works just as well.
-On the subject of cultural differences, making a peace sign with two fingers is ok, but if you do that and flip your hand around you pretty much just flipped someone off, if not worse. Please keep your deuces back in the states.
-The Underground (Tube) system is one of man’s greatest engineering accomplishments. I absolutely love it. If only Kansas City had something even remotely similar.
-You actually can enjoy London for cheap. Most museums are free, so you should never run out of things to do. It’s the living expenses that really rack up the costs. But lucky for us, we have an amazing supermarket down the road. You can, in fact, survive on peanut butter sandwiches and apples, especially if it means a trip to Spain or Italy down the road.
-On the subject of money, you don’t have to tip here! Hooray!
-Londoners dress exceedingly well, but I’ve found you can kind of mimic their style by having a few essentials, namely boots, skinny jeans and tights.
-Like I said, umbrellas here are clutch. This is my golden rule for London.
I’ve also learned that doing the whole across-the-ocean-relationship thing is in fact very doable. Pete and I have been sending e-mails back and forth every day, and I honestly feel like we’ve become stronger. His e-mails are great—they sound just like he talks, so the distance isn’t as difficult.
Lucky for me, the distance isn’t permanent. I get to see him in 13 days (but who’s counting?) when he visits for a couple of days en route to his semester in Pamplona, Spain. We’re planning small trips to Paris and Ireland this semester and after I’m done with my program, I’ll spend two weeks traveling through Spain with him. I’m so excited for him to finally get to Spain and get the experience he’s been wanting for so long. He’s going to do great there.
I’m going to finish up a few more things, then hit the pillow. Updates from Wales and pictures to come! Cheers!
Here are a few more pictures of the past few days:
This was Trafalgar Square during the Russian Festival last Sunday.
We went to the Tate Modern on Tuesday. Inside the front entrance was a huge, manmade crack. It got everyone's attention right away.
A close-up of the intriguing crack.
From the seventh floor of the Tate Modern, we got a pretty good view across the Thames into downtown City of London. There's St. Paul's!
Here is emap's world headquarters where I will be working the next three months!
Thursday, 17 January 2008
Feelin' Wicked
I have known the soundtrack to Broadway's "Wicked" by heart for over two years, and tonight I finally get to see it on stage! In the 10th row, front and center, no less! You can't imagine how excited I am about this. Or maybe those of you who know my obsession can. I've heard the London cast is spectacular. I'll fill you in on the show later tonight or tomorrow morning.
Today has been a great day thus far. I went to the Emap offices in Soho, where I was met by an amazing supervisor and staff. The office itself is so cool--very hip and contemporary set-up and a young and tech-savvy staff. Also I'm pretty excited about our lenient dress code. I can wear office slacks or skirts one day and jeans the next, which is great, since I'm over here with a limited wardrobe anyway. My supervisor, Lillian, is wonderful. She's extremely friendly and is set on giving me a lot of personal responsibility over projects this semester. She says I could easily walk away with at least three or four projects I've managed from conception through execution, and have a ton of work and clips to show for it. I'll be working in account services, but I'll also be doing a lot of trend research and strategy planning with Lillian. She's such a vivacious and intelligent woman. I know I am going to learn so much from her. Also, we get a ton of free magazines, music and access to TV show and movie screenings and premiers, shootings and other exclusive events. Maybe I'll meet a few Brit stars while I'm here! Who knows?! I start Monday at 10 a.m. (Hooray! No 7 a.m. commute!) I'lll keep you updated as the job progresses. I'm already helping to analyze and strategize a campaign for a local non-profit for children. Perfect--right up my alley! I am going to have an incredibly fun time here. I am absolutely thrilled.
I've got to run and eat before Wicked. Stay tuned for more, especially the next few days during my journey to Cardiff, Wales!
Today has been a great day thus far. I went to the Emap offices in Soho, where I was met by an amazing supervisor and staff. The office itself is so cool--very hip and contemporary set-up and a young and tech-savvy staff. Also I'm pretty excited about our lenient dress code. I can wear office slacks or skirts one day and jeans the next, which is great, since I'm over here with a limited wardrobe anyway. My supervisor, Lillian, is wonderful. She's extremely friendly and is set on giving me a lot of personal responsibility over projects this semester. She says I could easily walk away with at least three or four projects I've managed from conception through execution, and have a ton of work and clips to show for it. I'll be working in account services, but I'll also be doing a lot of trend research and strategy planning with Lillian. She's such a vivacious and intelligent woman. I know I am going to learn so much from her. Also, we get a ton of free magazines, music and access to TV show and movie screenings and premiers, shootings and other exclusive events. Maybe I'll meet a few Brit stars while I'm here! Who knows?! I start Monday at 10 a.m. (Hooray! No 7 a.m. commute!) I'lll keep you updated as the job progresses. I'm already helping to analyze and strategize a campaign for a local non-profit for children. Perfect--right up my alley! I am going to have an incredibly fun time here. I am absolutely thrilled.
I've got to run and eat before Wicked. Stay tuned for more, especially the next few days during my journey to Cardiff, Wales!
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
Westminster Abbey photos and more
I forgot my camera that day, but luckily my roommates are great photographers and were generous enough to let me post their photos on my blog. Enjoy!
You literally get off the tube stop and bam! Hello Big Ben!
The Millenium Eye across the Thames River from the Westminster area. It's being cleaned now through March, but we're hoping to catch a clear day and go on it to get a great view of London.
Big Ben and myself. Obviously, the I am outshadowed by the tower. Fact: Big Ben is actually the bell inside the tower.
Houses of Parliament. We're taking a class trip there sometime during the semester.
Steff and I in front of Westminster.
Look at how gorgeous the outside of the abbey is! It's absolutely incredible.
Walking in through the Great North Door of Westminster. So beautiful.
The three roomies outside of Westminster. We were so excited to go inside, but not so happy that we couldn't take pictures once we were there. It's just something you have to see for yourself.
This is one of my favorite shots of London so far. I actually stole it from my roomie, Pam, who is the superior photographer.
I love the musicians in the tube. This one was playing an accordian and had a wooden heel and a tamborine attached to her shoe for the rhythm. She was actually really good!
You literally get off the tube stop and bam! Hello Big Ben!
The Millenium Eye across the Thames River from the Westminster area. It's being cleaned now through March, but we're hoping to catch a clear day and go on it to get a great view of London.
Big Ben and myself. Obviously, the I am outshadowed by the tower. Fact: Big Ben is actually the bell inside the tower.
Houses of Parliament. We're taking a class trip there sometime during the semester.
Steff and I in front of Westminster.
Look at how gorgeous the outside of the abbey is! It's absolutely incredible.
Walking in through the Great North Door of Westminster. So beautiful.
The three roomies outside of Westminster. We were so excited to go inside, but not so happy that we couldn't take pictures once we were there. It's just something you have to see for yourself.
This is one of my favorite shots of London so far. I actually stole it from my roomie, Pam, who is the superior photographer.
I love the musicians in the tube. This one was playing an accordian and had a wooden heel and a tamborine attached to her shoe for the rhythm. She was actually really good!
Three great days
I've had some of the most incredible experiences in the past three days. I’m still in sightseeing mode. I’m not quite hooked on the idea that I’ll be here for four whole months, not just two weeks. But I'm sure once I get my internship started and get in the groove of the workforce, I'll be much more like a Londoner (or at least be able to act like one) than a tourist.
Sunday we had a sort of late start but decided to head back to Trafalgar Square to see more of the National Gallery and experience the Russian Festival taking place in the square. Unfortunately, the festival was extremely difficult to get into with long queues (lines, in American speech), and a crowded concert-like atmosphere. There weren't abundant booths of food or vodka, so it didn't seem like it would be my cup of tea. (Just kidding about the vodka, parents!) So instead we walked the Renaissance period of the gallery, which was spectacular. I stood just feet away from Da Vinci's 'Virgin on the Rocks' and gorgeous sketch of 'The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and John the Baptist.' It was absolutely breathtaking. I'd never been witness to such famous art before, so this experience was extremely moving. I also saw many of Raphael's and Michealangelo's works, amongst many other famous artists. We've only tackled about a fifth of the museum so far. Luckily, it's free, so I have access to the amazing collection any time I want. Just a couple of tube stops away! You've got to love all the free museums in London for that reason.
I thought Sunday night was going to be a night in, but Pam and another friend and I felt up for a pint. We hit up a last call at a pub and then decided to explore a local wine bar, just 30 seconds from our flat. It was tucked away a bit and hard to spot if you hadn't been looking. We entered the basement venue and were greeted by the lovely Russian owner. We spent the next two or so hours there chatting and enjoying her delicious wine selection. I also had my first interaction with "real, live" Brits. Two guys, John and Matt, who are physicists working for CERN (Yes, the place that invented the Internet. You also may recognize the place if you've ever read Dan Brown's Angels and Demons.) sat down and talked with us about everything--from the job of a physicist to the hot ski spots in Europe. It was nice to finally have a good conversation with someone who is not American. It's weird, but it seems like Americans always find eachother or seek eachother out at pubs. The accents give us all away, and I guess it's a good commonplace to start conversation.
Yesterday, our big tourist point was Westminster Abbey. If you ever go to London, this should be your top sight. You’re right in the middle of everything--Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the Thames River. But the abbey itself is the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. I knew I had to visit it because my mom would kill me if I spent four months in London and failed to go inside. Last time we were in town, it was Sunday and only open to services. This time we hit it on a Monday, and it was an experience I’ll never forget. It is an absolutely breathtaking structure. The architecture is so old and intricate; you could literally spend hours staring at the walls and ceilings. But what’s even more incredible is the amount of history within the floors and walls. I saw the graves of Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, Charles Dickens, Chaucer and Charles Darwin, just to name a few. I learned about how the abbey was made and all the incredible artifacts used in coronations. I saw paintings that were over 700 years old. It was definitely worth the £7 admission. I plan on seeing it again at some point. I’ll get some pictures up here as soon as I can.
Another big thing on Monday was that I found where I’d be working this semester. I’ll be placed at EMAP (check out www.emap.com), a big media group that has over 50 magazines, 42 radio stations and seven digital television stations. It’s a big business-to-business conglomeration, and I found out I'll be helping out with account services, serving the liaison between EMAP’s clients and the business. I’ve been told that I will have a lot of personal responsibility overseeing projects through from beginning to end, so I’m really excited to get some good hands-on experience. I think it sounds like a perfect match. I’ve heard from other students who’ve worked with them in the past that it’s a great place for ad majors. I’m really optimistic about it. Even if it isn’t exactly what I expected, it’s a great resume filler. I mean, I get to work in downtown London! Who does that? (OK, a lot of people, but I feel I’m doin’ all right for my age.) I start my internship next Monday, but I have an official interview this Thursday with my supervisor. I’ve heard she’s great, and I’m looking forward to meeting her and getting a tour of the office. I’ll keep you posted on everything.
Today we got our bus tickets for Wales (only £20 to Cardiff and back! So awesome!) and then explored the Tate Modern. It’s an amazing contemporary art museum and absolutely huge. I saw some great work by Matisse and Picasso and Andy Warhol. I was hoping I’d see some Dalí, but there’s actually a museum in London called Dalí Universe that features a lot of his work. It probably has an admission fee, but that’s ok. Totally worth it. Dalí’s pretty trippy, but still amazing art to see. I also think Pete’s taking me to see more Picasso at a museum in Spain. I’m not going to lie, being in warm Spain right now would beat out the rainy, chilly London weather. Hurry up spring!
Coming up this week: I FINALLY get to see Wicked! Hooray! I will have to restrain myself from singing the entire musical along with the cast. Tomorrow we’re going to the Museum of London for class and Friday is the day we travel to Wales. Very exciting. Stay tuned for pictures and more.
Sunday we had a sort of late start but decided to head back to Trafalgar Square to see more of the National Gallery and experience the Russian Festival taking place in the square. Unfortunately, the festival was extremely difficult to get into with long queues (lines, in American speech), and a crowded concert-like atmosphere. There weren't abundant booths of food or vodka, so it didn't seem like it would be my cup of tea. (Just kidding about the vodka, parents!) So instead we walked the Renaissance period of the gallery, which was spectacular. I stood just feet away from Da Vinci's 'Virgin on the Rocks' and gorgeous sketch of 'The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and John the Baptist.' It was absolutely breathtaking. I'd never been witness to such famous art before, so this experience was extremely moving. I also saw many of Raphael's and Michealangelo's works, amongst many other famous artists. We've only tackled about a fifth of the museum so far. Luckily, it's free, so I have access to the amazing collection any time I want. Just a couple of tube stops away! You've got to love all the free museums in London for that reason.
I thought Sunday night was going to be a night in, but Pam and another friend and I felt up for a pint. We hit up a last call at a pub and then decided to explore a local wine bar, just 30 seconds from our flat. It was tucked away a bit and hard to spot if you hadn't been looking. We entered the basement venue and were greeted by the lovely Russian owner. We spent the next two or so hours there chatting and enjoying her delicious wine selection. I also had my first interaction with "real, live" Brits. Two guys, John and Matt, who are physicists working for CERN (Yes, the place that invented the Internet. You also may recognize the place if you've ever read Dan Brown's Angels and Demons.) sat down and talked with us about everything--from the job of a physicist to the hot ski spots in Europe. It was nice to finally have a good conversation with someone who is not American. It's weird, but it seems like Americans always find eachother or seek eachother out at pubs. The accents give us all away, and I guess it's a good commonplace to start conversation.
Yesterday, our big tourist point was Westminster Abbey. If you ever go to London, this should be your top sight. You’re right in the middle of everything--Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the Thames River. But the abbey itself is the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. I knew I had to visit it because my mom would kill me if I spent four months in London and failed to go inside. Last time we were in town, it was Sunday and only open to services. This time we hit it on a Monday, and it was an experience I’ll never forget. It is an absolutely breathtaking structure. The architecture is so old and intricate; you could literally spend hours staring at the walls and ceilings. But what’s even more incredible is the amount of history within the floors and walls. I saw the graves of Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, Charles Dickens, Chaucer and Charles Darwin, just to name a few. I learned about how the abbey was made and all the incredible artifacts used in coronations. I saw paintings that were over 700 years old. It was definitely worth the £7 admission. I plan on seeing it again at some point. I’ll get some pictures up here as soon as I can.
Another big thing on Monday was that I found where I’d be working this semester. I’ll be placed at EMAP (check out www.emap.com), a big media group that has over 50 magazines, 42 radio stations and seven digital television stations. It’s a big business-to-business conglomeration, and I found out I'll be helping out with account services, serving the liaison between EMAP’s clients and the business. I’ve been told that I will have a lot of personal responsibility overseeing projects through from beginning to end, so I’m really excited to get some good hands-on experience. I think it sounds like a perfect match. I’ve heard from other students who’ve worked with them in the past that it’s a great place for ad majors. I’m really optimistic about it. Even if it isn’t exactly what I expected, it’s a great resume filler. I mean, I get to work in downtown London! Who does that? (OK, a lot of people, but I feel I’m doin’ all right for my age.) I start my internship next Monday, but I have an official interview this Thursday with my supervisor. I’ve heard she’s great, and I’m looking forward to meeting her and getting a tour of the office. I’ll keep you posted on everything.
Today we got our bus tickets for Wales (only £20 to Cardiff and back! So awesome!) and then explored the Tate Modern. It’s an amazing contemporary art museum and absolutely huge. I saw some great work by Matisse and Picasso and Andy Warhol. I was hoping I’d see some Dalí, but there’s actually a museum in London called Dalí Universe that features a lot of his work. It probably has an admission fee, but that’s ok. Totally worth it. Dalí’s pretty trippy, but still amazing art to see. I also think Pete’s taking me to see more Picasso at a museum in Spain. I’m not going to lie, being in warm Spain right now would beat out the rainy, chilly London weather. Hurry up spring!
Coming up this week: I FINALLY get to see Wicked! Hooray! I will have to restrain myself from singing the entire musical along with the cast. Tomorrow we’re going to the Museum of London for class and Friday is the day we travel to Wales. Very exciting. Stay tuned for pictures and more.
Monday, 14 January 2008
More pictures!
I have some good updates, but I wanted to get these up here first.
Steff, Pam and I in front of Hogarth Road, our home for the next four months.
The flag is up, so the Queen is home!
Pam and I in the tube station. The tube is AMAZING! I wish we had one in KC.
Little girl feeding pigeons and squirrels in Hyde Park.
Gorgeous in the winter...I can't even imagine what Hyde Park will be like come spring.
Pam and I enjoying lunch in Hyde Park.
A statue atop a gorgeous arch in Green Park.
Victory in the sunlight! (A rarity in London, from what we can tell so far.)
A cool view of Victory in front of Buckingham.
The taxis, the rooftops and chimneys...so London.
Pretty view of Big Ben in the distance.
Steff, Pam and I in front of Hogarth Road, our home for the next four months.
The flag is up, so the Queen is home!
Pam and I in the tube station. The tube is AMAZING! I wish we had one in KC.
Little girl feeding pigeons and squirrels in Hyde Park.
Gorgeous in the winter...I can't even imagine what Hyde Park will be like come spring.
Pam and I enjoying lunch in Hyde Park.
A statue atop a gorgeous arch in Green Park.
Victory in the sunlight! (A rarity in London, from what we can tell so far.)
A cool view of Victory in front of Buckingham.
The taxis, the rooftops and chimneys...so London.
Pretty view of Big Ben in the distance.
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