The Fitzwilliam was absolutely breathtaking. While it is relatively compact, it had the most aesthetically pleasing interior I’ve ever seen. (Pictures will be uploaded to Flickr soon!) It was, itself, a piece of art. The displays were great as well! (No pictures of the displays, I’m afraid.) I was very excited to see Monet’s work…he has been a favorite of mine since a young age.

Cambridge University is comprised of 31 different colleges, each with their own unique history, rivalries and distinguished professors/students. We toured Clare College; founded in 1326, it is the second oldest Cambridge College. We visited the old dining hall, which looks exactly like the hall in Harry Potter, with exception to size. The student lounge and pub (every college has a pub) is in the cellar. We also glimpsed the Chapel, which was relatively plain. I really enjoyed it, but wasn’t overly enthused with the atmosphere of that particular college.

Cambridge itself had little to offer in terms of tourism. Shops and pubs were readily available, but there seemed to be no other attractions. Except a giant candy shop (2 floors) that had several of us entranced for at least 30 minutes. Too expensive. Smelled good.

Our class has been invited each Tuesday to sit in on a teleconference course between Sir Christopher Meyer, the 1997-2003 ambassador to America, and students at UNC-Chapel Hill. I picked up his book today (“DC Confidential”). I’m so excited for this opportunity!

Other then running from a gang of prepubescent boys (see the story at the end), here’s what I’ve been up to:

LSE
My favorite part of this past week has been discovering how unobservant I am. You see, I have just learned that I live three blocks from the London School of Economics. HOW could I not have noticed this???? I immediately applied for a library card and now study there almost every day. I took a tour last week…loved it. Very exciting.

Speaking of universities, I attended a fair for postgraduate studies earlier this week. One hundred universities from across the UK were promoting their programs. I came back with a lot of information and plan on applying to a few summer programs…we’ll see!

Around London
I went on a walking tour of Westminster City, which included seeing the London Eye, the Big Ben clock tower, Parliament, Buckingham Palace (from afar), St. James Park, Whitehall, which is where King Charles I was executed on the guillotine, and Sting’s house. (We didn’t visit his house on purpose; it just happened to be there.) We visited Trafalgar Square (named after the Battle of Trafalgar and displays many statues honoring war heroes), the National Portrait Gallery and Tate Modern, which is considered one of the best modern art museums in the world. I don’t care. I still don’t get how 480 bars of used soap skewered on a pole and dangled from the ceiling is art.

We toured BBC World Service, which is a lot smaller than I imagined it. We were able to sit in on a live radio broadcast and visit the newsroom (quiet, like most web-based news rooms).

Yesterday we were able to see the premier screening for an award-winning documentary titled “The Shape of Water”, which looks at agency in third world countries. You can view the trailer HERE.

I have gone to a few pubs with the other students in the program…it’s a bit awkward. I’m not really into the pub scene, since I don’t drink and would rather make friends in a more sober setting. I normally sip apple juice and keep track of coats or something. I’m also the designated walker. This is the most fun job I have ever had. If I could get paid for it, I would quit school.

Trekking Solo
Friday was the first day that I was able to break away from the group and wander on my own. I know. I’m also shocked that it took me almost two weeks to do this. I wandered through China Town and Soho, which I’ve since determined should never be traversed alone. Yesterday I visited Baker Street and the Sherlock Holmes museum.

Today’s Adventure
I know I’m devoting a lot of space to this story, but it has to be told.

Today I traveled 30 minutes outside of London in order to attend a Harry Potter Society meeting. (Allow me to clarify that I am not a member of this society; in an effort to make British friends, I accompanied two of my roommates, both of whom have joined. Members of the Hufflepuff and Slytherin houses, respectively.)

Unknowingly, we missed our destination by one bus stop and wandered around the wrong sketchy apartment complex for 20 minutes. Twenty of those 20 minutes were spent running from a child gang.

It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if one of my roommates hadn’t yelled at the child on the third floor balcony for pelting her with Halls lozenges. But, she did. We noticed three of them (probably ages 10-12) making their way to the ground. Muttering expletives, we walked out of view and sprinted across the complex. After calling the host of the meeting for directions, we again ran into the group of children, which now totaled six, one of them a young teenager.

We had a staring contest.

They won.

By this time we realized our bus stop error and quickly made our way to the proper location. Like ninjas, the same group, which had amassed to eight children, appeared in front of us. They stared at us and began discussing something amongst themselves.

My roommates are slightly embarrassed that we got back on the bus and returned to London because we were being stared down by a group of children. I, however, will gladly sacrifice my pride to keep my life (and jail-free record).

Besides, I tend to react to scary situations by laughing uncontrollably. Have you ever tried to run while crying from laughter? It’s hard.

Okay, until next time!

We also experienced “Shakespeare and Drama”, which was, indeed, an experience. Not to belittle the other courses, but I’ll probably look forward to this one the most because of our professor. She was terribly funny, albeit eccentric.

We heard her before we saw her. She was telling a story in the hallway in a whimsical voice. (One of my classmates said she sounded like she belonged in “Harry Potter.”) She floated into the room, exclaiming that we shouldn’t sit in a classroom, no, let’s gravitate to the library.

She was Irish, but one could tell she had lived in London for a while. In fact, she lives down the street from Patrick Stewart, she claims. (She told us she saw him once dressed in leather and seated on a motorcycle.) She would say things like, “Oh, but alas” and “just a wee little bit”; she often finished her sentences with “da, da, da” or “etcetera.” She had understood what she meant by it, but we usually didn’t. She also often substitutes sounds for words, and stops in the middle of a sentence to begin another thought.

In short, she was endearing.

The days here are so short!!! Dark by 4pm!!! That’s when class ended today. A bit depressing, really. Trying to keep myself busy by exploring and doing homework (this is not a lie. I’m actually doing it). Tomorrow we shall attend “British Imperialism” and “Art in London”.

Pictures posted on Flickr! Feel free to check them out! (Go to my blog’s homepage; the link is on the right side.)

I was shocked the other day when I entered the British Museum (home of the Rosetta Stone) and the British Library (houses important documents such as the Magna Carta) to find no security. I actually brought my bag of groceries to a security guard to ask if I could bring it in; he gave me an odd look. It was the same for the British Library- we were even allowed to bring in coffee. I’m sad that my experience in America has reduced me to feeling unnerved when I witness what I describe (perhaps ignorantly) as a “lack” of security. It also feels liberating. I don’t have to worry about unpacking my schoolbooks, having my computer examined or emptying my pockets of unimportant, minuscule items. It’s also slightly strange because I’m told that England has the most security cameras per capita of any country and the government frequently browses emails. I suppose secret searches are preferred to blatant ones.

Although, I understand that there was a bomb threat on a plane leaving for Dubai from Heathrow Airport the day before we arrived. According to the news, the man made a spoken threat while the plane was on the runway. I didn’t see much security when I was in the airport the next day. Maybe I should feel apprehensive.

The diversity is immense; the number of foreigners crammed into one city is incredible. UK citizens are very fashionable, it’s true, but they are not very diverse in their fashions. Five minutes after I stepped off my plane I could tell the difference between those who lived in the UK and those who didn’t solely by their shoes (a certain type of boots) and coat (red pea coats for women).

The architecture is very different though. Blue and red doors are the trend, and many of the “nicer” apartments have arched doorways with carved faces at the top of the arch. And it’s incredibly expensive…

We traveled to the University of London today, where we received our student I.D.’s (yay! Although it listed us from the University of California…meh). We were given a short tour and a list of student organizations we can join (although we can’t participate in any competitions the organization may enter). There are two bar options in the student lounge, haha…it was 2pm and students were drinking draft beer with their lunch. I’ll probably return often to study in the lounge and café (non-alcoholic locations)…it seems like a nice atmosphere. I will also be attending a postgraduate program information fair on Jan. 20…a majority of the universities in the UK will be attending, including LSE.

We also toured the British Library, third largest library in the world (behind Moscow and the US, I believe), which is also the library we will be using to study and conduct research. The building was very large, but not ostentatious. Oddly, it was designed in the shape of a cruise ship. The library houses the world’s largest and smallest books, as well as documents of extreme importance, such as the Magna Carta.

I’ve posted a few photos on Facebook! (Hannah S.) I’m sure I’ll be updating again soon, as classes begin tomorrow and I’ll have a lot to talk about.

I am taking six courses:

• London’s Global Connections
• Shakespeare and Drama
• Art in London
• British Imperial Worlds
• The Art of Listening to Music, and
• The London Experience (this class is basically an excuse to tour)

All courses are taught by faculty from various London universities, with the exception of the music course, which is taught by Dr. Oehler of UNC.

There is so much I’d like to do: globetrotting, researching grad programs, joining student organizations (through the University of London) and volunteering…while remembering my priorities and conducting good time management, of course. (For instance, I’ve already scheduled copious amounts of time for being lost. It’s pretty easy for me.)

So…join me?

I’ll try to update this blog once a week. Pictures can be found by clicking the link to Flickr, located on the right side under the category “links”. You’ll also find a link to my blog about Mongolia, if you’re interested. (If you cannot see these links, click the link titled “Home” in the top right corner. It should redirect you to the homepage, where the links are located.)

Just for fun: Here is a link about moats —> Moats (begin the video at 2:40).