Reverse culture shock?

I've been home for 18 days now - almost 3 weeks. It has flown by so quickly; I feel like I was in London only a week ago.

There was hardly any reverse culture shock, but missing London hit pretty hard. Harder than I was expecting. I went on a really long walk with the dog several days after coming home, 4 hours to be exact (2 hours to the beach, hung out at the beach for a bit, 2 hours back), and it was pretty disappointing. The streets looked really big and were stressful to cross, the scenery and skyline wasn't as fun, the sky wasn't as blue and clouds weren't as fluffy. However, it was beautiful arriving at the beach. That made up for the walk.

So I will say that, though I was slightly bummed at first, after 3 weeks of being home, after spending several days at beautiful LMU, after waking up and walking outside to wonderful mild weather, consistently blue skies, and clear breezes, I am falling in love with California all over again. And I really truly am glad to be home.

It doesn't hurt that I've had some help along the way. As I said, I went back to LMU to visit and to camp out during graduation weekend. Saw people that I missed and picked up right where we had left off. So that was comforting.

I also had to report for jury duty for the first time. I evaded it the first time, got called in while I was in London, and then was told I had to come in this time or else. Since I'm not working yet, I didn't mind going too much. I was pretty intrigued by the whole process and the possibility of witnessing a court session. Also, watching the introductory DVD on "the best judicial system in the world" and "the best country in the world" was interesting. Brought up mixed feelings of pride as well as doubt. In the end, I didn't have to serve on a jury.

It's also nice to be back to the US dollar instead of constantly converting and trying to budget. The only source of money I had when I was abroad were my parents. Now, I can go back to work (if Gap ever gives me hours as they said they would) or scrounge around (e.g. just babysat today for a couple of hours) as well as rely on my parents (not going to lie).

Movies have surprisingly helped. I've watched Sliding Doors which is set in London and a couple others with British actors. Everytime London is mentioned on TV, I can't help but give a little shout out. I'm looking forward to watching Mary Poppins and Spiceworld soon. Even seeing Simon Pegg (who plays a Scot, but is really a Brit) in Star Trek helped fill my London void.

All in all, coming home has been great. But I do feel different. In the first week especially, I had to remind myself that I was here and not there. I was here in LA, but my mind would wander back to London. I kept thinking about people I knew in London continuing on with their lives there. I couldn't help but walk through the streets of South Kensington which I could see so vividly. I had to tell myself to focus on conversations I was having with friends because it was harder to respond excitedly or appropriately.

I was worried about the questions that people were going to ask, but, surprisingly enough, the "How was it?" question hasn't been difficult to answer. It's my own inability to talk about my study abroad experience that has been difficult. Because I want to talk about the trip. I could theoretically talk and talk and talk. But when people do ask specific, interesting questions, it's hard for me to even begin. And you'd think that all this journaling and blogging that I've done would've helped! But I suppose, in the end, I've always been more of a writer than a talker. And for that reason, thank you to everyone who has read this blog for the past couple of months.

London is now a thing of the past. That college opportunity which had tickled my fancy in high school has been taken advantage of to the fullest. I have come back with new tastes to old favorites, with opened eyes and keener ears, and uprooted but excited visions. I am so grateful to have been able to go and I can't wait to go back...to visit/revisit!

My end-of-semester internship report.

This was my report on my placement for my internship seminar, a class where 9 of us students met once a week with a professor to reflect on our experiences in a British workplace. I thought it would give a good idea of what I've been doing at my internship.

Introduction

My time studying and working in London has posed questions I never could have expected and provided answers in ways I never knew possible.

I. Workplace Profile

Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership (THEBP) is dedicated to serving the primary and secondary schools of the Borough of Tower Hamlets and providing them with volunteering schemes. THEBP’s role is “to encourage the public and private sectors to work with schools in Tower Hamlets on a range of projects designed to raise achievement and provide pupils with opportunities to improve their work related skills” (www.thebp.org). THEBP was established in 1991 and is a member of the National Education Business Partnership Network (NEBPN). The NEBPN is the umbrella organization for 126 Education Business Partnerships across 11 regions in England.

The Borough of Tower Hamlets in London’s East End is about 8 square kilometers but houses a quarter of a million people. Tower Hamlets includes the areas of Spitalfields, Bethnal Green, Bow, Stepney & Wapping, Poplar, Canary Wharf, and the Isle of Dogs. Though the City of London is nearby, Tower Hamlets is one of the poorest boroughs in the UK. THEBP employees often brief their volunteers with these statistics on Tower Hamlets: 66% of Tower Hamlets pupils qualify for free school meals against a national average of 18% while 64% of Tower Hamlets pupils speak English as a second language. The borough is inhabited largely by Bangladeshi and Pakistani populations.

From personal conversations with THEBP coworkers and a volunteer at one of the events, I learned that the other Education Business Partnership branches are smaller than THEBP and provide less support for their schools and volunteers. Because THEBP serves such a disadvantaged borough, the office receives much more money from sponsors than other branches. As a result, THEBP staffs about 20 employees, of whom about two-thirds are full-time while the rest are part-time or contractual. THEBP’s Board of Directors includes persons from Lloyd’s Community Programme, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Merrill Lynch, City of London, Clifford Chance, and schools in Tower Hamlets. THEBP also regularly works closely with companies such as Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, Barclay’s, Lloyd’s of London, and RBS.

THEBP strives to aid schools by promoting more effective student learning and engagement by implementing a range of projects through which “business people help students develop their confidence and raise their aspirations by bringing both practical experience of the world of work and presenting a positive role model” (http://www.thebp.org/).

THEBP employees usually tell their volunteers that many Tower Hamlets students just don’t have access to the world of work because some of them come from unemployed households or laboring class households. One of my supervisors, Rebecca, said that at an event at the Lloyd’s building some time ago, a couple of students were 45 minutes late because they stood outside the building not knowing they had to go in and talk to reception. THEBP hopes to provide Tower Hamlets students with the communication, social, and corporate skills that others take for granted.

II. Internship Description & Learning Analysis

Since I was hoping to be placed in a school, I was pretty disappointed from the beginning of the study abroad program, especially since I had heard from other education students who had been in London for the fall semester and had great experiences with their school placements. When I learned that I was going to be at a company called Education Business Partnership, I became even more disappointed. The “Business” part of the company’s name really turned me off. I had no desire to be in an office or any corporate setting, which is what “Business” implied. However, being realistic, I told myself that I would make the most of whatever my placement turned out to be and that I would learn as much as I could from working with a British company.

My expectations were way off. THEBP turned out to be one of the friendliest, most understanding, and interesting workplaces I’ve been in. Though the office was professional and business-like, the employees were engaging and kind. Everyone said hello to me, all the time. Everyone was interested in meeting me. During the first week, I had meetings with the different departments, even though I rarely worked with all of them. My supervisor, Rebecca, wanted to make sure that I had a good understanding of the whole company, in order to better inform my specific tasks for her. Furthermore, THEBP employees were all supportive of each other’s projects. There didn’t seem to be any job competition – although people in the office weren’t outspokenly passionate about the improvement of Tower Hamlets education, it was evident that they all cared very much about their work. I remember one coworker, Im, coming from his desk upstairs to talk to Ian downstairs and ask if he could help Ian in any way for one of the upcoming events.

My supervisor was Rebecca who was Secondary Projects Manager, meaning she organized the project schemes for the secondary schools. Typically, I helped Rebecca create certificates, input data from student evaluations, draft letters to schools and volunteers, and research ideas for reading and math quizzes. I was also able to help organize and attend a Public Speaking Competition with her. I was also fortunate enough to help other coworkers with various tasks. I helped Megan edit a business mentoring training handbook. I observed a primary level volunteer training session held by Alice. I attended 2 all-day business enterprise conferences called Getting Ahead with Ian. THEBP was conducive to an internship placement because they understood that I was a student: they were flexible with my workload but they also knew that I wanted to experience as much of the office in the short amount of time that I was there. Furthermore, though I wasn’t given any huge tasks, the projects I was given were engaging and required creativity.

Just as important as the work I did for THEBP were the interactions I had with my coworkers. Coming into my internship, I wasn’t thinking too much about my social and communication skills; I was thinking about my technical knowledge, education experience, and presentational skills. However, I soon realized that, for this internship experience, just talking to my coworkers was as important as the work. On one level, I had to learn how to read their gestural cues and body language because sometimes I couldn’t understand their accents. On another level, I had to learn how to react to my novelty status in the office; I was usually introduced as the American intern, people often asked questions about being American, my boss constantly took jabs at my culture-starved country. In that sense, I had to learn how to be in the spotlight and deal with the pressure. On the most important level, I was able to talk to my coworkers about their experiences working for a charity, about being British, about living abroad (many of them had traveled and worked elsewhere). THEBP became one my best resources in London.

One of the most valuable lessons I gained at THEBP was awareness of the charity sector. I hadn’t really associated charity organizations with professional settings. As an LMU student, I was very aware of the post-graduate service opportunities available both locally and globally – at least in placements involving hands-on work. I knew about programs like Teach for America, JET, the Peace Corps, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and Greenpeace. However, I didn’t associate charities like THEBP with service opportunities. My rationale was that if you were getting paid, you weren’t performing service. Working at THEBP was an eye opening experience because I realized that the employees there are working for their living, but they are also living for their work. Because they are engaging in projects that make a difference in the lives of others, they have no qualms in saying that their work is important. They believe in work. It was interesting to see that a charity needs an accountant, an IT manager, a head honcho to schmooze with very important persons. It was a corporate environment with primary and secondary school students for clients. At the same time, THEBP employees understand that life is meant to be enjoyed. They take holidays regularly, they leave the office at a decent hour, they take tea and lunch breaks to chat. I have come to realize that this is all important because when trying to make a difference in the lives of others, you yourself must also remain healthy and inspired. One of my education professors at LMU, who was also a full-time high school teacher, said that she takes time to travel because the only way she knew how to enlighten her students was to stay enlightened herself.

On that note, I have found that my career plan has been evolving. During high school, I fancied myself a “missionary.” Now I realize that I didn’t really understand what that meant, it just sounded good and important. When college came around, I formulated a roadmap to success: I would graduate with a BA in Liberal Studies, I would teach and work for my Master’s in Education simultaneously, and then I would attain my EdD by the time I was 28. I would also live, preferably by performing some volunteer work, in another country for a good amount of time sometime during those 7 years. However, the article “To Hell with Good Intentions,” confirmed what I have been rethinking over the past year: that if I have any sense of responsibility at all, I should “stay with your riots here at home…you will know what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how to communicate with those to whom you speak” (Illich). I realize that my passion lies in studying the education of Asian American students. These Asian American students can be found in the US. The Illich article confirms for me that it is okay to remain in the US if that is where I belong. I am not any less worldly because I remain in my home country.

At the same time, working at THEBP has helped me realize that service is not only found in the deserts of Africa or the tropics of South America. Service is found in charities like THEBP. Furthermore, because THEBP works largely with South Asian student populations, I found many correlations between the South Asian British students and Asian American students (e.g. in themes of self-identification). This brings me to my next point. My supervisor Rebecca gave me a great piece of advice: always be aware of my skills and talents and passions and never settle. I have realized that my skills and talents and passions could happily take me into a career path involving organizations like THEBP. My plan no longer looks the same as it did 4 years, a year, even 6 months ago. I understand now that I may or may not end up in the classroom right away. I may or may not live abroad as I had dreamed. If I do end up abroad, I will know that I go to gain global perspectives and global experiences.

III. Cultural Analysis

One THEBP-specific cultural encounter was the humor of my boss, Mike. He was a friendly older man, the head boss of THEBP. He had his own closed office and would disappear at times to talk to corporate sponsors and other important people. At the same time, he was willing to answer the receptionist’s phone if she wasn’t in and pick up the post and make a cup of tea for everyone. He was also willing to crack a joke at my American-ness at least once a day. I realize now that this bothered me more than I like to admit. A typical conversation between Mike and I went like this:

Mike: And where are you jetting off to this weekend, Lara?
Me: I’m staying in London! I’ll probably try and check out the [insert museum].
Mike: Ah, trying to get a bit of culture. I suspect you don’t get enough of it at home, do you?

Or like this:

Mike: Do you know Andy Murray?
Me: No, can’t say that I do…
Mike: Oh, I forget for you Americans nothing else exists besides basketball and such.

I got used to Mike’s jests and learned to take it with a grain of salt after realizing that he was probably being sarcastic and exaggerative, in true British fashion. But I have now realized that his humor really bothered me for a while because an American boss would not so easily take the liberty to poke fun at a foreigner’s nationality. America is so P.C. and I was not used to dealing with such jibes. Also, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to joke back, which left me laughing politely and feeling rather idiotic.

Another cultural shock: London’s diversity. I was surprised by how many languages I encountered in London. Walking in South Kensington alone is a linguistic feast – I can easily hear French, Arabic, Bangladeshi, Cockney, and Polish on a 10 minute walk. Coming from Los Angeles, I was expecting to be used to the diversity of London. I had eaten food from China, Cuba, Mexico, Thailand – I felt I had all the necessary tools to acculturate myself in London. I was surprised, therefore, by how differently London’s diversity manifests itself. Maybe because the city is more condensed than LA or maybe because London is part of a UK/European country or maybe even because I am so accustomed to LA’s diversity, I felt London’s diversity very differently. Everyone seemed to be from everywhere and, just as significantly, the British seemed to have gone everywhere. People in my office have lived and holidayed all over the world – India, Canada, San Francisco, Australia, Chile. I have never worked with such a well-travelled group. This affected my internship experience because I was able to talk to my coworkers about the joys and frustrations of living in another country. Some even talked about moving to Germany or France like it was no big deal, probably because it is so accessible from London. So even though I have to go back home to California, now that I have studied in London and travelled in Ireland, Italy, France, Austria, Greece, and Turkey, the world does seem more accessible to me now. Furthermore, through THEBP, I have had regular interactions with British people. Consequently, I am nervous to go back home. The article, “The Final Frontier: Going Home,” captures my fears exactly: “Friends and family may expect the same person that left to be coming back home, but you might find that, due to your experience overseas, others may be uncomfortable with the fact that there is a part of you and your life experience to which they cannot relate” (Andreshak-Behrman). Just as significantly, I am expecting myself to react to home in the same way, but I am nervous to find out that maybe I won’t.

Conclusion

No matter what happens when I go home and what happens in the far future, I believe my time in London and with THEBP has enabled me to better adjust myself in any situation.

Getting involved.

When my study abroad program first started, FIE gave us membership cards for the student union at the local university, Imperial College. Membership allowed us to take advantage of their gym, their pub, and most importantly their student organizations. I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet non-American students (everyone in my program and classes is American), so I decided to check out the Imperial College Union website and see what they offered. There were a couple interesting looking clubs, but an organization called Community Action Group caught my attention. I already missed my service organization at LMU so I figured it would be worth checking out.

On our second Sunday in London, two other LMU guys, Sam and Alex, and myself made our way to one of the Imperial residence halls at 7 PM. I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure what we would encounter. We arrived at this little residence kitchen where a small group of students were sorting food. They were really welcoming right away and so our relationship with CAG began.

CAG is an organization that picks up leftover food from chain cafes called Pret-a-Manger and Eat (I can't even think of similar stores in the US, these places sell ready-to-go sandwiches, wraps, baked goods, coffee and they are everywhere) as well as from Whole Foods. So on Sundays they pick up all these leftover sandwiches, cakes, bread, wraps, salads and then make tea, coffee, and hot chocolate in these huge urns. Then they all pile into an Imperial College minibus and drive about 20 minutes into the middle of London to a designated spot where homeless persons know that they will be. CAG passes out the food and drinks from the bus.

That first Sunday I participated was an eye opening experience. The homeless were there already waiting for us and as soon as we parked they gathered right around the bus. I didn't have much to do because there were enough students passing out food so I just got out of the bus and mingled a bit. The first guy I had a full conversation with was named Leo; he was from Romania but had lived in Canada and Ohio for a bit and had been living in London for a couple of months. He had studied some kind of science and had come to London to find work. However, he wasn't finding anything which is why he was on the street. I've never participated in homeless service back in LA because it isn't something that I'm particularly passionate about, but talking to Leo started to change my ideas of homelessness. He was intelligent, kind, well-travelled, and nothing like I had imagined homeless people to be.

So over the course of the past 4 months, I've attended CAG's food run at least half a dozen Sundays, maybe more, I didn't really keep a tally. I've met backpackers from Belfast and breakdancers from Poland. I've handed cups of hot chocolate (the most popular beverage) to teenagers and vegetarian sandwiches to an elderly guy who recently had a stroke. Sunday food runs with CAG never disappoint.

The other great thing about CAG has been the student members. The surprising thing was that most weren't British. Among the regulars were the German president, a Slovenian girl, a Finnish girl, a Polish guy, a Bavarian guy, another German guy, and then 2 British guys, one of whom said he didn't consider himself British at all, having gone to boarding school in Europe.

After the food run, we often went to the college pub for a drink and to hang out a bit. That was usually just as fun, if not funner, than the food run. On one occasion, we also went with CAG to an event called "Voices from the Edge," which was a performance about poverty and homelessness. Actors sat on stage and performed stories from a script. It was really interesting.

Another night Sam, Alex, and I made our way to Brixton, about 40 minutes south from Kensington, to watch a jazz performance. After we had sat down, we looked around to check out the crowd. Sam nudged me to tell me that one of the guys sitting at the next table over looked like the CAG president. I looked over and agreed. And then we realized it really was him! Turned out he lived a couple minutes away, but had never been to that bar, and had coincidentally decided to check it out that night. It was a nice surprise seeing him there and that was one of the times when I felt that London was becoming familiar.

CAG has also been beneficial, especially for Alex. He's travelling around Europe for the next couple of months and needed somewhere to store his luggage. After asking the RA and trying to find decently priced rental storage with no luck, he decided to email one of the CAG guys. He said no problem, so now Alex doesn't have to pay for storage!

Getting involved with CAG has definitely been one of the highlights of my London time.

The Alps fill my heart..

..with the sound of music? Although I will say that the Alps I experienced looked nothing like they did in The Sound of Music (or were those the Swiss Alps?). Anyway, I had such a good time in Austria, riding the slopes of St. Anton. I flew into Friedrichshafen airport, which is in Germany, and then hopped over to Austria. This was one of my goals, to ski the Alps, so I felt like I was living a dream while I was there! It's taken me a while to post this entry, so just for reference, I was in Austria from March 27-29.

My Tyrolean style hostel, Haus Schoepf, in the village of Schnann.

Breathtaking.

The Germans know how to make 'em (the base of the huge gondola).

St. Anton base - couldn't ask for better weather or lift lines.

Dense but super fun snow.

For my amusement..

..and convenience I suppose. I know people will be asking me what was different about British English when I get back and if I don't think about it beforehand, my terrible memory will fail me.

American English terms and their British English equivalents/pronunciations:

- studying (as in for school) = revision
- keg = "cake" (for words that are spelled the same, but pronounced differently I will use quotation marks)
- quotation marks = speech marks
- cover letter (for job applications) = covering letter
- lines = queues
- restrooms = toilets, loos, or W.C. (which I believe stands for water closet, don't ask me why)
- TV = telly
- ads = adverts
- vacation = holiday
- paid leave = annual leave
- national holidays = bank holidays
- resume = CV
- sixth = "sic" (or it might be "sict")
- university = often abbreviated to uni
- sublime = "soobleem" (I think that's what I heard on a commercial)
- Band-aid = plaster
- check (at restaurants) = bill
- elevators = lifts
- cell phone = mobile phone
- exit = way out
- mail = post (as in "I'm going to check the post")
- Byzantine = BI-zan-tIn (those are both long I's, pronounced "eye")
- renaissance = ruh-NAI-sawnce
- Pantene - "Pawntehn"
- movie theatre = cinema
- Leicester = "Lester"
- Gloucester = "Gloster"
- Tottenham = "Tot'n'um"
- Fulham = "Ful'um"
- West Ham = "West Ham" (this is a trick one!)
- Southwark = "Suth'erk"
- planner = diary
- Jell-o = jelly
- awesome (as in "it was awesome") = brilliant

I'll keep adding to this : )

Work it out.

One of the things that I miss a lot about home is being able to go to the gym. At LMU, I can get into the gym as early as 6 in the morning to as late as 11:30 in the evening. In Gardena, I can go to the YMCA 5 minutes away because my family has membership there.

In the past 3+ months, I have gone on a run once and gone to the gym never. We were given information for the local college's gym, but in order to use the facilities I had to pay monthly. I figured I couldn't count on myself to go regularly so it would have been a waste of money to pay up. As for running, it was just way too cold for a while and I'm not good enough of a runner to deal with it. On the day that I did go, it was starting to get warmer and I still had to put on a bunch of layers.

So 3+ months later, I find myself itching to get back to the gym. Even though I walk everywhere here and have to climb about 86 steps to get up to my flat at the top floor of a Victorian townhouse (no lift!), I can see the difference working out makes. It helps me sleep better, eat better (working out on a full/bloated stomach is no good), retain more energy.

A big reason that 3+ months went by without me missing the gym too much was that gym goers are not very obvious around here. I don't see women in track suits or carrying yoga mats. I don't see a gym in every neighborhood. There are no monoliths of exercise centers like there are in LA (though I have seen an LA Fitness gym here!).

Don't get me wrong, I know that there are a good amount of Londoners who work out. I've seen plenty of joggers, especially on nice days. But a lot of the joggers I've seen look like hardcore marathoners. They don't look like your average exercise enthusiast going out to stretch their muscles. They look like they run for a living. I also haven't seen very many cyclists - though I have seen plenty of bike commuters. However, I have seen numerous cycle shops. So I suppose they're out there somewhere. Probably out in the suburbs where they're least likely to get hit by a crazy London driver (I met a British student who said he's gotten hit by a car while on his bicycle).

One of my coworkers also says she swims regularly to stay active. When I told her that my dad does triathlons, she seemed pleasantly surprised and asked if triathlons are a big thing in the States. She said triathlons have been popular for a long time around the UK and Europe. And I met another British guy who said that he enjoys marathons, not for the competition but for the exercise. Furthermore, aside from cycle shops, there are also lots of stores for outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, rock climbing, etc., etc. So I'm sure there are plenty of people in London who work out regularly. My point is that it's a very different culture than that in Los Angeles.

Perhaps, the weather makes the hugest difference, but LA is just more friendly and open. It's not necessarily cleaner than London, but somehow parts of LA definitely feel cleaner. Especially around the beach cities. I love that people don't smoke as much, that refreshing food is easily accessible (I dared to have my first Mexican burrito here the other day and while it was tasty, it was very heavy and greasy, not to mention badly wrapped), that friends go out on jogs together to socialize.

So even though Los Angeles probably looks intimidating to visitors (who knows maybe I'll notice things about the people that I've never noticed before, once I come back) and even though I sometimes feel a lot of pressure to look my best, I do miss seeing people everywhere working out. I can't wait to get back and hit the gym!

The great outdoors.

For the past few weeks, I've been thinking that I wouldn't want to live in London again. Don't get me wrong, I have loved my life here and I can say, with no restrictions, that I love this city. London offers so much - museums, nightlife, cuisine, history, music, shopping, literature, fashion, transportation. However, I don't think I could live here for an extended period of time again. Visiting would suffice in the future.

Something holds me back from embracing London as my home. When I leave London, I won't be able to look back and say, "I lived in London for 4 months." That little verb, "lived," presents a whole load of niggling (one of my British professor's favorite words) thoughts. Perhaps because this is the first time I've been away from family and friends on my own, I've felt the pull of home so strongly while here. At the same time that I haven't allowed myself to think of London as home, London hasn't made itself home for me.

When out and about London or traveling outside of the UK, I have said "It'll be good to be home again," when referring to London. But in retrospect, I realize that I was looking forward to the familiarity of the city and the comfort of my room in my flat. I wasn't calling London "home" in the same way that I can call Gardena or LMU "home."

Anyway, this entry is moving away from what I intended it to be. I can continue this reflection of what is and isn't home some other time. What I really wanted to write about was one of London's offerings that I will miss tons: its parks! I can find museums, nightlife, music, shopping back in LA (though I in no way mean to say that all these things are the same in both cities), but I won't find parks in LA that can even compare to those in London.

There are parks all over London. I think part of the reason is because people don't have yards in London. I live about 5 minutes from Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. The crocuses started to appear several weeks ago and it is beautiful. Though even when the trees were all bare and the sky gray, the parks, in their starkness, were still beautiful. Kensington Gardens features Kensington Palace (former home of the young Queen Victoria and Princess Diana), the Diana memorial fountain, and the Prince Albert memorial. Hyde Park includes the Serpentine (a body of water used for boating among other things) and lovely gardens.

Regent's Park, about a 20 minute tube ride away, is home of the London Zoo, huge sports pitches, and Primrose Hill. I visited Primrose Hill for the first time on one of the first days that it was consistently warm throughout the day, one of the first days of spring. We climbed the hill to take in the view but ended up joining all the other picnickers lounging around on the grass.

My favorite park so far has been Holland Park, about 10 minutes away by tube. Holland Park features a Dutch garden, a Kyoto garden, lawns, and peacocks. My favorite part of the park, though, is the majority of the park which consists of dense woodsy patches, dirt trails, and wildflowers. Once you walk through the gate on the west side, it's like entering another world. It reminds me of a campground. I made my way there after work on a particularly nice day and just walked around. My office had received a bunch of complimentary boxes of chocolates so I had that with me. I decided to sit down on a bench in front of some flowering trees and try some of the truffles. I bit into a raspberry and white chocolate one and I felt like spring through and through. I know it sounds a little silly, but it was one of those perfect moments. I must've looked a little odd, sitting alone on that bench, in my work get up, thoroughly enjoying my chocolates, but it was so nice. An elderly couple, a man pushing a woman in a wheelchair, passed by and seemed pleasantly amused at the sight of me; they smiled over and the man said, "Hello!"

I do wish I could bring the parks back with me.

On accents.

This entry will be about accents because that topic nicely ropes in a bunch of random tidbits that I've been wanting to blog about.

1. I can't tell you how many times people told me to start working on my British accent before I left and how many times people have asked since then if I've acquired a British accent (which is a pretty dumb question and not funny after the second time). Needless to say, I was very aware that British people speak differently than Americans. The British accent is a novelty among Americans. However, no one told me how conscious I would become of my own accent. I've even had out of body instances where I've heard other American accents with an open ear - I can understand why the American voice may sound rather brash in comparison to Brit accents.

2. While here in London, other English speakers have asked me to repeat myself because they really couldn't understand what I was saying. Usually for small things, like asking for a glass of water, but the point is that I now know what it is to be misunderstood by fluent speakers when speaking that same language. It's an odd feeling.

3. I knew that there are different British accents, just like there are different American accents. However, I didn't know that these different Brit accents can be vastly different. People who speak the Queen's English are generally the easiest to understand for me. Colloquial accents are easy to understand too, but when a person talking with that accent starts to talk quieter and/or quicker, it gets harder to understand. Also, I've learned that people from northern England sound almost Scottish (at least to my American ears they do). One of my bosses is from north England and I often find myself concentrating carefully to make sure I understand what she says. One time we went to lunch and the girl at the cashier, who was also British, actually asked her where she was from because of her accent. The cashier said nothing to me about my own accent, which I thought was funny.

4. I've seen a lot of people on the tube glance over/outright stare at friends and I once we start talking. I'm not particularly self-conscious usually, but I've gotten enough attention that I will now make an effort to be quieter. On the other hand, I've also pretended not to understand English when street vendors are more aggressive. I always figure that with my Asian face, it's perfectly plausible that I wouldn't understand English.

5. An example of a conversation gone wrong with a British acquaintance once went like this:
British dude: So you have keg parties in America?
Me: Cake parties?...
British dude: Yea, keg parties. In college?
Me: Ohhh, keg parties.
British dude: [sarcastically] I said that word wrong, didn't I. Keg. Keg parties.
Me: Wait, so are you asking me about keg parties or cake parties?
British dude: Keg parties.
Me: [laughing]
British dude: Beer! Barrels!

6. This past Wednesday I saw the play Three Days of Rain (which I really enjoyed and recommend) starring James McAvoy. He acted with an American accent which I thought was very good. Seeing as after the play, when we went to the stage door for his autograph signing, he spoke with a lovely Scottish accent. The lead actress, who was just as good an actor, unfortunately did not have such a convincing Southern accent.

7. In Austria last weekend, I met and hung out with a group of 9 business grad students staying in the same hostel, which was a pleasant surprise since I thought I would be alone all weekend. This was the introductory scene: I drive up to the hostel in my taxi at 12:30 AM. A big group of people seem to be approaching the same hostel. As I pay the driver, the group walks into the hostel. I follow them in, say thanks to the guy holding open the door. A table in the hallway immediately grabs my attention with a note - "Lara, welcome. Please take room 2 to your left. Breakfast is served from 8 to 10 am. See you tomorrow!" As I'm reading the note, in my near delirious state after having traveled 6 plus hours, I hear, of all things, American voices saying, "Hey! Are you just getting in? Where are you coming from?" Turns out the people coming in were all American and it was so nice talking with their American accents (though even more so because they were very friendly). I never thought American accents could elicit such relief!

8. I still get a kick out of it every time I hear a kid on the street saying, "Mum!" or "Mummy!"

9. The other week I was talking to a student at the local college. I thought she was American, but then found out she was from Finland. She sounded almost exactly like an American, but it was funny because she couldn't understand some of the things I said and had to ask me to repeat myself

10. One time, at one of my work events, a British woman asked if we had a plaster. I thought she meant glue but that didn't seem right, so I referred her to my British coworker - "Let's ask Ian..." She was asking for a band-aid.

Okay, that last one isn't really about accents, more about vocabulary, but I thought it was funny.

I hope this accentuation of accents has accentuated my wonder at some of the cultural exchanges I have found most surprising.

Proper theatre.

I had an epiphany when I saw Shakespeare's Twelfth Night back in February. I discovered that Shakespeare is not necessarily overrated, that I am not as dense as I thought (at least when it comes to Shakespeare), that I actually retained some of what I learned in high school.

Twelfth Night was so good. I saw it at Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End. The production was awesome. The stage set was pretty spare and the costumes were rather Victorian instead of Elizabethan, but everything worked really well for the performance. The actors were so good. Duke Orsino, Lady Olivia, Viola, Malvolio, Sebastian, Mariah, Feste - they all were captivating.

Furthermore, not only were the themes involving love and identity relevant for today's world, but the language and plays on words were just as understandable. Throughout the performance, I couldn't believe that it was a 400-year-old script.

As soon as Duke Orsino opened the play with the line "If music be the food of love, play on," the story came flooding back to me. I read the play during freshman year of high school with an awesome English teacher. I wrote my first critical analysis paper on the play (I think I wrote about the "masks" each character wears). Watching the play for the first time after 7 years was like eating a favorite food I hadn't eaten in a very long time.

I remember really liking the play in high school. I thought it was because we did a close reading of the book, but now that I think about it, I also read Hamlet and Macbeth closely in high school and I still don't particularly care for either.

Twelfth Night definitely has become my favorite play by Shakespeare. Though I suppose my mind can change if I ever see Hamlet or Macbeth or any other of his plays on stage. Because after all, they are meant to be seen, not read.

Once the Globe theatre opens in April, I will hopefully be seeing Romeo and Juliet, which should be fun!

As for other theatre outings here in London, so far I've seen We Will Rock You a musical featuring music from Queen (my grade: B, though I can't complain too much about this one because my study abroad program paid for it), Twelfth Night of course (my grade: A++), and Les Miserables (my grade: A, I loved Jean Valjean, Javert, and Eponine). Before I leave London, I would like to see The Phantom of the Opera, a play called Three Days of Rain starring James McAvoy, and Madame de Sade starring Dame Judi Dench. It's great here in London because if tickets are available, it's pretty easy to see plays for 10 pounds, even with big names attached to the production. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Natasha??

About 3 weeks ago, I started to get mysterious calls from an unrecognizable phone number. I was able to pick up one day (it must have been the 2nd or 3rd call from the number). I said "Hello?" and a tinny girlish voice responded, "Nai-TASH-a?"

Me: "I'm sorry, who are you looking for?"
Girl: "Nai-TASH-a??? Nai-TASH-a, is that you?"
Me: "I'm sorry, there's no one here by that name.."
Girl: "Who is this??"
Me: "Who is this?"
Girl: "I'm looking for Natasha."
Me: "Yea, there's no one here by that name. I think you've got the wrong number."
Girl: "Okay." Hangs up.

It was funny because the girl's voice was high pitched and rather worked up. She was obviously American with a slight southern lilt. I imagined her as a drunk/silly college girl trying to call a friend.

But the next day, the girl calls again. We have the same short conversation, with me a little bit more annoyed because this girl is using my rented cell phone's minutes.

Fast forward 2 weeks. I'm in Paris, sitting on my mom's hotel bed, checking my voicemail for the first time in a month. I have nine messages. The first three are junk or no longer relevant.

The fourth one, then, comes as a complete surprise: "Hi Natasha, this is Hannah and Ava...We just wanted to say that we are huge fans of your music. My daughter, Ava, especially likes your music. We've called before but she was too embarrassed to leave a message, so I will! We absolutely love your song "A Pocketful of Sunshine." We're actually in Texas but we just wanted to call and say that we love you and your music! We'd love to hear back from you! Bye Natasha."

My initial reaction is shock. These people think that they can just call the cell phones of international pop stars?

And then I start laughing.

Amused, I save that message to my archives and go on to the next. Now it's the daughter, Ava, with whom I had spoken several weeks before. Same tinny voice: "Hi Natasha, this is Ava. I just wanted to say that I really love your song "A Pocket..A Pocket Full of Sunshine." I got your CD for Christmas and I just really love it. I would love to hear back from you! I really like your music. Bye Natasha."

More laughter from my listening end.

I save that message as well and move on. The next one is also from Ava, though much shorter: "Hi Natasha, this is Ava. I just wanted to leave a message. It would be great to hear back from you! Bye." (It might have been my imagination, but she did sound a little more dejected.)

And that was the last from crazy Natasha Bedingfield fans Hannah and Ava. I can't even imagine how they thought that my rented cell phone number was the number of the pop artist.

This was especially funny because, before I heard the voicemail, I had told friends about the girl who kept calling me asking for Natasha. However, I told the story imagining that the girl was some sorority girl looking for her friend Natasha. How far from the truth that was.

I would give out fake numbers too, if I were Natasha.

After seven years dreaming.

August 2002: Lara starts French classes at Bishop Montgomery high school and immediately loves the French language. Dreams about visiting Paris.
January 2007: Lara starts a French class at LMU after a semester of no French and remembers how much she loved her four years at Bishop. Dreams about visiting Paris.
January 2008: Lara starts her second French class at LMU and wants to study abroad in Paris. Dreams about visiting Paris.
January 2009: Lara starts her study abroad trip in London because LMU doesn't have a semester program in Paris. Dreams about visiting Paris.
February 28 - March 6, 2009: Lara is in Paris!!

I loved Paris. It really agreed with me. I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up living there somehow sometime. I can't say that I love it more or less than I love London, but j'adore Paris, no doubt about it.

Instead of pictures for this trip, I will post blurbs about the 10 things that I did that I enjoyed the most (in no particular order).

1. Ice cream at La Flore en l'Ile: Paid 11 euro (about 12 US dollars) for 2 scoops of Berthilon ice cream, whipped cream, and caramel sauce. Was worth every cent. The ice cream was luxurious - the caramel had nougat in it and the vanilla had beans in it. Also, the cafe was behind the Notre Dame on the island in the middle of the Seine. With the accordian player on the pont (bridge), I felt the spirit of Paris.

2. French dinner at L'Alouette: I had one of the tastiest and most satisfying meals I have ever had at this restaurant. I am about to sound rather pompous, but as a native of Los Angeles, California, that is a big statement. I had preserved duck and sauteed potatoes.

3. Musee d'Orsay: Though a big museum, Musee d'Orsay is nowhere near as big as the Louvre. Nevertheless, at every corner I was welcomed by fabulous works of art. Manet, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Gauguin, Delacroix, Pissaro, Courbet, Matisse. They were all there. I absolutely loved Van Gogh's stuff. Prior to the trip, I knew that he was cool, but I didn't understand all the hype about his work. Seeing his art alongside others and, more importantly, seeing the original made such a big difference. The brushstrokes, the thickness of the paint, it's all so good. I loved the Louvre, but I actually loved the Musee d'Orsay even more.

4. Centre Pompidou: I learned about the Centre Pompidou in high school so I knew exactly what it looked like. I wasn't even planning to visit it, but on my last full day I was wandering around Montmartre and somehow remembered the Centre Pompidou. I thought, I'm going to try to find the Centre Pompidou - I can get some good shopping done! I don't know why, but I had been convinced that the Centre Pompidou was a shopping center! So I made my way towards it and when I finally saw it, I thought, this is such a cool building. I snapped a couple of photos, looked towards its front doors, and realized that it's a museum of modern art! The biggest modern art museum in Europe, actually. So I ended up going in, even though I don't really like modern art, because I figured I ended up there for a reason. Like my experience with Van Gogh's art, I have newfound respect and appreciation for modern art. I really enjoyed it.

5. Coffee at Les Deux Magots: One of my aunt's friends recommended this cafe to my aunt. My aunt didn't get to go so I went when I was wandering around Paris alone. It looks like a normal Parisian cafe with indoor, outdoor, and terrace tables (I sat in the covered terrace), but apparently it was once a literary and intellectual hubbub. I didn't know that at the time so I sat down thinking it was famous for its food. I ordered the cheapest thing - the house coffee for 4 euro. It was worth every cent. It was just coffee, no milk at all, some sugar - but it was delicieux!

6. Saint Sulpice: This basilica was in The Da Vinci Code, so I went in to visit while I was passing one day (as much as The Da Vinci Code was bogus, I wouldn't have known to go into Saint Sulpice otherwise, so cheers to that). There are 21 chapels around the basilica! I was really excited to see one for St. Anne so I lit a candle, the first I'd lit in Europe. The meridian line was also there, indicated by bronze in the marble floor.

7. The organ at Notre Dame: I have no less than three recordings of the organ playing at Notre Dame. It really set the Gothic tone of that beautiful cathedral. I could have listened all day. And the pipes were huge! (Think the talking organ in the Beauty and the Beast Christmas movie..)

8. Public transportation: The metro system in Paris is quite extensive. We bought passes and they were well worth our money. We were able to go everywhere we wanted to go by the metro. The Parisian metro is not as nice as the tube (in fact, it's rather dingy in comparison), but the metro seemed to be just as useful. It's also interesting to see how people are on the metro. There's definitely a kind of silent, polite aura in the tube (for the most part), but in the Parisian metro people seem more intimate. I also took the bus a couple of times. I'm a huge fan of buses after travelling to all these places - I might even venture out and try the LA buses (though I hear they are not the same).

7. La cimetiere de Montmartre: This is a huge old fashioned cemetery (though not the biggest in Paris, so I guess I just really recommend going to any of the big cemeteries). There are tombstones and mausoleums, windy cobblestoned roads, spindly trees. I wandered in the Montmartre cemetery for about an hour and a half. It was really easy to stay that long. Alexander Dumas and Edgar Degas are among those buried there. I wasn't creeped out at first, but after coming upon a row of mausoleums that just swallowed me up, I started to get the chills. In a good way.

8. Chocolate eclairs at Boulangerie Alexine: When I was walking around Montmartre on my last full day in Paris, I passed by this bakery. I stopped briefly to look in the window and kept walking at first, but then I somehow turned back. I got a chocolate eclair and it was delicious.

9. Crepes at St. Germain Creperie: This place was suggested to me by two LMU study abroad friends who were in Paris that week too. It was this nice hole-in-the-wall place on a busy cobblestoned road in the very center of Paris. I went by myself around 2pm and when I got there only one table was occupied by two women. I stood by the door for a couple of seconds, not knowing if I should seat myself since there were no hosts or waiters to be seen, until the guy who was smoking outside when I went into the creperie came in and told me to take a seat anywhere. Just after I ordered, the women at the other table left and I had the whole place (though tiny) to myself. The smoking guy who seated me and took my order (for a chihuahua crepe) then went into the kitchen to roll up his sleeves and cook my crepe! I had my very own creperie and chef! Anyway, it was one of the best things I ate in Paris. It was a crepe laid flat on a plate, with a concoction of chicken in a yellow currylike-creamy sauce with onions, carrots, and pineapples. Tres tres bien!

10. Versailles: I would go back to Paris just to see the Versailles gardens alone in the summer. Even in winter (albeit the end of winter), when most things were hibernating or gone (e.g. leaves on trees), the gardens were beautiful. And vast. I can't even describe how big the gardens were. Gardena could probably fit in the Versailles gardens. I also loved le petit Trianon, a favorite getaway for Marie Antoinette. And of course I don't really need to say how gorgeous the actual palace is. Though I will say that I thought the Vatican museums were as beautiful, just in a different way. Oh, except for the walls. I loved the Versailles palace walls.

I know I talk a lot about food in this post, but I wasn't about to starve myself in Paris, one of the culinary capitals of the world, and some of the best times I had were when I was eating.

Of course, I also went to and loved the Eiffel Tower (though I wasn't too much a fan of the hourly light show at night), the Louvre, the Champs-Elysees, Gare du Nord, the Tuileries, but it would all be way too much to write about.

I threw a coin into the Trevi fountain in Rome to ensure that I would make it back someday, but I don't need a lucky coin to know that I will be back in Paris.

Roma

It seems fitting to call a city its name in its own language, which is why I've been doing it for these posts. Not to try and prove that I've conquered the city or language. Though it was easier to use Italian than it was to use Greek; "ciao" and "grazie" aren't too much to handle.First stop after checking in at the hostel: the Colosseum. As soon as you walk out of the metro station it punches you in the face.
Inside the Colosseum; I included this to show how blue and clear the sky was that whole weekend!
This picture was taken when I delivered the opening address to the games. Apparently the Colosseum was later used as a fortress with kitchens and such. Which I believe explains why there are those maze-like structures in the arena.

Gelatiiiiii (which is pronounced gelato): I had 3 cones of gelati over the course of 2.5 days. Creme caramel, tiramisu, cioccolate fondente (chocolate chunk), cannella (cinnamon), fior di panna (creamy vanilla). Yum.

Streets of Rome at night - beautiful!

Awesome shot at the Trevi fountain taken by my friend and travel buddy for the week, Cynthia.

At the Roman forum. I'm obsessed with those trees in the background.

View from a hill at the Roman forum. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Sunny and warm, but fresh crisp air.

The Pantheon at night. Who knew that it's used as a Catholic church?? They have regular masses there still..

Il Fornaio bakery: my friend Nicole who is studying abroad in Rome right now took us around to a bunch of local favorites, but Cynthia and I discovered this bakery on our own! Nicole said she had heard of it and was happy we found it. We were quite proud of ourselves.

From the Vatican museum walls: one of my favorites.

At the Vatican museum: the rooms aren't all decorated exactly like this, but they are all ornately decorated. It's a must see.

Sistine Chapel: I have renewed respect for Michelangelo. This was amazing. There were frequent announcements over the intercom in several languages telling us visitors not to take photographs. But everyone blatantly disregarded them.

St. Peter's Basilica and Piazza: we climbed 460 steps (Cynthia counted) to get to the very top of the Cupola (the Dome of St. Peter's) and were rewarded with this spectacular view.

I threw a coin into the Trevi, so I will be back in Rome! And gladly so.

Athina

Souvlaki - tasty. Pitta - delectable. Tomato - fresh.

Oh, I guess a picture of the Parthenon is necessary.

I was just a little happy to be there, in that gorgeous weather.

Hands down my fave statue at the National Archaeological Museum. She is made of marble, found in Athens, c. 440 BC. Her robe is being blown by the wind.

The Theatre of Dionysus. I loved imagining ancient Greeks walking around here.

Shop til you drop. Or die.

Instead of studying for my midterm tomorrow, I will post a quick entry because I had a good day.

I don't have class on Wednesdays but next Wednesday I have an interview with my potential internship placement. So I decided to take the tube and figure out how to get to the company location. It was a good thing I did because it took me half an hour to find the building when it should have only taken me about ten minutes.

Then I hopped back on the tube to find some lunch at a place called S and M Cafe, recommended to me for good British grub. The cafe reminded me of Jerry's Deli, slightly. Really good food for cheap. I missed out on the morning special (buy a drink, get a free breakfast buttie, i.e. sandwich). But my chicken BLT sandwich and chips were delish and under 5 pounds. It was nice eating lunch quietly by myself. They played "Benny & the Jets" on the radio and I felt like Jane from 27 Dresses, in a good way.

After lunch, I decided to hit Oxford Circus to buy some clothes for my internship interview. Of course the first store you see after emerging from the Oxford Circus tube station is the monolith that is Topshop. I veered right to Gap - I wasn't ready for Topshop just yet. I spent a good amount of time in Gap trying on pants and such, but nothing was working out. I was also getting very warm. I don't know whose idea it is to keep stores warmer but it is not a particularly good idea especially when shoppers walk in all bundled up. Come on, store management. You want shoppers to be comfortable, not sweating buckets.

I wasn't really sweating THAT much, but I would have appreciated a cooler environment.

Anyway, at Gap I just bought a top for 6 pounds which made me happy. But that under-10-pounds goal soon went out the window.

Next stop was Urban Outfitters which was amusing because it looked exactly like the stores back home. I swear the staff even dresses the same. Didn't buy anything here.

Finally, I gave in and ventured over to Topshop. It was madness. I don't know what they're trying to make out of it - maybe a Harrod's for the masses? But they had a candy shop going, a shoe "lounge," a hair salon where people were actually getting their hair cut, a nail salon where girls were actually getting their nails done, "vintage" jewelery cases each equipped with its own salesgirl..

I wonder how much they lose in revenue because of theft. It was crazy in there.

But I digress. I will admit, I stayed for a good amount of time because I was on a mission to find some "business casual" clothes. Three surprisingly short fitting room lines, two hours, and one more bucket of sweat later, I left Topshop with a pair of tailored pants, ankle boots, brogue heels, and a sense of satisfaction.

Oh yea, then I went back to Gap and bought a trench coat I was coveting. It was on sale! And I had to complete my outfit.

After all that, I just wanted to get back home and take a cold shower. Which I did. What I won't be doing is going on another shopping spree like that, at least until the end of this trip in the unlikely occasion that I need to spend my leftover pounds. If so, I will spend it on something extravagant. Preferably from Burberry or Vivienne Westwood.

Cupcakes and cookies and crepes, oh my!

I almost forgot my password for this blog...that's a sign that I need to post more often!

Anyway, I'd like to dedicate this post to all things sweet.

If you know me well enough, or really if you know me at all, you know that I love anything with sugar. More specifically, desserts and baked goods. In fact, the other day I had honeycomb crumble cheesecake for dinner (because I had eaten in the middle of the afternoon and didn't feel like ordering a proper meal when we went to an Italian restaurant later that day). There's another LMU girl here who has just as big of a sweet tooth as I, so we have made it our mission to try everything with loads of sugar. She might even be worse than I as she always buys candy bars or cookies as the grocery store!

Cupcakes:
The Hummingbird Bakery, South Kensington: Beautifully decorated cupcakes with awesome cream cheese icing. They have specials of the day (like marshmallow) but they also carry staples like chocolate and vanilla. My favorite so far is the red velvet cupcake.

Candy Cakes, Covent Garden: Wouldn't call these cupcakes beautiful, but they are way cute. So many crazy colors! The frosting looks more like that fondant icing. I had a really good toffee banana cupcake (by the way, London seems to love toffee - you'll find it in candy bars, in banana bread, in McFlurries - toffee is like the chocolate chip here).

Next stop for cupcakes: Primrose in Covent Garden, which Jess said was really good, and Crumbs and Doilies which unfortunately only has a stand at the Partridges Market on Saturdays - I don't know when the next Saturday I'm in London will be.

Cookies:
Sainsbury's: I've actually had delicious chocolate chip cookies here. They come in a pack of 4 or 5 for about 1 pound. They're labelled "American style" because they are soft and chewy. They aren't as good as those Nestle break-and-bake cookies but very satisfying, especially since they're about the size of a CD.

Tesco: Also has freshly baked chewy chocolate chip cookies, about 41p each. Sooo good.

Next stop for cookies: I've seen Oreos in grocery stores so I know I'm going to be craving those soon. McVities Digestives chocolate cookies are everywhere. They don't sound or look the most appealing but Jess says they're good, so I'll try them sometime. Also a chain bakery called Ben's Cookies. I bought a huge chocolate chip cookie from Harrod's that looked delicious, but was of the crunchy cookie kind, so I didn't enjoy it too much. And it was sickeningly sweet.

Crepes:
Portobello Road Market: There are several crepe stands here. I ordered a simple crepe with banana and cream, but the cream was just whipped cream from the bottle. It was good for a snack while shopping around the market, but not something that I'll be dreaming of.

Creme de la Crepe, Covent Garden: Great range of sweet as well as savory crepes. Had staples like nutella but also other fun ingredients like some kind of applesauce and cinnamon crumble. I enjoyed my banana and double cream crepe, but it was hard to eat out of the cardboard holder. Also it was a pretty heavy crepe - I watched them cover it with butter while cooking it. Delicious but a bit much.

Next stop for crepes: The Kensington Creperie which is in my hood. I've heard good things about this place. Needless to say, I'm partial to KC's - I miss the easy to tear paper wrapping and homemade custard cream. But I'll continue the search here in London.

Other notable mentions:
Oddono's, South Kensington: This is the most delicious gelato I've ever had. My flat is obsessed with it - we've gone at least once every week, sometimes even twice. I can't say til I've been to Italy and had gelato there, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's comparable. The staff seem to be Italian (at least their shirts all say "Italia" on the back). They make the gelato every day and often switch up the flavors, though staples like chocolate chip and vanilla and mango sorbetto are always around. My favorites so far are tiramisu and caramel.

Bailey's Haagen-Dazs ice cream: I've never seen this flavor in the States but since the grocery store only seems to carry Bailey's and strawberry cheesecake I gave in and tried Bailey's. So. Good.

Okay, I just realized that this post is a little ridiculous, so all I will say in closing is that I love sweets. So sue me.

All that jazz.

I'm not usually particularly into jazz, but a couple of the LMU guys are. About 3 weeks ago (one of the first weeks we were here), the guys couldn't stop talking about jazz and I was down to watch live music especially in London, so we decided to try to find some live jazz. We checked out timeout.com, which has great listings and recommendations, and have been hooked ever since.

We've only been to 3 venues so far, but we're hoping to make this a weekly thing as we've gone once every week since that first time. We've got some prospects for tomorrow night but we usually go on weekdays since it's cheaper (oh and since we've been gone during the weekends).

The stuff we've seen and heard so far:

Zed-U feat. Jason Yarde: Cafe Concrete @ the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre. Really cool spot - small, eclectic. The concrete walls, affixed with painted plates, created an asymmetrical space. The jazz was unlike anything we'd ever heard. Pretty funky. Percussionist, bassist, clarinettist, saxophonist. Also, the saxophonist was controlling an electronic/distortion/synthesizer device with his foot. It was producing some unique, reverberating sounds. We were stoked from this first night which is why we continued to search out places.

The Cedars & Jackie Levin: The Sheep Walk, Leytonstone. The venue was above a pub filled with older men watching a football match. So we were a little confused at first. But when we went upstairs everything made more sense. The space was a mix between a darkly lit bingo hall/2nd grade classroom. It was a lot cooler than I am making it sound. Like that crazy older aunt who chain smokes and wears polyester pantsuits but has travelled all over the world. We played I Spy for a good 10 minutes and these are some of the decorations we spied: a wooden owl, a hanging parrot, a sombrero, roses and roses, Christmas lights, lots of records and memorabilia. The Cedars were a folk band - the stout and tattooed female singer had a nice dense voice. Jackie Levin was a Scottish folk blues guitarist/singer who told stories in between his songs. One of his stories was about Laurence Olivier and Richard (?) Olivier, Laurence's son. Another story was about Shannon Doyle, the Canadian Irish something assassin something transvestite. Awesome performance. Guinness wasn't as good as it was in Dublin though. Good, but not Dublin good.

Robert Mitchell: Charlie Wright's International Bar, Old Street. Nice, candlelit bar. There was a bassist, drummer, and pianist (Robert Mitchell). Great musicians and performers. Robert Mitchell's fingers were flying. And in the last song they played, the bassist's part was beautiful. This jazz was more mellow than that first day, but exactly what I think when I think jazz. One of the guys bought their vinyl recording. It was a really chill time, perfect for relaxing and reveling.

Alright, that's all I've got for now. The list will definitely continue as the weeks pass. These jazz/blues nights are a big part of the reason that I feel I have been taking advantage of living in London. When I get back to LA I am going to try to do likewise.

Let's talk about food!

After cooking myself dinner tonight, I had an urge to write about food and my eating habits here in London.

I've been pleasantly surprised. People who'd been to London before kept telling me to get used to Indian food. I haven't had Indian food yet (though I will for sure). But I've had a lot of different kinds of food when I eat out. For example: Bella Italia, an Italian restaurant, isn't fantastic but didn't bother me so much because I'll just go to Italy for mindblowing Italian food. Bistro Celebre, a French cafe, has delicious French mocha and croissants. Nando's, a Portuguese restaurant, has great chicken and sauces and Portuguese rolls. Beirut Express, a Lebanese counter, has yummy shawarmas (like Greek gyros). Wagamama's, a Japanese fusion restaurant, had nice hot noodles (I ordered what was supposed to be yaki soba, but got something more like chow mein, though it was still really good).

Then, of course, there are the pubs. I don't have pub food very often but the stuff I've had has been pretty good. Fogg's in Camden Town seemed like a pub at first but it was a little more classy. Really good burgers though. A pub in Bath, whose name I forget, provided me with a delicious English breakfast: bacon, ham, sausage, over easy eggs, beans, tomatoes, chips.

I don't go out to eat very much though. I usually go grocery shopping once a week at either Tesco Express or Sainsbury's. Tesco Express isn't really like anything we have in the states..it's the size of a 711 but carries a better quality and a better range of groceries. At Tesco, I can buy fresh fruit and veggies, milk, cereal, bread, sliced meat, you name it. Sainsbury's is a big grocery store, like Albertson's.

I buy the normal boxes and boxes of cereal and litres and litres of milk, bread, eggs, sandwich meat, yogurt, oranges. Breakfast and lunch are easy to do. Dinner, however, takes either a little sacrifice or a little creativity. At the end of the day, if I don't have something good and hot to eat, I get tempted to eat out. So I have to stay stocked with easy to cook but nutritious meals.

Some of my flatmates get bored easily if they eat the same thing day after day, but I don't mind so much. I don't mind eating simple penne and tomato sauce 5 days straight as long as it fills me up. I've also made ramen noodles (stuff I had to cook on the stove, not just Top Ramen) for dinner which was good because I made them chow mein style. The past couple of days I've been having rice. I've never cooked rice in a pot on the stove before, but I've gotten pretty good at it. I haven't bought meat so I just put sliced ham on the stove and cooked them like bacon. Yum. It sounds a little pathetic, but my rice and ham actually made me really happy tonight.

Anyway, point is, I've learned that when you're on a limited budget, what really matters is hot food with some carbs.

In Dublin, I ate sandwiches all throughout because it was the cheapest food I could find. Dublin is expensive. They were pretty good sandwiches though.

In Istanbul, the food was Mediterranean and delicious: bread, cheese, olives, eggs, tomatoes, doner (again, like Greek gyros), tea.

So, food here hasn't been bad at all. But, I'm definitely excited to go to Italy and France and get some real good grub on.

It's snowing in London!!

Went to Istanbul from January 29 to February 1! Here are some pictures.

The Bosphorus: We took a boat tour and got to see the landscape of Istanbul. The Bosphorus is the strait between Europe and Asia. Istanbul is on both the European and Asian side of Turkey, thereby becoming the only city on 2 continents.

Topkapi Palace: Was the royal palace for about 400 years until the sultan moved to another palace. Very impressive rooms, harem, windows. I fell in love with the Turkish tiles. The palace also has a rococo flair though, because it was redone in the 18th century. Seems fitting for a palace in Istanbul, which is truly cosmopolitan.

Egyptian Bazaar: Lots of spices and food and jewelery. Really fun and colorful. The male vendors all try to lure you in and are very aggressive. I bought some delicious Turkish delight!
Hagia Sophia, take 1: I couldn't take a centered photo from the floor of the Hagia Sophia because there was a huge scaffold in the middle for renovations. So this photo shows only half of the height of the mosque! The Hagia Sophia is called the Ayasofya in Turkish, which I rather like.

Hagia Sophia, take 2: It was gloomy the day we visited so the lighting wasn't too great, but the artwork was still amazing. The wooden circle on the left says Allah and the one on the right represents either the Prophet Muhammad or one of the caliphs. I love the painting of the seraph in the top right of the photo.

Dublin

O'Connell Street: One of the busiest streets in City Centre, maybe even the busiest. The Spire was built for the millenium. It is huge!

The River Liffey and the Quays: Prominent in City Centre. Every time we asked for directions before we got a map, we were told, "It's just over the Quays [pronounced 'keys']" or "Go past the Quays" and I was baffled about these keys. Then we found a map and realized what the keys were.

Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse: The middle of the tourist-friendly brewery is designed to look like a giant pintglass. The Gravity Bar is at the very top, the creamy froth! You get a complimentary pint of Guinness and an amazing bird's eye view of Dublin. I'm glad we went at dusk because the sky and lights were spectacular.

Howth: A seaside town 30 minutes west of Dublin. Lots of fishing boats, sailboats, fish markets, seafood. There is also a nice little town. Reminded me of Catalina Island.

Filipino grocery store in the middle of Dublin: There are a lot of Asian people in Dublin. I heard that immigration in the city is going up. It's becoming very international! I had to take a picture and go inside this market because I haven't seen a Filipino market even in London. They had lots of familiar food and familiar smells.

First time I've felt embarrassed as a foreigner..

One of the best things about London is the Underground, more commonly known as 'the tube'. One of the best things about FIE (my study abroad program) is that the day after my arrival they gave us our tube passes, ready to go. Tube passes are called Oyster cards. Don't ask me why they are called Oyster cards, I have no clue. I vaguely heard that in some other country the transportation card is named after another sea creature. My conjecture is that in London, the world is my oyster...Here is a bad picture of my Oyster card. So when you want to use the tube, you have to scan the Oyster card to get into the station and then you have to swipe again to get out of the station. It's important to swipe out because that's how they can tell if you've paid for the amount of traveling you've done. My Oyster card is set only for zones 1 and 2, zone 1 being central London and zone 2 an area that surrounds zone 1. So if I want to travel outside of zone 2, I have to put more money on my card.

Anyway, tomorrow I am going to Heathrow airport which is in zone 6 so I had to put money on my card. So a friend and I went to the nearest tube station to use the ticket kiosk. Sam tried his card first. He scanned his card, clicked the option that said "Top up/pay as you go" ('top up' means to fill your card up; you can also top up a gift card), and inserted his debit card. Then the screen asked which kind of ticket he wanted to purchase. We got really confused because we thought he had already chosen. We tried pressing cancel but that didn't work. We also didn't want to press "zones 1-6" or "single destination" because we didn't want his card to be charged twice.

Sam decided to go to the ticket attendant while I waited in front of the ticket kiosk. Unfortunately, there were two women talking rather frustratedly to the attendant and Sam had to wait a good amout of time. While he was waiting, I stood in front of the kiosk to make sure no one would use it. I felt bad because it was getting to be rush hour and I blocked several people. But I also tried to discreetly watch the people using the next kiosk to see what we did wrong. Though I felt a little foolish trying not to stare so that I wouldn't be accused of stealing debit card PINs, I was able to watch a couple of people top up their card successfully. And I couldn't figure it out! Then, after a woman wearing a large fur coat topped up her card and left right after paying, I realized that her screen had reverted to the same exact screen that Sam's screen was on. The kiosk wasn't asking for more money - it was ready for a new transaction!

So I relayed this to Sam and we had a little conversation in front of other people in line about how we were complete idiots. But Sam decided to check anyways since he had waited for so long and since the women before him had finished. Sure enough, his card had a new balance of 10 pounds.

Just thought I'd share that little incident. Such a smack-yourself-in-the-forehead moment.

Glimpses.

Glimpse 1: Kensington Gardens (which is really a park), about 5 minutes from my flat. This was taken the 1st or 2nd full day I was here. I was amazed by the sunlight. And the trees reminded me of Sleepy Hollow. So pretty.

Glimpse 2: This is the view out my flat's kitchen window. If you look closely, you'll see Mary Poppins. This was a cloudier day, which is still quite nice, if you ask me.

Glimpse 3: Baker Street tube station. It's not a particularly special station, it's not the tube station closest to my flat, it's not even a particularly nice station. I just happened to have my camera at the time (all too often I forget to bring it along). But it's a pretty standard station and still holds charm for my foreign eyes.

Glimpse 4: Obama-rama. Just thought I'd include this, if only to show that I'm safe and sound - in the arms of Obama (though I suppose he's really in my arms). This was, if you couldn't tell, at Madame Tussaud's.

One last note for the time being, everyone is now allowed to post comments here (thanks Agnes)! Just post anonymously and then sign off with your name, unless you want to remain anonymous...

I'd love to hear what everyone is up to!