London calling.

Hello!

I am currently sitting in an Internet cafe basement in Leicester Square because I haven't been able to check Gmail or update this blog at my residence. The moody Wifi (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't) is a popular topic in our flats. The only good thing about it is that it has given us something to talk about and bond over in the first week.

Anyway, I don't really know where to start. I really am going to try blogging each day which will make my life easier. There's a computer lab back at school.

I guess some highlights the past week or so (in no particular order):

1. Portobello Road Market: flea market/bazaar. We heard about a vintage sale going on in an old theatre so we went. I found an awesome pair of green boots from the 1980s and I love them. They were only 28 pounds! There are a lot of new and vintage stores there so I definitely will be going back. Amazingly, that pair of boots is the only thing I've bought that I don't really need. I also had a crepe from a crepe stand there and it was pretty good, but definitely not as good as KC's, a little crepe place right outside LMU's doors.

2. We Will Rock You: at the Dominion Theatre. This is the musical that features Queen's music. The music was pretty awesome but we couldn't understand why they musical has been running for 7 years straight...We figured it's because they don't want to remove the huge golden statue of Freddie Mercury from the front of the theatre. The plotline and production is rather tacky, if you ask me. BUT it was highly entertaining and free so I won't complain much more. I'm hoping to watch Phantom and Les Mis pretty soon.

3. Stonehenge and Bath: Stonehenge was as cool as a pile of rocks can get (and smaller than you may think). Bath was wonderful!! The Roman baths are so cool. But the town itself is really great. Think of a little English town nestled among hills and you get Bath. But there are also a lot of cute shops and streets and pubs. I had a delicious English breakfast there: sausages, bacon, ham, eggs, chips, and beans. Beans are so yummy with breakfast. Who would have thought? But the best thing about Bath was getting to see Jane Austen's old home! She lived there for a bit and her door is marked: "Here lived Jane Austen". So some of us girls went to worship at her door..and take a ton of pictures, all the while hoping that the current residents wouldn't catch us.

4. Inauguration Day: yesterday!! I wasn't able to watch the ceremonies live but I celebrated by taking a picture with Obama! A bunch of us went to Madame Tussaud's which was having America Day - U.S. citizens got in for free. The line to take a pic with the new statuesque president was 40 minutes. But it was worth the wait. I got to hug him :D Then I had class in the evening but after class we went to a local pub for a celebratory pint. Then we realized that we had to do something American. So, of course, we trekked 20 minutes to McDonald's! And it was the most perfect thing (McDonald's restaurants in London are pretty fancy). Nothing beats cheeseburgers, french fries, and McFlurries - at least on Inauguration Day whilst in London. Most people here are very happy. Obama is in the newspapers, on TV, on people's shirts even. One woman in the street, after realizing that we were American, turned around and said "Well done!" Well done indeed.

Well, I'll have to end here. I had hoped to post pictures but don't have them with me right now. Next time. Oh and just to let you all in on my plans: I am going to Dublin this weekend with some friends just to check it out. And then the weekend after that I am going to Istanbul, Turkey on a field trip for one of my classes! I am very excited for both!

I hope everyone is doing very well and enjoying the weather, which I hear is quite warm. It is still chin-numbingly cold here but today is nice and sunny so I am loving it : )

Thanks for reading!