Busy Days and Fun Times

I haven't updated this blog in awhile, and that's ridiculous and I'm sorry. I promised to keep everyone updated, but this lack of posting recently is mostly due to how routine some of my days are becoming and how much work has been piling on my desk. The spring semester is always busier than the fall, and this is definitely no exception.

So what has been keeping me busy? Answer: The sudden school work. I'm halfway done with my semester abroad (eek!), which means midterm season galore. I wrote one paper on working and living conditions during the Industrial Revolution, and have a midterm and a paper due in my Political Change in 20th and 21st Century Britain class.

And remember when I said that classes in the UK make students be more self-sufficient? This is definitely true. From the British students and graduates I've talked to, they spend much less time in formal class and much more time in the library doing their own reading and researching on the subject. So basically, the last few weeks have been spent sorting through the piles of books on my desk, taking notes and writing furiously to stay on schedule.

No worries though. I, of course, have found ways to keep life in London exciting, as if every day here isn't already filled with some kind of excitement.

This week was half-term recess in Parliament, meaning no bills or session was to be had. Some MPs worked in their constituencies for the week, while some went on vacation. For me, this basically meant that I went on one more tour of Parliament with my Political Change class and then gave a quasi-tour to one of my friends.

On the forever-loved Saturday afternoon, we traveled to Camden Town Market in North London. A lot of it was like the other Markets we've been to, but it was a little more punk-ish in a way. Probably because it was in North London. And rain aside, it was a pretty fun time.

Lesson learned: When in doubt about a market, buy some food. You can't go wrong.

I also spent Saturday night watching "The King's Speech." After hearing countless glowing reviews of the movie and saying "I'll just wait until I'm home to see it," I just decided to fork over the 7 pounds and go to the theater.

It was so worth it. The movie itself is pretty amazing, and I would definitely recommend it. I don't know if I have ever cheered as much for a character to succeed as a did for Albert throughout that movie. Despite being a movie centered around therapy sessions, the plot development and the writing kept the story moving and I was never bored. And I was on the edge of my seat throughout the King's speech announcing the beginning of World War Two.

Besides that, it was also worth it just to see some of the reactions of the British moviegoers. They sometimes laughed at parts that I wouldn't have, which just shows how much I don't really understand about different British dialects. It was also slightly odd to see the old footage of Hitler knowing that it actually played in London theaters. The shots of planes over London, bomb sirens blaring, and Buckingham Palace probably also struck me more in a London theater than they would have in a stateside theater.

Either way though, the movie is definitely worth seeing. I would recommend it to everyone.

And now it's back to Midterm studying. Sorry again for the lack of pictures. Don't worry though, because I will definitely invest in batteries for my camera before going to Edinburgh, Scotland this weekend! Expect a ton of photos of beautiful architecture and landscapes next weekend, though hopefully I'll have a chance to update before then.

Cheers!