Why I Haven't Been Updating

I feel like an explanation of what's been keeping me away from blogging is in order.

One number, two words: 7,500. Word. Dissertation.

In case you're wondering what that looks like, my final page count is 32. This number includes, a title page an index page and a two page Bibliography.

Yes, I made this in Paint using Copy and Paste.
I'm talented.

Mine was simply called "Parliamentary Communication in the 21st Century." I would post it online for any of you at all interested in reading any of this, if I wasn't scared someone would steal it and I would get in a lot of academic trouble. Being a Journalism and Political Science major though, it should be fairly obvious what my paper discussed.

Combine this with a Presentation on this paper, another 3,000 word paper, one British Politics written Final, one Diversity in the British Workplace Final, another presentation and one American Foreign Policy Final, I've been more than stressed for the past few weeks. Especially because most of those were intermixed with my last two weeks of work.

Anywho, now my classes are done and I am left with four completely free days in London to do whatever my heart desires.

But no, I will not be only blogging. Just blogging more often.

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!

Old Fashioned Marketing

On Saturday, we decided to take advantage of a rare sunny day and check out some of London's biggest markets.

First Stop: Borough Market
Borough Market is a food market in South London by London Bridge Tube station. This market features some food stands that are set up for the weekend, and some that have their own regular shop.

It was also filled with all kinds of good and interesting food. All of the bread booths were amazing, with different types of baguettes and loafs. They also had probably five different cheese stands. All of the cakes and fudge and brownies looked amazing too. While I didn't buy this huge brownie because it was 2 pounds, I heard it was absolutely godly. So I may have to revisit this Market just for the brownies.

They also sold ostrich and reindeer burgers. My jaw dropped at how bright red the meat was, but the line for these burgers stretched around the corner. I was in shock. Among other unexpected items, there was a 75 pound bottle of olive oil, a fair amount of duck meat and some funky drinks. There was also a barber shop tucked away in the Market, where appointments weren't necessary.

The place was packed with people having lunch, stocking up on fresh food for the week and us touristy folk exploring. It was also by this beautiful cathedral.

We obviously picked the right day to explore the markets. Look! The sky is blue!



Seeing all of these cheeses made me so excited. There's amazing food in London after all!







And different foods!









And spring is coming!

At least in London it feels like it is...








At this point, my camera died. So while we did venture out on to London Bridge and I caught my first glimpse of the iconic Tower Bridge since my arrival, I could not capture photos of it. No worries though, because I will definitely be visiting this market and seeing Tower Bridge again.

Also to visit again is the next market: Portobello Road Market

This one was amazing because it featured tons of antique booths. These sold everything from old teapots, maps, books, cameras and jewelry. A lot of it was a great deal and would make great trinkets for my London flat. Other booths featured more expensive but priceless antiques.

This market went for blocks down the street in Notting Hill, which is an amazing area in and of itself. After some of the antique booths, there were clothing racks set up on the streets with some great deals.

There was also at least two blocks worth of food stands. Like Market Borough, some of these sold nice lunch meals, while others sold fresh fruit and veggies for the week. Some others sold common grocery type items, like cookies (that's biscuits, here), chocolates and cheese.

And that comprised most of our weekend. But it also feels weird blogging without pictures of any of this exciting stuff. Expect those to follow at another point. But ahead this week: work as usual, homework to catch up on and a midterm essay to write. I'll be busy, but I'll update when I can.

Cheers! (I fit my first cheers into 'regular' conversation this week. It was a little strange. Why is there no American equivalent? Work on this States, please.)