I'm still here! I know the posts have been sporadic lately but this last week was hard core focusing time on the essays that were due! But they are finished and all turned in!!! I had 3, due Wednesday, Thursday, and today. It feels soooo good to be done with them and I was glad to be less stressed about them then the last term. I feel pretty good about them and I'm glad to have another bit of a break. Celebrated at the George IV pub on campus with friends tonight.
Although... it's revision season here at LSE and that means I have study groups for exams in June. Luckily I only have 2 exams, some people have up to 5! It's going to be a busy few weeks with prep for exams and getting a good start to the research for my dissertation.
Hopefully in the next few days I will get out to enjoy London's great weather. It's starting to look like spring with flowers blooming and sunshine-and I want to take pictures!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Bath
Bath is such a fun city. It's small but there is a lot to do and it is quaint and charming.
This is the view from our hotel of the Abbey:
And one of the squares:
Exploring the Abbey: Which is not actually an Abbey because no monks or nuns have lived on the premises. But they call it an Abbey anyway.
The Abbey and the Roman Baths
The architecture:
The Abbey and the Roman Baths
The Baths were so interesting. I didn't realize how massive they were and the guide did a good job of explaining how it used to look and function. I liked these little lead scrolls that were found-they were curses that were thrown into the water for the goddess to punish people. Most of them were about people stealing and deserving their punishment. But it's amazing that tiny pieces of lead folded up can survive for so long-and still be legible.
One of the man-made waterways for the hot springs. The iron in the water turned the rocks orange and you could feel the heat from where I stood.
More of the main pool
We took a Skyline Bus Tour to see some of the countryside and the view of Bath from the hills. Of course, I found a cemetery to take pictures!
Walking along the bank of the River Avon.
The River Avon and St. John's Church
More of the river and church. The weather was so gorgeous, about 60 degrees and it is beginning to look like spring after a long cold winter-it wasn't hard to take lovely pictures.
The River Avon and the Pulteney Bridge. It's one of the view bridges in the world with shops along it-we had afternoon tea at at tiny shop near the west side of the bridge.
More bridges.
The Abbey
Ok I think I'm posting too much about bridges and churches. But I really like these pictures.
Bath is a very photogenic city. Everything is close by and when the sun is shining it was just nice to walk around.
A flower shop stall
Inside the Abbey
The front entrance to the Abbey
Sarah and I went to the Jane Austen Centre and I learned so much-it was a great exhibit. Jane had relatives in Bath and liked to visit but then later when her father died and she and her family had to move to Bath she began to resent it because she preferred the countryside.
The exhibit showed a film about what life would be like in her time, with balls and outings, and showed costumes from the time period as well as a lot about Jane Austen's life. She didn't write much while in Bath because she didn't like it (Northanger Abbey was written with a positive view of Bath, before she moved there. And after, she wrote Persuasion which has a negative view of Bath since she had to live there). After her death, her brother made sure to publish all of Jane Austen's work and to give her the credit-when she had published she listed the author as 'anonymous'.
The Abbey Hotel, where we stayed.
It was such a fun trip. I am so glad to have been invited by Sarah and her parents to join them. The countryside was so beautiful, Stonehenge and Bath were a lot of fun, and it was great to meet them and to spend time outside of London.
This is the view from our hotel of the Abbey:
And one of the squares:
Exploring the Abbey: Which is not actually an Abbey because no monks or nuns have lived on the premises. But they call it an Abbey anyway.
The Abbey and the Roman Baths
The architecture:
The Abbey and the Roman Baths
The Baths were so interesting. I didn't realize how massive they were and the guide did a good job of explaining how it used to look and function. I liked these little lead scrolls that were found-they were curses that were thrown into the water for the goddess to punish people. Most of them were about people stealing and deserving their punishment. But it's amazing that tiny pieces of lead folded up can survive for so long-and still be legible.
One of the man-made waterways for the hot springs. The iron in the water turned the rocks orange and you could feel the heat from where I stood.
More of the main pool
We took a Skyline Bus Tour to see some of the countryside and the view of Bath from the hills. Of course, I found a cemetery to take pictures!
Walking along the bank of the River Avon.
The River Avon and St. John's Church
More of the river and church. The weather was so gorgeous, about 60 degrees and it is beginning to look like spring after a long cold winter-it wasn't hard to take lovely pictures.
The River Avon and the Pulteney Bridge. It's one of the view bridges in the world with shops along it-we had afternoon tea at at tiny shop near the west side of the bridge.
More bridges.
The Abbey
Ok I think I'm posting too much about bridges and churches. But I really like these pictures.
Bath is a very photogenic city. Everything is close by and when the sun is shining it was just nice to walk around.
A flower shop stall
Inside the Abbey
The front entrance to the Abbey
Sarah and I went to the Jane Austen Centre and I learned so much-it was a great exhibit. Jane had relatives in Bath and liked to visit but then later when her father died and she and her family had to move to Bath she began to resent it because she preferred the countryside.
The exhibit showed a film about what life would be like in her time, with balls and outings, and showed costumes from the time period as well as a lot about Jane Austen's life. She didn't write much while in Bath because she didn't like it (Northanger Abbey was written with a positive view of Bath, before she moved there. And after, she wrote Persuasion which has a negative view of Bath since she had to live there). After her death, her brother made sure to publish all of Jane Austen's work and to give her the credit-when she had published she listed the author as 'anonymous'.
The Abbey Hotel, where we stayed.
It was such a fun trip. I am so glad to have been invited by Sarah and her parents to join them. The countryside was so beautiful, Stonehenge and Bath were a lot of fun, and it was great to meet them and to spend time outside of London.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Stonehenge!
On Monday at noon I met Sarah at her flat and along with her parents we headed out into the English countryside! It was nice to ride in a car for the first time in a long time and the English countryside is breathtakingly beautiful. It was a fun way to see more of England. Here are some pictures from Stonehenge-the ones from Bath I will post later.
The tour is an audio guide that you take with you as you walk along the outside of Stonehenge.
We were able to get pretty close to it which was surprising. It really is in the middle of nowhere and although no one knows for sure why it is there, it is definitely worth seeing and very interesting.
Another view
Me at Stonehenge!
Some nearby sheep.
A gorgeous sunny day in the countryside-about 60 degrees F but very windy.
One last view. It was so beautiful.
The tour is an audio guide that you take with you as you walk along the outside of Stonehenge.
We were able to get pretty close to it which was surprising. It really is in the middle of nowhere and although no one knows for sure why it is there, it is definitely worth seeing and very interesting.
Another view
Me at Stonehenge!
Some nearby sheep.
A gorgeous sunny day in the countryside-about 60 degrees F but very windy.
One last view. It was so beautiful.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sunday
Today was a great Sunday. I have to admit the pictures are not taken by me-they are courtesy of google. But it was a really nice day.
First, I met my friend Paige (freshly back from LA!) at Food For Thought. A great vegetarian restaurant on Neal Street in Covent Garden. I would recommend it to everyone. It's definitely a little hole in the wall restaurant, not much seating, but really good food. I had sweet potato and bean casserole and a fruit crumble. It was so good.
Then we walked to Caffe Nero and I had yummy soy chai. This is my favorite chai in the city.
Walked to Trafalgar Square to sit and talk in front of the National Gallery-and to watch all of the tourists that are starting to visit London. While this picture isn't from today the weather looked a lot like this-it was gorgeous! Sunny and clear, around 60F. So nice. There was a bit of a breeze but the sun was warm. People watching is so entertaining-especially the people that throw coins into the dish for "statues" that come to life. Very amusing. Oh! And awesome conversation with Paige-it was great to catch up and hear about her trip. Also, being the amazing friend she is, she brought me back chai and biscotti from Trader Joes! :)
It was a fun day in the beautiful city of London. Tomorrow I'm headed to Bath and Stonehenge with Sarah and her family which should be really fun. I will take a lot of pictures and post later in the week. When I get back from there it will be pressure time to get my essays done!
First, I met my friend Paige (freshly back from LA!) at Food For Thought. A great vegetarian restaurant on Neal Street in Covent Garden. I would recommend it to everyone. It's definitely a little hole in the wall restaurant, not much seating, but really good food. I had sweet potato and bean casserole and a fruit crumble. It was so good.
Then we walked to Caffe Nero and I had yummy soy chai. This is my favorite chai in the city.
Walked to Trafalgar Square to sit and talk in front of the National Gallery-and to watch all of the tourists that are starting to visit London. While this picture isn't from today the weather looked a lot like this-it was gorgeous! Sunny and clear, around 60F. So nice. There was a bit of a breeze but the sun was warm. People watching is so entertaining-especially the people that throw coins into the dish for "statues" that come to life. Very amusing. Oh! And awesome conversation with Paige-it was great to catch up and hear about her trip. Also, being the amazing friend she is, she brought me back chai and biscotti from Trader Joes! :)
It was a fun day in the beautiful city of London. Tomorrow I'm headed to Bath and Stonehenge with Sarah and her family which should be really fun. I will take a lot of pictures and post later in the week. When I get back from there it will be pressure time to get my essays done!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Borough Market
I went to Borough Market today to get out of the house and to enjoy some gorgeous London weather!!! (And you and I thought that didn't exist!) It's a lovely 16C outside (about 60F) and it's a wonder I am impressed with such a low temperature but after such a looong cold weather any patch of blue sky and sunshine is nice weather. But it is actually so nice outside that I felt the need to soak up some non artificial Vitamin D. So I journeyed to Borough Market. As did the ENTIRE REST OF LONDON. Just kidding-it wasn't the entire population. but maybe half. Seriously, it was so crowded.
The market is really fun. It's basically foodie heaven according to some articles I have read. There are tons of stalls of fruit and veg, different kinds of meats, strange food stalls from all over-like ostrich meat burgers (ew) and lots of different breads, nuts, dried fruits, cheeses, spreads, wine, etc. It's really fun to just walk around. I bought some bread, fruit and veg, and enjoyed the sunshine.
Above is what I bought. Whole wheat homemade bread, asparagus, kale, carrots, and yes, a delicious brownie. The picture was taken with my Mac because my converter is broken. I'm hoping to borrow one from a flatmate before I visit Stonehenge next week. It was a fun afternoon in the lovely London weather. I'm hoping it sticks around for awhile-but isn't too distracting for my essays due in less than 3 weeks!
The market is really fun. It's basically foodie heaven according to some articles I have read. There are tons of stalls of fruit and veg, different kinds of meats, strange food stalls from all over-like ostrich meat burgers (ew) and lots of different breads, nuts, dried fruits, cheeses, spreads, wine, etc. It's really fun to just walk around. I bought some bread, fruit and veg, and enjoyed the sunshine.
Above is what I bought. Whole wheat homemade bread, asparagus, kale, carrots, and yes, a delicious brownie. The picture was taken with my Mac because my converter is broken. I'm hoping to borrow one from a flatmate before I visit Stonehenge next week. It was a fun afternoon in the lovely London weather. I'm hoping it sticks around for awhile-but isn't too distracting for my essays due in less than 3 weeks!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Britain
A funny thing about Britain is closing times. Warning-everything closes early here. I found this example about shopping mall times and it was pretty funny. at least to me.
This is Southcenter in Tukwila, WA. Consistent times every day except Sunday. But still, 9pm every day until 7pm Sunday. Pretty average for the US I would say.
This is the opening times for a shopping centre here in London. Firstly, the times are all different almost for every day. PLUS the Saturday emphasis on "shopping late" til 7pm! haha And Sunday at the mall, like every other place here, is open very few hours.
Just a random example. This happens for grocery stores, malls, retail stores, etc. It's mildly annoying when you want to go out somewhere at 7pm or even 5:30 only to find the place closed.
This is Southcenter in Tukwila, WA. Consistent times every day except Sunday. But still, 9pm every day until 7pm Sunday. Pretty average for the US I would say.
This is the opening times for a shopping centre here in London. Firstly, the times are all different almost for every day. PLUS the Saturday emphasis on "shopping late" til 7pm! haha And Sunday at the mall, like every other place here, is open very few hours.
Just a random example. This happens for grocery stores, malls, retail stores, etc. It's mildly annoying when you want to go out somewhere at 7pm or even 5:30 only to find the place closed.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
April
It's April. And it's finally starting to look like spring here in London. Although it is still cold and cloudy, and occasionally rainy. I'm on term break and enjoying not having many plans. I do need to work more on my essays (which are due in less than 4 weeks!) and do some stuff in London-free stuff like museums, etc. I only have a few more months and I want to make sure I get everything done before I leave.
A few more pretty pictures of the flowers my friends here got me for my birthday. The flowers are dead now but they were so pretty. I promise this is the last pictures of them I will post.
This is homage to the pesto my mom sent me. I made pizza (yes the crust too). It was very good. Thanks mom for the pesto! (FYI that is veggie sausage).
TEA! My tea collection is epic now thanks to friends and family. I love it.
And... the awesomest thing ever. Leftie sciessors and a can opener. I didn't realize it was a leftie can opener at first but got VERY excited when I found out it was and proceeded to use it to open a can of chickpeas (even though it was 11pm and I wasn't planning on cooking them right then). I also frequented some leftie sites and enjoyed looking at products and reading people's blogs on the topic of being left handed. Yes, I am a nerd.
No real plans this week. Again, I need to do school work. But it is hard to find the motivation.
A few more pretty pictures of the flowers my friends here got me for my birthday. The flowers are dead now but they were so pretty. I promise this is the last pictures of them I will post.
This is homage to the pesto my mom sent me. I made pizza (yes the crust too). It was very good. Thanks mom for the pesto! (FYI that is veggie sausage).
TEA! My tea collection is epic now thanks to friends and family. I love it.
And... the awesomest thing ever. Leftie sciessors and a can opener. I didn't realize it was a leftie can opener at first but got VERY excited when I found out it was and proceeded to use it to open a can of chickpeas (even though it was 11pm and I wasn't planning on cooking them right then). I also frequented some leftie sites and enjoyed looking at products and reading people's blogs on the topic of being left handed. Yes, I am a nerd.
No real plans this week. Again, I need to do school work. But it is hard to find the motivation.
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