Scavenger Hunt

June 17th was my first day of classes at London College of Fashion (LCF) and I had so much fun. The course of the day was called, "Historical and Contemporary Fashion Research Studies," and it lasted the entire day. Our first class was split up into two sections, and it began with brief power point lectures about London, followed by a short activity. For the activity we got treated to samples of typical English snacks, like Twiglets, Jelly Babies and Jammie Dodgers. 

After the lectures and mini activity we were split up into groups of three to go on a scavenger hunt throughout the city. So far I love how interactive this class is, since it teaches us street smart and real life experiences, rather than just sticking to lectures and readings. We had the opportunity to be adventurous and visit places we've never seen before. Our very first task was to cross the Waterloo Bridge, where we ended up at Southbank Centre. There, we saw so many exciting things, like two giant slides, a hang gliding ride, a skate park filled with colorful graffiti and much more. 

After that we continued on to our next destination, which was Covent Garden. Covent Garden is probably my favorite place I've visited so far, since the architecture was so cute and old fashioned. We stopped by so many little shops with interesting window displays, like Venchi, Whittard and Paperchase. My group tried almost all of the tea samples at a teashop called Whittard. Then I bought a delicious cone of cappuccino and stracciatella gelato at a dessert shop called Venchi. At the end of our exploration we walked back to campus, where LCF treated us with a refreshing cup of champagne. Overall, the day was so fulfilling and I'm so glad that I got to see new parts of London that I haven't seen before.

 

Day One in London

It's day one in London, and my homesickness has already eased. Right when I got off my flight I saw a familiar face and realized that another girl from my program had taken the same flight as me. By coincidence, a second girl from my program had landed near the same time as us, so we all decided to split a cab to our flat. I was beyond relieved that I never got lost nor had to lug my huge suitcase around town in attempt to find my flat by myself. Right when I walked into our flat I knew that this journey was worth it. Our kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms were more than what I expected. We were so lucky to have been supplied with so many amenities, like toilet paper, cooking utensils, appliances, hangers and bedding. I was in awe with how extremely clean and chic everything was. Even when I walked into my bedroom, I saw an FIE tote bag filled with mini traveling brochures and books to guide me throughout my stay.

Immediately after we arrived, we decided to take a quick stroll throughout town to familiarize ourselves with the area, buy some last-minute toiletries and grab a small brunch. This affluent area is so quaint and beautiful. Like our flat, the rest of the neighborhood was extremely clean and safe. There were so many pretty and petite white buildings, vintage-styled cabs and various bushes of flowers and greenery. Our very first meal in London was at Cote Bistro, where we each ordered salad. After that we went back to the flat to unpack our luggage and freshen up. We all ended up having dinner at Da Mario, which happens to be one of Princess Diana's favorite restaurants. I treated myself to shrimp, wine and canolli, and I definitely want to revisit this place again before I leave to try another new dish. My first day in London was definitely fulfilling, and now I can't wait to sleep in my comfortable bed and slowly wash away my jet lag.

Not Goodbye, See You Later

Night time at Tower Bridge

So, this is it. I began my adventure in London ten weeks ago and in some respects it feels like just yesterday and in other it feels like lightyears ago. London has become a second home for me and I don't know how I am going to leave without leaving a piece of me here. My friend who studied here earlier this year, the same one who came and visited a few weeks ago told me when I first got here that someone told her, "Once you come to London, you never really leave." At the time when Michaela shared that with me, I had only been here for five days and so it did not really impact me but now that I think back about my time here, I know exactly what that woman meant when she told Michaela that. Although it was only ten weeks, I feel like I have grown exponentially in a way that I would not have been able to at home.

Being in London has opened my eyes to so many new things and new people. I have made lifelong friends who I would have never met otherwise. I have realized what is really important in life and by living so far away from my family and friends, I now know how valuable they are to me. Not only have I had the opportunity to immerse myself in London and British culture, but I have been fortunate enough to go to Barcelona, London and most recently Amsterdam. Having these countries within two hours traveling distance has really opened my eyes to the world and I feel so lucky to have had the chance to see so many beautiful things.

Hanging out at the IAmsterdam sign.

I went to Amsterdam last Thursday after class and to say that I was in awe would be an understatement. I have seen many pictures of the canals and I have always wanted to see them firsthand but what I actually saw was even better than I could have imagined. I have a friend who lives in Amsterdam so I was able to stay with her. Booking my flight on Monday and arriving on Thursday is one of the most spontaneous things I have ever done and I am so glad that I did! When I got there, we went for pancakes. They were not just breakfast pancakes though, they were for dinner! I ordered a chicken and cheese pancake and I was pleasantly surprised. We walked around for a while after and seeing the canals at night may have even been better than seeing them during the day. Lights illuminated the tunnels of the canals and my friend and I longed to be sitting on one of the house boats that are stationed there.

Canal from our paddle boat.

Vondelpark

The next day we went to Vondelpark, and let me tell you it was like a scene from a movie. The grass was green, the flowers were vibrant and everything was peaceful. Rittenhouse Park is nice, but now that I've been to Vondelpark, I don't think I will ever feel the same about parks again. Right near the park is the Van Gogh Museum so we went there and got to see his work. To see things in person that I have only learned about was amazing and I am happy that I had the chance to appreciate his masterpieces. After the museum, we ate waffle cookies and went to see the "I Amsterdam" sign where people were climbing and taking pictures. We decided to try something different and went paddle boating and trust me, it looks a lot more fun than it actually is. The sun was shining and I was peddling my heart out, trying to avoid hitting other boats and the walls of the canal. Although it was a tiring experience, I worked up my appetite for the next part of our night which was a pizza cruise. At first when another group of girls from Drexel told me about it, I didn't think that it was something that I would want to do but it ended up being relaxing and I was able to see more of the canals and the city that I had not previously seen. To finish off our very packed day, we went to the Anne Frank Museum. Of course reading and learning about the Holocaust is very sad and unimaginable, but actually being in the place that the Frank family and others hid for two years was eye opening and a bit traumatic for me.
When I returned to London, I was faced with the realization that it would be my last week here and although I had finals to study for, I wanted to make the most of my time. Monday was a bank holiday here so we did not have class and I spent my day walking in beautiful Sloane Square. Wednesday night I went to a launch party for the clothing brand of one of the stars, Caggie Dunlop from in Made in Chelsea. I won access on Twitter and was able to spend the night feeling like a VIP. There, I made friends who live here and I felt as though I really belonged. My amazing night only made it all the more real that I am leaving soon and I can't even believe it. I'm going to keep the mentality of "It's not goodbye, it's see you later," because I know that I will be back at some point.

Made in Chelsea star, Caggie Dunlop and I at her brand, ISWAI's launch party.

Some of my new British friends and Proudlock from Made in Chelsea.

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Cheers!

Since arriving in London, it has become abundantly clear that the term "cheers" is not just said when clinking drink glasses for luck. I have heard cheers as a greeting, in terms of saying thanks and even in saying goodbye to someone. At first I thought that it was only certain people who used cheers in other ways, but the other day I was shopping at Urban Outfitters and after I made my purchase and signed my receipt, the cashier said cheers. I must have looked up questioningly because then the cashier laughed and said "thank you." I can only imagine what he was thinking, he probably thought I couldn't even speak English. Since that happened, I have noticed cheers used in different contexts. I held the door for someone at Harrod's and they responded with cheers. Now that I know that it can be used in so many different ways, there's no stopping me from using the term more often. Cheers definitely has a happier ring to it than thanks.

Cheers, mate!

Michaela and I at Bluebird.

This past weekend one of my very best friends from high school came to visit me. I was so excited for Michaela's arrival that I made a reservation for us to have lunch at Chelsea's infamous Bluebird Cafe (a frequented location by the Made in Chelsea crew). To my surprise, Bluebird not only has a restaurant but also a cafe, a boutique, a spa and a food shop! Bluebird is situated on Kings Rd. not too far from my flat. It was a beautiful day that we went and some of London's most chic were dining and shopping at the establishment. I had to refrain from buying absolutely everything at the boutique; they had a whole table displaying the September issues of Vogue UK, LOVE Magazine and many more!

Michaela had studied here in London from January to May and so she had a few places of her own that she wanted to show me. The first place was Hersheson's, a blow dry bar. I am always one to divulge in beauty treatments, but when she told me that she would get her hair blown out once a week while she was here, I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. We went to the Hersheson's located in the Oxford Street Topshop where I have had that horror of getting lost in a few times...that place is huge! Hersheson's is located on the bottom floor and they specialize in a thirty minute blow out; there are photos on the wall showing the options of hairstyling they offer. I chose to get the "wavy gravy," it is their take on beachy waves. They don't lie when they say it takes only a half hour, when I was finished I was quite impressed with my hair and now I just may have to go back and have my hair done again. (I apologized to Michaela for judging her habit of going weekly after I saw how amazing it was!)

Hershesons hair salon in Topshop in Oxford Circus.

I just had to take a bathroom selfie of my freshly blown out locks. Here is the "wavy gravy" style!

Camden Market

On Saturday, we walked around a lot and I saw much more of London than I even realized was here. We went to Sloane Square to shop and it was like a whole new world had been revealed to me. Stores like Brandy Melville and Anthropologie call this area home. Because it was such a beautiful day, there were many restaurants with outdoor seating and even a market was going on in an open space. After walking around and once again refraining from buying anything, we were famished. We chose to go to a restaurant called Bumpkin which prides itself on serving traditional British dishes. The restaurant was quaint and homey; we even discussed the decor in terms of we wouldn't mind decorating our future homes that way.

"Philly Boyz"

On Sunday, we started our day early and went for breakfast near my flat. Afterwards, we ventured off to Camden Market. Many of my flat mates have already explored the market in Camden, but this was my first time. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to encounter. There were two large markets, one was mostly clothes and souvenirs and the other had food and many other unique stands. The one market is a converted horse stable! There is even a club in that market and although it wasn't open for business on a Sunday, it was still open to go into and impressively enough, there were still horse stalls only now they have been converted into areas with tables in them for clubgoers to sit in. One part of the market that had all of the food stands sold Philly cheese steaks and claimed to be "Philly Boyz," Michaela told me to ask them if they were actually from there and upon closer examination I saw that one guy was wearing a Yankee hat, not further inquiry was necessary because if they actually were from Philadelphia, there is no way that he would be sporting a Yankee hat!

Overall, I had a very successful weekend and if it made me realize anything, it is that I do miss home. I will be home three weeks from today and even though I know I am going to be sad leaving this beautiful place, I have learned so much here that I will be able to take those memories home with me and always think about my time here very fondly. I plan to take full advantage of my time left here. On Thursday I will be going to Paris, so my next blog post will be covering my Parisian adventures!

My London Excursions + Paris

Over the 2 weeks I have been here in London I've been filling my free time with touristy things: the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and Big Ben. They were all nice places, but they didn't "wow" like over landmarks in other cities in Europe. To the cities I've been to throughout Europe, they are gorgeous compared to London. Even though, New York was based on London, it is still better and prettier. You just can't beat the city that never sleeps! What I miss the most is having 24/7 running subways. I spent about 200 Euros on taxi's in Barcelona because the concierge at the hotel told us to avoid the subway because it is notorious for pick-pocketers.

One of the most exciting places for any Harry Potter fan is to go to the studio tour in London, which is approximately 30 minutes away from the city. It was just a great experience! There were a bunch of people there, therefore, the crowds of people made the process rush a little more. I was there for a total of 3 hours. It may seem like a lot of time spent on a movie set, but it was well worth it! Here is a video of my Harry Potter adventure (Click Here).

Just this past weekend, I venture out of the UK, and went to Paris! With the short amount of time to spend in Paris, it seemed like I accomplished a lot! I went to the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Llouvre, Notre Dame, and the Palace of Versailles. I somehow found a way to pack all these places within 2 days. When I first arrived, I went straight to the Eiffel Tower, and managed to get tickets to go up the elevator to the top. As a heads up, there were these women carrying "petitions", where they would ask you to sign and give money or possible steal your stuff while signing. It has happened to a fellow Drexel student, so beware when you go to very touristy destinations. Even though, it was entertaining while waiting in line, it was so sad how people who couldn't speak english or french very well were taking advantaged of. So I had to choose to go in the Llourve or Notre Dame, and I choose the Llourve. There were lines, everywhere I went, but this designation wasn't that bad. The last day (which took all day), was the Palace of Versailles. When getting there around 11am and not purchasing tickets/tour beforehand, I was able to get in around 1:30pm. The line for the tickets, and the line to get in were very long. The wait was well worth it!. Paris was worth running around, and cramming it in a weekend.

Hola Barcelona: A Weekend Away from London

This past week was the end of our first two classes followed by a lovely "holiday" in Barcelona for me and a few friends. By Thursday, our final papers and tests had been taken and it was time to get ready for our Barcelona excursion. The good thing about London is that it is not too far from European countries and so we are able to travel many different places while we are studying here. The trip to Barcelona was my first time leaving London and it came at a perfect time. The weather has been unusually hot as I've mentioned before but when we left for Spain on Friday, it was starting to rain so we were able to get away and enjoy Spain's naturally hot climate and then return to a cooled down London.

We arrived in Barcelona at about 6:30pm, it is an hour ahead of London so that makes it six hours ahead of America! We had a delicious dinner of various tapas including chorizo and risotto along with artichoke chips; those were the best thing I have ever eaten! Although it was pretty late by the time we settled into the hostel and went to eat, the restaurants were still crowded because they eat so late there. Afterwards, we went to a beach bar and were informed that people tend to stay out all night. The beach was packed with people, some swimming, some just hanging out. I had a sort of eye opening moment that night when I realized that I was in Spain and I just relished in the thought that I had never thought I would end up there. It was one of those moments that you just think about the rest of the world and all the people in it and I felt that a lot of things became clear to me. Part of the reason that I had this moment is the fact that Spain is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Each site that we visited was more beautiful than the next. London is amazing and historic, but Spain has so many amazing views and places that really make you think.

Crowded Barcelona beach at 4am.

On Saturday morning, we went to a local market near our hostel and grabbed some food for a picnic on the beach. We got to the beach and it was already pretty packed but luckily we found an umbrella and were able to enjoy our picnic. Realizing that we were in Europe quite quickly based on the fact that some women were topless and completely nonchalant about it. The ocean water is so blue that it seems almost unreal. It was funny to think that we were on that very same beach not too many hours prior and the only difference was that the sun wasn't out, there were just as many people.

The same beach as 4am, now at noon.

Gaudi Museum.

After enjoying our stay on the beach, we went to the Gaudi museum. Anyone who has seen Vicky Christina Barcelona (I watched it for the first time in preparation of my trip) would recognize the artist's remarkable work. Many buildings in Spain were designed by him and he has a distinct style of making his works look almost like they're melting. The tour of the museum starts at the very top where you can look over the city and it is amazing. It was there that the four of us decided that we never wanted to leave. That night we had a dinner of tapas once again!

Sunday was a full day for us! We started out eating an amazing brunch and then made our way to Park Montjuic, it is a mountain with a castle on top that has the most amazing view that I have ever seen. We took a cable railway, known in Barcelona as a funicular, up the mountain and were able to look out onto the city as well as the beautiful water. Every time I turned around or walked a few more feet, I had a better few than where I was before. After that, we went to the Sagrada Famila, a church designed by Gaudi. The church is still under construction, but the inside was quite impressive. The stain glass windows were nothing short of impeccable and the ceilings were so high that when I looked up, I felt like they went on forever. That night we had paella on the beach, to say that it was delicious would be an understatement. I am not a very daring person when it comes to trying new things but I am very happy that I was brave and ordered this dish!

View from Montjuic 

           

                                Left: Stained Glass Windows Inside- Right: Outside Sagrada Familia

Monday we didn't have class so we were able to walk around and go shopping at Las Ramblas where there are some international stores such as Zara but there were also local Spanish designers. Luckily, I took Spanish in high school so I was able to navigate my way around but surprisingly enough, most people were able to speak English. Monday afternoon was our flight back to London and I have to admit I was pretty happy to be coming back. It took a trip out of the country to realize that after five weeks, I am starting to think of this place as a second home. When we got back, it was nice and cool out, I've been waiting for this weather since four weeks ago when it started getting hot!

Our last night in Barcelona! Enjoying what we can of the beach, there were even fireworks!

Yesterday, we started our new classes. It is crazy to think that in a short five weeks, we will be back in the US! Today I have my first class of Food Society and Culture in Britain, yesterday was History of Modern Design. We went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and were able to look at actual pieces of work from the period we were learning about; it was a very helpful aid in fully learning what we are being taught. I look forward to what these next five weeks and two new classes will bring!

A Prince is Born & London Life Goes On

This past week has been filled with a lot of schoolwork because this is already the fifth week of classes! For our final paper in my British Culture and Visual Media class I chose to compare London and New York fashion. I found out a lot about the two cities and even that they are the top two fashion capitals of the world. London has been ranked as top fashion city for the past two years. After this week is over, we start a new set of classes and then it's already time to come home. I can't believe how quickly my time here has gone. I keep thinking about how many things we've already done and yet there is still so much more I want to do. The one thing that I absolutely want to do before I leave is go to Princess Diana's playground in Kensington gardens where she used to bring Princes William and Harry. I wonder if Kate and William will bring their little boy there!

Speaking of which, I knew that Kate was due to give birth while I would be here for study abroad and it has been a waiting game up until now. There were rumors that she was due last weekend and that didn't happen so no one really knew what to expect. In fact, she left London because of this heatwave that is still going on and Kensington Palace doesn't even have air conditioning! Sunday night there was a violent thunder and lightning storm but there was nor rain! Some people thought that the thunder was sounds of a helicopter to bring the Princess to the hospital, but it just so happened to be a coincidence. Yesterday when Kate went into labor, it was all anyone could talk about. Before class, we were all tuned to BBC to see if there was any news. Photographers and reporters have been camped outside St. Mary's hospital for weeks now! I even saw Cat Sadler from E! News when we went to see a play with our Shakespeare class last week! When the press release finally came out last night it was 8:30 PM here and I was at dinner at British Chef Jamie Oliver's restaurant, Fifteen. Both the food and the atmosphere was amazing. Even the bathrooms were decorated beautifully! My friends in the US were texting me and asking if people were celebrating but strangely enough I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. However, I do know that people spent up to an hour just trying to see the easel at Buckingham Palace
where the announcement of the birth is posted.

We are all still eagerly awaiting to find out what the Duke and Duchess have chosen to name their child. So many people thought for sure that it was going to be a girl and personally I was hoping so because a new law was passed this year that said the first born no matter the sex would be next in line for the throne. Nevertheless, everyone is excited for the arrival of the royal baby and all sorts of souvenirs have already been sold in commemoration of this royal occasion. I am planning on saving yesterday and today's newspapers because it truly is amazing that I am here for this. I was a bit jealous that last year's study abroad group was here for the olympics but I'm happy that I'm here for this momentous occasion.

The royal baby is the biggest news, but I'm also going to the London Eye tonight and I'm excited for that! The London Eye is a giant ferris wheel on the South bank of the River Thames. It is right near Big Ben and we've passed it many times so far and it'll be fun to finally go on it! Also, after classes are over this week, I am going to Barcelona for the weekend! I look forward to reporting back on that in my next post. Then when I get back, I will be taking the History of Modern Design and Food, Society and Culture in Great Britain.

That Magic (London) Moment

I have been in London for a little bit over three weeks now and everyone that I'm with keeps talking about these "moments" that they're having when they think about how we are living here. I've been patiently waiting for my moment to happen and I think that I can honestly say that I've had two in this past week. My first one was actually part of a dream when I realized that if someone said that I had to go back to U.S tomorrow, I wouldn't be ready to go. Although we've already done so much, I know that there is still so much left to do and I would not be satisfied if I left before doing those things. My second moment was when I went into Camden on Friday night to see live music and as I stood in the venue and looked around, I noticed that I was surrounded by British people enjoying the same music that I was and I finally felt immersed in the culture.

Last Wednesday, my Shakespeare and Elizabethan Literature class went to see the Twelfth Night at the Hampstead Theater. The most interesting aspect about this experience was that the performance was done by an all male cast, much like during the days of Shakespeare. I was very excited to see the play because I am a very big fan of She's the Man which is inspired by Twelfth Night and I couldn't wait to see how it wold compare. Unfortunately, the man who played Viola was not quite as entertaining as Amanda Bynes (both circa 2006 and today) and Duke Orsino did not have the same appearance as Channing Tatum but in being completely serious, I really enjoyed the production. The cast all pulled their weight and I was quite impressed with the men acting as women. The actors are all part of the Propeller acting troupe and they all are truly talented. Instead of having a band who plays music, they make all the music themselves with instruments as basic as glasses of water and they run their fingers around the rim to produce sound. I mostly enjoyed their energy in performing the play as well as their modernization of the play. At one point, the actor playing Malvolio, was walking around the "garden" and singing The Beatle's "I Want to Hold Your Hand" referring to his love of Olivia; that really gave the crowd a good laugh!

Before we went to the play though we had a picnic with our professor atop Primrose Hill. Our professor is so knowledgable and the five of us in the class are nothing less than captivated by all that he shares with us. Primrose Hill is yet another breathtakingly beautiful spot in London. As I mentioned in my last post, there is a serious heat wave going on here in London and so all the locals are spending as much time as possible doing outdoor activities while they still can. Primrose Hill overlooks the city and is only a few minutes walking distance from the Hampstead theater. It is here that we enjoyed some bread and cheese while discussing what we were about to see at the theater. Our teacher asked us which character from Twelfth Night we would bring with us to a deserted island which really got us thinking in a different way. It's so nice to get out of the class and be able to have these sort of outings while still learning!

On Friday, I went to Portobello Road Market with three other girls to do research for a project for my other class, British Culture and Visual Media. The project is called "area studies" so there are several groups going to different locations in London and then giving presentations on them. Portobello Road is a lot like Canal Street in New York City where tables line the street selling different items such as jewelry and other little knick knacks. There are also a few really great vintage stores as well as retail stores. All Saints is a major designer brand here and we actually stumbled upon another store called Bolongaro Trevor which was located right across from All Saints and we found out that it is owned by the same people. I think that it is fair to say that it is my new favorite store. I bought a jumper (sweater) there that is distressed and what I like to call very London chic. Friday night, as I mentioned earlier, we went to Camden to a place called Barfly. It was a cool venue with more of a club scene downstairs with a DJ spinning and then upstairs was where the live music was. Luckily, it wasn't too crowded so we were able to stand right by the stage. Camden is very historic in that it was the birthplace for Punk and so there are still remnants of that time when punk was emerging.

Saturday was a relaxing day, we went to the Victoria & Albert museum again which is in walking distance of our flat. A new exhibit just opened called "Club to Catwalk" and it features garments from the 1980s. This was especially fun for us because the previous night we were exposed to the authentic British music scene and then we were able to see the clothing that went along with it in the 80s. Vivienne Westwood is a huge influence here and so there were a few pieces by her but then I was also introduced to many new British designers who have made major waves in the fashion industry in the past. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures in the exhibit but I took notes and even bought a book afterwards. The book is about how London became a major fashion capital and I am going to be using it to write my final paper for my British Culture class. My paper is going to focus on NY vs. London as fashion capitals of the world.

Yesterday with that class we did a few different things. First, we went to the Tate Modern, a museum showcasing many surrealist paintings as well as an amazing exhibit called "Energy and Process" that focused on the arte povera, the radical Italian art movement of the 1960s and 1970s, and its international context. Embracing art of the everyday, the artists used simple, raw materials to create work that captured natural energies in a completely new way. My favorite piece in the museum was in this wing and it was a whole room that featured photographs of the American South taken by William Eggleston in the 1970s. Although they were just photographs of everyday things such as hair curlers in the bathroom or a lone gas pump, it was his experimentation with color that really attracted me. Eggleston is largely credited with establishing the acceptance of color in fine art photography. After the museum, we went over to Greenwich to see the Thames river. We stood on both sides of the river, the one side was and still is very residential and the other side used to be a naval base. In Greenwich, we went to the part where there is a spot that one is able to stand in both the Western and Eastern hemispheres at once (of course I had to do so- very A Walk to Remember!) Post climbing the hill, we were all very tired and hot at which point our professor brought us to the local pub, Trafalgar Tavern. As I am learning, it is not out of the ordinary for professors to take their students out for a drink. The Trafalgar Tavern was situated right on the Thames, when we were on the inside it felt like we were on a boat because it was right on the water. We were lucky enough to be there to witness a beautiful sunset.