Much of this blog will be about Theresa and Ag's trip to London this past week - it was so nice having them here.
I feel the title of this blog encompasses what I'm feeling right now....I realized this morning I have only 2 WEEKS left in London - insane but true. As much as I can't wait to go home it does seem like time has gone way too fast and I realize how truly short the time span of 3 months is in reality. But I still have 2 weeks to make the some of the most marvelous memories I will ever have.
Now down to some re-capping business. Let's pick up with Tuesday....
Tuesday: Tuesday morning Laura, Audra, and I spent time getting some serious homework done at Cafe Nero. I nearly had my London Growth Paper complete when I had to go home to get lunch and head to campus for my London in Literature class. Tuesday's class was our last class in our actual classroom (our last class - this coming Tuesday - insanity - will be at the Imperial War Museum). We spent time discussing poetry written during the time of WWII. Reading the poems and seeing the images of the Underground during the Blitz I gained a new respect for Londoners and the British people. Of course I knew this events occurred but to be here in London now and see buildings still marked by war - it is something not seen in America. Yes, there was the Civil War, Pearl Harbor, and the terrible acts of 9/11, but I have not, myself, experienced living through a time when it was known your city would be bombed and you just didn't know what you would wake up to in the morning -- would your home still be there? The poems and images are pieces of history I won't soon forget. I know our time spent at the Imperial War Museum will also be an eye-opening experience and I look forward to what I will learn come Tuesday.
I must say I was sad at the realization that Tuesday's London in Literature class was the last formal class meeting...it has been my favorite class while here in London but I know I will keep in touch with my professor and Kali and I will certainly be keeping up with his writing career.
After class I hurried home knowing Ag and Theresa had gotten to London during the time I was in class. I got home to find they had come, dropped there bags off, and were walking around Notting Hill - Londoners in only a few short hours. When they finally got back we went to Tesco to do some food shopping and got McDonald's for dinner (as it had re-opened on Monday - revealing quite the beauty lift). Tuesday night I heard a lot of stories from their time so far in Rome and Marisa, Laura, and I shared "living London" stories with them. We were all very tired and headed to bed early but I wound up staying up a few hours longer as I became gripped by the ending of the second book of the Hunger Games and read til I finished it. Then I went to sleep.
Wednesday: Wednesday morning we all woke up to a sunny day in London. We got breakfast and Ag and Theresa devised a plan for all the London tourist hot spots they wanted to see. We went to my theater class and we discussed the play "Top Girls" - a show I didn't particularly enjoy. After class Marisa and I headed to the library to work a little on our growth papers. Around 3 o'clock I headed back home and met up with Theresa and Ag. We went to tea on High Street Kensington and they told me about all the places they had seen. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, museums, Talfargar Square, the works - basically they walked London for 5 straight hours. They are A+ tourists in my book. Plus they had the London look down to a T. They both said how they LOVED London and wished they could stay.....hearing English was a huge comfort for them. But, as I told them, been in Rome is an amazing experience and they will be sure to come home with so much amazing memories - which they knew too - but I have to agree --- there's just something about London..... After tea we shopped a little at H&M before heading home.
Theresa, Ag, and I at afternoon tea :)
Wednesday night Ag wasn't feeling well and, understandably, was exhausted from all the traveling, so she slept for most of the early evening sleeping while I made Theresa and I dinner. I made my speciality - Salmon, smoked veggies, and rice. Theresa really enjoyed it and I was very proud of myself. After dinner Theresa, Laura, Audra, and I went and got gelato in Notting Hill. I finished my paper and presentation quickly. Laura, Audra, Theresa and I played in London by relaxing, having a drink and watching "The Holiday" :) Successful evening.
Thursday: After breakfast, Ag, Theresa and I thought it'd be nice to get a coffee so I told Ag and Theresa to head to Starbucks and I would meet them (because I had to top up my phone). Well what happened over the next 20 mins can only be described as a truly "living London" event. Let me explain:
Tesco). The voucher was resting so perfectly in the spokes that with a little wind, it would move, but was not coming down. I must have looked like a possessed woman muttering pleas to a piece of payer to please come back down to earth, but the voucher just taunted me. I could even see where the 12 digit voucher number was on the receipt but couldn't make out the numbers. Infuriated with myself I went back to Tesco asking if there was anyway to re-print the voucher, though I knew this wasn't possible...I was trying to hold on to some hope. When they told me it wasn't possible I checked back outside and saw the voucher receipt still tucked into the spokes....it would not come down. I finally resigned to defeat and a loss of 10 pounds, and bought a new 5 pound voucher receipt. I put this voucher in the pocket straight away, knowing I wouldn't try to enter this information until I was safely inside Starbucks. In tears I walked out of Starbucks anticipating to be taunted by the little white piece of paper. I stepped in front of McDonald's when I noticed a small piece of paper on the ground right in front of the 02 store. As I got closer I noticed some numbers on it. I sprinted and picked it up and low and behold it was the devilish piece of paper. Yes, ladies and gentleman, the 10 pound voucher receipt had flown out of the spokes and onto the ground while I was back in Tesco. Crying for real, exclaiming praise and thanks to God I put it in my pocket and rushed to Starbucks. I got there and couldn't find Ag or Theresa. I topped my phone - 15 pounds worth of minutes now - and saw Theresa and Ag had texted me saying they got on the train and were headed for their tourist day because they didn't know where I was. I got my half priced coffee, headed to campus, printed out my paper and slide show (for the presentation part) and still made it to class early!
Thursday Growth class consisted of presentations ranging from the Great Fire of London, to the Plague or 1665, to the Notting Hill Riots. My presentation focused on St. Paul's Cathedral as it can be seen as a direct reflection of what happened to London, as a city, through out history. My professor like my presentation so I was happy. We spent the rest of class talking about London in the 20th century. We have our final this coming Thursday - I can't believe it.
After class Marisa and I had some lunch before going to our Society class. We spent the class discussing the youth in Britain particularly during the 1950s and 60s. Such an interesting time in history. We got our papers back and I was satisfied with how I did.
Thursday afternoon we went to Primark and experienced the insanity before we heading home and getting ready for the night.
Our annual Whole Food Wine tasting was quite the event. In total we had there were 9 of us there: Theresa, Ag, Kara (Marisa's friend whom we met the week before), Marisa, Laura, Julie, Audra, and Rachel (one of my sorority sisters actual little sister whom I've become friends with who is also studying in London) and myself. We decided to walk around in shifts so my group became Theresa, Ag, Rachel and I. We all had a great time! Theresa, Ag, and I are thinking of submitting the story to the Basilian Pillar :)
Audra, Julie, and Laura
Marisa and Kara
Rachel, Ag, and Theresa
Me, Ag, and Theresa at Wine Tasting :)
After wine tasting Rachel, Ag, Theresa, and I decided to grab dinner. Rachel suggested O'Neill's as a place to go out since it was a Thursday night and there was no cover and a place a lot of Americans go to. So the four of us headed to Piccadilly Circus and Rachel and I showed Ag and Theresa a nice part of the London night life. We all enjoyed ourselves and Ag even got some souvenir shopping done. I wanted to show the girls my local Notting Hill hangout - Old Swan - but when we got here it was 11:30 and had closed the bar; I forgot they closed at midnight. So sadly we couldn't drink there. Rachel headed home and Ag, Theresa, and I headed to bed.
Friday: Early Friday morning I went to Primark to exchange some clothes I got on Thursday. Note: Primark is a zoo no matter the time of day. I got there right at 8:30 when they opened and while I could see clothes it was still VERY busy! I met up with Marisa, Theresa, Ag, at Borough Market. We went to a restaurant called FISH! to take advantage of their 2 for 1 breakfast deal they have on Thursday and Friday mornings! Theresa and Ag, basically, got a full English breakfast while Marisa and I got eggs with Salmon. It was soo good. Laura and Audra met up with us and we showed the Roma girls a little more of the market. Sadly I had to head home with Ag and Theresa because they had to catch a bus and start their journey home. I loved having them visit me in London and I think they had a good time!
On another note, I got a very exciting package in the mail! My parents and Eddie sent me goodies for my 21st bday and a Starbucks gift card - I'm all set :) Audra, Laura, and I spent some of the afternoon relaxing in the Garden (the proper phrase for the backyard) and enjoyed the sun and beautiful weather (actually there was no rain at all when Ag and Theresa were here). I think I can count the days it has rained while I've been in London on one hand....global warning....
Friday afternoon Laura and I had been planning to go on an HP walking tour around London but for the tour guide never showed so we decided to get some dinner and go to the M&M store and see THE HUNGER GAMES!!! We were so excited. We even saw camera crews waiting for the people that came out of theater who saw the prior showing and they said it was great. We were not disappointed! We loved it. After the film we went home and rested for a little before going out with Jake to see London at night! We walked around St. Paul's and Millennium Bridge and then walked across Tower Bridge seeing some interesting characters along the way. The Thames is beautiful at night! We came home and went straight to bed.
Me with Tower Bridge at night!!! :)
Saturday: Today has been the best weather day we've ever had. It was actually hot.....and I heard it was 80 degrees in Philly this week. Global warming again. We were suppose to go to Brighton today to start out my 21st bday weekend but it seemed there wasn't a lot to do there so we're gonna go to the Hard Rock Cafe instead for a nice dinner :) Maybe I'll go to Brighton next weekend or week for a study break. This morning Laura, and I went to Tate Britain and saw a lot of great art work. We walked around London and got a quick drink at Starbucks where I stayed to blog but Laura headed to Portobello.
I can not believe how quickly the time has flown.
On Monday, my 21st BIRTHDAY, I pick classes for the fall semester of my SENIOR year of college. Too many big kids things happening but I guess that's what happens when you grow up.
Thank you all for your support and I can't wait to see you in a few weeks. Wish you were all here with to celebrate but I know we will have a proper celebration when I get home! :)
CHEERS,
MK
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