April 11: Bryce!

Today's the big day, I'm finally going to see my boyfriend, Bryce, again! It's only been 4 months and 2 days since I last saw him in the international terminal at Johannesburg airport, but who's counting? We're meeting in Amsterdam tonight, spending the day tomorrow (Thursday) in Amsterdam, then taking a very early morning train from Amsterdam to Paris on Friday. We part ways Sunday night as Bryce heads to Madrid to visit his cousin studying abroad there and I go 'home' to Woking.

SO EXCITED!

April 9: Fire Alarms

After my exhausting weekend in London, I was very keen to get to bed a bit early and get a good night’s sleep in order to get up Monday, go for a run, run some errands, and get ready for the busy week ahead of me.

But a nice night’s sleep was not in the cards for me. Maybe it’s karma for having gone to The Church instead of a church on Easter Sunday.

When my manager and his friend visiting for the weekend arrived back from the Woking club RSVP just after 2 AM, a guy loitering outside followed them in through the front door, promptly broke the glass to the fire alarm, setting it off, and ran away. I came out bleary-eyed in search of any telephone number I could find to the building management company, but to no avail. Houman called the police, but apparently there was nothing they could do, either. Since the alarm was going off in the whole building, I felt that surely some other resident would make a call to the management company to get someone to shut it off.

At 4 AM, the alarm was still going off.

I decided to take matters into my own hands and looked up the UK emergency number -- thank you Lonely Planet -- like 911 in the US. I was quickly transferred to a local fire station manager who promptly sent a fire brigade out after I clarified the location. They couldn't get it to stop initially, but finally as they were leaving the building, the alarm turned off. I was finally able to fall asleep once the ringing in my head subsided somewhat...

April 6-8: Easter Weekend in London

Thursday, April 5 was the big day: Mary Poppins. My manager and I had meetings at our client’s office in Campden in central London that day, so we just stayed downtown. After dropping our bags at Carrie’s hotel and picking her up, we cabbed it over to Prince Edward Theatre, though I think the tube to Tottenham Court stop and walking might have been faster, thanks to all the traffic… We got our tickets and made our way up to our nosebleed seats just in time, and without any dinner. Ever wonder what the view looks like for the spotlight guys? Yeah, we found out first-hand. But that’s what you get when you order the cheapest tickets available online, and they still put us back ₤29 each. The show was charming and has inspired me to rent the movie at my next possible opportunity. The set design and special effects were particularly impressive: sure enough, on-stage Mary pulled a coat rack, large potted plant, and even a twin bed out of her carpet bag. During the final number, Mary Poppins rose out into the audience lifted by her umbrella and all the way up out of sight.

After the show, we were pretty hungry, so after tracking down an ATM for Carrie we made our way into Wetherspoon’s on Chancery Lane. Turns out, this is a pretty large chain of pubs; Carrie and I had just had dinner there in Woking the night before! We quickly ordered food and beers before they closed the kitchen at 11 PM. The pub/lounge/restaurant was huge! There’s a huge open room with a screen showing the music video of the pop song playing at full volume, a room in front, a room even farther back, and an upstairs area. But like so many pubs in London, despite the relaxed law around closing at 11, Wetherspoon’s shut down around 11:30 PM and we headed back to the Marriott Marble Arch.

Friday was a bright and sunny and warm day, just like Thursday had been. It didn’t feel like London at all. Carrie’s friend, Helen from Newcastle, arrived at the hotel in the late morning as Carrie and I were still getting ready. After lunch at an Italian café down the street we made our way to the Embankment dock to catch a Catamaran Cruise. Helen’s day travel card got her a 30% discount and my train ticket into the city from Woking from the day before got Carrie and me a two-for-one deal, so all of us managed to avoid paying full price. Though we were on a ‘hop-on, hop-off’ tour, we didn’t do much hopping until the boat pulled up to the Greenwich pier. We alighted there and grabbed a half-pint at a local pub before heading out to explore. We walked through an open-air market and then went into the park near the dock and up to the front of the Maritime Museum before making our way back to the dock for the next boat back.

We were getting a bit cold and hungry as the sun went down, so I got in touch with some high school friends who wanted to meet up. Adrian Baker and Travis Aylward are both studying this year at the London School of Economics to get their masters degrees. Adrian had only just a few days before found my contact information on Facebook and realized that I was also in London. It was a pleasant surprise to see them and catch up again. We met them out at Nottinghill Gate in Bayswater, and after a few unsuccessful attempts at finding a pub that was both still serving food and had available tables, we settled for the TexMex place near the tube stop. After eating and catching up over a few pitchers of red sangria, we headed out to a few pubs in the area. But the 11 PM closing time plagued us still as we were just barely able to get a pint at the first place before they stopped serving and then were unsuccessful at the several pubs we tried after that. Adrian and Travis were generous enough to offer us a drink back at their flat, so we got the grand tour. Let’s just say that their living conditions were in stark contrast to the giant flat-screen TV and high-end Grey Goose they were serving… Aaaah, the life of a student. We didn’t get too far into “Swingers” before it was time for us three girls to call it a night and make our way back to Marble Arch.

On Saturday, the weather once again cooperated and provided a sunny, warm day for us to spend outside. We walked the entire distance alongside Hyde Park until we were back aroundPortobello Road for the famous weekend market. Here, Helen had to bid us farewell in order to retrieve her bag and meet a friend on Oxford Street before catching her train back to Newcastle so she could spend Easter back at home. Carrie and I put blinders on as best we could in order to make our way all the way to the end of the market in order to meet another of Carrie’s friends, Marie, who lives in the area. We got a tour of her lovely English home currently under renovation, but which is going to be fantastic when the work is completed. Marie proceeded to then guide us through the market and showed us the ‘best’ area to get good quality wares. Carrie and I found some great pearl earrings before going in search of the crepe stand we’d seen to have some late lunch. My ham and cheese crepe cost ₤5 (yes, that’s US $10) and I ate it off a paper plate in the street, but it was delicious. Though granted, Portobello Road Market is a tourist trap with inflated prices, London is truly unaffordable. Fares and prices continue rise, sometimes monthly. And we won’t even mention the US exchange rate right now, or I’ll start to cry. If you’re curious, check it out: XE.com. Regardless, I wasn’t going to let it stop me from getting a cute casual dress, so Marie and Carrie helped me pick one out and Marie brilliantly bartered the guy from ₤20 down to ₤18 and we left the market victorious. Nottinghill Gate, but this time we made a right and headed up towards

Carrie and I needed a rest back at the hotel, and we wanted to raid the Executive Lounge for snacks and waters, so we parted ways with Marie and headed back.

Once we were refreshed once more, and all dressed up for a Saturday night out at the pubs, we met Adrian and Travis out at the Indian restaurant in Holland Park where they had just been served dinner themselves. Adrian used to live very nearby when he worked in London at an insurance company as an internship the summer before his senior year of college. When they had finished eating and Carrie and I finished the beer we’d shared, we made our way to another local pub that mercifully had a non-smoking section. London is going smoke-free in July, right after I leave. Please make note that this is a full year before Chicago gets its act together and follows suit. Ridiculous.

Closing time once again came quickly and so we left to try one last place: the boys’ favorite watering hole near their flat where they’re known by first name by the manager. We were thus able to be served past closing and enjoy several rounds of English Trivial Pursuit on one of those pub TV game systems that steals all your change. So addictive.

We called it a night as this pub closed its doors as Carrie and I had an early morning ahead of us.

For Easter Sunday, we arranged to meet up with some of my Paddywagon friends to go to The Church. For those of you from London, you’ll know right away that this is not a church at all, but a converted theatre where people go to continue their weekend partying on Sunday morning. It was great to see Penny, her friend Larissa, and Megan again, and we got to meet the legendary Irish guy from Galway that Megan hooked up with during the tour. The venue played good fun music and we generally had a good time, but I think I’ll tick that box and not feel the need to go to The Church again. It got a bit ‘rowdy’, to put it nicely, and watching female and male strippers is not my idea of fun on any day, let alone a Sunday. I was happy to leave with Carrie at 3:30 PM (it closes at 4 PM anyway) to help her try and make her flight back to Barcelona that evening.

It was a good Easter weekend, I was so happy to do the boat to Greenwich and see the Portobello Road Market, as those were both items on my London 'to do list', and I cannot stress enough how beautiful the weather was the whole time. We were really lucky to have so many days in a row of sunshine. Hopefully the streak will continue, at least until Wednesday when I head out to meet Bryce in Amsterdam.

All photographs are made possible thanks to the Michelle Elson Foundation for Laura's Photography

I have been meaning to thank Shelley Elson for her generous contribution of her old camera to sponsor my weak photography skills while abroad. If it weren't for her old Canon complete with case, memory card, and uploading technology, none of the photographs on this blog (other than those taken by friends like Paddywagon peeps, Carrie, and Jon) would be possible.

Thanks Shelley!!!

Jon is my Winnie-the-Pooh hero

I would like to take this moment to give a shout out to Jon, who went during his lunch to explore the Wren Library and even sneak this photo of the original manuscript of Winnie the Pooh for me. (for reference, please see blog post: Cambridge). It's a little hard to see because poor Jon was dodging the 'burly' library guard paid to keep people from taking photos of the manuscript. Please note the clear sign in this picture with a slash mark through a camera. :)

He also found some other remarkable old manuscripts on display. Of the several images he sent me, I find this one to be one of my favorites: original Shakespearean writing. Note that all other manuscripts allow photography... I hate when museums try shamelessly to sell postcards; I'll buy them anyway! Musee D'Orsay, room housing the Mona Lisa, you heard me!

Thanks again Jon, you're the best!

April 3: Cheerio, my lovie

Yes, a woman at Sainsbury's last night actually said that to me. I love it.

The hardest adjustments to life in the UK:

1. Looking the wrong way before crossing the street
2. Figuring out how to work appliances, like stoves, washing machines, dishwashers
3. Figuring out how to turn on showers
4. Being away from family and friends, especially in times of celebration

The best parts of living in the UK:

1. Going to see Mary Poppins tomorrow in London
2. Having tea all the time and that not being ‘weird’
3. Healthier food and lifestyle
4. Gateway to the rest of Europe

By the way, if anyone can send me information on the proper use of the word 'cheers' here, I would be much obliged. Thusfar, my manager and I have identified it as a replacement for 'Thanks', 'Good-bye', 'You're welcome', and 'Excuse me'.

March 31 - April 1: Cambridge

This past weekend, I took the train out to meet Jon, my friend from Core Consultant School training, in Cambridge.

Cambridge is located about a 1 hour train ride north of London. The train departs from King’s Cross station, and all you Harry Potter fans will be thrilled to know that there is a Platform 9 ¾ complete with a cart that has mostly disappeared into the solid brick wall. I got a perfect view of it as my train to Cambridge departed from Platform 9.

Cambridge University was founded when there were riots at Oxford between the scholars and the townspeople and the students fled to found their own university in the early 13^th century. The university consists of several separate colleges, notable of which are King’s College and Trinity College. We didn’t enter King’s College as there was a steep ₤4 admission fee, but we walked into the green expanse of Trinity College, just off a busy cobblestone street. I was awed by the start difference between the bustle and noise of the narrow street we’d entered from, and the quiet and calm of the central quad of Trinity College. It’s hard to believe students actually go to school there, it’s so serene and beautiful. Trinity College also houses the Wren Library where the original manuscript of Winnie the Pooh resides, written by A A Milne. Both Milne and his son, Christopher Robin, were graduates. Unfortunately, the library is only open during lunch hours Monday through Friday, so Jon has promised to take a photo sometime during the week to send to me. J

John Harvard belonged to the Emmanuel College of Cambridge University. After graduating, he was one of 30 men to sail to New England, and ultimately left the funds to start the university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The timing of my weekend out to Cambridge, England was certainly fortuitous.

It was a fantastic weekend; Jon picked me up from the train station, cooked me lunch, took me on a walking tour of downtown historic Cambridge, and punted me around the River Cam. Luckily, I was able to return that favor as I tried my hand at punting as well. Punting has got to be one of the most inefficient ways of getting around. It involves using a very long pole to propel a long narrow boat (punt) along the river, similar to the gondolas in Venice. I didn’t do too badly: we didn’t have a crash (that was our fault), lose the pole, or fall into the water.

Punting was actually a magnificent way to see the Cambridge campus. The river is lined on both sides with lush green grass and willow trees, with the historic buildings of Cambridge University visible on one side. We were fortunate to have the perfect, sunny spring day for it as well.

Saturday night, Jon took me to meet some friends of his at a pub called The Eagle. This pub also featured in my guidebook for having a few claims to fame. The first one is that Watson and Crick (the scientists who discovered DNA) spent equal time at this pub as they did in the laboratory. The second is that American WWII airmen spent a lot of time here and left their signatures on the ceiling of one of the back rooms. Over a pint or two of ‘real ale’, I witnessed both the plaque to Watson and Crick and the ceiling of signatures firsthand.

Sunday’s highlight was a huge home-cooked lunch care of Jon’s friends, Elaine and Jinko. It was almost like Thanksgiving in the US, there was so much good food. Maybe I’m too accustomed to the American way of dismissing meals as quality and restful time, because it was a real treat to have such a lavish and well-cooked meal like that when I wasn’t at home with my wonderful mother cooking for me.

The weekend ended with dinner in London with my (Chicago) roommate, Carrie, near her hotel at the Marble Arch. It’s great to see a Chicago face while here, though I’m not feeling homesick quite yet; it’s only been two weeks. We’ve gotten tickets to see Mary Poppins in London on Thursday night, I can’t wait!