Orientation

Ok it's been a few days since my last entry so I figured I'd keep you in the loop. At the moment I'm coming to terms with the result of last night's State-Carolina game but other than that everything here is fantastic. It's even been sunny and in the 40's the past couple of days.
So you're wondering what City University is like. Definitely compact. The school mainly consists of a few interconnected buildings centered around Northampton Square, in the Northeast section of London. A few are located slightly off the main campus but I don't think I'll be using any of those buildings since the journalism department is in the main college building. The neighborhood is mainly residential, but there are some restaurants and pubs around as well as shopping areas up by Angel. The is also a really nice outdoor market that sets up shop during the week about 5 minutes away. They had all kinds of ethnic food from Indian, to Mediterranean, etc... Me and my flatmate Katie went right for the corned beef (called salt beef in the UK). Nothing tasted better, even out in the cold.
Orientation went pretty smoothly. Ryan, the international programs coordinator, showed us around and after that we had a chance to bond with all the exchange students. A couple of trends stood out; the crowd seemed to be mostly female and there was only one person from the US apart from the four of us. We talked with some girls from Australia for a while. Apparently college for them, which they call "Uni," is just looked at as school as opposed to a way of life. They said it is not uncommon for students to live with their parents back home. My class schedule is crazy light. I only have classes on Tuesday and Thursday, although my Tuesday class is four hours, so it may be intense. We also don't have to take exams which is awesome.
Yesterday we ventured out into Camden Market; a bustling set of streets along Regents Canal with several touristy retailers. I bought a Bazinga hoodie in honor of the Big Bang Theory. Those things seem to be really popular in the UK. I had my first meal of fish and chips for lunch, which I enjoyed since it was fried, and being from the south I am a sucker for the fried stuff.
Not sure what I'll be doing between now and Tuesday but I'll let you know.


 

Initial impressions

     Ok, so now that I've been here a couple days I'm almost up to speed on London time. My three female flatmates and me have spent the last couple of days sightseeing, and tomorrow is orientation at the University. Yesterday we visited the Barbican Center; a large performing arts center in the newer section of the city where waited in a long line for a limited time exhibit called the rain room. It's a big room made to look like rain is pouring although really only a little is. Don't worry, we didn't get totally soaked. For dinner we ate at a cheap Asian restaurant close to our flat.
     Today we hit up some of the main staples of London like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. We didn't go inside but the architecture was definitely something to write home abo, wait a minute... isn't that what I'm doing here? We browsed Covent Garden, which is a large open-air market about 10 minutes from our neighborhood. This is a nice place to walk, or shop and I'd recommend it to anyone visiting. There are shops, restaurants, booths, and street performers. There was even a lady belting opera. We ate at a delicious Mexican restaurant nearby for lunch which gives out Serrano chillies as small parting gifts.
     So far I've really enjoyed the transport systems. The Heathrow Express was smooth, fast, and sophisticated. They had a TV going with a little news and weather. In 15 minutes I was at Paddington Station in the heart of London. When I got there I was reminded of the stations featured in Thomas the Tank Engine. You know with the high arched ceiling above the platforms and bustling with passengers. It was a beautiful sight, even at 8am (and at that point I was running on East Coast time). The tube was also nice since it's seats are cushioned, unlike many US systems. Well, don't want to put you to sleep here so I'll just say good night, and I'll let you know how orientation goes.

Photo courtesy of my flatmate Mary.

   

London in no time

     As I begin this blog I am filled with emotion and excitement about my journey to the U.K. tomorrow as part of an exchange program at City University with UNC's journalism school. It's equivalent to one semester of credit, so it fits in fine with my schedule. This will be my third trip overseas in the last three years, but the first time I'll be abroad for an extended period. Definitely looking forward to being in such a large and diverse city full of museums, great restaurants, and an amazing network of public transportation (yes, the little kid in me still loves trains). No language barrier, which is good. But I'm reading up on my British slang so that I will know things like the difference between chips and crisps.
     Tonight was special. My sister and brother-in-law are visiting from New York and surprised me with a going away celebration with several of my friends. I know I'll see them again but having them all there put me in a state of euphoria. It does feel strange to know that I won't be with them this semester but I wish them the best of luck, especially the lovely class of 2013! I'll also be removed from March Madness, although it's possible Tar Heel nation will have less to cheer about this year than in years past.
     On the whole, it's hard for me to describe how I'm feeling about this entire experience since it's completely new. The most important aspect for me is to stretch my comfort zone. It didn't take me long to get comfortable in Chapel Hill, so now I'm taking it up a notch. London is bigger, more expensive, more intimidating, but an amazing place. There is no doubt that this will be an unforgettable three months.