After a little (spring) break: Guess who's back?

And so begins the “I’m sorry I haven’t updated my blog in weeks post.” Let’s just say I took a little (spring) break!

Since there is no way I believe I’m going be able to cover about 2 months worth of posts from Sheffield and travelling, I have decided to just stick with making this post about my 3-week Easter vacation: Euro-tour 2010.

March 19 and 20- Day 1 and 2- London Calling
Spring break (or the trip of a lifetime!) began with meeting my mom in London town for 3 days. It was really great to be able to show my mom a bit of the world where I’m living for four months. [Insert: DEFINITELY tried to find Platform 9 ¾ after I arrived in King’s Cross... it was DEFINITELY boarded up: should’ve used “alohamora!”]

The first night we were there, we saw the musical “Wicked,” an amazing performance of vocal and dance talent! Mom was a trooper as she pushed through very little sleep on her overnight flight to stay awake for the show. The next day we did our own little walking tour around Londontown with stops at Buckingham Palace (sadly, no guards dressed in red as the queen was not in residence!), Big Ben, Westminster, and the London Eye. The weather was stereotypically overcast and rainy, but it was still great to finally see the place most people assume I’m studying in. Now, if only I could find that acceptance letter to London University...

INSERT: I LOVE THE LONDON TUBE! Yes, it’s crowded at rush hour; yes, it’s not so nice with heavy luggage; Ok, I’ll give it to you that it’s kind of expensive; Oh darn, I forgot they shut it down every weekend to do engineering work on it... BUT IT’S SO INCREDIBLE! Really, the tube network is so vast that it can really get you anywhere you need to go in London, which is absolutely amazing.

March 21- Day 3- Londontown
The following day, we went on one of those big bus tours of the city: good choice as the sun was finally shinning (wait, what?!?) though it was still quite cold. We got off the Tower of London- which is home to the Crown Jewels and the site where many of King Henry VIII's wives were beheaded, including Anne Boleyn. We also chose to walk around a bit of Regent’s Park and ran into a former Dookie- thank God this was before the NCAA Championship this year.





































March 22-Day 4- "We'll always have PARIS!"
After 3 great days in a city I could see myself living/working in someday, Mom and I hoped on the Eurostar for 4 days in the most romantic city on earth: Paris! We had the immense pleasure of meeting Kris: a 2-year-old Indian boy who was convinced we were going to India on the train. “No Kris, India AFTER Euro Disney!”

Wait a minute: It seems that my emphasis is on the wrong word, let me try again. “INDIA after EURODISNEY!” Who IS this kid? He has more culture in his 2 years of life than I had in almost 20 of mine, haha.

After arriving to Paris, mom and I quickly tossed our stuff down and set out into the beautiful 18 degree weather (60’s for you Farenheighters) to explore Paris. We accidentally ended up walking the wrong way (twice) but we finally managed to find our way to the Luxembourg Gardens and eventually to Notre Dame. Notre Dame was great, except this is where we experience the first of many, many peddlers begging for money. Paris was by far the worst city for peddlers and it was

actually something I grew to really dislike about our stay there.



March 23-Day 5-
The following day was what I like to call our “day of fails.” After failing to get into the Louvre (it’s closed on Tuesday, for future reference), we hopped on (and off) a bus tour of Paris. We decided we would return to the Notre Dame- where we had missed climbing to the terrace atop it the day before. Upon arriving there, seeing the crowds, and NOT seeing the end of the line for the top deck, we turned around and waited to hop on the bus again. After continuing the bus tour (Musse de Orsay and Concorde- where Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were beheaded) we stopped at the Arc De Triompe at the end of the Champs de Eylees. That was an amazing sight- though we were not quite sure how to safely get across the traffic... “red-light, green-light anyone?”

We stopped again at the Eiffel Tower, but decided against waiting in the 2 hr + line to get to the top. I was definitely disappointed, but we decided to do a little exploring instead and we came upon the Hotel De Invalides- the home of Napoleon’s tomb! It was an impressive monument: his body inside 4 or 5 caskets consisting of marble, steel, and concrete. The church was built by Louis the XIV and is now home to two of Napoleon’s confidants as well. Finally, we ended this long day with a tour of the Sainte Chappelle- a church with 15 beautiful stained glass windows that depicted books of the Bible. The most impressive piece, however, was this incredible stained glass rose window that had Peter’s interpretation of the Apocalypse. Louis XIV attended this church for weekly mass.

March 24-Day 6-
Imagine: standing above the most, arguably, majestic city in Europe. Imagine: viewing the world from the most, arguably, recognized monument in the world. Imagine: steel beams criss-crossing in every direction from a structure that was built for the World Fair in 1898 and still stands today! Imagine: Tour Eiffel!

Mom and I arrived promptly at 9:15 to be in line for the opening of the Eiffel Tower at 9:30 and were still at least several hundred people deep. But, we stuck out the two hour wait and finally made it to the most coveted tourist attracted in all of Europe! I will never forget seeing Paris from that high- looking down into the well-designed layout of the city and just taking in the knowledge that I was in the Eiffel Tower! It was beyond breathtaking. The structure, the tallest in Paris, stands 324 m (1,063 ft) tall and on a clear day, one can see as far as 68 Km (40 miles!)

We continued our “cliché day” in Paris by hitting the Louvre next. Mom headed for most of the Rembrandt paintings while I ventured to the Egyptian wing where I saw the code of Hammurabi, mummy cases, a Sphinx, headed over the Michelangelo wing, and posed with the sitting Ramses (for all my Tarheels!). We finally made our way to the museum’s most famous piece, the Mona Lisa, and I was more impressed with the painting than I thought I was going to be! It was very crowded, but very cool! We ended the day with Strawberry beers at the The Hippo and took the tram back over to see the Eiffel Tower at night and were lucky enough to get there right as it was lit up for the night display!

March 25-Day 7- Versailles
Mom and I spent the somewhat rainy morning walking and shopping a bit more around Paris, and the afternoon in the incredible palace of Versailles. We went on our own audio-guided walking tour of the amazing home of Louis XIV (I think I’ve heard of this guy before...) and highlights included the Hall of Mirrors, King and Queen’s bedchambers, and stroll in the (unfortunately-unblooming-but-nevertheless-beautiful) gardens of Versailles.
















March 26-Day 8- Brussels
Early the next morning, we said “Au revoir” to Paris and we hopped on another train to Brussels, Belgium. We spent the rest of the day finding our hotel and headed over to a 4 story shopping mall no more than 100 meters from our hotel! We had dinner at this very local, very delicious Italian restaurant: all in all, a good first day :)

March 27- Day 9- "That's a load of (Belgian) Waffle"
Mom and I took another Bus Tour of Brussels and saw the city’s exotic structures built for the World Fair of 1958: the Antomium and Chinese Opera House. The city is home to the headquarters for the European Union and also still has a sitting monarch. We got off the bus tour at the city’s “Grand Place”- a very historical square in the center of the city with somewhat Moorish influence and delicious Belgian chocolate shoppes. We also saw Brussels’ other claim to fame (the statue of the peeing boy) and ate a local delicacy: the Belgian Waffle. We ended Mom’s last night in Europe with a dinner at this unbelievable Thai restaurant.






















I’m going to end my post here as spring break still has another exciting 11 days to go and I don't want to put you on jealousy overload. But, note to come = Florence, Rome,Sevilla!

"The greatest gift that Oxford gives her sons is, I truly believe, a genial irreverence toward learning, and from that irreverence love may spring."

The days are flying by…

I cannot believe I’ve been here for over 3 weeks already: where’s Peter Pan to stop time when you need him?!?

Last weekend included another day trip to Oxford. I was initially worried that Oxford and Cambridge would be so similar that the trip to Oxford wouldn’t have been really worth it, but I was thankfully wrong!

Oxford is a bit more urban than Cambridge, so I really felt like I was in a city where people other than university staff and students could successfully maintain professional and personal lives. Some of the highlights included shackling up in the stocks of Oxford’s underground castle; Merton College, where J.R.R Tolkien was a student; the Oxford Botanic Gardens; and Christ Church College and Chapel, the inspiration for the Great Hall of the Harry Potter films.

Overall, it was an amazing day and an amazing day turned into a wonderful night as I danced the evening away to fabulous Pop songs of the 80’s, 90’s, and today. Oh, the wonder years…

My classes are finally sorted out and I successfully made it to every class, being late to only one or two of them! As we are progressing in the course material, the lectures are definitely becoming more engaging, though I didn’t think I would be marrying a history book! Much of the current material in my lectures is strong influenced and dictated by the history of British politics and media. Thanks 14 years of American history: the grass is always greener from the other side of the pond.

Overall, I’m starting to learn the nuts and bolts about the British people as well. There is a very interesting complex surrounding what it means for the people of England to be “British.” There seems almost a dying sense of nationalism here as most British do not really consider themselves European nor is there much unity among the three nation states of the United Kingdom.

Insert geography and cultural lessons that I have learned since being here: 1) The nation-states of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England make up the United Kingdom. 2) Because the people of these regions are so different, the idea of a United Kingdom is merely meaningful in for political purposes as most British consider themselves distinctly different from the Scottish, Irish and Welsh. A complex history of conquest and submission have somewhat blurred and marred the relationships of these regions. Yet, nevertheless, they are bound together by common law.

In my political communication course, we watched video’s on some of the recent Public Election Broadcast’s and I was absolutely shocked that the BBC would run this ad for the British National Party. Again, brings to light this question of what is British nationalism:

And it never fails to READily surprise me how UNOVEL it is to be an international student. In North Carolina, international students are welcomed with curious wonder and viewed as exotic and different. Here, I get the vague impression that being international is nothing to “get one’s knickers in a twist” about. That’s slightly disappointing, but I supposed I’m not really too surprised. America doesn’t have the best reputation at the moment in much of the world.

I’m learning so much about myself during this experience! I didn’t think I would have any struggles just picking up and moving to a new country, especially one that is very modern and westernized, but I’ve struggled a bit with the process. Yes, I’m meeting new people and being in a town that is so different from Chapel Hill is refreshing, but, meeting new people and being in a completely industrial town has also been a somewhat stressful adjustment. I’m beginning to see that I am simply a person who needs a bit of time before I learn to truly love a place and that’s not a bad or wrong thing! Plus, I’m sure that by the end of 4 months, I’m going to wish I had 4 more here!

Other highlights of the week included an evening song choir performance by one of my flat mates, a tarot card reading session- don’t believe too much in the stuff, but it was very entertaining to learn about British folklore and legend- and a comedy show by the student improvisational group SHRIMPS. I’m glad I’m able to do events that allow me to experience a bit of the student culture here: still working to be a part of the press organization, but they are annoyingly slow to return emails.

Well, tata for now y’all: I promise it won't be this long before I post again!

camBRIDGE-ING the gap

And so ends my first week in Sheffield.

Since Wednesday, I'm very excited to say that I haven't been late for another class, am relatively caught up on my readings, and I have given both Sheffield and England "a little go."

I had my first Internet and Society sociology class on Thursday and I am so HYPE(RLINKED) about it! The class focuses on the sociological impacts of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) on familial and social relationships, work environments, and sexualities. I have been very interested in taking a course on the increasing influence of the Internet on our communication practices, so I'm very excited about this course. Plus, my professor is very enthusiastic and passionate about the subject she teaches, so that makes the class even more enjoyable.

One of the more surprising things to me about students in the UK is their seemingly carefree attitude about what they are going to be doing after college. Most of the second and third year students seem to be unconcerned with their post-graduation plans and are simply content with just living life. I don't know whether to be envious of their stress-free approach or worried for their futures.

Fridays are my worst day with two two-hour courses. The first of the day (journalism and political communication) is very interesting and engaging. The second (public administration for journalists) is a course designed for first year students and is filled with students who like "being in college" more than going to class.

Both courses have an intensive focus on local government in the UK, which will take a lot of studying and effort on my part if I am going to do well. Most of these students have grown up learning some sort of local and national civics, so they are already ahead of the game. It'll take work, but I'm sure I'm going to be just fine.... good thing the first line in the Wikipedia article on local government in England reads, "The pattern of local government in England is complex, with the distribution of functions varying according to the local arrangements."

Friday night I went to a student-directed and produced play called Stockholm. It was a very interesting look at the complexities of romantic and family relationships as well as how a young couple deals with their personal demons. I was pleasantly pleased at the performances by the actors and was glad I was able to experience a student's perspective on life and love.

Then came Saturday: or should I say then CAMBRIDGE Saturday. Every weekend, the University hosts relatively priced day trips to various English towns for students through a program called "give it a go."

Cambridge, home to 31 colleges that together makeup Cambridge University, is absolutely beautiful. From the Gothic-inspired King's College Chapel to the medieval majesty of St. John's residence halls, the city was an amazing experience.

We arrived to Cambridge at about 11 AM and we left to explore the city at our leisure. Our first stop was King's College Chapel, which was began by King Henry VI in 1441 and was not finished until 90 years later in 1531, when the last Stained Glass masterpiece was put into place and King Henry VIII was in power.

Entrance to King's College

We then went to tour Trinity College (which has been home to many members of the Royal family, including Prince Charles) and got a glimpse of St. John's. We had lunch in a pub that was built in 1667 called "The Eagle," which is know for it's historic ceiling. Apparently, after one night of heavy celebrating for the end of WWII, members of the US Air Force and Royal Air Force (UK) drunkenly crawled on each others' shoulders to write the names and numbers of their squadrons on the ceiling of the pub with lipstick and lighters. ALSO: I'm truly British now as I have finally had Fish 'n' chips.

After a bit more touring, we deciding to finally give in to the peddler's on the street and partake in a sightseeing tour called punting. Like the gondola's of Venice, these little boats gave us a backside look of the main colleges on the River Cam. I was against the idea in the beginning of the day because it was so cold, but it quickly became my favorite event of the day because it gave us an incredibly different view of the city.

Punting Boats
Overall, it was a great day and I cannot wait to tour more of the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. I'm so grateful and fortunate for my time abroad and I know this is an incredible experience I'll never forget.



Oh, and wishing everyone a LOVEly Valentine's
Day <3




More Cambridge Pictures:

"Here Comes the Sun, and I say it's all right..."

YAY: Video post!



Sad news: one of the girls from the suite left us to go back home today. She's a great friend and I'm going to miss her dearly and wish her the best of luck back in the states.

Good news: I cooked, legitimately cooked, curry tonight and it was DELICIOUS (not quite as good as humble pie though...)

Today was Sheffield's club, sport, and activities fair known as the "Ultimate Fair." It was a crazy scene of hundreds of clubs giving out free information and prizes as thousands of students ventured to sign up for different events.

I'm thinking of joining the University's award-winning newspaper The Forge, doing some volunteering with some local schools, and maybe joining the Women's Rugby team. The ball's in my court.

Tonight, back at home, the age-long battle of the blues continue: GO HEELS :)

" Me fail English? That unpossible!"

It's been an eventful weekend since I last posted.

Most of Saturday was spent on a trip to the Meadowhall- a ridiculously expansive shopping "centre" clear across the city. Some of the international students took a tram, which stops conveniently right outside of the student union, for a 3 pound "all day rider" pass. We were able to pass through the city centre on the way to the mall, so we got to see the "heart of Sheffield" as they call it here.


The mall was absolutely a worthwhile adventure as I have never seen any shopping mall quite like it before. I spent most of my time window-gazing at the trendy fashions I knew I could never pull off. Leather boots, tights, and mini-skirts are quite the rage here and I give the British girls props because most of them will venture into the 2C (or about 36F) wind-whipping front attack in nothing but thin leggings and sweaters. I'm either too wimpy or too sane to "dare to wear" what these girls do... I'll let you decide.

We also moved in on Saturday: both an incredibly exciting and incredibly frustrating experience. our new home in Sheffield, England is a convenient 30 minute walk from classes/the student union and is called the Crewe Flats.

I live in a rather spacious single room with red interior decor, a sink, and 2 windows. The flat consists of 9 international students: 2 Aussies, 5 Americans, and a French girl. There is one girl living on the ground floor, 4 on the second, and 3 of us on top. Each floor has it's own bathroom and we share a kitchen area. We are living in the self-catered accommodation, which means we are responsible for cooking for ourselves. Someone please tell me I can get Rachel Ray on BCC?!?!

I had a delightful Sunday afternoon with one of my flatmates, grocery shopping and then sipping hot chocolate with my mentor in her favorite place on campus: a little cafe located below the student union called the interval.


It was Superbowl MONDAY here in Sheffield as the student body got revved up for the biggest night in "American" football. Te game started at 11:25 GMT and didn't end until about 2:30 AM. Watching the Superbowl in a bar (also located in the bottom of the student union) was simply a blast. All of the students were so riled up for the event, but none of them actually had any real interest in who won or even understood the rules.

Several of my "coursemates", as they call classmates here, were all very supportive (several "oh, bless you's") after hearing about my trials and were kind enough to lend me the notes I missed. The lecture was 2 hours long and left my head somewhat spinning after discussing the origins of relativism, but it was a fascinating first class and I can't wait to learn more and meet more people.

I spent the afternoon doing some shopping for cookware and food. The center of the city has a lot of Walmart/Target-like shops that I knew would be perfect for me to get some stuff. However, these places are a good 45 minute walk from my dorm and about an hour, as I found out this afternoon, when you are carrying heavy bags full of pots and dishes. Needless to say, I am exhausted after my day, but it has been a great intro weekend to the city! Hopefully, I'll begin learn the bus system soon, so I won't have to walk so far next time.

I'm going to end this post with the promise of more pictures, maybe video, and some little differences in British culture that still trip me up:
1) people pass each other on the left hand side, rather than the right
2) people don't apologize if they run into you
3) the "pound" is in coin form... I miss my paper money!!
4) The British do not seem to eat "healthier" than Americans, they just eat less because the portions are smaller
5) The people almost blend into the background: everyone wears blacks, grays, and other dark colours.

Sign in the union that made me chuckle:

" Hearts at peace, under an English heaven."

After 10 hours of flying, another hour of waiting to pass through immigration, 2 train rides and much baggage lugging, I finally made it to Sheffield!

My flight was not too bad: the airplane was barely crowded so I was able to lay down across several seats and get a little shut eye. Upon arriving in the UK, there was already snow on the ground, which I was not too thrilled about in light of my many bags. And it was quite cold (35F) and dreary yesterday in both Manchester and Sheffield... why did I leave North Carolina again? Oh well, from what I hear they had snow again in NC and here it was a lovely 41F and sunny today!

I met up with my roommate Claudia yesterday at the airport and we both struggled to haul our bags all over the country. The train ride to Sheffield was spent plotting future British escapades, getting to know one another, staring out into the beautiful snow-covered English countryside (they have so many sheep here!), and chatting with our now good friend Mr. Ken J. Bates.

Even though the weather here is often bleak, the people most certainly are not! Everyone I have met has been simply charming and more than willing to help us with our bags, directions, and advice.

A list of other things that have caught me off (the changing of the) guard:
1) How much Europeans value minimalism
2) Pay-t0-use toilets and the fact that they do not flush like ours do. In fact, they really don't even flush at all
3) How difficult it is to cross the street and the fact that street signs are located near the ground and not on a pole- seems inconvenient to me....
4) No water fountains
5) How cold and dreary the weather can be
6) How EXPENSIVE it is to live here- the exchange is a horrible 1.6 dollars per pound. POUND me!
7) How EARLY it gets dark here. 5:45 and it's already pitch black!
8) Tax is included in the price!

There are others that I'm sure I've forgotten, but, I'll continue with more important updates. Claudia and I are staying at this cute little Bed and Breakfast for our first two nights. I don't have a picture of it yet (forgot this morning) but I'll post one soon. We were served a traditional English breakfast of toast, eggs (sunny side up), bacon, mushrooms and a tomato.

I had orientation today at the university's student union. The student union is very accommodating (plenty to do with bars, a cinema, restaurants, and more all right there!) and a great place to get work done or just hang out. I'm signed up for 3 classes now including Journalism and Political Communication, Ethics: theoretical and practical, and Contemporary movements in Social change.

We also bought phones and toured the city a bit. It is a beautiful place, older buildings mixed with incredible new-architecture. I can't wait to further explore and learn about this city. My goal is to do 3-4 new things each week which may include seeing an art exhibit, visiting a park or museum, or simply learning about the city.

SHEFFIELD