more fun stuff: going out!

When we are not in the common room, or eating... we are out!!

London is similar to DC because there are a lot of fun places to go!

My new friend Mark, our social director, promotes for different clubs!

mark & me 

My favorites so far:

http://www.chinawhite.com/

http://www.embassylondon.com/embassy/london/

Fun stuff!

So what do we do when we're not in the common room?? We eat ALOT and party!

Sometimes people host dinner parties! Yum! <3 It's really fun because each person is from a different country & lives in a different part of London. 

Some pics!!

THANKSGIVING!! I actually celebrated twice which was nice! I really missed this holiday. It's a little hard to explain Thanksgiving it's so fun!   

Throw back pic: Thanksgiving 2007 at the Mounts! 

Classes of course were not cancelled so it was a normal day, until 5:00PM! Kailee, my friend from NY, who is an amazing cook hosted Thanksgiving at her apartment! It was amazing & we had all the LOTS of the traditional food. English stuffing tastes a little different but overall it is still good!! Between us we had a lot of wine :)

On Saturday we hosted a thanksgiving dinner at ours!!

THREE desserts.

this is my mom's favorite tablecloth. it is from the 70's, can you tell? it is NEON green and orange.

i made this!

Finally, an Update!!

I don't know where to start! Sorry, I have not been updating my blog.  Let's see... since October and my last post my life has changed because of classes getting harder & harder!

For each module (class) we have had a to complete an intense group project! It has been SO much work. I have learned a lot about ME! Would I like to work with myself? Maybe!  Yes, because I think I am reliable, hardworking, and PROMPT!  But, also NO... because maybe I am a little grumpy when I hungry!! :)

Thank you to all my group members!

 In one of the buildings there is a little room called the "Post Graduate Common Room" .

It has become all everyone's second home. Some proof:

fadi sleeping

Miguel sleeping

Rishi sleeping

Valeria just taking a break!

I have never taken a nap in the common room because I DON'T want a pic to end up on the internet :)


So, what have we all been working on?

Some highlights:

For my Advertising Management and Brand Delivery Class, our group had to be an "Ad Agency" and create a pitch for  any product that we chose!

 10TENX

we were created on november 10, 2010

We chose Whole Foods. It's been in London since 2007 but it's not doing very well compared to the States!

One of the print ads we created:

 For my Consumer "Behaviour" Module:
 My group had to create a youtube presentation based on our paper. We chose CHIPOTLE!! yes, ill admit it- this one was my idea!

My group member said she would kill me if I posted the entire thing but this is the introduction featuring... me!! Just an FYI I had strep and a fever during filming which is why I do NOT look my best.

 I don't have any cool pictures or videos from the other projects! Sorry!

Happier Post- Pictures from last week and weekend!

Last week I was able to go to some museums, see friends and spend time some the family

About 7 minute walk away from our flat is Kingston Upon Thames .  It is really scenic & relaxing. I went running along the river a few nights ago and it was really beautiful when the sun was setting! When I was little my grandpa & I would go on walks & always bring a bag of bread and feed to their local swans. They are so pretty but surprisingly large & aggressive. Make sure you throw the bread as far as you can because they are always hungry & will try to get very close to you :)

home to lots of hungry swans & ducks

me, evie, lucy on my iphone 

if you have some extra time to kill, look at THIS. It my uncle's youtube video for his hobby.  I was really surprised to see that it had 24,539 views!!

I was also able to try a new museum, the London Design Museum. Unluckily, I didn't take any pics but it is my new FAV place to go! It has a a really cool exhibit with so many different things. My favorites were about fashion (Alex McQueen, environmentally friendly furniture, as well as new inventions. My friend was really impressed with bikes that you can fold up! My favorite was the PANDAS!!!!!!!! Loads of rows of little toy pandas with red eyes are connected to a motion detectors. They "watch" you move and can spin around as you change direction. Make SURE you youtube that video! My friend and I walked around in circles several times, which was def entertaining!

Some pics from the photo exhibit at another museum the  V&A!! 

Crazy right! Some guys I know CLAIM they are huge redskins fans... would you do this?!! Their roster might take up more space!

classic LBD from 1955: I am OBSESSED

in a new city be VERY aware of your surroundings :(

I had some bad luck on weds. I went to lunch with some friends at a nice restaurant (yum! on baker street) that wasn't very crowded. I was texting with several classmates, checking email and doing stuff with my iphone. A homeless man walked into the restaurant and approached our table, I turned to look at him and PUT MY PHONE DOWN. He said he wanted to sell us a newspaper for 50 pence and displayed it on the table. We all said no thank you and within 2 minutes the restaurant owner escorted him outside. About 5 minutes (UGGH!!!) later I wanted to check for responses on my phone and it was GONE! He had SLID my phone off the table underneath that dirty awful newspaper, right under my nose!!! I ALMOST gave him 50 pence!!!!!!

Apparently, professional thieves do this all the time. After speaking with several classmates I felt SLIGHTLY better (No, not really!!!) because this is a frequent occurrence and I am not the only IDIOT out there. Everyone had a similar story about themselves personally, a family member or friend that was scammed & robbed. One friend had his wallet stolen in the same fashion (newspaper trick), another girl's friend had had TWO iphones stolen within a week of each other, and were lots of stories of stolen purses, phones, wallets, passports etc. I am hoping insurance will cover my phone but if not i will miss it & the apps, photos, music, GPS, etc, very very much. 

:(

the "Big Smoke"

 I am getting into a more routine schedule with school now that induction are over! I have classes 4 days a week Mon-thurs which means I always have a 3 day weekend!

I have been going out in London, seeing some museums, spending time with new friends, and seeing some family!

No question about it- London is it dirty! One of the yuckiest things I have noticed is when all stores, restaurants, shops etc close the staff simply leave their huge trash bags outside on the street. They must be picked up very early in the morning.  I snapped a picture when i was in Leicester Square a very popular  tourist area last night.

YUCK!!!!

I didn't have very good luck with my camera because none of the other pics from that night turned out that well! :(

words!

One of my friends has a blog and created a list of her favorite british sayings! She came up with:

1. Rubbish. Usually meaning garbage or junk, but also often quoted as such, “I did this essay the other day. It was rubbish.”

2. Que. Said instead of line up. ie. There is a large que right now to buy train tickets.

3. Query. A question or inquiry. I also love the way inquiry is pronounced here - “in kwee ree”, instead of “in kwi ree”.

4. I love love love the way Londoners pronounce the word Yogurt as Yogg gert. Just watch the move Notting Hill with Hugh Grant and skip to this part to see what I mean…

Spike: “This yogurt tastes as if it’s gone a wee bit sour.”

William: “That’s because it’s not yogurt. It’s mayonaise.”

…..

I can ADD to this list:

1. People here do NOT refer to anything over the age of about 10 as school:

school= American elementary school

college= American high school

university=college & grad school

and everyone shortens it to just "uni"

2. "brilliant"= awesome, sweet, (or Kewl for a certain population in rockville)* of course we do have this word in the states it is just used in everyday convos or as frequently!

3. Stunning=hot, pretty, good-looking

4.full stop= period (.), the symbol to show the end of a sentence

5.brolly=umbrella**

(**my mother might have made this up as she is the only one who i have heard actually say this)

6.redtops= crappy newspapers like the Mirror or The Sun

7.prof= professor or teacher

some of my favorites

I have been exploring some of London's Tourist Attractions, Museums, and Art Galleries.
Here are some of my favorite pics I snapped with my iphone!

The London Eye! this was taken from London Bridge. You can actually go on it at nighttime I think! There is always a insanely long line but you sit in a little box on the wheel and you can see the whole city.

(friends from class Rashie, Neelam, Fabio, Stacey and Sahill. They rep India, Russia, and Italy!)

Pictures from Regents Park! Everything that you would expect from an English garden. We can actually walk here from campus in about 10 minute.

New Diet

A few people know that since I have been here I have been experimenting with a vegan diet! I choose to try it for health reasons. Many people have been very confused with the decision and it has been really challenging because, of course, i love meat & cheese (as you can see from my previous post).

To my surprise, it has not been as difficult to cook or go out with friends as you would expect! I have had no meat or cheese and only a handful of dairy products since Dulles airport.

I'll show you some things that I have been eating recently:

*My first experience cooking with puff pastry ... haha hopefully it will be better next time!

I am a fan of chicken pot pie & i was trying to replace it with something with veggies.

Alot of things I have been trying! Fake meat seem to be pretty good with the exception of sausage. It alls tastes good with alot of Franks!(yes !!! hot sauce has made it over here)

Eating out:

London is such a diverse city there are soooo many choices! Alot of great vegan/vegetarian options!I had actually met up with friends at a wonderful restaurant called "Gourmet Burger" and was able to leave full & happy!

                                                                   my "burger"

Last night I went to a restaurant called "El Cantara"in SoHo. Soho I think is my new favorite spot & i can't wait to go back!! Unluckily... all I took a picture of was the sangria! haha, yes since  it is a new change I have cheated a little bit. I have had 2 hot chocolates from the school's coffee shop, a gin & tonic, and a few glasses of sangria!

Most over used new phrase: Do you take student discounts?

Hello Everyone!
Sorry... it has been quite a while since I was last able to post! I will really try to work harder on more timely blog updates. It was officially the FIRST day of school today! As a class we were able to do some really fun & special activities.

 Being a student I am no longer working & the lack of an income is quite challenging in general.  Of course adjusting to living in one of the most expensive cities in the world is coming as quite a shock! The #1 thing i have noticed here is how expensive transportation is. I have about a 40 minute commute to school each morning & apparently for young professionals that is pretty minimum. I take an above ground train to Waterloo and then transfer to the underground (like metro) for about 5 stops to central London. My first few days for a mid morning arrival to school i purchased a return train ticket and metro card & this ended up being roughly 19 GBP which equals about $30!!! Imagine, just to GET to school!

The insane conversion rate has forced me to make some serious life style changes fast. My previous three favorite activities in the states recently were probably shopping, eating, and drinking.  So I have had to be creative & find other things to do. One of the amazing things about being a student is that lots of places seem to give discounts! The subway & train system luckily give 30% off to students & an even greater discount if you purchase tickets monthly!

I found a pretty good website: http://www.studentbeans.com/ that i keep checking as well!

One of my favorite activities now that i am in England is, of course, to sight see! This city is so so OLD compared to the states. My class went on a bus tour & here are some highlights:


View of the business school from the bus:

Picture of  Tudor House in central London, it survived the Great Fire which broke out in 1666!

typical photos from london! you really HAVE to see them in person because it is really much more moving in real life!

Sorry, this post going to be short as well but I keep getting interrupted!!!

I miss everyone & I am excited so many of you are starting blogs as well :)

"If you get sick... you will fail, if you take a vacation during exam time...you will fail, you will cry, you will definitely get lost, and..... this will be one of the BEST years of your life"

Whew! The past week has been super busy!!
My "course" is marketing communications which is called "MAMC" for short. The first two weeks we have an induction. Loads of different people from the University have been coming to speak to us.  The title of this blog are the most important messages that stayed with me from the Dean's speech on friday morning. It is going to be very hard & lots of work! After I finish posting this I will be off to complete my first HOMEWORK (ugh) assignment. There are about 70 people in my class & everyone is from different parts of the world. I have met people from India, Greece, Italy, Iran, China, Japan, Russia and Canada! I am the ONLY American! I hope I can represent the country well. Anyways, out of the 70 people there are only SIX guys. I cannot decide if they are really lucky or unlucky haha! Right now, they all sit together & are really quiet.

  The location of the Business school is really FABULOUS. It is right across the street from the tube station & in central London. Across the street are tons of little cafes & coffee places & pubs as well as a huge tourist attraction Madam Tussands ----> http://www.madametussauds.com/London/

The subway here makes DC's look tiny. It is huge & is like a maze. There are so many different lines and you have to walk in circles.

Anyways, I have tons to do. I'll write more later!

"You like potato and I like potahto, You like tomato and I like tomahto"

http://www.uwsu.com/

Really exciting link!!! Spot anything odd?
So far I had to think twice about:
freshers = freshman
queing = lining up
fortnight= 2 weeks
bully off= ???? 

"Crabcakes and Football. That's what Maryland does!"

     I am leaving for England TOMORROW!!! I cannot believe it! The past weeks have really flown by.  I was lucky enough to have had THREE amazing goodbye parties. First was happy hour with my co-workers at Tommy Joes in Bethesda (amazing specials, check out at http://www.tommyjoes.com), lovely home-made italian (my fav!!) dinner at Kathy & Joanne's, and a wild night in DC with my favs!  It was difficult to say good bye to everyone & I will really miss each of my friends and co-workers next year. Thanks to everyone at Bozzuto for the wonderful experiences, I will never forget what I have learned. I made great friends from work & am so fortunate to have gotten the chance to know both co-workers & residents! I am sorry I was not able to see to say goodbye in person to everyone but, I'll be back before you know it!

      The main activity that I focused on my last week was selling my furniture.  I'm really proud of myself that I managed to sell EVERYTHING! I am actually sitting in a completely empty apartment except for my air mattress. Normally, I would be watching TV (especially the MTV award show) but this is a good time to catch up on my blog. Currently, everything I own can fit into my 2 suitcases and teeny 5" by 5" storage unit!! It is actually very liberating.

      Selling everything was a little challenging. My first idea was to hang signs in the lobby of my building, local dry cleaners & grocery store.  I was a little surprised that NO one called! It IS 2010 so the best source was.... craigslist. Overall, I had a good experience & each person I spoke to was very nice. My bed is now in Hyattsville with couple from New Orleans, my vanity now belongs to a 5 year old from Kentucky, my couches are now in Arlington with a couple expecting a baby in about  3 weeks, the TV stand moved right down the road on Grosvenor Place, and my desk is in Georgetown with a young professional.  My only advice is to be PREPARED for a massive amount of emails & phone calls! As soon as you sell something get online & delete the ad. Also, creating specific ads for each individual piece of furniture (I.E. red couch)  was much more effective than a broader title (I.E. "living room furniture with information about each piece in the ad). It is a little more time consuming but worth it. THIS made me laugh & is def true!!

 I really made an effort to do AMERICAN activities these past couple of months! Somehighlights were:

 Becky, Carly, Erika, Tara & I all went to WASHINGTON NATIONALS game!!

Dalia had an AMAZING crab feast!

Katelyn, Erica,  Christina, Tara, Carly and I attended pre-season games at FedEx Field!!

Of course, the last part of my evening today was spent with (ONE of) my fav military men Adam & his friends at Buffalo Wild Wings in rockville!  i LOVED watching the REDSKINS BEAT the cowboys!!!



 yummy beer & wings!

Mariska Hargitay Reads "Oh! The Places You'll Go!"

"Oh, the Places You'll Go! "

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."
— Dr. Seuss 


            First of all, I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to read my blog! Blogging is definitely  harder than I thought it would be.  Basic issues are that I am an awful speller, (this does NOT automatically insert the correct word &  only unhelpfully underlines the word that I have attempted to spell) and I cannot figure out how to indent my sentences using the "tab" button. I apologize in advance because I KNOW this & following entries might make people cringe due to grammar issues or spelling. Also, I accidentally use run on sentences constantly. Sorry, sorry, sorry. 


       According to Wikipedia, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" sells over 300,000 copies annually and is mostly given to graduates. I am sure many of you are very familiar with a collection of Dr. Seuss books. I had a copy of this one when I was little, have listened to numerous speeches alluding to the inspiring messages, and, if pressed, could probably even quote a line or two. While beginning to pack for my trip I found a tee shirt in my closet with pictures of the various pastel and neon characters from the book decorating it.


Up until tonight, I haven't really thought about this story. Now that I am unemployed (as of today) and 25 (instead of 5), I can relate to the yellow protagonist more than ever. When I decided to pursue my M.A. I was hoping to further my education and career (obviously). But I made the decision to study out of the country to "Un-slump" myself & maybe to get out of the "Waiting Place".  I have grown up in the DC area and graduated from a college about 2 hours away. It seems an odd time for me to want to leave  (especally since Bravo/MTV have decided to shoot reality TV shows right under my nose) but I want to go to as many places as I can and be out of my comfort zone. 


        In my blog  I would like to share with all of you a small portion of my new experiences and challenges  during my *big* move & living in the UK. 



So far challenges have been :
1. choosing a school  2. getting into the school 3. obtaining my visa <----- #3 was by far the MOST difficult & stressful portion of these experiences. Imagine something like a week long trip to the MVA trying to make you have the correct documents, and pictures which prove you are who you are & being rejected each time! The directions really are very confusing.




However, even worse than the first 3 steps is:
PACKING!!!!!


stay tuned because I will be experimenting with spacebags tomorrow.


see the following site for more details:


"https://www.spacebag.com/?mid=547753&a=56067&s=quigo