For any future program attendees … London is full of wonderful parks to visit. Today I visited a particular favorite – Hyde Park – mostly because it always hosts interesting events, like concerts, on the weekends. This weekend Hyde Park hosted ‘Music Village’ – showcasing London-based musicians of many different cultures and traditions. The park also has many other attractions … including a memorial playground and fountain for Princess Diana.
Of course … Hyde isn’t the only park around … we also have Regent’s Park, St. James’s Park, The Green Park, Kensington Gardens, and a host of others .
It’s good to get away from the stress of city life and wander the park pathways for a while. You can see locals playing football (soccer), walking their dogs, and helping tourists find the nearest exit.
Anyway … when in London … visiting one of the parks is a must … just make sure to keep an eye out for the weather and bring some bug repellant (the flies are relentless).
That’s it for now,
Cheers,
Garen
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Tennis Anyone? SW Does Wimbledon
After class last Monday, the SW crew decided to take a trip to Wimbledon to catch some tennis. Since tennis is obviously a gentleman's sport, we donned our classiest Polo's, khakis, and plaid shorts and hopped on the tube. Once there we made our way to the queue (the line) and collected our Queue Cards which essentially held our spot in line so that we could partake on other adventures. The crew was hungry, and since Wimbledon is a classy place, we decided to act on our best behavior. After venturing off the grounds, we found a fried chicken restaurant and a store that served British Ales. Thus, we grabbed some chicken and ales and had a proper picnic while waiting to get onto the Wimbledon grounds.
After an hour or so we were permitted to enter the sacred Wimbledon grounds. Like typical tourists, we took pictures in front of anything that said "Wimbledon" or "Tennis" and proceeded to the gift shop to contribute to the UK's GDP. We eventually made it to the resale line which is where Wimbledon resells tickets of guests that have left. After waiting in this line for about 30 mins, we scored tickets to see Safin play Wawrinka. The 9 of us split up into groups of 4, 3, and 2 and had great seats. Now, I personally have never found tennis to be an interesting sport, but I can honestly say that my opinion has changed after this whole experience.
Here are some pics...MDM
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
London Gets Dark Really Late
This has been an adventurous week for the Southwestern London Program. While some students are already tired of the site seeing, and are in turn just want to shop, others are unable to get enough of the marvelous sites around London.
On Thursday, June 26, we finished up our first week of classes. By this point, many people were exhausted and opted to take a nap before heading for a night out. Others decided to continue to explore the city. After the napping and the meandering about town, many students from the program decided to go out to a local, posh nightclub to congratulate themselves on finishing an atrocious amount of reading in a four day span. While at the club, the DJ was playing some nasty tunes that got the club grooving, and made the students from the program break out some dance moves that would rival Justin Timberlake or Michael Jackson from the 80’s. We even decided to get table service so that we could have a seat and a bottle of alcohol to sip on while we danced circles around each other. However, in typical European fashion, the table ended up being quite small, and only two people could sit down. But that did not stop the party!
Friday, June 27, brought all new adventures as many of the students were woken up by the dorm maid coming to empty the trash in the dorm rooms at around 9 in the morning. This probably would have been more of a welcomed wake up call had it been 15 minutes earlier so that students could have at least gotten the free hot breakfast that ends at 9. The day continued with a guided tour of the Tower of London by Professor Epstein. Professor Epstein is one of the most knowledgeable people on the history of London and conveys his knowledge in an interesting way. While at the Tower of London, students saw many things, but the highlights were probably the location that Ann Boleyn was beheaded and the Royal Jewels. The Royal Jewels are literally in a vault…yes, like a bank. Students were in aw, over the 563 ct. diamond in a scepter that students in the program calculated to be worth more than $110,000,000. And that is just for the diamond on the top of the scepter.
After the Tower of London, the students joined the professor for a drink at a nearby pub to reflect on the Tower. While that was fun, the students could not stay too long because they had to scurry off in order to be spotted at another posh club in London later that night for one of the student’s birthdays.
On Thursday, June 26, we finished up our first week of classes. By this point, many people were exhausted and opted to take a nap before heading for a night out. Others decided to continue to explore the city. After the napping and the meandering about town, many students from the program decided to go out to a local, posh nightclub to congratulate themselves on finishing an atrocious amount of reading in a four day span. While at the club, the DJ was playing some nasty tunes that got the club grooving, and made the students from the program break out some dance moves that would rival Justin Timberlake or Michael Jackson from the 80’s. We even decided to get table service so that we could have a seat and a bottle of alcohol to sip on while we danced circles around each other. However, in typical European fashion, the table ended up being quite small, and only two people could sit down. But that did not stop the party!
Friday, June 27, brought all new adventures as many of the students were woken up by the dorm maid coming to empty the trash in the dorm rooms at around 9 in the morning. This probably would have been more of a welcomed wake up call had it been 15 minutes earlier so that students could have at least gotten the free hot breakfast that ends at 9. The day continued with a guided tour of the Tower of London by Professor Epstein. Professor Epstein is one of the most knowledgeable people on the history of London and conveys his knowledge in an interesting way. While at the Tower of London, students saw many things, but the highlights were probably the location that Ann Boleyn was beheaded and the Royal Jewels. The Royal Jewels are literally in a vault…yes, like a bank. Students were in aw, over the 563 ct. diamond in a scepter that students in the program calculated to be worth more than $110,000,000. And that is just for the diamond on the top of the scepter.
After the Tower of London, the students joined the professor for a drink at a nearby pub to reflect on the Tower. While that was fun, the students could not stay too long because they had to scurry off in order to be spotted at another posh club in London later that night for one of the student’s birthdays.
London Gets Dark Really Late II
Saturday, June 28, brought a long bus ride for many students that went from Windsor Castle, to Bath (please read this with a British accent), and Stonehenge. All of the locations brought with them something unique, but probably nothing as unique as the sassy tour guide who reminded the group that they were “allowed” to tip her and the driver. One important note is that the Queen was at Windsor Palace on Saturday, and while no students saw her, the student technically were at the same place, at the same time, as the Queen of England. Please remember that I am referring to the real Queen, not Helen Mirren.
Sunday brought a train ride to Cambridge, which is a beautiful town. The University’s campus is absolutely breathtaking. While there, students decided to go “punting” on the river. Punting is a little like taking a Gondola ride in Venice, but you give the boat momentum by sticking a pole into the center of the river and pushing off of the gravel bottom of the river. While no student had expertise in the area, one student had a friend that attempted to teach two students who were bold enough to try this sport, which you must be exceptionally athletic to succeed in. I am glad to report that after struggling a lot, it seems that both of the young lads mastered the art of punting. However, you may still want to pay a professional if you decide to this on your own. The trip ended with most of the students grabbing fish and chips at a local pub. However, one student decided to grab a pepperoni chicken burger and stated at the table that everyone should try it. Sad for her, almost everyone took her up on the offer—leaving very little burger for her. But lucky for everyone else, the burger was absolutely amazing.
Until Next Time,
Chad
Sunday brought a train ride to Cambridge, which is a beautiful town. The University’s campus is absolutely breathtaking. While there, students decided to go “punting” on the river. Punting is a little like taking a Gondola ride in Venice, but you give the boat momentum by sticking a pole into the center of the river and pushing off of the gravel bottom of the river. While no student had expertise in the area, one student had a friend that attempted to teach two students who were bold enough to try this sport, which you must be exceptionally athletic to succeed in. I am glad to report that after struggling a lot, it seems that both of the young lads mastered the art of punting. However, you may still want to pay a professional if you decide to this on your own. The trip ended with most of the students grabbing fish and chips at a local pub. However, one student decided to grab a pepperoni chicken burger and stated at the table that everyone should try it. Sad for her, almost everyone took her up on the offer—leaving very little burger for her. But lucky for everyone else, the burger was absolutely amazing.
Until Next Time,
Chad
Museums
Hi again,
Today I visited two of London's finest museums ... The 'Tate Britain' (from here-on out referred to only as ‘The Tate’) and The 'Tate Modern."
Anyway ... both museums are located in beautiful buildings ... No doubt about it ... but they are a bit further apart then I would like (not really walking distance), so it's best to either take the tube or a bus (there is a boat available ... but it costs 6 pounds - 'no thanks').
As a personal opinion, the Tate Britain is the better of the two museums. It has more of the older paintings that I like ... show me some horses and a pretty landscape and i'm happy.
Both museums are free, but both have special exhibits that you can to pay to get into. I personally didn't pay to get into any gallery, but that's just me.
So, for now my museum curiosity in London has been fulfilled. That's not to say I won't be going to any other museums, just that it has become a lot less likely as of today.
That's all for now,
Cheers,
Garen
Today I visited two of London's finest museums ... The 'Tate Britain' (from here-on out referred to only as ‘The Tate’) and The 'Tate Modern."
Anyway ... both museums are located in beautiful buildings ... No doubt about it ... but they are a bit further apart then I would like (not really walking distance), so it's best to either take the tube or a bus (there is a boat available ... but it costs 6 pounds - 'no thanks').
As a personal opinion, the Tate Britain is the better of the two museums. It has more of the older paintings that I like ... show me some horses and a pretty landscape and i'm happy.
Both museums are free, but both have special exhibits that you can to pay to get into. I personally didn't pay to get into any gallery, but that's just me.
So, for now my museum curiosity in London has been fulfilled. That's not to say I won't be going to any other museums, just that it has become a lot less likely as of today.
That's all for now,
Cheers,
Garen
The Cinema
Hello Again,
So here I am in London twiddling my thumbs, while being bombarded with promotional advertisements of the film 'Wanted.' I think to myself ... "self" (that's what I call myself most of the year ... excluding Labor Day and Flag Day for obvious reasons) ... so I said "self, why don't I go watch the movie in London ... it'll be an experience."
To be fair ... I wasn't all that wrong ... It definitely was an experience (just not one I’m keen on repeating any time soon).
See the problem is that the conversion rate is about 2 to 1 here in the UK ... so obviously doing anything is a bit pricy. But I considered myself crafty and found a Cinema (don't call it a theatre ... that's reserved for the actual theatre ... you know - people on stage shouting at each other) that had a student rate of 6 pounds (roughly 12 dollars).
YES !!! I thought ... not a bad deal. So some friends and I went to Piccadilly Circus, ate at a place called 'The Crooked Surgeon," bought some candy, and stood in line for our tickets.
But then the darndess thing happened ... when we presented our student ID’s to the cashier, they said they were invalid because we need UK student ID's. "You see," I began explaining to the attendant ... "I'm a student, studying in London, and here is an ID showing you that I’m a student."
The lady behind the counter looked at me with a look I can only describe as a mixture of boredom and discussed. She repeated "you need a UK student ID."
We tried to put up a fight, but the movie was already starting, so we bit the bullet and paid 10 pounds (yes ... 20 dollars) per ticket.
The Big Question … was it worth it? I’m still not sure. The movie was something about James McAvoy pledging for some kind of Fraternity. Personally, I thought there was too much hazing and not enough Fraternal bonding. Also … I don’t like to see Morgan Freeman cuss … it’s like your grandfather giving someone the finger … it’s just weird. The film was entertaining though ... sort of like the 'Matrix' in the way some of the stunts and visual are done.
Anyway ... This is just a friendly warning to all of you who are considering going to the movies in London ... Don't!
Cheers,
Garen
So here I am in London twiddling my thumbs, while being bombarded with promotional advertisements of the film 'Wanted.' I think to myself ... "self" (that's what I call myself most of the year ... excluding Labor Day and Flag Day for obvious reasons) ... so I said "self, why don't I go watch the movie in London ... it'll be an experience."
To be fair ... I wasn't all that wrong ... It definitely was an experience (just not one I’m keen on repeating any time soon).
See the problem is that the conversion rate is about 2 to 1 here in the UK ... so obviously doing anything is a bit pricy. But I considered myself crafty and found a Cinema (don't call it a theatre ... that's reserved for the actual theatre ... you know - people on stage shouting at each other) that had a student rate of 6 pounds (roughly 12 dollars).
YES !!! I thought ... not a bad deal. So some friends and I went to Piccadilly Circus, ate at a place called 'The Crooked Surgeon," bought some candy, and stood in line for our tickets.
But then the darndess thing happened ... when we presented our student ID’s to the cashier, they said they were invalid because we need UK student ID's. "You see," I began explaining to the attendant ... "I'm a student, studying in London, and here is an ID showing you that I’m a student."
The lady behind the counter looked at me with a look I can only describe as a mixture of boredom and discussed. She repeated "you need a UK student ID."
We tried to put up a fight, but the movie was already starting, so we bit the bullet and paid 10 pounds (yes ... 20 dollars) per ticket.
The Big Question … was it worth it? I’m still not sure. The movie was something about James McAvoy pledging for some kind of Fraternity. Personally, I thought there was too much hazing and not enough Fraternal bonding. Also … I don’t like to see Morgan Freeman cuss … it’s like your grandfather giving someone the finger … it’s just weird. The film was entertaining though ... sort of like the 'Matrix' in the way some of the stunts and visual are done.
Anyway ... This is just a friendly warning to all of you who are considering going to the movies in London ... Don't!
Cheers,
Garen
London: Recap of First Few Days
Friday June 20: I Left LAX at 4:30 with Eric, Shadi, Jackie, and Lovette. After a few drinks at the airport bar, we were ready to embark on our adventure. Once in the air, the five of us enjoyed the complementary alcoholic beverages and had a very smooth and peaceful flight.
Saturday June 21: We arrived at Heathrow Airport at about 10:30 am local time. After we went through immigration we gathered our luggage and boarded the tube. Unfortunately for Eric, one of the females I traveled with (she will remain nameless) brought her bowling ball with her.
That night we met up with other members of the program and went to a pub called “Bear and Staff” where we were introduced to English Ales such as Strongbow, Stella, and Boddingtons. One of us had a relatively minor run in with the bobbies. However, thanks to the oral argument skills he/she learned during our Moot Court competition, nothing came of it.
Sunday June 22: Still jetlagged, we woke up and had breakfast in our dorm. The previous day we noticed that our rooms came with 3 hangers and 1 flimsy towel. Therefore, Jackie, Chad, Mariana, Shadi, Eric, Nir and myself set out on a quest to find hangers and towels thinking this would be relatively easy. However, we failed to realize that because of Queen Elizabeth’s decree, nothing in London opens up before 12 noon on Sundays. So after wondering around London for two hours, we came back to our dorm defeated without hangers and towels. Our clothes would have to remain wrinkled and our bodies dirty for one more day.
At 1pm we had a meeting with our professors to establish the ground rules. We then went on a sightseeing cruise on the River Thames. Some of us were interested in the landmarks such as the Tower of London and Parliament; however some of us were more interested in the bar located below deck. Professor Epstein gave those who remained up top an informative tour of the sites.
That night we went to the pub “The Court” located a few blocks from our dorm to watch the Euro Cup Soccer game and get dinner. I had fish and chips and I was expecting it to be better. Oh well, I am sure there will be more opportunities. After dinner, we were still jet lagged, and decided it was best to at fulfill our promise of not going out on one school night during this trip.
Monday June 23: Classes began at 9 am and lasted until 1 pm. Immediately after class, I went on a run with Chad and Mariana. We ran about 4 miles around London and saw
St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Royal Courts of Justice, and the London Stock Exchange. It was difficult running with the cars on the other side of the road and being unsure of which way to look when crossing the street. After a few close encounters with some friendly pedestrians and double-deck buses, we made it back in once piece.
Once back, we were determined to continue our quest for hangers. I set out with Chad, Mariana, and Jackie to find these now extremely rare and valuable hangers. Our journey took us to Oxford Street. After realizing that none of the department stores had hangers, one of us (who will remain nameless,) was caught digging through the rubbish bin near the cash register. What was he/she looking for? At this point we were so desperate that he/she was grabbing hangers out of the trash and stuffing them into 3 bags. We then left with our booty. However, we got lost on the way back to the dorm, making a big circle around Oxford Street. We got back two hours later. But, we now had hangers, so it was worth it.
We then went the original Hard Rock Café for dinner. It was interesting to see all of the exhibits of British Rock N’ Roll stars such as Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Not quite Van Halen, but close enough.
Tuesday June 24: After class, Professor Epstein took us on his “Great Dead Bodies of London” tour. We started off at our dorm and went to the University College of London. There we saw the preserved (what was left of it) body of Jeremy Bentham. Mr. Bentham was nice enough to allow us to take a group picture with him.
Professor Epstein then led us to the British Museum to see other dead bodies such as the Mummy exhibits and Lido Man. However, Lido Man was on tour, so we missed him.
That night, Chad, Mariana, Amie, and myself turned one of the lounge rooms on the basement floor into a party. We drank some wine, debated politics, discussed the law, and had a fun night.
Sorry for this delayed post, more to come and sooner.
-MDM
Saturday June 21: We arrived at Heathrow Airport at about 10:30 am local time. After we went through immigration we gathered our luggage and boarded the tube. Unfortunately for Eric, one of the females I traveled with (she will remain nameless) brought her bowling ball with her.
That night we met up with other members of the program and went to a pub called “Bear and Staff” where we were introduced to English Ales such as Strongbow, Stella, and Boddingtons. One of us had a relatively minor run in with the bobbies. However, thanks to the oral argument skills he/she learned during our Moot Court competition, nothing came of it.
Sunday June 22: Still jetlagged, we woke up and had breakfast in our dorm. The previous day we noticed that our rooms came with 3 hangers and 1 flimsy towel. Therefore, Jackie, Chad, Mariana, Shadi, Eric, Nir and myself set out on a quest to find hangers and towels thinking this would be relatively easy. However, we failed to realize that because of Queen Elizabeth’s decree, nothing in London opens up before 12 noon on Sundays. So after wondering around London for two hours, we came back to our dorm defeated without hangers and towels. Our clothes would have to remain wrinkled and our bodies dirty for one more day.
At 1pm we had a meeting with our professors to establish the ground rules. We then went on a sightseeing cruise on the River Thames. Some of us were interested in the landmarks such as the Tower of London and Parliament; however some of us were more interested in the bar located below deck. Professor Epstein gave those who remained up top an informative tour of the sites.
That night we went to the pub “The Court” located a few blocks from our dorm to watch the Euro Cup Soccer game and get dinner. I had fish and chips and I was expecting it to be better. Oh well, I am sure there will be more opportunities. After dinner, we were still jet lagged, and decided it was best to at fulfill our promise of not going out on one school night during this trip.
Monday June 23: Classes began at 9 am and lasted until 1 pm. Immediately after class, I went on a run with Chad and Mariana. We ran about 4 miles around London and saw
St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Royal Courts of Justice, and the London Stock Exchange. It was difficult running with the cars on the other side of the road and being unsure of which way to look when crossing the street. After a few close encounters with some friendly pedestrians and double-deck buses, we made it back in once piece.
Once back, we were determined to continue our quest for hangers. I set out with Chad, Mariana, and Jackie to find these now extremely rare and valuable hangers. Our journey took us to Oxford Street. After realizing that none of the department stores had hangers, one of us (who will remain nameless,) was caught digging through the rubbish bin near the cash register. What was he/she looking for? At this point we were so desperate that he/she was grabbing hangers out of the trash and stuffing them into 3 bags. We then left with our booty. However, we got lost on the way back to the dorm, making a big circle around Oxford Street. We got back two hours later. But, we now had hangers, so it was worth it.
We then went the original Hard Rock Café for dinner. It was interesting to see all of the exhibits of British Rock N’ Roll stars such as Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Not quite Van Halen, but close enough.
Tuesday June 24: After class, Professor Epstein took us on his “Great Dead Bodies of London” tour. We started off at our dorm and went to the University College of London. There we saw the preserved (what was left of it) body of Jeremy Bentham. Mr. Bentham was nice enough to allow us to take a group picture with him.
Professor Epstein then led us to the British Museum to see other dead bodies such as the Mummy exhibits and Lido Man. However, Lido Man was on tour, so we missed him.
That night, Chad, Mariana, Amie, and myself turned one of the lounge rooms on the basement floor into a party. We drank some wine, debated politics, discussed the law, and had a fun night.
Sorry for this delayed post, more to come and sooner.
-MDM
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