Oslo, Norway

NORWAY WAS AMAZING!  I instantly fell in love with this country the moment we landed at the Oslo Rygge Airport.  As I looked out the window of the bus taking us to central Oslo, I couldn't help but think 'hey, that kind of looks like Minnesota.'  A little piece of home was refreshing with the hills, snow, and trees.  Only when I got to Oslo, did I find out that there's more of me in that city than just resembling Minnesota.  Talking to my mom about what we had been up to, she told my grandma who then informed me that her side of the family is from Oslo and that she has seen the sights that I had been seeing all day.  What a cool coincidence!  Whenever we told people that we would be going to Norway for our Reading Week break, everyone asked why?  Even some Norwegians that we met asked why we would decide to come to Oslo.  But I could not be more happy with our decision.  The trip will definitely be a highlight of my study abroad experience. 

Our flight Friday morning was at 8:30 AM at an airport an hour out of central London.  As we ran to our 5:30 AM cab that was meeting us a couple blocks away, I was wide awake and ready for the adventure.  We flew Ryan Air which I had only heard horror stories about, yet our time with them could not have been easier.  No problems with our carry on bag size and weight, with tickets, or with boarding.  Everything was smooth sailing, which was needed since none of us had had our morning coffee.  We arrived at Rygge Airport around 11:30 because of the hour ahead time difference, took a bus to central Oslo, got off, and enjoyed the scene.  The city of Oslo is much like any other city: busy, loud, cars, pedestrians, etc.  Everything you would expect.  But, coming from London, it was much quieter than what we were used to.  We didn't know where to go to get to our very cheap, but very nice hotel, so we asked around.  I had read online that Norwegians were very nice and welcoming and spoke English well, but I was blown away by everyone's helpfulness.  The whole six days we were there, we ran into only one person who did not speak English and zero people who were not willing to help us find our way.  Most of the time they would say "Enjoy Oslo!" or "Have a great day!" after pointing us in the correct direction.  It was refreshing.  I guess that is something else Minnesota and Norway have in common, that whole 'Minnesota Nice' thing may just be a 'Northern Nice' thing ;)  

After checking in to the hotel, we were exhausted and were in need of some resting time.  We found the lounge of the hotel (which had a free cappuccino machine -- bonus points for the hotel!) and watched the Winter Olympics for awhile.  In London, no one seems to care one bit about the Olympics.  Yet, in Norway, it was playing on every TV anywhere we went.  It was awesome getting to catch up with how USA was doing, and we found ourselves cheering for Norway as well.  That night, we walked around forever trying to find a cheap place to eat.  One downside to Oslo is everything is SOOO expensive.  Doing the conversions in our head, a normal meal with a drink and food would probably be about $25 if not more.  And we thought London prices were large... But, we asked around and a couple celebrating Valentine's Day led us to sort of food court/market area where there were many different stands to eat dinner at and buy other food to bring home.  We settled on some paella and finally sat down to eat.  That night, we crashed and rested up for a tourist day. 

Saturday, we got an early start.  The hotel had complimentary breakfast every morning, so we decided to stuff ourselves each day at breakfast to hopefully lighten the lunch we would have to buy.  It was a great breakfast too!  One thing that I wanted out of Norway was snow.  I was really missing my normal winter in London since all we get is rain and wind.  When we opened the curtains Saturday morning, I screamed and I think everyone was a little shocked at my excitement over some flurries.  But, the flurries turned into wet, big flakes that put an inch of slush on the ground and our coats.  But, some 30 degree weather and snow couldn't stop us!  We walked to Vigeland Park to see the famous 200+ sculptures. On the way, we were able to see some of the houses and neighborhoods of Oslo.  We also realized that the Oslo Royal Palace was just to the right of our hotel and the Norwegian Parliament was to our left.  Shout out to Athena for picking a great hotel in all aspects.  The snow was really falling and we were all pretty chilled to the bone, so we used the park's bathroom hand dryers to dry our wet socks and gloves.  I was very thankful for my Hunter Rain Boots I got for Christmas because my feet were pretty dry, just cold (unlike most of my friends).  We walked around some more, then headed back to our hotel lounge for more free coffee, Sochi Olympics, and Wifi.  For dinner that night, we went to Peppe's Pizza which seems to be a very popular chain in Oslo.  Another surprising chain was TGI Friday's.  There was one practically on every corner with their "American Bar" advertisement on the awning.  Peppe's Pizza had Chicago style and California style pizza which was humorous to us since 3/4 of the group goes to University of Illinois and 1/4 goes to Scripps College in LA.  That night, we went to a pub for a drink or two then headed home for sleep and warm clothes (but also to get away from the extreme prices for a draft beer).  

In front of the Royal Palace

Norwegian Museum of Cultural History 

Sunday was museum day.  We went to the Tourist Information Center and bought an Oslo Pass which provided free transportation, free entry to 30+ museums, and discounts to restaurants and cafes.  Buying the pass was definitely worth the money because we made it to six museums that day and rode the bus a lot.  We started at the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, then headed to the Viking Ship Museum, The Kon-Tiki Museum, the Norwegian Maritime Museum, and the Fram Museum.  My favorite was probably the Fram Museum because it was all about polar ships and arctic travel.  There was a lot of interactive items that were probably made for children to try out and learn from, but hey, it helped me understand as well!  The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History was in a very close second because it had different areas that were inside and outside.  Outside had a ton of old Norwegian houses that were placed in a way to create an old town.  It gave a really cool visual as to what Norway used to look like.  There were also lots of cool artifacts indoors.  I was very jealous of all the cozy slippers and coats they got to wear, even though they really needed it in the cold weather.  After lunch that day, we went to the Nobel Peace Center.  I did not know that the Nobel Peace Prize was given in Oslo every year before researching what to do when we visited.  The museum was amazing and inspiring of course.  There was one exhibit that looked at how much money different families from all over the world spent on groceries in on week with pictures of what food they bought.  The American families were of course very typical American families with their take out and frozen pizzas.  Another exhibit in the center was about Chemical Weapons and what is being done to destroy them all.  It was a great thing to learn about considering the US and Russia were the only countries to not destroy their chemical weapons when everyone else did.  We went to a pub that night for dinner and to the Hard Rock Cafe Oslo after (just to say we did slash we didn't know where else to go).  While the night was still semi young, everyone else went back to the hotel and my friend Rachel and I sat on the pier overlooking the Oslo Bay.  The stars and moon were out, the water still, and everything was quiet.  It was amazing.  We talked for hours and looked around at the sights.  It was a great time to reflect and realized that wow, I was in Norway with my best friend and many new friends.  How did this happen?  and how did I get so lucky?  Only once we couldn't feel our toes anymore did we head inside to bed.  

Akershus Fortress on the Oslo Bay

Nobel Peace Center

Monday was my favorite day in Oslo.  We caught the Frognersetern subway line up to Voksenkollen and headed to Oslo Vinterpark.  After renting skis/snowboard, boots, snow pants, jacket, and helmet, we headed to the slopes!  I had not snowboarded since 8th grade, but it was practically like riding a bike.  The views were breathtaking, the sun was shining, and everyone made it down the mountain without any injuries.  It was Rachel and Athena's first time skiing, but they were troopers.  I wish that we could have gone back another day to the Vinterpark, but everyone is still suffering from sore muscles and bruised limbs.  We got home, did our usual afternoon/early-evening rest in the lounge with the Olympics, and headed to a cheap(er) Thai restaurant for dinner. 

Tuesday, we set out to do some hiking around the same area as the Vinterpark.  We had heard of great trails with even better views.  As I asked the Tourist Information center about getting some trail maps though, his confused look and then smirk ruined the plans.  He laughed and explained that the trails are too snowy and icy to walk in the winter.  Usually only cross-country skiing goes on at this time of year.  Note to self: next time you head to Oslo, go in the summer because I truly think it would be a completely different experience.  So, we headed out for Plan B which consisted of going to see some other important landmarks.  The Opera House was a must-see and I am really happy we got the chance to experience it.  We were able to walk up to the roof that overlooks Oslo and the bay.  It was beautiful.  We then headed over to the Akershus Fortress which I had admired many times from the pier.  We learned on our way over that Disney's Frozen does take place in Norway and is inspired by the Scandinavian culture.  The castle that Anna and Elsa grow up in in Arendelle is inspired by the Akershus Fortress.  The castle was really cool and again provided some great views.  We continued to walk around and found ourselves at the Museum of Contemporary Art which had a cool exhibit on an artist.  Since it was our last night in Oslo, we figured why not go to a nicer restaurant that we had been eyeing since we got in.  They had an outdoor patio with sheepskin and blankets on the chairs and heaters overhead.  We were able to sit outside on the pier to enjoy our absolutely delicious risotto.  It was probably the best meal that I have had since I left the US.  We asked our waitress for any cheap bar suggestions in which she told us a couple.  After sitting at one for awhile, the crew went back to the hotel, but Rachel and I assumed our normal night position on the pier.  I could never get tired of that view and the outdoors.  That is one thing that I miss from home, the outdoors.  I was happy to have gotten my fix in Oslo. 

On top of the Opera House

Akershus

We got back to London last night after a long travel day since the airport we left and arrived at were both an hour ride out from the city.  It was strange, but cool, to be looking forward to going home, which meant London.  Once we got off the train from the airport, the warmer air and busy streets felt more like home than I thought they ever would.  Today, Athena and I have time to regroup, repack, and then get on a 7:00 PM train to Edinburgh, Scotland tonight.  We are really using this open week to our advantage!  

If you would like to see more pictures from my Norway adventure, feel free to check out my album on Facebook! 
https://www.facebook.com/kaitlin.martiny/media_set?set=a.10203162621607844.1073741831.1276632147&type=3

Time Flies

They're right.  Time does surely fly when you are having fun.  But, fun would almost be an understatement to describe what I have been experiencing.  

So what has happened since my last post?  

Thursday, January 30th, my friends and I got cheap tickets to see RENT.  I am a big fan of the movie, so this was an amazing experience for me to see it live.  We were definitely not disappointed! 

RENT at Hackney Empire Theatre

Friday, January 31st, we decided to go on a pub crawl in Camden, which is only a short walk away from where we live.  We got tickets ahead of time which covered free admission to 5 different pubs and clubs and discounted drinks.  It was a blast being able to see different pubs and clubs that I probably would not have gone to on just a normal night.  I even ran into some high school friends that are also studying in London this semester.  Talk about a small world! 

Pub Crawl Shenanigans 

Saturday, February 1st, Wow already February!  Decided to meet two friends from school, Rachel and Katie, and their friend Sonya out in China town for dinner and drinks.  The pub we chose had a live band upstairs which we decided to just stay after to dinner to experience.  I am a sucker for any live music, so we just all four danced the night away!  My kind of night! 

Sunday, February 2nd, Trafalgar Square had a huge celebration for the Chinese New Year.  Athena and I met up with Rachel, Katie, and Anna who was a Chi Omega exchange student from England when I was a freshman.  She was in Illinois for one year and I hadn't seen her since, so it was amazing to catch up with her!  Walking around Trafalgar Square with the thousands of people was intimidating but really cool to see all the families and people who came out to celebrate the day.

China Town

Katie, Me, Anna, and Rachel - Chi Os take over London!

 

The next week, every moment I had, I was working on a 2500 word essay for my History of Art class on Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait.  After days of researching and having to come up with my own topic to argue in my essay, I finished the essay on Sunday the 9th when the essay was not even due until Today (the 13th)!  I am notoriously a procrastinator, but with all the exciting things that I had going on, who would have time to write an essay at the last minute?!

Thursday, February 6th, Athena, Rachel, Katie, and I met up with a friend from Illinois and his friends to see Wicked!  It was AMAZING of course.  Third time seeing that show and I could never get sick of it.  We were happy the show was worth it though, because getting there was a nightmare.  Last week there was a 48 hour tube strike in which most of the lines and stations were closed.  Athena's friend told her about one station and line that was still open though in which it would lead us right to the theater.  Not knowing there was a difference between Euston Station and Euston Square Station, Athena and I realized we were in the wrong place.  So, we decided, why not cab it?  Black cabs are the most expensive way to get around London, but when Wicked is about to start in 15 minutes, you do what you can so you can see the curtain rise.  To our surprise though, there were zero open cabs.  We waited for 20 minutes, trying to hail down any cab we saw.  Athena finally got a hold of her friend who told us the correct station and line to take and we took off.  Running through the rainy, busy streets of London was never on my study abroad bucket list, but we sprinted towards Euston Station just as it turned 7:30.  It was practically like we were in a movie.  We got on the Victoria Line, ran out of the station and got into the theater by 7:47.  A new record I would believe.  We got our tickets that were waiting at will call, but were not allowed in until a certain spot in the show.  Once seated, we finally were able to enjoy the night we deserved.  

Friday the 7th, with the History of Art essay still hanging over my shoulder, I worked on the essay all throughout the day, but decided to get away from the computer screen that night.  We finally left our room early enough to make it to the University of London Union.  I am sure glad we did!  It was a blast seeing all of our friends from the dorm and meeting new people.  Definitely will become a new Friday tradition (well when I am in town, at least!)

Saturday, Athena and I got to see the Saracens vs. London Irish Rugby match.  I have never seen rugby, nor know anything about it, but it may have become my new favorite sport to watch.  We were so into it!  Trying to figure out the rules and scoring from wikipedia, Athena and I cheered on the Sarries (even though they lost).  I really hope that I can go to another game before leaving! 

Last Monday the 10th, Athena's dreams came true.  I have never been a huge fan of Taylor Swift.  I'll listen to her with friends (and jam alone in my car), but I would never say she is one of my favorite artists.  But, I decided to go with Athena to her concert at the O2 Arena! I am very, very glad I did.  We took the tube over with enough time to get dinner and dessert over by the arena.  Taking our seats and seeing the thousands of girls (and guys!) with their signs, lights, and t-shirts, we could not keep the smiles off of our faces.  I have been to a fair amount of concerts before, but I have never seen anything quite like a TSwift concert.  It is a production!  Each song had a different outfit and theme.  The dancers were AMAZING.  She was great live and was flawless on stage.  I could not have asked for a better night! 

Tuesday, though we were not planning on going out, we were invited back to the Sky Bar on the top of Centre Point tower.  How can you say no to seeing London 35 stories up again?  It was beautiful and breathtaking.  Definitely a treat to be so lucky to experience something like that! 

Last night, the 12th, going to see Billy Elliot was on our to-do list.  Mind you, my paper was proofread and ready to be printed before I left!  I had not heard much about the show beforehand.  I didn't really know what it was even about.  But, I was completely blown away by it.  For anyone who has not seen it, that would be number one on my recommendation list.  I believe I would categorize it as my new favorite musical.  Dancing was the main aspect of the show, which is very relevant to my life, so I was in awe.  The main boy was 12 and a better dancer than I will ever be.  The storyline was inspiring, and the performers were so entertaining.  Never have I laughed, cried, and clapped more during a show.  I hope I can see it again before I leave London, that is how good it was. :) 

After a busy day of printing and turning in a 10 page paper, going to the National Gallery for class, exchanging pounds for the Norwegian krone, stuffing a backpack with 6 days worth of sweaters and wool socks, I am finally ready for NORWAY TOMORROW!!! Our flight leaves at 8:30 am at a small airport an hour out of central London, so our 4:30am wake up call will come fast, but I could not be more excited.  Hiking, snowboarding, skiing, museums, food, etc. await me in this beautiful country that I can't imagine I would ever go to if I were not here this semester.  Wish me luck and godnatt!! (goodnight in Norwegian ;) )

Three Week Mark

Three weeks down in this amazing city, and I am still in awe that I am here!  Much has been accomplished since my last post, so I figured I'd catch all of you watching at home up.  

The weekend of January 17th was one for the books.  Friday night, my roommate, Athena, and I met up with two of my friends from school, Rachel and Katie, in SOHO for dinner.  We found a fun-looking bar, ordered our fish and chips and some drinks, and sat and chatted for hours.  After a very eventful tube ride back to my dorm, we decided to go out to the University of London Union (ULU) which is the "place to be" on a Friday night since it turns into a club-like pub.  The University of London is the umbrella to many universities in London, including University College London, Queen Mary's, King's College, etc.  After seeing the (no joke) mile long line, we decided to head to our usual spot instead, our University College London Union (UCLU) pub. 

Me, Athena, Rachel and Katie at UCLU

Best friends reunited in London!

Saturday the 18th was my friend Haley's 21st birthday, so we had to do something special!  The day was filled with shopping at Primark (only the fanciest), Starbucks, and cheap pizza for dinner.  That night though, our friend who lives on Haley's floor took us and some others to the Paramount Sky Bar that overlooks all of London.  The sights were absolutely breathtaking.  Athena and I practically had to continue to pinch ourselves to make sure it was real life.  After the Sky Bar, we cabbed it across the River Thames to a club called Lightbox.  Owning up to it's name, the walls and ceiling were covered in tiny lights that flashed, created patterns, and changed colors to the electronic music the DJ was playing.  It was unlike anything I had every experienced before.  We danced the night away until our feet were sore!  

London from 35 stories up 

Athena and me at Paramount

The group at Paramount

Lightbox

Week two of classes were more comfortable than the first, even though lectures are pretty much the same as they are at Illinois.  Getting used to having only one final exam or one final essay will take awhile for me.  After class and readings were finished, I still had time to do more London exploring!  Wednesday, I went to the British Museum which I was impressed with considering the amount of history in one place.  For my Renaissance Art in London class, we go to a museum almost every week.  Last Thursday, we went to the National Museum right on Trafalgar Square.  Art museums are my favorite.  With my very, very limited artistic abilities, I cannot imagine creating these masterpieces that are all hundreds and hundreds of years old.  With my class, we walked around and learned about many different paintings: what they're made of, who painted it, the significance, etc.  We learned about the use of perspective and foreshortening since it was being "discovered" during this time period.  

British Museum

Trafalgar Square

National Gallery

This weekend, my friend from home, Karly, and her friend, Bailey, who are both studying in Coventry, England this semester, came to London!  After attempting to track each other down, with no way to communicate and in the rain, by the train station, we dried off and again attempted Friday night ULU.  With the rain continuing to fall and the mile long line not even budging to half a mile, we splashed back to the UCLU instead.  (I think we may have a new tradition.)  It was great to be able to show Karly and Bailey my school, though!  Saturday, Karly and Bailey had their own tourist itinerary to get done, so Athena, another guy in our group, and I went to Kensington Palace for a free tour through their museum!  Before you ask, we did not see the royal family... But we saw the outside of where they actually live, so that was pretty exciting!  The other part of the palace was turned into a big museum about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Queen Anne, King George, and the more modern royals.  The whole exhibit on Queen Victoria was absolutely fascinating.  We learned about Victoria and Albert's love, children, and lives.  The displays were very creatively set up and informative.  There was a gallery that had dozens of dresses that the Queen, Princess Diana, and other royal fashionistas had worn.  I absolutely loved Kensington Palace, and it was a perfect day outside, which was a plus! After the palace, we got lunch, and headed towards Harrod's and Hyde Park, which were both beautiful, yet overwhelming.  We also got the chance to see St. Paul's Cathedral that night before heading to a pub for some needed dinner! 

Me, Karly, and Bailey at UCLU

Athena and me at Kensington Palace

Queen Victoria's Dancing Shoes!

The King's Gallery

Queen Victoria's Wedding Dress

Diana's Dresses

Hyde Park

Hyde Park

St. Paul's Cathedral

As we see more and more of London, our group is preparing to journey off the island, or around the island, and plan some exciting trips!  It has been wonderful getting settled into a new school and city without getting right up and leaving, though.  I feel really blessed for the experience I am getting this semester because I am an actual UCL student, taking courses and living with British and International students.  I'm looking forward to coming back to the US with some new slang words and an accent ;) 

From Tourist to Student

Thinking about week one in the dorm, I have realized how easily I am navigating London.  Though I haven't ventured too far from my home and campus, I feel autopilot turning on as I walk to where I need to be.  When I cross the street, I feel confident rather than skittish from the possibility of oncoming traffic (the black ones don't stop).  Maybe I am feeling more like a student rather than a tourist because classes began this week, or maybe it is because I finally got a handful of the tourist stops done last weekend. 

Last Saturday was another beautiful London day with blue skies and the sun shining.  No sarcasm there, it actually was beautiful out, so my friends and I decided it was time to see the sights.  I took many shameless selfies with the historic London buildings and monuments to create some memories I will never forget.  The London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, House of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, and SOHO were all crossed off our bucket lists in one long, but wonderful day.  We stopped in China Town for dinner and headed home to The Court, a pub down the street from my dorm.  Closing time came and the group decided to hang out in our dorm's lounge for a little while.  In came many groups of British students that were nothing but welcoming and excited to meet some American exchange students.  Majority of the time, we just laughed about how they have different words for many objects.  It was a blast getting the chance to meet some of the British students though, and to see some familiar faces in the dining hall this week.  

Classes started this week which has been a bit of a wake up call as to why I am in London for five and a half months.  Registering for courses has been a nightmare for every student I have talked to.  They pretty much have only showed us the website to register on and told us to take two courses in our main department.  Being a Psychology major here, I already had my two courses picked out before getting to UCL, but that did not mean that I automatically would be placed in them.  Psychology of Individual Differences and Developmental Psychology will both be very interesting and useful courses for me even when I return to U of I.  My two other courses are electives.  So, along with every other study abroad student, I hoped to get into a History of Parliament class and Renaissance Art in London Collections class that take field trips around London to show you exactly what you are learning about.  On the first day of registration, all the history classes were filled.  It was really a miracle that I got into the History of Art class, though.  I enrolled for an Introduction to Moral Philosophy class which I attended on Monday to only find out Tuesday night that I could not take it for some unknown reason.  After waiting for my advisor for a half hour today, then having to email her instead, I got my schedule worked out to take a History of Philosophy class.  I have a friend who was registered for it before me and she said it was already confusing.  Wish me luck!  I am just relieved that my courses are all worked out and I can hopefully get back into the swing of reading, studying, and attending lectures.  Though, culture shock again has come upon us and I realize how different reading, studying, and attending lectures is over here.  Reading for a class means at least 50 pages a week in a book that no one buys, but goes to the library to borrow.  Studying means having a week break mid-February to catch up on course work and a four-week Easter break to study for a four-week final exams period.  Attending lectures means, usually, one lecture a week and, if you got unluckily, a seminar once a week per class.  As of now, I do not have class on Wednesdays, and only one class on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

Today, without a class to attend, Athena and I decided to actually wake up at a decent hour (noon had become our usual wake up time), and have a productive day.  Fed, showered, and errands run, by lunch time I felt the day had been a success.  This afternoon, though, I ventured into Covent Gardens with a group of three other girls in my group.  One had heard about a cheese shop that let you sample as many cheeses as you would like.  It was amazing.  A big cheese-lover myself, I was in heaven, and of course ended up buying some to bring home.  Walking around Covent Gardens was really enjoyable.  All of the cute shops and interesting people made it worth the 20 minute walk in the rainy wind.  Definitely, another great day seeing and experiencing London.  

The First Couple Days

    Have I really only been in London for four days?  I feel as if I have been here for weeks already.  And I say that in the best way!

    The plane ride was not bad.  Got a few hours of sleep.  But I knew, as soon as we were preparing for landing and I looked out the plane window, that this would be an adventure of a lifetime.  I saw the London Eye and all of the thousands of lights that lit up London, even at 6:15 am.  I could not have been more excited!  Getting through customs and getting my Student Visitor Visa was a breeze, contrary to what I was imagining.  As I was trudging through the London Heathrow airport trying to find where to meet my group, I noticed another college-aged girl looking at the same paper I was.  Turns out, we were both in Psychology at UCL and through the same program.  It was perfect!  Together, we eventually found the group and were transported to St. Giles hotel in London.  After orientation that night, I decided to meet up with two friends from University of Illinois that are studying at Queen Mary's University in London for the semester.  We walked up and down Oxford Street to Regent Street where the streets were filled with people and amazing stores.  We found a pub, sat down, got a drink, and caught up.  Jet-lagged and exhausted though, I went to bed soon after.  

Regent Street

    Tuesday, we had orientation all day where I got to meet more American students going to University College London.  That night, we got to go to Spamalot at the Playhouse Theater as a group which was hilarious and such a fun outing.  

    Yesterday, we finally got to move out of the hotel and into our dorm room!  My roommate, Athena (also from U of I), and I were extremely excited to get settled into our double room and maybe meet some of our peers.  Dragging our two huge suitcases behind us while climbing up and down stairs, in and out of elevators, and through doors would've been quite the sight to see.  We finally made it to home sweet home, room 191 in the Rome building of Ramsay Hall.  After a trip to Primark (a hybrid between Forever 21, Target, and Home Goods), we got sheets, towels, hangers, pillows, etc. for very cheap.  The linen packs the dorm gave us were comparable to hospital sheets.  After official enrollment at UCL that afternoon, I had my first fish and chips experience at a pub down the street.  I do not think I will ever get tired of that meal.  Earlier that day, Athena and I kept joking about the freshmen having an "Ice Cream Social" like the dorms do at U of I.  To our surprise, that's exactly what there was last night for the international students.  Finished with our ice cream and awkward mingling, our group went out to pizza and back home to our clean sheets and surprisingly comfortable beds.  

University College London 

   This morning, we had a couple hours of UCL specific orientation.  But, before orientation, Athena and I experienced our first major incident of culture shock.  Afraid to go into the co-ed showers on our floor alone, we decided to shower at the same time before orientation.  Each in our own stall, we realized that the water only stays on when you are holding down the button on the shower wall.  We tried many tricks, turning the knob, pressing it in twice fast, etc, we gave up and just came to the conclusion that getting used to having one hand shampooing and one holding the knob down while showering will just have to happen.  Our next mission after lunch was to figure out the phone situation.  You would think the two options of 1) getting a UK SIM card for your American iPhone and 2) buying a cheap UK phone would be an easy thing to figure out.  Nope.  Hours later and phone store after phone store, I ended up with a cheap phone and cheap data plan only to communicate with friends here with other UK numbers.  Tomorrow, I register for classes and meet with all the department heads while classes start on Monday.  

    My first four days have been unbelievable.  The weather has been great, besides a few random rain storms.  My dorm is comfortable and the food not terrible (I've had worse dorm food at U of I).  It still is not real to me that I will be living here for the next five months, but I have never felt so comfortable calling a new place home as I do London.  There is MUCH more to explore, considering I have not even had time to do the touristy things (this weekend's plan), and am starting to get comfortable with this area.  London, I truly do love you already.