Where time begins

Today was a bit more disappointing than I wanted it to be.  For our British Culture class, we take a number of field study trips throughout the city.  Today, we went to the Greenwich National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory to see the Prime Meridian.  I was really excited for this trip.  I went there with my family back in 2004 and I don’t think I really appreciated what the entire museum was about.  I don’t want to really explain everything about how cool this place is but here is the gist of it:

Back in the times when Western Europe was still exploring and wondering what was on the other side of the globe, and up until the late 1700s, they had a real issue figuring out what longitude they were at.   They could figure out their latitude, but figuring out how far they had traveled was more of an issue. This made navigation an incredibly iffy process.  For years, sailors had used stars and the moon to determine longitude but, on a rocking ship, with potential for cloud cover and a lot of room for mathematical error, this method wasn't very reliable.  (This one captain’s calculations were so off that his two-ship fleet ended up running aground and over 2000 sailors died)  This was a real problem, so a council formed and offered a £20,000 prize to anyone who could solve the longitude problem.  This story is getting too long already.

Two Hemispheres

Enter John Harrison and his clocks.  While the rest of the scientists were looking to astrology for the answers, Harrison was trying to create a clock that could accurately keep time while aboard a ship. (Earlier clocks would lose and gain huge amounts of time while on ships or just stop working altogether)  He was really successful in this BUT the council kept screwing him over and making him go through more and more trials to test his machines.  After about 50 years of making 5 different clocks, he finally had access to the full prize in his old age.

This clock gave the British Navy and advantage over every other European nation and instead of using it; they wasted everyone’s time by testing it over and over again.  Every captain that had one of Harrison’s clocks aboard wrote incredible recommendations for the device.  There is a lot more to the story and it actually gets really dramatic at times, so if you need a good, short, historic read, pick up Longitude by Dave Sobel.  You won’t regret it.

Hopefully you can see the rainbow

ANYWAYS, at the observatory, you are supposed to be able to see the Harrison clocks. H-1, H-2, and H-3 are in working condition, while the H-4 is still.  Mainly, because it is so fine that it would eventually deteriorate after constantly being wound and rewound.  I’m not sure where H-5 is.  BUT, you have to pay for the museum and that was not covered by the class so no clock viewing for me. 

Still, we found a place where we could stand on the Prime Meridian without paying, which it’s pretty cool being in two hemispheres at the same time.  Plus the view from the observatory was pretty incredible. 

While I’m writing a blog I should probably clear up something I mentioned in my last post.  Yes, I joined a choir.  Not just any choir, a Welsh choir.  I’ve only been to one rehearsal but it all seems really cool.  Nicole and I are the youngest, but not by much.  It’s an all women’s choir and most of them are Welsh. There is one other American in the choir that we know of.  So far all the ladies are very nice and welcoming.  In a few weeks we get to travel to Wales for a competition alongside the men’s choir.  I’m really glad I joined because even though it’s not the most serious choir, they seem like a lot of fun and it’s really nice to have music as a part of life again.  I have really missed singing.  

I know I will have more to write about that later on.  Especially, after the trip.

Cheers,

Janelle

I'm so sorry, I'm so very very sorry

I am a disappointment to myself and to all other semi-experienced travelers.  Why am I so disappointing? Because, already within less than three weeks of being in London, I have broken my Rule No. 1 and found myself inside a Starbucks.  This is where I am writing from now.  My parents will be so disappointed in me.

Now, I will say that this did not happen because I craved a Starbucks Coffee to crave my inner-American need for caffeine and sugar, but rather because I found myself in a tight situation in an unfamiliar part of London.  Instead of being vague, I should probably give up all the details of how this tragic incident happened.

A few weeks ago, my flatmate, Nicole, joined a welsh choir.  I used to do choir in high school and seeing as they were taking a free trip to Wales to compete, I thought this would be a great way for me to sing again while also maybe meet some locals.  Well, after a few set backs, I finally committed to the choir and decided to attend a rehearsal, which is tonight.  I looked up directions from my work and decided to give myself plenty of time to get there and maybe grab some dinner since I got off work at 4 and rehearsal is not until 7.  Well, after being dropped off by the bus at the proper station, every map and backup plan failed me to find this church where we rehearse.  It was now getting dark and starting to rain.  Thankfully, I used my American charm into getting directions to the underground station I knew Nicole used to get to the church.  Once I got there I was cold, hungry and just wanted to look at a map to figure out what in God’s name went wrong.  And there she was, the Starbuck’s, leaking with WiFi and the potential for hot food (they have more hot food options at their Starbuck’s here).  And it is right across the street of the station, so Nicole can find me easily to guide me to this mysterious church. 

So that is how I ended up here.  I’m sorry for flocking to the familiar in my time of need.  We can’t all be Rick Steves. 

While I’m parked here, I might as well continue my own observations and tips that I have come up with the past week. Maybe these tips, I will actually keep to. 

Two Sundays ago, all of the Mizzou student’s took a trip to Stonehenge and Bath.  Now since it had snowed quite at bit in the country that week, Stonehenge was actually closed, so we had to be very creative in taking photos from beyond a fence.  Even though it was a bummer that I was unable to see Stonehenge close up, seeing it in the snow was a real delight.  I really think it was actually a privilege. The countryside was absolutely gorgeous.  Every thing was so white and serene that it made me just want to move to a cottage in the countryside and spend my days tending to my farm and knitting sweaters while drinking tea.  Actually that’s been my dream all along….

Bath was just as delightful.  After stops at the Fashion History Museum and the Roman Baths, we got some time on our own for lunch.  A group of us found ourselves in Bath’s smallest pub, and was it.  This quant little place barely fit eight of us in the upstairs dinning area.  I ordered a simple baguette with tomato and cheese with a side of chips.  It always amazes me how delicious such a simple meal can be.  Everyone else seemed to order very English dishes.  Since it was so cold, stews appeared to be the popular dish, but one friend ended up being adventurous and trying faggots.  The English dish resembles two large meatballs and served over cabbage.  What kind of meat they use for these, we aren’t entirely sure, so I don’t think anyone will be ordering that again anytime soon. 

I will reiterate that Bath was beautiful, even in the snow and cold.  The entire city is picturesque and looks like something from a Jane Austen Novel (a few of her novels do take place in Bath).  The trip did however remind me one more tip, and probably my parent’s No. 1 travel rule.

No. 3 NEVER PASS UP A TOILET

            The old saying, “I don’t have to go now” no longer applies while traveling.  We are at a toilet now, so USE IT.  If you don’t, you will normally need one ten minutes down the road.  In this case you either delay the trip because we have to stop again, or suffer in discomfort for the majority of the journey.  If you are traveling with my family, it’s usually the latter.  Don’t go through life thinking you have some special super bladder.  If you are traveling you should be staying hydrated, therefore, you should NEVER pass up a toilet.  You have only yourself to blame if you do. 

            Ok this was a longer post than I meant for it to be. Again, I'm sorry for writing from a Starbucks.

Cheers,

Janelle 

Sick Overseas

            Since starting this blog, I decided that the only way it would be effective is if I made posts as often as possible, in order to insure that nothing about my findings and excursions would be left out.  The only problem with that was I never considered getting as sick as I did this week. 

Now, if anyone knows me well, they should know that I NEVER go to the doctor’s.  Not just because I don’t like hospitals, and I believe home remedies work just as well, but also because I barely ever get sick.  Looking back, I did not step into a doctor’s office once in 2012, except for a regular checkup.  When we were listening to orientations about hospitals in the UK, I naturally tuned part of that out because the likelihood of me needing a doctor was slim to none.

            I could not have been more wrong.

On Monday I began feeling ill.  I won’t include any of the details of what it was I was sick with because illness itself is not the most glamorous of topics, but I will say it was something that I had suffered from before and was able to defeat simply by staying hydrated, resting a lot, and having just the slightest tolerance for pain.             

After being irritated for four days, by Thursday, I was in full sick mode.  Even standing in a hot shower for hours on end couldn’t take the pain away. 

            I felt like I was dying, and I was far from my mother’s cuddles and infinite home remedies.

            I was doomed to die….

Luckily, the afternoons weren’t so bad, so I knew if I got myself to work, I would be fine and by night, I could home to curl up on the couch and scream with pain.   My flatmates went out to the pubs on the Friday, while I stayed at home and watched The Gladiator waiting for death to come. 

*Side note, the UK is more likely to edit out violence than sex.  This made The Gladiator the perfect movie to watch while sick.  It’s such a good story with a great score but the violence is a little intense, especially for someone who is on his or her deathbed.  So with that gone, my Friday night was not too shabby. (Except it was)

I knew I had to go to the doctor’s on Saturday or else it would just keep getting worse and become a much more serious problem.  Through all the pain, I dragged myself to the A&E (Accident and Emergency) at a nearby hospital.  Since it was a Saturday this was really my only option, and I knew they had a ward for the less serious cases that came to the A&E called the Urgent Care Centre (UCC).  Also, it is free to be seen.

           

Between the pain and my emotional need to just be taken care of, I pretty much fought back tears through the entire process.  It’s pretty embarrassing when the only other people crying in the A&E are sick children.  I filled out the paper work needed since I did not have a general practitioner and I was not a UK citizen. Somehow, through my tears and pain, I must have made the mistake of marking “Male” rather than “Female” on the sheet of paper.  I did not realize this until it was too late and had already gotten my hospital bracelet.  After a brief meeting with a doctor I was sent to the UCC, as expected, and waiting for about 2 hours.  This wait would have been a lot shorter, but the doctor on duty thought she was looking for a male named Janelle in the waiting room.  Seeing as I was the only one there, she finally called my name, and realized the mistake that had been made.

The appointment only lasted about 15 minutes.  I had been correct about the sickness I had throughout the week, but along the way I also seemed to have picked up tonsillitis, which is why I was also feeling quite achy and getting headaches.  She prescribed me an antibiotic and gave it to me on spot.  Slowly, I walked away, I kept waiting to be stopped and asked to pay for it, but nothing.

Part of me is expecting a bill in the mail for £400 antibiotics, but for the time being all I’m thinking is “WooHoo!!! FREE DRUGS FROM THE UK!!!” 

Still, this is quite odd to me.  The doctor had talked to me about my stay here.  She knew I was from the states.  Although most NHS services are free to the British, as someone who is practically an immigrant for the next four months, I feel this service should not have been free to me.  Being seen should have been free, but the medication? No.

Luckily, the insurance CAPA supplies for us reimburses us for any medical expenses, so if I do get a bill, I will be covered.  So it’s nice to have a backup plan. 

ANYHOW, that was my experience with being sick overseas.  It was the least fun I hope to ever have while studying abroad, but if it had to happen, I’m glad it happened early on.  Seeing as I don’t get sick very often, I am hoping this is the last time I will get sick for another year and a half or so.  Today I am relaxing, which is really quite a shame.  It’s actually sunny outside and is nearly 50 degrees so a quick walk through the park would be so nice.  I have to be smarter than that though.  I’m still pretty achy so I want this recover process to be as speedy as possible, which means putting any excursions on hold.  For now, I am going to sit back, read my book, drink lots of liquids and listen to the buses pass by my flat every 20 seconds.  What a perfect Sunday. 

Cheers,

Janelle

The Lone Adventurer

I might have mentioned this before, but I do love traveling by myself.  Most likely this is due to the fact that I am sporadic and not very patient and I just enjoy wandering aimlessly at a very quick pace until I find something interesting.  This has always been great for me because I tend to stumble across the most fascinating things, but when traveling with others, this method may seem unbearable to keep up with. 

For example, a few days ago, I wandered around Westminster Abbey, all the way to Trafalgar Square, up into the theatre district.  I knew I had been walking awhile and that I wanted something to eat.  I wanted a ½ pint of something and some fish and chips.  I think I passed over 20 pubs, reading the outside menus trying to find one that suited me and I really just couldn’t decide.  Finally, on a whim I ducked into a little pub that was painted red.  It was called The Globe Pub.  It was a perfect spot for me, with perfect prices and proportions.  I had my London Pride, while I scribbled in my journal and read my book.  All was peaceful until a group of three hipster Americans walked in and sat at a table near me and gawked on about godknowswhat.  I can see why the Brits may not like us too much.  But anyways, I can see how anyone traveling with me could get easily frustrated as I passed up probably a dozen decent pubs just to find the one that perfectly suited me on a whim.   

Again today, I found myself wandering alone. I decided to go to Portobello Market in search for a teapot.  It amazed me how even though it was freezing and raining outside, thousands of people still crowded the streets through these markets.  Above all though, the smell of this place was absolutely to die for.  The amount of hot food being cooked on every inch along the street was impeccable.  As I grew colder, the idea of warm food kept sounded better and better, but I simply could not decide on a venue.  Bread and soup? Paella? Vegetarian Falafel? How could I choose?  Well, instead I settled on getting a hot chocolate from this chipper woman and settling into a warehouse where live music was playing.  For still being so cold, this warehouse had a cozy vibe.  Sofas, chairs and tables were set up, along with a bar for anyone who wanted a drink.  Also, the walls and stage were painted with murals and festive large round chandeliers hung from the ceiling.  Here in this inviting environment, I was able to sit, sip my hot chocolate and write in my journal while listening to decently handsome gentlemen play his guitar.  

What a solid afternoon.  It was here, I had the strange idea of starting a traveling blog for the poor, quirky college girl, where I give tips on how to get the most out of traveling without breaking the bank and stressing yourself out. Then I realized that I don’t have time for that and I really don’t have that much advice, so instead I’ve decided to use this as an outlet for my travel tips as they come to mind.

Starting now:

No. 1 AVOID THE FAMILIAR. 

This is my number one tip, but it should more or less be a rule.  Stay away from those places you could easily go to back home.  Don’t go into Starbucks just because you are familiar with your grande skinny white mocha on ice.  Try the café down the street instead.  This way, not only are you broadening your horizons, but also you may meet someone interesting or find your new favourite drink.  Either way it’s better because are supporting a local business.  The same should go for clothing shops.  Yes, I am aware that Forever 21 is probably even more amazing in London because it’s four stories high, but it’s still Forever 21: loud and overwhelming.  There are hundreds of boutiques in the city where you can find something unique that your friends back home won’t have, "just in a different colour."  

No. 2 WANDER AIMLESSLY/ GET LOST

            By doing this, I have accidently found Abbey Road, the bookstore from the movie Notting Hill, and the Sherlock Holmes Pub.  I found all of these by simply taking one turn off the beaten path.  This does NOT mean wander down sketchy looking alleys thinking One Direction will magically appear.  NOR does it mean get lost and leave a map at home.  It just means see where the SAFE road takes you.  You may find a cute little café or park, just make sure to always have an exit strategy.  Look at street signs, and carry a map, just in case.  And yes, carry a map; don’t rely on your phone to get you everywhere.  You may look like a tourist at times, but that piece of paper is much more reliable than the city’s WiFi connections.

Those were the only two things I really came up with for the day, but hopefully in later posts I will be able to add to my super awesome travel tips.  Maybe I will include things that I have learned while here.  Already, that list has been steadily growing. 

Until next time,

Cheers,

Janelle

As We Stumble Along

            Always listen to your mother, because she is always right.  Always.  Before I left, my mom told me that I will stumble across so much history in England purely by accident, and of course that is exactly what  happened today.

            After my interview the other day, I was sent on my first assignment.  Quintana Couture has a deal with a high class dry cleaners where they display the designs in their store windows for exposure.  My assignment was to go around to all these dry cleaners and then write a little report about how to improve the display in each area in order to get more potential clients to call.  WELL, I was headed to my third and final location.  Some way or another, I misunderstood my own directions and ended up stumbling across a place I hadn’t even thought of to visit while in London.  I came across a crosswalk on a street and all these people were photographing it.  Then the light bulb came on when I realized I was at the Abbey Road crosswalk. You know the one from the Abbey Road Album. Anyway, as I walked down the street a little bit more I found saw the Abbey Road Studio.  I couldn’t believe that by simply getting turned around, I happened across a piece of music history. 

Abbey Road Crosswalk from the wrong angle

           

            This little incident has just made me so excited to explore more of England.  Honestly, I do not even care if I leave the island during my semester.  There is just so much to discover here.  Every town and village has it’s own story and history.  I could spend years in England and still not see everything I want to see.  So far I’ve gotten this feeling that as soon as everyone arrived to the country, everyone was making plans to leave it again.  Even though we are so close to all these amazing nations, there is so much right on your doorstep that you shouldn’t want to miss. Honestly, I would rather use my money to see shows and concerts than go to Paris and deal with more stress from traveling.  

            Anyways, I guess I should note that my internship interview went very well and I will be doing marketing for Quintana Couture, which is a newer designer in the greater London area.  He has already designed for a few celebrities but now he is trying to grow his client base.  So I will be helping with that.  Today was my first official day and I really think I will enjoy working there.  It's a very small company in a very small studio but everyone is very nice and collaborative.  Since it is so small, I can tell I will learn a lot.  Every step of this process from designing to marketing is right in front of me, so hopefully this will be an educational experience.  

            Well, that’s all I really wanted to write about today, but hopefully soon I will have more adventures to share.

Cheers,

Janelle

Today I became an adult

Since my internship interview is tomorrow, I decided to try and find the location to make sure I went to the right place.  This was my first experience in the city by myself.  I used the underground tube, the national rail, and the bus; so, I’m feeling pretty grown up right now.  But as I wandered the city alone, I realized there are a few things I really like and dislike about London, and England as a whole.

Likes:

·      You that annoying feeling you get when you get to the register to buy anything like coffee or groceries and the actual price is way more than what you thought because of those pesky things called taxes? WELL, that isn’t a problem here.  I mean the exchange rate is already so expensive that not having to pay extra tax on necessities like food is really nice.  I absolutely love it.

·      People are really mindful.  The streets are very clean, not only because the street sweepers are great, but also because people aren’t ridiculously lazy.  They may carry their trash with them until they find a bin, instead of just throwing it on the ground.  This also is the case for the tube when the say “mind the gap”.  Also, at the crosswalks, rather than saying, “walk” and “don’t walk”, the sign says “wait”, and “cross with care”.  Now, how pleasant is that?

·      Once you figure out how the London transit works, you can pretty much get anywhere from purchasing a single ticket.  It’s wonderful freedom.

Dislikes:

·      They don’t like exact addresses.  In the states, even large landmark buildings have addresses, like the Mizzou Student Center is 901 Rollins St.  So you type that address into Google and everything is wonderful.  Well today I spent two hours trying to find a building called Mandeville Courtyard near Warriner Gardens. Ok well, I passed that building three times before seeing it.  With no numbers, it’s almost impossible to find out if you passed your location or not. So that was fun.  I hope I actually found the right location otherwise I’m screwed.

I thought I had more than that but I guess not.  Well, my interview is tomorrow so wish me luck!

Cheers,

Janelle 

Seeing the Sights

CAPA Site

            

       After finally getting settled in at the flat, we were off to CAPA for our orientation.  CAPA International Education is the program that Mizzou goes through to set up students with classes and internships.  It is located in the lovely borough of Kensington, just a few blocks from the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and High Street.  On Tuesdays, we have a three-hour break between classes, so we know we have plenty of close by activities to keep us entertained.

            Although we will have plenty fun while here, the main point of our trip here is to partake in an internship.  If all goes well with my interview, I will be a PR/marketing intern at Quintana Couture.  I am very excited to work there, but I also am getting very anxious about the whole thing.  Sometimes, my anxiety causes me to be unable to enjoy things, so I’m hoping I don’t get too worried over this job that it ruins the whole trip.  So far, trying to get information about ticketing from the London transportation website has been a nightmare so I don’t even know how to get to my interview at the moment. 

 I do have faith that everything will work itself out. 

“Keep Calm and Carry On” or as my dad always incorrectly quotes, “Stay Calm and Carry On”.  At least he gets the gist of it.

Friday night, we finally got our taste of the Camden Town nightlife, which is the borough we are living in.  We decided to participate in a pub crawl, and I think the general consensus is that it was a smart idea.  Although we did not get to stay at any location for very long, or get to meet any locals, we gained a better understanding of the nightlife in the area. 

Today we probably did the most touristy thing we could possibly do and took a bus tour.  The excursion lasted around three hours and although it was a fight waking up this morning, the trip was worth it.  Although, I was familiar with a lot of his facts and stories, there were a few little anecdotes that were new to me.  Here are a few of my favorites:

-Only seven people were actually executed in the Tower of London, four or which, were women.

-The colours of the House of Commons are green which the colour of the House of Lords is red.  The seats in each house are coordinated accordingly.  The House of Commons is located on the east side of Westminster Abbey while the House of Lords is on the west, and bridges are on each side of the abbey.  The rails of the bridges on their respective side are coloured with the house’s particular colour. 

-One of Jack the Ripper’s murders occurred in the yard of a primary school by two trees in the corner of the yard.  The trees are still there.

-The area of Piccadilly Circus has two explanations for its name.  In London, prostitutes were not allowed to stand is one place to wait for potential customers.  There was one street in particular that many high class rich “gentlemen” would ride their carriages and if their family was out, they would often look for a female companion.  Since the prostitutes could not stand still they would walk very slow and “dilly dally” down the street.  This is how they received the nickname “dilly”.  So gentlemen would ride down the street and pick a “dilly”. Picadilly. 

There were a few other things I learned but those were the ones I found most interesting for the start.  We did get the opportunity to stop and take a few photos at Buckingham Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral.  Now that I know the general location of these places I can take my nicer camera next time and get some better photographs.

Buckingham Palace

Right now we are watching British TV.  There aren’t many good shows on the BBC on a Saturday night but we are content watching Murder in the Vicarage based on Agatha Christie’s novel.  It’s lovely though.

Oh and Jennifer Aniston does British internet commercials….so that’s a thing.

            

So until next time,

Cheers,

-Janelle

Rough goodbyes and new beginnings

            Well, I’ve decided to join the crowd and write a blog about my London Study Abroad/ Internship experience.  Hopefully, through all the chaos of acclimating to a new culture, I will still be able communicate some coherent thoughts through this website.  The first two posts have been written a little late, and I’m using journal entries to try to recall my last few days.

            I should probably take a moment to explain the title of my blog.  On my flight, I began reading The Hobbit.  Also, through the years, “home is behind, the world ahead” has been my favourite J.R.R. Tolkien quote. Between the two, I really have Lord of the Rings on my mind. (I also used the Two Towers soundtrack to sleep to on the flight)  After contemplating names for my blog, I really think this one rang truest.  I have been stuck in the Midwest for so long that, that area has become my home, my world.  Now, I am leaving it behind and looking ahead.  Not just for this semester, but for my entire future.  If all goes well, I will create a foundation here that sets me up for the rest of my life. 

So here we go

home is behind, the world ahead…

As much as I complained about it, I am so happy my 21^st birthday fell on the day before I left for London.  I was able to have a wonderful time with my favourite people and it allowed me to have an official goodbye with most of them.  Unfortunately, the evening had to be cut short because I was leaving the next morning.

            My brother, mom, dad, and good friend, Elliott, accompanied me to the airport and let me just say, it was a rough goodbye.  As far as I know there were no tears but it was hell motivating myself to get through the security point.  We all kept lingering about not wanting to say an official goodbye. Finally, we parted our ways and from beyond the security area, I waved my final goodbye to four of my favourite people. I might have shed a tear when I got to my terminal.  I will miss them so much, in fact I already do.  

            Besides regular frustrations, the trip was uneventful.  But, all that changed once we left the continental U.S.  Luckily, I had a window seat and around 8:00 pm EST we flew over Massachusetts and set out to fly along the Canadian coast.  I opened the window to see all the lights of the coasts from Massachusetts to Maine.  I loved how I could see this concreted line of light and then….darkness.  The longer we flew, the farther those lights fell behind me, now I could see that home is in fact, behind.

           

            Now, I am here and moved in and hopefully my near and dear readers won’t have to wait long for the post. Any maybe I will be a bit more eloquent in my next posts as well.

Cheers,

    Janelle