The Nitty Gritty

So, a lot of the details about things I've been doing and how everything is going haven't been explained in very much detail. This is my attempt to fix that! There's just been so much happening in the last week and a half that I haven't been able to find the time to get everything down, so I do apologize for that as I know so many of you are eagerly awaiting these posts, right? ;)

And I'm just going to put everything in nice little categories because, well, it's Sunday afternoon and I'm lazy like that.

Homestay

I love my homestay. I am so glad I went ahead and decided to live with a family. I live with a married couple in the Southgate/Enfield area. It's about an hour and 15 minute commute to central London. The couple are Greek and Russian, which has been really interesting, they've also had guests over in the evenings and it's been so much fun talking, laughing, and eating together!

Our set-up is pretty great as well. Janel (fellow CAPA student) and I each have our own room and there's a kitchenette, table/chairs, and bathroom in between.

Internship

I actually quit my internship. So much for that $700 visa....oh well. It was a huge combination of factors that led to my decision. Trust me, I didn't take throwing that much money away lightly. If anything, I think I've learned to trust my instincts more. Ever since I applied for the internship I was torn thinking about it and how much time I would have to spend on it. With commuting time it ended up eating about 28 hours of my week. In addition to my class time and the 4-5 hours I spend on my blog each week, that was 39 hours. I know someday (someday soon) I will have a 40 hour work week with commuting time in addition to other involvements, but for me, my only semester abroad is not the time to start being crunched for time. It just wasn't a good schedule for what I want to accomplish while I'm here. And since I don't plan on doing much after dark, living farther out, it didn't leave much time for anything apart from Saturday and Sunday in the afternoon.

I think the real reason I clung to the idea of an internship as long as I did was because of two things. First, I knew that some of my desire to drop the internship was fear. Fear that I would mess up. Fear of answering the telephones. Just fear of not knowing how to do things. Second, was the doubt about what field I should go into after I graduate. About halfway through sophomore year I realized that what I wanted to do with my life was help people, students in particular. The prospect of an internship in an industry like publishing, marketing, PR, etc. made me doubt what I was passionate about. I was thinking that this would be my last opportunity to "throw myself" in a new direction, to actually have a "professional career". I was telling myself that I wasn't passionate about student affairs, that I was only choosing to go into it because it's familiar and "easy". But none of those things were true.

I did interview for the position and actually went to the first two days. I was able to face some of those fears I'd had like being in a new place and, especially, answering the phone and the door. Once I got over the initial horrible fear of those things though, I realized I simply didn't want to be there.

I also realized that I have no professional passion for film and especially not indie film. I love movies, don't get me wrong, but most of that love actually comes from my love of books and seeing those books become movies. There were so many cool things happening in the office like social media and drafting articles--of which I definitely have skills in--but the idea of trying to use those skills toward something I have no passion for was impossible. Every minute I was there, all I could really think about was not wanting to be there. And I absolutely do not mean to blame my program or anyone else involved. I think they do a great job of getting students international experience in the workplace and most of the students seem to really like their internships. I just wasn't right for me and wasn't the industry for me.

Classes

Since I dropped my internship, I am now taking four classes this semester. Two I attended last week and the other two will be new for me this week. They are...

Writing the City: London - I haven't been to this class yet, but it focuses on creative writing with London being the subject.

Theatricality: Understanding the Possibilities of Theatre - This class is awesome! In the first session we talked about Greece and the formation of theatre. We are meant to learn how the audience plays an important role in theatre and are going to be attending three shows. The first being The Woman in Black.

20th and 21st Century Art - Haven't attended this class, but thought it would be interesting since I've never taken an art course before and what a better time to do it than when I'm surrounded by amazing artwork!? We will be going on field trips to various art museums.

Understanding Modern Britain - The professor in this class is hysterical. Should be great fun. We have lots of field trips planned in this class including walks around the city, the Imperial War Museum, a Mosque, a talk with a previously homeless woman, and others. It's all focused on why Britains are the way they are and how they are different/similar to us.

Getting Involved

After dropping my internship, I feel like I actually have time to be involved in the things I would like to be. I was able to join CAPA's Student Council which is awesome. I've haven't been on a student council since 4th grade. I think it's going to be such a fun way to be connected to fellow CAPA students and CAPA staff. We get to plan events for the rest of the students and I can't wait to start!

I also was able to attend a church service today for the first time since arriving. It was a fun experience, though the service was very traditional. I am going next week to the more student oriented service and once the school term starts here, there'll be student small groups and hang-outs to attend.

I'd like to check out the other clubs/orgs. offered at Imperial College as well. Hopefully there's a volunteering club or something education related that I can be a part of this semester. I really want to meet more British students and be active in the student community.


So that's pretty much everything thus far. I've seen a lot of sites and things as well, but you'll be able to get more of that on my CAPA blogs so you don't need me to repeat everything. If there's anything else anyone wants to know, just leave a comment or message me or whatever!

(Also, sorry there were no pictures...)

-Emily

First week in London

I have been here just a week and already so much has happened. I feel like I have gone from a really confused and timid student to a real London commuter! Everything about being here has been amazing. I love London even more than I thought I would. There's so much to see and do in this city!

I had CAPA orientation, have gone on a sightseeing tour of London, started my first week of classes and am headed to Bath tomorrow. It's been a very busy, but wonderful week. I was so nervous to ride the buses and the tube the first 2 days, but it was also really cool to finally be commuting in London. I felt a little bit like this (I've also been to this station!)....



Here are some highlights of the sites I've visited as well. Now I know it looks like I'm wearing the same thing every day, but my orange coat is just so perfect for walking around London. It's decently warmer and is long enough that it covers my pant pockets, so nothing can be easily stolen from them.

            

           VA Museum

VA Museum

Shakespeare's Globe

Tower of London

Wobbly/Harry Potter bridge

Changing of the Guard 

View from my window

Big Ben & Parliment

Buckingham Palace

St. Paul's Cathedral

CAPA Afternoon Tea Reception @ Regency Hotel

Pub near my homestay

View of the London Eye

London Bridge

As you can see from some of the pictures, it's actually been great weather here! Usually around 70 degrees and clear sunny skies. It hasn't rained yet, just sprinkled for a few minutes one day. This weather is kind of difficult. It's kind of like the time of year in Arizona when it's really hot under the sun, but then move into the shade and it's freezing. Except here it's just the sun moving out of or behind a cloud every 5 minutes. It also can be either really cold or really warm down in the tube stations depending on the time of day and the amount of people. I usually end up leaving my coat on and sweating though when it gets warm because I hate taking it on and off...

There are more photos on my Flicker page! You can also follow along on my blog through CAPA (which is more coherently written...) which goes up every Monday morning. There'll be a lot more details of my first impressions of London there, but I just wanted to update since I haven't had the chance to until today! More to come!

-Emily

*Sings* It's the Final Countdoooown!!

So I leave in a week. It's become very real. I've found out both my home stay details and internship placement. I also have my visa and passport back safely. And after checking off what seemed like a million items on the to do/buy list, I feel like I am pretty much ready!

I have now been spending my days deciding exactly what to pack and what to leave behind. Can you tell from the last picture that the pile of clothes has been cut almost in half? Probably not...

In the last two weeks I have been buying so much stuff! Today alone I received my backpack and new tennis shoes in the mail (they have memory form; it's like walking on clouds). And I finally have a new laptop--a Macbook Air--it's perfect for what I need and I have been wanting to make the switch from Windows for a while now wooooo!! Granted, it's not the most ideal time to switch, but I managed to write this blog post using it, so I think I'll fare okay.

My Mom and I are also working on my Regency costume for the Jane Austen Festival in Bath happening in about three weeks.

I plan to only be in Bath for the one day. I'll be eating a Regency breakfast, participating in the world record attempt for the most people dressed in Regency costume in one place (500+), along with the costume parade and some site seeing.

Here's a little sneak peek photo for you guys :)

I am super excited to be going to this festival. When I took a class on Jane Austen last semester, I never imagined that I would be able to experience the books in this way, with hundreds of other Austen lovers! (I also just really love wearing costumes okay?) It's also going to be my first "big trip", so I'm a little nervous about taking the train, getting to Bath on time, and getting to and around the festival, but hopefully it will all go smoothly!

I'm also really excited to share (though most already know) that along with my personal blog here, I've been selected as CAPA's Official Blogger in London for Fall 2014!! My posts will be up every Monday throughout the semester starting from September 8th on the CAPA World Blog. I am getting a grant and an "explorer fund", so technically, this will be the first time I've ever been paid to write! It's a huge honor and a responsibility I don't take lightly. Click the picture to see the introduction post on the website!

Well, that's all for now. The next time I post, I will be in or on my way to LONDON! Ahhhhh!!

-Emily

The Never Ending Prep

Three weeks to go!

Man, how time flies. But there's still so much to do! At least my biggest stressors have been taken care of. My visa application was mailed in last week and if all goes well (fingers crossed) I'll have my passport back with my visa by next Wednesday. I've also been able to handle all my financial prep. With those two out of the way I just have a long list of things I still need to buy (see: prep list). At this point, I'm most looking forward to everything being done and landing in London! I feel like I'll finally be able to relax then, though, that's probably when everything will get the most intense.

It rained today. I found myself constantly wondering if the rain will be like this in London. I love these overcast days. It'll be interesting to see if I'm sick of them by the time I return home.

I've begun the grueling process of deciding what clothes/items to bring with me. I'm typically a fast and light packer, but this is a pretty daunting task. I keep asking myself, "but what if I need this". The important thing to remember though, is that if it takes up too much space in the suitcase and it's readily available in the UK for that "what if" moment, then I don't absolutely need it. Gotta stay under that 50 pound limit...

I bought my first real raincoat this week too. I wanted a quality one, but didn't want to spend a whole lot, so I turned to ebay and found this beauty (below). It's a London Fog and while it does have some insulation, I like that it's thin so I can fold it up and carry it around with me easily.

I also keep hearing that the trick to London weather is this magical thing called layering.

I hate layering.

It's just too fashionable a concept for me. I'm a t-shirt and jeans kinda girl. That or an everything-from-the-necklace-to-the-undershirt-is-attached-to-this-blouse kinda girl. I like the easy stuff when it comes to getting ready in the morning, so the thought of trying to layer different pieces together to be prepared for London's unpredictable weather is just so not me.

The heck with it. I'm bringing all long-sleeved shirts.

I'm always cold anyway.

-Emily

(I also have some really exciting news that I will hopefully be able to share sometime later this week!)

Mermaids in England

As you may or may not know, I am kind of a mermaid fanatic. There are those who like vampires, zombies, ghosts, and the like, but for me, it's mermaids. The mermaid fandom has books, movies, artwork, jewelry, custom tails--you name it. Mermaids are a seriously lesser respected paranormal creature and finding fellow fans is always fun. Much like those who are banding together preparing for the upcoming zombie apocalypse, there is a similar mermaid fan community in the world of the inter-webs. And I may or may not even have my own mermaid blog...

So why is this relevant to my upcoming semester in London you ask? Well, because of the mermaid related sites I plan on visiting of course! There are several major mermaid legends in England. I definitely plan on visiting one location, but hopefully can make it to others as well.

The first is the Mermaid of Zennor. The small town of Zennor, Cornwall is the setting for my favorite book series, The Ingo Chronicles, by Helen Dunmore (above). It's a middle grade book I read in 7th grade and it's flawless.

In the very first chapter of Ingo the main character, Sapphire, recounts the ancient legend of the Zennor Mermaid. If you aren't familiar with the tale, click here. Basically, a mermaid sings by the coast and lures a man beneath the waves. Never to be seen again. Not only am I excited to visit the town of Zennor itself, but there is also a carving of the mermaid inside St. Senara's Church (pictured above left), where they say the man used to sing in the choir. I cannot wait to see it in person!

The next two locations are actually in Derbyshire, inside Peak District National Park. Both are inland bodies of water that claim to be home to a mermaid.

The first is the Mermaid's Pool (left). She is believed to rise to the surface on Midsummer’s Day or at midnight on Easter Eve with the ability to grant those who seek her out eternal life. Though, if in a bad mood, she just might drown you instead. A subterranean passage to the Atlantic Ocean is claimed as the reason for the pool's salty water.

The other location, Blake Mere, is farther South (pictured below). There are varying accounts about the origin of the mermaid. Some say that a sailor brought the mermaid here and others believe a girl was spitefully drowned and transformed into a mermaid.

Both these locations are in Derbyshire, but I also have Chatsworth House on my list of things to see, so I might be able to get everything in on a single trip to the area. I believe both locations may also require a hike and I would definitely want to be with a guide/in a group to see them.

Regardless of whether I make it to all these destinations or not, it's so much fun learning about all this stuff and finding out about the local cultures and myths. I'm sure there are several more mermaid tales around the various coasts and up into Scotland as well!

-Emily

I'm Going to London!

So, it's official--I'm going to London! In less than 7 short weeks I'll be walking along the River Thames (pronounced "Tems" as my mother keeps correcting me so I don't sound like an idiot) and livin it up every week in English tea houses. That's pretty much where the blog name came from. If you know me then you're already aware of my affinity for tea and traditional tea houses. I've been planning out all the sites and restaurants I want to get around to during my 15 weeks abroad. Tea houses make up WAY TOO MUCH of the list. I just can't help it though there are TOO MANY of them! They all look so amazing and delicious...

Anyway, so I'm going abroad through the CAPA program. I chose them because of the opportunity to live in a British homestay and the unique courses they offer. They're really focused on integrating the city of London into coursework and that got me excited. I'll be taking a class on British popular culture and another on the history of theatre in England. I really see this experience as a key component to my education. England is one of the best places an English major can go. So many of the places I've read about I'll be able to visit in person. I've already started a page where you can see my bucket list of things to see/eat/do while I'm away and I plan on linking the photo tab to a Flicker page soon.

Some of the things I cannot wait to do include...

COASTEERING! Doesn't this look like the most fun thing to do ever??



THE MINACK THEATRE! My inner theatre nerd is crying from the beauty.



THE JANE AUSTEN FESTIVAL! Hundreds dressed in authentic Regency garb. Need I say more?



And that's all just the beginning.

I plan on writing a few more posts before I leave on how I'm preparing and anything else that pops up along the way. Until then!

-Emily