Only One Week Left? How Did That Happen?

So, guys... I'm going to go slink in my corner now, because I know I haven't updated in forever (I'm thinking about a week or so, right). Well, here's your update finally. Sorry about the delay and join the queue, haha.
    Last week, after the Jack the Ripper tour, that Saturday, we went to the Tower of London and had breakfast at the Cafe Zazza near the tube stop, which has the most delicious hot chocolate. The place is huge- we were there for at least 6 hours. It was so filled with history and it was amazing. I took loads of pictures, just haven't uploaded much yet. Afterwards, we had dinner at Nando's in the O2 Centre. We were worn out, so we went back to dorms and relaxed.
  Sunday was interesting. We went to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Even though it was really annoying to have to fight past all the *other* tourists, it was really cool to see some of my favorite actors placed into wax figurines (such as Orlando Bloom, Emma Watson, Bruce Willis). It was annoying because these tourists were taking a picture with like every figure and I'm like it's just a figure!!! After that,we had lunch across the street at a cafe near it and the fish and chips were pretty good. We did some shopping afterwards at Camden Market and i got a really pretty red dressy dress. We came back to the dorms, relaxed, then had dinner at Byron's (a "proper" burger place in O2 centre) and some drinks at Wetherspoon's. It was an interesting weekend.
  Monday was relaxing, except for class. I made plans to go to Edinburgh that weekend, but decided not to go, since it was further away and I didn't exactly have the "back-up" funds. In class, we discussed Snape for 30 minutes straight, discussing whether someone can have morals and still be a bad person. Afterward, Aj and I talked on the phone and worked some stuff out together that the distance had provided. People can say not to let it get you down, but you have to maintain important relationships even while you're gone. You can't just tell the person they are less important than your travels. Anyways, afterwards, I had dinner. I got cheered up by going to Kati's room with Evan and Kristina to do some homework, but ended up doing Harry Potter-Disney songs video sing alongs as well as Youtube. It was nice to just relax with the girls for a while.
   Tuesday, we didn't have anything. I slept in, skipped breakfast, and had my own little breakfast at that cafe by the tube station I talked about earlier. I read, had tea, and a croissant. After that, I walked around lower Finchley Road area, went shopping on Bond street (found some great items at H & M), and came back to campus and did my homework and had dinner. It was nice to kinda have a day to explore by myself.
  Wednesday, we had class early (9-12). Our papers were due so I was concerned but I ended up getting a B +, so nothing bad. We talked about the parallels and juxtapositions in the novels, which was really interesting. After lunch, Sam, Kati, and I discussed psychology and it's entailing stuff for about an hour, then some of us went and got crepes from the crepe place and a drink or two at Wetherspoons (was not a fan of some of them!).
   Thursday, we had a fun field trip. We went to Alnwick castle, where they filmed scenes from the first two Harry Potter films. It was a small, still inhabited castle that was really interesting. We did archery (I had fun, but didn't do so great. 56 points, lol), walked around, and watched broomstick training. IT was very interesting and I had a blast with Kati. Afterwards, we caught the semi-early train back and ate at Giraffe, where we got hot dogs. Not nearly as good as the US, haha. I got a shower when I came back because I felt gross and Sam and I made plans, but we ended up just having snacks and watching Sister Act. Still a fun day in all!
   Friday, Katie and I went to the Doctor Who experience. It was awesome. It took a while to get there, but totally was worth it. The experience was amazing! I loved it even though I don't know much about Dr. Who yet! I loved all the history behind it and the actors... and well, everything. Sorry, I'm gushing. We also explored the area and it was really pretty and in a port area. It was beautiful and cool, which was really nice. After that, we planned to go to dinner, but some stuff happened for Katie, so only Cat, Sam, and I went to dinner. We went to Tuttobenne, a really nice italian place, and had some wine there. It was really good and it was a nice night out.
  Saturday, we were going to Portobello Market, but ended up going to Bath instead. The train took a bit to get there, but was totally worth it. The shops were really pretty and there was this amazing tea shop that you can order online stuff from to be sent to the US, so I plan to do that once I get home. I got a new bag for a "personal item" so i could carry my souvenirs on the plane if I don't have room in my bag. It's big but it's really pretty, so I guess I have an official girl tote now, haha. Afterwards, we just grabbed dinner at a Pub called the Mad Bishop and Bear at Paddington station, which was pretty good. It was a bit more expensive, but worth it. I had a great time with the girls that day, with exception of the rain!
  Sunday, I stayed in, although I bought some food at Tesco since all the pubs were closed for lunch. I worked on my homework, slept in, relaxed. And it was so nice.
  Monday was the start of the countdown for the week back to the US. After breakfast, I headed up to the computer lab to work on my homework that was due today. After lunch, we headed back and I finished Deathly Hallows right before we had our last class quiz. I think I did pretty well, and then we had class. We discussed Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows, which I enjoyed, because I saw some interesting viewpoints on certain types of themes that I'd never really payed attention to. I'm also seeing my writing developing a lot more from writing all the papers I have had to write here. After class, we went to dinner, then headed to Midsummer's Night Dream at The Globe. It was much more enjoyable this time. We got there about an hour early, shopped at the store (I got my t-shirt!), and got near the front for the play. It was amazing- I laughed so hard and I really enjoyed it. It rained a bit so I have a poncho for a souvenir now, too. All in all, the Globe was much better this time and the play was hilarious and well acted out!
 Tuesday was our last class field trip. We went to Oxford, which was not too far away (I loved that the train ride was only an hour!). First, we went to Christ Church College, which was the filming location for the entrance hall staircase and the Great Hall in the first two films. It was so beautiful and I definitely had a nerd moment with Becky when I saw the staircase. It was really neat as well. Then, we went to the Bodleian Library, where they filmed the library scenes and the Divinity classroom, used for the infirmary and McGonagall's classroom. It was amazing to see the area that they had shot as well as the history behind it. You can't borrow books from this library as they have very ancient books there- think of Latin inscripted books with Illumination and you have it right. They have chained libraries and you have to request to come there to do research. It was so amazing- it had that old book smell that is so great. I would have been content to simply sit in there all day looking at all the books they had. Afterwards, I went to the Magical Books exhibition (no photos of any of this stuff unfortunately :() which had handdrawings by Lewis and Tolkien themselves of Narnia and Middle-Earth. It was so beautiful and I definitely had another nerd moment. I would probably say it was the best field trip out of them all. Even better, I got back on campus within an hour (so we got back at 6), had dinner, and started finishing up my paper. Also, it was my friend Kati's birthday! So we didn't do much, but we're celebrating this weekend.
 Today (Wednesday), we had class early, so I was up to get a shower, get my paper printed, and having breakfast. It was our last day of class with exception of our "final" on Friday. It was very cool and they said if we wanted to discuss anything we could call a class, which was neat. We should be getting those damned term papers back on Saturday... I'm not even sure I want to see it, to be honest.
  Tomorrow, I'll be doing some sightseeing again (mostly for Mom). Friday, I'll probably do sighseeing then turning my paper in at our "final" and heading back out for the London Eye and a night out. I'm not sure what's planned for the weekend, but I plan to leave London with a bang (and not handcuffs).
  While I am starting to get homesick, I have had an amazing time here and learned even more about myself and my tolerance for other people. I have learned that I need to have patience (so I'm guessing that makes me a Brit, haha). Also, new band for any of you Americans! I found them here and they just came out with a new album. I don't know what genre you would call them and I don't normally buy stuff on Itunes, but I'm about to spend $25 to buy their past and new albums. They are called the Civil Wars. Definitely a great band!
With much patience and counting down to the States and Love mostly,
Renee.
I promise to update more often!

Sightseeing again...Classwork included.

Hey everyone!
I have been a busy girl since the last time I wrote: a whole week!
So Friday, I did end up getting to go to Stonehenge, even though I didn't sign up for it in the first place. It was beautiful, amazing, and so serene. Once we went there, we headed to Salisbury, where I had my first traditional Cornish Pasty and found a bookstore that was selling books for 5 pounds or less- so of course I bought some! :) It was great and the Salisbury cathedral was beautiful and so ancient. It really made me consider my religion and thinking about my past and what I thought of Catholicism. Maybe I'll get back into the Baptist church when I get home?
Saturday, a group of girls were going museum hopping but I decided not to join them. Instead, I went with another group of girls and went sightseeing a bit. We went to Covent Garden, where we looked around and did some shopping. I love the stores there and would like to spend just a day there in itself seeing all the stores. I got some stuff for AJ and Mom, lost a classmate, and then we went to have lunch at the White Lion. It was kinda pricey and took a while, but it was good and I had fun. After that, we went and saw Hard Rock Cafe and then went shopping at Primark. It was flippin' insane in that store- like a Walmart on Black Friday. I still got some cute stuff, though, but haven't worn it often. After that, we got some Subway, headed back, and relaxed. I really liked the different people I met compared to the people I'd been previously hanging out with.
Sunday was the best day last week. I met my friend, Minadora, for Breakfast at King's Cross, which was really nice. After that, I headed back, relaxed in my dorm, and then went to the HP Studio Tour, the thing that I was looking most forward to during this trip! It was amazing- that's about the only word I can use. There is so much detail and work included in the Harry Potter films that you wouldn't believe. I just LOVED it. I felt so at home there- it's so messed up, but amazing. I had butterbeer too, which was pretty yummy. And had the most expensive hot dog in my life, haha. 5 pounds!
  Monday, I had class, so I had to get prepared. I had breakfast, went and worked on my homework that was due in a few hours. After that, I went to class, which was really interesting (it always is) and found out I am doing really well on the quizzes.
 Kate and I went to dinner, then went to Buckingham Palace. It kinda sucked because we left 30 minutes before they put the announcement up,  but it was still pretty cool being here when the royal baby was born. After that, Kate and I had some food at Wetherspoons and drinks and then relaxed at my dorm for the class trip the next day.
 Tuesday, we had our next class trip. We went to Lacock Abbey. Public transportation kinda sucked that day. We all had to rush a lot, then finally got on the rail. Once we got there, it was so beautiful. It's a quaint little town and it was so pretty. Lacock abbey was really cool and we got to see filming locations there, especially Snape's cauldron (which I didn't climb in, but wanted to). After that, we walked around the town and saw the Potter's cottage from the first film and saw Slughorn's cottage. From there, Me, Kathleen, and Kate went to Gloucester (which took forever), had lunch at the Abbey (funny, I know), and then saw Gloucester Cathedral. It was like stepping into Hogwarts- the cloisters were so amazing and they were used as film locations.  From there, we got some food and finally got home and relaxed.
 Wednesday, I had class early, so i had to be ready for the quiz. From class, I had lunch with my friends. Afterwards, we had crepes (and we got  lost on the way), which were super yummy again. After that, I just relaxed and talked to AJ.
 Thursday, I didn't have anything to do so me, Kate, Kathleen, and Kristina went sightseeing again. We went to the Westminster Abbey (and couldn't take pictures unfortunately). It was absolutely breathtaking. The artwork and effigies dedicated to each life and seeing where Kate and William got married. I also got to see Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, the Bronte sisters, and Jane Eyre's grave. It was really very cool to see all the history there. I also got to see the memorial to Shakespeare as well as some other writers' graves. I really enjoyed seeing all of it. We had lunch at Bella Italia again, but something different. It was really yummy and I enjoyed spending the day with the girls except my teeth hurt a lot. We came back, napped, and had dinner. After that, some girls and I went back to take part in the Jack the Ripper walking tour, but ended up being late, so we just went to Wetherspoon's, had some appetizers, and some drinks (yes, I'll admit it, i may have had a bit a lot. I had some mixers with Bacardi and one of my fave ciders). Afterwards, we all came back and Sam and I slept a bit in today while the others got ready for their trip to Edinburgh this weekend.
 Today, a lot of the students left for Edinburgh. I wanted to go, but couldn't afford it, so decided to explore London some this weekend instead! Me and Sam were planning on Tower of London, but her camera wasn't charged, so we did something else. We had an official full english breakfast at a place called the Kitchen at the tower and it was really nice, yummy, and fairly good priced. After that, we headed to Vue movie theater cinema to get our ticket, the dorms, and then back for the movie. We got bucket sized drinks (I swear they were huge!), popcorn, and saw World's End, which turned out to be pretty awesome! From there, we had Yo! Sushi (which was yummy), then went to Waterstone's (their version of Barnes and Nobles basically). It was awesome, so, of course, I bought a book or two (and a planner for school for a good price). Then we headed to the Jack the Ripper walking tour. It was so  fun and interesting. Our guide was very well informed and led us to some great places. They taught us some extra interesting stuff I hadn't known yet, which definitely gave me something to think about afterwards. I just really enjoyed it and the information and areas they showed us. Finally about 2 hours ago, we headed back and now I'm relaxing. You'll have an update again sooner, I promise! Only 2 more weeks left here, so I have to experience as much as possible! I am really loving it here, but missing everyone back home.
Cheers!
Renee

Classes, Quizzes, and the Globe!

Hey, guys! Sorry it's been a while. I got busy doing stuff lately, so I haven't gotten a chance to blog!
So, on Monday, after the tea party, we had our first class. I slept in some after getting up for breakfast with my friend, then got up and got ready for our class quiz. I stayed outside in the quad, because it's a lot warmer here than it normally is and our dorms don't have air conditioning. Class was pretty interesting, because it made me really think about what I had been reading and the symbolism and morals found in Harry Potter novels. After dinner, we finally visited the Creperie de Hampstead (about 15 minutes away) and I got a hazelnut crunch and cream crepe. It was so good and messy! I liked it so much, haha! After that, a few of us went to Wetherspoon's (a pub) at the O2 centre and had some drinks, which I found I liked (they are having a cider festival and it was really good)! After that, we left and went home and I got my shower and relaxed and talked to AJ.
  On Tuesday, I didn't have a field trip. So a number of girls and I decided to get our sightseeing done while we had a chance and it was a lot of fun! I didn't really know each of them, so it was fun getting to know them as well. First, we went to the Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker street. We ended up waiting a while to get in, but we finally got in. It was small, but amazing. Each room was very detailed, showing things he used in each story, props, and wax dolls showing the scenarios. His bedroom was particularly cool. I ended up taking a lot of pictures. After that, we got lunch at Bar Linda, where I had my first  Fish and chips and it was super good. The worst part there was that the lady tried to charge my classmates (2 of them) for bottled water when she never brought it to them and I had already tipped her. From there, we went to Buckingham Palace, which is so big, and played in the fountain there. It felt so nice, with all these girls I really liked, and I just really enjoyed myself there. We got some ice cream in the park, then went and took pictures at the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben as well as statues of Churchill and Nelson Mandela. After that, some girls broke off and went back and Kate and I went on to Millenium Bridge (in the Harry Potter film HBP) and came back to the dorms. I had dinner, then went with another girl to Macbeth at the Globe. We were late, but it was amazing, with exception of a few hiccups (no reason to mention them- they aren't worth ruining my good time). I loved the way the place looked- it was so beautiful!! The actors were great and the dancing afterwards was fun and the music beautiful. From there, we went home and finally relaxed.
   We had class again the next day at 9 am, so headed to bed a bit late. I was starting to feel sick and my day didn't start off so great. I had a runny nose and my wisdom teeth had been hurting, so I took two of my sleeping/pain pills the night before and was super drowsy during class the next day, unfortunately, although I did get my notes. I hate missing classes and being sleepy!!! It was really interesting, though, and i finally started to wake up. After class, we had lunch, went to King's cross, came back, and showered and had a nap. Afterwards, I went to dinner and felt so much better. We headed down to Kensington Park and walked around, which turned out to be a lot of fun. We took pictures at the Diana of Wales fountain (and w/ our feet in it), Kensington Palace, Peter Pan, and the Italian Gardens. I was feeling kind of lonely cause I felt a bit like they didn't want me around, but I think that's just me and I can't let it keep me from having fun. I went to bed a little early, because I had to be up early today. We don't get our quizzes back till next week and our papers won't be graded for a while, so I'm a little nervous. I don't think I've done that badly so far though.
   Today, we woke up early and had our walking tour. At first, it was really nice out, not warm at all. Every once in a while, it would get annoying, because someone who was slow would walk in front of me, which constantly drives me nuts and I didn't want to get lost. Otherwise, it was fun but long. We saw a lot of historic and film locations from Harry Potter during the walk. We saw the Entrance to Gringott's and the Ministry of Magic as well as the Millenium Bridge! After that, we had lunch at a pret a manger and just got sandwiches and fruit. From there, we kept walking and saw the Monument (which I didn't go up in b/c I wanted to save my energy- 311 steps!). Finally, we got back to King's Cross and headed back to the dorm. The weather got a bit hot but cooled down a bit after that. In the dorm's computer room, Kate and I relaxed in the AC computer room b/c of how sweaty we were then had dinner. After that, the girls and I talked in the courtyard after Lauren and I chased down one of the professors to see if we could possibly get in on the Stonehenge trip tomorrow if there's room. Since it was so nice, we relaxed outside for an hour, but then it got a bit cold. So now, I'm in my room, relaxing and enjoying the cool weather. Tomorrow, I hope to get to go to Stonehenge, but if not, I'm going to do laundry, finish my homework, read PA, and maybe bike in Hyde Park and possibly invest in a mobile phone here. This weekend, we have plans: shopping (the fashion here is somewhat cheap and amazingly pretty!), the pub (for dinner, since we don't get it free friday to Sun), and some relaxing and sightseeing. I'll post pictures soon!
Thanks for reading and talk soon, guys!
Renee

King's Cross, the Tube, and Pub Crawls

Hey, everyone! It's me again, Renee!
    Sorry for not updating yesterday... I'll explain later. So, this weekend was definitely crazy for me. I did stuff I wasn't expecting I would ever do. Starting Saturday, we had our orientation that basically reiterated the stuff we learned at school- be careful, watch your stuff, and don't go anywhere alone. Although, we did learn what to do with broken stuff in our rooms and things like that.
    After that, we did a bus tour of Central London so we had an idea of where we were going when we visited the main city. We learned that we are living in a wealthy part of the area- places where many actors/actresses have lived/live and also, that the most expensive flat (apartment)was about 3 billion pounds. We only got out once, to see the Royal Albert Hall, dedicated to Prince Albert, a theatre/ Opera area. Across the street is this amazing statue that is super pretty! After that, we got stopped in traffic just in time to be able  to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace! What a coincidence, huh? So cool!
   After that, we got off at Covent Garden and walked right into a flash mob/proposal scene. It was the sweetest thing I've ever seen. After that, we walked around and these buildings are just beautiful. I love the architecture in London. We went to Bella Italia and had a pizza, which was really good for only 10 pounds. It was super yummy and there was a lady there with this kid who was adorable with his little british accent. After that, we fought with the tube (first timers) and made our way to Hyde Park, the largest park in London! We were only there for an hour, looking at the Rose Garden. We intend to go back and bike as well as see the whole park (if possible). Plus... they have a Mr. Darcy statue in the likeness of Colin Firth from the 1995 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice in the Serpentine lake that I want to see!
    After that, we headed home to relax and set up plans for dinner, to meet at 7 outside our dorm. Didn't happen. Me and another girl decided to go on a 12 pound pub crawl (which I've never done in my life) and it was really fun. My friend lost her bag buckle, so we left to find it while the other girls were still there. I guess they thought we left them behind, because we didn't find them when we came back (yes, in the middle of London at night) and went to the last club. they found us there, fortunately, and it was a dancing club. I mostly danced with the girls and it was a crap load of fun, because I don't normally dance. I felt so confident with them but not like a fool. We left around 1 am our time and had trouble getting home. The thing about London's night buses is they terminate at points because they are behind schedule. So twice we got terminated, the final time a mile plus away from our dorms. We had some walking, then finally called a cab. We finally got home at 3 am, frustrated, tired, and filled with alcohol and no food  (I was still sober!). After working out the cab stuff, we all pretty much went up to our rooms and fell asleep. I stayed up till 4:30 am putting pictures on FB and talking to my wonderful fiance. I slept till 9 am this morning, teaching me that, with a certain amount of caffeine, I could potentially stay up all night, haha! Not really, though. I'm bad when I don't get sleep.
   I dragged myself out of bed at 9, had breakfast (which we get everyday here), and went to my dorm, then back to the main office for the BritRail verification walk. I'm  glad I did, because we ended up at King's Cross Station (where Harry Potter was filmed!!!) and took pictures at the Platform 9 3/4 trolley they installed and checked out the store afterwards (Pictures later, my advisor took a film and not a picture, but I'll be going again Thursday), which was pretty neat. I didn't buy anything, since I'm waiting to go on the studio tour. After that, we went to a neat store, had some frozen yogurt (yoo moo!), and came back to the dorms to get ready for CCSA's 30th Anniversary Tea.  I got all dolled up with a dress and wedge sandals.

After that, we went to the store to get some groceries and had some fiascos but that's part of learning the lay of the land. We got back safely and now I'm relaxing in my dorm, about to read HP and the Sorcerer's Stone for our first quiz tomorrow. So I'll fill you in again in the few days. Till then, "Keep Calm!"
Cheers,
Renee

Btw, LOVE YOU, GUYS!