Classes, Pubs & Punting

So as time goes on here, blogging gets harder to keep up with but I'm trying to be good!

Okay so...Thursday:
I had back to back 3 hour classes. The first class "London: Growth of a Modern City" is a history of London class that I'm obsessed with. Sadly I'm the only history major and my teacher realizes this and I look like a super nerd, but either way I'm excited, this coming week we are already going on a city trip. I have lots of reading for that class but its interesting! I then grabbed lunch in the student union (which was surprisingly good and inexpensive!) and then had "Modern British Society Since 1945" which is sociology-based but SJU counts it for a history class. My teacher is boring (his name is Michael J. Fox btw, I can't make this stuff up! hahahaha!) but luckily my roommate Emily is in that class and keeps me sane because we have some really weird kids in that class with us haha. After class Emily and I explored the bookstore and the gym only to head home and get ready to go out with everyone from our house. We went to Notting Hill Gate Arts club, it was very "artsy" but really fun to be out with everyone near our house!

 (All the girls in the house kitchen before going out!)

Friday: I was able to sleep in and relax a little, then had work later in the afternoon. One of the girls who I worked with my first week who really helped me out has a new job and is living so we had a "going-away send off for her". I felt like I was on The Office, only the party planning committee wasn't causing problems and my boss didn't give weird speeches. We all stood around and my boss and manager gave really nice speeches and advice to Nicola, we had cheese and crackers and champagne, it was really nice. I then came home and a group of us went out to this bar O'Neils that every SJU kid from previous years raved about. We now understand because it was a really cool bar/pub with food and tables downstairs, more room for mingling upstairs, and band playing covers of stuff we all grew up listening to! Everyone that went loved it and we plan on going back soon! We also made lots of American friends, it was weird how much we missed talking to Americans even after less than two weeks!

(Emily, Me, Carolyn, & Tara at O'neils!)

Saturday: A group of us girls went out for an adventure to the Westfield Mall...this place was MAGICAL! So big and beautiful, its owned by the same people as the Garden State Mall (ironically my favorite mall at home) yet Garden State is NOTHING compared to this place. So many nice stores, the directory was a touch screen computer, a beautiful food court with people that cleared your trays. Just look...

Oh and the best/most dangerous (for my bank account) part is that this mall is only two tube stops away...Anyways, so after a day at the mall and finally getting some Chipotle-like Mexican food for lunch, we embarked back home and all got dressed up. We went to this posh club near the Ritz because we knew people who knew people who could get us in for free. After realizing that the rich-club-scene wasn't our thing we came back early and relaxed!

Sunday: For my internship, the program that places us took us on a trip to Cambridge for free and we could bring friends. So 6 of us girls went to Cambridge for the day. After getting up wayyyy to early for a Sunday morning and taking over an hour bus ride we took a bus tour with a local. We then ate in Cauis College dining hall...we all felt like we were in Harry Potter, we weren't allowed to take pictures...but I snuck one on my phone...

We were then given some free time to wander around, we watched fudge being made and got free samples at a store. We took some pictures and I bought a silver ring with a fun-Celtic-cross-like design at a local market! We then went punting...aka boating in these odd boats where people use sticks and we floated down the River Cam and made friends with our boat chauffeur, Tim. (Tim has a girlfriend Sarah and a baby named Jack, he lives in Cambridge, works 5 hours a day, and sang Spice Girls for us! hahahah)

(The little boats are the Punting boats like we were on)

The view from the river was also beautiful! This is King's College Chapel, built by Henry VI in the 1400s...

We finished our trip in a pub called The Anchor and got "chips with cheese" aka cheese fries and nachos! We then ventured home and later in the night booked our trip to Paris for this upcoming weekend (SO excited). Since we're college kids and we want to do the most traveling possible, me and my roommates Tara and Emily will be going to Paris in class (on a bus) and staying in a beautiful...hostle (a reputable one tho!).

Today: I woke up early, trudged through the rain, blended into the London work crowd during rush hour reading my book on the Tube. I got out of work early tho because due to a power failure the computers were down so now I'm cozy in my bed til I have to trek off to the National Gallery for my Art & Architecture class. Oh and tonight...my roommates and I are doing our laundry, should be an adventure haha!

I'm glad I got to skype with Nan & Dad yesterday, Mom we'll have to set up a time soon! Danielle, I miss your face & keep Rocky company for me! Ash & Court, so great to skype with you guys for a little yesterday as well :) Everyone at SJU, have fun with syllabus week, wish I could be in two places at once! I'm loving London tho and I'll report back with more updates soon :)