My Scottish Adventure

Hello all,

Happy Christmas Eve (if you celebrate Christmas). I have to confess that it has never felt less like Christmas to me, but I assume that is because I am in London and not with my family doing our usual Christmas traditions. It also doesn't help that it is rather warm (all things considered) here in London so it doesn't feel like December at all! Hopefully going to the Christmas Eve services at St. Martin in the Fields will help.

Well, I had an amazing six days last week traveling around Great Britain and I wanted to share it with you! So this could be a bit of a long post, but I hope you will enjoy it. I think I will organize it by day. To be fair, my adventure included places in England as well as Scotland (I'll get to that), but for some reason, in my head I started calling it my Scottish adventure and the name kind of stuck! So without further ado (is that how you spell that??)...

Day 1 (Monday December 17):
On the first Monday of my Christmas break, I left Northumberland house on my grand adventure. I took the tube (actually the first time I have had occasion to do this since I arrived in London in September-I've been walking everywhere) to Kings Cross Station. I was super early (still getting used to traveling by train and not plane where one doesn't need to be hours early), but eventually boarded a train to Edinburgh. It was a rather long train ride (~4-5 hours), but very enjoyable. The scenery was very nice. And I saw the North Sea for the first time!

Finally, I arrived in Edinburgh at about 2:15 pm. So I made my way to the hostel where I had booked a private room (I'm not that keen on sharing rooms period, so sharing with 5 or 6 strangers is not particularly appealing to me). After I dropped my stuff off, I went out exploring in the fading light. At which point, I immediately realized I had traveled rather farther north as it was about 3:30 and getting dark. Because of the dark, I didn't explore that much. But I did walk up and down the Royal Mile (a slightly more than mile-long (one way) walk/road that goes from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the hill to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament at the bottom of the hill). Then I had dinner at a pub called the World's End (so called because it was right at the corner where the old city wall was, so for all intents and purposes, the world ended there for those that lived in the city).

Day 2:
This was an absolutely exhausting day! I tried to pack everything in Edinburgh into one day (which was rather successful, although some sights will have to wait until another trip)! I started out (when it was still dark) at about 8:30 and went up to Edinburgh Castle. I got there about 9 and while I knew the Castle didn't open until 9:30, this was perfect as I got to look around a bit and see the view over the city. In fact, I got to see a beautiful "sunrise." Technically the sun was already above the horizon, but thanks to some clouds, it looked like it was just coming up and it was beautiful! Here's a picture:

When I was able to go into the castle, I looked around on my own (with the help of my trusty Rick Steve's guide book) before eventually going on a short (free) tour that was also quite good. Some highlights of things I saw: St. Margaret's Chapel, which I think (according to Steves) is the oldest building in Edinburgh. A very moving (and huge) memorial to those Scots who died in WWI and the subsequent wars (up to the present day). The room where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI of Scotland who eventually became James I of England as well. And the Honours or the Scottish Crown Jewels. In terms of jewels, they weren't as good as the English ones in the Tower of London (sorry Scotland), but I also didn't care all that much about the jewels (in either country). What I found truly interesting was a big rectangular rock that was with the (Scottish) Jewels. This is the Stone of Scone or the Stone of Destiny. This is the rock on which Kings of Scotland have been crowned for a really, really long time. But in 1296 (I think) the English took the stone and put it in London in a specially designed coronation chair (still used today) in Westminster Abbey. Finally, in 1996, the Queen allowed the Stone to return to Scotland, but only on the condition that it travel to London for all future coronations. I thought that history was pretty cool.

After I left the Castle I took a taxi (a bit more expensive, but faster than a bus and time was of the essence with everything I was trying to see) to the harbor to see the Royal Yacht Britannia. This was one of the highlights of my day-so cool! This was the ship (because let's face it, it is way to big to call it a boat), that the Queen traveled the world on for nearly 40 or 50 years! It was decommissioned in the 90s, but had been spectacularly maintained and the audio-guided tour allowed one to go all over the ship (or at least it seemed). I got to see the bridge (and sit in the Admiral's chair), the crew quarters, the royal family's quarters, and the engine room. I don't quite know why I had such a good time there, but I highly recommend it! One of the fun things is that the Queen and Prince Philip decorated the place themselves (rather unlike their palaces where they inherited things from previous monarchs) and so one gets an interesting insight into their tastes (rather like an average Brit for the time). Here's a picture of me on the bridge: 

After Britannia, I took another taxi back up to the city and toured the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This is the official residence of the Queen in Edinburgh. It was pretty cool, but not as exciting as the Britannia or Edinburgh Castle. The included audio guide made a big difference in helping to understand what one was seeing. 

Next I went across the street to the Scottish Parliament building opened after devolution in 1997. I didn't see much inside, but it was cool too! You know, I like Parliaments. But I find the British Parliament much more interesting, in terms of history and architecture, so I didn't stay that long. The funny thing was the taxi driver on the way back from Britannia (I had asked to be taken to the Scottish Parliament) was clearly not in favor of Scottish independence and wanted me to tell Alex Salmond (the First Minister of Scotland) so when I saw him (I didn't). This became more amusing the next day when my tour guide was clearly very much in favor of independence and spoke of it as all but certain! (Something to keep an eye on as it gets closer.)

After that I was exhausted, but found I still had time so I went up to the National Museum of Scotland. I only went into the sections about the history of Scotland. The Museum was great, but at that point, I was so tired and my feet and legs were hurting from walking around all day (and the day before, and walking up- and down-hill constantly) so I didn't really enjoy it that much. The best part was the view of Edinburgh Castle from the rooftop terrace. Here's the picture: 

After that I just didn't have the energy for any more sightseeing so I went back to the hostel. I also knew the next morning was going to be an early one and a long day. 

Day 3:

On this day I went on a bus tour of the Scottish Highlands! Best money I spent the entire trip! It was so amazing! Unfortunately, I can't share all the sights with you because it was nearly impossible to get any decent pictures on the moving bus so I mostly only got pictures where we stopped (also really cool). But the tour guide was great, and the scenery was absolutely stunning! Seriously, I was thinking all day how this has to be one of the most beautiful places in the entire world (that's right, I said it, the world, not just Britain)! We went up through Glencoe, to Lock Ness and Urquhart Castle, and saw the tallest mountain in the British Isles (Ben Nevis; Ben means mountain). I really just can't say enough how gorgeous everything was! 

Our time at Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness was absolutely wonderful! We had time to walk around the castle and explore the ruins (the last owners, in a rather long line, had blown up part of it so that no one else could use it). It was a lot of fun! Then we went on a little cruise on the lake at dusk. It was beautiful! But no sign of Nessie. We did see some Nessie stuffed animals in a gift shop and I did contemplate buying one, throwing it in the water, and taking a picture "proving" it's existence, but didn't bother. :) (To be honest, I'm rather agnostic about the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. As the tour guide pointed out, it has been around, supposedly, for so long, there really must be more than one so that they could reproduce.) Anyway, here are some pictures from that awesome trip. The castle is Urquhart Castle, the lake is Loch Ness and the other picture is just some beautiful scenery I managed to capture on the bus:

Day 4:
On this day, I traveled by train from Edinburgh to Penrith which is in the Lake District. Then I got rather wet and cold waiting for a bus to Keswick (pronounced Kez-ick) where I would stay for  two nights as I explored a bit of the Lake District. I explored a bit that afternoon/evening but just the town (cute and small). I stayed in a lovely B&B that was inexpensive, but very nice! Not too much to say about this day...

Day 5:
This was another beautiful, amazing day. It was overcast, but mercifully dry so I went on a walk for a few hours along Derwentwater Lake (the lake by Keswick). I was so happy to be there at this time of year! There were few people around, no one on the lake at all, and the overcast day just added to the mystique! The lake was still as glass and it was just so beautiful! At times, it seemed hard to tell where the lake ended and the land began! And the reflection of the mountains in the water was perfect! Really, like the highlands, I just ran out of words...So here are some pictures:

That night I saw the Hobbit in the little movie theater in Keswick. The movie felt very appropriate to see on this adventure of mine. My favorite line was something along the lines of "home is behind you, the world is ahead." It really resonated with me as I traveled and more generally as I am here in Britain following my dreams...

Day 6:
I left Keswick by bus and took a train from Penrith to London. Luckily, I had no trouble on the trip (another train to London before mine was cancelled and there was flooding the southwest that was messing people up, but luckily I avoided all of this). Finally I was back in my room in London.


So, that was my adventure in a nutshell. I hope you enjoyed reading about it and the pictures (there are a lot more on Facebook if you are interested...).

Tonight I plan to go to St. Martin in the Fields for two Christmas Eve services (their carol service and the midnight service). I was going to go to Westminster Abbey for the carol service, but it turns out you need tickets which are of course gone. And I thought briefly about going to St. Paul's Cathedral, but I would have to wait outside in line for a really long time and may not get in anyway (somehow that just didn't seem like Christmas to me...). So hopefully I'll get a seat in St. Martin's (it will be full, but hopefully not as packed as St Paul's or Westminster Abbey). Then tomorrow, I am looking forward to going to a Christmas Day service at St. Martin's and then skyping with my parents.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!
Love,
Abbey

Catching Up

Hello all,

Before I go on, let me just say that the news of the terrible events in CT on Friday greatly saddens me. At the moment, we as a country (and even those in other nations) are grieving. Right now, that is what we need to do. Sometime soon though, I hope we as a nation can sit down and discuss how to prevent these terrible things from ever happening again. My heart goes out to all those affected, especially the families of the victims. ...

I am so blessed to be here in London following my dreams and to have such wonderful family and friends back home and all over the world supporting me. I just want to thank all of you and tell you all that I love you and appreciate you! ...

Since your support means so much to me, I want to go ahead and update you on the things I have been doing this past month. I feel like this is my small way of sharing something with you. A lot of great things happened so please forgive me for the abrupt transition to talking about them...

Well tomorrow morning I leave for Scotland! I've never been so I am very excited (and a little nervous)! But I thought, since I am sure to have all sorts of new adventures that will beg to be blogged about, I better get caught up on the past month before I go have more fun. So I will try to give you a brief overview.

Other than my last post which focused on only one day (you can get a sense of why I don't blog all the time-a lot happens) this past week, I haven't told you what I've been doing since I saw the Queen and that was way back on the 14th of November. So, here's what I've done:

-I turned 23! As a senior at F&M I tended to feel rather old, but in busy London, I am reminded that I am quite young and still have a lot of learning to do! The day after my birthday, a group of friends and I went to a pub here in London and celebrated my birthday in the British way (don't worry, that basically means we had dinner in a pub, nothing worse than that)! It was wonderful to get together with my friends and another reminder of how blessed I am to have met some great people here! Then a few of us went to Covent Garden for frozen yogurt before heading home.

-I met Danny Alexander! He is a Lib Dem MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and member of the "Quad"--the group consisting of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minster, the Chancellor and Danny (i.e. two Conservatives and two Lib Dems) that makes final decisions on coalition policy. This was an awesome talk! Danny was at the coalition negotiations and so his first-hand account was fascinating (although, basically what I already knew).  I almost didn't go to this event as it was at UCL so a bit of a walk, but thanks to my friend Anna, I went for it and so glad I did!
Here's a picture of Danny and I:

-I wrote two more essays. One I have received feedback on and it went well. The other...I am still waiting on the results. I don't have much else to say about that! Although, I will say it was really odd to be done with most of my work (aside from some minor statistics homework and reading) two weeks before term was over! And then of course, term ended and I still have months until I take my finals (i.e. until I do any work that is actually graded)!

-I got and mailed my Christmas gifts! This is noteworthy because I am usually not on top of this and wrapping on Christmas Eve, but when one has to mail things abroad, one is forced to get everything together sooner rather than later!

-I had drinks with the LSE Liberal Democrat Society and Lord Wallace (a Lib Dem) in Parliament! That was a pretty cool experience! Having drinks with a Lord in the Lord's bar! He is our new patron and it was wonderful to just talk with him! He seemed to genuinely want to hear our opinion on the coalition, Lib Dem election prospects, and policies and we had a great discussion (and I use the word discussion very purposefully here)!

-I went to my first doctor's appointment in the UK. Nothing to worry about-simply checking in. But my first experience with the NHS made me feel like I really am living here (not just visiting for a bit)!

-I went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. This was absolutely crazy! There were so many people there. Basically they have stalls where you can buy gifts and food (lots of very pricy food and drinks) and they also have rides (also very pricy). My favorite part was getting a souvenir smashed penny for my friend LaRee back home (she loves them and that is the only thing she asked me for)! I actually had to go back a few nights later to get more pennies! But, shh! I want to surprise her!

-I went to the Advent Procession at St. Paul's Cathedral! This was my first trip to St. Paul's and the first time I've ever been inside. It was amazing! I just kept thinking how many copies of St. Barnabas would fit inside (at least 5 or 10 I think)! The service was about a transition from light to dark so it began with almost no lights. Then as the procession (including clergy from all over the diocese of London and the Bishop of London)  moved from the West to East end of the church over the course of the hour-long service, there were hymns, readings and slowly, more lights were turned on. It was quite moving. But the most amazing part for me, was the very end. I turned around to watch the procession and I realized they had opened the huge doors at the back of the church. These doors are almost always closed so the symbolism of those open doors was very powerful! For me it was a symbol of both the church going out into the world as well as welcoming the world in. I almost started crying.
Here's a picture of St. Paul's with the doors open:

 And a farther away picture of the Cathedral:

-I went to the "blessing of the crib" in Trafalgar Square. This was a service put on by St. Martin in the Fields. The choir and a Salvation Army band led the procession down the middle of the road (that was something to be a part of!) and into Trafalgar Square where the "crib" or, as we would say, nativity, had been set up. Then there was a service of readings and carols. It was really cool and moving to be singing hymns in the middle of Trafalgar Square and have passersby join in! Here's a picture (sorry for the poor quality; you can see the base of Nelson's Column, the band is on the far left, the box is the nativity and the choir is on the left, in white):

-Oh, and I finished my first term of graduate school! As I mentioned earlier, I haven't taken the finals and won't until summer term. Therefore the end of term doesn't really feel like the end. I don't feel like I can say I "survived" yet. But still, it was a major thing! Apparently, I can do graduate work! :-)

So I think that about covers it! I hope you enjoyed the update. As always, thanks for reading!

Love,
Abbey

A (slightly exceptional) day in the life...(archbishops included)

Hey all!

I hope you are all doing well! Sorry it has been a while since my last update (busy time of year in London-you know, basically every day).

So I know I owe you great details on a number of things. However, I am not sure I have the energy to talk about all of them (I will, just not tonight). So I'm going to break my rule and go out of chronological order (just this once!) to update you about today and then in a later post (hopefully this weekend) I will fill you in about other things I've been doing since I "met" the Queen.

Today has been an emotional roller-coaster! I think I would be exhausted even if I had gotten more sleep last night! I prefer to get bad news first and follow it with the good news so that is what I will do here. So just stick with me through the bad news (don't worry, it's not that bad, I'm fine).

Big downside of today: I didn't get the parliamentary internship I applied for. If you and I are friends on Facebook this story will be a bit redundant, but for those of you who aren't on Facebook or don't spent all your time watching what I'm doing (although why not, I have no idea ;) --just kidding!) I am going to take a bit of time to fill you in. Not getting the internship was not a big surprise, but upsetting nonetheless. Here goes...

Since I absolutely love parliament (but, really), I have applied for several internships over the past few months (in addition to just loving parliament, I also think it would be a great opportunity to learn more and would really help me in my future work). LSE has a parliamentary internship scheme that I have been applying through (I haven't applied for all that many for a variety of reasons, only 4 or 5). The way the scheme works is you send an application to LSE and the LSE careers people look it over. They then shortlist 5 or 6 people and send the applications on to the MP's (or Lord's) office. The MP or a staff member (let's face it, it will be a staff member) will probably narrow this further and then you may get an interview, after which, they generally (more on this in a moment) pick someone. The entire process can take weeks (so long, in fact, that I have at times thought I was out of the running only to find out later that I had moved on to the next step).

I was lucky enough to be shortlisted for two internships with Liberal Democrat MPs (for the record, I have only been applying for Lib Dem positions, but I won't bore you with why-ask if you want to know). One, I never heard anything more about. However, with the other I was asked for an interview!! I was so excited and nervous! I ended up interviewing the day after they asked for my interview availability which was Thursday 29 November (nearly two weeks ago; to clarify that was the day of the interview itself). I interviewed with the MP's researcher who was a lovely young woman (not that much older than me) and I thought it went really well! We seemed to really hit it off and I thought I could really enjoy working for her/with her! To be honest, I have never wanted any position as badly as I wanted this (with the exception of any of the fellowships I applied for last year). Anyway, I was really proud of how the interview went (and I still am-I have no regrets in that respect). I was told that they were only interviewing one other person (good chances!) and that the other interview would be the following week (so last week).

So, I waited. And waited. And waited. Really it wasn't that bad, but it felt like ages!! I was checking my email constantly and so upset when there was never anything there (much like with the fellowships actually). Finally, last Friday (over a week since the interview), I emailed my interviewer. I asked when she expected to make a decision and if she would notify both of us (i.e. I was already wondering if I hadn't gotten the job and she just didn't bother to tell me). I never heard back (still haven't). In fact, I have not heard one word via email or any other method from her since the interview (despite the fact that I, as requested, emailed her my availability for times to work and then sent this inquiry). Finally, after talking via a series of emails with my Mom last night I decided that if I hadn't heard by Friday I was going to let it go. But I also decided that today, if I hadn't heard by midday, I would email the person in LSE Careers in charge of the scheme and see if he knew anything.

I got a very quick (surprising!) response from him that was very kind. Apparently, my interviewer contacted him just yesterday saying they had decided not to take any intern on at all. The LSE coordinator didn't know why and wasn't even aware the interviews had taken place. He was kind enough to apologize for their behavior--i.e. not alerting me that they aren't hiring any interns, namely me (and I say hiring, but this was a volunteer position).

I was sad, but as I said, not all that surprised. After this long, I figured I hadn't gotten it but didn't want to admit it. However I was also mad that they went through all of that not to hire anyone and then didn't treat us very well in the process! But I am trying to think on the positive side. 1) I didn't lose the job to another candidate! That makes me feel slightly better about myself than if they had hired someone else. And more importantly, 2) in hindsight, as much as I wanted this position, I don't think I want to work for someone who would treat me that way. I believe I deserved at least a short email saying thanks but no thanks and I didn't even get that.

That was bad thing number one for today. Bad thing number two: my favorite receptionist, Caitlin (and in fact the only one I am really comfortable with), at my house is leaving suddenly! :( She was, in my opinion, by far the nicest, most willing to help, best person working here and she is leaving! It is a long story (that you don't really need to know) that I basically found out tonight at a little going away party, but the fact is, I'm sad she's gone.

BUT, I promised that there would be good news because today was a roller-coaster! So on to that! One really cool thing was I heard from a former high school teacher of mine out of the blue! We were rather close and have tried to keep in touch since I left high school (wow that seems like a long time ago). Anyway, that was just a very happy way to start the day.

More good stuff: I met (in a more substantial way than the Queen) the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams today! This too needs some background... Partly because I live right off Trafalgar Square, it was really convenient for me to attend St. Martin in the Fields (a fairly world-renowned Anglican Church) which is right on the Square. And even better, I have really enjoyed going there so I have become a bit of a regular (I'm there most Sundays). It reminds me a lot of St. Barnabas in some ways so I feel as "at home" there as I think I would at any church that isn't St. Barnabas (my home parish). One of the priests has even started to recognize me!

They have a lot of events and concerts at St. Martins (partly because of the wonderful choir). One Sunday I read that there was going to be a service of thanksgiving for 80 years of the BBC World Service (that was the service today). Further, a few tickets were being held aside for St. Martins' members. Now, normally, this wouldn't mean much to me. Frankly, although I now (after today) understand the BBC World Service has done and continues to do some great things all over the world, I don't feel particularly connected to it. BUT, the little blurb that was advertising this service said that the address was going to be given by Rowan Williams. And I thought, well if I can get in to see that, I better take the opportunity!

For those of you who don't know, I'm Episcopalian (the American version of Anglican which is, in turn, the general umbrella the Church of England fits into). The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head (at least symbolically) of the worldwide Anglican community. Rowan Williams is the current AB (I don't want to keep typing Archbishop), but his successor was chosen in November. So that there is no confusion, Rowan Williams is still the AB (the new guy is the AB-elect). You may know Williams from the royal wedding last year.

So now that we are all caught-up on basic Anglican stuff, as I said, I wanted to hear him speak! So I emailed the St. Martin's contact person for this event and explained that although I am not a member I have been coming regularly and if there is one available, I would really like a ticket to this service. Well, no problem at all (St. Martins has really been great in so many ways)!

So this morning, I went to the service and heard the AB speak. For the record, the service was broadcast world-wide on the radio so if you happened to catch it, you were hearing me (and a bunch of others) singing those hymns! In other words, I made my radio debut today! Naturally, the AB's address focused on the press and on the recent issues/discussions here in the UK about press regulation and free speech (I would be happy to discuss this if anyone wants details). Anyway, I thought it was a good address (not perhaps the most moving, but that is partly because I don't feel particularly close to the BBC World Service despite my new-found appreciation of it). If you are interested, you can read or listen to the address here. And for the next seven days at least you can listen to the whole service here.

At the end of the service, I got to shake hands with Rowan Williams! I think I said thank you. And just so we are all clear, no curtseys this time. :) Clearly, a more significant "meeting" than with the Queen (where I was just really close to her, but didn't shake her hand). It was really cool (although I have to say, not as cool as getting to meet Katherine Jefferts-Shori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and a prime example of why the Church of England really needs to get on board and approve women bishops)!

So that was today! Not exactly a normal day for me in London, but then again, so many great things happen all the time here that in some ways it was not that unusual! There is always something going on!

I promise I will update you shortly on my other adventures! This Friday will be the last day of my first term of graduate school! I survived! Of course, all the finals are in the summer so I haven't really survived yet. I am going to travel around the UK over break, but I will also update you all!

Take care! I really appreciate all of your support (especially the last few weeks with this internship)!
Cheers,
Abbey

The Queen and I

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all having as good a day as I had today!

What made my day so wonderful, you ask. Well.... I SAW THE QUEEN TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's right, the QUEEN OF ENGLAND AND A WHOLE LIST OF OTHER COUNTRIES!!!!!!!! (But it was no big deal, I'm not excited or anything...) Let me back up and tell you the whole story (it's a good one)...

So a few weeks ago I was walking past Trafalgar Square on my way to my house. From Trafalgar Square you can see down the Mall to Buckingham Palace and I saw that something was going on. However, it was about midday so I just thought, it's probably the changing of the guard. It was only later that I found out the Queen and the President of Indonesia (I think it was Indonesia) were parading through the streets and I had missed it! After that, I decided that I needed to be a bit more proactive if I was going to meet my goal of seeing the royals up close!

So...I went online! Turns out the Monarchy has a wonderful website and it is possible to find out the scheduled public appearances of various royals. So I was perusing the upcoming events and happened to see, much to my amazement (and excitement) that on 14 November (the day before my birthday, no less) the Queen was scheduled to visit the Royal Commonwealth Society. Now this wouldn't mean all that much to me except the website also stated the address and I realized this building is literally across the street from my house!! I was further excited to find out that 14 November was a Wednesday (meaning I have only one class, and every other week, no class at all) and that this particular Wednesday was one where I wouldn't have class! This meant that I could sit outside all day and just wait for the Queen.

And that is precisely what I did! I thought of it as "Operation Camp-out and Wait for the Queen" and it was a complete success. The only problem with my plan was that the website (presumably for security reasons) did not say what time the Queen was expected to visit. So I went out at 8 am this morning! Turns out that was entirely unnecessary but it was an adventure. As the hours passed, I watched people bringing in equipment to set up the room, the police dogs arrive to search the building, and police arrive to do some lengthy prep in the building. Finally, at about 12 I screwed up my courage and asked a police officer about the Queen's visit. He suggested I go inside for a few more hours. "No sense getting cold" he said as she wasn't not expected for a while (I didn't bother telling him that the advice about staying warm came about 4 hours too late). So I went inside for about an hour and then came back out and prepared.

They had set up only one set of barricades so I went to stand near them and when two ladies got behind the barricades, I figured I better do so as well or risk losing a prime spot! As it turned out this was a stroke of luck as these two ladies were great and we became friends as we waited. They discovered that this barricade was really for the press so we stood elsewhere (they finally put up barricades for us as well, but it didn't seem as though they were really prepared for as many people as showed up). The women were from Canada and were called Margaret and Maggie. Margaret apparently comes over multiple times a year for several weeks and sees the Queen as much as possible. She has camped out for several days for events and has been here for Will and Kate's wedding as well as the Diamond Jubilee and the Queen Mother's funeral. In short, I ended up with the experts and very nice company to boot!

Finally, we saw the police motorcycles and the Queen's car (it is a nice car, just FYI)! I was so excited!!  And then, there she was!! Turns out, she is really quite small. Anyway, she basically went straight into the building and as we found out she was coming out another door we all moved over there (again securing wonderful spots right up front, thanks in no small part to the expertise of Margaret and Maggie). I had gotten pictures when the Queen arrived, but had to do a bit more planning for her departure. Margaret said that the Queen can get quite put-off if there are cameras shoved in her face and while I wanted her to come close and wanted close up pictures, I did NOT want to upset the Queen! So I devised a plan (actually, I thought of it last night laying in bed). I would put my camera on video and hold it down low (just above my waist) so that it would be unobtrusive, but if the Queen came over, I would still get it on video (genius right?)!

The Queen came out of the building and Margaret and Maggie held out small bouquets of maple leaves (remember they are from Canada) that they had made to give to her. This was brilliant and the only reason why the Queen came over at all. While I didn't have anything to give the Queen, because the people around me did (including an odd woman on my left who tried to ask the Queen about politics while also handing her flowers), I ended up about a foot or two away from the Queen!!!! For the record, this is closer than I got to Nick Clegg last year! When she came over I said "Your Majesty" rather quietly and did this sort of half-curtsey/bow thing. Now, before you say it, I know, I'm American, but it just felt right!! I couldn't help it! And it would have been a better curtsey but I was kind of being squished by a lot of people (and as an American, I'm not very experienced in the curtsey department)! Then she got in her fancy car and drove away and I got the entire interaction on video (not that she interacted with me personally, but I spoke to her so that totally counts and again, is better than I did with Clegg)!!!

Anyway, it was a wonderful day and totally worth sitting outside and getting really cold!! I have posted all the pictures on Facebook as well as the video. If you don't have Facebook, I'm sorry, but it is the best and easiest way I have of posting photos, but I would be happy to send you some if you would like. I will also post several here and I'll try to post the video (but I'm not sure it will work). I'm sorry it ended up being such a long story, but I was so excited I just had to share it with you all!

The Queen arriving! This picture is not zoomed in or edited in any way so you get a sense of how close we were! 

This is the same picture as above, but cropped on the computer.

Margaret, Maggie, and I waiting for the Queen to come out after her visit.

Margaret and her Canadian bouquets that enticed the Queen to come over! 

The video I took of the Queen coming over! Hopefully it plays and sorry for the poor quality. Remember I was trying to be unobtrusive so I wasn't really paying attention to what I was doing with the camera.

Well, I am exhausted after all that shivering in the cold! But as I said, soooo worth it. In other news (I know, amazing to think anything else could happen today), I applied for two more Parliamentary internships. So, we'll hope for the best with that (but I am comforted by the knowledge that if I had gotten that first internship, I probably wouldn't have had time to sit around today and wait for the Queen so I know things will work out). Going to take the rest of the evening off and go to bed early!

Love to all.
Cheers,
Abbey

My very British weekend

Hello all,

Happy Veterans Day to those in the States. I have to say that I have never been so moved by this day as I was today (but more on that shortly). To those of you who are veterans, thank you. Today, I found myself thinking a lot about my Papa (my grandfather) who was a awarded a Bronze Star in WWII.

Anyway, I am breaking tradition (in a good way) and updating my blog soon after my previous update because I wanted to share the events of this weekend with you. In short, I learned that London knows how to party/put on a show!

Yesterday, I went to the Lord Mayor's Show/Parade. This was quite a lucky break. I had read about the show and made a note that I wanted to see it, but I didn't realize it was going on yesterday until someone posted something on Facebook. Luckily I had time to rush out and didn't miss a thing! This event has been going on for almost 800 years. It takes place after the Lord Mayor of the City of London has been elected. By the way, the Lord Mayor is not to be confused with the Mayor of London who is, according to Wikipedia (to my professors, this is not my usual research method and I ask your forgiveness for using it now), the Mayor of Greater London rather than just the City. Anyway, after he (or presumably, she) is elected (but not the same day), there is a huge (this year it was over 3.5 miles long) parade from the mansion house, past St. Paul's, to the Royal Courts of Justice (which by the way, is just around the corner, literally, from LSE) where he swears allegiance to the Queen (or King as the case may be). After a break for lunch, they all march back by a different route. This was quite a procession! Reminded me a bit of the Thanksgiving Day Parade in the States with all the bands (yay; I even saw a marching bassoon), but there are more people in military uniforms than I remember at Thanksgiving and at the end, instead of Santa Clause, there is the Lord Mayor in an 800 year old gold, horse-drawn coach! Anyway, it was quite a good show and I'm very glad I went. (Below is a picture of the coach with the Lord Mayor sticking his head out.)

And then today...wow. I went to the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the cenotaph (that is what they call the war memorial) on Whitehall (literally, one street over from my house). This is the British version of Veterans Day and it was a sight to behold! The entire street was shut down (as were others nearby). The ceremony starts at 11 but I got there about 9:15 and was able to secure a spot right up against the barricade with a decent view (except for the sun in my eyes) and a great view of a big screen broadcasting the events at the cenotaph. First, at about 10:15 or 10:30 thousands of veterans started marching down the road in their battalions (this is probably the incorrect military term and I apologize, but they were organized in groups). I read afterwards that there were nearly 10,000 of them! That is in addition to the thousands of spectators along the road. Once they were all lined up in the road, it was nearly 11. Just before 11, an acolyte carring a cross with poppies attached led a procession of clergy out of the building by the cenotaph (they can do stuff like this in a country that doesn't separate church and state). After the clergy, came the Queen and Prince Philip and other assorted royals and government leaders including the leaders of the three main parties (for those I have not yet bored with my incessant talk about British Politics or who have blocked me out when I have, those are the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and Labour Parties).

Then Big Ben rang 11 o'clock and two minutes of silence started. This was amazing. Maybe it was because I was near the middle of the crowd and the closed street, but it felt like the entire city or country or world was still for those two minutes! The only sound I heard was gulls. After two minutes the ceremony began. There were prayers lead by the Bishop of London and hymns that everyone sung accompanied by the amazing military band (I'm sure they have a more specific name, but you get the point). One of the most amazing feelings was standing in this group of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of people with (it felt like) everyone saying the Lord's Prayer together. The Queen laid a wreath, followed by Prince Philip, Prince William (sorry, I know, the Duke of Cambridge), and other assorted royals. Then David Cameron, Nick Clegg, and Ed Miliband laid wreaths one at a time (they are the leaders of the parties). Then a bunch of other people (I think representatives from the Commonwealth countries) laid wreaths. After that and some more of the service (some of the prayers and hymns were here, not before) everyone sang God Save the Queen and then the party at the cenotaph went inside and all of the veterans marched by and each group put down a wreath. It was simply amazing! And one of the most moving ceremonies of my entire life.

Now, I know that what I am about to say is not fitting with the solemn and respectful nature of the day. However, I really feel like I want to share these thoughts so please excuse me just for a minute. I WAS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE QUEEN AND THE ROYALS AND CAMERON AND CLEGG AND MILIBAND TODAY!! With the exception of Nick Clegg (good story for another time) I have never been in their presence and it was awesome! Granted, between the distance and all the veterans on the street, I couldn't see them in person, but I got great views on the screen (and pictures of said screen) and I think I saw some of their hats as they were walking. You have to understand, for me, this is my version of meeting/seeing rock stars or movie stars! And, I didn't think they would be there, but WILLIAM AND KATE WERE THERE TOO! I actually stood in a group of thousands of people and sang God Save the Queen TO THE QUEEN!! Yes, yes, I know Dad, I'm an anglophile, no sense trying to deny it now.

 

The veterans lined up on the street.

 

The Queen.

 

From left, Miliband (kind of hidden by tree branch), Clegg, and Cameron (the Prime Minister).

                                        Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge, third from left.

 

The Duke of Cambridge saluting.

Chelsea Pensioners.  

The Cenotaph after they let the crowds come forward.

In short, this weekend was amazing and I even managed to get some work done (but still have more to do). I will try to put some more pictures up some other time (and on Facebook), but I really ought to do some more work before bed.

Cheers,
Abbey

My life in London

Hello all!

Once again, I apologize for the long period between updates. However, in my defense, I have now been here for about a month and a half and am still giving updates which is much longer than I was successfully blogging when I was in Bath, so this is an improvement!

Things have been very busy, but also good here. I think I will do this post a bit differently and just give you what I think have been the highlights of the last few weeks. Hope you enjoy (and maybe this will be a bit less boring to read)!

-Since I have been here, I have been in Parliament (or Portcullis House where many MP offices are) three times! Since I joined the Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat societies, I have been trying to make the best of these opportunities! The first time was on a Labour trip to meet Ed Balls (the Shadow Chancellor). Highlights of this trip included meeting in the old shadow cabinet room where a number of shadow cabinets met and walking past Ed Miliband's office. After that, I met (this time on campus) Baroness Royall at a Labour society meeting. She is the leader of Labour in the House of Lords. She thought she had campaigned with me, but alas, apparently someone else looks remarkably like me because I have never campaigned in the UK. Both of them were quite interesting! With the Conservative Society, I went to Parliament and met David Willetts. He is the Minister of State for Universities (after the tuition fee raise, we couldn't have him here to campus because he is such a polarizing figure among my age group). He was great and what I remember most was the way he respectfully talked about the other parties, especially their coalition partners, the Lib Dems. It would be easy to blame the Lib Dems rather than taking responsibility, but several times he gave them credit for good things the government had done. Finally, just this week I went with the Conservatives to meet Sir Malcolm Rifkind (he was a minister for 18 years under Thatcher and Major). He was fascinating and I realized as I left how cool it was that I had just met someone who knew Margaret Thatcher! Seeing as I won't meet her, I figure this is as close as I will ever get.  Next week, on my birthday, I will be going on a full tour of Parliament with some people from my program!

-Classes are good. I still really enjoy my comparative politics class! Oh, and since it is now more than half way through week 5 of term, I can say that I have made it through half of my first term of graduate school! This also means that I made it (although I don't yet know how successfully) through my first round of essays. I had two essays due last week. One each in the History and Theory of European Integration and Comparative Politics. Hopefully my instructors will think they are okay, but they are just formative essays meaning that the marks don't go into my final grade. I will have to brace myself though because I understand that grades are technically out of 100 but no one ever gets above an 80 which is amazing/genius and a 70 is really really good. So that is going to be a major shift from the US, regardless of my grade.

-Less a highlight, but nevertheless an update...I didn't get the Parliamentary Internship I applied for. This may not be all bad because I have more time to focus on my work and even tour around a bit, but I was disappointed. I am keeping an eye out for other opportunities though.

-I got my first care package from home and it had American creamy peanut butter in it!!! Definitely a highlight of my last few weeks! Thanks Mom and Dad!

-My friend Sam from F&M was here last week to visit her boyfriend at University College London and we got to see one another for lunch and a walk around campus. It was really great to see a friend from the states and my life back there!

-On Sunday night I went with some friends to see the new Bond movie, Skyfall. It was quite good! But most exciting was watching Bond race around London and to know exactly where he was! In fact, several times he was within two minutes walking time (which I figure is about 2 seconds, Bond time) of my house!

-Speaking of the states... exciting election! Rather than stay up all night to watch returns (remember we are five hours ahead of the east coast) I decided to get up at 5 am. This meant that I got up just after the election had been called for Obama by the news stations, but before Romney had conceded so I got to watch Romney's and Obama's speeches live. That was quite something.

-I should be careful not to get my hopes up too high, but my internet MAY be fixed!!! I have been meeting rather frequently with people from IT and they have finally started really taking an interest in my case and getting the people who actually can help on board. Yesterday, they tried something and it worked beautifully last night (evenings being usually the worst time of the day for internet for me) so I am quite hopeful it is fixed! Mostly this makes me ecstatic, but it is also a bit sad how simple the fix was and that it took 5.5 weeks to come up with.

-Perhaps most exciting of all... an essay I wrote has been accepted for publication!!!!! I really can't believe it! In fact, I almost didn't submit it at all, but aren't I glad that I did! It will be in the Journal of Undergraduate International Studies which is published at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (and edited by students). It is an essay on Duverger's Law and the Case of Britain, which means that most of you would probably find it incredibly boring, but in it, I argue that contrary to something really important in political science called Duverger's Law, Britain exhibits multiparty competition rather than two-party competition. It is more complicated than that, but that is the basic idea. I wrote the essay for my senior seminar at F&M with Professor Medvic. When it comes out, I will be sure to send you all a link to look at it online.

-Oh, I also wanted to share my address with you, just in case you feel like sending me a letter (I like mail, but don't worry, we can still be friends if you don't send me anything). My address is incredibly long, but oh well:

Abbey Heller Room 5.34
LSE Northumberland House
Edward VII Rooms
8A Northumberland Avenue
London
WC2N 5BY
United Kingdom

Well, I'm probably forgetting something, but those are the updates for now! I will try to keep up. I hope you are all well and that those of you who were affected by the hurricane are recovering! I have been keeping you in my thoughts! Regardless, love to all!

Cheers,
Abbey

So um...I'm a graduate student now!!

Hello all,

I am very sorry for not posting in so long! Life got in the way. :) But that is no excuse so I will attempt to make this a nice, informative, long (but not too long and boring) post for you all.

Well, tomorrow will be the end of two full weeks of graduate classes! Which, in case you were wondering, officially means that I am a graduate student (not the two weeks part, just going to classes in general)! I'm not sure that has really sunk in with me yet, but I'm working on it. It also means that I am closing in on three full weeks since I arrived in London! It has been quite an emotional roller-coaster of a few weeks! On the one hand, I love it here and I love my classes (for the most part, but more on this in a minute). On the other hand, I am still having trouble with my internet in my room (latest news is that is may be my computer not their network, but frankly, I doubt it), I have already gotten a cold (darn British germs!), and I have definitely suffered from some homesickness. Just to reassure you all, I have never considered giving up, but I do miss you all! Really, I don't want to go home exactly, but I want you all to come here and be with me!

So I know you all want to hear (okay, read) about my classes! So, I will try to give you some highlights. Lectures happen once a week for 1-2 hours and most lectures are accompanied by a seminar class that is a much smaller group that may or may not be taught by the same person who does the lectures. Also, each course has a course convener, who may not lecture every week, but is in charge of the general format of the course. I have three main, assessed courses this term, plus two compulsory, but non-assessed courses that don't meet every week and don't have seminars attached to them. Just so you know, reading assignments are divided into core and further readings and one should do all of the core by class time and most of the further readings at least by the time of the exam which are all in the summer.

The first graduate class I had was EU435 which is the core class for our program and is on the History and Theory of European Integration. This was rather a rough class for me! I hadn't found the spot online where the readings were posted so (just this once!) I wasn't prepared for the lecture and it was on theories of European integration which I have never studied/learned before. The result was I felt so confused and overwhelmed at the end of the class! As it turned out, the teacher (not everyone here is a professor even if they have their doctorates) may have been able to make things a little clearer than she did, but until I started hearing about others' perceptions, I felt like I was the only one who didn't get it. It was a stressful day (which of course, made me feel more homesick).

The next day, Tuesday, was sooo much better! I had my first class with Dr. Herzog who is great (P.s. I know I have heard his name, but I don't know where-if you know will you let me know?!) The class is European Politics: Comparative Analysis, which just helps me cement the idea that the area I am excited about is comparative politics! Dr. Herzog is a great teacher, and I love the topics of the class. For example, this week the topic is electoral systems! Yay!! Actually, I am so crazy that I volunteered to do the first seminar class presentation this week on electoral systems. So, please permit me a short tangent. Since I am presenting in the first seminar (some seminars such as this one start on week two), Dr. Herzog meet with me individually to go over his expectations. This was a great meeting! I somehow managed to convince him that I am an expert on electoral systems (which I do know a fair amount about, but I have never thought of myself as an expert)! :-) So I prepared a presentation (Powerpoint with an outline for me to refer to) and sent it to him to see if he approved. He told me it was exactly what he wanted and it was great! Further, he asked if he could use my presentation in the other seminar! I was so proud! Okay, end tangent. Back to classes.

The other main course I have is Introduction to Quantitative Analysis. This class takes place in the Peacock Theater and it is just the teacher, me, and roughly 400 of my closest friends! It shatters all previous records for largest class I have ever had and made me miss F&M so much!! BUT, while I was expecting this to be a terribly boring two hours, I was happily surprised that the teacher was amazingly engaging despite the class size and quite funny! One of my friends commented that she connected better with all of us than some teachers connect with much smaller groups! So that is actually quite an enjoyable two hours each week.

So, that is a short(ish) update on classes. Let me try to give you a few more highlights of the past two weeks:
1.) In the second lecture of my History and Theory class (i.e. this past Monday), the teacher called me by my name in class AND complimented me on my answer to a question! This was a big deal for me because I believe I was the first person she called by name and it was great to feel like they were starting to get to know me.
2.) I already told you about the meeting with Dr. Herzog and the feedback he gave me on my presentation (we'll see if he actually likes my delivery tomorrow), but they were such highlights they are worth mentioning again.

3.) I have changed rooms which meant that after two weeks, I finally unpacked completely!! I forgot I brought some of that stuff! Unfortunately, my internet was not miraculously fixed with the change and the shower presents me with the previously unknown problem of not enough water and yet what does come out is in painful streams (hopefully that will get fixed soon)! 

4.) I have made friends! Two in particular are great. Pooja from India and Anna from D.C. are very kind and I am enjoying getting to know them! 

5.) I applied for a Parliamentary Internship!! Given that the job is supposed to start soon, the fact that I haven't heard anything makes me nervous, but I can apply for more in future and the career service person was impressed with my CV and cover letter so I tried my best!

6.) Oh, I also submitted a paper for publication! It was the paper I wrote about Duverger's Law and Britain for Professor Medvic's seminar. I have no idea if it will be published, but I tried. Thank you to Jan for telling me about the call for submissions! 

7.) In my comparative class, I have noticed that there are several readings on the list that I have already done for either class or my own research and papers! I still reread them, but this makes me really proud of F&M! My professors who are reading this should be very proud that they prepare us well! Professor Medvic, we are doing some readings on cartel parties that look remarkably familiar, so thank you! And there are other familiar readings as well so thank you to Matt and Linda! And while I'm at it, having a basic knowledge of European 20th century history is great so thank you Professor Mitchell! Basically, thank you to anyone who had anything to do with my education at F&M (and I mean that sincerely)!


Okay. I know I have gone on for way too long and this is why I need to update you all more frequently! I'm working on it! But before I go, I want to leave you with some things I have learned either in the last two weeks or just generally in the course of my life...

Abbey's rules for life in London (and elsewhere):
1.) Facial tissue is not an area in which to attempt to skimp and save money! Go ahead, splurge on the name brand (for me that means Kleenex). Trust me, your nose will thank you (especially if you get a cold)!
2.) This is critical: make friends with people at reception desks (my new friend Caitlin is awesome), custodians, and food-handlers. These people are really great and can really help you out if you are kind to them. (Plus, you should just always try to be kind to others-it's a good rule on its own.)
3.) Always take your camera. I went towards Buckingham Palace to read and forgot about the Changing of the Guard. I ended up in a great place to watch one of the bands go by and I had my camera!
4.) Be patient, with others and with yourself. The transition to living here has been harder than I expected and my Dad gave me great advice to be patient with myself.

And one last Britishism before I go:
Quid: basically means Pound (as in the money). So instead of saying "10 Pounds" one might say "10 quid"

Well, that about covers it for me! I hope you enjoyed the update. And thanks for reading to the end! Love to all!

Cheers!

Oops...

I forgot the pictures! Here are some of my favorites, but I can't post them all!

The LSE (well, one of the places where there is a sign saying LSE)

What I think of as the main way into the campus

My accommodations: LSE Northumberland House, Edward VII Rooms

Trafalgar Square. About a 1-2 minute walk from my place.

The LSE library. So you can see where I've been spending some time and where I will be spending a ton more!

So perfect-the flag in front of the London Eye

Me and my London "happy place." Unfortunately, the wind and my hair conspired to make it a less than perfect photo-op. 

Getting settled

Hello again,

I wanted to post with a few updates about my life as I am settling in a bit more. First, and very importantly, I finally have some leads about fixing my internet connection problems in my room! Someone is going to be around Northumberland House (my house) tomorrow to help so I hope to get it worked out so I can do things like skype in my own room rather than sitting outside the library to get wifi! On the other hand, I am trying not to get my hopes up too much because I have no idea what will be involved in fixing this; it could take a while.

Yesterday, I took a "Local Area Tour" around LSE to see what is nearby. It was a cool tour and I think my favorite was going by the Royal Courts of Justice which are very near to LSE. After that I was assigned my academic advisor. As it turns out, I have two--one for this term (Michaelmas Term or MT) and one for the Lent and Summer Terms. The first is in the International Relations department and the second is in the Government Department. Which reminds me, I should take a minute to explain how my program works. All of my orientation events have been with the European Institute which is a department that only takes postgraduates (by the way, what American's call graduate studies are called postgraduate studies here so I am a postgrad). The European Institute or EI offers something like 6 master's programs of which mine, the Politics and Government in the European Union, is one. However, my program, unlike the other 5, is also under the IR and Gov departments so some of our classes are in those departments and in some cases (like mine) our advisors are in those departments. Anyway, back to the advisors. I looked them up. They don't seem to be interested in exactly what I am, but that is okay. Today I actually introduced myself to my advisor for the LT and ST and I look forward to meeting my MT advisor tomorrow.

Oh, before I forget, the other thing I did yesterday was take some pictures! I will try to post some of them here, but I would invite you to visit my Facebook page to see them all. There, I take you on a walking tour from my lodgings to LSE and then from my house to Parliament and back. It was my first trip down to Parliament since I've been here and it was as awe-inspiring as ever. I found myself wondering if I will ever lose that sense of awe when I look at the building...maybe if/when I have been working there for six months...but I kind of hope not. Which leads me to...

The Parliamentary Internship scheme! Today, I went to a talk about it, hopeful despite the fact that yesterday at a career services talk, they really scared me about the big time commitment this is (they said if you are struggling just to keep up with course work this isn't for you, but how will I know if I'm struggling until the term starts?!), but I still think I want to apply. So that you know, LSE had this scheme where they list a number of internships with MPs (Members of Parliament) and some Lords and then LSE students can apply. If LSE likes your application, they forward it to the MP who will conduct interviews and hire someone. It is a volunteer position and you have to commit "up to 15 hours per week" which is where the nerves about timing and time management come in! I still think it is a once in a lifetime kind of chance so I feel like I should go for it!

Speaking of opportunities at LSE, there is so much I want to do, but I am trying really hard not to get over committed!! One of the things I am thinking about right now is that they have an extracurricular language program so I could (for a fee) sign up to take a language for a two (I think) hours per week (plus homework time). I really feel like I want to take German,  mostly because it is a language I want to learn, but also because I feel like my lack of a solid second language (my spanish is pretty shaky) will shortly hold me back. Anyway, I can't decide if it is something I can afford (time-wise or money-wise) to commit to...

One other orientation event today...my program inductions. One thing I have learned, apparently the term "inductions" mean something very different here than they do in the States. Here, they are basically orientation presentations where you get info about the school, department, program, etc. In the States, at least in my experience, it is a ceremony of welcome. Similar, but definitely different.

So now I am in the library waiting until 5:30 when my program is meeting at the pub for a social event (don't worry, I plan to get a soft drink). :)

Britishisms (as promised):
Postgraduate= graduate student
Inductions= orientation presentations
GP= General Practitioner (i.e. a doctor)
I'm sure I'm forgetting some...

Hope you are all well! As Tigger would say (yep, I'm quoting Tigger), ttfn, ta-ta for now.

LONDON!

Hello from London!

Well, I think it is high time I update you on my new life in London and how things have been going so far! I hope it won't be too boring for you!

I arrived at Heathrow on Sunday at noon (almost exactly) and customs honestly could not have been easier. I had tons of documents prepared, just in case--specifically the documents I used to get my visa--but they never asked to see any of it. I gave them my passport with my visa inside and in a matter of a few enjoyable minutes (turned out the young man at the next station was also going to LSE and we all got a kick out of that) I was officially in Britain! I got my bags and this young man, Thomas, and I shared a cab to my house (we decided that the tube would be too much work with all of our bags).

Moving into my room was a bit of a confusing adventure. Unlike at F&M where you are bombarded with people who want to help you in any way they can, here they were more than willing to help if you ask, but you have to ask. For example, they gave me my room key and I had to ask how to get to my room. I'm sure these little details are second nature to people who are usually here and so they don't even think to mention them. When I got up there, I found that my roommate had already been in, but was out at the time so I tried to settle in. My room is more than adequate, but not amazing and has the smallest en suite bathroom I have ever seen in my entire life (the toilet and shower overlap a bit). Basically, think of an airplane restroom and put in a shower and that's my bathroom! BUT, I do have an en suite bathroom so I count my blessings. After a while, my roommate came in which sent me into a bit of a panic because after some introductions, she explained that her relative also lives in Northumberland House (my house) and they want to room together. In other words, they wanted me to move and they thought we should do it then before we all got settled. Given my sleep deprived state, this information and impending decision almost sent me over the edge. Turns out that we can't switch for two weeks so I will be in my current room for just a bit and then I will switch. My current--and actually my future roommate as well--are from China and they are both very nice.

Monday, I made my way to the LSE for the first time. I have to say, London is a bit overwhelming, but I'm getting used to it. I went to what they called inductions for the European Institute (my department) which was really sort of an info session. It was rather helpful and nice to see the teachers (technically I don't think they are all professors) and other students in my department. After that I took a marginally useful campus tour led by a young man who was clearly less than qualified to lead such a tour. Finally, I had to go to the Postgraduate School Orientation Presentation which was again, marginally helpful.

Today, the real fun began...I became an officially registered LSE student!! And it took all of about five minutes! Before I registered with my department a bit later, I went to a sort of club fair. They all bombard you with info and then, if you agree to join, they give you a sticker to take to another area and then pay for everything you have just joined. I was trying to be careful not to sign up for much because 1) I didn't want to pay for it and 2) I don't want to get over committed. However, I did join the music society (they have an orchestra, but it doesn't sound like they have an instrument for me to borrow). I also think I may have cheated a bit, but I joined the student groups of all three major political parties in Britain! They all have fun events and speakers and I want to learn more about all of them so I joined! :) I doubt they see too many people do that.

So those are the major things that have happened in my life the past few days. I'm still trying to adjust to the time change--I have been waking up at 4:30 am on the dot and have been wide awake for about two hours. I hope that ends shortly! The other major ongoing drama in my life is internet trouble. In our rooms we have to connect to the internet with an ethernet cord because there is no wifi there, but my ethernet occasionally and suddenly decides that it just doesn't feel like allowing me to access my email or skype with my parents or do anything whatsoever involving the internet. This bad-tempered behavior will last anywhere from 5 minutes to several hours and is really starting to annoy! Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be anyone who can help me. The house is supposed to have some one from IT in the building at least part of the time, but he hasn't shown up. The best advice I have gotten is to keep bugging IT about it until someone helps me. The most amusing advice I received, on the other hand, was to email someone about my internet connectivity issues--the person giving the advice evidently did not see the irony.

Well, I think I have bored you all quite enough. I hope this post wasn't too disjointed or hard to follow. I wanted to get all the important points in without dragging on forever (which I'm afraid I did anyway). I'll try to update again in a few days. If there is anything you particularly want to know more about, just let me know. I'm hoping to continue my list of "Britishisms" that I began in Bath.

Cheers,
Abbey

Hey All!

I only have a few minutes before I board my flight for Iceland and then London so I will have to make this quick!

I just wanted to post to say, "OH MY GOSH I'M GOING TO LONDON TODAY!!!!!" I can't believe it is actually happening! Maybe I will believe it when I get there. :) Anyway, I will arrive in London tomorrow, Sunday and move into my room on Northumberland Ave. I plan to take a train from Heathrow to Paddington and then a taxi. Then on Monday, orientation stuff starts! So it will be a crazy and exhausting few days, but I will do my best to update you all when I get there.

Have to run. Want to get some food before we board. I just want to say that I really appreciate all of your support and love as I go! It is very comforting.

Cheers,
Abbey

1 Month until LONDON!

Hello all!

Welcome to my blog! My old blog from my trip to Bath has been repurposed for my time at the London School of Economics and Political Science. As I will be arriving in London exactly one month from today, it seemed like an appropriate time to post what I hope will be the first of many updates (I'm going to try to be better at keeping you updated than I was in Bath). However, don't expect too many updates in the next month--they will really start when I get there.

By now, I hope you all know that I will be going to the London School of Economics (LSE) next month to begin a year long program that will lead to a Master's in the Politics and Government of the European Union. I honestly can't believe that this dream is going to come true! After I did not get any of the four fellowships for which I applied last fall, I wasn't sure that this would work out, but I think this is for the best--if I had gotten one of the fellowships, I wouldn't be going to LSE! Two years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would be going to London for a whole year for graduate (or as they say there, postgraduate) studies! Further, I will be living just off Trafalgar Square and about a 10 minute walk from campus!

Part of the reason I wanted to blog now is that the past few weeks have been really important in terms of developments relating to my trip. I finally got my Tier 4 General Student Visa so I can actually go!! This was something that made me very anxious (I know, it's me so this is no surprise) so I'm very glad it worked out on the first try. I think it was then that I finally realized this was actually going to happen. In fact, when I told my Dad I got my visa, he said, "so you're really going to do this?"--I think this was when we all began to realize this was going to happen!

Shortly after that, I got my plane ticket! I will be flying through Iceland, which I'm really excited about even though I won't be able to see anything of the country. I've just always wanted to go to Iceland. Provided there are no more volcanic eruptions, it will be great. :)

The last development that I wanted to share with you all was I got my preliminary reading list from one of my departments (from what I understand, my program is actually split between three departments). I ordered the books (I think there were 7) from Amazon and I'm starting to read them. It feels great to start preparing for my studies! Further, not only do I get to learn new things from these books, some of them make me feel well prepared for the program. One of them discusses European integration since 1914 and one discusses Europe since WWII. Thank you to Professor Mitchell for teaching me about 20th century European history last semester! :) (I should mention that I also feel really well prepared from my comparative politics classes with Professors McNulty and Linda Hasunuma, my independent study with Professor Matt Schousen, and my government major at F&M in general so thank you to everyone who was involved in getting me to this point--there are a lot of you!)

Well that is probably enough for now--I don't want to bore you all before I even get to London! If you can't tell, I am really excited and not nearly as nervous as I would have expected to be (knowing me, that is a big deal).

Cheers,
Abbey