Things that I love about London

'ello all! It has been a while since I've updated and I've been keeping very busy. Between my Historic London class where we walk around London for two hours each week, and free time on the weekends, I've been seeing a lot of the city. Instead of running through all of the sites I've seen, some touristy and some not, I figured I'd make a list of things that I've come to love here. Because there are lots.

1. The diversity- London is incredibly diverse. There are over 300 languages spoken in London. I love going through my day hearing different languages, some that I can't even recognize. There is a huge population of international students at City University too so my classes are all made up of people from lots of different countries which provides lots of diverse perspectives. Basically, I love that as an American I feel like the minority. It's so refreshing to feel like I'm not living in my own teeny tiny world.

2. The transportation system- underground, overground, train, bus, bike. Yes, it's expensive, but it's easy and everywhere and everyone uses it. People even have little bikes that they can fold up and take inside once they get to their destination. Even though the tube closes frustratingly early and various lines are closed every weekend, it's impossible to not get to somewhere. If you have a map, you will get there. The Denver light rail needs to step it up...

3. The fashion- London fashion is amazing. It's this mix of elegance, and edge. I'm in love with women's shoes here. They're masculine but chic, strong and sophisticated. Fashion is so individual here unlike in the US how one specific trend can take over and everyone wears it the same way. And now that the weather is getting colder, you get to see all the beautiful coats. And if for some reason you don't get enough fashion on the streets, you can just pop into Harrods- a museum of a department store with pieces from ALL of the top fashion designers. You can easily get lost in there for a day perusing the genius and art of designers of the world.

4. The size- London is just massive. London and it's boroughs span over 600 square miles and has a population of over 7 million. I'm not much of a people watcher, but people watching here is so interesting. And in terms of the city itself, I don't think you could ever run out of things to do and see here.  

5. Scones and clotted cream- no explanation necessary. 

First week of modules

Hey guys! 1 week down, 9 weeks to go. I guess I should start by talking about some of the many differences in the British education system. For starters, it's MUCH more independent. Lecturers give you the topics of each class and expect you to come prepared using any means you deem fit. They usually give you a list of suggested reading which you can choose from. In one of my syllabi, the list was 8 pages long. You also only have class once a week, although some of my classes meet for 3 hours- aka REALLY LONG. And all of my 3 hour classes seem to fall over lunch so it's extra difficult to focus. Another difference is that you go into uni knowing what you want to study and you take courses in that specialty for your whole 3 years, unlike how we get a broad liberal arts knowledge at DU. So that means all of the kids in my International Politics module all really know their stuff and are super passionate about the subject, whereas I feel quite new to the subject. This is actually kinda nice once you get beyond the intimidation factor- it pushes me and brings about some really great conversation.

I had my orchestra audition which was slightly unnecessary because I am the only cellist in the orchestra. But I met the conductor who was very pleasant and I think it may be a good experience regardless. When I told my teacher here, Alice, about this she offered to have me play in her semi-professional orchestra, the Bromley Symphony. I had my first rehearsal with them last night and it was great! Really good quality musicians and a fantastic conductor. Apart from getting home at 23:30, I think I'll look forward to it every week (don't worry mom, very safe and well lit all the way home!)

After my orchestra audition, I attempted to find the football practice, however it was at a different venue this time. With very poor directions and no phone numbers, I hopped on the number 4 bus and rode for about 30 minutes. After lots of confusing....well confusion, I ended up in a really beautiful park. I asked a Turkish man with his young son if he knew where the pitch was and he said he thought it might be a bit further in but he was walking the same way so I walked with him and his son for a while. We had a really nice conversation while he played with his little boy. The boy picked his dad a flower and then rubbed it on his shirt, laughed and ran off. We went in separate directions and I watched as the man and son enjoyed their walk on the beautiful London day. You all probably know how much I hate getting lost- it usually puts me in an awful mood but this time, I was able to appreciate the beauty around me and shrug it off. I never made it to training but I was really proud of myself for turning a stressful situation into something positive.

I'm really starting to settle in here and keep learning things about myself and the world all the time. Next week I hope to add some pictures of the area I live in. Good night for now!