You might find this interesting

It's all about who you know.

A few nights ago, my roomates and I went out to a club called Maya. Have you heard of the artist Lady Gaga? She's a singer and this was her after-party. We hopped on the tube and managed to find our way there only to see a huge line of well-dressed people snaking down the street. After Jess failed to convince one of the bouncers we should be in the members only line, we waited with all the others.

"Are you American??" asked the girl in front of us.

Like I've said before, everywhere we go this is the first step to meeting anyone. Turns out this girl was American too and shared the knowledge that a 20 pound cover charge was in store for us if we ever got to the door.

Poor college kids that we are, Katherine Jess and I decided we'd book it and try to find a different spot to have a drink before heading home. Just then, we see two men cross the street and stand 10 feet down from us looking towards the entrance of the club with huge cameras hung around their necks.

We approached them to ask if they were here to see Lady Gaga. I've always pictured the pappazzi to be ill-mannered and very cut-throat, but these guys were friendly and willing to field all our questions.

Turns out they had already been there the previous night and one guy had already taken a close-up he was very happy with, which he showed me on the camera. I asked how his career worked and whether he works for a certain publication. Turns out they each have a manager and the manager sends out whatever photos are taken to thousands of publications, some even worldwide.

He said that he's lucky if he gets even one or two that sell. I asked what his favorite picture that he ever took was.

"A few years ago I snapped a picture of Meg Ryan arm and arm with Russel Crow. The next day Dennis Quaid filed for divorce," he said. "I broke that story."

He got $15,000 for the picture at the time, but he still regretted that he could have got more.

I could relate a lot to what he was saying from a journalist perspective. Most of the people he photographed were cooperative just because, essentially, he is working to promote them. We both agreed that any publicity is good publicity.

Also, the question came up: Do celebrities make the paper, or does the paper make celebrities? One guy was saying that sometimes a nobody can become a somebody just if they dress differently enough to get featured in a magazine and then they become famous. (An example of how the paper can make celebrities.)

He said he and his buddy (also there to take pictures) were good friends even though they are each other's competition.

"It's all smiles, until it comes time to take the picture and the elbows get out," he said.

So that was the first interesting character I spoke with. The second was on the ride home to south ken on the night bus.

* * *

This scruffy looking guy gets on at one stop with a dirty looking trunk with stickers of scorpions on the sides. Really? A box of scorpions on the bus at night?

So, Katherine taps him on the shoulder and asks what's in the trunk.

He looks up, kind of annoyed and says,

"Makeup."

"No seriously, what's in the trunk?"

"Makeup."

"Okay..."

We sat back and just kind of looked at each other before he reached into his pocket and handed her his card.

"This is what I do."

Turns out this guy does full body paint for the people disguised as statues you see in parks around here. After looking at the card and seeing the black under his fingernails, the makeup in the trunk seemed to make sense.

"I've been doing it for 25 years, and I couldn't imagine doing anything else, I love it," he said.

All his networking around London has established him some connections. Turns out he's done some business with one of the guys at the club we were originally trying to get into.

Next time instead of waiting in line down the block, we could email him ahead of time to be put on the guest list and get in to Maya for free.

I guess it's all about who you know.

Inauguration Video

Bath Video

Bath and Avebury Daytrip

Here are all the photos I took. Click through them if you want!

You live, you learn

Hey all!

Glad to see you all are checking up on me. Been really busy lately, getting into a schedule with classes and trips so it has been a bit difficult to keep in touch. Much has happened since my last post. I had the opportunity to witness the inauguration overseas! Everyone in the program piled into Harrington Gardens (it’s BU’s school building here), and there was literally wall-to-wall people in every room. We cheered and clapped as he was sworn in, and I got a couple of interview from people just in case I decide to write an article.


I also had an interview at the magazine, Three’s a Crowd, where I’ll be interning. It’s really small and very low-key. I’ll have the opportunity to write about what I want to write about and learn what I want to learn. I mentioned that I wanted to have the opportunity to make a video for the site and see how that works. I’m also going to be doing a lot of reviews of theater, art exhibits, plays, and movies!

Classes are going well. One goes from 1:15-5:15 and the other is 1:45-5:45pm. It’s good because I get to sleep in if I want, but the good chunk of the day is spent in the classroom. I do have Fridays off though, which is awesome for making some travel plans, some of which I’ve already booked!



Me and the roomates (along with my friend Anna from upstairs) are planning on a trip to Scotland Feb. 6-9. We’ve booked the hostel in Glasgow and a cheap flight with Ryanair. Mollie has given me plenty of suggestions of what to do and I think we are going to do a day in Edinburough.



As far as other trips are concerned, I am trying to plan for midsemester break (Feb 18-22). I’m trying to narrow it down between Dublin, Italy, and Paris. So far, I’m thinkin’ Paris just because I think I wanna meet up with Kaitlin if I’m going by myself. And I think I’ll save Italy for when it’s warmer, and Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day. ☺ I still don’t really know though. All your suggestions are welcome. Anyone interested?



Me and my roomates went on my first ever pub crawl last night. It was a monopoly pub crawl so everyone we bumped into was dressed Monopoly themed. There were so many folks walking around with top hats…I even saw one guy walked around holding an iron. Turns out this thing was pretty popular. (See pic above)

Just got back from my daytrip to Bath and Avebury. Woke up really early and was on the coach by 8:30am. The drive was three hours but the town of Bath was very very pretty. We walked through the green Roman baths and saw the steam drifting off the water. I dipped my hand in and it was HOT. All from natural underground springs. You have no idea how much I wanted to jump right in. It was so cold and rainy and icky when we went, most of the time I was shivering while we were walking around outside.


On the way home we stopped in Avebury to see the stones and the hills. When the sun set, you could the black dots of sheep on a pink and purple horizon.

As I’m typing this, I’m sitting infront of the fire at Glenna and Robin’s. We just had a great meal and I’m getting a good night’s rest here before class starts tomorrow. LOVE IT.

Alright, I think I’m gonna go try to do hdubs or start a movie and climb into bed because I’m EXHAUSTED. (Here is the sunset and sheep below)



Also, I wanted to ask: does anyone know anybody who is interested in buying any sox tickets? The only way Alex can come visit me here is if they get sold. A lot is riding on these tickets! Any help with this would be amazing. It’s very expensive to travel here and we need all the help we can get!



Love you all!

<3 A

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

Know what's really cool? Because of the inauguration, Americans were let in free at Madame Tussauds. It's one of the largest wax museums? I decided to go early by myself before my class because everyone else had class. So, I rode the tube for the first time by myself and made it back in time for class. And on my way out of the museum I was interviewed by a reporter from Reuters! Here's the link, cause I'm famous now, wanna read it? click! The reporter took video of me, but she didn't use it.

Omg! The changing of the guard!

You know that part of the Wizard of Oz when the go into the castle with the creepy guards singing that chant? That's what this reminds me of.

Windsor Castle

SWANS! At Hyde Park

Exploring

Hello there,

There is so much to tell, I don't know where to begin...

Since I last posted classes have started and I've really started to walk around my neighborhood and so some touristy things. The weather here is so mild, it's great. It does get windy and does rain occasionally though. Alex has already pointed out the difference between my social life here and that in London.

Since I've been jetlagged this week, I have the most energy at night since we are five hours ahead of Boston. Thus, my energy for going out and nightlife has been a lot greater! My roomates and I have noticed that we have become nocturnal--staying up at night and sleeping during the mornings. It makes it that much harder to get into a normal routine where the days aren't slept away. The past few nights I've been trying to get back earlier and not take any naps. :)

Also, one of my main concerns coming here was being around Americans all the time and not getting a chance to meet the locals. So far I've done pretty well though. I feel like every other night we mix it up. There was the Start of the Semester party I signed up for through BU that was all Americans, and then we've gone to Imperial College a few times to get to know the students there. I felt important because I'm starting to recognize people when I go now. Everyone here dresses so sheek! All the girls where heels or stylish boots all the time. Also, dark colors are the thing. My roomie Katherine went out in a bright yellow rain jacket one day and she said she got looks. I'm realizing that my "going out" outfits are nothing like what people wear here. hahaha I guess I'm a lot more conservative.


It's interesting that the Brits are just as excited about Obama as we are, perhaps even more so. I cannot wait for the inaugeration! I really want to write a news story about it, maybe just for myself. I feel like I should take advantage of being in another country to cover the reaction.

Things I've heard about Americans from the local brits:
•We have nasally accents
•American girls are not as snooty as British girls
•We are easy to spot (not surprising)
...and apparently I look the actress in the movie "Saved." I'll have to look that up.

Everyone I meet seems to come up asking, "Are you American???" Then I get asked about politics or the places I've explored. I was surprised that I could have intelligent conversations when out at a bar or club.

So far I've done A LOT of walking around the neighborhood. Our flat is in such a fancy area. You might have seen pics in my last post. It's not a college area, but a upscale residential area. It's very quiet and the only students you see around here are BU kids. I've seen women wearing fur coats walking their small dogs right outside the window.

During the two days of orientation I had little breaks when I've casually walked around and explored. Katherine and I popped into the National History Museum and walked through the dinosaur exhibit. It was AMAZING! Such an interactive museum that is well designed (something Mollie would appreciate :). And it had a huge rock exhibit! (Something Alex would appreciate :)) It had a live robot T-rex which was cool.

I also got lost walking around Hyde Park the other day. I went early by myself just to get some fresh air and take pics. I'll be sure to post them.

I started my classes too. I can tell they are def. going to be fun because they are not straight lectures. Because they are four hours long, there is time to go out on field trips and watch movies. I really like my British professors too. It's funny though because sometimes we have to stop and ask about a turn of phrase or certain terminology that is different. I can tell that my British history class is going to be quite difficult though because I don't have the slightest idea or prior knowledge about any of it. I couldn't tell you the difference between the cabinet, government or House of Lords...We'll have to see how this plays out. So far the homework has been a lot of reading. I almost forgot I actually have to do work here...


Last night I took a break from going out with the roomies to visit Glenna and Robin. They took me out to an opera called the Carmina Burana. I have never been to an opera before and had no idea what to expect. The event took place at the O2 Millenium Dome which is HUGE. It was a concert stadium and 10,000 people were there. There were fireworks, dancing, and singing of course. The costumes were spectacular and everything was in latin. I was worried about understanding it, but everything acted on stage was pretty symbolic. They let me stay the night, it was awesome to crash in a real bed and have a good meal. :)

Yesterday afternoon I visited Windor Castle, a trip I had signed up for through the BU program. It was the absolute perfect weather day to go visit---very sunny and not too cold. This castle is an official residence of the Queen and she hosts receptions in the state rooms. Unfortunately these rooms were closed for renovation while we were there, but we still got to see Queen Mary's Dollhouse and St. George's Chapel. The dollhouse is about as big as a car and is essentially like a castle with a bunch of rooms. The toilets actually flush and the books have tiny writing. If the house was enlarged you could live in it. The chapel is where many members of the royal family have been married and buried. It was absolutely beautiful with gothic architecture with everything so ornate. Took my breath away.

I made sure to buy a guide to the kings and queens while I was there...it might help me with my class.

Alright. Enough talk! Time for some pictures.

Stay tuned.

<3 A

Getting Settled

I'm living in London, finally!

The flight was okay, 6.5 hours of no sleep on a red eye. When we were almost into Heathrow I saw one of the most beautiful sunrises I've ever seen. The whole sky was lit up orange and purple and on the other side of the horizon the full moon was still out. Glenna and Robin picked me up at the airport which was a great relief, just to have my mind at ease and not worry about finding the right train or cab.

The flat is beautiful. There are some major pros and some major cons. We are on the ground floor and have one of the biggest living rooms (it's fancy). It is already furnished and even has American adapters in some of the outlets. The only thing is the bedroom is tiny for four people. We all agreed that the place definitely used to be a double and now is a forced quad.



Finding enough space for all of our clothes was a challenge. There is one wardrobe and two tiny tiny dressers to split between the four of us. Yikes. I was so exhausted the first day that I passed out while everyone else was unpacking.

It's like traveling forward in time. My body clock is very off and I haven't been hungry at all since arriving. I cannot wait to get into London routine, cause I feel like a sleepwalker. Luckily, the grocery store Sainsbury is very close and I've been able to get some food in the house and have bought a straightener! HOORAY! haha.

The roomies are amazing. Everyone is very laid back and outgoing which is great. Plus, we are all very social people so I have a feeling this is going to be a fun place to live. Last night we went out to a pub together called the Queen's Arms. Apparently it was very close but we still managed to get lost for 45 minutes beforehand. Katherine is a senior at BU, Rebecca is a junior at Franklin and Marshall, and Jess is a junior at Fordham.

When we arrived my friend-from-home Dylan was already there so we pulled up a table and joined some other Americans. We agreed that next time we went out we'd try the pub at the Imperial College (it's like the MIT of London that is close to our building).

Tomorrow there schedule is planned out for us and every half hour is a new meeting for orientation. Classes start at the end of the week.

Also, Skype seems to be working fabulously! I think I've been talking more with Alex and the fam than I would at BU just cause it is so easy.

And...I got my internship placement!!! Finally!! It's at an online magazine publication called "Three's a Crowd." Here is their website: http://www.3sacrowd.com/

I got a very long email detailing what the experience would be like. Their last intern got to write stories (like which are the best vintage stores in London), film reviews, and interview Dustin Hoffman. The work environment will be very small with only 7 people. The dress is casual -- jeans and flip flops.

In the internship I'll be writing, interviewing, coming up with story and feature ideas, and learning how to manage and work online content. Sounds great! I'm glad the environment will be small enough so I can get to know everyone and get my ideas heard. Plus, I'll be able to dive right into London culture and get around the city while covering any work stuff. I don't start there until Feb.



Tonight we are doing a pub night trivia thing and might be going to a club Rebecca wants to visit. Taking it easy though cause we have to get up pretty early tomorrow for a full day.

<3 A

Getting Ready

Hey All,

I still cannot believe that the time has finally come for me to go abroad. I leave January 10th and come back to the US around April 28th. The trip has always felt so far away in my mind and just recently it has sunk in that in less than a week I will be living in a different country.

I still do not know where I'll be interning yet...I asked to be put with a print or online magazine publication with an emphasis on actually writing stories. For the first month or so that I'm there I'll be taking three classes before the internship starts: journalism, history and film. Each class is four hours long.

I'll be living in an apartment in the South Kensington area (Lexham Gardens) in a quad with 3 other girls. Bunk beds! I want to be as social as possible, so the more roomies, the better. I've been told that this is one the poshest areas to live in with neighboring flats that go for over a million dollars. Not too shabby.

Throughout the process of applying to the program, getting all the correct papers in by deadline, moving out and packing I've been too preoccupied to think about how much fun I'll be having once I get there.

Last week I still had not received my visa in the mail even though I had received an email saying that it had been sent overnight over a week ago. I tried calling BU, emailed the consulate, and mom was in the car about to drive to Staples to send a fax when she stopped and came back to ask my friends what a visa looks like. Turns out it's a sticker-like thing in the passport, and yes, I had it all along.

So the feeling of being prepared is something I need to work on a little bit. Today we went over a food budget (the parents and I). We figured from talking to my aunt Glenna and doing some research that around 65 pounds (100 dollars) a week for food and drinks would probably work.

Next is working out a travel budget to see what other countries I want to visit, but I think I will figure that out once I get there. Ireland? Paris? Amsterdam? Suggestions?

I am hoping to visit Kaitlin and Liza in Paris at some point.

To wrap my mind around going, I've been reading mom's letters from when she was studying abroad in London. They were overflowing with stories and places she had been and finally helped to get me excited about my own trip. Following in her footsteps, I hope to go to the theater and travel as much as possible!

Also, I sent several frustrated emails out to the Student Affairs people cause the website is the bane of my existence. It has everything I need to access like info about housing, classes, how to get around, my internship, etc. but the site never loads. EVER.

So, now they finally fixed it (sort of) and I've been able to sign up for some social trips: Windsor Castle, Bath and Avebury, Clubbing at Fabric, Churchill's Cabinet War, Enjoy (a play), Oxford & Blenheim palace, and beer tasting in Chiswick. The first three weekends I'm taking a daytrip. I wanna be busy!

Getting ready to leave has made me realize how truly lucky I am. I've seen how excited my family and friends have been for me and it makes me excited too. Also, while saying goodbye (temporarily) it makes me realize how much I love everybody here...the family I babysit for, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, my orientation family, Kait, Dan, Mollie, my BU friends, Alex, Mom, Dad and Doug, among many others. If I can find half as much love from the new people I meet across the pond, I know I will be a lucky girl.

Thanks for all the support.

<3 A