Camden Market, Center of the Universe...

Sunday was a magical day where I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Mecca of Camden Market.

 

Seriously, there is no place on Earth better suited to me.

Miles of record stores, vintage shops, foods from all over the world, knick-knacks, handmade art, organic and fair trade alcohol, candy, and coffee, hookah cafes with couches instead of chairs. It was really something else.

Kaidy and I wandered off and spent the entire day looking around. We actually missed the last canal back to Maida Vale (our neighborhood) and had to catch the tube (the Subway).

The best part is, you could wander all day and eat for free. Free samples were spread out at your fingertips. Once, a woman at a Chinese restaurant told us she’d take whatever money we had. We both just gave her change and got a full meal!

Poor woman. I didn’t even give her two pounds.

Bartering was probably the best part of the day. I got a totally flower childlike dress for seven pounds less than it was priced. Kaidy talked a guy down 15 pounds to draw custom artwork on her white canvas shoes. It was so great!

Being the good little music lover that I am, I just had to buy some vinyl.

And what better than the Smiths’ “Louder than Bombs?” It is one of my favorites because it’s so weird. Some songs from it are on other albums, and some aren’t on any. It also contains my favorite Smiths song, “Asleep.” It’s so entrancing and simple. It was mentioned in one of my favorite books, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

I got so many awesome doo dads and souvenirs (including a shirt with The Strokes on it and a case for my iPhone that looks like a classic Nintendo Game Boy).

I also have this internal debate going on of whether or not to buy Doc Martens. I mean. It is London. And it is Camden. And they are Doc Martens. But they are a bit pricy. But they are so well made! And if so, what color would they be? Suggestions would be lovely!

 

We got falafel boxes from a Turkish food stand. It looked to have been run by a guy a little older than me and his mother. How cute.  It was so delicious. I think casually sitting by the canal in the warm and rare sun made it even better.

That night, pretty much our entire group came over. It’s always great to hang out with them. We’re so lucky we all get along.

Monday was Hillar’s (our faculty leader) favorite excursion, according to him. We took a lovely boat ride along the Thames River to Greenwich.

You all know what we did there. We stood in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres over the Prime Meridian! There was also a museum devoted to latitude, longitude, and Greenwich Mean Time.

I'm over two hemispheres!

We then explored the small village of Greenwich and grabbed a pint at a brewery.

Morgan and I did have a wild experience in the village. We stopped at a smoothie shop that also sold coffee. She ordered an iced hot chocolate with espresso and I got a skimmed iced latte. Whatever these people did, they charged us both for milkshakes and made something in a blender. They poured it into two cups and gave it to us.

Awkward prom pics on the Prime
Meridian!

I guess they had other plans as to what we were getting.

Last night, we booked tickets for Sweeney Todd!! I am beyond excited to go see the show tonight. It stars Imelda Staunton (Professor Umbridge in the Harry Potter films) and Michael Ball (another known Broadway actor).

The largest painted ceiling
in England

Just the fact that I’m seeing big names in Sweeney Todd in London blows my mind. I may even try to convince the group to take a late-night stroll down fleet street following the show…

Ghosts, tea, and the wonderful world of HP sauce

Friday was a great day in Oxford! I learned that Oxford is actually thirty-odd colleges combined to become Ofxord University. The grounds are so beautiful. We visited a chapel and library, the gardens that inspired Alice in Wonderland, and so much more!

JRR Tolkein and CS Lewis hung
out here!

We had lunch at the King's Arms Tavern (possibly the inspiration for the tavern in Williamsburg, VA of the same name?). I had my first fish and chips with a double chocolate stout. I also discovered HP sauce. It's a combination of A1 and BBQ sauce, and it's not sold in the states.


I think I'm in love with it.

We also toured the gardens that inspired Alice in Wonderland. That was my favorite part of the day!


After touring campus we shopped (what else would girls do?) at Primark, a British store that's cheaper than Forever 21 but also stylish.

We had a late afternoon high tea at Brown's cafe. It was so classy! We had scones with jam and clotted cream (that's butter only more delicious and worse for you), cakes, and tea cakes. It started my hook on tea. I actually just had some in a cafe. It's so classy how the brits do it: always loose leaf and always made fresh.

We said our goodbyes to Dr. Stewart (he'll be back bringing students from WVU towards the end of the trip) and headed back to town. Last night, we went to a nightclub in Picadilly Circus called the Zoo. 

Alice's gardens

It really was a zoo.

Today, we went to Hampton Court, the home of Henry VIII and his harem of wives. Admittedly, I didn't want to go and I really didn't know much about the story.

Time for tea

I ended up having such an awesome time! I learned about those crazy Tudors and their raucous debauchery. It reminded me of Colonial Williamsburg with the reenactments! The palace was so hauntingly beautiful.

Hampton Court

I say hauntingly because of the ghosts that are all over the place. We didn't see any while we were there, but my friends Kaidy and Lauren caught orbs on their camera. We also photographed a set of double doors where CCTV caught footage of them flying open and a robed figure was standing in the doorway.


It was creepy. I strongly suggest you youtube it.


By the way, CCTV stands for "closed circuit television." Basically, cameras are hidden ALL OVER the city. Everywhere. In London, you're photographed on CCTV ten thousand times each day, on average.

Beautiful gardens

It sounds creepy, but it's pretty cool. It was implemented in the 1970s to cut down on terrorism with Ireland (and it really did). Now it's just used to deter pickpocketing.

The door where the ghost
blew through

That's also why there are no public garbage cans in London. Problems with terrorism and bombs in trashcans in the past. It's good sentiment but its awkward when you're carrying a banana peel around town all day.


We saw the gardens, and it was really beautiful! We also got delicious ice cream on the way back as well.


That night we got yummy thai food in Maida Vale, our neighborhood.

London: Week 1

I might just come and live over here.

Don't worry, Mom and Dad, I'm just having such a blast. 

The view from Primrose Hill

Wednesday was my first real day of interning, and I really enjoyed myself! I copy edited most of the magazine. After, I went had a beer in Hoxton Square with my fellow intern. 

Yep, no open container laws in the UK. Winning.

That night was midsummer's night. Dr. David Stewart (who's a professor at WVU and a native Brit) took us for the picnic. Dr. Stewart spent the week taking us around the city. He's so learned and has some great stories. 

Especially ghost stories. 

Picnicking with Kaidy!

Anyways, Dr. Stewart took us for a picnic on Primrose Hill. It's this huge hill and has a great view of London. I had a blast drinking wine and snacking on cheese and fruit with friends while getting one of the best views of the city.

Thursday was also a good day. I mean. They're all great days. I'm in London, for goodness sake.

At work, I worked with a designer to create an ad that will be in Made In Shoreditch's premiere issue. It was so gratifying to have a tangible and professional piece of work that will be published.

The Globe

Thursday night, we went to the Globe and watched Henry V, a Shakespeare (of course). The play was better after intermission, when the action happened quickly (like most Shakespeares). Oh, and by the way, the Globe has an open ceiling.

We stood in the rain and cold for three hours watching this play. Hey, not many other people can say they've done that!

Afterwards, Dr. Stewart took us to a Greek restaurant. It was SO GOOD. There were so many courses of skewers and cheese and humus and pita and deliciousity.

The Greek food! With the
fanciest bottles of water

I was proper stuffed, as the Brits would say.

Welcome to Shoreditch

This neighborhood is most certainly
never bland

This neighborhood blew my mind with hip.

I. Love. Shoreditch.

Jamaica in Shoreditch

My day started out as the typical first day of an internship. In our flat, everyone's hair styling products all stopped working at the same time. Morgan and I also got off on a tube stop that traveled the opposite direction of our intended destinations. And we were late.

Needless to say, I was flustered.

Luckily, my boss is way cool. He printed out a map of the neighborhood and gave me some places to check out. I spent the rest of the day getting acquainted with my new home.

Curiously placed artwork

You know how in cities, you'll occasionally one or two really funky pieces of street art? Yeah, that's the entire neighborhood.

I began going towards Hoxton Square. It's a small park that looks great to have lunch in. I staked out some clubs and food joints near Rivington St, too.

Pie, mash, and mushy peas

By that time, I was hungry for lunch. I had lunch at Boxpark, arguably the coolest place I've ever ate. It looks as if the cargo holds of trailer trucks were stacked, covered in art, and converted to shops and food places. It's also got open-air seating areas. I got an amazing pie and mash (meat pies and mashed potatoes) using free-range British meat!

I then made my way to Brick Lane. I heard it was known for great BYOB Indian restaurants.

Boxpark

And Jack the Ripper.

Baguettes and Cappuccino

I made my way through the streets, lined with eccentric cafes and vintage shops blasting music from artists like the Smiths. It was a surreal experience. I also saw the Indian restaurants, which my friends and I will be sure to frequent in the coming weeks.

Vintage shops on Brick Lane

When I got back to the flat, I went with some friends to Cafe Rouge, a french cafe a block down from us. We sipped cappuccinos and recounted our days. It was a great way to unwind.

At night, we tried to get into a pub to watch the UK vs Ukraine football (soccer) match. Obviously, Euro Cup 2012 here is a BIG deal. The pubs were packed, so by the time we found one, Britain had won.

These murals are on two opposite sides of a street. How cool is that?

London in a day

This guy was chilling on the garden.
I wish I could take naps like him.

Today, we got the full Monty. That is, we saw all of the sights and landmarks of the city in a day.

I've also been singing this song all day.

The city is so relaxed. The people are always cool and extremely well-dressed (I have yet to work up the courage to photograph Londoners and their awesome sense of fashion), and the architecture isn’t cramped, tall, and reflective like New York City.

Best friends at Buckingham
Palace!

We began our day by taking the Tube for the first time, London’s version of the subway. It will be my main source of transportation to my internship, and I’ll have to navigate it alone on Tuesday.

We happened to catch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. It was a lot of pomp and circumstance, but nonetheless a great ceremony.

Twinsies getting international
Starbucks!

We then walked to the National Portrait Gallery. There was some sort of Indian celebration going on there. We didn’t actually explore the museum, as we were starving and ready for lunch.

As I stood on the steps of the museum overlooking the plaza, I had never felt more global. I know that sounds terribly hippie, but Big Ben was in view, sounds and smells of Indian cuisine and the sheer number of people and languages and cultures was so…harmonious.

For lunch we went to a pub, and I had steak and ale pie with chips. That is, a delicious meat pie and french fries. I had one of those moments where my food was so good that I didn’t want it to end. Also, I am eating meat in London, because the regulations are stricter. While not perfect, Brits are way more in tune to recycling and better quality food than Americans.

If you look closely, the British flag
is made of cupcakes. So cute!

From there, we walked to Picadilly Circus (“Circus” basically just means “Circle”). It reminded me of a less crowded Times Square. I did get Starbucks, which tasted different than back home. The food and some of the drinks were fancier too. I think it tasted different because of the fresh milk.

H&M Shades and Big Ben

We then walked to Covent Gardens, an awesome place. It’s a square with shops and outlets. It was so full of life: street performers, the smell of fresh pastries and good food, designer shops, music. I loved it. Some friends and I went into H&M. I felt bad going to an American shop, but it was a great idea.

I bought some clothes (by the way, it is cold here. Think weather for March or early October). I bought really cool John Lennon-esque sunglasses, my first crazy London accessory. 

I’ve pretty much figured out British fashion: you just pile on many layers of dark-ish clothing and some accessories, and it ends up looking wildly hip somehow.

Big Ben!

We then saw the London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament, the front of Westminster Abbey, and the Millenium bridge (it was the bridge the Death Eaters destroyed in a Harry Potter movie).

From there, we went back to Maida Vale (our neighborhood) and had dinner at an Indian Restaurant with Dr. Stewart, a friend of Hillar’s and an English professor at WVU. The food was so flavorful- I love Indian food! I had Kashmir chicken curry, which had spices and bananas in it. Such a cool experience.

Tomorrow, we scope out where our internships are. I am beyond excited to poke around Shoreditch; I’ve heard such great things about it! 

But alas, time for bed.

This wasn't photoshopped, but it looks like a postcard.

The experience has just begun

Good God London is cool. Everything about it just oozes style: the food, the people, the sites.

This is going to be one great trip. So much has happened already, and it’s only been one day.

Let’s start with the flight. No offense to the Morgantown Airport, but it’s pretty hokey. We flew for literally ten minutes before picking up more people in Charleston. The flight to DC from there went quick, and I started to get to know some people. I’m excited about our group: everyone gets along so well!

Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. was absolutely huge. It was so big that it looked as if nobody was there, but there were thousands of people there. It was just that big. Our flight got delayed a little, so by the time we ate on the plane, it had to have been after midnight. I tried my first Indian food on the plane; not too bad. For airplane food.

The plane was very nice: it had movies, music, and TV shows. With all of the great and recent choices, I shamelessly chose to watch the Sound of Music. After the movie ended, I tried sleeping on the plane. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t terrible. 

Walking along the canals
in Little Venice

We had breakfast and landed around 11 a.m. London time. That’s five hours ahead of back home. A bus came to Heathrow to take us to our flats, and into the world that is London.

The Queen drove past us as part of the end of her Jubilee celebration! To me, it was just a black car, but it was a treat most Brits don’t ever get to see.

We got to our flats, which are in Clifton Gardens. It’s a pretty posh neighborhood, and nothing really happens after 11 p.m. That’s honestly okay for right now, since I’m still adjusting to London time.

We got our first taste of London at a restaurant near the flats, called Raoul’s. I got a sandwich with fresh avocado, fresh mozzarella, pesto, and eggplant (known by it’s French name, aubergine, over here).

Samuel Smith's pure
brewed lager

The food in England is so fresh. At least what I’ve had.  I can tell the regulations on food are way stricter here. Organic, fair trade, free range, etc. food is much cheaper and more readily available than in the states. I’m all about that!

At night, we went to a pub, where I had my first European beer. I must say, it was great. Fuller and smoother and all around better than in the states. It was a pure-brewed lager from a local brand, Samuel Smith. After that, I had a gin and tonic. I couldn’t go to England and not try some gin!

This picture's for you, Dad!

We met up with the rest of the group at another pub. It was great getting to know everyone! I ended my day eager to really get into the city the next day.

And so we begin.

Usually, blogs are supposed to have some sort of specific focus or a niche or something. Well. Don't expect any of that from me.

That doesn't mean I'm not interesting or anything. I'm something else! At least that's what I'm told.

I'm going to start out by logging my adventures living, working, and studying in London for my family and friends. My mom even got a Facebook profile for the occasion. So expect plenty of edgy and exciting stories, photos, maybe a video or two. From there, I've not yet decided what's going to happen.

I'm beyond excited to be interning at Made In Shoreditch for the next five weeks! It's a magazine centered around the culture, food, music, arts, nightlife, and more of Shoreditch, a neighborhood in East London. It sounds like it oozes hip.

It's also the neighborhood where Jack the Ripper did his...business.

In addition to working, the trip is partially a class where we learn about the city through field trips and hands-on learning. I'm honestly so excited for such a great opportunity! And of course, I'm going to be exploring one of the world's most interesting cities with some of my best friends.

Hopefully, I'll update this blog whenever possible.

I don't think that statement could be anymore vague.