Friday, November 30, 2007

Stuff, etc.

First and foremost, I have finally become motivated to finish a freakin' essay! So, 2,939 words later, I have finished my essay on Habermas "Is the public sphere still a relevant concept in our media rich society?" And now I'm going to start my essay for MC417 on free speech - I think I will like this one more, at least it's something I care about. And, the sooner it's done, the better! I'm going to start doing some research and hopefully do some writing before David arrives on Sunday!

Wednesday our match was cancelled because we weren't going to have enough girls to come out to play. It threw my whole day off, because I was expecting to not have to do any work, but then I had the whole afternoon free. I ended up doing a little research and napping - had to prepare for Wednesday night out!

Wednesday evening (before AU), I went to my friend Charlie's for a tea party. She's one of only two Brits in the program and was dismayed by how little we all knew about English culture (other than the drinking - it seems everyone in the program has figured that one out), so she had a bunch of us over. It was cute and fun, and a nice chance to chat with some of my coursemates that I don't usually hang out with. And tea - I do love tea... will have to get some on the way to class today now! And we had scones and shortbread and lots of goodies. After that I went straight to the Tuns for some snakebites, karaoke and good ole rugby fun. Phin and his friend Joe came out, too, which was fun. They may come more regularly, they seem to enjoy reliving their old uni days!

In other news, it is 19 days until I get to come home. While I am absolutely loving it here, I am very much looking forward to coming home and having a bit of a break. I feel like I'm going nonstop while I'm here... get up early, go to the gym, go to class, do homework, meet people for dinner and drinks, rugby, homework, go to bed late, all the while trying to fit in all the other things I love and want to do whilst in London. Which reminds me... I have about a billion things to do!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Platform 9 3/4

Whatever, people, I've written 1,000 words. Turns out I need to actually do work in the library after all because, well I have to do research! Shut up. The essays will get done! Sheesh.

Mark and I went to Kings Cross on Monday morning before he left. *Squeals like school girl* It wasn't that exciting, but I wore my Gryffindor scarf in honor of the occasion.




Squeeee!

An excuse to interrupt your friendly neighborhood essay writer...

Two things that happened at school today that cannot go without honorable mentions in the award category "Why Laura absolutely refuses to leave academia."

1. From a fellow student - a multinational who claims to be a super liberal, conservative-hating [crazy] girl: "I don't know why we keep cutting the Middle East so much slack. How long are we going to put up with them before they get their act together?" And no, she wasn't talking about the war in Iraq, or the US' presence there. It was a reference to their various media systems, which, to be fair, isn't that terrible considering some of their other socio-political, cultural (etc) issues.

2. From my LECTURER. "Iran's president said they have no gays in Iran. That's clearly rubbish because they have the highest percentage of AIDS sufferers in the Middle East." Just so all of you out there know: only gay people have AIDS. That's what's wrong with Africa, too. They're all gay.

And now...to Habermas.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Expat Thanksgiving and more

Ah, Thanksgiving. Nothing like the pain of a massively expanding stomach to celebrate the introduction of corn into our diet. Mark and I went up to Sherry and Ryan's in Kilburn where we had a fairly quiet but excellent celebration. Sherry cooked up a storm - we had chicken (turkey was too much for too few, and she wouldn't have been able to cook anything else), potatoes, green beans, corn, apple crumble, ice cream. I'm sure I'm missing some things, but overall, it was excellent. After that we watched "Flushed Away," a Pixar-esque movie about rats in the London sewers. Hilarious. Lots of French bashing (what more could you ask for?). Before that, on Thursday afternoon, we walked down to a place called Seven Dials, where I hadn't been and went to a cute cafe, etc. etc. Mostly telling you this so I can post pictures:
Two of the Seven Dials

Very Mediterranean side street with cute cafes and organic people



On Friday, I went to class and was bored. That afternoon we headed down to Richmond to see Mark's uni friend Phin. We walked through the town and down to the river and got some hot chocolate. It was very pretty, nice to get out of urban London, and Phin seems like a nice guy (read: hot). Friday night we met up with Andy for dinner at Wagamama. Saturday we went to Borough Market, Portobello Road and Camden Market. I bought a pashmina scarf and a skirt - sweet! We also went to the S&M (Sausages and Mash) Cafe, which is one of the first places Mark ever told me about when we met last year.
Our teacup creation at S&M Cafe



Saturday night we went out to dinner with Andy and Vanita in Bermondsey. Good stuff. Sunday I had rugby. It took - no joke - three hours to get to the pitch. And then we lost - unjustifiably. We deserved to win. We had a bit of a mix-up with one of our trys, and I missed a couple of conversions, so we lost by 2. But we played well and I enjoyed it. Mark, Phin and their friend Jay came all the way out to watch, which was very nice of them! Especially considering how far out the match was. After I finally met Mark's friend Peele, who I have heard a lot about, but I was too tired to be charming or animated, so I came home a bit early. Walked by St. Paul's and took cool pictures... Mark leaves this morning, which means back to business as usual. DVB arrives next Sunday, so I have about six days to get a lot of work done... AH!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

LSE Grievances

The last couple of days have been hideously wet, rainy and dark. Though I really shouldn't complain as we haven't had much more than light drizzling and the odd 15 minutes of torrential rain since my arrival in September. Today, however, is bright sunshine! And warm, which is a nice change of pace.

I'm starting to get frustrated with my program. I spend more time in methods/statistics (which together count as one half unit = one class) than I do in any of the classes related to Politics and/or Communication. It seems silly as a) I've taken statistics, b) I know SPSS, c) I've taken two methods courses in as many years, d) we don't get testsed on the information until June by which time I promise I will have forgotten much of what they cover in these classes. Every time Cait and I walk into Methods or Stats we ask each other, "why are we here?" We inevitably leave statistics early - it's all in the book anyway, and we just giggle at the ridiculousness of the methods class and don't take notes (all the notes are online anyway... why go?!).

Another problem with the program is the amount of overlap in my classes. While it's good that I feel like I'm getting a REALLY thorough grounding in Habermas, I feel like they should branch out. As MC408 is required for everyone, don't cover Habermas in all the other classes - we've read him! I'd rather spend more time on new and different ideas - isn't that what I'm here for?

Also, my seminars are useless. We either go around the room and talk about the various media or policy systems (public broadcasting, freedom of speech, etc) in our respective countries (which to be fair, I could look up on the internet) or are led in a discussion by a PhD student who doesn't know anything. My MC417 (Communication and Democracy) seminar is great because Maggie Scammell is a legend and all the students are PolComms, so we all know each other and things can get a little more heated, because there's a mutual sense of understanding.

Also, I finally got my mini-essay back. I got a 62, which is a merit, which is good. (Pass = 50-59, Merit = 60-69, Distinction = 70+, very rare). The problem, I suppose, is that I only put 75% effort into this paper. So, assuming I put 100% in (which I would on an essay that counts), I'm really far ahead of the curve. I guess I'm just looking for challenge and I thought I would find it here at LSE.

In happier news, Andy moved into his new flat which means I get to watch TV and cook. In EVEN BETTER news, Marky arrives today! I'm very excited, he gets in at about 3:45 which is right when my rugby match should end. Yay!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Musical?!? and Rainy Rugby

Todd and I went out to see Lord of the Rings in the West End last night. That was officially the weirdest musical I have ever witnessed. The first act was pretty true to canon (except for, blech, Arwen), and got through the Council of Elrond in Fellowship. Needless to say, that left a LOT to cover in Act II. They cut out Rohan entirely. The put back in Saruman's taking over of the Shire, but they did it badly. Overall, Todd and I agreed that they missed the point of Tolkien's work. The story isn't JUST about taking the Ring of Power to Mount Doom - it's about the relationships and the people (and wizards, hobbits, elves and dwarves) on this quest, and what they learn and what they do together. The show was very plot-oriented, and with the exception of one nice Frodo&Sam song, the relationships were lost. I didn't like the acting much - all of the characters were very hard, the cast lacked chemistry. The characters became charicatures. All that being said, I enjoyed that they were able to make use of the many songs Tolkien included in the trilogy - they had Bilbo's song and the song at the Prancing Pony that the hobbits sing, among others. I thought Galadriel was quite cool. Also, they did some very awesome things with the stage - it was a visually interesting show for sure. About halfway through the first act I turned to Todd and said "I think Tolkien may be rolling over in his grave right now." While it was interesting, they really, really, really missed the point.

This morning I took a walk - I'm trying really hard to get natural light while I can as I know it gets dark early and it's better than spending my morning Facebook stalking (you know you do it, too, don't hate) - just down to Tower Bridge and back up the north side of the river. Took some pictures of the same old stuff, but whatever, you like pictures.
From Tower Bridge, notice Gherkin and Tower of London in the background on the left. Yes, it was on purpose.


We had a rugby match against Royal Halloway today and it was bloody cold and windy (seriously), and rainy by the end. They got a couple of trys (tries?) early on in the game when we were still very cold, and they ended up winning 17-10. My kicks, if I may say so, were beautiful and less than a foot wide each time, mostly due to the wind and tough angles. They're getting better and consistently on target, so by the end of the season I'll be doing quite well! Anyway, I think we outplayed them for the last 60 minutes of the game - just too bad they got those early scores. One of my teammates, Ally, actually dislocated her shoulder during the game. People are really racking up the injuries. Despite my multiple concussions, I'm doing quite well - lucky!

Tonight I'm meeting up with Nadia for dinner! I'm excited to see someone from home. Also, Mark arrives on Wednesday - can't wait! I'm still not 100% that I'm heading down to Devon, but I may go because I think I need a break from London. Some fresh air would do me good (if only I could ask for sunshine but I know better. This is England)... and it would be nice to spend Thanksgiving in someone's home.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

I've got a city love...

Two posts in one day! What a healthy dose of procrastination won't do, I'm not entirely sure. In my continuing efforts for "perspective" (dramatic music) and attempts to force myself to take a day off from the gym, I went for another walk. Walks aren't nearly so much fun when there's no sunshine, but I need to get as much natural light as possible. So, I walked down Southbank, crossed Waterloo Bridge (best bridge view in the city!), and wandered up to Covent Garden. There are some Christmas gifts I have in mind from some weekend vendors there so I went back to see if I still liked some of the things as much as I did the first time - I think I do, but I'm still not sure. But Covent Garden has gone all Christmas-tastic! Sweet! Then I walked down to Trafalgar Square. I considered doing a museum but had too much nervous energy.
View of Parliament from the Trafalgar column

I wandered through St. James Park. The best part about this park this time of year is that they maintain blooming flowers, so there are still bright pinks and yellows around. At the end of November when it's dark by 4:30, a little color can go a long way. Also, they have weeping willows all around the lake there, which are my favorite trees! And ducks... it was almost like being in nature, except for the cars and buildings and the looming London Eye. I walked through Green Park which is may rival Hyde Park for my favorite place to lie around. Hyde Park just tends to have a lot more people in it, and Green Park is almost always empty. And it really is noticeably green - weird, yes, but I like it anyway! Sadly, my camera ran out of batteries in the middle of the park which made me lose my motivation for continuing to walk! So I took the tube back to London Bridge and walked around Borough Market getting free samples for half an hour or so, then came back here with the noble intention of working on an essay before I remembered that I hadn't started writing it because I hadn't gotten my marks back on the first one! I'm still thinking, though... Thinking is good! Oh, and for all those (ahem, Mom, Sabrina) who think I don't do schoolwork - I've done all my reading for next week, so stop worrying!! ;)

In other news, I'm going to see Lord of the Rings in the West End tonight with Todd, a guy in a couple of my classes at LSE. Both of us are skeptical of how they can turn the entirety of Tolkien's work into a 2.5 hour performance, but I've heard it's quite good, so we'll see. I'm so excited though!


Oh, and here's a picture of my black eye. Granted, it's started to heal, but I figure I may as well prove to my fanbase how HARD I am.
Just imagine it bigger and bluer, and that's what it looked like the last couple of days

Black eyes are sexy!

I realized that I haven't written anything of substance for a few posts now. Well, I think that's probably reflective of the fact that I pretty much have a routine here. The gym now feels like 'my gym', the walk to school is beautiful but boring, classes are to be complained about, I've figured out who I like around here and who I definitely do not, and overall I feel settled.

I'm starting to feel some pressure to start my essays, but I still haven't received feedback on my unassessed essay and therefore am reluctant to start new ones if I don't know where my weaknesses are. I have been thinking a lot about the first one I'm going to write, though, which means I think it will be written, edited and printed within a week!

Rugby continues to be good fun. Wednesday night was pretty boring, I only went out to the Tuns for a couple of hours. The team sang "Maneater" for karaoke in celebration of my return, as I'd missed the last two weeks. We lost the game on Wednesday, and I got the shit kicked out of me. My legs are really bruised and I have a bit of a black eye - the bruise is mostly in the crease of my eyelid so it's actually not that noticeable, particularly if I wear eyeshadow. In other rugby news, it seems we have a coach. His name is Ian, he's a veterinarian and a Kiwi, and seems like he's going to be really great. Very passionate about the game and incredibly helpful to have around for the matches. He's traveling some over the next month, but he should be around more regularly next term.

Yesterday I went for a walk through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens in order to get some "perspective" (there's an ominous word). I'm not sure it worked, but I took some pretty pictures:


In other news, I've been invited by my teammate Rachel to go with her and a friend of hers to a Navy Ball in December...! I have to find a dress! I had mentioned Dan (and his Navy, pilot-ness) and she thought that I was the perfect person to go with her. I'm looking forward to it. It's the last Friday of term so it'll be a great way to celebrate being half way (holy shit) through my classes here at LSE.

I'm sure I'll come up with more exciting things to write soon...

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Things I Prefer About the UK

So I figured my last post needed to be balanced with a list of things that I actually like better here.

1. Men are Gentlemen. They hold open doors, let you walk through first, are very courteous. Much improved on American men.
2. Premade Sandwiches. Convenience epitomized.
3. Drinking. It's Thursday and it's totally acceptable that the only day this week I haven't had a drink is on Monday.
4. Rugby. Victory #2 for LSE WRFC yesterday!
5. Football. Players. Quality of play. Pervasiveness.
6. Colored Money. Yes, I give in. The colors help.
7. No ATM Fees. I can go to any bank and I don't get fees charged when I take out money. Sweet!
8. OK, I lied about the accents. They never really get old.
9. Humor. People are funnier here. Cynical, sarcastic, toxic. It's excellent.
10. Mini skirts. People wear them. Leggings, tights, flats, boots. It's totally acceptable to wear them pretty much anywhere.
11. Coats. People have the coolest coats here. I need a new one for winter now!
12. Cider, cider, cider.
13. Blackcurrant. While I wish they didn't have it instead of grape, it's pretty awesome. Especially when you combine it with Fosters and Strongbow... ;)

That's also a preliminary list. Now, off to hip hop dancing...

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Things I Miss about America!

1. Diet Vanilla Coke. The only flavors they have here are Citrus (which is weird) and Cherry (which is too cherry-y for me)
2. Nutrition Facts. They always have nutrition facts per 100g, but rarely does food come in that amount, so I have to do math! Thats a lot of work for something who compulsively reads nutrition facts.
3. Walking on the Right. They haven't made up their mind about whether they walk to their right (like us) or to the left (like they drive).
4. $1 bills. One and two pound coins fill up my wallet in a ridiculous way. And 2p coins. They have way too many coins here. And no quarter? Whatever.
5. Unlimited nights and weekends. Cell phones plans here give you however many minutes (ie 500) for the whole month including nights and weekends. Boo!
6. Anticipation of Thanksgiving. Come Nov 1, they jump right into Christmas and miss the best holiday! However, the Pret Christmas sandwich is Thanksigiving dinner in sandwich form (kudos to Andy for the recommendation).
7. Television. While I'm glad I don't have a TV, it's nice to have on nights when I don't (or don't want) anything else to do. And I miss crap MTV shows. Thankfully I got to watch "My Fabulous Wedding" or something at Rich's. Excellent stuff!
8. The dollar. While the dollar is absolute shit right now, at least things are cheaper in America!
9. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. 'Nuff said!
10. The English Language. Half of the people in this country don't speak English, and if they speak it, they don't understand it. And we thought we had immigration problems...
11. The Service Industry. As we don't tip much (or at all), nobody cares if you get good service. Everything takes so bloody long.
12. Going to class in sweatpants. Everyone is so stylish, it's hard to keep up!
13. Football. Never thought I'd say it, but there's something about fall without fat men in spandex that's a little sad. Shout out to the Pats for being the best effing team in the world.
14. Pedestrian right of way. Cars here are a little too aggressive in trying to get pedestrians off the road!
15. Other Diet Soda. Diet Coke gets boring, but there's no variety here! What I would give for a Fresca...
16. Clean Air. It ain't called the Big Smoke for nothing!
17. Being excited about English accents.And to think I thought I'd never get tired of 'em... I don't hear it at all unless they say odd words.
18. Saying chips and not meaning fries. It's just backwards. Not that I say 'chips' anyway!

There are a few others, I'm sure, but that's a preliminary list. I'm sure I will add to it in weeks to come!

Monday, November 5, 2007

Random London Pictures

Southwark Cathedral During Day

Oxo & Eye at Sunset

Southwark Cathedral at Night

Fireworks and Footie

Lots of exciting happenings this weekend. On Friday night I went out with Cait and a few of her friends from her hall to see fireworks in celebration of Guy Fawkes Day. In case any of you haven't seen 'V for Vendetta' (or for any of those like me, who lack the cultural awarness pre-Hollywood movie), Guy Fawkes Day is the 5th of November and commemerates the day that the Gunpowder Plot (to blow up Parliament and kill King James I, in order to overthrow the Protestant ruling of England) was foiled. It was in 1605.

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
The gunpowder, treason and plot,
I know of no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot

The English set off fireworks and have huge bonfires, so that's what we did. We went down to a small fair in Putney and it was good fun. Pictures of fireworks and of Putney:

Saturday morning I got up at 6:30 (!) to go for a run before we left for Manchester. It turned out to be an absolutely beautiful morning; I ran down to Westminster, up to Tower Bridge and the back. I got to watch the sunrise behind Tower Bridge. So, I may never get up that early and see it again, but it was worth doing once. After that, I met Andy and we took the train up to Manchester - my first trip in the UK outside of London! The countryside was quite pretty, and we arrived in Manchester (less pretty) at 1. We went back to watch the second half of the Arsenal game on TV, then drove up to Blackburn to see the Blackburn-Liverpool game. I LOVE soccer/football here! The Blackburn keeper is none other than Brad Friedel (US National keeper for those who don't know) and I was psyched to be very familiar with at least one player on the field. The first half Blackburn dominated, but the last 25 minutes was all Liverpool. It was a 0-0 game, but I loved it. The game was sold out and there was singing and chanting... it was fabulous.
Satuday night we went out in Manchester, which was fun but not thrilling. I seem to have transferred some of my New England elitism to Londoner elitism - Manchester is a very different place: very working class, architecturally different (echoes of Concord, NH... or vice versa). And they all have funny accents. In a bad way, girls. ;) Sunday morning I went for a short run (to see more of the area, really), then lounged around watching sports on TV in Rich's house until taking the train back late afternoon yesterday.