Thoughts from Places: Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens

Note: this is basically a week late. Sorry. I got sick and then this week was a long one. However, this entry is basically going to be a written "Thoughts from Places" video. If you don't know what "Thoughts from Places" is just know that it was initially started by John and Hank Green and are video blogs about various places. 

You would think that a very lush, green and beautiful park in a busy section of London would have noise. It doesn't. Well, that is a lie. There are a few places where you can hear noise from the city streets but that is it. If you go into the park, it is quiet and serene. For a moment, you forget that you are even in a city. All of a sudden you are surrounded by controlled nature and it is just beautiful.

I walked into Kensington Gardens last Thursday afternoon with the mission to find the Peter Pan statue. As I walked up the long path, I looked around and took in the surroundings. There are many pathways in the Gardens that lead to all over. On my left, I came to Kensington Palace, the childhood of Queen Victoria.  Victoria had a rough childhood in Kensington Palace. It was very strict and she was a lonely girl. There is a statue outside of the palace of her.

I left Victoria in her place and continued on my journey to find the boy who never grew up. I knew I had to turn right at one point so I turned to go towards the Round Pond. 

This picture shows me two things. The first thing is the nature and how peaceful it is in the area. The second thing would have to be the cranes in the distance. Even though I was in this controlled environment, there was still a city outside.

I continued on with my exploration of the park and finding Peter Pan.

I kept walking straight and ended up at the Italian Garden. 

The garden is basically a lot of fountains and places to site. Nevertheless, it was gorgeous. 

This picture right here is of the Long Water. The Long Water is one part of the Serpentine, the lake in Hyde Park. 

As I walked along the Long Water, there was a sign pointing towards the Diana Memorial. I knew that Peter was close. I continued walking and went under this shady portion of a trail due to a tree and looked to my right.

I found him. I found the statue of the boy who never grew up. My mission was over. 

However, I decided to continue on the path and explore the park. I went to the Diana Memorial and looked at how it was laid out. After 30 minutes of walking around the park and taking in the sights, I decided to leave and head back home. I ended up exiting the park at a very far location from where I lived. But I knew that I needed to find the way to Royal Albert Hall and then I would almost be home.

I think all I can say about Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens is this: how can such a beautiful place be located in such a busy city?

A formal apology

So I have been meaning to post about the last week since it was actually really cool...the end of it. Well, somehow Mother Nature decided that I should get sick. I still am sick actually. I'm almost better. I say almost hesitantly because some parts of my body feel awful. I have a paper that requires newspapers due tomorrow but luckily they are all online. I also have become best friends with now my second box of Kleenex and orange juice.

However, this is what is going to happen. I am going to blog about my Thursday and Saturday and have both of those posts on a scheduled update. These posts will be posted on Tuesday and Wednesday. I also have to upload more pictures onto Facebook today as well and organize my picture folders since I have so many already and they are clogging up my computer. My post about Thursday is about Hyde Park and I might add stuff about my Friday since I had field trips. Saturday is about the day trip I took to Stonehenge and Bath.

So that is what you can expect. I will try to blog more regularly but being sick has hindered that slightly. At least I am sick now and not during the end of the semester.

A lost opportunity

It has been a long while since I posted and for that I am sorry. But what can I honestly write about to inform you, the general reader of this atrocity of a blog?

I could write about how all of my classes seem fairly easy and all require at least one paper, one presentation, and have field trips. I could write about the performance of The 39 Steps I saw Wednesday which was hilarious and broke the fourth wall in every perfect way. I could write about the Les Mis theatre and how it is located right in Chinatown.

I could write about how I am addicted to Home and Away after watching the omnibus of last week's episodes Saturday. I could write about the National Portrait and how many portraits are up and how I spent 45 minutes looking at pictures of the Queen. I could write about seeing Sweeney Todd Saturday, which was amazing, incredible, and all together BEAUTIFUL AND A DREAM COME TRUE! I could write about finding out that Eddie Redmayne will be reading poetry at a West End event in October and that means this could be my chance to finally meet Eddie and tell him how he is one of my favorite actors and inspires me.

I could write about Downton Abbey and how I finally watched it on ITV for the first time and I cried because series 3 is beautiful so far. I could write about Parliament and how it is so clear that Albert loved Victoria so much it physically pains me that he died before his time.

Yet this is what I am actually going to talk about. I was literally down the street from some of my favorite actors and I did not know about it.

London Fashion Week is currently finishing up and today was the Burberry show. Now, I love Burberry. I love the Burberry tartan pattern. I love Christopher Bailey and I know that he and Eddie Redmayne have a working relationship. (Eddie's Burberry campaign was beautiful this year.) But let's get this story rolling, shall we.

I was on my blog (not this blog, my other blog) when this picture showed up:

So here we have Aaron Paul, Dita Von Teese, Harry Styles, and Dev Patel. However, the person behind Dev is very important. The person I reblogged this picture from wrote in tags "that looks like Joe."

Now this is a better image. Oh look. Joe Dempsie is at Fashion Week. Okay. Okay. Um, okay? Cue panic button. 

But it gets better. It gets so much better. 

That building in the back? That's Royal Albert Hall. It's right down the street from me. And the show? It was held at Kensington Gardens. That is right across the street from me. Literally. And where was I during this? Doing my laundry. I missed seeing Harry Styles and Joe Dempsie. I am going to regret this.

So what is the lesson from all this: stalk the Internet to find out where people are. 

I will now leave you with this, a picture I took at Trafalgar. 

Getting lost is always the best policy

Today's post will be divided into three sections: A Trip North, A Parade, and Short Little Turn Around. There will also be pictures added.

Part One: A Trip North

Yesterday, I posted what my plan for the day was going to be. That changed this morning when I decided at 9 am that "Going to the British Museum would be a good idea!" And it actually was. I took the Tube to the Holborn Station and then walked to the museum. I noticed that there were a lot of local restaurants in the area near the museum. I knew the museum the moment I saw the gated entrance. The vast majority of the museums in London are free. The word free is a word that college students love, especially on a budget.

I only explored about a quarter of the museum within the hour I was there. I think my favorite exhibits were the following: Korea, China, Japan, and the clocks.

This right here is a replica of a hanok, which is a traditional Korean house. Inside the house is a sarangbang, which is a man's room for studying, writing poetry, and leisure activities. Women are not permitted inside the sarangbang. Instead, they have an anbang, which is where they do their daily activities. Besides the husband and family, other people are not allowed to enter unless they have permission. This is what a sarangbang looks like.

Another few things that I found interesting in the Korea section was a collection of Joseon era headgear, a collection of fans, and a wedding gown. 

The China section featured a lot of beautiful and artistic bowls and cups. The Japan section was a history of the country into the modern age. The clocks section was the chronological history of how clocks are made. 

After a while, I decided I should leave the museum. I now have a general feel to it and i can go back whenever I want over the course of the semester. As I was walking down the street, I saw a book store with a familiar name.

If you are familiar with the Dickens novel Bleak House, you know this name. 

After I took this, I decided to walk around the area and get myself lost. And I did just that. But it was so fun. I knew I hit the theatre district when I saw the theatre for Rock of Ages. I kept wandering around and then right in this little circle area I saw this:

Matilda: The Musical has been raved about since it opened. It will be opening in the US next spring and thankfully they are not adapting it for the US. They are keeping the show in tact

However by this time, the weather decided to turn on me so I left the area to head home to grab lunch. But if I had kept walking I would have found the land of Les Mis. Soon, darling. Soon.

Part Two: A Parade

There was a parade in London today that I watched on TV. Our Greatest Team was the name of it. What it was was this: a parade for the city to thank all of the Team GB athletes, volunteers, and organizers for the Olympics and for athletes, volunteers, and organizers to thank the city for being so supportive. I was really moved bu it because it really showed that London loved having the Games come back. It showed this city in a new light. My hope is that the legacy of London 2012 is a long lasting one. Our tour guide on Saturday told us that organizers have been calling it the 21st Century's Great Exhibition. The Great Exhibition of the Victorian Era, the brainchild of Prince Albert, showed the world what England was capable. These Games showed the world that London was this city of life, joy, love, and history.

Part Three: Short Turn Around

Earlier in the evening, I wanted to go find the tea shop that was recommended to me. I left during a peak hour, which was stupid of me, but I was able to manage. I went up to Bayswater and tried to find the shop but got lost. I couldn't find it, so I walked to the shopping centre to get a coffee. As I was waiting for my drink, I saw the shop. However, they were very busy and since I have no idea what kind of tea I want to drink for Sunday, I decided to come back early that day before Downton airs. 

Tomorrow I finally start classes. On Wednesday I see The 39 Steps. On Thursday I go to the cinema and am seeing Anna Karenina and trying not to cry over another Joe Wright film. Saturday I am hopefully going to be getting really cheap tickets for Sweeney Todd. Next week Saturday I plan on going on the free trip to Stonehenge and Bath. Stonehenge will make me think about The Pandorica and the ending of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Bath will make me start searching for Mr. Tilney so I can discuss muslin with him. 

With only being here for a few days, I can confirm that I love London. I love getting myself lost and discovering new parts of the city. I love how each section has its own individual feel. This city is perfect for me.

So much history but at least I have four months

Saturday was our Tour Day. In the morning, we took a guided coach tour around London. This city feels so small but huge at the same time. The coach tour helped me figure out what places I want to see. I know that I have to go to some places by the end of the month so I am visiting them next week during the day. I think because this weekend was the end of the Paralympics and the Thames Festival made portions of the city feel crowded to me. I think visiting during the week will be better. I have no classes on Monday and Thursday so those will be my visiting places day.

Today I stayed in the flat because of my feet. The past few days have resulted in me walking a lot and my right foot has not been happy. I think a day of rest was all it needed. It still is sore but not as bad as it was Saturday. I also have decided what I want to do for the week. This is what it looks like.

Monday: I am going to be exploring Notting Hill and going to this tea shop that was recommended for me to go to by a friend who lives in the city. I am also going to get getting my school stuff ready because my first day of class is Tuesday.

Tuesday: This is my first day of class so I will be learning all day and then coming back and doing homework.

Wednesday: I usually have two classes but my afternoon class has been cancelled. I have decided to do my laundry after I eat lunch. I have a ticket for the 8:00 performance of The 39 Steps to go to that night so I have to make sure my laundry is finished by then.

Thursday: This day I am going to do my homework in the morning. I bought a ticket to see the movie Anna Karenina at 2 pm so that is what I am doing in the afternoon. Then I am going to buy more groceries to last for the week.

Friday: I have class all day again so I will be focusing on that and when I am done for the day I will be relaxing by watch my TV shows that air in Korea because by then they should all be subbed. Hopefully.

Saturday: This day is going to hopefully be a fun one. Sweeney Todd is still going on but will be closing soon. I am going to try to get the £25 pound tickets from the box office for the afternoon performance. If a ticket for the evening performance is available I will take that if an afternoon is not. The box office opens at 10 so I want to be there a little before. If that doesn't work out, I will go to the tkts booth and buy a ticket.

Sunday: Downton Abbey returns to me. All homework must be done before then. I must watch my beloved Crawleys.

So starting Monday, I will try to attempt being European or something. This will be exciting all that. And I hopefully will see my favorite barber. 

What is the cure for very sore feet?

The past two days have been very long for me. A day of travel meant I was missing a two days worth of news. Luckily nothing major happened in the world of Kpop and Youtube has all of the speeches from the DNC. I think the most important thing was the Downton Abbey premiere date. September 16, come to me sooner.  So let's have a look at what has been going on for the past few days, yes?

Wednesday:
This was travel day. My flight left at 6:17 pm from O'Hare and landed at Heathrow a little around 8 am Thursday London time. I did not sleep on the flight at all. I tried. I honestly tried. I just couldn't do it. During the breakfast meal I had coffee so that helped me.

Thursday:
I got through Immigration and Customs fine. The man, a Scot, who let me through asked what I was studying. I told him History. He then asked what I specialized in and I told him Victorian. We then started talking while waiting for the system to clear me. After I got my bag and got out of the terminal, I found my way to the Underground and bought a ticket. I got on the train right as it was leaving. 40 some minutes later I got off and walked 10 minutes to where I had to check in. It was a little before 10 am by this point. I got my keys and proceed to walk 5 minutes to Hyde Park Gate.

The residence is right across Hyde Park. One of my goals in life was to live right by Hyde Park. Clearly this goal has been made already. It took me a while to get in because the keys are complicated. I then proceeded to the Third Floor which is where I live in Room C. The entire floor is a flat and there are multiple rooms for living. In total there are about 17 of us students living here and sharing one kitchen, a study area, and a common area. Please note: that TV is reserved to ME when Doctor Who, Merlin, and Downton Abbey are on. If anyone asks why I need to watch it, I already have a list of reasons why prepared.

I was the first person to arrive in the flat so I got everything unpacked pretty fast. And then I waited for more people to show up. My first roommate showed up after noon. My second roommate arrived today because she had her flight from JFK to Heathrow canceled. After my roommate unpacked and got ready, we registered. The house where we registered is also where we have all of our classes. After registration, we went with a group of people on a local amenities tour.

After that happened, my roommate and I went back to our flat and we relaxed for a while. She went with other girls to get phones and I stayed in my room. Please note that by this time I have been up over 24 hours. The 10 minute nap does not count. We had a floor meeting to go over policies and rules and then we were free to do whatever. My roommate and I went to Whole Foods and I got some watermelon to eat for the night and for breakfast. That was then followed by the shower from Hades/Hoth. After that, I crashed.

Ah sleep.

Friday:
Friday was Orientation Day. Everyone who works at the program is super nice and helpful. The area we are living in is perfect for celeb spotting. Will and Kate, excuse me, Will and Katherine, will be moving into Kensington Palace soon. However I was still tired and my body hurt. I walked back to the flat and took a nap. No shame there. After I woke up, the second roommate came and we all talked. She and I are in two of the same classes so that's good. I decided to go get groceries. By groceries I mean pasta. However, another girl was leaving to go get a phone. We decided to go together. I went with her to get a phone. Then we went to McDonald's so I could eat. After that we walked to Waitrose and I got my pasta and other food to last me for the week hopefully.

Today, compared to yesterday, was more a relax day. Saturday is going to be crazy with a guided walking tour of the area in the morning and then a guided bus tour of London in the afternoon. However the night will be for Doctor Who and I am so happy to watch it on British TV for the first time ever. There was actually a girl who shouted out Doctor Who during Orientation and the man who was speaking to us said that the new series just tarted and people can watch the episode on iPlayer. Come to me fellow Whovians. Come to me.

The one thing I am worried about is that the people I am living room in general are people who keep talking about going out and partying. I can understand that but at the same time I am not comfortable in that area at all. I am here to learn and see the history of the city not party and get drunk right away. I'm not like that at all and I don't think I ever will be. I am pretty sure I will be becoming best friends with local libraries to study or the 24 hour computer lab at one of the residences.

Alright. I have some episodes of Parade's End waiting for me to watch. I have access to iPlayer now. This is exciting!

I have arrived

I didn't sleep on the plane at all. Whoops. It is currently a little after noon so that means it's 6 am back in Appleton. But I found my way to get my keys and I found my flat.

Now I put my head on a pillow because i still have a long day ahead. At least registration goes until 6.

Also, I am literally RIGHT across from Hyde Park. I can feel Kensington Palace calling me.

An Introduction of Sorts

Today is September 3, 2012 and on Wednesday I leave for London for the semester. Wait. This started out awkwardly already. Let's fix that. Okay. Three....two...one.

My name is Briana Michelle Meyer (the full name is important) and I am a 20 year old college student spending the next four months in London, England to study abroad. I'm a History major and somehow due to my credits I am a senior. However this is my third year of college. Oh man....I am horrible at these introduction posts. Even though I have been on the Internet actively since I was eleven, I'm still not sure how to portray myself. Perhaps I should discuss what I like.

• I blog a lot
• I sit on the computer a lot
• I love Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Merlin, Game of Thrones, The Hour, period dramas, Harry Potter, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Eddie Redmayne
• Okay, I am in love with Eddie Redmayne
• I also love Joe Dempsie
• Ditto on the Game of Thrones cast because they are perfection
• I love musical theatre and yes, I plan on seeing Les Mis
• Les Mis=my life
• I am a fangirl who is forced to live in reality 
• This past summer I really got into Kdramas and Kpop and I'm not ashamed of it at all
• Lee Minho is gorgeous and South Korea's gift to the world
• Seriously he is gorgeous 
• Like really gorgeous and I most likely will never meet him
• I really love SHINee 
• I also love SNSD 
• Yoona is my ultimate bias and love
• Also One Direction is amazing
• The British Royal family is my favorite family of all time
• I have a deep connection with literature from Britain
• Jane Austen wrote my childhood
• I cry over Victoria and Albert on a daily basis
• If you don't know who Victoria and Albert are SHAME ON YOU
• I love anime and manga
• Fullmetal Alchemist took my heart at age 14 and has never given it back 
• Little Women was the period drama that started my love for history at age 6 or 7
• Jo and Laurie forever
• Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe are the best couple in the world of literature
• I like to make bullet lists
• This blog is for people who know me both in real life and online
• Christian Bale. End of story.
• I'm an awkward blogger but I have character so bare with me please

Now that is over, this is what my blog will really focus on: my adventures in London and England. I have spent most of my life wishing longing to spend a semester in England. I have a lot of plans for the next four months and I hope to accomplish most of them. I already know that I will be crying when I watch BBC One live for the first time. I also know that I have a date with the British Museum. I want to try to pick up an accent when I am over there. I also plan on doing research for history related things and research for a novel I have been planning for years.

Anyway, that is all I have for today. Yes, this post was awkward. Let's make you all awkward so we can all have an awkward adventure with a Yankee in King Arthur's Court. If you don't know that reference...please. We might need to have a chat.