I have officially been in London for one week today. I'd have to say that I like it and adjusted a lot better and quicker than what I was expecting. However, more adjustment is soon to come! Classes start next week on Monday and I am beginning to get very nervous. Not only was I dumb enough to pick one of the top schools in the UK/the world, but schooling is very different over here. The professors, or tutors as they call them, teach one class for two hours a week. They then give you a bibliography of suggested readings that are extensive and you are supposed to figure out what would be beneficial to read. Why they do this is beyond me. I don't think giving out page numbers for readings is that difficult, but I guess they want to weed out weak students, which I am beginning to fear will be me!
On a happier note, yesterday was a busy day when it came to sight seeing. In the morning I got up and went to the National Gallery. It was truly an unforgettable experience. I got to see so many famous works including the one and only Vincent Van Gogh. mmmmm it was wonderful! I love how you can take a short tube ride and get to see all of that for free, something I will probably never get to take advantage of again.
So after spending about 3 hours wandering around the National Gallery, I decided to get coffee and see if any of my friends wanted to venture to Buckingham Palace. Alonzo turned out being my companion for the trip and the palace was incredible. I have never seen so much gold and beauty in my life! The palace was huge and there were so many things to see! Oh what it would be like to be the queen haha.
After the palace, Alonzo and I decided to go check out the Tate Britian Museum, which is another art museum but houses the works of only British artists. My favorite section was the contemporary art. A lot of it seemed like simple scribbles and nonsense, but I enjoyed reading the description and trying to find meaning in the piece. However, there were definitely pieces that I wondered about being art at all. One artist proceeded to paint the entire canvas one color and then make holes in different parts of the painting. He said it was to evaluate color and make some other kind of meaning, but I wonder if he just got lazy and decided to do something simple and then call it art! Why not? People will look at anything these days :)
After the museum I went and met some of Alonzo's friends from the building he lives in. They were all British and they were all very very funny. I think I laughed the entire time. They taught us British slang and we taught them words that we use differently in the United States. For instance, I said that their kitchen was legit and they didn't understand how I used to word. It was one of the most fun times I have had here thus far.
Overall, I have been having a great time. I am loving learning and experiencing their different culture. I feel so alive in this city, but again, that may change once I begin classes and those daunting reading lists!
Until next time,
Lorinda
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