Paris, Je T'aime-- Part Un

So I'm just sitting here in Paris, eating a baguette next to my wonderful new purse and bottle of wine, parler francais-ing with Lizzie. No big deal or anything... Seriously. Paris?! I'm so happy to be here... it was absolutely worth waking up at 4 in the morning and running like a crazy person to St Pancras. Even though it's raining today it's still exciting to have walked around and I can't wait for sun and sight seeing and pastries and lattes tomorrow

It even rains indoors here...

My ceiling drips. Even now when it's not actually raining for once. And my straightener burnt a hole in both my leg and my bed. My insomnia is out of control.

But I love it here. I love British people and humor and way of life and way of looking at things. I love my classes, even the required one. It's so interesting to see everything from a different point of you.

I love the people here, British and not British. I've met so many amazing people, I literally am in awe of how smart/funny/etc a lot of them are. I miss my friends from home and family who are obviously all great too but I'm so happy to be here.

This is a terrible update but i need sleep.

Also, Arielle Feldshon is a goddess for sending me this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjPLwzoNQpY&feature=fvw

Topping Up

So I obviously am not so great at this blog thing considering I just realized I haven't actually even chronicled a single day here so I'm "topping up" my posts today with actual information about my life..

For those of you who aren't British, they use "topping up" from everything to adding more phone minutes to refilling Oyster cards (their version of Metro cards) to talking about fashion (like Vogue this month says "What To Top Up Your Closet With").

So now that you have some of the adorable vocab they use here, here are some of my life highlights from the first week of classes:

First, I guess I should be thankful that I like barely have class. Everyone I talk to is jealous but for those who know me, it's pretty much my worst nightmare. I love being busy and overwhelming myself and having a million things to do and I absolutely can never relax. I'm trying hard to learn how though--I even sleep here (which is so abnormal for me).

Second, on that note, I really do wish I had a job. But since I don't think I will be able to get one (especially with all of the travel I want to do on weekends), I'm just going to volunteer 387423 and maybe join their paper here. I know I know, I suck at this whole "vacation" sort of thing.

Third, I also want to spend my extra time doing more exploring around here. Tomorrow I'm going to Greenwich which I'm pretty excited about except it's a boat ride and the weather tomorrow is supposed to be kind of gross, so yeah, could potentially be a bit rough. But I'm even getting used to the rainy weather (I have the wildest Carrie Bradshaw hair here and it's pretty funny), as it makes days like today (which was surprisingly sunny!) seem really amazing and wonderful.

Fourth, I love my classes. My Politics of the Near and Middle East is so interesting and I'm so excited to not be stupid about Middle East history and geography anymore. My Journalism class is amazing. My professor used to be a political correspondent on BBC and then ran BBC online and now is just an adorable man with his own publishing company and all that. I'm pretty sure I'm in love/he's my hero/wish he was my best friend. And my Law class is okay, definitely the most boring so far but the professor is so smart that at least I'm sure I'll learn a lot. And he's adorable too. Of course. Everyone here is.

So looking back that pretty much sucked as an update of my day. But some more wonderful things about this week are that their version of Barnes & Noble (aka one of my favorite places in the world) is right by classes and I've been there like every day browsing magazines and drinking coffee and listening to British accents. There's also a cute cafe by classes that my friend and I found today where people bet on whether or not Americans need Visas to come here and the waiter called me "love" and "sweetheart." Seriously, I really am in love with everyone here and how adorable and nice and perfect they all are.

Well that's about it for noww I'm thinking... I have so so much I want to do this weekend (like shopping!) and the idea of me being in Paris about a week from today with Lizzie makes me tres heureuse <3

Ps.. Check out the love of my life in action... BBC is awesome but seriously, Anderson Cooper is too wonderful.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/18/anderson-cooper-carries-b_n_427472.html

First Week!

So I officially left a week ago today (though I do not think I've been here a full week yet because of the time difference but close enough...) and classes officially started for me today. The 3 hour class thing is kind of tough but I actually sort of like it, the break in the middle is perfect for grabbing coffee and professors speaking with accents makes everything infinitely more exciting.

In sad news, I'm pretty sure my vidchat does not work here... I was hoping it was just a fluke thing but a few people have now told me that theirs doesn't work here either. So please please everyone get skype!

In sad/happy news, Kraft bought Cadbury aka the people who make chocolate that I have had for breakfast, lunch, tea time, and dinner everyday here (they have it now in America but not all of their products). This probably means that it's going to become much more available in the US, which probably means I'm doomed to gain 3847 pounds when I'm eating it and not losing all the weight I lose here trying to find my way around these crazy streets.

Things I've learned so far..

1. My bathroom is haunted (this seems to happen a lot at NYU...)

2. A diet consisting only of caffeine, cheap alcohol, and European candy will eventually start to make your hands shake.

3. And yes, you can overdose on Cadbury chocolate.

4. There actually is sun in London, you just rarely see it. When you do (like today), it's ridiculously exciting.

5. Digestive biscuits (biscuits=cookies) are actually just regular cookies, not cookies with laxatives like you may think.

6. They still play Ke$ha here. And I still keep trying to walk into rooms when "the party don't start till i come in" plays. And I still look like a tooool.

7. The 5 hour time difference from here to New York/NJ is endlessly annoying.

8. People often park their cars up on the curb. Likewise, buses drive crazy close to sidewalks. All in all, I will probably be hit by at least one car/bus/truck while here.

9. I'm fairly positive everyone in America has a European twin. It's kind of freaky but I've seen at least 4 people that are identical to people I know at home.

10. My address! By this I of course mean the place you can all write to me since I miss you. Message me on facebook/skype/ichat/etc if you want it =]

Lalalondon

So I'm on my second or third day here (the time difference confuses me like crazy) and things have definitely gotten better. I think there's just no way to prepare for what a total and absolute change studying abroad is no matter how ready you think you are, or maybe that's just me. Either way, adjusting to London technically is pretty hard, getting a new phone set up and just trying to make it "home" overall, but it's pretty exciting too. I've found it's easiest to just take it one day at a time because the idea of being here for 4 months still kind of makes my head want to explode.

"Brill" (aka what I love here):

-The chocolate. I'm lame to put this first but European chocolate seriously is my favorite thing in the world. I've pretty much consumed my weight in Buttons already.

-Bars. There are literally bars everywhere. And when I say everywhere I mean like in my class buildings and dorm they have deals on Vodka and Red Bull, Sex on the Beaches... pretty much everything. Not that I want to drink during class but I think it's pretty awesome that they do.

-Accents. This is obviously a given. But I love it. I have a problem where when people speak to me in an accent I start copying it, which has been slightly embarrassing so far, but I'm so jealous of the accents.

-British people. British people are amazingly funny. Part of this is probably because of my infatuation with their accents, but even the police chief telling us yesterday about how we're all going to get robbed was hilarious (he also told us to puke on someone who tried to rob/rape us.. hmmm..). And they're all super attractive. Seriously, there must be something in the water here or whatever because while I'm running around looking like a frizzy rat in this weather they all look perfect.

-Extracurriculars. While classes are looking kinda hard, I'm so so excited for volunteering stuff and traveling (Lizzie I'm coming to see you soon!) They also have a Harry Potter club here. Yeah, I'm in a nerd. But I'm right by where platform 9 3/4 is anddd they have a Harry Potter club here that plays Quidditch, so I'm basically going to become a wizard.

-Drinking age. Another given, but gotta include it.

-NYU people. So nice, so excited to get to know them better.

"Wanker" (aka how London is weird)

-Money. So expensive. They generally only take "chip and pin" credit cards. They have crazy pickpockets and ATM scams. Basically, I'm going to be poor in like 1 day and I can't find a job.

-Food. I'm a picky eater and because of this, I've had approximately one actual meal since I left America. Yeah, it's that bad (and expensive).

-Streets. We all know I suck at directions but here it is seriously a maze. I'm terrified to go anywhere and have gotten lost countless times. Seriously, who designed this place?

-Weather. I expected rain but this is actual 24/7 rain. Like, they don't even bother to say rain in the weather reports because it's just a given. All the weather reports say is just "gray clouds," which is all it is. Besides rain. I have yet to see the sun. My hair is a poof (and not in the Jersey Shore way, in the frizzy mess way).

-Cell phone. I don't have a phone here that works overseas aka I'm isolated unless you come find me or facebook me. Not cool, especially when I get lost.

So that's my update for now about life... I'm on my way out to get a straightener that works here and try to fix my complicated phone situation (really Verizon? Killing me even when I'm here?)

I love and miss you all andd just know that if you BBM me or whatever and I don't answer it's probably the time difference. London wears me out so my insomnia doesn't even matter anymore, gotta sleep lots and lots

<3

heree

So I'm finally in London after a killerrr long flight and I have to say, it's pretty weird. London itself is really nice minus the cold and snow but it feels so, so strange to be here. I freaked out for a little on the plane when I realized how long I'm going to be gone for and how much I'm really going to miss everyone I left behind.

My dorm here is really pretty from the outside and the lobby but definitely a little cramped in the actual room. However, everything looks really clean and I'm on the top floor so I have a pretty good view.

I guess my main problem is that I just miss everyone at home so much, like a ridiculous amount. But hopefully that'll get better as time goes on and I'm less tired, too!

Love and miss you all and promise to write about more interesting and happier stuff when I'm not as tired and dead,

Colleen