To fix my camera, it will cost:
£112.70.
NOT including the £20 I paid for them to look at it.
In other words, it is costing me over $200 to fix the damn thing. $200 which I saved up to DO something with here. Not like I’ve got loads of money in the first place. I want to cry, but I’m too angry.
Author: Lindsey
September 9th
ListsMundane day:
Class 1:15-5:15
Trying and failing to get in touch with the camera people
Fishstick and carrot dinner around 6:00.
Chatting with my boy
Ice cream in the kitchen
Homework
more chatting
pretty much bed.
We’ll see how much the camera repair will be tomorrow. MY estimate: £60. Anything over will royally suck.
Buckingham Palace
EnglandJust so I can post before today turns into tomorrow! I will expound later. Today I had AH class again and we went to National Gallery. Then Melissa and I went to Buckingham Palace. Then we went home and I ate some grilled cheese and took a long nap. Then we went to Tesco Express to buy groceries and I splurged on some Chocolate Fudge Brownie! For dinner I ate an apple, some grapes and carrots, then some ice creammmm. Then we went out with Antoine to the Imperial Pub, where I got a Snake Bite (mmmm). Then we came back to have a glass of wine. Note: I NEED TO GO SHOPPING. THEY HAVE THE BEST CLOTHES HERE. Pictures obviously later. Camera Clinic STILL hasn’t gotten back to me on the status of my camera 😦
EDIT: Pictures from the Palace!
We weren’t allowed to take any inside, so we took some when we went out the back.
The gardens in back were beautiful. Obviously.
For someone who’s never really avidly read British newspapers, I don’t know whether to be shocked or just plainly tickled and satisfied that they are still writing news about the Beatles.
And now, for the rest of the night, She Loves You will be on repeat in my head.
Lack of pictures will be made up for in words, so bear that in mind when you read these very long and mundane entries about nothing special.
So today I had my first AH388 class with Caroline—she’s lovely. She knows so much about such a broad range of art genres. She’s especially interested in the Dutch genre painters (which is really my favorite style) so I think we were made for each other. She took us to the British Museum where we saw the Rosetta Stone and the vast scene of low reliefs from the Parthenon. We spent about two hours there so I obviously am going back to see the rest of it. Sadly, no pictures, for reasons previously mentioned.
Then I had to take a trip to High Street Kensington just so the Sony Centre guys could tell me that I had to take my camera elsewhere. So I took the tube from High Street to Earl’s Court and back down to West Kensington and took a trip down a lower class part of the city to get to where I needed to be. £20 just so they could look at my camera. The outrage! Then I went back to my apartment to have lunch and do some reading and catch up on downtime. I took a very long nap and had dinner later (rice and a steak/mushroom/red wine pot pie) with people. And during the rest of the night, I
– iChatted with Eric and the rest of the family. Hi family!
– read some of my journalism readings
– surfed the net
– made a list of things to buy (againnn)
– wrote this entry
Really, I lead such a fabulous life.
Tomorrow: AH388 class with a trip to the National Gallery, then Buckingham Palace (for real this time), and maybe some shopping and a tiny homework sesh before possibly going out.
Panoramic tour & Tower of London
EnglandNo pictures yet, but I took them! I just have to get Melissa to upload them and hand them over. Today, I took a bus trip on a Panoramic tour of London! We drove all over, which was really nice because I saw places in London that were wonderful and interesting to see but nothing I would go out of my way to walk to.
EDIT: Pictures added!
We stopped by St. Paul’s Cathedral which was overwhelming but magical. The bells were ringing as our tour guide led us to the front. It reminded me of Notre Dame (which, honestly, I have an unbelievable desire to see).
So we did that, went to Starbucks (yes, yes, I know, it was cold!), then walked along the Millennium Bridge.
Post-Starbucks. Very happy.
Then we went around to Buckingham Palace where we were able to see the second half of the changing of the guard, and more fuzzy hats.
THEN we went to Covent Garden where there is a sweet market that really resembled Faneuil Hall. We saw street performers and cute little cupcake shops.
We ate Paella for lunch. It was DELICIOUS.
After lunch, we took the bus to the real event of the day: The Tower of London.
Officers!
There is a picture of me as a ghost! (Who was actually acting quite silly) But kind of hard to see. Anyways, I walked forever along the tower walls and up and down spiral staircases: clogs were a bad choice. But the ravens were cool.
Alas, too short to be a guard.
But then all was well when me and the roommates had a ham tortellini and spinach ravioli dinner together. Tomorrow: art history class and then an actual INSIDE tour of Buckingham Palace. Whoo!
Windsor Castle & Eton
EnglandI dropped my camera today, and now it does not work. Needless to say, it put a damper on my touring day of Windsor Castle and Eton. But after getting over the shock and panic of it all, I decided that only one thing can be done. So I’m taking it to a Sony Centre at High Street Kensington on Monday after class in hopes of getting it repaired. And if not, replaced. This is so dumb.
But lovely Melissa had an extra camera with her at Windsor (imagine the luck) and I was able to get pictures online!
So today I went to Windsor Castle and Eton, which were both so beautiful. The weather was, shockingly, sunny and bright and pretty much perfect again, just like our boat cruise day. So we arrived at Windsor.
And it was beautiful. (picture off of Melissa’s expensive camera)
We were able to get in early enough to watch the changing of the guard, which was all yelling and stomping of feet and marching and pomp. And furry hats!
I really like their uniforms. This guy didn’t know what to do with his eyes, they were swirling around so fast, I think, trying to avoid eye contact.
So afterwards we toured the castle, which was full of rooms bigger than my house complete with marble statues, portraits, coats of arms, gold-flaked ceilings, and very expensive and extravagant-looking furniture.
We also looked into Queen Mary’s dollhouse, which stood about 5 feet high complete with basements, intricate details, and even miniatures of famous paintings of the family painted by the original artists. I felt like a ten-year-old princess, rich enough to appreciate it but young enough to want to play.
After touring the inside, we stumbled upon one of the courtyards, which looked like it belonged inside a brochure.
Once we pretty much covered everything, Melissa and I wandered off and decided to have a photoshoot along the outside wall!
Then we took the bridge over the Thames to get to Eton which, I think, has been the most beautiful part of the trip so far. Everything was lush and old and quiet.
(I have a LOT more of the campus and the greenery, obviously I can’t fit them all on here. But take my word for it—they are equally as gorgeous)
The term for the boys starts next week so the school is currently closed. But considering the fact that I’ve simply waited 21 years of my life to get there, I thought I deserved something better. So I broke some of the rules.
Sneaking is stressful!
We snuck into the back where we discovered a lot of residences and offices and cottages which led to the backyards where sporting took place. The view on our way to College Park.
And in the park.
Where men were playing cricket!
There and back again.
It was a lot of walking, but a trip well worth it.
Natural History Museum & Portobello Road
EnglandI am happy to report that I have fully recovered from last night! So I went to my EUSA meeting to discuss my interview next week and get specifics. Apparently the commute is kind of lengthy, but when it comes to commuting around one of the greatest cities in the world, I really don’t have much to complain about. So between EUSA and my newsletter meeting today, Melissa and I went to the Natural History Museum! You know, that gorgeous building that can be seen right outside my window. The museum was beautiful, vast, and the best part about it: it was absolutely free. Like most of the museums in London.
Previous Post
London, Nightlife, PubsDay was filled with book buying and class. Not so long after all. Grocery shopping, Hanging out with Antoine, cooking my curry for dinner, then drinking wine with roommates while getting ready for the party. Going to the party, taking pictures, getting drunk off three pints of Beck’s.
A few of the girls at Longacre, where the party started.
With Dave, our Social Programmes manager. He’s double parking!
Then we wandered off to Verve to get our free admission and shot then headed to O’Neills to dance with very British and German boys, one skinny blonde named Chris who twirled me all night. Good times.
Us closing out the place.
After they spit us out onto the street at 3, we walked around Piccadilly and eventually went home on a double decker. It’s four in the morning and I’m just realizing that I drank with my RA’s, screamed with my week-long friends, and danced with boys I couldn’t understand. Walking around dizzy on Piccadilly is the weirdest experience I’ve had to date. I’m sure it won’t be the last. The British are the best.
September 2nd
Geeky Obsessions, LondonToday, it rained. London rain, I’ve learned, is inescapable. It gets into your boots and under your hood and around your wrists. But it is warm rain, and gentle.
Lectures today were from 9:15-4:30. Went to Harrods from 5-7 (which is literally RIGHT down the street from the Sorbonne), where we saw fake snow appear in seconds, siamese kittens from Thailand, a dollhouse that was 4 feet tall, Paddington bears of all sizes, a pool table selling for £1,000,000, authentic gelato, a personal magic act, and sparkling crystal chandeliers inlaid with gold. I didn’t spend a penny. Afterwards, we went to a Comic/more of a magic show at Harrington Gardens where our hosts spoon-fed us wine of all colors and glass sizes, complete with a plate of roast beef and horseradish and berry meringue pie. A good discussion was had involving Harry Potter tours across the UK, a hotel in Edinburgh graced with JKR’s signature, and more. When we arrived back at Sorbonne, we spent the night talking about hometowns, English football, computer labs, BU letdowns, and room comparisons. A shower, some internet, and soon bed. Tomorrow: first day of class. All in all, a full day.
September 1st
Lists, London, ReflectionsA very boring entry, so please bear with. It’s late and not much !!! went on today except sitting and listening. So I apologize for a picture-less entry.
Today a scheduled fire drill woke us up at 9:15 and it was windyyyy outside. The greatest news: still no sign of rain. Pre-class preparatory lectures were given on abroad policies, Britain & Europe and Empire/Britain at the Royal Geographical Society on Exhibition Road from 10am-4:30pm. Afterwards, Zach and Melissa and I went to Sainsbury’s to get some more supplies for the room (like Milk Chocolate Digestives and pink toilet paper!) before heading back. I took a nap during the interval, then at 6:45 the Sorbonne’s Basement & 1st Floor kids went out with our RA Chris to this restaurant called Dim T, where I ordered some steamed white rice and Chicken Katsu Curry for £9.60. It was delicious, and I still have half left over for dinner tomorrow.
After Melissa and I searched and found a post box for her letter, we went back to the room to find our roommate Jennifer sipping some cheap white wine. We both decided to have glasses. Melissa and I had talked about going out for a pint and possibly taking a walk down to Piccadilly Circus or taking the tube to Westminster to see the lights of Parliament but were sidetracked by roommate Kelly’s mom who came to chat. Yadda yadda yadda. We didn’t go out after all, but instead wrote down a list of the things we wanted to cover on our own while on our stay:
– pictures of Parliament at night
– drink a good pint at a historic English pub
– shop at Harrods
– ride on top of a double decker bus
– take a photo inside a red phonebooth
– stand on Platform 9 3/4
– attend a Westminster morning service
– take a picture with a palace guard
– Trafalgar Square
– Portobello Road
– Hampton Court Palace
– St. Paul’s Cathedral
…
But then we got sidetracked when like 10 people streamed in with our other roommates to invite us out clubbing, to which we responsibly said no! Because we have lectures at 9:15 tomorrow morning. Then I iChatted with Mark, took a shower, cleaned the dishes, tidied up the room, and wrote this entry!
Some thoughts:
I have dreamed of coming to London my entire life, and I am finally here. But what is most startling, and what I think about most often, is how really familiar London feels, as if I’d been here years before. Italy felt like some fantasy land, some visually stimulating fairy tale, but London has so far proven to be so much more present, so much more tangible. I really, really thought it would be as magical and as perfect as I dreamed it would be. But it isn’t magical. London, everything about it, holds some comfort I cannot quite place. As if it were providing clarity in a way that no stories or family history could have ever granted. Coming to London has not made me fall any more in love with it because I have been in love with it all along. I am just now able to do what I was meant to do here. I was meant to live.
Lindsey Olander 