A lazy post...

We saw the world's most famous pile of rocks, and some ancient Roman baths. Pretty cool.

For more pictures, see this album.

English Pub (from an American Perspective)

Until Thursday night I had never been to one. But when my boss suggested that we all leave work an hour early for drinks, I wasn't going to say no.

Pubs are where English people socialize. They go with friends and meet new people, everyone buys drinks for everyone, and they stay for hours. We left the office at 4:30 that afternoon, and I didn't get back to my dorm until 10:30 that night. Good times.

I went with my boss and a few people from the office. It was nice to get to know them outside of their jobs. They asked me several times during the course of the night if I was having a good time. I guess they thought I wasn't because I wasn't drinking beer. But I did have a great time, and I enjoyed my Sprite.

The guys from the office introduced me to some of their friends, we watched the Spain-Russia football game together with everyone else in the pub, and celebrated when Spain won.

It was a great insight into everyday British life. I had fun, even though I wasn't drunk. I might even go back sometime, just for the social interaction.

Wimbledon

Yeah, I went there. It’s a kind of Mecca for classy people with lots of money, sharp brand-name blazers and sweater-vests, and a very refined sense of entertainment.

…Well, then there’s me. I have neither money nor a sweater vest. But I do find tennis very entertaining.

My friend was able to get free grounds passes for my roommate and me. Grounds passes allow you access to all courts except two: No.1 Court and Centre Court. Which of course is where the really famous people play. People like Roger Federer and Ana Ivanovic. It’s been my dream to watch one of Federer’s matches on Centre Court, but alas, I can’t afford the £195 tickets. I suppose I’ll just have to be content with having walked on the grounds where he has been.

I did get to watch a very good match, however, between Fernando Verdasco and Olivier Rochus. Verdasco is ranked #22 in the Wimbledon lineup, so he’s quite good. And I feel a sort of connection with him because he’s left-handed (we lefties have to stick together). The match was excellent. Both men played very well, but Verdasco seemed to have more control and use less effort. Rochus made the ever-popular “tennis grunt” every time he hit the ball, while Verdasco remained mostly silent on his shots. In the end Verdasco was the victor: 7-6, 6-7, 6-1, 6-1. Great match.

After the match we ran around the grounds taking pictures and purchasing ridiculously-priced food and souvenirs. Like I said, Wimbledon is a place for people with lots of money. But it was definitely the highlight of my week.

Bus Tour

I'll admit, I wasn't too keen on the idea. Spend my Saturday morning on an open-top, double-decker bus riding around London? That's what old people do. All I need now are my bermuda shorts and straw hat.

We walked outside to get on the bus this morning, and it was raining. Jessi and I decided we didn't care (along with several other members of our group) and headed for the open top deck. We could take better pictures from up there. Or so I thought.

As soon as we started going, I realized it was going to be more difficult than I thought to get the pictures I wanted. Everyone else was trying to get the same pictures I was hoping to get, so their cameras, heads, and arms were constantly in my shots. And the bus just kept moving. We only made one stop, at the Tower of London, where we were allowed to get out and look around for about 15 minutes. But the rest of the time we were just zooming through the streets, and I was frantically trying to snap pictures of all the major landmarks before they were obstructed by trees or street light poles.

We stopped for lunch at a swanky bar and club called Sugar Reef. It was quite good. After lunch we were supposed to continue on the tour, but Jessi and I opted to go back to the Tower of London and tour the inside. 

We went on a great tour of the grounds inside, gawked at the sparkling crown jewels, learned all sorts of fascinating things about the history of the fortress, and were reprimanded by our tour guide because, as he put it, "If you Americans had paid your taxes, this could have been YOUR history, too." Oh well.

I took about 100 pictures today. Not many of them are worth posting. I did my best.

STOMP

Last night was Friday night, and as such, my roommate and I felt a compelling need to plan something fun. So that afternoon when I got off work I ran over to Leicester Square (pronounced LESS-ter...why all the extra letters? Couldn't say. Probably the same reason that Worchestershire has all those extra letters.)

Leicester Square is at the heart of the theatre district. It also happens to be about two minutes' stroll from where I work on St. Martin's Lane. In the middle of Leicester Square there is a ticket booth that sells tickets for many of the theatre shows at half-price. Which is great when you are a poor starving college student working 40 hours a week and not getting paid for any of it. The only catch is that you have to buy them on the day of the show. I wanted to see Stomp, and it was on sale at the half-price ticket booth for, well, half price. So instead of paying £45 per ticket I paid £22.50 (plus a £2.50 service charge, but still...) And that was for seats that were eight rows back from the front on the side with a clear view of the stage. Not bad, if you ask me.

So that night Jessi and I went to see the show. I'll just tell you right now, if you ever get a chance to see it, DO IT! I loved it.

Stomp is a percussion ensemble made up of eight or nine people. They perform several numbers clapping, snapping, and hammering out rhythms on just about anything you can imagine...INCLUDING the kitchen sink. They use everything from trash cans to Altoids boxes to newspapers to water jugs to toilet plungers...and yes, there was a number that four of the members performed with kitchen sinks full of water strung around their necks. Not only are the rhythms and audio ensemble incredible, but the visual aspect is mesmerizing as well. They move around the stage and interact with each other while still keeping the beat and acting natural.

There's also a brilliant comedic element to the show, and it's achieved only through actions and facial expressions. There is no verbal conversation in the whole performance. In fact, aside from the occasional shout or mumbling in gibberish during part of the show, there are no words at all. But each performer has a distinct character, developed entirely through his or her interactions with the others in the group, as well as with the audience. The performers responded to laughter in the audience, and even led us in some call-response numbers. One of the performers would step out in front and clap/snap/stomp, and we would imitate his rhythm, while the other performers drummed out an accompaniment with various...instruments (like 50-gallon plastic drums and large metal buckets.)

I've wanted to see this show for years, and all I'm trying to say is that it was TOTALLY WORTH IT!

Always read the instructions

I bought an iron yesterday. It's travel-size, complete with steam jet and folding handle. Used it for the first time this morning. I melted a hole in my shirt. I turned over the tag on the shirt to find the words "warm iron, no steam"...

Always read the instructions.

First Day on the Job

Today was my first day working at EuroNews. I left the dorm this morning with plenty of time to get to the office. Too much, in fact. Even though the tube station was INSANE this morning and I had to wait for the next train because the first one was jam-packed, I arrived at the office shortly before nine, and I was the first one there. About ten minutes later, Fred (who works there) arrived with the keys. I introduced myself to him and he showed me around the office. He also took me across the street to a little cafe and told me a little bit about the history of EuroNews. We had a great discussion about publicly and privately owned news stations. Publicly-funded news stations are much more prevalent in Europe. There are some noticeable differences in public news. It's more straightforward and neutral, because the stations receive their money from the government rather than from advertising. There's less pressure to "sell" the news, so to speak, so there's less focus on entertainment value. He contrasted EuroNews with Fox news, which is probably about the biggest contrast you could draw. Just reading the headlines on their websites reveals how much hype we Americans put into our news. It's interesting to compare the two.

After Fred and I got back to the office, I met the other interns that I'll be working with. And I got my first responsibility: laminating. Yes, I am an intern, and as such, I do have to complete menial tasks. Menial tasks that take as much as two hours to complete. I'm not complaining, though. I was working together with Jessica, another intern, so we talked and got to know each other. It was good. And, after ruining a few pages in the experimental phases, I now feel very confident in my ability to operate a laminating machine.

My boss was in France today on business, and this afternoon, the other two paid staff members left to join him. Meaning the office was left in the hands of the interns. There are four interns in the office: myself and Tim and Jessica, all from the States, and Charlotte, from France. We all went out to lunch. One thing I love about London: there are so many great places to eat. There are little pubs and cafes on practically every street corner.

When we finished lunch I received a crash course in all my internship responsibilities, courtesy of Tim. And soon after that, I left for the day.


I think I'm going to love working there. The people are great, the work is interesting, and the location is awesome. After work I walked for two minutes down to Trafalgar Square. And yes, I had my camera with me this time. It was amazing. And there was a great view of Big Ben. I also wandered into the National Gallery and lost myself in the incredible collection of artwork. I could spend all day in there. And it's free! Except for the special exhibits; you have to pay to see those. But I can go and see the work of Manet, Seurat, Titian, Goya, Monet, etc. without paying a dime. I love London.

Navigation

I love new places. Especially when I have time to explore. I'm glad I didn't have to start work today, because (a) I'm still getting over jet lag, and (b) I had extra time to roam the city.

Yesterday afternoon my roommate Jessi and I decided to test out the Tube (London's subway system). We rode it a few stops over to Regent's Park and spent much of the afternoon wandering around. It's beautiful. It reminded me of Central Park in Manhattan. Lots of open space and VERY crowded on a Sunday afternoon. I was just excited to see grass again. I'd been in London for less than 24 hours and already I was missing the trees and grass. I think I'll be spending a lot more time in Regent's park.


Instead of taking the Tube back to our dorm, we opted to walk. I'll be honest, crossing the street here scares me. I always have to remind myself which direction the cars are coming from. If it weren't for the instructions painted on the pavement in front of every crosswalk, I probably would have been flattened somewhere along Euston Street by now.

Today I took the Tube to the EuroNews office, just to make sure I know how to get there tomorrow morning. It only took me 20 minutes, and I was about to turn around and just go home. Then I remembered something..."Kellie, you're in LONDON, for heaven's sake!" So I changed my course and headed toward Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace.

The palace was amazing. Green Park was lovely. The shops were great. And then I realized I forgot my camera. Rats.

Jet Lag

I knew it would hit me.

It's 7:30 in the morning here. And I've been awake since 4:30. I tried to get back to sleep for about two hours, but without much success.

I finally gave up trying to sleep around 6:30 and decided to get up and go running. I went about four miles, from my dorm up to Regent's park, around the park and back down. My sister Lauren would be proud of me. It was a beautiful run. The weather was perfect. And because London is less than 100 feet above sea level in most places, I could actually breathe during my run! I'm going to have a hard time going back to 4,000 feet of elevation in Utah in August. I'll probably have to scale my mileage back to about half. That'll be interesting.

Well, time to start the day. Hopefully I can function somewhat normally on five hours of sleep.

Kendra

My sister was kind enough to take a few pictures of herself on my camera before I left. That way I won't forget what she looks like.

I think this picture sums up her personality.

Thanks, Kendra. :)

British Airways

I don’t know exactly what time it is right now. My internal clock is telling me it’s about 8:35 a.m. That means it’s about 3:35 p.m. in the UK. And I’m somewhere in the middle, over the Atlantic Ocean.

I’ve been traveling since midnight. I flew from Salt Lake to New York on Delta, and from New York I hopped on a British Airways flight bound for London Heathrow. Let’s just say I’ve been FAR more impressed with British Airways. Did you know Delta actually charges extra for you to check a second bag now? You used to be able to check two bags for free. I guess we’re seeing the effects of rising gas prices; airlines are trying to save money or get more of it wherever they can.

The flight to New York was decent. I was able to get a little sleep, however fitful it may have been. I’ll take what I can get. Oh, and sleeping in contacts = bad idea. I need to catch up with the times and get myself some of those night and day contacts so my eyes don’t feel like raisins when I wake up.

When I got to New York I had to scramble around a couple terminals and walk for what seemed like an eternity to find the Air Train to take me to where I was supposed to be. It was quite a feat, considering I was dragging 98 pounds of luggage behind me, plus carry-ons. When you’re going somewhere for two months, it’s difficult to pack light. I’m getting better at maneuvering my two large suitcases; hopefully, on the return flight, I’ll be a pro. In the meantime, I’ll just consider it a very taxing workout.

I was able to get checked in just fine (by the way, British Airways does NOT charge extra for the second bag), and even had a couple extra minutes to grab breakfast. It was about 7:45 a.m. EST, and I was starving. I bought myself a banana muffin, a yogurt/granola/strawberry parfait, and some juice. And I ate it all in about 15 minutes.

I boarded the British Airways 747 (which has two floors and a VERY nice first-class section, complete with footrest and room to fully extend your legs and recline your seat…someday, when I’m rich and famous, I will fly in that section.) We took off right on schedule.

Everyone that I’ve listened to on this plane has a British accent. I’m already starting to feel out of place.

The biggest surprise of the flight so far: about an hour into the flight the flight attendants came around with a hot breakfast. What? You mean we actually get real food instead of just peanuts and apple juice (courtesy of Delta…and many other American flights I’ve been on)? This was a full English breakfast spread: hash browns, sausage, ham, eggs, fruit, yogurt, muffin, orange juice, and a little chocolate cookie to wash it all down. Wow. I was really starting to wish I hadn’t eaten such a huge breakfast at the airport. Regardless, I ate most of the food that was in front of me and saved the rest in my seat pocket so I can pull it out later. It’s college student instinct. I can’t help it.

The TV screen in front of me has a little feature that tells me how much time is left in the flight. I’m trying not to look at it too frequently so the time will pass more quickly.

Only four hours and twelve minutes to go…

Nervous

My bags are packed.
My boarding passes are printed.
My numerous government records and forms of identification, complete with unflattering pictures, are assembled.
My new Bob Schieffer book has arrived.
And I have snacks.

Yep, I think I'm set to go. I'm scared out of my mind.

Packing

I hate it. So I'm avoiding it.

I'm leaving for London in three days, and I've only just started packing. But every time I try to sit down and do it, a more attractive option presents itself. And I'm very easily distracted.

Perhaps it would be beneficial for me to explain exactly why I'm going to London. I'm going over there for a two-month internship with EuroNews, a European broadcast station. I'm working in their London office with a program called Comment Visions. Check it out. It's quite interesting. Each month they focus on a different topic and put together a sort of long-format news piece featuring an expert (the "guest speaker" of the month) on that topic. Then they ask a whole bunch of other professionals in the field (opinion leaders) for written comments on the subject. At this point, all I know of my responsibilities is that they will consist mostly of researching and establishing contact with these Opinion Leaders. And a possible trip to Brussels (can't really complain about that one). I'll try to provide a more detailed explanation once I actually start work.

I'd better get back to packing...

Zappos.com

Probably one of the best things to happen to the shoe-shopping world. Seriously. My mom would agree with me.

The other day, I was on Zappos searching for some dress shoes. I did a customized search where I selected type, size, color, and price range of shoes that I was looking for. This is one of the only times I've ever seen women's shoes available in size 10.5. That never happens! I have big feet, but sometimes an 11 is too big and a 10 is too small. I'm not sure who decided that most women's shoes didn't need to be offered in size 10.5, but apparently, when they get that big, who cares, right?

Wrong. I guess I'm one of the five people in the world that could actually benefit from that shoe size.

Fortunately for me, Zappos has the biggest selection of shoes I've ever seen. Even with my highly customized search of size 10.5 black dress shoes with a 1 3/4" to 2 1/2" heel, I had quite a selection to choose from. I found a couple pairs to my liking and placed my order.

Another thing I love about Zappos: free standard ground shipping. That's what I always get.

A few hours later, I received an email from the friendly people in Zappos customer service, notifying me that my shipment has been upgraded to Next-Day Air...absolutely free of charge. It's not every day you can get next-day air shipping for free. Whoa, these people must really love me.

Today I got my two new pairs of shoes. And they're perfect.

It starts...

I feel as though I should start off with some explanation as to why I set up this blog--some qualifying statement that will justify my stepping into the world of bloggers. Something that fellow bloggers will read and think, "Yes, she is one of us."

But alas, I can think of nothing to say. Here I am. This is me. Take it for what it's worth.