Budapest and more

Thursday Sandy and I left for Budapest, Hungary to stay with her couch surfing bud Julie. It was rainy and chilly as we headed to Luton airport, a rather small but friendly airport. We arrived in the early evening to a rather nice airport. The trip from the airport to Julie’s place was beautiful as we crossed the Danube from Pest into Buda. Buda is the hillier, richer part of the city while Pest is more flat and has working class. The city was once separated into two parts but the joined the two together to better defend themselves from invaders. Julie’s place was cute and quaint with lots of books, old and modern. Some in English while others in Hungarian.

The next morning we got up around 8am to get ready. Our first full day in Budapest was rainy and chilly as we walked around looking at all the beautiful buildings and walked through a market. We saw people getting ready for their National holiday at St. Paul’s Basilica, a huge cathedral with a beautiful outside. We ate at the nicest McDonald’s in Europe, supposedly which was overpriced and ok food. We picked up some Hungarian wine and beer before we left for home. We spent the night watching VH1 that played actual music videos the entire time!

Our first day was fun exploring the Danube and around Parliament. Our second day was even better though because the weather was beautiful and we got to see the Buda side. We climbed all the windy hills to see the little town up top, climb around the palace area that reminded me of a fairy tale. So beautiful as we looked at the wonderful views from up top…we eventually walked around to their museum that looked like a Palace with beautiful statues and architecture. Walking through the museum area, we came along a long walkway with lots of turns and stairs. There was a stations of the cross going on as we walked the path that seemed fitting for the area we walked through! Eventually we got back down to terra firma and got some Irish coffee for St. Patty’s Day. Then watched the crowds walk over the bridge from Pest into Buda from atop the stairs before we ascended all the way to the very top. We climbed to the top of Buda eventually to watch the sunset over the city which was really beautiful. After freezing up top, we went down to get some dinner in Pest. Too tired to go out, we ate our Hungarian meal (mmm, goulash!) and went back home. Julie laughed at our pictures and told us some stories about some of the sites.

Sunday was our more relaxing day as we made our way to the baths and the park. We took the bus to the Rudas bath in Buda which is one of the oldest renovated Turkish thermal baths heated from the earth. Very cool, felt like we were in a different time with how medieval the stone walls and iron rungs looked. There was a beautiful ceiling with stain glass on it that allowed light to shine into the center room temperature bath. Thankfully everyone wore bathing suits! Lots of older people were there as the baths are said to sometimes have healing powers with the minerals in them. We took a quick rest in the side room to dry off since we forgot to bring towels and none were provided..oops!

Once we dried off, we took the subway back to the end of Pest and caught the bus home. Tired again, we got up early the next day to do the Gellert baths and see the rock church before we had to leave. The Gellert was nice but not my favorite. Beautiful baths though and got to see the world famous swimming pool! The rock church was right next door so we peeked in to look at the church literally built out of rock. Beautiful and still in use for services we were able to look inside but not take many pictures in respect to its patrons. Budapest is a very romantic city with a lot of history that still reflects itself today. The detailed buildings and statues portray what once was along with some of the buildings that have not been completely fixed since the war. Its people are still looking for something to change in the government and are very active in pursuing it. We were told to stay in Buda for the greater part of the day on Saturday because of possible protests getting out of hand.

On Monday, we returned to London in a great mood and ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s day (again). Leceister Square was our destination for pubs so we got decked out in proper attire. The work week was pretty stable with our regular meetings and me working on the Save the Children analysis. I got more work to do with the Annual Report that I’m still working on although summarizing the important events and earnings of the year is rather tedious after awhile. Easter was this weekend so I got Monday off too as well as Friday. Dave and I tried to go to Kew Gardens on Friday but it was too expensive to go in and it was almost closed. The town area was cute but luckily we left right before the hail storm! It was nasty and cold once we got off the tube and got some food from the Turkish store. Saturday the weather was crazy again with random hail storms and sunshine which left us cold and damp after a few hours in Portobella market in Notting Hill. The market was nice though but the weather was just gross and we were chilled to the bone! We went out later that night though to go dancing and got up Sunday for Easter mass. The priest was funny and the service good. Cold and dreary, we stayed in except to go see “Juno” at the theatres which was very funny. I talked to my mother on the phone and Erin on the internet. It was nice to hear from family! Monday was a slow day as well with our first snow of the year. However it went away later so we headed out to Holland Park to see Dave and play on the playground, which was fantastic. They had a little bit of rock climbing and slides, so we just took advantage of the nice day and went on anything that looked like it could support us..haha. That was how we spent our bank holiday in London.

-Lauren

Spontaneous Adventure

Hey Everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic Spring Break, I am sure it was much needed. I am ready for a break myself in fact, which is why I am so excited that I leave on Thursday for France. My family had an exchange student over Easter three years ago and now I will be going to stay with her over Easter! Who would have guessed! I am so glad that I will have a native to show me around. She has already planned out a train trip to Bordeaux and the seaside, in addition to our exploration of Paris. It will be a welcome change of pace from the working life here in London.

I love it and how much the organization is allowing me to be involved in. I can see already how this experience will shape my future and has influenced my own dreams and ideas about what I want to pursue. In this phase of my abroad experience most of the settling in stuff is over and I find it leaves me with extra energy to really soak up the culture and live like a local. Relationships at work are well established and present chances to meet up with coworkers outside the work place.

Last weekend Emily and I just hopped down to Kings Cross, picked up a travel book in the bookstore and literally just picked a random town and bought a return ticket for it right there and went on a spontaneous adventure. We wanted to travel, but quite frankly planning a trip, even a small one, can be overwhelming and exhausting, so we took our chances. It was very successful! We ended up going to Peterborough and visiting a stunning cathedral with strong historical ties. It holds the burial place of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife.

Another exciting event from the recent weeks has been the outing to the Theatre! Last Wednesday night the girls all dressed up and went to see Les Miserables. It was a fantastic show! I just couldn’t get over the voice of Eponine, her performance was breathtaking! But truly all the actors and actresses were captivating. We finished the spectacular event with dinner and dessert in a nice Italian restaurant. It was a night I will never forget!

Until next time,
Sarah

Week 4: Settling In & Travels

So my time in London has been a month so far and while our stay seems to be going very fast, at the same time the day we arrived feels like several months before. Growing accustomed to various cultural differences here was a lot smoother than I thought it would be such as little television, drinking more tea than coffee, public transportation, and looking at the other side of the road for traffic. There are obvious several more cultural differences here but those are just a few that really stick out in my mind. London is a very busy city with so many different little shops and markets and there always seems to be something to do. It is hard to describe but the city seems more crammed together than I originally thought. This can be good when trying to get to places but at the same time irritating when you are used to having more open space around you.

Besides cultural differences, I have also been getting used to working at a children’s charity called The Children’s Society as part of their marketing team. I was a little worried at first but my supervisor has done a really good job of getting me integrated into the team. The girls who sit near me are quite lovely although I’ll be moving desks next week since the woman whose desk I was at the past month or so was on her honeymoon and returns next week. The office is nice and open so everyone gets to chat with each other and makes it easier to get to meet other people. Today my supervisor was in York on business so I was on my own for the most part. My co-workers have been very good about helping me out when I do not understand something such as “summarize this brief” or “is that with VAT or without?” Yesterday I trained with some other co-workers on how to use our webpage system since I will be working

with the New Media team who mainly works with the website for the charity. I feel a thousand times more comfortable with my co-workers than I did the first week or so. I’ve gotten used to all the sweets that go with tea and some of the bizarre or different kinds of biscuits they serve at our weekly meetings. Right now we are planning the next team night out (marketing team bonding experience) and this will either be wine tasting or dog racing (I’d prefer the wine tasting).

I will be going to visit Oxford this weekend but last weekend we were up in Edinburgh, Scotland. The area was so beautiful and our trip to the Highlands was amazing. Despite our crazy bus driver who gave half the bus motion sickness while driving around the curvy roads at top speed, we got to see Loch Ness (no Nessie sightings) and several other beautiful spots. The people were very friendly and the haggis was alright. Rather mushy meatloaf with a side of potatoes and turnips. Lots of plaid, bagpipes, and kilts! The Scottish are very proud people and take a lot of pride in their history and loyalty to their country. Even in our Highlands tour our guide told us all kinds of stories from hundreds of years ago that people still remember today and will not put past them (i.e., the treachery of the Campbell clan selling them out to the English and therefore anyone with the surname of Campbell is not allowed to stay in that area overnight). We also saw Hamish, the saved highland cow, or ‘hairy coo’ in Scottish. He was very friendly but I’m thinking it was a cheap ploy to get people to feed him. Watching the sunset in the highlands was even more beautiful as our day ended on the bus…lots of time on the bus listening to either Scottish music or our guide giving us the history of the land area. We saw where Mary Queen of Scots was held for several years by Elizabeth I, where Rob Roy lived and fought, and where William Wallace fought as well. We also saw some wonderful paintings at the National Gallery the day we left as well as watched some bagpipers play for the public. Altogether a lovely trip and I would love to return one day!

Until next time,

Lauren

Week 3: Sunshine in London

So this is our fourth week in London! It is hard to believe that so much time has gone by. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were trying to fight off jet lag and stay awake until 8 PM, the ideal time to recover from jet lag. And I’m sure you’ve heard, but that is hard to do, especially when your body is saying that you haven’t slept for over 24 hours, but it’s still sunny outside. Which brings me to my next point: London is not nearly as foggy or rainy as everyone makes it out to be. We have had two days of rain in the almost 28 days we have been in London. Not only that, but it has been downright warm, much warmer than in the States. (That’s how you can tell we are becoming immersed in British culture…America is now “the States”). I’ve also learned a few things about London culture:

1. Mind the gap. I swear, there really is a huge space between the train and the platform. If you’re not careful, you may lose a shoe.
2. Pants=underwear
3. Dodgy=sketchy
4. The One and Only=British American Idol, but as an impersonation of an already famous star. It is a competition to see who the best impersonator is, and the winner gets to headline a show in Las Vegas. I’m rooting for Cher (If I Could Turn Back Time)

This past weekend was definitely a key part of the trip. On Saturday, all of the girls (Sandy, Lauren, Sarah, and me, as well as my friend, Julie) went to St. James’ Park. It is a beautiful park right outside of Buckingham Palace. We saw some awesome swans, and even made a swan dance based off of what we were lucky enough to observe. The day was gorgeous, probably about 60˚ F and so sunny. (Again, not typical London weather) We saw Buckingham Palace, the flag was raised and the guards had machine guns. That means that the Queen was there when we were! I like to think I saw a glimpse of her in the window, but I don’t really think I did. It was great to be able to be outdoors and see some of the sights of London. On Friday, Julie and I went to the National Portrait Gallery. It turned out to be a pretty sweet place. Not only are there portraits of famous British figures, but a history is given from the Elizabethan period up until Queen Elizabeth II. The facts explaining British history were absolutely fascinating, like the fact that women were involved in the progress of the arts in early British history. But, I digress. Back to Saturday. After the park, we came back and made dinner. We of course watched One and Only, but we have discovered that in order to see which act gets kicked off for the week, Casualty must be watched. Now, the first week we saw this, we thought maybe it was a British version of Scrubs. We had no idea the show was called Casualty and that clearly people would die. We have now learned that Casualty is not a funny, or really fun, show, but simply a chance to chat in between the exciting show. Julie really enjoyed it…

As for the internships, everyone seems to be having a little bit different experiences. It is definitely exciting to be truly immersed into the British culture through the internships. I think that is something everyone can agree on. It is hard to not get excited about the internship when you get to experience such a cool thing four days a week. Only working four days a week, as I’m sure you’ve all figured out by now, leaves the weekends free for travel. Really, the only two who have traveled on the weekends so far have been Ted and Danielle. It seems like the weekend trips are starting this week, so that will be a whole new level of experience. We’ll have to keep that on watch.

That seems to be all for now. Feel free to look at the pictures, in a mini-photo diary of what has happened in London since last week.

Cheers!
Emily

Week 2

I love my internship with Reprieve! I worked 31 hours this first week of 4 days, and while I am trying to build them up in the first few so I can be more relaxed later, they were pretty effortless since I enjoy my office so much. Went out for a pint after work with my colleagues today, and there's a pancake day get-together on tuesday (I think I may have helped to inspire it since I was asking about the holiday and talking about Mardi Gras) which I'm going to make it to after class. Everyone is so nice and the office is very laid back which suits me perfectly as it's the kind of work environment I'm used to from my jobs back home. Lots of tea (and coffee) drinking to be sure, and I've made many cups at this point, but everyone else does too, not just the intern. And aside from the obvious aspects, i.e. that I'll be leaving in a few months so I work off the volunteer login for the donor database and such, I really don't feel much like an intern. The stuff they're involving me in is the nitty gritty, and I'm really excited about my work! The people that work there are very passionate about their cause, and there's a lot of love and camaraderie between them..and I'm falling in beautifully, I've already gotten a couple of hugs! Truly great group of people, I'm more convinced than ever that my career should be in international human rights, though I'm still working out my feelings about capital punishment. This has never been an issue that compelled me deeply; I am a product of the deep south. So that part is a little complicated. The Guantanamo and secret prison stuff on the other hand compels me greatly. And I think this internship could be a stepping stone to my dream of a job with Amnesty International. 

The living situation is still going great, despite the obvious difficulties of 5 girls and one bathroom. Everyone is mature and easygoing so no issues, though I might be pulling my hair out come march as I'm used to living alone in a spacious apt in New Orleans. We have our weekly cleaning at 9:30 am on fridays though, which irks me as I'm not a morning person and it's one of my few days to sleep in and be lazy. To be ambushed by a gaggle of loud cleaning people every week doesn't seem fair, the apartments should be rotated as to who they go to first. The boys don't get them until after noon, a much more reasonable time slot. 

Our classes in London are very interesting. I'd been stressing a bit on the portfolio thing, but our instructor gave us an example of one last night that got a high B, and I feel like I'll be able to create one that's even better as long as I put in some time and effort.

As for London itself, I really like it, though I'm not that blown away in all honesty. It's cool, very cosmopolitan. I like the diversity, the tube, and the accents. The weather of course leaves a bit to be desired, though it's been really nice since we've here. Bought a great mini umbrella the first day we were here, and have only used it once. Camden market was interesting, very punk but like it was trying to be that way for the tourists. Didn't see anything there that I haven't seen at home, except maybe for cart overflowing with donuts. Some pretty great clothes, though it was crazy crowded and being with the group I didn't have time to shop the way I like to, so I might go back later in the trip when I feel like I can spend money. We went to Bourough Market this weekend which was basically the polar opposite of Camden. Much more mature, more food and flowers than anything else. Got some nibblets for the week ahead..Last night we went looking for Karaoke at a bar around the block, but there was a private party going on. When I asked the bouncer when they'd have it again he told me to wait a minute and disappeared inside. When he came back out he told  us to come in, so basically we ended up crashing a birthday party, with the blessings of the birthday girl who was celebrating her 30th. Talk about some authentic British culture! Everybody was pissed and singing and dancing, great fun! Today I tried to go grocery shopping at Sainsburys and was annoyed to find out that it closes at 5 on Sundays, but there's a 24 hour Turkish market downstairs that has everything I need, and a much bigger selection of popcorn in kernel form than the big store. Very important to me, stove popped pop corn is my absolute favorite food, total comfort. Think I'll just do most of my shopping there. Close and convenient, and I think they're even cheaper! For some stuff anyway. 

So all in all great first couple of weeks, I'm sure there's much more to come!

-Sandy

Week 1: Hello Mates!

I hope you are all enjoying being back surrounded by your friends at college and gearing up for another semester of your own. My semester certainly has brought on many adventures already, more than usual perhaps since I am spending it here in London as a part of the TWC – London internship program. I am originally from Lebanon, Pennsylvania and am a junior at ‘The Vern’ (i.e. Alvernia College) in Reading, PA. Though it’s easy to think London embodies a very western culture and is not very different from the US, (except for their funny accents, of course) I am continually and pleasantly surprised about life here on the other side of the pond. At every turn, at every sound, at every sight, I am learning something entirely new about this foreign country and about myself or of course, my travel mates. There is never a dull moment. So, as I and my fellow roommates take time to discover both the brilliant and ordinary aspects of this curious culture, we’ll share with you through stories, pictures, letting you in on all the surprises and fun. We do hope that you’ll check back often to see where the pavement (sidewalk) or tube (metro) takes us along the way.

Already, the stories are mounting (No, really it doesn’t take long!). On Wednesday, around noon I had my interview with the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, CBCD, which is my internship site. I knew my interview was going to be given by a tri-lingual post-doctorate research fellow who completed her Ph.D in Cognitive Sciences from the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris and is a native Romanian. So, yes I was slightly nervous. However, getting to my interview proved far more time consuming and stressful. Thank goodness I remembered the words of my mother to always plan for error! I left 2 hours before my interview which was three, yes, three stops away from my flat and arrived with 1 minute to spare. *phew! Looking back I can laugh, but while stumbling around Russell Square, an area reminding me of Penn State’s main campus squeezed on about a 1/8 of the land, I was not humored. Therefore, I quickly realized one stark contrast between the US and London is space. The whole city is just continually bustling. However, when you feel frazzled and frantic, all you must do is retreat to the kitchen, make a cup of tea and enjoy a biscuit, or two. Your worries will melt like away with the warmth of your tea and you will once again be ready to conquer the curiously close, and at times confounding yet, captivating and copacetic city of London!

So, this is a picture of my internship site, at least from the outside. It is a wonderful facility built only a few years ago and filled with cutting edge research technology. In just two days I have had the opportunity to help with two research projects, one about language acquisition and attention and the other about emotional processing in infants, attend two seminars, one about using imagination to understand the neural basis of episodic memory and the other on audiovisual processing in infants as well as learn how to code information from an infant eye tracking video which was recorded during an experiment. This coded information allows the researcher to then analyze and utilize the date. Needless to say, I am thoroughly enjoying being in such a stimulating environment, learning powerful information and working with experts in the field of developmental cognitive psychology everyday! It’s truly like living my dream. Well, cheers everyone, and check back soon for more travel adventures . . . I hear Paris calling, pouvez-vous?

-Sarah