Week two

Well I have had some fun this week since classes have yet to start.

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here - 65 degrees and sunny all week. I'm told this is unusual and will not last. So to make the most of it, I ventured to Greenwich Park in London to see some historic sights. I took a bus like the one above - as I do most places in town. There are no tubes or undergrounds close to wear I live. So I am getting very good and navigating the bus system. The plus is they are cheaper (half the price) downside is sometimes it takes a longer. Most places take 1/2 to a full hour to get there.


Greenwich Park. Very large park. This is the first place I have seen dogs since I arrived.



Greenwich park has the Prime Meridian Line running through it.
The clock on the lower part of the picture counted down to the year 2000, and now it counts up to show the amount of time that has passed since Jan 1 2000.


There are several historical parts of Greenwich. I also saw the Flamsteed house. John Flamsteed was an English Astronomer during the 17th and 18 centuries and did his work for the Royal Observatory. His works were used by Sir Isaac Newton. John Harrison also worked for the Royal Observatory and solved the problem of navigating Longitude at sea with the chronometer. This was important for navigation and his discovery lead to the British being able to navigate around the world. He also invented several revolutionary clocks during his attempts to solve this problem.




In this picture the closest is of the Queen's House and the Royal Palace of Placentia
Spiral staircase in the Queen's House. Pictures were not allowed in the rest of the building because it is now an art gallery with historic paintings. I happened to show up at the time of a tour. I did not know until I started the tour it was about the "spiritual presence" given by a certified paranormal medium. It was an interesting talk. There have been reports of everything from a midget to a large ghost horse in the house.


The following picture is looking back at Greenwich park on the hill in the background. This place has quite a bit of history. It has been home to King Henry VI, VII, and VIII. Also Henry's first two wives and Queen Elizabeth I (Daughter of Anne Boelyn Henry VIII's first wife to be beheaded). Also James I, Charles I, and Charles II.

Week one exploration

The first few days International Student Orientation took most of my time. I was able to escape one afternoon and find some interesting things along the south bank of the Thames River

This little girl is testing her umbrella to the max. I can't believe she isn't freezing cold!


While shooting pictures of this littler girl, I heard shouts from many teenage girls. It was that high pitch squeaky scream they do. What was even more odd was the fact that they screamed and stopped for several minutes, then screamed again and this repeated several times. I happened to stumble upon Disney's Camp Rock 'Red Carpet'. They were shooting tv snip its. So the girls were screaming when the camera was pointing at them, then resting when it was off.



I left and walked down the south bank a ways, then on my way back to orientation, I stopped by Camp Rock and was able to snap a shot of the Jonas Brothers and some girl who I couldn't make out. The guy wearing the vest on the carpet is on of the trio. I wish I had binoculars.


On my walk down the South Bank I was able to take some more interesting pictures of the street performers:


Lil Wayne's Carribean brother


A lizard man on a bike and Mickey Mouse sharing the same street! Did I go to Disney Land or London?


The London Eye. Supposedly one of the best views of London.


The Royal Festival Hall and the London Eye. Camp Rock was going on at this time.

Westminster Abbey and the Westminster Bridge across the Thames


I had an unexpected Guest-

It's Wei!! My friend from Kansas City who is on a trip around the world! And I thought I packed light! He happened to be passing through London for the weekend. It was nice to see a familiar face and have a buddy to do "touristy" things with.









My First Weekend was the annual Mayor's Thames River Festival. I met up with my friend Victoria for another walk along the south bank. I'm getting to know this area very well!


There were THOUSANDS of people all up across the entire south bank.



People on beaching it in London - apparently this is a rare occurrence.

Sand Dragon in the making



Tate Museum of Art The Exihibitions are generally free to see. This is art painted on the outside of the building for the current Exhibit.

Arrival

The Flat




I share my flat (townhouse) with four amazing girls that attend King's College as well. Claire, Helly, Sarah, and Sue. It is a two and a half bath furnished five bedroom place in Peckham borough of London. I am about 30 minutes from my university. There are no underground or rail stops close. Bus is the best way for me to get around from here. I'm actually quite good at navigating around because of it. I haven't felt lost once since I got here (thanks to my pocket map of London).




My Living room, kitchen and backyard all in one shot! It is as small as it looks. There are two rooms on the lower level and three upstairs. I only venture upstairs to use the shower.

My bedroom is the perfect size for me. Actually it is more spacious than the room I had in undergrad! It came furnished with bed, dresser, wardrobe, and desk. My only complaint is dresser space. I need for room for clothes (always a struggle). I also have a personal patio area right off my room through the double door pictured. It is closed off due to the add-on which is the living room. My little patio is perfect for sun tanning - if only it was sunny here!