24/02/2011
Revamp
I've begun to compile a new library of all sorts of media, thanks to my flash drive and a lot of illegal downloading done by my friends. I'm currently working on cleaning out my itunes library, and replacing all the shit I do not listen to with new music of different genres and styles. Also, because the internet doesn't really work here, I've been renting out movies for free from Harrow's library. To be honest, I never really watched movies before this, or not the way some people do at least. Since getting here I have found a new love for movies which I never had before, and have watched more in the past two months then I probably have in the past two years. Some that I have recently enjoyed: Donnie Darko, The Informant, Blue Valentine and Lost in Translation. Lost in Translation especially made me want to go to Japan. So badly. Maybe that will be my next big trip whenever that may be.
Best Week Ever?
This past Saturday, Jenny and I went to Oxford for the day. It was pretty small, and by the end of the day I feel like we had walked on every street at least once. It was really beautiful and had a lot of character. I like taking my time and exploring little cities in England now. This weekend im going to Stonehenge and Bath, and the next Cambridge. I've been giving some serious thought to the trips around Europe that I want to take, and planning for that is pretty exciting.
So i guess this week is one of Westminster's reading weeks; and damn what a great concept. On Monday I had work but with both of my classes cancelled Tuesday, we decided to go out for Messi Monday. Even if its only popular on Monday nights, I think its so cool that the students here have a bar they can go to to socialize and dance. Plus having Robyn (who works at the bar) as a friend comes hand in hand with a serious perk.
On Tuesday Jenny and I went to Camden Town, which is basically an area just full of markets. It was pretty cool, I bought a sweater, and had a great day there.
On Wednesday we went to the British Museum with my art and society class. It was ok, but I had been there before and was tired so I wasn't entirely into it in the moment. Afterwards though, I met up with good old Charlie Tripp, a friend from back home in Jersey. He is currently interning for a member of Parliament, and gave me a tour of Westmintster Palace, you know, this building:
It was stunning on the inside and out, and I felt very privileged to be given such a great tour. Afterwards we got lunch and caught up a bit. I always think its nice to hang out with people from home, you just have that one common bond no matter how different you may be. He even compared something in London to the Spring Fling, which deffinatly put a smile on my face.
Today I also did not have class and the weather was BEAUTIFUL, so I did some exploring in central. Needless to say this is shaping up to be one of the best weeks here in London to date.
So i guess this week is one of Westminster's reading weeks; and damn what a great concept. On Monday I had work but with both of my classes cancelled Tuesday, we decided to go out for Messi Monday. Even if its only popular on Monday nights, I think its so cool that the students here have a bar they can go to to socialize and dance. Plus having Robyn (who works at the bar) as a friend comes hand in hand with a serious perk.
On Tuesday Jenny and I went to Camden Town, which is basically an area just full of markets. It was pretty cool, I bought a sweater, and had a great day there.
On Wednesday we went to the British Museum with my art and society class. It was ok, but I had been there before and was tired so I wasn't entirely into it in the moment. Afterwards though, I met up with good old Charlie Tripp, a friend from back home in Jersey. He is currently interning for a member of Parliament, and gave me a tour of Westmintster Palace, you know, this building:
It was stunning on the inside and out, and I felt very privileged to be given such a great tour. Afterwards we got lunch and caught up a bit. I always think its nice to hang out with people from home, you just have that one common bond no matter how different you may be. He even compared something in London to the Spring Fling, which deffinatly put a smile on my face.
Today I also did not have class and the weather was BEAUTIFUL, so I did some exploring in central. Needless to say this is shaping up to be one of the best weeks here in London to date.
16/02/2011
13/02/2011
Some Time in Review
So I have not updated this blog in a while, much due to the fact that I don't really have any free time. My time during the week is pretty much split between my internship, school, and commuting back and forth from central London to Harrow and at night I like to hang out with my friends here. I cant remember everything that has happened in the last week and half or so, but I do know my time here in London just always seems to be getting better and better. My internship is really picking up with things for me to do, and i'm enjoying it more and more every time I go in. Classes are good, but easy. The two art classes I am taking here are level 4, and by British standard, are taken freshman year. Half the time the professor stands in front of the class just trying to convince everyone to come in next week. I don't really mind this though, because we get a lot of studio time to experiment with things. Our projects are pretty open to interpretation (which I am not really used to) but I do not really mind. All in all, although I am pretty tired at the end of each day, it doesn't bother me to have to wake up early the next day because I know a new adventure awaits.
On Friday night Brandon was taking pictures of a DJ set in the east end of London so some of us decided to go out there. When we got to the bar there were a handful of DePaul people there. Although they aren't my close friends, I always find it comforting to see recognizable faces that I know. It makes me feel like less of a minority while out here. I was glad to be able to have gone out with some of my British friends as well. To my understanding they do not go out in central that much, which is a shame, because they are so much fun. I've decided my goal is going to be trying to get them to come out more while we are here. After the first bar we went to another one, where I impressed the Brits with my killer dance moves. To quote Robyn, "You dance like a 45 year old."
We needed to take the night bus home because we were out in central until 4am. It wasn't very difficult to do, but I'm glad I was with a group because I fell asleep on the bus back home. When we got back to Harrow, as we were walking to the halls we could hear the birds chirping. When I finally went to be the sun had began to rise. All in all it was one of the best nights here.
On Friday night Brandon was taking pictures of a DJ set in the east end of London so some of us decided to go out there. When we got to the bar there were a handful of DePaul people there. Although they aren't my close friends, I always find it comforting to see recognizable faces that I know. It makes me feel like less of a minority while out here. I was glad to be able to have gone out with some of my British friends as well. To my understanding they do not go out in central that much, which is a shame, because they are so much fun. I've decided my goal is going to be trying to get them to come out more while we are here. After the first bar we went to another one, where I impressed the Brits with my killer dance moves. To quote Robyn, "You dance like a 45 year old."
We needed to take the night bus home because we were out in central until 4am. It wasn't very difficult to do, but I'm glad I was with a group because I fell asleep on the bus back home. When we got back to Harrow, as we were walking to the halls we could hear the birds chirping. When I finally went to be the sun had began to rise. All in all it was one of the best nights here.
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| Basia, Sara, and me standing over the Prime Meridian in Greenwich. Photo Credit: Basia Zubek |
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| Celebrated Chinese New Year with Anya |
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| Regents Park, can't wait for it to get warm here |
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| Crackheads |
31/01/2011
First Weekend In London
So this past weekend was my first weekend staying in London since getting here. This weekend was the 3 week mark, which is SO WEIRD to think about. I can't imagine ever having to leave. Good thing five months still awaits...
On Friday I had work, and my boss was not there which made it pretty much stress free (not like it is stressful to begin with though). We were preparing all of the collections to be shown to the store owners starting this week, so we had a lot to do with just a little time. The people at Parkers keep telling me that I joined them at a really good time, and I am starting to realize why. One of my favorite aspects of work is not the fashion, but the buisness and marketing which is involved. I love observing Dianna and Linda interact with the customers. Business is all about a balance of interpersonal skills, I believe. One needs to know what is best for the company in order to effectively strive to achieve the goal, but it is equally important to adapt the perspective of the client and understand what they want out of an experience or deal. It is an interesting field where you are forced to look and actually understand a situation from multiple angles. Working at Parkers thus far had confirmed my want to own my own business down the line, where I am in charge making the decisions but also sharing the benefits with others.
On Saturday I went to the Portobello Market with Sara and Basia in Notting Hill. There was so much cool shit that I wanted to waste money on. Actually, I don't consider it wasting money because little weird trinkets are important to me and they are what I like. I've decided though to keep a weekly budget of money I can spend. Hopefully by Saturday I will have cash left over, and can go back and buy the finger puppets and porcelain set of eyeball I want.
On Friday I had work, and my boss was not there which made it pretty much stress free (not like it is stressful to begin with though). We were preparing all of the collections to be shown to the store owners starting this week, so we had a lot to do with just a little time. The people at Parkers keep telling me that I joined them at a really good time, and I am starting to realize why. One of my favorite aspects of work is not the fashion, but the buisness and marketing which is involved. I love observing Dianna and Linda interact with the customers. Business is all about a balance of interpersonal skills, I believe. One needs to know what is best for the company in order to effectively strive to achieve the goal, but it is equally important to adapt the perspective of the client and understand what they want out of an experience or deal. It is an interesting field where you are forced to look and actually understand a situation from multiple angles. Working at Parkers thus far had confirmed my want to own my own business down the line, where I am in charge making the decisions but also sharing the benefits with others.
On Saturday I went to the Portobello Market with Sara and Basia in Notting Hill. There was so much cool shit that I wanted to waste money on. Actually, I don't consider it wasting money because little weird trinkets are important to me and they are what I like. I've decided though to keep a weekly budget of money I can spend. Hopefully by Saturday I will have cash left over, and can go back and buy the finger puppets and porcelain set of eyeball I want.
On Sunday I woke up at 1:30pm to a beautiful day so Jenny and I decided to do some exploring in central. We met up with Basia and her roommate Sara and went to the Spittlefield Market, and then for some Indian food. It was so nice when we left Harrow, but as soon as the sun drops it turns freezing out here.
I spent the weekend nights hanging out with my British friends. The more and more we hang out the more and more I grow to love them. Each one has just such a great and strong personality, yet they all mesh together so well. To be honest, they are the ones that make thinking about going home so hard. Got to enjoy it while it lasts.
27/01/2011
528 Steps to the top of St.Paul's
There are a lot of foreign exchange students in Art and Society because it is an immersion class. The students are not only from the United States though. I have found it to be much easier to make friends and talk with foreign people rather then other Americans...which may seem a little backwards. One would think that Americans would be more relate able, but I think European people are just as much. All of us are here going through the same experience as young students living and studying abroad in a foreign country, no matter where our homes may be. It is crazy to think of how many people there are in the world who you do not know, but are probably very similar to you, in both personality and experience. At the MCA in Chicago this fall I took part in an exhibition where I blindly left a piece of advice for a stranger and took a piece for myself. It is written on a business card and goes everywhere with me, and right now could not be truer: Understand and appreciate our differences. We are more alike than you think.
26/01/2011
York Weekend
With classes and my internship starting things have really started to pick up, and i'm finding myself with less and less free time. Friday was my first day at Parkers Fashion Group, where I will be interning for the next 12 weeks. Its a really small company, founded by the woman who owns it Linda and her husband Glynn over 20 years ago. Both Linda and Glynn work there, in addition to two women named Dianna and Beverly. Aside from that there are 3 interns including myself. On an average day though, only 5 of us will be in the office at a given time. Through just a few days working there in addition to my experiences at Lucky Dog back in Chicago, I am realizing that I really love to be in a small work environment. When everyone at Parkers sits in the same room talking and exchanging ideas and stories, I feel welcomed. I feel comfortable and feel like I can be myself. Everyone who works there is so nice and willing to help me out, they feed me with food and useful tips for things to do around London. In fact, tonight I am going out with everyone for pizza. It's obvious that they care about the people who they hire, and as Glynn said, once a Parkers girl, always a Parkers Girl.
This weekend Basia, Sara, and I had a planned trip to York with the University of Westminster. After having a great time in Cardiff last weekend, I was looking forward to leaving the city again. On Saturday we took a bus early in the morning to York, the once capital of England. It was a really quaint town, with cobble stone streets and cute little shops. We got to see York Minster, which was a huge church erected during the medieval times. Churches are my favorite things to visit in the world, so this was very pleasing and exciting to me. There is just so much to look at! On the trip we also went to an old Abby that was basically left in ruins, and also to Haworth, where the Brontë sisters/family lived.
We were pretty far north so it was really cold, and by the middle of the day on Sunday I was really looking forward to coming back to Harrow. Its funny how places which you never thought you could call home can quickly turn into just that. When you are left with pretty much nothing, you learn to familiarize yourself with a certain situation (example: a shitty plastic mattress on a cot which is now my "bed", and with certain people (example: a group of young British folk who belong in the United States with me) and you quickly learn to love it all. I was very happy though, to have spent the weekend with Basia and Sara. I feel as if I don't see them very often (or at least as often as they see each other) and when I do, we don't spend much time together. I don't mind being on the outside, but this weekend it was nice to feel back in.
This weekend Basia, Sara, and I had a planned trip to York with the University of Westminster. After having a great time in Cardiff last weekend, I was looking forward to leaving the city again. On Saturday we took a bus early in the morning to York, the once capital of England. It was a really quaint town, with cobble stone streets and cute little shops. We got to see York Minster, which was a huge church erected during the medieval times. Churches are my favorite things to visit in the world, so this was very pleasing and exciting to me. There is just so much to look at! On the trip we also went to an old Abby that was basically left in ruins, and also to Haworth, where the Brontë sisters/family lived.
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| Lit a candle at York Minster |
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| Lolz |
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| Downtown York |
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| Basia at the hostel |
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| Outside of the Abby |
We were pretty far north so it was really cold, and by the middle of the day on Sunday I was really looking forward to coming back to Harrow. Its funny how places which you never thought you could call home can quickly turn into just that. When you are left with pretty much nothing, you learn to familiarize yourself with a certain situation (example: a shitty plastic mattress on a cot which is now my "bed", and with certain people (example: a group of young British folk who belong in the United States with me) and you quickly learn to love it all. I was very happy though, to have spent the weekend with Basia and Sara. I feel as if I don't see them very often (or at least as often as they see each other) and when I do, we don't spend much time together. I don't mind being on the outside, but this weekend it was nice to feel back in.
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