Well, since my first official class in London was today, I decided it would be appropriate to finally start my blog. I would like to start off by saying:
At the end of class today my professor told everyone in my class that our assignment for next week was to go out and drink 6 pints of beer. He also told us what drugs not to take if we go to Amsterdam.
I can probably assure you that not all English professors will be this cool but so far it looks like I've lucked out.
So far I have spent two weeks in London, which is a week longer than anyone else in my program. I do recommend coming early and getting started on all of the sights and places you really want to go to. I will advise, however, to be careful where you stay. Youth hostels are inexpensive and are usually placed in locations that allow you to get to the rest of the city very easily. However, they are cheap and you have to keep that in mind at all times. You get what you pay for.
London itself is amazing. If you love cities, this is the place for you. It's larger than Chicago and I may even argue that it's larger than New York. There are so many different places to see and to go to.
Don't get too carried away with being legal and always look out for the things you put in your pockets. My phone got stolen on New Year's Eve.
Go out to eat in London at least a few times, even if a meal plan is provided for you. The food here is fantastic, especially the Indian food. And you must try the fish and chips. When you're finished, DON'T ask for the bill. English people don't understand that. When you want to pay, you ask for the check. This is a very good thing to know unless you want to sit in a restaurant for a really long time with nothing to do. And you have to ask for it, don't assume they will bring it to you. It's the English way to eat slow and have good conversation. The waiters and waitresses don't want to make you feel rushed.
The tube lines are very easy to figure out. The Metropolitan is the worst because that is the line where all of the older trains run. The bus routes are harder to figure out and it takes practice considering after about 5:00pm it switches to a night bus schedule. It's ok once you get the hang of it.Learn military time when you come to London. It will be very useful.
Visiting Oxford Street and Camden Market is a must. These two places are where all of the main shopping is and their fun as hell to go to.
And lastly for this post, everything in London is VERY expensive!!! If you want to do extra things and travel and buy things and go out at night save a LOT of money!!!!!!
