October 3, 2006 in London, England
My name is Kate. I'm 20 years old, a third year college student at Michigan State University, and this semester I'm studying in London. I'm working on my field experience, which means that all I'm doing is a full time job. I'm living in Kensington, and I'm working in King's Cross at a volunteer organization called Alone in London.
I hope you enjoy how I spent October 3, 2006
Oh, slight warning. Cotton underwear are in these pictures! (Shock! Horror!) But no one is wearing only cotton underwear, so yeah. G rated.
October 3, 2006 -- I just rolled out of bed. It is 8:31 am, and I have to be at work by 10:00 am. My commute takes thirty minutes on a good day, so I have to leave the house by 9:20
My drawer full of cosmetic things, which is in the desk by the random kitchen sink next to our kitchen.
Seven minutes after the first picture, viola! Dressed to impress. (Vacant expression not included. The hazards of using a mirror to take a picture of yourself.)
This is my breakfast. Sainsbury's knock-off wheatabix, and a cup of tea. A couple of notes: see the green circle? That's what Sainsbury uses to tell you if what you're eating is bad for you. It's the only kind of nutrition label I can read. I also should have but the milk in the picture, because it's crazy british too.
This is my tube station! It's obviously being refurbished, atm. I think it's one of the older ones. The Circle, District, and Picadilly lines stop here.
I take the Picadilly to work. I have to wait for all the people to get off the lift before I get on it, and it makes a really annoying beeping noise that is so loud I can usually hear it over my ipod.
This is what it looks like after my wait for the lift and going through the curvy halls. Combined elapsed time? 5 minutes. Time since leaving flat? 12ish. Way down there is a digital board that says how long until the next train.
The next train to Cockfosters (Yeah, you read right.) will take 2 minutes, so I snap this picture of me waiting. No smiling! The British will think you're a bit funny if you smile. I'm wearing a scarf my sister got me for my birthday two years ago, and my suit jacket against the cold. It's about 12C or 50F this morning.
There's work! I really kind of love the building and the sign. It's the kind of building that's on a triangular corner, and is round on one end. I should have gotten a wide shot as well. Elapsed time since leaving the flat? 30 minutes.
These are the stairs. I have to climb up three sets of them to get to my office. I kinda love the pink walls.
I buzz myself into the building, and this is the first sign I see. Apparently there is more office space on the ground floor and in the basement, but no one rents it.
A note taped to my advisor's desk. She's supposed to be back today! But I have to go be inducted at reception.
A hour later, I'm back at my desk. I didn't take any pictures at reception, because they give advice to vulnerable young people I didn't want to "exploit" anyone. This is my cup of tea and my notes on peer mediation. (It's my official second cup of tea that was offered to me!)
An hour later, it's picture time! I'm alone in the office again. Babs, whose desk is under the clock, is in Lewisham, and Monika, whose chair is in front of the door, is out somehwere.
Aneesa's Desk. Still empty! It turns out that she is sick and her plane came in really late. In those binders are lesson plans I cannot use because I know not how to find them. By tomorrow, though, I better have a supervisor!
Third floor kitchen! By the end of the day, that green first aid sign has people's names on it. It really threw me off, because it's been blank the whole month I've been here. See the kettle? That's probably the best invention ever.
My lunch! Yummy rice noodles and veggies with sweet and sour sauce -- made by Laura my lovely veggie flatmate.
While I eat my lunch, I usually sign onto meebo to talk to the night crew in DoC and my boyfriend who is just getting into work back in the States. Sometimes I catch my BFF who wakes up for class. The computer is so old, no webpage renders correctly, so I just deal.
At the end of lunch, I run out to get myself a can of coke. See the little red man? We were told on our orientation that the little green man was our best friend. Usually, I wait, but not at this intersection.
A minute later, I come back the other way. Still ignoring the signal! (It's because I can see the cars coming from far away becuase it's in kind of a yeild lane.) Not going to lie. Sometimes I mix up which way I am supposed to look to cross the street.
...From this angle, Kings Cross looks respectable.
It's 3 o'clock. Usually, since Aneesa's been away, I've been leaving at 3:30. But today, they shut down the entire network. Thus the little X on my computer screen. Home for me!
I stopped to take a picture of where I get back onto the the Tube. It's called the Kings Cross Thameslink, and in the background above the double decker busses you can see THE Kings Cross. (I have pictures of me there at Platform 9 3/4.)
So, I get in the station, and I'm rocking my ipod, and this guy walks up to me and asks me if I'm paying for my eyeglasses. I realize he's selling me insurance, and I reply, "I'm American." We get into a little conversation and he figures out he can't sell me anything and I go on my merry way. Stuff like this makes me think I look like I'm British as long as I don't talk.
BOOOO! BOOOO! HISSSSS!
CKI FOREVER.
I walk by this every day and every day I think about what I'm missing at home in terms of Service, Leadership, Fellowship.
From the main Thameslink platforms, there is a long set of tunnels that lead to the underground platform for the Piccadilly line. This is one of the decorations. And I used to smile as I passed them... but then learned that people who were passing me probably thought I was hitting on them.
Here comes the train!
Home sweet home, Glouster Rd Station. This is the view as I come out of the lift from the Piccadilly line. It's something like 200 steps down to the platform, so I always take the lift. (They have warning signs about heart attacks so that people don't EVER use the steps)
This is me getting out of the Underground. I annoyed the person behind me because they saw I had my camera in the same hand as my Oyster card, taking a picture of myself tapping out. The white card that says "uni" is the key to the flat.
Swipe in successful first try! Woo! (It's only 'cause I had a camera pointed at it. Usually it takes at least two or three tries.)
Me, dancing in our mirrored lift. I live on the 5th floor (6th, really, if you realize that the British say ground floor where we would say 1st floor)
Trying a more serious pose in the elevator...
This is my lovely flatmate Laura. We are heading out to Sainsbury's to buy what we need for dinner. (I forgot the pictures of my flat in here, I'll admit. But I hit the 50 picture mark, so... I'll refrain. You can see more of my flat later.)
We go through 1 pound of cheese a week at least. I don't know why, but we have a lot of grated cheese and it just goes FAST.
The milk is all British! You can buy it in 1, 2, 4 or 6 pint increments. And they wheel it out on carts, instead of it being stocked from behind like in the States. And above it is CREAM. All sorts of cream, like the kind you put on scones. (hmmm... scones)
This is all the Indian in a Jar. Tomorrow night, we will make Tofu Korma.
Tonight we will make Nachos. These are the ONLY tortilla chips in the place, luckily they're only 25p a bag. (About 50 cents.)
Checking out! It cost 9 pounds 90 p for everything. That'll be split amongst the three flatmates.
Dinner's ready! It's my job to cut things -- there are onions and tomatoes all ready for our nachos. On the stove is our can of beans, and in the oven are our chips seasoned with taco seasoning. Also, there is guacamole, which we made ourselves.
Dinner demolished! We don't do the dishes for quite a while.
Flatmate Laura made tea! With Tea, you must have biscuits. Rich Tea biscuits from McVittie's taste kinda like animal crackers. They're good to dunk in your tea.
Now, I am doing laundry. Laundry is pretty much like American Laundry. Only, more fabric softener.
Me and my dirty laundry! I'm kinda naked under my sweatshirt there.
32 minutes until my laundry will be all washed.
I come back 32 minute later, and it tells me that I still have 11 minutes left. Bullocks! Damn metric time. (Joke.)
It's finished! Cotton underwear into the drier!
Clothes folded. Now I have underwear for the next week. Hmmm, warm clothes.
These are the clothes that I don't trust to the drier all hung around the room. They'll stay there overnight. That top bunk is mine.
Me, getting ready for bed. I didn't take a picture in bed because I was the last one asleep -- and I didn't want my flash to wake my flatmates. (One is an insomniac, and I am never sure if she's asleep or not.) I chatted with my friends at np_hogwarts, and we planned a bit of an in game revolution. And then I slept.
The End! Comments, questions, ridicule welcome.
I hope you enjoy how I spent October 3, 2006
Oh, slight warning. Cotton underwear are in these pictures! (Shock! Horror!) But no one is wearing only cotton underwear, so yeah. G rated.
October 3, 2006 -- I just rolled out of bed. It is 8:31 am, and I have to be at work by 10:00 am. My commute takes thirty minutes on a good day, so I have to leave the house by 9:20
My drawer full of cosmetic things, which is in the desk by the random kitchen sink next to our kitchen.
Seven minutes after the first picture, viola! Dressed to impress. (Vacant expression not included. The hazards of using a mirror to take a picture of yourself.)
This is my breakfast. Sainsbury's knock-off wheatabix, and a cup of tea. A couple of notes: see the green circle? That's what Sainsbury uses to tell you if what you're eating is bad for you. It's the only kind of nutrition label I can read. I also should have but the milk in the picture, because it's crazy british too.
This is my tube station! It's obviously being refurbished, atm. I think it's one of the older ones. The Circle, District, and Picadilly lines stop here.
I take the Picadilly to work. I have to wait for all the people to get off the lift before I get on it, and it makes a really annoying beeping noise that is so loud I can usually hear it over my ipod.
This is what it looks like after my wait for the lift and going through the curvy halls. Combined elapsed time? 5 minutes. Time since leaving flat? 12ish. Way down there is a digital board that says how long until the next train.
The next train to Cockfosters (Yeah, you read right.) will take 2 minutes, so I snap this picture of me waiting. No smiling! The British will think you're a bit funny if you smile. I'm wearing a scarf my sister got me for my birthday two years ago, and my suit jacket against the cold. It's about 12C or 50F this morning.
There's work! I really kind of love the building and the sign. It's the kind of building that's on a triangular corner, and is round on one end. I should have gotten a wide shot as well. Elapsed time since leaving the flat? 30 minutes.
These are the stairs. I have to climb up three sets of them to get to my office. I kinda love the pink walls.
I buzz myself into the building, and this is the first sign I see. Apparently there is more office space on the ground floor and in the basement, but no one rents it.
A note taped to my advisor's desk. She's supposed to be back today! But I have to go be inducted at reception.
A hour later, I'm back at my desk. I didn't take any pictures at reception, because they give advice to vulnerable young people I didn't want to "exploit" anyone. This is my cup of tea and my notes on peer mediation. (It's my official second cup of tea that was offered to me!)
An hour later, it's picture time! I'm alone in the office again. Babs, whose desk is under the clock, is in Lewisham, and Monika, whose chair is in front of the door, is out somehwere.
Aneesa's Desk. Still empty! It turns out that she is sick and her plane came in really late. In those binders are lesson plans I cannot use because I know not how to find them. By tomorrow, though, I better have a supervisor!
Third floor kitchen! By the end of the day, that green first aid sign has people's names on it. It really threw me off, because it's been blank the whole month I've been here. See the kettle? That's probably the best invention ever.
My lunch! Yummy rice noodles and veggies with sweet and sour sauce -- made by Laura my lovely veggie flatmate.
While I eat my lunch, I usually sign onto meebo to talk to the night crew in DoC and my boyfriend who is just getting into work back in the States. Sometimes I catch my BFF who wakes up for class. The computer is so old, no webpage renders correctly, so I just deal.
At the end of lunch, I run out to get myself a can of coke. See the little red man? We were told on our orientation that the little green man was our best friend. Usually, I wait, but not at this intersection.
A minute later, I come back the other way. Still ignoring the signal! (It's because I can see the cars coming from far away becuase it's in kind of a yeild lane.) Not going to lie. Sometimes I mix up which way I am supposed to look to cross the street.
...From this angle, Kings Cross looks respectable.
It's 3 o'clock. Usually, since Aneesa's been away, I've been leaving at 3:30. But today, they shut down the entire network. Thus the little X on my computer screen. Home for me!
I stopped to take a picture of where I get back onto the the Tube. It's called the Kings Cross Thameslink, and in the background above the double decker busses you can see THE Kings Cross. (I have pictures of me there at Platform 9 3/4.)
So, I get in the station, and I'm rocking my ipod, and this guy walks up to me and asks me if I'm paying for my eyeglasses. I realize he's selling me insurance, and I reply, "I'm American." We get into a little conversation and he figures out he can't sell me anything and I go on my merry way. Stuff like this makes me think I look like I'm British as long as I don't talk.
BOOOO! BOOOO! HISSSSS!
CKI FOREVER.
I walk by this every day and every day I think about what I'm missing at home in terms of Service, Leadership, Fellowship.
From the main Thameslink platforms, there is a long set of tunnels that lead to the underground platform for the Piccadilly line. This is one of the decorations. And I used to smile as I passed them... but then learned that people who were passing me probably thought I was hitting on them.
Here comes the train!
Home sweet home, Glouster Rd Station. This is the view as I come out of the lift from the Piccadilly line. It's something like 200 steps down to the platform, so I always take the lift. (They have warning signs about heart attacks so that people don't EVER use the steps)
This is me getting out of the Underground. I annoyed the person behind me because they saw I had my camera in the same hand as my Oyster card, taking a picture of myself tapping out. The white card that says "uni" is the key to the flat.
Swipe in successful first try! Woo! (It's only 'cause I had a camera pointed at it. Usually it takes at least two or three tries.)
Me, dancing in our mirrored lift. I live on the 5th floor (6th, really, if you realize that the British say ground floor where we would say 1st floor)
Trying a more serious pose in the elevator...
This is my lovely flatmate Laura. We are heading out to Sainsbury's to buy what we need for dinner. (I forgot the pictures of my flat in here, I'll admit. But I hit the 50 picture mark, so... I'll refrain. You can see more of my flat later.)
We go through 1 pound of cheese a week at least. I don't know why, but we have a lot of grated cheese and it just goes FAST.
The milk is all British! You can buy it in 1, 2, 4 or 6 pint increments. And they wheel it out on carts, instead of it being stocked from behind like in the States. And above it is CREAM. All sorts of cream, like the kind you put on scones. (hmmm... scones)
This is all the Indian in a Jar. Tomorrow night, we will make Tofu Korma.
Tonight we will make Nachos. These are the ONLY tortilla chips in the place, luckily they're only 25p a bag. (About 50 cents.)
Checking out! It cost 9 pounds 90 p for everything. That'll be split amongst the three flatmates.
Dinner's ready! It's my job to cut things -- there are onions and tomatoes all ready for our nachos. On the stove is our can of beans, and in the oven are our chips seasoned with taco seasoning. Also, there is guacamole, which we made ourselves.
Dinner demolished! We don't do the dishes for quite a while.
Flatmate Laura made tea! With Tea, you must have biscuits. Rich Tea biscuits from McVittie's taste kinda like animal crackers. They're good to dunk in your tea.
Now, I am doing laundry. Laundry is pretty much like American Laundry. Only, more fabric softener.
Me and my dirty laundry! I'm kinda naked under my sweatshirt there.
32 minutes until my laundry will be all washed.
I come back 32 minute later, and it tells me that I still have 11 minutes left. Bullocks! Damn metric time. (Joke.)
It's finished! Cotton underwear into the drier!
Clothes folded. Now I have underwear for the next week. Hmmm, warm clothes.
These are the clothes that I don't trust to the drier all hung around the room. They'll stay there overnight. That top bunk is mine.
Me, getting ready for bed. I didn't take a picture in bed because I was the last one asleep -- and I didn't want my flash to wake my flatmates. (One is an insomniac, and I am never sure if she's asleep or not.) I chatted with my friends at np_hogwarts, and we planned a bit of an in game revolution. And then I slept.
The End! Comments, questions, ridicule welcome.