UK Update
I have a bit while we arrive in Edinburg, so I'll get through as much as I can before then. And there will be LJ cuts to save your friends lists, as I have a lot to talk about.
The first few days were really rough for me. They ran us ragged, trying to get us adjusted to the time change. However, this resulted in a lot of crabbiness and exhaustion that led to people being fairly selfish and rude,which drove me up the wall. I cannot deal with people like that for more than a few minutes at a time, so after four days I was about to kill. Luckily, I'd met a few people that kept me sane, and eventually getting enough rest helped even out my homesickness. Also, I now have a UK pay as yougo phone, which is like a security blanket, just in case of emergencies (this is includes missing people terribly).
I was really disillusioned with London proper. Before we came over, we were warned of the European response to Americans, how to behave, and so forth. So, I was prepared to be superpolite, speak quietly, and be open to European ways. Yea... looks like Londoners honestly couldn't give a shit. The majority of them, no matter how fricken nice you are,couldn't give a care in the world. Reminds me very much of New York, a city that I do not like in the slightest, and it put me in a fairly bad moodat first. Then, I just gave in and pushed and shoved on the buss and tube (metro/subway/underground) just like they did. They don't seem to notice. Yet we still have problems with people. One of the greatest complaints we were warned about is that Americans are so closed minded - well, the Brits have their share of the same group of people. Even the guy who packs the lunches for groups traveling during mealtimes "couldn't give a shite about" us (direct quote), when all we neededtoknow was how many lunchesthey had prepared so we could make sure no one would go hungry.
On the other hand, I have met some pretty interesting peopl. When I went to buy all the Harry Potter books in paperback (British editions! So excited), the teller and I had a long conversation about the American south and bluegrass music. He is in love with the idea of the community, the sharing of talent and ideas that goes back and forth, and the culture that goes along with it. It was fun, telling him about Belmont and that I knew several people aspiring to make it in the Bluegrass world, and he pelted me with questions about their personalities, how it all works, etc etc. That may be one of my favorite things that has happened so far.
Monday classes started (I love them both... but especially Harry Potter. I can't help it, I have been fangirling like crazy all week). For each class, we take one field tripperweek, somein London and some in other places around England. On Tuesday, our music business class went to Liverpool to have a day filled with Beatles history. We went to Mathew Street, where the Beatles played at the Cavern Club until they made it huge and started touring. We also went on the Magical Mystery Tour, a coach ride around Liverpool that brought us to places like Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, the band members' childhood schools, home,and haunts. Then, optionally, we went to the Beatles Story, a museum exhibit where you can walk around with one of those audio headsets and see everything from the Quarrymen to what the Beatles are doing now. It was impressive, and incredibly well put together.
Also in our class, we had a man named Mark Hagan come in to speak withh us. Several reasons Mark is awesome.
1. He wore a black tie with skulls on it. This is a professional business man, so you know.
2. He organizes the majority of music stuff, from radio to television and so forth, for the BBC.
The concept behindthe BBC is very different from what we have in the US, and I like it a lot more. The BBC is a puclicly funded organization, and as such they try to mix what we would consider traditional entertainment with things that will better the audience. More cultural things, insteadof just trash shows and the regular nigh time line up. They also have a unique concept for radio. In the US, most of our stations cater to a specific audience, whereas BBC1, the most popular radio stationin the country, plays everything. Frank Sinatra, Martina McBride, Coldplay, U2, etc. Genius, I say.
The public transportation here is INCREDIBLE. In Nashville, I can't get anywhere without a car. It's ridiculous. But here, with efficient buss, tube, and national train lines, we can get anywhere within a few hours. Liverpool was two hours away. Gloucester was two hours away. Edinburg is four hours. It does cost a bit to travel, but the savings on gas (which is really high here, no one gets to complain about high gas prices in the US compared to what they pay in London) iswell worth it. Overall, it really seems like lifeis much more convenient.And the greatest part? It's all clean. The subways (walks underneath the street) have no trash in the corners. The busses and tube don't smell of human waste (though some do smell of B.O., but then again, there is a very different ideaof hygeine over here). And the national trains have FREE wifi. Yes, FREE. This is just incredible.
I don't think I have a ton of time left, but I'll try to broach all the Harry Potter stuff I can. Being in London is a dream come true, in and of itself. But being able to visit all the places I have envisioned since I was ten years old, reading the books and hoping desperately for my Hogwart's Letter, almost makes me cry. Yesterday, I walked down the hallway that leads to the Gryffindor common rooms in the movies. I stood where Moaning Myrtle flooded the hallway outside of the girls loo. I have been to King's Cross, and am right now headed to Edinburg, where I will sit in the Elephant Cafe, the place where J.K. Rowling used to go to write. I am on a train through Scotland, where Hogwarts is supposedly located, seeing the sights I would have seen if I was a student aboard the Hogwart's Express. It is beautiful here, and even the sheep seem if they have been pulled straight out of a storybook. And, if I keep my window open at night, I can hear the owls.
Despite my doubts, Ialos really loved the movie. Just in case a few people read this who have not yet seen it,I won't give anything away. ButI will be getting the soundtrack as soon as I can, but I refuse to buy it here.Stuff is just too expensive. I cried at the end, and probably would have cried more if I wasn't around a bunch of people I didn't know. But somehow, between the movie and my class, I have my inspiration to write back. I have barely been sleeping te pastfew nights because I can't make myself stop. It's wwonderful, to feel imaginative and creative again.
I think we're getting close, so I'll have to finish later. Maybe from the Elephant Cafe. ^_^
The first few days were really rough for me. They ran us ragged, trying to get us adjusted to the time change. However, this resulted in a lot of crabbiness and exhaustion that led to people being fairly selfish and rude,which drove me up the wall. I cannot deal with people like that for more than a few minutes at a time, so after four days I was about to kill. Luckily, I'd met a few people that kept me sane, and eventually getting enough rest helped even out my homesickness. Also, I now have a UK pay as yougo phone, which is like a security blanket, just in case of emergencies (this is includes missing people terribly).
I was really disillusioned with London proper. Before we came over, we were warned of the European response to Americans, how to behave, and so forth. So, I was prepared to be superpolite, speak quietly, and be open to European ways. Yea... looks like Londoners honestly couldn't give a shit. The majority of them, no matter how fricken nice you are,couldn't give a care in the world. Reminds me very much of New York, a city that I do not like in the slightest, and it put me in a fairly bad moodat first. Then, I just gave in and pushed and shoved on the buss and tube (metro/subway/underground) just like they did. They don't seem to notice. Yet we still have problems with people. One of the greatest complaints we were warned about is that Americans are so closed minded - well, the Brits have their share of the same group of people. Even the guy who packs the lunches for groups traveling during mealtimes "couldn't give a shite about" us (direct quote), when all we neededtoknow was how many lunchesthey had prepared so we could make sure no one would go hungry.
On the other hand, I have met some pretty interesting peopl. When I went to buy all the Harry Potter books in paperback (British editions! So excited), the teller and I had a long conversation about the American south and bluegrass music. He is in love with the idea of the community, the sharing of talent and ideas that goes back and forth, and the culture that goes along with it. It was fun, telling him about Belmont and that I knew several people aspiring to make it in the Bluegrass world, and he pelted me with questions about their personalities, how it all works, etc etc. That may be one of my favorite things that has happened so far.
Monday classes started (I love them both... but especially Harry Potter. I can't help it, I have been fangirling like crazy all week). For each class, we take one field tripperweek, somein London and some in other places around England. On Tuesday, our music business class went to Liverpool to have a day filled with Beatles history. We went to Mathew Street, where the Beatles played at the Cavern Club until they made it huge and started touring. We also went on the Magical Mystery Tour, a coach ride around Liverpool that brought us to places like Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, the band members' childhood schools, home,and haunts. Then, optionally, we went to the Beatles Story, a museum exhibit where you can walk around with one of those audio headsets and see everything from the Quarrymen to what the Beatles are doing now. It was impressive, and incredibly well put together.
Also in our class, we had a man named Mark Hagan come in to speak withh us. Several reasons Mark is awesome.
1. He wore a black tie with skulls on it. This is a professional business man, so you know.
2. He organizes the majority of music stuff, from radio to television and so forth, for the BBC.
The concept behindthe BBC is very different from what we have in the US, and I like it a lot more. The BBC is a puclicly funded organization, and as such they try to mix what we would consider traditional entertainment with things that will better the audience. More cultural things, insteadof just trash shows and the regular nigh time line up. They also have a unique concept for radio. In the US, most of our stations cater to a specific audience, whereas BBC1, the most popular radio stationin the country, plays everything. Frank Sinatra, Martina McBride, Coldplay, U2, etc. Genius, I say.
The public transportation here is INCREDIBLE. In Nashville, I can't get anywhere without a car. It's ridiculous. But here, with efficient buss, tube, and national train lines, we can get anywhere within a few hours. Liverpool was two hours away. Gloucester was two hours away. Edinburg is four hours. It does cost a bit to travel, but the savings on gas (which is really high here, no one gets to complain about high gas prices in the US compared to what they pay in London) iswell worth it. Overall, it really seems like lifeis much more convenient.And the greatest part? It's all clean. The subways (walks underneath the street) have no trash in the corners. The busses and tube don't smell of human waste (though some do smell of B.O., but then again, there is a very different ideaof hygeine over here). And the national trains have FREE wifi. Yes, FREE. This is just incredible.
I don't think I have a ton of time left, but I'll try to broach all the Harry Potter stuff I can. Being in London is a dream come true, in and of itself. But being able to visit all the places I have envisioned since I was ten years old, reading the books and hoping desperately for my Hogwart's Letter, almost makes me cry. Yesterday, I walked down the hallway that leads to the Gryffindor common rooms in the movies. I stood where Moaning Myrtle flooded the hallway outside of the girls loo. I have been to King's Cross, and am right now headed to Edinburg, where I will sit in the Elephant Cafe, the place where J.K. Rowling used to go to write. I am on a train through Scotland, where Hogwarts is supposedly located, seeing the sights I would have seen if I was a student aboard the Hogwart's Express. It is beautiful here, and even the sheep seem if they have been pulled straight out of a storybook. And, if I keep my window open at night, I can hear the owls.
Despite my doubts, Ialos really loved the movie. Just in case a few people read this who have not yet seen it,I won't give anything away. ButI will be getting the soundtrack as soon as I can, but I refuse to buy it here.Stuff is just too expensive. I cried at the end, and probably would have cried more if I wasn't around a bunch of people I didn't know. But somehow, between the movie and my class, I have my inspiration to write back. I have barely been sleeping te pastfew nights because I can't make myself stop. It's wwonderful, to feel imaginative and creative again.
I think we're getting close, so I'll have to finish later. Maybe from the Elephant Cafe. ^_^