Ok... so a few things have happened since I posted last.
- Sickness
- Bath and Stonehenge
- another slew of interesting outings with friends
I was really sick, annoyingly sick from allergies, or atleast that was the conclusion that was reached. I woke up one day not feeling so well, but went to work anyways because I don't get to work that much and want to miss nothing. Well by 11 I was feeling really dizzy and just plain rotten and by 1 or 2 they had decided to send me home. No one else at work wanted to get sick haha
The only sad thing about the situation, other than the grueling sickness, is that it seems so easy for the company to process without the interns. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm simply a temporary person and therefore not that invested in the inner-workings of the company. This makes me much less important. BUT, it would be nice to feel important instead of just "oh go home, we can go on without you, no problem"
Oh well! That was on Weds. Thursday wasn't any better to be honest, but life goes on I guess. By Thursday night things had cleared up a lot with some medicinal help and I was able to go out with my friends. To be honest, I don't remember much about Thursday night. It was eventful but not at the same time if that makes sense. We went to a place called Tiger Tiger, which was fun. I encountered a strange man... who was apparently an oragami master. Well he started talking to me and then folded a napkin into a rose. This could've been charming, but he didn't smile at all the entire time. Just folded the flower and gave it to me. I said thank you and took it and took a picture with him, which he also didn't smile for. Then, the strangeness continued. He asked me if I wanted him to sign the flower. There was no indication that I wanted him to considering after the pictures I just turned my back and started to walk away. Apparently he won an award in 2008 for oragami, according to his agent who was standing right next to him.
Note to all men in bars. If you make an oragami flower for a girl, don't ask if she wants you to sign it. Buy her a drink or ask her to dance... that's the flow of things! And the only way a girl wants you to sign it is if she asks. Walking away doesn't mean, talk more I think you're famous!!
Then we went to O'Neils where I ran into... wait for it.... hot australian!! His name is actually Jarrad, but I have nicknames for everyone I've met here, it's just easier that way. It was very random but it was so much fun! He danced with my entire group of friends and then his friends joined us. It was like a giant dance party, and what was better was he didn't try to grind with everyone. It was like, old school moves. The Lawnmower. Sprinkler. Running Man.
That's right. We're cool.
Friday I had a business class, snore. And then I went to the The Museum of London. Oh. My. God. Best museum ever! It was so cool. There were interactive parts of the museum and special exhibits and modern art and such. I took a survey to see what job I would get in the 50's and it said stock broker. So I "applied". They rejected me! Fake job application rejected me because I am a girl. Mean.
After the museum I went to lunch with hot australian. Had the best food! The only awkward thing is that we were sitting right in front of a screen playing the World Cup, so everyone else that was there was staring at the screen and therefore us the entire time. Once the conversation got going it wasn't a big deal though.
After that we went to Regent's Park, which was fun, but let me tell you, there are some very heavy PDA people in parks. One woman was practically mounting her boyfriend, i hope that's what he was.... interesting life Londontown leads.
You might not hear much about hot australian though. He is going to Spain for the running of the bulls and is going to get "kabobed" or so he says.
Saturday was the best. We went to Bath and Stonehenge, both amazing but one was only amazing for 10 minutes!
Bath is beautiful. Not the actual Roman Bathes, which are cool in their own right but not completely preserved that well. To be honest, I couldn't really tell what was what in the Roman Bathes except for the main bath and the hot spring. The rest was in pieces and completely crumbled, which I guess is how history should be.
The city itself was great. They had gorgeous buildings and cute little restaurants and shopping, really good shopping. Not that I went shopping and I probably won't go back but still. If you go to London or England or whatever, GO TO BATH!
Stonehenge was fun too but only because Brooke was there. Brooke is another friend I met who goes to KU. We basically walked around the rocks... oh I'm sorry, Mystical Magical Rocks.... and took pictures at every angle. Then we got bored and took pictures of our shadows as hippies and then us as hippies and then an actual hippie. There was also a Stonehenge Biker Gang and a rope around the entire rocks that we snuck over. That's right, we're bad. The bus ride was probably the worst just because it was so long. But I watch the Breakfast Club so it wasn't so bad.
Saturday night I went out too but that might need it's own post. Such interesting people you meet.
Sunday I went to Hyde Park and heard PAUL MCCARTNEY play. It was so amazing. It was... Legen..... wait for it.... Dary. I don't know why but I felt the need to pay homage to Barney from How I Met Your Mother. Anyways, we just say outside the main gates, because it was £220 to get in and that wasn't gonna happen. We through a football around and had a little picnic, it was really relaxing.
Ok, even though this is kind of out of nowhere, time to end the post... I gotta go back to work :(
Have a good day people!
Meredith
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Just Thoughts
Hey all!
I'm actually at work right now, but everyone is on a conference call so they told me to take a break and answer the phones if they ring. They are not ringing.
These past few days have been mighty painful... I have hay fever apparently. It's giving me head, nose and throat problems but I'm apparently not sick enough to call in to work. So I must slug through the day, almost useless. People at work are sympathetic though, so it's not so bad. And I have had some pretty good work samples during my time here so that's really good, and I still have a month and a 1/2 left! So i'm assuming that means I'll get many more samples.
I think I have gotten over the shine that is London. Don't get me wrong, I am still completely enjoying my time here and I know it's like no place I have ever been (well except I've been here before, but if you talked to my parents I wasn't really here :)). I think it's just that I have seen most of the tourist sights in the city and now I am simply living, which I think is even better than being on vacation. I know how the tube works and what to expect with weather. I'm used to the accents and the cultural differences. It's like everyday life. I think that's makes it more of an experience.
I know I'm not completely on my own, what with my parents financial backing (which I am feeling largely guilty for and trying uber hard to not take advantage of, which is difficult in london!), but it feels like I'm truly experiencing life after college. What's even better, I'm succeeding! I'm challenged but not so much so that I'm struggling and getting overly frustrated. It is proving my theory about my life correct, although I don't do horribly at school, I will thrive more in the real world where intelligence needs to mold with street smarts to have success, which I think I can do well.
This is not as fun as my other blog posts, but I think it was a good revelation for me. I came here partly because I needed to get away from many aspects of my life at school, and now I know it was perfect timing. I am sincerely happy with where I'm going with my life. That's the best thing about coming here, discovering that.
Ok, breaks over. Cheers!
Meredith
I'm actually at work right now, but everyone is on a conference call so they told me to take a break and answer the phones if they ring. They are not ringing.
These past few days have been mighty painful... I have hay fever apparently. It's giving me head, nose and throat problems but I'm apparently not sick enough to call in to work. So I must slug through the day, almost useless. People at work are sympathetic though, so it's not so bad. And I have had some pretty good work samples during my time here so that's really good, and I still have a month and a 1/2 left! So i'm assuming that means I'll get many more samples.
I think I have gotten over the shine that is London. Don't get me wrong, I am still completely enjoying my time here and I know it's like no place I have ever been (well except I've been here before, but if you talked to my parents I wasn't really here :)). I think it's just that I have seen most of the tourist sights in the city and now I am simply living, which I think is even better than being on vacation. I know how the tube works and what to expect with weather. I'm used to the accents and the cultural differences. It's like everyday life. I think that's makes it more of an experience.
I know I'm not completely on my own, what with my parents financial backing (which I am feeling largely guilty for and trying uber hard to not take advantage of, which is difficult in london!), but it feels like I'm truly experiencing life after college. What's even better, I'm succeeding! I'm challenged but not so much so that I'm struggling and getting overly frustrated. It is proving my theory about my life correct, although I don't do horribly at school, I will thrive more in the real world where intelligence needs to mold with street smarts to have success, which I think I can do well.
This is not as fun as my other blog posts, but I think it was a good revelation for me. I came here partly because I needed to get away from many aspects of my life at school, and now I know it was perfect timing. I am sincerely happy with where I'm going with my life. That's the best thing about coming here, discovering that.
Ok, breaks over. Cheers!
Meredith
Friday, June 18, 2010
Ok people, CALM YOURSELVES!! Some people spend time living instead of reading blogs all day JEEZ!!
soooo anyways what am I supposed to be talking about? I don't even know what I told you guys and what I haven't but I'll just start with after the world cup night.
I have just been working. A LOT OF WORKING! I enjoy it so much. It's one of the best jobs. All I do is handle aspects of many celebrity lives. I go through magazines, talk about doing something you love, and look for their pictures or mention of their names and scan it into the computer. Then after I've read all the magazines and scanned everything, I take on the slightly more involved jobs that the publicists give to me. I've booked cars, flights and taken phone calls from the occasional celebrity *COUGH* Cat Deeley and Bill Nighy*COUGH*.
Right now I'm working on these endorsement and event projects. They aren't seriously complicated but they take up a lot of time!!
I basically go through our archives for online and print press clippings of specific events or endorsements deals and make them into a book. The one I just finished, two days later, was about a deal Cat, yes just Cat :), has with a London jewelry line called Links of London. I had to organize and format about 60 or more pages of pictures and press mentionings of her wearing the jewelry or mentions of the deal. I think it could've been better, but it was my first one and Anna, the woman I was doing it for, said it looked "Brilliant" so I'm happy.
Right now I'm working on a Louis Vuitton store opening. It's a much smaller book but it's harder to find the clippings because all the archives are organized by name of celebrity instead of event. So instead of checking out one person, I have to go through all the files and pick out the pictures of each client that attended. I think this one will be much better on this one just because I have practiced. Wow almost spelled pratice with an "s".... that's a sign of fatigue I think.
Ok. Here goes the one moment of complaining. It's much more legit than butter, don't worry. There is this receptionist at public eye, and in general, she is a sweet and fun girl who helps out everyone, but when it comes to the mail, I'm sorry "the post", she drives me crazy!!! It's like the post is her one time to truly hold her small bit of power and use it. Because I am the only one that is ranked lower than her in the food chain at work she works that power. 4:45. Everyday. She calls me, even if I'm doing two or three other jobs and acts like me not getting the post out will end the world.
"Meredith can you get the post down by 5? It really needs to go down," she says as she watches youtube videos of our clients and eats her lunch. "Yeah, let me finish this one thing and then I will."
"It really needs to go downstairs now. The Postman comes at 5 and that's in 10 minutes"
Ok, I understand some of the mail is for celebrities or their events. But COME ON. It's the freakin mail. If it's so important, stop having your tea and crumpits and go yourself!
Ok. Done.
So I promised I would tell you about the bars. I truly don't drink that much even though I'm not officially of age haha I'm still to paranoid. Now that's not to say I don't accept a free drink, cause you bet your ass I do!!!
Let me tell you! I don't know if it's the American thing, because they LOVE LOVE LOVE our accents and the way we draw out our r's, or if I'm just that confident, but I get some serious free drinks! When I watched the World Cup, I got three from one group of guys. They weren't cute and I whipped out my fake boyfriend to get them to go away, but they still bought me drinks.
It's not my fault that they didn't care about the boyfriend thing. It's their perogative haha Sorry mom and dad. I haven't given my phone number out to anyone so I feel like I'm following the rules. If they refuse to accept no number exchange, I take theirs and then never call. Kind of brutal but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do to get people to go away sometimes.
I also met a cute Australian bartender named Jared. Think we're gonna go back to his bar too because there are darts and he would give me drinks half price haha. I like being foreign. There are so many perks!
Ok. Now for the REALLY exciting night. Last night, Thursday night, we went out to watch the Lakers game at 2 in the morning, i know it's late but it was so worth it! So we get to the Sports Cafe, like the only place that plays American Espn games, and it's a 5 pound cover. We decided that none of us were big enough Celtics or Lakers fans to worry about it and we started to leave.
ALL OF THE SUDDEN! The paparazzi pop up and we're wondering who it's for. They walk up and are like Gossip Girl star! But the car drove away.. it was weird. But I saw another car and inside that car, I saw a specifc head of curly hair. That's right! I recognize Matthew Morrison, aka Mr. Schuester, by his hair! So he gets out and just casually walks into the bar with some chick, don't worry she didn't seem that important, and a bodyguard.
That was all we needed to decide to go in. So he is already upstairs in a glass walled bar area and gone. So we are standing ont he stairs and just hanging out and watching the game and all of the sudden AGAIN, Chace Crawford walks into the bar. His bodyguards are walking ahead of him and parting the crowd like the red sea, priceless. He looked a little worse of the wear though, maybe it's all the pot haha
That's one thing I don't understand. How do you get arrested for pot and then one week later end up out of the country??? Maybe they didn't charge him. Who knows.
And on that thought provoking question statement, I'm off to take a nap before watching the other English World Cup game. Good night one and all
:)
soooo anyways what am I supposed to be talking about? I don't even know what I told you guys and what I haven't but I'll just start with after the world cup night.
I have just been working. A LOT OF WORKING! I enjoy it so much. It's one of the best jobs. All I do is handle aspects of many celebrity lives. I go through magazines, talk about doing something you love, and look for their pictures or mention of their names and scan it into the computer. Then after I've read all the magazines and scanned everything, I take on the slightly more involved jobs that the publicists give to me. I've booked cars, flights and taken phone calls from the occasional celebrity *COUGH* Cat Deeley and Bill Nighy*COUGH*.
Right now I'm working on these endorsement and event projects. They aren't seriously complicated but they take up a lot of time!!
I basically go through our archives for online and print press clippings of specific events or endorsements deals and make them into a book. The one I just finished, two days later, was about a deal Cat, yes just Cat :), has with a London jewelry line called Links of London. I had to organize and format about 60 or more pages of pictures and press mentionings of her wearing the jewelry or mentions of the deal. I think it could've been better, but it was my first one and Anna, the woman I was doing it for, said it looked "Brilliant" so I'm happy.
Right now I'm working on a Louis Vuitton store opening. It's a much smaller book but it's harder to find the clippings because all the archives are organized by name of celebrity instead of event. So instead of checking out one person, I have to go through all the files and pick out the pictures of each client that attended. I think this one will be much better on this one just because I have practiced. Wow almost spelled pratice with an "s".... that's a sign of fatigue I think.
Ok. Here goes the one moment of complaining. It's much more legit than butter, don't worry. There is this receptionist at public eye, and in general, she is a sweet and fun girl who helps out everyone, but when it comes to the mail, I'm sorry "the post", she drives me crazy!!! It's like the post is her one time to truly hold her small bit of power and use it. Because I am the only one that is ranked lower than her in the food chain at work she works that power. 4:45. Everyday. She calls me, even if I'm doing two or three other jobs and acts like me not getting the post out will end the world.
"Meredith can you get the post down by 5? It really needs to go down," she says as she watches youtube videos of our clients and eats her lunch. "Yeah, let me finish this one thing and then I will."
"It really needs to go downstairs now. The Postman comes at 5 and that's in 10 minutes"
Ok, I understand some of the mail is for celebrities or their events. But COME ON. It's the freakin mail. If it's so important, stop having your tea and crumpits and go yourself!
Ok. Done.
So I promised I would tell you about the bars. I truly don't drink that much even though I'm not officially of age haha I'm still to paranoid. Now that's not to say I don't accept a free drink, cause you bet your ass I do!!!
Let me tell you! I don't know if it's the American thing, because they LOVE LOVE LOVE our accents and the way we draw out our r's, or if I'm just that confident, but I get some serious free drinks! When I watched the World Cup, I got three from one group of guys. They weren't cute and I whipped out my fake boyfriend to get them to go away, but they still bought me drinks.
It's not my fault that they didn't care about the boyfriend thing. It's their perogative haha Sorry mom and dad. I haven't given my phone number out to anyone so I feel like I'm following the rules. If they refuse to accept no number exchange, I take theirs and then never call. Kind of brutal but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do to get people to go away sometimes.
I also met a cute Australian bartender named Jared. Think we're gonna go back to his bar too because there are darts and he would give me drinks half price haha. I like being foreign. There are so many perks!
Ok. Now for the REALLY exciting night. Last night, Thursday night, we went out to watch the Lakers game at 2 in the morning, i know it's late but it was so worth it! So we get to the Sports Cafe, like the only place that plays American Espn games, and it's a 5 pound cover. We decided that none of us were big enough Celtics or Lakers fans to worry about it and we started to leave.
ALL OF THE SUDDEN! The paparazzi pop up and we're wondering who it's for. They walk up and are like Gossip Girl star! But the car drove away.. it was weird. But I saw another car and inside that car, I saw a specifc head of curly hair. That's right! I recognize Matthew Morrison, aka Mr. Schuester, by his hair! So he gets out and just casually walks into the bar with some chick, don't worry she didn't seem that important, and a bodyguard.
That was all we needed to decide to go in. So he is already upstairs in a glass walled bar area and gone. So we are standing ont he stairs and just hanging out and watching the game and all of the sudden AGAIN, Chace Crawford walks into the bar. His bodyguards are walking ahead of him and parting the crowd like the red sea, priceless. He looked a little worse of the wear though, maybe it's all the pot haha
That's one thing I don't understand. How do you get arrested for pot and then one week later end up out of the country??? Maybe they didn't charge him. Who knows.
And on that thought provoking question statement, I'm off to take a nap before watching the other English World Cup game. Good night one and all
:)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Best Week of My Life
This is been the most amazing week, and not just because I'm in London (but that is the majority of the reason :) ). I think I have experienced more incredible things in this week than the past year, maybe two, combined! I love it here. I would happily be able to live here. There's always something to do, someone to meet and places to discover.
Last time I wrote on this thing I had had a tour of select parts of the city. Well since then I have explored the depths of some other areas of the city. On Wednesday I had my interview. It couldn't have gone better!!! It really wasn't an interview to be honest, more like a show around and introduce you to everyone meeting. There are only two concerns that I have with they job, and they aren't necessarily about the job themself but about how it will fulfill requirements. For the job I need to gain experience through writing and presenting my work in 5 or 6 samples to my advisor and teacher rep for the class. As far as I'm informed, this job will be more about observing and doing minimal work within the company. More like scanning and errands than writing. I will inform them that I need to write, but I'm worried that I won't be able to provide enough samples. I don't want to have this experience and do well at it and not get the credit I deserve!
Although that would happen to me, if anyone...
The errands seem, not daunting, but time consuming. It's Devil Wears Prada Type stuff. There will be 2 other interns, english interns, that will help with the workload though, so hopefull that will help. But with the writing samples I think it might hurt me. They have been taught the proper UK way of writing things and therefore, might get the opportunities more than I will. I think I can make myself seem more appealing in that aspect though. I hope!
Other than that, I'm excited!!! I hope I meet someone famous.
After the interview, I met up with Michael and Brittany and we walked to Hyde Park as part of an academic scavenger hunt. We had to find certain monuments or locations and write small papers about them. We decided on the Peter Pan statue in Hyde Park and black telephone booths and then a bridge I had already taken a picture of. Hyde Park was BEAUTIFUL!!!! It was like Central Park but bigger and better. And possibly with more birds. There was an INSANE amount of birds in this place. At one point we had to walk through a mob of birds and I thought I was going to get attacked by a goose.
Now, people laugh when I think that's going to happen, but let me tell you, it HAS happened before. There was a park behind a movie theatre and there were insane swans that semi-lived back there. One time my family decided to visit that place and someone, possibly me or my brother, provoked these things into a psychotic frenzy and they just chased people down! So don't laugh when I saw swans and geese will attack!!!
Anyways, the Peter Pan statue was amazing. I love peter pan, I even tried to fly like him once. That ended badly. And there was this little boy wandering around the statue, he just fit in so well to the story of Peter it was kind of magical to see.
On Friday, I had my first business class seminar at the French Institute. It was typical of any business class. Interesting in some parts and boring in most. Luckily, the speaker knew the information he would be sharing was going to be lost if he didn't keep us awake and had little tricks to help, so it wasn't that bad. After the 2 hour class we had to go to a cultural event, in this case the National Portrait Gallery.
Don't get me wrong, the art and portraits in that place are incredibly done and probably very important. But with the exception of a few older paintings and the contemporary art, I was bored out of my mind there. All the older tudor style and revolutionary paintings looked EXACTLY the same. Old men and women, with their families posing in weird positions, with white hair and not smiling. The only good moment that came out of seeing those paintings was when my other friends Ashley, one of the sweetest and most good-natured and pure person EVER, said "I wish I lived back then, when it was seen as posh to be white and fat!"
Classic.
The portraits of Diana and her sons were so sweet. It was a moving reminder of that history.
On Saturday, I attended the Queen's birthday parade and watched the World Cup. The Queen's birthday parades was actually kind of cool! I thought I would be bored out of my mind, but the people watching was very interesting. So many different tourists from all over the world. Although, some of them were incredibly rude, but that just made it a little more interesting to see people's reactions to them. We were only three people back in the crowd so we got great views of everything! I say we, because I was there with some other friends in the EUSA program. Lea, so cool and very social (and she played polo, which I find awesome), Brooke, so sweet! she is so genuine too, Sarah, she is like my kindred spirit in the way that we both have energy and no need to please anyone and Marjorie, she's a little quiet but when she says something, it's something you like to hear. Anyways, the parade was slightly repetitive but always fun to watch just because I like the guards so much!
If it wasn't illegal for me to try and jump over the fences and make them laugh while on horseback I totally would have. But, alas, it is. Basically the parade was guards marching, band guards marching, guards on horseback, guards on horseback with instruments and playing and then PRINCE WILLIAM (so pretty and charming and pretty looking) and Camilla. Then MORE guards (SHOCKER) and then the Queen!!
I. Saw. The. Queen.
She didn't look happy to be there though. I think it's cause she didn't know I was there. I should've made myself more visible. hmmm. I'll work on that.
That was fun, but that night was much more fun. The World Cup. I am not a soccer fan, and really don't expect to ever be a soccer fan, but the culture that comes with soccer here is mind blowing. These people are truly insane. But it's so fun to see. And it took us FOREVER to find a pub that was showing the Cup and let us in without reservations, but we did and it was so fun. I got three free drinks!!! Even though we tied them, which made me think I'd get attacked haha
After the World Cup we went out to more bars. I'll write blog on the bars later, I'm sure I'll have plenty to say!! This one has been too long for my taste though. Plus, I got my first day in the real world tomorrow. Wouldn't want to be too tired for that!
Have a good night London and world!
Meredith
Last time I wrote on this thing I had had a tour of select parts of the city. Well since then I have explored the depths of some other areas of the city. On Wednesday I had my interview. It couldn't have gone better!!! It really wasn't an interview to be honest, more like a show around and introduce you to everyone meeting. There are only two concerns that I have with they job, and they aren't necessarily about the job themself but about how it will fulfill requirements. For the job I need to gain experience through writing and presenting my work in 5 or 6 samples to my advisor and teacher rep for the class. As far as I'm informed, this job will be more about observing and doing minimal work within the company. More like scanning and errands than writing. I will inform them that I need to write, but I'm worried that I won't be able to provide enough samples. I don't want to have this experience and do well at it and not get the credit I deserve!
Although that would happen to me, if anyone...
The errands seem, not daunting, but time consuming. It's Devil Wears Prada Type stuff. There will be 2 other interns, english interns, that will help with the workload though, so hopefull that will help. But with the writing samples I think it might hurt me. They have been taught the proper UK way of writing things and therefore, might get the opportunities more than I will. I think I can make myself seem more appealing in that aspect though. I hope!
Other than that, I'm excited!!! I hope I meet someone famous.
After the interview, I met up with Michael and Brittany and we walked to Hyde Park as part of an academic scavenger hunt. We had to find certain monuments or locations and write small papers about them. We decided on the Peter Pan statue in Hyde Park and black telephone booths and then a bridge I had already taken a picture of. Hyde Park was BEAUTIFUL!!!! It was like Central Park but bigger and better. And possibly with more birds. There was an INSANE amount of birds in this place. At one point we had to walk through a mob of birds and I thought I was going to get attacked by a goose.
Now, people laugh when I think that's going to happen, but let me tell you, it HAS happened before. There was a park behind a movie theatre and there were insane swans that semi-lived back there. One time my family decided to visit that place and someone, possibly me or my brother, provoked these things into a psychotic frenzy and they just chased people down! So don't laugh when I saw swans and geese will attack!!!
Anyways, the Peter Pan statue was amazing. I love peter pan, I even tried to fly like him once. That ended badly. And there was this little boy wandering around the statue, he just fit in so well to the story of Peter it was kind of magical to see.
On Friday, I had my first business class seminar at the French Institute. It was typical of any business class. Interesting in some parts and boring in most. Luckily, the speaker knew the information he would be sharing was going to be lost if he didn't keep us awake and had little tricks to help, so it wasn't that bad. After the 2 hour class we had to go to a cultural event, in this case the National Portrait Gallery.
Don't get me wrong, the art and portraits in that place are incredibly done and probably very important. But with the exception of a few older paintings and the contemporary art, I was bored out of my mind there. All the older tudor style and revolutionary paintings looked EXACTLY the same. Old men and women, with their families posing in weird positions, with white hair and not smiling. The only good moment that came out of seeing those paintings was when my other friends Ashley, one of the sweetest and most good-natured and pure person EVER, said "I wish I lived back then, when it was seen as posh to be white and fat!"
Classic.
The portraits of Diana and her sons were so sweet. It was a moving reminder of that history.
On Saturday, I attended the Queen's birthday parade and watched the World Cup. The Queen's birthday parades was actually kind of cool! I thought I would be bored out of my mind, but the people watching was very interesting. So many different tourists from all over the world. Although, some of them were incredibly rude, but that just made it a little more interesting to see people's reactions to them. We were only three people back in the crowd so we got great views of everything! I say we, because I was there with some other friends in the EUSA program. Lea, so cool and very social (and she played polo, which I find awesome), Brooke, so sweet! she is so genuine too, Sarah, she is like my kindred spirit in the way that we both have energy and no need to please anyone and Marjorie, she's a little quiet but when she says something, it's something you like to hear. Anyways, the parade was slightly repetitive but always fun to watch just because I like the guards so much!
If it wasn't illegal for me to try and jump over the fences and make them laugh while on horseback I totally would have. But, alas, it is. Basically the parade was guards marching, band guards marching, guards on horseback, guards on horseback with instruments and playing and then PRINCE WILLIAM (so pretty and charming and pretty looking) and Camilla. Then MORE guards (SHOCKER) and then the Queen!!
I. Saw. The. Queen.
She didn't look happy to be there though. I think it's cause she didn't know I was there. I should've made myself more visible. hmmm. I'll work on that.
That was fun, but that night was much more fun. The World Cup. I am not a soccer fan, and really don't expect to ever be a soccer fan, but the culture that comes with soccer here is mind blowing. These people are truly insane. But it's so fun to see. And it took us FOREVER to find a pub that was showing the Cup and let us in without reservations, but we did and it was so fun. I got three free drinks!!! Even though we tied them, which made me think I'd get attacked haha
After the World Cup we went out to more bars. I'll write blog on the bars later, I'm sure I'll have plenty to say!! This one has been too long for my taste though. Plus, I got my first day in the real world tomorrow. Wouldn't want to be too tired for that!
Have a good night London and world!
Meredith
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
I HAVE ARRIVED!!
Why hello there London! So good of you to have me! I finally arrived in London yesterday, and after a day of travel, jet lag and adjusting, I must say that I am EXTREMELY happy to be here.
The plane ride wasn't that bad at all, because I was in business class (Thanks Mom!!! and your frequent flier miles!!!) I sat next to this nice gentleman who was a lawyer. And I speculate, part of the Italian Mafia or something. Definitely a crime boss type guy. Super friendly but DECKED OUT in jewels. He had like huge diamond encrusted bracelets on both wrists and a big diamond ring and a necklace, it was insane. He slept most of the ride, with his mouth WIDE open, but he didn't snore so i didn't mind.
I, instead of sleeping like i should have, watched three movies and dozed in and out. I watched Percy Jackson (good), Orson Welles (very entertaining) and Valentine's day (my fall asleep movie). They kept me pretty occupied, as did the food. The food was better than some meals i've had on the ground, which i find shocking. For dinner I had Mango Chili beef and potatoes and really good bread. Except no extra butter which is so not cool.... And a total LIE
You know how I know, because I had a croissant for breakfast and they gave me more butter!!! But i let it slide cause i also got fruit and Special K cereal for breakfast.
Once I got off the flight I took a car to my apartment. Immigration was a breeze, guess I don't look like a terrorist! My driver was really cool but a horrible driver. It could be the left side of the road thing or something, but the driving over here scares me so much! And their news is kinda weird. The biggest news story on the car ride was about a fox.
Apparently a fox climbed into a house through an open window and bit two twin baby girls. Now i know this is awful, and they have every right to report it, but the guy talking about this story was a little insane. Some people called in to state how hungry foxes were and claim that they feed them and they aren't dangerous. The reporter BLEW UP!!! He started asking them things like "you feed the foxes? do you aid and abed (abet?) terrorists too??"
Come on man... foxes are not terrorists.
Finally I got to the apartment, I was the first one there so I got the pick of the beds, so i chose the non bunk bed one. My roommates are really cool though, such different people. Brittany is really fun and way more in shape than I am. She actually went out running last night and got lost! poor girl.
She ended up running like 10 miles instead of the planned 2 just trying to find the apartment building. I hang out with her a lot on the tours and eating and such.
Carly is so cute! she wears really great clothes and is really outgoing, but she came with a bunch of friends, so i haven't gotten to get to know her through hanging out quite yet. But i'm sure we will a couple times through the process.
I have my "let's make sure you aren't a psycho!" interview with my placement company tomorrow. It's called Public Eye Communications Ltd. It's a publicity company that represents a bunch of tv, movie and theater actors. There are some really famous ones like... ahem...
Hugh Laurie
Rupert Grint
Bonnie Wright
Michael Sheen
and much MUCH more!!
I'm so excited to work there! it's like my dream job. It could include events like premieres or movie screenings or interviews or photo shoots. I don't know if i'll get to attend any of those but i'm crossing my fingers!
I actually figured out how to get there while on a tour today in the center of london. We took a THREE HOUR walking tour of london, that actually turned out to go much longer because of rain and general curiosity. The tour guide was HILARIOUS. and if I must be honest, a little horny.
We had these guys from USC, goofy but way good looking guys, and they didn't have umbrellas. So the whole time, they are getting soaked by the rain, and enjoying every minute of it, might i add. Well we are under a bridge waiting it out and she is just FAWNING over them.
Quote: "You know, you boys remind of me of Jane Austen characters like Darcy with your muscles and your rain soaked tshirts." It was PRICELESS. Of course being the good looking boys they are, they took it in stride and accepted their compliments gladly.
The city is fantastic. I really am SO happy I get to live here for two months. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about the job, but right now it just seems like a wonderful plus. The real treat is that I get to leave work everyday and walk through a beautiful city. or go to a pub. or watch the world cup with a bunch of drunk British men! That's on saturday btw ;)
Ok i need to go sleep now. I'm insanely tired. Good night one and all!
Meredith
The plane ride wasn't that bad at all, because I was in business class (Thanks Mom!!! and your frequent flier miles!!!) I sat next to this nice gentleman who was a lawyer. And I speculate, part of the Italian Mafia or something. Definitely a crime boss type guy. Super friendly but DECKED OUT in jewels. He had like huge diamond encrusted bracelets on both wrists and a big diamond ring and a necklace, it was insane. He slept most of the ride, with his mouth WIDE open, but he didn't snore so i didn't mind.
I, instead of sleeping like i should have, watched three movies and dozed in and out. I watched Percy Jackson (good), Orson Welles (very entertaining) and Valentine's day (my fall asleep movie). They kept me pretty occupied, as did the food. The food was better than some meals i've had on the ground, which i find shocking. For dinner I had Mango Chili beef and potatoes and really good bread. Except no extra butter which is so not cool.... And a total LIE
You know how I know, because I had a croissant for breakfast and they gave me more butter!!! But i let it slide cause i also got fruit and Special K cereal for breakfast.
Once I got off the flight I took a car to my apartment. Immigration was a breeze, guess I don't look like a terrorist! My driver was really cool but a horrible driver. It could be the left side of the road thing or something, but the driving over here scares me so much! And their news is kinda weird. The biggest news story on the car ride was about a fox.
Apparently a fox climbed into a house through an open window and bit two twin baby girls. Now i know this is awful, and they have every right to report it, but the guy talking about this story was a little insane. Some people called in to state how hungry foxes were and claim that they feed them and they aren't dangerous. The reporter BLEW UP!!! He started asking them things like "you feed the foxes? do you aid and abed (abet?) terrorists too??"
Come on man... foxes are not terrorists.
Finally I got to the apartment, I was the first one there so I got the pick of the beds, so i chose the non bunk bed one. My roommates are really cool though, such different people. Brittany is really fun and way more in shape than I am. She actually went out running last night and got lost! poor girl.
She ended up running like 10 miles instead of the planned 2 just trying to find the apartment building. I hang out with her a lot on the tours and eating and such.
Carly is so cute! she wears really great clothes and is really outgoing, but she came with a bunch of friends, so i haven't gotten to get to know her through hanging out quite yet. But i'm sure we will a couple times through the process.
I have my "let's make sure you aren't a psycho!" interview with my placement company tomorrow. It's called Public Eye Communications Ltd. It's a publicity company that represents a bunch of tv, movie and theater actors. There are some really famous ones like... ahem...
Hugh Laurie
Rupert Grint
Bonnie Wright
Michael Sheen
and much MUCH more!!
I'm so excited to work there! it's like my dream job. It could include events like premieres or movie screenings or interviews or photo shoots. I don't know if i'll get to attend any of those but i'm crossing my fingers!
I actually figured out how to get there while on a tour today in the center of london. We took a THREE HOUR walking tour of london, that actually turned out to go much longer because of rain and general curiosity. The tour guide was HILARIOUS. and if I must be honest, a little horny.
We had these guys from USC, goofy but way good looking guys, and they didn't have umbrellas. So the whole time, they are getting soaked by the rain, and enjoying every minute of it, might i add. Well we are under a bridge waiting it out and she is just FAWNING over them.
Quote: "You know, you boys remind of me of Jane Austen characters like Darcy with your muscles and your rain soaked tshirts." It was PRICELESS. Of course being the good looking boys they are, they took it in stride and accepted their compliments gladly.
The city is fantastic. I really am SO happy I get to live here for two months. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about the job, but right now it just seems like a wonderful plus. The real treat is that I get to leave work everyday and walk through a beautiful city. or go to a pub. or watch the world cup with a bunch of drunk British men! That's on saturday btw ;)
Ok i need to go sleep now. I'm insanely tired. Good night one and all!
Meredith
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