My Room!

Hey Everyone!  

I should have posted these earlier.. But I just realized I could take pictures of my room using my laptop's built in camera!  I know.. I'm a genius and it took me over 2 weeks to figure that out!

Anyway, This is my room and bathroom.  Enjoy!

xoxo

2 extra pictures

Hey Everyone!

I have a couple extra pictures for you.  First off though, the previous post from this, there are pictures from Guildford.  1 of those pictures is of a restaurant called Giraffe.  That is the restaurant I got food poison from.  In case you were wondering!

The two pictures shown here are of a typical England Breakfast (notice they serve baked beans with breakfast!!)  The other picture is of Katie (Canada), Christina (UCF), and myself standing on High Street in Guildford.  High Street is the main street in town.  It's basically a HUGE hill that you have to hike your ass up every time you want to go anywhere significant in town!

I'll update again soon!  Although, starting Monday I will probably be in the library a lot, doing my readings for class.

Talk to you soon!

xox

Pictures of Guildford

Campus Pictures

From top to bottom:

• Campus night club Rubix
• Campus Cathedral
• Campus Sign
• Campus Art
• Guildford Mall (they call them shopping centres)
• Duke of Kent Building (meant to look like a ship)
• Chancellor's (the campus pub; amazing burgers and chips)
• Pond
• Campus Picture

Some Photos Can't Get The Rest

From top to bottom:

• Burberry
• Westminster Abbey
• London Eye (Look closely, Big Ben is Inside the middle of the Ferris Wheel
• Tower of London
• London Bridge
• Houses of Parliament
• Big Ben

Sorry I couldn't get all the other pictures up.  I'll just have better things to share with you when I get back!

xoxo

P.S.  I wrote a post before this incase you didn't see it so keep scrolling down to read it!

2nd Weekend

So, it's officially my second weekend here in gloomy, depressing England.  As if I thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, I got a mild case of food poisoning from a piece of undercooked chicken.  (Maybe I should go back to not eating!)  Then I wake up this morning to find out several people who I had gone to lunch with all went out last night and voted against actually inviting me.  (Facebook tells you everything). 

I went to my 4th and final class yesterday (Friday).  I have never in my entire educational career, heard so many students talking through a lecture.  Nor have I seen 15 students showing up to an hour late to the class.  Another thing I'm sure none of us have ever seen in a lecture is the girl sitting next to you pull a burrito out of her purse and start chomping away as though she was on a picnic.  It's true people, a BURRITO!  Then her friend had the audacity to answer her cell phone as the professor is giving her lecture.  I'm telling you, completely disrespectful students. 

Not much else to say.  It's been pretty boring since I actually went into London on Wednesday.  My dad and Laura and his side of the family have been extremely supportive through my emotional adventures.  I am thankful to have been given this opportunity by UCF and my grandparents, however, every day it is harder and harder to get out of bed.  I want to be here less and less.  I keep trying to make friends and meet people, but nothing seems to be working for me.  I feel as though everything and everyone is pushing me away from enjoyment.  I have tried so hard to make this work over the past week and 2 days.  I hope I can give you guys something a little more interesting and less depressing to read next time I write.  

Thank you again to everyone for supporting me in what I do.  It is extremely difficult for me to be here right now and I appreciate everything you have to share with me.  I love you all.

xoxo

p.s. Turns out I'm not the only one who hates it here.  A greek girl living with another UCF student wants to go home just as badly as I do.  To bad she doesn't talk to anyone.  I could use someone to talk to who feels the same way as I do.

First Trip To London

Hey Everyone!

So, I finally made a trip into London.  Today was the first day I actually enjoyed myself.  One of the other girls from UCF and I got on a bus from the housing location to the train station.  We then hoped on a 30 minute train ride to Waterloo Station in London.  Pulling up to the station you can see the enormous and breathtaking London Eye off to the right.  I would post pictures but as I mentioned the other day I brought the wrong connection cord with me for the computer.  So the pictures will have to come later.

Anyways, upon our arrival to London, we decided to first go to the London Eye.  It was extremely pricey so we decided to just take pictures of it.  Then we continued to walk toward Big Ben and Parliament.  We stopped on the bridge to take some really outstanding photos.  Although, I must say, pictures do not do it justice.  The intricate design of the buildings cannot truly be captured in a picture.  After taking about 2 dozen photos of Big Ben and Parliament, we crossed the street and took pictures of Westminster Abbey, a really old church in England.  I didn't really learn to much about the church because we opted out on touring it because of the high admission price.  

We then decided to walk along Thames River from Parliament all the way to the Tower of London.  It took us about an hour to walk, but once we arrived we were relieved and excited to go inside.  We paid our 14 pound student admission and continued on to join the guided tour that had already begun.  They showed us everything from the Bloody Tower, where prisoners were held and killed, to the Church, where thousands of bodies lie underneath.  After the tour we continued on into the two buildings that were not on the tour which were by far the most interesting and important.  The building with the clock tower is where they keep the Crown Jewels (all the crowns and robes of the former kings and queens,all the Henry's and George's).  The second building was the white tower which is the castle at the tower location.  There they have all the armor and artillery... oh and we saw a traditional toilet!

After our experience at the Tower of London, we decided to take the Underground back to the Waterloo Station where we would catch our return train from London to Guildford.  It was a long day and I am totally and completely exhausted.  I had a wonderful time, and then I realized that I couldn't just stay in London.  I had to return to Guildford and the University of Surrey...  :O(

Nothing to do tomorrow.  It's raining and thundering and the wind is blowing like a bat out of hell.  It's really scary and makes me feel even more depressed.  I hope to have things get better soon.

xoxo

First Day of Class

Today was the first day of the semester.  I only had one class today.  Tourism, Leisure & Society.  It seems like it will be an interesting course however, I had a hard time listening to the teacher over the talkative students.  The students talked continuously over the entire 2 hour class.  The professor tried desperately to quiet the students down but they refused.  I could see the frustration in her face as she gave her lecture.  I still haven't made any friends here.  I'm guessing that is because it is the 2nd half of the year and people have already developed their cliques.  

The classroom was cold and dark.  While I was Instant Messaging my mom earlier, I had described the classroom as a large janitor's closet with the brooms removed.  They don't have desks in the classrooms, just large tables with random chairs.  Actually, the room looks like a chair store because few of the chairs were actually the same.  There were about 50 students in the class and about 15 of them had to stand in the back of the classroom for the entire two hours because there was not enough seating.

Both of the other UCF girls were in that class with me.  The one who likes to party a lot went out last night and her camera and all her cash was stolen out of her purse at a local club.  I don't know how much cash, but it was a significant amount to cause her to freak out over it.  That is one of the reasons I refuse to go to Clubs.  There are so many people there who will do anything to take what is not theirs.  

Upon leaving my class around 5 pm, I had over heard a local talking about the cathedral that is located on campus.  She said someone was recently shot and killed there.  Sounds like a safe area to me.  People steal your belongings and shot innocent tourists at cathedrals.

I spoke to one of my roommates yesterday about the heaters that are in our rooms.  I asked her how I could make it warmer in here.  She said it has been an ongoing problem that reception refuses to fix.  The heaters don't really work so when I'm bundled up in 3 layers and under my duvet cover I can still get hypothermia  At least I can stand in the shower for 30 minutes and be warm for an entire half hour of my day.

I also spoke with a student support counselor name Charlotte.  She told me that last year there was a student who cam to Surrey from UCF and arrived on a Friday and departed that same Sunday.  I guess I have more patience than some people.  I'm still not happy.  But I am trying to make things work. 

I miss everyone.

xoxo

Arrival!

Hey everyone,

I have arrived in the UK.  I actually arrived here on Thursday morning at 9 am (UK time).  I moved into my flat thats about 30 minute walk to campus.  I still have yet to see the sun.  As a matter of fact, I still have yet to meet my roommates.  Everyone on campus has been pretty rude to me so far.  One of my roommates came out of her room and smiled and shut the door in my face right as I was about to introduce myself.  The weather is terrible.  No sunshine, just cold and wet and gloomy.  It's actually quite depressing.  

My room is pretty small.  I have plenty of drawer space.  The bed is lumpy.  Kind of like sleeping on a cot on rocks.  The bathroom is small.  There is no hot water in the shower.  I will post pictures later when I get a chance.  

Sorry it took so long for me to post since I've been here.  But the man from Radio Shack sold my mom and I the wrong outlet converter.  Apparently he didn't understand where England was.  Anyway, a girl I knew from high school lives here about 15 minutes from campus and her father loaned me an outlet converter so I can finally have internet access. 

I had orientation on Friday and finally received my timetable for my classes.  I am taking 4 classes.  Monday I have one class, Tuesday I have two classes, and Friday I have one class.  So, I have Wednesdays and Thursdays off.  I'm kind of worried about the grading system here.  Earning an A in the States is like earning a C in the UK.  So, mom and dad, I apologize if I get C's this semester!

Well, thats all for now.  I will constantly have my Skype logged on if anyone wants to skype me.  My skype name is bcwalls.  Skype me if you want!

xoxo

Last Day In The U.S.A.

Well, it's Tuesday January 13, 2009 and it is 10:20 PM. Tonight is my last night in the US until May 30th. I've come to the realization that it is going to be extremely difficult for me to overcome my obsession with text messaging and calling my mom or boyfriend every half hour! My only available forms of communication while I am in the U.K. are e-mail and webcam chatting/Instant Messaging.

So, it's my last night here in Maryland and I have spent my time watching Law & Order SVU and packing my bags. Tomorrow night my flight departs from BWI at 9 PM and I will arrive to London (Heathrow) at 9:15 AM (London Time) which will be 4:15 AM Maryland time. There is a 5 hour difference between Baltimore and London. (6 hours for you, daddy & Laura!)

Anyway, once I land in London I am to get my bags and there will be a driver waiting for me with a board displaying my name. The taxi will take me to the University of Surrey! I'm going to be moving into my flat tomorrow. As soon as I can, I will post photos of the apartment so you can see where I am going to be living for 5 months! (For now I have the floorplan from the Surrey Website. Enjoy!)

Talk to you soon!

xoxo

It Came!!!

My visa for United Kingdom entry has finally arrived!!!! I received it this morning before I had to leave to drive 2 1/2 hours to Baltimore to drop Nelson off at the BWI airport. It is a huge stress reliever just having my visa in my hands.

Getting my visa has ultimately put me into shock! It's really happening now!

Talk to you soon!

xoxo