Week Two: Learning Curves

This last week has been very busy. It felt long during the week but by the end of the week, I couldn’t believe how quickly it had flown by. This last week was crazy. I went to my classes for the first time, met my professors for the first time, and worked at my internship for the first time. This week held a lot of “firsts,” but I also experienced learning curves throughout the entire week.

My week was so busy that I was unable to go sight seeing or upload pictures. The feature image is a screenshot of my weather app this week. I just thought I could show you a glimpse of the common weather (and a cute picture of rainboots). I promise you will see some more pictures very soon!

Sunday

Ugh. Sunday. The church I attend offers an evening service every Sunday night. I was looking forward to going for a second time. The tube and TFL (Transport for London) system said otherwise. I walked to Baker Street Station and got on the tube. After being on the tube for a short while did I hear the announcement that the tube line I need for my ride to Church was closed due to maintenance. The other tube line that I could have taken was also closed. Sunday night was disappointing, but I was able to use the rest of my evening to prepare for school and plan out my trip to school.

Monday

I woke up Monday morning excited about school. I woke up, got dressed, all of that good stuff, and walked to the tube station. I arrived at the school on time! (yay!) My first class was Diplomacy and International Relations. I really believe I am going to love this course! The professor is smart and engaging. He is also a bit of an absent-minded professor. It was funny. He tried to make jokes concerning the topic being discussed. And then, he would stop mid-sentence, straighten his collar, and say, “Ah, nevermind…” He would then continue on with the lecture as if the last couple minutes hadn’t occurred. I probably did not do the story-telling justice, but it was a highlight. Oh, and this professor is Danish! Just thought I should let you know! 🙂

My next class was Revolutions and Political Change. I think I am going to like this course. The course will cover 11 different iconic revolutions throughout history. On Monday, we discussed the difference between popular sovereignty and individual sovereignty. The professor is sometimes difficult to understand. He has a lisp, a very thick English accent, and a large overbite. Even just one of those criteria can make anyone difficult to understand. I think I will like this class, but one challenge I see is that he prefers discussion rather than lecturing. I sometimes find it difficult to learn well when I can only discuss and not listen.

After both of my Monday classes, I was able to successfully set up a bank account here in the UK! This will allow me to access my money so much easier. I realized this week that I was given false information from my bank in Texas. They told me I would be able to access my money here with ease by just doing a wire transfer or withdrawal. What they failed to tell me is that they do not do wire transfers. Withdrawals from a US account is very expensive here, so I decided to look at other options. I will be able to transfer my money to my Lloyd’s bank account here in the UK with my parent’s help.

Tuesday

Tuesday was a crazy day. I was late for both of my classes. And if any of you reading know me really well, I absolutely hate being late. On Monday night, I decided to plan a walking route to the campus. I wanted to walk to school. This is a great idea (and I still do this). Can I give you some future advise? Never never walk a route for the first time when there you must be somewhere at a certain time. I got lost a couple times on the way to school, this made me late for the class. Thankfully, this was the first meeting, so I walked in when the professor had just wrapped up telling the rest of the class her life story. So, I didn’t miss any class material.

This class was the Gender, Politics, and the State course. I think I will enjoy this course but I also think it will be the most challenging and difficult. After being in class, I realized that this was not a course solely on gender and politics but feminism, different types of feminism and feminism in politics. I think this course will be very eye-opening and stretching, both academically and theologically, since the course will cover topics of homosexuality, queer theory, and other things.

As I was walking home from school after class, I bumped into one of my pastors. We had lengthy discussion on school, church and how I can continue to be a light in the classroom. It was such a needed conversation. I felt so encouraged and relaxed after the conversation.

My next course was in the early evening. This was was the most stressful time of the day. So, as I was eating lunch and planning for the course, I thought to myself: “Now that I know the way to the school, I can walk it better. I will even leave earlier so that I can definitely be on time. And by being early, I will find the classroom beforehand.” Sounds like a great plan right? Sure! I arrived on campus and realized that I went to the WRONG campus! I had ten minutes until class started. It twenty minutes to walk back to the campus I needed to be at. It takes a little over 1o by tube. I decided to take the tube. I walked into the correct building 3 minutes after class started. Now I had to find the classroom. I went up the stairs, looked at the building directory. The room I needed was not listed. The room before it was mentioned… but not mine…. I found an elevator and tried going up to the correct floor.

Oh goodness… I probably walked up and down stairs and rode elevators looking for the room for the next twenty minutes. Finally, I found someone who looked like they knew where they were. They did!! They told me to cross through this lab to the other side of the building. I did as they suggested and finally found the room – thirty minutes after the class started. At least I got there, right? Haha.

This class was the course that will provide me internship credit. The course is called Professional Experience in a Business Context. It will give me advise and preparation for my career and employability. I think I will like the course.

This was the last class of the week for me. I think I will enjoy my courses and schedule. Although, the academic setup is very different than what I am used to. Each course has a lecture and a seminar. The seminar is a smaller group of students where the course material can be discussed in great detail. The lecture is a large group of students where the primary professor speaks on the course material for an hour. Typically, the lecture occurs before the seminar, but my schedule is set up in such a way that it is the opposite, except for one course (the internship course). This academic experience is going to be a challenge to adjust to at first, but I think I will grow to love it.

Wednesday

Wednesday was the first day of my internship! And for my readers who missed my first week’s blog. I am interning with the Conservative Party in London. I am loving my internship! I am so happy that I was placed there! The whole team that I am working with are all very sweet and kind. I am so excited about working there the whole semester.

I feel that I am helping them a lot. They continue apologizing for asking me to do “mundane” jobs. But I keep telling them that I do not mind. The workplace environment and team make it a fun place to work, however “mundane” the task may be. I am already learning so much about UK politics through my “mundane” tasks. For example, I am learning about specific issues that are occurring in UK constituencies and which MPs have been tasked with addressing them. I am also becoming familiar with the names and positions of Members of Parliament.

On Wednesday, Hugo, my manager, gave me a quick introduction to the Conservative Party and its departments. I am working in the Campaigning Department, this department focuses on, well, campaigning.

Around lunch time, Hugo introduced me to common restaurants for lunch that are around the area. He introduced me to a restaurant chain called Eat. . It serves sandwiches, soups and salads. The restaurant is set up in order for people to get their food quickly. It was very good! I will probably eat there again :).

Thursday

Thursday was very similar to Wednesday. At the internship, I am shared between members of the Campaigning Department. So, sometimes I complete tasks for the Events team and other times I will complete jobs for Hugo. I enjoy working for more than one person, it allows me to grow and learn more.

Thursday night was also the night that my church KG group meets (KG Groups is short for Knowing God Groups). At church, dinner is served for a very affordable price and then there is a Bible Study. We are currently going through Luke. So far, I have enjoyed my time in this group!

Friday

On Friday, I went to my internship and stayed late. It’s funny. The regular hours are 9am to 5pm but no one actually stops working at 5pm. I think I have only ever seen one person actually pack up there stuff and leave at 5pm. Most people stay late – I don’t know how late, but at least until 6pm. It felt weird leaving at 5 since no one else had called it a day. On Wednesday, I had decided to just keep working until Hugo mentioned when he would like me to leave. I did not want to ask or mention it because I did not want to come across as eager to leave.

On Friday, I was invited to go with others from the team to go hangout after work. I wanted to go, but I had an event at Church at 6.45pm. No one else was able to leave until 5.45pm. I excused myself and wished them well.

The event at Church was International Cafe. This is an event the Church hosts regularly. This Friday was my KG Group’s turn to prepare and serve dinner at the event. II arrived at the Church by 6.45 and started helping cook. We ate something called Chicken Maya (sp?). It was very delicious! I was able to get to know my KG Group better. More and more, I am feeling more comfortable as I attend every week.

Saturday and Sunday

My weekend was so chill and lazy! I finished all of my necessary reading during the weekend. But I was unable to attend Church again – due to maintenance on the tube lines – again! I think I am going to have to result to walking to church, which is only a thirty minute walk, but a tube ride is quicker. BUT walking is free!

Even though I was unable to make it to church, I was able to have a Bible Study with my family (minus Grace)! I was so happy that we were able to do that! It was such a good devotional and conversation!

Well, that was my week. I am learning so much and will continue to do so throughout the semester! I am so very happy here! I miss my friends and family, but I am enjoying this new experience!

Thank you for reading!

Emma

Week One: Joys and Frustrations

Well, I have officially lived in London for a week! I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my time here. I have been able to be “orientated” into the London life, the University of Westminster, interning and dorm life. I was also placed in an internship (find more under Monday)!!! This may be surprising to some, but this will be my first complete college experience. Yes, I have been going to college, or at least taking college courses, since Fall of 2012. But this semester will be my first semester where I will be living on campus, in a dorm with other students. I am enjoying my “complete” college experience so far.

And, so, without further ado…. Here is my first week:

Saturday

I arrived in London at the Heathrow International Airport on Saturday at around 10am. I stayed inside the airport for a majority of day waiting on other students in the program. I believe we officially left for campus at 3pm. I was able to ride in one of those iconic taxis of London! One of the CIS Abroad advisors, Anna, gave us suggestions of restaurants, malls, sightseeing attractions, etc. She even pointed out different areas of London while we rode to our destination.

When we finally arrived at our destination, I realized that I was living on Baker Street. THE Baker Street. There is a statue of the Sherlock Holmes and several stores and restaurants named after the iconic fictional detective. I took a picture of the statue for you… 🙂 I kinda fan-girled when I saw that there was a statue of one of my favorite fictional characters across the street from me!

Sherlock Holmes Statue

Sunday

As many of you may know, one of the most important parts of the preparation for this semester for me was finding a good church where I could go and worship with fellow believers. Well, I am so happy to say, that I found a great one! It is called Christ Church Mayfair. It takes me about twenty minutes for me to get to church, which in London time, is amazing! The church has two Sunday services, one in the morning and one in the evening. I went to the one in the evening because I had mandatory CIS Abroad orientation the first Sunday morning here (my first full day). I went to orientation and then mapped out the way to the church.

The church was such an amazing experience! I was welcomed so joyfully; you’d of thought that I was some important dignitary! A member of the Welcome Team sat with me through the service and explained the elements of the service. After the service, I was offered tea (of course!) and was given an introduction to the college/young adult minister, student leaders, and other leaders. I felt so at home even though I had never once met any of these people before. I ended up being invited to go a nearby pub after church with some other students and young adults.

This was my first experience in a British pub, well any pub for that matter. My new friends were all Christians. We spoke about the church service, what we learned and liked, and then our lives and miscellaneous topics. We stayed at the pub until fairly late (at about 10:45pm)- the manager had to ask us to leave because they were closing up. The time I spent making new friends at church and making lasting memories was so enjoyable.

Monday

On Monday, I arrived at orientation for the University of Westminster. Oh. My. Goodness. I do not think I have seen a lecture hall so large. If any of you are familiar with the large lecture hall in Heath-Hardwick Hall at LETU… HHH 104 was about 1/2 the size of the lecture hall I was in. It was massive! But not crowded; there was plenty of seating.

At orientation, I received catalogs, introductory pamphlets, and my student ID card. I listened to a couple of advisors speak to me and other US students about the university and how to survive the semester. 🙂

After orientation, I ate lunch with another student who came with CIS Abroad. Her name is Lucy. She had found a small Vietnamese restaurant a couple blocks away. We ate Pho and fried rice. The food was alright, but then again, I am spoiled in regards to Southeast Asian foods.

While at lunch, I received an email from my internship coordinator. The Conservative Party had contacted her about being interested in interviewing me for an interning position. I was interviewed over the phone that very evening. I enjoyed the interview – I know not many people say that, but the phone interview felt more like a casual conversation than a job interview. I was asked questions concerning my competency for the internship. The interviewer asked several questions and then he threw a surprising question, which I took my time answering. He asked: “What is your opinion on Donald Trump?” I paused and didn’t know how I should answer the question. He broke the silence with, “this is not a trick question.” So, I gave him my opinion on Donald Trump’s run for president: “I would not vote for him. I sincerely hope he does not become president. The United States needs a different kind of leadership. The nation needs a leader with a greater experience in foreign policy and diplomacy. I also believe that a leader needs to be respectful of different cultures and races.”

His last question caught me by surprise even more, but I can understand why he asked this. He asked: “If you could eat dinner with any two celebrities or politicians, alive or dead, who would it be?” I replied: Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. He was surprised and relieved by my quick answer. The whole interview went well. He ended the interview and said he would be contacting me again very shortly with an answer concerning the internship. My internship coordinator called thirty minutes later saying I officially have an internship with the Conservative Party of Great Britain! I am so very excited about this opportunity to work in a political office. I will be helping campaign, analyze material, and complete office work. I start on Wednesday (the 20th of January)!

Tuesday

Tuesday was a very tiring, frustrating, but awesome day! I had an appointment with my Education Abroad Advisor about confirming my courses at 9am. Due to how large the international student population is, I was only allowed one meeting at the designated time they told me. If I missed this time, they told me that I would not be able to confirm my classes with me. Getting to the small university building is simple right? Think again! This was the frustrating part of the day! I left my residential hall thirty minutes before I had to be there. I had planned out my trip to the building the night before. According to both Google Maps and CityMapper, it would take me 15 minutes to get from A to B.

Nope. Here is what happened. The bus I needed was late. When it finally arrived, I got on the bus, which was the correct bus, by the way. After a couple stops passed, I realized I was going the opposite way I needed to go. Then the bus emptied and stopped… for several minutes…. I went up to the bus driver and asked if he was going to be driving near such and such street. He reassured he was but that we would need to wait 3 to 5 more minutes since he had reached his destination and would start the bus route once again. Since I had no idea where I was, I decided to stay in the bus and wait for the bus to stop at the correct station.

The bus did stop at the correct stop… 5 minutes later. By this time, it was already 8:50. I still had hope that I would arrive at the meeting in time. I got off the bus and walked in what I thought was the right direction of the street due to the increasing numbers of addresses. I walked up and down New Cavendish Street so many times looking for this particular building. I asked a couple people who seemed to know where they were going to point me in the right direction. I was so frustrated… I wanted so bad to make this appointment. I had several questions to ask and one course to replace…

At 9:25, I found myself back at the bus stop. I looked past the bus stop in the direction I did not go because it was labeled as a different street. I walked across the street and there was the building… a mere 30 steps from the bus stop that I stepped into 30 minutes earlier. The irony kills me. I went into the building praying so hard under my breath. “Please allow me to see someone… even if I have to wait several hours.” I got to the right floor and was met by the receptionist. I explained my situation while she looked up my information. She then looked at me and smiled. “You do not need to worry. You are not the first one who has gotten lost on the way here, nor will you be last. Sit down and let me see if we can fit you in.” I was able to see my advisor very shortly due to two previous appointments ending earlier. I left the building praising God and thanking Him for providing me time to talk to my advisor.

So… All of that was to confirm four courses. I am so very excited about all of these courses!

1. Diplomacy and International Relations
2. Revolutions and Political Change
3. Gender, Politics and the State
4. Professional Experience in a Business Context (mandatory internship course)

All of these courses will teach me so much. I am excited to see what I will learn and how these will prepare me for my future!

Tuesday Afternoon

After my meeting with my advisor, I decided to return home to eat lunch and rest my feet for a little bit. I wore heeled boots that apparently do not have good arch support that morning. (Note: If you ever decide to travel London, make sure to wear good and comfortable shoes when walking great lengths.) So I came home, ate lunch, relaxed, and then put on tennis shoes (like a smart person.) I left my dorm with one intention: Get Lost.

And that, I did! I found the Tower Bridge and the River Thames. I have pictures of the Bridge. I have included my favorite.

The Tower Bridge

Tuesday Night

At church on Sunday, I was invited to attend the weekly college group on Tuesday nights. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening/night. I arrived at six and did not get home until eleven. There was a sermon to the whole group, a time for feedback and discussions, dinner, and then small group discussions on a different topic. I learned so much from that evening. I felt so alive dissecting Scripture and finding joy in God’s Word.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the Tuesday night meetings regularly, if at all. One of my courses occurs during the the exact time of the church service. After telling a couple of the leaders this, I was then invited to both of the adult church groups which are split up into two nights, Wednesday and Thursday. I decided I would go to the Thursday group since I already knew one of the adults that would be there.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, I was exhausted. I did not need to be anywhere until 1:30pm. I had my Internship Orientation. I slept until about 10:30. It was heavenly. My legs were very thankful since Tuesday was the most I had ever walked… that I know of, anyways. My phone’s health app told me that I had walked over 22,000 steps, which was equivalent to 10.5 miles. I felt it Wednesday morning.

I attended the internship orientation excitedly. The orientation took about 45 minutes to an hour. I returned to the dorm afterwards. I changed out of my heels and dress. I got into more comfortable clothes and explored more of London. I returned later that evening and ate dinner in the dorm.

Thursday

Thursday was the first day of the week where I had absolutely no obligations. I took advantage of this and was lazy all day. I basically slept in until very late and watched TV. I regretted being lazy at first and then realized that I had not stopped since I had arrived in London. I was happy to be lazy… for one day. 🙂

Friday

Friday was such a fun day! I had three objectives:

1. Get school supplies
2. Eat lunch out
3. Get lost!

I completed all three things! Friday was by far the busiest day. I walked farther and more steps than I did on Tuesday. I ate lunch at Itsu, which is apparently a rather popular restaurant chain in London. It serves Japanese food for busy people. All of the food is pre-made every morning and refrigerated so that it is quick. I enjoyed the food!

I walked and walked and walked. I had no idea where I was going. And then I looked around and found myself in Trafalgar Square! I saw the famous statues of Britain’s political and military leaders, the iconic fountains, and of course the lions.

King George IV

Charles IV: Close Up

The Merman

I thought this was a pretty steeple. I found the white stone and blue clock face beautiful in particular.

Another one of my favorite parts of Trafalgar Square were the artists. There were performing artists in the Square: singers, living statues, levitating Yodas (they were kind of creepy to be honest…) I have pictures of the Square and my favorite artist – the Homeless Bard!

The Homeless Bard: Introduction

The Homeless Bard: Little Voice

The Homeless Bard: Please Stop!

The Homeless Bard: Love I Love

And finally, at the end of the day, I did get my school supplies! I returned home with everything I needed to start school on Monday.

Conclusions

My first week in London was amazing! It had its joys and frustrations but all of the good things overpowered the negative. I am so happy to be here! I cannot thank the people who helped me get here enough! Because of all of my friends and family who have prayed for me, supported me, and encouraged me, I am in the city of my dreams studying my major!

Thank you!

Emma