As for the other significant event worth writing about, last week I decided to take a nice 4 day holiday and head off to Barcelona. I have to say, in my 4 days roaming around the city, all the romanticized ideas I had about Barcelona seemed to be quite accurate. The city has street performers literally littering the street. A good portion of my spending went towards giving money to various street performers that impressed me. From classical Spanish guitarists to experimental hang players (check out what a hang is, sounds unreal live http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LfJLvuZqmQ&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=9D55761CAB978D87) this is a city that encourages its arts.

I was staying with my friend Mike from high school. He is studying abroad for the fall term in the city with four of his friends from school and they were letting me crash in their apartment which turned out to be right in the heart of Barcelona. Since it was Thanksgiving, Mike’s family had taken a vacation to see him. The first two nights I was there, they took us out to dinner at some of the most fabulous restaurants I have ever eaten at (Thank you so much. The meals were wonderful and I had a blast walking around the city with you guys.) Friday morning I kind of wandered around the city on my own. I checked out a few of the big tourist spots, including Park Guell and Sagrada Familia, two of Gaudi’s most famous creations. Unfortunately, Sagrada Familia was closed by the time I got there, so I wanted to make sure I had a chance to see the inside of it the next day. On Saturday I made sure I got there early to check it out. I got to go to the top of one of the towers and the view from up there was unbelievable. On Sunday, before heading to the airport I went down to the beach to see the Mediterranean and explored a few more parks before catching a bus back to Gerona where my plane was leaving. As expected the nightlife was great throughout the trip (everything is open until at least 6  am since dinner doesn’t even finish until generally 11pm or later). I even got a chance to refresh my Spanish and use it to somewhat get by in conversations with locals (although they prefer to speak in Catalan).

All in all this was a terrible summary of the trip. I will update it when I get a chance but I’m writing this in between class and there’s to much for me to even begin to describe. If I get the time, I will do it before I see the Lion King tonight, otherwise just be patient.

Here are some pictures to hold you over.

As for Friday, I decided to start the night by crashing a Medicine Trauma Conference reception. One of the kids in my hall told me about this event at the Victoria and Albert Museum with free food and free drinks, so a few kids from my hall joined me in my attempts to get into the event. I expected the event to be decently large, so I could fit in in the background without drawing to much attention to myself. I expected wrong. When we showed up, there were maybe 25 people there, and I was immediately greeted by a 3rd year Medic who was running the reception. Somehow I was able to carry a conversation where I was a first year Medic from the States, including why I want to be a doctor, what part of medicine I’m really interested in, how my classes are, and what my thoughts on the lecturers are. I have to say, I felt like Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in Wedding Crashers. The reception itself was pretty boring, but I had a blast acting like I completely belonged in the conference, and even got a lunch date with one of the girls there. It will be interesting to see how I can play off the ‘Hey so I have a confession, I’m not a first year medic…’   Hopefully she has a sense of humor.

After a few snacks and a few drinks, Miles, Bryant, and myself decided to head out to Piccadilly Circus to continue the night.  If I haven’t said it in an earlier post, Miles and Bryant are two exchange students I met here from California who I’ve been hanging out with for a decent amount of my time here. We went to a sports bar with a few other people, shot some pool, and quickly got bored of the setting. The people we were with wanted to go clubbing, but I wasn’t really up for it. Luckily, neither was Miles or Bryant. We decided to just wander through London, which turned out to be a great night. We walked through numerous squares, climbing all the statues we could find along the way. We passed Big Ben and Parliament. We met some girls from Transylvania who had just arrived in London (still carrying suitcases). We walked past the London Eye, all lit up at night. I climbed numerous Dali knock-off statues near the Dali exhibit in some museum which I will have to go back to and explore later this year. All in all we walked all over London, meeting people, seeing sights, and letting London be our playground for a night. After everything, we got back to the halls, and I couldn’t sleep, like most nights. So I went back out to Hyde Park to watch the sunrise. A great end to a fulfilling night.

On the Lions at Trafalgar Square

London Eye, one of the most touristy shots there is in London

On the Horses in the Fountain at Piccadilly Circus

So Saturday I woke up at 5:30 pm. Just in time to go see the Battersea fireworks display. A group from our hall went together, but once we got there, we got separated in the thousands of people there. Since this was a celebration of Guy Fawkes day, its British custom to have a giant bonfire at the firework display. There was nothing to special about the bonfire, just a bunch of wooden crates piled up on each other. However, the fire left an impression. I was up as close as they would let me go, and I needed to wrap a scarf around my face to insulate it from the heat. It brought me strait back to Burning Man, watching a three story wooden temple burn to the ground and then walking around the fallen temple as it continued to burn. I could close my eyes and smell the smoke and be right back on the playa.  The pictures don’t do the fire justice, and maybe the fire wasn’t that impressive. But the memories I now associate with large fires are so good, and bonfire would seem wonderful to me. After watching wood burn for about 25 minutes, the few of us sticking together went to find a good area to see the fireworks. I found the display very entertaining. The fireworks went off while music was playing through a massive sound system. The explosions were synchronized, there were fire towers shooting flames in rhythm, and the display was one of the longest I’ve ever been to. Only complaint was the finale was not quite up to the standards of an American 4th of July celebration. All in all, fireworks are wonderful, and I had a very enjoyable time.

Starting up the bonfire

bonfire

Never look as good on camera as they do live

We made our way back to the halls and had a good night listening to music, cooking food, playing beer pong. I actually lost track of time and next thing I knew it was almost sunrise….again. Two nights in a row seeing the sunrise. Greatness. However, this time was different. Miles, Bryant, and myself had promised ourselves we would go swimming in the Serpentine Sunday morning. The Serpentine is a man made lake in Hyde Park. It will be used for the swimming portion of the triathlon when the Olympics come to London. Honestly, we knew it would be freezing. We went out there in full winter jackets with multiple layers on. And the next thing I know, I’m nearly in shock realizing that the water stings, then very quickly numbs. I’d like to say I was a champion and swam a few miles, but after ten minutes (I’m being generous to myself) I got out only to have my feet, legs, and arms completely numb. I wasn’t even sure I had dried my legs when I put my pants back. We quickly made our way back to the halls and vowed never to do that again in the middle of November. Still, I can say I did it, and it was definitely an experience I won’t soon forget.

all pumped up and ready to go

After a few laps, you don't even feel the pain anymore. Isn't that good for blood circulation or something?

ok, back to bed.

Cheers,

Skip

So on Thursday, it was time to throw the Risky Business Party. I had collected a bunch of money from kids on the floor, so we were well funded. In addition, two guys in my hall (Miles and Bryant, fellow Americans who hail from California) had been collecting money as well and were also organizing this party with me. We had already gone down to the grocery store with suitcases in hand to pick up the necessary ‘supplies’ for the party. So setup consisted of making drinks and setting up music. Setup went without a problem, and the party was picking up at a good pace. I was very surprised that everyone came fully in costume. By around 11, I think we had over 100 people packed into our floor. Everyone was having a good time, and the party seemed to be going great. I was taking care of playing all the music for the dance floor, so I spent the majority of my time there, but I heard the other rooms we setup (our kitchens, one as a bar, one as a beer pong/flip cup room) were just as packed as the dance floor. All in all, it felt like a very American party. It was nice to be able to show the Londoners a little bit of the American college experience, since they’ve shown me so many things different from school in the States.

Friday….recovery day from Thursday. I know its lame. I was tired and felt a little under the weather so I took it easy. In order to get into the spirit of Halloween and costumes, I watched Rocky Horror Picture Show again. Every time I see that movie, it makes me want to find one of the infamous Rocky Horror Picture Show parties and see what kind of crazy people turn up to that.

So Saturday was Halloween. I was still feeling a little bit out of it during the beginning of the day, so I decided to stay local for the night. However, I did not have a costume, and I did not want to spend money on one. So I took a bunch of clothes I would seriously wear around in public by themselves, and wore them in such a fashion so that I looked unmistakably like a pirate. See, normally I could have been a swimmer (bathing suit + goggles), a track star (high socks, short shorts), or a girl (knock on a girls door and ask for an outfit), and gotten a few laughs from people and been fine. However, in London, Halloween is still a much newer concept to them. Therefore, they actually wear scary costumes. People had fake blood, face paint, lots of black. So I had to pick something kind of scary, and pirate worked well. I actually was in some competition for best costume. It was so close between me and this guy wearing a bunch of leaves, that the DJ ordered a dance off. Now I’ve seen Zoolander multiple times, but I don’t think any amount of that could have prepared me for a real dance off. But why not? The crowd was cheering and I didn’t really have a choice. I busted out every cheesy move I know (including pulling a girl up on stage to dance with me). The crowd loved it, a lot  of people came up to me after and said things about it, all of which were positive. On my way back to the halls, Miles, Bryant, myself, and a few other kids decided to climb this huge statue/monument thing outside the Royal Albert Hall. I think there are a few pictures somewhere, and if I find one I’ll post it. However, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk past it without thinking about climbing back up there.

As for today, its time to be a student. Maybe around midnight go watch the Phil’s.

Musically, heres Phoenix

Phoenix – 1901 (Right Click & Save As)

Cheers,

Skip

So spontaneous, I couldn't get my camera. So here is camera phone quality

So i was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see a little band tonight named Passion Pit. They’ve been one of the groups I’ve wanted to see and haven’t for about a year now. Originally when I got to London, I had checked out the out the how and tried to get tickets. However, like most established bands that seem to come through London, the tickets go very quickly. So I didn’t sweat that it was sold out and just figured this time wasn’t the time for me to see them. Lets fast forward a few weeks from when I got here. I was hanging out in one of my halls kitchens and met this guy named Will. He is currently taking a gap year before university and does a lot of music journalism (blog that gets shown by the hype machine, music magazines, etc.). Real cool guy, real good taste in music. Anyway after a night of good conversation we exchanged contact info and said we’d have to hit up some concerts in the near future. As it turns out, one of the perks to being in Will’s area of writing is that he can get his hands on a lot of tickets. So today, I am getting ready to go to my Music Production class and I get a text from Will saying theres a ticket with my name on it at the box office where Passion Pit is playing. So now I’m so excited I can barely sit through the whole class. The majority of the time, I’m figuring out the opening riff to ‘Little Secrets’ and making poppy-electro happiness while I’m learning to use Reason. After what seemed like an eternity, the class finally finished, and I make a run to the tube station (literally…I was winded by the run). After a quick subway ride, I got to the venue just as the second opening act was coming on. They were called the Joy Formidable, and I was pleasantly surprised by the fullness of their set with only three band members. They were a solid opener for Passion Pit, but I’ll post a song of theirs at the end of this so you guys can be the judge. As for Passion Pit, their set was very enjoyable for me since I really enjoyed their ‘Chunk of Change EP’ and ‘Manners’ but as far as the performance, it was alright. The singer was actually on key through most of his signature falsettoed melodies, but the energy from songs like ‘Little Secrets’, ‘The Reeling’, and ‘Sleepyhead’ just wasn’t enough to keep the crowd going, even though the entire set was just under an hour. I’ve heard British concerts don’t get as rowdy as American shows, so maybe that could contribute to the weaker crowd experience. Overall, I’ve wanted to see them for a long time, and I was gladly surprised that an opportunity to see them came my way. I had a really good night, and saw a great venue, Koko (in Camden), which I’m sure I will frequent multiple times during my time in London.

The Joy Formidable – Cradle (Right Click & Save As)

And for those of you who have been living under a rock…

Passion Pit – Sleepyhead (Right Click & Save As)

-Skip

American        British

silverware   –      cutlery

pants            -        trousers

underwear   –      pants

restroom    -        toilet

thank you    -       cheers

see you later  -   cheers

jelly           –           jam

jell-o         –           jelly

chips         –          crisps

fries          -           chips

make fun of   –    take the piss out of

nonsense    -       bollocks

concentrate (juice) – squash

wait in line     –    wait in the queue

subway           –     tube

get a shot      -     get a jab

get drunk     –      get pissed

dude              -      mate

have sex with  -  shag (its not just austin powers who says it)

sweat pants – trackies

sweat shirt  - jumper

trashcan      -  bin

two weeks   – fortnight

Basically a very awesome theme, with high socks, whitey tighties, and button downs for all.

But aside from that, I have been up to a lot lately. This past Friday a few of us went down to King’s College Student Union, which was basically a two story bar/dance floor/ lounge. It was somewhat dead towards the beginning , but picked up by the end. It was a fun night of meeting other London students, but the standout point of the night was when the DJ decided to play one of those songs that every British person grew up knowing, equivalent to our Macarana or Cotton Eyed Joe. However, I had never heard the song or seen the dance, so I was exceptionally amused when I saw 15 people completely put their hearts and souls into a dance that accompanies the link below. PLEASE WATCH IT, you might not be able to envision a bunch of college kids out on a Friday night, but the energy was magical in the Student Union during that song, and it carried even into the next couple songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6fE5S23-QM&feature=fvw

Today I finally got around to exploring Camden Markets, which was long overdue. Everyone I had talked to who had spent significant time in London told me I would love Camden. They didn’t let me down. Tons of vintage shops surrounded by street markets, art on every corner, a few stores that seemed to follow the fashion styles of burning man, tons of cheap food places within the markets, and a wide array of people scattered among the area. I spent a few hours walking through the various ins and outs of the market, letting myself just go wherever seemed right at the time. I kept thinking I would see some place I had already been, but I just got deeper and deeper into the markets. I found some really nice things, however I want to come back when I have more time and more money with me. Most places will haggle with you, and I want to put a full day into psychologically wearing down the vendor until s/he is paying me to take his/her merchandise.  OK that might be unrealistic, but it will still make for an interesting day.

Anyways, I’m actually going to do some work so that I can keep having these awesome times without feeling guilty about being behind in my work, but I’ll keep this updated on the floor party, DJing, rock climbing, and what not.

Oh, I think I might be trying to start a club/society at Imperial. It called, The Picnic Society. Basically, get the school to subsidize my friends going to various parks around London and spending an afternoon eating in them. It in the making right now so its still only an idea, but maybe it’ll become a reality before the weather gets to cold to enjoy it.

Alright I’m off, Cheers,

-Skip

As for class, its not as bad as I had thought it might be. I have a pretty relaxed schedule with not to many early morning classes. The lectures themselves are similar to the ones back at Carnegie Mellon, with one HUGE exception. All the lecture notes are available online beforehand. Its great to actually be able to listen to the lecture instead of scribbling down every word and number that gets put on a blackboard for an hour strait.  So I think it be a better classroom learning environment than back at CMU.

But enough about classes, they’re nothing worth rambling on about. And sadly, this weekend was not one of the epic ones you remember forever. It was ok, but my expectations were higher. On Friday night, I went to go see Friendly Fires perform a DJ set at this bar. I knew they wouldn’t be playing their own stuff but I still expected a high energy dance party. What I got when I entered the place was a chilled out out trance-like mood with music lacking bass and a sound system that was entirely to small for the venue. It was ok, but I had come ready to hear some great upbeat music. The next day was spent walking around London, getting proper groceries (more than the PB & J, soup, and pasta diet that I had been living on beforehand). Saturday night was spent hanging out in the dorms, introducing the Europeans to beer pong, and eventually watching a movie. However, the Saturday night dinner I made was noteworthy. Garlic breaded chicken over a spicy cous cous with homemade mashed potatoes and steamed mixed vegetables. Delicious.

As for today, I actually did work…its sad but I knew this day would come. However, thats done so I’m off to find more adventures for tonight.

Music-wise, here’s Friendly Fires, the kind of vibe I was expecting on Friday.

Friendly Fires – “Jump In The Pool” (Right Click & Save Link As)

-Skip

Due to unnaturally long nights lasting long through the sunrise, my circadian rhythm is not exactly at its best. Needless to say, after a few hours of tossing and turning in my bed last night, I looked out my window to see rays of sunlight starting to creep in despite my curtains best efforts to keep them out. I realized there wasn’t a chance of me falling asleep in the next few hours and decided to be productive and take advantage of my wakefulness. Now I’m a sucker for sunrises, and I figured I could get to Hyde Park and see the sun rise up over the lake while seeing a side of London I normally wouldn’t be awake for. So I threw on a sweater, a hat, a scarf, and grabbed my camera and the airplane blanket that somehow ended up in my bag on the flight over (I couldn’t fit my comforter in my suitcase and didn’t know how long it would be until I could get around to buying one). Now Hyde park is beautiful, no doubt. However, it seemed a little planned with not as much of a natural feel to it as I would have expected. However, I’m sure it will be quite a popular destination for me when the sun decides to shine its face over London. I’m already in the works of planning a picnic for all the musicians I have met where we can just play music over pita and hummus and introduce each other to new kinds of music and new kinds of picnic food. However, all in due time. Getting back to the morning, Hyde Park has already been filled with adventures. I wandered around while I waited for the sun to rise above the tree line and stumbled upon more potential trees to both climb and read under, hideouts for intimate moments, and paths to walk, maybe even jog if I’m feeling really confident that day.

Throughout the morning I had three great conversations. One was with a black Swedish man here on business who went on and on about the diversity in London, compared to his description of the Swedes, and I quote “I feel like I am the only person in the country who is not white, blond haired, and blue eyes.” It made me think, and I realized that I am lucky enough to have always lived in such diverse places that I never felt like the overwhelming majority or minority. After he moved on to get a cup of tea, I went to head back toward a bridge I found that seemed like a wonderful place to watch the sunrise. Not surprisingly I wasn’t the only one who thought it would be a nice place to see the sun. There was another man there who I started up a conversation with. He described himself as a temporary resident of Hyde Park. Resident of Hyde Park may hint that theres a story behind that. He told me how he came to London for work, lost the job, couldn’t pay bills, and as of recently moved into the park. He seemed to change the story throughout the conversation, so I’m not sure how truthful it was, but nonetheless interesting to hear. After catching a few pictures of the sunrise, I moved on to a pond I saw on a map, where I stumbled upon hundreds of birds swimming about. I saw easily thirty birds surrounding this one family, so I walked near them to see how the birds were coming so close. As I approached I saw the family had a loaf of bread and were feeding the birds. They offered a piece of bread to me to feed the ducks and I more than happily took them up on the offer. The giant swans, ducks, and smaller birds surrounded me. The swans were incredible, easily four and a half feet tall with their necks extended. After thanking the family and wishing them a great holiday (they were visiting from Delhi), I headed back to campus to get a cup of tea before heading to sleep for a few hours before class.

Disclaimer: I am aware I look like a bum in the picture, but it was cold and it was all I had.

Musicwise: Some electronics I just heard about, its older but this isn’t a music blog so chill…and enjoy

Discovery – I Want You Back (Michael Jackson Cover) (right click + Save As)

-Skip

So my original plan for my flight across the pond was to sleep so I would be wide awake and ready to experience a new country with all my wits about me. Whether it was the nonstop caffeinated drinks being handed to me throughout the flight, the eagerness to get to London, or a combination of both, I didn’t get anywhere close to the amount of sleep I had intended to.  Instead the flight was filled with nonstop free films on personal screens (I was amazed at the luxuries provided on the 777′s). After watching Little Miss Sunshine and some indie film about a high school debater from Trenton, I thought I was finally going to be able to fall asleep. However, with about half an hour left in the flight, I looked out my window to see the sun rising above the clouds. I can honestly say I have never seen such a surreal sight. The mix of oranges, red, pinks, magentas, and purples reflecting off clouds with nothing else in the sight other than the sky created the type of image that you need to pinch yourself when you see it to make sure you aren’t sleeping. After making the people in my row look out the window to see the sight (one was very appreciative, one seemed indifferent) there was no way I was going to be able to get back to sleep. I was so excited to touch down in another country, another continent.

After clearing customs, I had my first truly “British experience”. Because of the number of bags I had with me, it would have been near impossible to try to walk around London to try and navigate the subway system and find my university (packing your life into a few suitcases is much harder than it looks). So I flagged down a Black cab, the standard British taxi. After about a thirty minutes drive, some great conversation with the cabby, and more than expensive fare (can’t beat that conversion rate *sarcasm intended*) I ended up in South Kensington. Now I was a little unsure what to expect. I can tell you it is like a your looking at a postcard, I can say the architecture is so different and old and interesting, but the best word to describe South Kensington is posh, a word I have recently added to my vocabulary. Within the next few posts, I will upload some photos of the area, but for now take my word that it is quite a change from the area in Philadelphia I was living in this summer.

So my first night was filled with the basic orientation things, meeting my hall mates, getting acquainted with the immediate area, and getting myself settled into my room. By the time I got done all these things and caught a quick nap  it was already time to head to “The Mingle” a university sponsored party for the freshman (myself and other exchange students included) at the university bar on campus. I have to say, I was quite surprised at the level and percentage of drinkers here. Back in the States, there is quite a large population of college freshman who do not go out and drink. But here, it seemed like even the most awkward, antisocial people were trying to flag down the bartender to get another pitcher of beer.  I was a little thrown off by the whole situation. However, I met quite a few people including some friends of a girl, Dana, who is from Carnegie Mellon and the did the exchange program I am currently doing. Its a small world when within 24 hours of entering a new country you find people who are mutual friends with a friend of yours back home.

Over the next few days, I fell into a routine of meeting people during the day, figuring out everything related to my courses this year, grabbing a bite to eat with people from my hall, and then heading out on the tube (London subway) to one of the many university sponsored pub crawls, club crawls, student night discounts at various cocktail lounges, or boat tour parties (throw a bunch of college kids on a boat, go up and down the Thames at night, and for good measure put a fully stocked bar on the boat beforehand). Needless to say, I am put in shock by the country’s stance on drinking. It seems that it is if not encouraged than definitely expected, especially at university. And while this week was eye opening into the British culture and I really felt like I immersed myself into their world, both my wallet and my liver are very thankful that I did not attempt to drink with the British at their pace.

There was one noteworthy story during one of my nights. On Wed night, I met up with my friend Igor from Philadelphia (he is doing his entire undergrad over here in London).  We headed out to the cheapest club I have seen in London (*noteworthy*). Its called Cheapskates. Basically it was 5 pounds to get in (standard for a student night in London, cheap by any other means) and then 90p a drink for the whole night (most places I had been to were charging 3 pounds a pint, hence the sudden appeal sober suddenly had). Needless to say it was nice to not feel guilty about buying a drink. The night itself was ok, decent music, decent girls, some decent conversation. However the real adventure started when the club let out around 2:30. This had been the first night I had been out without people from Imperial with me who knew the night bus system (the Tube generally closes around 1 am). Being the responsible person I am I went ahead and made sure I knew what buses would get me home later that night. However, there had been a lot of construction in the area and my bus stop wasn’t running that night.  I knew roughly where I was, and figured I would just start walking back towards my area and try to find a bus stop on the way.  So I began my hike from Soho towards South Kensington (in hindsight it turned out to be a 3+ mile walk). I knew if I just walked left I would hit the north-eastern corner of Hyde Park, and my university is on the south-western corner. So I walk and I walk and I walk until I find this monstrous building with an American flag on it. I can now proudly say I know where the American Embassy is in London. I went up to the guard and asked him if I was heading in the right direction and if he thought it would be safe to cut through Hyde Park this late at night in order to shorten the journey. He confirmed my directions but gave me quite the puzzled look when I asked about the Hyde Park detour. Apparently that is not the area you want to spend time in after dark. So I walked around the perimeter of the Park, seeing a lot more of London than I had planned on that night. Eventually around 4:30 am I made it back to South Kensington to find people still partying in my halls, so I joined in until the sun started to rise.

On Friday night I did sell out to the American in me for the first time since I’ve been here and go to a house party. My friend from Philadelphia, Igor, was celebrating his birthday, so I caught the tube and went down to Tooting Bec to see him and meet his house mates. The night seemed to last forever, with jokes flying back and forth across the room, new and interesting music I had never heard pumping from the speakers, and good conversation from new people. Before I knew it the sun was coming up trying to stop our fun, but that didn’t seem to phase anyone. Eventually at some hour late in the morning I fell asleep on a couch, but as for developing a somewhat normal sleep schedule, I’ll say that night did not help the cause.

So now it is Sunday evening, and I need to prepare for classes tomorrow, but I’ve already been exposed to so much great new music and its time to share. Here are some folkier songs that I’ve been feeling. Dance tunes will be on their way soon enough.

Noah and The Whale, “Five Years Time” (right click and Save As)

Mumford and Sons – Little Lion Man (right click and Save As)

Cheers,

Skip