Orientation/bus tour/other stuff

Hello! I feel stupid saying hello at the beginning of this thing, but I also feel strange just starting to write...

FRIDAY
Anyway, so, Friday (yesterday) we had orientation. My roommates and I were about 10 minutes late because we missed the first train because it was so crowded that when the doors opened at the stop, people literally spilled out onto the platform. The next train (which was 15 minutes later) was the exact same way, but as we desperately ran toward the back of the train, some guy popped his head out of the very last car and said "There's plenty of room 'round here!" then yanked the door open. We squeezed on and then realized this car was not meant for passengers. So, despite breaking the law, we did get to orientation before they started. It was two hours long and packed full of info that I will probably write out when it becomes relevant.

We had a 4 hour break until we had orientation about the internship process, so a group of us went to a pub. I had vegetarian bangers and mash, and it was amazing. They also had vegetarian fish and chips!! We went to the Natural History Museum after lunch, which is still just as beautiful and interesting as it was the first time I went there. This time we got to see the exhibit on dinosaurs, which was AWESOME. They even had an animatronic t-rex, which was even more awesome!! (No, I am not a 10-year-old boy...)

The orientation on internships lasted about 1 hour and 45 minutes. I won't find out about my placement until February sometime. It sounds like an awesome experience though--working directly in a British group. I think that Earlham students are doing things closer to community service, though--not really working in some finance company. After that, we increased our small amount of groceries and caught the tube/train home. Later that night, most of the group met at a pub in Muswell Hill (about a 20-25 minute walk from my homestay) called ONeills, which is owned by an Irish company. It was originally a church, so it's very big, very pretty, very popular, and very loud.

SATURDAY
Somehow we made it to the 10AM bus tour this morning, although we were a bit late because of the damn train again and we ended up running to the bus. Anyway...the tour went until about 1PM, and we got off to see Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and a view of the Tower and the Tower Bridge. The tour guide lady was great, and I learned many interesting things...like...hmm. All of the areas of London that look "horridly modern" (as she put it) were the places that were bombed out in WWI or WWII and then were re-built in the 60s. Also, Westminster Abbey is only still there because the monks of the abbey apparently weren't very dedicated to Catholicism since they willingly switched to Protestantism when Henry VIII told them it was that or death. At least they saved the really amazing building.

After the tour we had lunch in a cheap Middle Eastern restaurant, then we came back home (on the most crowded tube EVER because there was a soccer game) and saw our house in daylight for the first time since the day we arrived!!!!! We just had a driving tour of the local area (including Muswell Hill, Crouch End, and sort of Wood Green) from our host dad. It's amazing how much stuff is within walking (or bus-riding) distance and it's amazing how many places there are for young people just to hang out. Also, completely randomly, it's also amazing how some of the other students on our bus tour were acting. I don't want to sound like a snob, but the differences between Earlham students and the students from bigger places like Florida University or whatever are so apparent, and they reach far deeper than the appearance thing. For example, when the bus stopped so we could walk up and check out Westminster Abbey, a huge group of girls went and bought Starbucks. They also complained about how they just really didn't want to be doing this right now, blah blah blah. I'm sure not all of the students are like that, but clearly this group made an impression on me.

Today is my roommate Leandra's birthday, so we planned on going out, but apparently the snow is supposed to get worse and I'm also terrified of the whole night bus thing. I'm sure we'll do something, but I'm not sure about making it back to central London.

I do have to say the stereotype is true...Brits love talking about the weather. Children with British accents still top the list of adorable things...including my host family's youngest boy, Benedict, who started singing "Spongebob Squarepants" in his little accent at breakfast one morning. Now, I am exhausted, and I think it might be nap time.