Hello London! Mind the Gap!

Finally in London!
So this is my second day in London and it has already been very exciting and very different.

My journey began with a three hour delay in Atlanta, because our plane had "maintenance issues." Apparently the generator was not working, which according to the pilot, we really needed to cross the Atlantic. So we had to wait! By the time we took off I was super sleepy. However, I have a very difficult time falling asleep on airplanes because it gets really uncomfortable. Eventually I was able to doze awkwardly for a few hours and I was awakened when breakfast was served.

DAY 1

From there I went through the uneventful landing, going through customs, and getting a ride to my housing. I will be living in a flat (an apartment) with five other girls. Our apartment complex is called Newman Court and it is entirely for students from the CAPA program. It's nice because at least all of us Rice students get to live together, but at the same time it makes it difficult to meet local British students.

Our flat is cozy, a little small, but has all the essentials. I will be sharing a room with an old friend from Rice and a new friend from University of Minnesota. We live in a neighborhood of London called Ealing...and I really like it so far. It is slightly distanced from the center of London, but it is nice to also experience London life in a quiet neighborhood. There are many businesses, shops, and restaurants, nearby. Everything is about a 10 minute walk from our flat, including the nearest underground stop. The underground trains are called the "tube."

After resting and unpacking, visiting my Rice friends, and going out to dinner at a local pub, I finally went to sleep. Because of the time difference, I woke up at 3 am thinking it was morning and and I was ready to get up! But then I realized I still had a few hours :)

DAY 2

Today I got up at 7 am because we needed to be at the CAPA center at 9:30 am. We wanted to leave early in case we got lost or in case the tube was slow. I left with two friends around 8:15 am and it ended up taking a while to get to the center. We got there almost an hour later! Riding the tube was interesting though. There were so many people! But unlike other metros or underground trains I've ridden, people seemed to be very courteous, friendly, and polite. It was a good experience and I look forward to learning the ins and outs of the underground. I think it helped that I was no stranger to public transportation. For me it seemed just a regular commute in a different city's public transportation.

We made it to the CAPA though, and we were ready for our orientation part 1. First they showed us what was available at the center. There is a small library, a computer lab, and a lounge called CAPAccino where we can get free coffee. (YAY!) It is pretty small but somehow, through a delicate scheduling process, it can accommodate 200 international students.

Our orientation sessions were not too thrilling. They went over basics and topics on transportation, health and safety, and rules. Tomorrow should be more exciting because we're going over our internship placements and academics! I can't wait for classes to start. I feel like my brain has been on idle mode for too long :)

During our lunch break we got to walk around the Kensington neighborhood, where CAPA is located. We visited the Natural History Museum, which is amazing. It is huge! So we are definitely going back since we only had time to go through the Dinosaur exhibit. It was a really good exhibit. I'm sure Christian would have loved it!

At the Natural History Museum

We also visited Imperial College, which we were told is like London's MIT. It is a really nice campus and we had lunch at a student cafeteria. Through our program, we also got a membership to their student union so we can join their clubs and sports teams while we're here. I look forward to meeting some students!

Overall, today was a day full of new adventures, new places, and new people. There is still much to explore though, but I'm glad that I've liked it so far and I'm glad I haven't faced too much of a culture shock. In fact, I couldn't help felling like I fit in somehow. Yes I have a different accent :) But I still felt like I could blend in with other people. I'm glad the program is off to a good start and I can't wait until classes begin!