good bye good bye

Here is my one week life here

11:00 wake up
12:00 full english breakfast at Guzen cafe
1:00 sightseeing
4:00 late lunch
6:00 back home
8:00 internet/movie/take a walk
12:00 bed

I am leaving tmrw for China, I have a lot to say but don't know how to start.
I still remembered the first day i came here and met new ppl and felt scared and later on i got to know my group well. I read at weekdays and traveled on weekends. I went to bath and cardiff I love wales and welsh ppl better than English. I am not religious but i enjoyed the evensong at churches. I have visited a lot of colleges at oxford and castles. I walked around the big ben and saw london bridge. I learned I laughed and I came and left.

the best of the best summer ever!
Ciao and love.

Life in london

It has been a week since the program ended and I lived in London. London is different than any other city like seattle or oxford. If seattle is a modernized city and oxford is a city full of knowledge then London is a city that arts&history are everywhere.

I live in my friend's place which nears king's cross, who studies arts here and her roommate is a dancer. Her roommate told me she loves london because she loves the way people live here. They drink for fun but its not for fun to drink. These could be similar but actually reflects a totally different life attitude; They enjoy their life. 

I went to the toy museum and national portrait gallery today. British want to put everything historical into a museum which is really funny. I also went all the way to hyde park just to see the famous speaker's conner there. After that I took a nap on the grass and enjoyed the sunshine.

one more day till i go back to China and I am going to watch the phantom of the opera tomorrow, cant wait!

Cheers from London

never had a dream come true

well the title was a joke lol actually this trip has helped me to accomplish my dreams since childhood. In China, before we graduate from elementary school or from middle school, we like to write something for each other about ourselves like our dream, interest. I still remember that before i entered into middle school, I wrote my dream was studying in Harvard University and travelling around Europe for one month with my best friend.

Now they all come true.

I don't have any special feeling or I even never realize that because its just like the way they are. I just know one day i am gonna study aboard in america and one day I will go to Europe by myself. I should really feel lucky about it cuz usually one never satisfy with the things they already have and want more.

Cheers from London.

tips for travelling to bath

Julia& I went to bath last weekend and stayed over one night from 7.8 to 7.9, here are some travel tips that might be helpful to you.

weather

ATTENTION!!!

Bath is a city that rains more and MORE and MORE often that any other city I have ever been and it rains REALLY REALLY hard. Friday was horrible and we couldnt go anywhere because of the shower. Saturday was nice and didnt rain at all;it really depends on the weather. SO BRING YOUR UMBRELLA!!

It was really cold for me too; I just wore a t-shirt and the northface jacket and I felt better when sun came out. SO BRING MORE CLOTHES w/ you!!

i was all wet =_=

hotel&transportation

Bath is during the high tourist season so it was really hard for me to find a cheap&clean B&B that near city center. We got lucky because the hotel I booked at first had computer error and actually didnt have room for us so they sent us to another hotel that originally request to stay 2-nights over weekend and it was a triple room!=)

The hotel was really pretty and I was so surprised and happy that it was located in the long massive buildings that make me feel like in london, tho i never been there before :P

Henrietta Street

our lovely lovely hotel

really small but cute lounge between stairs

Lastly, don't miss the city sightseeing bus, its only 8 dollars for student and valid for 2 days, we also used it as a normal bus to go anywhere we wanted. The skyline part was amazing. They took us uphill so that we could saw the whole city. There were also a lot of pretty villas.

I am just in love with this city!

All About My Britain Dream

I read the book named "life translated" when I was 12. It talked about a girl named Jennifer who came from the same city (Shenzhen) as mine, went to Felsted School in Britian at her age of sixteen in 1995.

book cover

At that time, study abroad wasn't as popular as right now, she had no idea what was waiting for her in the future. As all the teenagers at this age, She was full of passion and brave enough to chase her dream. All my early impression of Britain came from her story. I fell in love with the sky, the massive buildings and even the red telephone box in her story.

I started to dream to come here one day but in the end I went to USA instead. It's also one of the reasons why I am in this program.

I know all my friends in USA were amazed when they heard that I am from China and went here alone. But still I am two years older than Jennifer when she went to Britain. I can totally imagine how she felt and went through all the fun&trouble.

The novel was adapted for the screen later on and here's a short video in Youtube. I am totally gonna review the novel and I bet it's completely different feeling after 7 years.

Cheers!

The Beatles!

I took American pop music in spring and it talked about the Beatles a little bit, It gave me a great impression and I would like to know more about them just like how I get to know Seattle music, I get to know Seattle better.

When talking about Seattle music, you don't wanna miss Nirvana but as an international student who seldom listens to Rock music, I had no idea who Nirvana was at first. lol

Seattle famous Grunge band

I believe what made Nirvana really successful was the Seattle’ open mind to all kinds of music (although there were also people who didn’t accept Grunge music) and the commercial action (which also indirectly caused the tragedy of Kurt’s suicide)

Before Nirvana, alternative music was a strange concept and unprofitable music genre. It was Nirvana who took punk, an underground music to the masses. At the same time, Band like Pearl Jam, Sound garden, Alice ln Chains emerged. Nirvana spread Grunge music into American musical culture. Things might be different if it’s not in Seattle. 

British musical invasion happened in 1960s and everyone was either watching their music show at home or went to the live. They aren't just music, they are legend!

the Beatles

In order to sort of know how to start this search project, I have emailed the guest professor who gave me their first lecture,  here was her suggestion:


    " One angle you might want to explore is the Beatles "industry" that is now very well  established. Liverpool, in particular, relies on attracting tourists - there's a bus tour called the Magical Mystery Tour, a Beatles museum, and an entire block of Mathew Street, with sculptures, stores, and the re-built Cavern Club. The bus tour goes by the addresses of the Beatles childhood homes and places like the Strawberry Fields orphanage and the barber shop featured in the song Penny Lane!"

She also suggested me a lot of Beatles-related sites in London but I will definitely visit Liverpool if I get the chance. Doesn't it sound so much fun? lol