Today was an extremely eventful day! I got up pretty early (I guess my body clock is still a little off), and had a meeting at 10:30 with my group. My class met for the first time today to discuss everything we will be doing over the course of the month. I am SO excited about all the place we get to go: Westminster Abbey, The British Library, Stratford-Upon Avon, Buckingham Palace. Today our professor showed us how to navigate the Tube and buses, and then walked all around central London. I also ended up getting stuck in between the Tube doors, so remember! The doors are not friendly, and they WILL clamp on your body and you WILL get scrapes and bruises and ugly black marks.
My friends and I ate lunch at some place in central London that had chains on almost every block. Sadly, the food was not too great, and the prices were not the best. Plus the service sucks, which I'm finding is pretty common in London. I guess British people like to take a REALLY long time to eat, and then an even longer time to wait for the check? This reminds me, I ate lunch at The Greedy Cow and had their Kangaroo burger. I know, doesn't really sound the most appetizing, but I was kind of surprised. The meat did have a bit more of a sweet and tangy taste to it, and smelled really weird, but I guess if you can get past the thought of actually eating Kangaroo it's not too bad. However, keep in mind that you will be paying for the fanciness of the food, not the quality.
As far as money is going, I went through 200 pounds in two days, but I know that will slow down as I had to spend around 121 for a month long tube and rail pass, and I was buying personal items from stores. The best things I've found to do is to buy food and cook yourself meals (if available). My flatmates and I are lucky to have our own kitchen equipped with fridge/freezer, microwave, sink, and toaster. This saves a LOT of money, for getting something as simple as a burger can cost around 8 pounds (about 10 American dollars), and sometimes that doesn't even include sides.
I did buy a pay as you go phone today, as I fear the moment I get somewhere without WIFI, rendering my IPhone useless. The phone and data was pretty cheap, costing me only 26 pounds. My friends each got one as well, so we can text and call each other if need be. I also feel more comfortable being able to more easily reach my professors. Some other girls went with the whole buying a SIM card here that will work in the UK, but knowing my luck, I would end up paying astronomical fees because of some little rule I would overlook. I feel much safer this way.
Overall, I feel as if today was a very successful day! Tomorrow we are going to St.Paul's Cathedral (which is not Catholic, but oh well, it's still beautiful!) and riding the London Eye. Hopefully more adventures will take place between the two!
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