Just a few stolen photos and some comments

Just a quick post to show some pictures (that I have stolen from my friends here). I still refuse to put any of my photos up on the internet (or even take them off my camera) until I get home because I like the anticipation of holding out an entire month to revisit all the sites through my photos.

This is Rachel A., Rachel P, Meghan, and I (in that order) climbing up the front gate to Buckingham Palace after just seeing the Queen!!


This is me, Meghan, Rachel A., Rachel P., Kelly, and Corey standing out behind St. Paul's Cathedral (not a very good shot of the cathedral but asking random people to take our picture tends to lead to this type of photo)

This is just a silly picture of me that Rachel A. took while I was figuring out how to get Big Ben in the background of a picture (Big Ben is out of the left side of the picture I promise)

Tomorrow morning Rachel A., Meghan, and I head to Ireland for the Bank Holiday weekend. We will be there for Friday night and Saturday night (mainly only spending all day Saturday touring.) We are taking a train and ferry to get there so it will take most of the day Friday and ALL of the day on Sunday to travel between London and Dublin. Sunday's train trip is expected to be around 10 hours because they will be so crowded because it is a bank holiday on Monday. We have brought books, card games, ipods, and cameras to pass the time watching the land pass us by. We are all really excited!!! (Wondering why the 4th member of our group Rachel P. is absent from this trip? She left for Scotland by herself for a bus tour for the entire weekend! We begged her to take photos so we can see when we all return on Sunday/Monday.)


I have neglected to tell much about the classes that I am taking over here. One is an Education class taught by Dr. Unks (crazy, old man but super nice and helpful!) He talks about British things and how things differ. We learned about the differences in education between European schools and American schools the other day. We discussed the succession of the crown this morning. (I know my Aunt Kaki could go back much further than we went today though!) The other class is a drama class taught by Dr. King (super cute and sweet old man who travels around the city holding hands with his wife!) We discuss the plays that we see every other day. He gives us ideas to think about as we watch the plays so we all center around the same ideas in class discussion.

One of my friends (Jenny Tenney!) asked me on facebook the other day what my favorite thing I have done/seen so far in London would be. This is incredibly difficult to answer. We have done an extraordinary amount of things within the past week and a half. I really enjoy the differences between the UK/US cultures. Looking right instead of left when crossing the street, having coins for the smaller amounts of money (£1 and £2), the total lack of litter bins anywhere, and the accents (love them!). I guess what she probably means though is more along the lines of what has taken my breath away. Three things stand out here (all cathedrals/churches). The Coventry Cathedral ruins were absolutely spectacular. Knowing the history of it (it was bombed during WWII during the blitz) and just sitting there during the Sunday church service and being able to hear the congregation singing hymns as I watched the rays of sun through the empty windows shine on the broken floor. This is something that I will never be able to describe in full. The second would be Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-Upon-Avon where William Shakespeare is buried. The thought of being so close to the remain of a literary genius was mind blowing. I was totally speechless the entire time walking around in there. The stained glass windows were also beautiful. I can't fully describe this either! The last one (so far on this trip at least) would be St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It is massive and gorgeous from the moment you entire the doors. The ornate gold work and paintings on the walls and ceilings is something to be marveled for hours. Not only could you walk around in there but you could also climb the 434 steps to the very very tip top of the cathedral and have the absolute BEST view of the city. I took tons of photos from up there. You could see EVERYTHING! London Bridge, Tate Modern, Big Ben, Thames River, National Theatre, everything!!

We saw Billy Elliot last night at the Victoria Palace Theatre and it was absolutely amazing!! The singing and dancing was unbelievable!! The lead was 13 years old! The plays here are so great! After the play, a few of us went to Kings Cross train station in search for Platform 9 3/4 (Yes, Harry Potter fans, it exists!) The picture below is us in front of it. We all got individual pictures pushing the trolley through it too! Everyone was so giddy. We are all dressed up because we went straight after the play.


I have 5 minutes left on here and must find some things for Ireland for this weekend. I hope everyone is doing well. I miss everyone (especially mommy and daddy!) but I will be home soon.

Mind the Gap & Billy Shakespeare

I have only 18 minutes left on this computer to type a blog. Please pardon the shorthand and lists but it is the best way to get the most amount of information out in the smallest amount of time.

I am having a fantastic time! I appreciate all of the comments that ya'll are sending me too! They brighten my email inbox when I get around to checking it!

I have seen so many places and so many plays so far!
Plays seen so far:
The Rose Tattoo in the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre

My Child in the Writers Theatre at the Royal Court Theatre

Vernon God Little at the Young Vic Theatre

Avenue Q at the Noel Coward Theatre (seeing this tonight at 8pm with just a few people as a side play just for fun-not for class)

We have received the list of plays that we are seeing as a group but I will save that to keep you interested in the blog! Let's just say that I am most excited about seeing...Daniel Ratcliffe act on stage!!!!!!!

Places I have been so far:
Buckingham Palace - We saw the QUEEN OF ENGLAND HERE!! We saw a car being escorted by police outside of the palace and peopel screaming and waving so we ran after it (like crazy Americans) and saw the QUEEN looking right at us! We did not get pictures but we took some reenactment pics so we would remember forever.

Houses of Parliament - a bit dry but still cool to see that they still wear the silly white powder wigs!

Cabinet War Rooms/Churchill Museum - absolutely fascinating!

Tower of London - the crown jewels are spectacular! I have officially seen the largest diamond in the world!

Imperial War Museum - we only saw the top two floors because they kicked us out at 6pm when they closed - still very interesting

British Museum - i saw the Rosetta Stone which is quite cool from a Linguistics perspective! I cant imagine stumbling upon such an incredible piece of history.

Piccadilly Circus - went to this last night just to see the lights and glory (and because the announcer on the tube sounds funny when she says it - crazy British accents!)

THE MIDLANDS

Oxford - interesting to see a different type of education system in a foreigh country that is so highly regarded (they also film a lot of the Harry Potter films there)

Blenheim Palace - beautiful gardens with cool paintings inside (very long winded tour guides though!)

Churchills grave - very neat since I had been to his museum the day before! What a great man.

Coventry - good hotel (Britannia Hotel) and very close to the cathedral that was bombed during World War 2. I loved sitting in the cathedral on Sunday morning during church time and hearing the hymns.

Warwick Castle - huge! Very neat to see a real castle though!!

Stratford-Upon-Avon - i love Shakespeare!!!! Basically speechless the rest of the day after seeing his house, his grave, and Anne Hathaway's house.

********3 minutes left on the internet!!

Drove through the Cotswolds - beautiful countryside!


We have officially booked our two weekends to Ireland (this weekend) and Paris (the following weekend).

The weather here was great this past weekend in the Midlands and has been beautiful today. A bit rainy yesterday, but eventually cleared up. Umbrellas and rainjackets are very important!!


I hope everyone is doing well. MIND THE GAP PLEASE

Hiya

London is great so far!! It may rain quite a bit but that does not detract from the beauty of the city. I have been shopping on Oxford Street and been to a play in the Olivier Theatre in the National Theatre. We saw The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams last night and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The play ran a bit long (everyone agreed) but it was well done. The southern New Orleans accents were not exact (some Brit English would slip out) but it was very good acting. The hotel we are staying in is nice and the beds are so comfortable. I literally fall into bed every night because I am so tired from running around all day!! I watch TV during the morning and a bit yesterday afternoon and it is quite entertaining. Everything seems silly in a British accent.

I'm still attempting to get used to the coinage here. I just stand at the counters sometimes and have to read what they all cost. On the money note, everything is so expensive. Not only is theUS dollar worth only half of the Great Britain pound, but things just cost more in general already! I just have to keep thinking, once in a lifetime experience. This will be worth it in the long run and I will be working all summer once I return to the US.

We have had class yesterday and today and it isn't so bad. It typically runs from about 9:30am to 12:30pm. We have a break in there too. The professors are both really nice and interesting. One is very laid back (Dr. Kimball King) and the other (Dr. Gerry Unks) is a bit..."anal, old, an odd mix of both cute and annoying" (quoted from my friend Rachel). They are both having a fantastic time here too. It is obviously one of their favorite (or favourite?) places in the world.

I booked my weekend trip to Paris today. We have switched the weekend that we planned on going because all the hostels/Eurostar are booked up. We are heading to mainland Europe on 1 June for 3 nights! We have yet to figure out where we are going for the longer weekend (24 May-28 May). We are thinking Ireland but still may change our minds depending on the prices! This weekend the entire group heads to the Midlands (Oxford, Coventry, Stratford-Upon-Avon, etc). Everyone on the trip is really nice so far (even the four billion Chi Psi fraternity brothers).

The weather has been a random mix of cloudy, rainy, and sunny. I dont mind the rain which is good. It has yet to really POUR down on me though, just sprinkling on my umbrella. I felt so London last night walking back from a play at the National Theatre carrying my umbrella and catching a red double decker bus back to my hotel. It was fun!!

My time is running out on this computer at an internet cafe so I must run. I love all your comments and emails! They make me feel so loved!! Hope everyone is doing well!!

CHEERS

I jumped the pond

just wanted to write a quick quip that I have arrived in London, England safe and sound. I have taken a few silly photos of street signs and coca cola light (diet coke) cans. It is cold and raining. I got asked for directions which means that I do not stick out as an ugly American! horray!

My parents were reluctant to let me go through security by myself (I think my mom wanted to just jump into my suitcase). Eventually she realized that I am 21 years old and can handle this by myself.

The flight from Washington Dulles to Heathrow was not as bas as I had expected. I read most of Bridget Jones' Diary but did not sleep a wink. I arrived in London around 6:00am GMT and have spent some time wandering the streets with a friend. I must use the rest of this internet hour to search for flights/trains/ferrys to Paris/Ireland/wherever.

Hope everyone is doing well

London Calling

My family and I watched The Queen on video last night. My mother, my brother's girlfriend Vickie, and I all enjoyed it quite a bit. My dad and brother...not so much. We all thought it was a great insight into her life and job though. Helen Mirren did an incredible job (She deserves that Oscar!)

I leave tomorrow (Monday 14 May) for London. I'm currently packing up everything that I will absolutely need. If there are things that I may not need, I've been told not to pack them. I can always buy things over there (I'm not heading to Somalia or anything!) Packing is such a chore.

The hardest thing so far this past week has been saying goodbye to a lot of my friends. Many of them graduated today from Carolina and so I may not see them for a long time. Other friends I will see in a month when I return, but that does not make it any easier. I promised "I WILL BE BACK" to a few friends to settle their nerves...and my own. As much as I am excited for this trip I am extremely nervous. I have never travelled alone, I have never been overseas, I have never been given so much freedom in my life! Compared to my best friends Julie and Maggie, I am a baby when it comes to travelling. Those girls have explored the world by the time I'm heading out for my first steps.

As of now, I have not purchased any train/plane tickets to Paris or Ireland but I plan to do so when I get settled across the pond. I really have no set plans other than what the program has laid out for us.

As I have already expressed, I may not be able to post on here very often because it will cost me several pounds an hour to write. I will attempt to write on here as much as I can though. Pictures on the other hand, will not be posted until after I return. There is no way to connect my cameras (yes, I am taking two digital cameras) to the computers for uploading. I promise to post them when I acclimate back to the US.

This is my last post before I skip over the pond. Thanks to everyone who has given me tips, gifts, and love the past few weeks. I know that I will need them all.

It's only a month.


"You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." - Samuel Johnson

FINAL MEETING: YOU MUST ATTEND

So we had our last meeting in the USA last Thursday (My mother's birthday). We filled out yet another form of our travel information (flights, ETAs, etc) and then went on to find out more information about the trip. Dr Kimball King told us about the 8 (possibly 9 or 10 if lucky) plays that we will be attending in London. Unfortunately, he only gave us the dates and times and withheld the play titles. We should be attending roughly TWO plays each week! The first one is the day after we arrive in London. Here are the dates we were given for the plays:

Wednesday May 16
Friday May 18
Monday May 21
Wednesday May 23
Tuesday May 29
Thursday May 31
Tuesday June 5
Wednesday June 6 (Shakespearian play outdoors, weather permitting)
Thursday June 7

I am so excited. We are even taking tours of many of the theatres before we see the plays! I am so excited!!!

Next, Dr. Kimball King's wife, Dr. Harriet King spoke about the trips that she will be guiding us through. She is the museum guru and so we will lead us through the British Museum and the British Library. These dates I do not know yet, but I anxiously await seeing the most popular and most exciting exhibits that these places have to offer!

The main task of this meeting was assigning roommates. There are five triple rooms (three people to one room), many "twins" (two people to one room), and a few singles (one person to a room). I am signed up for a "twin" room with my friend Meghan. They claim that these roommates do not matter because you only sleep, shower, and dress here but I figure that it will be a lot of fun and minimal stress to KNOW the person that I am rooming with beforehand.

Recently, I have bought a new raincoat and several pairs of shoes (must be comfy, supportive, able to withstand rain, but NOT SNEAKERS or "trainers" as the Brits call them). "Trainers" are the one item of clothing that make Americans stand out the most in Europe. Our advisors have told us again and again to resist the urge to take them because you will stick out and people can easily spot you. They have given many similar warnings throughout the semester.

They did provide us with our addresses though!

Melissa Perryman
Mentone Hotel
54-56 Cartwright Gardens
London WC1H 9EL
Great Britain

They still claim that the best way to communicate will be email. I hope to be able to check my email semi-regularly. Just know that I will be quite unreachable most of the month but email is by far the best way to communicate with me. Also, emailing provides a written record that we can save and print to remember this time. Please email me instead of writing or trying to call me. My email address is:
mkperry@email.unc.edu

I'm sure that everyone has heard by now that someone is trying to keep me from going to England. His name is Mr. Exchange Rate. The current exchange rate from US Dollar to GB Pound is ridiculous. It hit the highest that it has ever been in history! EVER! But not even this villain can keep me from jumping the pond! Check out the NASDAQ report on the exchange rate


My brother sent me an email a few weeks ago explaining to me the best way to travel from the US to London.

1. Go to www.google.com
2. Click on "Maps"
3. Click on "Get Directions"
4. Type "New York" in the first box (the "from" box)
5. Type "London" in the second box (the "to" box)
6. Scroll down to step #23

Thanks to his wonderful knowledge I think I can strap my floaties on and make it there in about 80 years.

I leave in two weeks. I am so nervous but so excited!! I
must also inform you all that I will probably post photos of my
journeys when I return state side because it will be almost impossible
to put them on the site from Europe.  I promise to post some when I
return. I hope to make a website that will be linked from this site to
show much of my travels and adventures! I will try my BEST to keep
everyone informed of what I'm doing even if it is a short and to the
point post. Thank you all for reading my blog! I enjoy typing about my
emotions and meetings so far!

Prince William & Princess Melissa

So the big news over in the UK is that Prince William and Kate Middleton have broken up. They have been dating for several years and there was even talk of engagement earlier this year. I think that he heard that I was coming to London in May. That must have been the reason for the spilt, dont you think? :) (You can find more information on the royal split on BBC News .)

I received an email tonight about very important information for our final meeting. We have this meeting on Thursday, April 26 (My mother's birthday!!) at 7pm. We will cover flight information, insurance, emergency contact information, and roommate preference. Our group will make up most of the residents staying in the Mentone Hotel (see link on the right side for more information) during our month of residence. There are mostly 2-bedded rooms but there are five 3-bedded rooms. I know one girl on the trip and have come to know another nice girl, but have yet to discuss rooming. I guess we can figure that out within the next week.

Today marks the 4-weeks-until-departure date. I officially leave the United States in 29 days!! I cannot believe it is so soon! I feel as if I have miles to go before I can even think of London. I have been incredibly busy with research papers, exams, and presentations lately and the final exams are looming on the horizon. The last day of classes for UNC is Friday April 27. Final exams begin the following Monday. The last day of finals (and I of course have a final exam on this date) is Tuesday May 8th. I am also inclined to continue working at my old dormitory (Carmichael Residence Hall) for many days before I leave for London. Graduation for seniors is May 13 (Mother's Day!!) but I hope to not be around for that madness!

Oh and during our trip we have two long weekends where we are permitted to travel wherever we choose! I really want to go to Paris, France and maybe Ireland or Scotland. I hope to grab a few people and hit the trains to take some exciting weekend adventures. Any suggestions of places to go are welcome!!