my first blog post

I guess I'm not really sure what a blog is meant to say...

Yesterday was my first day of classes and today is my first day off. Tomorrow I have two classes and thursday two as well. I enjoyed my first class, British Life and Culture because I like the way my professor teaches and I like the ideas he presented. Our first class was for the most part about the confusion of the British Nationality through the combination of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland that is the UK. It is fascinating to me that in this modern day countries can still view themselves as conquered and without a voice.

I was hoping to go to either the museum or the park today to sketch, since I have no classes, but Julissa and I overslept and Christina had class. I for one seem to still be jetlagged... it's funny to look at the clock on my laptop that says it is 8:40 in the morning at home, but here it is 1:40 in the afternoon! The time change is definately something to get used to. At least I am somewhat used to looking left when I cross the street and looking for signs on the sides of buildings that post streetnames instead of actual separate street signs that stand alone. I am becoming accustomed to our tiny kitchen and its foreign (and also tiny) appliances. I suppose I won't ever get used to that extremely strange sounding fire alarm that woke us all from a sound sleep only a few days ago... If they had that kind of fire alarm at Marist I'm sure people would not sleep through it!

I'd say that the only thing i sincerely dislike so far is that our classes are with other American students. My British Life and Culture class is only for Marist students, if it weren't for the professor's accent and the beautiful victorian style room I could have been back at marist... not exactly what I had in mind when I pictured studying in a foreign country. At least in our other classes we will be mixed with the students studying abroad from other colleges.

I had my first experience with the tube on sunday, we went to Camden Market in Camden London. It was amazing! It was huge and crowded (funny because London didn't seem crowded before this) and completely eye opening in the styles, hair-do's, and accessories for sale and worn by the locals. Now there were really two parts to the market, there was what we would consider a semi normal part where trendy fashionable and affordable (once you haggled) clothing and accessories were sold. Though I must admit that there were some very interesting designs in there and it really opened some more doors in my mind... I love to see my mind broadened by fashion into new directions and possibilities. Adorable frocks, dresses, funky t shirts and fascinating hoodies.. and of course plenty of cute things that were meant to be dresses but became shirts on me! I did end up buying a coat, a dress, and some gloves, and yes I spent all the money I had on me, right down to my last 20 pence coin! But realistically I knew I would end up doing that so I only brought what I was willing to spend in the first place. I was also quite proud of myself that I managed to haggle properly without feeling like a rude american.

The other part of the market was very different... For my friends from home I suppose the closest thing you have to compare it to is a Hot Topic store, but when i delved a little deeper into this market I found that Hot Topic really barely scratches the surface. I saw some truely revolutionary, unique and genuinely repulsive and offensive fashion and it was amazing. I'm still not sure how I feel about jackets trimmed with human hair or violent acts displayed on clothing ... even a pin made from bloody barbie doll arms but the experience over all was one of awe I think. Awe and maybe even a little jealousy that these people had the balls to express exactly what they wanted without fear of offending or repulsing anyone. They were what they wanted to be no matter what anyone else thought and for that I certainly envy them!

all of that culminates in the fact that I will DEFINATELY be returning to Camden market, at least once before I leave... probably numerable times.