Hello From London!

Hi Everyone!
Ok, so you all have my sincerest apologies. I am just about the worst blogger in the entire world! I realize that my last official post was in January, and that Eric has been the one to fill you in on some of his interesting life points since then. I got so busy last quarter and ultimately forgot that I was responsible for keeping up my end of the blog. So, here in London, I hope to make my ammends. My plan is to post a blog once a week (I'll try, I promise!). So, to catch everyone up:

Last quarter was a whirlwind, but was exceptionally fun. I got a 3.9 in Italian which was one of the greatest classes that I've ever taken. I make some of really great friends in that class and just had a blast. My dance class ended up being really fun. It was basic, but it really helped improve my technique once I got into the quarter and started working really hard. I also really loved my tutoring job. I got to go to class with the students and since I was a good tutor, we got to be pretty good buddies :-) I miss my job, so hopefully I will be able to work for the Student Atheltics Department when I get back to the states.

Now, on the London. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I cannot begin to describe how fabulous it is and how comfortable and I safe I feel here. My host family consists of Lucy and Ed (the parents), Joe and Louis (the kids, 13 and 11), Jeremy (18, a friend of the family who is staying with them while he works), me, and Spenser (my roomie, she and I have a lot in common and have gotten to be great friends already). They are such a wonderful family and I am having the most wonderful time staying with them. I live in Barnet, between East Finchley and Fortis Green. This is in the 3rd zone of Northern London. I have a London transport pass which means that I get around the city on the underground or "tube". It's similar to the subway systems in New York and Washingon D.C. but much bigger and even easier to navigate. You can get completely lost in the city and feel completely comfortable because you know that there is a tube station nearby, and it is so simple to get around the city. I feel like Londoner already!

I really like my classes. I have a theatre class that consists of reading a play each week, writing a short response on an aspect of it, discussing it, then seeing it performed. Last week we read and watched "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" by Joe Orton. The play was hilarious, and the performance was great. Two of the main characters were played by familiar, well-known actors, Imelda Staunton and Mathew Horne, look them up :-) (the other actors were probably famous too, but I didn't recognize them). Tomorrow, we'll see Kafka's monkey.

I also have Art, Architecture, and Society which consists of us walking around the city in certain areas to learn about them. It's fun and great exercise. Last Wednesday, we walked for 4 miles along the canals, from near King's Cross St. Pancras to Little Venice. Next week we get to spend the day at Hampton Court.

My last class is called Contemporary Britain, which analyzes the British people. We haven't done much with that yet, but it should be interesting.

I've been to several really cool places, including spending the day in Chelsea on Friday. I will have to post those pictures very soon.

Well, that's about it so far. Here's a few pictures until next time. There's a mixture of Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, the Globe, and a sign that I find particularly funny...