There has been a very interesting ban put on in London. There is no more smoking in any public places (this is extreme for London, everywhere was smokey). It has been interesting to watch the reactions. Somebody at a Pub last night started going crazy saying that next they were going to ban Jews, Blacks (not the term used, edited for the viewers), and Arabs. He said the smoking ban was infringing on his rights, and that it was "Puritanical" and "Fascist". Interesting points that he made. Also, it is extremely interesting that he would make these comments. The out lash in Arizona didn't seem to be as harsh.
The fines are only £50 if caught, which doesn't seem to be that harsh on London standards. Interesting to travel back here and comment on the change 1 month, 1 year, or 5+ years from now!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Weird Weather
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6267234.stm
Here is a link to an article about the storm that hit London last night. Pretty crazy. These people would go crazy in a Monsoon. It was nice heavy hail, but not as wild as the Monsoons of the Valley.
Here is a link to an article about the storm that hit London last night. Pretty crazy. These people would go crazy in a Monsoon. It was nice heavy hail, but not as wild as the Monsoons of the Valley.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Bad Weather
There has been awful weather today, all day, so I didn't hit the queue up for Wimbledon tickets.
Try again on Monday.
Try again on Monday.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Weekend Plans
So far this weekend:
1. Attempt to Queue for Wimbledon early on Saturday.
2. Attempt to get tickets to Concert for Diana on Sunday.
3. Photo Safari around London, if time permits.
1. Attempt to Queue for Wimbledon early on Saturday.
2. Attempt to get tickets to Concert for Diana on Sunday.
3. Photo Safari around London, if time permits.
Stonehenge and Bath
This was another one of our day trips. We got up early in the morning, boarded a bus and went out to see Stonehenge on our way to Bath. This was a great experience, and learned way more than I needed to about these stones that are laying in the middle of a barren field. To connect our trip it is interesting that the inner "blue stones" were taken from the Preseli Mountains, which happen to be right by the Preseli Ventures site in Wales. This is an impressive sight, but not one that I would spend an entire day going to see.
Pairing this trip with Bath is pretty interesting. Bath is an old Roman town that was built because it is the sight of a natural hot spring. This town is pretty cool and hosts some interesting venues including the Roman Bath Houses, the pump house (where you can taste the healing hot spring water straight from the source), one of the only bridges left in Europe with shops on it, and many other interesting points.
I will add some pictures from these locations when I have access to all of them.
The Circle Line Pub Crawl
I have added a link, so I am not going to talk about every single stop on this pub crawl.
Sean, Mallorey, Dave (a buddy from classes here), and I headed out on a Saturday morning to explore this pub crawl. We had directions to all of the bars, and an entire day to hit up all of the sites.
This is a great way to get out of the same places and see the different areas of London. It was a fun time, and great to have done it.
Sean, Mallorey, Dave (a buddy from classes here), and I headed out on a Saturday morning to explore this pub crawl. We had directions to all of the bars, and an entire day to hit up all of the sites.
This is a great way to get out of the same places and see the different areas of London. It was a fun time, and great to have done it.
Movie Theatre
While Sean was in town as well, we decided to go see a movie.
We went to a theatre in Leicester Square. Theatre tickets were extremely expensive. It ended up being about $20 to go to the show, but it was well worth it. For those of you that are natives to the Phoenix area, the theatre was a larger version of the old Cine Capri. It was an amazing place to see a show.
Sean, Mallorey, and I saw Oceans 13. This was better than the second one, but nowhere near Oceans 11. They did talk about Frank Sinatra, and his importance to Vegas. I found that to be interesting.
While we were down by the theatre, another theatre was hosting the premire of Fantastic 4. This is an amazing phenomenon. I have never heard so many screaming girls in my life (then again, i've never been by a premier).
We went to a theatre in Leicester Square. Theatre tickets were extremely expensive. It ended up being about $20 to go to the show, but it was well worth it. For those of you that are natives to the Phoenix area, the theatre was a larger version of the old Cine Capri. It was an amazing place to see a show.
Sean, Mallorey, and I saw Oceans 13. This was better than the second one, but nowhere near Oceans 11. They did talk about Frank Sinatra, and his importance to Vegas. I found that to be interesting.
While we were down by the theatre, another theatre was hosting the premire of Fantastic 4. This is an amazing phenomenon. I have never heard so many screaming girls in my life (then again, i've never been by a premier).
Phantom of the Opera
This was absolutely a spectacular evening. Sean Wagner was in town and wanted to check out a theatre proformance while he was in town. He had never seen Phantom before, and Mallorey (Sean's traveling partner) and I wanted to see it in the original Her Majesty's Theatre. Our seats were in the stalls (for non theatre attendees, this is the ground floor). We were not close enough to see the very top of the stage. This is big in a proformance like Phantom where they have things going all the way to the top of the stage opening. I would suggest to purchase seats on the first balcony if they are available, or closer in the stalls.
For anybody who has enjoyed this show in the states, it is a must to do if in London. This theatre, the actors, and everything about the show are 100 times better at the original location. I cannot stress this enough. We were all blown away, and Sean was entralled by the proformance.
For anybody who has enjoyed this show in the states, it is a must to do if in London. This theatre, the actors, and everything about the show are 100 times better at the original location. I cannot stress this enough. We were all blown away, and Sean was entralled by the proformance.
Shakespeare at the Globe
I had the distinct opportunity of being able to view Shakespeare at the Globe theatre. It was a wonderful experience. We sat on the first balcony, towards stage left. The traditional way to experience the play is to stand in what is called the pit, an area in which the peasants used to stand and enjoy the shows.
We saw the Merchant of Venice, and thankfully Jon Christianson and I had read this play in high school together back when we were Freshman. We were still lost, but were able to pull it together in the end. I can't imagine how difficult it would be if we had not read the play before.
It was very interesting because one of the lead rolls was sick, and thus somebody from a lesser roll was filling in for her position. This meant that she was reading from a script, but also would have to jump in one scene in particular to her other roll. This probably added to our confusion over the play.
All in all, It was a great experience. Something that I wouldn't do again, but am glad to have done. I would suggest this to anybody, but brush up on your Cliff's Notes before you attend.
We saw the Merchant of Venice, and thankfully Jon Christianson and I had read this play in high school together back when we were Freshman. We were still lost, but were able to pull it together in the end. I can't imagine how difficult it would be if we had not read the play before.
It was very interesting because one of the lead rolls was sick, and thus somebody from a lesser roll was filling in for her position. This meant that she was reading from a script, but also would have to jump in one scene in particular to her other roll. This probably added to our confusion over the play.
All in all, It was a great experience. Something that I wouldn't do again, but am glad to have done. I would suggest this to anybody, but brush up on your Cliff's Notes before you attend.
Golfing in England
I had the opportunity to go golfing with my boss a few weeks back. He took me out, and the course was not very good. It was fun to get on the links, but my hayfever (allergies), aweful golf club rentals, and the length of the grass on the greens caused me to not play well. The greens wouldn't hold a thing, yet you would have to take out your driver for a ten foot putt. It was a bit ridiculous.
Glad I was able to get out on the course, but not too happy about the conditions. At least I can say that I have played golf in the motherland of the sport!
Glad I was able to get out on the course, but not too happy about the conditions. At least I can say that I have played golf in the motherland of the sport!
Oxford
Finally I have a minute free to write some posts and catch up on my blog.
Oxford was extremely fun. We spent the morning getting there by Coach (not Bus, that's degrading to the Coach driver). Once we were in town, the lovely guide took us around to some of the major sites. We walked through the center of campus and he pointed out some of the major highlights. We were not able to go in to many buildings like they did last year, because most of the students were taking exams. This added to the mystique though because the students walking around campus were all wearing their formal exam attire. This attire is essentially what we wear for graduation, but includes formal wear underneath.
When the students finish their last final, they get hit with a bunch of food mainly consisting of eggs and flour by their friends. We got to witness this. A weird tradition, but one that has been going on for years. After our tour was done, we went to get food and some beers at the Turf Tavern. This place is known for being the location that Bill Clinton didn't inhale. They even have a sign commemorating this fact. Pretty funny. This pub was extremely old, and you had to snake your way through a back alley to get there. I couldn't stand up inside. Only between the rafters could I hold my head almost straight...good thing they had a patio. The ambiance was wonderful, and they had local beers. I tried the Village Idiot.
We ended our day by heading to a place called the Ashmolean Museum. This was a museum consisting of a collection of art and architecture. It is amazing how much stuff England has stolen from other countries. This museum was like a miniature British Museum and British Gallery combined. Some pretty amazing artists were represented. I have included the link to their website on my links.
Oxford was extremely fun. We spent the morning getting there by Coach (not Bus, that's degrading to the Coach driver). Once we were in town, the lovely guide took us around to some of the major sites. We walked through the center of campus and he pointed out some of the major highlights. We were not able to go in to many buildings like they did last year, because most of the students were taking exams. This added to the mystique though because the students walking around campus were all wearing their formal exam attire. This attire is essentially what we wear for graduation, but includes formal wear underneath.
When the students finish their last final, they get hit with a bunch of food mainly consisting of eggs and flour by their friends. We got to witness this. A weird tradition, but one that has been going on for years. After our tour was done, we went to get food and some beers at the Turf Tavern. This place is known for being the location that Bill Clinton didn't inhale. They even have a sign commemorating this fact. Pretty funny. This pub was extremely old, and you had to snake your way through a back alley to get there. I couldn't stand up inside. Only between the rafters could I hold my head almost straight...good thing they had a patio. The ambiance was wonderful, and they had local beers. I tried the Village Idiot.
We ended our day by heading to a place called the Ashmolean Museum. This was a museum consisting of a collection of art and architecture. It is amazing how much stuff England has stolen from other countries. This museum was like a miniature British Museum and British Gallery combined. Some pretty amazing artists were represented. I have included the link to their website on my links.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Wales
Time of my life.
We left on Friday midday, and besides my food taking about 30 minutes to get out at the train station, and thus me having to just get refunded, the train ride was easy to Swansea, Wales. Here is where the adventure began. Me and two other students were unable to get on the train because it was about double the capasity. We hopped in a cab (paid for by the train company of course), and met our train down several stops. The ultimate rush. We had no clue where we were or if we were going the right direction.
Once we finally got there, we settled in for the evening. First thing in the morning we broke up into groups of 10. First up for my group was a 7+ mile hike along a coastal path with amaizng cliffs. We were walking through fields of sheep and cattle, and standing about 3 feet away from 200 foot cliffs. The views were spectacular. My group actually saved a sheeps life as well. It was caught between a stone wall and barbed wire fence. We pulled it through the top and got it back with its other friends.
The afternoon was scheduled for cayaking. We got in the boats, and I immediately knew this was not going to be fun. I barely was able to fit in the boats. I was going to give it a shot no matter what, and headed out with the group. Because of my size and not being able to spred my legs at all, my balance was askew and I tipped over into the water several times (we were wearing wet suits of course, and it actually felt pretty good). I was able to change cayaks with the guide, and enjoyed the trip despite being EXTREMELY uncomfortable. The evening came, and we enjoyed playing guitar and starting a dance party at the facilites.
Morning brought the most exciting aspect of the entire trip to Wales. Something that I had never even heard of before being introduced to it there. Coasteering! It is a combination of swiming, hiking, cliff jumping, and exploring the coastal terrain. So much fun to be had. We had helmets, floatation devices, and wetsuits. The best part was an area called the toilet bowl. Essentially the swells in this area carry you up and down about ten feet and you sit limp in a little cove allowing the waves to hit you.
All in all a great time in Wales this weekend!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Billy Elliot
I was plesently suprised by this play. It is about a boy who goes to boxing class late, and gets involved in ballet and becomes a superstar and goes off to boarding school by the end to become a professional dancer. Interesting plot, and pretty good music. It was entertaining and funny!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
More and More building Up
Updates are coming I swear. I will be in the computer lab tomorrow.
-Phantom of the Opera
-Shakespeare at the Globe
-Movie Theatre
-Circle Line Pub Crawl
-Phantom of the Opera
-Shakespeare at the Globe
-Movie Theatre
-Circle Line Pub Crawl
Monday, June 11, 2007
ConocoPhillips
Last Monday, as part of our class session, we trekked over to ConocoPhillips for a presentation during the afternoon. Highlights included:
-Interesting topics about the hassles of dealing in a global marketplace. Issues such as political turmoil and the constantly changing exchange rates of currency play a huge role in a global marketplace. Recently their profits have been down due to the strength of the euro and
-He spoke about the importance of sustainability to the business of oil. Oil reserves are very small, and thus any alternative fuel increases will allow them to continue their company for as long as possible. At this rate they know that they will put themselves out of business while being a successful company.
-Interesting that they are considering re-pumping CO2 into the caverns that the oil is drawn from. They are in the process of looking into the systems necessary for this to be done.
-Also talked that there are two sides to every coin. For example, when soy started to be used as an alternative fuel, farmers in Brazil started cutting down rain forest to harvest more soy. This negates the effect of using the alternative fuel to begin with.
-Interesting topics about the hassles of dealing in a global marketplace. Issues such as political turmoil and the constantly changing exchange rates of currency play a huge role in a global marketplace. Recently their profits have been down due to the strength of the euro and
-He spoke about the importance of sustainability to the business of oil. Oil reserves are very small, and thus any alternative fuel increases will allow them to continue their company for as long as possible. At this rate they know that they will put themselves out of business while being a successful company.
-Interesting that they are considering re-pumping CO2 into the caverns that the oil is drawn from. They are in the process of looking into the systems necessary for this to be done.
-Also talked that there are two sides to every coin. For example, when soy started to be used as an alternative fuel, farmers in Brazil started cutting down rain forest to harvest more soy. This negates the effect of using the alternative fuel to begin with.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Topics to come
It has been a very busy week.
Topics that are to follow tomorrow:
1. ConocoPhillips meeting.
2. Billy Elliot
3. Week of work.
4. Oxford
5. Golfing in England
6. Viewing Shakespeare at the Globe (to be done Monday Night)
Topics that are to follow tomorrow:
1. ConocoPhillips meeting.
2. Billy Elliot
3. Week of work.
4. Oxford
5. Golfing in England
6. Viewing Shakespeare at the Globe (to be done Monday Night)
Monday, June 4, 2007
YO! Sushi
Sunday was spent on the computer for the most part, but after finishing my homework my eyes were opened to the single coolest thing that I have ever witnessed. We went to Picadilly Circus to find a dinner spot, and there we found a restaurant that delivers sushi to you. You pick the plates off of a conveyor belt and eat to your hearts content. It was awesome.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Liverpool
SOOO excited. I almost forgot about this. James, one of the AIFS advisors, is from Liverpool. He is taking us to the stomping grounds around his home town for the weekend coming up. Should be great to walk into the cavern club where the Beatles played their first set together. Extremely excited about this, and its even better because we are going with a Local.
Past Week
It has been really difficult to get to a computer for any length of time so that I can post on my blog. We are still figuring out if we can get connected to the Internet at our flat, then I would be able to do this daily. In the meantime, here is an update.
We have done so much. I will start with work. I work at a Real Estate Letting and Sales company called Champions. I work hand-in-hand with Charlie Champion himself, the owner of the company. We have only recently gone into Estate Sales, and thus I am helping Charlie and the company by calling all of the landlords for the properties being let. In calling them, I am checking how they are and if they have any properties available for sale. It is a great experience, and when every once in a while I run into an American voice, it is a great break. The people in the office are absolutely wonderful. They will be taking me on a few viewings in the near future, so that should be great. I work right next to Hyde Park, Prince Albert Hall, the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Natural History Museum. During my lunch breaks, I am able to grab a quick bite and then head to a museum for a little bit. The amount of tourists is absolutely unheard of though. Its at least 10 times as busy as it was during the winter months. Stopped by the Natural History museum. It was not as impressive. The big dinosaur is a replica of the one in the Carnegie Mellon History museum in Pittsburgh, so that was kind of a turn off, as I have seen the actual one.
I am finding a lot of hatred and bad talk about Americans in general. Every local I have to fight the American stereotype that we have created. Our governmental policies are viewed as us. Not to mention the corporate policy which invades other countries. Fighting against this has been fun, but an uphill battle.
This weekend we went to the London Aquarium, which was really cool. They had a huge shark tank which was neat, but they don't feed the sharks everyday...boo. We also went to Regent Park and looked at the Queen Mary's Gardens section, which is absolutely amazing. There are tons of roses over a 17 acre area. It is a spectacle at the least. Saturday, we ventured to a sports store called Lillywhites, purchased some footballs (not the American Football) and hung out with tons of people in Hyde Park and Kensington gardens for the day. It was outstanding. Today is dedicated to homework, but I might try to hop on the tube afterwards and see something random. Open a tourist book up to a random page and just go. More to come tomorrow!!
And additionally, I have found a growing desire to start a sustainable developed and green building company. As forward London is in many ways, it is also extremely behind in others. Due to the excess cash and continuing development/redevelopment of properties in the United States, I believe that it is possible to really make an impact. I have started gathering information to create a business plan.
We have done so much. I will start with work. I work at a Real Estate Letting and Sales company called Champions. I work hand-in-hand with Charlie Champion himself, the owner of the company. We have only recently gone into Estate Sales, and thus I am helping Charlie and the company by calling all of the landlords for the properties being let. In calling them, I am checking how they are and if they have any properties available for sale. It is a great experience, and when every once in a while I run into an American voice, it is a great break. The people in the office are absolutely wonderful. They will be taking me on a few viewings in the near future, so that should be great. I work right next to Hyde Park, Prince Albert Hall, the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Natural History Museum. During my lunch breaks, I am able to grab a quick bite and then head to a museum for a little bit. The amount of tourists is absolutely unheard of though. Its at least 10 times as busy as it was during the winter months. Stopped by the Natural History museum. It was not as impressive. The big dinosaur is a replica of the one in the Carnegie Mellon History museum in Pittsburgh, so that was kind of a turn off, as I have seen the actual one.
I am finding a lot of hatred and bad talk about Americans in general. Every local I have to fight the American stereotype that we have created. Our governmental policies are viewed as us. Not to mention the corporate policy which invades other countries. Fighting against this has been fun, but an uphill battle.
This weekend we went to the London Aquarium, which was really cool. They had a huge shark tank which was neat, but they don't feed the sharks everyday...boo. We also went to Regent Park and looked at the Queen Mary's Gardens section, which is absolutely amazing. There are tons of roses over a 17 acre area. It is a spectacle at the least. Saturday, we ventured to a sports store called Lillywhites, purchased some footballs (not the American Football) and hung out with tons of people in Hyde Park and Kensington gardens for the day. It was outstanding. Today is dedicated to homework, but I might try to hop on the tube afterwards and see something random. Open a tourist book up to a random page and just go. More to come tomorrow!!
And additionally, I have found a growing desire to start a sustainable developed and green building company. As forward London is in many ways, it is also extremely behind in others. Due to the excess cash and continuing development/redevelopment of properties in the United States, I believe that it is possible to really make an impact. I have started gathering information to create a business plan.
Monday, May 28, 2007
The action continues
Sunday was a pretty boring lazy day. We had nothing to do, so we hung out and got food several times. We went to our favorite little neighborhood pub and had a few pints of beer. Have yet to try all of the varieties, but it is interesting that Stella Artois is essentially the Natural Light beer of the UK. They make fun of it, people in Arizona are classy when they drink that. Interesting the difference.
Today was the first day of class, and not much was going on. We learned everyones names and then went through a game on the cultural experience and differences between countries.
Off to Oxford Circus right now to find an APPLE store.
Today was the first day of class, and not much was going on. We learned everyones names and then went through a game on the cultural experience and differences between countries.
Off to Oxford Circus right now to find an APPLE store.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
First Few Days
WOW!!
That is all that I can say. I don't even know where to start, so I will do everything in the order that it happened, and see where to really journey off to. The plain over to London went very smooth, minus some small bumps along the road. As I got on my first plain to Philli from Phoenix, there were 3 seats left (I am in the second to last row of seats). One of the seats happened to be next to me. This massive gentleman boards, and yes of course plops right next to me...ohh great. Now I am halfway into the isle!! The rest of the flights were relatively boring, but as decided I took some tylenol pm to fight against the evil that is jet lag. IT WORKED. When I arrived I trecked through Gatwick airport to wait in line for customs for over an hour...no fun. Grabbed my 800000 lb bag, changed some pounds and hopped on the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station.
Here, instead of spending £4 on a one way zone 1 pass in the tube, I should have spent the extra £6 for a taxi. I treck the tube, get to my station (by this time sweat is starting to run down my back), and head to the Atlantic House to find out where I live. Leave my bag and walk to my pad. It is awesome. We have so much room, the beds are small, but I still am blown away by our accomidations. I will try to post some pictures when I get a chance if possible. From there it was off to grab a few pints and the first meal I had since breakfast the day before. We had a breif computer orientation at the Atlantic House, and then started bonding as a group. James, one of our instructors who lives on Cottingham with us, took us to a local booser. Here we started chatting with the local crowd and ended up with some locals at a nice loungy bar called ArchAngel where the people we met new some employees. That is Friday.
Saturday, we wake up at 10 am for orientation. Here we had a real life Bobby (policeman with the funny looking hat) talk to us about safety in London. He was hillarious and told us all about london, dos and donts. From here we went and picked out some mobile phones, got lunch, and came back for a guided tour of the city. We went around the whole city, stopping a various spots for pictures and the such. Came back and then went to Picadilly Circus for dinner and drinks. We went to a huge irish pub for the night. Maloney's North times 100. It was awesome. Crazy fun.
That is all that I can say. I don't even know where to start, so I will do everything in the order that it happened, and see where to really journey off to. The plain over to London went very smooth, minus some small bumps along the road. As I got on my first plain to Philli from Phoenix, there were 3 seats left (I am in the second to last row of seats). One of the seats happened to be next to me. This massive gentleman boards, and yes of course plops right next to me...ohh great. Now I am halfway into the isle!! The rest of the flights were relatively boring, but as decided I took some tylenol pm to fight against the evil that is jet lag. IT WORKED. When I arrived I trecked through Gatwick airport to wait in line for customs for over an hour...no fun. Grabbed my 800000 lb bag, changed some pounds and hopped on the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station.
Here, instead of spending £4 on a one way zone 1 pass in the tube, I should have spent the extra £6 for a taxi. I treck the tube, get to my station (by this time sweat is starting to run down my back), and head to the Atlantic House to find out where I live. Leave my bag and walk to my pad. It is awesome. We have so much room, the beds are small, but I still am blown away by our accomidations. I will try to post some pictures when I get a chance if possible. From there it was off to grab a few pints and the first meal I had since breakfast the day before. We had a breif computer orientation at the Atlantic House, and then started bonding as a group. James, one of our instructors who lives on Cottingham with us, took us to a local booser. Here we started chatting with the local crowd and ended up with some locals at a nice loungy bar called ArchAngel where the people we met new some employees. That is Friday.
Saturday, we wake up at 10 am for orientation. Here we had a real life Bobby (policeman with the funny looking hat) talk to us about safety in London. He was hillarious and told us all about london, dos and donts. From here we went and picked out some mobile phones, got lunch, and came back for a guided tour of the city. We went around the whole city, stopping a various spots for pictures and the such. Came back and then went to Picadilly Circus for dinner and drinks. We went to a huge irish pub for the night. Maloney's North times 100. It was awesome. Crazy fun.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Hello Everyone
Hi,
Just wanted to start of with a brief introduction of what I will be doing on this blog. I am going to attempt to inform everyone of my experiences during my trip to London this summer. I will try to get as many pictures up as possible, and talk about all of my experiences. I hope that everyone enjoys what I post. I take off in a little over a week. Flying through Philli and into London.
Kalen
Just wanted to start of with a brief introduction of what I will be doing on this blog. I am going to attempt to inform everyone of my experiences during my trip to London this summer. I will try to get as many pictures up as possible, and talk about all of my experiences. I hope that everyone enjoys what I post. I take off in a little over a week. Flying through Philli and into London.
Kalen
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