The Tale of my Cyclone Week

I promise I am still here!!! And I apologize in advance because this is probably going to be a novel. Honestly, so much has happened the past week I don't even know if I will be able to remember it all.

Last week we took a little field trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon and Warwick Castle. It was a rainy day (typical) but it made the castle look pretty cool. We were able to climb all around it and discover all the rooms inside. Here's the castle-->

The castle also had a gorgeous rose garden that I took alot of pictures of. -->

After the castle, we hopped back on the coach (NEVER call it a bus unless it is one of the red public transportation busses) and went to the home of Shakespeare. We saw Anne Hathaway's home as well. For whatever reason, we had 4 hours to kill in Stratford before the show we were seeing began at 7pm (We saw Taming of the Shrew). So, after a little shopping (VERY little....I bought a new umbrella because mine broke, and I bought shoes that kind of look like the old-school keds but with a black and white leopard pattern), we just got some dinner and hung out at a pub. At the pub we had a George Kennedy sighting! (That's our professor...). He did not join us. The play we saw was cool, but a little too long and hard for me to follow. The bus did not roll back onto our street until 1am (just in time for me to write my 1 page summary paper for class at 10:30 that same day). George Kennedy (or "GK" as we like to call him behind his back) likes to give me C's on my 1 page papers, although for the last one he did bump it up to a B. I think GK needs to talk to the Missourian and THEN see if he wants to give me a C for my writing to be "wordy" and "confusing". PAlease.....

On Thursday my lovely flatmates and I went to see Sex and the City at the movies. We all loved it and it put us in such a good mood (and we were all already in good moods since we had found out where we would be interviewing earlier that day), so in celebration we bought some champagne on the way home and toasted to "Glamour and big city living" (Thanks for that one Caroline!) We are fabulous. 

Before I forget, I want to make sure to tell Dan that the Brits say "Foyee" and not "Foyer" when referring to the entrance to a home. Just thought you would appreciate that. 

So now that brings me to PARIS! I can honestly say that Paris was the most gorgeous city I have ever been to. The pictures do not even come close to doing it justice. We left on Friday after class via bus (which could be a whole story in itself) and arrived around 9:30 that night. I am not going to go into the bus ride too much except to say that, yes it was cheap, however-it was very smelly, not alot of space, and for the duration of the Chunnel all air flow was shut off. Talk about claustrophobic!

Upon arrival to the station, me and the other 10 or so people I was with had a revelation-"Hey, they don't speak english here." After about 45 minutes of trying to get a ticket for the train or tube or metro or whatever they call it, we finally were off. 

STORY TIME! On our way to meet Sammi, a few french (maybe not french, just had big accents) boys sat by us and I got asked if I was french. Keep in mind at this point that I had been on a RANK bus for the past 7 hours and was frustrated. So, all I said back was "no." They asked us where we were from, and without looking at them we said, "Missouri." Now, up till this point, not one person from here has known where Missouri is. So they said, "Ah, it is very beautiful there?" I said, "No, it's just like a farm." One of them said, "Oh, I see. So you have horses and cows?" I said, "yes." And, the kicker-he said, "Ah, I like milk, it is good." I laughed and just ignored them until they exited the "ghettro". 

Emily and I finally saw Sammi at the metro stop and I was overjoyed. Although she did tell me that she saw us all the way from the corner and was jumping up and down, waving her hands, and probably yelling at the top of her lungs like we were celebrities. But, we didn not hear her. She lives in the CUUUUUTEST apartment just five walking minutes from the Louve! It was so nice to be able to stay in her place and help Emily and I navigate our way around to all the main "attractions". On saturday we went to the Louve (where I took many pictures posed as funny looking statues), the mini Arc de Triomphe (embarrassing that Em and I thought it was the real one?), and the Eiffel Tower (I still can't believe I was there). Emily talking a street vendor into selling her an eiffel tower mini statue for 2 Euros.

Although I tried to learn a few french phrases, my vocabulary for the weekend pretty much stayed at, "Bonjour!", and "Merci." Luckily Sammi is pretty good at French and Max tries. On saturday we went to the Musee de Orsay (Van Gogh and Monet!), walked the entire Champs-Élysées to the REAL Arc de Triomphe (and illegally ran across the Place Charles de Gaulle because we didn't know there was an underground way to get across), saw Notre Dame (where I ran into Sean and also took a picture acting as though I was Quasi Moto), as well as a few other things that I do not know how to spell. But they were all gorgeous. Sammi and Max also took us to so many delicious restaurants for lunch and dinner, as well as many places for deeelicious treats. I had my first dessert crepe, as well as macaroons, gelato....probably other things. I figured "Im in Paris...why hold back." And I also bought some scarves! Just can't get enough....

All in all I took close to 150 pictures and am in the process of putting them onto snapfish right now. 

Overall, it was an incredible weekend and I really want to go back to Paris. The one thing I did not get to do was actually go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower because the line was insane. So, #1 to do when I do go back: Go to the top! Especially at night it is supposed to be so pretty because it is lit up. 

There are probably so many things that I am forgetting to talk about, but there's the gist of it. The bus ride back was just as miserable as the ride there...but I was not about to let that overtake my great memories. Thank God for iPods, pillows, and macaroons. 

I have been greatly anticipating my job interview, which I had earlier today at 11. But of course it would be too easy for everything to go as planned. Last night Halli and I had an adventure, to say the least. We each had planned interviews today so last night we ventured out to try and find where we needed to go today. Little did we know that come today, the only good that trekking up and down central London last night looking for my business would be for exercise. Let me walk you through my day while it is so fresh in my head:

8:00AM-loud beeping otherwise known as an "alarm" jolted me out of bed

8:15AM- last minute research of Retail-Week magazine

8:30AM-shower and get ready for the hour-long commute

9:40AM-head to the tube. Take the Piccadilly line to King's Cross St. Pancras (which I still say in my mind "Pancreas" every time I see it), switch to the Metropolitan Line one more stop to Farrington than walk 10 minutes or so to an abandoned, locked building.

10:30AM-freak out.

10:35AM-10:45AM-exchange several phone calls with International Enrichment and find out that I was sent to the wrong venue, and Retail Week had in fact moved offices to a fancy schmancy one about 10 months ago. Told to take a cab to the Greater London House and not to worry if I am late.

10:45AM-My first "hailing a cab" experience. What do I do? I attempted the waving arm motion like in the movies, but all the taxis kept zooming past me. I can't whistle. And then an angel in a registered taxi cab wearing a blue polo pulled up beside me and asked if I needed a ride. I had 5 pounds. So he took me to an ATM, gave me much advice on interviews and life in general, and told me that he would hire me if he were the employer I was going to visit. Literally one of the nicest people I have never met. I dont know how tipping works for cabs here, so I only gave him like a pound and a half extra. 

11:10AM-only 10 minutes late for my interview, I walked into this GIANT building with two fancy cat statues out front. I checked in at the front desk and was told to sit in a fancy, modern red chair in the big open area they use as their waiting room. 

11:15AM-I met with Michael Sullivan, the art director and sole designer for Retail-Week magazine and chatted for about 45 minutes. He told me all about the magazine and what he would love for me to do throughout the course of the summer. It wasn't even an interview! I had already gotten the job (thank you taxi angel). 

12:00PM-Lunch on the new boss at a tapas restaurant. 

12:30PM-Ate duck. As well as other things....

2:00PM-Hopped on the tube home! Oh if only it were that easy.....I got on the Northern Line to Embankment. Switched to another line, made it one stop and then it stopped working for whatever reason temporarily. I didn't feel like waiting, so I hopped on the Jubilee line, took it a few stops to the Piccadilly line, and then FINALLY GOT BACK TO MY FLAT. Well, with a stop at my favorite coffee place, Coffee Republic on the way. I figured I deserved it/needed it. 

3:00PM-sit. edit pictures from paris. blog.

And now it's about 7:30PM and I am contently sitting on the couch. Halli and I are contemplating going to buy some of our favorite champagne and staying in while everyone else goes out. Tomorrow is going to be our last field trip day as we go to Parliament and the BBC. Did I mention that when Halli went to get interview today they told her it had not been confirmed? Yeah, I won't get into that one. 

Phew. See what I mean by a cyclone week? I am loving every minute of it though and I could not be more excited about my internship. Turns out 2 of my flatmates actually are in the same building as me, but at a different magazine :) I start on Thursday at 10AM! 

Oh, and I promise to not let another whole week go by without writing....I know a few of you were getting worried. 

WOW recap:

-Last week=lots of bus rides long distances

-According to a facebook quiz I took, I am most like the character "Charlotte" on Sex and the City which I think is a good thing.

-I got the job!!!!!!!! And I have my own desk!!! And my own computer!!! The web site is http://www.retail-week.com/index.html if you are interested!

-Paris was muy bueno. I mean, bonjour?

-Quack quack went the ducky on my plate. 

-I think I have literally mastered the tube system and took a giant step in becoming more independent today.

-I still don't know how to properly hail a cab. 

-Here's to glamour and big city living!

Cheers!

-Christy