Hyggeligt, Chuchichäschtli, and Other Words I Use to Describe my Life

This past week marks the beginning of it all...it was my first week of classes and I'm officially...well...official I suppose. Because this week was so packed, the easiest way I can describe it is through a collection of words:

Hyggeligt: This is the Danish word for cozy (AND IT CAN BE A VERB! Yes my friends...you can hyggel!!). However, it's not a direct translation...it's better. It is used to describe the feeling you get when you're cozy. For me, this word describes Margaux, Desiree, and my Monday night dinners. It's just us (and anyone else who walks in our community kitchens) with a home-cooked meal and good conversation. This is also the feeling I get when I'm out at a pub with all of my good girlfriends...and Massimo of course!

It's the feeling I get when the amazing Lauren Rice comes to town for a visit and the DU crew all sit and talk about our good ol' home Uni and the wonderful place that we all come from. But mostly it's just when I'm with my friends. They have been amazing and able to turn any environment that we go to into a great memory and even better time. Thank you girls!!

Chuchichäschtli: This is the Swiss-German word for kitchen cabinets. I cannot pronounce either of these words by the way. I'm getting close with the first but this one...it's just chaos. So, having nothing to do with cabinets and all to do with the visual and oral representation of the word itself...welcome to Uni at the University of Westminster...

Monday I slept in. I took it easy in the morning as I don't have class until 2:30: I wrote a blog post and calmly collected my things before getting to class a whole 45 minutes early...oops. But it's fine! Not to worry! My mother taught me well. Waiting for 45 minutes is always better than being late...to which I agree. I was terrified for this class. It's a level 6 which is the highest level; think equivalent to a 3000 level class at DU. It's not quite graduate but it's definitely senior year...in fact...everyone looks mid twenties.

The class is really interesting though. It's called Urban Tourism and all about how cities create a tourism business through policy, partnerships, capitalism, and other methods that I'm sure we'll cover soon. Even after the first day I look at London and its neighborhoods in a completely different way.

The rest of my classes should be pretty standard. I have an internship module that is sort of a professional/personal development class that compliments my internship (I'll get to that in a bit...give me time). I also have an Art & Society class where I get to go to a bunch of museums and write these great reflective/theoretical essays. It'll be fun...right down my alley. :) Finally, I'm taking a Foreign Policy class that consists of a few Americans, some local students, and some international students. It should be interesting...

So, yes...these classes are all so different. Now imagine trying to pronounce "chuchichaschtli"...
...
...
...
Oh, you've never heard it?
...
...
too bad...
keep trying...
...
...
Still not?

Yep, that's how going to class in another country, in a completely different system, within a completely different culture feels. Like trying to pronounce that word having no idea what it sounds like in the first place. I'll get there though, and so will you. We'll work on it.

Posh: Now this might be a little misuse of the word, but I discovered the Boulder of London. As I was walking about two blocks away from my flat last week, I thought I would check out the neighborhood of Shoreditch. It's rumored to have not been a very nice place a couple years ago and has now become very artsy and hipster. Truth.

The streets don't stand out as posh. In fact, at first they seemed to me to be sort of lower end. However, as I walked around a bit more I realized that they were more just simple. They were still brick and massive buildings.

• Oh! Quick detour. That's one thing I forgot to mention about London; there is housing everywhere and all the buildings are brick and continuous. Look at a satellite picture of the city and it looks like buildings are never ending and all connected. They basically are just rows of apartments that differ by style, price, and age.

Shoreditch has very nice clean buildings that are very simple. They're gorgeous brick and there is a nice little park located off Shorditch High Street. There is also an endless supply of independent boutiques on the lower level of these buildings. Imagine my surprise when I walked into this trendy store (keep in mind I still thought this was lower end) and I picked up a cute/hipster coat for 500 GBP! Okay...not so lower end. Hello Boulder! It's great. Interesting people, amazing coffee shops and it's also rumored to be home to some of the city's best night life. Also, truth.


шум (shum): This is the word for noise in Russian, and courtesy of my good friend Matt Gill who is currently 
speaking Russian somewhere I'm sure. This is how I feel about my internship. I am working 15 hours a week at 
the Directory of Social Change as their marketing intern. This place is great. They do a lot of training and they
publish resources for charities and not-for-profit organizations all over London. The people that work here are
fantastic. They are so much fun and they all have such great personalities! I came in just as they were throwing 
a goodbye party for the outgoing marketing intern. Awkward...

Anyway, the office is one big room filled with desks that are grouped by department. We basically hear everyone
and see everyone. When one department needs the other, they talk a little louder or go for a quick visit. It's always 
busy and there are so many new tasks and processes to take in. My head has "shumshumshumshumshumshumshum" 
on repeat! I'm excited to get my responsibilities all figured out and get to work! 


Accckkkk! I'm sick. Have been since Friday. I've just got a cold but it's put a damper on things! I went to the Borough Market where there was just amazing food. Tables of sweets, bread, cheese, meats, and veggies! Yes Ms. Parker...more food :). But I felt terrible with my runny nose and pockets full of tissues. I was not about to leak on someone else's lunch. I moved on quickly without purchasing and walked down the Thames to see Parliament and Buckingham Palace...from the outside. I have a strict "no sneezing on old stuff" rule.

I finished the week at a gorgeous flower market. A whole street of color and smells! Vendors yelling out "2 bunches for 5 up!" and numerous other calls. It was beautiful :) The calla lilies and hydrangeas were spectacular! I also went on a bike ride around Hyde Park with the girls and Massimo! It was a good way to end the week...hacking, sniffling, coughing and all.

 Fungi at Borough Market

 Produce

 Columbia Road Flower Market

I apologize for the many words. There was too much to fit in a shorter post, it had to be a proper one! You all get my personal journal as well as an update. Have a fabulous week!

Cheers!

When in London...Be a Turtle

Alas! It is my first day of class at the Uni. In a few hours my schedule will be set and I will be fully integrated into my study abroad experience. The past week has been a whirlwind. London always has something new to discover and the bus and my feet constantly carry me forward.

I love the bus. The red double-decker is traditionally British, and not only does the bus system make sense to me, but it gives me the opportunity to see London. An added bonus...there are windows for fresh air. The tube is great if you want to pay twice as much, have no personal space and breathe in hot, muggy underground air. Yes, it's faster but the bus is more my style. Besides, I asked the tortoise and he said slow and steady wins the race.

The past week has mainly consisted of shopping and I suppose I dropped in to the University during orientation. Now, when I say shopping I don't mean buying clothes. I mean that I just shopped...for days. Monday and Tuesday I walked around all of Oxford and Regent Street going in to every store that looked appealing. I felt these shops welcomed me with wide open arms. I have never had a shopping experience like this one. Because of many miserable pant buying experiences and my love for sweatshirts, I have never been a huge fan of shopping. Here in London, I fit into everything and I WANT to fit into everything. Department stores such as Debenhams and John Lewis are filled to the brim with knit sweaters, collard shirts, and adorable tweed jackets. It's like they created these fashion lines just for me. I have fallen in love with designers such as Ted Baker, Jack Wills, the handbags of Aubrey, and my obsession with Burberry is escalating dangerously to extreme levels. It's all the worse that I am surrounded by others who carry the same obsession. I've resisted the Burberry store on Regent Street so far...it's killing me slowly.

Clothes are not all I've sorted through. I have a new passion for markets. Camden Market (the largest market I have ever seen) was filled with international food vendors and piles of gadgets and antiques. All of the vendors trying to talk tourists into buying their products instead of the identical product three booths down. It was an assault on the senses. I have found myself touching everything because everything in London is touchable. Items are manufactured with texture. Nothing resembles the flat smooth lines of our infamous IKEA. Pillows have buttons and plush fabric, jewelry is embedded with stones, and even the food is marketed as having that perfect texture: fish and chips are crunchy, macaroons are soft but not gooey, the beer is smooth, and the cider crisp.

After Camden market...I sought out others. I have been brutally tempted by the bread, cheese, and other produce at the Portobello market, not so temped by the second hand home supply parts at the Brick Lane market, and awed by the fresh cuts of meat at the Smithfield market. I suggest you look up the Smithfield market: Disclaimer: my vegetarian friends stop reading now and don't look this place up. Located in a beautiful building, meat vendors sell their fresh cuts of meat. I stood in awe of the good cuts and beautiful marbling. Pork, beef, lamb, and chicken held the leading roles and large wholesale carcasses hung in the back window. It was an amazing sight. Unfortunately, I think we just missed the restaurant buyers as it seemed to be pretty calm when we got there. Next on the list is Billingsgate fish market.

Throughout this while time I have been blessed to meet some great friends who have been exploring London with me:

• Angela and I spent a wonderful afternoon eating fish and chips and walking around Regent Park which is like Wash Park on steroids. The gardens are gorgeous. 
• Margaux and I met and survived orientation together...that is a deep connection that will never die...and an accomplishment not to be underestimated! Plus, she always finds me when I get lost so I have to make it up to her for that!
• Desiree braved the rain this morning and the chilly 6:00am weather to make the trek to Smithfield and we discovered The Breakfast Club together. This place is dangerous folks...huge breakfast portions and the best smoked salmon and eggs I've ever had. 
• Youka and I will master our British accents...WE WILL! 
• Julie, Marie, Nicoline, and Christian helped me concur Piccadilly Institute and the awesome 6 themed club.  
• Discovering Hoxton square with my Brazilian friends! Bea, Pietro and everyone...you all are fabulous!
• And all of my Westminster Girls (Wibke, Samantha, and Lisa included) cheers to the next few months!

It has been an action filled week with so many more things to discover. After walking home from Notting Hill, (look up the distance. I live near Old Street station) my feet are finally in shape from all the walking. This is perfect timing because I plan to do a lot more walking. Many people have told me that this is a walking city and they're right. By means of a turtle slower than the bus, walking has allowed me to interact with people and to actually feel the different atmospheres of the many neighborhoods and parks. It's amazing how Hyde Park and Regent Park can be so drastically different than one another in scenery and feeling. 

It's hard to believe I've only been here a little over a week. I have a long way to go. I miss those of you that are at home and thank you to those of you who are here for making this place feel more like a home. Have a great week everyone. 

HEAR HEAR to the turtle!

Cheers.  

 Westminster Boat Tour on the Thames 

 An Empty Smithfield Market...I had to get lost to find it

 Camden Market

 The London Eye on our Boat Tour

Madame Margaux 

Do You Smell That?

So I have decided to jump on the blog bandwagon and made myself vulnerable to the inevitable comparison that will soon follow. After religiously following some of the best (Rayna Healy http://raynahealy.tumblr.com/, Hannah Parks http://hparkes.tumblr.com/, and Rachel Romero http://rayro92.tumblr.com/) I don't dare to pretend to bat in their league. Ladies, I tip my hat to you.

I began my journey at DIA with two delays...two customer service lines...and a Chicago style hot dog that was supposed to be an alligator entree. HA! I laughed in my plan's face. Or more accurately...I cried. A wise man one asked me, "what would we do if things were easy?" Which is one of the truest things I have heard in a while. If things were easy, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. But the good news is, I was successfully rerouted (2 hours late) and ended up in the London Heathrow Airport with time to spare! I met Grace and Aisling and we joyously shared an hour and a half shuttle ride with our never quiet driver, Mr. Mike.

Mr. Mike immediately educated us on how much it cost to live in different neighborhoods, what people were trustworthy to do business with, and made sure we knew that masters degrees were available in wine tasting and specialty retail. Yes please. He gave us just what we needed...a warm welcome.

I finally made it to my Hall of Residence (Alexander Flemming) and checked in with the one and only Angela. Angela is a sweetheart sent to live across the hall from me and accompany me on the three mile walk to meet Grace, Aisling, and the world traveler Katie Raff. Poor Angela did not know what she was getting herself into. We got the Maryleborne Hall in an hour only to find that the cell phone and bedding stores were closed. However, lucky for Angela, we were able to find bedding at the front desk of Maryleborne Hall where we received our second warm welcome.

Ms. Samantha Payne used to work at Alexander Flemming which she absolutely loved! She told us where her favorite restaurants and night life were and even thought it right to mention the strange sex shop on one of the corners...Angela and I finally knew what the bright pink building up a few blocks was. We also found all of her recommendations when we got lost coming home that night. ...we walked for about two hours and past our front door about four times while standing right in front contemplating where our next route should be. Needless to say...we learn from doing.

And speaking of learning from doing...cheers to Poundland! London's version of the dollar store. Needless to say..I'm living on a budget.

The same very wise man that was listed above once told me, when asked what he thought about the county fair, "there are a lot of sights, sounds, and smells to take in all at once." That basically sums up the past few days. This thought was reiterated by Angela saying...it smells so funny here. I agreed which is ironic coming from two people who raise cattle. Kindred souls!

But really. It smells different. I wouldn't have thought that smells would impact me so much, but when walking past McDonalds or KFC makes me happy...I know that means something. Everything smells different here and it's overwhelming. I can only wait until my senses adjust and before I know it, I wont be smelling anything other than the glorious smell of rain and adventure.

Cheers!

Warning: Sappy Crappy Included

I don't know if it is the jet lag, or the lack of a pillow and sheets that has me up at 1:15 this morning writing this post. However, I'm going to roll with it and use the opportunity to my advantage.

Admitting how emotional this journey has started out is very hard for me. I am in the city that I have wanted to be in for years and yet...I'm worried. I had just gotten settled in Denver after overcoming a difficult year at DU. I finally chose my majors (Public Policy and Strategic Communications) and I both strengthened relationships with my best friends and began new relationships with my now best friends. I have THE best...Best Friends...let me just make that very clear. And finally, I spent a wonderful summer with my family after having spend the last 21 months away from them and from my gorgeous sister.

Not only do I wonder why I left my sister alone (she's a kick butt senior for cryin' out loud!), but I wonder why I chose to leave a place like DU when it finally felt like a perfect fit.

This is all very hard to admit, but I know that I am where I need to be right now and I look forward to the growth spurt that is about to take place these next three months. Now...enough sappy crappy and let's get to the story!