1/4 of the way done!!

Wow time flies when you're having FUN!! Can't believe I've been here a month! It feels like years but also like no time at all. I counted, and in the last four weeks we've been to 10 different cities!! That number is just going to increase with Scotland, Italy, Wales, Ireland, and France!! I can't wait!

THURSDAY our opera got canceled!! My one chance to see the Barber of Seville and the tickets were for the wrong night! So I have a feeling that Canterbury & Dover and the opera got switched by accident..

FRIDAY we headed to Cambridge college to tour some of the colleges and of course, most of them were CLOSED. apparently going to closed things is what we like to do best. So we just walked around all day inthe freezing cold and did a Punting Ride (which is basically a gondola) down the river Cam that runs along the backside of the colleges. It was freezing and we got stalked by a duck that eventually jumped in our boat. 

Yeah. Scary stuff. 

Then, we tried to get warm and find a college that might have been open and ended up going to King's College and nothing else.. Fun. Then, we went home.

SATURDAY we went on a tour of Parliament and were supposed to go right to Evensong after. But when we were walking into Parliament, there was a police van full of barking, growling, vicious dogs ready to attack. Then Parliament was freezing cold and long and boring and we couldn't take pictures but I loved all the stuff about the Queen and how she only comes in for one day. They walked us through the process she has to go through and they showed us all the portraits of all the Kings and Queens. So cool. So then, it ended and we were going to walk across the street to Westminster Abbey to hear Evensong but all of a sudden, there were cops everywhere and a barricade set up all around Parliament. The cops had full body shields and, of course, the dogs-in-waiting. 

Yeah. Scary stuff.

Apparently, there was a student union protest arranged for that day and that time and the cops were getting ready. And we were going to get caught in the middle of it. So we made our way to the nearest Tube station, trying to go as quickly as we could but, suddenly, there were hoards of people marching the opposite way towards Parliament and the Abbey. All of them yelling and holding signs. Some were wearing ski masks and other things to hide there faces and when they caught sight of us swimming against the current, they started yelling at us to "Come on! Join us!!" Some hissed and others just gave us creepy looks and suddenly, I became scared for my life. All I wanted was to be safely in a Tube on my way home, away from the crowds. But even when we got in the Tube, the Circle and District lines were both closed so EVERYONE was on the Central line and trying to get away. I have NEVER seen the Tube that packed before and I was just freaking out inside. Trying to keep a calm, cool, and collected composure. Finally we arrived safe and sound at home and all I wanted to do was sleep. 

So I did and didn't go out the rest of the day:) And got to Skype my parents that night!!

SUNDAY nothing much happened. Lesson went well and we had Munch'n'Mingle after church again!!

This is me being Ayshan!!

MONDAY no class so I went for a walk with Brittney, Liz, Shelbi, Megan, and Emily and ended up in SOHO and CHINA-TOWN!!! Which was seriously SO cool!! We're gonna go back on Saturday to get Chinese food to celebrate Chinese New Year!! Then we stopped at The National Gallery for Fine Arts and I got to see Jan Van Eyck's "Arnolfini Wedding" and it was beautiful!! Then we had an excellent time playing around on the Lions outside in Trafalgar Square! Those things are taller than they look and very hard to climb up.. Just so you know.

Came home, had dinner and THEN!!

LES MISERABLES!! (but that's it's own separate post coming later)

TUESDAY for the History 201 class we got to go to the Jewish Museum here in London and it was really neat! It's small buts holds a lot of information about their history, immigration, discrimination, and the Holocaust. Then we came home and grabbed a quick bite and changed for the afternoon class and Afternoon Tea at Kensington Palace in the Orangery!!

This was probably my favourite event so far. It was so elegant and classy and so delicious! We had little sandwiches and crumpets and some petite tarts for dessert. I had Peppermint tea and it was outstanding! Pretty much my favourite. The hall we were in was so gorgeous and just made me feel so British. The only slip up was when they came around to pour the water into our tea cups and we hadn't opened our tea bags so the guy looked at us like we were idiots! Haha good times! Everything was just perfect:)

Then we came home, had dinner, and a bunch of us girls watched Dirty Dancing in the classroom! So much fun!! Love life!