I had the greatest time at my first professional football (soccer) match last night. It was very much like a college sports game with the cheers, the passion of the fans, and even the location of the stadium in the middle of a regular neighborhood. Photos to come later...
Off to see Billy Elliot (for free).
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Debt and Personal Finance Breakfast
Mark is the head of an inter-party Parliamentary group on debt and personal finance. This morning I went into work two hours early to attend. The topic of the meeting was the public perception of the credit crunch and speakers included the likes of Vince Cable MP, who is quite a big-wig in economics and former leader of the Liberal Democrats (the third biggest party in Parliament).
The conversation was pretty engaging and I got some insight into how the Brits understand the credit crunch and how they plan to deal with combating low public confidence. Many of the MPs actually blamed the media in Britain for making the situation appear worse than it actually is.
After work it's off to the LSE for more dissertation work.
Tomorrow me and some of my friends are going to see a Premier League football match (soccer game) which we're all pumped about. Then on Thursday through my program we're all going to see the musical Billy Elliot.
The conversation was pretty engaging and I got some insight into how the Brits understand the credit crunch and how they plan to deal with combating low public confidence. Many of the MPs actually blamed the media in Britain for making the situation appear worse than it actually is.
After work it's off to the LSE for more dissertation work.
Tomorrow me and some of my friends are going to see a Premier League football match (soccer game) which we're all pumped about. Then on Thursday through my program we're all going to see the musical Billy Elliot.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Magical Mystery Tour
This morning I got up extra early to go on a Beatles walking tour in London. There are hundreds of walking tours throughout London and I plan on taking advantage of a couple more before I leave. I've already gone one tour of the neighborhood I live in, which is surprisingly full of quite a lot of history.
Our tour guide was a walking Beatles encyclopedia and I definitely plan on reading some literature on the Fab Four when I have some free time back in the states.
Pictured above, we walked by the original home of Apple Records, the record label that the Beatles created. On top of the building is where The Beatles performed their famous rooftop concert, which turned out to be their last ever live performance.
We also went to the infamous Abbey Road Studios where they recorded nearly all of their songs. Also the same studio where Radiohead recorded OK Computer and The Bends -- two of my absolute favorites.
Any Beatles walk would not be complete without crossing Abbey Road where Paul, John, George, and Ringo did so famously on the cover of my personal favorite Beatles album, Abbey Road.Now back to homework...
Friday, March 6, 2009
Work, Work, Work
Don't expect any exciting posts for a little while. I've been trying to crank out pages of my dissertation for the last two days after work. I'll be doing more of the same this weekend.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Not the best of days
Today my friend John got me a ticket to Prime Minister's Questions (PMQ's) in the public gallery of the Commons. Unfortunately Gordon Brown is visiting Obama this week, so it wasn't quite the same, but still rather lively and exciting. The way that the British debate is much more in-your-face than the American style.
If it hadn't been for PMQ's today would have been the most boring day here. Rather than researching or drafting letters for constituents today I did real mundane "intern work"--stuffing envelopes and counting surveys. It was pretty awful.
Oh well.
The rest of my week shouldn't be any more exciting. My 15,000 dissertation is due in exactly one month and Cameron is coming to visit for a week beginning next Saturday. I want to get as much writing done before he comes, so that I can relax, enjoy his company, and visit some more tourist sites that I've missed.
If it hadn't been for PMQ's today would have been the most boring day here. Rather than researching or drafting letters for constituents today I did real mundane "intern work"--stuffing envelopes and counting surveys. It was pretty awful.
Oh well.
The rest of my week shouldn't be any more exciting. My 15,000 dissertation is due in exactly one month and Cameron is coming to visit for a week beginning next Saturday. I want to get as much writing done before he comes, so that I can relax, enjoy his company, and visit some more tourist sites that I've missed.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Back from Oxford
Had a program day-trip to Oxford today...Unfortunately I forgot my camera.
Oxford University made me wish that I was a brilliant British student. That is what a place of higher education should look like.
Here's a couple pictures from Chelsea and my trip to Bath and to the Tower of London this weekend:
not quite as pretty as the Edinburgh castle, but still pretty cool
view from inside the castle towards Tower Bridge
a real, live ancient Roman bath
Chelsea walking around the top of the baths next to Bath Abbey
One of the many pretty public parks we explored in Bath
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