Fowl Territory

Normally, smaller animals, such as birds, squirrels, etc., tend to scatter from human beings despite the location. Even at parks where the attraction is to feed the animals, they tend to flee unless physically trained otherwise. During my time in London I have come to realize that this is not the case.

Today as I was looking out the window I saw two pigeons enter an apartment upstairs. It looked as if they entered the kitchen, which I've found to be the place of choice. I estimated those birds where in there for approximately 10 minutes prior to leaving on their own freewill. I have first hand knowledge of what they left for some unsuspecting dwellers. Unfortunately, a colleague has experienced the wrath of pigeons and the presents they leave behind. The difference, however, is that my colleagues kitchen window was open approximately 5 inches, compared to the maximum allowed I witnessed today.

It's odd and sometimes scary to be living/visiting a city where small creatures embrace your presence, literally. Although this behavior may provide for ideal pictures, it is not always a comfortable experience.

Something challenging you must accept

"Name something challenging that you must accept" was proposed by one of my colleagues to her students as part of an icebreaker. This statement dawned on me this afternoon as we walked through Regents Park. Today was not only a day for exploring London, but also the various weather patterns London offers over the course of less than 24 hours. During our excursion down Oxford Street and China Town our attire changed from long sleeves only to light jackets. By the time we finished lunch in China Town it was now time to add umbrellas to our wardrobe. On our walk home from China Town the umbrellas were no longer an accessory to our attire, and the sun was peaking through the clouds. However, that changed after a few hours as our stroll through Regents Park was meet with mild winds. A summer in Georgia is guaranteed heat, while a summer in London is a seasonal experience.

Various pictures

Peter Pan Statue








Buckingham Palace








Hotel Chocolat








St. James Park





Windsor Castle

Field Trip Day

Today I successfully navigated the group to the Museum and Kensington Park. I had some help from one of the students, but I'm really thankful to my colleague Jim for lending me his mini London guide map. I was able to find the area prior to our departure which was great. I'll admit, we did get turned around twice. Once because I didn't read my own directions to turn right and the other in the Tube. For a brief moment we were under the impression that the Tube line we needed was closed due to a person beneath the Tube. However, they only closed the Tube stop where the person was trapped, not the entire line.

I would classify the area we visited today as upscale London. Honestly, the museum was located in an odd area and was smaller than I anticipated, yet we still managed to spend an hour to 1 1/2 hours on the site. Seeing the brands and packaging through the decades was interesting and spark some good conversation from the students. After our adventure we went to Portobella Road to eat. We also did some shopping :) We were able to find a buffet for 3 pounds. It was a one time trip, but it was worth it. The food was good and I have leftovers.

Kensington Park was nice. The only problem was that we were unable to find the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. We did burn several calories and our sneakers accumulated several miles looking for the fountain. We did see some great gardens, a man made lake, and of course the Peter Pan Statue.

First day of classes

Today was the first day of classes and the 2 1/2 hours flew by. Overall it was good and I'm happy I have smaller classes. I was relieved to hear that my small classes are not abnormal. Everyone seems to have 2 to 19 students and everything in between. Interestingly, the two large classes this summer are two psychology courses-The Development of Individuals and Social Context and Their Influence on Children-with 12 and 19 students, respectively.

Tomorrow is our first field trip. We (Public Relations Firms class) will be visiting the Museum of Brands, Packaging, and Advertising. After our visit inside the museum we will take a self-guided tour of various areas around London that are known for style, design, and fashion according to the website.

Arrival plus a day

Yesterday, June 20, we arrived in London safely. The plane ride was nice, yet uncomfortable at times. I assume that happens with all eight hour plane rides. We arrived in London around 7:15 a.m. (London time) and worked hard to support each other in staying awake. Let's just say it wasn't pretty. I don't remember the last time I have been sooooooooooooo tired. We rode the bus in, checked-in, had lunch, walked, then walked some more, had a meeting, was suppose to walk, and then dinner. Thankfully, I was able to stay awake beyond the 9 p.m. time suggested to avoid jet lag. However, I did cheat with a 30 minute nap prior to dinner. Since I had to wait 30 minutes before I could reboot my computer to have Internet access (I guess they want to make sure your card is legit) I decided to be creative with my time and nap. I also walked around with two colleagues after dinner, so that helped as well. Overall it was a good, long day.

Today we (myself and a few colleagues) did some sightseeing around the city. It was nice to say the least. We saw an exhibition of musicals in the West End. On top of that I took a picture with the Panda from Kung-Fu Panda and the four of us became princesses for our picture at the Chronicles of Narnia booth. Personally, the picture with Kung-Fu Panda was the highlight of my day; however, we stumbled upon the 100th anniversary of the military parade and guess who we saw?????? Prince Charles and Camilla (I hope I spelled that correctly). The car went by so fast I was only able to get a picture of the car trunk. Go figure. Maybe next time :)

Test

Hi everyone,

I've decided to start a blog so you'll know how I'm doing, and of course what. Be patient with me as I will do my best to post on a regular. So far so good. One down and several more to go. We leave on Thursday, so I have a little time before the next post.