"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind."

Wednesday was our final day of Orientation and featured two lectures on the history of the political system in the UK and how the nation has been shaped over time to include England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.  Following our morning lectures we had time to purchase books for our courses and get some information on social programmes and travel.  Later, I went to purchase some additional groceries at the grocery store Sainsbury's.  I preferred this store to Waitrose very much because it was larger, easier to find what I was looking for, and far less crowded.

On Thursday I had my first Core phase class.  It is entitled British and European Marketing Strategy.  My professor seems very friendly and knowledgeable.  She is from Northern Ireland and does marketing consulting work for many large investment banks.  The class seems like it will build upon the topics I covered in my Introduction to Marketing class from last semester very well.  Our biggest projects for the class include a group presentation in which we will create a promotional plan for the entrance of Trader Joe's into the UK and a paper that we will write based on a trip to the Brand Museum.  I'm interested to learn about the differences between marketing and advertising in the US and the UK.

After class and making a quick lunch in my kitchen, I visited the BU Student Life Center to speak with EUSA, the internship placement organization that our program is using.  In December I found out that I was placed as an intern at the New End Theatre in London, prior to the official interview.  The internship description explained that if I was selected after my interview I would be assisting the marketing director with press relations.  As I love theatre and marketing, this internship seems like a perfect fit! At my meeting I was given more details about my interview with the theatre and directions on how to get to the right location.

The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring Hyde Park with my friends Angela and Katherine, who live on my floor.  Hyde Park is located less than half a block from my building and features over 625 acres of green grass, ponds, and beautiful trees.  Our first stop within the park was the Prince Albert Memorial statue.  This memorial was envisioned by Queen Victoria after Prince Albert's death who wanted to commemorate her husband.  All of us had been wanting to visit this memorial since we first took the walking tour around our neighborhood.  It is absolutely amazing up close.  In the center of the memorial, a gilded statue of Prince Albert sitting on a throne can be found.  Above and around him is an exquisite mosaic canopy on tall pillars.  The outer mosaic sides of the canopy read "Queen Victoria And Her People • To The Memory Of Albert Prince Consort • As A Tribute Of Their Gratitude • For A Life Devoted To The Public Good." On each of the four corners adjacent to the pillars are statue groups representing Agriculture, Commerce, Engineering, and Manufactures. Underneath these groups and flowing around the base of the Albert statue is a strip of smaller statues representing the arts and sciences.  On the outermost corners of the memorial are four statues representing four geographical regions: Europe, America, Africa, and Asia.  Overall, the intricacy of this memorial was outstanding.

America corner statue on Prince Albert Memorial

Statue of a woman in Europe sculpture

Continuing through the park, we saw mirror-like sculptures by Anish Kapoor, Roman fountains, the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, and Kensington palace. The vastness of this park is exemplified by the criss-crossing bike and walking paths and by the openess created by trees planted in perfectly straight lines. After walking around about 2/3 of the park we were exhausted and headed back to the Crofton.

Sculpture in Roman Fountains in Hyde Park overlooking The Serpentine lake

Later in the evening, we reconvened to head to the BU Beginning of the Semester Party which took place at The Opal Bar.  The bar had a great atmosphere and played lots of fun music including some Madonna, Spice Girls, and Backstreet Boys throwbacks. Because we stayed at the party until after midnight and the Tube stops running, we decided to take the night bus home from Piccadilly Circus.

Today, I met up with my friend from BU, Dani, who was in town visiting her friend Mariel.  We met at the London Bridge tube station and together headed to the Borough Market.  This is a large market filled with lots of food stands selling everything from produce to olive oil to fresh meat. In addition, they also sell prepared food items and offer many samples for you to try as you walk around.  I tried a potato dish covered in fresh melted cheese and served with pickles.  It was delicious!  Afterwards we enjoyed mulled wine and cheesecake from two of the other stands, while sampling many different homemade cheeses and olive oils.

Borough Market

Stand where I got the cheese and potatoes dish

Fresh produce at the Borough Market