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[hannahgoesabroad]

Famine and war have ravaged the country of South Sudan in Eastern Africa. The media’s lack of coverage on these two issues could result in the world’s newest country being written out of existence. The South Sudan War started in December 2013, when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy, Riek Machar and an assortment of others of attempting a coup d’état, or an overthrow. Machar denied the accusation but left to lead the SPLM, or Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement. Ever since, the two powers have been fighting, which has lead to the devastation of the majority of South Sudan. Media attention to South Sudan has only begun to increase in the last two months because of the famine declaration issued earlier in the year. Even now with a spotlight concentrated on the country, the media is too focused on the news facts, such as how many people have been killed there in a week, and less on the cause and solutions that could ultimately end the war. The war and famine have killed between 50,000 and 300,000 people. Yet, no one outside of South Sudan knows that this is happening. Articles are only being written maybe twice per month on a country that desperately needs more attention, specifically during these terrible times. Even when one looks at the articles that actually are written, the subjects of these pieces are only about what new killing spree has occurred or how increasing amounts of people are being displaced from their homes because of the war. All of this information is extremely important, but there is no nod toward the future. Article titles such as ‘UK goes beyond UN to say South Sudan violence ‘is now genocide’’ or ‘War and Hunger drive South Sudan Displacement’ are just some among the few that appear. Nowhere in either of these articles does it say what the people of the rest of the world can be doing in order to stop the killings, famine, and displacement. The rest of the articles found say much of the same thing, but none mention what can be done to stop these atrocities. The lack of news articles from the media urging the public to act and donate could lead to the ultimate fall of the world’s newest country. With journalists being unlawfully detained, tortured, and even murdered in the country of South Sudan, the hope of getting information out from the country itself is narrowing. According to journalist Jason Patinkin, a writer based in Juba, South Sudan, “Nine South Sudanese journalists have been killed since 2015, including one shot in the back just days after President Salva Kiir threatened to kill reporters, and another allegedly shot in the face with his hands up just shortly after he had been arrested and released by authorities.” George Livio, a journalist for the UN’s Radio Miraya, was jailed by South Sudan’s National Security Service on August 22nd, 2014. Livio is approaching his third year in prison, yet no charges have even been filed against him. This is against South Sudanese Law, which states that detained persons are to be released quickly if they are not charged. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) runs Radio Miraya, and yet they have never called upon the government to set him free. No press releases, no speeches, no TV broadcasts, nothing. Even after Livio was arrested, UNMISS did not announce his detainment until a month later. Considering Livio is an employee of the UN, this should be an issue that the UN is very public about. Livio is not the only journalist to face dark times in South Sudan. Pantinkin comments, “Other reporters have been abducted, tortured and burned with melted plastic and dumped in cemeteries. Some have fled the country altogether” (African Arguments). If the UN is not releasing certain information, journalists are not able to get crucial news out to the public, as well as to other countries. This can lead to lack of reporting from other countries. If other countries do not know exactly what is going on, then their people won’t either, further isolating the country of South Sudan. Outside countries will not be able to help South Sudan because they do not know what is truly going on. Because outside countries are not getting a steady stream of information from South Sudan, they would be less likely to report on them. Less reporting can lead ultimately to neglect, which could end in the erasure of South Sudan. It cannot be forgotten that journalist Jason Pantinkin, who is doing on the ground reporting in Juba, South Sudan, wrote in his article that President Kiir is threatening to kill journalists. Again, a threat against their lives is keeping journalists from reporting any information. If journalists cannot report, no one will know just how corrupt the government has become. If people do not know what is happening, how can they care? Again, the lack of reporting from South Sudan could lead to less help and an ultimately forgotten country. The BBC reported in December that “a UN Human Rights Commission in South Sudan warned that ethnic cleansing was taking place in the country, something that President Salva Kiir has denied.” With mortality rates estimating between 50,000 and 300,000, the South Sudan War is not something that can be ignored any longer if South Sudan hopes to stay afloat. If accusations as serious as ethnic cleansing are ignored, South Sudan will fall. The South Sudanese people know the turmoil their country is currently in but have no voice to speak to outside countries. Bishop Tombe, from the South Sudanese city of Yei said, “…those living in rural areas continue to die immersed in the deafening silence of the media and before the indifferent gaze of the international community.” Journalists are living in fear that what they report could have them tortured or murdered. Without the help of the media, the South Sudanese people face an almost certain ruin if their country is not helped. By having journalists killed and tortured, the government is exposing themselves to the rest of the world, saying that they don’t want anyone to know about what is really happening to their people. They do not want the rest of the world to come in and try to fix things; they think this is something they must solve themselves. There is only so much pushback that the rest of the world can receive from a country (in actuality, a president that does not want help) before their focus is turned towards another big issue. People who would have the voices, such as journalists, are being murdered, tortured and/or detained. Whenever we hear news from Africa, it is almost always negative. A new war has broken out, more and more people are starving, etc. Why is it that we only hear the bad things that we have come to, for some reason, expect from Africa? Part of the answer could be that no matter where in the world you’re located, negative news sells more than positive news. It could also be attributed to the lack of voice Africa as a country has compared to other countries. Remi Adekoya, a journalist for the Guardian, says, “Of course there are many different and often positive stories to be told from Africa's 54 diverse countries. But the continent currently has no microphone of its own on the global stage, no loudspeaker with which to tell its stories the way it wants them told. It has to wait in line hoping others lend it theirs from time to time.” With no voice, the country can only hope that the world will still continue to care for them. But, if other countries stop caring, South Sudan could drop off the radar, slowly but surely. If other countries cannot get information from them, they will stop reporting on them. Thus, South Sudan could be written out of existence.

[hannahgoesabroad]

Feature Writing Assessment 3

The sizzling sounds of the fryer are the first thing customers hear when they walk into any fish and chip shop in Britain. That pungent, fierce smell of oil permeates the air, settling into your clothes. No visitor to the shop would have it any other way though, because this ensures that your meal will be mouthwatering. Fish and chips have long been an English staple. When people list what countries are famous for what foods, Britain is always fish and chips. Originally served in newspaper, the tasty fried treat was being served in over 25,000 fish and chip shops in 1910. By 1929, fish and chip shops had been popping up all over Britain, with a total of 35,000 selling Britain’s own comfort food. Slowly but surely, fish and chip eateries started to drop off left and right. By 2009, there were just 10,000 shops left. Why is this? Back in the 1900s, the only shops that fish and chip shops would have to compete against were other fish and chip shops. Now, though, more cultures are stepping in and providing stiff competition for the long loved British staple. Evidence suggests that this decline can also be attributed to McDonald’s debut in the United Kingdom in 1974. This year would be the start of the burger revolution. Not only did burgers become hugely popular, but people were also just starting to grasp that our oceans were being negatively affected by the amount of fish farming going on. In October 2009, 748 million burgers were being consumed per year, while fried fish was only being consumed at 229 million portions. In fact, comparing quite a few other items such as Chinese/Indian food, chicken, and pizza, fried fish ranks last on the list. Environment secretary for DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Elizabeth Truss, explains why fish and chips have extreme competition in this day and age: “Shoppers are more plugged in to where their food comes from than ever before, the internet has brought quality produce to our doorsteps at the click of a button, pop-up restaurants are showcasing the latest trends and exciting global cuisines are now as common as fish and chips.”   Truss is concerned about how these changing food trends will affect our food and farming industries in the future. But is this the only reason that less people are consuming fish? The world is just beginning to understand how our oceans have been pillaged and picked through over a span of thousands of years. Whether it be by plastic, oil, or unlawful fishing, our ocean life seems to be steadily decreasing. Between 37 to 120 billion farmed fish are killed for food each year. Multiply those numbers by 100 years, and we may have a problem. While legal fishing can keep the amounts of fish in our oceans at a healthy number, illegally farming these vast amounts of fish don’t allow for reproduction, which is ultimately decreasing the amount of fish in our waters. The MSC, Marine Stewardship Council, is a global non-profit organization that works to promote sustainable fishing and protecting the world’s supply of seafood for the future. In a statement on their website, the MSC says, “Our vision is for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life- today, tomorrow and for generations to come. A sustainable seafood market is crucial to making this vision a reality.” So what exactly is sustainable seafood? It is defined as “seafood fished or farmed in a manner that can maintain or increase production in the long term, without jeopardizing the health or function of the web of life in our oceans” (David Suzuki Foundation). The goal of organizations like the MSC is to protect our oceans while fishing responsibly. Shops like Kerbisher & Malt located in Hammersmith know all too well about the changing market for food. Hattie, a K&M employee, spoke about how working for a company like Kerbisher & Malt has given her insight into the decline of fish and chip shops in Britain. She spoke about how there used to be loads of fish and chip shops around, but now there’s none.  “We’re the only fish and chip shop in town. There’s less choices nowadays, so people come to us,” Hattie commented. Kerbisher & Malt buy their fish daily at a local market calling Billingsgate. One of the biggest fish markets in London, K&M pick only the freshest and properly sourced fish. “We try to be very conscious about where our fish is coming from,” Hattie said. Frequent fish eater Allie Groppo spoke about how she was only vaguely aware about the sustainability of our oceans. “I do think about it sometimes, like when I’m going to buy fish at the store, but most of the time it isn’t something that is on my radar,” Allie remarked. Taking her first bite of Kerbisher & Malt’s fried cod, she quietly chews before giving it a rating: 8.5 out of 10. Rock and Sole Plaice, another fish and chip shop located in Covent Garden, feels very strongly about the freshness of their fish. Where the fish is coming from and how it is treated is what matters to them. “It’s very important to us to have fresh fish, every day,” head chef Bill told me. Like Kerbisher & Malt, Rock and Sole Plaice also buy their fish every morning from Billingsgate Market. They sell about 10 boxes a day, which equals to around 400 pieces of fish. “Yeah, I would say I have noticed a decline in shops around this area, but Rock and Sole has been selling consistently for the past 150 years,” he smiled proudly. Though they mostly sell cod, Bill proudly talked about all of the other fish they also sell. “There’s blackfish, haddock, and we prepare all of our fish here. None of it is coming from factories,” he said. Evidence suggests that the significant decline in fish and chip shops over the past 100 years is due to our need to sustain our oceans and changing food trends. People are becoming more conscious about our oceans and new cultures are providing some healthy competition for the beloved British cuisine.

[hannahgoesabroad]

I went around to a few fish and chip shops in London to conduct interviews and learn about Britain's beloved fish and chip culture. Enjoy!

[hannahgoesabroad]

On March 22nd, I visited the Frontline Club to watch a panel discussion on the South Sudan War. Having previously known nothing about the war except the bit of research I did beforehand, what surfaced over the course of the hour-and-a-half talk shocked me.

Five experts on the South Sudan War sat on a small stage at the front of a room filled with pictures emphasizing the cost of war. Children so skinny you could see their bones filled the frames of several pictures, while several other pictures showed armies with massive weapons threateningly marching towards the next fight.

Each expert on the panel gave a little bit of information about who they were and what their relationship was with the country of South Sudan.

This war-torn country has had very little coverage, its first bits of coverage only just beginning last week when the country made a famine declaration. Five million people in South Sudan have no nutritious food in their diets. One billion South Sudanese people suffer from acute malnutrition per year.

The perspectives on the panel enabled the audience to experience several different sides of the story. A humanitarian view, a journalistic view, a governmental/political perspective as well as a personal perspective were all part of the discussion. Each offered a new and exclusive insight into the atrocities that are currently happening in South Sudan.

Getting down to the basic facts, the war in South Sudan is between the South Sudanese people and their government. Any money the government receives is going towards building up their armies, ultimately increasing levels of starvation, unemployment, death, etc.

Stories of warehouse looting, rape, murder, and starvation littered the discussion, each member emphasizing just how much corruption and terror flows through the streets of South Sudan.

At the end of the discussion, emphasis was placed largely and heavily on the idea that there is a ton of work to be done in the country of South Sudan. In order to get aid to this country, audience members were urged to try and spread the word as much as possible so that help could be sent to this nation in need.

Here are some links that can be used if you wish to read up on the war and how you can help:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14069082

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Sudanese_Civil_War

https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/

[hannahgoesabroad]

Barcelona update!!

It’s taken a bit to get back on here because of the constant whirlwind that my life has become! So here we go.

Leaving for the bus to the airport at 3am was quite the experience. Because it was so early, the tube station wasn’t open yet, leaving us the only option of taking an EXPENSIVE black cab. While the experience of riding in one is necessary when you visit the U.K., I still felt the pains when handing over a wad of cash before boarding the bus that would take us to the airport. With the exception of the woman who was nearly asleep on my shoulder a good portion of the ride, the hour to the airport went smoothly.

Arriving at the airport, the amount of immediate confusion was evident. Just like any airport, there are people sprinting towards security while others were sighing loudly standing in the never ending check-in lines. But unlike almost every other airport, there were no signs as to where we should be going. Printing out our boarding passes the night before, we were able to skip the big lines and head right towards security. Because this was an international flight, myself and my two best friends had no idea how/when we were supposed to get our passports checked. After asking multiple people who told us that they would check our passports at the gate and to just head through security, we headed towards the grumpy TSA agents.

Security itself was an absolute nightmare, but long story short we got through and had some time to grab coffee and waffles (yes, there were waffles at this airport!!) before heading to our gate. At the gate the workers barely even checked our passports before sending us on our way.

The ride wasn’t bad, until our ears all started to hurt like crazy. I’ve flown many times before, but never felt the ear pain that lasted me the entire trip and even for the few days after I got home. Landing smoothly, we quickly moved through the empty airport and took the bus to our first hostel ever.

After settling in there, we headed back out, walking around the town before heading over to lunch and the beach. After consuming the best burger I had ever had at Maka Maka Burger Cafe, we headed to the beach where we grabbed gelato and took a walk in the sand.

Next on the list was a trip over to Park Güell. Now, let me tell you, I can admit that I am not too in shape considering my limited access to any gym facilities here, but the climb to the top of this park... There were people actually taking pictures that, if you turned the camera to a certain angle, it looked like they were climbing a wall; it was really almost a 90 degree angle walking up that hill.

Out of breath and more tired than ever, I was shouting in my head that this view better be worth it. And boy, was I not let down. The entrance where the benches colored with mosaic tiles was became open to the public just before sunset. Above I’ve put up a couple pictures where you could see out to the whole of Barcelona. It was breathtaking.

At the suggestion of an amazing friend who had studied in Barcelona the semester before this one, we headed to a tapas restaurant. The experience is one I would recommend to everyone. It was some of the best food I had ever eaten! And I couldn’t even tell you what half of it was! The seductive language on the menu eventually just led me to throw my hands up (both literally and figuratively) and grab whatever came by our table (except the seafood of course). After we were full and just about to fall on our faces from tiredness, we knew we still had to hit up the Barcelona night life, even for just an hour or two.

We then headed over to a Dow Jones style bar. I grabbed a mojito (which had way too many little bits in it) and slurped it down quick before we headed back to the hostel. We just about fell into bed on Friday night.

Saturday morning came and with it a day full of sightseeing. La Sagrada Familia, Arc de Triomf (yes, there is one in Barcelona as well as Paris), The Picasso Museum, etc. I won’t bore you with all the details about the line waiting and picture taking, but long story short after our long day of activities we stopped for a late Mexican lunch and then headed back to the hostel for a short nap.

Waking up confused and disoriented 3 hours later than we planned on getting up, our group slowly but surely made our way over to a late Italian (of course) dinner. Little did we know how special we were about to feel.

Leading us to our table, the hostess turned to me and said, “We have a special table for you,” with a sly smile. Unsure how to read her tone, I didn’t return an answer. But alas, she was being genuine. Before I even get to my seat I notice a black plaque on the mirror behind the table. In big block letters were the names “Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles”. No way! I had read about this online! Whenever Jay-Z and Beyoncé come to Barcelona, they always eat at this restaurant and sit at this table! I was freaking out! I had never felt more like royalty.

After a filling dinner and delicious dessert, we headed over to the George Payne Irish Bar. Once again, my fantastic friend that studied abroad in Barcelona recommended this bar, specifically the ‘blackout platter’ it served. Equipped with 6 shots (2 tequila, 2 jäger, 2 sambucca), a pitcher of Red Bull and vodka, 2 glasses of Sex on the Beach, and 2 glasses of Sangria, whoever partook in the drinking of this tray was bound to have a good time. And for only 20 pounds!

The next morning we headed back towards the beach and stopped at a lovely brunch place. My breakfast was served on a shovel! It was absolutely amazing: eggs benedict along with a dressed fruit salad and a waffle with warm raisins inside. Full and happy, we headed to the beach where my roommate/best friend Gracie ended up wiping out when a wave came up too quickly; her phone was ruined and she had to buy new pants! I almost died laughing.

We headed from there over to the Gothic Quarter, which is a notorious shopping district in Barcelona. Lucky for us, there was a festival going on the weekend we were there. A parade of floats weaved throughout the square, teenagers playing recorders and children on parent’s shoulders laughing and clapping along. 

The end of the trip arrived a lot more quickly than we wanted it to. We had all fallen in love with the city, and didn’t want to leave. But of course, we couldn’t miss our flight so we headed back to our hostel, grabbed our bags, and set off for the airport.

The experience coming home was definitely no better than the experience heading there, but I was able to sleep a bit on the plane and then again on the bus back to the tube that would take us home. What a weekend it was!

Next destination: Nice, France and Interlaken, Switzerland for Spring Break!

Hope you enjoyed my ramblings, signing off for now,

Hannah

[hannahgoesabroad]

Feature Writing- Color Piece

Below you’ll find a piece of work I’ve just written for my Feature Writing Class. It details the experience I had at the Chinese Lantern Festival. Enjoy!

The Chinese Lantern Festival has a 2000-year heritage, which is evident as crowds of people head towards the lit up greens of Chiswick House Gardens in London on an unusually warm Friday evening.

Back in 206 BC, the Western Han Dynasty reign, lantern festivals had a massive significance; they were a focal point for communities to come together. The lanterns were originally carried by children. While walking through the city, they would attempt to solve the riddles that were written on the lanterns. As the tradition grew, the lanterns were placed up in palaces and along the streets. The more ornate the designs on the lanterns were, the more nobility the person had.

Animals and mini-landmarks can be seen from the main path that weaves throughout the gardens. On this 75-minute walk, places such as the Taj Mahal, the Forbidden City (a palace in China), and the Eiffel Tower are depicted. Children’s movies like Kung Fu Panda, Aladdin, and Alice in Wonderland are also exhibited.

The narrow paths are silent yet peaceful, the only noises coming from the crunching of leaves underneath feet, or the occasional camera flash. The suspense of the next beautiful light structure is what keeps feet moving. Little kids run along the paths eager to see the next sight, while their parents hopelessly trail behind them. There are no breaks as their child is constantly moving onto the next purple and blue dragon or red and yellow teacup.

Halfway through the walk, the path is intercepted by a marshmallow stand, along with a hot drinks stand and souvenir shop. Path walkers can pick almost any flavor of marshmallow they can think of. Plain vanilla, raspberry champagne, grape, coconut, etc., all available for visitors to roast at the enclosed fire pits.

Back on the main path, the need to take in each beautiful structure is essential. Every color in the rainbow used so specifically and articulately, each piece having months of work put into it. Several groups are stopped along the path, each wanting a front row seat to experience the magic.

At the end of the walk, the narrow path opens out into a big square, where several food stands are set up. A towering Ferris wheel looms in the far corner. Each food stand has at least one unique food item that it is advertising. Churros with chocolate sauce, fries in cheese and gravy, and sushi are just some of the delectable treats offered.

Several attractions surround the outer-bounds of the square including an ice bar, an ice rink, a teacup ride, and “The Magical House of Sweets”. Several young children skate around the small ice rink, while crowds of bundled up adults enter the ice bar as if they were headed into the tundra.

After munching on select foods, festival visitors head over to the colorful but intimidating Ferris wheel. For just three pounds, riders can board a creaky passenger car and cycle around the wheel a few times, gaining access to beautiful views of the park.

Screams and laughter can be heard as the Ferris wheel halts to a stop to let passengers off the ride. Carts are rocking, much to the delight of the terrified riders who are screaming at their friends to stop. Once all has calmed down and the wheel begins to move again, riders fall into silence, appreciating the colorful views in front of them of the garden and the surrounding areas of London.

Feet planted firmly on the ground, onlookers of the Ferris wheel enjoy to-go containers of Chinese lo-mien and cups of mulled red wine. As this is the end of the festival, most patrons linger in the square, not willing to let the events of the night become memories just yet.

[hannahgoesabroad]

I recently attended the Chinese Lantern Festival held in Chiswick Gardens. Here is a video I made to show the adventures inside... Enjoy!

[hannahgoesabroad]

Hannah Goes to Paris!

Sorry for the lack of posts recently; so much has been going on! This past weekend I went to Paris, France. I visited the most touristy locations, the biggest among them being the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame, and Versailles.

This first trip of the semester was taken with the program I’m on, with around 50 to 60 people in total traveling. Arriving to Paris on Friday night, we checked into our hotel and stopped for a quick bite to eat before heading to our boat tour down the River Seine. The boat was a double decker, with the top being open and the bottom all covered and heated. We passed sights like the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame, cameras constantly lighting up while the poor tour guide tried to talk over the crowds of rowdy students.

We took some extra time in front of the Eiffel Tower, and we knew it was a special night because the Tower was lit up in rainbow colors. Paris is competing to have their city be the next location for the 2024 Olympics, which is the reason for the colors (signifying the colors of the rings). In the middle tiers of the tower there was a sign with glowing letters, it had the phrase “made for sharing” running across it.

After leaving to boat tour, we got on the metro (suprisingly still difficult even with my london tube experience under my belt) and headed towards the actual location of the Eiffel Tower. We ended up getting a great photo opportunity with where we ended up, having a raised view of the tower and making it just on time to see it start to sparkle. On the hour every hour the tower sparkles for the first five minutes of the hour. I caught on video the exact moment it changed over and it was magical. Since we had had a long day of traveling, after the Eiffel Tower, we headed back to the hotel and fell into our comfy hotel beds.

Saturday came quickly, and with it a jam packed day of activities. We had a scheduled bus tour, so we hopped on that in the early morning and drove around the city of Paris. We were dropped off at the Louvre, which had just experienced a violent incident (may have been terroristic, investigators aren’t sure yet) the day before. While some of us were more on edge because of this, we were determined not to think about it. Even when we saw the guys with massive guns strapped across their chests walking around outside and inside the museum.

Inside the Louvre was absolutely wonderful, some of the most famous sculptures and paintings ever to be created housed in there. Seeing the Mona Lisa up close and personal was quite the task, having to push through crowds of people, terrified somebody would try and pickpocket you while simultaneously praying that your phone battery wouldn’t die before you got your selfie with the painting.

After the Louvre, my little group stopped for some amazing, but expensive!!, macaroons (my first try, soooo good). We then headed over to the Notre Dame. The line moved relatively quickly, and we were lucky enough to enter right when Mass was starting. For seven euros, I lit a tiny candle that I left and also got a bigger candle that I lit and then took with me. After I finished my prayers, I turned around to see one of my friends, Johnathan, pretty emotional. At the sight of him, I started crying as well. I still couldn’t tell you why exactly I was overcome with so much emotion; I think because of the atmosphere, with everyone around me singing so joyously and the connection that I felt with God in those few moments put me over the edge. I fully realized how lucky I am to be in the situation that I am, to be surrounded by people that love and care about me and knowing that no matter what I end up doing with my life I will always have that basic sense of security that an overwhelming percentage of people never have.

Saturday night we headed back to the Eiffel Tower to get a closer shot. One of my friends, Brenda, has been to Paris before and practically shoved me in the direction of the crepe stand right next to the tower. I got a nutella-filled crepe and can honestly say it may have been one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life! After taking 10 thousand pictures in front of the tower and scarfing down our crepes, we headed back to the hotel and got ready for our last day of the trip, which would be spent at Versailles.

Sunday morning we took the hour long train out to Versailles, arriving around 10:30 and finally getting through the front doors at quarter to 1 p.m.. Google searches and brief memories of history lessons gave me a bit of background as to why the place was so historic, but no amount of information can convey how beautiful the building and surrounding gardens were. When venturing around the back gardens, the calming nature made me wish there were time machines that could transport me back to when Marie Antoinette and King Louis XIV lived in the palace and walked the back gardens.

After returning to our hotel, we only had an hour or two before we had to get on the two and a half hour train ride that would take us back to our ‘home’, London. By the end, we could all agree that while we absolutely loved Paris, we had chosen London for a reason. We were more than happy to return to the city that had cleaner tube stations, less chances to get pick pocketed, and where everything was in the English language.

This coming weekend: Barcelona! More updates to come, thanks for reading!

Signing off,

Hannah

[hannahgoesabroad]

It has been such a busy week!

In the past week I’ve traveled to Cambridge, seen the house where the Parent Trap was filmed (only a fifteen minute walk from my college!), went to Platform 9 3/4 from the Harry Potter movies, eaten way too much food, and almost got attacked by pigeons and seagulls at Hyde Park! Oh, and been to classes too... almost forgot!

To start with classes, all of my professors are awesome! The way the classes are set up is a lot different than back home. Instead of a lot of little assignments, there are, typically, three major assignments for each class throughout the semester. There’s one due each month, but with 5 classes that can suddenly seem like a lot for someone who isn’t accustomed to that structure. At first I was overwhelmed, especially knowing how much I’ll be traveling, but when I sat down and wrote out all of my due dates I calmed down a little bit. I’m just going to have to be extra on top of my studies this semester, which won’t be too hard because I love all of the courses I’m in.

Contemporary London Literature, Feature Writing, International Journalism, Media Ethics and Law, and British Fantasy Writing are all of the classes I’m taking. The past week went relatively smoothly and quickly, finally getting settled in and taking our first classes in London. I’m excited to see just how well I can handle the stress of my new course structure and if I’ll really make it out of London alive.

Platform 9 3/4, also known as the place where parts of the Harry Potter movies were filmed, has been on my list as a place to visit for years. King’s Cross Station is the tube stop where Platform 9 3/4 is and it’s only a 5 minute tube ride away from home. So one night early in the week when I had nothing to do, I grabbed my friend who has an equal love of Harry Potter and set off towards King’s Cross station. At the station, they had the famous trolley half sticking out of the wall, and right next to that was the gift shop (aka where I wanted to spend all that I had in my bank account). We waited in line for a few minutes before being handed a scarf from the house of our choice (I chose Gryffindor, obviously) and got to make different poses with the famous trolley. My friend that came with me, Brenda, got in a few photos with me and the results are hilarious! That was definitely a short but very memorable trip.

As for the weekend, it was full of birthday fun. Friday night was Pub Crawl Night. 5 bars, free first shot when you reach the bar, and discounted drinks had my name written all over it.

Saturday night held yet another friend’s birthday, but I could barely move from the night before so I settled for ice cream and some Harry Potter movie-watching.

Sunday morning was my program’s trip to Cambridge. Cambridge has several colleges spread throughout the town, with famously genius people like Stephen Hawking and Isaac Newton on past rosters. The trip was short and very, very cold but definitely worth it. We stopped in at a Pub where two scientists had announced the discovery of DNA! Since it was a Sunday, in the town square was a market full of things ranging from the generic London tourist buys to very unique clothing items to food that smelled absolutely fantastic.

Monday came relatively quickly, and with it a day of walking. About a 15 minute walk from campus is the house where the Parent Trap was filmed! I ventured down there with my two friends, and along the way we passed the Natural History Museum and people busking in the streets. After visiting the house, we headed further down to Harrod’s, the totally expensive no-idea-what-some-of-the-brands-even-are department store of London. After crying about not being able to afford even the pens used to sign off on receipts, we made our way back home and settled in to another relaxed night of oreos and peanut butter and the Parent Trap.

That brings me to today, Tuesday. I only had two classes this morning, so the rest of the day has been spent running little errands and trying Thai food for the first time (so good)! Oh! I also moved out of my room! I was lucky enough to be able to switch rooms with someone and move in with one of my best friends here. So we shall see what the future holds...

Coming up is my trip to the lovely city of Paris in a week and a half, a London Eye trip, hopefully a ton of more exploring, and most importantly, great food!

Signing off,

Hannah

[hannahgoesabroad]

Thursday night brought with it an air of uncontainable excitement amongst the study abroad students: it was finally the night of the boat party. The rain refused to halt as my sizable motley crew of friends boarded the double-decker boat. The first floor had a bar and tables for people to sit and chat while the second floor had another bar as well as a dance floor. Towards the back of the boat, you could walk through a pair of doors that opened out onto a deck. People were out on the deck all night snapping pictures and taking in the gorgeous sights around them. A sense of calm was felt out on the deck, while inside the boat you would have thought that Penn State football had just won the National Championship! (It will happen next year, I already know it.) Our trip down the River Thames lasted around 3 hours, plopping us back onto solid ground right as the London nightlife was starting to pick up. 

Roundabout Pub was our next stop on the list for the night. The atmosphere of the crew was giddy as test tube shots slid down our throats and the music started pumping. Before we knew it we were already on our way back home to grab some of the famous food at Nando’s. After our delicious meal we all hit the sack, endlessly excited about all of the things we would be experiencing while studying abroad.

Friday morning soon came ‘round and there was only one thought in my mind: I needed a day of relaxation. With school starting on Monday and Saturday and Sunday being packed with pre-arranged activities, Friday was the day to do some local shopping and exploring. Twenty minutes away from my school is a big shopping area, with plenty of foreign brands, a few American brands sprinkled around. Primark is a company that just recently expanded to the U.S.. I would describe their clothing as great and unique fashions for affordable prices. You definitely wouldn’t be breaking the bank if you wanted to splurge a bit (or in my case, a lot) in this shop. (Sorry Dad, you probably shouldn’t look at your credit card statements anytime soon…) So off towards Primark I went with cash in hand and my friend Brenda in tow. Since Primark isn’t far away, you think it would be easy to get to, right? Think again. Two trains and a bus later we finally found ourselves in front of the Holy Grail. What a trip that was! We ended the night with cupcakes and Harry Potter (there’s really nothing better).

Saturday was the day my inner English nerd was finally allowed to appropriately show her true colors; it was tour day for Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. The tour provided a lot of information about the history of the theatre itself and how theatre in general has evolved since Shakespeare’s time. Did you know that the Globe theatre that’s currently standing in London is actually the THIRD Globe Theatre that has been built? If you want to be completely geographically accurate, it isn’t even in the same spot as the original Globe. The original theatre is in the middle of the river under a bridge located right next to where the current theatre stands. Shakespeare had little involvement in the production of the second theatre, and had absolutely nothing to do with the third Globe due to the fact he wasn’t even alive when it was built (aka 1997). So while it was a little disheartening to find out that Shakespeare hadn’t actually been in the theatre that currently stands, the fact that his ideas could still be deeply felt and heard throughout the levels of the Globe made it equally exciting if he had been there. 

Sunday Funday was packed with activities. By the end of the day, I accomplished getting a stadium tour of the famous Chelsea Football Club, seeing astonishing pieces of street art on an East End walking tour, and participating in the legendary Jack the Ripper tour.

The Chelsea F.C. stadium tour was fascinating; seeing inside the locker rooms and walking out of the tunnel onto the field was invigorating. I felt a sudden deep nostalgia for my childhood filled with sports, one of my favorites always being soccer. Putting myself in the shoes of some of the most famous players in the world was insane; I suddenly thought, “And why am I at school when I could definitely be participating in the World Cup?! Oh wait…” My feet carried me to the edge of the field, where grass turned to turf. The urge to run onto the field became unfathomable, but I knew if I attempted it a video of me would most certainly turn up on Youtube, no doubt being chased and eventually taken down by some big burly security guards. With a sadness, I turned myself around and slunk back to the rest of my group, struggling to accept the fact that my professional soccer career would never happen (hard to swallow, honestly).

The East End walking tour was something I had been mildly excited for, but had really only joined because I wanted to meet new people. Turns out, this was one of my most favorite things I’ve done so far in London. Walking around a different part of the city and getting to see the busy Sunday markets and feel the multiple different energies was something else. Our guide was extremely informative; you could see the passion on his face when talking about the different street artists and their works. One of my favorite parts of the tour: I finally got to see a Banksy work in person! For those who don’t know who he is, Banksy is one of the most famous street artists of all time. He’s stayed anonymous for decades, creating art designed to get humans to think about the bigger pictures in life. Check out his work online, you won’t regret it. While we took a look at big street artists like Banksy and Robbo, we did stop to appreciate some artists who are still up and coming in the art world. One of the designs in particular that we saw, our tour guide didn’t even know who the artist was. It had just recently been put up, and the attention it was garnering was massive. Crowds began to grow around the ‘grafitti’ making it almost impossible to reach our next destination (one that I was overly excited for). A famous donut shop and bagel shop stood side by side down the street from the new art work. Making a beeline for the bagel shop (spelled ‘beigal’ on the door sign), I quickly got in line and order a donut and chocolate croissant. Only 1.30 pounds less in change, I walked out into the cold with my two warm purchases. Scarfing down the donut, I packed away the croissant for my morning breakfast. The art tour ended, with the fantastic guide telling us multiple stories of Banksy pranks and how the artist still manages to elude discovery to this day.

My favorite part of the day began at 7p.m. that night. Jack the Ripper tour! As the night grew later, the East End of London turned from a bustling neighborhood full of people to a ghost town, effectively transporting us back to the year 1888. The atmosphere grew tense and fearful as our tour guide took us to different places around the East End, including some of the scenes of the murders committed by Jack the Ripper. The mystery surrounding the serial killer coupled with the gruesomeness of the crimes put every member of the group on edge. Even after the tour ended, I found myself online trying to find any information I could that would lead to a definitive killer. Alas, just like the FBI detectives assigned to the case, I found nothing conclusive. Laying in bed on Sunday night, the thoughts of murder and prostitution in 1888 drifted out of my mind, and in came thoughts of Monday morning: the first day of classes. 

Barely getting two sips of coffee down, I rushed to my first and only class of the day, conveniently located on the first floor of my housing building. The usual first day of class jitters set in the moment I sat down. Luckily, my teacher swiftly ran through the syllabus and released us, leaving time for me to do whatever I wanted for the rest of the day. That brings me to the current moment: sitting in a café while typing all of my memories down.

More updates to come as the week progresses; I’m sure I’ll have tons to say about all of my English professors. Thanks for reading!

Signing off,

Hannah

[hannahgoesabroad]

Wednesday was a very big day for us Study Abroad students!

A sightseeing tour was planned for our group to explore the center of London on Wednesday afternoon. We all loaded onto a double decker bus and proceeded towards the center of the city while tour guides pointed out interesting landmarks and facts about some of the shops as we passed them. There were three checkpoints where our group had a chance to get off the bus and explore: Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Big Ben. 

Buckingham Palace was first. Surprisingly, I was so distracted by all of the other landmarks that London had to offer I almost forgot this one! But as soon as we walked towards the cast-iron gate and saw the famously serious soldiers, a light went off that this stop was going to be a memorable one. We were given some history about the Palace from our guides, including one crazy tale about the queen waking up in the middle of the night to find a man standing over her bed. THAT was interesting to say the least. Our guides then left us for a few minutes so that we could take our pictures in front of the famous Palace and act like idiots trying to get the perfect in-motion jumping photo in front of the gates. After all the fun was had there was hopped back on the bus and made our way to St. Paul’s Cathedral.

After our group found out that you had to pay to get past the security stood at the front doors of the church, we decided to opt out and just take some scenic shots instead. Grabbing a way-too-expensive bite to eat for lunch, we headed back to the bus and continued onto Big Ben.

Since my specific group of friends and I had already seen Big Ben up close, this was our opportunity to take in the architecture of the buildings surrounding the famous clock. The pure detail that went into the crafting of each building is truly remarkable, and something you can’t really appreciate unless you’re seeing it with your own two eyes.

After the tour ended, our group headed back to Atlantic House for a bit before venturing over to Apollo Victoria Theatre to see Wicked. I had seen the play once before in Philadelphia, so I was even more excited to see how a different cast would interpret the play. Turns out, this second showing was even better! The singing voices of the cast were magnificent, as were the costumes, set designs, and general layout of the theatre. Hours later, I was still belting out the lyrics to ‘Defying Gravity’!

While this past Wednesday was busy, the weekend ahead is jam packed full of exciting activities that I can’t wait to experience with my new friends. Updates to come soon.

Signing off,

Hannah

^Above are just some of the pictures I took on our adventurous day yesterday. The top left shot with my group of friends was taken on the Big Ben stop on the sightseeing tour, while the top right picture was taken later that night when we hit the Apollo Victoria Theatre for Wicked! The bottom picture is St. Paul’s Cathedral; you have to pay 25 pounds just to get in to the building past the guards at the front door!

[hannahgoesabroad]

We made it! First day in London: ✓. 

Leaving my parents at the airport was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. As soon as my mom started tearing up, I knew I was done for. After that emotionfest, getting through security was ultimately an easy breeze. We boarded the plane at 6:40p.m., and took off shortly after. Sleeping just wasn’t going to happen, according to my brain that was running at a million times a minute. So I departed from the plane, with no sleep in my near future.

Now came the issue of finding someone familiar from the plane that I could latch onto and follow, in fear of getting lost (which was definitely possible). I found a few people (who I would get to know a lot better soon) and we made our way to clear customs and immigration. The whole ordeal was a bit tedious, but everyone was so excited to finally get outside that the rest didn’t really matter.

Taking the bus to Atlantic House (the main building for housing) was a trip- literally and figuratively. Driving here is already backwards enough with cars on different sides of the road, but add in rush hour traffic and you’re done for. Seeing how close these cars drive next to each other, and the amount of backing up and hard steering our driver had to do in our enormous bus, he deserves a medal.

Arriving and getting settled into our rooms was an exciting process; it was like I was a freshman all over again! After everyone put their stuff away, we set out to explore a bit of the town. Finding sim cards was definitely first on the list: I needed to get back in contact with the real world!

The walk to High Street in South Kensington was short but beautiful. The architecture here is far different from home. Streets were bustling with activity as it was nearing lunch time, so sitting for a few minutes to people watch was intense. We headed back to Atlantic House for lunch, and then hit up the hour and a half walking tour around Kensington that had been scheduled for us.

The tour was informational and gave everyone a bit more relief in trying to navigate the still confusing city. On the tour was when our group took the picture above. I already know that this will be one of my favorite pictures of my stay. I can’t wait to take more like this!

After the tour we headed back to Atlantic House, ate dinner, and then headed out to the Imperial College Bar. With my fancy orange wristband, I ordered the London Glory (recommended by our earlier tour guide as one of the best beers from London). The light ale was delicious, and our group began making plans for the nearing nighttime.

Big Ben was #1 on our list so we headed over to the South Kensington tube station and got right on the way-nicer-than-the-subway tube. Walking out of Westminster station, all I had to do was look up and there was the beauty before me. Big Ben! Finally!

My goal for the night was to find the famous red telephone booth near Big Ben and take a picture in it. With the London Eye right next to the booth, some of the pictures we took turned out incredible. More of those will be posted later!

That’s all for now, but I hope I gave a sufficient update of just what I’ve been doing since I hopped on that plane Monday night.

Signing off,

Hannah

[hannahgoesabroad]

During the spring of 2017, I’ll be studying abroad at Richmond, the American International University in London. Since I’m going to be traveling around the U.K./Europe, I hope that this blog can offer a glimpse of all the adventures I’ll have. I can’t wait to share more, enjoy!

(Photo credits to Google. Hopefully I can capture something similar when I get to London!)