So today was...interesting.
I didn't plan on waking up until eleven since Nekol and I had decided we weren't going to leave until around noon except for some odd reason I kept waking up every hour on the hour so at ten I was finished with the crazy routine and got up. I was able to talk to my parents and my best guy friend online while getting ready to go out to see Kensington Palace. It was nice to just take the morning leisurely.
Soon enough it was time to leave; Nekol and I headed over to the tube station and quickly got on the Bakerloo line. We were the only ones in our car, it was kind of cool and weird at the same time. Nekol took some video of us being alone and I got a photo of the practically empty car but at our next stop several people got on. We soon reached our destination, after a quick line change along the way, and were walking towards Kensington Palace.
I'm pretty much a fish out of water when it comes to finding my way around above ground but luckily there were charming street signs that pointed the way to the Palace. Nekol and I were there about twelve minutes before one, the designated meeting time, and waiting with another one of our Study Abroad group members for the rest of the group. We finally managed to all get together at about half past, after people decided to stop being lost, and went on our tour of Kensington Palace.
There were two wonderful exhibits besides the Palace itself. One was of Princess Diana's dresses, well at least a few of them, and the other was several rooms dedicated to The Last Debutantes. Now, I wasn't too fond of TLD since it was kind of boring up until a room solely dedicated to several dresses worn by the last Debs and an Etiquette room. That's right, a room that showed the proper way to accept and decline an invitation, the proper way to curtsey, how to keep a straight posture while walking, and how to waltz. There was a video of a woman teaching how to curtsey properly, and not ballet curtsey either, while there was a mirror under the video so that one could watch themselves curtsey. There were also footsteps on the floor so that one could learn how to waltz. It was all very fun, hands on, and wonderful.
The day was going amazingly until I got to a large, long room with a gorgeous ceiling painting like so many of the previous rooms. I was taking a picture but before I knew it, my camera was falling down onto the floor with a hard crashing sound. I couldn't pick up my camera I was so stunned, Nekol picked it up for me and I saw that there was a crack in part of the camera that pretty much totaled my camera. I could've sat down and cried right there. Over the first three days I was here I took over 500 photos and now the extension of my arm had been destroyed. I couldn't even focus on the rest of the four rooms of the tour and just walked through them listlessly before ending my tour.
Once I swallowed my big girl pill and got over it, I was back with the rest of the group and we all decided to go eat lunch together. We picked a Chinese restaurant and everyone sat at the table, happy as can be. Nekol and I are trying to conserve money and so we're halfing meals because neither of us eats a lot and it should be cheaper for us. Unfortunately there seems to be a horrible trend in restaurants; you seemingly cannot split a bill here. Nekol and I have had to pay equal amounts for our food whenever we go out to eat with big groups and it's getting rather irritating that we're paying more than necessary. Other than that, the food was fantastic. I had Chicken with Cashews for the first tome today and they were rather nice as was the green tea we ordered.
After eating, the group went over to Primark where extra large body towels are seven pounds and four face towels are only two pounds. Of course, this place reminds me of Black Friday but where everyone is nice and not shoving for things...otherwise it seems like general mayhem. It was hard to breathe and move through the general mass of people but Nekol and I managed to do it in a timely manner...up until the check out line. This line snakes once and then wraps around the side of the checker area. I think we waited in line for about ten minutes before being checked out. I think I'm going to try and avoid Primark if at all possible.
Nekol and I had our towels but we still need laundry detergent so we look around for a Boots hoping th kitchy at they would have some. We find one and they do not have any, we slip into M&S to see if they have any plates but unfortunately by the time we get to their plates, the store was closed. Apparently the stores close at six on the dot around here in London...interesting. So Nekol and I head out to go to the tube station to head home.
While walking home, we pass by a convenience store and crane our necks to look inside hoping to spot some laundry detergent but of course we assume that there is none because this place is the size of a shoebox. Well there is also a Wine and Food on the way home, I push Nekol into the store and tell her there is no harm in looking. Sure enough, when we turn the corner in the store there are several shelves dedicated to laundry detergent. We are excited and, after paying, leave the store victoriously.
Quickly after getting back home, we find out that there is a "get to know each other" party down at Marleybone's student union bar so Nekol and I head down there with a couple of mates to check it out. We walk in and I am immediately confused, it looks like the bar and sitting area should belong in the lounge section of a club. The music is up really loud and everyone is having to yell above the din just to introduce one another. Nekol and I spot one of her other floormates and head on over but the two of us don't stay over an hour at this place because we were expecting a relaxed atmosphere where we would be able to get to know our new classmates. Tell us the scenario and we will be ready, a pub is different from a bar is different from a club.
We grabbed a quick bite to eat from McDonald's, which is not different from American McDonald's it seems really, before heading home. Once finished with laundry, after only one mishap with the dryer not really drying our clothes because the lent trap was loaded, we now sit in our seperate rooms getting ready for bed. Can I also add that there seems to be a hardcore party happening somewhere around this complex but I just can't locate it? Oh well, c'est la vie.
Monday is the beginning of Orientation and hopefully Nekol and I will be able to go to London Dungeon. We shall see.
Much love,
Dre
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