It has finally happened .... I have had a bad day over here (it was bound to sooner of later right?). Well to make a long story short, I was walking out of the Russel Square tube station on Sunday to go to study group and I was mugged .... on my birthday of all days. Only someone with luck as spectacularly bad as mine could get mugged on her own birthday. I was not hurt - all he wanted was my wallet - and luckily I was thinking clearly and reached into my bag and gave him my change purse (which looks like a wallet) that just had my Oyster (metro) card and a few pounds in it. *wipes brow*

On a MUCH happier note, I am glad to report that I have made it back to the West End - Shara and I went to see Rain Man (starring the aforementioned Josh Hartnett) and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I love live theater as a general rule, and the fact that British theaters serve Haggendaz ice cream cups it the interval helps too :) No, on a serious note it was a good show (and Josh Hartnett did a very passable Tom Cruise impression for 2 hours). See exhibit A:



Tomorrow evening I have my first polo practice (eek!) so I will have to keep you all posted as to how that goes (and exactly what body parts are broken! :)) Here are a couple of pictures of me as I was headed out to the Polo Club Social the other night:






and here is one more of Big Ben/Parliment from South Bank, just for good measure:

London Pictures

Excellent news, I have got the charger for my camera, so I can now share some of my wonderful pics from London. I do not have many of Camden market yet, but I am headed up there over the weekend, so I will be sure and post lots of pictures. In the mean time, have a look at my new Slide Show!

In other news, I have my first polo lesson on Tuesday! I met a lovely 4th year named Will (rather cute too!) who talked me into trying out for the team. I have been dying to ride for the last couple of years, so I am about to burst with excitement. The RVC team will be going to the collegiate nationals this year as well, so that should be very exciting. Once i have my uniform I will have to take a few "action shots" and post them.

This week has been the first week of "real" classes - I know it sounds strange but it feels so good to be back in the groove - lectures all morning, color-coordinating my pens for anatomical structures, dissections in the afternoon, and proper homework at night. I am sure I will tire of it all again in about a week's time, but for now I feel more like my old self!

I have been making good headway in my self-promise to get out and explore - I have discovered the wonder that is the 24 bus - takes me right from Camden High Street straight down through Kings Cross and through Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, and Westminster embankment - beautiful. As you all know, I am a walker and I love that London is a walking city - so many intriguing side streets, footpaths and canals - you could be out there wandering for days.

I have my first big meeting with my PhD advisor on Friday afternoon to go over my timetable and general plans for things ... I generally don't get nervous about things like this, but I am a little worried only because we really don't know each other yet, so I am not sure how he will react. Hopefully all will go smoothly.

As a final note, it is such a nice treat seeing Shara once a week - brings back lots of MOHO memories! She somehow convinced me to pay nearly 60 US dollars to see Josh Hartnett in a West End production of "Rain Man" this Friday ... don't ask.

~ALLi

I know these entries have been pretty far apart, but I seem to have managed to leave my camera battery charger back home, so as soon as I have that I will be able to show you all the cool things I am doing here :)

I am happy to report that I have lived through freshers week here at the RVC. There was drunken debauchery, there was nakedness, and staggering groups of people all tied by the wrists careening around Camden, and I can happily report that I blissfully watched from a safe distance. I am quite impressed by the spread that RVC put out for freshers week – the 80s themed roller disco, the freshers fair at Hawkshead, the black tie ball, and oh yes, the pub crawl and “beer drinking” (or, as it should be called “skeezy euro-trash club night” – don’t ask….)

Sunday was just a gleaming afternoon, and after leaving a great day at the London Zoo (and I am SO signing up to work with the giraffes …. Aghh so cool) I had a proper stroll through Camden Market. For my MOHOs back home, it is a tad like Northampton on Meth – so many cool handmade goods (many real cheap) quirky t-shirts … oh, speaking of, I found a Brilliant guy over in the electric market with the most amazing graphic tees … I think I am in love. I am going to shameless plug this guy because he is the best:

www.myspace.com/younggiftedandslack

I bought a couple of his things, and I will be sure to post some pics of me wearing them once my camera is up and running again.

I am now in my second day of classes, and am really settling in well. It is quite easy to find a rhythm here – classes generally start at 10AM and I have Wednesday and Friday afternoons off to explore. Just the other day I decided to get on the first bus I came across and I ended up in Fulham (in south west London – clear across town) and it was lovely (and rather expensive looking). I met my PhD advisor for the first time, properly yesterday, and he is just lovely – so laid back, super dry sense of humor, and looks suspiciously like Gary Oldman.
He seemed very enthusiastic about my work, and even better, he really was making a push for me to get involved with his. He is doing some really neat work right now with elephant locomotion, and needs another hand to come out to the Sudan next summer to take some data ….. my God, why did I only get to this place now???

*NERD MOMENT* during the Biomechanics lecture, Alan (my advisor) was showing clips of different kinds of locomotion studies, and he showed a clip of a kangaroo on a treadmill at the Harvard University field station .. .AND I WAS THERE WHEN THEY FILMAED THAT EXACT CLIP. I nearly died. I went up after class to tell him and he was like “ya, I figured you were.” *sigh* I am thinking of brining in my Fluid Dynamics of Motion textbook ( the he wrote) and asking for an autograph … do you think that would be too dorky? *shrugs* I don’t care.

American moment #254: I ventured into Mc Donalds because I was dying for a diet coke, and figured they would have them as cheap as anywhere else, and I discovered the wonder that is British McDonalds. It is true that things are generally more expensive (about $8-$10 for a combo meal) but the quality is SO much better, the establishment itself is clean, and even stylish and they have REAL APPLE PIE not that ‘pie-flavored brickette’ I am used to in the states. The McFLurry? They totally have 6 - that’s right 6 – different McFLurries and they even have SEASONAL ones. Seriously, I love this country.

On that note, I should be on my way, but stay tuned for new pictures in a day or two!

The Big Move ...

Well I have finally done it - I have managed to get all of my stuff over the Atlantic and moved into College Grove. Wouldn't you know it, we have 2 little ponies and 2 cows living just at the other end of the court yard - in North London! (not to mention a rather pushy local cat who found his way through my barely open window and into my bed the other night!)

They sure do not make it easy; and after a week or so of hoofing around greater London getting a bank account set up, and a mobile phone etc, I am just beat. I know I should not be complaining, but I really would love to have known how to go about getting the bank account et al before arriving on campus ... oh well.

The rooms are actually quite a bit bigger than they looked on the Freshers podcast (thank god!) and I have settled in nicely. I now have the same envy that all those international students had for me at MHC - oh, to just have to fill up the old honda and fly off to campus!

I keep expecting to feel homesick - but it just has never hit. aside from lingering jet lag, I feel nothing but satisfied. I love it here. The food is better (here here for the land of bland!), the weather is perfect for sweaters and walking, the coffee stronger, the tea FAR supirior - even the diet coke tastes better (it must be that 1.5 calories it has!). They put peanut butter in KitKat bars, awesome public transport - They even have my favorite brand of shampoo that they no longer make in the states ...... why did we ever break up with these people?

I have discovered so much in the last week - the Brits have this amazing place called Argos - a brilliant catalog store where you hand a little slip of paper to the associate with the call numbers of the items you want on it, then they bring it all to you. ah! I have also completely embraced the national drink - Pimms - a perfect combination of liquor,fruit, and mint. I have been taking many long walks and found just the prefect place on Primrose Hill for an afternoon picnic on sunny days, and a wonerful little pub that serves full breakfast and milshakes until 4pm.

I can not get over how many amazing people I have met - a testimte to the good ole' RVC. I seem to have earned myself the nickname of "Super Badass" in the last couple days, but I hardly feel that name is fitting - there are so many brilliant people here with so much experience and wisdom. I was also rather relieved to discover that I am not the "old lady" of the bunch - there are actually quite a few 'proper adults' - as old as 40- so I feel right at home. Everyone has been so warm and friendly, and I just adore the gilrs in my flat.

The Freshers week activities have been entertianing so far, but as a spectator. The long nights of downing a couple dozen pints of beer/liquor shots in an overpacked, sweaty club blaring techno just don't appeal (although it has been interesting to watch all the 17/18 year olds finding their feet in Lodon nightlife). I m quite excited for the activities later this week - there is the tour of London Zoo, the black tie ball, and the comedy club night - boy do they spoil us here.

In the days to come, I hope to check out one of the more famous (or perhpas infamous?) rock clubs - they have loads of great inde bands, and I just can't wait to see what Americans will get in dribs and drabs next spring!

Gross College Moment of the Week:

While ruefully watching my younger compatriots in the Ice Warf club, a vet nurse staggered up to our table and gestured at an empty glass. We said we were through with it if she wanted it, so she grabbed it just in time to lean over our table and throw up into the glass!!! We all just sat there slack-jawed - seriously girl, you have not even been at college 24 hours!

Contact Info ...

It seems my valid attempt at sending my new contact info via Facebook has backfired *shrug*.... I will put all my new contact info here just to make sure everyone can see it :)

Skype is a great way to keep in touch - it is 100% FREE to download and talk to other skype users. My Skype name is alli.haley so .......
1) If you have Skype add me and say hi
2) Get Skype (www.Skype.com) so we can keep in touch


My new address is

9 College Grove
Flat A
Royal College Street
London NW1

I will not be using my US cell phone, but I will still keep my number for when I am home during x-mas. I will keep you all posted on my new British cell number once I get it set up over there.

For the time being I am going to keep using my Mount Holyoke email (aehaley@mtholyoke.edu) but I will let you know what my RVC email is once I get on their network in a couple weeks.

Take Care Everyone!

Welcome!

Hello All!

I would just like to start off my welcoming you to my first ever blog! I hope this will let me keep in touch with all of you, and let you all share in my exciting new experiences .... I look forward to telling you all about my new life in the Motherland.

With just over 2 weeks until I pack my whole life up and drag it across the Atlantic, I am starting to feel the crunch. I have been running around getting my affairs in order - my new British bank account complete with most of my savings depressingly compressed into Sterling, my British drivers license, student visa - now I just need to get into Cambridge and get my ISIC card.

Everyone's first comment when they see me lately is "oh my god, you must be freaking out" but much to both my and their confusion, I am not. I am alarmingly composed - perhaps the most content I have felt in my entire life. I remmeber a distinct "panic of nostalgia" before leaving for MHC back in 2004 - I felt like I had to drink in every little mundane aspect of my life, becasue "who knows if I will ever get to do this again ...." would creep into even the most routine tasks. I felt like I had to eat in every favorite restaurant, walk down every favorite street, watch every favorite movie on my parents living room couch, and see every friend while doing our favorite things - out of some fear that I would never get to see/do those things again in my life. I was only moving to the other side of the state, but it is funny to look back on how I perceived "moving on in my life" then and now. I have never felt so ready open up and try something new - like undergrad was this amazing cocoon and now I am out there and doing what I am supposed to do.

I have been spending the summer popping in and out of NSAH, hanging out in MHD, and trekking all over New England to see friends before I move - I spent a crazy week down in CT and NYC seeing Dan and Tex, and two lovely days visiting Liz at Princeton - God, I am going to miss my MOHOs. I spent 2 days up at lake Pleasant in NH with Darcy, who will hopefully (*fingers crossed*) be joining me in vet school next year - she even got me out on the lake in a kayak (yes, that is right, I can kayak..... sort of).

On Saturday I will make one last drive down to Pike to my Alma mater (I am old enough to have an Alma mater? ) It still seems odd to me that I am not just driving back to start classes in smelly old Clapp again - it still feels like my school - maybe it always will. I am thrilled to see Tex and Dan again before I go. I might even get to see my roomie too - it is really going to feel like old times back at Holyoke. I will keep you posted on how our impromptu 2.5 month reunion plays out ....