One Block Down

(Source: Google Maps)

Feb. 16, 2016

So it’s week six here in London, which means my first block of classes are coming to an end. Since this is the last week of class for Block I, final papers have been consuming most of my time. It’s weird thinking about finals after just six weeks. I have a 2,000-word paper due for my history course and a seven-page paper due for my communications class.

My history class has consisted of learning about the social dynamics of World War I. This included topics such as shell shock, women in the workforce and war memorials. For our excursions outside of the classroom our history lecturer, Kelly, took us to see the Imperial War Museum and on a walking tour of London’s World War I memorials. After each excursion we had to write and submit a reflection of our experiences for a grade. Our previous assignment was a source analysis. I chose to analyze a World War I painting by John Nash, which expressed the reality of war on the battlefields. While researching this paper, I came across the flat where John’s brother Paul Nash (who was also a WWI artist) lived — it is just down the street from where I go to school every day. For such a big city, London can sometimes have that small-world feel. For this last paper, I am currently researching how the gendering of poetry affected the literature produced during WWI. The English major in me loves every part of this assignment.

Communication is a little different story compared to history. I’ve never taken a communication class before, so this class really took me out of my comfort zone. The lectures consisted of discussing music genres and the political movements that inspired them. So far in this class I’ve written two short papers, designed a website for street musicians and given a presentation about a music venue called The Old Blue Last. We had one excursion for this class to Camden Town where we walked around to all the different venues that famous musicians played before they made it big in the music industry. Our tour guide gave us the inside scoop of Amy Winehouse’s favorite bar and her unbeatable pool skills. Personally, I don’t know a lot about music, so finding a topic for this paper has been really challenging for me. I have a few days until it’s due, so hopefully inspiration strikes soon!

Another good thing about London is that quality food is always right around the corner and study spots are easy to find. It just so happens one of London’s best pizza places is right down the street from my accommodation. Pizza Union is every college student’s dream study spot. They are open late and you can order an entire wood-fired pizza for just £4.50. Tonight, I needed a break from my room so I took my laptop and headed to Pizza Union for a late night snack. I ordered a Classico, which is a warm dough ring filled with Nutella, and sat at a table until 11 p.m. writing my paper and enjoying life. One block down, two to go.

* * *

On Friday I’m headed to Venice, Italy to spend eight days … stuffing my face with pasta and pizza … I mean touring the beautiful country. Stay tuned for more adventures!

Cheers!

Gina