Changes

The last few weeks have been quite intense for me here which has come as quite a shock after such a relaxed Christmas. The main change in my routine has come about because I've now 'achieved' my goal to live and work in France. I am a customer assistant at one of the M&S France branches. Currently this means I spend a lot of time hanging up bras and advising people on outfits. The whole experience is helping my French so much and is also a lot of fun.

Cheers, Inception.

Now that I both live and work in France I've realised that I need a new target. Whilst I'm happy to enjoy the moment, I'm a strong believer in having a dream to get you to where you want to be. However currently I'm happy in the knowledge that I've achieved something I've wanted for years. The start of my contract means I am now working or studying for 28 hours a week. This is significantly more than I've been doing since I moved here so I think it will take time to adjust to the early starts and late finishes. But as always I'm doing my best to see it in a positive light. Now I value my free time more.

SU represent.

An example of valuing my spare time could be last night (13th February). A group of people from the Students Union at my university were invited to the British Embassy for a talk on London and Paris. We all dressed up the best we could and had a really interesting evening. Firstly we were greeted the ambassador (!), then we listened and participated in the discussion of Paris and London. Afterwards there was a champagne reception with unlimited drinks and canopés in which we certainly showed our true student colours.

Unfortunately I don't spend every evening at the Embassy (yet). Next week is reading week and I'm looking forward to one of my friends coming down to Paris and also my mum and sister. It's difficult to feel homesick when you have Skype and the Eurostar. I could technically go back to England whenever I wanted (if I had a spare £100+...) What's surprised me is the fact I don't feel like I need to.

Nelson's Valentine's card to our flat

To conclude, I'm feeling pretty happy. I'm surrounded by wonderful people, have easy access to others via the internet and am suddenly getting somewhere! Things are changing but change is one of the only things we can be sure of in life. So, whether you're alone or in a couple this Valentine's, I hope you have had an excellent day.

Alice

Exploring London

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

Samuel Johnson

I like going for spontaneous walks around London. These can range from late night strolls down Charlotte Street to get our fro-yo quick-fix to hour-long treks down to the Natural History Museum in Kensington. Wandering through London is like absolutely nothing else: there always seem to be new places to discover and new things to see, and I don't think I could ever get bored of the feeling that comes associated with it.

I'll admit that I probably spend the majority of my time in my little 'Bloomsbury Bubble'; which consists primarily of my halls, my university and Tottenham Court Road, which is conveniently located half-way between the former two. With much practice, I've now become an expert in crossing main roads without getting run over (it's a skill, honestly) and I can now make the whole journey between halls and Uni in a record timing of about 4 minutes. Undoubtedly the identifying landmark of this area is the BT Tower, which provides the "lights that will guide you home"- very literally, in fact. Coldplay actually met in my halls and it is said that this song lyric references the fact that Ramsay is very conveniently located at the foot of the BT Tower, thus providing a "guiding star" for drunken students coming home at 3am.

If I extend my bubble a little further, it also includes Oxford Street and Regents Park, two places which are both overwhelming in their own ways- the former due to the sheer volume of over-eager shoppers and the latter due to the amount of space that you just don't tend to expect in large cities. Oxford Street has become a definite no-go at week-ends, but for a quick mid week pick me up shopping trip it's very nicely situated only ten minutes from my halls; and Regents Park is very nice when I just need a break from the fast paced and hectic London life. I've played Ultimate Frisbee a few times there as well, which is a lot of fun and which I would definitely recommend if you get the chance.Both places are also rather good for name-dropping, if ever the opportunity arises.

There are many other parts of London that I've grown to love since being here. Soho is great for going out in the evenings and also for ice cream (the best is Amorino's, which, coincidentally, you can also find in Paris)- although do watch out as I did get my iPhone stolen in Soho (a distressing experience which made me realise how dependent we have all become on technology- something to leave for another post, maybe). Camden has also provided us with many fun times, perhaps the most memorable of which involved two of us struggling to walk up the high street with about 6 bags each filled with supplies for our corridor Christmas party. And then there's also Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Chinatown and the South Bank which I have always and will always continue to enjoy.

There are so many more parts of London I could write about, and even more which I've still not had the opportunity to visit yet, but I'm making it my mission, from now, to explore new parts of London at least once a week. I was given a fortune cookie on Chinese New Year, which told me "It's never too late to travel the world". I think that's probably right- think of the film Up (which is such an amazing film, just saying). But the truth is, you don't really need to travel the world to experience new and exciting things. Everything is out there right on your doorstep, it's just a matter of looking for it and taking advantage of it.  Before I experience the world, I want to experience home properly. Which is why, right now, I'm going to find a map of London, drop a pin on it, and go and visit the place that is falls on. 

"By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show."