The Dreadful Return of MACBETH...

   Day 2 of classes proved to be even more exciting than Day 1. At first, the thought of 8 hours of class seemed daunting. I especially wasn't too keen on dissecting Shakespeare's enigmatic verses for four hours in the afternoon. However, I decided that with some help from my friend, Mr. Caffeine, I would be able to get through the day just fine.
    British Culture and Media was so fantastic! The professor was very witty and personable. We discussed many topics: the United Kingdom and the separate entities within it, the Conservatives versus the Labour Party, the meaning of racism in the United Kingdom (not always based on color), and other thought-provoking concepts. We then watched a film that outlined the changing properties of England's demographic makeup. My heart melted when the movie showed Aboriginal (indigenous Australian) children being ripped away from their loving parents and handed over to British immigrants. From this class, some facts I learned were...
1. It rains more in Paris than in London!
2. "Asians" in England are a term used for people from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
3. East Pakistan turned into Bangladesh
4. The UK flag is mainly an integration of the Scotland and England flag
5. Today's plasma-screen TV is the British olden day's panorama of London
6. The UNITED Kingdom is not so UNITED!
      The Shakespeare class was equally intriguing....and the professor equally amusing! Our professor is a thespian, a magistrate of the Court of Justice, an author, and has a double degree (masters/PhD) in Shakespeare. You would never imagine what we did in class! We stomped on the last stress of the iambic pentameter, changed direction after every punctuation, sang our lines, whispered them, and recited them expressively as a chorus. I guess famous William is not so boring anymore!
     Today, I just finished my healthcare class. We had a great discussion/debate regarding the hot issues that are encompassed in today's U.S. and UK health systems. My classmates laughed at me for making an (not-so-apt) analogy of my professor's paid for recovery from a bad motorcycle accident to winning the lottery. My reasoning behind the analogy was that everyone pays for a lottery ticket (or taxes) and contributes to the winning ticket (free healthcare). I guess no one wants to "win" a car accident and resulting injuries!
     On the non-academic front-line, I have had so much fun exploring London. We just got back from London's #1 Comedy, 39 Steps, which was sponsored by FIE. Only four actors flawlessly took on over 50 roles! Absolutely incredible. After that, our whole group opted to eat at DaMario's, which is literally down the street from our dorm. This quaint eatery is rumored to be Princess Diana's favorite pizza!
    The last two days have been especially great because I have kept my promise to work out every chance I get. I signed up to a gym and went to two different classes: Circuit and Street Dance (both very intense, which caused me to gracefully bow out before they ended!). My favorite part has to be the sauna!! I have decided that not only will this be my time to de-stress but also make attainable goals for myself every day!
   That's it for now! Thanks for reading and I genuinely miss you all in the "States"! So stoked to go to Florence/Pisa for the weekend with SHEILA! And successfully booked Amsterdam!

First Day of Classes!

Hey everyone!

   At FIE, I am taking four classes which equate to 18 credits: Global Marketing, Shakespeare, Healthcare Policy, and British Culture and Media. It's an odd situation because I am kind of in limbo between a physical therapy major and an education one. I'm here through the CNHP school, so technically I am still a health sciences major. I tried to tailor my classes so that they satisfy the education requisites. This has worked out for the most part but one downside is that for weekend trips I have class Thursday AND Monday...most of my peers either don't have health classes Thursday or don't have marketing Monday. I'm here to learn, though...so I won't complain! 

    Classes here are approximately 4 hours! I am going to be honest; that is going to be extremely difficult to manage. I have the attention span of a ten year old, regardless of how interesting the concepts are. My first class was yesterday, March 28th, at 9 am. I have not had a class this early in a year! However, I am abroad and looking to start my day as early as possible. 

    Global marketing is an exciting class. Business is totally unfamiliar to me and I love to expose myself to new ideas and different fields. Although I will no longer be opening up a physical therapy clinic in the future, I will still be able to apply the practical aspects of marketing. Our professor is awesome! His facade is a little intimidating and he is certainly a no-nonsense type of educator. Yet, he is so experienced and qualified; he has a highly impressive resume with 11 solid jobs and 3 degrees. 

    We discussed various concepts in class. Some topics of interest include the pseudo-Mac free operating system, Ubunto. Mac lawyers will undoubtedly sue Ubunto! We also talked about the Soho up-and-coming restaurant, Inami. Inami is a fusion Japanese eatery...but here's the catch: the menu is projected onto a touch-screen table! You can use a mouse to peruse through drink and food menus. You can even see a web cam inside the kitchen! Also, our professor donned a Scottevest, which is a jacket with 18+ pockets! He can store his laptop, iPod, a 2 liter bottle, and other useful objects. Everyone was amused! Lastly, he showed us a great site called moneysavingexpert.com. In my opinion, this site trumps those of Ryan Air and Kayak. I also like Easy Jet.

   Well, that's it for now! I survived the 4 hour class and came out in one piece. That's not to say that I took a lengthy nap afterwards (which in jetlag world is taboo!). See you soon!

Just Touched Down in London Town!

Hey everyone!
      This is my first post and I am excited to type this from my dorm in South Kensington, London! I am so blessed to be in such a beautiful environment. The architecture of the homes and embassies are beautiful, the restaurants are charming, and the park is straight out of a painting! The area is an amalgamation of preppy Georgetown, fancy NYC housing near Central Park, and pretty French neighborhoods.
       I am studying at FIE (Foundation for International Education) for three months through Drexel's College of Nursing and Health Professions. My housing is called Metrogate and is a minute's walk from Imperial College (the "MIT" of England). Although there is no partnership between FIE and Imperial that can be likened to that of Columbia and Barnard, we still have full access to the student union. Essentially, this means that if I am looking for a brainy, sophisticated mathematician who can teach me how to (not dougie) play chess, then I can head down to the Imperial Bar and Dance Club. Additionally, I can show off my stellar badminton skills with the Badminton Club and pretend to be in Glee with the a capella groups here.
      In five days, my group and I have accomplished so much. We toured London and South Kensington, visiting Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park, Westminster, The Royal Albert Hall, and other places of interest. The first thing I did when I arrived on Thursday morning was grab some fish and chips at Gloucester Arms! They are to die for! I will never ask what the fish is dipped in (beer, lard, etc.)....I believe it's better left unsaid. Word of advice: if you are struggling to pronounce the word "Gloucester Road" properly, think of the word "Foster" (the only remaining brewery in London)...they rhyme!
   That's all for now! I will post soon about my first day of classes....which was incredible!