Author Archives: Leilani Lopes

Scotland and Halloween

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Since my last post I traveled to Scotland for a weekend and it was absolutely beautiful! I went with the same program I went to Paris with called Somewhere New which is specifically for students studying around London. I knew I would like my tour guide from the start because when we met him outside the train in Edinburgh he had brought his dog with him. His dog’s name was Bonnie and if you know me at all you know how much I love dogs so needless to say I was thrilled to play with her. She was so well behaved and got way too excited every time she saw our tour guide. Our tour guide was a Scottish man who is at least, I don’t know, probably mid-fifties, early sixties. He had the rudest sense of humor of anyone I’ve ever met but he was hilarious and I really enjoyed getting to know him.

The first night we stayed at a hostel in Edinburgh which was the first time I’ve stayed in a hostel. It was really nice and even though I went on this trip knowing no one, I made friends with a group of girls who actually go to my school here in London. I love them to pieces and am very thankful to have met them and gotten to have roomed with them. During our evening of free time in Edinburgh we went to a pub and had delicious food for dinner (plus they gave us a student discount so my whole meal was only 5 pounds!) We also went on a walking ghost tour which I was expecting to be more scary than it actually was. The only time I got scared was when the ghost tour guide jumped out and said “boo!”

The next day we began our drive through the Highlands and stopped at many different locations to take pictures. We stopped at this restaurant/cafe in the middle of nowhere to eat. Our tour guide recommended us to try cullen skink which is a traditional Scottish soup made with potatoes and fish. It smelled delicious as we walked into the restaurant so of course I had to try it. It was so delicious! I would go back to Scotland just to have another bowl of that yummy soup! After I had finished eating I went and  looked around the gift shop near the cafe when I saw two young girls freaking out to their parents. I asked them what was going on and they told me that Shaliene Woodley was in the restaurant part of the cafe and that they had just met her. I went to find my friends to let them know but by the time we got back into the area where she was, she was gone. Some of the girls on our tour said they saw her walk right past our tour bus and into her own bus so I know that the little girls weren’t lying to me.

We ended up staying at a hostel near Loch Ness which was also in the middle of nowhere then we made our way through the rest of the Highlands then back to Edinburgh the next day. Everything about Scotland was so gorgeous and I would definitely recommend everyone to go visit there at least once. I honestly didn’t think I would enjoy Scotland nearly as much as I did. I would love to go back for a few days before I come home in December but my schedule is very full until then.

On the Friday before Halloween my school threw a Halloween dance that I never made it to even though I bought my ticket. I was hanging out with my friends before hand and by the time I made it to the dance the security guard told me that they had run out of wristbands so he couldn’t let me in. I honestly didn’t really want to go anyway so I wasn’t too mad but I still want my money back. Regardless of not being able to get into the dance I still had a really fun night with my friends and getting to know some new friends which is all I wanted to do anyway. On Halloween night me and two of my friends from Iowa went to this club in Kingston to meet up with some of our friends that don’t go to school with us. It was fun too but while we were waiting in line some people dressed as scary zombies kept creeping me out. I don’t like scary things so I seriously considered leaving before we even made it inside.

In less than two days from now I am leaving for Rome and I’m very excited!12191977_10207780361256584_4920397728638574225_n 12189120_10207780483539641_6587576272647343617_n 12043104_10207780351376337_2952250326033604023_n 11250996_10207804469339271_6551381377331360861_n 10408789_10207780361776597_3711768077521172318_n

London Living

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I’ve been having trouble trying to find a time to actually sit down and write my blog posts. I have been so busy the past few weeks and I know my schedule won’t be clearing up any time soon (I can sleep when I die, right?)

I spent this past weekend in Paris with a tour group that Roehampton recommends to all study abroad students. Paris was alright but I highly doubt I will ever revisit it there unless someone pays for my trip for me. The weather was disgusting when I was there. There was an overcast every day and it was freezing outside. The trip really made me realize how much I love live in London. I feel so much more comfortable here than I did in Paris. Although I did enjoy the bike tour of the city we went on. That was actually pretty fun and I didn’t fall once which was nice. My favorite part about my trip to France was the Gardens of Versailles. They were beautiful and I loved being able to explore the history there.

My least favorite part of Paris (besides the weather) was the sketchy environment. Paris wasn’t as dirty or smelly as I have been told but there are a lot of pick-pocketers and loitering every where you go. I kept a close watch on all my belongings and unlike here in London, I don’t think I would have felt safe exploring the city on my own. But that might also have something to do with the language barrier. It was very eyeopening for me to be in a place where the main language wasn’t English. Even though most people I talked with spoke English, it was different for me to be on the Metro and not hear a word of English. Now that I look back I am wondering if my views on Paris would be different had I spent more time there. It was such a big culture shock that I bet it would take a lot longer than three days for me to begin to settle in.

The weekend before I left for Paris I went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour here in England. It was so great! I grew up reading Harry Potter and watching the movies so being on the actual set brought my childhood to life and I absolutely loved it! When I turned into Diagon Alley I was so happy I shed a few tears. It was unreal. I could have spent all day in there but unfortunately the studio was about to close and we had to rush through the last half of the tour. It was so neat being able to see the actual stage sets and costumes used during all eight movies.

The same weekend I went to the studio tour I also spent a day traveling outside London. Me and a group of my friends decided to travel to Eastbourne and Brighton, two cities on the coast of England. We hiked up a huge mountain in Eastbourne that looked over the ocean one way and the town the other way. It was beautiful but I really regretted not bringing my inhaler with me. In Brighton we ate at a restaurant on the dock and I had the most delicious fish and chips ever! I also had a Nutella, Banana, and creme crepe from a small booth on the dock and it was the most amazing dessert I have ever tasted. We spent almost the entire day walking around so I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt eating the whole crepe myself.

I cannot believe I have been living in London for over a month already. I absolutely love it here. It really is beginning to feel like home. If I could move my family and friends and my little puppy Lilo over here I would never leave. I probably said that in my last blog post but that is because it is sooo true! It is hard for me to write about my experience here because there are no words that can actually describe my experience.

Since being here I have found a new love for coffee and pasta. Pasta is cheap to make and coffee keeps me functioning.

I would like to thank my mom for sending me American mac and cheese. I can’t wait to receive the next shipment. I already have Spam waiting in my room to be added to the yumminess. paris 12141745_10207696112710423_2743473808731709275_n 12111996_10207688925690752_7795065185867159546_n 12088030_10207712582282152_1357744591824542435_n

My first two weeks in London,

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I’ve only been here two weeks now but it feels like I’ve been here forever. I’ve made so many friends from all around the world and have been having so much fun getting to know them. I don’t even know where to begin when describing the differences between England and America. I think the first major dose of culture shock I experienced was walking into the local grocery store on the first day. I was expecting to see similar brands and ways of storing food but everything is SO different here. It takes me forever to pick out a few groceries because I have to read every little description. They don’t have Alfredo sauce here and they don’t refrigerate their eggs in the store. Their sweets selection is HUGE and I have found that I have an indescribable love for gummy candy (which I know is bad for me but they taste so good here!) Cost has been a big shocker as well. Everything is very expensive compared to back home but I am learning to live on pasta and sharing meals with other people.

A huge difference between the city of London and the town of Monmouth is not only the size but that there is literally always something to do here. There is so much to see that I know I won’t even get to experience a slice of it by the time I leave in December, which I’m not sure I even want to do (leave, I mean.) I really love it here.

I haven’t done much “touristy” things yet aside from the photo scavenger hunt during our orientation week. I’ve been so busy getting to know people and getting absorbed in the London culture that seeing all the touristy sights as rarely crossed my mind. I don’t have classes Tuesdays-Thursdays which is the exact opposite of most of the friends I’ve made here so maybe I can start to explore the town on my free days. I haven’t went into Central London since the photo scavenger hunt during week one but I’ve spent a lot of time getting to know the area around Roehampton and visiting some of the more local spots.

London is so huge but there are always friendly people you can stop and ask for directions from. I haven’t gotten used to the backwards roads and I doubt I ever will. Traffic here is disgusting and I am still learning to allow enough time to get to my destination. Taking a four mile bus ride takes around a half hour at the least. Everyone drives so close to the car in front of them that riding the bus gives me such anxiety wondering if the driver is going to stop in time. Honking always makes me jump but people honk at everyone here. There are a lot more motorcycles here than back home and many of the riders seem to make up their own laws on the road. People run red-lights like no big deal and J-walking is completely legal. Texting and calling while driving is illegal here but just like home I always see drivers on their phones. I usually walk to the crosswalk just to be sure I’m not going to get hit by a bus. There is painted words on the ground by each main crosswalk that tell you which way to look down the road which is super helpful. Buses are everywhere you look but around campus double-decker buses are more rare. I was so excited the first time I rode on a double-decker but the excitement soon faded–they really aren’t as cool as they look on TV and in One Direction music videos. It is hard to get up and down the stairs while the bus is moving so I usually opt for a seat downstairs if I can find one.

I feel like I fit in so much better here than at home and even when walking alone at night (my accommodation building is a good 20+ minute walk from main campus which is annoying but my en-suite room is way nicer than some of the rooms on main campus) I feel safe. I know London has crime just like any other place in the world but I haven’t felt like my safety was threatened one time since I got here. A group of English students (a lot of the English people I have met have told me they like to be called “English” rather than “British” because “British” is all of the UK, not just England,) basically adopted me into their group as the “favorite American” right when they arrived on campus. I spend a lot of time with them and they never cease to put a smile on my face and make me feel at-home. A lot of the English people question me about the use of guns in America and I have to assure them that not everyone owns a gun back home and it is rare that someone carries a gun with them out in the open.

I’ve found that having to describe Oregon as “the state right above California” has quickly gotten old. And telling people that my home town of Salem, Oregon, isn’t where the witch trails were held has also been kind of annoying. When introducing myself here I always have to repeat my name multiple times but that is just like how it is at home so I am used to it. It amazes me how the English people I have met here don’t really know anything about the Hawaiian islands when the Hawaiian’s have such a strong history with England. The last Hawaiian princess was sent to school here in England near the end of the 1800’s and the Hawaiian state flag is the only US flag to have another countries flag inside it (the English flag, the Union Jack.) I feel so inspired that I can sort of follow in the footsteps of Princess Kaiulani and study abroad in England. We actually passed a restaurant while on the bus last week called “Leilani’s Restaurant.” My friend noticed it before I did and right away we decided we have to stop there for dinner some time soon. Seeing my name like that was such a shock to me I can’t even explain it.

Here are some things I have learned since I arrived here:

  • “kip” is another word for nap
  • English people do drink tea, that is a true stereotype
  • alcohol is a huge part of the English culture but they drink it socially more than anything
  • a “hoover” is a vacuum
  • English people greet one another by asking, “are you alright” instead of “how are you.” (The first time I was asked this was on my first day here when I was walking into a restaurant. I was so confused by the waiters question that I think I responded rudely by saying, “yeah?” in response…)
  • I haven’t met one English student who said they didn’t like America, they all want to visit America and a lot of them have already been to New York and are shocked that I haven’t traveled there myself (then I have to remind them how humongous America is compared to England and that New York is on the complete other side of the country from Oregon.)
  • McDonald’s are so rare here and tastes a lot different than back home but have queues all the way out the door (no one says the word “line” here, it’s always “queue.) Most McDonald’s are two stories and are way nicer inside than the McDonald’s at home.

I was worried that I would struggle with homesickness being away from my parents for the first time in my life but I think I am doing well. Sometimes the evenings are difficult when I’m alone but I know that my new friends here are only a Whatsapp message away. (Whatsapp is a free texting app you can use when you have access to wifi.) I greatly appreciate the skills my mom has showed me when it comes to making friends with strangers. If I was an introvert like I was when I was younger, I can honestly say my time here would have sucked.

PS– Nana, I cannot thank you enough for the selfie stick you gave me for my birthday. I used to think they were silly but after using one they are actually pretty awesome. It has really come in handy here. 12006099_10207523475554602_6034074452720661555_n 12004678_10207523473194543_7892003916137840326_n 12003992_10207547493835044_1502648933969447353_n

Tomorrow I’m London Bound

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Tomorrow I leave for fall term at Roehampton, in London, England. I think I am still in denial that I’m actually leaving. It feels like yesterday when my countdown on my phone said I still had over 100 days to wait. Around that same time I decided to stop calling my study abroad period a “trip” but instead, an “experience.” I really want to travel to as many countries as I can while I’m abroad. That is one of the most important things to me. I’ve never been away from my parents or out of the country so these next three months will be very eye-opening. I feel like I’m leaving for college for the first time.