first few days

Figured I should try be more on top of my blog this year, so here's my first go at it!

First few days have been pretty low key. Weather has been typical London stuff - grim, grey and wet. I look forward to some sunny days in the future, but right now it feels like the damp has just set in!

I did manage to stay awake upon arrival until 9:30pm, and followed that with a 12 hour sleep, which is crazy impressive for me! Yesterday I was a bit of a tourist, in a 'local' kind of way. First I went shopping on Oxford Street (hehehe) and bought a new mobile, some suit pants, and a few other household items only found on that street. I then went to the Tate Britain - I hadn't been in years and I must say I was very impressed. I'd recommend it for sure, if you get a few tube stops out of the 'main' tourist circle.

Today was my first day of work. Now, here's some googling for you - I'm at 4 Carlton Gardens. Look it up. You'll notice that I'm a stones throw from Buckingham Palace... on the Mall, across from St. James Park. It's CRAZY!!! From my office window I can see the Palace to my right, and straight ahead I can see Parliament (Big Ben) and Westminster Abbey, along with all sorts of other London sites... the only downer of it all is that I have to share my office with 8 other interns LOL!!!!!!  And, oh shucks, I have to walk through Trafalgar Square to get to my tube station (Charring Cross), or alternatively go up to Piccadilly Circus....

jealous yet? heheheheheh Don't worry, I'm totally appreciating every second of this!

Work itself hasn't been to strenuous so far. Not sure what's ahead, but right now I'm checking and finding citations for a text book one of the lawyers is writing. Kind of amusing seeing how often he is quoting himself from his other text books.... HA!

Anyway, that's all for now. Time for some microwave dinner and a look at the Tele... =P

I'm here!

Well I'm here, and it feels like I never left.. its kind of crazy how much of everything just feels like I was just here, not so long ago!  The flat is just the same as last year (with improved shower...) and Clapham South is the same and London seemed the same from the air!

Not much to report so far. The flight would have been fine but for the really whiny and smelly baby sitting next to me... getting to my flat on the tube was fine - much better having only checked one bag this year, for all the hassles it caused me at home.  Have unpacked and picked up some groceries to get me going for a few days.  I'm determined to stay up until around 9 tonight to try beat this jet-lag!

Tomorrow is a bank holiday in England, so I'll have the day to do whatever - kind of nice, all things considered. Then Tuesday is the start of the work I'm here to do!

Well if anyone care's to have info, feel free to email, otherwise stay tuned on here and I'll update as I find time!

Hugs!

DONE!!!!!!!!

Figured I'd update this seeing as I'm DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WWWWWOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and now I've got 1 week till London....

weeee!!!!!!!!!!

too soon

the countdown clock on my igoogle tells me I have 5 day, 4 hours and 40 minutes until my first exam.

I am no where near ready. UGH. Then it's 2 days until the next one, 3 days till the 3rd, and 2 days after that for the final one.

who needs sleep, right?!

The good news is, I've been accepted for an internship in London for the summer, so I'll be gone for June, July and August!  I'll be staying at the same place as last year, so I know what I'm getting into.  I leave 1 week after my last exam.

Ok, back to work. 

Routine

In case anyone is checking, a rather brief update: I am studying hard every day for approx 12 hours, sometimes more.  I try take time off at night, but that seems to be drying up recently, so I don't expect any 'fun' for another month or so. Actually, in 1 month I'll be done! Now to get through the next 4 weeks. Breathe.

Farwell Cambridge

My time at Cambridge is over. :(  I'm really quite sad, as I won't be back next year, even if the worst happens come exam time.  It has truly been an amazing experience being able to come and study here, being part of the atmosphere of such an historic place. Oh it's been fantastic.

This week has flown by. My 3 classes have each been quite helpful, atlhough I must admit the best was EU law - the teacher was phenomenal and the class notes will really help set things straight re Treaty of Lisbon.  It's been fun to reconnect with my friends from previous years, and make some new ones. I've spent time wandering the city, going into colleges, looking at the Cam, and even had a little R&R at some of the local night time watering holes.

Tomorrow I head down to Maidenhead to see my Aunt and Uncle, and then I fly home Sunday afternoon.  This trip has just flown by and I come home to the chaos of exams. I won't really exist for the next few months, but that's pretty normal for March, April and May it seems.

Thank you, Cambridge, you've been fantastic. I will miss you.

Glastonbury on the Solstice!!

Yesterday I hit up Buckfast Abbey (working monestary, cool church), Dartmouth Castle (everything about that place was awesome, the town is so pretty!), Cockington (wicked crafts village with mideval buildings all over the place) and Kents Caverns (oldest caves with human habitation going waaaay back).  It was a grim day again, weather wise, but a nice slower pace day to end the trip.

Today, March 21, was the spring solstice, and I got to be at Glastonbury, climbing the Tor!! How cool is that?! I went to the Abbey first which was very lovely and peaceful, and said hi to King Arthurs burrial sites (funny how within a 3 days span I visited his birth place and burrial site...). I saw the chalice well, where the holy grail is supposedly burried, and then climbed way up the Tor (ie Island of Avalon). It was all pretty awesome, and it was heightened by all the pagan/druid/alternative people around! 

I also visited Wells Cathderal and Cheddar Gorge today, both were very cool as well.

I'm now settled in my room at Cambridge. Over the past week I drove over 2000KM's and saw so much!! I still want to see more, so Devon and Cornwall will have to put up with me again in the future. Now that I'm here with more sturdy internet, I'll try upload photos to flickr, classes permitting.

Tintagel!

Yesterday I spent time in Exeter (awesome cathedral), Honiton (didn't find lace, but did find pottery), the Blackdown Hills (complete with Canadian memorial), Beer (picturesque) and Ottery St. Mary (a mini replica church of Exeter's cathedral). It was a slower paced day, but still really cool.

Today was the huge highlight - Tintagel Castle!!! I've wanted to go there since I was really small, and it's a true dream come true that I've finally been. It lived up, and surpassed my expectations, I was really pleased. Plus I was all alone at the site, so I really got to get into the magic of the place. Photos will be posted later. I also visited the port town of Bude, and a really cool Victorian mansion called Lanhydrock - I would totally recomend it to anyone in the area - even though it was expensive, it was worth it!

So that's the super quick update for now! :)

Dartmoor and West Cornwall

Dartmoor
Saw: Holne, Hound Tor, Castle Drogo, Fingle Bridge, Okehampton Castle, Lydford Castle & Church, the road to Merrivale, Buckland Abby. Favourites = Hound Tor and Buckland Abby. The moor is just beautiful, peaceful, remote and impossible to drive with any sense of direction. One way streets, but they're actually two way streets, so having an SUV is great, sometimes, but terrible other times. 

West Cornwall
Saw: Penzance (arr), Lands End, Ballowall Burrow, Levant Mine, scenic drive to St. Ives, St. Ives, St. Michaels Mount (from distance), LONG drives (2.5 hours each way to get to West Cornwall). Best was being at Lands End (ignoring the junk in the area), and then the lovely drive to St. Ives - so beautiful! I waved to Canada - the closest I'll ever be to it, while in England.

I'll try post some photos next week when I have better internet access.  I'll also try describe things better, but I'm tired and lazy and sleeping.

Dorset Day

Today my adventure involved picking up my rental car (now an SUV ack!) from Heathrow and making my way down to Torquay, in Devon, with some tourism in between.

As I drove through Wiltshire I stumbled upon an old friend - Stonehenge! I didn't realize I was in the area until I was driving past it. I gave it a big wave!

Then came Sherborne, where I saw an old Castle, which was built on top of an Iron Age fort, as well as the 'new' castle, build by Sir Walter Raleigh back in Lizzy 1's day.

On the way to Dorchester I saw the Cerne Abbas giant - google him, he's a little xxx...  Then I climbed up Maiden Castle, a HUGE Iron Age fort, I can't describe how big, but you could easily land a plane on it.

The disapointment of the day was Nine Stones, which, remarkably, was 9 stones in a circle, next to the road, with a chopped down tree in the middle. Most exciting part was the wickan praying to/at the tree and giving me 'frustrated tranquility' looks while I snapped photos.

Had a look at the Abby ruins and St. Catherines Chapel at Abbotsbury, and then drove along the Jurassic Coast for while - the south coast is beautiful!!!  Then hit the motorway through Exeter and eventually arrived in Torquay.  My hotel is fantastic, very welcoming and homelike, I'd really reccomend it (the Aveland Hotel, Torquay).

I walked around town for a late dinner, and now I'm researching tomorrow adventure in Dartmoor. Hope all is well at home!

I came, I studied, I eventually slept...

Day 1 - it was a 32 hour day, involving 2 flights, 8 hours of school and 3 cups of caffiene tea. But, I'm here, I've been mildly educated and after a long day, I eventually pulled a 10 hour sleep!

Arriving in London has felt, in many ways, like arriving at home. This is my second city, I know it really well, and as I was living here just last July and August, it doesn't really feel like I've been gone that long.

School was interesting and made me wish I had more in person instruction in general, as one of the professors was absolutely fantastic. I hope my class today is as exciting.

Tomorrow I pick up my rental car at Heathrow and start my journey to Devon/Cornwall. I'm very excited about the trip, it's been a dream of mine for ages. I'll try keep this updated with my impressions, and depending on the internet there, will also post photos. Worst case, I'll update these posts with photos when I'm settled at Cambridge next week.

For now, London awaits.

time's run out

sigh.

Well, not quite sigh. There's still hope.

I leave in just over a week. I have more than a weeks worth of work to do, but I've got a plan to get the bare bones of it done before I get on the plane. Hopefully that is enough.

I wouldn't trade my Olympic experience for anything, so I shall accept the consequences of all this in May.

For one more time "GO CANADA GO!!!"

first countdown

Being sick has set me back a lot, and I leave in 27 days. Accounting for Olympic events I'm attending, I have about 22 workable days (not counting watching TV events). I have AT LEAST 20 full days of work to do, probably being overly optimistic about how much work I can get done in a day...

Somehow I'll have to make it work. The sad part is that I'd like to really enjoy the Olympic being in town - go see pavillions, enjoy the atmosphere. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity that I don't want to miss.

I'll just have to be uber efficient with my time and try knock my 'work days' down a few to get in some Olympic days. I'll be getting up earlier and staying up later and I'll just make it work. ROAR!

(I have no idea if I'll make it work, but I have faith in myself, I can do it.)

Then I'll just have to rally again when I'm back from Cambridge for the final massive sprint to the exams in May.

setback

ugh, so for the past week or so I've had a nasty sinus infection/cold which has set me back quite a bit. Not fun! I'm still not over it but I I'm slowly on the mend? I sure hope so.  The most irritating part is that I get really bad headaches with it, if I concentrate too hard on something. So, like, law, well, that requires some concentration... hence the set-back. 

I'm also anticipating some set backs over the next few weeks, with the 2010 Olympics being in town. I'm a big fan so will be trying to participate as much as is possible. I really hope I manage to balance everything, as I leave for England shortly after the Olympics leave us!!! ahhh!!!

anyway, feel free to send positive 'get well' energy in my direction - I don't get sick often (once every few years) so I'm a total wimp when it happens.

Still at it

Still slogging through the mush of work.  Have had some unhappy moments recently, like discovering the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon, which totally effects my studies of EU law (ie changes the entire thing)...  and am re-reading a lot of my Jurisprudence stuff on the side, in addition to the regular readings, in hopes that the second review might make some of it logical???

Otherwise not much to report. Life is pretty much the same every day, with the odd fun break of seeing my niece and nephew, or friends, or watching a movie or something.

I have to get everything finished by the first 10 days of March as then I head over to England for my boot-camp. Yikes, thats not as far away to me as it is to most people!

Expensive 24 hours

So the last 24 hour or so have been expensive simply because I applied for a bunch of things all at once!

So I have signed up for:

1. U of London weekend course next March (taking classes the day I land, that should be fun...)
   
2. A week's accommodation in Devon/Cornwall (this part IS fun...)
   
3. Cambridge LLB revision week, also next March (after the week of touristing)
   
4. EXAMS!!! This year they are all happening in a 2 week span, the middle two weeks of May.

AHHH!!!!!!!!!

Needless to say, a fire has suddenly been lit under me. And it's a hot one. So much for the 'holiday season'.... too much work to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, still not much!

What to report... well my nice and nephew are 3 days away from being 3 months old... the snow is falling outside my office window right now... I've been reconnecting with some old friends and making new ones... I've joined up with a yoga studio and am taking 5 or 6 classes a week (2 per time).

Oh.. you want to know about school?? Hrm..

Well I'm trudging along with it. It's more difficult this year, as I've already said. Hard to explain. Bascially I procrastinate, then freak out and dive in head first. I duno.

I've got Cambridge in March, and I always get all my studies done before then, so the schedule is set. I'm actually doing a pretty good job sticking to the schedule, but yet, sometimes I cheat and don't read some things which I should.. but isn't that always the case at uni??

Anyway, there's my update for now. I'll try be more regular, perhaps throwing in the odd tidbit from my studies. Right now I'm not a fan of any of my courses!

Not much to report

Not much to report over the past month, study wise.  Well, that's not true: I'm getting very good at wasting time and procrastinating, and not very good at understanding the in's and out's of Jurisprudence, EU, Company and Evidence law...

So far Company and Evidence are pretty straight forward. EU will probably become that way once I get my head around all the different Councils, Commissions, Parlaiments and such... too many bureaucrats! The big toughy for me is Jurisprudence and all those annoying philosophers. yuck.

ah well, I'll keep at it as always. Otherwise I'm cooking about once a week, more if I can fit it in, and just being 'me' as much as I can. Hope everyone else is too! :)

3rd year starters

It's been hard starting school this year. It's hard to switch from the summer fun and September ups and downs to a focused and scheduled life. There have been some huge changes and I'm slowly adjusting.

So I haven't had much success yet with getting into my routine, but I'm working on it. All of my classes seem to have 50% more work than last year. I think I'll have an average of about 1000 pages of reading a week.  I guess it's good I'll have extra time on my hands now? yikes! and sigh.

On a side note, I've started another blog to document my escapades in cooking - I've decided that there is no time like the present to start learning, and I've got some guinea pigs at home willing to suffer the consequences of me wearing the chef's hat! So the link is on the side...

London sends its regards...