"The world is a book, and those who do Not travel read only A page"
- Saint Augustine
What's up my fellow bloggers and blogees! So I'm going to backtrack a little bit and tell you guys about a memorable Wednesday adventure. What started off as a simple photo session for a class assignment with a friend turned out to be a day of misdirection, endless wandering, and surprisingly worthwhile discoveries. From the monumental Tower Bridge of Central London to the refreshing trek through Camden's bustling market, the day was too short to waste, and we made no effort to conserve our steps.
Tower Bridge loomed before us as we made our way through the damp pathway overlooking the Thames. As the sky shed it's tears, we couldn't help but wonder why it had to rain on the one day we were free (Bad luck has been our shadow since we got here). Regardless of weather conditions, Tower Bridge held it's splendor, and the London landmark acted as our gateway to our next destination, the renowned Gherkin. Now I'd like to say that making our way towards this large, prominent building was a simple task, but than I'd be lying to you all. After some help from Google Maps and a couple of "shortcuts", we finally reached the building (which was much more grand up close). As beautiful as the Gherkin was, what really caught my attention was the creepy, childlike statue at the foot of the building. The image stuck with me as we forged onward. Since we were within walking distance, we decided to make our way out of the business side of the city and into the eye-catching and mouthwatering Borough Market. After checking out every food vendor on site, we decided on the 'Roast Hog' and 'Lamb Box' for our brunch, both of which revitalized our spirits. We agreed to save dessert for the market in Camden. After exploring the venue a little more, we set off for the Tate Modern art gallery. Tate Modern was probably the most difficult destination to find (mostly in part because we were both horrible with directions), but it was well worth the walk. Our first London art gallery visit rewarded our physical efforts with several floors of vibrant, abstract art masterpieces. I wish we could've had a chance to ride on one of the many swings randomly scattered around the first level, but time was ticking, and we still had two destinations left on our list. After another hour of transit, we finally reached the famous Camden Market, which we mutually agreed upon, was the highlight of our journey. Why? The food of course! As we made our way deeper into the heart of the market, we slowly came to regret not saving our appetites for the paradise of options which lay before us in all directions. It may have been our first time here, but it definitely won't be the last.
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Aloha everyone! So today marks about a month since I arrived here at Roehampton University. And what an exciting month it's been! But for now I'd like to step aside from my crazy adventurous side to let you guys know what it's like studying here. Yeah this might end up being a boring post for you, but keep reading and you might end up being surprised at just how different the educational system is over here compared to Hawaii.
First of all, most classes only grade you on ONE or TWO pieces of assessment. What this means is that you'd better put all your effort into those essays or presentations because your ENTIRE grade will depend on how these assessments are scored! Yeah. No points for attendance (Although still highly advisable to attend class), and no extra credit to save you. Procrastination will not be your friend here so it's very important to stay focused! In addition to having a unique grading system, classes here are also taught differently compared to Hawaii. There is only one lecture and seminar for each class every week and the total time you can expect to spend in the classroom for each class is three hours. Unfortunately, I was unlucky enough to have classes on Monday and Friday, which makes me miss my three day weekends back at home. Due to my schedule, it's very tempting to sleep in because my dorm, Southlands, is only about a two minute walk from most of my classes. The best advice I can give in this situation is to set your alarm at least an hour before class so at least you have some leeway if you decide to click that blessed snooze button. Needless to say, a good night's sleep is critical because the warm classrooms sing lullabies to unsuspecting sleep-deprived students. My alarm rang at exactly 8AM, the time I set if for the night before, but I allowed myself an extra 30 minutes to gather additional energy for the long day ahead. I quickly scarfed down a puff pastry I purchased at Chinatown a couple days back (it feels like it was just yesterday with how yummy the pastry tasted), freshened up shortly afterwards, and met my friends at our usual meeting place to embark on another weekend adventure. This time however, we set our sights beyond the bustling streets and grand monuments of London in favor of fresh air and open ocean. Dover was calling.
Despite some confusion with figuring out how to get to our destination (I'll admit I didn't do my homework on this one), we somehow ended up on the train which would take us across lands of flowing green grass, hills rich with signs of recent harvest, and plump, roaming livestock indulging in nature's gift to their hearts content, all bathed under the golden rays of sunshine which gave them life. Now this was more like it. A part of me was hesitant to fully grasp the feeling of awe which was coursing through my body. Little did I know, this sensation would only continue to build up as my friends and I forged onward with our journey. Brunch was the first arrow of our journey, and The Dovorian Restaurant was our target. We all had breakfast in mind, but I must've been half asleep at the time because I answered "yes" when the waitress asked me for buttered toast or bread with butter (also in part because the question threw me off guard). Anyway, I was able to sample my first English Breakfast, and from the combination of food that was served I can say it definitely won't be my last (check out my gallery for pics)! With our appetites completely satisfied, we set off to our second stop of the day, Dover Castle. If I had to sum up our entire castle experience in two words, I speak for all of us when I say "LEG DAY". A rigorous uphill climb, followed by an intimidating flight of stairs, in addition to a narrow, spiral staircase of the tallest tower in the castle left our gelatin legs begging for mercy. But it was all worth it. The panoramic views from the summit were unparalleled in capturing the natural beauty of the small port town below. A small herd of oblivious, dark-wooled sheep could be seen grazing from a small valley beneath the bridged entrance of the castle (I was lucky enough to capture a close photo of one of these beautiful creatures!). The final stop of our long journey led us up more hills, past more sheep, and more reasons to wish we could drive legally in this country. But the result of our perseverance was a phenomenal sight which would leave even a champion marathon runner short of breath, the stunning views of the White Cliffs of Dover. This is what we came here for. Enormous, marble colored rocks protruding proudly from a base of shimmering black sand, hovering above an open ocean of illustrious green, with gently sloping hills extending for miles in either direction. It was a dream I would be content to never wake up from. For today's agenda, my friends and I decided to do a little time travelling. Our curiosity took us to the Museum of London, where we took the liberty to educate ourselves outside of the classroom. The museum itself boasted ancient artifacts dating back to the time of cavemen, but unfortunately no dinosaurs (I purposefully skipped my research prior to coming here for the surprise factor). Although I was disappointed by the absence of these gigantic beasts (which I would've loved to experiment with in my cooking), I was met with a spine-tingling experience as I entered the "Pleasure Garden" exhibit.
The first thing I noticed when I stepped into the room was the dark, eerie atmosphere. And the mannequins. Faceless creatures clothed in frilly dresses and tailored suits, the beauty of their attire masked by an ominous sense of inconceivable longing. I felt vulnerable within this chilling room, under careful surveillance for any signs of weakness; however, it dawned on me that this feeling of foreboding was self-induced, and in the end this room was just another exhibit in a museum. I walked out feeling refreshed and ready to tackle our second stop of the day, the British Museum. The museum was much larger than I could've imagined, but there was only one thing that I needed to see: mummies. My friends and I had the same idea, and we wasted no time in journeying to the room of ancient Egyptians, casually bypassing displays of ancient weaponry and extravagant jewelry. When we arrived at our destination, I was not surprised to see that the beautifully preserved sarcophagi were the main attraction among the massive crowd of visitors. I lost myself within the crowd, but I met up with my friends shortly afterwards so we could discuss the most crucial part of our trip: finding a place to eat. We ultimately decided on 'fish and chips' for an early dinner (it was already 5pm by the time we exited the museum) because our friend, Kristel, was craving British cuisine. As usual, we explored around the area looking for a suitable restaurant, but we had to backtrack several times before we settled on North Sea Fish, which I can only assume specialized in serving fish caught from the north seas. Sarcasm aside, the food was surprisingly tasty. Or maybe I was just starving. Anyway, it was another fulfilling day, and I'll close out by saying "Happy Zombie Day!" (managed to catch a procession of them dragging their undead selves around town). Aloha friends and family! And strangers welcome to my blog! So the story for today is a story which deserves a celebration. And not just any celebration. A celebration of Chinese moon cakes! Thank you Chinese Moon Festival (and my flatmate Sam) for introducing me to these delectable treats, and giving me even more reason to pay Chinatown a visit. Which is exactly what my friends decided to do on this beautiful (and rare) sunny day. One bus to Hammersmith Station, a couple stops on the Piccadilly Line subway, and a 10 minute walk later, we turned the corner of a bustling Piccadilly Circus crosswalk, and finally spotted our oriental destination.
The first thing I noticed was the striking, and beautifully adorned arch which marked the entrance to an equally astonishing display of Chinese vibrancy. My eyes were lost in a tide of supermarkets and restaurants, which were only outshone by the proud, round scarlet lanterns which hung overhead. While my eyes adjusted to the dazzling sight before me, my friends were already on the move, and I soon found myself inside a small, but cute shop which specialized in tea. And not just any tea. BUBBLE TEA. Yeah, if it wasn't already obvious that these four, curious kids were from Hawaii, it was now. After we satisfied our thirst for home, we explored every inch of the area for quite some time, and ultimately found ourselves inside Jen's Cafe. And believe me, it was not easy choosing this place. We easily had over twenty restaurants to choose from, and every restaurant looked like it was serving the exact same dishes, with maybe a slight (and i mean very slight) variation. Basically, we were gonna eat duck or dumplings, and as poor college students we used our google skills to find us the cheapest (but still fairly decent) duck and dumpling serving establishment. Thankfully, Jen's Cafe did not disappoint in that regard. As the sun began to set, and the lanterns overhead shone their fluorescent beauty, we picked up some sweet Chinese pastries for our midnight munchies, and decided to call it a day. I can honestly say I have never felt more at home in this city than I have today. It's almost as if the Asian in me needed this temporary retreat to prove to myself that London has more culinary diversity than I originally thought. In addition to the sweets which I am now tempted to scarf down as I write this blog post, I also purchased a rather exotic ingredient I can't wait to experiment with. What is that ingredient? Stay tuned to find out! As they say over in Hawaii, big things come in small packages, and Roehampton did not disappoint. I’ve been living on this campus for several weeks now, and I feel like I’ve had more “WOW” moments within these past few weeks than I have from an entire year back at home! And I come from paradise, so that’s really saying something. From the endless miles of trekking through Central London to the sleepless nights shrouded with faint memories of flashing lights and disco balls, my welcome experience here at Roehampton has been nothing but a wild hunger lying dormant within me satiated by the thrills and frills of a vivid dream.
But I digress. Sights and heights (both in the literal and metaphorical sense) have only encompassed half of the ingredients in making my cultural experience here a perfect recipe. I’m a HUGE "foodie," and unfortunately, my culinary expectations have yet to be met. Not a day goes by that I don’t yearn for the “mash and bangers” or “tea and cake” in front of me to magically transform into a culmination of raw, seasoned fish atop a bed of steaming, hot rice, or simply referred to as a “poke bowl” back at home. Thankfully, a plethora of budget friendly ingredients at the local markets, including fresh veggies and succulent meats, have left my wallet and my stomach temporarily content. Between reading and movie sessions with my colleagues and independent reflections of cultural shock, my mind constantly ponders what next to experiment with in my kitchen. Homemade food has never been a stranger in my household; thus, I have not hesitated to utilize the local array of unique ingredients available to me to concoct, but not quite replicate, the nostalgic tastes of home cuisine. From lambs and leeks to steaks and scallions, it’s quite evident that my taste buds will be working overtime to keep up with the satisfying blend of exotic, yet strangely familiar, tastes of home. |
Melky VelascoEver wondered what it was like to study abroad in London? Me too! Follow me as I adventure through this historical city of opportunity! Archives
January 2018
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