Week 10: Done!

I will combine this week's post with last weeks as this week is the last one of the term. I head to continental Europe for 20 days and I will touring four countries (I don't want to mention specific details just in case some freak is stalking me). I promise full details when I return, in addition to plenty of pictures. What I will say is that I won't be home (in NJ) for Christmas or New Years so please comment on this post and send me love b/c I'll be missing you all. 

Now on to the juicy details. I went to see Wicked last Thursday at the Apollo (not similar to NYC's Apollo Theater). The tickets were subsidized by my residence hall, so a lot of us who may not usually go see plays went because the tickets were cheaper. The Apollo Theater isn't anything special, just a regular theater. The set for Wicked, however, was WICKED! I use to do plays when I was younger (before they stopped being "cool") yet I've never seen such an amazing set. I was also surprised to hear the Wicked Witch of the West have a British accent, not to mention every other character, as well. I'm sure L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of  Oz, would be just as surprised to hear that his children's book made it all the way to England to be changed and rendered by Brits. Not sure if the ole' chap would be welcoming of that. Regardless, the play was nice and the actors had wonderful voices. I didn't expect it to be a musical, I thought it was more of a genuine play, with little song and dance. Yet again, I should not have judged (see week 9 post for reference). Pictures from the theater are below. You'll also see pictures of some of my friends - the Americans whom I usually sing the Star Spangled Banner with at 2 AM after a fun night out. 

The other two highlights from the past two weeks were club nights. Last night and last Friday night I went to clubs that a friend is a promoter for. They were pretty fun, despite the fact that we were all squashed like sardines. No worries though, that's how all Euro-trash London clubs are like. Don't get me wrong, they are always a good time, but there is something unpleasant about some guy sweating on you when you're trying to pick up a girl - not so fun. I'm not sure if I talked about the environment of a UK club so I'll expand on it here. Before I do, let it be known that I haven't been to a club (other than Pike mixers) in Washington or New York before, so I have nothing to compare UK clubs to. Nonetheless, I think UK clubs have their own characteristics. This is why: 

1) Somehow every guy wants to get in a fight. If I'm walking to the bar or to the bathroom I usually try and avoid people or say "excuse me" at an audible level. Yet, some guys walk right into you and look for a fight. I turn right to avoid him, he deliberately turns left to strike my shoulder. Being 5'8 and 150 lbs, I usually don't look for fights - - In fact, I do EVERYTHING to avoid them. Despite my best efforts, I somehow also hit these henched (British word for meat-head) losers and then get stared down. I smile, turn away, and run as fast as I can to the other side of the room. 

2) Shots are small; I'm talking medicine cap small. Come on London, if I spend 2.50 GBP I want a one-way ticket to black-out city, not buzz alley. 

3) British girls are rude. They think they are entitled to something, IDK what, but they are just rude!! 

These are only a few aspects. I'll share more after my Euro Trip. Wish me luck and hopefully I'll make it back alive. Now for the pictures:

 

Week 9: A Very British Thanksgiving

If there has been one thing that I have learned since coming to London it is: don't expect too much! I know this sounds pessimistic and a bit cynical, but I have come to find things more enjoyable here if I limit any preconceived notions or expectations. This week was just another example of how one thing was expected and it turned out to be completely different. Here's the story:

In addition to my new found hobby of paper writing, which I despise, my week included going to see the doctor again and climaxed with  two Thanksgiving festivities. As I promised in last week's post, here is an update from my socialist British medical system experiences. I went to see the doctor again because I was not feeling better. Let me  say before continuing, however, I am not that sick; just sick enough where drinking excessive amounts of alcohol would not be good (and in a binge-drinking city like London, that doesn't fly). So, I saw the doctor during emergency hours, having only waited about 15 minutes (quite impressive). Yet, my experiences from that point on were not good. The doctor was different from the one I visited the week before and a bit more rude. Appointments are only supposed to last 10 minutes (this I don't like) but this lady seemed to be kicking me out around the 2 minute 30 seconds mark (yes, I kept track of time). She dismissed the diagnosis of the previous doctor and told me I probably had post-nasal drip (sounds just as gross as it actually is). After recommending nasal-spray to me, I was told to leave (ouch!). As you can tell, I am not a big fan of the British medical system right now. Not only was the doctor rude, but I don't think the nasal-spray is working! Screw it, I'm going to start aggressively drinking again (Mom, pretend you didn't read that). 

The week ended with two Thanksgiving feasts. My hall serves dinner every night (except Saturday's), so the chefs (that's probably too strong of a word to use) put together a Thanksgiving meal Wednesday night because they knew the Americans would not be around Thursday. Dinner consisted of turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing (which was in a ball, wtf?), some pie, and greens. Not quite the Thanksgiving I accepted (should have kept my expectations low) but it did the trick. The second Thanksgiving was the next night. GW hosted a dinner at a pub called "The George" which is a two minute walk from LSE's campus. Because GW paid for it, I kept my expectations low, but it turned out to be surprisingly delicious. Lacking stuffing, gravy, mac & cheese, and a variety of greens, it did have the essentials: mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, beats, salads, dinner rolls, a variety of Pie's, and of course, Turkey! The George is located across the street from the Royal Courts of Justice - the building which houses the Court of Appeals of England and Wales & the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. The building is a large grey edifice in the Victorian style, looking more like a church than a court-house. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful building and a wonderful structure to look at while shoving mashed mashed potatoes in my mouth (yum, I already miss Thanksgiving). 

Here are pictures:

(view when I was there - it gets dark around 4 PM, so it was it was pitch black when I took the picture around 6:30)

(above: daytime picture) - see what I mean, looks more like a church! 

(above: The George: I took the picture with the Royal Courts to my back, in order to get the entire building. Apologies for the light being off - not sure how to change the settings on my camera). 

Random Pictures

below: Tavistock Square 

below: BT Tower (Global telecommunications company - HQ)

above: It's a 20 minute walk from my flat to campus so sometimes I take the bus if I'm feeling lazy or it's too cold 

(King's Cross is the station where Platform 9 3/4 is)

above: Houghton Street (LSE) on a Saturday afternoon. I'm glad it was deserted, people should be having fun instead of heading to the library, which is what I was sadly doing. 

above (Typical Underground sign) 

Week 8: Golf Match & Socialized Medicine

I apologize for not keeping up with my posts, I am three papers away from being free; thus I am trying to get them done as soon as possible. This week was the second golf match I was able to attend. Wednesday's at LSE are sports days, so classes end in the morning and most students participate in one sport or another. LSE is not, by any means, a sports oriented school. The only thing LSE students are good at is the "Game Theory." (Stupid econ joke). Anyway, the match was held at Royal Blackheath Golf Club - the oldest club in the UK, and we faced Kings College of London. To say we got our butts handed to us would be an understatement. Six of our squad members played six of their squad members and only one LSE golfer won (I was not one of them). Regardless, the course was amazing! Sure the dew made the ball slippery and thus having any control over it was hard, but the scenery was excellent and it was good to get out of the city (even though the course is still considered to be part of London). Here are some pictures from the course, hopefully they capture its majesticity and allure:

I've been sick for the past week, so I had the opportunity to experience the UK's infamous socialized medicine. I walked into St. Philips Medical Center, which is conveniently located on LSE's campus, and I told them I was feeling ill. The receptionist asked me to fill-out a few forms and then come back during the emergency "open-house" later that afternoon if I didn't want to wait for an appointment until the next day. I obliged and went in a few hours later not expecting what kind of treatment I would receive. After waiting about 20 minutes to be called, I saw a doctor and she informed me that I had some type of virus (probably) and then prescribed me antibiotics. I was impressed with the overall process. It was nothing like Fox News made it sound like during the healthcare debate in the US (not too surprised about that). Generally, the doctors in the UK are not as thorough as they are in the US, as US doctors ensure that every possible test is conducted so they can cover their own butts. Regardless, the doctor did give me a check-up that was satisfactory and told me to come back if I didn't feel better in a week. It's been about four days and I'm not feeling too much better so I'll probably go experience the socialized medicine with its death panels and all in a few days. Additionally, it should be stated that my check-up was free (I did not have to give a co-pay) and the antibiotics (which are precautionary as virus's don't have cures) only cost be 7 GBP - very cheap! When I go in on Tuesday I'll be sure to take pictures of he office! (They probably won't like that).

Week 7: Freeze the Fees & the Golf Society

Good news, I made the golf squad at LSE! Not sure if I blogged about this or not (I'm too lazy to read over my previous posts) but I'll write about it again just in case. During freshers week (introduction week) I signed up for a whole bunch of clubs (see previous posts) and one of them was the Golf Society. We had our first practice about three weeks ago and I made it. There are two team: the Golf Society which is everyone who wants to play is on and the Golf Squad which consists of members of the Golf Society who are good enough to compete for LSE - I'm on both. After buying clubs, shoes, and a bunch of other unnecessary golf paraphernalia, I practiced with the squad. Both teams practice at Metro Golf, which is an indoor golf range in Central London. It isn't too far from my dorm, which is nice, and it's free (after we pay the initial 15 GBP to join the society). Somehow I got suckered into being the Secretary of the Society, so I run the practices and make sure everyone is having fun, while also seeing who is good enough to play for the squad. About 45 people are in the society and 12-15 have made the squad. I'll talk about matches in next weeks post. Before I move on, here are some pictures from Metro Golf:

On Wednesday, November 10, the Students Union put on a demonstration to protest the raising of fees for university students in the UK. As of now, there is a 3,000 GBP cap of university fees. Due to budget cuts and austerity cuts proposed by the Chancellor of Exchequer, George Osborn (The British Treasury Secretary), the government is no longer funding most universities. Unlike the in the US, most British institutions of higher education are state funded and thus rely on the government for revenue, in addition to student fees. Well, without government funds, most universities will be forced to raise fees in order to cope with higher costs (the new cap is 9,000 GBP). This made a lot of students and parents angry since austerity cuts are not too popular in an uber-liberal society like the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, LSE students union asked Howard Davies, the President of LSE, to freeze student fees at 3,100 GBP instead of raising them to 9000 GBP. Davies has failed to commit in recent weeks, so LSE students joined other students union's from around the UK to protest. I did not get a chance to attend because we had our first golf match, but I did get to see some of the students gather to begin the protest. You all know the end of the story: the demonstration began peacefully and ended up violent as students and anarchists stormed 30 Millbank (the conservative party headquarters) and caused severe damage. While I agree with the protests, I definitely do not condone the destruction and especially the violent actions taken against defenseless police officers (they don't carry guns in London - don't ask me why?). Here are some pictures from the British press for those who did not get to see them:

Week 6: Papers Galore

My life is consumed with work. I had one paper due November 3 and another due November 10. Apparently the Brits love making their students write papers (called formative essays) that don't count for anything. Therefore, motivation to try hard is minimal. With all the papers came many hours in the library. The library is very huge and I finally conquered my fear of heights and walked up the stairs, rather than taking the elevator. Here is another picture to remind you of the brave feat I accomplished:

Yes, I am a huge girl. Not really much else going on. I made the LSE Golf Team (which makes me a bigger nerd than I already was). Pictures and details will come in the next post later this weekend. Sorry for not being on top of my blogging, I have been extremely busy. I promise to do more COOL stuff so I can write about it. The last two weeks have been a bit boring as my life is/was consumed with work. More to come!

Week 5: Cowboys & Indians

Sorry for not writing. Here is a quick update. In reality, I wanted to wait until something excited happened before I posted, assuming that an entry about how I gathered research and subsequently wrote a paper for my International History class would not be sufficiently exciting.
My week started with training for LSE's mentoring scheme. The week before I applied and was subsequently accepted into the program which aims to help London students enhance their study skills, revise material for their A level tests, and sharpen their interview techniques. London schools are very different from the ones back home, as a secondary education is more focused on subjects that interest you, rather than a general curriculum. In America, secondary education ends at 12th grade and then students move on to college. Here, basic education ends at 16 (students can leave school then) and then students move on to college (term is not the same as it is in the US). Between the ages of 16-18, students pick four subjects that interest them (ex: Politics, Physics, Philosophy, and Spanish) and then take a test at the end of the year. If they pass, they move on to the next year which is their final year. In their final year, they eliminate one subject (ex: Phyics) and focus their attention on the other three. Their schedule is very flexible and makes them independent. Classes are not as time consuming and the results of the test they take in their last year of formal schooling demonstrate their apptitude and level of knowledge; this is what gets them into university.
The students I will be mentoring are between the ages of 16-19, plan on attending university, and are already aware of what they want to do. So what's the point? The aim is to help these students hone in on their weaknesses and eventually turn those weaknesses into strengths. That is what training taught us. It was six grueling hours, which could have easily been cut down to 1-2 hours, led by an individual who demonstrates very little enthusiasm for someone who is the "volunteering" field.
As I mentioned, the rest of my week was spent researching and writing a paper for int'l history. The thesis of my paper is that the Schuman Plan (plan to unite German and French coal-steel industries after WWII) was the Federal Republic of Germany's first step toward an independent foreign policy. Exciting, right? I don't want to spend much time talking about this, but I will mention a few key differences between the US writing style and the UK writing style:
1) UK is more formal (all in third person)
2. UK focuses more on the theories of historians (revisionist v. post-revisionist: originalist v. new-age)
3. UK spends more time on the counter argument to prove the argument
Other than that, all my classes are good so far. I am not enjoying my law lecture (the lecturer and class teacher are super pro-human rights, which is fine but they are way too liberal for my tastes) but I am enjoying my economic history of Latin America class and the int'l history class on European integration and the  Cold War.
                                       ----------------------------------------------------
Fun Stuff:  Halloween Weekend:
So much fun. The British are not so big on Halloween but they do know how to party. The ones who are, are into the gore, blood, and traditional costumes, rather than dressing up like people. Most Brits had blood coming out of somewhere and make-up on. I did not follow - I was a Cowboy. My General Course friends and I went to a costume shop on Sunday to find things to wear for that night. Since I owned a very hick looking dress shirt I thought I wouldn't spend too much getting something else. Thus, I rented Cowboy boots (huge mistake) and bought a cheap hat. The store was ridiculous. It had every costume imaginable to buy or rent; I had a lot of fun looking around and trying stuff on.

That night we went to a club called the Ministry of Sound (see previous post about this club). Luckily one of the students in my hall highlights as a promoter and was able to set up a private room for us (VIP, VIP,VIP!!) We got to cut the line, go upstairs, and have the entire place to ourselves (about 80 or so people, rather than the club having 500+).

 Two rappers were also performing in another room. I went to go watch them but they were horrible and the speakers were unnecessarily loud (still have ringing in my ears). I'll end with pictures from the club and our outfits. The other guys in the pictures are my friends who are also doing their junior year abroad.

Week 4: Squares, Palaces, & Egregious Americans

For the first time since my parents left London I finally had the opportunity to see the sites; my friends and I resolved to put our readings aside and explore the city. Our first stop was King's Cross train station, a five minute walk from our dorm. You might be thinking to yourself: why would Soham go see a train station? Train stations are everywhere, what is so special about King's Cross. Well, King's Cross is home to a famous platform - "Platform 9 3/4." This is the platform Harry Potter used to board the Hogwartz Express in J.K. Rowlings series of books. At first it was hard to find the location and we told ourselves we wouldn't be embarrassed by asking someone. Much to our dismay we could not find the platform as it had been moved due to construction at the station; after asking a police officer (who seemed frustrated and gave us a "stupid Americans" look) we found a huge crowd taking pictures in front of the wall.

 After we brought out the kid inside of us, we took an impromptu trip to Buckingham Palace. Because it was a nice day outside, we walked and were able to enjoy the weather (very unusual) and see other British landmarks. Trafalgar Square was our second stop. The square is named after the famous Battle of Trafalgar in which the British navy was able to defeat the combined Spanish and French fleets, thus proving their naval superiority. The leader of the British fleet - Admiral Horatio Nelson - appropriately overlooks the square, and is guarded by four sitting lions (which people climb, of course). Here are some pictures from this beautiful landmark:

We eventually got to our destination, Buckingham Palace, after digressing to see the backyard of 10 Downing Street (Black Townhouse)

Upon first seeing the Queen's residence I was not too impressed. It is more of a large square building - lacking glamor and prestige. The Queen herself said that she does not like living there because it does not have a "homey" feel.  We were not able to see the changing of the guard (which is not similar to the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery) because it happens every other day at noon and we went around five pm. Regardless, the palace does have a majestic aura around it. I was surprised, however, to go very close to the opening gates of the Palace. Everyone knows that you cannot go that close to the White House - so that aspect was pretty cool. You can judge for yourself:

In comparison to our weekend adventure the rest of the week was not too exciting. It was dominated by homework, lectures, and tutorials, none of which would enthuse you to read about. The only aspect of the week that I can think to write about came on Thursday afternoon in my law tutorial. Instead of having a regular question and answer session to review the lecture material, my class teacher made us attend a talk by a Notre Dame law professor who spoke on the topic of "Obama's Drone Wars." Even before I attended the talk I knew the speaker was going to address the legality of the operations the US is conducting in Pakistan, which are questionable to some extent. I did not know, however, how much she would bash the United States and disrespect the Presidency. I e-mailed me dad during the presentation and said that "it takes a special kind of coward to come to another country and speak ill of one's own." From that you can guess how much the speaker angered me. Her logic was flawed, her arguments were easily penetrable, and her insults were egregious. I wanted to stand up and break apart her reasoning but I was fearful the class teacher (who grades my work) would see it in a bad light as he is good friends with her. I guess I will have to wait until class  next Thursday to speak my mind.

Until next week!

Week 3: Rerum Cognoscere Causas

Hello from the rainy capital of the world! Another exciting week has gone by, and with an exciting week comes exciting stories. Most of my time has been consumed by going to class, reading in the library, and hanging out with the people in my dorm therefore not too much exploring was accomplished, but a lot of observations were made. The classes at LSE have begun and like I mentioned in my last post I am taking four classes. Each lecture, however, is fitted with a discussion section, aimed to help students understand the material covered by the professor and add their own points of view on the topics covered. Realistically, it's an opportunity for PhD students to get classroom experience. The LSE is very much dedicated to independence in education, meaning that students are given more time on their own to explore concepts and learn by reading, rather than having to listen to lectures. Usually after reading for 8 hours (8 hours per class, that's right) you walk into the discussion class and are immediately asked "Why did this happen," "What was the cause behind this," "Why did the author choose this argument" etc. No wonder the motto for LSE is: "Rerum Cognoscere Causas" or "To understand the cause of things." It is taken from a phrase Vergil wrote in 29 BC "Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas" or "fortune is he, who is able to know the cause of things." So far, the one who understands "the cause of things" usually is pretty bright. I have never really faced a system like this, in my recent memory, and it is definitely challenging but very very fun. For example, in my international history class, we are discussing the Marshall Plan and its importance in European Integration. During one class the Professor (he teaches the discussion because there are only 10 students in the class) questioned us on why the Europeans would want to integrate using the Marshall Plan. It was difficult for the class to get beyond the ordinary answers like economic and security reasons, but we eventually figured it out: European unity meant a more stable international system, one that would thrive using Marshall aid and ultimately block the specter of communism. The answer may seem obvious now, but it definitely was not then. Most of my classes are like this. Whether it is Chinese economic history and Latin American economic history, students at the LSE are often trying to Rerum Cognoscere Causas - understand the cause of things. 

Work hard play hard was a concept my sister taught - and I haven't looked back since. Having lived in Washington for two years, I had never stepped a foot inside a club. Most of my fraternity brothers and I would venture out to bars or house parties, never introducing the thought of going out clubbing. In London, however, that's all they do! Without getting into too many details which may result in my mom lecturing me about the dangers of being out at night, London clubs are pretty cool. They are separated by rooms (one for hip-hop music, one for techno, and the others for pop, jazz, etc.) Drinks are expensive on the weekend, so we usually stick to student's night (Tuesday). This is all good and well until I have to wake up early Wednesday morning for class (not fun, especially when you are asked "why things are caused" about a reading you hardly remembered.)

On Thursday , I had to opportunity to sit in on a lecture by Sir Howard Davies, the Director of LSE, during which he spoke on the topic, "Who Runs Britain." Sir Howard went through the usual cast of characters, the PM, the Queen, the Chancellor of Exchequer (treasury secretary), etc. He is a smart man, definitely, but not that good of a public speaker. After the fourth or fifth pie-chart, I ducked out to attend another event. 

That night, Clifford Chance, the highest grossing law firm in the world, held an event at their offices to introduce students to careers at their firm. It was spectacular, to say the least. They boozed us up (of course, everyone does that in London),  and then fed us. The event was held on the 30th floor of their building in Canary Warf (London's financial district) which overlooked the entire city. It was magnificent. One of the partners spoke for 15 minutes and the rest of the time was allotted to networking with trainee's and junior partners. I learned about the UK system (law education and law practice) which is very different from the US. It was interesting and I'm thinking about applying for an internship at the firm for the summer - even though only 40 out of the 3000 applicants are chosen.  

One of the more foolish things that happened was on the way back from the club Tuesday night we encountered UCL students (University College of London) and subsequently tried to persuade them that America is better (I get into these arguments a lot at night, when I'm with Americans, and we bleed red, white, and blue). They were not receptive, to say the least. At one point they started cheering "George Bush" when we came back with a World War 1, World War II chant. This went on for 20 or so minutes on the bus until we all got tired. It was fun, nonetheless. 

I'll leave you with 5 reasons why America is great:

1. Sports - a real man plays football, not soccer. 

2. Old Glory

3. Freedom - need I continue? 

4. Everyone else listens to our music

5. We might not have come first in the World Cup, but we still beat the United Kingdom (oh wait, they invented soccer). 

Until next time!

Week 2: "30"

It should be apparent, since I haven't posted in over a week, that classes have started. The last time I actually sat  down in a classroom setting and learned is a distant memory, so bare with me. Before I describe my first class, there were a few "events" that are worth mentioning. During orientation week LSE took the General Course students (those who are studying abroad for a year) on a boat ride around the River Thames (the "h" is silent). The ride was wonderful, as we were able to go up and down the River, see the sites (Parliament, Big Ben, London Eye, Millennium Bridge, etc), and meet new people. It didn't take long for me to realize that GW sent a lot of people to LSE (about 30 I believe). Every time I met someone and told that person I am studying at GW he or she would immediately respond with "WOW, I just met five other GW kids, there must be a lot of you?" Apparently so. One of the first ubiquitous aspects of London, besides the rain, is the fact that London is a binge drinking town. This became apparent on the boat ride when GC students were given two "free" drinks. There was not much excitement over that until one of my fellow GC'ers commented that he found it hysterical when he saw me talking to the dean of the GC, Mark Hoffman, with a beer in my hand (he had a beer too). I can safely say that I will never find myself in a situation drinking with a Dean back home.

Enough with the fun, now onto the work part of my time here (just for you mom). About a week ago someone, I forget who, came running up to a group of us playing soccer in the street and mentioned a website called 'LSE Moodle." No one had heard of this so we gave him puzzling looks. He went on to say that the site  is a resource for all classes that has syllabi, lecture notes, reading lists, and course requirements. Without any hesitation we ran to our dorm rooms and went onto the Moodle. I am not sure if we didn't pay attention during orientation or missed some e-mail, but this website had everything we needed to know about our classes. Had we known about it earlier, we could have done some of the work at home. That, however, would have been the easy way out. Unfortunately for us, our Moodle pages had a link called "reading lists." As I saw the link I thought to myself, "oh crap." As the PDF opened I saw the "1 out of ___" get longer and longer until it stopped at 30! The reading list was 30 pages, at which point I said to myself, "of crap" (except the word was worse). I am taking four classes: Public International Law, Economic History of China, Economic History of Latin America, and European Integration & the Cold War. Each class has a reading list of about the same length, which we are expected to complete by exams next summer - great.

Despite the reading lists, classes are very interesting here. My first class - European Integration and the Cold War - is about a relatively new topic: how the Cold War is related to European Integration. The Professor seems very energetic about the subject, which is his specialty, and he is one of the first to research the topic. I thought the reading would focus more on the EU and its member states, but it inevitably mentions how the United States (specifically Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy) pushed for an integrated Europe in order to ward off Soviet expansion. The question of the topic is the German problem: how to integrate Western Germany into the western alliance economically and militarily.
My second class was "Making of the Superpower: economic history of China since 1850." The class was filled (max capacity) yet some people decided to audit the course (see if the like it), however, there weren't enough seats, so some stood in the back and the sides. I guess that's how popular it is.
The third class was "Latin America and the International Economy" which is taught by a Argentinian women who has a PhD (like most professor's here). The core problems we will discuss are how the continent lost is way, even though it lead the world during most of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Should be interesting to find out.
Finally, the last class I am taking is Public International Law. Unlike in the US, the UK does not have a "law school" per se. Students study for three years at the university level and then take a conversion course based on whether they want to practice law (baroness) or simply advise clients (solicitor). Therefore, most of the students in the class are going to be lawyers in some form or another (I find that pretty cool). The thing about international law is that it doesn't really exist. There are sources of international law (treaties, customary law, and norms) but there are loopholes in which States can back out of agreements. For someone who doesn't really believe in the UN to begin with, this course is a bit of stretch - but nonetheless interesting.

As you can imagine with all the reading that I have to complete, I will need somewhere to do it. My room (picture below) is not that big and uncomfortable for reading purposes.

Therefore, I am spending most of the my time in the LSE library (or as they like to call it, "the world's largest social science library")  The problem with the library is that it has a winding staircase and for people who are deathly afraid of heights (like myself) getting to the third or fourth floor is painful. I mostly use of the elevator and try not to look down, but the thought of one day having to walk down the stairs is morbid.

The campus overall is on one street: Houghton Street. There are a plethora of buildings that are centralized along Houghton which provides an easy commute from class-to-class (above). Another picture of the library is here - - - - - - - - >
One of the most ironic things about LSE is a man who hands out lunch free everyday. The man is of the "Hare Ram Hare Krsna" sect of Hinduism (somewhat like what Jehova's Witnesses are to Christianity). Without fail, he is on Houghton Street, handing students, professors, and bystanders warm vegetarian meals - which are sometimes appetizing. The ironic part of it is that it is free. The number one rule of economics is that "there is no such thing as a free lunch." Well, LSE is an exception to that (who would have thunk it).

I know this is a long post, so I'll get to my final mentionable item. Because of all the beer and bad food I am eating, I thought it would be prudent to start working out again. Gym memberships here are outrageously expensive so I opted to run instead. The streets, however, are too crowded to get a good work out in, therefore a park was necessary to find. I stumbled upon Reagant's Park (with the help of a friend I met here who runs track at Georgetown). It is beautiful, to say the least. The government takes care of the parks, unlike the US gov't, so it is well maintained and preserved beautifully. Here are some pictures I took from google - I thought it wise not to run with a camera. I will leave you with those images! Until next time! Cheers!