"What is this, the unification of Suck day?"

[bluelovesorange]

I haven't really been talking about my proposed study abroad trip to London next semester, because I am in the belief camp that if you talk about something that *might* happen too much, it doesn't happen. However, the deadline for the application is on November 10. I'm turning it in today - along with my 450 dollar deposit. I might also be talking about flying fees with the coordinator. At this point, it's really the 11,000+ dollar question - if I can't go, it's only because of money.

Last night I took my relative to Staples, and then to a pizzeria - showing her the local sights, as it were - and all the while I was doing this, I kept on thinking...next year, in January, this could be me - wandering around a giant conglomerate office supplies store while someone patiently explains to me why, no, buying 20 boxes of stick on labels is not a sensible idea.

I'm so terrified.

I haven't left the country after I was three years old - and that was me returning to the United States from Taiwan. My passport is allegedly going to arrive in December, well before my proposed flight date. I look like a disgruntled cannery worker in it, but the point is - I have a passport. Legalities and money issues aside, I could theoretically pick up my bags and just leave for another country now.

I've never had that kind of freedom.

I don't know if this is going to be the Next Big Thing in my life, or if it's just another detour in a life that is just starting to get interesting...

List of Irrational Fears I have about leaving the United States and Living and Studying in London, England

1. What if my homestay family hate me, or expect me to be overly jolly and 'sunny California'? I don't just turn that stuff on, you know.

2. What if my roommate is a noisy masturbator?

3. I've done my laundry by hand, ever since our washing machine/dryer dyed eons ago. Are the rules the same for washing in machines - whites with whites, brights with brights, no blacks or colors, etc? And when should I use bleach?

4. What if I'm the oldest undergraduate there and people will be looking at me like I'm Grandma Moses? Late bloomers are fine, but lately I've been feeling.....ergh.

5. I can't diagram a sentence. I'm going to England, where they invented English - my grammar is still appalling. OMG, AM STUPID.

Um...yeah. That's the list I have so far. I haven't really thought about things like calling cards, where to eat, what to pack (except layers are key, I hear), which library I should hit first, and if I should spend all my free time in the gay clubs, because their music is better.....

oh, and I have a midterm paper to finish/write.

also, George/Mason? So my OTP. Even in a non-romantic way, just the two of them together, it's perfect.

Comments

leather, muffins, and other stuff I can't think of right now/

[malisita.livejournal.com]

1. What if my homestay family hate me, or expect me to be overly jolly and 'sunny California'? I don't just turn that stuff on, you know.

I think as long as you don't expect them to eat kippers and say "Cheerio" all the time, you'll both be fine. Heh.

2. What if my roommate is a noisy masturbator? Um...earplugs? You should probably be MORE worried if your roommate doesn't masturbate at all. Because...DUDE...that's just weird! ;-).

3. I've done my laundry by hand, ever since our washing machine/dryer dyed eons ago. Are the rules the same for washing in machines - whites with whites, brights with brights, no blacks or colors, etc? And when should I use bleach?.
I almost never use bleach...but everything else...yeah...it's pretty much the same. Sort it all accordingly. Or, if you're like me, stuff it all in one machine, wash in cold water, and hope for the best!

4. What if I'm the oldest undergraduate there and people will be looking at me like I'm Grandma Moses? Late bloomers are fine, but lately I've been feeling.....ergh. *hugs*. You won't be the oldest student there. And, if you are, well...you're Asian. You could be anywhere from fifteen to forty, so LIE LIKE A RUG.

5. I can't diagram a sentence. I'm going to England, where they invented English - my grammar is still appalling. OMG, AM STUPID.. Am fairly certain most English folk--while they haven't forgotten that they invented it--aren't particularly up on their grammar either. If you're still worried...see #1 re: kippers and "Cheerio."

Love you, twinkie. I'm SO glad you're doing this for yourself.

this is possibly not even remotely helpful but here goes anyway:

[elynrae.livejournal.com]

1. What if my homestay family hate me, or expect me to be overly jolly and 'sunny California'? I don't just turn that stuff on, you know.

I wouldn't have thought they'd hate you unless you totally trashed the place - they might not be your favourite people ever (and vice versa) but generally in my experience, they'd never say anything to you. And if it was really truly awful (which I'm sure it wouldn't be), you could probably swap with someone.

2. What if my roommate is a noisy masturbator?

Um. You go to the housing association and say OH GOD FIND ME SOMEWHERE ELSE TO LIVE. But, unlikely, unless you get house with a total exhibitionist.

3. I've done my laundry by hand, ever since our washing machine/dryer dyed eons ago. Are the rules the same for washing in machines - whites with whites, brights with brights, no blacks or colors, etc? And when should I use bleach?

Usually, university launderettes and possible general launderettes too have signs up that say what stuff can go in what wash - if you're washing in the house of your homestay family, then they'll be able to help you out with what goes where. I haven't ever done my own laundry before (why yes, I am a completely spoiled brat) but usually yes, whites, blacks, coloured. I don't think my dad ever bleaches anything unless it's white and stained in some way, but there are no rules and if you want to go bleach everything you own every time you wash it, far be it from us to stop you.

4. What if I'm the oldest undergraduate there and people will be looking at me like I'm Grandma Moses? Late bloomers are fine, but lately I've been feeling.....ergh.

You won't be. It's especially unlikely at a London uni, because a lot of people will try to take a degree to improve job prospects and thereby earn enough money to live on. Chances are there'll be some older people than you - at my last uni, there was a sizeable cadre of 40+ yr olds doing their first degree. Also, since you're an exchange student, you're expected to be older - American degrees take longer than ours. (and according to the girl in choir, we do far far less work than you do and far far more drinking.)

5. I can't diagram a sentence. I'm going to England, where they invented English - my grammar is still appalling. OMG, AM STUPID.

Dude, at my school I never go taught any grammar at all. The only reason I know the difference between verbs and adjectives is due to reading a Sweet Valley Twins book. (I think. Maybe it was Babysitter's Club). You are so not stupid! It will all be fine!

Layers - v. good. It doesn't tend to get brutally cold here, but you're from California so it'll FEEL brutally cold. Coming to England - v. v. v. good. Between which dates would you be here? I am preparing to schedule around you!

Re: this is possibly not even remotely helpful but here goes anyway:

[crushw-eyeliner.livejournal.com]

awww, you're sweet.

If all the stars align and I get my loans in on time, I will be departing for London on January 6, and actually arriving on the 7th. I will be there until April 22. There is a mid-semester break in-between - February 25 to March 6. And with the exception of one week, I believe I will have all my Mondays off.

I had the option of staying until May, but I have a friend's wedding in June (I think? Better check on that), plus I don't want to assume I'll have made the kind of friendships that allows me to stay over at their house for an extra month.

Thanks for the encouragement. Eeeee.

[behindblue-eyes.livejournal.com]

2. What if my roommate is a noisy masturbator?

My roommate last year talked in her sleep. Like, whole conversations with Gwen Stefani and how she didn't really like her latest album, since it was too commercial. When I told her this, she un-upped me by saying she had a roommate a few years ago who was the perfect sorority girl type in the day...but masturbated in her sleep. Rather loudly and completely unconscious, at that. She didn't remember it the next morning and looked at my roommate like she was completely crazy. True story.

And you're going to have a marvelous time in London. I went last year over the New Year's holiday for a class and it was one of the best places ever. The pollution-happy trees are beautiful, the best museums are free, and the city is such a place of contrasts it'll take your breath away. There could be a three hundred year-old pub next to a brand new office complex and it doesn't feel out of place. And there's a memorial on every corner - there's streets and plaques and all sorts of random things dedicated to random people. (I think the British ran out of corners to put ugly statues on so they just started renaming things.)

Don't be intimidated. Relax, look around. Enjoy yourself. But don't loose yourself in the crowd and forget what you're doing, either, as it's tremendously easy to get lost or hit by runaway coaches. The purple bus in Harry Potter? Not an exaggeration!

oh good lord.

[crushw-eyeliner.livejournal.com]

I've been reading a lot of travel brochures and the usual guides (Let's Go London for right now) and a lot is about how crazy all the drivers are in London. Which I'm accustomed to in L.A., but still - all the "LOOK BOTH WAYS. NOT JUST LEFT. OR RIGHT. (apparently on this one driveway, the people do drive on the right) and then my counselor was telling us it's better to blend in than to stick out,and one way of doing that is wearing protective camoflauge - the dark slurry kind of colors, no bright reds or anything.

And then she emphasized how safe London was. Let's Go also emphasized that but said to watch out for pickpockets.

So....I think I've got all the paranoia bits covered.

[eomir.livejournal.com]

While I lived in a regular dorm and not with a family, I did a study abroad term in London and loved it. I loved it so much I really want to move back. It is a scary thought and I was very nervous before hand (also I was to go over there the day before Sept. 11, needless to say our flight was delayed). It took me a good week or so to get used to everything and adjust to some differences but after that I felt like I belonged. The people, I found, were a bit reserved and can be difficult to know but I would imagine that your host family will be very welcoming and the students were easier to talk to than your average person on the street. There is so much to do in London. I went shopping all the time, saw all the museums and touristy things and went to the theatre a couple times a week. Also day trips are really easy to take.

Even though the english invented the language (sort of, I took an english language history class while there) they don't have perfect grammar either. There are plenty of Americans, Australians, and so on who live over there. It's a big city, they are used to people who speak differently. Side note on that, the best people I met were all Australian, which I thought was funny.

Honestly, I think you will have a great time and it really isn't as different as it seems. If you have any questions you can always ask, I might be able to answer since I was in a similar situation. :)

And yes the laundry rules are still the same. Although I just stay away from bleach and use cold water on everything. *g*

[eomir.livejournal.com]

Me bothering you again. Just had to say excellent choice in music. :)

thank you!

[crushw-eyeliner.livejournal.com]

If I have any questions that I forget to ask the coordinator, I'll be sure to ask you about them. Right now I've been studying all the travel guides that have been written - Let's Go, the irreverent guide to London, etc, and so on.

And thanks for the link to that clip - I wasn't really interested in seeing the movie (As I am no Weber fan) but now....

Re: thank you!

[eomir.livejournal.com]

Dude, so weird. I never got this reply from you emailed to me and now all of a sudden it pops up in my email. Lj is doing it's funky phantom comments thing again.

[ladyoneill.livejournal.com]

I love London. London is wonderful. You'll have a blast.

Just remember raingear--it doesn't tend to thunderstorm, but you'll be damp a lot.

A lot of my 'gentle cycle only' clothes here, I wash by hand over there--usually because their washers don't have a gentle cycle. Most people still don't have dryers so expect to hang stuff or dry it on radiators.

Grammar means as little over there as here, and London is very cosmopolitan. Chances are you'll run into an equal number of foreigners--either residents or tourists--as you will Anglo-Saxon born theres. *g*

You will probably be cold except in their now weird summers where it's sometimes 95 degrees with little to no A/C. Very few places have what we consider central heating. So pack sweaters. :)

[siryn99.livejournal.com]

2. What if my roommate is a noisy masturbator?

Thank God I swallowed my Diet Coke before I read that.

Quit worrying, you will be fine. Although you have a problem in Customs when they find me hiding in your suitcase as a stowaway. ;)

[corngirl-jo.livejournal.com]

2. What if my roommate is a noisy masturbator?

This should be on top of your list, Saff. Seriously.

I know how you feel, because I've been there. Five years ago before coming to the US for the first time, and then repeat that year after year, and of course am still feeling like this now, although a bit less.

When I went to England (granted, spent only a month in there) I was a Pole with grammar worse than you could ever claim yours to be. If anyone noticed, they never told me.

You will be fine. And the reason I know this is not my experience, it's because - perhaps through LJ only - but I know are a fun interesting person. That's guarantee enough.

[hostile17girl.livejournal.com]

Can I come with you? Please?

also, George/Mason? So my OTP. Even in a non-romantic way, just the two of them together, it's perfect.
WORD.

[eowyn797.livejournal.com]

wahahaha *laughs at your fears*

i can almost guarantee you they won't expect you to be sunny california and if they hate you, you can leave! they can always give you someone else (speaking as a victim of the my-homestay-hates-me affliction while i was in Germany, they kept moving me until i found one i liked) :) and noisy masturbating? could be funny! your laundry skills are spot on, so go with what you know. you only really bleach stuff when it's white and getting dingy, right? don't worry about it. and besides, you dont' look old so no one is goign to care. i'm beyond sure there are tons of people your age or older there...

grammar...*phears with you* it'll be fine. they'll just go "oh she's American" and get over it :)

goooood luck on your midterm. sorry i laughed at your fears. i really really really hope you get to go. it'd give me an excuse to visit you :)

[sparksandclocks.livejournal.com]

Oooh! Which uni are you going to be studying at and for which subject? It doesn't really matter, you'll have an amazing time anyway. I've applied to UCL and KCL this year and the thought of actually going to uni in London is incredibly exciting. There's so much to do and the atmosphere's great. You probably know that already, but there's so many awesome gigs, you can get last minute cheap tickets at theatres and stuff, there's the South Bank which I just *adore*, and don't get me started on the cool bookshops, and The British Museum for crying out loud! Oooh, and Camden Market. I'll stop using your LJ as an excuse to gush about London now. Ahem.

As for (some of) your fears- I'm sure there'll be many undergraduates older than you, there's a great mixture of people at uni nowadays. As for grammar...it's sad really, but you really have no need to fear that you'll be inferior. No need at all. Most people have rubbish grammar now, ever since certain wise decisions of the government and various stupid reforms of the education system. E.g. try and get rid of grammar schools. Meh. Even the teachers here have appalling grammar. People are even starting to write (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/034083658X/qid=1098833466/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_10_6/202-0004554-8995837) books (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1861976127/qid=1098833542/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_3_1/202-0004554-8995837) on how bad our use of English is now. I'll be good and not go on a rant about how our education system sucks.
Anyway, so long as you don't run into any grammar purists, you'll be fine. *g*
Oh, and layers are definitely important. :)

since you asked....

[crushw-eyeliner.livejournal.com]

I'll be studying at the University of London for one semester - with American professors, except for the one British lecturer, who is going to teach me all about the British culture and life style. Hee.

It's just a mixture of never-been-anywhere terror with excitement, I mean, I obviously have met English people (heee.) and I didn't revolt them, so it's not that I can't conduct myself properly, but the thought of me actually living with a British family and in London for four months...it's a bit heady.

Re: since you asked....

[sparksandclocks.livejournal.com]

Ack, I meant to ask which college rather than which university. We tend to refer to the colleges as different universities for some reason. Are you going to be studying at certain ones or a mixture of all of them? You have to post what you get taught about British culture/lifestyle, I'm nosy as to which subjects they consider important. If Monty Python and English Tea don't pop up somewhere you should protest. *g*

Since you're studying Shakespeare I'd suggest doing the obvious and visiting The Globe which is very cool, and like I mentioned before, I think you'd enjoy wandering around Camden.

Oh, and randomly if you're in need of a decent radio station while you're here, I'd suggest XFM (http://www.xfm.co.uk/), although the only station I've ever heard Tom McRae on is BBC Radio 2 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/index.shtml?logo)! Hee.

as to what I'm taking:

[crushw-eyeliner.livejournal.com]

my options are: Political Science, Shakespeare, History of Early Theatre, British Life and Culture, and Economics.

Feel free to gush away on how great London is, I need all the iniative I can get - I'm making lists and notes of recommendations, and I suppose when I'm in a more braver frame of mood, I shall ask Tom if he has any recommendations.

[jasminelily.livejournal.com]

I'm so jealous. I wish I was in college again. I've been to London twice, and loved it each time. So many books and shops and people and fun and I just loved it, and felt very comfortable there.

I'm so jealous. You're making me want to buy a ticket to go somewhere right now!

[oyceter]

If it makes you feel better, I left my Japanese host family's bicycle unlocked one day, and it got stolen. I felt so bad!!