Hello again!
Monday started the week of with my 2 classes. Although, for my 20th and 21st century art class we got to visit the Tate Modern Museum instead of having a lecture. We mainly focused on art by William Tuner and John Constable, who were traditional landscape artists. The works of art were quite beautiful, and because the pieces themselves were quite old the atmosphere was very professional - I felt like a classy person who goes to art galleries and stares at the paintings for like 10 minuets reveling in their meaning. Although some were quite boring, I tended to gravitate toward the very large, emotion stirring/story telling pieces. One of the pieces I chose to write about for my class was a large piece that depicted the Biblical flooding. After the museum I went on a tour of the "Old Operating Theatre" with some of my program-mates. The building was once a hospital/surgical ward around 1815 when anesthesiology wasn't invented yet. We got to walk around the top floor of this very narrow and steep building where tools, herbs, artifacts and some preserved body parts were on display. Then we went into the "operating theater" which was a room that consisted of a wood hospital bed in the center, with stadium seating surrounding it. During the presentation we learned that this is where people would go to have surgeries (usually bladder stone removals, or limb removal) using very rudimentary techniques (not to mention non-sanitary and no anesthesia!) while there was approx. 100 crowded medical students surrounding this procedure. Quite crazy to think about, and just makes thankful to be born now. We even got complementary wine after the tour, probably in an attempt to relax us after learning all that!
Monday started the week of with my 2 classes. Although, for my 20th and 21st century art class we got to visit the Tate Modern Museum instead of having a lecture. We mainly focused on art by William Tuner and John Constable, who were traditional landscape artists. The works of art were quite beautiful, and because the pieces themselves were quite old the atmosphere was very professional - I felt like a classy person who goes to art galleries and stares at the paintings for like 10 minuets reveling in their meaning. Although some were quite boring, I tended to gravitate toward the very large, emotion stirring/story telling pieces. One of the pieces I chose to write about for my class was a large piece that depicted the Biblical flooding. After the museum I went on a tour of the "Old Operating Theatre" with some of my program-mates. The building was once a hospital/surgical ward around 1815 when anesthesiology wasn't invented yet. We got to walk around the top floor of this very narrow and steep building where tools, herbs, artifacts and some preserved body parts were on display. Then we went into the "operating theater" which was a room that consisted of a wood hospital bed in the center, with stadium seating surrounding it. During the presentation we learned that this is where people would go to have surgeries (usually bladder stone removals, or limb removal) using very rudimentary techniques (not to mention non-sanitary and no anesthesia!) while there was approx. 100 crowded medical students surrounding this procedure. Quite crazy to think about, and just makes thankful to be born now. We even got complementary wine after the tour, probably in an attempt to relax us after learning all that!
(How I would react to being operated on)
Tuesday I had a normal internship and class day, and that night my roommate Amanda and I went and saw the movie “Frozen” at Imperial college. My CAPA program has a partnership with Imperial - so we get an Imperial college ID and can go to their activities. I had already seen the movie before, but its just so adorable that I was exited to see it again! Wednesday was another normal day, but after class we heard that Matthew McConaughey was going to be at his movie premier for “Dallas Buyers Club”. When we arrived at the location, it was quite a small venue and we squeezed into the crowd gates but it was so cold and drizzling that most of us left after about a half our. I’m not a huge fan of Matthew McConaughey anyway, and some of my flatmates and I are looking up other movie premiers to try and see other stars next time!
Thursday I had my long day at work (aka my internship) so I took it easy, got some groceries for the week and watched Silver Linings Playbook with my roommates.
Friday was another long work day but that night my friend Gracie and I (along with some other girls from a different flat in my building) went to this “End of the World” party. It was Gracie’s birthday the next day, so she wanted to ring it in with a bang! I think it started because of the Mayan calendar thing in 2012, but it looks like this venue hosts them quite a bit now. It was fun - a bit pricey, but we got our faces painted in crazy glitter designs, and you were encouraged to wear kind-of cooky outfits. The dance floor was too crowded for my taste, and I probably wouldn’t go again but the people we went with made it fun.
Saturday I went shopping on Oxford - which ended up just being browsing because I’m cheap! (Which is a good thing while I’m over here I suppose). Erin, Becka (my flatmates) and I went to Borough Market in the afternoon, which is a huge building where food businesses can set up a little tent and sell their stuff. Its really fun to see all these little specialty shops, and the best part is all the free samples you can get! We definitely tried as many bread and oil samples as we could, along with all the sweets tents. That night, although most of our friends went to a club, Erin, Becka and I didn’t want to pay and we ended up meeting a group of Irish boys! It was quite fun to meet some locals and it was the first time a guy bought me a drink. :)
Sunday was Chinese New Year, we went down to China Town and Trafalgar Square only to be swarmed by people and really not get to see any of the cool stuff. It was pretty to see the square all decorated, but we missed most of the performance acts. In celebration, we ended up gong to a Chinese restaurant and eating some pretty good food before heading back home where I had to quick start my homework that was due Monday.
Sunday was Chinese New Year, we went down to China Town and Trafalgar Square only to be swarmed by people and really not get to see any of the cool stuff. It was pretty to see the square all decorated, but we missed most of the performance acts. In celebration, we ended up gong to a Chinese restaurant and eating some pretty good food before heading back home where I had to quick start my homework that was due Monday.
I’m starting to book some spring break flights and getting a bit more organized with my planning, but it feels like there is always something to do and not enough hours in the day! xx
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