Brick Lane

BRICK LANE!!! =)

Britain's infamous brick lane beigel (aka bagel) shop!

our pound fifty bagel and salmon... yummm AND cheap =)

Emma in front of Rough Trade East record shop... only 2 in the world. Also a recording studio....

Finally, the view from my bed this morning.... =)

MY BROTHER'S COMING TOMORROW!!! PYSCHED!!!!! =D

Changing of the Guards + Delish Dinner

The amazingly beautiful tree I walk under to get to my room every day... ignore the random hanging piece of toilet paper =)

Changing of the Guards: band

Changing of the Guard: guards...

Seriously dude, is that massive gun necessary???

Dinner at Joy's: beef curry, cashew chicken, string beans and corn.... all homemade!!! =)

This weekend:
Friday: This girl I randomly met at a pancake thing invited me to OCF (Overseas Christian Fellowship) so I went there. It was kinda like Koinonia because most everyone was Asian but clearly not as cool! =) I had like a gagillion cookies here...
Saturday: Changing of the Guard in the morning, Spitalfield Market in the afternoon. Except that the market was closed so... I ate a nice lunch and had the most amazing chocolate at this place called Montezuma (supposedly Britain's Best chocolate). At night I went to Joy's apartment (a girl from LSE I semi-randomly met) for home cooked food. SOO GOOD!!!! It was really nice to get in some quality girl time =)
Sunday: Church, lunch, tea, nap, AMAZING thai food and pubbing with friends visiting from Scotland.

Sorry I wrote out all my activities but it was kind of to remind me what I've been doing and enlighten all you curious peoples =). I'm starving right now but I have no food.... =(

Miss you all!!! Hope KSA night was great!!!!
Me =)

20/20

Laura, Louie, Me
Laura is my American friend from LSE (London School of Economics)!
I really really like her... =)
Louie is this CRAZY kid who is honestly one of the funniest people here!

Laura, Louie, Me being more like ourselves =)

Random dude, Sie, Josh... I have NO idea... =)

Catching up on reading I havn't done all term plus busting out two major papers ='s all I've done from Wednesday to Tuesday. I've also eaten an OBSCENE amount of pb&j sandwiches because I just never left my room.... but I am now FREEEEE!!! Well, for the next two weeks... =)

So freedom today was AMAZING. I slept in, had tea (ah, I love drinking my tea! =) with a friend for hours (it was great!), then went to the National Gallery where I saw a free concert (it made me REALLY miss my cello and chamber music!), then 20/20 (mid-week service), and then a pub with church peoples (where I saw a mouse! definitely sat indian style the rest of the night =).

I absolutely LOVE the National Gallery. They have INCREDIBLE pieces of art in THE MOST beautiful rooms! But I need to go back because its HUGE and its too overwhelming to deal with all at once...

I'm tired...
G'nite!
Hannah =)

Edinburgh, Scotland (Part 2)

My favorite structure - the Sir Walter Scott memorial

I got to see Anjali (friend from high school) for some incredible Indian food. Btw, I LOVE NAN!!!

At the top of Arthur's Seat =)

Inside my favorite museum... The National Museum of Scotland

How could you not think its beautiful???

Procrastinating on writing my paper... yet again. =)

What I did: New Scotland tour for 3+ hours, Indian dinner with Anjali, Holyrood Palace, Arthurs Seat, Deacon Brodie pub, National Museum of Scotland, National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery of Scotland, Mosque's Kitchen, Tartan Weaving Museum, Edinburgh Castle, Sandy Bells Pub, Grass Market (where I tried a deep friend cheeseburger...just a tad overwhelming =)

I'd say my favorite place was Sandy Bells (this super cute Scottish/Irish Pub that plays live folk music) but that my favorite thing about Edinburgh were the incredible views! The city is super hilly so on a clear day you can see for miles on end... unfortunately, it's foggy a lot. =) They also have some of the most original museums because the buildings themselves are like art.

The only downer about my trip was not being able to visit the highlands (known for being absolutely gorgeous) because one my friends sprained her ankle on the way from Arthur's Seat. Other than that it was amazing...

Love you guys LOTS!
Hannah =)

Edinburgh, Scotland (Part 1)

The "Original Hogwarts" - the castle like structure in the background was the inspiration for Hogwarts... it's some elite private school in Scotland that I can't remember the name of...

Greyfriar's Cemetary - rumor has it that there's a tombstone with Voldemort written on it... *dum dum dum*

Where J.K Rowling wrote most of "The Sorcerer's Stone"

Holyrood Palace - where the Queen spends 4 months of the year...

Scottish Parliament - is that not the coolest Parliament building ever???

The monstrosity we had to climb in order to get to Arthur's Seat =)

That's what's at the top - Arthur's Seat!!!

Taking a break on the way down from Arthur's Seat

Edinburgh Castle: B-E-A-UUUTIFUL!!! Inside AND out...

Inside the Great Hall in the Castle

Sandy Bell's: live Scottish/Irish Folk Music

For Uncle Doyle: bangers & mash!!! =)

Dates: Left late Friday Evening - Returned early Wednesday Morning (Feb 8/Feb 13)

Ediburgh is exquisite. Its one of those places that's definitely a city but small enough that you could become familiar with it all. I loved loved loved it!!! Not to mention that it was a major source of inspiration for Harry Potter!!! =)

This post only has Edinburgh's main attractions: Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Seat, both of which are freakin A-M-A-ZING!!! Too tired to continue... more to come... =)

Pudding Party + Valentine's Ball

Delicious desserts (aka pudding) with Chapel Girls. I brought cheesecake but didn't realize it had to be defrosted for 2-3 hours, so it is not shown =)

Before the Ball - Ramsey 4th Floor NY

AMAZING view from the Number One Club (that's actually what it's called)

Faith and Me - my token Korean friend =)

Rose with the Chocolate Fountain!!!! See those near empty bowls around it???Compliments of Rose and Me!!!

Resting because our feet kill... =)

Monday: The Westminister Chapel Ladies Night is a lot like Koinonia feminar without the testimony. Awesome food and even more awesome fellowship. =) It was nice because it sort of gave me a chance to get to know some people better. Though I have to admit that it was kinda hard because for some weird reason I don't talk in front of them!

Tuesday: I actually left my camera at ladies night so I don't have pictures of England's National Pancake Day!!! Apparently they have NPD because traditionally for lent you're not suppose to eat any flour, eggs, or milk, so what better way to get rid of all of it than to make pancakes?! I really really really wish I had my camera because I was invited to the Christian Union (club) house party where we made hundreds (literally!) of crepes and had a gazillion toppings and fillings!!! Needless to say, the combination of the desserts the night before and the 30 crepes I ate that day left me feeling kinda ill.... but wow, it was SOOO good!!!! =)

Wednesday: Ramsey (my dorm) Valentine's Ball!!! They rented out the top two floors of THE MOST AMAZING club EVER. The view was INCREDIBLE because it overlooks Leicester Square and the London Eye and I think I spent half my time at the floor to ceiling windows admiring the view! The other half was probably at the amazing chocolate fountain which had creme puffs to dip! =) Nearly everyone on my floor got dressed up and went so it was loads of fun to be with people I like!

Today and Tomorrow: GAHHH!!! I HAVE PAPERS TO WRITE!!!! Crunch time. I need to do some massive quantities of research and writing... boo! This really puts a damper on my 5 month vacation theory =)

Question: Who's pacers??? And, are you guys doing anything for lent???

Mwah!
Hannah =)

A Weekend in Cambridge

Bronwyn Doss - FUNNIEST little girl EVER!! =) Its soo cute to listen to her speak with her English accent.

Clare Doss - I've never met a 6 year old as eager to meet new people as Clare... Clare's accent is funky because its English with an American twang.

Cambridge Town

Eagle Pub - where Watson and Crick FIRST announced their discovery of DNA. I was gonna take a picture of the plaque but it required me to lean over these people eating their lunch... awkward!

Eagle Pub ceiling - WWII bombers would sign the ceiling with candle wax and stick a 2 pence coin into the fireplace before going out. If they survived (the odds were highly against them) they'd come back to Eagle Pub and take their 2 pence back and buy a drink. If they died, the coin would be bent down and still remains there as a memorial...

Patty, Jim, Clare, in front of a Cambridge University garden

Clare College at Cambridge

Kings College at Cambridge

Punting in Cambridge

Doss Family and Me at Cambridge

I had the awesome opportunity of visiting Cambridge for the weekend and spend time with some family friends. Home cooked food, a day in Cambridge, decent water pressured showers, what more could a girl ask?? =) I also watched the Chronicles of Narnia, which I HIGHLY recommend.

I did have a few WEIRD experienced on the bus there and back though. On the way there, within SECONDS of moving we got into an accident. My driver drove straight into a stationary bus!!! Everyone was fine but the other bus was pretty screwed up. The strange thing was, my driver crashes into this bus then turns around to look at us and just shrugs and says "oops". Bizarre...didn't exactly instill a whole lot of faith in my driver =) On the way back, I leaned my chair back and was sleeping soundly when all of a sudden the woman behind me kicks the back of my seat and angrily says "SIT UP!". I was so shocked I did as I was told but when I looked around EVERYONE was leaned back and sleeping AND the woman had an open seat next to her which she could have sat in instead. I had this urge to turn around and say something or just lean back in spite of her request/command but I suppressed it...

Ok that was my attempt at adding anecdotal stuff to my blog because all I do is post pictures... =)

Koinonians, HOW WAS RETREAT?!?!?

Mwah,
Hannah =)

Portobello Road Market + Abbey Road

Notting Hill... this area is SOO nice!!! or as the brits say, very POSH! =)

Portobello Road Market - best known for their antique selection

Abbey Road Studios - where the Beatles recorded!

People like to leave their mark...

Yellow Submarine

Failing to replicate the infamous Beatles Abbey Road photo =)
Props for trying though, no???

It's official, if I ever want to live in London and have loads of money, I definitely want to live in Notting Hill. The whole place is just beautiful. The architecture, the markets, the boutiques. Not to mention its central but not too central that you get all the noise and traffic. Too bad the people that live there are like Claudia Schiffer... =) Portobello Road Market (adjacent to Notting Hill) is also beautiful but isn't quite as appealing during the week.

I'm currently ADDICTED to english breakfast tea with milk. try it!!! =)