Christmas with the Brits

It's 6 am and I'm up by choice--o jet lag. I was up for 24 hours while traveling, sat next to crying babies on both legs of my 14 hour trip, and gave up a $1000 flight voucher in order to make it home. Obviously I was a little excited to make it home for Christmas. And all 10 hours I've been home have been pure bliss. Last night I snuggled in bed with K, C, and A and watched a Christmas pixar movie while the Christmas lights around the boys bed twinkled. (yes, they have Christmas lights even in their room).


The Christmas season was full on in London and it was so fun to be a part of it. One of the things I love the most about Christmas in London is every one says "Merry Christmas".  Which is normal unless you've spent the last four years living in the most PC city in the country and saying "Merry Christmas" is construed as offensive.  I have learned to say "Happy Holidays" or "Enjoy your winter break".  I love that the Brits just don't care--it is Christmas whether you celebrate or not so enjoy it!  I spent a lot of time with classmates celebrating, as many of them are not from countries where Christmas is celebrated (for religious reasons).  First on the agenda was ice skating.

We headed to Hyde Park's outdoor rink at "Winter Wonderland".  It's basically a Christmas carnival complete with Christmas themed rides, games, and food (mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, and cider).  It was quite the experience as several had never been on skates before.  We made it through the night with only one injury, a cut eyebrow, but lucky 50% of my class is doctors and they come in handy in such situations. Next, on the list was Christmas dinner with my class besties.

Let me just say I love these girls.  If it wasn't for them I never would have made it through this last term. They lighten the mood when school is overwhelming and have been a great relief from the day to day pressures.  We are all from different countries (Great Britain, India, and Australia) but we hit if off the first day of class and have spent everyday together since.


Finally, on my last night in London before I left for home, we got together to celebrate with a traditional British dinner.  Much like our Thanksgiving dinner with a few differences (ie roasted potatoes instead of mashed and veg like parsnips and brussel sprouts).  They also love minced pies which are basically small raisin and alcohol filled dessert pies.  They are disgusting.




C, one of my school besties, said it best "Don't you just get all warm inside thinking about our classmates".  After I collected myself from a fit of laughter, I had to agree.  Doing hard things with people really bonds you even if come from such different backgrounds.  I can honestly say I love these people and loved celebrating such a special holiday with them.  I am really grateful I get to be with my family this Christmas as the majority of my classmates won't be able to travel to their homes.

Now, its time to enjoy the season and America!  I can't wait to have real Mexican food, diet coke from a refillable fountain, ice in my drinks, real desserts, and of course family!

Secret Cinema

This last weekend I attended the "Secret Cinema". It is kind of like murder mystery dinner meets the cinema. You sign up and do not know what movie is going to be played but you're given a secret location, costume assignment, and a role. It was so fun. We showed up and there were all these WWII era military that escorted us to the location which from the outside looked like a warehouse. When we walked in it was a huge building with multiple levels all depicting scenes from the film we would watch.

It was post WWII in Vienna and there were military from Germany, Russia, and France. We figured out the the film was, "The Third Man". So you walk around and there are actors portraying different characters from the film and you are supposed to engage and play a role as well. A lot of the actors were speaking French, German, and Russian--It was pretty realistic.

They have traditional food from Austria like Goulash and sausage and you get food and wander around talking part in different scenes from the movie. At the end of the night you gather in screen rooms and watch the film.

It was such a fun concept and apparently tickets are hard to come by. They do the same movie for several weeks and then switch it up. The best part was I "had" to buy a British head piece complete with a face veil. Now I will be looking for events where I can wear it.

Thanksgiving in London

Last Thanksgiving was the mecca of all Thanksgivings. I bought two dinning room table sets, china, linens, and gobblets for the event. The day included ramekins, football, place cards, leaf shaped butter, wonderful friends, and lots of Black Friday shopping. This Thanksgiving is a little different. I will be eating with a few friends after a day of class. While it hasn't been the fanfare that it was last year, it has given an opportunity to be more reflective.

I am grateful to be living in London at this time in my life. This city still gives me butterflies and I still can't believe I live here. I am grateful to be continuing my education here and for the experiences I've had so far. I am grateful for a family that loves and supports me. And for a Heavenly Father that is so mindful of my needs.

To top it all off, two of my favs have been visiting and it couldn't have come at a better time. The past couple of weeks have been a bit of a struggle. The girls' visit and one of my favorite holidays have put things into perspective. Happy Thanksgiving!

PS. In case you're worried, Black Friday shopping is still available online and I am fulfilling the tradition and participating. I am so grateful for online shopping!

Cookies "Made in Chelsea"

Have you ever made cookies without measuring cups? I have. Have you ever made cookies without measuring spoons? I have. Have you ever made cookies with no mixer? I have. Despite the lack of cooking utensils, the cooks didn't turn out too bad. Even if I had to go to three grocery stores for 1 can of pumpkin and pay $7 for 1 bag of chocolate chips. They were for a school event and we were asked to make something from our home countries. I knew I was on the right track when one of my classmates told me my cookies fulfilled every stereotype that Americans know how to bake. She fulfilled the British stereotype too. She brought all the alcohol.

As I was leaving school after the party, the single greatest thing happened to me since moving to London. There is this reality TV show called "Made in Chelsea" (Chelsea is a posh neighborhood in London--totally fitting right:)). It is kind of like the UK version of "The Hills". As a disclaimer I LOATHE "The Hills", but something about rich, socialites in a culture other then my own is extremely entertaining. I love "Made in Chelsea" and feel like the people on it are giving me a crash course in UK culture. Even if that culture is totally staged. Back to the greatest moment of my UK experience. Next to school was an event for the television channel that broadcasts "Made in Chelsea" and who was at the event? Two of my favorite characters! Like in the flesh! I basically turned into a twelve year old with a celeb crush. It was not pretty but so much fun. Had I not made cookies with no measuring cups and stayed late a school for the party I never would have seen them!

Contagion

My classmates and I went and saw Contagion this week. We justified the $20 (yes, that is the "normal" price INCLUDING the student discount) and the loss of precious study time because the movie was about what we are studying. Marion Cotillard and Kate Winslet both play Epidemiologist. Notice the frumpnastyness of Kate Winslet's character--hopefully I don't end up like that. I'm hoping to be more of a Marion Cotillard. If you want to attend class with me (I mean seriously who doesn't?!) and don't want to pay for the plane ticket, go see the movie. As long as Hollywood keeps producing movies like this, I don't think I need to keep attending my Epidemiology class--they're practically the same thing!

24 Hours of Pizza

When given the opportunity to travel to Bologna, Italy for the sole purpose of eating supposedly the best pizza in the world; did I really have an option to say no? Nope. Did I travel to Italy just to eat pizza? Yep. Was it as good as I was promised? It was pretty good.

We landed at 9am and by 10am we were in line eating our first slice. I was obsessed with the aubergine(eggplant), yellow pepper, and mushroom one. It was pretty magical.

Least you think we did nothing but eat pizza we also ate lots of gelato. In between pizza and gelato, we explored Bologna. It is a beautiful, traditional Italian city. We climbed 500 stairs to the top of a leaning tower and saw views of the city. We couldn't have asked for better weather and I've decided that Italy is my favorite European country...at least for now.

In case you're planning a trip to Bologna here is the place to get the best pizza...in the world.

School: Week One

I'm alive...barely. I survived my first week of school while simultaneously killing all the bed bugs in my room--I think. While my classes are intense, I am enjoying them which is probably an indication I haven't really got into the hard stuff yet. I am taking the following classes: Health Economics*; Statistics for Epidemiology and Population Health; Extended Epidemiology; Principles of Social Research; and Health Policy and Power. I am also taking an elective basic math class since the last math class I took was in 1999. Here are a few things I'm learning:

-The World Health Organization (WHO) ranked the countries with the best health care systems. The study looked at health achievement, protection against poverty, and responsiveness to patients. Sadly, the US did not even make the top 20. Who grabbed the number one spot--France. So if you're sick, the city of lights might not be a bad place to live.

-If you get cholera, you could loose up to 40-50 liters (8-11 gallons) a DAY in diarrhoea. (I also learned the Brits spell diarrhea this way).

-mathisfun.com is saving my life! Who knew 5th graders and I would be learning the same thing.

-Foreigners don't feel as affectionate for deodorant as American do.

-The US spends 16% of its GDP on health care. The UK spends 17% of its national budget on health care and the whole country (including me!) get free medical care.

The world's youngest orthopedic surgeon is in a few of my classes. Apparently, he wrote the entire health strategy for the country of Pakistan. I've seen every episode of the Bachelor AND I can name every man Kim Kardashian has ever been engaged too. Take that Doogie Howser!

To celebrate the completion of week 1 of grad school I am heading here for 24 hours to get allegedly the best pizza in the world. It better be worth it!

*Considering my bout with Econ in college this may not be the best idea, however, it is required. For those that need a quick recap, I had to take Econ twice at BYU and it wasn't by choice. I bet you didn't know that when you fail a class you don't actually get a "F" you get an "E" instead. And just because the only reason I passed Econ the second time was because my morbidly obese teacher slipped on some ice and fell the last month of class and had to miss the last few weeks, took pity on us for missing so much class, and passed us all, doesn't mean I can't do ok in my Econ class now. I hope.

Getting Lost in a Heatwave

Last weekend London was experiencing a heatwave. I use the word loosely considering it was 86 degrees, however for October in London that is record breaking. I am learning quickly that you have to enjoy the sunshine while you can here as it doesn't last long. Many children here are vitamin D deficient and have to take medication during the winter months to compensate for the lack of sunshine. I guess I have that to look forward too. In order to act like a local, I decided to spend as much time outside as possible. First on the agenda was a jog through Regents Park which is right up the street from my house.

Isn't it gorgeous? Wanting to explore as much of the park as possible, I entered a different place then I exited. Bad move considering I had only been there one other time. I got lost and my jog turned into a 2 hour nature walk through my neighborhood. On the good side, I now know a lot more of my hood.

In the afternoon, I met up with some friends at Hampstead Health. It is a seven hundred acre open are of health and woodland stretching along a ridge in north London. The poet, John Keats lived on the edge of the Hampstead Health and its said that many of his poems were inspired by the landscape there.

There are lots of nature trails, grassy fields and ponds where you can swim or fish. Not ever missing a chance to wear my swimsuit in October, I jumped at the chance to go to the swimming ponds. We all met there separately and again I entered the heath from the wrong side and ended up on a nature walk that covered almost every one of the 700 acres. I finally arrived at the ponds with enough time to enjoy the weather.

People keep saying the weather is rubbish here but I have yet to see it. I hope the "heatwave" lasts a little longer.

Going to the Spa with Jane Austen

After a whirlwind of getting settled and traveling around, my mom and I decided to head to Bath for a few days before she left for home. What could be better then relaxing at a spa in Jane Austen country? It was pure bliss. Bath is known not only for the setting of Jane Austen's novels and her personal home for several years but also a natural hot springs that the Romans took advantage of when they were in control of the UK. I love the Romans and there need to create spas wherever they conquered. We took full advantage and spend a morning at one of the best spas I've been too. There are several levels with different pools and saunas and you just wander around to which ever one you want.

Fully relaxed, we spent the next couple of days wandering around Bath, eating good food, shopping, and pretending we were Jane Austen. We also took an afternoon and went to Stonehenge.

(Don't mind the 25 bed bug bites on my face.)

Bath exceeded my expectations. It may be favorite place so far in the UK. I loved the combination of old city with modern shops and restaurants. I could spend hours just wandering around. Luckily, I am headed back to that area on a school retreat for a couple of days this week. If you come to visit Bath, will definitely be on the itinerary.

First Day of School

Well technically it's orientation week but still it was my first day meeting my classmates and professors. This is how it went:

http://youtu.be/DyjlE9NDVSw

You can guess who I was during "introduce yourself time". Here is the demography of my program. 50 people. 10 male. Age range is 23 to 50. 35% medical doctors. 15% nurses. 17 different nationalities represented. 4 Americans.

Even though I don't plan on seeing much outside of school and my flat, I'm still excited to be here in London. They told us that there are five stages of living abroad. The first stage is the honeymoon stage. Check. The next stage is the distress stage. Lookout.

On a happy note the main building for our campus is used at City Hall in the Batman movies. Apparently Christian Bale was filming on campus a few weeks ago. Let's hope he shows up sometime around "distress stage".

Lifes Basics in Switzerland

The rental units and I took a break from running around London like crazies to visit my cousin and his family in Switzerland. I mean when you have family living a few countries away you HAVE to take advantage of the opportunity to spend some QT with them. Let me just say that Rocky and Sarah are the best vacation planners ever. The trip exceeded my expectations and while Switzerland is the probably the most expensive country I've been too it may also be one of the prettiest. Check out the view from our hotel room.

And if that didn't make you jealous enough this was the view from my bed.

The theme of the weekend was Life Basics: Family, Cheese, and Chocolate. We may have had multiple meals that consisted of the these life essentials. I am not a huge chocolate lover like other members of the Smartie clan but Switzerland may have made me a convert.

Trip highlights include road tripping through the Swiss alps, taking a James Bond tram to the top of Schilthorn, Interlaken, seeing the Eiger (Switzerland's highest point), seeing the temple, church in German, and seeing E milk EVERY cow. I can't decide which is prettier the Swiss mountains or lakes.

Our tour guides did not disappoint--now if I can just convince them to come to London. If any other cousins want to move abroad, I promise I'll visit!