Submitted by Melody Taylor on the 2013 fall semester program in London, England…
On Thursday, I only have one afternoon class, and then I am done until the next week. After class at 5:30, it is the perfect time to go out and explore the city. This past Thursday ended up being very eventful. Once class ended, my friend and I went to the Southbank to look at the Christmas market! My sole focus at the market was to find hot chocolate, and I succeeded!
Wandering around, we decided to gradually head towards Leicester Square to see if anything was happening. In the center of the square was the release of Xbox One, the new console. They were having famous gamers and singers perform and talk on a stage, and had giant screens where you could play the FIFA football game and Kinect. The best part was that they were giving away free hats, and I managed to snag one. After 40 minutes of standing out in the cold and listening to Sway perform, my friend and I split up, and I headed over to Piccadilly Circus to see The 39 Steps!
Something everybody learns about London once being here for an extended period is how the tube map does not accurately portray the distance between certain stops. After walking around the Southbank, he was going to go to the closest tube stop to get on the underground to get to Leicester Square. However, I knew it was a 15 minute walk away and after finding the closest tube station, getting to the platform, waiting for a train, switching lines, then getting to the exit would take far much more time than the walk between the two places. You assume you have take the tube to go anywhere, but many places are right next to each other.
I know I probably say this in every post, but I love London and its abundant activities and events just waiting for you to grab hold of on a daily basis. It is impossible to be bored in this city filled with energy.