Last week my friends and I ventured into east London to partake in First Thursdays.

http://www.firstthursdays.co.uk/

^ Click on the link for more information.
It was a lot of fun just being able to wander about the galleries and see the different mediums that artists use to convey their messages. I saw art that made me stand stare in wonder, and I also saw pieces that made me question society’s definition of art.

I think an added bonus of the night was that quite a few galleries were giving away free snacks and wine. I’m only 19, and I still find it strange that I can go into a pub and order a drink, no questions asked. It’s even stranger to find people walking down the street with beer bottles in hand and openly drinking.
Tangent aside, First Thursdays is a fun event to attend, even if you’re a poor university student who can’t afford to spend thousands of pounds on art.
More importantly, I think it’s a great way to encourage people to visit east London.
Historically, this has been a poorer area of the city with high crime rates. It’s always been associated with immigrant communities, and this is reflected in the many stores and restaurants that line the street. Brick Lane is a street known for its many curry houses, but it is also home to Beigal Bake and the Beigal Shop, which are two Jewish beigal stores that are a throwback to the previous Jewish community which used to thrive in east London.

I know that when I told people I would be studying in London, they imagined me frolicking down the halls of Parliament and spending my afternoons picnicking by the Eye. People often fail to consider the other areas of London – the lesser known areas with a slightly darker history.

On the other hand, I’ve noticed a lot of positive differences as well. QMUL has a student population of about 12,000, which is significantly smaller than at UC Berkeley. My lectures are probably no more than 70 to 80 students a class, and my seminars have about 12-15 students. This means I get a lot more contact with my lecturer and seminar leaders, so I’m hoping to get a lot out of it.
One of my classes that I’m most excited for – Art Histories of London – (Art History & English? Die <3) requires that we have on site lessons at museums every other week. The lecturer also seems really passionate and understanding of the associate student’s “plight”, PLUS she’s my seminar leader.

In terms of class time, I only have one hour of lecture & seminar per class each week, so I have a lot more free time. In addition to weekends, I’ve got Mondays and Wednesdays off, which is pretty amazing. But I’ve got to take advantage of the free time to catch up on my work and not play! (Which is what I’ve been doing for the past two weeks now…)

Now I’m off to read!

My time in London has been a whirlwind of activities and orientations – I feel like I’ve barely had any time to myself. Here’s a quick recap of my week so far:

As a University of California student, I’ve come abroad through the Education Abroad Program (EAP). I had a three day orientation with fellow students who will be studying at QMUL, King’s College, and the University of Kent. I flew out of LAX on Thursday night and arrived at Heathrow around noon the next day. Keeping in mind some advice from my friend, I power walked off the plane and tried to be one of the first people off my flight to get to customs. Fortunately for me, everything in the airport is very clearly marked so I was able to make my way without any problems. I got into the line for those without EU passports and then headed over to baggage claim.

To get to my orientation venue, I had to take the London underground, or Tube as they call it here. It’s actually very navigator friendly – there are numerous maps throughout the station and a ticker on the train itself which displays upcoming stops as you ride it. This was excellent, as I’d had barely any sleep on the flight.

I really appreciated the EAP orientation for allowing me to meet so many other students who were in the same position as me – thousands of miles away from home and in a completely foreign city. I also appreciate the fact that the orientation allowed me to do a lot of cool things such as participating in a private tour of the Tate museum, going on a boat cruise down the Thames, and going on a walking tour of central London.

On the final day of orientation, students were provided with taxis to take them to their destinations. Due to space issues, I sat in the front seat  – and let me tell you, it was quite the experience. From what I’ve seen, drivers in London are aggressive and kind of scary, and that’s just my impression as a pedestrian. Being in the car itself is an entirely different experience.

I was glad to finally be able to move into my residence hall and meet my flatmates, though I was stuck without any bedding or kitchenware. But that’s another story!

Feel free to post on our wall, upload pictures, and tell us about your trips to London!