London is Amazing

Okay...So I fell asleep really early last night and didn't get a chance to post anything. Yesterday we got in around 10 am after spending forever on the planes. We left from Buffalo on time, but got held up in the air because the traffic was crazy! When we finally got to JFK, we had a four hour layover. I grabbed some quesadillas with Dr. Sharon and Savannah, and then we waited to get on the plane. Once we finaly got on the plane we were all anxious and ready to go, and we were supposed to at 8:55, but the plane didn't take off for another hour! I fell asleep almost as soon as we got on the plane, however, and had no idea that we had been sitting there so long. The two days before we left I had gotten a total of 5 and 1/2 hours of sleep, so I guess I needed it. I sat next to Jared, and he slept almost the entire way. I dozed on and off, but I couldn't really sleep while we were in the air. We finally landed at 10 am, after more air traffic, and went through customs. There was absolutely no need for all of the bank paperwork that all of us had gone crazy trying to get last minute! Then we got on a bus, and drove to Schiller-it was funny-we spotted the guy that was there to pick us up before Dr. Sharon did. We were all exhausted by this point...but we still looked at the sights. We saw a bunch of 'touristy' London sights, but all were amazing! We saw Big Ben (and our bus driver pointed out 'litte ben') the London Eye, and finally the Thames when we got to Schiller. When we got inside, they gave us lunch-which was intersting. I had some noodles on which they ut cheese. Well, it wasn't that great... After eating, we got our rooms. Then, we had to lug our 50 pound suitcases up to the fifth floor-technically the sixth- and that was an adventure. I swear I'm gonna be in great shape by the end of this trip with all the interesting food, and the stairs. Athough, Victoria and I are across from the kitchen, so maybe we can cook something. After I was done unpacking, I went to see the other girls rooms, and then I lay down for a bit...but I wasn't planning on falling asleep so early. The others went and explored a bit.

This morning I woke up aout 6 am (1 am American time) and didn't know what to do...it was sooo early, so I lay back down and read a bit. Then I got up and took a shower, and went to breakfast. It was actually decent. There were eggs and pancakes, ham, crumpets, and juice. Then we learned about cultural excursions, registered for classes, and rested a bit before lunch. After lunche the theatre kids got tickets for the tube at Waterloo Station, and went to see an exhibit on The Ramayana at the British Library. The whole time at the exhibit I knew I'd heard about it before, and then I remembered we'd heard about it in my Judaism and Islam class. We came back to Schiller after that by way of St. Pancras International Railway Station, Kings Cross, Waterloo and then a grocery store. After that we rested a bit, and then had dinner. It wasn't actually that bad. After dinner, the theatre gang plus Carrie, Jess, and Rachel walked over the Thames to the West End and saw Cabaret. It was very amazing!! We got seats in Row J-but the awesome thing is that they were rush tickets an hour before the show and only cost £20! I picked up on some of the accents that weren't quite there, or kept slipping in and out, but it still was Awesome!!!!! There was a lot more nudity than Niagara's show, and Jackie and Amanda, who met us there, weren't really sure what to expect. They were very surprised-more so than the rest of us I think. At the end of the show a number of the Kit Kat dancers removed their clothing, and portrayed being gassed, along with the MC. We left the theatre crying it shook us so much. The other point in the show that made me cry was when Fraulein Schneider told Herr Schultz it was over. Then we had the walk back. Now it is time for bed. We have orientation in the morning, and I've already stayed up later than I should have.