Part of my sense of lacking a routine is because I haven't been able to go into the House of Commons very consistently. Beth and I go into the office on opposite days, and the days I go in depend a lot on when she needs to go into the office. But due to some difficulties in getting my security badge, I've only been able to go in when someone else is in the office, and the other lady in the office is currently out of town on business, so my work in the office has been rather sporadic the past couple weeks. I don't mind this set-up, but I definitely feel like I need to be more proactive about getting the most out of the days that I'm not in the office or nannying (including weekends)!
Speaking of weekends, I got to do some fun things this past one. On Thursday I went to an event that I've been looking forward to for a long time, the Georgetown "Welcome to the Neighborhood" alumni event. Alumni chapters in lots of different cities (in the States plus a couple foreign cities) were hosting events to welcome alumni who were new in town, and I was excited by the idea of going to my very first alumni event. It was at a swanky bar in Trafalgar Square, and it very much felt like my first "grown-up" social outing. I was definitely on the younger side of the people there, and most of the alumni were already well-established professionals. I did recognize a few faces as people I went to Georgetown with, and one guy I met was an unemployed '09 graduate, but I must admit, I felt a little intimidated by all the successful economists, consultants, and business people I was chatting with who were all several years older than me. I did meet one younger girl who was a London native and the girlfriend of one of the board members (not a Georgetown alum herself) who was a food journalist, and, like me, she had studied in Spain. She was definitely my favorite person there--she loved food, loved Spain, loved writing, obviously a girl after my own heart! All in all, it was a fun evening, a good networking opportunity, and I hope to go to some more events with the Georgetown London club while I'm here.
On Friday Beth (and Xavier) and I went to lunch and then to a John Singer Sargent exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts called "Sargent and the Sea." The Pope was in town all weekend, and I considered going to his vigil service in Hyde Park on Saturday. However, I found out that you had to be going with a Catholic parish, you couldn't go just as an individual, so I ended up not going. Sunday I went to my second class at Pineapple Dance Studios, this time a bhangra class. My only experience with bhangra dancing (based in traditional Indian dancing) was in Rangila at Georgetown last fall, and I was eager to learn more. The class was SO MUCH FUN. It really made me appreciate my years of ballet training, because without that background, it would have been a much harder class. I definitely want to go back!
This past Monday Beth, Xavier, and I went to Windsor Castle! The castle was very impressive (I especially loved Queen Mary's Dolls' House and the photographs of Queen Elizabeth as a child), and the town was so quaint and charming.
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| Tower of Windsor Castle |
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| Garden at the base of Windsor Castle |
This upcoming weekend we're all going to Bath, which I'm very excited for! I'm especially excited because we are arriving on the last day of the Jane Austen festival. I read several Jane Austen novels this summer, and the last two I read (I'm still finishing one) are her two novels that are set in Bath, so it is perfect timing for me! I'm bummed that we'll be missing the Regency Costume Parade, though....and I know Beth and Josh are too. :-) And we're also going to a rugby match, so it should be a great weekend!
One last thing: anyone happen to know when Glee starts in the UK??? I can't watch it online and can't figure out when it's starting here!
So jealous of your exotic and cosmopolitan lifestyle...though that goes without saying. :)
ReplyDeleteNo idea when Glee starts in the UK, but have you tried surfthechannel.com? I used that site to keep up with a few TV shows while I was in Paris. The network websites wouldn't play outside of the US, but I never had any trouble with that one.
I also tend to fall into the trap of spending way too much time on the computer when there isn't much structure in my life. Luckily things have been picking up more and more here so that has been even less of a problem lately!
ReplyDeleteI also echo Allie's sentiments about surfthechannel. It often linked me to Megavideo for shows, and I kept up with a few that way too. I think I'm about to finally watch the Glee premiere online here!
surfthechannel DEFINITELY works (unless you have crappy España internet, which I know isn't the case). And I hope you have SOOOOOO much fun in Bath this weekend! Do me a favor and pretend that you're (insert favorite Jane Austen character here) while you're there...even if it creeps other people out.
ReplyDeleteI went to windsor castle when i was there too!! and the dollhouse was definitely the cutest part! the town was adorable too. enjoy! we miss you!
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