Jessica Takes London: Chinatown, Buckingham Palace, and Lost in Little India

So last night we went to get something to eat and EVERYTHING CLOSED at ten thirty! I suppose London is a city that does sleep, at least in the part of town we are in on Sundays. I had to get Mcdonalds-which is way better and tastes better (like real food) than in the states. I was appalled to eat American food in London, which I did not spend this much money to eat, but now I know that everything closes at ten like in Denton. That is how Mickey Ds makes their money-being the only thing open past a certain time.

Today was our first day of class, and after about an hour we headed to Buckingham Palace to watch the Tour de France cyclists ride through the London stage! We took the tube there (the underground train-like Dart in Dallas except underground, more efficient, and faster) as a class and I was able to get some good photos and videos. I like the tube but as a tourist I want to see more of London above ground so I may walk more places than taking the tube. The advertisements are cool, and if you go during rush hour people are CRAMMING on there until the door barely closes! People also walk very very fast on the tube because they are trying to get to work, so you will get bumped-a lot. Just get in in your head that you will get bumped and don't take offense to it, that's their culture here. They have some really cool adverts for UK only movies so I plan to check one out tomorrow (hopefully). Another cool thing about the tube is that on the escalator down into the ground people who are just riding the escalator stick to the right and people who are running down it in a rush stick to the left. THAT IS SUPER EFFECTIVE!

tube map in the underground station

the tube station nearest to my dorm

us waiting and trying to stay out of the locals' way

walking to see the Tour de France!

in the underground navigating to find our tube line

ads going down the escalators

my oyster card! just swipe it when you walk in the station and you're in

my student ID yaaay

pretty flowers on the street

The Ritz! that's where Drake stays when he's in London (I heard)

the street

Range Rover!

motorcycles very blurry lol

The pictures above are from the class walk to Buckingham Palace. It was fun, and it was nice being at Buckingham Palace. It looked different from what I thought and in the photos, maybe because the gates weren't open or the guards weren't there like in the movies (because the focus was on Tour de France), but it was nice either way. London has a lot of gold in the city, it makes me feel fancy.

Buckingham Palace

Victoria Memorial outside of Buckingham Palace

statues around Victoria Memorial

Pretty gold and black gate near Buckingham Palace

I couldn't get enough of this memorial!

selfie

another selfie

pretty gate and Ty who was tired of waiting on us taking our pictures

look at the clouds!

Jenay and Louis taking a photo with the UNT International Squirrel

selfie agaiiin

selfie in front of Buckingham Palace

selfie number 100

I wasn't able to get a picture of the cyclists because my phone battery keeps saying "Battery exhausted" so I missed it. They went VERY fast so all my pictures were of nothing. It was a good experience! Afterwards we went back to Regents to get lunch, and then I spent two hours mapquesting how to get to London's Chinatown and this electronic store called Maplins. On the way to Maplins, we got lost and wound up taking a long walk through little India! It was fun but the girls who came with me (two out of the four with me) had attitudes and were hungry and stuff so that was...a task. I didn't mind getting lost in London-I paid the cost of a compact car to get here I can get lost! It's London, you'll find your way home. And I like curry so i didn't mind being in Little India.

little India signs

Mcdonalds in Little India

After all of the walking we did we found Maplins, and it turned out that they didn't have any converters for American ports! So essentially is was a wasted trip, but I saw Notting Hill! I didn't get a picture (due to the attitudes-I was over it) but I am going back tomorrow by myself to take pictures. Two of the other girls-who didn't have a mood-want to come back with me, so I may not be by myself so that's good because Sterling (my boyfrannnn) doesn't want me going alone too much. But I'm a solo person and would rather deal with being by myself and move at my own pace and walk for how long I want than an attitude.

On the city bus (double decker) to Piccadilly Circus

Rihanna's store River Island!

Rihanna's OTHER store near Piccadilly Circus

Mcdonalds. Again!

Lacoste!

J Crew!

Burberry!

people on the city bus

Nespresso!

Big Screen in Piccadilly Circus

Piccadilly Circus Memorial

After that we went to Chinatown! I got some awesome pictures and we went to a buffet, but I was there more so to walk because I've never been to a Chinatown, ever, in life. It was so nice! I only spent 8pounds today! Yay for budget! Today was fun and I'm excited to maybe go to the UK cinema tomorrow and see how their movies differ from ours. I may take each week and see a movie of a different genre to see how every genre differs since I want to go into moviemaking