Hello there! Today was quite a glorious day. To start it off, I didn't have anything to do until 4pm, so I got some much needed rest (yes, that jet lag is still killing me). Apparently it takes one day for every hour of time difference to be completely rid of your jet lag, which means that it should take me about eight days to get over this jet lag. But I do hope that it goes away sooner, feeling tired at odd hours of the day certainly isn't fun.
So today, at 4pm, the campus students had a church service in Central London at The Swiss Church in London. It was quite a lovely place, very small and homey. There weren't too many people at the church service, but it's always fun to attend smaller services because then you really get a chance to meet and talk to everybody. I got around to knowing some more campus students who were all, of course, extremely friendly and fun to talk to. The lesson itself was about exercising self-discipline and humbling ourselves before God – two things that I always strive to work on – so the lesson was perfect for setting my mind and heart right before diving into this internship.
After the lesson was over, they had tea and biscuits laid out for the congregation to snack on – how British! And after enjoying some tea and biscuits and talking to lots of people, the interns and I headed over to a Chinese restaurant called Wong Kei for dinner. Apparently the restaurant is really well known about London, but the reason for its fame might surprise you. The restaurant is know for its staff being rude – yes, you read that right. Londoners love the fact that the waiters are rude – they find it funny and enjoyable. Interesting, right? The food at the restaurant is good as well, so people don't just go for the rude waiters. But I didn't find the staff to be too rude. They were the usual "we want more customers, so leave as soon as you're done eating" rude. Perhaps I'm just used to it, because that's the restaurant attitude in New York as well. Nonetheless, it was a unique and fun experience.
After a good dinner with some great friends, I headed home on the Tube – I finally feel like I'm starting to get the hang of it! And with that, I am ready for tomorrow, for the true start of the internship – we have a very full day tomorrow as we are spending practically all day (9am-3pm) in Central London. Now I must get some sleep. I bid you a good night!
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Saturday, June 28, 2014
And So It Begins...
Hello there! As of 12:30pm yesterday, I have arrived in London! So far it is everything I had imagined and more. But before I begin detailing my London adventures, I must talk of my travels...
So, the 12 hour flight was a bit too long for my tastes – those airplane seats are so uncomfortable and make it almost impossible to get any good sleep. Thus, I arrived in London quite exhausted and a little bit disoriented, seeing that I practically skipped an entire day (I left on Thursday afternoon from San Francisco and arrived in London on Friday afternoon, which also explains my lack of a blog post for Friday). It was a really weird time warp, and of course this did not help my jet lag at all.
Nonetheless, I would not let my exhaustion get to me! I crossed the UK border, and another intern was waiting at a cafe for me with a sign. After getting all set up with an Oyster Card (kind of like an NYC Metro Card), we took the Tube from the airport to meet with the internship leaders at their flat in Central London.
And while riding the Tube, I began to realize that London reminds me incredibly of NYC. I felt at home almost immediately. London has all of the glorious aspects that NYC possess as well – the bustling crowd, the Tube, the fast-paced feel in the air, etcetera. Although I must admit, London is much more beautiful. Maybe it's the old buildings with lots of character, the cobblestone streets, or the River Thames running through the middle of the city? I'm not entirely sure what it is, but London is breathtaking – the same way NYC is breathtaking, but multiplied by 10 (or possibly 100).
So – back to the details – we arrived at the intern leaders' flat in Central London, had a quick lunch, and then set out to meet my host. My host lives in South London, about a 20-30 minute train ride from Central London. Of course, I don't mind being a bit further out because I just spent a year in New York! I know how to work the train system, and I know how to commute. Plus, London is London – I'd be happy to live anywhere in this city! I love the neighborhood that I'm staying in, too. It slightly reminds me of Little Whinging from the Harry Potter series.
Friday was quite a busy day – I arrived at the airport, got settled in my host's house, and went to a church event that the South London Church was having that night. It was definitely exhausting, no doubt, but it helped keep me awake and fight off my jet lag. Needless to say, I slept like a log that night.
Today (Saturday) was the kick-off for the internship! We all gathered in the internship leaders' flat and got to meet each other in person for the very first time. It was so much fun to meet everyone and hear everyone's background – where they come from, where they live now, what university they go to, what they're studying, etcetera. We had a quick lunch, and then we had a lesson – getting our minds and hearts focused on God and serving His Kingdom. After the meeting, we all took the Tube and headed over to a park to meet with the other campus students in London. We also had a quick lesson in the park, and then we all got to talk and hang out with each other afterwards. All of the students were so kind, and I got to know/talk to quite a few of them. I'll tell you now, I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of that British accent – it's too amazing. I love the Brits, so good thing I'm spending five weeks here.
Anywho, this was a slightly longer update than I'll probably usually be doing, due to the fact that I had to detail Friday as well. I'm still very exhausted, and very jet lagged, but I'll keep moving forward. Nothing can stop this grand adventure! So, until next time – I'm off to bed, toodledo!
So, the 12 hour flight was a bit too long for my tastes – those airplane seats are so uncomfortable and make it almost impossible to get any good sleep. Thus, I arrived in London quite exhausted and a little bit disoriented, seeing that I practically skipped an entire day (I left on Thursday afternoon from San Francisco and arrived in London on Friday afternoon, which also explains my lack of a blog post for Friday). It was a really weird time warp, and of course this did not help my jet lag at all.
Nonetheless, I would not let my exhaustion get to me! I crossed the UK border, and another intern was waiting at a cafe for me with a sign. After getting all set up with an Oyster Card (kind of like an NYC Metro Card), we took the Tube from the airport to meet with the internship leaders at their flat in Central London.
And while riding the Tube, I began to realize that London reminds me incredibly of NYC. I felt at home almost immediately. London has all of the glorious aspects that NYC possess as well – the bustling crowd, the Tube, the fast-paced feel in the air, etcetera. Although I must admit, London is much more beautiful. Maybe it's the old buildings with lots of character, the cobblestone streets, or the River Thames running through the middle of the city? I'm not entirely sure what it is, but London is breathtaking – the same way NYC is breathtaking, but multiplied by 10 (or possibly 100).
So – back to the details – we arrived at the intern leaders' flat in Central London, had a quick lunch, and then set out to meet my host. My host lives in South London, about a 20-30 minute train ride from Central London. Of course, I don't mind being a bit further out because I just spent a year in New York! I know how to work the train system, and I know how to commute. Plus, London is London – I'd be happy to live anywhere in this city! I love the neighborhood that I'm staying in, too. It slightly reminds me of Little Whinging from the Harry Potter series.
Friday was quite a busy day – I arrived at the airport, got settled in my host's house, and went to a church event that the South London Church was having that night. It was definitely exhausting, no doubt, but it helped keep me awake and fight off my jet lag. Needless to say, I slept like a log that night.
Today (Saturday) was the kick-off for the internship! We all gathered in the internship leaders' flat and got to meet each other in person for the very first time. It was so much fun to meet everyone and hear everyone's background – where they come from, where they live now, what university they go to, what they're studying, etcetera. We had a quick lunch, and then we had a lesson – getting our minds and hearts focused on God and serving His Kingdom. After the meeting, we all took the Tube and headed over to a park to meet with the other campus students in London. We also had a quick lesson in the park, and then we all got to talk and hang out with each other afterwards. All of the students were so kind, and I got to know/talk to quite a few of them. I'll tell you now, I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of that British accent – it's too amazing. I love the Brits, so good thing I'm spending five weeks here.
Anywho, this was a slightly longer update than I'll probably usually be doing, due to the fact that I had to detail Friday as well. I'm still very exhausted, and very jet lagged, but I'll keep moving forward. Nothing can stop this grand adventure! So, until next time – I'm off to bed, toodledo!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Can I put you on hold, USA? London's calling!
Today's the day! I'm off to London for five weeks. I cannot believe how quickly my time at home went by. Alas, I can't pretend to be sad about leaving California, I'm too excited for London – I'm ready for some adventure!
I have a quick layover in Seattle before I head over to London, and I have to be honest: I'm not entirely thrilled about sitting on a plane for 12 hours. But that's only a tiny, tiny annoyance in comparison to what awaits me on the other end of that flight.
At this point, I am beyond ecstatic for these next five weeks. I was nervous at first – the ideas of not knowing anyone else in the internship and having to get used to a new city in such a short time were cause for nervousness. However, I soon realized that I did exactly the same when I moved from California to New York. I had to make a whole new set of friends as well as get used to a huge and sometimes confusing city (although once you get the hang of NYC's grid, it's not nearly as onerous). If I did it in New York, I can surely do it in London. Plus, God is with me wherever I go – He didn't stay in California or New York. If God chose me for this internship, I can have full assurance that there is absolutely nothing to be nervous about. So now, excitement reigns – I'm ready to go!
Well, it seems that it is time to hop aboard my plane. See you in 12 hours, London!
I have a quick layover in Seattle before I head over to London, and I have to be honest: I'm not entirely thrilled about sitting on a plane for 12 hours. But that's only a tiny, tiny annoyance in comparison to what awaits me on the other end of that flight.
At this point, I am beyond ecstatic for these next five weeks. I was nervous at first – the ideas of not knowing anyone else in the internship and having to get used to a new city in such a short time were cause for nervousness. However, I soon realized that I did exactly the same when I moved from California to New York. I had to make a whole new set of friends as well as get used to a huge and sometimes confusing city (although once you get the hang of NYC's grid, it's not nearly as onerous). If I did it in New York, I can surely do it in London. Plus, God is with me wherever I go – He didn't stay in California or New York. If God chose me for this internship, I can have full assurance that there is absolutely nothing to be nervous about. So now, excitement reigns – I'm ready to go!
Well, it seems that it is time to hop aboard my plane. See you in 12 hours, London!
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Welcome to "The Paddington Files"
Hello there!
To briefly reiterate the description, this blog will follow my daily life and adventures as I spend five weeks in London serving the London ICOC's Campus Ministry. Five weeks in London! I don't think I can wait another minute. I'll be departing California on June 26th for my grand British internship, but I'd rather call it a grand British adventure. Adventure is out there, and I believe living life to the full is the way to go. Otherwise, you'll look back with regret. So an internship in London – why not?
But before I hop on the fast-moving train of explaining how I came about this internship, I would like to give a little background of myself. And I will explain why I chose the name of my blog, of course!
My name is Hannah Middlekauff. I spent most of my childhood in California, which was only briefly interrupted when I lived in Virginia during my second- and third-grade years. Although, I wouldn't necessarily call it an interruption since I have an affinity for the East Coast – it was more of a blissful two years in Virginia. I now attend New York University – I recently finished my first year! Let me just say: New York City is everything I had imagined and more. I thoroughly enjoyed my first year, and I cannot wait for the next three years. I secretly wish that the school days wouldn't go by so quickly, because NYC has stolen every bit of my heart. I could not have picked a better university to attend or a better city to live in. The people of New York are, interestingly, my favorite part. I have found friends for life, and they have all stolen my heart just the same.
And this is where the internship comes in. Earlier in the spring semester, I was discussing with one of my friends the idea of studying abroad. Of course, I would love to study abroad, but it is surprisingly quite difficult to figure out. You have to make sure the foreign site offers the courses you need. And if it doesn't, then you have to account for potentially losing a semester of credits you could've been taking at your regular campus. Since I am a Pre-medicine student, this turns out to be even more difficult to figure out – I have to plan my semesters accordingly for MCATs, as well as Medical School applications. Well, I wanted to study abroad in London. As I was talking about these frustrating difficulties, my friend mentioned that there was an internship for the London ICOC's Campus Ministry. Of course, I jumped at it immediately – a chance to serve God and spend decent time in London. It couldn't have been more perfect.
After sending in my application, there was nothing left for me to do but pray. The whole process had been so sporadic and so on a whim that I didn't know if I would actually get the internship. So I prayed for God to make His plan to me obvious – if I wasn't meant to go to London, then I wouldn't get the internship. No matter how much I wanted to go to London, I knew God's plan would always be better than mine. The weeks passed, and I didn't hear much about the internship. I became discouraged (especially since I had been rejected from about two other internships in the weeks after I submitted my application to the London ICOC) and started to give up on the idea of the internship. Nonetheless, I decided to trust God, because who am I to tell Him that He's wrong about His plans for my life? Unbeknownst to me, God absolutely had a plan. And His plan was for me to spend five weeks in London building up His (United) Kingdom. (Did you like my play on words there!?)
I'm so excited to serve God this summer, as well as learn from the Campus Ministry leaders in London! I'll be learning Biblical leadership skills, and I'll be learning how to study the Bible with fellow campus students. I'll be sharing my faith on campuses in London, and I'll be serving at Campus devotionals as well as church services.
Now on to the name of my blog! Not only is Paddington a district within the City of Westminster (in central London), but Paddington also happens to be the name of my well-loved teddy bear (I call him Paddy for short). Of course, I'm sure many other children have Paddington Bears since he is a well-known bear (check out his website: http://www.paddington.com/home.html), but my Paddy is very special to me. Paddy has practically been with me since birth – he is, quite surprisingly, still with me today. He is well worn and greatly loved, and he still holds in one piece (thank goodness). Lucky for him, Paddy comes with me almost everywhere. He was with me all throughout my childhood. He came with me to college, and will continue to come with me to college. He has been on every family vacation. And now, he will be accompanying me for five weeks in London. Paddy is a well-traveled bear!
To briefly reiterate the description, this blog will follow my daily life and adventures as I spend five weeks in London serving the London ICOC's Campus Ministry. Five weeks in London! I don't think I can wait another minute. I'll be departing California on June 26th for my grand British internship, but I'd rather call it a grand British adventure. Adventure is out there, and I believe living life to the full is the way to go. Otherwise, you'll look back with regret. So an internship in London – why not?
But before I hop on the fast-moving train of explaining how I came about this internship, I would like to give a little background of myself. And I will explain why I chose the name of my blog, of course!
My name is Hannah Middlekauff. I spent most of my childhood in California, which was only briefly interrupted when I lived in Virginia during my second- and third-grade years. Although, I wouldn't necessarily call it an interruption since I have an affinity for the East Coast – it was more of a blissful two years in Virginia. I now attend New York University – I recently finished my first year! Let me just say: New York City is everything I had imagined and more. I thoroughly enjoyed my first year, and I cannot wait for the next three years. I secretly wish that the school days wouldn't go by so quickly, because NYC has stolen every bit of my heart. I could not have picked a better university to attend or a better city to live in. The people of New York are, interestingly, my favorite part. I have found friends for life, and they have all stolen my heart just the same.
And this is where the internship comes in. Earlier in the spring semester, I was discussing with one of my friends the idea of studying abroad. Of course, I would love to study abroad, but it is surprisingly quite difficult to figure out. You have to make sure the foreign site offers the courses you need. And if it doesn't, then you have to account for potentially losing a semester of credits you could've been taking at your regular campus. Since I am a Pre-medicine student, this turns out to be even more difficult to figure out – I have to plan my semesters accordingly for MCATs, as well as Medical School applications. Well, I wanted to study abroad in London. As I was talking about these frustrating difficulties, my friend mentioned that there was an internship for the London ICOC's Campus Ministry. Of course, I jumped at it immediately – a chance to serve God and spend decent time in London. It couldn't have been more perfect.
After sending in my application, there was nothing left for me to do but pray. The whole process had been so sporadic and so on a whim that I didn't know if I would actually get the internship. So I prayed for God to make His plan to me obvious – if I wasn't meant to go to London, then I wouldn't get the internship. No matter how much I wanted to go to London, I knew God's plan would always be better than mine. The weeks passed, and I didn't hear much about the internship. I became discouraged (especially since I had been rejected from about two other internships in the weeks after I submitted my application to the London ICOC) and started to give up on the idea of the internship. Nonetheless, I decided to trust God, because who am I to tell Him that He's wrong about His plans for my life? Unbeknownst to me, God absolutely had a plan. And His plan was for me to spend five weeks in London building up His (United) Kingdom. (Did you like my play on words there!?)
I'm so excited to serve God this summer, as well as learn from the Campus Ministry leaders in London! I'll be learning Biblical leadership skills, and I'll be learning how to study the Bible with fellow campus students. I'll be sharing my faith on campuses in London, and I'll be serving at Campus devotionals as well as church services.
Now on to the name of my blog! Not only is Paddington a district within the City of Westminster (in central London), but Paddington also happens to be the name of my well-loved teddy bear (I call him Paddy for short). Of course, I'm sure many other children have Paddington Bears since he is a well-known bear (check out his website: http://www.paddington.com/home.html), but my Paddy is very special to me. Paddy has practically been with me since birth – he is, quite surprisingly, still with me today. He is well worn and greatly loved, and he still holds in one piece (thank goodness). Lucky for him, Paddy comes with me almost everywhere. He was with me all throughout my childhood. He came with me to college, and will continue to come with me to college. He has been on every family vacation. And now, he will be accompanying me for five weeks in London. Paddy is a well-traveled bear!
Since Paddy will be with me in London of course, I decided to name this blog "The Paddington Files." A reference to London, as well as a reference to the dear bear that has kept me company my entire life.
With that, I conclude my first post. I wish you all the best, and I can't wait for you to share in my British adventures! And for these next fourteen days, Paddy anxiously awaits our departure:
With that, I conclude my first post. I wish you all the best, and I can't wait for you to share in my British adventures! And for these next fourteen days, Paddy anxiously awaits our departure:
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)