London Day 5

This morning on our way to Bank of England, there was an announcement on the underground saying to evacuate for some kind of emergency. Of course I was panicked in my head but I tried to stay calm. I was worried before because of an attack in Turkey a few days ago, so this kind of set me over the edge. I was very anxious all day after that. But we did finally make it to Bank of England, a little late. But we watched a video on how the pound was originally backed by gold and a bank note was the promise that it was worth that much. I thought it was an interesting video because I have always wondered how banks work. I would rather the video not have been so geared toward kids, because I felt a little like a kindergartener, but I guess it got the job done.

We went to the boro Chelsea to work on our project and found a grocery store, tourist attraction, hotel, and architecture. It felt different than the more touristy parts of London, but this area was very residential so it was expected. Someone asked us for a recommendation on where to go shopping, and then asked us directions on how to get there. So I guess you could say that we're basically locals at this point. We hit a few stores on Oxford street, ate dinner on campus, and of course we had to go back to Harrods. It's for the research.

Day 11: London day 4

Today we had a presentation at Euromoniter, which was very interesting. Our guest speaker was Stephen Williamson, who has been with this company for 20 years. Stephen explained to us what Euromoniter is and it's a trusted intelligence source business, which means they help clients make informed decisions about expanding their business. They would research they country their clients wants to expand to and get data based on that region and help the client make a decision about putting a business there. I had never heard of this company before this presentation but it was a really good presentation. After this I went into the city and did some research, I only got one hit and they were really helpful and gave a really good interview. I went to another store and got told to email someone, which I did, and missed another store because it had closed. After researching all day and dealing with a rainy cold day, I decided to go relax and get ready for trying to do research tomorrow.

Day 10: London day 3

Today we had a tour at the museum of brands, but before the museum I had some time to do research for my paper. I went to a place called Southbank and looked at two skateparks. One of the skate parks I went to was closed, so I have to go back on Thursday. The museums of brands was really interesting. Our guest speakers were Fran and Genevieve,  and I liked how they did an interactive activity with us before we got to look through the gallery. We had to pick one brand to look at in the showcase room, I chose Johnson & Johnson baby powder. It was so cool to look at the way the packaging and detailing of the product had changed over time. Then they had us try to come up with a future packaging to see what we think would come next, or how it would look.  Overall I really enjoyed this trip to this museum. After this we decided to go check out Chinatown and have some dinner…we didn't have a good dinner because the waitress misunderstood what we wanted for dinner. It was really cool to see Chinatown though, even though our dinner wasn't good.

London day 4

This morning we went to Euromonitor. It was interesting because honestly I had no earthly idea what this company was. It is a research company that gets hired by other companies to do research for them. They do research on several different countries and do custom projects for their clients.

We took the underground back to campus to have lunch in the cafeteria. The underground is super easy to navigate and its really fun to hear the locals talk because their accents are so cool. Sierra, Courtney and I are pretty much underground pros at this point.

We went to Harrod's this afternoon and it was absolute research gold. Harrod's is the biggest and most popular department store in London, and people come from all over the world to shop here. Harrod's specializes in luxury items of all kinds: Makeup, Handbags, Sunglasses, Apparel, Furniture, Bedding, etc. It was amazing. We couldn't resist buying a few things, and decided to have dinner there. After some fabulous pizza and ice cream we took the underground back, and ended another great day in London.

London day 3

Today we started out by going to the museum of brands. The lecture/activity that we did was pretty basic about packaging, marketing, and how to make your brand successful. Personally i'm super into old things, so this museum was really cool to me. They had packaging from the beginning of products, all the way up to current day. It was very interesting to see how much or little the different products changed. On most of them, the logo didn't change much, and they kept to their original color scheme. On some though, the packaging and logo changed drastically. It must have meant that the business was going downhill and they needed to do something to change it. I did notice that with most of the brands, the logo stared out in bold letters taking up most of the box, and as time went on the logos became smaller, and pictures along with other information was included about the product. It was interesting to see different medicines, cooking things, magazines, toys, etc. from different time periods. This museum was one of my favorites because I had a personal interest in it.

After this we went to Oxford street and did research along with some shopping. We had lunch at Selfridges which is one of the biggest department stores in London. We spent a good chunk of the day in there looking at all of the different designers and displays which was great research for our paper. After a few hours and a few shopping bags, we made our way down the street, stopping at stores to do some more research. We ended the day at Lush (our favorite) and were there until the store closed, trying products and gaining research for Seirra. My advice for the day: Always have an umbrella in England.

London Day 3

Today in London we got up and had a visit with the Euromonitor company which I thought would be about computers but it totally wasn't. After this we went back and did some laundry which Sierra was so nervous for for some reason. No worries we got it figured out. Then we went to lunch and decided to take a nap after since we were up so early this morning, it was much needed. Then we went out to do some research, which for all of us consisted of hitting up the biggest department store, Harrods. We started in cosmetics and then went on to bags where Mace and I both found one, After we strolled through and talked to some workers in the clothing departments. After we realized we were starved we went to a pizza shop inside Harrods and had some great pizza for dinner. Then we went for dessert right next store and had some ice cream. After this we went and hcecked out the shoes in Harrods and they were awesome.

Day 10 London 6/28/16

   Today is my second day in London!! This morning the group is going to the Museum of Brands where we are going to participate in an activity. Once we got there I was surprised because I thought the museum was going to be centered around luxury but it was actually centered around everyday products. The museum started in the 1900's and told the story of major brands like Band Aid, Cadbury, and Heinz. The group excersize was the look at a brands packaging over the years and recognize differences. It was a basic marketing excersize but it was hands on in a museum so that was cool. The best part of the visit was the goodie bag which had a magnet, postcard and pin in it which is all my favorite souvenirs.
   After the group left we were starving, so we headed to the food hall in Selfridges and Co. They didn't have too many choices but it was still fun! The arraignments of desserts was crazy! Next I looked at makeup for research and headed to look at handbags. Oops I did it again because I found myself in Christian Louboutin. The pair I had been searching for was there!! The Señora Black Patent  Pump in 100mm heel. They were just stunning! After strutting around for a while, I talked Macy and Court into trying on a pair just for fun! Macy ended up falling in love with her pair so we both walked out with a pair of shoes!!! Then, I went to Pandora where I picked out a bus and guard for my UK charms. Last stop of the day was Lush, where I picked out all of the exclusive products to the Oxford Street location. Overall a great day of shopping with pretty packaging. :)

Day 10 London 6/28/16

   Today is my second day in London!! This morning the group is going to the Museum of Brands where we are going to participate in an activity. Once we got there I was surprised because I thought the museum was going to be centered around luxury but it was actually centered around everyday products. The museum started in the 1900's and told the story of major brands like Band Aid, Cadbury, and Heinz. The group excersize was the look at a brands packaging over the years and recognize differences. It was a basic marketing excersize but it was hands on in a museum so that was cool. The best part of the visit was the goodie bag which had a magnet, postcard and pin in it which is all my favorite souvenirs.
   After the group left we were starving, so we headed to the food hall in Selfridges and Co. They didn't have too many choices but it was still fun! The arraignments of desserts was crazy! Next I looked at makeup for research and headed to look at handbags. Oops I did it again because I found myself in Christian Louboutin. The pair I had been searching for was there!! The Señora Black Patent  Pump in 100mm heel. They were just stunning! After strutting around for a while, I talked Macy and Court into trying on a pair just for fun! Macy ended up falling in love with her pair so we both walked out with a pair of shoes!!! Then, I went to Pandora where I picked out a bus and guard for my UK charms. Last stop of the day was Lush, where I picked out all of the exclusive products to the Oxford Street location. Overall a great day of shopping with pretty packaging. :)

Day 9: London day 2

On our first day in London we had a walking tour, that was actually really good and I enjoyed it a lot. We got to ride and learn how the subway works and use our Oyster cards. We arrived early for the tour and just waited for it to start. When the tour started, she showed us around the market place and then we made our way to the center of London. She showed us the statue of the commander that won the war for England against the French. She also told us the story of the lions that surround him, as they all melted down guns and cannons they took from the French after their victory. Next she showed us Henry VIII’s clock tower and informed us about his lifetime. After that we went to look at Buckingham palace, which is so beautiful! We also got to hear the story about the time when Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham palace. Then we went to see Big Ben and where the House of Parliament was and even got to see Westminster Abbey. After our tour was over we then went to this restaurant that was half of on Mondays, and it was really good. We then headed back to campus because we were all tired from walking and wanted to relax, on our way back to the subway we even got to see a protest going on in front of the House of Parliament, which was pretty interesting. Overall this was a very good tour and I enjoyed learning about the history of London!

London day 3

Day 3 was just as exciting as any other day. London is just a beautiful city so each time that we get to go explore I get just as giddy and excited. We started out our morning by going to the museum of brands. This was a little like a basic marketing class to me where we discussed branding and it was kind of a repeat to me, but beneficial to the basic marketing students. We did a little group activity which was interesting because we got to see how each other thinks. After this we hit the tube for our favorite part of the day: shopping. We went first to Selfridges and Co. and were all amazed. I honestly think this was the biggest department store that I have ever been in my life. It was amazing and we were there for a few hours. Then we went out for more shopping and went to Lush our favorite store. We all bought pretty much every bath bombs we could find, along with a few other things.

Day 9 London 6/27/16

  First full day in London, after orientation my group went on a walking tour around the city. Dr. V wanted us to lead him through the underground to meet the tour guide. London's underground system is similar to Paris's metro so it wasn't any problem for the group. We met up with our tour guide, Rachel, to start the tour! Rachel has lived in London for ten years and went to acting school here. Now she gives tours around the city and uses her acting skills to make them very entertaining. On the tour, she took us to see Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Westminster Abby. I think it is so cool that Britain has a royal family. I hope to learn more about them during my time here. King Henry the 8th's palace was also on the tour and we heard the story of his six wives. I want to go back to a lot of the places we visited to take pictures and really enjoy it since I know the history.

   After the tour, our guide recommended this restaurant that had their entire menu half priced. It was a really nice place and cheap too! On the way back to the underground, we came across a peaceful protest to get the Prime Minister back because he left the position after the United Kingdom left the European Union. Most of the citizens seem to be upset that the UK left. I will have to keep up with the progress since I was in Ireland when the news broke. I was very tired tonight after walking 19,000 steps!

Day 9 London 6/27/16

  First full day in London, after orientation my group went on a walking tour around the city. Dr. V wanted us to lead him through the underground to meet the tour guide. London's underground system is similar to Paris's metro so it wasn't any problem for the group. We met up with our tour guide, Rachel, to start the tour! Rachel has lived in London for ten years and went to acting school here. Now she gives tours around the city and uses her acting skills to make them very entertaining. On the tour, she took us to see Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Westminster Abby. I think it is so cool that Britain has a royal family. I hope to learn more about them during my time here. King Henry the 8th's palace was also on the tour and we heard the story of his six wives. I want to go back to a lot of the places we visited to take pictures and really enjoy it since I know the history.

   After the tour, our guide recommended this restaurant that had their entire menu half priced. It was a really nice place and cheap too! On the way back to the underground, we came across a peaceful protest to get the Prime Minister back because he left the position after the United Kingdom left the European Union. Most of the citizens seem to be upset that the UK left. I will have to keep up with the progress since I was in Ireland when the news broke. I was very tired tonight after walking 19,000 steps!

London day 2

Today we grabbed breakfast and headed out with the group to do our tour of London. We navigated the tube for the first time and it was super easy, it's all right there for you and so simple. We got off at our stop and then went to the meeting place for our tour. We had a sweet tour guide who was a little much for me. She acted out everything. But anyways she took us to all the major spots in London but we didn't have much time to take pictures so were going to go back and get our pictures in. She took us to Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey. The church was absolutely beautiful the architecture in it was incredible. After our tour was over we went to dinner at a local pub where everything was half off for Monday, and my meal was only 4 pounds. So cheap!! When we were done eating we took the tube to Oxford Street and did some window shopping. Tomorrow begins the real shopping and I am so ready.

June 27, 2016

Tour of London

               Day 9 of GEC 1 was a pretty normal first day in the city; orientation, class, and a walking tour. Orientation and class was pretty basic but the walking tour was pretty great and amazing. First we had to take the metro to the meet of point, which at first seemed pretty confusing but once you actually slow down and read its easy and understandable.  Back to the walking tour though, which was fantastic, you learned a bit of history of London and was able to see all the sights. On the tour we were able to see Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Palace, the center of London (you know the plaza in front of the National Gallery with the stone lions and fountain), and we saw Henry VIII's castle. At all these place our eccentric and entertaining tour guide told us fun facts and acted out all the background stories for each place. Overall it was a day well spent, even with this awful sinus cold, London is rich with history and I'm excited to see what the rest of this city brings.

June 26, 2016

Goodbye Dublin and Hello London

               Day 8 of GEC 1 was our day of travel and it started bright and early. Today we were traveling by boat and train to London. As you may be able to tell it was a loooong journey, 8 hours total, but the boat was comfortable and easy, the train however was a little..less...spacious. You keep all your luggage with you and there is definitely not enough space for everyone's baggage, BUT we did manage to make it work.  After this long journey of sitting down you get stretch those stiff legs of yours, that's right you're walking all the way from the train station to the university with all that luggage, on (wait for it!) cracked concrete, cobblestones, and through a  park. So if you have a sinus cold and can't really breath, you're screwed. So the moral of this is to try not to pack too much, stretch your legs often, and stay medicated.

London Day 2

Today we went on the Tube for the first time, and went on a walking tour. The walking tour lasted all afternoon, but it was really good! We got to see Big Ben, the Buckingham Palace, and several other places as well as get a great insight on the history of London. It is really a beautiful city and the people here are so nice. All of the marketing students went to eat dinner together after the tour, I had steak pie and mashed potatoes and it was really really good! The food has been good everywhere we have been so far. Also it only cost about 4 pounds, which is SO cheap. We then navigated the tube to Oxford street and did some more window shopping, I can't wait until the real shopping begins! London rocks.

London Day 1

Travel days are pretty much my least favorite days. I woke up at 5 am to be sure that I didn't forget anything and so that I wouldn't be stressed about time. We took a quick taxi to the port, waited on the ferry, and off we went to Whales. The boat was nicer than I was expecting, and you could buy food and drinks. I slept for most of the time and before I knew it we were there. Our train to London was about an hour later so we had time to grab a quick snack at the station. Figuring out where to put the luggage on the train was an absolute disaster. I had mine sitting next to me in the aisle and the person sitting beside me had to hold their suitcase in their lap. The train ride wasn't bad though. It was nice to look out at the countryside and see the different style of houses. When we finally got to London we had to walk about 30 minutes to the campus we are staying at, and that was a big struggle. One girl's handle came off of her suitcase. A bunch of us all went to walk around the city and immediately fell in love. It should be a fabulous week in London!

Day 8: Travel day to London

Today we left Dublin and are taking a ferry and train to London. The ferry was about two hours long and most of us just slept, considering we left DCU around 7 in the morning. The ferry took us to Wales where we boarded a train that took us to London. The train took about four hours and again most of us slept on this ride as well. Once arriving to London on the train we then had to walk to the hotel with our luggage…this was about a 30 minute walk in semi-warm weather, it was miserable. After arriving to Regents University we got checked in and got settled in our rooms. After getting settled we then went on a campus tour that lasted for about 30 minutes. Then after the campus tour we all ate dinner and then wandered the streets for a little bit. Overall I love London so far and can definitely see myself living/working here in the future. I just love everything about London so far and can't wait to explore more of this beautiful city during our stay here.

Day 8 Travel Day 6/26/16

Time for a new city!!! Today I woke up at 6am to be ready for a ferry that will take the group to Wales. Then we will hop on a train for 4 hours to LONDON!!! The ferry reminded me of a hip lounge minus the crying children that ran around the ship the whole time. The food was very pricey and I slept for most of the ride (I don't do mornings). I was in line for a snack at the station, when another group member said we were getting on the train. I payed for my snacks and ran for the train. People were slow getting on an every door was closed, except one! I am used to pushing my way on and that is exactly what I did!! After getting on, I slept and listened to music the whole train ride! The bathroom toilet was so funny and announced everything you should not put down the toilet. I will include a picture for giggles. Once we arrived, it was time to get to the university which was a 30 min walk. Dr. V led the grouped and walked so fast nobody good keep up! I thought I was going to tip over from the weight of my bags. Sometime this week I will be making a trip to the post office, don't worry I will blog it. We went out to explore a little bit and I saw a street that was named Paddington, which is the mascot of my Kappa Delta chapter at school. It made me happy and think of home, but I am not ready to go back yet!!

Day 8 Travel Day 6/26/16

Time for a new city!!! Today I woke up at 6am to be ready for a ferry that will take the group to Wales. Then we will hop on a train for 4 hours to LONDON!!! The ferry reminded me of a hip lounge minus the crying children that ran around the ship the whole time. The food was very pricey and I slept for most of the ride (I don't do mornings). I was in line for a snack at the station, when another group member said we were getting on the train. I payed for my snacks and ran for the train. People were slow getting on an every door was closed, except one! I am used to pushing my way on and that is exactly what I did!! After getting on, I slept and listened to music the whole train ride! The bathroom toilet was so funny and announced everything you should not put down the toilet. I will include a picture for giggles. Once we arrived, it was time to get to the university which was a 30 min walk. Dr. V led the grouped and walked so fast nobody good keep up! I thought I was going to tip over from the weight of my bags. Sometime this week I will be making a trip to the post office, don't worry I will blog it. We went out to explore a little bit and I saw a street that was named Paddington, which is the mascot of my Kappa Delta chapter at school. It made me happy and think of home, but I am not ready to go back yet!!