This is the Life of a JetSetta!

Birthdays are fun!

2007-12-03T22:36:00.000Z

Last Thursday we went ice skating at the Tower of London to celebrate Hilary and Melissa's birthdays (which are exactly a week apart). Ice skating is so popular here that you have to buy tickets in advance and come at a specific time and you only get an hour to skate. BOO! So when Jessica, Jeremy and I were about 40 minutes late (Thanks Hammersmith and City Underground line!)I thought we had missed our chance to ice skate under the white lights of the Tower of London. Luckily, for me, Jessica married a man that doesn't really take no for an answer. The manager of rink gave us a voucher (raincheck) so we actually went ice skating on Friday. Check out the pictures from the party and our ice-skating redo on Friday!

After ice skating, we went to Bodean's for BBQ. Let me just say that it was one of the best chopped beef sandwiches ever!! It was like a little slice of home. Speaking of home, 10 days and counting!!

Cheers!

Eastern Europe is Cold!!

2007-12-01T00:17:00.000Z

I have already added pictures to Shutterfly from Iman and I's trip to Berlin and Krakow but I thought I should give details of the trip.

We flew from London to Berlin on Friday. We actually missed our original flight due to the incompetence of Alitalia.(Never fly them!) But we eventually arrived in Berlin Friday night just in time to have a late night dinner and go to bed. Saturday morning we got up and decided to take a tour around Berlin. Now this is when our normally good reasoning skills failed us. It was relatively warm Saturday morning but neither of us checked the weather before we set out on our ill-fated bike tour. The tour and our guide were wonderful but it was wayyyyyyyyyyy to cold to bicycle around Berlin especially for two Texas girls. At one point I considered falling off my bike just so that I could justifiably take a taxi home. Despite the mild case of frostbite, Berlin is a beautiful city full of historical significance and interesting personalities. It is definitely on the list of cities I would like to visit again.

Sunday we flew to Krakow Poland. Our hostel in Poland was super homey. We actually had our own twin beds as opposed to the usual bunk beds. We got free Internet and access to a huge flat screen TV complete with over 100 movies of which we took full advantage.. I finally saw Deja Vu. It was very cold in Krakow, it snowed the entire time we were there.

Monday we travelled the 70km from Krakow to Auschwitz. Auschwitz was very intense. A lot of the structures were still intact so we got to see a gas chamber as well as the cabins where victims lived. The most disturbing part was a room filled with like 8 tons of human hair from women whose heads were shaved on arrival and then a display of a roll of fabric made from that hair which was used for clothing for the Nazi army and the general German population. It really hit home the reality of the attempted extermination of people who where different. I also learned that while 6 million Jews where killed the total number of victims reached 11 million which included large numbers of Poles, Russians, political dissidents, Gypsies and homosexuals. I will never understand how you could treat people especially children with such brutality.

Overall, I had enjoyed my trip to Eastern Europe. It's cool how in the span of less than 20 years the countries have modernized themselves and malls in Krakow resemble malls in the US.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2007-11-23T13:24:00.000Z

Yesterday, I spent my first Thanksgiving ever away from my family. It was sad to be so far away but luckily I got to spend the day with my extended family (Iman, Jeremy, Jess, Jenny and Janetta) We all prepared a dish we usually have with our families on Thanksgiving. My contribution was green bean casserole. Jess and I both missed our mom's broccoli and rice casserole but all in all it was an excellent meal.

After dinner we went to see Kanye West!! We had wonderful seats thanks to a friend of Jessica's. The concert was awesome. He is a really good performer and unlike most rappers who just run back and forth across the stage with a tall T and a gold chain, Kanye had multiple costume changes, a live band and cool lighting effects. It was really hard to watch him perform "Hey Mama", he started to cry we started to cry. I am sure his mom was very proud of him and his performance would have made her proud. Iman and I are off on a four day trip to Berlin and then Krakow. For more Thanksgiving and concert pictures click the link!

Happy Thanksgiving!! I am thankful all of you!!

Cheers!

J'adore Paris

2007-11-23T12:56:00.000Z

On Tuesday, Jess, her sisters (who were visiting from the US) and I took a girls trip to Paris for the day. We went on the Eurostar which travels from London to Paris in two hours and 15 minutes! Even neater than traveling at 150 mph under the English channel is traveling 150 mph under the English channel in first class!! That's right our tour company gave me a free upgrade to first class. Unfortunately, Jess and her sister were unable to join me. ( I think the tour company felt bad that everyone else on our tour had booked their tickets with others and I looked to be all alone). I got to enjoy a free breakfast and dinner on the way back.

Once in Paris we went straight to the main event...the Eiffel tower. Our tour guide warned us to be careful because around the tower gypsies ask if you speak English and then hand you a piece of paper and refuse to leave unless you give the money. It was interesting to watch them though because they seemed unable to speak English other than to ask if you speak English. We took the elevator to the observation deck from which you can see all of Paris. I walked around relatively quickly because besides that it was cold and rainy, I am terrified of heights. After the Eiffel Tower, we took a boat cruise up the Seine and then we took a tour of the famous Notre Dame. (Sanctuary!) I totally want stained glass windows in my house one day.

We had a little time to shop since our tour guide decided to give us an extended tour. We found Janetta (jessica's youngest sister) an "artist hat" (beret). LOL!
We returned to London around 11pm. Paris was nicer than I remember from my last trip there but Prague and Barcelona are still my favorite!! Click the link to the rest of the pictures!

Girls About Town

2007-11-13T19:39:00.000Z

My mom came to visit me in London. So we had four fabulous days of fun!!

I got to see a bunch of stuff I hadn't already seen and it was cool to do it with my mom who had never travelled overseas (and of course she paid!) We had a wonderful time click the picture link to see all of our "Wicked" fun around town including our celebrity run-ins!!

Photo disclaimer: My mom never has her eyes open in pictures. She can't help it.

Cheers!

An Enchanted Christmas

2007-11-08T13:36:00.000Z

Since our friends across the pond don't celebrate Thanksgiving. The city and its shops have begun gearing up for Christmas. Last night, Jess and I went to the celebration of the Christmas lights being lighted on Oxford Street (the main shopping area in London) Thousands of people turned out and the winner of the X-Factor (American Idol) Leona Lewis performed although from where Jessica and I were standing we weren't really able to see her. The theme of the lights is from a new Disney movie called Enchanted.

Enchanted follows the beautiful princess Giselle as she is banished by an evil queen from her magical, musical animated land and finds herself in the gritty reality of the streets of modern-day Manhattan. Giselle begins to fall in love with a charmingly flawed divorce lawyer who has come to her aid-- even though she is already promised to a perfect fairy tale prince back home-- she has to wonder: Can a storybook view of romance survive in the real world. From IMDB

More Pictures on ShutterFly

Prague Pictures

2007-11-06T21:34:00.000Z

Prague pictures have now been posted! Just click the pictures tab. Enjoy!

Last Day in Prague

2007-11-06T13:08:00.000Z

So on Sunday, I went to the museum of Medieval Torture Instruments. Let me just say EWWW! My personal favorite was this helmet device with a huge screw on the top that was twisted until a large stone within the helmet crushed your skull until your brains actually came out of your head.

Afterwards,I visited the Charles Bridge which is one of the most famous landmarks in Prague. On the bridge, I stopped to enjoy a jazz quartet and concert violinist who it turns out was doing the violin version of lip-syncing.I then wandered around Wenclesas Square and did some shopping. Things are much cheaper in Prague than in London and I was able to get some pretty good deals. Sunday night, Iman and I went to a Czech sports bar to watch the Colts vs. the Patriots. (It's okay Tony we'll get them in the playoffs!) I am now back in London but I absolutely adored Prague and they have the BEST Hot Chocolate Ever!!!

Communism and Tex-Mex

2007-11-03T22:51:00.000Z

Prague is a beautiful city with lots of rich history from the days of Bohemia to end of communism. This place has lots of stories to tell.

Today, we visited the museum of communism where we learned about life under the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia. The highlights were communist area proganda which depicted Americans as a lazy consumer driven society as opposed to the hardworking simple life of a happy communist laborer. My other favorite was a poster that read: You couldn't buy laundry detergent but you could get your brainwashed! We complain about life in America but we have never had to worry about secret police or being sent to work in labor camps.

For dinner Jess, Jerm and I went to Buffalo Bill's, an "authentic" Tex-Mex resturant. They did play lots of country music and the decor was definitely western (think saloon)The food was surprisingly good and I was able to satisfy my craving for chips and queso. Still upon return to the States I will literally run to Pappasitos or On the Border!

Greetings from Praha!

2007-11-02T21:29:00.000Z

We arrived in Prague (Praha) yesterday. So far I have loved it by far my favorite city in Europe. The people are so friendly and its beautiful. The language thing is a little difficult since we butcher all of the words we attempt to say, but the people are really gracious and try and help anyway. Our hotel is really cool, you have to take a tram from the bottom of the hill to the top where are rooms are and they have the best hash browns I have ever had. Today, we took a coach tour of Old Town and New Town. I will be posting pictures soon.

Longhorn Fun

2007-10-25T19:20:00.000+01:00

One of the other perks about the study abroad program besides the fabulous London shopping and the close proximity to the rest of Europe is getting to meet more of my UT law school classmates.

On Tuesday, the law firm of Vinson and Elkins sponsored a pizza party for the UT students in their downtown office. The party was hosted by Professors Kadens and Anderson who are in London doing research. Law students love free food especially here when even McDonalds can run you 6 or 7 dollars. So it was great to have a free meal and catch up with classmates I hadn't seen or didn't know were in the program. After dinner, I had my first experience with an English nightlife. The pubs close really early (like 12) so then we went to a "club" called Moose. Apparently, English clubs only play house music which is disappointing but we had a good time anyway.

On Wednesday, UT students as well as some Michigan students met up for the time honored law school tradition of Bar Review. The locals were very nice and one gentleman said that the men in America must have a hard time in court as American women lawyers are so attractive. We also discovered a Belgian delicacy, Strawberry Beer which actually tastes kind of like a stawbery daiquiri. All in all its been fun hanging out with and meeting new classmates.

Cheers!

America and a movie!

2007-10-22T18:28:00.000+01:00

Today was an America in London day.
We had lunch at Pizza Hut. The cheese pizza is way better and the resturant is way nicer think mood lighting and contemporary artwork.
Roger Goddell (NFL commissioner) decided that the Dolphins and Giants should play each other in London (Random!). Why the Giants and the Dolphins? I mean if we are trying to drum up interest in the NFL across the pond the Colts, Patriots or Cowboys seem like a more obvious choices. Anyway we stumbled across a promotional event in Trafalgar Square that featured a giant moving Jason Taylor.

While I love football and pizza the most exciting thing was on the way to Pizza Hut we saw the Savoy Hotel from the movie "Notting Hill". The Savoy was the site of the climatic press conference scene after Hugh Grant's character and Julia Robert's character decide to be together forever.

Pictures of both are posted. Cheers!

My Life in Ruins

2007-10-21T23:28:00.000+01:00

While visiting the Acropolis in Greece we stumbled across this.

http://buzzsugar.com/704562

Pictures

2007-10-19T11:44:00.001+01:00

Pictures can now be viewed by clicking the picture link. I have added pictures of Greece so go check them out!

Classes

2007-10-18T19:12:00.000+01:00

Okay so I have gotten more than a few questions about our class schedule. It probably has something to do with our 12 day 5 country tour.... :)

At Queen Mary the LLM students get a two week shopping period to decide which classes they want to take for the year. So in our case we "shopped" the first week and used the second week to travel.

Tuesday Jess and I have Information Law and Media Law 10-12 and 2-4.
Wednesday we (Iman, Jess and I) all have have Comperative Commercial Law and Communications Law 10-12 and 2-4.
Thursday we all have Corporate Responsibilty from 10-12.
Yes you read that correctly no Friday or Monday classes!!!

The classes here are P/F based on a paper due at the end of the term.

Pictures

2007-10-17T22:27:00.000+01:00

Pictures can be viewed by Copying and Pasting the link under Kathryn's Photos into your web browser.

UK Guys vs. American Guys

2007-10-17T22:08:00.000+01:00

Disclaimer: For those over 40 you might want to skip this post.

Jess and I are waiting for the tube and this guy taps me on my shoulder. He says "I just wanted to tell you you had a nice physique" He then walks away. After getting over the initial shock. It was a nice change from the usual American guy's "Damn" and then 15 minutes of staring.

I haven't forgotten about pictures and posts from the 12 day trip. I promise they are coming soon.

How the Other Half Lives

2007-10-14T12:47:00.000+01:00

After we left Barcelona we travelled to Nice. We decided to travel to Monte Carlo in Monaco for the day since it was only 45 minutes away by bus. Almost every car on the street was a Mercedes, BMW or a Bentley. That's right a Bentley!! The Mediterranean Sea is beautiful! The beach was made of pebbles instead of sand and the water was this gorgeous shade of aqua. You too can enjoy Monte Carlo year around if your willing to drop a few mil on a yacht and crew but it might be more cost effective to drop a couple mil on an apartment.

We are Athens right now for those keeping track. I will post later about our adventures in Venice and Rome and why you should avoid STA Travel. Ciao!!!

Park Guell on top of Barcelona

2007-10-08T09:46:00.005+01:00

Park Guell on top of Barcelona
Originally uploaded by kathryn_730

The View from the Top

2007-10-08T09:46:00.003+01:00

Originally uploaded by kathryn_730

what is that

2007-10-08T09:46:00.001+01:00

what is that
Originally uploaded by kathryn_730

2007-10-08T09:45:00.003+01:00

Originally uploaded by kathryn_730

On the steps where columbus was greeted on return from the New World

2007-10-08T09:45:00.001+01:00

On the steps where columbus was greeted on return from the New World
Originally uploaded by kathryn_730

Bike tour

2007-10-08T09:44:00.003+01:00

Bike tour
Originally uploaded by kathryn_730

Las Ramblas

2007-10-08T09:44:00.001+01:00

Las Ramblas
Originally uploaded by kathryn_730

Barcelona

2007-10-07T22:24:00.000+01:00

Sorry for the extended time between posts! We left Barcelona by train today and arrived tonight in Nice, France. Barcelona was in a word fabulous!!! We did a bike tour of the city and spent a day on the beach. I promise the next time my camera cord and a computer are in the same place I will post pictures and stories. We leave Nice tommorrow night for our next stop Venice!! Happy Anniversary to my parents!!

A tout a leure!!!

Queen Mary College

2007-10-02T19:22:00.000+01:00

Monday Jessica and I went to Queen Mary College's main campus for what I thought was registration but which turned out to be just for an I.D. You would think it would take 15 minutes to get a student I.D. but no one knew where I was supposed to go. Finally, we were told to that the only man that could help me had "popped out" for lunch and would be back in an hour. LIES!! Almost three hours later he returns with shopping bags only to tell me he couldn't help me and that I had to return to the first place I went. Eventually, I got the I.D. but I must say that the British are severly lacking in the efficiency department. Then, Iman met us and we went with her to the campus cafe only to learn that they were out of food at 2:30. How do you run out of food at 2:30 when you know you don't close till 5!?

Today was the first day of classes we intended on attending three classes. The first Ethnic Minorities and the Law was boring and the professors cologne made me nauseous. We left after the first break did I mention the class was scheduled from 9-12! Since we had some time to kill after leaving we decided to go to STA Travel to look into traveling to Spain, Italy and Greece. And while the 3 hours we spent with Jess (the travel agent) was very beneficial. (We leave for Barcelona on Thursday!) We missed out second class something about Taxation. We did make it to our last class of the day something about European Markets. Obviously, you can see how concerned we are about class! Here they have a two week trial period for you to attend classes and then decide what you are taking so I will keep you posted on the final class schedule. I'll be sure to post pictures of the school and my neighborhood.

Cheers!!

I Made It!

2007-10-01T19:01:00.000+01:00

I have officially joined the blogging world! I thought this would be a great way to share my adventures while abroad and since I regularly live the life of a go getta this is the life of a jet setta!! LOL.

So I arrived in London on Sunday my luggage followed on Monday. While here in London, I will be staying in Lillian Penson Hall which is about two blocks from Hyde Park and a block from Paddington Station. We live in a very nice area surrounded by lots of little cafes, shops and hotels but not too far from McDonalds and Burger King just in case. LOL. I know I will enjoy my time here but I definitely think I will be ready to come back in December. As Iman and I are already convinced of the United States inherent superiority. LOL! But don't worry I plan on having a fabulous time while I am here!