Papers, Tests, and Canterbury?

I am officially done with my first London final! Due to the fact that I have been studying, these last couple of weeks haven't been as eventful (but have definitely been productive!). For the most part, I have spent the majority of my days in coffee shops, either by myself or with Jason writing papers and "revising" for my exams. My favorite coffee shop so far is Toasted in Camden. They have amazing grilled cheese sandwiches and very nice couches. While I like studying in coffee shops, I am ready to go back to Kelvin Smith Library...I never thought I would miss Case's library!

While I have kept busy studying, I have had time for a little bit of fun since my finals are so spread out over the next few weeks. Two Wednesdays ago, I tried to go dancing at Fabric for student night with Jenni, Anna, Mitch, and Mitch's friend (Anna is in my Practice of Medicine Class and Mitch is her friend). While the club that we wanted to go to wasn't open, we had a fun night at Metra in Leichester Square. Hopefully I will have the chance to go to Fabric and the Ministry of Sound before I leave London since I hear they are memorable. Nevertheless, if I don't have the chance I won't be too heartbroken as I have had the chance to see so many other amazing things.

I have spent of time in Camden these past few weeks. Two weekends ago, I met up with Jason, Joelle, and Rich and enjoyed a great dinner at a Thai place in Camden. Camden by far is one of my favorite places in London due to its eclectic mix of restaurants and shops. Another recent Camden experience involved Bogo, where after studying all day last Monday with Jason, we went to Bogo for dinner and had the most amazing mussels. Bogo has a beat the clock menu from 5-7 during the week, making dinner at 5 only 5 pounds instead of 12 (which is the price after 7)! I definitely plan on going back before I leave, and I am so happy one of my med school friends told me about the restaurant.

Last Wednesday was also another exciting day, since immediately after class Anna and I headed to the Absolute Ice Bar where we met up with Jenni, Romy, Danielle, and Danielle's friend. Since all of us heard that it was a must see experience, we decided to check the restaurant out. While I forgot my camera in my flat, we all looked ridiculous due to the "designer ponchos" that kept us warm in the -5 degree room. Everything, from the bar, to the walls, to the glasses, was completely made out of ice. It was truly a "cool" experience and I am glad we succumbed to the tourist ideals. After the Ice Bar, Jenni and I headed over to Piccadilly to see Mamma Mia! Since I have been wanting to see Mamma Mia! since I came to London, I was incredibly happy that our student tickets got us the first row dress circle. I absolutely loved the show, and can see why Londoners love it so much. My favorite part was getting up and dancing at the end, and of course, listening to the music.

Finally, last weekend was truly wonderful as I went to see a friend's family in Deal. Just a two hour train ride away, Jenni and I went to Deal where we were picked up at the train station by Jean and Vaughn, my friend's family members who are living in England. They were so incredibly nice, and spoiled Jenni and I while they took us around their town of Deal and over to Canterbury and Dover. Deal is a beautiful sea side town in England, and we could see France from the beach that was two blocks away from their house! Their house was also amazing since it was a renovated church. On Saturday, along with seeing Deal, Jean and Vaughn took us to Canterbury were we saw Evensong as the cathedral and the Canterbury Tales exhibit. They also took us to dinner at their favorite Italian restaurant. It was also so nice going back to their house and studying while drinking tea. We accomplished a lot at their house (surprisingly), and it was so nice to get a break from London. On Sunday, along with studying, they took us up to Dover Castle. While I had already been there, I hadn't seen the wartime tunnels. We also had a fun time in the main castle, especially since I got chosen to try on some mail and a steal helmet! Jenni and I also had a mock battle with real swords and definitely caused a crowd to gather. We had a great time, and I was so happy to get a little taste of a real home before I headed into finals.

These next few weeks are going to be filled with lots of studying, but I still have a lot to look forward to. I will be sad to leave June 4th, but at the same time, I can't wait to be home with my friends and family. Miss you all and sending lots of love!