Here are photos I've uploaded to my facebook, these are public links. So you don't have to be my friend on fb to view them! They aren't too exciting, mostly sightseeing photos and food.
Sightseeing in London I
Sightseeing in London II
Food in London
I hope you enjoy these interesting pictures! I know the sightseeing albums can be boring with all the pictures of artifacts from the British museum... but I thought it would be a great way to remember what was there? haha I don't know.
Some of the more interesting pictures can be the olympic medals for the 2012 Olympics in London, the entrance of Westminster Abbey where Princess Catherine walked for her wedding, and the Black/White swans...
Other than that, I hope to take better quality photos... everything looks soo blurry! :(
Kristian
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
A little bit of home...!
Currently I am down with the case of "Fresher's Flu." A term that means a first year at UCL who became sick/caught a cold/fever after partying, joining a crazy amount of societies and clubs, and meeting tons of people. I feel that I haven't been doing anything crazy! I actually haven't partied nor joined clubs... I am probably sick anyway because of a new environment and the cold change in weather. And I suppose I have met so many people from different parts of the world who can carry different diseases, etc. which then contributes to sickness... :(
So right now I am have fatigue, a stuffy nose, and a sort throat,... I am drinking chamomile tea with honey to soothe my sickness. Luckily, I have Dayquil from home to help me. So make sure to bring your proper medicines when you travel!
Anyway -- the purpose of this post is not only to update you as to why I probably haven't updated in a few days... but also to mention how my long time friend from high school came to visit London! She is studying abroad in the Netherlands and she is staying with me. The fun thing about seeing someone from high school again is catching up after so many years. In this case, two years. Sue and I hardly kept in contact except the occasional run-in at the mall. The fact that we are both in London at the same time could not have been predicted when we were in high school. There was no pact about meeting in London after some odd years, etc. This is a crazy blessing.
Of course, I am showing her the cool touristy things and visiting places I haven't been to myself. Being here for nearly a month still doesn't make me a local, and I sure still get lost. In the whole process, I finally had the chance to eat fish and chips, cheese and onion pasties/cornish beef pasties, and Indian food. These are three of the many staple English foods in Britain.
Tomorrow we're having English Breakfast! I hope to post pictures soon! Until then~
Kristian
So right now I am have fatigue, a stuffy nose, and a sort throat,... I am drinking chamomile tea with honey to soothe my sickness. Luckily, I have Dayquil from home to help me. So make sure to bring your proper medicines when you travel!
Anyway -- the purpose of this post is not only to update you as to why I probably haven't updated in a few days... but also to mention how my long time friend from high school came to visit London! She is studying abroad in the Netherlands and she is staying with me. The fun thing about seeing someone from high school again is catching up after so many years. In this case, two years. Sue and I hardly kept in contact except the occasional run-in at the mall. The fact that we are both in London at the same time could not have been predicted when we were in high school. There was no pact about meeting in London after some odd years, etc. This is a crazy blessing.
Of course, I am showing her the cool touristy things and visiting places I haven't been to myself. Being here for nearly a month still doesn't make me a local, and I sure still get lost. In the whole process, I finally had the chance to eat fish and chips, cheese and onion pasties/cornish beef pasties, and Indian food. These are three of the many staple English foods in Britain.
Tomorrow we're having English Breakfast! I hope to post pictures soon! Until then~
Kristian
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
How Rude!
I am writing an entry because I just had to blog about what I witnessed today.
I had two computer science courses today and the most shocking thing I noticed was how rude students can be. For some reason in the UK universities, students can just talk during lectures, not listen during lectures, and simply disrespect the professor during the lecture.
At Wellesley, I feel that most students have an amount of respect where they wouldn't disrupt the class. But in the UK, students would talk, make outbursts, and obviously not learn from the lecturer. I dislike this type of classroom setting because it prevents those who want to learn from hearing the important things. Also this makes the lecturer annoyed and unwilling to go into depth about the material. I guess these are the reasons why the US university/college system still include grading marks such as participation. Or this type of respect for professors/lecturers only happen at Wellesley... I wouldn't know.
To understand all this, I can only believe that UK university students act in this rude way because their grades are solely dependent on one exam at the end of the year. They take all 8 courses' exams during their third term. Precisely, most people do not have to go to lectures and simply learn from the textbook. For me, I feel like lectures make you learn things outside of the textbook.
Another factor that could contribute to this rude behavior is most students feel like they already understand the material. In the field of computer science, I think there is a large fraction of people who think they are "know-it-alls" and try to out-smart everyone. They don't need these lectures because it's "easy." I just wish that those people would be understanding and considerate about those trying to learn in the classroom.
Overall, I feel sorry for the lecturers because I would hate being disrespected for wanting to teach about something I love and do for a living. This is simply what I have observed while studying in the UK... maybe my perceptions will change at the end of the course... but so far this is mainly seen in my courses without master students.
To add onto rude behavior, I know that there is a stereotype of Americans being rude... but I have to say that people in the UK are rude too. There were multiple times where I thought this, but I can't think about them now... hopefully I can refresh my memory soon.
Well then, until tomorrow! :)
Kristian
I had two computer science courses today and the most shocking thing I noticed was how rude students can be. For some reason in the UK universities, students can just talk during lectures, not listen during lectures, and simply disrespect the professor during the lecture.
At Wellesley, I feel that most students have an amount of respect where they wouldn't disrupt the class. But in the UK, students would talk, make outbursts, and obviously not learn from the lecturer. I dislike this type of classroom setting because it prevents those who want to learn from hearing the important things. Also this makes the lecturer annoyed and unwilling to go into depth about the material. I guess these are the reasons why the US university/college system still include grading marks such as participation. Or this type of respect for professors/lecturers only happen at Wellesley... I wouldn't know.
To understand all this, I can only believe that UK university students act in this rude way because their grades are solely dependent on one exam at the end of the year. They take all 8 courses' exams during their third term. Precisely, most people do not have to go to lectures and simply learn from the textbook. For me, I feel like lectures make you learn things outside of the textbook.
Another factor that could contribute to this rude behavior is most students feel like they already understand the material. In the field of computer science, I think there is a large fraction of people who think they are "know-it-alls" and try to out-smart everyone. They don't need these lectures because it's "easy." I just wish that those people would be understanding and considerate about those trying to learn in the classroom.
Overall, I feel sorry for the lecturers because I would hate being disrespected for wanting to teach about something I love and do for a living. This is simply what I have observed while studying in the UK... maybe my perceptions will change at the end of the course... but so far this is mainly seen in my courses without master students.
To add onto rude behavior, I know that there is a stereotype of Americans being rude... but I have to say that people in the UK are rude too. There were multiple times where I thought this, but I can't think about them now... hopefully I can refresh my memory soon.
Well then, until tomorrow! :)
Kristian
Monday, October 10, 2011
Never fear! There is happiness in London...
Yesterday I went to Camden Market, located on the "Camden Town" underground stop using the Northern Line. And guess what I found?? Affordable food and shopping!! I couldn't be any happier. If you ever go to London, Camden Market should be the place where you buy all of your souvenirs for people back home. There are tons of shops and make sure to look around for the best prices.
Camden Market is like a bunch of NY Chinatown stalls put together... like a swap-meet... like a food bazaar... it's kind of like a farmer's market except with food and anything you want to buy. You can haggle at most stalls which is a bonus! It's a large collection of markets and you will definitely find something you like! The downside is that you're always worried about finding a better deal and whether the quality of the item was worth the price. There are also a ton of designer knock-offs... this makes me wonder if all Londoners shop here for reasonably priced fashionable clothes and accessories...
The prices of food here is amazing! The cheapest I've seen so far. Even thought it's not a restaurant, sit-down-for-a-date kind of place, I think it's worth it. I suppose you can simply call it "street food." There are so many varieties such as Mexican, African, Peruvian, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Polish, Italian, etc. Everything that you can probably crave when you're in London... cause the quality of food usually isn't so great... but Camden Market seems to be okay! There are actually decent sized portions there...
There are so many differences that I've been noticing/noticed while being in the UK,
- the expiration dates of food/drinks finish so quickly! Every time I buy bread, milk, meat, etc. The expiration dates come insanely fast... like within 5 days... even if you look for a longer shelf-life. I kind of miss food in the US because of this...
- Also everything has to be "consumed within 3 days after opening"... even water?? I don't get why.
- there are a ton of "beware of pick pockets" signs everywhere. It must happen so often that it's regulated to be on every part of the city...
- you get your picture taken about 200+ times a day because of the CCTV cameras everywhere. This makes me feel safe, yet worried about having a bad shot... haha
Alright -- that's all for now folks! Coursework is makes it hard for me to update more often.. :(
Kristian
Tips for Studying/Traveling to the UK #10: Understanding the Meaning of College, University, and School
In the UK, higher education after "high school" is called "university." College is a term used to describe A-level education and high school. School is used to describe middle/grade school. So it can definitely be confusing to explain that you attend "college" in the US, when you actually mean a type of "university." I don't think that this will be a big problem when talking to others. You will probably just have to explain how many people in the US use university/college/school interchangeably.
there are a bunch of random horse statues here..
these fish are banned in the USA!! Should I try a pedicure from them? haha
this is definitely a crazy "futuristic" store and had random professional dancers...
pictures weren't really allowed :(
Camden Market is like a bunch of NY Chinatown stalls put together... like a swap-meet... like a food bazaar... it's kind of like a farmer's market except with food and anything you want to buy. You can haggle at most stalls which is a bonus! It's a large collection of markets and you will definitely find something you like! The downside is that you're always worried about finding a better deal and whether the quality of the item was worth the price. There are also a ton of designer knock-offs... this makes me wonder if all Londoners shop here for reasonably priced fashionable clothes and accessories...
The prices of food here is amazing! The cheapest I've seen so far. Even thought it's not a restaurant, sit-down-for-a-date kind of place, I think it's worth it. I suppose you can simply call it "street food." There are so many varieties such as Mexican, African, Peruvian, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Polish, Italian, etc. Everything that you can probably crave when you're in London... cause the quality of food usually isn't so great... but Camden Market seems to be okay! There are actually decent sized portions there...
There are so many differences that I've been noticing/noticed while being in the UK,
- the expiration dates of food/drinks finish so quickly! Every time I buy bread, milk, meat, etc. The expiration dates come insanely fast... like within 5 days... even if you look for a longer shelf-life. I kind of miss food in the US because of this...
- Also everything has to be "consumed within 3 days after opening"... even water?? I don't get why.
- there are a ton of "beware of pick pockets" signs everywhere. It must happen so often that it's regulated to be on every part of the city...
- you get your picture taken about 200+ times a day because of the CCTV cameras everywhere. This makes me feel safe, yet worried about having a bad shot... haha
Alright -- that's all for now folks! Coursework is makes it hard for me to update more often.. :(
Kristian
Tips for Studying/Traveling to the UK #10: Understanding the Meaning of College, University, and School
In the UK, higher education after "high school" is called "university." College is a term used to describe A-level education and high school. School is used to describe middle/grade school. So it can definitely be confusing to explain that you attend "college" in the US, when you actually mean a type of "university." I don't think that this will be a big problem when talking to others. You will probably just have to explain how many people in the US use university/college/school interchangeably.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Computer Science and all of its glory
In memory of a man who changed the technology field... Steve Jobs is forever inspirational.
I heard of the news midday today from a text message. Shocked as I was, I told some acquaintances I met in computer science. They responded with "what? you didn't know?" as if it was old news. I'm sorry if I wasn't awake at 3am to read the news break on facebook and twitter... nor did I check those mediums since I had class all-day.
From there, I discovered that I am different from regular computer science majors who talks about tech-y things, such as ram, processor speeds, etc. I realized that I don't want to be a programmer.
Steve Jobs opened the technology market to think about design -- human centered design. (Of course, he has done so much more because he founded so many different things... but this is what stood out to me.) The easy-to-use interface of apple products and the billion dollar industry changed technology. This is what I like about computer science. Programmers can create the most efficient algorithms -- but I'm just not into doing that. I want to analyze, critique, understand, and design how people interact with technology. I guess I like the pretty stuff what some engineers don't believe is important in the production process. But how do engineers unlearn what they think may be obvious to some people and not others? The computer science industry has been changing and I look forward to where it will go.
As I am currently taking Software Engineering and Human Computer Interaction, I've learned how important it is to design efficient and understandable products. It can save time, error, and accidents. The most common example, used in the class, was the design of medical products in hospitals. Imagine the type of tools they use there and how complicated the buttons are.
Well those are my thoughts for now... :) The speech I've included in the video is from Stanford University's 2005 graduation. The words of Steve Jobs are pretty inspirational. Also watching video clips of Steve Jobs over the years definitely bring tears to my eyes.
I need to stop defining myself based on other people's perceptions and I need to start focusing on what a love and enjoy.
Rest In Peace, Steve Jobs and Thank You for everything you've done.
Kristian
From there, I discovered that I am different from regular computer science majors who talks about tech-y things, such as ram, processor speeds, etc. I realized that I don't want to be a programmer.
Steve Jobs opened the technology market to think about design -- human centered design. (Of course, he has done so much more because he founded so many different things... but this is what stood out to me.) The easy-to-use interface of apple products and the billion dollar industry changed technology. This is what I like about computer science. Programmers can create the most efficient algorithms -- but I'm just not into doing that. I want to analyze, critique, understand, and design how people interact with technology. I guess I like the pretty stuff what some engineers don't believe is important in the production process. But how do engineers unlearn what they think may be obvious to some people and not others? The computer science industry has been changing and I look forward to where it will go.
As I am currently taking Software Engineering and Human Computer Interaction, I've learned how important it is to design efficient and understandable products. It can save time, error, and accidents. The most common example, used in the class, was the design of medical products in hospitals. Imagine the type of tools they use there and how complicated the buttons are.
Well those are my thoughts for now... :) The speech I've included in the video is from Stanford University's 2005 graduation. The words of Steve Jobs are pretty inspirational. Also watching video clips of Steve Jobs over the years definitely bring tears to my eyes.
I need to stop defining myself based on other people's perceptions and I need to start focusing on what a love and enjoy.
Rest In Peace, Steve Jobs and Thank You for everything you've done.
Kristian
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
"Wow, I'm really fascinated with your accent. It's like watching tv."
Sorry for the lack of posts! Classes started and I couldn't edit my thoughts on my next two entries. But I hope you enjoy this random blurb about movies and tip.
----
I went to my first movie theater and watched "What's Your Number?" starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans. It was a great movie to watch for a romantic comedy. I noticed that the previews wholly consisted of U.S. films. A cool thing about the movie theater is that you get to preselect your seats when you buy your tickets. This also happens in movie theaters in Japan. I don't know why the US does a "free for all" seating, I think it's nice to reserve your seats. I wouldn't have to worry about getting a good view.
Anyway -- The title of this post was said to me from a Londoner (a person from London). I never knew that Hollywood was a huge industry outside of the United States, until I came to the UK. The films and television shows produced by Hollywood are well-known throughout the world. (if this wasn't a shock to you, then you can stop reading now. haha)
If you didn't know, the quality of tv shows and films from the US are second to none. No wonder I shouldn't have been shocked to see so many US film advertisements, or that they screened US films in UK theaters. I've always thought that each country has their own films and tv shows to watch. This is still true, but all around the world every country recognizes Hollywood films and shows.
My friend from Germany watches "How I Met Your Mother" in American English because the German voice overs aren't as funny. So I've definitely learn something new about US Hollywood Cinema and I can't wait to learn more differences and culture shocks?
xoxo,
Kristian
UK Study Abroad Tip #9: Get a Sim Card from a Trusted Phone Company
When traveling/studying in the UK, you would most likely want a cellphone to stay in contact with your new friends and even call home. You can either buy a cheap/expensive phone in the UK and use a sim card, or as for me, I brought over a phone from home that could be used with an international sim card. Cellphones are called "mobile" here.
Don't get one from a random store on the street because it most likely won't work after a couple of days (which happened to me -- I used GT Mobile)
In the UK, they have this system for pay-as-you-go called "top up" which means to load money onto a sim card. I suppose this is similar to prepaid phones in the US. Some recognizable companies are --observed through use among friends-- Vodafone, O2, The Carphone Warehouse, Orange, and T-Mobile. There may be more but I haven't seen them yet. I recommend that you go to the company's stores located throughout London, look at their different phone plans, and find the best plan for you.
As for me, I am using a O2 sim card that is working really well for me! Since I topped up 15 pounds, I have unlimited calling and text messaging to other O2 members. (most of the people I know are using O2) So what it means to "top up" is that 15 pounds is on my sim card to use to call/text people outside of O2, since this is my plan. I used the 10 of the 15 pounds on international calling favorites -- so my family and friends can call me anytime using a number I give them. This plan probably won't be around when you're abroad/going to the UK, but I can say I recommend O2 for phone use in the UK!
----
I went to my first movie theater and watched "What's Your Number?" starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans. It was a great movie to watch for a romantic comedy. I noticed that the previews wholly consisted of U.S. films. A cool thing about the movie theater is that you get to preselect your seats when you buy your tickets. This also happens in movie theaters in Japan. I don't know why the US does a "free for all" seating, I think it's nice to reserve your seats. I wouldn't have to worry about getting a good view.
Anyway -- The title of this post was said to me from a Londoner (a person from London). I never knew that Hollywood was a huge industry outside of the United States, until I came to the UK. The films and television shows produced by Hollywood are well-known throughout the world. (if this wasn't a shock to you, then you can stop reading now. haha)
If you didn't know, the quality of tv shows and films from the US are second to none. No wonder I shouldn't have been shocked to see so many US film advertisements, or that they screened US films in UK theaters. I've always thought that each country has their own films and tv shows to watch. This is still true, but all around the world every country recognizes Hollywood films and shows.
My friend from Germany watches "How I Met Your Mother" in American English because the German voice overs aren't as funny. So I've definitely learn something new about US Hollywood Cinema and I can't wait to learn more differences and culture shocks?
xoxo,
Kristian
UK Study Abroad Tip #9: Get a Sim Card from a Trusted Phone Company
When traveling/studying in the UK, you would most likely want a cellphone to stay in contact with your new friends and even call home. You can either buy a cheap/expensive phone in the UK and use a sim card, or as for me, I brought over a phone from home that could be used with an international sim card. Cellphones are called "mobile" here.
Don't get one from a random store on the street because it most likely won't work after a couple of days (which happened to me -- I used GT Mobile)
In the UK, they have this system for pay-as-you-go called "top up" which means to load money onto a sim card. I suppose this is similar to prepaid phones in the US. Some recognizable companies are --observed through use among friends-- Vodafone, O2, The Carphone Warehouse, Orange, and T-Mobile. There may be more but I haven't seen them yet. I recommend that you go to the company's stores located throughout London, look at their different phone plans, and find the best plan for you.
As for me, I am using a O2 sim card that is working really well for me! Since I topped up 15 pounds, I have unlimited calling and text messaging to other O2 members. (most of the people I know are using O2) So what it means to "top up" is that 15 pounds is on my sim card to use to call/text people outside of O2, since this is my plan. I used the 10 of the 15 pounds on international calling favorites -- so my family and friends can call me anytime using a number I give them. This plan probably won't be around when you're abroad/going to the UK, but I can say I recommend O2 for phone use in the UK!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Why is Everything in the UK Expensive?
UK Studying Abroad Tip #8: Shopping to live in the UK!
In the UK, Oxford Circus is a famous area for shopping -- mostly for high end fashion and department stores. Of course, it is an expensive area to go shopping, but for good reason! This tip will mostly be about knowing where to shop in the UK for cheap and smart deals. I wish I had someone to guide me to these places or at least tell me about them. I could have saved more money and could have felt better about some purchases. Since I lived and went to college in MA, I have great respect for students who are able to move from their home country/town to a new place that they do not know anything about! Learning the good and bads of places to shop is a hard thing to do.
This will seriously be a great tip for those studying abroad in the UK in the future!!
When you're studying abroad in the UK, you have to buy your own bedding, cutlery, cookware, and groceries, if you live in a self-catered hall -- which most likely would happen. The following three stores are awesome about having nearly everything you need at good values:
1) Argos, http://www.argos.co.uk/
Price Range: Under Ten Pounds = Under $15
When you first move into your hall, it's always a good idea to make friends with your flatmates so that you can share the cost of cutlery and cookware. Argos is a SUPER bargain home-ware store. There are a bunch located throughout the UK, but in central London, Argos is located near Holborn and another one near Oxford Street. It's a catalogue based store, so when you walk into the Argos store -- you have to look through pages of the catalog, write down the product number, and check the inventory in their little calculator. From there, you take your list of product number and go to the cash register to pay for the item(s). Because I found out about this store so late and September is college/university move-in season, everything inexpensive was/is pretty much sold out. Tip to avoid this upset, check online to reserve the items you want!
My fellow flatmate managed to share dinnerware sets of folks, spoons, and plates, etc. for only a couple of pounds/pence with other people. The same for a cookware set that come with 5-6 pots/pans and they simply split the set amongst themselves. Individual pans/pots were sold out, but not big sets of them. I wish I had someone to share the costs -- I ended up buying items separately which were a little more pricey. In comparison, buying everything individually is more costly then splitting up the price for sets from Argos.
2) Primark, http://www.primark.co.uk/
Price Range: Under Ten Pounds == $15, homeware can be under Five pounds == $7
While researching online, I saw that Oxford Circus was a great area to shop and thought that buying things from department stores would be a bargain. I was totally wrong. Primark is a company from Ireland that sells clothes, bags, and homeware (bedding, linens, duvets, duvet covers, etc.) for bargain prices. They are located on Oxford Street, closer to the Marble Arch underground and past Forever 21.
Shopping at Primark can be crazy. There are tons and tons of people in the store every single time I've been there. The clothing seem to be of okay quality and there are a lot of tights (since this is a fashion staple in the UK). The bag collection is huge, but some of the bags are not great in quality. Accessories are very inexpensive and cute!
I bring up Primark because I know that everyone has to buy their own bed linens when they study abroad, unless you have them shipped over. In the UK, they have this interesting combination of bedding needed. Instead of buying a comforter, they have a thing called duvet and duvet cover. The duvet is simply the cotton inside a comforter and it is stuffed into a duvet cover like an envelope. Primark sells very inexpensive duvets/duvet covers and they are pretty cute too! I wish I knew about Primark earlier, I bought bedding from John Lewis, a department store. I got them for a good value, but Primark is even cheaper than for how much I initially bought my bedding.
3) Tesco, http://www.tesco.com/
Price Range: Under Ten Pounds == $15
The UK has many chain grocery stores such as Costcutter, Sainbury's, Waitrose, etc. but I believe Tesco has the best bargains. They also have a rewards program, so you can sign up online for a card to accumulate points. After a while you can cash the points for coupons to use on your next visit. But overall, it doesn't matter where you go grocery shopping, you just have to keep an eye out for bargains of the food you eat. :)
I guess this is a tip to help you get started in living in the UK. Of course, you can still shop on Oxford Street at Topshop, H&M, and Zara, etc. for fashionable clothes. Argos, Primark, and Tesco are just shops I wish I knew about when I first arrived in the UK. This whole experience is a learning process and I'm glad! :)
Til Tomorrow!
xoxo,
Kristian
In the UK, Oxford Circus is a famous area for shopping -- mostly for high end fashion and department stores. Of course, it is an expensive area to go shopping, but for good reason! This tip will mostly be about knowing where to shop in the UK for cheap and smart deals. I wish I had someone to guide me to these places or at least tell me about them. I could have saved more money and could have felt better about some purchases. Since I lived and went to college in MA, I have great respect for students who are able to move from their home country/town to a new place that they do not know anything about! Learning the good and bads of places to shop is a hard thing to do.
This will seriously be a great tip for those studying abroad in the UK in the future!!
When you're studying abroad in the UK, you have to buy your own bedding, cutlery, cookware, and groceries, if you live in a self-catered hall -- which most likely would happen. The following three stores are awesome about having nearly everything you need at good values:
1) Argos, http://www.argos.co.uk/
Price Range: Under Ten Pounds = Under $15
When you first move into your hall, it's always a good idea to make friends with your flatmates so that you can share the cost of cutlery and cookware. Argos is a SUPER bargain home-ware store. There are a bunch located throughout the UK, but in central London, Argos is located near Holborn and another one near Oxford Street. It's a catalogue based store, so when you walk into the Argos store -- you have to look through pages of the catalog, write down the product number, and check the inventory in their little calculator. From there, you take your list of product number and go to the cash register to pay for the item(s). Because I found out about this store so late and September is college/university move-in season, everything inexpensive was/is pretty much sold out. Tip to avoid this upset, check online to reserve the items you want!
My fellow flatmate managed to share dinnerware sets of folks, spoons, and plates, etc. for only a couple of pounds/pence with other people. The same for a cookware set that come with 5-6 pots/pans and they simply split the set amongst themselves. Individual pans/pots were sold out, but not big sets of them. I wish I had someone to share the costs -- I ended up buying items separately which were a little more pricey. In comparison, buying everything individually is more costly then splitting up the price for sets from Argos.
2) Primark, http://www.primark.co.uk/
Price Range: Under Ten Pounds == $15, homeware can be under Five pounds == $7
While researching online, I saw that Oxford Circus was a great area to shop and thought that buying things from department stores would be a bargain. I was totally wrong. Primark is a company from Ireland that sells clothes, bags, and homeware (bedding, linens, duvets, duvet covers, etc.) for bargain prices. They are located on Oxford Street, closer to the Marble Arch underground and past Forever 21.
Shopping at Primark can be crazy. There are tons and tons of people in the store every single time I've been there. The clothing seem to be of okay quality and there are a lot of tights (since this is a fashion staple in the UK). The bag collection is huge, but some of the bags are not great in quality. Accessories are very inexpensive and cute!
I bring up Primark because I know that everyone has to buy their own bed linens when they study abroad, unless you have them shipped over. In the UK, they have this interesting combination of bedding needed. Instead of buying a comforter, they have a thing called duvet and duvet cover. The duvet is simply the cotton inside a comforter and it is stuffed into a duvet cover like an envelope. Primark sells very inexpensive duvets/duvet covers and they are pretty cute too! I wish I knew about Primark earlier, I bought bedding from John Lewis, a department store. I got them for a good value, but Primark is even cheaper than for how much I initially bought my bedding.
3) Tesco, http://www.tesco.com/
Price Range: Under Ten Pounds == $15
The UK has many chain grocery stores such as Costcutter, Sainbury's, Waitrose, etc. but I believe Tesco has the best bargains. They also have a rewards program, so you can sign up online for a card to accumulate points. After a while you can cash the points for coupons to use on your next visit. But overall, it doesn't matter where you go grocery shopping, you just have to keep an eye out for bargains of the food you eat. :)
I guess this is a tip to help you get started in living in the UK. Of course, you can still shop on Oxford Street at Topshop, H&M, and Zara, etc. for fashionable clothes. Argos, Primark, and Tesco are just shops I wish I knew about when I first arrived in the UK. This whole experience is a learning process and I'm glad! :)
Til Tomorrow!
xoxo,
Kristian
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