Internship: Day 1

Let me first start by saying that yes, I did get lost my first day, but I was over an hour and a half early, so technically I didn't really "get lost..." I just used that time for exploring.

I left the Nido super early -- around 8AM -- and I know some of you hard-working business people are reading this thinking "8AM is not early at all!" but when you don't technically have to be into work until 9:30AM and your commute is around 30 minutes away, then yes, that is a super early departure time. It took me next to no time to arrive at Covent Garden and get off of the tube. The tube was packed, and one of the other interns had described this experience as being "packed like sardines," and I can confirm that exact sentiment. It was very crowded indeed, but luckily, I only have to travel three stops which takes about 15 minutes, granted there's no delays.

Once I arrived in Covent Garden, I made my way in search of 85 Strand, where Cedar Communications is located. Of course, I got lost. I walked up and down the street, trying to look at the places I had previously seen when I had Google Searched the location last night and used that little handy yellow man to take a look around the area. I didn't see any of the landmarks I had written down for myself to look out for, and even though I had directions, I was terribly confused. Nevertheless, I decided that maybe if I crossed the street, I'd have better luck, and wouldn't you know it? Suddenly, I was recognizing restaurants and bars that Google had said I would see, and within a few minutes, I was in front of the building. Way way too early.

I knew I couldn't show up an hour early so I walked further up the street to see if there were potential places to go for lunch, or even to grab a quick breakfast. If only I was a coffee person, I probably would have sat in a Caffe Nero and livened up a bit, but instead, I found myself in front of a Topshop and feeling as if I had just been caffeinated. I went inside and figured I could do some browsing before work to lift my spirits and make me feel less nervous -- after all, shopping can be cathartic right?

Cathartic, indeed. I bought myself a cute little dress for £15 and thought of it as a little "You did it!" gift to myself. Of course, "I did it" meaning I found my internship -- not that I actually made it through my first day.

Once I deemed it acceptable to arrive at my internship (still so early), I made my way upstairs and was led into a very modern looking office. There was a red, white and black color scheme that decorated the walls and furniture, and even the ping pong table I spotted later. I sat down at my computer and waited for my boss to arrive -- the editor of Up to Speed magazine, a magazine that serves all British Airways employees. It is a really small magazine, so I will definitely get to see all of the processes involved in making a magazine and actually get to be a significant part of it. I have already been assigned different features and articles to start preparing, so I am both excited for the great opportunity, but nervous because I really want to make a good impression.

My coworkers seem really nice and I'm enjoying listening to the accents all day. I was taught that the British word "biscuit" does not stand for the American flaky, bread-like substance onto which you pour either gravy or butter, but instead, serves as a word for cookies. I guess that makes me a biscuit lover then?

I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the week holds and what other sort of projects I will be assigned as the summer progresses. I will try my best to keep you updated!

Navigating via the Tube, and London Sights!

Okay, so I feel like these past few days have been a complete blur and as each one passes, I am finding it harder to remember which events happened on which day. To maintain my own sanity, and to organize this post (mostly for my own sake, but I guess for yours too!), I am going to divide it by day. Much easier, right?

Monday:
With our Global Training Session starting at 1PM and a night of "chasing" under my belt, I woke up promptly at 11:30AM (probably closer to 12PM if I am willing to shamelessly admit it...oops) to shower and get ready for a little bit of learning. My roommate and I somehow made it to the session, though very sleepily, and after a few hours of introduction to a new culture and what to expect in London, we were set free -- at least for a little while. With the brief time I had to spare, I set off in search of the ever-elusive pillows, hangers, and bathmat necessities! I was accompanied by my fellow interns, also looking for the same thing, and despite our best efforts, we were just too disorganized to make it somewhere and didn't have enough time to make it there and back. Instead, I went back to my room, freshened up and got ready to go to Pizza Express with all of the interns.

Pizza Express was alright -- I mean, the food was good and the company was good, but if it was service you were after, well, then you must be unfamiliar with London. Service in London, especially restaurant service, is nothing like you'd be used to in the States. For one thing, tipping is not even a necessity, and when you do, 10% is the norm (20% would be outrageous). Servers don't rely on tips here the way they do back at home. Despite having to wait 2 hours in between each time we saw our server (just kidding, more like 1.5 hours...again, kidding, our servers were really nice and helpful with our big group), I had a great time. I was sitting towards the end of the table so I was with three other interns. We laughed and joked about how the flowers in the middle of our table made it seem like we were on dates. Of course, that prompted me to go through the typical first-date questions you should expect and asked my faux-date to do the same for me: what are your interests? hobbies? who is your health insurance provider? what is your blood type? You know, completely normal questions.

All we really did was laugh and indulge in a few drinks and eat plenty of food. A day of sleeping until 12 and Global Training really does a lot to stimulate your apetite. Immediately following dinner, the group did what we always do as a group -- search for a bar! However, we decided to split up into two groups since some people wanted to venture back to Soho and then the rest of us thought that maybe we'd stay close by. Those of us who remained close went to the Big Chill and sat in a lounge that was located in a loft upstairs. It was great because we were all able to sit together and alone, so that only made the laughs continue. We managed to get to bed much earlier, but still late, and I was still tired.

With everything we have been doing the past few days, I really wonder whether or not I will ever get a good night's sleep. I'm sure that a few days of working will exhaust me even more, especially with having to navigate on the tube -- during rush hour!

Tuesday:
Get ready for this -- it's picture time! I actually went a bit on picture taking overload today, but I will explain more about that in a few seconds.

Global Skills Training continued today but at 10AM, so I did not have the luxury of sleeping in. Instead, as a zombie, I made it downstairs, and learned about the "elevator pitch" and how to be a successful intern this summer. That ended around 11:45-12:00PM and I used that opportunity to do a little test-run of my commute to Cedar Communications. With a friend who graciously offered to accompany me, I went from Kings Cross station to Covent Garden to find the office located at 85 Strand.

Covent Garden is absolutely adorable and so cool. It has a ton of shops, pubs and restaurants, and definitely looks like a place I'll have to explore before and after the work day. Unfortunately, on my little journey, I was unable to make it right to the office because the street was closed down due to a fire. Just my luck. I spent a bit of tonight preparing for my commute tomorrow with the help of Google maps and my A to Z London map which has been said to be a staple of any person navigating around London. To be honest, the few times I have been on the tube so far, it really hasn't been as difficult as I had thought. It is fairly straightforward and the tube maps are easy to understand. Hopefully, this newfound familiarity with the tube will help me feel more confident on my commute tomorrow!

Disheartened by the fire (and hoping that my office didn't burn down), my friend and I made it back to the Nido to get ready for our tour of London! All of the interns and I got to go on a tour of London while riding at the top of a double-decker bus. We were very lucky because the weather today was outstanding -- sunny and warm, perfect for shorts and t-shirts. Embracing the sun and the sights, I got to see Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Bridge, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey and many more other landmarks.

Two of my fellow interns! Eliza & Will

Fellow intern Matt & I looking quite chipper on the top of the double-decker bus!

More interns!

I actually forget what this building is...I may need to get back to you on this one. It was a bit difficult to hear the tour guide, and I admit, I was a bit distracted by everything around me and trying to take pictures...

If I remember correctly, this is St. Paul's Cathedral (I'm not 100% positive on that one...) and I think Princess Diana was married here. Or I may have misheard the tour guide and this was just another  building. Either way, bad job on my part.

Me with interns Parker & Trent

London Tower Bridge

Me & the bridge, of course. Taking pictures with inanimate objects, in this case an important monument/landmark, is a must when travelling abroad.

Red double decker buses... and a glimpse of my finger.

 I actually really need to go to bed, so I will post more pictures tomorrow of all of the hot spots I know you wanted to see in this post. But tomorrow, I will include more pictures and be able to share with you how my first day of the internship went! :)