Medellin: A Growing City

I'm back. It's been two weeks, and I know you all missed me. Riiight?! Hmmm... 

Well, it was a good experience. I got to see a lot of people my mom grew up with and who saw me when I was three, fifteen, and twenty four years old (only other times I've been to Medellin). I connected with their kids who are my age and I met when we were kids. 

Here in Medelllin situated in a valley the sprawl of the city reaches up the mountains. The mountain views are spectacular and at night... it is like the stars have come down from heaven.

But the traffic... I hate to say it but the smog in city hovers right above it on a cloudy day. The mountains gain a haze that makes them look far away. On clear days, the mountains are crisp and sharp. The views are spectacular, but even on those days you can still see a little smog. 

The city of Medellin is trying to do something about the pollution. They've built two water management facilities in their effort to clean up the Medellin River that runs right through the  city and along the main highway (north to south) artery of the city. In addition, they have invested in public transportation with Transit cars, Metro trains and Metro Cable cars.

I think that there is so much potential to this city. The investment in infrastructure will be paying off not just in transportation, but also in their water and recycling programs. The water is drinkable from the tap. Yes. You heard that right, the water is not drinkable anywhere else in Colombia as far as I know. 

Well, I'll leave you all for now enjoying some more pictures. There are views of a metro station, and views from the metro cable as you up and down the mountain. You can see there are still poor shacks where people live, but many are decorating their roofs for those who look down from the metro cable.

Colombia - My Next Adventure

I've been trying to write several posts about wine and food, but I can't seem to get the right motivation. For the last week and a half, I've been preparing for a trip that has me full of mixed-feelings. I am flying to Colombia next week. My trip will center around two cities, Medellin and Cartagena.

I feel guilty admitting it, but this is not my first choice in destinations, Yet, it is part of my heritage since it is my parent's home country. The guilt is  a big part of those mixed-feelings. Especially if you read my blog, my traveling heart loves loves loves the UK. I am also sad because this will probably be my last trip to Colombia where I will be able to visit my dad's side of the family. My uncle and aunt are very old, in their eighties, and I have been neglectful in keeping in touch with them after my dad passed away.

Last time I was in Colombia, it was over 20 years ago. It was different then, Colombia was in a the midst of a war against drug cartels and against a terrorist group (the FARC). They were dangerous times, especially if you were a foreigner. This was the period of time when kidnapping tourists, or foreign corporation representatives, or even high profile Colombian citizens was happening quite frequently. So frequently that when I was in Cartagena-which was one of the safest cities at the time being a highly tourist destination-  and decided to go to this small little town some 50 miles inland, my uncle didn't want me to go.This little town was where my dad's family came from and I was curious to see it. I was adamant on going.  I had to travel without any type of ID and wear my most inconspicuous clothes just in case the bus I was riding in was held up; No one was to know I was American. And this was the safer part of the country.

The area of Medellin was another matter. Here the drug cartel led by Pedro Escobar was ruling the area. Violence was an everyday thing. It was a scary time. I traveled to Medellin for just three days. Even though I was there for such a little time, my mom's friends were always hyper-vigilant. I spent three days looking over my shoulder. The city was lovely, placed in a valley surrounded by mountains, but you really couldn't enjoy the outdoors. If you want to do some hiking, well so long my friend. Not recommended. At all.

Now, Medellin is heralded as one of the most enchanting cities in South America. It strives to pull itself out of that violent chapter in its history. The reincarnation of the city is amazing and you can read a great article done by the New York Times. There are parks and trails in the city and the surrounding mountains. There is an effort to expand the cultural aspect of its citizens with public art, new cultural institutions, and innovative architecture.

This is where I'm headed for my next traveling adventure. April is the rainy season so I better remember to pack my rain jacket. I am eager to see the changes time and effort has done for this country.

Wish me safe travels. Cheerio!

Hey, what happened to the 'hood?

Have you ever lived in a bad neighborhood and then gone back to visit? And voila! It has been "gentrified"? I recently went for a weekend to visit my mom in Miami. I must admit that I have been a little neglectful. Last time I saw my mom, she visited me in November of last year. So I figured it was my turn to do the visiting, plus, she did summon me down for some help. You have to go once it turns into a summons. Ya know?

Wynwood is my old neighborhood. As I was growing up, there was a lot of crime, poverty, unrest, gangs, etc. It is located to another neighborhood, Overtown, which is also known as a bad neighborhood. Both are located near Downtown Miami and close Miami Beach. Wynwood is mainly small family homes with warehouses towards the northern part. This latter part of the neighborhood has been in rehabilitation for a long time. It is called the Miami Design District. Slowly, high-end interior design and antique shops have been moving in, but now - Bam!- we have designer shops also moving. You can find, Givenchy and Dior, plus many others.

Yet throughout the neighborhood you can fine little cafes popping up, tiny boutiques, and lots and lots of art, beautiful murals. Just check out these pictures. 

The murals are spectacular and there are so many more. You can find them even in the least touristy spots of the neighborhood. And let me tell you, there are still some blocks where you have to be careful even in the daytime.

At least somethings remain the same.The local grocer where you can get the cheapest fruits and vegetables is still there and the laundromat that has not been updated since they invented the washing machine is still there. 

Lets move on to the ... Nightlife. 
There is a nightlife. I mean there has always been a nightlife, but it use to be the kind you did NOT want to be caught in. If you know what I mean. 

Now, there are bars, clubs, art galleries, restaurants, and food truck rallies being held until 3 or even 4 in the morning. There is lots of traffic as people cruise up and down NW 2nd Ave in their flashy cars, and people walk up and down the street hopping from one place to the next.

I have mixed feelings on how the neighborhood is changing. I love the fact that it feels a little safer. I love that there is so much art and culture coming out of my old neighborhood. There are places to go and things to do in walking distance from my mom's house. 

Although, there is a sense of nostalgia for what it was and the people you know have moved out. There is a little bit of worrying about losing the Latin flavor and culture. 

At least I was worried, but as I was turning down one of the less trafficked streets, I passed by some jimmying the door to a car with a buddy on the look out. 

Ah... I think, "Now this is the "hood I know."

Two Brief Book Reviews and Stuff

The idea of writing is better than the reality. To be a prolific, fluent, good writer is an aspiration that I always dreamed of, but knew that it would never be easy to achieve. Not because I lack the talent, it is more of lacking the drive to write. I don't breathe writing; I don't have to constantly write. Yet, I do like the idea of it. Therefore, I have asked myself to give it another try. Not to become famous, just to train myself to have the patience in writing down my thoughts, and hopefully, the exercise of writing will become easier and enjoyable.

Back to Book reviews. I have written about food, wine, travel, and coffee. Those are things I enjoy immensely and fortunately been able to experience. Reading is another of those pleasures that I hold dear. I just finished two books that I liked in two different ways. One was as light reading; the other was more hefty read. Both had great similarities even though they are from two different genres.

Funeral Music by Morag Joss is one of those mystery novels that feels like a quick cozy-read then wallops you with its writing and moral complexity. I picked it up thinking it would be quick and easy, mainly though I chose it because it takes place in Bath, England which is my current obsession. I was pleasantly surprised when the heroine is a classical music artist, a cellist, and begins to snoop around when the concert manager for the charity concert she would be performing gets murder. There were so many storylines taking place in this books and the author weaves and ties them all together making it a complex mystery with a surprising ending. The language and writing lends itself to add more intricacy through rich description not only of the place, but the music and the actions.

The Baron Next Door by Erin Knightley was a fun quick read. It is one of those books that you need to be uncomplicated. What you see is what you get. What was surprising for me is many of the historical -especially Regency- romances take place mainly in London with just part of the story somewhere else in the United Kingdom. This particular trilogy -this title being the first- takes place in Bath.
I'm not going to rave about this book. As I mentioned before, it is what it is, but it does introduce not just the city of Bath in good detail, but also classical music features prominently, even a Chinese zither.

So if you want a romance or a mystery you may consider one of these or both or none, but definitely think about where the books you read take place and see if a change of scenery is right for you.
Cheerio!

Finally, a post about coffee

Coffee. It's about time I talked a little about this 'Elixir of the Gods'. My blog name does contain the word so there should be some posts about coffee.

I wanted to revisit some of the lovely coffee shops in Oxford that I got to try. You can read about my visit there in this post.

Being in Oxford for just one day, or to be more exact, it was more like 8 hours, but lets no quibble. What I was trying to say was that I only got the opportunity to visit three cafes. Some might say that three was enough - or maybe too much, but not you my friends and fellow coffee aficionados. 

Lets begin the reminiscing. We came blame this stroll down memory lane on The Thrifty Anglomaniac's door, again.

So will I was meandering through the streets of Oxford, from the train station towards the university, I came up on this little gem. While I was there, I found out they are part of a charitable organisation called Crisis that provides education, training, and jobs for the homeless. 

The Starlight Cafe is one of the ways that they provide training and jobs while we, as patrons, enjoy a lovely cup of freshly ground and brewed coffee with snacks prepared fresh and locally sourced. I enjoyed a lovely Americano, two shots of espresso with hot water to fill up the cup. It tends to be strong and more of an intense coffee than just the regular brewed type. 

I did mention earlier that I went to three places in Oxford. My second place of coffee nirvana happened along Broad st, a little place called Cafe Creme. A lovely little sandwich shop offering freshly and locally sourced sandwiches, the Moroccan chicken couscous wrap was so good. I ate it as I walked back towards the university to meet up with my group. I am still kicking myself for not taking a picture but by the time I thought about it, it was completely gone, devoured. With this lovely spicy tumeric and cumin basted wrap, I had a lovely espresso shot served with a little strip of lemon zest. Delish!


Last but not least, as we were leaving the university to head back to the train station, I stopped by the Caffe Nero. Caffe Nero is a popular coffee chain  in the United Kingdom. This location is found within Blackwell Bookshop. I got to browse lovely books right across the street from Oxford University, plus indulge in some ... tea. Yes, my friends, I had some lovely, refreshing iced English breakfast blend tea. Oy vey was it hot, at least 98 degrees so I wanted something cool on the walk back to the train. Refreshing and crisp, a lovely amber color, the tea was served with a wedge of lemon and unsweetened. Just how I like it.


Alas, this coffee reminiscing has left me hunkering for a fresh pot of ... well, I think you know.
Cheerio!

Wine for Weather- A New Pairing Sensation

CulinAIRy and I were talking about food and wine (Surprised?) after one of our meals. We discussed pairing wines with food, and how amazed we are that what you eat makes such a difference on what wine you are drinking and vice versa. You may recall my previous post referring to one unfortunate pairing, and you will read later on on how such a great result we had with our current meal.


As we kept talking and drinking wine, we wondered whether we could take this whole pairing thing one step further, and my roommate came up with how about a blog for wine and weather, and I quote, "Wine for Weather because there is always weather". We couldn't stop laughing for a whole five minutes. If our other roommate was there, he probably would have called the men in white coats to come get us.

This is just one of the hilarious examples we came up with:

-Brace yourselves for a stormy day, thunderstorms throughout so make sure you are drinking a Shiraz or Syrah of a dark plum color and with spicy smoky peppery notes today. Stay tune for more weather pairings once we see how tomorrow is looking up!

What meal inspired these shenanigans?

 Well.... CulinAIRy made a gorgeous salmon dish baked with a quick simple pesto made from cilantro. The salmon came out beautifully soft and moist, topped with tomatoes and a generous squeeze of lemon. A lovely light dish that merited a lovely white wine which we had. 

So here's the meal and the wine. The wine came from the Rueda region of Spain. The region is well know for the Verdejo grape which origins can be traced back to the 11th century, according to the D.O. Rueda website.

What a lovely white wine with the salmon. The citrus from the fish did a fantastic job of balancing the melon notes of the wine. 

This wine was a slight dry wine with a bright taste that added great vibrancy to the salmon and balanced the fattiness of the fish. The aftertaste rests in the palate bright and clean. Highly recommend this one, or any of the ones from this region which is having a renaissance in the wine world. So go and have some of this lovely refreshing wine. Until next time, cheerio!

My Oxford Blues

Lets take a break from the wine posts and talk about traveling. I was reading one of my favorite blogs, The Thrifty Anglomaniac. She posted about Oxford and mentions fabulous and thrifty things to do while you are visiting there. So go read it!


The City of the Dreaming Spires is full of old architecture and atmosphere. It is one heck of a college town. Oxford University with all of its various colleges, churches, and buildings dominates the city and it is one of the oldest universities in the world. There is so much history, such wealth of knowledge. There is also something for the Harry Potter fans!




You read correctly. The Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library was filmed at the Bodleain Library. The picture on the right is the entrance to the Bodleian, but the real beauty was the interior. The woodwork, the books, the age of the place transforms your experience into something magical.






Not to get too caught up on Harry, I wanted to mention some food. You all know how much I love food. As my last two posts have shown, food and wine are some of my most favorite things. I was only in Oxford for the day, and had to catch the train back to London in the afternoon. I would have loved to stay for at least another day or a week, or a year, but I did get to eat somewhere quite yummy. 








Have any of you heard of Tolkien or C.S. Lewis? Well, they were part of a literary group called The Inklings. They gathered to argue, eat, drink, and smoke at a pub called The Eagle and The Child or as the locals call it "the Bird and Baby". 

This pub has been around since the late 17th century. You find the dark woods and wooden beams expected in a pub so old, and also, the history. The food wasn't so bad either. I chose to have a burger, but not just any burger. No, it was a Boar and Chorizo Burger. Wow! This burger ended up being one of my favorite meals while I was in England. The taste, juiciness, spices, all made for a lovely rich gamy pork taste with a spicy paprika flavored smokiness. What a fantastic dish. It was served with chips (fries for us Americans) and a vinegar based coleslaw that I actually liked.

Well, I will leave you all drooling about this burger. I also hope this post will inspire some of you to either visit Oxford, or (this is for you CulinAIRy) try to recreated this lovely dish for yours truly.

Ta Ta my dears and cheerio!

Sometimes you get the wine wrong (or maybe it's the recipe)

As my blog title indicates, there are times when you pick a great wine, and you are looking forward to drinking it. You wait for the right food to pair it with because you want to be all "a la gourmand". That is exactly what I did. Couldn't wait. 

We had a fabulous meal prepared by, you guessed it, CulinAIRy. It was, albeit. frozen sausage ravioli with a spaghetti sauce, beautifully presented with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkled with fresh Italian parsley. Even though it was semi-home made,the meal was fabulous as always. 

I couldn't wait to open my lovely Chateau Puech-Haut. A red wine blend from France. It received great reviews from Robert Parker . He gave it 90 points. (Didn't I mention I have pretensions of being a world class gourmand?) The wine was a lovely dark and dense dry red with a hint of plum sweetness. We liked the complexity. Drinking it on its own was so lovely: paired with our meal, not so much.

I'm not saying it was not a great mix, but the acidity of the pasta sauce just added to the dryness of the wine making the after taste a little bitter. You lost the plum notes and all you can concentrate on was the complexity and heaviness of the wine and the whole meal. Two fantastic different elements that one their own were delicious but wrong for each other. 

We definitely want to try that wine again, but we will save it for a nice piece of steak. 

A wine for a great roast beef

Lets start with a great recipe and a great friend willing to make it. Your mouth is watering as the recipe comes together and great smells start to permeate throughout the house. It is a slow cooked meal, but you know that it is going to be worth the wait. That is precisely me, yesterday while I waited for CulinAIRy to finish the fantastic and extremely yummy meal of Schweppes Roast Beef with Sautéed Power Veggie. Just click on the links to read about the yummy-fest!

So what did I bring to the table, wine of course! I love wine. Love. Love. Love.Now I am not an expert, but I am an enthusiast. I love trying wines from different regions and grape varietals. Who knew there were so many grape varieties? Not I.

I recently began learning and drinking wines from Germany and Austria. My roommates and I plan to visit Germany sometime during the summer. Therefore, I thought I should really start tasting and learning about wines from that region. All I ever heard of or drank from Germany was either beer (love the stuff) and Rieslings. There is so many other varieties of wine, even reds!

What wine did I decide to open for the lovely meal? I'm glad you asked.

I chose a red since we were having roast beef. I recently purchased an Austrian red called Gobelsburger made from a red grape called Zweigelt. This wine went spectacularly with the sweetness of the roast beef. The tannins were very mellow so it didn't dry out your mouth like a mouthful of Sweet Tarts; plus it helped cut through the richness and sweetness of the beef and gravy. There was also a light berry sweetness that helped balance the tartness from the vinegar within the kale. We were very pleased with the pairing.

Overall, we very excited and charmed with the reds from Germany and Austria.  

For more info on this particular wine, go to Schloss Gobelsburger . I believe you will all     enjoy this wine. But don't take my word for it. Give it a try. 

Here is the fabulous meal Schweppes Roast Beef with Sautéed Power Veggie courtesy of CulinAIRy.

Not only for the birds

One of the towers St. Paul's Cathedral

There is something truly magical about this city which keeps
 me completely engaged in the present: the juxtaposition of the old and the new buildings. They both weave themselves around each other creating an architecturally vibrant city. As you walk the streets, gorgeous gems peek out amongst modern  highrises keeping you aware of the history of this city.

While walking towards one of our destinations for the day,
St. Paul's Cathedral, I caught a glimpse of a  gorgeous tower peeking out between to modern office buildings. It makes you stop in your tracks; it made me. What an amazing and tantalizing preview of what was waiting for me. Visiting St. Paul's Cathedral has always been a dream ever since watching Mary Poppins as a little girl. So catching this glimpse of the Cathedral brings out that same little girl who also wanted to feed the birds  (and the stray cats and dogs). My poor mom was always asking where all the bread and hotdogs disappeared to.

Arriving at St. Paul's is quite an experience. This building is not just a church, but it is also a local hangout where people come to sit on its churchyard on the grass, benches, and monuments to chat, meet, eat lunch, or all three. The building stops being a static and imposing landmark and connects the people with its rich history and spirit becoming something to be enjoyed and loved.

Lunch time at St. Paul's

Unfortunately, photos are not allowed inside St. Paul's which is too bad. The beautiful stonework and mosaics are things I would have loved to share with all of you. Since I can't, it means you all must make the trip and see them for yourselves. You will not regret it. 

Finally, I want to leave you all with my last view of St. Paul's. My earlier photograph includes one of the towers from this part of the Cathedral, the West Front. In the photograph below, you see the second tower. The statue in the forefront is Queen Anne who was the reigning monarch the Cathedral was finished. This is such an impressive building not only because of its stonework and grand design, but because of its ability to be part of the city and be enjoyed by everyone, even the birds.

For the true adventurer...

Walking around London can be a true adventure. It can involve finding great little alleys, interesting things and people, walking through a park, or going on the tube on your own. There is so much to explore in this city that it can literally take you lifetimes to discover it all.

The real true adventurers are those who decide to explore this city by... wait for it... bicycles. Yes, I did say bikes. Right across from where I am staying, there is a row of bikes all waiting to be rented and ridden. When I took this picture, it was around 1:00 pm. This was right after a fantastic lunch in Wagamama. It was absolutely yummy, but I digress. The picture below shows the full row of bikes which are sponsored by Barclays Bank.

London traffic is- to put it mildly- insane. There are constant buses and taxis, not to mention othere drivers, rushing along London streets at a mad dash to get to where they need to be. This evening as I was walking around the neighborhood after leaving the pub, I began taking pictures and getting to know the area where I will be staying for the next 20 days. The picture below is what I found, at around 8:00 pm in the evening.

Almost all the bikes are gone. At 8:00 pm in the evening the traffic has abated by a lot. There is considerably less traffic after 6:00 pm than in any other big city I have ever been in. So where have the bikes gone? Maybe everyone who worked around this area took them to their "home" after work? Or maybe it was the local residents who wanted to take a ride in the evening before the sun comes down. These are interesting questions. Just in case anyone of you ever wants to ride a bike here in London here are a few tips:

Courtesy of Transport for London and Barclays Bank

London, I'm here!

 The flight from Charlotte to London had all the makings of "all the things that could go wrong", but there is a supreme being out there that was looking out for me. Lo and behold! There was a a family that needed to be together, a family with a baby! Right before take off, things began to look bleak. What I thought was going to be a nightmare turned out to be a great opportunity. We had a great time chatting and getting to know each other. They were from Florence, South Carolina. You may be wondering about the baby? It was the most wonderful baby in the world! All it wanted to do was eat and sleep. There was no fussing, no crying, no tantrum...ing? Be forewarned my Gator  aficionados reading this blog: that baby is a future Clemson fan. He was decked out in a Clemson onesie. So cute! Other than that near catastrophe, the flight was smooth and the flight attendants were marvelous. It was marvelous except I didn't sleep much.

So here I am in London. I made a bunch of great friends already. This city is amazing, and a nice thing is that I haven't had to enjoy it by myself. I met Miguel at the London Heathrow Airport and we traveled together into London arriving in Paddington Station.

Miguel at Paddington Station

Paddington Station

Now I am exhausted. I haven't slept yet. It is time for some shut-eye, but I couldn't leave you all without the knowledge that I happen to have been lucky enough to land right smack in the middle of a heat wave. It is going to be almost 29 degrees in Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit). The forecast for the following day is 29 degrees Celsius (89 Fahrenheit!). If I wanted this weather, I would have stayed in Florida. So far, it has been a great group of people here. We've already explored some of the neighborhood. I look forward to venturing out into London. I'm signing off now. Goodnight everyone.

At the airport

I had forgotten what interesting places airports can be. While I'm waiting for my flight to London, I can't seem to concentrate enough to read my book. I find myself watching all the different tips of people we all are. From those who just arrived to those of us waiting for our flight, we look just about the same, tired. Hopefully, at the bottom you can see the plane I will be boarding. I'm crossing my fingers since I'm posting to this blog from my phone.

So for those who are curious about my read for the plane, it is Bed-knob and Broomstick by Mary Norton. Well, signing off and good night. Cheerio.

Thoughts On Packing

There are only 9 days left before I leave for England. It is sinking in, and I find myself realizing that I need to think about packing. The rain jacket I ordered finally arrived. It is from L.L. Bean, waterproof, and bundles up in a nice little packet that easily fits in a purse. I have broken in a new pair of walking shoes. Plus, I bought a new dress because I need it for the theater. It's for class. Seriously, No, really. I haven't worn a dress since my cousin't wedding in... a long time.

Anyways, there are a million things to do like making sure I don't forget my battery charger for my camera, or I should say, my cousin's camera which he is letting me borrow. (Thanks cuz!) Another thing is making sure I have the address of where I'm staying, very important. I will be staying somewhere in the West End, around the Theater District. In addition, I need to make sure I have some British Pounds Sterling, just in case. There might be a power outage at the airport that only affects ATMs. (Hey, it can happen.) You never know.

So as I prepare for my future British adventure, I can't help but be thankful for the opportunity to visit the land that gave us Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dr. Who... But seriously, I am excited to be able to visit the Globe Theater, amongst other awesome places. It may not be the original, but it doesn't matter. What matters is what it represents, great history and great literature, like Harry Potter.

Well I must get back to over thinking this packing thing. Cause you never know when zombies will attack, or aliens invade, or royal babies will be born. One must be prepared.

Don't forget to check in regularly to see what trouble I will be getting into, I mean, what magnificent, historical, and educational things I will be doing in London. (LOL!)

Cheerio!

Video Editing Exercise

So here it is folks! My very first video post. I feel so... techie.

Audio Editing Exercise

Here goes, my first podcast. Was it ever so tricky, but I did it! I hope you all enjoy.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Music: Cumbia de los Barrios by: El Hijo de la Cumbia Freestyle de Ritmos by El Hijo de la Cumbia is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Photo Editing Exercise

Original Picture

Cropped Version

Edited Version # 1: Through FotoFlexer, I started with the autofix. This brightened the picture. Afterwards I increased Saturation to 25.00 and Hue to 9.00. I followed with an effect called Lomoish which added opaque edges around the picture giving it a tunnel-like effect. This brightened the colors even more.

Edited Version # 2: I began again with autofix. I also played around with the contrast to 7.00 and the brightness to 10.00. I used the Comic effect and adjusted to the middle of the scale minimizing the very cartoon-like effect. I decided to add text and left the background of the text white to add to the cartoon look. Once this was done, I increased the Saturation to 65.00.

My blog creation

It seems to me that everyone is writing a blog these days. I admit that the thought of having a blog has crossed my mind, but I felt intimidated with the daunting task of maintaining the interest of those who happen upon my humble blog. Will I be entertaining enough? Why would someone want to read about my normal everyday life?

Well now, I have a great excuse to jump into the blogosphere. In the next few weeks, I will be gearing up for three whole weeks in London, England during the month of July. This phenomenal opportunity is part of the London Multimedia Program by Florida State University. I am very excited to not just get the experience of being in London, but also meeting the rest of my group face-to-face. I can already tell they are a fantastic bunch.

Now to figure out what to take, since the first priority has been already taken care of: coffee. The closest place for coffee is just a block away from our flats. You will never guess... It's a Starbucks. Surprised?