Chemists and Health Care

Except for An Occasional Hangover?

I guess we'd have to say that our need for medical treatment has been - "knock on wood" - marginal. We have been able to "mind the gap" - no sprains, breaks or bends. There was that short outbreak of 48 hour stuff that a number of us suffered through. Only one of us co-eds was forced to seek medical attention at a free clinic.

You should check your medical insurance to see how they cover overseas expenses before leaving the States.

Practically all of us arrived with generous supplies of our favorite headache and upset stomach medications. Sleeping pills and laxatives aren't a bad idea either. You never know how the change in time zone, climate and diet will effect you.

There are "chemists" (that's British for pharmacy) nearby. Boots is a chain that you can find everywhere. It's like CVS or any other drug store chain in America. Many of the brands at Boots are unfamiliar though, so finding a good clerk for such purchases is essential. The closest clinic was a couple of tube stops away, so waiting until the last minute to head out is unwise.

Prestbury Bound

Saturday (Day 62): Only a Train Ride Away

Careful not to wake anyone at the super mattress sleep over at flat 13, I sneaked back down to flat 1 in the early morning hours to finish packing for my 12:00 Noon train from Euston Station. Fortunately, my first solo travel adventure by train went smoothly, and before I knew it I was off to Macclesfield!

After falling asleep on the train and waking up in a state of panic that I had missed my stop (Macclesfield was not the last destination on the train’s route) I soon heard the conductor announce that my destination was the next stop. Lugging my suitcase, laptop bag, and purse off the train and onto the platform was no easy task. The maxim “travel light,” I have yet master.

The wait for Alex to arrive was brief, and it was a little disorienting to see her drive up in her car to pick me up. The Travers have been visiting us in the United States for years, and it was something completely different to know that I was about to be staying with them - AT THEIR HOUSE.

We stopped by my "home away from home, away from home" so I could say hi to the Travers' and drop off my bags before going into town. Our plan was to have a quick coffee in the village before we went to Mass. It was so good to see them all again! After Mass, the whole family and and I spent the rest of the night catching up before it was time to go to sleep to prepare for a big day of shopping in Manchester!

Friday (Day 61): School’s Out!

This morning's exam went well.
We're all done with classes!

Exams are officially over! Apart from the fact that my hand was ridiculously cramped by the end of the essay section, our Business Dynamics final had been a breeze. The guys created “super mattress” by taking all the mattresses from their bed frames and lining them up in their living room. We all hung out comfortably for the rest of the afternoon until some of us decided to go to the Roadhouse for the live band that plays there on Friday nights. They do "covers" of everything from Muse to Madonna, and we had a great time dancing and enjoying the first night of what was technically our summer vacation!

Later that night, we headed back to Flat 13 to have a “super mattress” sleepover, but not before I set my alarm> I was getting up early the next morning to head to Macclesfield to visit the Travers! Did I say that I can hardly wait?

There were other pictures, but that just wouldn't be right.

First Star Sighting

Danny Boyle
Academy Award Winning Director and Producer
Seen March 5, 2009 while shopping.

Thursday (Day 60): Found at the grocery store!

In the joy that followed the relative ease of our Macroeconomics exam, Tuche and I decided to head over to Oxford Street to do a little shopping at HMV. Although it’s a chain present throughout Europe, Oxford Street boasts the largest, and we were eager to do some browsing. We both made excellent purchases! I bought the Sense and Sensibility soundtrack since it was marked down, and reveled in the Alan Rickman picture featured on the insert! =)

Europe's Largest Music Store

Afterwards, we decided to run into the Marks and Spencer Food Hall to grab a quick bite to eat. As we sat at the bar, eating our sushi and reading about Gordon Brown’s trip to America in the newspaper, Tuche suddenly looked up and gasped. Before I had the chance to ask what had happened, he was whispering to me that Danny Boyle, the director that had won the Oscar two weeks earlier for Slumdog Millionaire, was in front of us looking at the juices.

Unfortunately I had left my camera on my bedside table, since I had just uploaded pictures from Krista’s birthday on to Facebook, but I was able to find a pen and rip out a page of my Jane Austen themed address book so Tuche could get an autograph.

It was a surreal experience -- forcing ourselves to approach Danny Boyle in the grocery store, but it was an experience we will never forget. After telling the story numerous times back at the flat, we turned in for the rest of the night to study for our Business Dynamics final. What a great day.

One Down - One to Go

Our strategy paid off. We're optimistic.

Week 9 - Almost Out of Time

Stress among some members of the Villanova contingent is now palpable. Perhaps some were just overwhelmed by the opportunity of being here. Others have been distracted and dulled by the night life. A few seem completely unaware that there are grades to be earned while involved in a STUDY Abroad program. Whatever the reason, procrastination has given way to panic.

One of the significant differences between our first semester at Villanova and second semester here is that there are significantly fewer graded assignments. And even in British Life and Culture, where there are several graded projects, all are due at the end of the term. So there has been very little feedback on our perfomance to date.

Although the papers requited are of manageable length, failing to pick a topic early, to engage the professor on your topic of choice and waiting til now to assemble resources does make the assignment much more intimidating.

We have two papers and two in-class exams due next week. We have been promised a review class before each exam and have been given practice tests. Members from flats 1 & 13 will join forces to prepare for the dreaded Macroeconomics exam, as well as the final for Business Dynamics.

As of this writing, I am in great shape with my journal project. I have one paper written and the second well underway. My greatest concern is in Macro. I suspect that some of the graphing required for the most difficult study questions would give an Economics major a tough time! The review in Business Dynamics will be critical since it has been so difficult to get a handle on what is important to our professor and what isn't.

The $64,000 question is: Who will press the panic button first?