All Good Things Must Come to an End

It is incredible how long 10 weeks can seem in the beginning – an endless road stretching out in front of you. But at the end, you swear it’s only been 15 minutes. Last week was my last in the UK and in the Intern Abroad program. So to prepare for the end, I put on the tourist hat again and soaked in as much London as I could.

I sought out London’s hot spots. Though I never rode on it, (it was 17 pounds!) I visited the London Eye--a beautiful symbol of London on the river. I went to Piccadilly Circus at dusk to see the lights. Here is where I discovered how much of a Londoner I’ve become. I found myself muttering “stupid tourists” under my breath as I walked past a group of girls walking with linked arms. I took a few pictures and ducked back into a tube station to ride the train home. Later I walked along the river and made my way to the Tower Bridge.

The London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, and Tower Bridge

Later I went to Trafalgar Square where I walked past the National Gallery and sat by the fountains. Then Kristal and I traveled to Buckingham Palace to (finally) see the Royal Guards. I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I had pictured guards standing just outside the gates where we’d be free walk right up to them… then we’d take pictures and see if we could get them to laugh or move. At least, that’s what you could do in the movies. This is not the case. The guards stand near the palace at least 50 feet behind the wrought iron gates.

Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace

But fate gave me and Kristal a little gift. A van of officials was leaving the gates and a police officer guarded the gap. Those wielding a camera (Me included) saw the perfect photo op! I queued up behind a few people and got to take a picture with the Bobby!

The Bobby looks a wee bit annoyed. Oh well!

On our introductory tour we were told of a giant store that sold almost anything. Harrods spans an entire block on Oxford Street. If you’re in the mood to drop £1,500 on a clutch purse, Harrods is the place to be. Their summer sale was on during our stay. People line up early to get their hands on great sale items… except the cheapest thing we could find was still over 100 pounds. But the best part about Harrods is not its merchandise. In fact it can only be seen after the store closes. Harrods is lit up every night with thousands of tiny lights. It’s like Christmas all the time!

Harrods lit up at night

I had originally planned to travel around and photograph famous places from movies based in London. I even made a list and planned it all out… but on the day I had time to go, it was (in true London fashion) pouring. However, in my travels, I was able to find a few places. The first was Platform 9¾. Tucked away in a corner at King’s Cross is a cart halfway into the magical platform from which the Hogwarts Express takes students to Hogsmeade Station. My next find was a store on Carnaby Street called Soccer Scene. This was the store were Jess and Jules buy “football boots” in the movie Bend it Like Beckham. Then, during our last full day in London, Dani, Edith, Kristal, and I went to Borough Market under the London Bridge. There were 2 treasures hiding there. The first was Bridget Jones’s flat above the Globe Pub. Literally a 1 minute stroll from Bridget Jones’s apartment was the hotel room Harry Potter stayed in the 3rd movie.

1: I push a cart into Platform 9 ¾. 2: Kiera Knightly and Parminder Nagra find a pair of cleats at Soccer Scene. 3: Colin Firth and Renee Zellweger stood outside of this door in Bridget Jones’ Dairy. 4: The top left window is the room where Harry stayed in HP3. The room would shake as the train passed by over the London Bridge.

Soon it was time to leave, and Edith and I celebrated by having an American feast. We found the one store in London that sold Kraft Mac & Cheese and split the box. It tasted like home, and while we knew we’d miss the city in a week or so, we were all itching to get home.

We got the Blues… A delicious bowl of Mac & Cheese reminds us of home.

Now that I’m back in the US, I’m trying to fill up on as much Wisconsin summer as I can--Brewers games, pool visits, walks downtown, etc. Where else in the world can you see a cow taller than your house or a sausage race?

Brewers games, sausage races, cows, friends… no wonder Colin Frizzle wanted to leave London for Wisconsin.

It has been a crazy fast ride. I worked at an amazing internship, met some extraordinary people, traveled around Europe, and had an incredible experience. I know it sounds like a lot of superlatives, but it really was that awesome!

Here is a slideshow of my Intern Abroad experience.

Oxford--A Guest Blog

There were a few people in our program that were originally signed up for the Washington Center's D.C.-Oxford Program. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen events, they were unable to obtain visas for that program. Luckily they were able to come along with us Londoners. They did travel to Oxford for a day to see the campus and speak with faculty there.

This is their video (I helped edit). Thanks, Kila, for filming!

Weekdays and Weekends here in the TWC Program

I step off the tube at West Kensington station (not South Kensington...I got lost for a good half-hour making that mistake) and follow the crowd of business people through a space in a long brick wall past a guard and a gate into a business courtyard to get to Glu. (Since our office shares a floor with one of the RDF Media offices, we were able to spot David Hasselhoff outside our building last Tuesday!)

Then I make my way up to the office to see 4 of the coolest people I've ever met. Andres, Kat, Etienne, and Joe make up the product management team here in London. They look after the assets and marketing of all of our titles in EMEA.

L-R: Andres leads the team as Head of Product Management, Kat is our creative genius, Etienne & Joe are the awesome product managers!

Then I sit down at my desk and get to work. I've been creating game assets for Diner Dash 3, Millionaire 2010, Gemini Division, Cops and Robbers, and a new game yet to be revealed! I write marketing text, create powerpoints, analyze competitors, and help with urgent projects (which always seem to happen when I'm busiest). It's a casual environment but we're always working hard!

I was talking to the leader of our Malaysian contingent a few weeks ago when he told me something very interesting. We were discussing the casual nature of the office when he said that Glu has an unwritten policy that they only hire rockstars. They know that each star has their own quirks and idiosyncrasies, so the company does its best to welcome them and, in turn, rockstars are ultra-productive for the company.

This explains a lot! It explains why have a full kitchen with all the free toast you can eat. (Yeah TOAST!) It explains why there's an arcade game in the break room. It explains why we listen to headphones and play a combined playlist on Fridays. It explains why there is a room dedicated entirely to gaming complete with Guitar Hero, Xbox, Wii, PS2, a pool table, board games, and a giant connect 4 game. It also explains why the team works until 7:30-8:00 every night, why we win mobile gaming awards, and why our team has some of the most talented people in the industry.

After 9 hours of work, it's time for a Guitar Hero break!

So my weekdays are fun, but what about my weekends?

Weekends:

One of the cool parts about being here in London is the close proximity to the rest of Europe. So a few friends and I decided to explore Scotland and Ireland.

Scotland was first. We ventured off to the land of Sean Connery and Ewan McGregor for a weekend. We took a tour through the highlands and saw some of the most beautiful countryside. We saw the birthplace of the real Braveheart, William Wallace, where the Hogwarts Express runs through, bagpipers, and Loch Ness.

The highlands of Scotland!

James plays the bagpipes for us tourists

Look it's the Loch Ness Monster!

Then we went to explore the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh. We walked the royal mile, saw the Edinburgh castle, and watched Wimbledon from a Scottish pub.

Edinburgh, Capital of Scotland

A monument on a hilltop in Edinburgh

I met a living statue while walking the Royal Mile

I also met Michael who was playing Wonderwall (one of my favorite songs!) on the streets of Edinburgh.

Next was Dublin, Ireland. We took a day trip to Wicklow and went down to the coast. There was a lighthouse and cliffs stretching out into the sea. What we thought was sea spray turned in to full out rain and didn't let up. We sought shelter in cafe's and art galleries but eventually decided to cut our journey short and head back to Dublin. There we cooked dinner at our hostel and played killer uno... the best version of uno ever! Later that night, we walked around Temple Bar and found a great cover band playing at the Porter House.

A bird's eye view of Ireland

The coast at Wicklow

Dublin's famous spire

The next day was really fun; we walked everywhere. We started the day at the Guinness store tour -- a 7 story building shaped like beer glass was filled with exhibits displaying the history, production, distribution, and marketing of Guinness. We poured our own pints and saw the Dublin skyline at the "Gravity" bar. Then we walked on to the Gaol, Trinity College, and Dublin castle before catching our flight back to London.

Edith, Emma, Stuart, Me, Adam, and Kristal take the Guinness Store tour!

There are so many beautiful places in Europe! While London is an incredible city, it would have been a shame to only spend my time there.

Rain, Hail, and Harry Potter

Tuesday morning I woke up (and unintentionally woke my roommate up) at 5:00 in the morning to catch a bus to Leicester Square. I'm sure you're asking why would one subject themselves to such torture? The answer is this: To gather with people from all around the world that share a common bond... and for a chance to see movie actors up close.

The highlight of this week (and perhaps my entire trip) was the World Premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince here in London. Stars, photographers, press, and thousands of fans gathered together to watch the first public viewing of the latest HP movie. So please forgive me non-Harry Potter fans for geeking out about this for a few minutes.

Upon arrival in Leicester Square at 5:30, we found a group of people already waiting in line to see their favorite stars; many of them had spent the night. Snuggling up to a cement post, I spent the next few hours getting making friends with the people near me. This is one of the coolest parts about going. You never have to worry about making friends at this type of gathering because you instantly have a connection with complete strangers. I met Xi from Mexico and Kara from Ohio just sitting in line. We banded together promising to save each other spots, watch each other's things, and share our pictures on facebook.

L to R, Xi, Kara, Me

Then began the big wait; the boredom of which we combated with reading, napping, and playing cards, a few times the sky would onpen up on us and give everything a fresh layer of rain. We watched as about 10 crew men rolled out the red carpet for the show. About 3 hours before anyone was scheduled to arrive, the press showed up. For the folks that had been camping out all day were enthralled. Most of the people around me were from America; this intrigued a newscaster from Channel 4. We were interviewed by Alex Zane, popular from hosting shows like TRL and Balls of Steel on TV.

Before

After

Alex Zane interviewed me for about a minute, and found out that I'll be on TV this Saturday on Channel 4 in London!

Finally it was time for the actors to arrive... only 5 more minutes to go when we were hit with a torrential downpour. Rain soaked everyone of us despite numerous umbrellas and ponchos. This was where the true test of fandom kicked in. We were all standing there pressed up against everyone freezing and soaking only to catch a glimpse of some of the actors. The first to arrive was Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), he ran right past us and into the theater. We were devastated. We'd waited in line all day just to see him walk right past and leave. This was turning out to be one of the worst days. But then, just as some people had given up hope, Dan came back into the crowd ditching the umbrella and braving the rain. Soon after followed Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.

Daniel runs past

Soon, the rain stopped coming down in buckets and the sky lightened up. The first star to come close to us was Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy). I think if he had time, he would have signed everyone's autograph. He made his way down the line of people crushing each other against the barricades. When he approached my friends and I he asked, "How's it going," but then thought about that for a second and replied to himself, "never-mind that was a stupid question." I laughed because at the time, I was leaning at a 45 degree angle due to 2 people wedging themselves between me and Kara.

Tom Felton signs our autographs

It wasn't long before we encountered more stars. Evanna Lynch, Michael Gambon, Oliver & James Phelps, Matthew Lewis, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Daniel Radcliffe, and many more came by to see us.

Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)

Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)

Oliver Phelps (George Weasley)

Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)

Dan came back through the rain and talked to us!

And in my opinion, the most exciting person we saw that day was J.K. Rowling herself - Author and creator of all this madness. Thanks Jo!

At the end, I was soaked to the bone, bruised from people crushing me against the barricade, and freezing from it all... but it was so worth it. This was hands down the best time I've had in London.

Me after all the craziness had subsided. What an incredible adventure!

Hey Everyone!

This week sure has been a crazy one. First off: if you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed my internship placement has changed. I was originally assigned to Waltham Forest Community Credit Union. WFCCU was wonderful; I was hired to help do the PR and marketing surrounding their June move. Unfortunately, due to politics, WFCCU is not going to be able to move until January. So my job has become (as they say) redundant. I was able to give them a plan to follow and 3 excellent choices for a graphic designer. I wish them all well!

Now I’m working in an entirely different environment. I work for Glu Mobile Ltd… and I totally love it! Glu is a mobile gaming company based in San Mateo, Cali, but they have offices worldwide. I’m working with their marketing department in London! Since it’s just been announced, I can tell you that we’re working on mobile games like Guitar Hero V, Blur, Ghostbusters, and a whole bunch more that utterly rock! I’ve been getting flashbacks to Marketing 311 – writing SWOTs and doing competitive analyses and perceptual maps, but my first 3 days have been awesome.

Glu Mobile is the third largest mobile game developer in the world!

But even before my first day at Glu…I went to Stonehenge for the Solstice Celebration. Now THAT was an experience. Thousands of people (most of them current and ex-hippies) showed up to the giant stones. It was lively and exciting before sunset. People were chatting and eating and taking pictures. There were tiny bands playing acoustic guitars and bongo drums. There was even a man playing bagpipes. There were Druids (who look an awful lot like wizards to me), musicians, jugglers, a whole lot of hippies, and a slew of out-of-place travelers (like me) all gathered together in a giant field. It was madness.

A long walk through giant rolling fields begins our adventure

The sun us setting behind Stonehenge

This Druid man was attending an annual ritual of his religion

The warm Stonehenge center... looks kinda smokey...

After sunset was when it started going downhill. When the sun left, so did all the heat. We were left with 2 measly space heaters combat the biting wind… and of course they were too crowded to even get close to. There were three options left to those shivering in the cold. One: brave the crowd inside the stones… if you don’t mind being stepped on, pushed over, and yelled at in a giant swarm of people above which hangs a mysterious cloud of smoke. Two: eat as much vegan food as humanly possible while jogging in place. Three: huddle together with a group of people. Many of us chose option #3. At least 7 of us were lying in spoon formation on the damp ground trying to keep warm. We were so cold we didn’t even care when a few passersby snapped pictures of us.

Miraculously, the Earth kept spinning and we made it to morning… but we high-tailed it out of there at first light. The sun was completely obscured by thick sodden clouds and the intended effect was lost.

The sun is rising but the clouds refuse to let it shine.

Upon arriving in Salisbury, the only place open was McDonalds. People who had been freezing all night flocked to its warm cushy chairs and hot coffee. Unfortunately, those warm cushy chairs were a bit too comfortable and half of the McDonalds patrons were passed out in the dining room.

There are 7 people sleeping in this picture... can you find them all?

This was definitely a week I’m not easily going to forget.Until next time… cheers!!

How Bizarre

When living in London, one sees all sorts of crazy things. I’ve been exploring the city for almost 3 weeks now, and I keep on finding the strangest sights. So, this week I give you…

Eight Crazy Things I’ve Seen In London (and have pictures of)!

So, we begin at number 8.

8) Crazy Names: One thing I’ve found to be particularly interesting was the changing of American product names. Some are pronounced differently: Pantene is pronounced pan-ten, and they annunciate the “H” in Herbal Essences. Other names are spelled differently. TJ Maxx is TK Maxx, and Claritin is Clarityn. Why this change? No one knows…

The English equivalent of TJ Maxx

I’m Clarityn Clear!

7) Fellow Tube Riders: Underground is the main mode of transportation here in London. So, naturally, one is bound to see strange folk.

Exhibit #1

This lovely looking fellow decided that it would be a good use of his time to nap on the tube. I find the ride a little bit rough, but he seemed quite comfortable in his seat. So comfortable in fact that he started to snore. Almost exactly like a cartoon, when he exhaled, his lips would trill. This made an extremely entertaining Bbbhrbhrbrbrbhhbrbbhbb sound.

Exhibit #2

I’m not sure a caption is really needed here

6) Toy Police Cars: I think it may just be a conditioned response, but when I see an American cop car, I tense up a bit. But I think that no matter how I stayed in London, I’d never have the same response to their cop cars. When they drive down the street, they remind me of hotwheels. When they stop in front of me, I half expect 12 clowns to pop out. Maybe the cats at Scotland Yard and their auto detailers should have another chat.

Hotwheels leading the way…

Can you see any clowns?

5) Strange Signage: Due to the large population of visitors and foreigners (including myself) here in London, there signs painted on the roads to tell you which way to look. Also, their exit signs look peculiar.

Looking left could be hazardous to your health

As my friend Nathan said… It looks like ‘run into a wall’ rather than ‘exit.’

4) Peeping Wendy: The next three strange items were all found during my journey through Kensington Gardens. This one I thought was a wee bit weird. Whilst on our walk in the garden, my friends and I stumbled upon the statue of Peter Pan. Now we all know the story of the boy who never grew up. But in that story, I never heard about Wendy being a peeping tom. In this statue, Wendy is clearly looking up Pan’s smock. Maybe she’d admiring his well-fitting tights?

Lovely view, isn’t it?

3) Sweet-toothed squirrel: This lucky rodent happened upon an entire un-eaten cookie and was enjoying it in the park. Maybe this shouldn’t be number 3, but there were at least 7 people taking a picture of this furry animal.

A most fortunate squirrel

2) Bird Lady: Before happening upon the gluttonous squirrel, I witnessed a very abnormal occurrence. An older lady was throwing crumbs to the birds to make them come then shooing them off by brandishing her cane. I guess she couldn’t make up her mind.

That cane looks dangerous.

And now for the #1 strangest thing I’ve seen here…

1) Buff Bicyclists: One day while riding the bus, my friend heard this strange ringing noise. We all turned to see where it was coming from. There, across the street, was a huge group of cyclists. Upon closer inspection, we discovered that they were all completely naked. What a lovely sight for a Saturday afternoon.

These bare-bummed bicyclists are strutting their stuff around London. I wonder how comfortable that could possibly be…

There you have it: 8 Crazy Sights in London. I’m sure I’ll find more the second I post this!

Ta!

Steph