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“Everything was very English”- What do you think the author implied by this phrase?

1. When is the author going to leave for Japan?

2 What is the national flower of Wales?

3. What was the author’s second foreign language at the university in Japan?

4. What programme did she watch on TV?

Hello everyone! This is my 8 month mail. I have only 2 months left in London...:(

I'll talk about what happened to me between 22 March and 21 April. From 23 March and 21 April I didn't go to school. It was the Easter holiday!

*Foreign Languages*

I started a Korean-Japanese language exchange with a person introduced by my friend, who was living in the same flat during the precession period. My language exchange partner is a Korean person who is doing PhD at SOAS, University of London. He is a gentle and patient person. He's been studying Japanese by himself for about a year, but he can already manage daily conversation. His pronunciation is also good! I'm so surprised! I must work harder!!! We chat in Japanese for one hour and study Korean using my textbook for one hour.
Well, this is just an excuse, but I have been busy with a lot of things and haven't had time to memorise vocabulary, so I'm not good at conversation. But now that the test is coming soon, I'm revising at an amazingly high speed, so...well...I can speak Korean a bit now.

During the holiday, I took a two-week intensive French course from 8 to 19 April. I studied French at Institute Francais in South Kensington.
As I went there for two weeks, I bought a Youth LT Card each week, using my Student Photo card that I bought in advance. With this pass, I could take bus and Tube as many times as I liked!
In London, people are using a pass case which is given for free when you buy a season ticket. Most people use a yellow one. I was being excited that I could also get a yellow one!:)...However, they somehow gave me a gloomy black pass case!:'((Well, but between you and me, I asked for another pass case the next week, and I got a yellow one, too!)
French was my second foreign language at university in Japan. I studied it for 2 years but all I learnt was its grammar and I had never studied speaking or listening to French. However, as I somehow did well in the written assessment test, so I was put in to a class of higher level than my level. It was really hard to keep up the class at first. There were many English people in the class and they were speaking in French, which was fluent from my point of view. The teachers spoke only French even when they explained grammar. My level was low from the beginning and even the knowledge was rusty, so I was overwhelmed on the first day... However, an interesting thing is I gradually got used to French, and by the start of the next week, I managed to understand what they were talking about and express myself a bit. I'd never studied a foreign language in the target language, so it was such an interesting experience. I didn't know it was so effective in improving communication skills to learn a language in the target language (изучаемый язык).

There are many French people in South Kensington. Many communities exist in London, and this place is France! I think I've talked about a crepe shop in Hampstead 'La Creperie de Hampstead' before, but the branch was built around this area last year. Their crepes are excellent!!! I went there 5 times in the two weeks!!!:

On 21 and 21, since I had finished my essays by then, I explored London using the LT card. ((Please get ready a London map!)) Firstly, I wanted to go to the Korean Air to book a flight to Japan. The office is in Piccadilly, but I stupidly went to Oxford Street! I walked there for a while and realised that I was in a wrong place and then change the direction panicking! I finally reached Green Park station and visited the Korean Air...but...it was closed at weekend! Sooo shocking! Well...then I headed for Her Majesty's Theatre to see 'the Phantom of the Opera' from three o'clock. However, I took a wrong bus and went up Shaftesbury Avenue.(улица в центре Лондона, где находятся несколько театров и кинотеатров)..: I rushed out of the bus and took another one and went to the theatre just on time. But probably because it was at weekend, they didn't have a student price...and also they said my card couldn't be used...I had to give up seeing it! --;
Then, I went to Leicester Square (в центре площади разбит сквер. На ней и вблизи неё расположено много кинотеатров, в старину был излюбленным местом для дуэлей) to see the film 'Amelie'. Again, because it was at weekend, they didn't have a student price. But I was already so tired after achieving nothing, I decided to see it. There were only a few people in the cinema. 'Amelie' is a French film and it had an English subtitle. I really liked the film. It was sweet, amusing, and the music was pretty. I was really satisfied and forgot the nightmare I had been having. Then I went to Charing Cross (перекресток между Трафальгарской площадью и улицей White Hall, принятый за центр Лондона при отсчете расстояния) and popped in to some book shops. There are second hand book shops, bargain book shops, huge book shops etc in this street. I was glad to find 'Pygmalion' by George Bernard Show in a second hand book shop. I love this story.
The opera 'Madam Butterfly' is coming soon, so I wanted to read the book before going to see it. I looked for it for a long time, but couldn't find it...

On 21, I again looked for 'Madam Butterfly'. But I couldn't find it and gave it up. Then I wen to La Creperie de Hampstead!:D I bought a take away, and went to the National History Museum and sat down on a bench. After that I popped in to the museum. There were dinosaurs and whales etc and it was such an interesting museum. I would like to go back there again when I have more time. Then I went to Notting Hill. I looked at the Portobello Market (уличный рынок в Лондоне, известный своими антикварными лавками), but only briefly, because I was really tired after walking around so much. I found out that the bus 27 went to Regent's Park so I took it but it went the opposite way! --;
I got off the bus in Kensington High Street. There were a lot of shops here. It was like a bit high class version of Oxford Street, maybe! Then I took the 27 bus from the other side of the road and went to Regent's Park. I bought a Mr Softie at the entrance and walked in the park. I went to the lake.
It seems there are two big ice cream companies here: Mr Softie and Mr Whippy. They both sell ice creams in a sweet car. I wonder if the tastes are different. Maybe I should compare them!
I like Regent's Park the best among many parks in London. There are many kinds of birds around the lake, and flowers are beautiful. I like seeing squirrels, too. There is a Rose Garden but they haven't bloomed yet. This is such a beautiful park.
And I went home.

*Travel*

I stayed with my family friends in Wimbledon.
I made some pork dumplings, which I learnt how to make from my friend the other day. I made it by myself, but it was successful! I bought the ingredients in Loon Fung supermarket in China Town and also in a Korean supermarket which was opened recently near SOAS. I spoke a bit of Korean there! Well....it was just 'Komapusumunida (Thank you)'! The answer was 'Ne (Yes)'!:D
In Wimbledon we went to a film, shopping, Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum...and they also took me to a Japanese restaurant 'Benihana'.
In Lawn Tennis Museum, I saw the Centre Court. There was an exhibition of the history of tennis. It was interesting to see the change of the uniform. They were playing tennis in a long skirt or long trousers! I wonder how they played tennis like that! I saw Champion Cups, too. Being here made me feel like playing tennis again!
Benihana looked like a fancy restaurant! It is on guide books, I think. 'Teppan Yaki' restaurant. I had such and tempura! mmm....GOOD! They cook just before your eyes with showing some performance! They did juggling with the cans of salt and pepper, and threw them into the hat. They made Mount Fuji with an onion and made it a volcano. It was so much fun!
On the way back from Wimbledon, I saw two wild foxes from the train. There are foxes in London!

I wasn't selected to join the International Student House trip to Copenhagen...:'(

I went to South Wales from 30 March and 1 April. I booked this tour through the International Student House, but the tour was organised by the Magic Tour Company. The tour guide was very nice! The bus was big but there weren't many people, so we could enjoy a comfortable journey to Wales. To my surprise, I was the only Japanese person in the tour!
Crossing the River Seven, we went into Wales. Bristol could be seen in the distance. I was enjoying the view of the countryside and the vast green field, but suddenly became sleepy and....slept!
The first destination was Chepstow. It is on the border of England and Wales. England could be seen across from the River Wye. During the tour, I was always with girls from France and Hong Kong I became friends with on the bus. Firstly, we went to Chepstow Castle. People were wearing the uniform of warriors. The castle was very different from the castles in London, and didn't have any. It was ruined. I didn't have time to read the explanations, so didn't understand much!
Then, we went to Tintern Abbey. This was a ruined abbey. The main part was left as it used to be, although things like glasses were all gone. It was a pretty abbey, I thought.
Then we went to Hay-on-Wye. There were many second hand book shops there. Hay-on-Wye is a Mecca of second hand books. I could have been there all day but it was a pity that we didn't have much time. There was a section called Honesty Bookshop, which was part of the castle, and books were sold for 20p or so. The cash desk was a small box. They had Japanese books, too!
We stayed in a hotel in Builth Wells at night.

On the second day...
We had English breakfast: fried toast, baked beans, fried egg, crispy bacon, and sausage. Too oily from early in the morning:(I like having it from time to time, though.
We did a horse back riding on the Brecon Beacons (Бреконские сигнальные огни- две горы в Уэльсе, графство Брекношир, в старину на этих горах зажигали огни). It was fun but my horse was mean... He started to run really fast towards the opposite way and tried to escape from the group! I was scared, but it was a good experience! I didn't fancy the idea of eloping with a horse, so gave it up in the afternoon. It was supposed to be a full day horse back riding, but there were some more horses behaving badly, and many people gave up in the afternoon.
We had lunch in the pub called Three Horseshoes. Many horses were waiting outside the pub, which was pretty. I chatted with the man of the pub, but it wasn't that easy to understand his Welsh accent. In the afternoon, I walked around the area. People are friendly here unlike in London and talked to me. It was a bit difficult to communicate because of the accent, but it was very interesting. I like listening to various accents of English.
After going back to Builth Wells (Валлийская оладья из пресного теста), I went to a supermarket. Then I found something called Welsh Cake. It was like a thinner scone (ячменная или пшеничная лепешка)! I also walked along the river, which was pleasant!

On the last day...
Again we had English breakfast...
Firstly, we went to Rhondda, which used to be a mining place. Now it was like a museum. The guide was a man who used to work there. I could again listen to Welsh English. I really enjoyed it!
Then we went to Cardiff, which is the capital city of Wales. I went to Cardiff Castle and joined a tour. It seemed to be a summer house, but was gorgeous and had a lot of paintings and sculptures.
Then I went to the City Hall and the National Museum. These buildings were pretty. I wanted to see more in the museum, but I didn't have time at all. After that I wanted to see souvenirs in the shop in front of the Cardiff Castle, but the shop was closed at 4 o'clock and couldn't see it!!!
And we headed back for London.
On the way back, we had a one-hour break in Oxford. I went to Oxford at the end of last year, and remembered the geography, so quickly explored the town and took photos!

In Wales, they had a lot of daffodils. They are the national flower of Wales.

*Other things*

Now, golden double deckers are running in London. It seems to be because of Golden Jubilee. I took one once! I think there are more and more golden buses these days. But I prefer the traditional red!

I saw the ballet 'Giselle'. I really liked it but the seat was horrible! It was in the furthest back. Besides, the woman sitting in front of tiny me was a huge person with fluffy long hair. If I had sat down, all I could have seen was her head, so I was standing all the time! Phew!

I crossed Millennium Bridge. It is called 'Millennium' but opened this year!

I didn't do much for Easter (Пасха), but a beautiful Easter Egg came to me through the post!:) I also had Hot Cross Buns (горячая крестовая булочка- сдобная булочка, которую едят в Великую Пятницу).

I watched the Grand National and Flora London Marathon on TV.

The exam timetable came out.
I would like to travel before going back. I was wondering whether to study French in France, travel around France, or visit some countries in Europe. Now I'm thinking of joining a tour which takes us to 3 countries in Europe. I also want to go to Scotland and Ireland!

I booked a flight to Japan. I'm going to leave London on the night of 18 June, and arrive in Japan on the night of 19.
I don't want to go back yet...

T