Its official.

Im an officially a student at the University of the arts london. Yesterday was a day filled with lectures about the schools and the program Im in. We got more paper work and our studnet ID's. I need my idea to acess any of the University of The Arts (UAL) buildings. The photo I had sent my advisro was from ealry spring when I still had a beard, so my new ID's photo looks much like a lunmberjacks mug shot. look ------->

where I'm at in the first weeks.

The first weeks

Im getting into the big city life. London has given me an opportunity to be exposed to something much bigger and culturally different then what I had in Minneapolis. Living in Hackney is drastically bigger and more diverse version of uptown in Minneapolis. Its the area of the city where all the artists hang out, where the nightlife is and an over all great place to be. Every since my arrival to london I have kept busy by walking to see the sights in london and taking part in many of the festivals that are going on. The festivals the city plays host to attract many people from in and outside the city, bringing in big name acts and artists. The 2009 London design festival just wrapped up and now a film festival has just begun. There are also many expos and shows held at the arenas around town. I plan on checking out the cycle show next weekend which is taking place in Earl Court. There is always something to see and do, just need to know about it.

The people I have meet so far have come from all areas of the world and different backgrounds. Starting with my flat mates two from the UK, one from china, one from brazil, one from korea and Finland. Its crazy the diversity here. I have had the great opportunity to meet many new people, discuss random bits about art and design, go see gallery spaces, and just explore london with new people. All this is just the beginning of my London experience. I have classes to get into and projects to work on.

The weeks before classes has given me the time to get familiar with the city and how to be apart if it. I can now successfully take the tube from one side of london and transfer lines to get to oxford street and shop. Side note and perk to being a student in the UK and Europe, you can apply for a NUS card which most shops, restaurants and clothing stores offer a discount. This makes being a student in London even better.

The life for most Londoners seems rather casual, most people have the time to talk or meet with friends for a quick drink after work and on sundays spend the day with friends in the local green spaces having a picnic and listening to live music. When it comes to the work week, its all business, people are walking the streets always on a mission to get somewhere. You have to watch out when your caught up in walking because cars will not stop for you at cross walks, most of the time this being taxis which almost run you down. Dangerous world.

This week is freshers week. Its a week thats set up and ran by the Student Union. The week was created to get new students an opportunity to get into the routine of college life and get questions answered. The week has events and lectures ranging from screen printing, tours of the city, graphic design lectures and different meet and greets. I have singed up for a few things and attended a lecture today about protecting your online image. It was mostly information I had previously picked up in my marketing and pr class back at MCAD. We talked about the importance of on online presences and some students got help setting up a blog. I obviously have a blog so I gave some advice to the others. The second lecture I went to gave me a whole mess of information about the Student Union and how it came about. The rest of the weeks happenings should be good as well.

london design festival

The 2009 London design festival started this weekend. Its a two week long event where many galleries and design firms open there doors for the public. It was nice to be able to walk around the Hoxton area and go in to some small shops to see their work. I was able to get through about 8 places in the neighboring area before they started to close this afternoon. Just snagged a few pictures on the walk after attempting to take a picture in a gallery and being asked not to. Wont make that mistake again. I plan on getting around to some of the better know names like Pentagram and The RedWood Group, maybe get a job.....

"The London Design Festival is an annual event established to celebrate and promote London as the creative capital of the world." -timeout london

street artist
A shops love for CYMK

walking london.

Took a walk down to Tower Bridge today. It turned out to be yet another cloudy day in London. Its not bad, it could be raining. There is yet another festival going this weekend at the Tower of London along with the 2009 London Design Festival. The Tower festival will be featuring The British Philharmonic Orchestra. It looked like an amazing outdoor stage, I do plan on making it Saturday evening.

I also stumbled upon a sweet bike shop. 14 bike co. They had a nice shop set up along brick lane with a show room filled with some great looking fixed and single speed bikes. The shop offers any and ever part on their bikes in any color you want. Custom bikes with custom parts.

14 Bike Co is located at 13 Elys Yard, The Truman Brewery, E1 6QL

the Flickr page is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shopfourteen/

the twitter page is http://twitter.com/14bikeco

our vimeo page is http://vimeo.com/user1965890

They have a sweet bike tube vending machine right outside their shop for those late night blow outs. Minneapolis needs one of these.

A welcome to the new BS Viz Students!

A welcome to the new BS Viz Students! I was at the Natural History Museum yesterday filming this hello on my way out of the building due to an emergency evacuation. I have no idea what for, but I got out and went across the street to the Victoria and Albert Museum. In London most of the museum and gallery spaces are free to get into. I have defiantly been taking advantage of that and going to ever thing I can.

I recommend to all students to get abroad for a semester, i have already had amazing experiences on my travels through Western Europe and now just starting my time in London. Its given me the opportunity to branch out of the midwest, see the world and get a global perspective on things.

If anyone has any questions regarding study abroad and what steps I took towards it feel free to contact me. I will be back in the spring if anyone wants to chat about London! The BS Program gives to the chance to go just about anywhere in the world you want, so why not. There are seven of us away for the semester studying from London, to Tokyo and even Australia.

London steet art//

Some cool street art from walking along Portobello market and The River Thames this week. Its interesting how a few places are letting the public vote on pieces of street art if it should stay or go. The city council plans to allow the public to vote on whether to keep certain works of "street art" daubed on walls across a city could lead to a rise in unwanted graffiti it has been warned. I feel a large portion of it is filling gaps on blank spaces in the citys alley ways and underpasses, they wont be able to stop it, so why not allow for something visually appealing to occupie a normally unpleasent area of town.

london week one//

The queen was not in, Buckingham Palce


The first week is already coming to close, crazy how time flys by. I have done and scene so much in London by walking the city from place to place. The funny thing is I have only been in zone one and two of London. London is composed of 8 zones circling out of the city. So needless to say, I have more to see and do in the coming months. Its been good meeting other international students and going around with them, they are just as lost as I am, but we are getting the Hoxton area down pretty well.

A great thing I have found is that most museums and gallery spaces are free. I have only made it through the Tate Museum of Modern Art and Museum of London. Both were amazing places with good exhibitions. The London museum gave the history of london and was featuring a section on the london fire of 1666, which burned down most of the city. The Tate modern had names such as Jeff Koons, andy warhol, Picasso and Per Kirkeby. The space was very well done and had some great interactive pieces for kids and adults to play with.

In seeing the sights and walking the streets I have come to realize how massive London really is, so finally today I broke down and bought a oyster card which allows me to ride the tube from place to place.



salvador dali,
house of Parliament
Big Ben

London.

A month after arriving in the U.K I'm finally in London. I took a train from Portsmouth to London Waterloo station. From there I had to jump two more trains and finally end up on the London Underground to Old Street Station. Then what was supposed to be a five minute walk to my flat turned into a hour tour of the surrounding area. I was set on the direction, which was right, then once there the roads forked off in three directions, which I ended up talking the wrong one. The walk wouldn't have been so bad minus all my bags. A nice elderly English woman asked If I was alright and was worried I was carrying to much. After an hour I found it, checked in and went up the fifth floor to flat 18 and into room E.

The flat is nice, the building is only a year old so everything is fairly new. I will soon have six other flat mates living with me.The flat has a nice common space that's attached to the kitchen area. The common area has a flat screen with cable, but we do have to pay for a TV license. You have to have a license to watch any television anywhere in the UK. Its funny to see many American shows have an exact English version of it here like man vs wild, the office and deal or no deal to name a few.

I was the first one into our flat so I decided to go out and find some food and come back. Thankfully there is an area of small shops and take away restaurants right behind our building. The area of Hexton also has weekly street markets which I plan on checking out this weekend.

My new room for the next three months.
The common area and kitchen with a TV and couches. We also have two freezers and fridges and two stove/ovens. It should be a good semester.
This little helpful sign on most street crossings has saved me a few times already. I'm lost in this city that drives from the other direction. I'm getting the hang of it, but I swear there isn't a single straight road in this city.
Some street art in the area where I live.


My first full day in London consisted of me finding a shop to get some food to last me a few days while I settle into the area and searching for some household goods: pot,pan, pillows,etc. After a good three hours I walked into Argos (website). So you walk into this place and look at a catalog and then fill out a card with the products number you want, you pay and wait about five minutes and you pick it up. First thing I got was pillows, two for three pounds.

I also got a chance to stop by LCC (London college of Communication) I'm not a enrolled student yet so I was only allowed through a small section of the university. I tried to pick up my paperwork and student ID, but it was a no go, it would be ready in two weeks.

Till that time I plan on exploring the city and seeing the sights. The London design festival is coming up in a week, the festival takes part city wide allowing people to go into many studies and exhibition areas to see whats happening in the design community. The festival lasts two weeks, I hope to get a look into a few studios in the area. More to see and more to come.

I have an address

nicholas dahl c18, 168 pitfield street, london N1 6jp

more to come.

Living on the coast// portsmouth

After one night in london I jumped a train once more for another two hours to the coastal town of Portsmouth England. Portsmouth is on the southern tip of england is home to Portsmouth university and the spinnaker tower. The town also has some history dealing with its major port and also having a D-Day 1944 memorial museum. There are little monuments and memorials scattered along the boardwalk on the coast of the english channel. Im staying with a friend for the next week until I can move into my flat in london on the 6th. Being in Portsmouth gives me some time to catch up with e-mails and getting ready for London. Its also allowed for some good R&R with watching films and going out at night to a local pub with friends.
It feels like autumn in the midwest here, the sun is warm but the air is cool from the coastal winds. Its mainly cloudy through the day with on and off showers. The cooler temperatures are comforting, but I know it will be like this with the addition of more rain once Im in London.The only difference is the wind here is very intense along the cost and for tomorrow there is a rain advisory with possibility of an inch of rain. So I best enjoy the sun while I can and when it happens. I almost regret complaining about the 90 degree plus temperatures of italy a week ago.
I also have finally made it to a shop to get some food for the week, I found myself going to an AZDA. Its basically the UK version of the american wal-mart. I cant complain, its cheap and close to where Im staying. I bought mac and cheese in a can for fun, I thought it was funny and says its suitable for vegetarians on the back. It costed me .12 pounds.