London Preparations à la Sam

Hello All!

It's T-minus 17 days until we leave for London on the 12th of March, and I am très excitée! And kinda busy. So far I've secured my passport and my ISIC card, put flags on my debit and credit cards for a week in the UK and done disgusting amounts of research into a new camera for under $100 and what it takes to make cell phone calls internationally.

Despite the fact that I definitely should have been studying for various midterms, it was worthwhile, because I found a decent camera and learned a bunch about cell phones that I otherwise would never have found relevant.

The story goes that my Verizon Alias 2 will be useless because (a) it uses CDMA, a USA based messaging system, while most of the world uses GSM frequences to transmit cell signals and (b) Verizon phones do not use SIM cards, which, if I had a phone that could even access GSM bands, I could replace and be happy as a clam. Well, after I unlocked it, because most phones purchased through service providers are locked into just that providors bands/SIM card. And, if my phone could access the bands commonly used in the UK (900 or 1800MHz). Ugh.

So! In order to have a usable cell phone in the UK and to call the US with it, the best option is to get an unlocked, dual band phone and a SIM card with a service plan that includes international calling for a rate that is less that the price of several organs or a good night in Vegas. After disgusting amounts of searching, I embarrassingly found out that the cheapest and best way to do this was to use the damn voucher I got with my ISIC card (yes, the one I mentioned last night) and pay $30 for the most basic phone offered with it (available elsewhere for $50+).

Now I don't plan on spending hours on the phone while in London ($1.49/min to other cell phones? Yikes![free incoming calls though....]), but I've discovered that I fit snugly into the modern cultural stereotype of feeling naked without one, even if I don't have it surgically attached to my thumbs or ear. It's my safety net. It's worth $60 to have a phone for a week, especially since it will be MINE and available for possible subsequent international adventures. It's coming with me to London.

Other preparations include watching far too much BBC, researching British slang and the history of Leith Hill (where we'll be volunteering), and drooling over the Doctor Who Exhibition scheduled to be at Olympia in Kensington while we're there. Why yes, I am a dork. :)

Ta for now,
Sam Jacobus