My last night with the group was everything I could have wanted. Our banquet was so moving, complete with a slide show of the group's adventures and a delicious dinner at Pescorati. We had preset menus which included (for me) an asparagus appetizer, salmon for an entree, and a canoli with orange glaze for dessert. The dinner was amazing and it was great to have one last night with everyone. We gave gifts to Charlotte and Dietrich and then Macki, Ingrid and Racheal made superlatives for everyone. I, of course, received the "Future Mrs. McCartney" Award that I plan to send to the man himself along with my phone number :)
After dinner, we did what we do best and had one last night out on the town. I was hoping to have a bigger group just so everyone could be together on the last night, but I'm happy with the group I went out with. It was all my favorite people on the trip and it was amazing. Saying goodbye was ridiculously hard, especially because I wouldn't see most of the people in the morning. But it was awesome. Live music, pints, and good people is all I could ever ask for and it was amazing.
The next morning my dad showed up bright and early to help me carry my stuff over to the hotel. Well, not really bright - it was actually raining for the first time in a while. Mary said the Gods were crying because we were all leaving. It was really sad but I was trying hard not to cry. Staying in the hotel was weird. I felt like I should be right down the street in my own flat with my friends, but I knew that couldn't happen. That day (Saturday) we went to Camden Market for the last time (the first for my family). It was nice to walk around one last time and relive all my memories. Then we bought some shoes, had Pizza Express for dinner and headed over to Witherspoon's for my last drink in London- a G&T, I might add.
Sunday, we headed to Paris and too meet Emily's boyfriend, John, who lives in Sweden. Most of Sunday was spent figuring out how to find him in the train station. We finally found him and then my dad and I split from the lovebirds and roamed around Paris. I don't remember what we actually did but we all met back at the Eiffel Tower to go up it at 7ish. It was really interesting to see the city during the day from that height. I loved looking at the layout of the city. Then we had dinner at the same little restaurant Macki, Mary and I had our escargot across from the train station. It was really nice but really late and we were both so ready to go back to the hotel and go to bed. Unfortunately, we got incredibly lost and ended up walking around for the better part of an hour I'd say. Walking around the streets of Paris at midnight with a bunch of crazy, homeless people was a bit uncomfortable. Especially when one guy seemed like he was following us for a while. But no matter, we finally found the hotel and went fast asleep.
The next day we just walked around the city to see all the sights. It was very strange to be in Paris without the rest of the group. Seeing the same things just with a new group of people. We ate at this amazing little Italian restaurant and headed for the Eiffel Tower to watch it light up at night. My dad and I smoked a cigar, shared a bottle of wine (and a random bottle of champagne) and just hung out and talked under the lights of the tower and the stars.
Tuesday was our last day in Paris so in the morning I took then up to see the Moulin Rouge and the Opera House, which were pretty close to the hotel. That's pretty much all we had time for so then we headed up to Gare du Nord to say goodbye to John and then get on our train. My dad had some trouble getting onto the train becuase the guy who had to write him a ticket messed up the number. Ugh. We finally made it onto the train and sat across from a lovely little English/French family. The girls were adorable and spoke French and English! They were all over the place though and I was really happy to get off that train. Then we had to ride the Tube (*tear) to our hotel out near the airport. It was a really nice room and after a hot shower, a cup of tea and one last moment of good ol' BBC, I was tucked away under the covers ready to wake up and come home the next day.
I, again, had to refrain from crying all morning becuase I just didn't want to leave. But I managed to stay strong with the thought of returning to England very soon and, who knows, possibly permanently. The flight went fine, I watched movies and t.v. shows the whole way back including Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which I'd been wanting to see ever since Mary and I tried to watch it on the way to Edinburgh.
There was one minor problem about the flight that could have resulted in a very unpleasent night in New Jersey. First off, the flight out of Heathrow was 45 minutes lae to take off due to "weather". So we were already almost an hour behind and were due to land around 1:30 and we had a connecting flight to Norfolk at 3:10. Yikes! Except, to make matters worse, the dumb ramp thing that connects to the plane to let everyone off wouldn't fit or something so we sat at the gate for another 45 minutes! We didn't even get off the plane until 2:35 which is when our next plane was set to board.
We basically ran to security and waited impatiently as the line seemed to creep along. We finally made it up the the desk and made it through without any problems. Then we hit the line for security. It was epic. Emily, who had a skype date with John that evening, was not having it. She ran up to a guard, explained our situation and got us to the front of the line. As we got up to the belt, I took all her things so she could run to the gate after she got out of the metal detector to try and hold the plane or something. At this point it was like 3:05!!! My dad and I finally made it through and I just took off running through the airport. I found the gate and Emily was standing there looking frantic! She said we had to hurry because they were closing the gate in like 2 minutes. My dad finally caught up and we boarded the plane in a tizzy. Everyone was staring at us because we all looked stressed to the max and were out of breath. I couldn't believe we made it and I was so relieved that we didn't have to spend the night in Jersey. I just wanted to be home at that point so I could see my mom and Dan.
I didn't remember how hot home was! Oh my gosh, it was stifling. I'd been away from the heat and humidity so long it all hit me like a ton of bricks. It was so good to see my mom and hug her. It felt so strange to be driving home and, again, I had to hold back tears. Tears of relief, and joy but, of course, also sadness.
Here comes my reflections and thoughts. Brace yourself. So this summer was the best two months of my life. I met some of the most amazing people and gained so many great friends in the process. I've seen and experienced so much that I never thought I'd get to do. I saw my idol in concert, climbed Arthur's Seat in Scotland, stood at the edge of the Cliffs of Moher, celebrated fourth of July in England, worked in a British office, watched the World Cup in an actual pub, went to the top of the Eiffel Tower twice, saw the Queen, and so much more! I had the time of my life and I wouldn't change a second of it. In fact, I wish I could relive each and every moment. It was unforgettable and I am so blessed to have had this opportunity. I wouldn't have changed it for the world.
For now, I can't wait to get up to JMU to see all my new friends again and to decorate my new townhouse. I'm growing up. Yikes!
I suppose this will be my last blog entry. To everyone who kept up-thank you. I really appreciate someone reading this so I didn't feel like I was wasting my time. Maybe I'll write again when I have something to write about. But for now, it's the same old same old.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
"The Dream is Over" - John Lennon.... So True
Well, today is officially the last day of the best summer of my life. Tomorrow, everyone will get on their separate flights and travel back home (or in a few cases, around Europe). Granted, I will be staying a few extra days with my dad and Emily but it won't be the same. Today will be a day filled with cleaning, packing and maybe a few tears. I don't want to leave. I don't want to forget about these people that have become like family to me. I know what you're thinking. "Don't you all go to the same school?" Yes. But if everyone got on with their lives well enough before, why should they worry about keeping up with these new people. I hope that's not the case. I've made some really great friends on this trip and I would do everything over again in an instant. This has seriously been the greatest experience of my life and I am so thankful I was able to do this. Though it was expensive, I definitely think I got the most out of my trip by never letting a day or an opportunity go to waste. I think I grew up a lot as well; London has made me more responsible and mature. Man, I'm going to miss this place.
My last few days of classes went really well. Well, Media & Politics- maybe not- but the rest went well. I wrote my final essay exam in CBD on what makes a good t.v. drama and I feel really good about it. I really hope I get an A in that class. For Pop Culture & Diversity, I wrote a paper on image and stereotype in the music industry with specific looks at the Beatles and the Spice Girls. I'm really proud of that paper and I think my presentation went really well (minus the 3 technical difficulties). I had a video clip of the boys giving an interview about their "style" that always makes me smile just to watch them talk :) And I had the scene from Spice World where the girls are talking about their stereotypes on the bus. Best part of my presentation! haha
My dad and my sister arrived early Thursday morning for a few days in London and then we are heading to Paris for the beginning of next week. It was so funny- I was walking back from class in the morning and just came across them on the street. So random! But it was good to see them. It's a little strange and uncomfortable because they aren't supposed to be in this context, you know? It's like when you have a really crazy dream and then someone from real life just walks in the middle of it. You don't really know what to do.
But it was good. We walked around for a bit and decided to eat lunch at A friend At Hand- the cute little pub we watched one of the World Cup games at. It was delicious but a little early for a pint (in my case anyway). After class, they swung by the flat on their way out to the South Bank of the Thames where they could see the Eye, the Globe, the Tate Modern, etc. I stayed here, deciding what to do tonight to celebrate and ended up taking a nap. I fell asleep to Macki playing Abbey Road= perfect.
When I finally woke up, Macki and I got ready to hit the streets of SoHo. I'm sad that I didn't spend much time there before but I think we might head back that way tonight. Anyway, we couldn't find anyone else around the house so we headed out for a little one-on-one time. I have to say, it was a wonderful night. No pressure, no arguing. No "hey, let's go here!"..."ugh [groans] no". It was so easy. We ended up at a little pub on a corner and got some ciders and just hung out and talked about everything. Then we split a 6 GBP pizza which was amazing. We finished off the night with a Gin n' Tonic at another little pub. We came home to watch A Hard Day's Night and fell asleep.
Like I said, today might be a little tough. But the sooner it's over the sooner we can all get back to school and start having more fun together :) Just gotta make it happen.
My last few days of classes went really well. Well, Media & Politics- maybe not- but the rest went well. I wrote my final essay exam in CBD on what makes a good t.v. drama and I feel really good about it. I really hope I get an A in that class. For Pop Culture & Diversity, I wrote a paper on image and stereotype in the music industry with specific looks at the Beatles and the Spice Girls. I'm really proud of that paper and I think my presentation went really well (minus the 3 technical difficulties). I had a video clip of the boys giving an interview about their "style" that always makes me smile just to watch them talk :) And I had the scene from Spice World where the girls are talking about their stereotypes on the bus. Best part of my presentation! haha
My dad and my sister arrived early Thursday morning for a few days in London and then we are heading to Paris for the beginning of next week. It was so funny- I was walking back from class in the morning and just came across them on the street. So random! But it was good to see them. It's a little strange and uncomfortable because they aren't supposed to be in this context, you know? It's like when you have a really crazy dream and then someone from real life just walks in the middle of it. You don't really know what to do.
But it was good. We walked around for a bit and decided to eat lunch at A friend At Hand- the cute little pub we watched one of the World Cup games at. It was delicious but a little early for a pint (in my case anyway). After class, they swung by the flat on their way out to the South Bank of the Thames where they could see the Eye, the Globe, the Tate Modern, etc. I stayed here, deciding what to do tonight to celebrate and ended up taking a nap. I fell asleep to Macki playing Abbey Road= perfect.
When I finally woke up, Macki and I got ready to hit the streets of SoHo. I'm sad that I didn't spend much time there before but I think we might head back that way tonight. Anyway, we couldn't find anyone else around the house so we headed out for a little one-on-one time. I have to say, it was a wonderful night. No pressure, no arguing. No "hey, let's go here!"..."ugh [groans] no". It was so easy. We ended up at a little pub on a corner and got some ciders and just hung out and talked about everything. Then we split a 6 GBP pizza which was amazing. We finished off the night with a Gin n' Tonic at another little pub. We came home to watch A Hard Day's Night and fell asleep.
Like I said, today might be a little tough. But the sooner it's over the sooner we can all get back to school and start having more fun together :) Just gotta make it happen.
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Luck of the Irish
Last week was my official last week of work. It was really busy and I definitely have things I need to finish so I'm going in for a half day tomorrow to wrap up what I can. My work people and I are supposed to be doing something fun this week for my going away but I have a group dinner tomorrow and Friday night and Wednesday I definitely need to stay in because I have two finals (well, essays) due the next day. Yikes. What a way to spend my last week in London. Writing papers. Great. I probably wouldn't have to if I didn't have a SUPER AWESOME TIME IN IRELAND this weekend!!!
We left Thursday evening on a flight to Dublin. The process of getting to Gatwick airport and onto the plane was kinda crazy. We had to take a 30 minute express train to the airport (which I happen to buy the wrong ticket for) then go through the line, get a visa check stamp and on through security. We flew Ryanair (which is probably the worst airline ever but it's also the cheapest, hence the reason 20-something college students chose it) so we knew security would be ridiculous. The reason it can afford to be so cheap is because they hit you with so many regulations and very large fees if you mess them up. God forbid your bag won't fit in the little box measure-er thing. It's like a 35 GBP fee, which is more than the ticket to fly. Anyway, they took my facewash because apparently it was too big. I was upset but stressed to the max so I didn't care. Plus, it's the last week and I was going to leave it here anyway.
The flight was super fast and we landed in Dublin about 20 minutes early. We caught a bus the the City Centre in Dublin where our hostel was conveniently located just a few blocks away.
Jacobs Inn is the most legit hostel ever. It was everything you could ever want. Lounge area, movies playing all the time, free breakfast, big rooms, a game room and theme nights! We got a room for 10 for just 50 euro for three nights! That's awesome. By the time we got there it was like midnight and I'd had such a long day so Mary, Bennett, Jackson, Rob and I planned out the weekend and hit the hay.
Friday we got up to go on a free walking tour of the city. We hadn't really planned it with anyone else but most of the group ended p showing up for it. The weekend was nice because we weren't forced into doing large group things the whole time. I didn't see much of anyone besides those 4 all weekend but it wasn't like anyone was secluding anyone. It was so chill. Just like a "if you want to come then come" kind of thing.
But anyway, the tour was super long and it basically went through the entire history of Dublin. Our tour guide was really fun and cute. She clearly knew what she was talking about too. After that, we had an amazing lunch at some pub with a discount from the tour that consisted of a huge bowl of beef stew with cabbage and carrots and mashed potatoes. Oh my goodness it was delicious. Then we headed over to the Guinness Factory (of course) to see how the world famous beer is made. Along the way, we stopped and made reservations for a three course meal/live music/Irish step dancing show for just 29.95 euro.
The Guinness Factory was so cool! It's been brewing in Dublin since before America was even born and they have the original lease which is for like 900 years. Who signs a lease for 900 years!?! Arthur Guinness, that's who. They had these huge rooms with tons of ingredients and videos and stuff. We were just getting to the tasting room when all of a sudden the power went out!!!! No one knew why, we were just herded out of the museum and outside. We decided to just stick around because we didn't have anything to do until our 7:30 dinner reservation. Fortunately, we were allowed back in shortly but none of the video screens were working right away. Whatever, we headed straight back to the tasting room to observe how the head of the beer is formed when you pour it properly. There is a very specific way of pouring a pint of Guinness- you start at a 45 degree angle and slowly straighten as it fills up to an=bout 3/4 of the way. Then, you let it sit for a while while the color saturates and the head forms. You put it back under the tap, push the tap away from you and finish it off. Impressive, I know. I could have put my new skills to the test in the Pour your own Pint room but Mary and I opted to have our free with admission pint in the Gravity Bar on the seventh floor with a bird's eye view of Dublin.
After that, we went straight to dinner. We got a table that had it's own tap of Guinness (duh) and Carlsburg on it. The boys had so much fun pouring their own pints, but I was so beer'd out. I wasn't even hungry for our amazing dinner but I couldn't help but eat it. I had a starter of some weird vegetable soup and then Fish and Chips. For dessert I had the best chocolate mousse ever. It was dark chocolate on a layer of white chocolate all of a really rich layer of milk chocolate sponge cake. ugh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The band was really good and played traditional Irish tunes for the majority of the night. They even had request forms but we didn't get ours played. They probably wouldn't do Flogging Molly anyway. The step dancing was insane-I'll never know how they move their legs so fast. It was three girls and a guy on a tiny little stage but it was quite entertaining. After a few more pints and a round of Irish Car Bombs for the boys we headed back to the hostel to hit the sack.
The next morning (Saturday) we got up bright and early, seriously, to take a day trip out to the Cliffs of Moher. I woke up at 6:30 to be at the bus at 7. As 6:40 approached Mary, Jackson and I started to get worried about Rob and Bennett. Mary went p to check on them only to find out they weren't even awake yet!!! We were all freaking out because we dropped 40 euro on this thing and we were not going to have it go to waste. As they rushed to get ready, I had the hostel call us a cab because I knew we wouldn't make it if we tried to walk. Though Dublin is a very small city, it takes about 15-20 minutes to get to the Temple Bar area where just about everything of interest is located. We piled into the cab at 7:45 and arrived with time to spare-thank God! As the bus pulled away, we all drifted to sleep, knowing we had a few hours until we got to Galway where we'd switch drivers.
We stopped at a convenience store along the way for breakfast and snacks. The driver gave us all pamphlets for Galway in case anyone ever wanted to visit. I was shocked to open it up to the map and realize we had literally just driven across the country! It only took like 3 hours. It was crazy. The ride from Galway to the cliffs was fun. Everyone was semi-awake and our tour guide/driver was hilarious. He pointed out all this stuff to us and we made a few stops along the way to check out a fairy circle (a naturally formed circle of trees that are said to be where fairies live. You aren't supposed to mess with them) and a really old burial tomb. We stopped at a little restarant for luch and had a delicious bowl of potato and leek soup with Irish brown bread. We finally made it to the cliffs and took in the breathtaking sight. It's like the Grand Canyon. Pictures can't do it justice-it's just amazing. We walked along the edge, past the "Do not go past this point" sign (don't worry Mom, there was an actual trail, tons of people were walking it). It was incredible but really cold and windy.
We hopped back on the bus after a few hours and made the long journey back to Dublin. We stopped in Galway again for dinner (Subway). There were a bunch of really loud and annoying Spanish kids at the back of the bus with us which made sleeping a bit difficult but believe me, I managed. We got back to Dublin around 9:30 and decided the night was still young. After freshening up at the hostel, Mary, Rob, Jackson and I went out to Temple Bar. Temple Bar is just this general area of bars, pubs, restaurants and shops that are so much fun! We walked around for a bit, unsure of where to tuck into and finally decided on a awesome-looking place called the Porterhouse. Though it's Ireland's largest genuine brewery, I stuck with the 5 euro margaritas :) They run about 7 GBP back in London which is ridiculous (essentially, a $12 cocktail). I started out with the best G&T of my life (sorry mom) and then made the switch. I need to go back to sample some of the beers though. They had a whole row of original brews. It was a really fun night of just sitting around talking and then an amazing American cover band came on and played some Hendrix, Bad Company and the like.
Sunday, the majority of the group woke up early and headed back to London. Rob, Mary and I scheduled 7:30 flights so we could get an extra day in. We all went to mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. I was surprised that the service was really similar to my regular mass at home, but Mary said that wasn't how they do it. I think she's more Roman Catholic and I suppose we are more Episcopalian (?). I don't know, but it was a really great experience.
The rest of the day was filled with stress because Mary and I let Rob go off to see some memorial in Phoenix Park while we did some gift shopping. He had no money and no phone. Bad idea. Long story short, he was late to where we said we'd meet him and then it was just a series of misses while we tried to find each other. Mary and I ended up getting some weird enchilada/lasagna at a Tapas restaurant that was so delicious! Then we met Rob back at the hostel and headed to the airport early.
Everyone was freaking out abut bag size/weight. They threw out more of my stuff. My toothpaste and face lotion which I was mad about. I don't get how it got into the country but I can't take it back out. It's not my fault they messed up the first time. Since we got there early, I decided to study some Media & Politics for my exam. I made an outline of what I would talk about in my essay. The flight back was short again. The train ride and tube ride was not.
After we got back we sat around studying until the wee hours of the night. The exam went well I suppose. I don't really know, it's over now. Over it.
Tomorrow I'm bringing in Oatmeal Raisin cookies for work... I just have to wake up in the morning and make them. I can't believe it's my last week here. I'm so bummed!!!
We left Thursday evening on a flight to Dublin. The process of getting to Gatwick airport and onto the plane was kinda crazy. We had to take a 30 minute express train to the airport (which I happen to buy the wrong ticket for) then go through the line, get a visa check stamp and on through security. We flew Ryanair (which is probably the worst airline ever but it's also the cheapest, hence the reason 20-something college students chose it) so we knew security would be ridiculous. The reason it can afford to be so cheap is because they hit you with so many regulations and very large fees if you mess them up. God forbid your bag won't fit in the little box measure-er thing. It's like a 35 GBP fee, which is more than the ticket to fly. Anyway, they took my facewash because apparently it was too big. I was upset but stressed to the max so I didn't care. Plus, it's the last week and I was going to leave it here anyway.
The flight was super fast and we landed in Dublin about 20 minutes early. We caught a bus the the City Centre in Dublin where our hostel was conveniently located just a few blocks away.
Jacobs Inn is the most legit hostel ever. It was everything you could ever want. Lounge area, movies playing all the time, free breakfast, big rooms, a game room and theme nights! We got a room for 10 for just 50 euro for three nights! That's awesome. By the time we got there it was like midnight and I'd had such a long day so Mary, Bennett, Jackson, Rob and I planned out the weekend and hit the hay.
Friday we got up to go on a free walking tour of the city. We hadn't really planned it with anyone else but most of the group ended p showing up for it. The weekend was nice because we weren't forced into doing large group things the whole time. I didn't see much of anyone besides those 4 all weekend but it wasn't like anyone was secluding anyone. It was so chill. Just like a "if you want to come then come" kind of thing.
But anyway, the tour was super long and it basically went through the entire history of Dublin. Our tour guide was really fun and cute. She clearly knew what she was talking about too. After that, we had an amazing lunch at some pub with a discount from the tour that consisted of a huge bowl of beef stew with cabbage and carrots and mashed potatoes. Oh my goodness it was delicious. Then we headed over to the Guinness Factory (of course) to see how the world famous beer is made. Along the way, we stopped and made reservations for a three course meal/live music/Irish step dancing show for just 29.95 euro.
The Guinness Factory was so cool! It's been brewing in Dublin since before America was even born and they have the original lease which is for like 900 years. Who signs a lease for 900 years!?! Arthur Guinness, that's who. They had these huge rooms with tons of ingredients and videos and stuff. We were just getting to the tasting room when all of a sudden the power went out!!!! No one knew why, we were just herded out of the museum and outside. We decided to just stick around because we didn't have anything to do until our 7:30 dinner reservation. Fortunately, we were allowed back in shortly but none of the video screens were working right away. Whatever, we headed straight back to the tasting room to observe how the head of the beer is formed when you pour it properly. There is a very specific way of pouring a pint of Guinness- you start at a 45 degree angle and slowly straighten as it fills up to an=bout 3/4 of the way. Then, you let it sit for a while while the color saturates and the head forms. You put it back under the tap, push the tap away from you and finish it off. Impressive, I know. I could have put my new skills to the test in the Pour your own Pint room but Mary and I opted to have our free with admission pint in the Gravity Bar on the seventh floor with a bird's eye view of Dublin.
After that, we went straight to dinner. We got a table that had it's own tap of Guinness (duh) and Carlsburg on it. The boys had so much fun pouring their own pints, but I was so beer'd out. I wasn't even hungry for our amazing dinner but I couldn't help but eat it. I had a starter of some weird vegetable soup and then Fish and Chips. For dessert I had the best chocolate mousse ever. It was dark chocolate on a layer of white chocolate all of a really rich layer of milk chocolate sponge cake. ugh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The band was really good and played traditional Irish tunes for the majority of the night. They even had request forms but we didn't get ours played. They probably wouldn't do Flogging Molly anyway. The step dancing was insane-I'll never know how they move their legs so fast. It was three girls and a guy on a tiny little stage but it was quite entertaining. After a few more pints and a round of Irish Car Bombs for the boys we headed back to the hostel to hit the sack.
The next morning (Saturday) we got up bright and early, seriously, to take a day trip out to the Cliffs of Moher. I woke up at 6:30 to be at the bus at 7. As 6:40 approached Mary, Jackson and I started to get worried about Rob and Bennett. Mary went p to check on them only to find out they weren't even awake yet!!! We were all freaking out because we dropped 40 euro on this thing and we were not going to have it go to waste. As they rushed to get ready, I had the hostel call us a cab because I knew we wouldn't make it if we tried to walk. Though Dublin is a very small city, it takes about 15-20 minutes to get to the Temple Bar area where just about everything of interest is located. We piled into the cab at 7:45 and arrived with time to spare-thank God! As the bus pulled away, we all drifted to sleep, knowing we had a few hours until we got to Galway where we'd switch drivers.
We stopped at a convenience store along the way for breakfast and snacks. The driver gave us all pamphlets for Galway in case anyone ever wanted to visit. I was shocked to open it up to the map and realize we had literally just driven across the country! It only took like 3 hours. It was crazy. The ride from Galway to the cliffs was fun. Everyone was semi-awake and our tour guide/driver was hilarious. He pointed out all this stuff to us and we made a few stops along the way to check out a fairy circle (a naturally formed circle of trees that are said to be where fairies live. You aren't supposed to mess with them) and a really old burial tomb. We stopped at a little restarant for luch and had a delicious bowl of potato and leek soup with Irish brown bread. We finally made it to the cliffs and took in the breathtaking sight. It's like the Grand Canyon. Pictures can't do it justice-it's just amazing. We walked along the edge, past the "Do not go past this point" sign (don't worry Mom, there was an actual trail, tons of people were walking it). It was incredible but really cold and windy.
We hopped back on the bus after a few hours and made the long journey back to Dublin. We stopped in Galway again for dinner (Subway). There were a bunch of really loud and annoying Spanish kids at the back of the bus with us which made sleeping a bit difficult but believe me, I managed. We got back to Dublin around 9:30 and decided the night was still young. After freshening up at the hostel, Mary, Rob, Jackson and I went out to Temple Bar. Temple Bar is just this general area of bars, pubs, restaurants and shops that are so much fun! We walked around for a bit, unsure of where to tuck into and finally decided on a awesome-looking place called the Porterhouse. Though it's Ireland's largest genuine brewery, I stuck with the 5 euro margaritas :) They run about 7 GBP back in London which is ridiculous (essentially, a $12 cocktail). I started out with the best G&T of my life (sorry mom) and then made the switch. I need to go back to sample some of the beers though. They had a whole row of original brews. It was a really fun night of just sitting around talking and then an amazing American cover band came on and played some Hendrix, Bad Company and the like.
Sunday, the majority of the group woke up early and headed back to London. Rob, Mary and I scheduled 7:30 flights so we could get an extra day in. We all went to mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. I was surprised that the service was really similar to my regular mass at home, but Mary said that wasn't how they do it. I think she's more Roman Catholic and I suppose we are more Episcopalian (?). I don't know, but it was a really great experience.
The rest of the day was filled with stress because Mary and I let Rob go off to see some memorial in Phoenix Park while we did some gift shopping. He had no money and no phone. Bad idea. Long story short, he was late to where we said we'd meet him and then it was just a series of misses while we tried to find each other. Mary and I ended up getting some weird enchilada/lasagna at a Tapas restaurant that was so delicious! Then we met Rob back at the hostel and headed to the airport early.
Everyone was freaking out abut bag size/weight. They threw out more of my stuff. My toothpaste and face lotion which I was mad about. I don't get how it got into the country but I can't take it back out. It's not my fault they messed up the first time. Since we got there early, I decided to study some Media & Politics for my exam. I made an outline of what I would talk about in my essay. The flight back was short again. The train ride and tube ride was not.
After we got back we sat around studying until the wee hours of the night. The exam went well I suppose. I don't really know, it's over now. Over it.
Tomorrow I'm bringing in Oatmeal Raisin cookies for work... I just have to wake up in the morning and make them. I can't believe it's my last week here. I'm so bummed!!!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Au Revoir Paris... For Now
This past weekend, the group took a trip to the City of Lights. It was incredible at times and it was stressful at times but overall I would consider it a success.
BACK IT UP: The week leading up to Paris was nothing out of the ordinary. The highlights of which were going to see the movie Four Lions (a satirical comedy about wannabe jihad terrorists. It was really funny, but very controversial); going to Barfly in Camden with Tessa to see an up-and-coming band called Kassidy perform (it was amazing. They are so talented); and, finally, seeing Henry IV at the Globe Theater on Thursday (I had a hard time following it, but it was funny).
Anyway, Friday we woke up bright and early (5:45 a.m.!) to leave St. Pancras station around 8 a.m. Going through customs was easy and I got myself an orange juice and a blueberry muffin for breakfast. I slept the entire way to Paris, due to staying up late to write a paper due Monday. We arrived in Gare du Nord station in about two hours. We all received one metro ticket to get to our hostels. Unfortunately, no one really planned this well enough and we all ended up all over Paris. A group of about 12 of us were in the Garden Hotel. I mean, it was a pretty cheap hostel and I suppose I got what I paid for but it was kind of ridiculous. The shower didn't have a hook to latch the shower head into so we just had to wrap it around the metal bar. I was washing my face at one point and bent down to reach for the head and I nailed my eye right into the shower dial. I thought I was going to have a black eye. No joke. I don't know why I thought finding it with my face was a good idea. Fortunately, no bruising- just pain.
We then made our way the Musee d'Orsay to view some impressionist art from the likes of Monet and Van Gogh. It was so cool to be standing mere feet away from some of the great works I studied in Art History Freshman year. It was really cool. We went through Notre Dame, which I think was the best part of the day. When I walked in, I was just in awe. I literally just sat down to sink it all in. I didn't even take pictures. It was incredible. Then, we made our way to the Louvre (of course) to some more great works. JMU paid for all of it and we got in almost straight away. We went around and saw basically the most famous stuff- the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. We walked around a bit more and were then free to get dinner before heading to the Eiffel Tower. Mary and I had a lovely dinner by ourselves that consisted of good French wine, Roasted Chicken (for me) and Creme Brulee. It was absolutely delicious. French meals take a really long time and we were almost late to the Tower but we managed.
We got to go up the Eiffel Tower and see the city in its entirety. It was really cool because it was at night so we could see all of the lights. It was so gorgeous. Unfortunately, my camera doesn't have a very good night setting so most of my pictures are pretty blurry. After that, everyone was pretty beat from such a long day that we decided to head back to the hostel, only to realize it would take us like an hour to get back.
The French metro is insane. It is so complicated. It's a combination of colored lines, numbers and actual stop names which makes it difficult for a group to navigate around because everyone is shouting completely different things. Also, we bought single pass tickets but it was weird because some you could use more than once but sometimes the machine wouldn't take a brand new one. It was absolutely ridiculous. I think I finally figured it out on the last day though- you have to flip the ticket around so that it can't stamp twice on the same side. I wish I would have realized that sooner.
Saturday morning was an optional outing with my CBD professor, Jay, and the Art History professor, Rachel. After enjoying a delicious nutella & banana crepe, we started out at the Centre Pompidou, a modern art museum that looks very different from traditional French architecture. The outside it made to look like the building is still under construction or something with what appear to be giant hamster tubes running along the outside that consist of escalators to the top floor of the museum. We didn't go in, we were just observing the architecture. We then went to the Eiffel Tower to discuss its architecture and why society has given it such a significant meaning of the word "Parisian" and what the people of France actually think about it. Basically, the Tower is more Parisian than French, as people in the countryside don't necessarily identify with it. Then we went to the Musee du Quai Branley to look at some old cultural stuff. It was pretty cool, but I honestly couldn't tell you what I was looking at because it was all in French.
Lunch was a Croque Monsieur (essentially a grilled cheese with ham on steroids) and a chocolate eclair. YUM! We spent the rest of the day just wandering around. We went to the Opera House that Phantom of the Opera is set in and we saw the Moulin Rouge (we didn't actually see the show of course). We then made our way over to the Arc de Triomphe which was probably my second favorite landmark in Paris. It's huge and you can walk right under it. Some people paid to go up it but I didn't. I was perfectly happy from my vantage point.
Saturday night was one of the best memories I'll have of my entire summer in London. It was just so perfect-one of those moments that you'll never forget. A small group of us sat out on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower as the sun went down to watch it light up. We had a dinner of baguettes, brie, and French wine and just sat around talking and laughing as the sun went down behind us. At times, I'd just look up at the magnificent view in front of me. I couldn't really grasp that this moment was actually real. It felt too perfect. Anyway, we stayed there for a while and some people had a little too much fun so getting them back to the hostel was interesting.
Sunday, we didn't really know what to do with ourselves. Macki, Mary and I went to Mass at Notre Dame that morning. It was incredible. It was the international mass so a little bit of it was in English- the second reading to be exact. The rest was in French and I was trying to keep up, saying the prayers in English. It was a really great experience and I'm super glad we did that. We then met up with Jackson and Rob and went to Sacre-Coeur, a church at the top of a huge hill that overlooks the entire city. It was such a great view and it definitely made the hike up (with our bags) worth it. We meandered through some of the shops up there for a while and then just decided to head near the train station to go back to London. We sat down for a drink at a cafe across the street from the station, where I tried escargot for the first time. It was...interesting to say the least. The flavor was good but the texture got me a little. We had baguettes and cheese for dinner again (cheap and delicious) and boarded the train. I slept on the way back and was so relieved to be back in the London Underground instead of the French metro. I never thought I'd miss a subway system that much.
The rest of my week will consist of my last few days at Can of Worms and a whole 'lotta homework. So much to do before Dublin on Thursday!!!
-APC
BACK IT UP: The week leading up to Paris was nothing out of the ordinary. The highlights of which were going to see the movie Four Lions (a satirical comedy about wannabe jihad terrorists. It was really funny, but very controversial); going to Barfly in Camden with Tessa to see an up-and-coming band called Kassidy perform (it was amazing. They are so talented); and, finally, seeing Henry IV at the Globe Theater on Thursday (I had a hard time following it, but it was funny).
Anyway, Friday we woke up bright and early (5:45 a.m.!) to leave St. Pancras station around 8 a.m. Going through customs was easy and I got myself an orange juice and a blueberry muffin for breakfast. I slept the entire way to Paris, due to staying up late to write a paper due Monday. We arrived in Gare du Nord station in about two hours. We all received one metro ticket to get to our hostels. Unfortunately, no one really planned this well enough and we all ended up all over Paris. A group of about 12 of us were in the Garden Hotel. I mean, it was a pretty cheap hostel and I suppose I got what I paid for but it was kind of ridiculous. The shower didn't have a hook to latch the shower head into so we just had to wrap it around the metal bar. I was washing my face at one point and bent down to reach for the head and I nailed my eye right into the shower dial. I thought I was going to have a black eye. No joke. I don't know why I thought finding it with my face was a good idea. Fortunately, no bruising- just pain.
We then made our way the Musee d'Orsay to view some impressionist art from the likes of Monet and Van Gogh. It was so cool to be standing mere feet away from some of the great works I studied in Art History Freshman year. It was really cool. We went through Notre Dame, which I think was the best part of the day. When I walked in, I was just in awe. I literally just sat down to sink it all in. I didn't even take pictures. It was incredible. Then, we made our way to the Louvre (of course) to some more great works. JMU paid for all of it and we got in almost straight away. We went around and saw basically the most famous stuff- the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. We walked around a bit more and were then free to get dinner before heading to the Eiffel Tower. Mary and I had a lovely dinner by ourselves that consisted of good French wine, Roasted Chicken (for me) and Creme Brulee. It was absolutely delicious. French meals take a really long time and we were almost late to the Tower but we managed.
We got to go up the Eiffel Tower and see the city in its entirety. It was really cool because it was at night so we could see all of the lights. It was so gorgeous. Unfortunately, my camera doesn't have a very good night setting so most of my pictures are pretty blurry. After that, everyone was pretty beat from such a long day that we decided to head back to the hostel, only to realize it would take us like an hour to get back.
The French metro is insane. It is so complicated. It's a combination of colored lines, numbers and actual stop names which makes it difficult for a group to navigate around because everyone is shouting completely different things. Also, we bought single pass tickets but it was weird because some you could use more than once but sometimes the machine wouldn't take a brand new one. It was absolutely ridiculous. I think I finally figured it out on the last day though- you have to flip the ticket around so that it can't stamp twice on the same side. I wish I would have realized that sooner.
Saturday morning was an optional outing with my CBD professor, Jay, and the Art History professor, Rachel. After enjoying a delicious nutella & banana crepe, we started out at the Centre Pompidou, a modern art museum that looks very different from traditional French architecture. The outside it made to look like the building is still under construction or something with what appear to be giant hamster tubes running along the outside that consist of escalators to the top floor of the museum. We didn't go in, we were just observing the architecture. We then went to the Eiffel Tower to discuss its architecture and why society has given it such a significant meaning of the word "Parisian" and what the people of France actually think about it. Basically, the Tower is more Parisian than French, as people in the countryside don't necessarily identify with it. Then we went to the Musee du Quai Branley to look at some old cultural stuff. It was pretty cool, but I honestly couldn't tell you what I was looking at because it was all in French.
Lunch was a Croque Monsieur (essentially a grilled cheese with ham on steroids) and a chocolate eclair. YUM! We spent the rest of the day just wandering around. We went to the Opera House that Phantom of the Opera is set in and we saw the Moulin Rouge (we didn't actually see the show of course). We then made our way over to the Arc de Triomphe which was probably my second favorite landmark in Paris. It's huge and you can walk right under it. Some people paid to go up it but I didn't. I was perfectly happy from my vantage point.
Saturday night was one of the best memories I'll have of my entire summer in London. It was just so perfect-one of those moments that you'll never forget. A small group of us sat out on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower as the sun went down to watch it light up. We had a dinner of baguettes, brie, and French wine and just sat around talking and laughing as the sun went down behind us. At times, I'd just look up at the magnificent view in front of me. I couldn't really grasp that this moment was actually real. It felt too perfect. Anyway, we stayed there for a while and some people had a little too much fun so getting them back to the hostel was interesting.
Sunday, we didn't really know what to do with ourselves. Macki, Mary and I went to Mass at Notre Dame that morning. It was incredible. It was the international mass so a little bit of it was in English- the second reading to be exact. The rest was in French and I was trying to keep up, saying the prayers in English. It was a really great experience and I'm super glad we did that. We then met up with Jackson and Rob and went to Sacre-Coeur, a church at the top of a huge hill that overlooks the entire city. It was such a great view and it definitely made the hike up (with our bags) worth it. We meandered through some of the shops up there for a while and then just decided to head near the train station to go back to London. We sat down for a drink at a cafe across the street from the station, where I tried escargot for the first time. It was...interesting to say the least. The flavor was good but the texture got me a little. We had baguettes and cheese for dinner again (cheap and delicious) and boarded the train. I slept on the way back and was so relieved to be back in the London Underground instead of the French metro. I never thought I'd miss a subway system that much.
The rest of my week will consist of my last few days at Can of Worms and a whole 'lotta homework. So much to do before Dublin on Thursday!!!
-APC
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Longest Weekend EVER...in a good way
I didn't have pop culture & diversity class Thursday afternoon because the group took a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon (aka Shakespeare's supposed home) and Oxford (as in University). We left Madison House on a private coach at 3 pm and arrived in Stratford around 6 pm. It took a good hour to get out of London, a fact that wasn't incorporated into the timing of this trip. Everyone was stressing out once we got to the bed and breakfast because we only had, like, 30 minutes to eat before seeing Romeo & Juliet at the Courtyard Theater, part of the Royal Shakespeare Company. I decided to opt out of eating because I knew we wouldn't have time and I didn't want to deal with all that. The others didn't get their food until 5 minutes before the show started and somehow managed to get to there in time. It was unbelievable. ha ha ha
I really enjoyed the playhouse and the show itself. The theater was round so there were seats, and even a few standing stalls, on all sides except behind the main stage. We had seats on the very top row, in the very top section (aka the gallery), dead center. I really liked my seat because it allowed me to see everything, even the other audience members. The play itself was traditional in every sense of the word except for Romeo & Juliet. They were wearing contemporary yet simple clothes and had modern props like headphones. All the dialect was still traditional Shakespeare which was nice. I thought the acting was brilliant and I was surprised that it actually held my attention. Since it was an educational outing for the theatre class, one of the actors (Mercutio) came back to the hotel to have a discussion with them, but I didn't attend. I was so beat after the play that I literally went back and fell asleep. As I was drifitng off, I heard the actor yell upon his arrival, "I AM MERCUTIO!"
Friday morning we woke up bright and early for a traditional english breakfast...which I didn't order. To me, breakfast should not consist of baked beans and tomatoes. The rest of it was a fried egg and sausage. I got scrambled eggs on toast and some corn flakes. YUM!
We then proceeded to take a bunch of pointless Shakespeare tours to Anne Hathaway's (his wife) cottage, Holy Trinity Church where he is buried and, finally, his birthplace. I mean, it was all nice and cute but it all seemed fake to me. My main concern is how everything is a "probably/most likely/possibly/maybe" kind of thing. No one really knows everything about Shakespeare so it's hard to give a tour about him. We heard a lot of "he slept in a bed SIMILAR to this one" and "he MAY HAVE walked across this street" and so on. It was just ridiculous. Plus, my camera died it little after Anne's cottage so that was a bummer.
After seeing Shakespeare's birthplace filled with replicas of things he possibly may have used, we had some free time to walk around the little town center and grab some lunch. I was still pretty full so I just went in some shops and got some presents for a few people. The best part was seeing the actress who played Juliet the night before strolling through town. I don't know why, but I was oddly starstruck.
We made our way to Oxford, about an hour from Stratford and an hour from London. I really liked it. I mean, I probably would have like it more if school was in session, but it was nice. It's like a college town to the extreme. We took a tour of the university and a few of the different colleges within it. It was really intersting to learn some of the history behind the school and learn about the school sytem in England. It would be so cool to do postgrad at Oxford or Cambridge but it would be super hard to get in. Just a dream.
After the tour we had some free time, but only like an hour. So a few of us decided to have a few pitchers of Pimms at The Turf Tavern, Oxford's oldest pub. I was told by Helen at work that I MUST get Pimms while in Oxford. It is a brand of liqueur that you add lemonade and some fresh fruit to in order to create a wonderfully refreshing summer drink. It was delicious and seriously one of those moments that just creates a memory. I will never forget sitting on the patio of The Turf Tavern in Oxford; the warm summer sun shining on my shoulders and a nice breeze rolling through. Hanging out with great people having a laugh. I truly treasure moments like that.
Then it was back to the bus as we made the trip back home to Londontown. The night was kind of a bust that basically came down to a really terrible and completely overpriced martini at an annoyingly loud cocktail bar when all I really wanted to do was sleep.
Saturday, Tessa and I hit the streets early to Portobello Market. It was much different from Camden because it was a single road instead of a giant maze of shops and food stands. People were selling everything from old books and clothes to silver tea pots and fresh produce. The best part was the music. There were tons of musicians performing for the crowds in the street. Tessa and I split the cost of a cd by the Ryan O'Reilly Band and then spent a while talking to a new artist called Robbie Boyd. He was really nice and very talented. Then we headed home and laid out in Russell Square for a bit before heading to Sister Ray's, a pretty famous little record store. I could have done some serious damage in there, but I kept cool and didn't spend any money.
Saturday night was nice. After enjoying a delicious homemade spaghetti dinner for one, Michelle, Tessa, Marie and I went out to Witherspoon's (the cheapest pub around) just to have a few drinks and talk. It was nice to get out with no pressures and just relax, though their Pimms wasn't as good as The Turf Tavern's.
Sunday, we all went out to Spitalfields Market in the East End. I saw so many cute things I wanted to buy but I kept cool and only bought a few small gifts for some people. Then Tessa and I enjoyed a delicous asian feast for lunch.
After the market, we headed over to Leake Street. There is a sketchy looking tunnel that used to be a bus station that has sense been turned into an open forum for grafitti artists in London to come a tag/bomb/paint whatever they want whereever they want. We went for Culture by Design class the other day, but I didn't have my camera so we made a trip back. Upon arriving, we saw Lawler, Ingrid, Sarah and Katie come to make some tags of their own. Quite a coincidence. Lawler's the artist in the group and she had designed an image of a cow that has one of it's spots in the shape of a "hazard" sign. The title of the piece is "Mad Cow" and it turned out really nice. I had so much fun taking pictures of all the grafitti. I highly suggest checking it out on facebook because, I must admit, some of those pictures are pretty awesome.
Tonight, World Cup fever finally subsided as Spain beat the Netherlands in the final match. Most of us went to Witherspoon's to watch the game, but I left to come home in the beginning of the second half. A part of me is kind of sad that it's over now. No more random pub outings at work or heated group discussions about which team is better. No more random cheering and pulling for a team because their players are more attractive than the other team. Yup, sad times.
Anyway, tomorrow starts another long week until we go to Paris on Friday!!! Emily so thoughtfully made a French Guide for me so I don't feel completely helpless with the language. She even wrote it out phonetically because she knows I can't read it correctly. She's a doll.
Emotionally speaking, I really don't think I'm ready to go home. I miss everyone and everything but I am having such a great time here I don't want it to end. I'm most worried about not ever seeing these people that I've grown so close to once school starts. We run in different circles and it will be tough, but hopefully we can make it work :)
I really enjoyed the playhouse and the show itself. The theater was round so there were seats, and even a few standing stalls, on all sides except behind the main stage. We had seats on the very top row, in the very top section (aka the gallery), dead center. I really liked my seat because it allowed me to see everything, even the other audience members. The play itself was traditional in every sense of the word except for Romeo & Juliet. They were wearing contemporary yet simple clothes and had modern props like headphones. All the dialect was still traditional Shakespeare which was nice. I thought the acting was brilliant and I was surprised that it actually held my attention. Since it was an educational outing for the theatre class, one of the actors (Mercutio) came back to the hotel to have a discussion with them, but I didn't attend. I was so beat after the play that I literally went back and fell asleep. As I was drifitng off, I heard the actor yell upon his arrival, "I AM MERCUTIO!"
Friday morning we woke up bright and early for a traditional english breakfast...which I didn't order. To me, breakfast should not consist of baked beans and tomatoes. The rest of it was a fried egg and sausage. I got scrambled eggs on toast and some corn flakes. YUM!
We then proceeded to take a bunch of pointless Shakespeare tours to Anne Hathaway's (his wife) cottage, Holy Trinity Church where he is buried and, finally, his birthplace. I mean, it was all nice and cute but it all seemed fake to me. My main concern is how everything is a "probably/most likely/possibly/maybe" kind of thing. No one really knows everything about Shakespeare so it's hard to give a tour about him. We heard a lot of "he slept in a bed SIMILAR to this one" and "he MAY HAVE walked across this street" and so on. It was just ridiculous. Plus, my camera died it little after Anne's cottage so that was a bummer.
After seeing Shakespeare's birthplace filled with replicas of things he possibly may have used, we had some free time to walk around the little town center and grab some lunch. I was still pretty full so I just went in some shops and got some presents for a few people. The best part was seeing the actress who played Juliet the night before strolling through town. I don't know why, but I was oddly starstruck.
We made our way to Oxford, about an hour from Stratford and an hour from London. I really liked it. I mean, I probably would have like it more if school was in session, but it was nice. It's like a college town to the extreme. We took a tour of the university and a few of the different colleges within it. It was really intersting to learn some of the history behind the school and learn about the school sytem in England. It would be so cool to do postgrad at Oxford or Cambridge but it would be super hard to get in. Just a dream.
After the tour we had some free time, but only like an hour. So a few of us decided to have a few pitchers of Pimms at The Turf Tavern, Oxford's oldest pub. I was told by Helen at work that I MUST get Pimms while in Oxford. It is a brand of liqueur that you add lemonade and some fresh fruit to in order to create a wonderfully refreshing summer drink. It was delicious and seriously one of those moments that just creates a memory. I will never forget sitting on the patio of The Turf Tavern in Oxford; the warm summer sun shining on my shoulders and a nice breeze rolling through. Hanging out with great people having a laugh. I truly treasure moments like that.
Then it was back to the bus as we made the trip back home to Londontown. The night was kind of a bust that basically came down to a really terrible and completely overpriced martini at an annoyingly loud cocktail bar when all I really wanted to do was sleep.
Saturday, Tessa and I hit the streets early to Portobello Market. It was much different from Camden because it was a single road instead of a giant maze of shops and food stands. People were selling everything from old books and clothes to silver tea pots and fresh produce. The best part was the music. There were tons of musicians performing for the crowds in the street. Tessa and I split the cost of a cd by the Ryan O'Reilly Band and then spent a while talking to a new artist called Robbie Boyd. He was really nice and very talented. Then we headed home and laid out in Russell Square for a bit before heading to Sister Ray's, a pretty famous little record store. I could have done some serious damage in there, but I kept cool and didn't spend any money.
Saturday night was nice. After enjoying a delicious homemade spaghetti dinner for one, Michelle, Tessa, Marie and I went out to Witherspoon's (the cheapest pub around) just to have a few drinks and talk. It was nice to get out with no pressures and just relax, though their Pimms wasn't as good as The Turf Tavern's.
Sunday, we all went out to Spitalfields Market in the East End. I saw so many cute things I wanted to buy but I kept cool and only bought a few small gifts for some people. Then Tessa and I enjoyed a delicous asian feast for lunch.
After the market, we headed over to Leake Street. There is a sketchy looking tunnel that used to be a bus station that has sense been turned into an open forum for grafitti artists in London to come a tag/bomb/paint whatever they want whereever they want. We went for Culture by Design class the other day, but I didn't have my camera so we made a trip back. Upon arriving, we saw Lawler, Ingrid, Sarah and Katie come to make some tags of their own. Quite a coincidence. Lawler's the artist in the group and she had designed an image of a cow that has one of it's spots in the shape of a "hazard" sign. The title of the piece is "Mad Cow" and it turned out really nice. I had so much fun taking pictures of all the grafitti. I highly suggest checking it out on facebook because, I must admit, some of those pictures are pretty awesome.
Tonight, World Cup fever finally subsided as Spain beat the Netherlands in the final match. Most of us went to Witherspoon's to watch the game, but I left to come home in the beginning of the second half. A part of me is kind of sad that it's over now. No more random pub outings at work or heated group discussions about which team is better. No more random cheering and pulling for a team because their players are more attractive than the other team. Yup, sad times.
Anyway, tomorrow starts another long week until we go to Paris on Friday!!! Emily so thoughtfully made a French Guide for me so I don't feel completely helpless with the language. She even wrote it out phonetically because she knows I can't read it correctly. She's a doll.
Emotionally speaking, I really don't think I'm ready to go home. I miss everyone and everything but I am having such a great time here I don't want it to end. I'm most worried about not ever seeing these people that I've grown so close to once school starts. We run in different circles and it will be tough, but hopefully we can make it work :)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Potties, Pineapple & Puns
Over the weekend, the pressure in our toilet practically disappeared to the point where we couldn't flush it even after 10 minutes of pushing the handle. After filing a maintenance request first thing Monday morning, I received some unpleasant news when I arrived home from work Tuesday evening.
Rustin, the program director, was standing outside the house and I was very pleased to see him. He had been away with his family since the first real week of classes so it was good to catch up. We chatted about work and classes and living in London. Then, Mackie walked out the door with a roll of toilet paper in her hand and headed down the street. Confused, I asked what was going on, only to find out that the plumber said our toilet couldn't be fixed until Thursday and we were moving. Apparently, Charlotte and Rustin pitched a fit to the leasing agency about making us live in a place with a dysfunctional toilet, so they set us up a flat in #18 just down the street. Personally, I didn't want to move, just because it would be a hassle and a tad pointless just to move because one facet of the flat doesn't work (the shower and sink work fine).
After packing up my overnight gear and some food for breakfast, we made the trek over to our new home-away-from-home-away-from-home. It was a bit strange to be in a new place but, I must admit, it was quite spacious for just the four of us. The boys upstairs live in an identical flat and they have 8 people. Yikes!
Mary and I watched The Wedding Date and then I crawled into bed...only to find that I could feel every single metal spring in that mattress. It was the most uncomfortable night's sleep I've had since I've been here. I literally woke up in pain.
So tonight, I am sleeping in #14B. It's not worth it.
Work has been going well. Toby took a critical look at all of the press releases, AIs, news releases and book reviews I've been writing and I think he really liked them. I've also been researching Shakespeare festivals in England to coincide with a series of graphic novels of popular Shakespeare plays Can of Worms has published. They are actually really cool. I kind of wish I would have had them in high school. It would have made everything easier.
Mackie, Judson and I went to Spaghetti House for dinner. They have a 5 GBP menu that was actually quite delicious (some sort of penne and sausage ragu). Spaghetti House service is infamous and they definitely held up to their reputation tonight. We waited over an hour for our food. Granted, we were having a wonderful time, but we were all hungry and all had papers to write.
Next to "gratuity" on the bill Jackson just wrote "no". Classic.
Tomorrow after CBD we travel to Stratford and Oxford for the night. I will post my experiences after this weekend. Cheers!
-APC
Rustin, the program director, was standing outside the house and I was very pleased to see him. He had been away with his family since the first real week of classes so it was good to catch up. We chatted about work and classes and living in London. Then, Mackie walked out the door with a roll of toilet paper in her hand and headed down the street. Confused, I asked what was going on, only to find out that the plumber said our toilet couldn't be fixed until Thursday and we were moving. Apparently, Charlotte and Rustin pitched a fit to the leasing agency about making us live in a place with a dysfunctional toilet, so they set us up a flat in #18 just down the street. Personally, I didn't want to move, just because it would be a hassle and a tad pointless just to move because one facet of the flat doesn't work (the shower and sink work fine).
After packing up my overnight gear and some food for breakfast, we made the trek over to our new home-away-from-home-away-from-home. It was a bit strange to be in a new place but, I must admit, it was quite spacious for just the four of us. The boys upstairs live in an identical flat and they have 8 people. Yikes!
Mary and I watched The Wedding Date and then I crawled into bed...only to find that I could feel every single metal spring in that mattress. It was the most uncomfortable night's sleep I've had since I've been here. I literally woke up in pain.
So tonight, I am sleeping in #14B. It's not worth it.
Work has been going well. Toby took a critical look at all of the press releases, AIs, news releases and book reviews I've been writing and I think he really liked them. I've also been researching Shakespeare festivals in England to coincide with a series of graphic novels of popular Shakespeare plays Can of Worms has published. They are actually really cool. I kind of wish I would have had them in high school. It would have made everything easier.
Mackie, Judson and I went to Spaghetti House for dinner. They have a 5 GBP menu that was actually quite delicious (some sort of penne and sausage ragu). Spaghetti House service is infamous and they definitely held up to their reputation tonight. We waited over an hour for our food. Granted, we were having a wonderful time, but we were all hungry and all had papers to write.
Next to "gratuity" on the bill Jackson just wrote "no". Classic.
Tomorrow after CBD we travel to Stratford and Oxford for the night. I will post my experiences after this weekend. Cheers!
-APC
Sunday, July 4, 2010
4th of July Weekend
THURSDAY
For Culture By Design class, we discussed branding. I never realized how much a label has to do with a product or a company's image or just how powerful it can be in purchasing decisions. My professor went into this epic description of how the Absolut vodka label is the most effective ad campaign in the world. I'll give you the condensed version:
Long ago, during the Cold War, when a good American wouldn't be caught dead drinking Russian vodka, Sweden decided they could crack the American market by selling us vodka that had "been made in Sweden for over a hundred years" or something. That was a lie. But it was the only way to get Americans to trust the Swedes with the very serious task of producing vodka. Anyway, the interesting part is the actual bottle. Back then, alcohol either came in a green or brown bottle. But the people behind Absolut decided on a clear medicine bottle because it was pure, just like the vodka that was inside.
After class, we made our way to the Museum of Brands-literally, a hallway with glass cases on both sides filled from floor to ceiling with different items from the decade. The museum was set up in different decades starting with the 1920s and ending with the 90s. It was so interesting to see how trends and themes changed throughout time yet some remained very much the same, like royalty or patriotism. The cases were filled with the most random stuff ever-from candy bars, to toys, to stamps and magazine covers to beverage containers and so much more. It was visual overload and I had such a headache when we left.
After that, I rushed home to eat the leftover pizza I had from the night before and an apple and then headed to Pop Culture & Diversity. I really liked this weeks class because we talked about celebrities!!! Basically, what it means to be one and why people tend to worship them as if they're more than human. I don't know... the best part was that we got to watch an episode of Extras, featuring Ricky Gervais (creator of The Office) and it was the funniest thing I've ever seen.
For the outing we went to this awesome exhibit called the British Music Experience. I thought I died and had gone to heaven. It was amazing. It was this huge, circular room with some interactive exhibits in the center and then smaller rooms coming off of it that represented the different eras in British music, starting with the mid 1940s-1962. They had glass cases filled with memorabilia from popular artists of the time including performance outfits, hand-written song lyrics and concert lineups, instruments and props. All the while they had some of the best music ever recorded blaring from the speakers. The best part though was the interactive room where they had guitars, basses, drums and keyboards hooked up to headphones that you could play plus a video to teach you how to play a few notes or melodies on the instrument. I played a Les Paul and messed around on one of the drum kits for a while until we had to go. I seriously considered going back another day but it's 12 GBP to get in so I doubt I will. But it was definitely a great experience.
FRIDAY
We (well the half of the group that didn't go to Amsterdam for the weekend) woke up bright and early to go on a day trip to Greenwich. The boat ride out was nice. It started out in Westminster and traveled along the Thames. We went under Tower Bridge, past the Tower of London and past all of the super expensive flats along the river that belong to stars such as Paul McCartney and Helen Mirren. It was pretty cool. Greenwich was kind of a bust though. It was quiet and small and boring. The only thing I wanted to see was the Prime Meridian (the east and west hemispheres) just to say I'd been on two different sides of the world at once. After we did that, Mary and I went to Borough Market to try to get some cheap, fresh produce. Unfortunately, their fruit and veggie selection was rather limited and it took all we had not to give into all the fudge and Turkish Delight stands crowded with people waiting to taste the handmade desserts. We did, however, buy some delicious homemade bread (garlic Focaccia) to take home and eat with some oil and spices.
Friday evening Dave and Vikki came in from Italy to celebrate their anniversary in England and of course to see me! ha ha ok ok, they didn't come in to see me exactly, but we did have dinner and it was so much fun. I miss them so much and I can't wait for them to be back in the States. We had such a blast catching up and talking in person! They are amazing people and I am so blessed to have them in my life :)
SATURDAY
Laura, Mary and I made our way through the bustling crowds of people in Covent Garden Saturday morning on our shopping trip. Actually, I'd call it more of a quest. We got gelato at Scoop (yummy) and then Mary and I tried Turkish Delight for the first time. It was a very strange taste. It's like a rose jelly covered in powdered sugar. Your mouth says" oh that's tasty" but your mind is saying "you're not supposed to be eating roses". Very strange. After picking up a few things, we made our way to Camden Market. Camden is, for lack of a better word, crazy. It's filled with all sorts of people selling all sorts of things. There are like 5 different markets within Camden including it's most well-known, The Stables. We walked around for a few hours buying things for people and maybe one or two things for ourselves. I don't want to give anything away for people so I'll just say that I bought myself a very pretty, floral dress for 12 GBP (some other guy was selling it for 15). I was proud of that. After having a sausage-spinach-feta cheese wrap at some Turkish food stand, we decided to head back home to get ready for Eclipse!!!!
We arrived at Leicester Square only to realize that a gay pride festival of some sort was going on and it was insane. So many people dressed in the craziest costumes ever were dancing and screaming in the middle of the square. It was nuts. The night got even crazier when something got messed up with the tickets and we ended up paying 14 GBP to see it at a different theater. It was so stressful!! And it just got worse when we were finally sitting down and then had to move 3 times because some poeple's tickets had assigned seats and other's didn't. I was relieved when the movie actually started so I wouldn't have to move again. The theater seemed smaller than the ones back home and I thought it was weird that they sold beer at the concessions.
The movie was pretty good (not 14 GBP good but whatever). I think I'll need to see it again before I can draw any real conclusions on it. I was so pooped afterward that I just came home and watched Bridget Jones' Diary and went to bed.
SUNDAY
Happy Fourth of July America!
I woke up early to get some homework done and then went back to bed. That's it.
No, I'm totally joking. But I did go back to bed for a while. Then I got up and went grocery shopping with Tessa and Mary. I bought some of the essentials: frozen pizza, nutella, cereal, cheese and ground beef to make tacos tomorrow night! So excited. Then a bunch of us got dressed and went to Abbey Road to take pictures of the most famous crosswalk on the planet. We had the brilliant idea to dress up sort of like The Beatles on their album cover, which, I must say, turned out alright. Macki was George, dressed in all denim. I was Paul, navy blue blazer and barefeet. No cigarette though. Sorry. Laura was a very tall Ringo dressed in all black. And Tessa was John, doing the best she could in a white tunic (it's very hard to find an all white suit these days).
When we turned the corner, we immediately knew we were in the right place because there were a ton of people all crowded around, dodging traffic to run out into the middle of the street and take the picture. It was insane!!! After like 4 attempts we finally managed to get a pretty good shot of the four of us then it was Mary, Michelle, and Marie's turn with Macki filling in as George again. We saw the studio too, with "give Peace a Chance" and "All You Need Is Love" graffiti all over the front wall as well as thousands of signatures from people who had come just to show their love for the greatest band there ever was. It was so cool just to be there. To know that's where one of the best records of all time was made, to know they walked across that road just like I did. It was amazing.
For the holiday, we made our way down to the Blues Kitchen in Camden for a delicious American feast. I got a very tasty Philly Cheese Steak complete with "fries". It was really expensive but fairly large portions compared to everything else in England. Keeping with the American spirit, I also tried an "Alabama Fizz" cocktail which was, essentially, a Gin & Tonic. It was good but overpriced. They had live music on the stage in the back and served up great jazz, blues and rock n' roll all night. Macki also entered a hot dog eating contest that proved to be more challenging than we anticipated. The "hot dogs" were giant sausages with onions on top in a sub roll. She had to try to eat an entire platter. She managed to eat three and then called it quits. She did better than I could, that's for sure.
Well, tomorrow starts another week's adventure in London. Thursday and Friday I'll be in Stratford and then I'll be spending the weekend here. Remember, if you ever want to see pictures of anything, they're all on facebook. Or you can email me and I can send you some.
Cheers everyone!
-APC
For Culture By Design class, we discussed branding. I never realized how much a label has to do with a product or a company's image or just how powerful it can be in purchasing decisions. My professor went into this epic description of how the Absolut vodka label is the most effective ad campaign in the world. I'll give you the condensed version:
Long ago, during the Cold War, when a good American wouldn't be caught dead drinking Russian vodka, Sweden decided they could crack the American market by selling us vodka that had "been made in Sweden for over a hundred years" or something. That was a lie. But it was the only way to get Americans to trust the Swedes with the very serious task of producing vodka. Anyway, the interesting part is the actual bottle. Back then, alcohol either came in a green or brown bottle. But the people behind Absolut decided on a clear medicine bottle because it was pure, just like the vodka that was inside.
After class, we made our way to the Museum of Brands-literally, a hallway with glass cases on both sides filled from floor to ceiling with different items from the decade. The museum was set up in different decades starting with the 1920s and ending with the 90s. It was so interesting to see how trends and themes changed throughout time yet some remained very much the same, like royalty or patriotism. The cases were filled with the most random stuff ever-from candy bars, to toys, to stamps and magazine covers to beverage containers and so much more. It was visual overload and I had such a headache when we left.
After that, I rushed home to eat the leftover pizza I had from the night before and an apple and then headed to Pop Culture & Diversity. I really liked this weeks class because we talked about celebrities!!! Basically, what it means to be one and why people tend to worship them as if they're more than human. I don't know... the best part was that we got to watch an episode of Extras, featuring Ricky Gervais (creator of The Office) and it was the funniest thing I've ever seen.
For the outing we went to this awesome exhibit called the British Music Experience. I thought I died and had gone to heaven. It was amazing. It was this huge, circular room with some interactive exhibits in the center and then smaller rooms coming off of it that represented the different eras in British music, starting with the mid 1940s-1962. They had glass cases filled with memorabilia from popular artists of the time including performance outfits, hand-written song lyrics and concert lineups, instruments and props. All the while they had some of the best music ever recorded blaring from the speakers. The best part though was the interactive room where they had guitars, basses, drums and keyboards hooked up to headphones that you could play plus a video to teach you how to play a few notes or melodies on the instrument. I played a Les Paul and messed around on one of the drum kits for a while until we had to go. I seriously considered going back another day but it's 12 GBP to get in so I doubt I will. But it was definitely a great experience.
FRIDAY
We (well the half of the group that didn't go to Amsterdam for the weekend) woke up bright and early to go on a day trip to Greenwich. The boat ride out was nice. It started out in Westminster and traveled along the Thames. We went under Tower Bridge, past the Tower of London and past all of the super expensive flats along the river that belong to stars such as Paul McCartney and Helen Mirren. It was pretty cool. Greenwich was kind of a bust though. It was quiet and small and boring. The only thing I wanted to see was the Prime Meridian (the east and west hemispheres) just to say I'd been on two different sides of the world at once. After we did that, Mary and I went to Borough Market to try to get some cheap, fresh produce. Unfortunately, their fruit and veggie selection was rather limited and it took all we had not to give into all the fudge and Turkish Delight stands crowded with people waiting to taste the handmade desserts. We did, however, buy some delicious homemade bread (garlic Focaccia) to take home and eat with some oil and spices.
Friday evening Dave and Vikki came in from Italy to celebrate their anniversary in England and of course to see me! ha ha ok ok, they didn't come in to see me exactly, but we did have dinner and it was so much fun. I miss them so much and I can't wait for them to be back in the States. We had such a blast catching up and talking in person! They are amazing people and I am so blessed to have them in my life :)
SATURDAY
Laura, Mary and I made our way through the bustling crowds of people in Covent Garden Saturday morning on our shopping trip. Actually, I'd call it more of a quest. We got gelato at Scoop (yummy) and then Mary and I tried Turkish Delight for the first time. It was a very strange taste. It's like a rose jelly covered in powdered sugar. Your mouth says" oh that's tasty" but your mind is saying "you're not supposed to be eating roses". Very strange. After picking up a few things, we made our way to Camden Market. Camden is, for lack of a better word, crazy. It's filled with all sorts of people selling all sorts of things. There are like 5 different markets within Camden including it's most well-known, The Stables. We walked around for a few hours buying things for people and maybe one or two things for ourselves. I don't want to give anything away for people so I'll just say that I bought myself a very pretty, floral dress for 12 GBP (some other guy was selling it for 15). I was proud of that. After having a sausage-spinach-feta cheese wrap at some Turkish food stand, we decided to head back home to get ready for Eclipse!!!!
We arrived at Leicester Square only to realize that a gay pride festival of some sort was going on and it was insane. So many people dressed in the craziest costumes ever were dancing and screaming in the middle of the square. It was nuts. The night got even crazier when something got messed up with the tickets and we ended up paying 14 GBP to see it at a different theater. It was so stressful!! And it just got worse when we were finally sitting down and then had to move 3 times because some poeple's tickets had assigned seats and other's didn't. I was relieved when the movie actually started so I wouldn't have to move again. The theater seemed smaller than the ones back home and I thought it was weird that they sold beer at the concessions.
The movie was pretty good (not 14 GBP good but whatever). I think I'll need to see it again before I can draw any real conclusions on it. I was so pooped afterward that I just came home and watched Bridget Jones' Diary and went to bed.
SUNDAY
Happy Fourth of July America!
I woke up early to get some homework done and then went back to bed. That's it.
No, I'm totally joking. But I did go back to bed for a while. Then I got up and went grocery shopping with Tessa and Mary. I bought some of the essentials: frozen pizza, nutella, cereal, cheese and ground beef to make tacos tomorrow night! So excited. Then a bunch of us got dressed and went to Abbey Road to take pictures of the most famous crosswalk on the planet. We had the brilliant idea to dress up sort of like The Beatles on their album cover, which, I must say, turned out alright. Macki was George, dressed in all denim. I was Paul, navy blue blazer and barefeet. No cigarette though. Sorry. Laura was a very tall Ringo dressed in all black. And Tessa was John, doing the best she could in a white tunic (it's very hard to find an all white suit these days).
When we turned the corner, we immediately knew we were in the right place because there were a ton of people all crowded around, dodging traffic to run out into the middle of the street and take the picture. It was insane!!! After like 4 attempts we finally managed to get a pretty good shot of the four of us then it was Mary, Michelle, and Marie's turn with Macki filling in as George again. We saw the studio too, with "give Peace a Chance" and "All You Need Is Love" graffiti all over the front wall as well as thousands of signatures from people who had come just to show their love for the greatest band there ever was. It was so cool just to be there. To know that's where one of the best records of all time was made, to know they walked across that road just like I did. It was amazing.
For the holiday, we made our way down to the Blues Kitchen in Camden for a delicious American feast. I got a very tasty Philly Cheese Steak complete with "fries". It was really expensive but fairly large portions compared to everything else in England. Keeping with the American spirit, I also tried an "Alabama Fizz" cocktail which was, essentially, a Gin & Tonic. It was good but overpriced. They had live music on the stage in the back and served up great jazz, blues and rock n' roll all night. Macki also entered a hot dog eating contest that proved to be more challenging than we anticipated. The "hot dogs" were giant sausages with onions on top in a sub roll. She had to try to eat an entire platter. She managed to eat three and then called it quits. She did better than I could, that's for sure.
Well, tomorrow starts another week's adventure in London. Thursday and Friday I'll be in Stratford and then I'll be spending the weekend here. Remember, if you ever want to see pictures of anything, they're all on facebook. Or you can email me and I can send you some.
Cheers everyone!
-APC
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