Well it's approx 4 am and I'm sitting on a coach bus, headed out of London towards Luton Airport where I will board a 6 am flight to Dublin! This weekend will be filled with a tour of the countryside, visits to the Guinness and Jameson factories, stops at Trinity College, Dublin Castle, and St. Patrick's Cathedral...and maybe a "Guinness pie" at The Brazen Head... A pub recommended to us at 3 am by two drunk Brits who happened to wander by us while we waited in an alley for our bus. We are staying in a hostel located in the heart of Temple Bar, Dublin's liveliest region. It's apparently so lively that we each have to pay a 30 Euro "noise deposit"- if we are too rowdy, we lose those 30 E!
So I am sitting in the front row of the coach... We have stopped multiple times to pick up other passengers at other locations. When you get on the bus, you have the option of storing luggage in the belly or bringing it aboard. The belly door is operated electronically by the driver who doesn't need to get on and off to open and close it. After the most recent stop, as we are driving down the road, this American (I know, who am I to judge) girl comes rushing down the aisle, yelling at the (foreign) driver that he forgot to shut the door. She is freaking out that her luggage is just freewheelin out there. The driver has no idea what she's talking about... And basically tells her not to worry about it. She's still paranoid. Funny!
My mom leaves this morning to come and visit! She's spending the weekend in Paris and then coming to London Monday morning. I'm so excited...to see her, stay in a hotel, fine dine, go to the theater, show her what a good time Europe can be! (Then let her take me back in a few years...) She's got a longgg day of flying ahead- starting in what is quite possibly the world's smallest airport, Presque Isle International, and ending up in one of the largest...Charles De Gaulle!
This week has been fun, but school is more work than I'd expected it to be. I settled into this really cute cafe Monday afternoon and read for my sociology class, spent all day Tuesday at school, woke up SICK as a dog Wednesday morning, missed my first class, but made it in time for my second and third ones. Spent approximately 6 hours at school yesterday doing work and getting ahead so I can spend as much time as possible with my mom when she arrives.
A girl I am working on a group project with got in a traffic accident and is spending the weekend in the hospital! I told you all- crossing the street in London is HARD.
This biotch sitting in front of me keeps trying to recline her seat into my lap. No way! I've got my knees locked up onto the seat really tight..not happening.
Congratulations to my alma mater, where the Lady Warriors upset the Stearns Minutemen in overtime to secure a spot at the Bangor Auditorium. Brings me back to my junior year when we rocked Stearns at home on Valentine's Day (after losing to them twice regular season) to make it to Bangor. That game may or may not have been the one where I poured the most cups of water during my high school career...
And 'Cuse basketball?! 24-1?! I would be missing this season. Another win over UConn this week!
I had the opportunity to visit the Michael Jackson exhibition this week at the O2 (London's HUGE concert venue). I saw so much of his life- the white glove, the jeweled red military coat, his Rolls Royce, the Neverland gates, the set design and some of the costumes for the "This Is It" tour, along with hundreds of other items. It was so interesting to see how much of his choreography was inspired by musicians beyond Michael's time, including James Brown and The Nichols Brothers. I never knew Michael wasn't the first one to moonwalk! I also was able to sign and leave a message in a remembrance book that will be given to his family. A cool experience..
I really do love having my new phone. It's made it so much easier to talk to my mom and friends at school. I talked to Courtney this morning at 2 am while I was getting ready and while she was getting ready to go out!
I'll be home Sunday around 6..plan to spend the evening cleaning up my apartment so that it's at least semi-presentable to my mom! :)
Going to try and get some sleep before we get to the airport.. Thanks for reading!
Ps- I'm on the lookout for leprechauns this weekend...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
superbowl sundayyyy
SO...the superbowl from london is nothing like it is in the states. first of all, it's 11:30 pm here. we're watching it on BBC, where one of the announcers just called the field "the pitch." it's going to be a longggg night.
on the other hand, my time here does not seem long at all- it's hard to believe that i've been here three weeks already. the time is FLYING. and with classes just twice a week (technically three, but just one on monday morning, so..) i kind of feel like i'm on a permanent vacation. not a bad life... i think i kind of deserve it!
i've been up to a LOT. this weekend was SU's "love london weekend" production and they held true to their promise...i really do love london even more now. i saw billy elliot at the victoria theater on thursday night and LOVED it; i cried and cried. it's a story of a boy from northern england who's mother has died, father wants him to be a boxer, but he is truly a talented and gifted dancer. the story centers around his struggle to achieve his dream...it's was a great first show to see! on friday i was able to take a backstage tour of london's royal opera house, which was so cool. we saw how everything operates, the dance studios, and got to visit the room where they make all of the hats and jewelry used in the productions. saturday morning brought a bike tour of west london...which was definitely my favorite tour i've taken since i've been here. we cruised nine miles around the city and saw so much of it. two of ten people in our group wiped out, one deserved it because he was being a jackass, but the other was the result of wet ground and our friend trevor trying to do tricks on the concrete. didn't end well for him! :) saturday night brought romeo and juliet at the royal ballet company. we arrived four minutes past 7:00 (because my roommates were straightening their hair) and had to watch the first act on a big screen in one of the dining rooms. we were able to go into the INCREDIBLE theater during the first intermission and watched the capulets and montagues dance through two more scenes. during the second intermission a girl in the SU program pointed out a star seated just across the auditorium from us- DRACO MALFOY, harry potter's arch nemesis in the warner brothers' films, was also at the show that night! my first star sighting... and today i had the opportunity to see a beethoven concert performed by the london symphony orchestra at barbican hall. i can't begin to describe how beautiful, powerful, and emotional this experience was; hands down, it's been my favorite experience since i've been in london. the orchestra performed symphonies one and nine; the first was a great introduction, but the second blew my socks off. the orchestra was accompanied by vocal performers and it was the most beautiful thing i've ever heard. symphony number nine is made up of five different pieces, all of which are popular sounds throughout pop culture, current tv, and current movies. each piece was recognizable, but together it was just breathtaking.
other highlights of my weekend... i spent over five hours at the museum of natural history. it's the most beautiful building i've seen in london; it looks like a castle. i took over 200 photos during the time i spent there. it's also the home of many dinosaur fossils, a "live" t-rex, a charles darwin exhibit, a recreated womb-experience, among many thousands of other items. i loved it! went to lunch at an amazing italian chain, and then headed to st. paul's cathedral for evensong services. england is a protestant state, so a catholic cathedral/services can be hard to come by. the architecture and decor of the cathedral were unbelievable; it's where princess di was married. a choir was visiting from an english college and their performance was beautiful. things were similar to catholic traditions, but the prayers were different and no one knelt. i'll probably go back.
i've got crossing the road down-packed. i've pretty much got all the coins mastered; england has one-pence, two pence, five pence, ten pence, twenty pence, fifty pence, pound, and two pound coins. not really sure the point of a two pence coin. the pence looks like a penny, two-pence looks like a copper american fifty-cent piece, five pence like a dime, ten pence is like a quarter, twenty pence similar to a nickel, fifty pence the same as an american fifty cent coin, pound is a heavier, thicker nickel, and two pence is like a canadian two-dollar coin in both size and color. i can't pick them out by touch, but i can recognize them all by sight. also- on this continent, you've got a ground floor, first floor, second floor, etc. it's weird to get used to.
so it turns out i never learned anything about any european history. who were the huguenots? i don't know much about any kings. napoleon was...english? when was i supposed to learn about this?! i can barely tell the difference between the greeks and romans...
some things don't change. i am still SO cranky in the morning and need an hour's worth of space before i've got any character at all. "i'm crabby in the morning."
i'm going to poland! i'll be spending three days in krakow and the surrounding areas in april. it's the trip i'm most excited for. at this time, i'm actually going by myself, which i'm really okay with. the more i'm here, the more i like myself and hanging out just with myself. so i'm a little cocky and self-absorbed, but it is what it is. i'm also planning to spend my easter break in normandy (northern france) visiting the historic world war two sites and this place called mont-st-michel. i'll probably be traveling there alone, too, and i'm very much looking forward to it.
so i've discovered these amazing cookies since i've been here. they're like...a wafer with one side coated in milk or dark chocolate. only problem- they're called DIGESTIVES. they remind me of a laxative and eating them makes me nervous. like i'm not sure why anyone would ever name something "digestive..."
boys are so dirty. that's all i have to say about that. actually, no: i live with four boys and two of them do not know how to pick up after themselves at alllllllll. they were all gone this weekend and our apartment sparkled. they're back, and the garbage is already overflowing. great. patience...gone.
i'm sharing a bedroom with two sicklings. j and laura both have colds. if i get through this semester without getting sick...i will be thrilled.
i heard through the grapevine about this place called "nandos." nandos, as it turns out... is the BEST chicken place i've ever been to in my entire life. my friends who were here three years ago mentioned it to me, a friend at school raved about it, and then i found one just around the corner from my flat... MMM MMM MMM. also turns out that basically the best mexican food in all of london is also nearby, and the official best filipino food in the city is right down the street. uh oh...
i wandered through selfridges, an upscale store near marble arch last weekend, and ran into an american food aisle. aunt jemima, oreos, marshmellow fluff... everything. d-a-n-g-e-r-o-u-s. our friend jackie brought over a cake she picked up there the other day to share with us...originally 100 pounds, she picked it up on "sale" for 70. tough life.
i saw a woman wearing a cloak the other day. like big fleece blanket, no sleeves, a single button in the front. WHERE AM I?!
i did five loads of laundry today; basically all of my laundry since i've been here. a "quick wash" takes an hour, and to get it 75% dry takes another 55 minutes. so two hours, five loads...did laundry for ten hours today. and thennnnn i had to hang it all around our living room to get the final 25% of dryness, which actually took probably at least another hour. sweet life, learned a lesson.
if you haven't heard yet... i couldn't deal with my blackberry separation. i missed being able to talk to my friends, talk to my mom, receive my email, use google maps... so i spent all afternoon yesterday setting myself up with a uk bb. i found this sketchy-ass electronics shop, bought a second-hand blackberry, went to a store to get it unlocked (where the guy asked me how much i wanted to pay him), got an orange sim card inserted, and activated the blackberry plan. my new pin: 251431A2. BBM me!
special congratulations to my good friend taylor boucher who scored her 1000th career point for the community high school lady warriors this past friday night. she achieved this feat in three years, instead of the usual four, after a season-ending acl tear sat her on the sideline for her entire junior year. congrats, TT, and good luck at the tourney girls!
so on tuesday nights we go to this very american place called sports cafe. it's like being back at a syracuse frat party with beer pong and flip cup. you can get a pitcher of redbull/vodka, sex on the beach, long island ice tea...for six pounds. a pint of beer is a pound fifty, and it's basically taken over by SU on tuesdays. good times, no culture, but fun. usually followed up by a stop at mcdonalds. it's not psiu and it's not campusfood, but it's still good times.
what is UP syracuse basketball?! the orange are having an INCREDIBLE season, currently at 23-1. the SU/villanova game on february 27th is already sold out...to over 36,000 fans. nine times the size of fort kent, no big deal.
speaking of fort kent... my hometown has landed a spot on the 2011 biathlon world cup tour! maybeee i'll be able to go home for a visit... i'll know all about european culture by then and will be able to interact with all the cute german and swedish athletes...
british chocolate is amazing. it can't be describe. cadbury here is different than cadbury in the states, but the company has recently been purchased by kraft, so we'll see how well chocolate and cheese combine.
we're headed to dublin this weekend. (by we, i mean approximately 25 people in our SU program.) i've booked a hostel three doors down from temple bar, a world-famous irish district! i'm excited!
you know, dixon ticonderoga pencils are not sold in england. i can't do my econ homework. welp.
also, the paper here is soooo strangely sized. it's at least an inch longer than we're used to in the states, and a little narrower. it's so weird!
and the best news ever: MY MOM WILL BE HERE IN A WEEK! she arrives on the chunnel from paris on monday and i'm so excited. being in new york while my family is in maine is one thing, but to be across an ocean, five hours away, is entirely different. i can't wait to see her!
chances of me being electrocuted this semester...65%. dealing with american chargers, transformers, and adapters is scary. some of the ones plugged into our power strip spark and hiss and buzz like crazy... i'm really scared to have anything plugged in at any given time. i will NOT be surprised if i get shocked...
a brief list of everything i miss:
american electricity/water pressure/plumbing. golden retrievers (i see dogs everywhere, but not the best breed.) whitman. outback steakhouse. going for rides in the car. having space. dunkin' donuts coffee. carrying a water bottle (no one does that here!). brickbreaker. uggs. warrior basketball. microwave popcorn. being able to talk to my mom 24/7. habitat family. american television. people who get and enjoy harry potter references. swiffer. ed winston. (among many, many other things and many, many other people.)
again, if you want to see my picasa albums, let me know. i'm proud of my pictures and want to share them. there aren't a lot of people in them, but there are a lot of cool scenes and places to see.
things i hope to see this week: the michael jackson exhibition at the O2, shakespeare's globe theater, tower of london, the catholic cathedral, and whatever other exciting things i run into. waiting for my mom to take a ride on the london eye.
loving london! lots more to share and tell, but i've got a superbowl to watch (probably not) and a bed that's calling my name (for sure.) please, please skype, bbm, ichat, facebook chat/message/wall, smoke signal me...i'd love to hear from anyone!
cheers!
on the other hand, my time here does not seem long at all- it's hard to believe that i've been here three weeks already. the time is FLYING. and with classes just twice a week (technically three, but just one on monday morning, so..) i kind of feel like i'm on a permanent vacation. not a bad life... i think i kind of deserve it!
i've been up to a LOT. this weekend was SU's "love london weekend" production and they held true to their promise...i really do love london even more now. i saw billy elliot at the victoria theater on thursday night and LOVED it; i cried and cried. it's a story of a boy from northern england who's mother has died, father wants him to be a boxer, but he is truly a talented and gifted dancer. the story centers around his struggle to achieve his dream...it's was a great first show to see! on friday i was able to take a backstage tour of london's royal opera house, which was so cool. we saw how everything operates, the dance studios, and got to visit the room where they make all of the hats and jewelry used in the productions. saturday morning brought a bike tour of west london...which was definitely my favorite tour i've taken since i've been here. we cruised nine miles around the city and saw so much of it. two of ten people in our group wiped out, one deserved it because he was being a jackass, but the other was the result of wet ground and our friend trevor trying to do tricks on the concrete. didn't end well for him! :) saturday night brought romeo and juliet at the royal ballet company. we arrived four minutes past 7:00 (because my roommates were straightening their hair) and had to watch the first act on a big screen in one of the dining rooms. we were able to go into the INCREDIBLE theater during the first intermission and watched the capulets and montagues dance through two more scenes. during the second intermission a girl in the SU program pointed out a star seated just across the auditorium from us- DRACO MALFOY, harry potter's arch nemesis in the warner brothers' films, was also at the show that night! my first star sighting... and today i had the opportunity to see a beethoven concert performed by the london symphony orchestra at barbican hall. i can't begin to describe how beautiful, powerful, and emotional this experience was; hands down, it's been my favorite experience since i've been in london. the orchestra performed symphonies one and nine; the first was a great introduction, but the second blew my socks off. the orchestra was accompanied by vocal performers and it was the most beautiful thing i've ever heard. symphony number nine is made up of five different pieces, all of which are popular sounds throughout pop culture, current tv, and current movies. each piece was recognizable, but together it was just breathtaking.
other highlights of my weekend... i spent over five hours at the museum of natural history. it's the most beautiful building i've seen in london; it looks like a castle. i took over 200 photos during the time i spent there. it's also the home of many dinosaur fossils, a "live" t-rex, a charles darwin exhibit, a recreated womb-experience, among many thousands of other items. i loved it! went to lunch at an amazing italian chain, and then headed to st. paul's cathedral for evensong services. england is a protestant state, so a catholic cathedral/services can be hard to come by. the architecture and decor of the cathedral were unbelievable; it's where princess di was married. a choir was visiting from an english college and their performance was beautiful. things were similar to catholic traditions, but the prayers were different and no one knelt. i'll probably go back.
i've got crossing the road down-packed. i've pretty much got all the coins mastered; england has one-pence, two pence, five pence, ten pence, twenty pence, fifty pence, pound, and two pound coins. not really sure the point of a two pence coin. the pence looks like a penny, two-pence looks like a copper american fifty-cent piece, five pence like a dime, ten pence is like a quarter, twenty pence similar to a nickel, fifty pence the same as an american fifty cent coin, pound is a heavier, thicker nickel, and two pence is like a canadian two-dollar coin in both size and color. i can't pick them out by touch, but i can recognize them all by sight. also- on this continent, you've got a ground floor, first floor, second floor, etc. it's weird to get used to.
so it turns out i never learned anything about any european history. who were the huguenots? i don't know much about any kings. napoleon was...english? when was i supposed to learn about this?! i can barely tell the difference between the greeks and romans...
some things don't change. i am still SO cranky in the morning and need an hour's worth of space before i've got any character at all. "i'm crabby in the morning."
i'm going to poland! i'll be spending three days in krakow and the surrounding areas in april. it's the trip i'm most excited for. at this time, i'm actually going by myself, which i'm really okay with. the more i'm here, the more i like myself and hanging out just with myself. so i'm a little cocky and self-absorbed, but it is what it is. i'm also planning to spend my easter break in normandy (northern france) visiting the historic world war two sites and this place called mont-st-michel. i'll probably be traveling there alone, too, and i'm very much looking forward to it.
so i've discovered these amazing cookies since i've been here. they're like...a wafer with one side coated in milk or dark chocolate. only problem- they're called DIGESTIVES. they remind me of a laxative and eating them makes me nervous. like i'm not sure why anyone would ever name something "digestive..."
boys are so dirty. that's all i have to say about that. actually, no: i live with four boys and two of them do not know how to pick up after themselves at alllllllll. they were all gone this weekend and our apartment sparkled. they're back, and the garbage is already overflowing. great. patience...gone.
i'm sharing a bedroom with two sicklings. j and laura both have colds. if i get through this semester without getting sick...i will be thrilled.
i heard through the grapevine about this place called "nandos." nandos, as it turns out... is the BEST chicken place i've ever been to in my entire life. my friends who were here three years ago mentioned it to me, a friend at school raved about it, and then i found one just around the corner from my flat... MMM MMM MMM. also turns out that basically the best mexican food in all of london is also nearby, and the official best filipino food in the city is right down the street. uh oh...
i wandered through selfridges, an upscale store near marble arch last weekend, and ran into an american food aisle. aunt jemima, oreos, marshmellow fluff... everything. d-a-n-g-e-r-o-u-s. our friend jackie brought over a cake she picked up there the other day to share with us...originally 100 pounds, she picked it up on "sale" for 70. tough life.
i saw a woman wearing a cloak the other day. like big fleece blanket, no sleeves, a single button in the front. WHERE AM I?!
i did five loads of laundry today; basically all of my laundry since i've been here. a "quick wash" takes an hour, and to get it 75% dry takes another 55 minutes. so two hours, five loads...did laundry for ten hours today. and thennnnn i had to hang it all around our living room to get the final 25% of dryness, which actually took probably at least another hour. sweet life, learned a lesson.
if you haven't heard yet... i couldn't deal with my blackberry separation. i missed being able to talk to my friends, talk to my mom, receive my email, use google maps... so i spent all afternoon yesterday setting myself up with a uk bb. i found this sketchy-ass electronics shop, bought a second-hand blackberry, went to a store to get it unlocked (where the guy asked me how much i wanted to pay him), got an orange sim card inserted, and activated the blackberry plan. my new pin: 251431A2. BBM me!
special congratulations to my good friend taylor boucher who scored her 1000th career point for the community high school lady warriors this past friday night. she achieved this feat in three years, instead of the usual four, after a season-ending acl tear sat her on the sideline for her entire junior year. congrats, TT, and good luck at the tourney girls!
so on tuesday nights we go to this very american place called sports cafe. it's like being back at a syracuse frat party with beer pong and flip cup. you can get a pitcher of redbull/vodka, sex on the beach, long island ice tea...for six pounds. a pint of beer is a pound fifty, and it's basically taken over by SU on tuesdays. good times, no culture, but fun. usually followed up by a stop at mcdonalds. it's not psiu and it's not campusfood, but it's still good times.
what is UP syracuse basketball?! the orange are having an INCREDIBLE season, currently at 23-1. the SU/villanova game on february 27th is already sold out...to over 36,000 fans. nine times the size of fort kent, no big deal.
speaking of fort kent... my hometown has landed a spot on the 2011 biathlon world cup tour! maybeee i'll be able to go home for a visit... i'll know all about european culture by then and will be able to interact with all the cute german and swedish athletes...
british chocolate is amazing. it can't be describe. cadbury here is different than cadbury in the states, but the company has recently been purchased by kraft, so we'll see how well chocolate and cheese combine.
we're headed to dublin this weekend. (by we, i mean approximately 25 people in our SU program.) i've booked a hostel three doors down from temple bar, a world-famous irish district! i'm excited!
you know, dixon ticonderoga pencils are not sold in england. i can't do my econ homework. welp.
also, the paper here is soooo strangely sized. it's at least an inch longer than we're used to in the states, and a little narrower. it's so weird!
and the best news ever: MY MOM WILL BE HERE IN A WEEK! she arrives on the chunnel from paris on monday and i'm so excited. being in new york while my family is in maine is one thing, but to be across an ocean, five hours away, is entirely different. i can't wait to see her!
chances of me being electrocuted this semester...65%. dealing with american chargers, transformers, and adapters is scary. some of the ones plugged into our power strip spark and hiss and buzz like crazy... i'm really scared to have anything plugged in at any given time. i will NOT be surprised if i get shocked...
a brief list of everything i miss:
american electricity/water pressure/plumbing. golden retrievers (i see dogs everywhere, but not the best breed.) whitman. outback steakhouse. going for rides in the car. having space. dunkin' donuts coffee. carrying a water bottle (no one does that here!). brickbreaker. uggs. warrior basketball. microwave popcorn. being able to talk to my mom 24/7. habitat family. american television. people who get and enjoy harry potter references. swiffer. ed winston. (among many, many other things and many, many other people.)
again, if you want to see my picasa albums, let me know. i'm proud of my pictures and want to share them. there aren't a lot of people in them, but there are a lot of cool scenes and places to see.
things i hope to see this week: the michael jackson exhibition at the O2, shakespeare's globe theater, tower of london, the catholic cathedral, and whatever other exciting things i run into. waiting for my mom to take a ride on the london eye.
loving london! lots more to share and tell, but i've got a superbowl to watch (probably not) and a bed that's calling my name (for sure.) please, please skype, bbm, ichat, facebook chat/message/wall, smoke signal me...i'd love to hear from anyone!
cheers!
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