Saturday, January 31, 2009

When a Waffle is not a Waffle. Awful.

I went to a bar with the fencing club last night for half-price cocktails and karaoke. Nice! We went to a place called Waffles, which does not serve waffles. English people. I got a cocktail which included three scoops of ice cream, lots of whipped cream, a bit of galaxy chocolate bar, and, apparently, some alcohol. I don’t know if I believe the last bit. But it was only 2 pounds 50! By the way, if you are wondering what chocolate to buy while in England, galaxy chocolate bars are pretty amazing. They taste so real! Also try the kit kats over here. Yum!

After a few drinks most of the people were hesitantly looking at the karaoke sheets. To sing or no to sing ? One person, who had taken around 9 shots or so decided to sing Delilah. It was a sight to behold. I almost wept, as it was sung with such fervor. Then, the entire club went up to sing “You Give Love a Bad Name”. It was an intense and quite unforgettable experience. I did not sing alone, but might next time I get the chance. The songs I was considering: “I Don’t Like Mondays” (about a school shooting; not the best choice.) and “Brothers in Arms” (With the cheery quote “let me bid you farewell. Every man has to die.) I decided to forego these choices as I did not want everyone to think I was a violent, somewhat psychopathic American.

When we left shortly after, people smiled and waved. We decided they were probably so cheerful because they would not have to hear us sing again. It stung. In fact, it stung like the bitter cold weather outside. I got a chance to see the stars, though, and see the big dipper. Here it’s called the plough. Wow.

Speaking of differences, want to see some signs here that you probably wouldn’t find in the states? I hope so!


Figure 1: A No Entry sign. It doesn’t give a reason why you will be killed, but there is definitely Danger of Death. From what? Lightning? Righteous fury from above? They let you use your imagination, I guess.


Figure 2: The back of an ice cream truck. I found this a bit confusing as there were no children around. How do I mind an imaginary child? Which child is “that” child? What if there are multiple children? Then do you only have to mind that one?

I hope everyone is having a lovely last day of January, and I’ll write more later. Hopefully it will be about the Silent Disco. Curious? Wait, then, for the next entry!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

On Ziplocs and Other Objects of Infinite Value.

I feel that I have written far too many entries to have ignored some of my most helpful (inanimate) friends on this journey.

The Ziplocs: Who would have guessed that a Ziploc would be worthy of mention? I certainly wouldn’t. But I think that people generally do not realize how precious something is unless they are figuratively slapped in the face by their need of the thing. For instance, I was told to pack Ziplocs. I thought to myself “why? I don’t need Ziplocs. They’re convenient, sure, but not good enough to be packed.”

Wrong! I needed a place to keep all my writing instruments. I needed something to house leftover pizza slices. I needed something to keep jewelry in. I needed something to guard my hand from a dead bug that I had to pick up. I went time and time again to the noble Ziplocs, who lay hidden on my upper shelf until I decided to use them. Shame! But then, the Ziplocs aren’t showy, and don’t really ask to be recognized. In fact, they’re a bit invisible, aren’t they? Still, I should tape them on the wall for the world to see; I should thank them for helping me when nothing else can assist me. And I know that they will be there for me if I ever need to ice a cake in a pretty way, or marinate some meat; I find hope in the fact that they have thousands of years until they decompose.

The Pocket Calendar: This friend is helpful as it helps me realize scheduling conflicts. For instance, I have two 2,500 word essays due March 2nd. I’m going to Barcelona from February 27th to March 1st. Maybe I’ll start them before I leave, then. These sorts of things are good to realize in advance.

The Computer: Also known as Lappy, Compy, and Poot. I really like Poot a bit too much, especially considering how old and decrepit she is. But I’ve had her since I was a bright-eyed teenage freshman entering college with no friends but dear Poot, and some other people. (Yes, I had some friends. I just wanted Poot to sound more important.) I use Poot to stay in contact with everyone, find out about classes, make computer programs, watch movies, and even write a blog. Zowee. She’s almost as helpful as the splendid Ziploc.

Yesterday I went to Jam Night, and then Sports Fed night at the on-campus club place. Sports Fed was fun, but much too warm. I am afraid that I will go deaf from all the loud music I listen to over here. I have two theories as to why they make the music so loud. One: the clubs want people to drink to numb their aching ear drums. This way, the clubs get more money from alcohol. Tricky. Another theory is that they keep the music loud so that people can’t actually talk to each other. That way, people don’t have to realize that the cute boy or girl is clinically insane, or exceedingly dull, or both. Thus, people will buy more drinks for cute strangers, generating more revenue for the clubs.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The Day’s Done at London

I forgot to mention Chinatown in my previous entry.
I apologize! It was decked out for Chinese New Year and was quite splendid to behold. I suppose that a picture is worth a thousand words or so, so I’ll explain that way.

Anyways, to start off where the last entry left off, we needed lunch badly after that much sight seeing. We looked at freshly made pancakes filled with meat on the River Thames. We looked at pubs proudly serving “word famous” fish and chips. We looked at steak houses. We looked at fine Italian dining. We realized that we were poor college students and shuffled into a McDonalds with our heads bent in shame. Don’t tell anyone. After that, we took the Underground to the London Tower Bridge. Wow-ee! It was lovely.

Well, the Underground warrants mention. It is almost too easy to use. I suppose that’s why they have the sometimes quite scary gaps which you have to leap over. People thrive in times of anguish and the Underground, frankly, was simply not traumatizing enough to stimulate character growth.

We effortlessly found the exit for the London Tower Bridge. Well, we saw the London Bridge. Frankly, it was sort of lame. I mean, there’s one in Arizona, so it was nothing new or pretty. It was just a boring bridge. I hope this does not offend any London Bridge aficionados. I envy that you can find beauty in the common! Congrats! (Sure.)

The London Tower Bridge was absolutely wonderful. We saw it behind ultra-modern looking buildings, and the architectures mixed much better than I would have guessed. The sun was setting, which we were actually lucky enough to be able to see. We then walked on the bridge, and I knew I had to take a picture to show the sunset over the River Thames darkening. And now I get to quote Heart of Darkness to describe it. (My lifelong dream! Sort of...)

“Forthwith a change came over the waters, and the serenity became less brilliant but more profound. The old river in its broad reach rested unruffled at the decline of day, after ages of good service done to the race that peopled its banks, spread out in the tranquil dignity of a waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth.”

We enjoyed some caramelized peanuts on the bridge, then had to go back to make the bus back to Essex. It was a great day, and I definitely slept well that night (and the next morning, and part of the afternoon.)

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Lovin' London

Boy-o! Have you ever been to London? You should, I think. I didn’t really want to go, but decided that I should go because everyone else said it was the thing to do. Thank goodness for peer pressure! (That’s not something you hear every day.)

I think my dad summed up my feelings about visiting London when he talked about going to Niagra Falls. He didn’t really want to go, and it was out of the way and he was tired, but he decided to go see something new. When he got there he couldn’t believe that he might have missed the opportunity to see something that amazing. (Yeah, I listen when you tell stories, dad. What of it? Maybe later I’ll talk about life’s wheel of fortune!)

Friday night I went to the glow in the dark dance party. It was amazing! The picture shows sort of what it looked like, though it was cooler than the picture of course. It was four hours of crazy, colorful dancing. It made all my glow stick practice worth something. I was ecstatic! I could dance to my heart’s content without strange, sometimes pitying looks. And here’s something interesting in case you ever find yourself going to a glow-in-the-dark party: highlighter glows in UV light. I had neat drawings on my arms that glowed! Well, that got done at 3:00 and by the time I showered it was 3:30. Then a fire alarm went off at 3:45... So I didn’t get to sleep after 4:30 and had to wake up at 8:30 to go to London.

Needless to say, that morning was not one of the happiest times of my life. I was pretty low on life’s wheel of fortune. But with one quick swing of fate I was in London and again at the top of the wheel! (Got another one in, dad! Maybe next I’ll talk about the translations saying you told.) First I went to Piccadilly Circus, and saw fake guards that danced, pigeons eating off of plates right next to people, and Darth Vader with storm troopers. I almost said to Darth “We Americans have already defeated the evil empire! haHA!” but thought that he might use the force on me if I did that.

Maddie and I chillin' with the storm troopers.

We walked from there to the Royal Opera House and then to Trafalgar Square. From here on I was so excited I was practically salivating. (Ok, maybe I was a little. Let’s not talk about it. Just kidding of course!) The amount of monuments astonished me. In Arizona there are a few statues, but nothing nearly as majestic as the statues in London. Nelson’s column, as seen below, is tremendous. It was my definitely one of my favorite sights, especially when seen in conjunction with the smaller statues and fountains.

Nelson's Column. It's bigger than it looks here.

We saw Big Ben and Westminster Abbey from the square and they actually took my breath away, as lame as that may sound. I’d seen them before on postcards and calendars, but never fathomed their grandeur. Big Ben, as I kept saying, was so big! Westminster Abbey, next to it and the Houses of Parliament, was also beautiful. The sign said that there had been services there for nine hundred years. Westminster Abbey has a littler clock, (though it is still humongous) which probably has serious self esteem issues being so near Big Ben.


Can you guess which of the two clocks is more famous?





I’m afraid I’ve already written too much today, so will conclude later. I also have to read Phaedra. It’s originally in French, so I have to read a translation. And you know what they say about translations. “Translations are like women - if they are beautiful, they are not faithful; if they are faithful, they are not beautiful.” Ouch!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Friday Finds Female Feeling Fatigued, Famished.

Yesterday was somewhat tiring. And by somewhat I mean completely and ridiculously. I had two classes. The last one was from 5-7, two hours of dinner-time lecture, so I felt somewhat drained after that. I then went to fencing at 8 until 10 then showered and went to a dance party from 10:45 – 2:45. Let me say a bit more about the latter two activities, since four sentences don’t seem to constitute a sufficient amount of information for an effective entry.

Fencing: Fun! Tiring!*
Dancing: Fun! Tiring!**

Needless to say, I’m a bit tired and sore today. But I’m going to join Travelling Society and sign up for a trip to London tomorrow and a trip to Barcelona at the end of February. That should be so exciting that I’ll be able to start a paper on democracy in 19th century Latin America. (Yes, I actually do have classes. Who would have guessed?)

*I was worried that my fencing instruction in the states would be completely inadequate. I thought that my classical style would buckle and break under the more intense modern style which might have been taught. Not so! They were not amazingly superior, which boosts my self esteem as a deadly killer. (Please don’t laugh. It hurts my feelings.) I only fenced one person, but held my own and probably even got more hits in. And that person said he was better than a lot of other fencers in the club. Nice!

I also tried electric gear for the first time. There were a few problems. For instance, my helmet was too big so sat right against my forehead. I actually have an irritated bit of skin on my forehead from wire mesh being rammed into my skull with a sword. Intense! (Ok, it wasn’t rammed into my skull. Drama makes for a more interesting read!) The buzzer also wasn’t working very well since the person I fenced was right handed but had to use a left handed saber. It kept beeping randomly, so sometimes we thought there was a hit when really it was just bleeping out its anger. (Get a right handed bleeping saber already! You’re bleeping confusing me! ... hey I’m tired. Right.) I had a surprising amount of fun for knowing only one person there. I think I’ll even go again to get some exercise. I found out that if one enters a competition over here one can get a rating for the British Fencing Society or something. I could be an internationally ranked fencer! Neat! (35,057th out of 35,100 is still a ranking!)

**Last night was Alternative Night. This meant that techno was not the only music being played. There were, however, some techno songs. Two techno remixes that stand out in my memory were remixes of Metallica and Nine Inch Nails. Fascinating! There were also songs by The Killers, System of a Down, and Daft Punk. Dance party!

Oh, about the dance party thing: I’m the only one who calls them dance parties I think. Everyone else calls them dances or just says the title (e.g. I’m going to Ibiza tonight. Aka glow-in-the-dark dance party!)

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Off Day

Don’t expect any alliteration at all; also don’t expect well written sentences; also don’t expect originality; also don’t expect coherent writing. I mean, look at that title! It's so dull.

I have wonderful things to discuss, but please don't expect amusing and witty prose. (Which I know you're used to.) I’m just feeling a little lazy and lethargic. So, where to start? First, let’s discuss an interesting fact.

You know the “I spy” game? They play differently in England! They say, not “I spy something green,” but rather “I spy something starting with the letter g.” That would be grass, not gorillas. Did you guess correctly?

Yesterday I went to a “jam night.” Yum! No, it wasn’t tea and crumpets or anything. Sorry to disappoint. People who sang and/or played instruments went to a makeshift stage to perform a few songs. For instance, some people played All Right Now, and halfway through a trumpeter (...One who plays trumpet, no?) came up and started playing along, who was joined by a saxophonist. A trombonist even played a few songs! (Speaking of trombones, did you know that Rosa Parks thought they were the best instruments in the world? Ah, noble trombones!)

There was also a group who did beat-boxing and a sort of rapping. They were quite good, though some other performers were not blessed with the same amount of musical talent. It’s ok, though, because it was in a bar and people therefore were not as judgmental as they might have been.

At the end, most of the performers (or around 10 people) went up to have a final “jam session”. It consisted of a lot of scatting, some discordant parts, but a great finale that lasted a few minutes. Think every instrument trying to get in the last big “ta-da!” Intense!

There was also a Foosball table, although here I believe it’s called a table-soccer table. I got to show some people who the Foosball boss is, (that would be me! Yes.) and got to make some people cry. It was a good night! Tonight I’m going to a dance party, and might be going to a fencing club meeting. Tomorrow I’m going to a glow-in-the-dark dance party! (Hopefully there will be some cool pictures the following day.) Saturday I’m going to London! No rest for the weary, I suppose! I need to stop using so many exclamation marks! I think I'll just stop writing now! Til next time!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Wonderful Wivenhoe (or Why We Wish We Would Walk Weekly to Wivenhoe’s Wondrous Wharf)



Wow! Wicked! I am in love with Wivenhoe! It isn’t anything too fancy like Cambridge, but is instead the quaintest place I’ve ever been. I went with some friends to get lunch there. At first we were a bit wary: it cost 2 pounds 20 to get a return ticket* and we passed a single pub called The Horse and Groom, a grocery store, and a lot of houses. Still, we decided that Wivenhoe had to have some redeeming qualities and so decided to look around. We had heard that The Rose and Crown was the pub to go to, so decided to find it. Unfortunately, we walked about a mile to the Horse and Groom where we asked which way The Rose and Crown was. (The groom wouldn’t tell us, but the horse was friendly enough. Ha!) We found out that it was a bit over a mile back the way we came. We were so sad! We were so famished! Life was looking bleak.

It was about 13:00(heh, 1:00, I just wanted to look cool. Did it work?) when we finally got there. We ordered and found out it would take 45 minutes for the food to arrive. We wept like wimps. Then we went out to look at the beautiful, picturesque river complete with boats. I took some pictures (ok, I took about 50 pictures. I was snap-happy. It was lovely!) and then we walked around for a few more minutes.



Here's the View From The Rose and Crown. Nice!





When we got back we still had to wait around 15 minutes. But then the food came. Glorious, divine, and heavenly only begin to describe it. We got and shared two orders of fish and chips and an order of shepherd’s pie. Even the girl from London loved the fish and chips! It was that good. I’ve heard a rumor, in fact, that The Rose and Crown was rated as the third best fish and chips place in the UK. The fish had a glistening, crispy breading shell which melted away to reveal to the taste buds perfectly cooked, tender fish. The chips had a perfect texture, and even the peas were tasty, in their own way.

The shepherd’s pie was a joy to behold. It was even better to eat. The garlicky mashed potatoes were golden on top and had beef, vegetables, and spices like rosemary underneath. It was so tender that it would be fine to eat even if one had no teeth, which might not sound too appetizing. It was, though! It was!

Finally, we had dessert: Chocolate pudding with frozen clotted cream. I thought it would be jello-type pudding, but no! It was moist chocolate cake with a sort of chocolate pudding inside. On the side was incredible ice cream that tasted like it came straight from the cow. (Of course, it tasted like it was sugared and frozen first.) Yum!

The Rose and Crown was full of people drinking and talking to each other about the weather and about the happenings of Wivenhoe. It had the feel of a family gathering, complete with kids wandering around and asking for chips before their parents came to collect them. When I had my hands full with three glasses of water a man pointed to my watch, which was facing downward, and asked the time. He proceeded to laugh and say he was just kidding when I started laughing and looking afraid. Phew! I guess that there are a lot of places like Wivenhoe around England. I wish I could visit them all!

*a return ticket, as you might have guessed, is a round trip ticket.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Cleverly Concealed Colchester

Who’s heard of Colchester? I happen to know from my very handy Great Britain Travel Guide that it’s the oldest recorded town in Britain! The first Roman colony was established there! It has a castle! I think it’s remarkable. This could be because it’s the first off-campus place I’ve been other than Cambridge and it’s all still new to me. Still, I think it’s a nice place to go, especially when the sun is shining. (! Yes, the sun was actually shining today!)

In Colchester we went wandering, shopping, and eating. Is there anything better? We ate at Nandos, which is apparently a chain, though I’ve never heard of it. It could be the wave of the future in the states. When I saw the chefs’ shirts I knew that I was destined to eat there and enjoy the food immensely. Why, you might ask? Check out this picture, and please forgive the horrible quality. I took it without flash to be as inconspicuous as possible.

See, this poor man is wearing a shirt that says “Grillers in the Mist”. Coincidence? I think not! I mean, the title of this blog just happens to be a play on a movie title, and their shirts also happen to use the same movie title(which is not too well known) to make a funny play on words? This cannot be a coincidence.

You might be wondering why I referred to the man in the picture as a “poor man.” This is because I realized as soon as I saw the shirts that I had to take a picture to prove that they really existed. So I blushingly asked him if I could take a picture of the shirt. He awkwardly started to smile as I turned on the camera, looking like he was afraid of me.

I tried to make him realize that I was not some sort of stalker and so explained “I don’t need to see your face, so don’t worry about smiling... I just want a picture of the shirt.” But by the time I finished what I was saying I was mumbling because I realized that I was making things worse. The mumbling, of course, made things more awkward still. (I don’t need to see your face, mumble-mumble-mumble) By the time I took the picture I was blushing profusely and couldn’t really look at him. Then, of course, the receipt took forever to print and we sort of stared off to the side the whole time. Needless to say, it was a harrowing experience. The grillers can be almost as scary as the gorillas. Right. So, want to hear some more about Nandos?

It’s Portuguese, and is actually really spicy! I got medium (the second hottest, so don’t make too much fun of me.) It’s that interesting sort of spicy where I think as I’m eating it “oh this is good... ah my lips are burning off... I want to slam my head against the table... why did I order this?! Yum! Will people think I’m weird if I start screaming and clawing at my mouth? This is so good!” Who said England has nothing spicy to offer?

Interestingly, the other people I ate with did not seem to have the same reaction to the food. There was therefore sparkling conversation wheeling about, which I contributed to with a few grunts and nods.

One of my favorite parts of the conversation: everyone was discussing shows from their youth (e.g. All That, The Magic School Bus, etc.) and the Bulgarian said she didn’t know any. When questioned further about shows she replied “we were communist 20 years ago! Why would we have these shows?” Everyone laughed.

After lunch most of the people left, except for five of us who went shopping. Score! I got a dress and above-the-knee socks for a total of 9 pounds! (13.5ish USD) We also just looked around, which was nice. My trip was quite pleasant and I would therefore recommend Colchester if one wants a relaxed day of strolling through a nice old British town.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Fascinating, Friendly, Funny Flat-Mates

Let me tell you. I got pretty darn lucky when I came over here. At first I was a bit wary because no one was in the flat and I though I would spend the next six months in complete silence. (Think a nun in an abbey. Or that funny joke where the monk can only say two words every year.

First year he tells the guy in charge: Bad food.
Second year he says: Hard beds.
Third year he says: Too cold.
Fourth year he says: I quit!
To which the guy in charge says “I’m not surprised. All you’ve done is complain since you got here.”

Ha! Anyways, this might be the longest parenthetical statement ever. Moving on!) So, it was quite silent. But then the girls got here, and I found out that they’re really nice and extremely interesting. I have a flat mate from:
Germany/England
Brazil
Bulgaria
Brunei
Hong Kong
Nigeria
Monterrey
Romania(? Not quite sure about her.)

Wahw! I almost can’t believe it. So now I know some interesting facts. For instance, lions don’t randomly walk around the cities of Nigeria. Ah well. (I wasn’t the one who asked that, if you were wondering. Though really, who knows?) One of my flat mates speaks seven different languages. One of them gave me Turkish Delights. (I didn’t even have to betray anyone to get them!) One of them doesn’t feel cold. One of them has homemade honey that her grandmother made. At least three of them are psychology majors, which could be good if I get an inferiority complex since I’m starting to feel boring. The only thing they all have in common is that they are all really kind and inclusive. Score!

Later today we’re going to Colchester to explore and have Portuguese food. What is Portuguese food like? I have no idea. But I’m excited. Hopefully I’ll be able to wander around the castle, and maybe find a “secret garden” that sounds tremendously intriguing. I find it especially interesting since it’s a secret, but has signs explaining how to get there. Maybe the secret is more sinister: It’s a secret man-eating-plants-of-the-world garden, but they couldn’t put in the extra words because then the secret would be ruined. I’ll keep you posted, unless my arms get bitten off. Wish me luck!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Deliberately Deliberating on Dissimilarities

Though first I’ll speedily state some similarities!

A few nights ago people listened to:

The Who
The Killers
Blink 182
The YMCA song

Last night at this cool place where students play music they played:

Guns and Roses(Sweet Child of Mine)
Lynyrd Skynyrd(Free Bird! But just a bit of it as a joke.)
Some Emotional boy song from the states

They also watch tons of American movies. It’s funny when I see how similar the countries are. (For instance, they do have peanut butter here. Yay! I was told differently.) But that’s not very interesting to write about. (Obviously. I’m discussing the joys of peanut butter.) So, want to hear some interesting differences?

-The “cool kids” listen to techno

-They walk on the left side*

-They say cheers instead of thanks**

-Their clocks use all 24 hours (e.g. my class at 5:00 is marked as 17:00) and they do the math when you ask what time it is! I, unfortunately, still look at the clock and say “It’s erm.. 21... which is... you know... (cough) nine! It’s nine at night!” and smile proudly. I’m going to be so good at subtracting by twelve by the end of the semester!

*Back in the states(wow doesn’t that sound neat?) I wondered about this. Since they drive on the left would they also walk on the left? I wondered, but never thought “maybe I’ll have problems.” Oh, I have problems. I’ve walked into a few people because we’re both on the right and do that little head nod meaning “yeah the right person will move when the time comes” and then neither one of us does. I’m getting used to walking on the left, though. But when I do so and watch people moving gracefully around to the right I have to resist the urge to dart to the right as well. It’s intense. It’s a test of willpower.

**How cool is that? I first thought only males did it, but then a cleaning lady said it as well. Hurrah! That means I can use “cheers” to my heart’s content! Except I’ll feel like a poser. Is it worth it? I'll try and let you know. If I'm not too embarrassed. We'll see.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Curious about Completely Cool Cambridge?



(Unfortunately I don’t remember too much because the cold kept kids in a catatonic coma.)

Last weekend the Study Abroad program took all the new students on a trip to Cambridge, complete with an hour walking tour. Nice! Unfortunately, it was so cold that most of the free time was spent looking for warm pubs and places to buy mittens and sweaters. However, on the way to places of refuge, we passed the most amazing (at least artistically) architecture I have ever seen. They had statues that could be in any museum on the buildings. There were gargoyles! And the gargoyles were all probably older than Columbus. But don’t quote me on that one. Everything there was just ridiculously ancient.

Mainly, though, I learned about King’s College. And I can sound super-informed because I also have a pamphlet. But don’t tell anyone. So, King’s College has been around for over 550 years. (! Can you believe it?) It was started by King Henry VI, but finished quite a while later by the somewhat skanky King Henry VIII. The screen bears his and Anne Boleyn's initials. That’s obviously a bit of bad timing since they were only married three years before he had her executed. (1533- 1536 for those who are interested.) Imagine how awkward it would be to have made a lovely inscription of a person’s initials who was later beheaded! Everyone would probably look down when they passed. I would anyways. It would be like getting a tattoo of a famous person who later turned out to be a terrorist or something. What can you do?


(An example of the stained glass; Here's judgment day!)

The stained glass is also beautiful and interesting. An interesting part? When they were angry at the Catholic Church they made the panel in which Jesus is being tempted by Satan. Satan is dressed as a Catholic priest with horns showing through his hood. He also has funky, hellish feet. Diss to the Catholics! Also, the maker of the glass must have had a sense of humor because Jesus is barefoot and is about to step on a porcupine. In the desert. Another interesting part? The people all look modern. The funniest example of that is a doctor who is circumcising Jesus. He has glasses! They were pretty advanced back in the day I guess.

Finally, I should probably mention the “spectacular gift to the College”, which is a painting by Rubens- ‘the Adoration of the Magi’. It’s amazing! It's beautiful! You’ll not get to see a picture of it from me, however, since pictures weren’t allowed in there. But, hopefully you’ll now feel the compulsion to go to Cambridge. Even if it’s freezing there it’s wonderful.

Oh, and if you go later in the year when it’s warmer, you can go punting. That’s where the people ferry you along the river with big stick that they push into the bottom of the riverbed. You could even do it yourself if you’re brave! Hopefully I can go back and report what that’s like.

Monday, January 12, 2009

AAAAAGGgh! (Or, The Day Classes Started)

It’s a bit stressful going to a completely new school in a completely new country for the first time. But it’s fun! It’s fun in a “hokey pete what is going on I feel so lost and confused ooh nice accent I’ve never seen this building what time is it?!” sort of way. Lets just say that at times I felt as if I were in a Paternoster lift about to be decapitated, or being chased by a crazed gorilla. (Note that I probably wouldn't be chased by a crazed gorilla in a lift. that's a bit too much, even for an English major's metaphor.)

I’m probably giving Americans a bad name. At least all the teachers and administrators look at me like I’m a bit insane. I’m taking 1st through 3rd year classes, and they only take 3 years to graduate over here. So I’ve got all the years covered. Then I’m taking two English classes, a computer science class, and a Latin American studies class. Based on American schools, where I need a “cultural understanding” class, have a minor, and need English electives (which can be 100 levels) my course choices are understandable. Here, though, I must look like a person with multiple personality disorder. I’ve gotten comments. Well, about the weird classes, not about multiple personality disorder.

It doesn’t help that I’m a bit ill and so can’t speak loudly, keep sniffling, and touching my neck. (Sore lymph nodes. Bummer! I hope the Black Death isn’t still a big problem over here. That would be a bad way to start the semester...) Oh well, it’s still exciting. European Literature looks immensely exciting. At one part I couldn’t help smiling as the professor said “We took money from the Italians” where “we” referred to the English. Ha! He included me in the “we” of England! I feel accepted.

My Computer Science class is about the most perfect class I could imagine for myself. Logic and computer programming together in perfect harmony! I can’t think of anything better. I’m sure some people are reading this going “A trip to the dentist would be a lot better.” Wrong! Well, I suppose I’ll add a few interesting facts since they are, at least in my opinion, quite interesting.

Interesting Fact 1: Ground beef is apparently referred to as minced meat. I’m not sure everyone does that though. Just one person that I’m sure of. Don’t quote me on it.

Interesting Fact 2: English is different than British. English only refers to people from England, whereas British is a broader term. I think. That one’s a bit sketchy for me since I’m a bit of an outsider. But people might correct you if you say the wrong thing! Fear. They could get angry.

Interesting Lingo: Scatty means a bit scatterbrained and flighty. Cheerleaders, for example, are often considered to be scatty. Cool!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Blackcurrant Bliss

As I've been at the University of Essex a few more days I've found a few more pros and cons associated with study abroad life in England.

pro: Tesco. Imagine that being said in a hushed, almost reverent voice. Have you heard of it? It's super-cheap. Some have described it as being better than WalMart. I'm sort of in love with it.
con:I still haven't seen a break in the clouds (or even a break in the fog!) since I've gotten here.
pro: Hot tea with milk tastes better without the sun anyways.
con: At least at the U of Essex, one can get lost much too easily. This is especially the case when one cannot see any but a few buildings through the fog.
pro: Have I mentioned that the people here are really nice? They even make dinner for the study abroad students. Score!

Interesting fact: Purple skittles in England aren't grape flavored. Can you guess what they are? Blackcurrant! Odd!

Interesting fact 2: British Ramen tastes and smells a bit different than its American brother. But it's still wonderfully salty. And cheap.

Interesting fact 3: At least at U of Essex clubs only refer to sports. Otherwise they're called societies. I think this sounds much more posh.

Yesterday all the study abroad students went on a campus and library tour. It was extremely exciting. I got to see posters for the socialism society. I've never seen a socialism society before, but it seems to be pretty popular over here. I was also nibbled on the leg by a duck. They're pretty ferocious over here. I think they were just love bites, though. I also got to take a ride in a Paternoster elevator. You may be asking "A what?" Youtube can answer that question. Here's a video of the elevator at Essex. I'm not sure if there's another one in the world.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=w0qa91F7ACM&feature=related

I think they taped the video at half speed. If one doesn't hurry onto the elevator, in fact, one could easily be decapitated. But it's worth the risk. Only kidding, of course. It's pretty safe, I think, unless someone presses the emergency stop when there are others in between levels. It builds character, right? I have to go to a British pub now. Man I feel cool saying that!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Brits in the Mist (Initial Reaction)

Well, I made it to England. I figured I could first, for those who have never experienced English dorm life, tell some pros and cons I have found.

pro: people are very polite and helpful
con: showers are not-quite-as-nice as showers in Mexico.
pro: I get my own room
con: It's the size of a small cubicle
pro: I can access any part of my room while still wearing my headphones
con: My bed is the size of a small rodent. (My twin sheets are about a foot too wide for the bed.)
pro: It's lovely
con: The sun does not exist.
pro: I get to discuss the pros and cons of living in England!

New two-word phrase of the day: We'll get there at half six. Oh dear. Half six is just six thirty, obviously. It becomes a bit less obvious, though, when it is pronounced with a British accent and sounds like "off six". It sounds a bit off, anyway. I'd say only half off though.

Interesting fact of the day: Meetings are boring even in foreign countries. One would guess that it would be fun to listen to a person speak with a British accent. Not so! Rambling is rambling in any accent, I suppose.

Today is ridiculously foggy. I can't see more than 100 meters... er... 100 feet. I wish I could use meters with such confidence. Who would guess that London Fog is real? I thought it was a myth to scare off visitors. I'm looking down from my eighth story window, and have come up with a brilliant title for the blog: Brits in the mist. Much more exciting than gorillas. And hopefully less depressing. I guess we'll have to find out as time goes on.