To start with, here are some more differences between life in the states and in England:
*The roads are really quite a bit smaller, and there are hardly any traffic lights. Instead, there are crazy roundabouts with multiple roundabouts outside one big roundabout. It’s all confusing to me.
*I’ve heard people say “wonky” to describe things
*There’s also this weird slang, though not everyone uses it. For instance, “have a bubble” means laugh. Why? Well, bubble bath rhymes with laugh... sort of. Interesting!
*People also say “mental” It’s mental how much they use mental. They use it in place of crazy. So picture someone saying “wow, that was a crazy play.” Here they say “that play was just mental!”
Speaking of mental plays, I saw a crazily mental play on Tuesday. It’s called Ape. It was actually quite funny, and I thought it was a lot more understandable than Anima, the last play I went to. In fact, there were quite a few scenes that I could relate to.
One scene, for instance, had two people sitting on chairs, in a mentally awkward silence. One of them finally said “I like carpet.” “You... like... carpet?” “I like carpet.” “I like carpet.” “I like carpet!” And they go on to discuss carpet without really saying anything. I mean, who hasn’t discussed carpet because there seemed to be nothing else worth talking about?
On the 25th, there were three birthdays to celebrate over here. (It was also Andrea’s birthday. Happy happy Birthday Awesome Andrea!) There were two different parties: one with a ton of food and another with champagne and hors d’oeuvres. It was fun! Yesterday I had to finish my two 2500 word essays. That was not quite as fun.
Today I’m going to Barcelona, so won’t be looking at a computer for the weekend. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and I’ll write about my adventures on Monday or Tuesday!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Weekends and Work.
I had a nice and somewhat relaxing weekend. I went to Colchester twice to shop, which is pretty amusing since I have literally no cash left. I cannot take money out of my bank accounts using my credit card, see, and have not gotten my Barclays card yet. So my shopping trips were exercises in futility. The first time I ended up looking for a phone. There are pay-as-you-go phones here for 5 pounds, and I can get 1000 free texts for signing up! Hoorah for global recessions! There are also tons of sales, which I could enjoy if I weren’t cash-free. (Doesn’t that sound better than broke? Nothing- not even money- can take my freedom! I’m cash-free!)
Last night I played squash. Have you ever played? It’s surprisingly fun, and reminds me of wall-ball with rackets. One just hits a ball against the wall and the next person has to hit the next one within one bounce. One can only hit the ball in a certain region on the wall. I don’t really know the rules, though, since we only played for fun.
Last night I also made some baking experiments with Sabine, my flatmate. The day before we had sugar coated aloe. Yesterday we made caramel and caramel coated kiwi, carrots, plums, and oranges. We also made a tasty creation with the caramel and oatmeal. We even made a berry-oatmeal treat. It was a fun, diabetes inducing night. Here are some pictures of the beauty.
Look how happy everyone is, even though the two on the left(along with others from the flat) were forced at spoon-point to try the tasty treats.
Paper time means I’m becoming abnormally and frighteningly focused on the English language. So here’s a poem! It’s understandably a bit off. But see, the second part of each line is an anagram of the first part! You can tell because the start of each anagram is capitalized. Neat-o!
I was at my race. My wait? a scare.
But it stretches on. The bitter counts
Of fear -no. An offer. o!
Contenders pause- Purest ones dance;
A thing in the Night in heat
Finally they Fly. any lithe
One now Won one.
“I beat her!” I breathe.
Last night I played squash. Have you ever played? It’s surprisingly fun, and reminds me of wall-ball with rackets. One just hits a ball against the wall and the next person has to hit the next one within one bounce. One can only hit the ball in a certain region on the wall. I don’t really know the rules, though, since we only played for fun.
Last night I also made some baking experiments with Sabine, my flatmate. The day before we had sugar coated aloe. Yesterday we made caramel and caramel coated kiwi, carrots, plums, and oranges. We also made a tasty creation with the caramel and oatmeal. We even made a berry-oatmeal treat. It was a fun, diabetes inducing night. Here are some pictures of the beauty.
Look how happy everyone is, even though the two on the left(along with others from the flat) were forced at spoon-point to try the tasty treats.
Paper time means I’m becoming abnormally and frighteningly focused on the English language. So here’s a poem! It’s understandably a bit off. But see, the second part of each line is an anagram of the first part! You can tell because the start of each anagram is capitalized. Neat-o!
I was at my race. My wait? a scare.
But it stretches on. The bitter counts
Of fear -no. An offer. o!
Contenders pause- Purest ones dance;
A thing in the Night in heat
Finally they Fly. any lithe
One now Won one.
“I beat her!” I breathe.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Pithy Presentation Pertaining to Pantomimes
Alright, I’m an English Major so in all honesty this probably won’t be too pithy. Here is some information I got on Pantomimes from my friend: Pantomimes are a big tradition over here. They normally have a girl who plays a prince and a man who plays a mother. Audience participation is crucial! In the “chase scene” we get to say “He’s behind you! Look behind you!” We also get to boo every time the villain comes on. It’s actually intensely fun.
I unfortunately could not take pictures, because I was not allowed to. How sad is that? So, let me just tell you a bit about the show. There were around 50 boy scouts in the audience, which had seating in an area reminiscent of a junior high cafeteria. It was nice, though. The people sang popular songs by artists such as Abba. They also sang a High School Musical number. Interesting!
During the panto, there were two older women sitting behind us. One of them was obviously a veteran pantomime watcher. As soon as the characters went onstage for the chase scene she called out “He’s behind you!” and cackled. She also was often the first to boo the “baddie” and would laugh quite wickedly after saying something. I have a new hero!
So, on the cosmic 1-10 scale for good experiences to have while in England I’d rate this one pretty high. Perhaps an 8 or an 8.5. Colchester, by the way, has fallen to about a 5. There’s nothing really bad about it, but it’s not exceptionally exceptional. It’s just, you know, ordinarily exceptional.
By the way, want to see a picture of the lake on campus? Of course!
Doesn’t it look peaceful and bucolic? Well it should, since it is.
I unfortunately could not take pictures, because I was not allowed to. How sad is that? So, let me just tell you a bit about the show. There were around 50 boy scouts in the audience, which had seating in an area reminiscent of a junior high cafeteria. It was nice, though. The people sang popular songs by artists such as Abba. They also sang a High School Musical number. Interesting!
During the panto, there were two older women sitting behind us. One of them was obviously a veteran pantomime watcher. As soon as the characters went onstage for the chase scene she called out “He’s behind you!” and cackled. She also was often the first to boo the “baddie” and would laugh quite wickedly after saying something. I have a new hero!
So, on the cosmic 1-10 scale for good experiences to have while in England I’d rate this one pretty high. Perhaps an 8 or an 8.5. Colchester, by the way, has fallen to about a 5. There’s nothing really bad about it, but it’s not exceptionally exceptional. It’s just, you know, ordinarily exceptional.
By the way, want to see a picture of the lake on campus? Of course!
Doesn’t it look peaceful and bucolic? Well it should, since it is.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Staying in Suffolk (or, Walking in Wellies last Weekend)
After seeing the ruins, we went to Ickworth House. It is an “Eccentric Neo-Classical” design. I thought it was lovely! Some didn’t agree, though. Lady Bristol called it “a stupendous monument of folly.” Well, that could be an oddly put compliment, I guess. Or maybe she meant “a stupendous monument of fall. Ee!” meaning, of course, that it reminds her of a refreshing autumn day and makes her chirp with delight. It was also under construction. Typical. What a monument of folly.
The Ickworth House doesn't make me say Ick!
During the weekend I also went on a Grand Adventure. This involved putting on Wellies (which I couldn’t talk about without giggling like a school girl talking about her crush) and traversing through a stream in the rain with a hyper dog. First, let me say that Wellies are just galoshes. But, come on. Wellies. It sounds so ridiculously cute (especially with a British accent) that I’m laughing a bit even while I’m writing this. Whenever I say Wellies I sort of bob my head and grin. Anyways, the dog was also absurdly endearing- It chases its tail! Crazy. The river was nice, and not deep enough to splash over the Wellies, which was considerate of it.
Here's one of the more strenuous climbs on the Grand Adventure. We were like explorers!
So, that was the English countryside. They have scarecrows. They have fields. They have quaint bridges. They have excessively winding, tiny, scary roads. I though I was going to die multiple times on the trip. It happens. Finally, though this is everywhere where there are older people, they have signs for Elderly People. One had a sign to watch for elderly people and ducks.
If anyone was wondering “does this young woman have a mature(pronounced mah- tour) sense of humour?” I doubt they do any more. Wellies and signs about elderly people crack me up. The good news is that I finished my Latin American Studies essay. Hoorah! Next entry, expect exciting exploits involving Pantomimes!
The Ickworth House doesn't make me say Ick!During the weekend I also went on a Grand Adventure. This involved putting on Wellies (which I couldn’t talk about without giggling like a school girl talking about her crush) and traversing through a stream in the rain with a hyper dog. First, let me say that Wellies are just galoshes. But, come on. Wellies. It sounds so ridiculously cute (especially with a British accent) that I’m laughing a bit even while I’m writing this. Whenever I say Wellies I sort of bob my head and grin. Anyways, the dog was also absurdly endearing- It chases its tail! Crazy. The river was nice, and not deep enough to splash over the Wellies, which was considerate of it.
Here's one of the more strenuous climbs on the Grand Adventure. We were like explorers! So, that was the English countryside. They have scarecrows. They have fields. They have quaint bridges. They have excessively winding, tiny, scary roads. I though I was going to die multiple times on the trip. It happens. Finally, though this is everywhere where there are older people, they have signs for Elderly People. One had a sign to watch for elderly people and ducks.
If anyone was wondering “does this young woman have a mature(pronounced mah- tour) sense of humour?” I doubt they do any more. Wellies and signs about elderly people crack me up. The good news is that I finished my Latin American Studies essay. Hoorah! Next entry, expect exciting exploits involving Pantomimes!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Fabulously Fattening Foods. Fun!
List of new stuff I ate this weekend, with some visual aid:
-Beef stew with dumplings and French bread- I unfortunately did not get a picture of this. It was absolutely beautiful!
-Scrambled eggs on toast/crumpets/English Muffins
-Prawn Crisps and Sesame Prawn bread
-Crunchy Seaweed
Cajun Squirrel, Chili Chocolate, and Crispy Duck and Hoisin flavored crisps
Above, you can see sweets from a sweet shop. My favorites were the ones that looked like sunny side up eggs! With the mushroom ones, one could almost have a candy fry-up!
Fry Up! This includes sausages, mushrooms, scrambled eggs, baked beans, ham(“bacon”), black pudding (aka congealed blood with other material.), toast
Roast! This includes mashed swede, broccolini, carrots, baked potatoes sans skin, roast lamb with mint sauce, Yorkshire pudding, baby potatoes, parsnips
Wow. Needless to say, I gained 23 pounds and now have to buy all new clothes. This is the price one pays for local cuisine! Well, let me see. I suppose I shouldn’t focus solely on food when I did in fact participate in some non-food-related activities. For instance, I went to the ruins in Bury St. Edmunds! Let me tell you a bit about Bury St Edmunds. King Edmund, the last Saxon king, was beheaded and then canonized. He was buried in Bury St Edmunds. And now the name of the town makes sense!
There is an abbey which was built in his honor, but was destroyed and is now known as the abbey ruins. This man obviously had some bad luck. Even things built after his decapitation were destroyed. The ruins were fun to walk around in and climb on, though.
Bury St Edmunds also is home to the smallest pub in Great Britain! I took a picture and then ran away when everyone looked at me like a tourist. These things happen.
I think I’ve written enough, so I’ll finish the weekend in the next entry, along with a description of the Pantomime I’m going to tonight!
-Beef stew with dumplings and French bread- I unfortunately did not get a picture of this. It was absolutely beautiful!
-Scrambled eggs on toast/crumpets/English Muffins
-Prawn Crisps and Sesame Prawn bread
-Crunchy Seaweed
Cajun Squirrel, Chili Chocolate, and Crispy Duck and Hoisin flavored crisps
Above, you can see sweets from a sweet shop. My favorites were the ones that looked like sunny side up eggs! With the mushroom ones, one could almost have a candy fry-up!
Fry Up! This includes sausages, mushrooms, scrambled eggs, baked beans, ham(“bacon”), black pudding (aka congealed blood with other material.), toast
Roast! This includes mashed swede, broccolini, carrots, baked potatoes sans skin, roast lamb with mint sauce, Yorkshire pudding, baby potatoes, parsnipsWow. Needless to say, I gained 23 pounds and now have to buy all new clothes. This is the price one pays for local cuisine! Well, let me see. I suppose I shouldn’t focus solely on food when I did in fact participate in some non-food-related activities. For instance, I went to the ruins in Bury St. Edmunds! Let me tell you a bit about Bury St Edmunds. King Edmund, the last Saxon king, was beheaded and then canonized. He was buried in Bury St Edmunds. And now the name of the town makes sense!
There is an abbey which was built in his honor, but was destroyed and is now known as the abbey ruins. This man obviously had some bad luck. Even things built after his decapitation were destroyed. The ruins were fun to walk around in and climb on, though.
Bury St Edmunds also is home to the smallest pub in Great Britain! I took a picture and then ran away when everyone looked at me like a tourist. These things happen.
I think I’ve written enough, so I’ll finish the weekend in the next entry, along with a description of the Pantomime I’m going to tonight!
Friday, February 13, 2009
BETSY!!!
So based on comment-response I don’t think I should write on boring-ish museums any more. Sorry boring-ish museums of the world! What I am going to tell you, therefore, has nothing to do with museums and is actually pretty exciting. I am partial owner of a van!
Yes, I am. Her name is Betsy. (Ah! the title makes sense now!) She cost, after taxes and everything, 450 pounds or around 68 pounds per person. I finally got to be driven to ASDA in Betsy yesterday. She ran really smoothly! Of course, we have to park her far away from other cars because she sort of need a jumpy rolling start. And until she’s warmed up the accelerator has to be pushed constantly or she’ll stall. (She’s also a manual, if you hadn’t guessed.)
You see, six other people and I are going on a road trip around Europe. How typical college student does that sound? I’m almost embarrassed at fitting so neatly into the “studying abroad college student” box. Wouldn’t it be more creative to, say, do a mini tour of boring-ish museums around Colchester over Spring Break?
We will be gone for two weeks and will follow this route: Belgium-Netherlands-Germany-Czech Republic-Slovakia-Austria-Italy-Switzerland-France-Germany-Luxembourg-Belgium and back! It’ll be fun. It’ll be busy. We probably won’t shower too much because we don’t want to pay for Hostels and have a tent. It’ll be a bonding experience! We aren’t really expecting Betsy to last the whole way; the Alps will be a bit difficult for an old van. So don’t worry, we’ll have other plans for if she dies.
Each person got a country to research, and we had meetings to discuss where we should go in each country. In Belgium we’ll be going to Brussels and Bruges, and have some frites and waffles and chocolate and beer. Then in the Netherlands we’ll go to Amsterdam and go to a Van Gogh museum, where apparently they will temporarily have Starry Night! I could go on about what we’re going to do, but these are just blue-prints and might be changed.
On a different note, I’m going to Suffolk today! My friend Faye is taking me to her house so I can see more of England. It should a ton of fun! I get to have a “fry up” on Sunday morning, which is apparently a ton of different food oozing with grease. Yumm!
On another different note, I’m 80% done with the first essay I have to turn in! (2,000 out of 2,500 words, and it’s due on the 20th.) I’m also around 25% done with the other two, which are due in 2 weeks. So much studying!
On another different note, yesterday I went to fencing and karaoke and a dance party! But it’s my only dance party of the week, and the whole night cost 1.50!
On another different note, today I get to open up a British bank account! That’s where I’m off to now. Bye!
Here’s a shorter version of the fun riddle last time:
Here are some words that you should find quite nice-
The first letters can be found in Macaw and Mice,
The second you can find in the middle of a Bug,
And the third letters are in Guppy and also in Pug.
These two words should be found first
If you really want to quench your thirst!
_ _ _ and _ _ _
Man, I could do these for years; they’re so fun! ...Yeah, I’m a bit of a nerd.
Yes, I am. Her name is Betsy. (Ah! the title makes sense now!) She cost, after taxes and everything, 450 pounds or around 68 pounds per person. I finally got to be driven to ASDA in Betsy yesterday. She ran really smoothly! Of course, we have to park her far away from other cars because she sort of need a jumpy rolling start. And until she’s warmed up the accelerator has to be pushed constantly or she’ll stall. (She’s also a manual, if you hadn’t guessed.)
You see, six other people and I are going on a road trip around Europe. How typical college student does that sound? I’m almost embarrassed at fitting so neatly into the “studying abroad college student” box. Wouldn’t it be more creative to, say, do a mini tour of boring-ish museums around Colchester over Spring Break?
We will be gone for two weeks and will follow this route: Belgium-Netherlands-Germany-Czech Republic-Slovakia-Austria-Italy-Switzerland-France-Germany-Luxembourg-Belgium and back! It’ll be fun. It’ll be busy. We probably won’t shower too much because we don’t want to pay for Hostels and have a tent. It’ll be a bonding experience! We aren’t really expecting Betsy to last the whole way; the Alps will be a bit difficult for an old van. So don’t worry, we’ll have other plans for if she dies.
Each person got a country to research, and we had meetings to discuss where we should go in each country. In Belgium we’ll be going to Brussels and Bruges, and have some frites and waffles and chocolate and beer. Then in the Netherlands we’ll go to Amsterdam and go to a Van Gogh museum, where apparently they will temporarily have Starry Night! I could go on about what we’re going to do, but these are just blue-prints and might be changed.
On a different note, I’m going to Suffolk today! My friend Faye is taking me to her house so I can see more of England. It should a ton of fun! I get to have a “fry up” on Sunday morning, which is apparently a ton of different food oozing with grease. Yumm!
On another different note, I’m 80% done with the first essay I have to turn in! (2,000 out of 2,500 words, and it’s due on the 20th.) I’m also around 25% done with the other two, which are due in 2 weeks. So much studying!
On another different note, yesterday I went to fencing and karaoke and a dance party! But it’s my only dance party of the week, and the whole night cost 1.50!
On another different note, today I get to open up a British bank account! That’s where I’m off to now. Bye!
Here’s a shorter version of the fun riddle last time:
Here are some words that you should find quite nice-
The first letters can be found in Macaw and Mice,
The second you can find in the middle of a Bug,
And the third letters are in Guppy and also in Pug.
These two words should be found first
If you really want to quench your thirst!
_ _ _ and _ _ _
Man, I could do these for years; they’re so fun! ...Yeah, I’m a bit of a nerd.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Ready for Riddles?
Based on a Puzzle-a-Day calendar, I decided to make a fun rhyme/riddle! I also should be writing papers right now. Ah well! For this riddle, you can find two different answers to this “letter selection rhyme.” That’s what the calendar called its version.
My first letter is in damp and also in pandering.
My second’s the only vowel supersonic is missing.
My third is in crone and also in rancid,
And my fourth is a consonant in excite and scented.
I end with what is in “hey!”
And also in yellow and grey.
My whole is what you will see
If you come to England and see me!
_ _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _
Alright, here’s another riddle-type-thing that I thought of while I was in class.
This one is more of a code, and it just gives you one word. Also, please don’t make fun of me when you get the word. Ah well. It’s just fun to use 2’s for a code!
1: Start with the Pythagorean’s most perfect number
(If we want to make this solely 2s do the following:
Start with 2. add 2*2. divide by 2. add 2, then multiply by 2.)
2: Take that number and divide by 2.
3: Take the previous number and add 2, then multiply by 2.
4: Take the previous number and add (2*2^2), then divide by 2 and subtract 2.
5: Take the previous number and add 2.
6: Subtract 2 from the previous number, then subtract (2*2*2).
Finally, here’s my personal favorite riddle set that I’ve made up. They’re so funny! And you have to answer in rhyme. I made them up around the time when I was in 7th grade, so don’t call them immature! Ah, well!
Here is my poem, riddle, and pun.
I hope you think it is quite fun.
Who looks at an abbey and thinks “ ‘tis not shabby”?
The answer, of course is _________!
Here is my pun, riddle and poem.
I hope it does not make you moan.
What do you call a ‘bot that talks quite a lot?
The answer, of course, is a ________!
Do you have the answers? I’m trying to think how to work this. Do you want the world to know that you know? I guess you could comment, and everyone could go on the honor system that they won’t look at previous answers. But then, I know you people. Hmm. Ah well, good luck! By the way, if there’s a huge outcry for more of those letter selection rhymes, I’ll be happy to oblige! They’re not too difficult to think up. Maybe my next one could flow better, and have more coherent lines!
My first letter is in damp and also in pandering.
My second’s the only vowel supersonic is missing.
My third is in crone and also in rancid,
And my fourth is a consonant in excite and scented.
I end with what is in “hey!”
And also in yellow and grey.
My whole is what you will see
If you come to England and see me!
_ _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _ _
Alright, here’s another riddle-type-thing that I thought of while I was in class.
This one is more of a code, and it just gives you one word. Also, please don’t make fun of me when you get the word. Ah well. It’s just fun to use 2’s for a code!
1: Start with the Pythagorean’s most perfect number
(If we want to make this solely 2s do the following:
Start with 2. add 2*2. divide by 2. add 2, then multiply by 2.)
2: Take that number and divide by 2.
3: Take the previous number and add 2, then multiply by 2.
4: Take the previous number and add (2*2^2), then divide by 2 and subtract 2.
5: Take the previous number and add 2.
6: Subtract 2 from the previous number, then subtract (2*2*2).
Finally, here’s my personal favorite riddle set that I’ve made up. They’re so funny! And you have to answer in rhyme. I made them up around the time when I was in 7th grade, so don’t call them immature! Ah, well!
Here is my poem, riddle, and pun.
I hope you think it is quite fun.
Who looks at an abbey and thinks “ ‘tis not shabby”?
The answer, of course is _________!
Here is my pun, riddle and poem.
I hope it does not make you moan.
What do you call a ‘bot that talks quite a lot?
The answer, of course, is a ________!
Do you have the answers? I’m trying to think how to work this. Do you want the world to know that you know? I guess you could comment, and everyone could go on the honor system that they won’t look at previous answers. But then, I know you people. Hmm. Ah well, good luck! By the way, if there’s a huge outcry for more of those letter selection rhymes, I’ll be happy to oblige! They’re not too difficult to think up. Maybe my next one could flow better, and have more coherent lines!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Monday’s Musings- Museum Madness!
Well, I think that I should keep up with entries that focus on the more cultured part of my experience. What do you think? I don’t know as I’m writing this what you’re actually thinking, so I’m sorry if you disagree with my choice. I tried to include you in the decision making process; that’s what counts!
So. I went to three museums on Saturday in Colchester with Madeline and Lauren. “That is amazing,” I’m sure you’re saying. “I am so glad that she is going to write about museums!” They weren’t overly exciting, though.
We first went to The Castle Museum, as seen here. This is the biggest and oldest Norman keep still standing in England! Neat! But the museum was aimed for people probably about 10 years our... junior. We could have tried on hats and togas and looked at ourselves in mirrors. Alas, we did not. There was also a creepy prison area where we got to hear a reenactment of a 15 year old girl being tortured until she testified that her mother and several other women were witches. We found out later on by reading a plaque that those women were all hanged! There was also a plaque that read “Feel the wood on the door that has been worn smooth by the hundreds of prisoners begging to be let free!” Well. That was not the cheeriest area of the museum.
Here are some warriors. They looked pretty fierce, but apparently I was the only one who was frightened. Everyone else looks so at ease! I also learned about Boudica, a woman who led a surprisingly effective revolt against the Romans after soldiers did bad things to her and her daughters. There’s actually a statue I saw of her in London previously. I wondered who she was, and now know her sort of depressing, but also impressive story! If you’d like to know more, I suggest Wikipedia. Though there is also a movie, apparently. Because we all know how good movies are at accurately representing the past! My favorite part of the museum was probably the well in front. (It was so deep! Like some of these blog entries!)
The second museum we went to was a “Natural History Museum.” I didn’t trust it first because it smelled too good. It had this wonderfully fruity aroma which could not be natural. My distrust was understandable. There were loads of dead animals that had been expertly stuffed. There were even dead bugs. However, all the local wildlife was represented, which I applaud. They didn’t forget the lowliest sparrow or tiniest mouse! Then we went to the Hollytrees Museum. It wasn’t too exciting, but we did get to draw profile silhouettes. Lauren was definitely the pro-profile sketcher of the group. We also got to see children’s toys throughout the centuries. My favorite ones were the Star Wars toys. There you have it. Hooray for smallish city museums!
So. I went to three museums on Saturday in Colchester with Madeline and Lauren. “That is amazing,” I’m sure you’re saying. “I am so glad that she is going to write about museums!” They weren’t overly exciting, though.
We first went to The Castle Museum, as seen here. This is the biggest and oldest Norman keep still standing in England! Neat! But the museum was aimed for people probably about 10 years our... junior. We could have tried on hats and togas and looked at ourselves in mirrors. Alas, we did not. There was also a creepy prison area where we got to hear a reenactment of a 15 year old girl being tortured until she testified that her mother and several other women were witches. We found out later on by reading a plaque that those women were all hanged! There was also a plaque that read “Feel the wood on the door that has been worn smooth by the hundreds of prisoners begging to be let free!” Well. That was not the cheeriest area of the museum.
Here are some warriors. They looked pretty fierce, but apparently I was the only one who was frightened. Everyone else looks so at ease! I also learned about Boudica, a woman who led a surprisingly effective revolt against the Romans after soldiers did bad things to her and her daughters. There’s actually a statue I saw of her in London previously. I wondered who she was, and now know her sort of depressing, but also impressive story! If you’d like to know more, I suggest Wikipedia. Though there is also a movie, apparently. Because we all know how good movies are at accurately representing the past! My favorite part of the museum was probably the well in front. (It was so deep! Like some of these blog entries!)The second museum we went to was a “Natural History Museum.” I didn’t trust it first because it smelled too good. It had this wonderfully fruity aroma which could not be natural. My distrust was understandable. There were loads of dead animals that had been expertly stuffed. There were even dead bugs. However, all the local wildlife was represented, which I applaud. They didn’t forget the lowliest sparrow or tiniest mouse! Then we went to the Hollytrees Museum. It wasn’t too exciting, but we did get to draw profile silhouettes. Lauren was definitely the pro-profile sketcher of the group. We also got to see children’s toys throughout the centuries. My favorite ones were the Star Wars toys. There you have it. Hooray for smallish city museums!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Kazakh Concert, Sans Sustenance.
On Friday I went to a concert hosted by the Kazakh Society. It cost six pounds, but they said they would provide authentic Kazakh food. Yum! I had no idea what Kazakh food was, but felt quite excited to test out new cuisine. Before I went I Wikipedia-ed Kazakhstan, since I really didn’t know much about it. The next paragraph is thus for those who also are not familiar with this country.
Kazakhstan is the world’s 9th largest country! It’s to the South of Russia and is on China’s western border. It only declared itself independent from Russia in December of 1991, instead of being a Soviet Republic! (Thank you, Wikipedia.) Below is a picture, given to the public, of Astana. Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan. I would recommend looking up more pictures of Kazakhstan; it looks really beautiful!
The food looked brilliant. There were little biscuit things, a meaty thing, and some dumpling-like things. Unfortunately, I was the first person to not get served food, as the concert was due to start soon and the people ran out of forks. Sad! But the “nice” man said I could get food after the concert. The concert was quite nice. First we got to see traditional Kazakh dancers. Then we heard the Dombra. This is the national instrument of Kazakhstan. It only has two strings, and is played like a guitar. Here’s a picture.
Then there was another dance, followed by a violinist and cellist. They played several duets, including Kazakh pieces. Afterwards the food was all gone. I was almost inconsolable. In fact, I can’t write any more as I am beginning to shed thousands of tears. My soul may be forevermore in eternal lament! (I just read “The Sorrows of Young Werther”. His drama is rubbing off on this post.) Farewell! I hope your experiences of the Kazakh culture do not reduce you to a quivering mass of melancholy, like they did to me!
Kazakhstan is the world’s 9th largest country! It’s to the South of Russia and is on China’s western border. It only declared itself independent from Russia in December of 1991, instead of being a Soviet Republic! (Thank you, Wikipedia.) Below is a picture, given to the public, of Astana. Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan. I would recommend looking up more pictures of Kazakhstan; it looks really beautiful!
The food looked brilliant. There were little biscuit things, a meaty thing, and some dumpling-like things. Unfortunately, I was the first person to not get served food, as the concert was due to start soon and the people ran out of forks. Sad! But the “nice” man said I could get food after the concert. The concert was quite nice. First we got to see traditional Kazakh dancers. Then we heard the Dombra. This is the national instrument of Kazakhstan. It only has two strings, and is played like a guitar. Here’s a picture.
Then there was another dance, followed by a violinist and cellist. They played several duets, including Kazakh pieces. Afterwards the food was all gone. I was almost inconsolable. In fact, I can’t write any more as I am beginning to shed thousands of tears. My soul may be forevermore in eternal lament! (I just read “The Sorrows of Young Werther”. His drama is rubbing off on this post.) Farewell! I hope your experiences of the Kazakh culture do not reduce you to a quivering mass of melancholy, like they did to me!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
And Now For Something Completely Different!
It has recently come to my attention that my blog postings may have made my life sound a bit more exciting than it actually is. So, let me give a breakdown of Thursday.
- 8 hours, or 1/3 of the day spent sleeping
- 3 hours, or 1/8 of the day spent in class
- 1.25 hours, or 5/96 of the day spent watching a play
- ~2 hours, or 1/12 of the day relaxing with flatmates
- ~2 hours, or 1/12 of the day watching The IT Crowd with Madeline
- 7.75 hours, or 31/96 of the day sitting in my room doing homework and skyping
As one can see, I spent most of my day in a hermit-like existence. So there. Now for some good news: I don’t need to get a root canal right away! I might need one later, but the dentist said that sometimes white fillings just take a while to “settle.” He also said “It looks like the filling might just be tickling the nerve.” Tickling? Really? Tickling. Apparently tickling is British-speak for causing intolerable agony that feels like one is having one’s tooth be macerated in a dull blender. Silly dentist.
Now, I mentioned a play in the breakdown of my day. This play needs to be explained. My friend Faye is a drama student, and told me that I should see a play called Anima with her. Apparently it’s world renowned physical drama. It’s proably the weirdest thing I have ever experienced. It started with a guy carrying a mermaid with a cellophane tale to a swing. That was the most normal part of the play.
But here, I can’t do it justice, so check out this link if you’d like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia6w7WNA4C8
Faye got me in for free, which is good because, as I was enthralled during the play, it really didn’t have any obvious themes and I didn’t leave saying “ah, that helps me understand the world”. It says it’s about “dreams and the subconscious.” That’s what they all say. But it didn't inspire any deep thought, really, since everyone could come up with their own interpretation and no one I talked to really had any meaningful interpretation. I guess I just like plays/art that I can look at and consider and have meaningful conversations about afterward without reference to Freud. Anyways, I hope everyone had a nice weekend; I’ll discuss mine in a later entry. Good night!
- 8 hours, or 1/3 of the day spent sleeping
- 3 hours, or 1/8 of the day spent in class
- 1.25 hours, or 5/96 of the day spent watching a play
- ~2 hours, or 1/12 of the day relaxing with flatmates
- ~2 hours, or 1/12 of the day watching The IT Crowd with Madeline
- 7.75 hours, or 31/96 of the day sitting in my room doing homework and skyping
As one can see, I spent most of my day in a hermit-like existence. So there. Now for some good news: I don’t need to get a root canal right away! I might need one later, but the dentist said that sometimes white fillings just take a while to “settle.” He also said “It looks like the filling might just be tickling the nerve.” Tickling? Really? Tickling. Apparently tickling is British-speak for causing intolerable agony that feels like one is having one’s tooth be macerated in a dull blender. Silly dentist.
Now, I mentioned a play in the breakdown of my day. This play needs to be explained. My friend Faye is a drama student, and told me that I should see a play called Anima with her. Apparently it’s world renowned physical drama. It’s proably the weirdest thing I have ever experienced. It started with a guy carrying a mermaid with a cellophane tale to a swing. That was the most normal part of the play.
But here, I can’t do it justice, so check out this link if you’d like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia6w7WNA4C8
Faye got me in for free, which is good because, as I was enthralled during the play, it really didn’t have any obvious themes and I didn’t leave saying “ah, that helps me understand the world”. It says it’s about “dreams and the subconscious.” That’s what they all say. But it didn't inspire any deep thought, really, since everyone could come up with their own interpretation and no one I talked to really had any meaningful interpretation. I guess I just like plays/art that I can look at and consider and have meaningful conversations about afterward without reference to Freud. Anyways, I hope everyone had a nice weekend; I’ll discuss mine in a later entry. Good night!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Painful Prognosis Pursued by Pleasurable Proctor’s Proclamation
Yesterday was an intense day, especially if considered as the full 24 hours. I spent, of course, the first 3 hours watching the Super bowl and having mini snow ball fights. I then slept in until 8:53. The alarm, which is a bit loud, startled me so much that I jumped out of bed, and gasped something cute like “Hurgh!” As I was utterly lacking in mental acuteness and sleep, this was my way of saying “Well, I’m not sure I should be awake already. I should remember this experience and give myself ample time to sleep in the future. Duly noted.”
I went to Computer Science, then went to the free dental check ups. It was held in a bar. I actually think this is a very wise choice of location. I told the dentist that my tooth has been hurting since my dentist in America filled a cavity. He kindly informed me that I would probably need a root canal. I asked why. He explained “The pain you are experiencing is your nerve dying. After it’s dead you won’t feel any more pain.” I smiled. Disaster averted! But he went on to say “then it will start housing bacterial infection. Your mouth will swell, your gums will bleed, and you’ll end up looking basically like Two Face from Batman.” He didn’t actually say that, don’t worry. Still, I was a bit depressed after hearing that. So I have to figure out a way to get a root canal done, and done cheaply! Well, maybe not too cheaply. I think there are movies about people who have inexpensive surgeries in foreign countries, and I don’t think they end happily.
Here is a drawing I did in class, which depicts the anguish my tooth has recently been feeling. A true artistic masterpiece born, like so many others, out of pain and suffering. (The thing on the left is a hammer, middle is a tooth, and right is a bomb. Okay, maybe it's not really a masterpiece. It has character!)
So I got back from that and found a letter from the Proctor waiting for me. The proctor, as you might know, is the person who gives you ridiculous fines and makes your life generally miserable. This letter, however, was full of sunshine and loveliness. I was told before that I would be fined 50 pounds for not exiting for a fire drill. After I complained a lot and composed beautiful letters of anguish, they let me know that they would not in fact fine me. Hooray! I was reading the letter in the elevator, alone, and did a celebratory fist pump when I read it. Of course they have CCTV, or Big Brother type cameras, all around campus and on elevators. So I embarrassed myself in front of a bored security person. These things happen. After this I planned a two week road trip around Europe with five other people* went to fencing and fenced for the first time with an epee, had a 2-on-2 saber melee, and went to the bar with the fencing people afterwards. Fun! Tonight I’m going to drown my sorrows in Jam Night music at Top Bar and then dance away my fear at Sports Fed. Neat!
*This needs its own entry. Just wait; it should be exciting!
I went to Computer Science, then went to the free dental check ups. It was held in a bar. I actually think this is a very wise choice of location. I told the dentist that my tooth has been hurting since my dentist in America filled a cavity. He kindly informed me that I would probably need a root canal. I asked why. He explained “The pain you are experiencing is your nerve dying. After it’s dead you won’t feel any more pain.” I smiled. Disaster averted! But he went on to say “then it will start housing bacterial infection. Your mouth will swell, your gums will bleed, and you’ll end up looking basically like Two Face from Batman.” He didn’t actually say that, don’t worry. Still, I was a bit depressed after hearing that. So I have to figure out a way to get a root canal done, and done cheaply! Well, maybe not too cheaply. I think there are movies about people who have inexpensive surgeries in foreign countries, and I don’t think they end happily.
Here is a drawing I did in class, which depicts the anguish my tooth has recently been feeling. A true artistic masterpiece born, like so many others, out of pain and suffering. (The thing on the left is a hammer, middle is a tooth, and right is a bomb. Okay, maybe it's not really a masterpiece. It has character!)So I got back from that and found a letter from the Proctor waiting for me. The proctor, as you might know, is the person who gives you ridiculous fines and makes your life generally miserable. This letter, however, was full of sunshine and loveliness. I was told before that I would be fined 50 pounds for not exiting for a fire drill. After I complained a lot and composed beautiful letters of anguish, they let me know that they would not in fact fine me. Hooray! I was reading the letter in the elevator, alone, and did a celebratory fist pump when I read it. Of course they have CCTV, or Big Brother type cameras, all around campus and on elevators. So I embarrassed myself in front of a bored security person. These things happen. After this I planned a two week road trip around Europe with five other people* went to fencing and fenced for the first time with an epee, had a 2-on-2 saber melee, and went to the bar with the fencing people afterwards. Fun! Tonight I’m going to drown my sorrows in Jam Night music at Top Bar and then dance away my fear at Sports Fed. Neat!
*This needs its own entry. Just wait; it should be exciting!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Soup Bowls and Jam. Fishy!
This Sunday was pretty jam-packed. Picture a suitcase which, when opened, is brimming with a globular mass of fruit preserves. That about sums up my day, and explains why I’m tired enough to use a jam-filled suitcase image. It started a little after 13:00, with me getting up and wondering if I really did have potatoes hurled at my head eight hours previously. When I was sure that my sanity was intact, I started my paper on Barbarism versus Civilization. I considered starting the paper with “Civilized people generally do not kill others with potatoes.”
I then went with Maddie and Lauren on our traditional fortnight expedition to Wivenhoe. We had to wait 45 minutes in the blistering cold and snow for a bus to show up. Madeline actually had to amputate three toes. Not really, of course, but I did make sure I had a butter knife ready just in case. We ate again at the Rose and Crown, did not seem quite as perfect as before, but still had wonderfully tasty food. We stayed there until 18:30. Church was from 19:30 to 21:30. Then we went to Super Bowl at 10:50 pm. (Sorry, I’m bored of 24 hour time.) That was ridiculously fun, as there were about 10 people from the states, and a lot of people from international locations. The bar was actually pretty packed, which I found surprising as most people around here insult American Football mercilessly.
Having fun watching American Football!
The Americans all stood up for the National Anthem, and one of the guys brought a Revolutionary War era U.S. flag. So there were 10 Americans singing as loudly as possible and holding up a giant American flag from the time where the U.S. was at war with Great Britain, surrounded by International students and English people. It was intense. In fact, this may have been the most exciting Superbowl I’ve experienced so far.
Loyalty was pretty much equal between the Cardinals and the Steelers, but the Cardinals fans were cooler of course. The game was actually extremely exciting, and I could have won a beer if the Cardinals had won. Darn Steelers! The game’s ending was obviously disappointing, but afterwards some people had a mini snowball fight. Of course, by then it was after 3:00 and most people had morning classes. I went to sleep feeling happy, even though my team lost in the last minute.
I then went with Maddie and Lauren on our traditional fortnight expedition to Wivenhoe. We had to wait 45 minutes in the blistering cold and snow for a bus to show up. Madeline actually had to amputate three toes. Not really, of course, but I did make sure I had a butter knife ready just in case. We ate again at the Rose and Crown, did not seem quite as perfect as before, but still had wonderfully tasty food. We stayed there until 18:30. Church was from 19:30 to 21:30. Then we went to Super Bowl at 10:50 pm. (Sorry, I’m bored of 24 hour time.) That was ridiculously fun, as there were about 10 people from the states, and a lot of people from international locations. The bar was actually pretty packed, which I found surprising as most people around here insult American Football mercilessly.
Having fun watching American Football!The Americans all stood up for the National Anthem, and one of the guys brought a Revolutionary War era U.S. flag. So there were 10 Americans singing as loudly as possible and holding up a giant American flag from the time where the U.S. was at war with Great Britain, surrounded by International students and English people. It was intense. In fact, this may have been the most exciting Superbowl I’ve experienced so far.
Loyalty was pretty much equal between the Cardinals and the Steelers, but the Cardinals fans were cooler of course. The game was actually extremely exciting, and I could have won a beer if the Cardinals had won. Darn Steelers! The game’s ending was obviously disappointing, but afterwards some people had a mini snowball fight. Of course, by then it was after 3:00 and most people had morning classes. I went to sleep feeling happy, even though my team lost in the last minute.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Astoundingly Abnormal Antics
I am a bit worried about my recent activities, as I could not decide whether to title this entry about a silent disco or about an epic potato war. Choices. Well, I will try to explain the night in a chronological fashion. First I went to a Social Night with the Anglicans, where I learned of a wonderful, nerdy show called the IT Crowd, ate a lot of pizza, and watched Little Miss Sunshine.
I then went to get tickets for the Silent Disco with five other people. We were first in the queue, and were told that there were only thirty tickets left. At least we would all get one, right? But alas, unbeknownst to us, only two tickets remained. Though I was second in line I got one because I went to the cash line. There was also a register for online purchases, which Madeline, first in line, went to. She ended up not getting a ticket because the person did not tell her until it was sold out that she was in the incorrect line. Wicked Fate!
A nice picture of some people silently enjoying time together.
So, I went to Silent Disco but without most of the people who I was going to go with. It was still fun, but not really silent. While I could hear what was being yelled at me without too much difficulty, the ambient noise and singing was still loud enough to cause at least some hearing impairment. I enjoyed taking off my headphones during the most exciting part of the chorus and hearing everyone screaming the words.
Silent Disco lasted until three. When we got back the less fortunate people were in Madeline’s room having a mini flat-party. Most of the people left pretty soon after we got back. Then, for some reason, potatoes began being tossed about in a friendly way. The next part I remember is when David, Madeline’s flat mate, bounced a potato off a table and hit me. I blame him for the chaos that ensued, because soon there were so many potatoes flying around that it looked like... Idaho. Well I suppose potatoes don’t generally fly around in Idaho, so it looked like a plane flying potatoes out of Idaho, or something. Maybe mutant potato-hummingbird creatures. Really they just looked like a bunch of airborne potatoes, but that's not the most exciting image. Speaking of exciting, the image below shows one of the many casualties of the night. Poor Santa.
This, and other curious activities like it, went on until 5:00. Not 17:00, mind you. If only. I then shuffled off to bed, feeling slightly guilty about the potato destruction. These things happen, I guess.
I then went to get tickets for the Silent Disco with five other people. We were first in the queue, and were told that there were only thirty tickets left. At least we would all get one, right? But alas, unbeknownst to us, only two tickets remained. Though I was second in line I got one because I went to the cash line. There was also a register for online purchases, which Madeline, first in line, went to. She ended up not getting a ticket because the person did not tell her until it was sold out that she was in the incorrect line. Wicked Fate!
A nice picture of some people silently enjoying time together.
So, I went to Silent Disco but without most of the people who I was going to go with. It was still fun, but not really silent. While I could hear what was being yelled at me without too much difficulty, the ambient noise and singing was still loud enough to cause at least some hearing impairment. I enjoyed taking off my headphones during the most exciting part of the chorus and hearing everyone screaming the words.
Silent Disco lasted until three. When we got back the less fortunate people were in Madeline’s room having a mini flat-party. Most of the people left pretty soon after we got back. Then, for some reason, potatoes began being tossed about in a friendly way. The next part I remember is when David, Madeline’s flat mate, bounced a potato off a table and hit me. I blame him for the chaos that ensued, because soon there were so many potatoes flying around that it looked like... Idaho. Well I suppose potatoes don’t generally fly around in Idaho, so it looked like a plane flying potatoes out of Idaho, or something. Maybe mutant potato-hummingbird creatures. Really they just looked like a bunch of airborne potatoes, but that's not the most exciting image. Speaking of exciting, the image below shows one of the many casualties of the night. Poor Santa.
This, and other curious activities like it, went on until 5:00. Not 17:00, mind you. If only. I then shuffled off to bed, feeling slightly guilty about the potato destruction. These things happen, I guess.
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