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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)