Hello my faithful readers!
Well I know it has been a while but I have been out of town before, during, and after Christmas. Our first trip was to Edinburgh, Scotland. We took the train to make sure I got to see plenty of English countryside. I still cannot get over the beauty of it, even in winter. This time we went up through the Lakes District, the largest national park in England, and that in itself was amazing. It reminded me very much of Montana at this time of year, staggering mountains, valleys of grass, craggy cliffs. It definitely looked very much like it did in A and E's Pride and Prejudice, if you have seen that.
Once we got to Edinburgh it was already night. It is completely dark by 4pm everyday in England, and I am positive it was more like 3:45 in Scotland. I have learned to be nocturnal, as John puts it. Anywho, we went and walked around the German Christmas Market. The stalls and crafts were amazing. I also had a German pork steak roll and a hot dog. It was fun and we were starving from the train trip. We also went on the carousel and ferris wheel, but John refused to let me go on the Helter Skelter slide. Hmmm, there is one down here in Hyde Park! ;-) Then we went and had a beer at a pub called the Theater Royal. The beer was called Edinburgh Gold, and let me tell you, it was dangerously too easy to drink. I only had a couple but then I changed to something else because I knew it could spell trouble.
The next day we walked around Edinburgh, which was built on a hill by the way, lots of walking up hill, and made it up to the old city. The old city is built around a plateau, upon which sits Edinburgh castle. It is built into the cliffs of the plateau, and as we discovered later, the cracks of the plateau were used as dungeons. It was the most imposing castle I have seen so far. I know, I know, the Tower and all, but it isn't built into a mountain people! I thought I was looking at Dracula's lair instead of where Mary, Queen of Scots lived! After another long walk up the side of the plateau we made it to the castle. It was very impressive and had a tiny chapel about 1000 years old on top. While we were walking around the fog was rolling in, making the whole thing atmospheric. We also got to witness the 1 o'clock gun. The soldiers of the castle fire off a cannon at 1 o'clock everyday. John got a video clip of it, I will see if he can upload it to my blog.
For me the highlight of the castle was not seeing the paintings of Scottish kings and queens. Nor was it seeing the room that King James I of England was born in. For me, it was to see the Stone of Destiny. There are many rumours about this stone, that it came from Israel and was Jacob's pillow when he had his ladder dream. Part of it was supposedly given away to the Irish and used as the Blarney Stone, which I have already seen. The most important tradition with the stone was its importance in coronations. Scottish kings sat on it when they were crowned. When Edward I invaded Scotland, in 1296, he took the stone down to England and had a coronation chair built that would fit the stone underneath it. This is the same coronation chair that all monarchs have sat in since then, and the stone was only returned in 1996. It must return to England though, when Charles becomes king, but only for the coronation itself.
After that we walked down to a tour called Mary Kings Close. Basically, remember what I said about Edinburgh being built on a hill, well houses were built going up this hill until they reached the top. These rows of houses were all of six feet across from each other and the small streets that they formed were called closes. In the 1700's, in order to build a much larger building at the top of the hill, the town builders sheared off the tops of the houses, reinforced them, and used them as the foundation of the Royal Exchange building. The houses were left, covered over, underneath for hundreds of years. Now they actually take you down into these streets and tell you about the plague, the people that lived there, and of course, the ghost stories. It was very interesting to walk through these old houses and to hear about the sanitation, into the streets people, of the period. Here is a webpage with some pictures . . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_King's_Close
After that we went and had dinner. I was determined to try haggis and so was John. It was overpoweringly spicy and filling but it was very tasty. It wasn't sausage looking or, well, stomach looking in anyway, I think they just served us the filling and not the casing. After dinner we were going to go on a literary tour but the cold was getting to both of us. It was freezing at night and near freezing during the day, with or without the fog. I was trying to make the best of it but I could tell that the cold was getting to John. We finally went and saw a movie in the evening instead of going on the tour.
The next morning I woke up with a cold. I am pretty positive I got it from riding on the ferris wheel in the fog and cold. I coughed and coughed, had a fever for about three days, and am still coughing a week and a half later. I haven't had a cold like this in years! Fortunately we were able to get earlier tickets home on the train and go down the Eastern coast of Scotland and England. I got to see Berwick-upon-Tweed, the northernmost English city. I also saw the North Sea and the Yorkshire moors mentioned in the book The Secret Garden. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime, a few more dreams coming true to check off my list.
Next . . . Christmas in England!
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Sunday, 2 December 2007
Ulysses by Tennyson
I "discovered" this poem by Tennyson today. I really enjoyed it and found it inspiring. I hope you enjoy it and become inspired too.
Cory
Ulysses"
Cory
Ulysses"
Complete Text
It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd
Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when
Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark, broad seas.
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Saturday, 1 December 2007
Our First Party
Hello All,
Oh, and a special hello to Parnell, I miss my friend and am glad I heard from you. :-)
Happy Christmas as they say over here!
Last night John and I threw our first party. It was a Christmas/Thanksgiving/Housewarming party. I know that sounds odd, but all of our friends wanted a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and a housewarming. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving isn't a national holiday over here, nor were all of his friends available last weekend and I was already in the Christmas spirit so it ended up being a combination of a bunch of different ideas held on December 1st.
Luckily, I have been trained well by my mother, being her assistant for several Christmas' and Thanksgivings. I knew to buy my ingredients ahead of time, especially the turkey, since it takes forever to thaw out. Now this became a little complicated because all my recipes are in standard measurement, not metric. Fortunately, I have a measurement conversion website saved on my PC as a favourite place. So I sat here, with my recipes, typing in measurements, and then looking for the closest possible package available on Sainsbury's Online. I love that they deliver!
I decided to make the turkey, the stuffing, and the yams. Then I proceeded to delegate who had what. Once my invite e-mail came out I had a surprising couple of questions to answer. A: What are yams? B: What is a White Elephant gift exchange? I tried explaining the gift exchange to people as we saw them out, it didn't work. I tried to explain what yams were, it didn't work. I finally wrote an e-mail explaining as best I could about both, but finally just said bring a wrapped present, £5 limit.
Next I had to come up with games. John had a pub quiz game that we decided to try. I'll explain more about that later. I found the Guess the Christmas Carol picture game online, that is always fun. For example, one picture has a knight putting his finger to his lips and going, "Shhhh!" Anyone? Anyone? . . . . Silent Night! How fun is that?
At the same time, we still hadn't gotten all of the furniture that I wanted for the living room, will put pictures up soon, so John and I had to make a mad dash to Argos to get the last big piece of furniture for the lounge/living room. John then proceeded to put it together, not a good idea to be in the same room, he gets frustrated easily and swears like a sailor. I think next time I'LL go to the pub and read for a bit. ;-)
Finally the morning dawned and I was up early cleaning house. My mom always cleaned house before guests came and that has stuck with me for a long time. I tidied up, moved stuff where people wouldn't see it, and put up some last minute decorations. Then I started to cook.
I made the Everyday Italian Turkey with Citrus and Herbs de Provence and also her infamous Ciabatta, Pancetta, and Chestnut Stuffing. For the yams I looked in my Joy of Cooking cookbook. I hold on to this cookbook because it was given to my parents when they were married . . . years ago. Mom told me once she missed it and knew dad had it. I bought her a new one but somehow ended up with Dad's copy years later. Some of the recipes are pretty complicated but everytime I try one, I have to tell you, it is delicious. So I pulled out the candied yam recipe, seemed very similar to the recipe my mom and stepmom follow. The only thing different was to add some lemon juice and lemon zest. I did that and I have to tell you, it was REALLY good! But I am getting ahead of myself. Since I had ordered a 20 pound turkey I had to time everyting, along with what everyone else was bringing as well. John also had to help me lift the damn turkey in and out of the oven, but all the while I was thinking, turkey sandwiches, turkey sandwiches! Come on, you all know that left over turkey is the best!
Everything was set up and ready to go. Chris and Dee were the first to arrive. They are just wonderful people but live out in the country so I don't get to see them often. They have dated for a long time but got married this year; John was best man. John and Chris are both from Winscombe and have known each other since school. When John's mom showed me pictures of him as a child there was Chris, the two teenagers with smug looks on their faces. They brought the Broccoli Casserole and the rolls. Two items down, ready to go, now we were just waiting for the rest.
Next came Nicola and Gid with Gid's infamous mashed potatoes. He finished them up by hand, without an electric mixer and they were still smooth and beautiful. I have to say I was impressed. A lot of Americans need mixers to make SMOOTH potatoes.
After that came Natalie, who has been in India for about three weeks for a wedding and to hang with friends. I missed her, she was my first girl friend in London and has been so good to me.
Finally, Steve, Natalie's boyfriend, Helen, and Dan showed up. This completed my guest list. Steve and Helen are also old friends of John's. He has known them since secondary school. Dan was someone Steve met a while ago, as a roommate, but he is becoming a close knit member of the group too.
Dan was in charge of the cheese and crackers or biscuits as they say over here. He brought them in and I asked him to put them in the center of the room so people could eat them. One of the girls said, "Oh are we eating them now, we usually eat cheese and biscuits after the meal." I never thought of that before, but it is true, cheese and biscuits are served before the meal in the US and after in the UK. But oh the cheeses Dan brought. OH, how I love England and their cheeses! We had brie, stilton, feta, another type of brie, a cheddar with chives . . . loads of cheeses.
People started to settle down, have their drinks, watch football. A typical Thanksgiving if you ask me, even if the football was a different kind over here. All the while I was fixing things, getting everything set up, finalizing the food set up. A lot of the people commented on how calm I was. I just said I have had lots of practice with my mom, she has trained me well. Haven't you mom? ;-)
Finally it was time to eat. Everyone served themselves in buffet style and sat around in the lounge. The turkey was perfect, the gravy was thick, the stuffing fantastic, the broccoli casserole cheesy, the potatoes amazing, and my yams were a big hit. What can I say, everyone was excited about the yams.
I started to put away the food but was told by all to leave it out, they would be coming back in for round two/three soon.
Soon after that we had our gift exchange. I had everyone pick a number and we chose gifts in that order. It was a riot how quickly they picked up on the idea of stealing. Gid, who was number 10, was funny in that he picked his own gift, a lottery scratcher. Steve, who was next stole it from him. Gid, cussing and complaining with good humour, worked out with me that if he stole his girlfriend Nicola's bottle of cider she had unwrapped, she could steal back the ticket from Steve. So he took her bottle and said, "Nicola darling, you know what to do!" Everyone was laughing hysterically as she received Steve's scratcher and poor Steve had to get another gift.
Then we played the Guess the Christmas Carol game. John didn't think they would be into it, but his friends were. The winning couple were Chris and Dee, and they received a beautiful bottle of bubbly for it. I started to clean up while everyone socialized but Gid came over, kicked me out of my kitchen, and finished washing up the dishes for me. What a sweetheart!
After that we played the pub quiz. I broke the group into three teams of three and John was quiz master. We had a white board to write our answers on for the different rounds/categories. I was surprised, despite a lot of the questions being English based questions, how well I was able to help. But, it was really funny when I cleaned house on the British Monarchs category. I think I only missed one out of eight. I put George I was from Hapsburg, not Hanover. Either way, our team still won and at the end of the night, Nicola borrowed my book on the Queens and Kings of England.
Next we had dessert. Treacle Tart, Mince Pies, and a Pecan Tart with ice cream and whipped cream. Trading Places with Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy was on and we sat around and watched that for a little bit. Then everyone went home, full, tired, and happy, especially Gid who had three turkey sandwiches after the whole meal!
I am pretty positive my party was a success. There isn't much of that turkey left, I KNOW, 20 POUNDS, nor any other item on the menu. We didn't run out, but had just enough. Now comes the clean up . . . . sweeping the floors, putting out the rest of the rubbish, etc. But, it was still all worth it and loads of fun.
Oh, and a special hello to Parnell, I miss my friend and am glad I heard from you. :-)
Happy Christmas as they say over here!
Last night John and I threw our first party. It was a Christmas/Thanksgiving/Housewarming party. I know that sounds odd, but all of our friends wanted a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and a housewarming. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving isn't a national holiday over here, nor were all of his friends available last weekend and I was already in the Christmas spirit so it ended up being a combination of a bunch of different ideas held on December 1st.
Luckily, I have been trained well by my mother, being her assistant for several Christmas' and Thanksgivings. I knew to buy my ingredients ahead of time, especially the turkey, since it takes forever to thaw out. Now this became a little complicated because all my recipes are in standard measurement, not metric. Fortunately, I have a measurement conversion website saved on my PC as a favourite place. So I sat here, with my recipes, typing in measurements, and then looking for the closest possible package available on Sainsbury's Online. I love that they deliver!
I decided to make the turkey, the stuffing, and the yams. Then I proceeded to delegate who had what. Once my invite e-mail came out I had a surprising couple of questions to answer. A: What are yams? B: What is a White Elephant gift exchange? I tried explaining the gift exchange to people as we saw them out, it didn't work. I tried to explain what yams were, it didn't work. I finally wrote an e-mail explaining as best I could about both, but finally just said bring a wrapped present, £5 limit.
Next I had to come up with games. John had a pub quiz game that we decided to try. I'll explain more about that later. I found the Guess the Christmas Carol picture game online, that is always fun. For example, one picture has a knight putting his finger to his lips and going, "Shhhh!" Anyone? Anyone? . . . . Silent Night! How fun is that?
At the same time, we still hadn't gotten all of the furniture that I wanted for the living room, will put pictures up soon, so John and I had to make a mad dash to Argos to get the last big piece of furniture for the lounge/living room. John then proceeded to put it together, not a good idea to be in the same room, he gets frustrated easily and swears like a sailor. I think next time I'LL go to the pub and read for a bit. ;-)
Finally the morning dawned and I was up early cleaning house. My mom always cleaned house before guests came and that has stuck with me for a long time. I tidied up, moved stuff where people wouldn't see it, and put up some last minute decorations. Then I started to cook.
I made the Everyday Italian Turkey with Citrus and Herbs de Provence and also her infamous Ciabatta, Pancetta, and Chestnut Stuffing. For the yams I looked in my Joy of Cooking cookbook. I hold on to this cookbook because it was given to my parents when they were married . . . years ago. Mom told me once she missed it and knew dad had it. I bought her a new one but somehow ended up with Dad's copy years later. Some of the recipes are pretty complicated but everytime I try one, I have to tell you, it is delicious. So I pulled out the candied yam recipe, seemed very similar to the recipe my mom and stepmom follow. The only thing different was to add some lemon juice and lemon zest. I did that and I have to tell you, it was REALLY good! But I am getting ahead of myself. Since I had ordered a 20 pound turkey I had to time everyting, along with what everyone else was bringing as well. John also had to help me lift the damn turkey in and out of the oven, but all the while I was thinking, turkey sandwiches, turkey sandwiches! Come on, you all know that left over turkey is the best!
Everything was set up and ready to go. Chris and Dee were the first to arrive. They are just wonderful people but live out in the country so I don't get to see them often. They have dated for a long time but got married this year; John was best man. John and Chris are both from Winscombe and have known each other since school. When John's mom showed me pictures of him as a child there was Chris, the two teenagers with smug looks on their faces. They brought the Broccoli Casserole and the rolls. Two items down, ready to go, now we were just waiting for the rest.
Next came Nicola and Gid with Gid's infamous mashed potatoes. He finished them up by hand, without an electric mixer and they were still smooth and beautiful. I have to say I was impressed. A lot of Americans need mixers to make SMOOTH potatoes.
After that came Natalie, who has been in India for about three weeks for a wedding and to hang with friends. I missed her, she was my first girl friend in London and has been so good to me.
Finally, Steve, Natalie's boyfriend, Helen, and Dan showed up. This completed my guest list. Steve and Helen are also old friends of John's. He has known them since secondary school. Dan was someone Steve met a while ago, as a roommate, but he is becoming a close knit member of the group too.
Dan was in charge of the cheese and crackers or biscuits as they say over here. He brought them in and I asked him to put them in the center of the room so people could eat them. One of the girls said, "Oh are we eating them now, we usually eat cheese and biscuits after the meal." I never thought of that before, but it is true, cheese and biscuits are served before the meal in the US and after in the UK. But oh the cheeses Dan brought. OH, how I love England and their cheeses! We had brie, stilton, feta, another type of brie, a cheddar with chives . . . loads of cheeses.
People started to settle down, have their drinks, watch football. A typical Thanksgiving if you ask me, even if the football was a different kind over here. All the while I was fixing things, getting everything set up, finalizing the food set up. A lot of the people commented on how calm I was. I just said I have had lots of practice with my mom, she has trained me well. Haven't you mom? ;-)
Finally it was time to eat. Everyone served themselves in buffet style and sat around in the lounge. The turkey was perfect, the gravy was thick, the stuffing fantastic, the broccoli casserole cheesy, the potatoes amazing, and my yams were a big hit. What can I say, everyone was excited about the yams.
I started to put away the food but was told by all to leave it out, they would be coming back in for round two/three soon.
Soon after that we had our gift exchange. I had everyone pick a number and we chose gifts in that order. It was a riot how quickly they picked up on the idea of stealing. Gid, who was number 10, was funny in that he picked his own gift, a lottery scratcher. Steve, who was next stole it from him. Gid, cussing and complaining with good humour, worked out with me that if he stole his girlfriend Nicola's bottle of cider she had unwrapped, she could steal back the ticket from Steve. So he took her bottle and said, "Nicola darling, you know what to do!" Everyone was laughing hysterically as she received Steve's scratcher and poor Steve had to get another gift.
Then we played the Guess the Christmas Carol game. John didn't think they would be into it, but his friends were. The winning couple were Chris and Dee, and they received a beautiful bottle of bubbly for it. I started to clean up while everyone socialized but Gid came over, kicked me out of my kitchen, and finished washing up the dishes for me. What a sweetheart!
After that we played the pub quiz. I broke the group into three teams of three and John was quiz master. We had a white board to write our answers on for the different rounds/categories. I was surprised, despite a lot of the questions being English based questions, how well I was able to help. But, it was really funny when I cleaned house on the British Monarchs category. I think I only missed one out of eight. I put George I was from Hapsburg, not Hanover. Either way, our team still won and at the end of the night, Nicola borrowed my book on the Queens and Kings of England.
Next we had dessert. Treacle Tart, Mince Pies, and a Pecan Tart with ice cream and whipped cream. Trading Places with Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy was on and we sat around and watched that for a little bit. Then everyone went home, full, tired, and happy, especially Gid who had three turkey sandwiches after the whole meal!
I am pretty positive my party was a success. There isn't much of that turkey left, I KNOW, 20 POUNDS, nor any other item on the menu. We didn't run out, but had just enough. Now comes the clean up . . . . sweeping the floors, putting out the rest of the rubbish, etc. But, it was still all worth it and loads of fun.
Friday, 9 November 2007
Jenny and Larissa
Hello Lovely Readers!
Apparently, I am saying lovely a lot now since moving to London. It hardly seems almost three months since I moved here, it feels like forever . . . but in a good way! Larissa arrived in London last Friday evening and I walked down to her hotel to pick her up. We caught up quickly on what was going on in her life and what was going on in mine. It was nice to have her around, giving me the third degree, like a good older cousin/sister should. I think I passed the test and convinced her of my happiness. It shouldn't take much, I am truly happy here. I can honestly say I don't EVER want to go back.
We then proceeded to take the underground, something which Larissa had gotten a crash course in earlier, by taking it during RUSH HOUR! Way to go Larissa, I am proud, I avoid the standing room only crunch as much as possible.
We reached the airport after an hour of underground madness and finally a member of my family met my John. He was sitting in the airport pub, after seeing our two friends, Steve and Nat, off to India. He ordered us beer and chips/fries, as we were both starving. Then he proceeded to work his charm, the same that won me over, on Larissa. Soon, she was under his spell and he had her full stamp of approval.
Jenny arrived a little past 10, she walked out looking disgruntled, no surprise for Jenny, and we took the long train ride back to Tufnell Park, talking the whole way, John in the background, standing silently with Jenny's luggage under his guard.
We then went to the Boston, our local Irish pub, and since it was Keraoke night, Jenny proceeded to glance through the song book with Larissa, making fun of the available songs while having their first English pint. Having Jenny there was like a ray of sunlight. I missed her, my best friend, my twin soul, my sister. I am happy, but to have her sit there, meet my John, see my new home, and live my new life with me only made it even better to get up the next morning and every morning since then.
I walked them around the next day to Portobello Road, Notting Hill, the famous antique market. We then rushed down to Green Park to walk from Buckingham Palace to Westminster and have the girls do the basics. Here we met John, who proceeded to act as a tour guide, filling in with tidbits of history and fact. Yet again, he was his wonderful, charming self and won over Jenny and Larissa.
Saturday night we went to Alexandra Palace, a community center of sorts, to witness Bonfire Night fireworks. In the back of the humongous building there was a large grassy area on a hill that we all stood around. Apparently there were fifty thousand people there and I don't blame them. Not only could you see the fireworks show for the Ali Pali as we called it, but you could see shows all over London due to our elevation. I have to say, afterwards I hung my head in shame as an American. The fireworks show I saw was the BEST I have ever seen. I saw fireworks that I have never seen in America. They had trippy ones that would be shot up, spin in the air like a pinwheel while shooting off sparks for an uncanny amount of time, then explode in a rage of color. They had others that were just unbelievable, and indescribable unless you were there. Believe me, Jenny, who lives in Washington D.C, and has seen the Capitol's 4th of July celebration agreed with me readily, the fireworks were absolutely amazing. They were also coordinated to music such as the battle theme from the movie Excalibur, the Flower Duet, the Nutcracker, works by Beethoven, and other famous beautiful pieces of music. Yet still, I am telling you, the fireworks were more vivid, colorful, and overall, breathtaking than anything I have ever seen in America. Poor Guy Fawkes . . . and he was only the pansy.
http://www.bonefire.org/guy/index.php
After that Jenny got to meet a few of my new friends. Dan, who is from Liverpool, and his dirty but funny sense of humour. His friend Simon, who for once, was not playing the sulky silent type. My girls, Nicola and Helen, who despite their size and weight, surprised Jenny in their ability to drink a few. Jenny was the hit of the night and everyone adored my sister, as well they should because she is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Sunday Larissa was suffering as I had once suffered when initially moving to England. We Los Angeleans think we walk, but really, we DON'T. We have no idea what it is to walk. I can confirm this by my experience with blisters, calluses, and new comfortable walking shoes. It has taken me three months to get use to the walking and still, sometimes I wake up with sore, crampy feet. We managed to make it to Regent's Park, which has beautiful Regency, Jane Austen time period, buildings surrounding it. Then we met up with Jenny and had a few pints along with the traditional Sunday English Roast. Then we got to see additional fireworks around town, since technically Guy Fawkes Night was on a Monday this year. . . . yeah, they lasted Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday people! Hello Americans . . why don't we do that!!!!!!
Overall I think the girls got to see the things I love most about this country . . .the humour, the history, the culture, the people, the pride . . . . and most importantly, my best friend and love, John. Both have said that they can't wait to come back and I told them, I am not going anywhere. I love it here and still pinch myself everyday . . . I am in London . . .living MY dream. . . . .living MY life
Next . . . I have no idea . . . but I will think of something interesting I am sure! ;-)
Apparently, I am saying lovely a lot now since moving to London. It hardly seems almost three months since I moved here, it feels like forever . . . but in a good way! Larissa arrived in London last Friday evening and I walked down to her hotel to pick her up. We caught up quickly on what was going on in her life and what was going on in mine. It was nice to have her around, giving me the third degree, like a good older cousin/sister should. I think I passed the test and convinced her of my happiness. It shouldn't take much, I am truly happy here. I can honestly say I don't EVER want to go back.
We then proceeded to take the underground, something which Larissa had gotten a crash course in earlier, by taking it during RUSH HOUR! Way to go Larissa, I am proud, I avoid the standing room only crunch as much as possible.
We reached the airport after an hour of underground madness and finally a member of my family met my John. He was sitting in the airport pub, after seeing our two friends, Steve and Nat, off to India. He ordered us beer and chips/fries, as we were both starving. Then he proceeded to work his charm, the same that won me over, on Larissa. Soon, she was under his spell and he had her full stamp of approval.
Jenny arrived a little past 10, she walked out looking disgruntled, no surprise for Jenny, and we took the long train ride back to Tufnell Park, talking the whole way, John in the background, standing silently with Jenny's luggage under his guard.
We then went to the Boston, our local Irish pub, and since it was Keraoke night, Jenny proceeded to glance through the song book with Larissa, making fun of the available songs while having their first English pint. Having Jenny there was like a ray of sunlight. I missed her, my best friend, my twin soul, my sister. I am happy, but to have her sit there, meet my John, see my new home, and live my new life with me only made it even better to get up the next morning and every morning since then.
I walked them around the next day to Portobello Road, Notting Hill, the famous antique market. We then rushed down to Green Park to walk from Buckingham Palace to Westminster and have the girls do the basics. Here we met John, who proceeded to act as a tour guide, filling in with tidbits of history and fact. Yet again, he was his wonderful, charming self and won over Jenny and Larissa.
Saturday night we went to Alexandra Palace, a community center of sorts, to witness Bonfire Night fireworks. In the back of the humongous building there was a large grassy area on a hill that we all stood around. Apparently there were fifty thousand people there and I don't blame them. Not only could you see the fireworks show for the Ali Pali as we called it, but you could see shows all over London due to our elevation. I have to say, afterwards I hung my head in shame as an American. The fireworks show I saw was the BEST I have ever seen. I saw fireworks that I have never seen in America. They had trippy ones that would be shot up, spin in the air like a pinwheel while shooting off sparks for an uncanny amount of time, then explode in a rage of color. They had others that were just unbelievable, and indescribable unless you were there. Believe me, Jenny, who lives in Washington D.C, and has seen the Capitol's 4th of July celebration agreed with me readily, the fireworks were absolutely amazing. They were also coordinated to music such as the battle theme from the movie Excalibur, the Flower Duet, the Nutcracker, works by Beethoven, and other famous beautiful pieces of music. Yet still, I am telling you, the fireworks were more vivid, colorful, and overall, breathtaking than anything I have ever seen in America. Poor Guy Fawkes . . . and he was only the pansy.
http://www.bonefire.org/guy/index.php
After that Jenny got to meet a few of my new friends. Dan, who is from Liverpool, and his dirty but funny sense of humour. His friend Simon, who for once, was not playing the sulky silent type. My girls, Nicola and Helen, who despite their size and weight, surprised Jenny in their ability to drink a few. Jenny was the hit of the night and everyone adored my sister, as well they should because she is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Sunday Larissa was suffering as I had once suffered when initially moving to England. We Los Angeleans think we walk, but really, we DON'T. We have no idea what it is to walk. I can confirm this by my experience with blisters, calluses, and new comfortable walking shoes. It has taken me three months to get use to the walking and still, sometimes I wake up with sore, crampy feet. We managed to make it to Regent's Park, which has beautiful Regency, Jane Austen time period, buildings surrounding it. Then we met up with Jenny and had a few pints along with the traditional Sunday English Roast. Then we got to see additional fireworks around town, since technically Guy Fawkes Night was on a Monday this year. . . . yeah, they lasted Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday people! Hello Americans . . why don't we do that!!!!!!
Overall I think the girls got to see the things I love most about this country . . .the humour, the history, the culture, the people, the pride . . . . and most importantly, my best friend and love, John. Both have said that they can't wait to come back and I told them, I am not going anywhere. I love it here and still pinch myself everyday . . . I am in London . . .living MY dream. . . . .living MY life
Next . . . I have no idea . . . but I will think of something interesting I am sure! ;-)
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
John and His Work
Hello friends and family!
Just thought you might like to know a little more about what my man does. Here is the Harper Collins Blog site where he often contributes opinions, summaries of festivals, and commentary on all sorts of things. http://fifthestate.co.uk/author/johnrivers/
Here are also a few projects he has been working on to promote books published by his company.
This is about warfare in Afghanistan:
http://www.3-para.co.uk/
This website/quiz is lots of fun, I actually got a pretty high score, hint, some of the answers are just repeats of the questions.
www.thislittlebritain.co.uk
He also created a Facebook page for William Shakespeare and an upcoming book about him, but I can't find it now, he might have taken it down.
But I was able to find the one he created for Gidget . . .
http://apps.facebook.com/catbook/profile.php?id=765365
Anywho, just to give you an idea what a digital marketing manager does . . .
Just thought you might like to know a little more about what my man does. Here is the Harper Collins Blog site where he often contributes opinions, summaries of festivals, and commentary on all sorts of things. http://fifthestate.co.uk/author/johnrivers/
Here are also a few projects he has been working on to promote books published by his company.
This is about warfare in Afghanistan:
http://www.3-para.co.uk/
This website/quiz is lots of fun, I actually got a pretty high score, hint, some of the answers are just repeats of the questions.
www.thislittlebritain.co.uk
He also created a Facebook page for William Shakespeare and an upcoming book about him, but I can't find it now, he might have taken it down.
But I was able to find the one he created for Gidget . . .
http://apps.facebook.com/catbook/profile.php?id=765365
Anywho, just to give you an idea what a digital marketing manager does . . .
Monday, 22 October 2007
Gidget
Hello all,
Gidget is safe and sound. Sandy, Mom, and Jimmie thank you for taking such excellent care of her. She looks healthy and happy.
On Tuesday I called the Pet Travel Scheme and asked how Gidget would be when we picked her up at Heathrow. I discovered that they would not only clean her up should she make any messes during her journey, but they have private little rooms with cat runs where they would keep her when she arrived. They also said that she would be a little scared, not eat a lot, and take a few days to really settle back down into her routines.
When we arrived at Heathrow on Tuesday evening I was totally expecting a shocked and silent kitty. I was also expecting it to last for a few days. I was worried that she wouldn't remember me, that she would be scarred for life, and that I had done the wrong thing. These feelings did not last long. As soon as I asked one attendant to bring me my kitty, another one came out and told me how lovely and friendly my cat was. She had been playing and petting herself against everyone who came in contact with her. When I heard this, I knew that Gidget was okay. Most of you know how friendly Gidget is, and if she could be that friendly after going through the whole airplane ride ordeal, I knew she would be alright. Finally they brought her out. Her eyes were dilated to the point where you couldn't tell what color her eyes were. She also was as silent as a tomb, which most of you who have met Gidget will know is not normally the case. She is very talkative. I just held her while John called for a cab and kept talking to her. She didn't really acknowledge me and looking back, I still think she was in a daze. By the time we got her into the back seat of the cab she started to meow and recognize me, at least that is what I suspected. My suspicions were confirmed on the train ride home when she continuously moved inside the container to whatever side I was closest to on the outside. If I was near the right front, that was where she would move to.
We got her home and placed her by the litter box. She walked out of her container on her own and I immediately picked her up, showed her the litter box and her food. She wandered around, meowing and sniffing at all the parts of the flat. Finally, within five minutes, she had used her litter box, eaten her food, scratched on her scratching pad, and discovered her bed. They said days . . . it took only minutes and my cat was rolling on her back, loving her new home. The first night she slept right by me, which is unusual, she usually sleeps at my feet. Needless to say, she recovered quickly, is eating like a pig, and is happy to be with her mommy. She follows me around still, loving to be in the room I am in. Even John has noticed and said he understands now why I couldn't part with her. She and I are too attached to each other.
Speaking of John. He referred to her before she arrived as his lodger, with rolling eyes and a bit of sarcasm. Now, Gidget has her own Facebook page, created by John, her own picture folder on John's PC (these are all pictures he has taken of her by the way, not me), and Gidget is starting to sit next to him or go to him almost as much as she goes to me. I don't think she is just a lodger anymore. . . .
Gidget is safe and sound. Sandy, Mom, and Jimmie thank you for taking such excellent care of her. She looks healthy and happy.
On Tuesday I called the Pet Travel Scheme and asked how Gidget would be when we picked her up at Heathrow. I discovered that they would not only clean her up should she make any messes during her journey, but they have private little rooms with cat runs where they would keep her when she arrived. They also said that she would be a little scared, not eat a lot, and take a few days to really settle back down into her routines.
When we arrived at Heathrow on Tuesday evening I was totally expecting a shocked and silent kitty. I was also expecting it to last for a few days. I was worried that she wouldn't remember me, that she would be scarred for life, and that I had done the wrong thing. These feelings did not last long. As soon as I asked one attendant to bring me my kitty, another one came out and told me how lovely and friendly my cat was. She had been playing and petting herself against everyone who came in contact with her. When I heard this, I knew that Gidget was okay. Most of you know how friendly Gidget is, and if she could be that friendly after going through the whole airplane ride ordeal, I knew she would be alright. Finally they brought her out. Her eyes were dilated to the point where you couldn't tell what color her eyes were. She also was as silent as a tomb, which most of you who have met Gidget will know is not normally the case. She is very talkative. I just held her while John called for a cab and kept talking to her. She didn't really acknowledge me and looking back, I still think she was in a daze. By the time we got her into the back seat of the cab she started to meow and recognize me, at least that is what I suspected. My suspicions were confirmed on the train ride home when she continuously moved inside the container to whatever side I was closest to on the outside. If I was near the right front, that was where she would move to.
We got her home and placed her by the litter box. She walked out of her container on her own and I immediately picked her up, showed her the litter box and her food. She wandered around, meowing and sniffing at all the parts of the flat. Finally, within five minutes, she had used her litter box, eaten her food, scratched on her scratching pad, and discovered her bed. They said days . . . it took only minutes and my cat was rolling on her back, loving her new home. The first night she slept right by me, which is unusual, she usually sleeps at my feet. Needless to say, she recovered quickly, is eating like a pig, and is happy to be with her mommy. She follows me around still, loving to be in the room I am in. Even John has noticed and said he understands now why I couldn't part with her. She and I are too attached to each other.
Speaking of John. He referred to her before she arrived as his lodger, with rolling eyes and a bit of sarcasm. Now, Gidget has her own Facebook page, created by John, her own picture folder on John's PC (these are all pictures he has taken of her by the way, not me), and Gidget is starting to sit next to him or go to him almost as much as she goes to me. I don't think she is just a lodger anymore. . . .
Winscombe and John's Family
Hello Readers! I know, I know I have been slacking off on the blogs lately. It isn't that I haven't had things to write about, it is just soooooo busy at work. But here I am, on my first half term holiday, and now the ideas that have been in my head can be freed and written forth!
A few weeks ago John and I went to visit John's parents in Winscombe. It is a beautiful place, a small English countryside village, run mostly by Quakers, therefore there is only one pub in the entire village. The village winds up and down hills, and is surrounded by farms, cows, and other forms of nature. It takes about two hours on a good traffic day to get there by coach, but on our Friday night it took over three. I was in a bad mood because I had to rush from Dagenham, where I work, to Newbury Park, where I have to drop off my timesheets, to Victoria station, where I was to get on the coach with John. Needless to say, I had been running, literally, 2 and 1/2 hours, on all different sorts of trains, by the time I got to Victoria where John was waiting for me. I was not in a good mood, and John, bless him, called, not realizing my situation, and had the nerve to say, "Hurry up please!" Oh, he has learned his lesson ladies and gentlemen, he has learned his lesson. :-) Right John?
So we get there finally, and John's dad is waiting to pick us up. John's dad has a great sense of humour, pretty easy going, and full of facts and knowledge about England, its culture, and its history. I enjoy talking to him and am always learning something new or being corrected gently on something I said. Such as, there are no back yards in England, you do not ever refer to a garden as a yard. I don't mind, it is stuff I need to know in order to correctly converse with people here and he never says it in an overbearing or rude way.
Finally we arrive at the house and John's mom is there, waiting for me. Imagine the sweetest hostess in the world, next to mom, and this is Janet, John's mom. She smiles and takes me in her arms and gives me a secure hug and I know I am safe and warm for the night. The mad dash to the train station, the super long coach ride; they are all forgotten when John's mom hugs me. Then, to top things off, I get to meet Jemma, John's sister, and her husband James. Jemma is expecting her first child in February and was as cute as could be by continuously rubbing her tummy in an absent minded way. We ate Janet's wonderful cooking she had waiting for us and decided to head into the lounge to pay with John senior's new Wii.
The Wii is the game console with a wireless hand held controller that you can use like a bat, a tennis racket, or a bowling ball depending on what game you are playing. We decided to play ten pin bowling and I soon had the hang of the controller. In other words, ladies and gentlemen, I kicked some butt and won with a 185 score. Dad, are you proud?
Next morning I woke up to the sound of mooing cows coming from the farmer's field next door, and the smell of toast coming from downstairs. Breakfast was amazing, as usual when Janet cooks, and off she, Jemma and I went to shop in Bristol. The boys, including John's younger brother Jack, were heading to Jack's football game.
Downtown Bristol is amazing, the shops are similar to those in the States, but there aren't many shopping malls that are indoor. I have learned to love Marks and Spencer and bought practical walking and working winter shoes from them. But this weekend I discovered House of Fraser and other stores that are just as nice. I also was happy to discover that Jemma, Janet, and I have similar tastes in fashion. It was nice to know this and also nice to discover how easy it was to talk to both of them and get along with them during the course of the day.
Finally we all met back at the house and enjoyed an evening of curry cooked by John's mom. In England, Indian food is referred to as curry, or as to having a curry. Janet did an amazing job and the meal was superb. I am learning to enjoy the spiciness of curry more and more and using it as a substitute for my decent Mexican food cravings. I especially like the potato curry and beef curry.
The next morning I got to experience the town of Cheddar. Yes, my faithful readers, this is where the cheese was created. But, there is also an amazing rock gorge called Cheddar Gorge. This natural rock formation goes up hundreds of feet and runs on for several miles. As John's father drove us up through it I got to see tons of people repelling and climbing at different points along the gorge. I also got to see small and large mountain goats. It was crazy to see a long haired, long horned huge mountain goat out in the wild. Oh and the cheese, ahhhhh the cheese . . . . I think that is enough said.
Next ladies and gentlemen . . . . my lovely international kitty Gidget.
A few weeks ago John and I went to visit John's parents in Winscombe. It is a beautiful place, a small English countryside village, run mostly by Quakers, therefore there is only one pub in the entire village. The village winds up and down hills, and is surrounded by farms, cows, and other forms of nature. It takes about two hours on a good traffic day to get there by coach, but on our Friday night it took over three. I was in a bad mood because I had to rush from Dagenham, where I work, to Newbury Park, where I have to drop off my timesheets, to Victoria station, where I was to get on the coach with John. Needless to say, I had been running, literally, 2 and 1/2 hours, on all different sorts of trains, by the time I got to Victoria where John was waiting for me. I was not in a good mood, and John, bless him, called, not realizing my situation, and had the nerve to say, "Hurry up please!" Oh, he has learned his lesson ladies and gentlemen, he has learned his lesson. :-) Right John?
So we get there finally, and John's dad is waiting to pick us up. John's dad has a great sense of humour, pretty easy going, and full of facts and knowledge about England, its culture, and its history. I enjoy talking to him and am always learning something new or being corrected gently on something I said. Such as, there are no back yards in England, you do not ever refer to a garden as a yard. I don't mind, it is stuff I need to know in order to correctly converse with people here and he never says it in an overbearing or rude way.
Finally we arrive at the house and John's mom is there, waiting for me. Imagine the sweetest hostess in the world, next to mom, and this is Janet, John's mom. She smiles and takes me in her arms and gives me a secure hug and I know I am safe and warm for the night. The mad dash to the train station, the super long coach ride; they are all forgotten when John's mom hugs me. Then, to top things off, I get to meet Jemma, John's sister, and her husband James. Jemma is expecting her first child in February and was as cute as could be by continuously rubbing her tummy in an absent minded way. We ate Janet's wonderful cooking she had waiting for us and decided to head into the lounge to pay with John senior's new Wii.
The Wii is the game console with a wireless hand held controller that you can use like a bat, a tennis racket, or a bowling ball depending on what game you are playing. We decided to play ten pin bowling and I soon had the hang of the controller. In other words, ladies and gentlemen, I kicked some butt and won with a 185 score. Dad, are you proud?
Next morning I woke up to the sound of mooing cows coming from the farmer's field next door, and the smell of toast coming from downstairs. Breakfast was amazing, as usual when Janet cooks, and off she, Jemma and I went to shop in Bristol. The boys, including John's younger brother Jack, were heading to Jack's football game.
Downtown Bristol is amazing, the shops are similar to those in the States, but there aren't many shopping malls that are indoor. I have learned to love Marks and Spencer and bought practical walking and working winter shoes from them. But this weekend I discovered House of Fraser and other stores that are just as nice. I also was happy to discover that Jemma, Janet, and I have similar tastes in fashion. It was nice to know this and also nice to discover how easy it was to talk to both of them and get along with them during the course of the day.
Finally we all met back at the house and enjoyed an evening of curry cooked by John's mom. In England, Indian food is referred to as curry, or as to having a curry. Janet did an amazing job and the meal was superb. I am learning to enjoy the spiciness of curry more and more and using it as a substitute for my decent Mexican food cravings. I especially like the potato curry and beef curry.
The next morning I got to experience the town of Cheddar. Yes, my faithful readers, this is where the cheese was created. But, there is also an amazing rock gorge called Cheddar Gorge. This natural rock formation goes up hundreds of feet and runs on for several miles. As John's father drove us up through it I got to see tons of people repelling and climbing at different points along the gorge. I also got to see small and large mountain goats. It was crazy to see a long haired, long horned huge mountain goat out in the wild. Oh and the cheese, ahhhhh the cheese . . . . I think that is enough said.
Next ladies and gentlemen . . . . my lovely international kitty Gidget.
Sunday, 23 September 2007
Weekends in London
So . . . . I work hard all week, go to sleep, get up early, ride the train, etc. Finally, when every Friday rolls around I find myself excited. Not only because I get to spend some quality time with John, but because every weekend I am here always sees me discovering something new about London. A few weeks ago we went to an Indian Festival in Central London on Regent Street. There was another festival, the Singapore Chili Crab Festival, going on near Brick Lane at the same time. I also visited the famous Spitfields market and bought myself an over the shoulder purse made entirely out of one long zipper. It was so neat and only £12. I like it because I can strap it across my shoulder and walk with both hands free, which is a great benefit on the tube and streets of London.
The following weekend I found myself out with friends and walking through the Spanish part of London. We walked into this pub and there were a flamenco band and dancers, perfectly in time with each other, dancing and playing incredibly for a good half hour. Now I have seen the movie Strictly Ballroom, so I was familiar with this form of dancing. I have also seen Folklorico dancing in California. But I have to tell you, words cannot describe how amazing, how breathtaking, how absolutely awesome these dancers were. And I mean awesome in its original sense; believe me I was in AWE.
The next day John and I bought a bunch of picnic stuff and went out to Hampstead Heath to have a picnic and hang out. It was beautiful, peaceful, and restful. We were on top of a hill, under an English Oak, overlooking one of the larger ponds. There were people around but they were so far away in their own little areas that we were undisturbed. There were almost no buildings, trees everywhere, a light breeze, and blue sky. John and I read, ate, talked, and just enjoyed each other's company. I walked around on the cool grass with my shoes off and just listened to the silence, the birds, the peace. I can't wait to do that again.
This weekend John and I met up with Steve and Nat to attend our friend Chris' birthday barbeque out in the country. Now John's friends are mostly made up of school friends and their wives and girlfriends. Fortunately for me, I have been able to hit it off with all of the girlfriends and friends. I enjoy hanging out with them, even without John, and am thankful for their acceptance, inclusion, and care. It truly is a greater experience because of all of them. Thank you. You know who you are!
So after the barbeque, which was fun despite a certain group of people who were rather quiet, we headed back out to central London and the West End. We walked along the Thames, past theLondon Eye, St. Paul's behind us, and were coming up on Waterloo Bridge. As we passed the National Theater we noticed a bunch of people sitting around and staring up at a wall. On the side of the theater they were playing Wuthering Heights with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon, complete with loud speakers so all around could hear. I wanted to stay but Steve knew of this incredible bar, down in an old cellar, where you actually walked into carved cave-like areas lit by candles to sit and drink wine or sherry. So we left Cathy and Heathcliff to their own destruction and walked across Charring Cross bridge to see about this pub. It truly was incredible, especially all the war and royal memorabilia around. There were also antiques, old casks, and funny workers with great personalities. John and I want to go back there when it isn't so crowded though. Here is the link, check it out! http://www.gordonswinebar.com/
Finally Natalie and Steve had to go home so John and I ended up in the Boston Arms, the Irish pub across the street from the flat. Did I mention that of all the areas of London, I am living in the "Irish" section. How funny is that? Anywho, we went into the Boston, listened to an Irish band perform a combination of country, Irish, and classic rock and roll hits. It was amazing. What another great weekend!
Every weekend something new is discovered, learned, or experienced. I am truly living life and taking everything it can give me right now! Natalie said this weekend that life is going to be over for her when she turns thirty. I looked at her and said, nope, life doesn't really begin UNTIL you are 30. Look at me, I am living proof!
Next weekend John and I are taking a trip to the National Gallery and the Sherlock Holmes museum. Requests for anything Sherlock . . . anyone . . . . anyone . . . Bueller?
The following weekend I found myself out with friends and walking through the Spanish part of London. We walked into this pub and there were a flamenco band and dancers, perfectly in time with each other, dancing and playing incredibly for a good half hour. Now I have seen the movie Strictly Ballroom, so I was familiar with this form of dancing. I have also seen Folklorico dancing in California. But I have to tell you, words cannot describe how amazing, how breathtaking, how absolutely awesome these dancers were. And I mean awesome in its original sense; believe me I was in AWE.
The next day John and I bought a bunch of picnic stuff and went out to Hampstead Heath to have a picnic and hang out. It was beautiful, peaceful, and restful. We were on top of a hill, under an English Oak, overlooking one of the larger ponds. There were people around but they were so far away in their own little areas that we were undisturbed. There were almost no buildings, trees everywhere, a light breeze, and blue sky. John and I read, ate, talked, and just enjoyed each other's company. I walked around on the cool grass with my shoes off and just listened to the silence, the birds, the peace. I can't wait to do that again.
This weekend John and I met up with Steve and Nat to attend our friend Chris' birthday barbeque out in the country. Now John's friends are mostly made up of school friends and their wives and girlfriends. Fortunately for me, I have been able to hit it off with all of the girlfriends and friends. I enjoy hanging out with them, even without John, and am thankful for their acceptance, inclusion, and care. It truly is a greater experience because of all of them. Thank you. You know who you are!
So after the barbeque, which was fun despite a certain group of people who were rather quiet, we headed back out to central London and the West End. We walked along the Thames, past theLondon Eye, St. Paul's behind us, and were coming up on Waterloo Bridge. As we passed the National Theater we noticed a bunch of people sitting around and staring up at a wall. On the side of the theater they were playing Wuthering Heights with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon, complete with loud speakers so all around could hear. I wanted to stay but Steve knew of this incredible bar, down in an old cellar, where you actually walked into carved cave-like areas lit by candles to sit and drink wine or sherry. So we left Cathy and Heathcliff to their own destruction and walked across Charring Cross bridge to see about this pub. It truly was incredible, especially all the war and royal memorabilia around. There were also antiques, old casks, and funny workers with great personalities. John and I want to go back there when it isn't so crowded though. Here is the link, check it out! http://www.gordonswinebar.com/
Finally Natalie and Steve had to go home so John and I ended up in the Boston Arms, the Irish pub across the street from the flat. Did I mention that of all the areas of London, I am living in the "Irish" section. How funny is that? Anywho, we went into the Boston, listened to an Irish band perform a combination of country, Irish, and classic rock and roll hits. It was amazing. What another great weekend!
Every weekend something new is discovered, learned, or experienced. I am truly living life and taking everything it can give me right now! Natalie said this weekend that life is going to be over for her when she turns thirty. I looked at her and said, nope, life doesn't really begin UNTIL you are 30. Look at me, I am living proof!
Next weekend John and I are taking a trip to the National Gallery and the Sherlock Holmes museum. Requests for anything Sherlock . . . anyone . . . . anyone . . . Bueller?
Thursday, 13 September 2007
Parks in England
Hello all,
Every day that I am here I truly realise how blessed I am. I have to tell you how happy I am. This place is everything I could have imagined and more. I don't think I have ever been this happy or content with life. I ride the tube and read my books. I work at an easy pace compared to Los Angeles. I still have time to enjoy life and explore. I think the English have something over here! There is something to the saying, " Work to live not live to work!" I miss you all but so far, words can't express how much I am enjoying myself.
This past weekend John and I went walking through Highgate, which is only a five minute bus ride from the flat. In order to reach the cemetery gate we had to walk through a park to reach the gate. But what a park it is. Imagine flowers, trees, walkways, hills, and a pond. You walk so far in that you cannot hear the street noise, nor see any buildings. The closest thing I can compare it to is the Huntington Gardens, without as many people, and it is FREE!. I can't wait to go back and just sit in that park again, John and I are planning on having a picnic soon. Once we got to the cemetery it was an adventure too! I enjoyed the towering tombstones, the ivy, the trees, the peaceful atmosphere. We walked for a while, ducking under low branches, walking through grown over alcoves as we explored the historical cemetery. The East cemetery, the one we were exploring, is considered the more modern one dating back to the mid 19th century, . . . .ha ha ha. You won't find too many mausoleums amid the celtic crosses, pillars, and plain shaped tombstones. The West cemetery is notorious for those ominous large enclosures, but requires a guided tour. Meanwhile, in the East cemetery you will find John Singleton Copley, George Elliot, Douglas Adams, and many other famous scientists, engineers, and notable figures. Most notable of all is Karl Marx. John and I were wandering for a while, randomly looking at World War One tombstones, of which there were many, when we decided we might as well visit old Karl while we were there. After a while of searching we became quite annoyed with ourselves at our lack of progress. As we came to a fork in the road I turned to the right and pointed, suggesting that it may be down that way. John grabbed my hand, said my name, and turned me around. Immediately to my left was the largest bust I think I have ever seen. I swear, Karl's eye must have been as big as my head! We stared for a few moments, said, "Okay, good enough," and went to the pub for a pint with friends.
Yesterday we went after work and visited the other park that is closest to us, Hampstead Heath. It is about a ten minute walk away from the flat and is the largest thing you have ever seen. Again, comparing it with Huntington Gardens, it doesn't have as many flowers but the trees, meadows, and rolling hills go on so far that it makes my California mind stagger as I realise I am walking through this for FREE! There are about five or six ponds, two of which are for swimming . . . one for men and one for women, separately. I told John, "How English!" There are ducks, geese, and all other sorts of water birds. By the way, did you know that geese growl? I swear they do! We heard a huge territorial argument between a group of geese and the growled at each other! Scouts honor! We walked forever, into the forest, got lost in the trees, took gravel trails, walked across meadows. At one point I ran through the grass doing a great impression of Laura Ingalls as I sang the "Little House on the Prairie" theme. :-)Okay, I couldn't resist! The park energized me with its beauty and vastness. We also sat under a willow tree and just drank in the peace that this park gives. I didn't want to leave but night was closing in and we hadn't eaten yet. But just think . . . it is 10 minutes from where I currently live! Tomorrow I plan on trying out the women only swimming pond. Will let you know what happens!
Hope you all are well and happy. I miss you, but God I love it here!
Every day that I am here I truly realise how blessed I am. I have to tell you how happy I am. This place is everything I could have imagined and more. I don't think I have ever been this happy or content with life. I ride the tube and read my books. I work at an easy pace compared to Los Angeles. I still have time to enjoy life and explore. I think the English have something over here! There is something to the saying, " Work to live not live to work!" I miss you all but so far, words can't express how much I am enjoying myself.
This past weekend John and I went walking through Highgate, which is only a five minute bus ride from the flat. In order to reach the cemetery gate we had to walk through a park to reach the gate. But what a park it is. Imagine flowers, trees, walkways, hills, and a pond. You walk so far in that you cannot hear the street noise, nor see any buildings. The closest thing I can compare it to is the Huntington Gardens, without as many people, and it is FREE!. I can't wait to go back and just sit in that park again, John and I are planning on having a picnic soon. Once we got to the cemetery it was an adventure too! I enjoyed the towering tombstones, the ivy, the trees, the peaceful atmosphere. We walked for a while, ducking under low branches, walking through grown over alcoves as we explored the historical cemetery. The East cemetery, the one we were exploring, is considered the more modern one dating back to the mid 19th century, . . . .ha ha ha. You won't find too many mausoleums amid the celtic crosses, pillars, and plain shaped tombstones. The West cemetery is notorious for those ominous large enclosures, but requires a guided tour. Meanwhile, in the East cemetery you will find John Singleton Copley, George Elliot, Douglas Adams, and many other famous scientists, engineers, and notable figures. Most notable of all is Karl Marx. John and I were wandering for a while, randomly looking at World War One tombstones, of which there were many, when we decided we might as well visit old Karl while we were there. After a while of searching we became quite annoyed with ourselves at our lack of progress. As we came to a fork in the road I turned to the right and pointed, suggesting that it may be down that way. John grabbed my hand, said my name, and turned me around. Immediately to my left was the largest bust I think I have ever seen. I swear, Karl's eye must have been as big as my head! We stared for a few moments, said, "Okay, good enough," and went to the pub for a pint with friends.
Yesterday we went after work and visited the other park that is closest to us, Hampstead Heath. It is about a ten minute walk away from the flat and is the largest thing you have ever seen. Again, comparing it with Huntington Gardens, it doesn't have as many flowers but the trees, meadows, and rolling hills go on so far that it makes my California mind stagger as I realise I am walking through this for FREE! There are about five or six ponds, two of which are for swimming . . . one for men and one for women, separately. I told John, "How English!" There are ducks, geese, and all other sorts of water birds. By the way, did you know that geese growl? I swear they do! We heard a huge territorial argument between a group of geese and the growled at each other! Scouts honor! We walked forever, into the forest, got lost in the trees, took gravel trails, walked across meadows. At one point I ran through the grass doing a great impression of Laura Ingalls as I sang the "Little House on the Prairie" theme. :-)Okay, I couldn't resist! The park energized me with its beauty and vastness. We also sat under a willow tree and just drank in the peace that this park gives. I didn't want to leave but night was closing in and we hadn't eaten yet. But just think . . . it is 10 minutes from where I currently live! Tomorrow I plan on trying out the women only swimming pond. Will let you know what happens!
Hope you all are well and happy. I miss you, but God I love it here!
Saturday, 8 September 2007
First Impressions of School
Dear All,
I miss the rain! It hasn’t rained for two weeks and I am missing it everyday. AND, it isn’t suppose to rain for another week! Believe it or not it has been in the mid to upper 70’s for over a week! Now most of you Californians are probably saying, “What is your problem, that is great weather?” But please remember to add two things to my weather report; the humidity and the lack of air conditioning anywhere in London. This makes up for a very sticky and stinky trip home everyday. Oh people have deodorants and use them, but they don’t have the air conditioning to keep them constantly cool like we do in America. Think about it, we go from our air conditioned cars to our air conditioned workplaces everyday. I am afraid that even with my American super-deodorant, I still get pretty sweaty on the underground. Oh, I know I am better than most people I see, but I honestly don’t think it has anything to do with a lack of deodorants, it is a lack of strong air conditioning that makes people so sweaty and sometimes stinky. Oh, and please send me my American deodorant, I don‘t like the sprays they have here, I am picky. Secret Platinum Protection Unscented . . . That is the best deodorant and does very well in the London Underground! J
Okay, onto my school. So last week I went and visited my school, met some of the teachers I will be working with. It is a ten minute walk from the station but I do pass a coffee, breakfast place, and two ATM’s. I love the underground ride, I am almost finished with a book that is over 800 pages. I just put my iPod on, open my book, and read until it is time for me to get off. Anywho, so back to the school. Very nice, colourful school, it has a pond, grass, and neon painted playgrounds. It also has a smaller library than my old school, a computer lab, an Art Room, and a cooking room. The students also are given music lessons once a week, and French once a week. I don’t have a key to my classroom but I do have a security tag I hold up to a code panel next to each building door to unlock it and let me in. The staff is all very nice and laid back. They are mostly women in their late forties, married, with children of their own. There are three male teachers, all in relationships, all in their late thirties. Overall the atmosphere is fun and there was a comment made, “I hope you are as mad as us or else you won’t fit in here!” After that I knew I really liked this place . . . Whoever said I was sane in the first place!
So last Thursday and Friday I went to a TimePlan, the agency that hired me, orientation. I met a lot of teachers from America, Canada, and Australia. I tried talking to the Americans but as you all know, Americans don’t like Californians. I have said this before but it was hard to experience it yet again. Here we are, in a foreign country, having a great conversation, and they ask me where I am from. I say the Los Angeles area and they immediately start to scoot away from me. My new Canadian friends noticed it right away. One of them in particular said she noticed it twice with different groups of people. All I can say is, the New Yorkers, they weren’t afraid to talk to me. I love New York! So anyway, I really clicked with this one girl named Kyla from Ontario. She and I have the same interests, the same feelings about teaching, and the same ideas about life in general. She actually came and stayed with me and John last Friday and went out and partied with us. The next day |I took her around to Buckingham Palace, Parliament, Big Ben, St. James Palace, Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus, and Green Park. She was so excited but amazed at how well I knew my way around London. I told her it is easy once you master the underground, plus John helped me a lot. She told me I was very lucky to have John. Trust me, I already know that, he is lovely. We are getting along famously, a few run ins about my need to clean and keep things tidy but I think overall we are doing very well.
Anywho, so I get to school on Monday and go through two more days of teacher training at the school, what they call Inset rather than Staff Development. We learned about the new Numeracy and Literacy Strategy, which is what they call their Content Standards. It was fun, I got to decorate my classroom a little, meet my TA, and start learning about how the school works and what is expected of me. It is SO very different. I may not be able to describe it all in this blog but I am sure I will bring up the differences throughout the rest of the year.
First off, the students are given little journals for each of their subjects. Then they are given work folders for each of their subjects. The LEA or Local Education Authority(school district) has written out all the lessons for us on every subject. I have to teach English, Math, History, Geography, Science, Religious Education, Physical Education, Information Technology, Art, and French. They are also going to be learning a musical instrument this year and I have the option to learn with them. I am going to be learning to play the Fife people! How cool is that? There is a parent who can come in and help me with the pronunciations but the actual French lessons are going to be taught non other than by Moi! Lord, thank you for making me take French in high school after all! I am really excited about teaching all of these subjects, and yes, you actually HAVE to teach them, you can’t just brush PE under the rug, you have to actually follow the lesson plans and units provided by the LEA. Oh, and for this half-term my students are learning how to swim on Fridays, it is a requirement in school. They are all in 3 ring binder rather than teacher books so you can pull the lesson out and deal with it then. I also have 2 hours of planning time every Friday, while the students are learning to swim, with my colleague Jackie, who has taught year 5 for a number of years. She is lovely and so helpful. I am just doing what she is doing so far. It is a little daunting, the lessons are kind of boring, but she says I have the ability to change and adapt as necessary to meet the needs of my students. I am introducing math games that they have never heard of and ideas for projects that were common in Los Angeles, the teachers so far are enjoying my imput. My TA is very motherly, has been a TA for 20 years but never desired to become a teacher. Her name is Lynn and oh how I love having her there.
Onto the students. How the school introduces the students is by having the teachers meet with the previous teacher and discuss each students beforehand. There are computer files I can look at, old work that has been passed on, but to get the real dirt they require us to actually sit and talk with the previous year teacher and take notes. It was interesting. I really got to know about the behaviour issues, family history, and peer relations of every child. I felt better prepared for each of these kids from day one, even though my room was not decorated, I had no idea really what I was teaching yet, or how I was going to make it from 9 am to 3:30 that day. Granted, the first three days are assessment days but still, I wanted to make a good impression with the school and the students. Not to mention that there was an underground strike and I had to take an alternative 2 HOUR route to work for the first two days of school with the students. That was very tiring and not fun. I was happy when they resolved it and I could get back to my normal one hour trip and short walk.
The students are very much like the movie To Sir With Love. Not that bad behaviour-wise but they definitely have the tough English accent, coarse language, and possibly will become those kids someday. But right now they are nine years old and so far so good. They have lovely personalities, each and everyone. They make me laugh and help me out when I don’t understand that a full stop in England is a period in America. They also informed me that a swimming costume in the UK is a swimsuit in America. We get along pretty well and they like my way of teaching, it is very different from the other teachers. The other teachers are very strict, no personality, and definitely no personal caring for the students, very professional, to the extreme I think. I sit there and listen to the students, encourage them, tell them I care about them and want them to enjoy school. They look at me like I am someone from another planet, but overall the response has been positive. That is when I realized that a lot of what I had learned from their former teachers was great, but at the same time, what their teachers found annoying or bothersome, was just the kids personalities. They were just being little boys and little girls. It bugs me but I am going to just continue to do my thing and connect with the students as best as I can. I went back over the notes I took today and I can see some of what the teachers said in each of the students, but again, that is just who these kids are.
Other than that, I am looking forward to next week when we really are suppose to start teaching the lessons, handing out homework, etc. I am starting to feel like a real Londoner now. When my belongings arrive on the 17th and my Gidget on October 14th I will really feel like my life is completely here now. Well, that is all for now, hope you are well, enjoying your dry hot weather. Think of me in this humidity, with no rain, walking everywhere. Oh how I miss Air Conditioning!
I miss the rain! It hasn’t rained for two weeks and I am missing it everyday. AND, it isn’t suppose to rain for another week! Believe it or not it has been in the mid to upper 70’s for over a week! Now most of you Californians are probably saying, “What is your problem, that is great weather?” But please remember to add two things to my weather report; the humidity and the lack of air conditioning anywhere in London. This makes up for a very sticky and stinky trip home everyday. Oh people have deodorants and use them, but they don’t have the air conditioning to keep them constantly cool like we do in America. Think about it, we go from our air conditioned cars to our air conditioned workplaces everyday. I am afraid that even with my American super-deodorant, I still get pretty sweaty on the underground. Oh, I know I am better than most people I see, but I honestly don’t think it has anything to do with a lack of deodorants, it is a lack of strong air conditioning that makes people so sweaty and sometimes stinky. Oh, and please send me my American deodorant, I don‘t like the sprays they have here, I am picky. Secret Platinum Protection Unscented . . . That is the best deodorant and does very well in the London Underground! J
Okay, onto my school. So last week I went and visited my school, met some of the teachers I will be working with. It is a ten minute walk from the station but I do pass a coffee, breakfast place, and two ATM’s. I love the underground ride, I am almost finished with a book that is over 800 pages. I just put my iPod on, open my book, and read until it is time for me to get off. Anywho, so back to the school. Very nice, colourful school, it has a pond, grass, and neon painted playgrounds. It also has a smaller library than my old school, a computer lab, an Art Room, and a cooking room. The students also are given music lessons once a week, and French once a week. I don’t have a key to my classroom but I do have a security tag I hold up to a code panel next to each building door to unlock it and let me in. The staff is all very nice and laid back. They are mostly women in their late forties, married, with children of their own. There are three male teachers, all in relationships, all in their late thirties. Overall the atmosphere is fun and there was a comment made, “I hope you are as mad as us or else you won’t fit in here!” After that I knew I really liked this place . . . Whoever said I was sane in the first place!
So last Thursday and Friday I went to a TimePlan, the agency that hired me, orientation. I met a lot of teachers from America, Canada, and Australia. I tried talking to the Americans but as you all know, Americans don’t like Californians. I have said this before but it was hard to experience it yet again. Here we are, in a foreign country, having a great conversation, and they ask me where I am from. I say the Los Angeles area and they immediately start to scoot away from me. My new Canadian friends noticed it right away. One of them in particular said she noticed it twice with different groups of people. All I can say is, the New Yorkers, they weren’t afraid to talk to me. I love New York! So anyway, I really clicked with this one girl named Kyla from Ontario. She and I have the same interests, the same feelings about teaching, and the same ideas about life in general. She actually came and stayed with me and John last Friday and went out and partied with us. The next day |I took her around to Buckingham Palace, Parliament, Big Ben, St. James Palace, Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus, and Green Park. She was so excited but amazed at how well I knew my way around London. I told her it is easy once you master the underground, plus John helped me a lot. She told me I was very lucky to have John. Trust me, I already know that, he is lovely. We are getting along famously, a few run ins about my need to clean and keep things tidy but I think overall we are doing very well.
Anywho, so I get to school on Monday and go through two more days of teacher training at the school, what they call Inset rather than Staff Development. We learned about the new Numeracy and Literacy Strategy, which is what they call their Content Standards. It was fun, I got to decorate my classroom a little, meet my TA, and start learning about how the school works and what is expected of me. It is SO very different. I may not be able to describe it all in this blog but I am sure I will bring up the differences throughout the rest of the year.
First off, the students are given little journals for each of their subjects. Then they are given work folders for each of their subjects. The LEA or Local Education Authority(school district) has written out all the lessons for us on every subject. I have to teach English, Math, History, Geography, Science, Religious Education, Physical Education, Information Technology, Art, and French. They are also going to be learning a musical instrument this year and I have the option to learn with them. I am going to be learning to play the Fife people! How cool is that? There is a parent who can come in and help me with the pronunciations but the actual French lessons are going to be taught non other than by Moi! Lord, thank you for making me take French in high school after all! I am really excited about teaching all of these subjects, and yes, you actually HAVE to teach them, you can’t just brush PE under the rug, you have to actually follow the lesson plans and units provided by the LEA. Oh, and for this half-term my students are learning how to swim on Fridays, it is a requirement in school. They are all in 3 ring binder rather than teacher books so you can pull the lesson out and deal with it then. I also have 2 hours of planning time every Friday, while the students are learning to swim, with my colleague Jackie, who has taught year 5 for a number of years. She is lovely and so helpful. I am just doing what she is doing so far. It is a little daunting, the lessons are kind of boring, but she says I have the ability to change and adapt as necessary to meet the needs of my students. I am introducing math games that they have never heard of and ideas for projects that were common in Los Angeles, the teachers so far are enjoying my imput. My TA is very motherly, has been a TA for 20 years but never desired to become a teacher. Her name is Lynn and oh how I love having her there.
Onto the students. How the school introduces the students is by having the teachers meet with the previous teacher and discuss each students beforehand. There are computer files I can look at, old work that has been passed on, but to get the real dirt they require us to actually sit and talk with the previous year teacher and take notes. It was interesting. I really got to know about the behaviour issues, family history, and peer relations of every child. I felt better prepared for each of these kids from day one, even though my room was not decorated, I had no idea really what I was teaching yet, or how I was going to make it from 9 am to 3:30 that day. Granted, the first three days are assessment days but still, I wanted to make a good impression with the school and the students. Not to mention that there was an underground strike and I had to take an alternative 2 HOUR route to work for the first two days of school with the students. That was very tiring and not fun. I was happy when they resolved it and I could get back to my normal one hour trip and short walk.
The students are very much like the movie To Sir With Love. Not that bad behaviour-wise but they definitely have the tough English accent, coarse language, and possibly will become those kids someday. But right now they are nine years old and so far so good. They have lovely personalities, each and everyone. They make me laugh and help me out when I don’t understand that a full stop in England is a period in America. They also informed me that a swimming costume in the UK is a swimsuit in America. We get along pretty well and they like my way of teaching, it is very different from the other teachers. The other teachers are very strict, no personality, and definitely no personal caring for the students, very professional, to the extreme I think. I sit there and listen to the students, encourage them, tell them I care about them and want them to enjoy school. They look at me like I am someone from another planet, but overall the response has been positive. That is when I realized that a lot of what I had learned from their former teachers was great, but at the same time, what their teachers found annoying or bothersome, was just the kids personalities. They were just being little boys and little girls. It bugs me but I am going to just continue to do my thing and connect with the students as best as I can. I went back over the notes I took today and I can see some of what the teachers said in each of the students, but again, that is just who these kids are.
Other than that, I am looking forward to next week when we really are suppose to start teaching the lessons, handing out homework, etc. I am starting to feel like a real Londoner now. When my belongings arrive on the 17th and my Gidget on October 14th I will really feel like my life is completely here now. Well, that is all for now, hope you are well, enjoying your dry hot weather. Think of me in this humidity, with no rain, walking everywhere. Oh how I miss Air Conditioning!
Tuesday, 28 August 2007
Camping in Devon
Hello all, am back from camping and very thankful for modern conveniences. First things first, some of you have hinted that I am making fun of London and should be grateful that I have this opportunity. Trust me, being disdainful of London and England itself is NOT in any way my intention. If you cannot understand my humor try to take what I write with a little grain of salt and not be so sensitive. Everyday, I pinch myself because I still can't believe I am here. When I saw Stonehenge for the third time yesterday I was the only one in the car still thrilled at seeing the ancient stones standing in the distance. I understand and know how priveledged I am, bottom line.
Now, onto Devon. We, John and I, were invited to spend a bank holiday (three day weekend) with a bunch of his friends at a campsite in a little town called Axmouth, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axmouth . It was a quaint little town with narrow streets, random sidewalks, stone buildings, and a pub that has reputably been around since the 12th century. Nearby were two seaside towns, Seaton and Beer, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaton%2C_Devon . Yes, you read right, Beer. We ended up having a beer in Beer! Ha ha ha! But, I am getting ahead of myself. So we drove there Friday night, approximately three hours, and drove directly past Stonehenge. For me, it was my second time seeing this ancient monument but apparently it isn't much of a big deal to true born and bred Englishmen. They see it every trip from East to West England. I heard comments like, "Oh hey, Stonehenge!" or "Oh, there goes Stonehenge!" It was humorous, I guess some of us in the US feel the same way when we see the Hollywood sign, the Capitol Records building, or Mann's Chinese Theater. Not, in my opinion, that those monuments in any way compare to the age and mystic of Stonehenge. It is the just the closest comparison I can come up with when it comes to reactions. Us Californians react to those monuments very similarly to the way the English react to Stonehenge. Yeah, it's there.
So we get to the campsite and it is pitch black. Tents are everywhere. We find the campsite and van of our friends Kev and Sarah. It is all the way in the back field with the toilets being a good five minute walk away. Within ten minutes both tents are up and we are all sitting around planning what we are going to do tomorrow. A beach trip is decided and all of us talk late into the night while drinking cider. This did not bode well for my bladder which is very tiny and I soon learned that I was going to have to watch what I drank, even water or juice, because of the distance to the loo.
In the morning, after sleeping on the ground all night in a cold tent, the sun hits right where I am sleeping and shines right into my sleeping eyes. Not only that, but the smallness of the tent soon becomes apparent as the warmth of the sun turns the tent into a sauna. I cannot sleep any longer and decide to go for a walk. It is about seven in the morning and I walk up one hill of Axmouth, past an old church, and out to the riverbanks of the river Axe. I watch birds feeding, hear the river gurgling past, and just enjoy the view. There are rolling green hills, small towns with clay roofs in the distance, and clear blue skies. It looked better than a postcard!
When I came back to the campsite, people were beginning to wake up and we finally were heading towards the beach. I was excited to spend the day on the English coast, until I saw the rocks.
In Seaton and Beer there is no such thing as sand. They have rock beaches, smooth rocks of course, but rocks nonetheless. We walked for a while to get to the perfect spot. After maneuvering a few rocks I finally found a semi-comfortable position and laid out with the other girls. It was a great day, swimming, fishing, talking with Natalie and Sarah. Later on Kate and John, other John, showed up and joined us in our camping fun. For dinner we ate mackerel and watercress sandwiches, sausages, and crisps (potato chips). After a while I got tired of being on rocks though and so did John, my John that is. We left the others and sat in the pub for a while discussing different things. One conclusion we came to was that we were not camping people. I missed warm blankets, matresses, and a loo that was five feet away. I also missed sandy beaches after that day, suprisingly. :-)
As the next two days progressed and we were at the mercy of our ride, Steve and Natalie, who were very energetic and tried to put in as many activities as they could, all walking activities of course, we missed the city more and more. I think if we had been better prepared for camping, better tent, supplies for cooking, etc., we would have enjoyed it more. Finally we came home last night, loving the shower in the loo, the beauty of fish and chip take out, and sleeping indoors for a change.
Overall, I am very glad I went camping. I enjoyed the views, the hikes to a certain point (see the view of Seaton bay on the website, yes I hiked up that hill to view that point, huffing and puffing the whole way), and of course the beautiful drive through the English countryside. I have to tell you, the English countryside, the small quaint towns, they are everything you hear about and more. Everytime we go out to the country I am in awe of the views, beauty, and color. As we drove past Stonehenge for the third time I pinched myself again at being so blessed to live here. Tomorrow I meet my boss and finally see my school. Will let you know what happens and my first impressions. Hope you all are well, I can't wait for you to visit and see the beauty I live in.
Now, onto Devon. We, John and I, were invited to spend a bank holiday (three day weekend) with a bunch of his friends at a campsite in a little town called Axmouth, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axmouth . It was a quaint little town with narrow streets, random sidewalks, stone buildings, and a pub that has reputably been around since the 12th century. Nearby were two seaside towns, Seaton and Beer, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaton%2C_Devon . Yes, you read right, Beer. We ended up having a beer in Beer! Ha ha ha! But, I am getting ahead of myself. So we drove there Friday night, approximately three hours, and drove directly past Stonehenge. For me, it was my second time seeing this ancient monument but apparently it isn't much of a big deal to true born and bred Englishmen. They see it every trip from East to West England. I heard comments like, "Oh hey, Stonehenge!" or "Oh, there goes Stonehenge!" It was humorous, I guess some of us in the US feel the same way when we see the Hollywood sign, the Capitol Records building, or Mann's Chinese Theater. Not, in my opinion, that those monuments in any way compare to the age and mystic of Stonehenge. It is the just the closest comparison I can come up with when it comes to reactions. Us Californians react to those monuments very similarly to the way the English react to Stonehenge. Yeah, it's there.
So we get to the campsite and it is pitch black. Tents are everywhere. We find the campsite and van of our friends Kev and Sarah. It is all the way in the back field with the toilets being a good five minute walk away. Within ten minutes both tents are up and we are all sitting around planning what we are going to do tomorrow. A beach trip is decided and all of us talk late into the night while drinking cider. This did not bode well for my bladder which is very tiny and I soon learned that I was going to have to watch what I drank, even water or juice, because of the distance to the loo.
In the morning, after sleeping on the ground all night in a cold tent, the sun hits right where I am sleeping and shines right into my sleeping eyes. Not only that, but the smallness of the tent soon becomes apparent as the warmth of the sun turns the tent into a sauna. I cannot sleep any longer and decide to go for a walk. It is about seven in the morning and I walk up one hill of Axmouth, past an old church, and out to the riverbanks of the river Axe. I watch birds feeding, hear the river gurgling past, and just enjoy the view. There are rolling green hills, small towns with clay roofs in the distance, and clear blue skies. It looked better than a postcard!
When I came back to the campsite, people were beginning to wake up and we finally were heading towards the beach. I was excited to spend the day on the English coast, until I saw the rocks.
In Seaton and Beer there is no such thing as sand. They have rock beaches, smooth rocks of course, but rocks nonetheless. We walked for a while to get to the perfect spot. After maneuvering a few rocks I finally found a semi-comfortable position and laid out with the other girls. It was a great day, swimming, fishing, talking with Natalie and Sarah. Later on Kate and John, other John, showed up and joined us in our camping fun. For dinner we ate mackerel and watercress sandwiches, sausages, and crisps (potato chips). After a while I got tired of being on rocks though and so did John, my John that is. We left the others and sat in the pub for a while discussing different things. One conclusion we came to was that we were not camping people. I missed warm blankets, matresses, and a loo that was five feet away. I also missed sandy beaches after that day, suprisingly. :-)
As the next two days progressed and we were at the mercy of our ride, Steve and Natalie, who were very energetic and tried to put in as many activities as they could, all walking activities of course, we missed the city more and more. I think if we had been better prepared for camping, better tent, supplies for cooking, etc., we would have enjoyed it more. Finally we came home last night, loving the shower in the loo, the beauty of fish and chip take out, and sleeping indoors for a change.
Overall, I am very glad I went camping. I enjoyed the views, the hikes to a certain point (see the view of Seaton bay on the website, yes I hiked up that hill to view that point, huffing and puffing the whole way), and of course the beautiful drive through the English countryside. I have to tell you, the English countryside, the small quaint towns, they are everything you hear about and more. Everytime we go out to the country I am in awe of the views, beauty, and color. As we drove past Stonehenge for the third time I pinched myself again at being so blessed to live here. Tomorrow I meet my boss and finally see my school. Will let you know what happens and my first impressions. Hope you all are well, I can't wait for you to visit and see the beauty I live in.
Thursday, 23 August 2007
Shopping in London
Hello All! Well first off, I am not going to correct my grammar, english, passive voice, etc. This is my free write so deal! :-) Second of all, did you know it rains in London? Yeah, it rains alot! :-) Anyway, onto today's blog . . .
When I woke up on Friday John took me to get my cell phone and some food that I would like. I was again struck by how limited the grocery stores are in the UK. They just have food, that is it. If you want liquor you have to go to an off license store. If you want a hair straightener you have to go to a place like Argos, I'll explain about that store later. If you want aspirin, you go to the pharmacy or chemist. The UK has not yet discovered the idea of having everything all in one place like a SUPERmarket. That night a few of John's friends were in town from Bristol so we all met down at the pub, the Winchester. Back story on this pub is that Simon Pegg, the man who wrote Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, use to live in this same area and use to hang out a lot in the Winchester. He loved it so much that he based his movie pub, the Winchester, on the real one we were visiting. If you have seen Shaun of the Dead you will be struck by the strong similarities upon entering the real Winchester. Anywho, so we are all sitting in back, a lot of hugs, and welcome backs were coming my way from John's friends. I am very lucky that John has such good friends. Matt, his best friend, was not there but Angela, his fiance was. She is the sweetest woman and has made me feel so welcome. John's friend Steve was there along with his girlfriend Natalie, who is absolutely wonderful too. Then there were Al and Nick, two friends of John's who are part of a band called Electrolyte, really cool band, check them out on my MySpace. Nicola and Gid were also there, very nice people. So we all hung out, drank, ate, etc. It was good fun and I was happy to be with my new friends again.
The next day I met Angela and Natalie for wedding dress shopping. Angela is getting married May 24th. I forget what department store we were in but we walked down to the Vera Wang section of the store so Angela could try on wedding dresses. Now don't get confused, there is no way Angela could afford a Vera Wang dress, but she thought that this would be her only time to actually try on dresses, so why not Vera Wang? They were gorgeous dresses, and Nat and I enjoyed looking at different magazines, books, etc. while Angela tried on dresses. Once we were done the girls decided to take me shopping in London. I had so much fun even though I only bought some make-up at Clinique and a few things for John's sister, she is having a baby. I suggested to him that he should get her a gift and since he has no clue about baby things I offered to pick some things out while I was shopping. He, at this time, was hanging out with the guys having bacon sandwiches at the flat. We were walking down places like Carnaby Street, Oxford Street, etc. In England there are department stores and boutiques but that is about it. They are usually featured on streets called high streets. There are malls but there are not many of them. It was great to walk down these streets with my bags in hand and feel like a real Londoner.
Nat, Ange, and I stopped at a turkish restaurant for lunch. They had a deal, two courses for £6.99 Man, that was such good food. I had a feta cheese pastry as my first course, that was very tasty. Next I had a lamb pide. It was a cross between a pita and a pizza, and very good. They gave us chili oil and though I started with just a little of it, I ended up pouring out more and loving the stuff!
Alright, about Argos. The closest comparision I think I can come up with is Target. Argos has a variety of things, not clothes, but home, office, furniture, appliances, etc. I wanted a hair straightener and was informed that this was where I would be able to get it. John took me on Sunday and it was rather an odd experience. You walk in to this one room store and step over to the catalogs. You find your item, write it on an order form that is available at the catalog counter, take it to the cashier, she imputs it, and you pay for it. Then you wait near a different counter until they call your order number. Once your number is called you walk up to the counter and collect your bought items. Very strange, but sort of neat.
On Sunday I also purchased my laptop. We went to PC world and John picked one out for me. Then we took it home and he played with it, saying he was going to pimp my laptop. Boys and their toys. . . . :-) Anywho, I am now writing you from my pimped out laptop and enjoying having it.
On Monday I decided to go grocery shopping, since we had been eating out for most of the week and it was not a good idea to continue with that habit. After walking to three different small grocery stores I got so frustrated with what one had and the other didn't that I came back to the flat and ordered groceries online through Sainsbury's, one of the major grocery chains in the UK. This proved to be a wise decision because A. They deliver it rather than me carrying the bags down the street and up two flights of stairs in the rain, and B. I got everything I ordered all at once! I have officially learned my lessons about shopping in London. One rope is now mastered, onto the rest of the ropes!
Next blog . . . . weather and my camping weekend in Devon . . . Lord help me I am trying camping again! :-)
When I woke up on Friday John took me to get my cell phone and some food that I would like. I was again struck by how limited the grocery stores are in the UK. They just have food, that is it. If you want liquor you have to go to an off license store. If you want a hair straightener you have to go to a place like Argos, I'll explain about that store later. If you want aspirin, you go to the pharmacy or chemist. The UK has not yet discovered the idea of having everything all in one place like a SUPERmarket. That night a few of John's friends were in town from Bristol so we all met down at the pub, the Winchester. Back story on this pub is that Simon Pegg, the man who wrote Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, use to live in this same area and use to hang out a lot in the Winchester. He loved it so much that he based his movie pub, the Winchester, on the real one we were visiting. If you have seen Shaun of the Dead you will be struck by the strong similarities upon entering the real Winchester. Anywho, so we are all sitting in back, a lot of hugs, and welcome backs were coming my way from John's friends. I am very lucky that John has such good friends. Matt, his best friend, was not there but Angela, his fiance was. She is the sweetest woman and has made me feel so welcome. John's friend Steve was there along with his girlfriend Natalie, who is absolutely wonderful too. Then there were Al and Nick, two friends of John's who are part of a band called Electrolyte, really cool band, check them out on my MySpace. Nicola and Gid were also there, very nice people. So we all hung out, drank, ate, etc. It was good fun and I was happy to be with my new friends again.
The next day I met Angela and Natalie for wedding dress shopping. Angela is getting married May 24th. I forget what department store we were in but we walked down to the Vera Wang section of the store so Angela could try on wedding dresses. Now don't get confused, there is no way Angela could afford a Vera Wang dress, but she thought that this would be her only time to actually try on dresses, so why not Vera Wang? They were gorgeous dresses, and Nat and I enjoyed looking at different magazines, books, etc. while Angela tried on dresses. Once we were done the girls decided to take me shopping in London. I had so much fun even though I only bought some make-up at Clinique and a few things for John's sister, she is having a baby. I suggested to him that he should get her a gift and since he has no clue about baby things I offered to pick some things out while I was shopping. He, at this time, was hanging out with the guys having bacon sandwiches at the flat. We were walking down places like Carnaby Street, Oxford Street, etc. In England there are department stores and boutiques but that is about it. They are usually featured on streets called high streets. There are malls but there are not many of them. It was great to walk down these streets with my bags in hand and feel like a real Londoner.
Nat, Ange, and I stopped at a turkish restaurant for lunch. They had a deal, two courses for £6.99 Man, that was such good food. I had a feta cheese pastry as my first course, that was very tasty. Next I had a lamb pide. It was a cross between a pita and a pizza, and very good. They gave us chili oil and though I started with just a little of it, I ended up pouring out more and loving the stuff!
Alright, about Argos. The closest comparision I think I can come up with is Target. Argos has a variety of things, not clothes, but home, office, furniture, appliances, etc. I wanted a hair straightener and was informed that this was where I would be able to get it. John took me on Sunday and it was rather an odd experience. You walk in to this one room store and step over to the catalogs. You find your item, write it on an order form that is available at the catalog counter, take it to the cashier, she imputs it, and you pay for it. Then you wait near a different counter until they call your order number. Once your number is called you walk up to the counter and collect your bought items. Very strange, but sort of neat.
On Sunday I also purchased my laptop. We went to PC world and John picked one out for me. Then we took it home and he played with it, saying he was going to pimp my laptop. Boys and their toys. . . . :-) Anywho, I am now writing you from my pimped out laptop and enjoying having it.
On Monday I decided to go grocery shopping, since we had been eating out for most of the week and it was not a good idea to continue with that habit. After walking to three different small grocery stores I got so frustrated with what one had and the other didn't that I came back to the flat and ordered groceries online through Sainsbury's, one of the major grocery chains in the UK. This proved to be a wise decision because A. They deliver it rather than me carrying the bags down the street and up two flights of stairs in the rain, and B. I got everything I ordered all at once! I have officially learned my lessons about shopping in London. One rope is now mastered, onto the rest of the ropes!
Next blog . . . . weather and my camping weekend in Devon . . . Lord help me I am trying camping again! :-)
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
I have arrived!
Hello all, here is my blog about my life in London. Wow, where to begin. Alright, first things first. . . . the flight. I had Jimmie and Mom drop me off at the international terminal at LAX absolutely positive that this was where I had to be. Yep, sure enough, Jimmie was right when he pointed out Air New Zealand was back at terminal 2. Fortunately I had a smart cart that Jimmie had purchased for me to carry my two suitcases and two carry-ons, (what I am a girl!), so I was able to push them the five minute walk back down to terminal two. So it was about 88 degrees Fahrenheit and the line to check in and drop off your baggage was so long that the end was sticking out a doorway into the sun. So there I am, standing in the sun for a good five minutes, wondering why I had bothered at all to take a shower that morning.
Finally, I get up to the counter and the attendant tells me that there is a limit now to how many carry on bags I can take on. I pleaded with her saying that one bag had all of my medications, inhalers, and that they couldn't be put in the unpressurized luggage hold. I asked her if the other one, a backpack, could count as my purse. She said okay but that I might have problems at the gate.
Once my luggage was taken care of I decided to get some water. I was dying of thirst and ended up paying $2.38 for a bottle of water. There wasn't a tip jar so I gave my change to the cashier telling her to keep it since it would do me no good in England, they do not exchange change. Drinking my water I walked slowly to the gate and discovered that the woman who had taken my luggage downstairs was now at the gate getting ready to check people in. How wonderful to know that if I did have any carry-on issues she was right there.
Suddenly over the intercom they announce that our plane will be leaving about 40 minutes late. This is nothing new to me because I have never been on an international flight that has left on time. Finally, we were allowed to board the plane and get situated. I was stuck in the middle on the left hand side of the plane. The woman to my left, at the window, was Indian. The woman to my right was elderly and immediately went to sleep once she sat down.
About fifteen minutes after the plane took off the woman to my right got up and went to the restroom. She came back and took out her barf bag and began to use it as it was meant to be used. Flight attendants rushed over and spoke to her, asked her what was wrong, did she want oxygen. She nodded so they proceeded to bring her oxygen, laid it across her tray table, and hooked her up to it. The lady to my left and I looked at each other and realized we both were not going to be using the restroom anytime soon. In fact, she didn't use it until I broke down and woke up the sleeping woman to the right because I was desperate to pee. When I came back the Indian lady had taken the initiative and gone as well. Poor us, that was the only time we used the restroom in 9 1/2 hours. I slept on and off, a total of about 4 1/2 hours all together. The food was good, seats were small, but the wine was free! Oh, and speaking of the food, the Indian lady had requested vegetarian meals which were served to her and the rest of the vegetarians on the plane a good 40 minutes before everyone else. So unfair! I am sitting there smelling the food next to me while the attendants are sitting around waiting for the proper mealtime to come.
At last I am in London. It is a beautiful day, smooth landing, and just when everyone is getting up and ready to deplane the captain comes over the intercom and says that we are not being taken to a gate but will be taken to an area of tarmac, put on buses, and from there taken to customs. Apparently the congestion problems at Heathrow are very real. So we got on buses, went through customs, which was fairly easier this time since I went into the special line for work visas rather than the customs line for everyone else. I walked out to the baggage area and my luggage was already there. I grabbed that, strolled out to the waiting area and John was not there.
I waited, waited, and waited. I had him called over the intercom. I walked around a little bit, staying close to the entryway from the underground. Finally, an hour later he shows up, apologizing and hugging me, man I missed him. Turns out I was NOT in Terminal One, where all other international flights come in, and where we both assumed we would meet. I still don't know what terminal I was in but apparently Air New Zealand is in an odd sort of area both in LA and in London. John had been looking for me in Terminal One.
After a long time in the underground, which was very crowded for the middle of the day, we finally made it home and dropped off my luggage. John took me to a pub he had promised to take me to my last trip, The World's End, and I had the Cider and Black I had been craving for two weeks. All of a sudden Sublime's song Burn starts to play over the speakers and I can see it is raining outside. I was pretty content, listening to my music, LBC baby, in London, with the rain outside, and most importantly, my man by my side. Yep, this is the life.
Stay tune for my next post . . . .UK shopping and why I love American supermarkets!
Finally, I get up to the counter and the attendant tells me that there is a limit now to how many carry on bags I can take on. I pleaded with her saying that one bag had all of my medications, inhalers, and that they couldn't be put in the unpressurized luggage hold. I asked her if the other one, a backpack, could count as my purse. She said okay but that I might have problems at the gate.
Once my luggage was taken care of I decided to get some water. I was dying of thirst and ended up paying $2.38 for a bottle of water. There wasn't a tip jar so I gave my change to the cashier telling her to keep it since it would do me no good in England, they do not exchange change. Drinking my water I walked slowly to the gate and discovered that the woman who had taken my luggage downstairs was now at the gate getting ready to check people in. How wonderful to know that if I did have any carry-on issues she was right there.
Suddenly over the intercom they announce that our plane will be leaving about 40 minutes late. This is nothing new to me because I have never been on an international flight that has left on time. Finally, we were allowed to board the plane and get situated. I was stuck in the middle on the left hand side of the plane. The woman to my left, at the window, was Indian. The woman to my right was elderly and immediately went to sleep once she sat down.
About fifteen minutes after the plane took off the woman to my right got up and went to the restroom. She came back and took out her barf bag and began to use it as it was meant to be used. Flight attendants rushed over and spoke to her, asked her what was wrong, did she want oxygen. She nodded so they proceeded to bring her oxygen, laid it across her tray table, and hooked her up to it. The lady to my left and I looked at each other and realized we both were not going to be using the restroom anytime soon. In fact, she didn't use it until I broke down and woke up the sleeping woman to the right because I was desperate to pee. When I came back the Indian lady had taken the initiative and gone as well. Poor us, that was the only time we used the restroom in 9 1/2 hours. I slept on and off, a total of about 4 1/2 hours all together. The food was good, seats were small, but the wine was free! Oh, and speaking of the food, the Indian lady had requested vegetarian meals which were served to her and the rest of the vegetarians on the plane a good 40 minutes before everyone else. So unfair! I am sitting there smelling the food next to me while the attendants are sitting around waiting for the proper mealtime to come.
At last I am in London. It is a beautiful day, smooth landing, and just when everyone is getting up and ready to deplane the captain comes over the intercom and says that we are not being taken to a gate but will be taken to an area of tarmac, put on buses, and from there taken to customs. Apparently the congestion problems at Heathrow are very real. So we got on buses, went through customs, which was fairly easier this time since I went into the special line for work visas rather than the customs line for everyone else. I walked out to the baggage area and my luggage was already there. I grabbed that, strolled out to the waiting area and John was not there.
I waited, waited, and waited. I had him called over the intercom. I walked around a little bit, staying close to the entryway from the underground. Finally, an hour later he shows up, apologizing and hugging me, man I missed him. Turns out I was NOT in Terminal One, where all other international flights come in, and where we both assumed we would meet. I still don't know what terminal I was in but apparently Air New Zealand is in an odd sort of area both in LA and in London. John had been looking for me in Terminal One.
After a long time in the underground, which was very crowded for the middle of the day, we finally made it home and dropped off my luggage. John took me to a pub he had promised to take me to my last trip, The World's End, and I had the Cider and Black I had been craving for two weeks. All of a sudden Sublime's song Burn starts to play over the speakers and I can see it is raining outside. I was pretty content, listening to my music, LBC baby, in London, with the rain outside, and most importantly, my man by my side. Yep, this is the life.
Stay tune for my next post . . . .UK shopping and why I love American supermarkets!
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