Guys. Where are we?

2008-07-15T00:58:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to think of a way to end this blog but I have way too many things to say about London, none of which really go together or make much sense, and all of which sound a bit douchey, even in my head. So instead I figure I will let someone else do the talking:

"I can never understand why Londoners fail to see that they live in the most wonderful city in the world. It is, if you ask me, far more beautiful and interesting that Paris and more lively than anywhere but New York-- and even New York can't touch it in lots of important ways. It has more history, finer parks, a livlier and more varied press, better theaters, more numerous orchestras and museums, leafier squares, safer streets, and more courteous inhabitants than any other large city in the world.

And it has more congenial small things--incidental civilities, you might call them--then any other city I know: cheery red mailboxes, drivers who actually stop for you at pedestrian crossings, lovely forgotten churches with wonderful names like St. Andrew by the Wardrobe and St. Giles Cripplegate, sudden pockets of quiet like Lincoln's Inn and Red Lion Square, interesting statues of obscure victorians in togas, pubs, black cabs, double-decker buses, helpful policemen, polite notices, people who will stop to help you when you fall down or drop your shopping, benches everywhere. What other great city would take the trouble to put blue plaques on houses to let you know what famous person once lived there, or warn you to look left or right before stepping off the curb? I'll tell you. None." --Bill Bryson, from Notes From a Small Island

Cheers, London, for a good year.

London Bridge is falling down

2008-06-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

The first and only time I ever saw London Bridge, it was neon pink and it was my second to last day in London. We walked all the way to tower bridge to look at a webcam they have where you can wave to people in new york city on a huge screen. we stared at the new yorkers in their shorts and sandals for a few minutes, slightly disturbed for some reason, then stood leaning on the wall looking at the tower of london, me full of regret suddenly that I had never gone inside, trying and failing to remember what exactly it was that I had been doing for the past 9 months. we sat outside at an expensive pub which is technically in the City of London, though on the south bank. It seemed to be meant for business people with money, but it was Sunday night and therefore empty. we sat and looked at the tower bridge until we started to shiver, and then walked home. The point being, on the way home is when this picture was taken.

p.s.- I put up a few pictures of canary wharf on picasa

BTW

2008-06-22T01:23:00.001-07:00

I am home now.

oh dear.

2008-06-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

you know you're in trouble when you start applying love songs to cities.

<3

2008-06-16T05:15:00.001-07:00

I will miss these two so much!

2008-06-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

More pictures from Scotland, taken by Jessie, are up on Picasa, or will be in a few minutes anyway. Turns out Jessie is a creeper who likes to take candid shots of me all the time, so that's exciting. But not as exciting as the hand dryer...

I am back from Germany, it was great, and I am working on those pictures as well. Right now I am packing up my room. I'm trying to finish most of it today so that tomorrow I can run a few errands and have fun. I always hate packing up at the end of the year because it's so final. This time it is more final than usual and therefore also more depressing. But so far it hasn't really hit me.

Anyway, go check out the pictures if you fancy it.

OK, change in plans. It seems I have used up all of my allotted memory on picasa. Luckily I have two different google accounts, so I was able to upload the second batch of scotland pictures here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/aripley131

2008-06-14T18:46:00.001-07:00

"Like a ten minute dream in the passenger seat while the world was flying by, I haven't been gone very long but it feels like a lifetime."

So much for not blogging; I am an addict.

2008-06-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

To be fair I am doing this while waiting for laundry to dry and water to boil. That's three tasks, my friends. Three.

So I had to go to campus today and pick up an essay (I got a first, also known as a miracle!). Since for once the place was pretty much empty, I finally took some pictures to show you all back home where I have been going to school this whole time. Here are some; the rest are in the "London here and there" album on Picasa, with explanatory captions.

a wee scotland blog

2008-06-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Whoa so, I have so much to say about scotland and I don't really know where to begin. I suppose the beginning would be a good a place as any. We took a 9.5 hour bus ride on megabus, which is not just a bus, bus a budjet bus. the seats were uncomfortable even when you weren't trying to sleep. they didn't recline or have footrests, and the headrests seemed more like head antirests. also, the driver was a total jerk. but the scenery saved it, as usual. the UK is really such a beautiful place. there are wildflowers blooming right now, lots of lambs, and entire quadrangle fields of the brightest possible yellow, which I found out is rape seed, not mustard. The bus stopped in sheffield and newcastle. in sheffield all I saw was a shopping mall, but we went right into the city center of newcastle and I got a small glimpse of life in the north, which seems pretty similar to life in the south, only with a lot of questionable fashion choices and bad teeth. they really do seem to be a bit less... refined, shall we say? But maybe I am biased now. anyway I saw it as a good thing, and felt at ease there. Sometimes it's nice not to be constantly surrounded by ambitious, attractive, rich people. As we drove further north the landscape got a little bit wilder and more jagged, and the ocean appeared on our right side. we passed a pub with a sign advertising it as "the first and last public house in england," and a few minutes later we crossed the border into scotland, which is like a border between two states--just a sign, with no barriers or ID checks of any kind.

After being in Edinburgh for about 5 minutes I had decided it was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. The afternoon sun was reflecting on the buildings, making them look all golden and sparkly, you could see the ocean off in the distance, and every single building in sight was medieval and spiky looking, including, sure enough, the castle that sits on top of a huge volcanic rock, bang in the middle of the city. we found our hostel within ten minutes, feshened up, and went in search of cheap indian food. We soon found out that wandering edinburgh is quite tiring, as the city is built on a couple of really steep hills. We walked up and down several "closes," which are tiny little alleyway/staircase things that take you from one street to the parallel one. after a while we had seen a lot of edinburgh but no cheap curry, and so we settled for expensive. The rogan josh was mediocre but the naan bread was epic, and a Bollywood musical was playing on the TV. After dinner we killed time in a pub, waiting for it to get dark so that we wouldn't feel like total losers going to bed before sunset. For the record, the sun sets even later up there than it does here, so that it's not fully dark until about 11.

The next day we took a free walking tour (same company that runs the free tours in berlin, amsterdam, and munich--love those guys!) of the city center. We learned that pretty much every meeting place or square in the city was once a place where they executed people. The guide told us a lot of really good stories and legends about the city, my favorite of which is definitely the story of Greyfriars Bobby (see my picture captions). There was also a story about a very well-respected locksmith who was secretly making copies of people's keys and breaking into their homes, whose two-facedness supposedly inspired the story of Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde, a story about a woman who was hanged for concealing her pregnancy and then came back to life, and one about some people going to Westminster Abbey to steal back the Stone of Destiny, accidentally breaking it in half on the way to the car, and finally getting it back to Scotland only to have someone turn it in to the authorities and send it right back to London. Are you still with me? Didn't think so. After the walking tour we lazed in the park for a while eating ice cream, had a look inside the writer's museum (robert burns, sir walter scott, and robert louis stevenson were all from edinburgh--yaaaawn) and went and had a coffee/tea in the aforementioned harry potter cafe (edit: oh crap I guess I deleted the sentence whre I mentioned that we saw the cafe where JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book during our walking tour). Then we went back to the hostel to rest and enjoy a cheap meal from sainbury's. That night we went to a couple of pubs in Cowgate, which is the nightlife area of Edinburgh, so named because it used to be a market place for, surprise surprise, cattle.

On Friday we took a bus trip up through the highlands. It went in a big circle all the way up to Loch Ness and back down. We saw lots of beautiful lochs, mountains, sheep, cows, flowers, grass, trees, and frankly it all blends together in my memory. The best part by far was hanging out with Hamish, the token highland bull who just so happens to live right next to a rest stop where all the tourist buses park for their morning coffee break. He is 15 years old, which in itself is a huge privilege, since most of them are slaughtered by the age of 3, and he is the cutest cow ever. I even fed him some grass through the fence, though he was a bit scary, to be honest. Speaking of scary, I was also kind of frightened to learn that Loch Ness is deep enough to fit three of Big Ben's clock tower, and the visibility is so low that you can't even see your hand in front of your face. furthermore, the sides of the lake are incredibly steep so it's basically shaped like a U, dropping off hundreds of feet immediately once you leave the shore. also, the bottom is constantly shifting and changing because of all the deep volcanic fissures in the earth. oh yeah, and there is possibly a monster in there. why anybody would even consider getting on a boat on that lake is beyond me, especially when it costs nine pounds for a silly 10 minute cruise! needless to say, I did not take part in the cruise. The bus tour took 12 hours total, and we got back to Edinburgh in the evening carsick and exhausted, ready for bed. That is, until our stupid/creepy Kiwi roommate bugged us so much that we decided we had to escape him. So, we were forced to go to the pub once again. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because we somehow ended up at a table with about 6 incredibly attractive Scottish boys. For some reason they thought we were really cool because (a) we were from california (b) we were drinking pints and (c) jessie knew that "ken" means "know" in the scottish dialect because she is currently reading Trainspotting. Oh yeah and (d) because "we ken what snogging is." Needless to say it was a good night, and Jessie and I spent the next 2 days giggling and reliving every moment of the conversation.

Oh my gosh, this is soooo long.....

Saturday we went inside the castle, which took a few hours. Then we ate subway in a place called George Square and observed the local teenagers, an activity that has proven to be entertaining in every country I've visisted. These ones were mainly goths and therefore even more entertaining. Then we walked down the Royal Mile to the palace where the royal family stays whenever theyre in Scotland. We spent another long period of time in a park at the foot of a cool mountain (tired of writing--look at pictures), sunbathing and taking silly photos. Finally we made our way back to the city center and sat ourselves down in a pub for a couple hours to drink pints, eat bangers and mash, and watch the eurocup (portugal vs. turkey) until it was time to go get our bags and head over to the bus station.

I don't even want to talk about the bus ride home. It was too painful, and I mean that literally. But the fields were misty and gorgeous both at dusk (11 PM) and dawn (3 AM). And now I am back in London trying to suck as much as I can out of it in these last few days.

Germany on Wednesday and home on the 17th. Don't expect too many updates; if I have time to blog a lot during my last week here I will be severely disappointed in myself.

Happy [belated] Birthday!

2008-06-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

sorry I am such a bad daughter...

2008-06-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

I just closed my Barclays bank account. It was quite a sad experience, especially when the banker guy tore my card in half with his bare hands! I thought that was unnecessarily gruesome. There was a book on his table where you can leave comments about the service. This guy Owain was very popular--people had written things like "Great! Very Helpful! a 'CAN DO' attitude!" or "very friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate!" or, my personal favorite, "If only the Barclay card were this efficient!" I read these aloud to him in an ironic tone. Then he rather bitterly said, "Yeah, and my boss still doesn't give me a pay raise," and I said, "well has he seen the one about the barclay card?" He nodded sadly. Later, he used the word "blimey." Anyway, it's a shame Owain and I couldn't have been better friends. (btw, Owain=Owen. I think it's welsch or something)

In other news, I now have a place to live back in San Diego, and possibly, but not very likely, a job.

Tomorrow I am going to Edinburgh. The bus ride will take 8 hours, which should be simply magical. Actually I am kind of looking forward to it, what with the scenery and all, but Jessie, who gets carsick easily, is not. What a negative nancy, honestly. Hopefully the hobnobs I just bought will appease her. Half of the hobnobs, anyway.

2008-05-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

I spent a nice day Thursday in Bath all by myself. I found that being by yourself as a tourist is actually kind of nice. You don't have to consult someone else every single time you want to turn a corner, and you can do whatever you want whenever you want, without having to compromise. However, it's not something I plan to do very often. Bath was really pretty and nice, but definitely seeable in one day. I was only there for 5 hours or so, and I felt pretty satisfied with my experience. Basically if you like Jane Austen novels, Bath is great, cause two of them take place there. Even if you haven't read them though, it's obvious that the city was in it's prime during the days of ball gowns and calling cards and tea. It hasn't changed much since then, so it's kind of like going back in time a little bit. I am uploading photos right now, though I'm afraid they're a bit boring because there aren't any people in them. But that's what happens when you travel alone.

Yesterday Jessie and Denver came home from Paris. We went out for Indian food and hung out on the giant couch again. This afternoon we went to Notting Hill. Just a few more days until Scotland with Jessie! We have our bus tickets and hostel all booked, and I can't wait! I have ben dying to go to Scotland all year and now I am finally going. I hope I see lots of furry cows.

Happy Birthday!

2008-05-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

2008-05-26T09:10:00.001-07:00

Well, I suppose I have been really neglecting my travel blog, and I'm sorry about that, assuming any of you actually care. To be fair, I haven't had much to report. Life has been a bit dull lately, as most people have already gone home or are out of town a lot, and I have been spending a lot of time alone. It seems like I've established a pattern--sunny days are spent wandering aimlessly around the city, and rainy days are spent reading in cafes. cloudy days, I suppose, are spent doing some combination of the two.

For example: two days ago, I was woken at 1:45 PM by Denver, wanting to go to the Borough market. I dragged myself out of bed, got dressed, and walked over there (about a 20 minute walk) with Jessie and Dan. There I spent an exorbitant amount on olives and feta cheese, sampled lots of bread and olive oil, and ate a piece of rose-flavoured turkish delight (tasted like soap, gross). [oh my gosh, I have to stop here to say that the previous sentence is the first time I have ever used a british spelling of a word without noticing at that moment that I was doing it. I am a true Londoner now. So proud.] Anyway. After that we walked along the south bank. It was really crowded because this is a three-day weekend, again, and also because there was some sort of BMX bike competition going on in front of the tate modern. We walked all the way back to where Jessie and I live. Currently, at that spot on the river bank, there is a giant green couch and two giant green armchairs. I'm not sure why, but some awesome person decided it would be fun to have a giant living room in the middle of London, and I totally agree. We hung out there for a while, and then Jessie left. Denver and I continued to wander west, stopping once in a while, all the way to the Lambeth bridge, where we stopped to have a drink in a floating cafe. then we crossed the bridge, walked past the paliament building, around parliament square, to St. James park. Then down the mall to Trafalgar square, down the strand, back to waterloo bridge, over the bridge, to my flat. For those of you who have never been to London, the day's journey was basically a giant figure 8 in the most scenic part of the city. Anyway, then we bought cans of beer, went back to the giant couch, and sat watching what we decided was as good at a giant TV--people walking past, the river, buses going past up above on the bridge, the sky getting darker and darker until finally, at 10 PM, it was dark, at which point we got cold and wound up in the George as usual.

As a contrast, today I also woke up somewhere between 1 and 2, to find that it was raining and miserable outside. However, I was determined to do something productive, so I decided to go to the library and pay for the book I lost in Paris. I set out through the mist, rationalizing that rain is part of the london experience and maybe I will miss it in a couple of months. Halfway over the Thames, when my umbrella blew inside out for the second time, I decided that this notion was absolute rubbish, and cursed myself for having ever left my bedroom. However, I was determined, and made it all the way there before remembering that today is a holiday, and the library counter is therefore closed. As a consolation I stopped at Cafe Nero on the way home, had a black americano, and read for a while.

My life is a series of extreme highs and lows at the moment. The idea of going home is nice and comforting. But the idea of leaving London makes me sick to my stomach. I don't know when I will be back here again, and when i do, it won't be the same. It's like buying a new pair of rainbow sandals, only sadder. It's like the city itself is a person who I've grown close to, and now I will never see them again. That was a really corny way of putting it, but it's the best I can come up with at the moment.

Jessie and Denver are going out of town again tomorrow, so I am gonna be all alone until Friday. I think I might go to Bath for one of the days. Other than that, I have no plans other than to watch the USA vs. England soccer game, and cheer shamelessly for the yanks. It will be so, so funny if we win. bahahaha. Next week Jessie and I are supposed to be going to Scotland, and the week after that, I'm going to Germnay, It will al be over before I know it, and that is pretty crazy.

2008-05-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

Damn you rain, you've foiled my plans once again! Stupid sun led me into a flase sense of security. I actually thought I was not gonna spend my week inside a cafe nero! well, I was going to tell you what I did today but I seem to have already given it away. wake up, california! I want to talk to you!

2008-05-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it's warm now. In fact, on certain days one might even venture to say hot. The black stockings seem to have vanished overnight, and the men don't wear their ties anymore (maybe they put them on when they get to work, I'm not sure). It's been nice to be able to release my inner california girl; I feel much more like myself in my cutoffs and flip-flops, and I've even got some color on my previously pinkish white arms and shoulders now. People seem to make the most out of the sun here, and while this usually leads to cute sundresses and things, some questionable fashion choices have definitely been made. I mean, it's only in the seventies. Do you really need to walk around shirtless? Are the manpris really necessary? Does your skirt really need to be that short? I don't think so. Also unnecessary is the announcement on the tube telling you to carry a bottle of water, and to wait until the next stop to seek assistance "if somebody is taken in."

The fact that it's almost summer also means tourists. Tourism used to be limited to the weekends, which was fine by me since I rarely leave my flat on the weekends anyway. But now, every day is tourist day. And what's worse, every place is a tourist place. They no longer limit themselves to the obvious locations. They're everywhere! Stopping dead in the middle of the sidewalk to look at their maps, taking pictures of the most mundane things, looking overly pleased to find themselves on the underground. All I can say is I don't think I will be missing out on much this summer.

I am now totally done with class and have about a month to kill before going home. Mom left yesterday, and Jessie and Denver are currently in Rome, leaving me virtually friendless for the next three days. So far I have spent my first day of summer vacation by sleeping until 2 PM, doing some laundry and cleaning, and watching sex and the city online. Not bad. Let's see what I come up with tomorrow! If it's still sunny I will probably go check out a book from the library that I actually want to read (such a novelty!) and take it to the park.

2008-05-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

so apparently may day is a federal holiday in france, and most people take a four-day weekend. meaning what seems like the entire country is here in paris for the weekend along with the usual springtime tourists. I have never felt so claustrophobic in my life. the people. they're everywhere.

the best thing i have done in paris by far is visit oscar wilde's grave. I am not even a huge oscar wilde fan but man that was so awesome. i wrote a quote from him in lipstick and kissed the tomb--I'm not a freak by the way, evryone does it; the thing is covered in kisses and writing. It's so cute. we also looked at jim morisson's which was super lame and i didn't understand what the big deal is at all. Like, are all those people really that into jim morisson? I did however find it hilarious that the starbucks here sells The Doors Greatest Hits. lol. ok maybe it was just funny for me. the french keyboard confusion really hinders creativity, sorry.

In other news, last night for dinner I had two crepes. NICE.

mom has already described all of our activites on her blog, so that's all I have to say for now!

some observations on academics

2008-04-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

I am seriously burnt out from all this studying--I can't take it anymore! I have been spending almost every day in the library for the past 3 weeks. Going to the library involves a lot of walking (about a mile each way, I'd say) a lot of money spent on food (I am not too keen on walking a mile back for dinner), a lot of quiet, a lot of headaches, not a lot of socializing. And that's just at Maughn, which is one of the King's libraries where they keep all the humanities books. I also occasionally go to Senate House, which is the library that the entire University of London shares, and the British Library, which is the one that the entire United Kingdom shares. Basically the thing that is both glorious and terrible about studying in London is that pretty much every single book in the english language is somewhere in the city, usually in one of the three libraries I just named. This means that you have absolutely no excuse for not reading any given book that may be helpful for your essay. If you complain to the professor that you can't find it, instead of suggesting something else, all they say is, "join the British Library!" Then you have to pretend like you aren't already a member of the British Library.

The thing with these exams is, you don't really study for them as much as you prepare for them. It's not like an American exam where you have a set amount of information and your task is to understand it and remember it long enough to scribble it down in a blue book. Instead, they give you the topic ahead of time which is really vague, and you do whatever you want with it. Usually the questions are along the lines of: "feminism in at least two modernist texts" or "the relationship between remembering and forgetting in WWI literature." like i said, really vague. so you decide which books you want to write on, and you do all kinds of research, and read the primary texts multiple times, until you come up with some sort of argument that is, if not actually original, at least presented in an original way. If this all sounds really familiar to you, it's probably because IT'S THE EXACT SAME PROCESS AS WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER. Only you can't write it down as you go, you have to remember it all and write it down in a timed exam. What I'm trying to say is, it's not a one-day process, and it requires your brain to actually be functioning the entire time, which I think is a lot to ask, even if it is worth 100% of the grade. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it's worth 100% of the grade.

Although I think it's a pretty absurd system in a lot of ways, the one aspect I definitely like a lot is that you only have to read about what you're interested in. And I have to admit I have learned a whole crapload of really interesting stuff in the past few days. That said, this has been a horrendous week, and I am ready to give up completely on this nonsense and get on a train to Paris.

Also, tonight I ate chocolate hobnobs for dinner.

2008-04-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

Um, I don't know if I ever mentioned it but my pictures from my trip with Matt are up on Picasa now. However, Matt is a way better photographer so you might just want to look at his flickr page.

taking the day off

2008-04-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

come join the youth and beauty brigade

2008-04-22T00:13:00.000-07:00

So I woke up in my bed just now thinking to myself, man that was a nice long nap...wait a minute, why is it still light out, I figured it would be dark by now, hmm let me just look at my phone to see what time it is HOLY CRAP I JUST SLEPT FOR 13 HOURS STRAIGHT AND IT IS NOW THE MORNING. No joke, guys. I slept from 6 PM until 7 AM without waking up once.

What I'm trying to say is, I turned in my two essays yesterday. I managed, as usual, to be working on them at the last minute, and therefore made a bit of a mess of things, but they are gone, turned in, both literally and figuratively out of my hands. Which also means I am completely done with those two classes. relief!!!!!!!

Now I have to start studying for my exams, but I think I will probably take the day off. One can only spend so much of one's life in a library, before it starts to seem normal.

In fact, I think I might just go back to bed.

2008-04-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

For some sick reason I just agreed to go to the British Library tomorrow at 9 AM. what have I done?!?!

I'm losing my mind.

2008-04-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

If you are for some reason on a quest to find the worst movie ever made, I highly suggest you watch the 1955 Australian film Jedda. I can't be sure, of course, but it might just be the very worst. And lucky me; I get to write half of my term paper on it! To give you an idea of it's horribleness, I am writing this blog while it plays on the screen next to me... there has been nothing to take notes on or transcribe for the past 15 minutes because NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. Some aboriginal dude is dragging Jedda through the jungle and some other dudes are trying to find them. That's basically it. Oh man, I think someone just died. Hm.

I know racism in general is no laughing matter, but in this movie it so is. Let me just say that one of the main characters is in blackface, and every once in a while when he sweats it starts to come off. Also, there is this part where a white dude shows up at the ranch, and sees that everyone is crying. He asks one of the aboriginal field hands what's going on. The aboriginal guy says, "Missus lost the baby."

The white guy goes, "You mean the white baby?"

"Yes."

"Oh. That's bad!"

Like, seriously?!

Also, I learned form one of the several scholarly articles I had to read about this mess that they actually spray painted the dirt red in one of the scenes, so it would look like they were in the Northern Territory when really they were like in somebody's backyard in Sydney. Spray paint.

2008-04-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

essays essays rain essays rain rain essays coffee coffee coffee essays

2008-04-12T08:27:00.000-07:00

I love when it's grey in LA, cause there's way too much sunshine round here
I don't know about you, I get so sick of blue skies wherever they always appear

where do they keep the fat germans?

2008-04-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

2008-04-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

we are now in florence. it's gorgeous here, or at least it was for about an hour before it started pouring. since it seems like a city that is better enjoyed outdoors, this is quite a shame. hopefully tomorrow will be better. we did go see michaelangelo's david, the big huge church (duomo or whatever) and some other stuff, and have eaten some good food. tomorrow we plan to go to some gardens and a piazza with a good view of the city. I am being vague because I don't actually know... I am letting matt do most of the planning in this city because I am happy enough just eating gelato and wandering around.

salzburg was very nice but a little on the boring side. we didn't have anything to do at night so we just went to the irish pub both nights and ended up meeting a lot of nice people there. we dropped thirty euros on the sound of music tour which was a little bit disappointing as far as kitsch value is concerned but we got to see a lot of cool places and go out into the countryside. And salzburg is absolutely gorgeous, but that goes without saying.

surfen ist streng verboten

2008-03-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

So, here I am in Munich paying for some internet. I suppose I should have blogged in Amsterdam where it was free. Oh wellz. Munich is awesome. We have basically been spending our time in beer halls and beer gardens eating vast quantities of meat. we're right accorss the street from a brewery thats been operating since the 1300s and it's AWESOME. You sit at long tables with other people and the servers carry like 10 mugs at once and spill beer all over and are rude to you. you can get half a chicken or a huge hunk of pork on the bone or meatloaf with an egg on top. it's glorious. we've eaten there twice so far. we also spent a couple hours in a beer garden in the park yestrerday. we each got a liter of heffeweissbier and a pretzel as big as our face. there was a band playing traditional music and it was also very jolly and nice. I wish this was my real life! alas.

today we went to dachau and it was very sad. more on that later.

only a couple minutes of internet left so goodbye for now!

stress!

2008-03-25T18:23:00.001-07:00

I am off in a few hours for my eurrail adventure. I am really worried about the following things:

my ability to cope with below-freezing temperatures
my lack of waterproof shoes
getting lost while trying to find the hostel in amsterdam all by myself
forgetting to pack things

and here are the solutions I have come up with:

spend lots of time in cafes
buy some boots during trip
take a cab
stay up even later double checking things

Hopefully there is nothing else I'm forgetting to worry about! Anyway I have my journal and my camera so I will let you know how it all goes. Be back in 10 days!

2008-03-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

ok can i just say that not only did it snow today but it was also colder than any other day I can remember in London, it was windy, it hailed, and it rained. usually all at the same time. Perfect timing for visitors, right? I thought so.

But we toughed it out and went to covent garden, trafalgar square, picadilly circus, the giant toy store, cafe nero, and a pub for dinner. then we dropped off jason and crystal at their hostel and matt and I went to Cubana with my friends. Not bad for one day, I'd say. They are all leaving tomorrow for paris and I will get to work on my essays and pack for a couple days before flying to amsterdam to meet them.

2008-03-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

Oh man, it snowed outside my window just now! But it didn't stick :(

Matt is here and I am currently waiting for him to show up at my apartment so we can go get lunch. I like to think I'm good at the whole showing people around thing, but when it comes to food I am lost. I have been to a total of like 5 restaurants in the city. I consider pre-packaged sandwiches to be big spending. I hope they're not expecting too much.

St. Patrick's Day: a playlist

2008-03-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Galway Girl
Drunken Lullabies
The Irish Rover
Beer, Beer, Beer
I'm a Rover
Finnegan's Wake
Whiskey You're the Devil
Drink it up Men
Goodbye Mick and Goodbye Pat
Whiskey in the Jar
Everyone (van morrison-for good measure)

I CAN'T WAIT. Just wanted you all to know that those itunes gift cards you gave me are going to good use.

younger than that now

2008-03-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

Well, it WILL NOT STOP RAINING in London, which sucks. But other than that it has been quite a nice few days over here. I spent wednesday afternoon at the national gallery looking at really famous art and not appreciating it enough. I ate tapas for the first time on thursday, which was cool. I found a new pub which is awesome and cheap. I also spent a lot of time with Jessie and denver, who I rarely see anymore, and had another really fun night at cubana with the international crowd. Last night I made considerable progress in the salsa dancing area, but I still suck really really bad at it. Like, it's a little bit funny how bad I am, but mostly just embarrassing. Even the germans are way, way better than me. The worst part is that for the mexican guys it's absolutely effortless, and they can't seem to fathom why I am so stiff and awkward, why dancing isn't just as easy as walking for me. Anyway, the night only made it more clear than ever that our white american culture is severely, severely lacking in the dancing area. Seriously guys. We need to work on this.

Here are some recent pictures. I have been trying to carry my camera with me more often these days, and this is the result of that.

View from the tate modern.

some art.

sunny day at trafalgar square

luck--we don't need it.

2008-03-11T19:58:00.001-07:00

I have been keeping a list of cute things that they say in England in my notebook. This is what I have so far:

fizzy drinks (soda)
star jumps (jumping jacks)
candy floss (cotton candy)
Lucy (you know, like the name)
Love (as a general thing to call women)
eggy bread (french toast)

Oh, if only they knew.

end of a phone call with my mom

2008-03-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

mom: ok well, thanks for calling, I'll talk to you soon... (turns to the rest of the family) does anyone want to say anything to Mandy? Yell "we love you."

silence. long pause.

dad: (halfheartedly) we love you...

mom: did you hear that pause? hahahaha!

wow.

2008-03-08T15:47:00.000-08:00

"I find your Yankee vulgarity intensely attractive" -waspy english boy in What a Girl Wants

hahahaha I wish.

10 gallon ascots

2008-03-08T08:35:00.001-08:00

I dunno if I have mentioned this yet, but my weekends are far too long here. I don't really know what to do with myself, ever. It's especially difficult to find things that don't involve spending tons of money. Everything is expensive! Yesterday I got breakfast (only 3.40), bought a new wallet from H&M, and treated myself to a cheeseburger for dinner. Total cost?! about 17 pounds. That's 34 dollars! Clearly a normal relaxing weekend where you hang out and eat with your friends is not an option here. The other challenge is to find something I can do by myself, while everyone else is busy doing productive things. Basically it comes down to museums. There are plenty of them, so it shouldn't be an issue. But the problem is they close at like 5 or 6, and I usually don't wake up before 1 or 2 unless I have some motivation like class or a planned outing, but since it's always the weekend, I can sleep as much as I want! Today I was going to go the national portrait gallery, but since I slept so late, I am gonna go to the tate modern instead which is open on weekends until 10, even though I have already been there twice. This is the kind of pointless life I lead over here in England. Be jealous or full of pity, depending on your life philosophy-- I personally have not decided yet.

I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear

2008-03-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

new pictures

2008-03-04T15:14:00.001-08:00

I've added a whole bunch of pictures from Dublin trip that were taken by Jessie and Denver. Go have a look if you're interested. If you're not interested, just look at this one!

2008-03-03T20:19:00.001-08:00

I am currently having a mild anxiety attack about the spring. First of all, the idea of this school year ending had finally become real and suddenly I am panicking, trying not to waste my time here and cram as much as possible into my remaining months. But the cramming just makes me more anxious and stressed out. A lot of things are up in the air because I have absolutely no clue when my final exams will be. So I can't properly plan my mom's visit, or my trip to visit Friede and Urs in Germany, or any other potential visits and/or trips. I won't know those exam dates for two more weeks so until then I will just have to live with the uncertainty. It's just hard when other people are waiting on you to make decisions.

Until then I will be busy enough planning out my eurrail trip with Matt. He, Jason, and Jason's girlfriend are getting here on the 21st, the day after my classes end. The three of them will go to Paris and Brussels, while I stay here and hopefully work on my essays. A few days later I will meet them in Amsterdam, hang out there for a while, and then the other two will leave and Matt and I will travel southward by train. The tentative plan is southern Germany, Austria and/or Switzerland, and Italy. I am really excited to take the train, since flying is a huuuuuuuge pain in the ass, especially when you buy the cheapest flights (which of course I always do), and not nearly as scenic. Unfortunately, traveling with my brother, I am unlikely to meet the love of my life en route to Vienna and wander the streets with him all night (I just watched Before Sunrise--such a great film!).

Anyway, it will be a very eventful spring, and hopefully I don't fail all my classes. That's basically all I wanted to say.

luna de margarita

2008-02-29T18:54:00.001-08:00

Last night I went with some people to a bar called Cubana which I have been meaning to go to for a while since it is right around the corner from here. It had live salsa music and a really cute bartender. Urs, this guy Pablo from Mexico, and I took turns buying pitchers of cocktails made with gin, limeade, strawberrys, cucumbers, and mint. They were very weak but very delicious. Urs tried to get the hot bartender to throw in a free cigar but he said no. Pablo tried to get me to salsa dance with him but I said no. There were margaritas on the menu and stucco walls. I craved a taco. There were lots of Australians and a guy outside on drugs. The place closed at 1 AM, just when everyone was starting to have a good time. Stupid London.

the fall of the british empire

2008-02-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

Got another A from last semester. Managed to sound reasonably intelligent in seminar today despite not having even bought the book. King's College London? More like King's College Lame.

Yeeeaaaahhhh the night's not over

2008-02-25T08:10:00.001-08:00

OK, so, Barcelona.

J and I arrived on Thursday night. After settling in at Sarah's place and having some celebratory champagne, we went to a bar and got some pitchers of sangria. I was introduced to "sexy beer" and "sexy samosas," both of which are actually just normal beer and samosas sold by creepy looking men on the street.

On Friday we went and looked at the outisde of the big gothic cathedral, then walked around some really pretty narrow streets while eating gelato. Then we walked around on La Rambla, which is like a big wide boulevard with street performers and stuff. We saw the harbor and shopped at H&M. We also went to La Boqueria, a big food market with pig's legs hanging all over the place. Later we had burritos at rachel's place, and then at like 11 we went to a really old, awesome-looking, smoky bar and I tired absinthe for the first time. It tasted like black licorice and therefore was disgusting, but I enjoyed the part where you get to light things on fire (see pictures). After that we went to another bar called Chupitos, where they have all different insane shots. I had a harry potter shot and a cafe latte shot. Very weird. But the place was really crowded with obnoxious americans so we didn't stay long.

On Saturday we took a picnic to Parc Guel, which is a really cool place built by Gaudi. There were musicians and people selling jewelry, and the weather was very nice. We stayed there for a long time enjoying the sunny weather and the views of Barcelona. Then we walked down the hill and saw some more gaudi buildings. Then we had dinner and Jessie and I got paella, which apparently is a very barcelona thing to eat. It's basically rice and a bunch of seafood. Pretty good. After dinner we headed back to sarah's place to get dressed for our big night out, which included Cyrano, her favorite bar, and Razzmatazz, her favorite club. Both were awesome. I don't think I've ever had so much fun dancing at a club; the music was so good and there were a lot of cute boys. Razzmatazz didn't close until like 7 (so awesome; I think I was born in the wrong country) so when we got home the sun was rising.

On Sunday we slept for most of the day, and finally dragged ourselves over to sagrada familia, which is a really cool and strange looking cathedral, also by Gaudi. Then we ate some mexican food. Then Jessie and I went home.

And, because I am amazing, I already uploaded the pictures.

up yours, jack

2008-02-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

I had a very nice time in Oxford. I ate a full english breakfast, napped in the sun, looked at some pretty buildings and gardens, and spent a long time in the Lewis/Tolkien pub. The pub was probably my favorite part, because it was not touristy at all, the ceiling was crooked, there were lots of fireplaces and cozy corners, and they had tuna melts. We planned to only go in for one drink, but it was so nice that we didn't really see any reason to leave, so we didn't.

I spent the rest of my reading week in my room fighting the Cold of Death. I'm not kidding, worst cold ever. Congestion, sore throat, runny nose, whatever. I can deal with that. But pinkeye, sinus infection, nosebleed?!?! Not OK. Either London is a very unhealthy place or I have the immune system of...something with a really bad immune system. Maybe there is toxic mold in my room?

Luckily things are looking up. My cold is getting better, I finally got a keyboard, and I am going to Barcelona on Thursday to stay with Sarah for 3 days. I am pretty stoked about that.

In other good news, I got back my first essay from last semester, and I got an A on it! Granted, this was the essay I had spent the most time on, but it's still a good sign. I get the rest of them back this week. In order to get them, apparently, I will have to go to my professors' office hours and they will actually talk to me about the essay and tell me my grade in person. Needless to say I am pretty nervous about that.

In conclusion, today it was really cold.

she was with that bloke in the white top in macdonald's car park

2008-02-11T16:32:00.000-08:00

Here are some things I have done lately. I'm really sorry about the list format but it's the only way I know of to catch up.

- Westminster Abbey, the most bizarre church I have ever been in. For starters, costs 7 pounds to get it, which I think is pretty blasphemous. Also, it is very cluttered. Also, it is cluttered with dead people. Also, houses the oldest door in britain. Also, there was a phone sitting in top of William Congreve's tomb. Enough with the "also"s. It was pretty epic. We stood on top of dickens, aphra benn, rudyard kipling, chaucer, darwin, and others. Saw the graves of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots.

- Picnic at St. James' park. Got yelled at by an angry goose.

- British LIbrary, this time not to study but to see the manuscripts, OMG, the manuscripts! Sooooooo cool. Original handwriting of Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, WB Yeats, Lewis Carol, John Milton (!!!!) Charlotte Bronte, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and many more. Voice recordings too. And the Magna Carta.

[sidenote--Jessie has a lot of terrible music on her computer, and I am totally judging her right now]

- Stood outside the Baftas, trying to see celebrities. This was pretty much a complete failure, because it was way too crowded and we couldn't see over the heads. However, I did get a good look at Daniel Day-Lewis, which I suppose is a big deal seeign as he won the award for best actor.
Speaking of which...

- Watched There Will be Blood

- went out for the Full English Breakfast. In case you are not aware, the Full English Breakfast consists of: fried eggs, sunny side up but with the yoke pretty much solid, "bacon" which we would call tough slices of really salty ham, some really strange sausages, a grilled tomato, baked beans, and toast. It's actually really good if you don't overthink it. The best part of the experience was that while we were searching for a place to eat, we discovered a shop around the corner that sells all of this for only 3.80! It's only take-out so we didn't eat there, but DEFINITELY made a mental note.

It think that's pretty much it for the last few days.

[I am currently listening to The Streets. English white people rapping. Bahaha.
"Tell my mum I won't be back for tea."
"Hit the fifty quid button... insufficient funds"
"I couldn't be bothered with any more rowing."
"You're fit by my gosh don't you know it."
"I saw this thing on iTV the other week, said if she plays with her hair she's probably keen"
I am not joking. I'm pretty sure they're not either. They eve have a song called "What a Twat." I take it back, Jessie's music is AMAZING]

It is currently reading week, which is that completely unnecessary break they have in the middle of each semester. Tomorrow Jessie and I are going to Oxford to check out the great hall from harry potter, and the pub where CS Lewis and Tolkien used to chill. Should be good times. I had better go to sleep, but I can't seem to drag myself away from The Streets. Oh man.

a doll on my desk

2008-02-02T08:54:00.001-08:00

I love typing! typing typing typing it is so fast and beautiful and has such a nice sound. this is me, getting my typing fix, btw. oh typing, I love you so much.

Anywayzzzzzzz

It was my birthday on Thursday, and that was incredibly fun. Everyone came over to our flat, and I think there were like 10-15 people there, which I consider a really good turnout for a 3rd year not-especially-outgoing expatriot like myself. We had nachos, cake, absolut, etc. Good times. Then we went to O'neils, which is my favorite bar/club. On Thursdays there is a live band playing cheesy music and it's super fun. I even got my own shout-out, haha.

I don't have much more to say at the moment. The library is closing soon so I will work on making some captions for my ireland pictures before I leave. Peace.

guiness is good for you

2008-01-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

I am back from Ireland and it was fantastic. On Friday Jessie and I went ot the Dublin writer's museum, which was really interesting, to us anyway. There are so many writers from Dublin, but you don't really realize it until you see them all in one museum like that. And it seems like Dublin as a city is really proud of it's writers; they have monuments and quotes all over the place, which Jessie and I greatly appreciated. We went and looked at the outside of the Abbey Theater, where a lot of great plays were put on and protested and whatnot. The theater itself was not very memorable or exciting, which made me like it even more. We wandered around in Trinity college and wished we were students there, and saw a really cool monument to Oscar Wilde which was in a really cool park that was more like a forrest, with lots of chirping birds. Then we got kicked out of the park by a man with a bell and proceeded to try and go to a Yeats exhibit, which was also closed for the day. So we finally went back to our hostel and met our three roommates: two weird german guys, and an irish guy who is living there in the hostel "until he gets his own place". His name was Patrick and he was just great. The only bad thing about Patrick was that he slept like 20 hours a day, meaning we had to be quiet all the time and couldn't hang out in our room ever. Other than that jessie and I both had a huge crush on him and desperately sought his approval. Anyway, we were supposed to go gout Friday night, but Denver's flight was delayed and he didn't arrive until 2 AM, so we didn't.

On Saturday we went on a tour of the Guiness brewery, which I thought was kind of lame because of course we didn't actually get to see any of the real factory, and it was mroe like a museum. Denver, however, is obsessed with all things guiness, and loved it. The best part was that the museum is shaped like a giant pint glass, and you work your way up to the top, where there is a bar, where you get a free pint. So we got to drink our pint with a 360 degree view of the city, and, not surprisingly, there were quotes on each windowpane about different places in Dublin from Ulysses, corresponding to what you could see out of that particular window. Also, a stranger gave us her pint because she didn't want it. I think Guiness is disgusting, so it was hard enough to finish my own, but Jessie and Denver polished it off no problem.

Next we went to the Jameson distillery tour, which was similarly kind of lame except for the part at the end where we drank alcohol. Jessie and I were chosen to be taste testers, and were given 5 small shots each--3 irish whiskeys, 1 scotch, and one american (JD). After we compared them all and chose our favorite (Jameson, of course!) we were rewarded with another glass. We left the distillery in a very good mood, and wandered around looking at pretty buildings for a while before dinner at a pub, which was great and cheap and filling. Hooray for the euro.

Saturday night we went clubbing at Temple Bar, which is the nightlife hotspot in Dublin. It's actually not just one bar but a whole neighborhood of them. The places we went to pretty much sucked though, so that was lame. We (Jessie and I, anyway)were hoping to meet some attractive Irish guys with accents, but I have never seen so many creepers in one club. The only guys we met were so Englsih you could have spotted them from a mile away--pointy nosed, uptight, slightly gay for each other, faux hawked, simultaneoiusly skinny and pudgy. Basically they were exactly the type of English guys that make you want to meet some Irish guys. Fine for London, incredibly disappointing in Dublin.

Sunday we went to a place called Howth, which rhymes with both, on the train. We got lost on the way there and spent an hour in the middle of suburbia, but when we finally got there it turned out to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. It's a little fishing town with boats, seals, a lighthouse, and all kinds of other picturesque things. We ate lunch at a market and walked along the jetty to the lighthouse, and sat in the sun. It was really, really nice. Finally we took the train back to Dublin, had some more delicious pub food, and called it a night because we had to leave for the airport at 4 the next morning.

I don't know if that was interesting to read or not, but I usually feel that I should go into more detail about my travels so this was my attempt to fix that. I still have no keyboard but hopefully it will get here soon. Pictures soon, maybe. kthanksbye.

such a shame

2008-01-23T05:36:00.000-08:00

im sorry enough about heath to type this w/ my pointer finger... i think he was important to our generation

can't even trust myself

2008-01-21T06:32:00.000-08:00

I am the stupidest person alive. Seriously, I am. I managed to spill a whole bunch of water on my computer and now half of my keyboard doesn't work. You'd be surpised how little you can do on a computer without half your keyboard. So now I am trying to figure out how to sort out that mess, and it's great.

What with my lack of computer access, and all my money being in my bank of america account, and me not doing any schoolwork, and all this beginning of term paperwork I need to fill out but haven't filled out, and blah blah blah, I feel a lot like I felt when I first got here--like I am stretched between two places--only this time, it is raining. It's that feeling where you have so much to do that you just lie on your bed staring at the ceiling, and then watch Alien vs. Predator on channel 4, and then eat some biscuits. If you know what I mean.

On Wednesday I am supposed to meet up with Corey and Cambria (cousins), who are passing through on their month-long educational journey through the UK, and pretend like I know a whole bunch about London for a day. Hopefully I can pull that off convincingly. Maybe I can get them to go inside Westminster Abbey with me, since I have been wanting to do that.

Oh yeah so I went to Cambridge on Saturday and it was pretty cool despite the total crap weather. I know I keep talking about the horrible weather but my goodness. I think that tourism is almost entirely pointless in the winter, yet I never learn my lesson. Anyway, Friederike and I did a lot of trespassing and saw some cool things while the others waited outside in the rain. Hooray Cmabridge.

Jessie and I are leaving early on Friday morning for Dublin, and Denver is metting us there that night. We plan to spend our day without him doing literature-y things, such as looking at graves of dead writers and really pretty books. Should be good times. I will probably not blog for a while until I get this computer thing sorted, so goodbye for now! Next time you hear from me I will be writing from my quaint cottage in the Irish countryside, where I am living with a ridiculously attractive man named Seamus and our 2 adorable, accented children.

tangled up in blue

2008-01-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

OK so here is the news:

I am definitely going to Dublin with Jessie and Denver next weekend. We had to book a kind of crappy hostel because it was a little last-minute, but it's in a good location, both according to our Irish source (Denver's flatmate Claire), and the fact that it's very near the Guiness factory, or something alcohol-related like that.

We have made some progress in befriending our new roommate, and managed to coerce her into getting a pint with us last night. She is really shy, I think, but nice.

I wandered around in the British Museum for a couple hours yesterday. I don't know if I'm just really stupid or something, but I found it kind of boring. I was just like hmmm Rosetta Stone, cool. *yawn* I mean I can understand why it's a big deal, but does that mean I'm supposed to feel excited about it? I was way more impressed by the ginormous glass ceiling in the middle of the building. I guess this is why I am not an archeologist. More and more these days I am losing interest in things that are old.

I saw a really really good movie, Two Days in Paris. See it. I know you will like it.

I discovered a new and addicting candy called Fizzy Fish at Sainsbury's. This is very bad!

London has turned green from moss, and it's really pretty.

So far, after only one week, I find my classes very thought-provoking. And that was without even having done the reading!

I really really like being young.

2008-01-13T04:16:00.001-08:00

I found a new song about London which pretty much describes my life. But instead of describing my actual life, like waterloo sunset, it describes my imaginary life. It's called A Foggy Day in Londontown and it's great:

a foggy day in londontown
had me low and had me down
i viewed the morning with alarm
the british museum had lost it's charm
how long, I wondered, could this thing last?
but the age of miracles hadn't passed
for suddenly I saw you there
and through foggy londontown
the sun was shining everywhere

call on meeeeee, call on me

2008-01-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

Now that I have a few days off with no schoolwork to haunt me, I don't really know what to do with myself. Today I watched a whole bunch of TV online, went to Sainsburys, cleaned my room, and then sat in the kitchen for literally hours talking to whoever happened to be in there at the time--the Germans at first, then Jessie and Tom, then Jessie Tom and some new guy that Jessie is dating, then just Jessie and the new guy, then just Jessie, then Jessie and Friederike, you get the idea. It was nice to get back to our old tea-drinking, stir-frying, time-wasting ways.

Last night despite our intense sleep deprivation Jessie and I got talked into going to Phase, the club night at our student union (the club is named Tutu's after Desmond Tutu, hahaha). All the freshers were there and it was quite fun to see everyone again. We made friends with one of our new American neighbors from across the hall. He normally goes to Weslyan, and Sam told me everyone at Weslyan is crazy, but so far he seem really cool. Oh yeah, also last night we went to McDonalds and Denver taught us that if you flash your student ID you get a free cheeseburger?!?!?! WTF you guys should try that back in the states.

My goals for the coming term are as follows: slack off even more in school, go to more museums, explore less central areas of london, bump into more attractive young men, get either job or gym membership or both, befriend people from class, wake up at a decent hour each day, go to Fabric once, find way into London hipster scene, travel more.

That's all I can think of right now that's worthy of The Travel Blog. Back to illegal TV.

DONE.

2008-01-11T04:02:00.001-08:00

Now, almost a week later, I feel like I am really back in London. Let the festivities begin!

new experiences: a list

2008-01-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

route 507 between waterloo and victoria stations

having to wipe fog off the inside of the window in starbucks in order to people-watch

adding more money to my printing account at the library

umbrella turning inside out before it is even open

taking harry-potter-OWL-esque exam in a sterile, backpack-free environment with 500 other students

waking up before sunrise without the help of an alarm

This was supposed to have an optimistic tone but I think I may have failed at that. In related news, this morning I received a facebook message from a UCSD girl who is thinking of studying at King's next year. This is the first part of my response:

Ok, so yes, London was very very intimidating at first. People all do their own thing, they walk really fast, they don't smile, they wear pinstripes, it's hard to understand their accents, it's big, cloudy, loud, etc, etc, etc. Any fears you have about the anonymity of living in a huge city are probably true.

Then I talked about how it is worth it and fun and whatnot. But still, I hope I didn't scare her off. Probably should have waited until tomorrow to respond

shakespeare understands how much I hate his plays

2008-01-08T20:45:00.001-08:00

Oh, that a man might know
The end of this day's business ere it come!
But it sufficeth that the day will end,
And then the end is known.

2008-01-08T03:33:00.001-08:00

Song playing on my iPod:

With a sky blue sky
this rotten time
wouldn't seem so bad
to me now

Unfortunately, it is pouring down rain, and walking a mile to the library with my computer, oxford complete shakespeare, and other books in my backpack in said pouring rain has taught me that I have gone soft over break, both in terms of muscle mass and ability to cope with city life. Lets just say that if one more double decker bus threatens to splash dirty gutter water all over my legs, I am calling it quits.

2008-01-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

procrastination!

new neighbors!

tea!

procrastination!

goodnight, world. tomorrow will suck.

2008-01-07T12:46:00.001-08:00

Back in London, haven't done much yet besides sleeping and working on finals. This is how messed up my sleeping schedule is:

-got home at 3 PM yesterday
-took a nap till 7, ate dinner (spaghetti)
-slept from 10PM-6AM
-woke up, finished essay, went to library, printed it out, turned it in, went straight back to library to work on shakespeare exam
-crashed and came home at 3, took a nap until 7
-ate dinner (spaghetti)

I am pretty much screwed beyond belief for this shakespeare thing, by the way. More on that later.

You never give me yo money

2008-01-03T23:46:00.000-08:00

Bloody hell! I always pick the hard essays, but I am not smart enough to actually write them.

Anyway. I went to LA. That gets to be on the blog because it is traveling. I took the metrolink which was exciting because I had to take two different trains--one to LA and one to Chatsworth. However, it took a pretty long time. I chilled with Sarah and company, we ate greek food, we played Beatles songs on the piano, etc. Today we went to an exhibit at the MOCA of this dude Murakami which was pretty sweet. He did a design for louis vuitton, and they sell the bags at the MOCA, inside the museum, which I was really wierded out by because at first I thought the sales people were just some sort of performance art or something. So we're walking around in the museum, and this woman approaches us shadily and asks us to buy her a bag each, since they have a rule that each person can only buy one. We agreed (for some reason), and she proceeded to hand us a stack of hundreds, about 2300 total. So we go in there and awkwardly ask to see some bags, and then say we want to buy them and bust out our stack of hundreds. Neither of us had even showered recently, but she didn't question it, so we gave her fake names and addresses and got the hell out of there. When we gave the bags to the lady she said "What do I owe you?" and we said "ummm I dunno I guess we'll keep the change" which was 20 bucks. Yotam says we could have asked her for like a hundred each, easily, since she is almost definitely making a profit from this. This makes a lot of sense in retrospect, but I suppose we are very naive. Now we know for next time. So then we spent part of our 10 dollars each on another exhibit next door of art that has been the in magazine Giant Robot, which I had never heard of before but apparently is really awesome. Then Sarah and company dropped me off at union station, which was conveniently only a couple blocks away, and I metrolinked it on back to Rancho in time for tostada night.

2008-01-02T02:32:00.000-08:00

my brain is melting. fo realz.

2007-12-31T01:18:00.000-08:00

new year's resolution: don't eat a chipotle burrito for lunch, sleep all afternoon, and then eat green burrito nachos for dinner.

Hopefully this won't be too difficult.

Good morning, christmas eve!

2007-12-24T07:25:00.000-08:00

Last night I feel asleep at about 10 and now it is 7 AM and I am wide awake. It might seem to some of you responsible adults out there that this means I have no jet lag at all, and am right on schedule. But I just did the math, and in London time, it's as if I went to bed at 5 in the morning and woke up at 3 in the afternoon--which, coincidentally, is exactly what I usually do! So, I have not adjusted at all to the new time zone, and am doomed to early morning productivity for the rest of my break. le yawn. By the way I suspect that the coffee they give you at Dennys is actually decaf... sip on that my friends.

2007-12-22T18:40:00.000-08:00

I just got done uploading all my pictures from both brussels and berlin, so go look! I was going to write more about brussels when I got home but I am not in the mood at the moment so maybe later, or never. Speaking of home, it's soooo warm and sunny here today! It's glorious. I have been eating everything in sight. Everything is the same except more incredible. Like for instance the sky looks a lot bigger, and everyone understands me when I speak (on the first try!), and not everyone is white, and the girls wear hoodies and vans, and you get refills. London already feels like some distant alien land; like it didn't even happen. It's weird, man. But the most weird part about this is how it's not actually that weird at all.

bitte schön

2007-12-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

Our trip is pretty much over at this point. All we have left to do is get some sleep before our early flight back to london. Berlin was pretty awesome. It is not a very picturesque city because they had to rebuild the whole thing after WWII (not to mention we are staying in what used to be east berlin) but it has a alot of amazing history and a LOT of amazing food. Charlene and I haven't really eaten anything besides potatos, sausage, and pastries for quite a few days. ok, that's not true. just now we ate fruit. but it was covered in chocolate.

these are the things we did in berlin:

alexander platz christmas market
mauerpark
postdamer platz christmas market, where we went sledding!
free walking tour, including: brandenburg gate, reichstag, holocaust memorial, berlin wall, checkpoint charlie, a bunch of other historial buildings and squares where important things happened
unter den linden christmas market
pop art exhibit
kreuzberg for dönner kebabs and chanukah market (this was already closed)
prenzlauerberg christmas market
climbed to top of reichstag
checkpoint charlie museum
modern art museum including paintings by lichtenstein, warhol, etc.
awesome local soup restaraunt
prenzlauerberg christmas market again (the other one we wanted to go to was closed)
bratwurst mit saukraut, bratkartoffeln, currywurst, glühwein, apfelpunsch, heisse schokolade, kuchen, pommes frittes, etc, etc, etc.

you might notice that clubbing is not on this list, even though we planned to go check out the hipster berlin scene. that is because (1) being a tourist takes up a lot of energy and (2) it's sooooo colddddddddd. oh well. christmas markets over clubs any day, I always say.

The only thing I am disappointed about is that we didn't really meet any locals during our trip. Germans and Belgians aren't all that outgoing, it seems, and we sure as hell weren't going to be the ones to try and stike up a conversation when it's hard enough just to order a hot chocolate. In both cities I got the impression that the locals were completely apathetic to our presence, which was actually kind of refreshing. It's nice to be able to come and go as you please in the world.

I am really really excited to come home for break and I am bringing presents! But only as many as I can fit in my backpack back to London, so prepare to be underwhelmed.

2007-12-17T07:20:00.000-08:00

In Berlin! Es ist gut! and cold. I successfully asked for directions in german once so far. now we are going to eat some bratwurst and see the maurplatz, which supposedly is right accross the street or something. hmmm. might go down to the alexanderplatz after that. alright, peace.

yeahhhhh, not tonight.

2007-12-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

I am leaving London in a few hours and I have very mixed feelings about it. As usual, I did not mentally prepare myself for this at all. I am not ready for my trip, I am not ready to say goodbye to friends forever, and I am not ready to start over new again. For some reason, I've been feeling kind of lonely this week, and I'm feeling kind of lonely right now despite the sleeping Charlene in my bed. But it will be a relief to get out of this city for a while and breathe. My decision-making skills have been a little disappointing lately; I think I need a break from this sensory overload. I think I need to get some real, guiltless sleep, talk things over, think things through. I think I need to stop booking flights that leave so early in the morning.

2007-12-13T09:31:00.001-08:00

pictures: updated!

pioneer of aerodynamics

2007-12-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

I finally figured out how to use this color accent feature that my camera has, and I think it lends itself quite nicely to cheesy postcard-type pictures of double decker buses. This cheesy picture was, in fact, taken from the upper deck of another double decker bus. (Unrelated--They have special ones for tourists where the top is open and a tour guide talks on a microphone. Sometimes I can't help smiling to myself when they drive by, all the people in Union jack beanies and snapping pictures like crazy. One time someone took a picture of the coffee shop that I was sitting in the window of... it was awesome. )

I spent about 10 minutes trying to get a good picture of this squirrel at Hyde park today. It was hard work because he moved really fast. Sam was super annoyed but I think it was totally worth it.

Harrods looks cool on the outside, but on the inside it's still depressing. Went in the Tiffany room today...oh geez. New life goal: get proposed to by man rich enough to afford Tiffany engagement ring.

Tomorrow is going to be a frenzy of laundry, libraries, and stuff, to get ready for Charlene's arrival on Friday, which will officially mark the end of me caring about school in the slightest. Until I start caring again, which will be like maybe December 28th or something. It all depends on how much I do tomorrow! During the day. Cause at night I'm going clubbing. Priorities, people. Priorities.

Where is my mind?

2007-12-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

Today while waiting in line at Cafe Nero an English man asked me for directions to Sommerset House. I have never given directions to an English person before, and it felt great. The best part was, we were right around the corner from Sommerset House at the time. What a newb.

By the way, if you are wondering what to get me for christmas, I want warm clothing and money. And particularly some of those mittens that are also gloves.

You're only what I see sometimes

2007-12-10T16:29:00.001-08:00

I made a deal with Jessie: I would work in the kitchen with her all night (she likes to work in the presence of other people, I do not), if she would go to Evensong at St. Paul's with me. She held up her end of the deal, and it was awesome. I got to walk on the millenium bridge for the first time, see inside St. Paul's for the first time, and hear some really pretty choir singing. But when we got home, she decided that she was feeling "ill" (as opposed to "sick," this one will come in handy) and would rather work in the comfort of her own bed. Score!

the last week in summary

2007-12-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

Ode to Maughan Library

2007-12-10T07:40:00.001-08:00

by Samantha Streger

Oh Maughan, you are pronounced so differently than you are spelled,
And also you are a beautiful beaulding in the middle of London.
I didn't like you at first because you were confusing,
But then you grew on me...
But we will not stand the tests of time, because I am not allowed to drink coffee within you,
And I am (ALAS!) leaving on Saturday.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

come on, it's lovely weather

2007-12-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

Today was a much better day than yesterday, despite the fact that I accidentally slept until 3:00 PM and completely missed what little daylight there was to be seen. Sam and I, in an attempt to rid me of my stressed out/homesick/rainy weather funk, decided to walk over and see the big tree at Trafalgar Square. When we got there, there was an advent carol service going on, right there in the middle of the city, which was great. Afterwards we went inside St.-Martin-in-the-fields, which is a big old church next to Trafalgar Square. I don't know why it's called that. It was very pretty inside--I am starting to get used to these really gaudy renaissance and gothic type churches, but this one was very toned down and protestantized but still beautiful. And it has a crypt underneath with a cafe and a little shop in it. Then we watched people ice skating at sommerset house for a few minutes, and then we went and had some mulled wine at a pub called the George over by the royal courts of justice, which I don't think is related to the other George we went to, but maybe. Later, we made paper snowflakes to decorate our kitchen window. Needless to say not much work has been done today, but you're only in London at Christmas once, right? There are pictures of all this, by the way, if you click that link over there on the left. For some reason they came out really grey and grainy, but that might just be because that's what it really looked like, I'm not sure.

Some thoughts on Notting Hill

2007-12-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

I hate spanish people and rain.

the reoccuring kind

2007-12-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

Today I went to the British Library. It was not by choice. I did not look at any Beatles lyrics on napkins, Jane Austen manuscripts, or whatever else they have there. Instead I registered for a reader pass, checked my coat, put all my belongings in a clear plastic bag, and went to read in a room where you can't even bring a pen. You also can't take the books out. Or eat or drink, or whatever. You have to order books and they'll go get them out of strage for you, and then you have to sit there and copy down all the information you need, and then turn the book back in. I guess it's kind of cool in theory, but I am not in that kind of mood. My mood is overwhelmed, which is definitely not the kind of mood you should be in when you go to the British Library for the first time. Well, at least now I know how the place works, for next time. I was so emotionally drained from the experience that I took a nap after dinner--BAD IDEA! Oh man, I am so freaking out right now. Oh man. Freaking out.

Gonna do some shopping at Notting Hill tomorrow. Haven't been there yet.

This sentence just happened in real life, "Did you give him your URL?!"

2007-12-06T06:24:00.001-08:00

I don't think I can handle the darkness much longer. It's so, so dark. And if it weren't dark enough during the day, by 4:30 it's actually dark, as in, night time. I can't take it!

Went on a tour of the Globe yesterday. It was pretty cool, we went backstage and onstage and ,stuff and talked about...theater. Afterwards we went to a really really cool pub called the George, and on our way there we walked by the place where the actual globe used to be. The George was like, amazing, I couldn't get over it. There was a fireplace, twinkle lights (white, not blue!), garland, and lots of coziness. I wanted to order mulled wine but they ran out...so I got a strongbow! I like to keep things as classy as possible. By the way this was all a teacher-organized field trip for Sam's class. I tagged along cause I am a huge nerd who loves to learn. But isn't that cool?! For their fieldtrip they went to the globe and then had a pint with their professor! This is exactly, exactly, exactly, the kind of thing I hoped might happen in London. Next week, I am going to see The Seagull with my modern theater class. It's gonna be really awkward, because I don't know any of them, except for one who I made it my business to introduce myself to last night at the George, for the specific purpose of having someone to talk to at The Seagull.

2007-12-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

I miss the 15 freeway.

Oh hai just writin ma paperz

2007-12-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

Somewhere in Rome there is a man named Giuseppe, and he is in love with me. I have obviously chosen the wrong city, and am missing my one chance to have a sordid european love affair. Woe is me.

I am about 3,200 words into a 4500 word paper that is one of three papers. thats pretty good, right?... right? heh.

As always in academically stressful situations, my roommates and I have been bonding the last few days. We have this thing where we all go in the kitchen and eat a lot of chocolate and pretend we are working really hard on our respective papers. Also sometimes we drink wine. Ummmm basically it's the most productive system ever devised. This is why we are all going to flunk out of life.

Today for dinner we had this really healthy sitr fry with chicken and vegetables and rice. Then we followed it up with a 250 gram bar of milk chocolate, each square of which was dipped in peanut butter, and an entire package of chcocolate biscuits. I am pretty sure men do not do such things. I wish they did.

I really like this part of the great gatsby:

"What part of the middle west?" I inquired casually.
"San Fransisco."
"I see."

2007-12-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

If I wasn't almost out of Skippy, I think I could live the rest of my life on hot tortillas and peanut butter. It's like the new toast!

London is a cruel, cruel place, my friends. When the weather is so cold and rainy that you have to abandon your mission to find a coat for cold and rainy weahter, you know you're in trouble. Also, there's nothing worse than making an effort to look cute, and then discovering that your cute outfit is not appropriate for the weather. Not only because it means you are cold, but also because it makes your effort to look cute totally obvious to those who are warm. Better luck next time.

jack frost nipping at your nose

2007-11-30T16:39:00.001-08:00

There are a few reasons why I'm feeling good right now:

I went shopping today, and didn't find a coat (most frustrating experience ever), but it was still fun.

I just bought a bunch of christmas music on iTunes: ella fitzgerald, the nutcrakcer performed by the london symphony, and little st. nick by the beach boys

I am making a list of christmas gift ideas for my family

I am drinking mint hot chocolate (this is, however, a poor substitute for the chocolate buttons I would have bought had the vending machine not been OUT OF ORDER WTFFFFF)

I made up a list of self-imposed deadlines for my papers. The first one is due on monday morning, yikes! But deadlines are so comforting. In related news, I realized I will have a couple of days to finish them up when I arrive back in London in January. So hopefully I won't be making myself and other too miserable during vacation.

I rode the bus today and it was raining outside!

Which reminds me. It's funny how my thinking has changed when it comes to my accent. I used to be intensely self-conscious about it, but I also liked the attention that it brought me, especially from the opposite sex. Now my attitude is more like "yes, I just said 'dude,' let's talk about something else." I am no longer amused when strangers overhear me and my frineds talking and say "Oh, are you American? Where are you from?" Sometimes I audibly sigh. It would be one thing if it was just purely to be friendly. It would be one thing if the people saying it were at least young and attractive. But usually it's creepy men who want an excuse to chat it up with you. So, to all you creepy men in shoe stores and buses of the world-- it's time to get a little more creative. I am glad you enjoyed your trip to Florida 10 years ago, but I would really rather do my shopping in silent, stony-faced peace like the rest of the city.

yes, you can imitate everyone you know

2007-11-29T09:13:00.001-08:00

I'm making an extreme effort to eat in as much as possible this week. So far I have done well, even for lunch! I might fail tonight because Sam is going for Indian take out and I don't know if I can resist the magnetism of the stuffed paratha. Hmmm I guess the stuffed parathas aren't that expensive... Or I could stay here and eat cheese and crackers. Can you tell how much of a grown up I am?

I don't think I will ever go to Top Shop again, as it is depressing on multiple levels. One level is that I can't afford anything there. The second is that they only have really small sizes. The third is that I probably couldn't pull off most of the clothes they sell. I am sticking to H&M in the future.

[I saw Irish Joe in the quad just now and man, do I love Irish people.]

Yesterday my roommate Friederike asked me if I had bought a warm winter coat yet, as I had expressed a desire to buy one a couple of weeks ago. I said no. She said that I had better hurry up, because all the good ones will be gone after Christmas. I found this idea alarming, since it had been my plan to wait until after Christmas and get a really cheap one on sale. I never considered that all the really cheap ones would totally suck! Now I just don't know what to do. Maybe I will go scope out the situation tomorrow. Or buy a coat in california? But what if they don't have any warm coats in california? Oh yeah. I just remembered that it is going to be freezing in Brussels and Berlin. So maybe I should buy the coat now! Man, this is a real dilemma.

I realize this has been a total waste of time and I am posting it anyway!

[edit: saw irish joe again in the laundry room. today is me lucky day!]

2007-11-27T18:50:00.000-08:00

Holy crap. Natalie's blog has just alerted me to the existence of this incredible amazing thing where cool indie bands play songs in black cabs. As Natalie herself said, best idea ever,

Basically it owns all over Les Concerts a Emporter, and therefore Paris. Bet you didn't think of putting them in a cab, did ya, Paris? Not that your cabs are nearly as cute anyway.

And Josh, if you're reading this (are you?), there is one of Daniel Johnston!

knackered

2007-11-26T09:10:00.001-08:00

Ok, it's official. Englsih kids are not better students than Americans. They are just waaaayyyyy better at faking it. Bravo, england. You really had me fooled.

I know this because I just had coffee with a girl from my Shakespeare class who I am supposed to be giving a presentation with tomorrow on the various texts of Hamlet. I didn't even know there were different texts of Hamlet until today, so I was pretty nervous about botching the whole thing up with my horrible study skills. But luckily she hasn't been reading the plays either! Or the scholarly essays! And she definitely had not started work on the presentation. What a relief. I also took the opportunity to ask her whether it's a coincidence that all of the christmas decorations in London are blue and silver (she doesn't know), whether a mince pie is sweet or savory (sweet), and how many secondary sources I should be using for my essays (not that many). I think that's a lot to accomplish in the time it takes to drink one gingerbread latte, don't you?

I have been spending a lot of time at starbucks lately. There is one near the library that has this enormous undergorund seating area with literally like 20 armchairs. The first time I went down there was like the scene at the end of The Land Before Time when Littlefoot gets his first glimpse of the Great Valley-- I wandered casually down the narrow stairway, and suddenly found myself in a vast wonderland or seating possibilities. The best part about it is that you don't actually have to order anything from starbucks in order to sit there. I tested it out today. I just walked straight past the counter and down the stairs, took my pick of squishy chairs, pulled someone else's empty mug closer to me as a decoy, took out Paradise Lost, and immediately fell asleep. Speaking of which, I think it's time for another nap.

sea birds where the fear once grew

2007-11-24T17:52:00.000-08:00

Dear relatives,

I just got a letter from grandma, and inside of it were pictures of her and grandpa bob in their halloween costumes--a clown and a cowboy, respectively. It was pretty much the most glorious thing I have ever seen.

For the rest of you,

The trip to brighton was pretty awesome. It was freezing cold, and I mean painfully effing cold, but mostly I thought that was funny. We basically just wandered around and ate delicious things for 5 hours. My fish and chips were not served in newspaper, but I put extra vinegar on them to make up for it. I think the strangest thing about the beach in England is not the weather or the rocky shore, but the lack of palm trees. It looks really strange without them. The germans were cool as always. However, now that I have blown my cover and revealed that I can actually speak quite a lot of German, they don't feel as guilty about leaving me out of the conversation, and therefore don't bother to speak in english unless they are directly addressing me. This makes things interesting, but they talk too fast and I feel confused. Oh well, it's good practice for Berlin! I can't wait! It's going to be awesome.

*cough* Oh yeah, so I'm going to Brussels and Berlin with charlene in a few weeks, between the time when school ends and I come home to california. It's going to be a freezing waffle christmasy hipster muscles airplane extravaganza! If we can get our shit together and finish planning it, anyway. Meh, tomorrow. new pictures! duh.

<3 joanna newsom

--and you, Garcia Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons?

2007-11-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday for Thanksgiving Jessie and I cooked chicken, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. It tasted pretty good, and we were pretty proud of ourselves. Maybe a little too proud, given the suspicious coloring of the chicken. It was kind of fun to celebrate in our pathetic little way. Sometimes feeling far away from familiar things is scary and unpleasant, but this time it just felt like a novelty. It helps, also, to have Americans around at such times. Anyway, after we ate our frozen apple pie, we continued our traditional celebration by going around the corner to the Wellington (pub) with Tom and some friend of his from Leeds.

Right now I am trying my very hardest to work on my three papers which aren't due until January. Obviously it's a little hard to self-motivate, but I really don't want to have to work on them while I'm in California. I have been spending a lot of time in the library checking out books, but not very much time actually reading them. If only I could convince myself that the deadline was next week... I went to a new library today and had to get a membership card, horribly ugly picture and all. One hour later I lost the card. I am so awesome.

Tomorrow I'm going to Brighton and I'm so stoked! Jessie said that they serve fish and chips in folded up newspaper there! Basically that's like my dream come true. Like seriously, how cute. I've had chips in newspaper before, but not fish. Also Brighton is by the ocean, which is something I have not seen for a long time! I am basically really excited.

I don't think I've mentioned yet that I have become a bus person. Here are the reasons why the bus is way better than the tube:

1. 90p as opposed to 1.50
2. They're red
3. If you sit in the very front on the top level, it's kind of like Soaring Over California at CA adventure
4. There are interesting things to look at outside the window, as opposed to rats and darkness
5. The temperature does not increase by a thousand bajillion degrees (celsius) when you enter the bus
6. Because the temperature does not increase by a thousand bajillion degrees (celsius), you don't have to strip off 4 layers, only to put them back on five minutes later.
7. People don't act so stressed out and uptight and life-hating on buses.
8. You have to know what a place looks like in order to get off the bus there, therefore you feel very clever every time you manage to pull it off.
9. There are night buses that run after the tube is closed.
10. Sometimes you have to run to catch the bus. This is fun.
11. There are buttons that you get to push when it's your stop.

I could go on. Basically, I love bus. I love bus!

It's Christmas! Let's be glad!

2007-11-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

(I can get away with saying that because I already celebrated Thanksgiving)

I know it looks like someone pasted my face on top of a postcard here, but this is a totally legit picture taken by whitfield the other day. Me in my natural habitat. If you're not already, you'd better get used to the vomit-yellow scarf; I've decided it's gonna become my trademark. Anyway, as you can see I am alive and well, and my neck is warm. Over and out.

just to stay abreast

2007-11-18T09:15:00.001-08:00

Learning to like tea is not nearly as hard as learning to like coffee. In fact, it's not hard at all. It's unthreatening and watery, you don't have to add much sugar to make it sweet, and it doesn't make you screw up your face the first 20 times you drink it. If I had known this I might have started drinking tea first and worked my way up to black coffee, but since I started at the other end of the spectrum, tea is no problem. And there is a communal tea kettle in our flat's kitchen, whereas the coffee maker acually belongs to someone. Not to mention that it's a much simpler process to make a cup of tea--why don't they have coffee bags, like seriously? So last week, partly because George freaked out about someone drinking the last of his, and partly because whitfield was coming to visit, I bought my very own box of PG Tips and stole some little milk thingies from burger king, and with the help of my cadbury fingers and McVitties digestives, I'm well on my way to becoming a real brit. This is not to say that a single drop of coffee on my tongue can't still change my entire outlook on the world. OMG coffee. We still hang out now and then, but we've grown apart. I used to be able to tell coffee anything. Now we just smile and say hi as we pass on the street. I wish we could just go back to the way things used to be. Coffee, if you're reading this, give me a call or something. Maybe we can go grab a coffee sometime; catch up.

cinder grey and spray paint

2007-11-16T20:57:00.000-08:00

I just want to say that the whole sushi thing was pretty the best idea I've ever had. We found this place called the "Japan Center" that my friend Yuki told me about. On the ground level is a sushi restaurant, but if you go down into the basement you can get it to take away. The prices are like 2 or 3 pounds for a whole roll, but then there is a sign that says 50% off! Upon asking, you discover that this is indeed 50% off the already insanely cheap price! So basically we got 4 packages of sushi for less than five pounds. Then we took it outside to picadilly circuss and sat on the stairs by the fountain to eat it, sitting on newspaper and facing inward on the steps so as to use the one above us as a table. I felt pretty freaking cool about the whole thing, but also literally cool because I don't know if I've mentioned it, but London has become really freezing in the last week or so. Eveen whitfield said so, and he lives in Lancaster. Anyway, if you are ever in central London, go to the japan center at picadilly, because I am pretty sure that's about the cheapest meal you will find anywhere, unless, like me, your idea of a meal out is black coffee and a textbook. Or even if it is.

After eating our sushi feast we walked around the regent street/oxford street area, stopping periodically in coffee shops and bars to get warm. I drank a mint hot chocolate and wore my hood[s] because it was cold, we went to a 5 story toy store, and it was pretty christmasy in a slightly sickening way. Then we came home and watched elf.

Today the best thing ever happened. I walked whitfield over to his hotel so he could meet up with his study abroad program group thing. We had to get there by a certain time so he could go to this free mexican meal they had planned. When we arrived we realized the mexican restaraunt was right around the corner, so I figured I might as well go scope out the situation and see if I could bum some food. Turns out there was no sort of sign-in sheet or ID check, so I basically just walked in, grabbed a plate, and helped myself to a steaming heap of beans, rice, meat, and tortillas. It wasn't terribly authentic, but it was terribly free, and to make a long story short I definitely had a cramp in my side as I made the trek home afterward. It was a long, cold walk, but I had my animal collective and my satisfaction in not needing a map. Map shmap, I always say.

My body is really tired from the past couple weeks of craziness and I can't wait to stay in my room all day tomorrow. sleeeeep.

new pictures up.

Like a field mouse

2007-11-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

I'm really sorry that I have been so MIA. But I am not sorry that I have been too busy to write, because it's been an awesome sort of busy. Right now whitfield is here shaving off his ridiculous facial hair in my bathroom and we are going to eat sushi at piccadilly circus soon. Him visiting was totally out of nowhere but awesome nonetheless. Last night we went to the london phil again, and for some reason got free beer afterwards. then we went to literally the worst club in all of london. serisouly, if you were wondering where the worst club in london is, we found it. But it was hilarious, so we still had fun. Also, we got some more free beer there. Also I think on the way home we got invited to a porn party. I think it was whitfield's beard. This morning we went to the tate modern for a little while and saw some famous stuff. Then I went to class, then we drank PG tips, and now I've written my way back to the present. There are so many books and paintings and ravioli and things to say but if I say them I might miss something else. I think that my life is about to overflow, but for now I prefer that to empty by far.

This saturday is thanksiving dinner for EAP. Be jealous, I get to stuff myself with pumpkin pie before you do!

Ok, whitfield is still shaving maybe I can write more. Ummm ok so rome was a totally epic experience. I guess I should have realized it would be, but I didn't. Thinking about the future is not my thing anymore, so I just arrived there to find that I didn't know a single word of italian (even "thank you") and I was actually in another country. Later, I was surprised beyond belief to find myself in the vatican, or a narrow alleyway with restaraunts, or being catcalled by creepy men. But it was awesome. Charlene is a seriously awesome tour guide and should be charging money. Oh and we ate at the hard rock cafe for her birthday dinner, which I was pissed off about until I opened the menu and ordered myself a 7 ounce bacon cheeseburger with carmelized onions and barbeque sauce. also, THEY HAD RANCH DRESSING. AND I DIPPED MY SEASONED FRIES IN IT. There were way too many americans in there acting embarassing but it was so worth it. So worth it. Anyway, rome was totally awesome. and we met some nice people there. and there was a lot of really old stuff. I don't mean to sound flippant, it's just that it really is shocking how old this stuff is when you're standing there next to it. Oh yeah, and lots of art I didn't know anything about. Ok this entry sucks really bad. sushi!

no grazie

2007-11-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

Pictures from Rome are up on Picasa. Too tired to blog about it now. Gotta finish the paper. It is so so so so cold.

2007-11-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

I realized that 1,000 words is not really very many at all. I typed out a rough list of ideas to talk about in my essay which is due monday, and realized that the list alone is over 400 words. So I just have to like add one sentence to each sentence I have, and I will be golden. By which I mean, I will have something to hand in. Still, I am a little nervous about all the work I have to do within the next few weeks. My goal is to finish all of my essays before I go home for Christmas, so that I can have a real vacation, worry-free. Also because it will be basically impossible to do the research I need to do from my bedroom in Fontana. They are all due when I get back in January, which is strange. I don't like that at all. When in London...

Yesterday was Guy Fawkes day, which I thought woul dbe a much bigger deal than it actually was. I envisioned the entire city celebrating together, out on the streets while fireworks went off overhead, but this was not the case. Apparently all the fireworks shows were over the weekend, and the streets were, if anything, emptier than normal. Oh well.

Apparently tomorrow they are lighting up Oxford Street at a certain time. I am going to go see it if I remember, if I can find someone to go with, and if I am not running around like a mad woman trying to prepare for my trip to Rome. Yayyyy Rome!

and you left your shoes in the tree

2007-11-04T16:01:00.000-08:00

I swear that all the leaves changed colors overnight. I am pretty sure I did not imagine this. Suddenly everything is yellow and red and your feet are crunching, the air is cold and clean and life feels like a memory, or some sort of slow-moving French film.

Today was a big adventure. As I mentioned last night, I had to wake up early to go with Sam to east London to get her computer fixed. We showed up at a warehouse under a bridge that looked sketchy as hell on the outside but inside turned out to be more of a studio, with computers along the walls and huge six-color laser printers all over the place. Turns out the place functions as a graphic design/printing press type place as well as a PC repair shop. It was Sunday so the place wasn't actually open, just two guys working with the radio on. The computer repair man was incredibly nice and not at all like the stereotypical socially awkward computer nerd with a thick accent that you might imagine. He soon figured out the problem and started installing stuff and transferring stuff, which ended up taking about 4 fours to complete. During this time he cooked us three egg omelets with toasted pita bread and orange juice, gave us advice on saving money in London, and offered me a part time job. I would try to explain but there's not use; nice people don't make any sense-- suffice it to say he was just a disarmingly friendly guy who took pity on some yawning, hungry, and confused Americans. But he said he would only pay 5.50 an hour so I don't think I'm gonna take the job, even though it would obviously be incredibly chill.

So, we explored a new part of London, figured out a new bus route, got a free breakfast, and came home with a brand new hard drive, all for the low cost of 175 pounds (luckily that part was Sam's problem, not mine). After that we went and spent a few hours in the library working on papers, then came home and cooked Indian food using a pre-made tikka masala sauce from a jar and tesco brand naan bread. It actually turned out to be pretty delicious.

I haven't slept much for the last two nights and I am about to remedy that.

portrait of a lady, poster of a girl

2007-11-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Windsor. We got train tickets that went straight from Waterloo station (right next door, in case you haven't heard me say so about a million times already) to windsor for only 5 pounds, round trip. We left our flat at 9:30 and were on our way by 10, gliding along through the suburbs in the morning sunshine. The trip took less than an hour, and when we got off we were right in town at the bottom of the hill leading up to the castle. After a short stop at starbucks, we went and saw the castle. It was a beautiful stunning fall day. All of the leaves were red and orange and yellow, the sun was out, but the air was cold. The place looked just exactly like a castle should. We went inside and saw Queen Mary's dollhouse, which was totally incredible. I have never seen such a cool dollhouse in my life. They had mini towels in the linen closet, mini chess board, mini silverware, mini everything. Then we saw original da vincci drawings, and pictures of royal people getting married, and jewels and china. then we got to go into the state apartments, which were totally gorgeous of course. By the way, I wasn't allowed to take pictures of any of this. Finally we went to see st. george's chapel, which was way more impressive than i expected. first of all it was more like a cathedral than a chapel. second of all it's where knights are installed, which literally means they are given a choir stall in the church. above each of their stalls there is a flag with their coat of arms, a sword, and a crown-type thing. I asked if any of them belonged to paul mccartney, but apparently these are only for really really special knights who actually matter, not just pop singer ones. So I felt pretty dumb for asking. But soon I forgot because I saw the grave of King George VI and his wife Elizabeth, aka the queen mother, and also princess Margaret. Basically that means the parents and sister of the current queen. Cool! There were all kinds of other royalty burried there as well. It was all very historic. We finally left the castle and went in search of food. By now it was cold out and everyone was grumpy. It feels nice to have to kind of friends you can be grumpy with, so I didn't mind. Finally we settled on an italian place where i had a really delicious calzone, definitely one of the best ones I've ever had. Then we wandered back to the train station to see off yuki, who was really tired and had been being a downer all day and didn't feel like walking anymore. So he went back and we stuck around for another hour to see the town of Eton, whcih is right across the Thames from Windsor. There wasn't much to see there, but it was a cute town. We took the train home at about 6, but it felt way later. Thanks, daylight savings/waking up early! Tomorrow I have to wake up early again to go with sam to get her computer fixed because it's an emergency and she is totally freaking out. Then we are gonna go to the library and get some work done. After all, this is "reading week." Oh wait, I forgot to say that it was reading week. That means I get a week off class. I'm not sure if it's meant to be a vacation or a time to study, so I am using it as both-- writing for the first half, and going to rome for the second. Italian food, here I come! Oh, and Charlene.

edit: Judging by my sister's reaction to this post, it seems I never mentioned that I was going to Rome. Woops. Yeah, so I'm going to Rome on Thursday to see Charlene.

under the bridge

2007-11-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a few days since I last blogged. This week it got a lot colder, only 50 during the day, and I bought a couple new sweaters at primark, and a nice warm scarf. Then it got a lot warmer. As in, yesterday I was too hot wearing my grey hoodie. This was annoying, cause I wanted to wear the new sweaters, but I will enjoy it while it lasts.

Someone had the brilliant idea to make the london eye green, and I am very excited about that. I get to walk home from class at dusk now, the most beautiful time to see London, in my opinion. Everyone is outside living, and the lights are turned on but it's still light enough to see the details of the buildings. There have been some christmas decorations going up since before halloween. I find that a bit excessive, but pleasing at the same time. At oxford street, I noticed that they had put up all the twinkle lights over the street, but when it got dark they didn't turn them on. I wonder if they will turn them on now that it's november. The one exception to this was some huge department store that has a light for every square inch and a huge window display of teddy bears wrapping gifts and playing trumpets and other such ridiculous things.

Yesterday was a really good day for me. I ran into Denver in the study room and we ended up having an intellectual conversation about film (him) and literature (me). My paradise lost seminar was more than usually interesting, and we all argued about whether or not it's possible to understand God, and my teacher smiled and nodded his head when I talked. After that I went to talk to my shakespeare professor (one of the three, anyway) about the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing in her class. She was very helpful, and we ended up talking about Shakespeare in Love and whether or not I plan to see the new Elizabeth. Then I went home and picked up a couple things for sam's birthday on the way, because it was her birthday. To celebrate, we feasted on sushi and a german thing called auflauf. Then everyone came over and we had cake and ice cream and strongbow. It was a big group, and it was fun to see everyone in one place. Oh, I love birthdays. When the security guard came upstairs to yell at us for being too loud (hate that guy), we left the kitchen in favor of o'neils, a bar in china town. It was really fun because they had a live band playing cheesy music and a pretty good crowd. We stayed there until almost three dancing, and then walked home past trafalgar square. I wish all days in London could be like that one, but the ratio of ones that are to ones that aren't is becoming surprisingly high.

Is it weird that the red hot chili peppers make me homesick? I don't even like the red hot chili peppers. ok, that's not true, they are kind of good. the city she loves me; lonely as I am, together we cry

chocolate buttons

2007-10-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

It was daylight savings yesterday and that means the sun was already beginning to set when I got out of class at 4 today. As I walked west along the strand the angle of the light was such that everyone in front of me was a black sillouette with a bright golden outline. pretty awesome. I am worried about the increase in darkness making me depressed when added on to the already grey gloomy weather of this place. But so far, so good.

I can't decide whether or not I want to go out tonight. I mean, I don't want to, but I can't decide whether I should anyway. I feel I am reverting back to my old, let's-just-hang-out-and-talk self. This is both comforting and scary. Boring is fine at home, but I don't want to be boring here. Well, I don't think it's possible anyway. For one thing, I don't have any friends that I am close enough to to just hang out and talk to for hours. And also, all the coffee shops close in the early evening. Which is completely unacceptable, in my opinion. But oh well. When in London, talk in a pub.

2007-10-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight Sam and I made barbeque chicken and potato salad and zucchini (don't question it). It turned out prety good. I am proud of us.

Despite the small existential crisis I go through every time I take pictures recently, I uploaded a few new ones to picasa, complete with indirectly relevant wilco lyrics.

I am a shameless sampler

2007-10-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Bourough market is an amzing, beautiful place. It's like going to costco on a sunday except way, way better. You get to have samples of all kinds of cheese, sausage, bread, jam, dried fruit, nuts, etc. And if you are still hungry you can buy an ostrich burger, a steak sandwich, fish and chips, english breakfast, or whatever. I bought oranges, pears, strawberries, dried apples covered in cinammon, dried pineapple, a giant fudge brownie, olives, and a cup of hot apple cider. Apparently this is where Jamie Oliver always goes to shop on his TV show. I can see why! It was awesome. We took the bus home cause we are lazy.

Yesterday I went to the natural history museum, and it was actually pretty lame. It was very kid-oriented and therefore the information was pretty basic and boring. Also, the place was swarming with four-year-olds. Gross. We got take-out from Indigo and ate it in our kitchen, which is way more fun, it turns out, than eating it in the restaraunt. Then Sam told us about some thing her friends were going to at the Victoria and Albert museum with lots of halloween storytelling and films and so on. So we went back on the tube to exactly the same stop we were just at to check it out. Turns out the Halloween-related stuff was all full slash sounded lame, so we just looked around the museum itself for a while. There was one really cool room about fashion with old dresses and shoes and things. It was kind of cool to be in a museum at night, but we were all pretty tired and we didn't stay too long. So far my weekend has been pretty siccessful. Now I am going to go do some laundry/reading in the laundry room.

im in ur londonz, watchin ur orchestraz

2007-10-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight I watched the London philharmonic at the royal festival hall... for four pounds! It was brilliant. There's not much I can say about it because it was just really good in every way possible. Just imagine a really good orchestra, and you're watching them from a really good seat that you only paid 8 dollars for. Got it? Good.

This experience has confirmed my suspicion that Londoners have so much culture available to them at all times, they really take this kind of thing for granted. I mean, our seats were GOOD. And we bought them on Monday. And people weren't even dressed up! What is going on?? It's like all the grownups in the city got together and were like "look guys, we're all pretty worn out from seeing the lion king last night, and the opera the night before that, and then there's that film festival thing going on, and I was really hoping to catch a quick shakespeare play at the globe tomorrow... what do you say we just let the kids watch the london phil for 4 pounds tonight?" There was probably a collective yawn, and then the matter was settled.

So anyway, during one of the really quiet intense pauses, my stomach growled LOUD. I was super embarassed, but mostly just hungry. I spent the last couple movements thinking about that fact.

Afterwards we all came back to our kitchen. By "all" I mean me, the germans (friederike, urs, kathleen), the belgians (judith, forogt the other's name), my roommate sam and her american friend ashley. It was all very multicultural. We played cards and drank tea. Not me, though. I ate scrambled eggs-- my first meal since last friday. It tasted amazing, but possibly just cause I was so hungry.

2007-10-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I was lying in bed watching The Hills (yessssss I finally found a website that lets me watch it here!). There was a scene where Heidi and Spencer were eating dinner at their favorite Mexican restaraunt in LA and it was almost more than I could bear. After the episode was over, I literally spent about 15 minutes just lying in bed with my eyes closed imagining that I was eating chips and salsa with my family, on my thrid refill of coke, or the amazing tortilla soup at On the Border, or the huevos rancheros I got at Peppers the week before I left, or the cheesey salad at Espiaus, or the nachos at Cotixans, or the tacos at Ramiros, or the carne asada fries at Robertos, or the chile relleno at that one place aunt carol likes, or a nice fat chipotle burrito, or El Mercado, or taco bell, or ANYTHING. The one image my mind kept returning to, though, was me dipping a nice salty, greasy chip into my refried beans with cheese, lots of cheese, that stretches as I pull the chip away. I swear I can taste it right now, I really can, and it's amazing. It's not just the mexican, either. I would love to have a nice big salad, or a sandwich with lots of vegetables on it or something. I would love to have some soup with recognizable ingredients. A nice big steak and a baked potato would be cool, too. This sudden food obsession is probably caused by the fact that I basically haven't eaten anything besides plain white things that make me gag since last Friday. I would try to console myself by going to get some Indian takeout or something, but I am still at the point where two pieces of toast with jam is a huge accomplishment. Woe is me. I hate you, body.