If you had told me a year ago that I would be exploring the streets of London on a daily basis, I’d have laughed in your face. I didn’t plan to study abroad. It was too expensive, too far away (I hadn’t even ever been on a plane), and most of the people I knew who wanted to travel had been planning practically since the day they started college. It just wasn’t for me, and that was that. But a series of events in my life during sophomore year forced me to start looking at the world with wider eyes. Suddenly, I was more curious, more daring, and really, really kicking myself for not making plans to study abroad. It came as a lucky coincidence that SU Abroad decided to extend the application deadline for the fall, and when a friend told me of this, I took it as a sign. Literally the next day, I rushed to the office, submitted my application, and the rest is history. The summer was a blur of work and preparations for my big adventure. And when I finally stepped on that plane in August, nervous, excited, and downright giddy, little did I know that I’d be coming back a changed person.
Coming over here, I didn’t know anyone. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone for once, and moving to London took me about 3400 miles out of it. Kind of a drastic step, I know. But I was ready for something big. I came to London with an open mind, ready to learn as much as I possibly could about the city, about the culture, about the history, and most of all, about myself. I vowed to do whatever it took to get the most out of this opportunity. And looking back on the whirlwind that has been the last three months, I can confidently say that living in London has truly been the best experience of my life.
If I could choose one lesson I’ve gained from living here, it would be that appreciating the little moments in life is what’s most important. London, to me, isn’t about sightseeing, shopping, or even the terrible exchange rate. It’s finding an overlooked side street with a charming little café on it, or enjoying a sandwich in the park; it’s meeting a friend for a drink in the evening, or finding the spots with a view (the London Eye doesn’t count); it’s a smile from a stranger on the street, or haggling for a deal at the market. It’s the things that make you feel like you’re somebody, because it is so easy to lose sight of yourself in such a big place.
In the end, it’s really not always about where you are, but who you’re with that makes the biggest difference. The whole SU London community is very close-knit—everyone knows one another and says hello if we pass on the street—quite a change from the hustle and bustle of the big school that I’m used to. But because of the openness of the people who are here, for the first time I felt like I was important, that what I think really matters, and that the experiences that I have here are of true interest to those around me. And I’ve made some really, really great friends. The memories that I’ve shared with the people here are ones I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
I came to London as a sheltered, shy and confused individual, and I am proud to say I am leaving as a confident, cultured and determined woman. I’ve done more things in the past three months that I never dreamed I would have had the opportunity to in my life. Pushing myself to limits I never thought possible has showed me that I am capable of doing anything I set my mind to. Thanks to this experience, I’m a girl who has fallen in love with the world, and I can’t wait to see where my journey takes me next.
http://www.syracuse-u.ac.uk/catalyst-prize.html
28 November 2007
27 November 2007
paris: "go with the devil"
bonjour!
I have to say of all the cities I've visited so far, Paris tops my list (aside from London, of course).
We departed from the brand new St. Pancras Station on Thursday evening and arrived in Paris 2 hours and 15 minutes later, a record in Eurostar travel. After a short walk to our accommodation at the Hotel Victoria, we no more than set our things down and immediately went in search of our first crepe of the trip. I have been holding out for Paris and haven't bought a single crepe, despite all the temptations in various countries this semester. We stopped at a decent looking cafe nearby and I ordered a crepe with "banane e coco," thinking coco meant chocolate. But the language barrier strikes again! "Coco" means coconut... I HATE coconut! Unfortunately, my first crepe of the trip was a bust. But c'est la vie, as the French say...
Friday we set off bright and early for sightseeing on the coach. I definitely made the right decision choosing to travel to Paris on the school trip, rather than alone because there is no way I could have done as much as we did on my own. Our major destination for Friday was the Palace of Versailles (what up, Marie Antoinette??), but on the way there we made stops at the Arch of Mankind (the modern mirror image of the Arc de Triomphe) and the Villa de Savoye (an architectural landmark by Le Corbusier)... definitely two things I never would have thought to do, but I'm very glad I got the opportunity to visit. When we finally got to Versailles, Melissa (my partner in crime for the weekend) and I were jumping for joy because we are both completely obsessed with the Marie Antoinette movie. Big surprise, there was SCAFFOLDING on it. One of my friends said she's going to make a photo album called Europe: Under Construction because literally, every major landmark I have seen since travelling has had some sort of scaffolding on it. I know it's the off season, but really, every landmark?? Unnecessary... scaffolding has officially made it onto my very short list of pet peeves, along with slow walkers, big crowds, and people who walk in front of my camera when it's very obvious that I'm trying to take a picture. But I digress...
Versailles was beautiful. I was obsessing over Marie Antoinette's bedroom, which was decorated with this gorgeous flower wallpaper. The Hall of Mirrors was equally as stunning, and the chapel when you entered the palace was decorated with the most gorgeous murals. We had a really great tour guide named Norman, who is a professor at Faraday, and he is just absolutely the most energetic old man I have ever met in my life, and completely offensive all around, but you just can't help but love him. As we're standing in the chapel, he was talking about the mural above the altar, and suddenly reveals that he thinks the way Jesus is painted makes him look like a "striptease dancer." Everyone's head turned like, what?? did you really just compare Jesus to a stripper?? Hilarious. We also got to tour the gardens outside the palace which were amazing, and HUGE... it took us a good 15 minutes to walk down to the lower pond and that wasn't even the farthest one. I only wish we could've spent more time there because I really would have loved to see Marie Antoinette's cottage, but I guess I will save that for my next trip to Paris.
arch of mankind.
villa de savoye.
marie antoinette's bedroom.
in the gardens.
I have to say of all the cities I've visited so far, Paris tops my list (aside from London, of course).
We departed from the brand new St. Pancras Station on Thursday evening and arrived in Paris 2 hours and 15 minutes later, a record in Eurostar travel. After a short walk to our accommodation at the Hotel Victoria, we no more than set our things down and immediately went in search of our first crepe of the trip. I have been holding out for Paris and haven't bought a single crepe, despite all the temptations in various countries this semester. We stopped at a decent looking cafe nearby and I ordered a crepe with "banane e coco," thinking coco meant chocolate. But the language barrier strikes again! "Coco" means coconut... I HATE coconut! Unfortunately, my first crepe of the trip was a bust. But c'est la vie, as the French say...
Friday we set off bright and early for sightseeing on the coach. I definitely made the right decision choosing to travel to Paris on the school trip, rather than alone because there is no way I could have done as much as we did on my own. Our major destination for Friday was the Palace of Versailles (what up, Marie Antoinette??), but on the way there we made stops at the Arch of Mankind (the modern mirror image of the Arc de Triomphe) and the Villa de Savoye (an architectural landmark by Le Corbusier)... definitely two things I never would have thought to do, but I'm very glad I got the opportunity to visit. When we finally got to Versailles, Melissa (my partner in crime for the weekend) and I were jumping for joy because we are both completely obsessed with the Marie Antoinette movie. Big surprise, there was SCAFFOLDING on it. One of my friends said she's going to make a photo album called Europe: Under Construction because literally, every major landmark I have seen since travelling has had some sort of scaffolding on it. I know it's the off season, but really, every landmark?? Unnecessary... scaffolding has officially made it onto my very short list of pet peeves, along with slow walkers, big crowds, and people who walk in front of my camera when it's very obvious that I'm trying to take a picture. But I digress...
Versailles was beautiful. I was obsessing over Marie Antoinette's bedroom, which was decorated with this gorgeous flower wallpaper. The Hall of Mirrors was equally as stunning, and the chapel when you entered the palace was decorated with the most gorgeous murals. We had a really great tour guide named Norman, who is a professor at Faraday, and he is just absolutely the most energetic old man I have ever met in my life, and completely offensive all around, but you just can't help but love him. As we're standing in the chapel, he was talking about the mural above the altar, and suddenly reveals that he thinks the way Jesus is painted makes him look like a "striptease dancer." Everyone's head turned like, what?? did you really just compare Jesus to a stripper?? Hilarious. We also got to tour the gardens outside the palace which were amazing, and HUGE... it took us a good 15 minutes to walk down to the lower pond and that wasn't even the farthest one. I only wish we could've spent more time there because I really would have loved to see Marie Antoinette's cottage, but I guess I will save that for my next trip to Paris.
arch of mankind.
villa de savoye.
marie antoinette's bedroom.
in the gardens.After Versailles we headed back to central Paris and made a stop at Napoleon's Tomb, but it was CLOSED! Paris happened to be on strike that weekend, so the metro was closed down and because of that, a few things we had planned to visit were closed as well. The outside was pretty, at least!
By this point in the evening, it was absolutely freezing outside. But we ended our tour by the Eiffel Tower, so we could spend some time there and go to the top of it. After about an hour-long wait, we finally got on an elevator and began our ascent. You don't realize looking at the Tower just how high it is. But we were in the elevator for a good 7-10 minutes just going up, and up, and up. We finally reach the top and it is breathtaking! I've been to the top of some pretty tall buildings since visiting Europe, and I'm big on getting the scenic views, and this was, hands down, the best one. After taking about a million pictures, we decided it was time to head down, but not without incident. As I said, it was freezing in Paris, and at the top of the Eiffel Tower, you can imagine how much colder it was. I would put it at a good -10 degrees... it could have snowed up there, and I didn't have gloves on. Needless to say, I couldn't feel my hands or any of my extremities for that matter, and thus, dropped my camera. And suddenly, my world stopped. There I was, on top of one of the most famous structures in the world, looking down on one of the most beautiful cities of the world, and I had all I could do not to burst into tears at my mistake. But I kept composed and told myself it was just a material object, and made my way back down the tower, mildly depressed but thankful I at least got some pictures while I could. We then set out to visit the Louvre since it's free for students on Friday nights, but of course we had to stop to take pictures in front of the Tower at night. And just like magic, it started sparkling! It was beautiful.
eiffel tower, no big deal.
the sunset over Paris as seen from the Tower.
Our walk to the Louvre took much longer than expected (the map was very deceiving), so once we arrived we had minimal time to see much, so we headed straight for the Mona Lisa (I though it would be bigger) and Napoleon's crown jewels (they looked pasted on... I'm such a brat) but that was about all we had time for before they started kicking everyone out. Bummer that I was on a budget because that is probably the most famous art museum in the world and I didn't really have time the rest of the trip to go back.
Back at the hotel, we tried again at the crepe issue and this time I was a little more lucky. I was dying for some real food so I tried a crepe with egg and cheese and it was pretty good, until I started getting sick of egg and cheese... But anyway, the best part of the night! My roommate Carolyn felt bad that I dropped my camera and so she asked to look at it and I was just like, "yeah, ok its broken anyway do what you want with it," and just kind of tossed it to her. She no more than touched it and it was fixed!! Albeit a little broken part on the front, the camera was back to perfectly funtioning condition... I was literally jumping up and down with happiness. That camera is my baby. I think I couldn't get it fixed at first because it was so cold and the camera needed to warm up a bit. Needless to say I went to bed a happy camper.
Saturday morning we opted for a walking tour of Central Paris, ending at Notre Dame Cathedral. Quasimodo was nowhere in sight, but stormin' Norman pointed out that the statues on the lower half of the outside of the building (the ones that are supposed to be in hell) look like they were having a lot more fun than the ones up north, so we should "go with the devil." Just another friendly piece of advice.
notre dame
By this point in the evening, it was absolutely freezing outside. But we ended our tour by the Eiffel Tower, so we could spend some time there and go to the top of it. After about an hour-long wait, we finally got on an elevator and began our ascent. You don't realize looking at the Tower just how high it is. But we were in the elevator for a good 7-10 minutes just going up, and up, and up. We finally reach the top and it is breathtaking! I've been to the top of some pretty tall buildings since visiting Europe, and I'm big on getting the scenic views, and this was, hands down, the best one. After taking about a million pictures, we decided it was time to head down, but not without incident. As I said, it was freezing in Paris, and at the top of the Eiffel Tower, you can imagine how much colder it was. I would put it at a good -10 degrees... it could have snowed up there, and I didn't have gloves on. Needless to say, I couldn't feel my hands or any of my extremities for that matter, and thus, dropped my camera. And suddenly, my world stopped. There I was, on top of one of the most famous structures in the world, looking down on one of the most beautiful cities of the world, and I had all I could do not to burst into tears at my mistake. But I kept composed and told myself it was just a material object, and made my way back down the tower, mildly depressed but thankful I at least got some pictures while I could. We then set out to visit the Louvre since it's free for students on Friday nights, but of course we had to stop to take pictures in front of the Tower at night. And just like magic, it started sparkling! It was beautiful.
eiffel tower, no big deal.
the sunset over Paris as seen from the Tower.Our walk to the Louvre took much longer than expected (the map was very deceiving), so once we arrived we had minimal time to see much, so we headed straight for the Mona Lisa (I though it would be bigger) and Napoleon's crown jewels (they looked pasted on... I'm such a brat) but that was about all we had time for before they started kicking everyone out. Bummer that I was on a budget because that is probably the most famous art museum in the world and I didn't really have time the rest of the trip to go back.
Back at the hotel, we tried again at the crepe issue and this time I was a little more lucky. I was dying for some real food so I tried a crepe with egg and cheese and it was pretty good, until I started getting sick of egg and cheese... But anyway, the best part of the night! My roommate Carolyn felt bad that I dropped my camera and so she asked to look at it and I was just like, "yeah, ok its broken anyway do what you want with it," and just kind of tossed it to her. She no more than touched it and it was fixed!! Albeit a little broken part on the front, the camera was back to perfectly funtioning condition... I was literally jumping up and down with happiness. That camera is my baby. I think I couldn't get it fixed at first because it was so cold and the camera needed to warm up a bit. Needless to say I went to bed a happy camper.
Saturday morning we opted for a walking tour of Central Paris, ending at Notre Dame Cathedral. Quasimodo was nowhere in sight, but stormin' Norman pointed out that the statues on the lower half of the outside of the building (the ones that are supposed to be in hell) look like they were having a lot more fun than the ones up north, so we should "go with the devil." Just another friendly piece of advice.
notre dameWe had a bit of free time in the afternoon, so Melissa and I opted to do a bit of window shopping at the famous Galleries Lafayette, a HUGE department store in downtown Paris. We did give in and make a stop at Sephora (which IS French, I might add) and I kind of, sort of bought some French perfume for myself but it was a decent deal and it smells delicious!
After our afternoon off, we stopped for dinner at one of the oldest restaurants in Paris, but I couldn't read anything on the menu except "poulet et frites," aka chicken and fries, so I got that... again, language barrier. Some of my friends were brave and ordered escargot. I had the chance to try it but something about eating something that is slimy and resembles a slug is just not appealing to me, I don't know why.
Finally, Saturday night, the night of the surprise we've been dying to find out about all semester! The metro was still on strike so we ended up having to walk 45 minutes to the secret location and we were all praying that it was going to be worth it. We rounded the corner and it was...(drum roll please)... the circus!
I haven't been to a REAL circus before in my life, so this was such great fun. Granted, it was all in French, but I understood perfectly fine albeit maybe missing out on a few tacky jokes. There were jugglers and acrobats and elephants and a woman shot out of a cannon, it couldn't have been more on point. AND I had cotton candy... I really felt like a kid again. Hilarious, loved it! The only thing that I was taken aback by is that the French are so kind of raunchy and the clown made a couple references to snorting crack and shooting heroin... I'm hoping it was above the heads of the hundreds of children that were at the circus that night, but who knows with these crazy Europeans...
On Sunday we had a bit of time before we had to catch the train to head home, so we boarded the coach again and traveled around East Paris, stopping at a few parks, the major library and the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, where Jim Morrison, Chopin, and Oscar Wilde, amongst thousands of others, are buried. We only had time to see Morrison and Chopin's graves, which were inspiring to see, but I was really hoping to see Oscar Wilde, since I had just sparked an interest in him in Dublin. But again, another good reason for me to go back to Paris someday.
This was definitely my favorite trip of the semester. Traveling in a school group made things so much easier and accessible and I wouldn't have done it any other way. I can't wait to go back someday.
And now, back at school, it's crunch time. We're in the home stretch, with only about 19 days left to go (but who's counting??). I'm so excited to see my family and friends so soon, but I am going to be really, really sad to leave this place and the people I've met behind. But I'm not about to get all sentimental about this just yet. It's time to soak up my last few weeks here for all I can get. I'm going to Prague this weekend with some great people and then I'll have one weekend left in London. And I'm not going to waste a second.
Can't wait to see you all!
Cheers!
After our afternoon off, we stopped for dinner at one of the oldest restaurants in Paris, but I couldn't read anything on the menu except "poulet et frites," aka chicken and fries, so I got that... again, language barrier. Some of my friends were brave and ordered escargot. I had the chance to try it but something about eating something that is slimy and resembles a slug is just not appealing to me, I don't know why.
Finally, Saturday night, the night of the surprise we've been dying to find out about all semester! The metro was still on strike so we ended up having to walk 45 minutes to the secret location and we were all praying that it was going to be worth it. We rounded the corner and it was...(drum roll please)... the circus!
I haven't been to a REAL circus before in my life, so this was such great fun. Granted, it was all in French, but I understood perfectly fine albeit maybe missing out on a few tacky jokes. There were jugglers and acrobats and elephants and a woman shot out of a cannon, it couldn't have been more on point. AND I had cotton candy... I really felt like a kid again. Hilarious, loved it! The only thing that I was taken aback by is that the French are so kind of raunchy and the clown made a couple references to snorting crack and shooting heroin... I'm hoping it was above the heads of the hundreds of children that were at the circus that night, but who knows with these crazy Europeans...
On Sunday we had a bit of time before we had to catch the train to head home, so we boarded the coach again and traveled around East Paris, stopping at a few parks, the major library and the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, where Jim Morrison, Chopin, and Oscar Wilde, amongst thousands of others, are buried. We only had time to see Morrison and Chopin's graves, which were inspiring to see, but I was really hoping to see Oscar Wilde, since I had just sparked an interest in him in Dublin. But again, another good reason for me to go back to Paris someday.
This was definitely my favorite trip of the semester. Traveling in a school group made things so much easier and accessible and I wouldn't have done it any other way. I can't wait to go back someday.
And now, back at school, it's crunch time. We're in the home stretch, with only about 19 days left to go (but who's counting??). I'm so excited to see my family and friends so soon, but I am going to be really, really sad to leave this place and the people I've met behind. But I'm not about to get all sentimental about this just yet. It's time to soak up my last few weeks here for all I can get. I'm going to Prague this weekend with some great people and then I'll have one weekend left in London. And I'm not going to waste a second.
Can't wait to see you all!
Cheers!
23 November 2007
italy was good, but dublin was better
No sooner had I been back from Italy before I left again to visit one of my top destinations for the semester: DUBLIN! I was especially excited for this trip as I have heard so many great things about Ireland from my grandparents and from the prequel kids. Not to mention some of my heritage lies in the country (appropriately enough, a good deal of older men in this city reminded me of my grandfather...).
Julie & I left early Friday morning and arrived at Kinlay House, our hostel, in the early afternoon. We were located right in the downtown Temple Bar area and I have to say we couldn't have found a better spot to stay! The hostel was very resonably priced, clean, comfortable, and had free breakfast... can't get much better than that when it comes to hostel living.
After learning our lesson from Italy, we did quite a bit of research before going because we wanted to just jump right into what we wanted to do when we arrived in Dublin. We started our weekend with a tour of the Guinness factory. We didn't exactly anticipate what a long time it would take. The whole place is basically a museum about how Guinness is made, advertised and distributed. Interesting, but towards the end I just wanted to get to the top floor and have my complementary pint of the black stuff! The top floor of the factory gives a 360 degree panorama of the city below, which was enjoyable as we sipped on our pints. As much flack as I will catch for saying this, I didn't really like it! It's very much a man's beer. Very thick, syrupy, heavy. I prefer my cider (for the rest of the trip I enjoyed Bullmer's cider with black currant flavoring, delicious!). I felt like I had been drinking for over an hour and I looked in my cup and I had only downed about 1/5 of the glass. It was a little much for me. Later I found out that drinking an entire pint of Guinness is equivalent to eating an entire loaf of bread. So needless to say, I didn't feel so guilty about not finishing it.
outside the factory.
barrels of guinness.
julie enjoying her pint.
As I said, we didn't realize how long it would take us to do the factory, so by the time we were done it was around dinner time and we walked to Temple Bar to find some grub and explore. The streets of Temple Bar are basically lined with "hippie stores" as I refer to them: shops that sell incense, wool blankets, scarves, and long fabric skirts, among other things. Dublin is very much a place for subcultures to hang out... I saw everyone from punks, to goths, hippies, yuppies, old men, and just your everyday traveller.
After dinner we were signed up to do a "musical pub crawl," so we headed to the pub to meet with the group. This was probably one of my favorite things we did the whole weekend. We visited two pubs, and at each we spent about an hour listening to two traditional Irish musicians play for us. Drinks were a bit pricy so there wasn't much drinking going on, but I enjoyed the music all the same. We learned about different types of Irish tunes, different tempos and how to count them, and the different Irish instruments. My favorite was the bodhran, which is a handheld drum with animal stretched across the frame, and you play it with any kind of thick double-headed stick (the guy who played it just used a simple paintbrush). You can make different beats on it with each side of the beater and by varying the speed you play and where on the drum you beat... it was so interesting to see and hear! I mean, I'm typically easily amused, and watching this guy play this drum could have kept me occupied for hours.
our pub crawl hosts jamming out.
Julie & I left early Friday morning and arrived at Kinlay House, our hostel, in the early afternoon. We were located right in the downtown Temple Bar area and I have to say we couldn't have found a better spot to stay! The hostel was very resonably priced, clean, comfortable, and had free breakfast... can't get much better than that when it comes to hostel living.
After learning our lesson from Italy, we did quite a bit of research before going because we wanted to just jump right into what we wanted to do when we arrived in Dublin. We started our weekend with a tour of the Guinness factory. We didn't exactly anticipate what a long time it would take. The whole place is basically a museum about how Guinness is made, advertised and distributed. Interesting, but towards the end I just wanted to get to the top floor and have my complementary pint of the black stuff! The top floor of the factory gives a 360 degree panorama of the city below, which was enjoyable as we sipped on our pints. As much flack as I will catch for saying this, I didn't really like it! It's very much a man's beer. Very thick, syrupy, heavy. I prefer my cider (for the rest of the trip I enjoyed Bullmer's cider with black currant flavoring, delicious!). I felt like I had been drinking for over an hour and I looked in my cup and I had only downed about 1/5 of the glass. It was a little much for me. Later I found out that drinking an entire pint of Guinness is equivalent to eating an entire loaf of bread. So needless to say, I didn't feel so guilty about not finishing it.
outside the factory.
barrels of guinness.
julie enjoying her pint.As I said, we didn't realize how long it would take us to do the factory, so by the time we were done it was around dinner time and we walked to Temple Bar to find some grub and explore. The streets of Temple Bar are basically lined with "hippie stores" as I refer to them: shops that sell incense, wool blankets, scarves, and long fabric skirts, among other things. Dublin is very much a place for subcultures to hang out... I saw everyone from punks, to goths, hippies, yuppies, old men, and just your everyday traveller.
After dinner we were signed up to do a "musical pub crawl," so we headed to the pub to meet with the group. This was probably one of my favorite things we did the whole weekend. We visited two pubs, and at each we spent about an hour listening to two traditional Irish musicians play for us. Drinks were a bit pricy so there wasn't much drinking going on, but I enjoyed the music all the same. We learned about different types of Irish tunes, different tempos and how to count them, and the different Irish instruments. My favorite was the bodhran, which is a handheld drum with animal stretched across the frame, and you play it with any kind of thick double-headed stick (the guy who played it just used a simple paintbrush). You can make different beats on it with each side of the beater and by varying the speed you play and where on the drum you beat... it was so interesting to see and hear! I mean, I'm typically easily amused, and watching this guy play this drum could have kept me occupied for hours.
our pub crawl hosts jamming out.The next day of our trip was by far my favorite thing I have done this entire semester. We took a day-long bus trip to Glendalough, up in the mountains, and with the leaves changing, it was one of the most gorgeous places I have ever seen in my life. We made a bunch of different stops on the way there, most notably to the property of Arthur Guinness, about 2500 feet above sea level:
gorgeous view from the Guinness property.
gorgeous view from the Guinness property.'Glendalough' translates to "land of two lakes," the upper lake and the lower lake. We had a good chunk of time to go off and explore on our own once we got there, so Julie and I high-tailed it to the farthest point we could go.
upper lake, Glendalough.
no words, seriously.
upper lake, Glendalough.
no words, seriously.We had this really hilarious tour guide the whole day, who was self-nicknamed "Big Kev." He kept leaving his mircrophone turned on as we were driving and we could hear him making all these awkward bodily noises and grunts and such. Kind of gross, but we got a kick out of it. You could tell he had been doing this job awhile but still quite enjoyed it. And he knew a ton about the history of Ireland and the land we were driving through; I was glad to do some learning on my trip. So thanks, Big Kev, for showing us a good time.
The evening was rainy and cold, but Julie and I were determined to see what the infamous Dublin nightlife was like. We found a club with no cover and waited for it to get busy as we sipped on our delicious ciders. It was fun, but I have to say quite typical, as all they played was American dance music, there were people grinding up on each other all over the place, and there were lots of flashy strobe lights. Just another average club.
We were set to leave Dublin late on Sunday evening, so we set out to enjoy a non-typical day in Dublin. We started at the Smithfield Horse Market, which goes on the first Sunday of every month and is absolute chaos. It takes place in this city square, next to a bunch of high-rise buildings and hotels, which is such an awkward spot because to see horses tied up to street signs and out of the back of cars, you just kind of think to yourself, "wait a second, what century are we in??" The whole thing was very bizarre and so entertaining. It was basically really old Irish men and dirty little farm boys parading their horses, donkeys, and ponies around the square in hopes that someone would put a bid on it. To kill time, they raced their horses up and down the street and rode them around. Something about it just struck me as quite odd... I couldn't tell if the animals were happy or not. I didn't really see anyone actually making any purchases, so I was left to believe that although it was called a 'market,' it really was just an excuse for people to get together and show off their horses and socialize with one another. Very off the beaten path to visit, I must say.
The evening was rainy and cold, but Julie and I were determined to see what the infamous Dublin nightlife was like. We found a club with no cover and waited for it to get busy as we sipped on our delicious ciders. It was fun, but I have to say quite typical, as all they played was American dance music, there were people grinding up on each other all over the place, and there were lots of flashy strobe lights. Just another average club.
We were set to leave Dublin late on Sunday evening, so we set out to enjoy a non-typical day in Dublin. We started at the Smithfield Horse Market, which goes on the first Sunday of every month and is absolute chaos. It takes place in this city square, next to a bunch of high-rise buildings and hotels, which is such an awkward spot because to see horses tied up to street signs and out of the back of cars, you just kind of think to yourself, "wait a second, what century are we in??" The whole thing was very bizarre and so entertaining. It was basically really old Irish men and dirty little farm boys parading their horses, donkeys, and ponies around the square in hopes that someone would put a bid on it. To kill time, they raced their horses up and down the street and rode them around. Something about it just struck me as quite odd... I couldn't tell if the animals were happy or not. I didn't really see anyone actually making any purchases, so I was left to believe that although it was called a 'market,' it really was just an excuse for people to get together and show off their horses and socialize with one another. Very off the beaten path to visit, I must say.
smithfield horse market, dublin.
Following the horse market, Julie and I headed to the Dublin Writers Museum to educate ourselves. I didn't realize how many well-known Irish writers there are in history. I particularly liked learning about Oscar Wilde, he was quite the wit. I bought one of his books and am looking forward to enjoying it over coffee when I get back to the States. After the museum, we did a bit more exploring around Temple Bar, grabbed some delicious lunch, and shopped at the markets around town.
It was a quick flight back to London and I was right back into busy mode from the time I walked in the door. I really, really enjoyed Dublin and wish I had more time there! In fact, I almost wish I spent my break touring Ireland instead of Italy. It's very American of me to say, but traveling in a country that speaks English makes it all so much better on the whole... I will definitely be returning another day. I liked that we didn't do the typical sights while we were there either. I really think that finding off the beaten path kinds of things to do makes the experience so much more real and you see the city from a different angle.
Next stop: Paris! Cheers!
It was a quick flight back to London and I was right back into busy mode from the time I walked in the door. I really, really enjoyed Dublin and wish I had more time there! In fact, I almost wish I spent my break touring Ireland instead of Italy. It's very American of me to say, but traveling in a country that speaks English makes it all so much better on the whole... I will definitely be returning another day. I liked that we didn't do the typical sights while we were there either. I really think that finding off the beaten path kinds of things to do makes the experience so much more real and you see the city from a different angle.
Next stop: Paris! Cheers!
13 November 2007
12 November 2007
italy in a nutshell
First stop: Rome. The real Rome. Home of such historical wonders as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, Circus Maximus, Bocca della Verita (Mouth of Truth), the Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, and the Vatican- all of which I saw within my two-day stay. I know they say Rome wasn't built in a day, but if you really try, you can at least see most of it within that time frame. The weather was nice, the food was delicious (the gelato was even better), and we even had a celeb spotting!
colosseum, 19 october 2007.
just like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. mouth of truth, 19 oct 2007.
hanging out at the trevi fountain, 19 oct 2007.
vatican, 20 oct 2007.
view through the roman ruins, 19 oct 2007.
colosseum, 19 october 2007.
just like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. mouth of truth, 19 oct 2007.
hanging out at the trevi fountain, 19 oct 2007.
vatican, 20 oct 2007.
view through the roman ruins, 19 oct 2007.Next on the agenda: Florence. This is where things started to get interesting. We booked our trip through STA travel, thinking it was a safe bet.
Not so much. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a CAMPER you see. STA travel booked us a CAMPSITE, not a hostel. No heat, terrible weather, an hour and 45 minutes away from town, and no one spoke English. Needless to say, we were out of there about as quickly as we got there. Kind of a bummer, since we spent the whole first day in "Florence" freezing and trying to find a hostel in a more central location. But it was all worth it when we arrived at our lovely Bed & Breakfast in the heart of Palazzo Pitti in Florence.
View from the Soggiorno Pitti, Florence, 23 Oct 2007.
Not so much. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a CAMPER you see. STA travel booked us a CAMPSITE, not a hostel. No heat, terrible weather, an hour and 45 minutes away from town, and no one spoke English. Needless to say, we were out of there about as quickly as we got there. Kind of a bummer, since we spent the whole first day in "Florence" freezing and trying to find a hostel in a more central location. But it was all worth it when we arrived at our lovely Bed & Breakfast in the heart of Palazzo Pitti in Florence.
View from the Soggiorno Pitti, Florence, 23 Oct 2007.Our B&B was right in the centre of the city, so we got to sightseeing right away. Florence is a city based around its history in art and religion. We saw the David (quite attractive, for a statue) and climbed the Duomo. We shopped at the markets. We sampled the gelato, of course. One night we went out to see a Beatles cover band. I found it hilarious to see four Italian men singing songs by one of the most American bands to ever live. They were actually quite good! Rome definitely had more to do, but Florence had the better vibe.
riverside, Florence, 23 Oct 2007.
perched atop the duomo, 400+ steps up. 24 oct 2007.
outside the Duomo, 23 Oct 2007.
riverside, Florence, 23 Oct 2007.
perched atop the duomo, 400+ steps up. 24 oct 2007.
outside the Duomo, 23 Oct 2007.Our last stop of the trip led us to Venice, romantic capital of the world. But all I can say is, when in Venice, wear your rubbers! (Get your mind out of the gutter...) When it rains in Venice, it pours. The first day was nothing but wetness and wind, but Lucy and I did our best to brave the elements and make our trip worthwhile. Unfortunately, the rain caused the canals to reach high tide, and as the water flooded into the streets, we sought safety on side alleys and museums. My favorite place we stopped was the Peggy Guggenheim contemporary art museum. This was a woman who's life mission was to spread her love of art to the world. When she died, her house and her art collection were turned into a beautiful museum, complete with a lovely garden. Very fascinating woman. We also found time to make a pit stop into the city centre to feed the birds. I was terrified. Our day was cut short, however, as our map was soaked, and so were we. Our hostel, if you can call it that, was another one of STA's genius campsites, but fortunately this one was a little more close to town. We spent a lot of early nights killing time in the restaurant and bar situated on the site. We were considered regulars by the time we left...
Our second day in Venice faired much better weather, so we took a water taxi over to Murano island, where glass is the name of the game. We went to two different glass blowing sites and of course, sampled more gelato. It took us a good while to get back into town, as the taxi ride was a little over an hour between islands (and trying to read signs in Italian takes up a lot of time as well), so by the time we got back, it was dark. We stopped back into the city centre to listen to some violin, and indulged in a delicious dinner. The city's special drink is called Bellini, which is a sort of peach-flavored bubbly champagne, and absolutely delicious as a dessert. I did buy a small bottle to bring home, but haven't found the right occasion to open it just yet.
venice, 26 october 2007.
the bravest little girl i have ever seen. venice, 26 october 2007.
Our second day in Venice faired much better weather, so we took a water taxi over to Murano island, where glass is the name of the game. We went to two different glass blowing sites and of course, sampled more gelato. It took us a good while to get back into town, as the taxi ride was a little over an hour between islands (and trying to read signs in Italian takes up a lot of time as well), so by the time we got back, it was dark. We stopped back into the city centre to listen to some violin, and indulged in a delicious dinner. The city's special drink is called Bellini, which is a sort of peach-flavored bubbly champagne, and absolutely delicious as a dessert. I did buy a small bottle to bring home, but haven't found the right occasion to open it just yet.
venice, 26 october 2007.
the bravest little girl i have ever seen. venice, 26 october 2007.By the end of the 10-day trip, we were all pretty burnt out from travelling, lack of sleep, miles and miles of walking, and struggling to overcome the language barrier, so we were well ready to head home when Sunday finally rolled around. Despite my sleepiness, I still managed to make one more celeb spotting: Seal (yeah, the "Kissed by a Rose" guy, or, Heidi Klum's husband) was on our flight on the way home! Quite a cool way to end the trip.
Most romantic: Venice
Best nightlife: Florence
Most sights to see: Rome
Best gelato: Rome
Friendliest people: Venice
Most attractive men: Florence
Most desperate men: Florence
All-in-all, a pretty decent fall break. But I am happy to be back in London.
Cheers!
Most romantic: Venice
Best nightlife: Florence
Most sights to see: Rome
Best gelato: Rome
Friendliest people: Venice
Most attractive men: Florence
Most desperate men: Florence
All-in-all, a pretty decent fall break. But I am happy to be back in London.
Cheers!
08 November 2007
the weather can read feelings
it's a cold, rainy and blustery day in london.
last night, as i was going to sleep, i was overcome with this huge sadness all of a sudden. i couldn't overcome it, and when i realized the date, it dawned on me. it was a year ago, today, that my heart broke. it's like my body has a timing mechanism and it wants to mark the anniversary of one of the most painful emotions i've ever felt.
heartbreak, i've learned, is not something to fear. i wouldn't wish it on anyone, of course, but for me, it has forced me to learn what i'm capable of, to step out of my comfort zone, to really find who i am, rather than what i am with someone else.
last year this whole season was a chaotic mess of hurt, anger, lies, and lots of tears. but instead of sitting here and sulking about what was and what could have been, i think it's time to appreciate how far i've come. so many nights of thinking and writing and confusion and bad dreams, several deep but pointless conversations, and one bad lapse in judgment. feeling alone in the busiest of places. faking a smile when i'm killing inside. pretending i'm in a bad mood because of work and not because i'm alone. so many awful feelings, and never thinking i could move on, yet i still sit here today, scarred, mended and really, truly happy with myself. experiencing heartbreak has taught me strength, truth, curiosity and the power of having really, really great people in my life. i hope that wherever he is, he can say the same, because even though he broke my heart, i wish him happiness. we loved each other, it was real and there's no denying that we are an important piece of each other's past. and its important to embrace your past.
i still can't shake the sadness, but i think it's time to relish it, because after this, it's time to move on.
i hope it's sunny tomorrow.
last night, as i was going to sleep, i was overcome with this huge sadness all of a sudden. i couldn't overcome it, and when i realized the date, it dawned on me. it was a year ago, today, that my heart broke. it's like my body has a timing mechanism and it wants to mark the anniversary of one of the most painful emotions i've ever felt.
heartbreak, i've learned, is not something to fear. i wouldn't wish it on anyone, of course, but for me, it has forced me to learn what i'm capable of, to step out of my comfort zone, to really find who i am, rather than what i am with someone else.
last year this whole season was a chaotic mess of hurt, anger, lies, and lots of tears. but instead of sitting here and sulking about what was and what could have been, i think it's time to appreciate how far i've come. so many nights of thinking and writing and confusion and bad dreams, several deep but pointless conversations, and one bad lapse in judgment. feeling alone in the busiest of places. faking a smile when i'm killing inside. pretending i'm in a bad mood because of work and not because i'm alone. so many awful feelings, and never thinking i could move on, yet i still sit here today, scarred, mended and really, truly happy with myself. experiencing heartbreak has taught me strength, truth, curiosity and the power of having really, really great people in my life. i hope that wherever he is, he can say the same, because even though he broke my heart, i wish him happiness. we loved each other, it was real and there's no denying that we are an important piece of each other's past. and its important to embrace your past.
i still can't shake the sadness, but i think it's time to relish it, because after this, it's time to move on.
i hope it's sunny tomorrow.
28 October 2007
after ten days in italy, all i want is some toast...
hello loves!
I am back from Italy, a little more cultured and a few pounds heavier after eating nothing but delicious Italian delicacies all week! Ten days in Italy was ample time to soak up a sense of the lifestyle, and I loved every minute of it (even the cumbersome ones, which I will get to eventually), but I am glad to be back. Now I am embarking on my last half of the semester... only about 6 more weeks to go before I head back home to the States. I have to say the longer I'm here, the more I'm missing home and all of its comforts. Especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner. I'm already feeling the pressure from school, as classes are going to start pouring more work onto us as we approach the end. We start our bake sale business for EEE on Wednesday, and we are starting a PR campaign project in my PR class, which is going to prove difficult I think. We have to come up with a year-long campaign for a real client and present it to them in a few weeks. In Syracuse, we have a whole class dedicated to that... a semester long class... and we're pulling this off, supposedly, in 3 weeks... eek. We will be starting exhibition prints in my photo class to get ready for our photo show at the end of the semester, and of course I will have a good 2000-3000 word essay for my History class, which is something I am going to have to really work at to pull a good grade with my professor. The stress is piling up.
I decided I'm going to do three separate entries for my Italy trip, one dedicated to each city I went to. Each city had a very different vibe and made for a different experience everywhere I went. Rome was all about sight seeing (and celeb spotting), Florence was very art and religion-focused, and Venice was romantic and charming. I loved them all... I definitely can't pick a favorite. I can say, though, that Italy is not cheap, and my bank account is completely tapped out. So I suppose its good I filled up on such delicious food while I was away, because I will be making my meals from bread, cereal, apples, cheese and milk for most of my remaining weeks here. Ah, the life of a broke college kid. At least I get to go broke in such a beautiful place, and not, oh, say, Syracuse, New York...
Look for my entries coming up this week... and keep an eye out for loads of photos from my trip. Miss you all, wherever you may be.
Cheers!
I am back from Italy, a little more cultured and a few pounds heavier after eating nothing but delicious Italian delicacies all week! Ten days in Italy was ample time to soak up a sense of the lifestyle, and I loved every minute of it (even the cumbersome ones, which I will get to eventually), but I am glad to be back. Now I am embarking on my last half of the semester... only about 6 more weeks to go before I head back home to the States. I have to say the longer I'm here, the more I'm missing home and all of its comforts. Especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner. I'm already feeling the pressure from school, as classes are going to start pouring more work onto us as we approach the end. We start our bake sale business for EEE on Wednesday, and we are starting a PR campaign project in my PR class, which is going to prove difficult I think. We have to come up with a year-long campaign for a real client and present it to them in a few weeks. In Syracuse, we have a whole class dedicated to that... a semester long class... and we're pulling this off, supposedly, in 3 weeks... eek. We will be starting exhibition prints in my photo class to get ready for our photo show at the end of the semester, and of course I will have a good 2000-3000 word essay for my History class, which is something I am going to have to really work at to pull a good grade with my professor. The stress is piling up.
I decided I'm going to do three separate entries for my Italy trip, one dedicated to each city I went to. Each city had a very different vibe and made for a different experience everywhere I went. Rome was all about sight seeing (and celeb spotting), Florence was very art and religion-focused, and Venice was romantic and charming. I loved them all... I definitely can't pick a favorite. I can say, though, that Italy is not cheap, and my bank account is completely tapped out. So I suppose its good I filled up on such delicious food while I was away, because I will be making my meals from bread, cereal, apples, cheese and milk for most of my remaining weeks here. Ah, the life of a broke college kid. At least I get to go broke in such a beautiful place, and not, oh, say, Syracuse, New York...
Look for my entries coming up this week... and keep an eye out for loads of photos from my trip. Miss you all, wherever you may be.
Cheers!
16 October 2007
it's been awhile...
hello loves!
So sorry it's taken me so long to get back to writing... things have been pretty crazy this week what with midterms and all. But luckily I'm all finished with that, and things went well (I got an A on my history paper!) and now it's time to get back to leading my five-day weekend, charming little London life.
I couldn't cram too much into this weekend so that I could have a good amount of time to do schoolwork, but I did manage to accomplish visits to a select number of places. Thursday, Elsa and I went to Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana used to live. With the 10-year anniversary of her death, the Palace is doing a tribute to her, so all of the walls on the bottom floor were being used as movie screens, and each wall had a different movie or photo show on it. I realized how much they love her here even when I was back in the States (and really, who doesn't), but you don't quite recognize the scale of it until you're actually here to witness it first-hand. It's a national obsession, and with good reason, don't get me wrong, but it's hard to relate when I come from a country that for the most part despises it's leader. To see a nation so united around one specific person is quite astonishing and rather inspiring as well. Think of the things the U.S. could accomplish if we could just elect someone that everyone found so agreeably! But that's another discussion for another day... On top of the movies, they also had an exhibit of a selection of Diana's dresses, which really brought things to life. I was thinking about it, and for example, I find Audrey Hepburn to be absolutely timeless and elegant and just one of the most admirable individuals to live, and I think that that's what Princess Diana will be for my children's generation. Someone with a legacy of accomplishing so much during her lifetime and maintained so classy and humble that you still hear about her and admire her, even though you never witnessed her when she was alive. And the whole tragedy aspect of her story adds to the obsession factor. Anyway, the rest of the palace was nice though I often find myself getting sort of antsy by the end of the palace tours I've been on, I feel like I thrive more off of interaction and hands-on exploring, rather than walking through a building and observing an object or room while I listen to a headset about it. But I digress. I also enjoyed Kensington Gardens... I liked that the lawns weren't overly-maintained, they were a bit overgrown and the way the leaves had fallen all across the ground was so real to look at, if that makes any sense. So often these palace gardens are kept up so meticulously that they don't look real. There was a nice little patch of wildflowers in the garden as well and there was a whole group of little school children running around and picking flowers and I stopped to watch them for a little while. I love the innocence and life that little kids have, it's invigorating.
Friday I went on a day trip to Cambridge, about 2 hours outside of London. Cambridge is home to 31 universities, none of which are actually called Cambridge University. Contrary to popular belief, that is not an actual school. It's kind of interesting how it works, really. You apply to one of the 31 schools in the town, and when you're accepted your loyalties are to that college, but when you graduate your degree says Cambridge University on it. Also, if you leave your name "on the books" for something like four years after you graduate, you get a Master's Degree, without even doing anything! These crazy Brits, I know. It was quite refreshing to see so many people my age walking about the town. I also saw the labs where the electron was discovered and where DNA was discovered, and I saw an apple tree that was grown from the seeds of Newton's apple tree, and I took a tour of the amazing Kings College chapel, which was stunning. We had a cheap lunch at a nice little pub and stopped for a quick drink at a WWII pub that still had names on the ceiling that soldiers burned into it so many years ago. Sometimes I'm really taken aback by the amount of history that I am literally just sitting in by being here.
Saturday Alli and I ventured down to Regents Park, and I fell in love. Definitely my most favorite part of London, hands down. We hiked up to the top of Primrose Hill and the view was breathtaking! Pictures will be up soon (by the way, check out my photo album- I updated!). There were all sorts of sports fields around and it was fun to watch people playing rugby and football. Almost made me want to be athletic myself... almost. Speaking of which, later that night I met up with Amy on her side of the river and watched the England-France rugby match at this pub called Roebuck's. Above the bar was just a huge empty room with some chairs and tables and a big screen TV. It was jam-packed, so we snuck up to the front and sat on the floor (something Brits don't do, I guess)... The atmosphere was intense, with people singing and dancing and drinking and cheering, it was almost like being at the actual game! England won and people just went crazy. I didn't even understand what was going on in the game and I was getting excited.
So Friday morning I'm off to Italy for 10 days. I'll be touring Rome, Florence and Venice, which I suppose is the "standard" fall break trip. Regardless, I'm excited. Some people are trying to cram so much in to 10 days, travelling to like 5+ cities and really, I think they're just doing it to say they've been there. But what are you really going to get out of the trip if you're only there for a day? It's not going to be something you can vividly remember in two years. I think we're definitely going to have ample time to do the touristy sightseeing and also soak up some real culture, going for walks and visiting markets and people watching at a cafe... those are the things I like to do more than just visiting the attractions. After all, it's a break, so it should be relaxing, right? I'm getting antsy to go as I'm running out of things to entertain myself with here and I'm running out of food. It's pointless to go grocery shopping when I'm only here for two more days, so basically I'm down to meals consisting of rice and/or soup, apples, and some orange juice. Ah, the life of a poor college student.
Will try to write at least once while I'm gone, providing I can find a computer/internet somewhere. Keep in touch, and don't miss me too much!
Cheers!
So sorry it's taken me so long to get back to writing... things have been pretty crazy this week what with midterms and all. But luckily I'm all finished with that, and things went well (I got an A on my history paper!) and now it's time to get back to leading my five-day weekend, charming little London life.
I couldn't cram too much into this weekend so that I could have a good amount of time to do schoolwork, but I did manage to accomplish visits to a select number of places. Thursday, Elsa and I went to Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana used to live. With the 10-year anniversary of her death, the Palace is doing a tribute to her, so all of the walls on the bottom floor were being used as movie screens, and each wall had a different movie or photo show on it. I realized how much they love her here even when I was back in the States (and really, who doesn't), but you don't quite recognize the scale of it until you're actually here to witness it first-hand. It's a national obsession, and with good reason, don't get me wrong, but it's hard to relate when I come from a country that for the most part despises it's leader. To see a nation so united around one specific person is quite astonishing and rather inspiring as well. Think of the things the U.S. could accomplish if we could just elect someone that everyone found so agreeably! But that's another discussion for another day... On top of the movies, they also had an exhibit of a selection of Diana's dresses, which really brought things to life. I was thinking about it, and for example, I find Audrey Hepburn to be absolutely timeless and elegant and just one of the most admirable individuals to live, and I think that that's what Princess Diana will be for my children's generation. Someone with a legacy of accomplishing so much during her lifetime and maintained so classy and humble that you still hear about her and admire her, even though you never witnessed her when she was alive. And the whole tragedy aspect of her story adds to the obsession factor. Anyway, the rest of the palace was nice though I often find myself getting sort of antsy by the end of the palace tours I've been on, I feel like I thrive more off of interaction and hands-on exploring, rather than walking through a building and observing an object or room while I listen to a headset about it. But I digress. I also enjoyed Kensington Gardens... I liked that the lawns weren't overly-maintained, they were a bit overgrown and the way the leaves had fallen all across the ground was so real to look at, if that makes any sense. So often these palace gardens are kept up so meticulously that they don't look real. There was a nice little patch of wildflowers in the garden as well and there was a whole group of little school children running around and picking flowers and I stopped to watch them for a little while. I love the innocence and life that little kids have, it's invigorating.
Friday I went on a day trip to Cambridge, about 2 hours outside of London. Cambridge is home to 31 universities, none of which are actually called Cambridge University. Contrary to popular belief, that is not an actual school. It's kind of interesting how it works, really. You apply to one of the 31 schools in the town, and when you're accepted your loyalties are to that college, but when you graduate your degree says Cambridge University on it. Also, if you leave your name "on the books" for something like four years after you graduate, you get a Master's Degree, without even doing anything! These crazy Brits, I know. It was quite refreshing to see so many people my age walking about the town. I also saw the labs where the electron was discovered and where DNA was discovered, and I saw an apple tree that was grown from the seeds of Newton's apple tree, and I took a tour of the amazing Kings College chapel, which was stunning. We had a cheap lunch at a nice little pub and stopped for a quick drink at a WWII pub that still had names on the ceiling that soldiers burned into it so many years ago. Sometimes I'm really taken aback by the amount of history that I am literally just sitting in by being here.
Saturday Alli and I ventured down to Regents Park, and I fell in love. Definitely my most favorite part of London, hands down. We hiked up to the top of Primrose Hill and the view was breathtaking! Pictures will be up soon (by the way, check out my photo album- I updated!). There were all sorts of sports fields around and it was fun to watch people playing rugby and football. Almost made me want to be athletic myself... almost. Speaking of which, later that night I met up with Amy on her side of the river and watched the England-France rugby match at this pub called Roebuck's. Above the bar was just a huge empty room with some chairs and tables and a big screen TV. It was jam-packed, so we snuck up to the front and sat on the floor (something Brits don't do, I guess)... The atmosphere was intense, with people singing and dancing and drinking and cheering, it was almost like being at the actual game! England won and people just went crazy. I didn't even understand what was going on in the game and I was getting excited.
So Friday morning I'm off to Italy for 10 days. I'll be touring Rome, Florence and Venice, which I suppose is the "standard" fall break trip. Regardless, I'm excited. Some people are trying to cram so much in to 10 days, travelling to like 5+ cities and really, I think they're just doing it to say they've been there. But what are you really going to get out of the trip if you're only there for a day? It's not going to be something you can vividly remember in two years. I think we're definitely going to have ample time to do the touristy sightseeing and also soak up some real culture, going for walks and visiting markets and people watching at a cafe... those are the things I like to do more than just visiting the attractions. After all, it's a break, so it should be relaxing, right? I'm getting antsy to go as I'm running out of things to entertain myself with here and I'm running out of food. It's pointless to go grocery shopping when I'm only here for two more days, so basically I'm down to meals consisting of rice and/or soup, apples, and some orange juice. Ah, the life of a poor college student.
Will try to write at least once while I'm gone, providing I can find a computer/internet somewhere. Keep in touch, and don't miss me too much!
Cheers!
11 October 2007
my ode to london
Found this Jason Mraz song that I've been obsessing over and I'd like to dedicate it to the love of my life, London.
Jason Mraz- I'm Yours
http://youtube.com/watch?v=p6WfU_un8nk
http://youtube.com/watch?v=p6WfU_un8nk
Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that i melted
I fell right through the cracks, and I'm tryin to get back
before the cool done run out I'll be givin it my best test
and nothin's gonna stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some
I won't hesitate no more,
no more, it cannot wait I'm yours
Well open up your mind and see like me
open up your plans and damn you're free
look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love
listen to the music at the moment maybe sing with me
Ah, la peaceful melody
It's your god forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved, loved
So, I won't hesitate no more,
no more, it cannot wait I'm sure
there's no need to complicate our time is short
this is our fate, I'm yours
I've been spendin' way too long checkin' my tongue in the mirror
and bendin' over backwards just to try to see it clearer
my breath fogged up the glass
and so I drew a new face and laughed
I guess what I'm a sayin'is there ain't no better reason
to rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons
it's what we aim to do
our name is our virtue
I won't hesitate no more, no more
it cannot wait, i'm sure
there's no need to complicate
our time is short
it cannot wait, I'm yours
no please don't complicate, our time is short
this is our fate, im yours.
no please don't hesitate no more, no more
it cannot wait, the sky is yours
well open up your mind and see like me
open up your plans and damn you're free
look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love
listen to the music of the moment come and dance with me
ah, la one big family
it's your god forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved
open up your mind and see like me
open up your plans and damn you're free
look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love, love
listen to the music of the moment come and dance with me
ah, la happy family
it's our god forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved
listen to the music of the moment come and dance with me
ah, la peaceful melodies
it's you god forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved, loved... 06 October 2007
playing at the royal palace
hello loves!
Just got back from an amazing run in Russell Square. What amazing weather we've had so far this weekend! The sunshine and cool breeze make autumn here just that much better. As I was running I was taking in the scent of the fallen leaves and the moist dirt from the morning dew. I find it all so relaxing.
Yesterday was possibly a most perfect day. I went on a day trip to Hampton Court Palace, about an hour away from central London. This place was absolutely gorgeous!
Hampton Court Palace, 5 October, 2007.
Its history dates back to the 15th century, when Henry VIII used it as a home away from the hustle and bustle of dirty London. He had really bad asthma so the palace was in an ideal location. Henry married six times in the palace (in the most gorgeous chapel, but I couldn't take a picture of it), and almost all of his wives died or were beheaded by him. Some are said to still haunt the palace. In 1689 King William III hired Sir Christopher Wren (the guy who built all the churches we walked around to see for my history class last week) to knock down the palace and build a new one. Unfortunately, William's wife Queen Mary II died before construction could be finished on the palace, so today Hampton Court stands as half-Tudor, half-Wren design.
sunbeams on Hampton Court, 5 October, 2007.
Just got back from an amazing run in Russell Square. What amazing weather we've had so far this weekend! The sunshine and cool breeze make autumn here just that much better. As I was running I was taking in the scent of the fallen leaves and the moist dirt from the morning dew. I find it all so relaxing.
Yesterday was possibly a most perfect day. I went on a day trip to Hampton Court Palace, about an hour away from central London. This place was absolutely gorgeous!
Hampton Court Palace, 5 October, 2007.
sunbeams on Hampton Court, 5 October, 2007.One of the most spectacular things about Hampton Court was the gardens. They were breathtaking. Gorgeous flowers, amazing landscaping, and the greenest grass I have ever seen.
gardens at Hampton Court Palace, 5 October, 2007.
gardens at Hampton Court Palace, 5 October, 2007.Check my photo album for more amazing shots.
After we toured all of the rooms and gardens, we had a few hours to kill so we plopped ourselves down on the grass and basked in the sunlight for a good hour or so. So relaxing. The sun eventually tucked back behind the clouds and we got a little chilly so we headed over to the tearoom and enjoyed a nice cup of tea out on a patio. Everything was all so charming and perfect, sometimes it's hard to believe that this is really my life.
Today I'm going to Borough Market, which is a huge food market here with all sorts of the finest in food. I'm planning to cook a big dinner today for the flatties and some friends, so I hope to pick up some of the ingredients there. I also have to finish up my roll of film, so the trip is really two-fold. Should be yet another charming day (charming is becoming my choice word here).
Cheers!
After we toured all of the rooms and gardens, we had a few hours to kill so we plopped ourselves down on the grass and basked in the sunlight for a good hour or so. So relaxing. The sun eventually tucked back behind the clouds and we got a little chilly so we headed over to the tearoom and enjoyed a nice cup of tea out on a patio. Everything was all so charming and perfect, sometimes it's hard to believe that this is really my life.
Today I'm going to Borough Market, which is a huge food market here with all sorts of the finest in food. I'm planning to cook a big dinner today for the flatties and some friends, so I hope to pick up some of the ingredients there. I also have to finish up my roll of film, so the trip is really two-fold. Should be yet another charming day (charming is becoming my choice word here).
Cheers!
05 October 2007
can i stay a while? you can stay forever.
hello loves!
Where I went to Portobello Road.
The buildings were really colorful.
My grandfather would have loved it because the whole beginning of the road is antiques.
I visited the travel bookshop where Hugh Grant went in Notting Hill.
I bought a delicious carrot cake cupcake from the famous Hummingbird Bakery.
Today, I ventured to Notting Hill.
Where I went to Portobello Road.
The buildings were really colorful.
My grandfather would have loved it because the whole beginning of the road is antiques.
I visited the travel bookshop where Hugh Grant went in Notting Hill.
I bought a delicious carrot cake cupcake from the famous Hummingbird Bakery.
All-in-all, a fabulous afternoon.
Cheers!
04 October 2007
i shop where the queen shops
hello loves!
Yesterday, after Lucy and I booked our train tickets for Italy, we stopped at Fortnum & Mason. Fortnum & Mason has a Royal Warrant, which means basically, it's where the royal family gets their groceries, china, accessories, beauty supplies, etc, etc. This place was crazy! Four floors of nothing but the best in literally, everything. This is not your average grocery store. Lucy and I of course had to explore the entire store, trying on £300 hats and such, no big deal, really.
The grocery section was obviously my favorite. They had a whole part of the store dedicated to exotic foods (and by foods, i mean bugs)... chocolate covered scorpions, aphrodisiac lollipops from Morocco, lollipops with tequila worms in them, roasted ants, crocodile curry, delicious! Ha, they actually had a little American corner in the store that I was excited to find because they have things you can't get in the regular grocery stores here. I bought some pumpkin pie puree so I can make some later on. I also bought strawberry tea, just to say I bought tea from the same place the queen shops.
After F&M, we went to yet ANOTHER grocery store, Waitrose, to pick up food to make dinner. I hadn't been to Waitrose before and I have to say, I am never shopping at Sainsbury's or Tesco's again! This grocery store is the British equivalent to Wegmans, and for any of you that know me, that means I can literally spend hours shopping in there. For dinner I made basil lime chicken and roasted cauliflower and it was delicious! Then I had Elsa, Alli, and Tuan come over and the rest of the flatties and I had homemade (by me) apple crisp a la mode... SO good. Just the kind of fall treat I needed to keep me going. I really enjoy cooking and baking when I have the time to do it. I'm really going to try to perfect my skills and learn some new recipes while I'm here so when I get home I can blow you all away with my cooking talents (I know my grandmother is probably chuckling to herself at this ambition).
Cheers!
Yesterday, after Lucy and I booked our train tickets for Italy, we stopped at Fortnum & Mason. Fortnum & Mason has a Royal Warrant, which means basically, it's where the royal family gets their groceries, china, accessories, beauty supplies, etc, etc. This place was crazy! Four floors of nothing but the best in literally, everything. This is not your average grocery store. Lucy and I of course had to explore the entire store, trying on £300 hats and such, no big deal, really.
The grocery section was obviously my favorite. They had a whole part of the store dedicated to exotic foods (and by foods, i mean bugs)... chocolate covered scorpions, aphrodisiac lollipops from Morocco, lollipops with tequila worms in them, roasted ants, crocodile curry, delicious! Ha, they actually had a little American corner in the store that I was excited to find because they have things you can't get in the regular grocery stores here. I bought some pumpkin pie puree so I can make some later on. I also bought strawberry tea, just to say I bought tea from the same place the queen shops.
After F&M, we went to yet ANOTHER grocery store, Waitrose, to pick up food to make dinner. I hadn't been to Waitrose before and I have to say, I am never shopping at Sainsbury's or Tesco's again! This grocery store is the British equivalent to Wegmans, and for any of you that know me, that means I can literally spend hours shopping in there. For dinner I made basil lime chicken and roasted cauliflower and it was delicious! Then I had Elsa, Alli, and Tuan come over and the rest of the flatties and I had homemade (by me) apple crisp a la mode... SO good. Just the kind of fall treat I needed to keep me going. I really enjoy cooking and baking when I have the time to do it. I'm really going to try to perfect my skills and learn some new recipes while I'm here so when I get home I can blow you all away with my cooking talents (I know my grandmother is probably chuckling to herself at this ambition).
Cheers!
03 October 2007
photographs & memories
Just uploaded all of my photos from Belgium!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amrineurope/
Apparently, flickr only lets me display my 200 most recent photos with the account I have, so take a look at these as soon as you can! They are obviously going to disappear once I venture off to Italy...
Cheers!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amrineurope/
Apparently, flickr only lets me display my 200 most recent photos with the account I have, so take a look at these as soon as you can! They are obviously going to disappear once I venture off to Italy...
Cheers!
02 October 2007
j'adore la belgique
hello loves!
I'm back from Belgium and after my two days of straight class/work, it is now the weekend for me :) The weather here has drastically changed from the sunshine and warmth we were lucky to have the first few weeks, but I find myself loving London more every day, even with the rain.
Visiting Belgium was such a nice change of pace! I flew RyanAir round trip and was kind of surprised at the airline. Not what I expected at all. I was picturing little cheapo planes with propellers but this was a legit 747 and completely sold out! The way that these cheap airlines work is basically, they fly all day back and forth, and the passengers on the flight are pretty much getting off of the plane as you're getting onto it. They make a lot of their money from putting really strict baggage restrictions on everything and charging for every little thing you want to eat on the flight. They even had a mid-air raffle! The flight was quicker than I anticipated, only about a half hour. On the way there, the pilot landed at a really high speed and the plane kind of just thumped onto the runway. I noticed the wings were kind of rocking as we were coming in but I didn't know the difference because I don't fly enough to know what a "good" landing is, so for that I am happy because if I had recognized how scared some people were when we landed I probably would have freaked out! Thursday ended up being a really long travel day. We had to take the tube to the Baker Street bus stop and then a coach 1.5 hours to Stansted Airport, then the plane, then when we got to Brussels we had to take another coach 45 minutes to the train station, get on the metro and walk from our metro stop to the hostel. It was exhausting! The hostel surprisingly wasn't as bad as I anticipated, but I think that's probably because I was picturing a dirty mattress, water-stained walls, and rodents running around, so anything could be better than that! Realistically, the hostel isn't much more than a place to crash after a long day so it didn't matter too much what it looked like. The place had a bar and lounge area in it, as well as a dining area where they served breakfast each morning. I gave the free breakfast a go the first morning and was feeling like I was in a prison as it was corn flakes, milk that tasted like half and half, 5 slices of plain white bread, watered down orange juice, and a slice of cheese. Very gourmet! Needless to say I passed on the breakfast the next two days. Thank God I was in the land of waffles and chocolate!
The first day in Belgium we explored Brussels, which was nice, but I have to say only good for a day trip. The main attraction is the Place Royale, which is the center square in the town:
place royale, Brussels, Belgium
All of the buildings were so charming to look at, which was my favorite part (aside from the wide availability of chocolate, of course). Pretty much all we did all day was walk around and eat. Speaking of which, I sampled my first real Belgian waffle, called a Liege waffle.
Hungry Amber!
Most. Delicious. Thing. I've ever. Tasted. The sugar was baked right into the waffle, and there was a smidge of some sort of carmelized sugar on the outside, so it was delicious just plain, which is the way the real Belgians eat their waffles. And of course, I had a hot chocolate to drink, which was delicious AND comforting on such a rainy day.
We also took a tour of the chocolate museum, and learned how pralines are made.
chocolatier, Brussels, Belgium. 28 September, 2007.
view from the top of the Belfry Tower, Bruges, Belgium. 29 September, 2007.
I'm back from Belgium and after my two days of straight class/work, it is now the weekend for me :) The weather here has drastically changed from the sunshine and warmth we were lucky to have the first few weeks, but I find myself loving London more every day, even with the rain.
Visiting Belgium was such a nice change of pace! I flew RyanAir round trip and was kind of surprised at the airline. Not what I expected at all. I was picturing little cheapo planes with propellers but this was a legit 747 and completely sold out! The way that these cheap airlines work is basically, they fly all day back and forth, and the passengers on the flight are pretty much getting off of the plane as you're getting onto it. They make a lot of their money from putting really strict baggage restrictions on everything and charging for every little thing you want to eat on the flight. They even had a mid-air raffle! The flight was quicker than I anticipated, only about a half hour. On the way there, the pilot landed at a really high speed and the plane kind of just thumped onto the runway. I noticed the wings were kind of rocking as we were coming in but I didn't know the difference because I don't fly enough to know what a "good" landing is, so for that I am happy because if I had recognized how scared some people were when we landed I probably would have freaked out! Thursday ended up being a really long travel day. We had to take the tube to the Baker Street bus stop and then a coach 1.5 hours to Stansted Airport, then the plane, then when we got to Brussels we had to take another coach 45 minutes to the train station, get on the metro and walk from our metro stop to the hostel. It was exhausting! The hostel surprisingly wasn't as bad as I anticipated, but I think that's probably because I was picturing a dirty mattress, water-stained walls, and rodents running around, so anything could be better than that! Realistically, the hostel isn't much more than a place to crash after a long day so it didn't matter too much what it looked like. The place had a bar and lounge area in it, as well as a dining area where they served breakfast each morning. I gave the free breakfast a go the first morning and was feeling like I was in a prison as it was corn flakes, milk that tasted like half and half, 5 slices of plain white bread, watered down orange juice, and a slice of cheese. Very gourmet! Needless to say I passed on the breakfast the next two days. Thank God I was in the land of waffles and chocolate!
The first day in Belgium we explored Brussels, which was nice, but I have to say only good for a day trip. The main attraction is the Place Royale, which is the center square in the town:
place royale, Brussels, Belgium
Hungry Amber!We also took a tour of the chocolate museum, and learned how pralines are made.
chocolatier, Brussels, Belgium. 28 September, 2007.The chocolatier that did the demonstration was really interesting and luckily spoke very good English. That was one thing I noticed while over there. Belgium has three main languages: French, Flemish, and German, but I'd say a good majority of people know at least a little bit of English. All of the maps, directions, menus, and signs were translated into English so it made finding our way around a bit easier.
I also sampled a Belgian beer called Kriek, which is cherry flavored and DELICIOUS. Frites (french fries) are also a specialty all over Belgium, so I had my fair share of those too. The French men working in the fry stand took a particular liking to me, heckling me and winking at me as I was eating, which was kind of funny but as I kept getting looked at the rest of the day it got pretty annoying. I think it must be the blonde hair... If this is any inclination of what it's going to be like in Italy, I'm in for a lonnnnng mid-semester break.
At night, we attempted to soak up the nightlife, but we mainly ended up wandering around. We ended up in this weird bar/lounge place and started a dance party, but it got really hot and smoky after awhile so we left quite early. Brussels is such a touristy area, so it was hard to find a place that didn't just try to suck all of your money from you.
Saturday we took a day trip to Bruges, which was beautiful! It is like a mini Venice. Again, we spent most of the day walking around and eating. Here are my favorite shots from the day:
I also sampled a Belgian beer called Kriek, which is cherry flavored and DELICIOUS. Frites (french fries) are also a specialty all over Belgium, so I had my fair share of those too. The French men working in the fry stand took a particular liking to me, heckling me and winking at me as I was eating, which was kind of funny but as I kept getting looked at the rest of the day it got pretty annoying. I think it must be the blonde hair... If this is any inclination of what it's going to be like in Italy, I'm in for a lonnnnng mid-semester break.
At night, we attempted to soak up the nightlife, but we mainly ended up wandering around. We ended up in this weird bar/lounge place and started a dance party, but it got really hot and smoky after awhile so we left quite early. Brussels is such a touristy area, so it was hard to find a place that didn't just try to suck all of your money from you.
Saturday we took a day trip to Bruges, which was beautiful! It is like a mini Venice. Again, we spent most of the day walking around and eating. Here are my favorite shots from the day:
My favorite thing we did in Bruges was climb the 366 steps to the top of the Belfry tower.
And what I saw when I looked down was magnificent!
And what I saw when I looked down was magnificent!
view from the top of the Belfry Tower, Bruges, Belgium. 29 September, 2007.All-in-all, Belgium was a decent trip. I was travelling with about 5 other people so that made it kind of a hassle at times, because we all didn't want to do the same thing all the time, and we spent a lot of time waiting for each other which wasted a lot of time I think. I'm happy I went, but I probably won't go back, unless I visit Antwerp or Ghent, which I would have liked to see instead, but didn't get the chance. By Saturday night I was just dying to be home, which was when I realized that by "home" I meant London (at least for this point in my life), and it was kind of a cool feeling to realize how comfortable I've become here. I'm not really a city girl at all (more like a wanna-be country girl) so I'm quite amazed at how much I have grown to love living in this crazy, unfriendly, busy, expensive city. Below the hard exterior, London is beautiful, charming and quaint and I appreciate every new thing I'm learning about its history, present and future. I appreciate every little green space or old alleyway or corner cafe I come by. I appreciate how fortunate I am to be here, and I want to take all of it in as much as I possibly can. I'm not travelling again for two weeks, when I head to Italy for my fall break, so I'm excited to continue my London adventures for a bit.
It feels like classes this week flew by. I had two big papers to get through, which I luckily did before I left for Belgium, so once I got back I only had minor editing to do. I asked my history teacher if he could look over my paper and let me know if there was anything I missed and when he gave it back to me, he said he was very "encouraged" by my paper. I'm not sure quite how to take that... I think he meant it as a good thing? He said that he can tell I want to be a writer just by the way my paper was put together and the way I constructed my sentences, but today in class he said to me, "well you managed at least one good sentence out of it!" Sometimes his advice is so confusing! I think he means well, though.
We took a walking tour of the Southbank for my photography class Monday morning. We were rained on, but I found a few gems along our walk that I'm excited to go back to. This weekend I'm going to visit Borough Market, which is a huge food market on the weekends, with all sorts of the best cheese, breads, produce, wines, spices and what have you. I should be able to manage some good photos out of it and do a little shopping as well. I really want to improve my cooking skills (all I've really mastered so far is pasta, green beans, and stir fry and frankly, I'm sick of eating the same things every night...) so I'm on the lookout for some good recipes to try out. If anyone has one they want to send me, I'd love to give it a shot!
My entrepreneurship class was especially entertaining this week. My professor gave us our next term paper assignment and everyone is kind of excited to get started on it. He gave each of us 10 pounds and with that, we have to try to make a profit. Essentially, we have to start a business, and we have two months to do it. Some of my friends and I are teaming up but we have yet to come up with a promising idea. Whatever profit we make, we get to keep and we give my professor back his 10 pounds. Everyone has to present their successes/failures at the end of the semester, so I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with. Such a cool assignment! I haven't really had an assignment so far this semester that I was really pained to work on. Everything I've been prompted to do I've really benefitted from completing, which is rare when it comes to test taking and paper writing back in the States. I love British education. The only thing I'm really nervous for is grades, because apparently they're a lot tougher here. We'll see how it goes.
Missing you all more every day. Keep in touch with me!
Cheers!
It feels like classes this week flew by. I had two big papers to get through, which I luckily did before I left for Belgium, so once I got back I only had minor editing to do. I asked my history teacher if he could look over my paper and let me know if there was anything I missed and when he gave it back to me, he said he was very "encouraged" by my paper. I'm not sure quite how to take that... I think he meant it as a good thing? He said that he can tell I want to be a writer just by the way my paper was put together and the way I constructed my sentences, but today in class he said to me, "well you managed at least one good sentence out of it!" Sometimes his advice is so confusing! I think he means well, though.
We took a walking tour of the Southbank for my photography class Monday morning. We were rained on, but I found a few gems along our walk that I'm excited to go back to. This weekend I'm going to visit Borough Market, which is a huge food market on the weekends, with all sorts of the best cheese, breads, produce, wines, spices and what have you. I should be able to manage some good photos out of it and do a little shopping as well. I really want to improve my cooking skills (all I've really mastered so far is pasta, green beans, and stir fry and frankly, I'm sick of eating the same things every night...) so I'm on the lookout for some good recipes to try out. If anyone has one they want to send me, I'd love to give it a shot!
My entrepreneurship class was especially entertaining this week. My professor gave us our next term paper assignment and everyone is kind of excited to get started on it. He gave each of us 10 pounds and with that, we have to try to make a profit. Essentially, we have to start a business, and we have two months to do it. Some of my friends and I are teaming up but we have yet to come up with a promising idea. Whatever profit we make, we get to keep and we give my professor back his 10 pounds. Everyone has to present their successes/failures at the end of the semester, so I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with. Such a cool assignment! I haven't really had an assignment so far this semester that I was really pained to work on. Everything I've been prompted to do I've really benefitted from completing, which is rare when it comes to test taking and paper writing back in the States. I love British education. The only thing I'm really nervous for is grades, because apparently they're a lot tougher here. We'll see how it goes.
Missing you all more every day. Keep in touch with me!
Cheers!
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