New Gro Baby™ for my New Niece?

Well, it's official! My older sister has finally had her new baby, Lillian Michael. She was born on July 27th, at 8:36 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs, 3 oz, and was 19 inches long. I'm staying at their house right now, and she is one of the cutest little peanuts I've ever seen--besides Lily's older sister, Avery, of course.

My real reason for blogging today is as a favor to my older sister. You see, she heard about a diaper giveaway that was being awarded to bloggers, and it seemed like the perfect option to help her out. She's been planning on using cloth diapers for Lillian, and she finally narrowed it down to Gro Baby™ Cloth diapers brand. Of course, as the single and amazingly cool aunt, I don't have much personal experience with diapers just yet. I'm also not planning on having any kids soon, so I haven't had to consider whether I'd use cloth or disposable. However, from the info that I've read about Gro Baby™, it sounds to me like Chris and Michele have made a good choice. Using Gro Baby™ will help them to save money, as well as contribute to saving the environment, since cloth diapers are so much more ecologically friendly than disposable. Plus, from all accounts, my parents used cloth diapers when I was a baby, and I turned out okay, didn't I?

So all in all, Michele and Chris have decided that Gro Baby™ is the diaper for them and if it works out for them, I just might have to consider the possibilities...WAY in the future, that is.

FREE DIAPER GIVEAWAY RULES:
1) Must be a new blog/pic, etc.
2) You may blog about your likes/dislikes for Gro Baby™ OR post a new pic of your babe in Gro Baby™ OR blog that you'd like to try Gro Baby™ .
3) ALL, must be accompanied with this link,
http://www.thenaturalbabyco.com/grobaby%E2%84%A2-ic-11_16.html
4) Email your link/address to customerservice@thenaturalbabyco.com WITH BLOG
GIVEAWAY in the subject line.
5) We'll send each participant ONE FREE Pre Production Shell Set in
Blackberry (sorry no other colors available)
6) One per family please.

For Lillian's sake, I hope this works!

Yes, I Am Still Alive

I know it's been embarrassingly long since my last post, and I honestly have no excuse as to why that is. Plus, this post is not going to be the longest, either. I can only say I am sorry.

At the moment, this blog is under construction--so to speak--as I try to revamp the idea and figure out if there's anything interesting about my life now that I'm back in Michigan. As I mentioned early on, I created this blog in order for my friends and family in the States to read about my experiences in England. So--as it says in one of my favorite books--if a thing was created for a reason, you better hope that reason still exists. Because when the one is gone, so is the other.

Don't worry, I'll be back soon though. Just give me some time to brainstorm and revamp the whole point of my blog.

So Much for the Countdown...

It is my last night in Surbiton...already. It's been a busy week, what with packing and last-minute sights to see. It seems to have sped by. I still have one more night to spend at a hotel in London, but then on Sunday, I'll be flying home to Michigan!

It's hard to believe that four months have gone by so quickly. It seems like just yesterday that I arrived in Surbiton, trying valiantly to stay awake to get with the time change. I'm sure Mom remembers me bawling my eyes out on Skype because I was so exhausted. In the time I've spent here, I've seen and done things that I never would have been able to had I not taken this opportunity. It's been amazing. I've made new friends, seen some awesome sights, tasted different (but not always appetizing) food, and just experienced and enjoyed life in a different country and on a different continent. So here's a brief lowdown of the highlights that have happened in the last four months. I know you'll understand if I don't really include anything about school...who would ever consider that a highlight?

Entertainment:

Musicals: The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Hairspray, Les Miserables

Plays: The Winslow Boy, Pitmen Painters, Romeo and Juliet

Movies: The Secret of Moonacre, He's Just Not That Into You, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Watchmen (which I DO NOT recommend), X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Young Victoria, The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Star Trek

Other: Carpet premiere of Night at the Museum 2

Cities:

England: London, Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surbiton, Brighton, Bath, Stonehenge, Chawton, Winchester, Oxford, Lacock, Manchester, Haworth, Liverpool, Stratford-Upon-Avon

France: Paris, Tours, Angers

Scotland: Edinburgh

Ireland: Dublin

Food:

Curry, Kebabs, Fish and chips, Toad in the Hole, Bangers and Mash, Haggis, Deep Fried Snickers Bar, Irish Stew, Crepes, Escargot, Yorkshire Pudding, Gelato, Creme brulee

Attractions:

Jane Austen House Museum, Sherlock Holmes Museum, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Tromphe, Notre Dame, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Dungeon, The Eagle and the Child pub, Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Houses of Parliaments, Westminster Abbey, London Eye...

Okay, I'm bored of this already. Suffice it to say, I've done and seen a lot and it's been amazing. But as I've been telling people, I'm thrilled to be going home...just not all that happy about leaving, if you get what I'm saying. On the one hand, I will be going back to my family and friends back in Michigan. Not to mention Frozen Cokes and Taco Bell and air conditioning...and a car. I will definitely not miss England's public transportation system, however handy it was to the stranded traveler. On the other hand, I've made some amazing friends here, that I had to say goodbye to tonight. I'm hoping to stay in touch with everyone through Facebook and such, but who knows how well that'll work?

All in all, Sunday's departure will be a very bittersweet event. And the next time you hear from me, I will probably be on American soil again!

From the Ghostbus to Fried Mars Bars!

I returned from Scotland yesterday, and fortunately I brought back a lot of new stories and memories! Unfortunately, my camera still won't transfer everything that I want it to. Oh, well. Anyway, I'm just going to post a brief recap of my trips to Ireland and Scotland.

Dublin, Ireland:

I flew to Dublin early last Thursday...VERY early. As in, I went to Luton Airport late Wednesday night and had to stay the night in the airport. My flight arrived at Dublin Airport around eight in the morning, but the hostel check-in time wasn't until two in the afternoon. You do the math. Needess to say, I got a lot of reading done waiting in a nearby cafe. I didn't get a lot accomplished in the first day, since I was trying to catch up on sleep. Plus, as embarrassing as it is to admit, I had no idea where the hostel was in the city. I was afraid of wandering too far away and not being able to find it again.

Jenn's plane got in on Friday afternoon, and that's when the real vacation started. We checked in at a different hostel and this time, I made sure to find out where it was on the map. We didn't have much time left in the day, so we mostly wandered around O'Connell Street, looking around the souvenir shops and picking up dinner.

On Saturday, we took a free walking tour of Dublin, where the tour guide explained the history of the Vikings, Celts, and Normans. The tour took two hours, and luckily the rain held off long enough for us to get safely inside. We were able to explore Grafton Street for a while, which was fascinating due to the street performers and different shops. My personal favorite was a puppetmaster and his wooden puppet. The guy was so gifted that the puppet seemed to be alive...and he was that funny, too! That was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip; that or the tour I took that night. We bought tickets to Dublin's Ghostbus Tour...Amazing! The guide was hilarious, and the tour took us to a cemetary and the Forty Steps, which is supposed to be one of the most haunted places in Ireland. I can't honestly say that I saw any ghosts or spirits, or even that I believe in them any more than I did before. But the tour was fun regardless.

Our flights left Sunday night, which still left enough time for one last adventure. We ended up--where else?-- at the Dublin's Writer's Museum. I mean, come on! Jonathon Swift, Oscar Wilde...what literary enthusiast could resist? I certainly couldn't.

Looking back on this trip, I can't say that Jenn and I did that much in terms of events or activities. Rather, we just enjoyed being in Dublin, seeing the sights, and relaxing rather than running all over the place trying to do everything at once. I certainly got a lot of pictures anyway!

Edinburgh, Scotland:

I took this trip with four friends from the Kingston Study Abroad program, and it was just as fun, though in a different way. We took a taxi to catch the early flight this time, so at least there was no staying the night in the airport. I don't know if I could've handled that a second time!

We flew out on Tuesday morning and returned Thursday evening. In that time, we took a walking tour of Edinburgh (free, of course), visited the Palace and Edinburgh Castles, and went to the Edinburgh Dungeons. Just like the Ireland trip, this was pretty "chill." We even made a habit of taking a nap--our siesta--in the middle of the day. Although the first day, we definitely went a little overboard in the nap department. The scenery was gorgeous; there was nothing better than walking down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and hearing the slight sounds of bagpipe music (I'm not kidding about the bagpipes; performers were everywhere!) I even tried haggis, which, if you don't know what it is...well, it's probably better if you remain ignorant. It didn't taste bad, though. The flavor and spice was good, even if the texture was somewhat weird. Another Scottish delicacy I tried was...a deep fried Snickers bar. I know, it sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen, and it looked disgusting. But it was delicious! I could've easily eaten another one, it tasted so good! Speaking of which...in Scotland, they deep-fry everything! Pizza, Mars Bars, Snickers, pickles, even cheeseburgers! And I thought I was adventurous by trying the Snickers bar!

Edinburgh is also a big place for Harry Potter fans, since J.K. Rowling got much of her inspiration from the city. Hogwarts is there, as is the inspiration for names she used, such as Tom Riddle and Minerva McGonagall. Just a couple fun facts, I guess. I was also interested to visit the Elephant House Cafe, which was where the writer first penned Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. J.K. Rowling isn't the only literary figure from the Edinburgh area, nor the most significant. Sarah and I went to the Edinburgh Writer's Museum, where we explored exhibits about Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott. Sir Walter Scott is especially renowned in Scotland, as he helped to bring the kilt back into the culture. Who knew?

We returned late last night after spending a pretty relaxing last day exploring the shops and taking pictures of everything. Needless to say, though, we were pretty exhausted when we got back, especially since we missed out on our siesta yesterday! :(

And I know I've neglected Edinburgh a little when you compare this account with the one I've written about Dublin. But I hope you'll forgive me! My time's running short, figuratively and literally! Not only do I have to meet a friend for dinner, but I only have ten days left to spend in England! So expect to see the return of the countdown!

Camera Complaints

Since the last time I wrote, I have seen two other musicals, a play at the Rose Theatre, and been to Ireland. But I can't find the motivation to write about those events right now because I'm so ticked off. No, not ticked off, because ticked off sounds more like I'm mad at a person or something. Rather, I am frustrated beyond belief at technology and ruing the day digital cameras ever replaced film.

Okay, so maybe that's not the whole truth. I love my camera, frustrating as it can be. It was a Christmas present this past year, probably the most perfect idea for a study abroad student. And it's not so bad. After all, I can take a lot more pictures on my digital camera than I ever could using a film camera. And who doesn't like being able to see the result seconds after snapping the shot?

But there is a definite downside, at least to the camera I own. Who knows, maybe this is just a freak thing and everyone else's Kodak works perfectly. But all I know is that my camera is filled with over 400 pictures that refuse to transfer to the computer. They're taking up the memory, but I don't want to delete them because they're my memories! But it is becoming more and more frustrating, because the situation seems to be getting worse.

I thought it was bad when my picture of the Eagle and the Child pub in Oxford didn't transfer, which meant that I couldn't post about the pub made famous by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the other Inklings. I figured it couldn't get much worse when twice--twice--some pictures I'd taken of friends and promised to send them refused to upload to the screen. How am I supposed to post a picture on Facebook when I can't even post it on my computer?

But this just takes the cake. I went to Ireland this past weekend, met Jenn there, and we stayed and explored Dublin. It was awesome, but I'll write more about it in another post, I promise. What I'm trying to say is, I took quite a few pictures. This is saying something for me, because although I love having the memories on film--or the computer--in front of me, I tend to forget that the memories have to be captured first. But this wasn't the case in Dublin. I probably took over seventy pictures over the weekend, which is a pretty substantial number for me. I even took a short video of a street performer with a funny puppet. And do you want to know how many of my pictures transferred to the computer for me to attempt to upload on Facebook for friends and relatives to see?

21. Twenty-one. Not even a third.

Now can you understand my frustration?

But hey, I'm a girl who usually looks on the bright side; I typically see the glass as half-full and whatnot. There's a positive side to every situation, as long as you look for it.

...

...

...

At least I was able to transfer the video of the funny puppet.

London's Blue Carpet Premiere

Today I met Ben Stiller. How many people can say that? Well, I guess "met" isn't quite the word for it. By "met," I mean I saw him at the premiere of Night at the Museum 2 and he autographed my day planner (I didn't have any other paper on me and come on, it's not like I'll ever lose THAT). Hank Azaria and Ricky Gervais made an appearance, too, but I didn't get to see them up close. I was disappointed not to have seen Robin Williams or Amy Adams or Owen Wilson, or any of the other great actors in the film. Still, it was a rather exciting occurrence.

The premiere was interesting for other reasons as well. First of all, my friends and I showed up at least two hours early in order to get places along the railing. It was a good thing we did, too, because people became very pushy and rude when it came closer to the event's beginning; I guess no one stands between some fans and their star. It was very uncomfortable after a while; people were pushing and--shall we say?--jabbing with their elbows to get a better view even before anyone arrived! Plus, a friend of mine was spooned by some person who was a bit too eager to see some action.

Did you know that the London premiere does not use the red carpet? No, the carpet put down in Leicester Square was bright blue--very pretty, if I might add a random thought. I thought it was better than the red, but I was one of the only ones in my group who thought so. Erice even said that she would've refused to walk down a carpet that wasn't red--but I think she was joking.


Probably the most interesting part about the experience was seeing how people behaved. I was appalled, to be honest. I mean, they're just people, whether they're on the big screen or not. Yeah, it was great to see Ben Stiller and Ricky Gervais and such; how many people can say they've ever had a chance? But the way that some people were acting...screaming out stars' names like they were best friends, reaching out to touch them, shrieking and pushing and stepping all over the "little people" just to get a glimpse. Wow.

Well, I got some pictures, what little I could see, and I'll post them here for everyone to enjoy. For those who have me as a facebook friend, my friend Sarah should be posting and tagging a picture of me with Ben Stiller...or rather, Ben Stiller in the foreground while I just happen to be in the shot. Sarah seemed pretty excited about it, though.

For Three Months (A Somewhat Odd Recap)

As of today, I have been in England--or more accurately, in Europe--for three months. And in that time, I have...

• Traveled all around England, visiting more sights than most native Britons (or so I've been told)
• Seen three (soon to be four) West End musicals
• Bought a double cheeseburger from the Burger Box at midnight
• Traveled on every method of public transportation known to man
• Sampled cajun squirrel flavoured crisps (and they weren't half bad)
• Discovered the wonders of blackcurrant squash
• Danced the Macarena on a boat (it was the international boat party and yes, there was music)
• Caught myself saying "Sorry" in a British accent--accidentally ;)

And in the three months I've been in Europe, I HAVE NOT...

• Seen any of my family outside of Mom and Jenn :(
• Driven a car
• Eaten Taco Bell (what I wouldn't give for a soft taco right about now...)
• Had a Frozen Coke (ditto)
• Dried my clothes in a dryer
• Slept over at a friend's house
• Watched an American show on the premiere day (without using a website)

And finally, the one thing I THOUGHT I'd be able to put on the second list, but actually belongs on the first. I have...

• Been called "Jennifer" by people who have never met my twin, or even knew that I had a sister by that name.

O_O

Even in England.

Tips for Passing Time and Making/Saving Money During Spring Break (Read At Your Own Risk!)

I have been on Reading Week/Easter vacation for the last three weeks. That time was partially spent on a literary trip with my twin where we were "carpetbagging" across the English countryside, staying in a different hostel every night, catching buses and trains every couple of hours. Consequently, we had a lot of free time on our hands waiting for certain forms of transportation, during which I brainstormed the following video idea for my blog. Forgive the poor quality of the videos; they were taken on my digital camera and I couldn't figure out how to upload them straight. Just cock your head sideways or something. Furthermore, I advise you to pay close attention to the disclaimer. This being said:

Tips for Passing Time and Making/Saving Money When Carpetbagging
CAUTION: Reading the content of this post has been known to destroy brain cells.

"PERSONS attempting to find a motive in this narra-tive will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot."
-The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

Tip #1: Stealing hubcaps



Tip #2: Stealing hubcaps that aren't already in motion

(Don't laugh, that got us 50 pence!)

Tip #3: Enjoying nature



Tip #4: Participating in local festivities
(This one took place in the village of Lacock, where the kids of the town were on a Scarecrow scavenger hunt, running 'round town looking for different scarecrows to identify. I made special friends with The King)


I don't think I have a shot at a career in movie directing, do you? Ah, well. I warned you that this post was pointless and stupid, but it was a good way to alleviate the boredom while we were waiting for the bus. I promise, the next couple of posts will...actually make sense.

Stops in the Road

Here are our intended destinations for the literary trip that will begin in less than two hours. When Jenn and I put our heads together to plan a strategy for spring break, we decided we'd rather stay in England to see these places than to travel to another country. All of these cities and places have literary merit of some sort, specifically associated with my favorite authors and settings from favorite books.

1) Chawton: Jane Austen's House Museum. 'Nuff said. I know, I've already been there, but Jenn hasn't and it's a sight that no true Austen fan should miss. Plus, I've been dying to go back and read Pride and Prejudice in the garden.

2) Winchester: Winchester Cathedral. The gravesite/memorial for Jane Austen. It's not quite as cool as her house, but it's only a fifteen minute bus ride away, so it's worth the journey. It'll be one of the shorter stops on the trip.

3) Bath: Jane Austen Centre, plus all sorts of other attractions. Are you starting to notice a pattern here?

4) Lacock: a cute little village located near Bath which was used for scenes in the film versions of Pride and Prejudice and Emma. Also, I've found out that it was J.K. Rowling's inspiration for Godric's Hollow in the Harry Potter series.

5) Oxford: The house of J.R.R. Tolkien and The Eagle and the Child Pub. The former is self-explanatory; who wouldn't want to visit the house of such an awesome writer? It's one of my favorite series. The second attraction is the place where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to meet with their literary group, the Inklings. It was rumored that they would read their manuscripts aloud in the pub, but I've found evidence to disprove this. Either way, it's still awesome. Also, if we have the time, we'll go exploring around Oxford College. Besides being incredible, it was also used to film many of the scenes at Hogwarts in Harry Potter, including the Great Hall and the entrance hall.

6) Bakewell: Chatsworth House. One of the most beautiful estates in England and also used as Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice.

7) Manchester: the hometown of Elizabeth Gaskell, author of North and South. Another one of my favorite books, adapted into one of my favorite movies.

8) Haworth: The Bronte Parsonage Museum. The childhood home of the Bronte sisters, turned into an attraction for all lovers of their books. I'm hoping this will be somewhat like the Jane Austen House Museum. This is also the last stop on our trip before heading home.

So there you have it: eight different cities, eight different attractions. But did I mention that we'll be seeing all of these in four days? What a marathon!

The Most Famous Address in the World

Today was the first stop on our literary spring break trip. I will explain more about this later--preferably at a more reasonable hour--but suffice it to say, Jenn and I are acting like complete dorks during spring break by visiting all of the literary sites around England that we've always wanted to see.

We went to London. Untold possibilities open when you step onto the train...oh, sod it. Sorry, but it's too late for me to try to write anything remotely poetic about my trip today. You'll just have to be satisfied with blunt facts.

Our list of stops may seem random on first glance, and they probably are: The Australia House, a red telephone booth near Scotland Yard, Charing Cross Road, King's Cross, and 221b Baker Street. However, they all have some literary merit or were used in a film adaptation of a beloved book. Most of them have roots from the Harry Potter series: Australia House was used to film Gringotts, Charing Cross road was Diagon Alley, the telephone booth was seen in the fifth movie, and of course Platform 9 3/4 is at King's Cross Station. Though most of our stops were Harry Potter-related, the majority of the day was monopolized by a different literary character.

Sherlock Holmes. The consulting detective. According to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this fictional character lived at 221b Baker Street with his trusted associate, Dr. Watson. Not only has this address become one of the most famous in the world, but devoted fans have turned it into a museum of the fictional work. Fantasy becomes reality on Baker Street. It was astonishing to walk into this museum, which is set up exactly as the books describe. It was one thing to visit the home of Jane Austen, where there was historical documentation of how the house might have appeared. But at 221b Baker Street, an entire residence was created solely from the descriptions of Doyle's imagination, right down to the hat and pipe resting on the armchairs by the fire. They had even set up several figures to represent certain scenes from Holmes's cases, such as The Speckled Band or The Red-Headed League.

And the museum wasn't all. Hidden down Northumberland Road is a restaurant with a theme devoted to Sherlock Holmes.

I know what you're thinking: Surely not. It's such a tourist attraction! Surely they wouldn't...

Of course we did. How could we resisit, especially when we saw that the items on the menu were named for the books and the characters within. Jenn, of course, ordered a dish of Hound of the Baskervilles, which turned out to be a common English dish usually known as toad-in-the-hole. This is essentially sausages, broccoli, carrots, and mashed potatoes in a bowl of Yorkshire pudding. Though the dish was good, she admitted to only ordering it because the name was so appealing. And who could blame her?

I ordered a vegetarian dish of mushrooms stuffed with two different kinds of cheese. What was it called? Moriarty's. For those of you who don't know, Moriarty was the Napoleon of crime in The Final Solution. He was thought to have killed Sherlock Holmes and was considered as the evil equal to Holmes' ingenuity. Some may recognize his name as the mysterious "M" from A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a connection that never fails to annoy me. As much as I like Sean Connery's character, there is no way that the criminal equal to Sherlock Holmes would have ever been outsmarted or defeated by the likes of Allen Quartermain.

But I digress. I blame it on the lateness...or earliness of the hour. There's not much else to tell, especially considering that Jenn forbade me from writing all that much about going to see Phantom of the Opera tonight as well (whoops, did I just accidentally mention that?) I'll make sure to post a lowdown on our literary trip plans soon, since we're getting started bright and early tomorrow.

P.S. Between you an me, POTO was amazing! Absolutely breathtaking, awe-inspiring, the works! But you didn't hear it from me! ;) For more details, check Jenn's blog on the side, the one written in French.

An Entire Week for Reading?

They call it Reading Week.

By "they," I mean the professors and students at Kingston University.
And when I say "Reading Week," I am referring to a week-long break given to British university students in the middle of each semester. I've been told that this is implemented so that students can catch up on any reading, writing, or studying that might have piled up during the endless slog of college life. This probably works quite well during the Fall Semester, when there is such a long stretch of classes without any extended breaks; I know I always feel burnt out come November. But during Spring Semester, Reading Week falls directly before Easter Vacation, essentially giving us a three-week spring break.

I see no problem with this whatsoever. Personally, I will be spending my time in Angers, France with Jenn. She'll still have classes, so I'm anticipating spending a relaxing week in the French countryside, reading The Mill on the Floss for my 19th Century Novel class, sampling new cuisine and getting some top-notch studying done for my French exam. The relaxation of the week will be a perfect prelude to Spring Break, when Jenn and I plan to hit nine English cities within five days before Mom arrives. But more about that in a different post.

I will be flying to Tours late Sunday afternoon. Jenn is going to meet me at the airport (I don't have much faith in my French-speaking abilities, so I insisted), then we'll catch a train back to Angers. In the meantime, I will be fighting the temptation to take the week's name at its word and purchase two books from Border's that have caught my eye.

They call it Reading Week.

I call it one of the most wonderful ideas I've ever heard of. Why haven't they thought of this in the U.S.?

Hide and Seek: Just a Small Blurb

After returning from Liverpool yesterday afternoon, I was able to spend the remainder of the day relaxing, working on homework, and recovering from my trip.

And I wasn't the only one. My landlady's cat, Poppy, seemed to enjoy cacooning herself in my rolled-up duvet. After a while, all I could see were a pair of green eyes and some paws sticking out of the mound of white. That wasn't as disturbing as the purring, though.

Regulars at the Cavern Club

I've just gotten back from a weekend in Liverpool, albeit a day early. We were able to take a complete bus tour yesterday and found an extra day to be surplus.

When I say "complete bus tour," I'm referring to the Magical Mystery Tour, the tour mentioned in and made famous by the Beatles' song. It took us around to all the famous sites related to the band--Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, the Cavern Club, and the original houses of all four of the members. Needless to say, it was sweet. I can't even claim to be a huge Beatles fan, yet I still had a blast!

The best part about the weekend was definitely hanging around the Cavern Club. It was dark and...well, cavernous. Elle, Rebecca, and I went there several times in the two days we spent in Liverpool. You could say we became regulars at the place. Rebecca sometimes ordered a Guiness, but Elle and I mainly stuck to the less expensive drinks...tap water, for instance, or a Coke if we felt more experimental.

The trip was awesome, but it definitely had its downpoints, too. For one, the hostel room we stayed in smelled like sweaty gym socks. Try going to sleep when you feel as if your nose hairs are being singed! Also, I was sick on Saturday, the day we took the tour. I forced myslef to go and ended up having fun anyway, yet the pain ruined parts of the experience for me. Oh, well.

We said goodbye to Liverpool this morning with one last trip to Albert Dock (where the wind is strong enough to blow you off your feet) and to the Cavern Club. The club was closed, since it was barely ten o'clock, but we did get to visit my ol' pal John leaning against the Wall of Fame. One trip I'll never forget!

Expectations

I know I haven't updated for a couple weeks, and this can't even be considered a true post. It's more like a blurb. I've had ideas, just not the time to write them. I'm going to Liverpool tomorrow for the weekend, though, so I expect to have stories to write about when I get back. Meanwhile, you'll just have to wait!

The Best Trip I Could Have Imagined!

I'm conscious and able to concentrate, so here is the post I've promised about my unbelievably amazing trip to Jane Austen's house yesterday!

If you know me at all, you know that Jane Austen is my all-time favorite author. I read Pride and Prejudice at least twice a year; its subtle satirical social commentary is brilliant and waxes poetic. No one writes like that anymore. :(

This being said, you can imagine my excitement when I found out that her house--which has been turned into a museum for the public--was a mere train ride away in Chawton, Hampshire. A day that promised to be boring was turned into one of literary enrichment and--shall I say?--almost undue excitement. Seriously, we're talking paper bag hyperventilation here.

I went with three other English majors from the Study Abroad program--Jessica, Kendyl, and Briann, all of whom were almost as excited as I. The train left late morning, so we were at our destination around noon. None of us had had a proper breakfast and I knew we wouldn't enjoy the trip if our stomachs were empty, so we decided to grab lunch before going inside the house museum. Across the street from the Chawton residence was a quaint, very British tea shop, complete with decorative tea cups hanging on hooks from the ceiling. We each ordered--what else?--a pot of tea and a sandwich. I also had a scone topped with clotted cream and jam that was delectable...and I know I sound like such a snob right now!

After lunch came the fun part! I couldn't have stopped smiling if you paid me. Just walking into the entryway was amazing when I thought that Jane Austen had stepped through that very door! I was taken down from heaven momentarily upon learning that we weren't allowed to take pictures inside, though. Bummer, but oh well. Life can't be perfect, can it? But it can get pretty close!

There were a lot of little plaques and drawings on the walls, describing certain aspects of life in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Some of the rooms were set up exactly as they had been back in the day, while others were set more like the museum it had become. They had also provided several examples of period clothing on dummies around the rooms. We were all especially excited about Jane Austen's little writing table set near the window. It was painfully small but authentic, the real table that she handwrote her stories upon every night. Several letters were also hung on the wall, written in her own hand--though I couldn't read the thin, spidery letters. But who cares?

And of course, there was a gift shop and a bookshop, which for me was like throwing a steak in front of a starving man. I found it hard not to go crazy in my purchases. As it was, I bought several postcards, a cross-stitching set with a picture of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and some stationary. I had to keep reminding myself that I'll be back during spring break, when Jenn and I go on our literary trip around England. Even so, it was nearly painful when it came time to leave. After a quick tour around the garden, though, we had to leave in order to catch the bus back to the train station. I just can't wait to return with Jenn, who I know will be just as excited as I was--and still am!

A Sneak Preview

It's late and I'm certain that I can't really write or concentrate as well as I would need to in order to write the post about the incredibly exciting day I had today. So I will not tell you about my visit to Jane Austen's house...yet. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow, when my exhausted brain can think again.

Truly Appalling Tastes

This post has been a long time in coming, but I wanted to make sure to get a picture. I knew no one back in Michigan would quite believe me otherwise.

One of the oddest culture shocks I've received in England hasn't been the difference in driving on the roads or the accents all around; I was most amazed by the--shall we say unique--flavors of the chips here (or "crisps"). The big brand for crisps is named "Walkers," and it shares a logo peculiarly similar to that of Lays Potato Chips.

Some of the flavors taste pretty good; I'd never been much for salt-and-vinegar flavored crisps before, yet I've found them pretty addicting. They've also got "ready salted," which is like original flavored chips and "cheddar-and-onion." The last one is probably my favorite, but my breath afterwards would probably singe nose hairs.

Those are the relatively ordinary flavors. Now on to the appalling ones. Would you believe they have "prawn cocktail?'' Or how about "Roast chicken?'' "Builder's breakfast?'' Does any of these sound appetizing to you, because they sound pretty disgusting to me! From what's featured on the back of the crisp bags, I guess Walker's must be in the midst of a flavor contest. They released several new flavors and people have to vote on the one they like the best. Now let me see, which would I choose--Crispy Duck & Hoisin or Fish & Chips? And that's not even the most disgusting-sounding flavor. You want to know what is?

Cajun Squirrel... O_O ...

There are just no words.

A Funny P.S.

At long last, I have found proof that shopping is evil! Just kidding, but I found this funny nonetheless, especially considering that it was a display in Harrod's.

Just Another Typical Shopping Day...For Me

So today I went to Harrod's, the biggest and most extravagant collection of stores in London, not to mention a world-famous place in itself. And what did I spend my money on? Not the shoes, bags, clothes, or anything else that was surrounding me in the glitz and glamour. No...I bought food. Dessert, to be exact. The food in the food halls were enough to make anyone's mouth water, and the chocolate bar was even better. There were chocolate truffles in every flavor you could imagine and all sorts of delectable desserts to try. I bought a berry torte and creme brulee as takeaway and purchased a small green apple gelato. Nor was this unusual. I went with four other girls, all of whom bought desserts or chocolates of some sort. None of us purchased anything more than a couple postcards or stamps, although Sarah did buy a souvenir stuffed bear. So here is a picture of the delicious dessert that I am about to devour, the only souvenir I brought back from my trip to the shopping capital of England. And yes, that is a little disc of chocolate with a Harrod's logo on top. Eat your heart out.

Chilli Crisps and Communion Backwash...But Homey Nonetheless

I haven't yet described the church or church family that I've discovered in England, even though I've been to two or three services so far. I consider this as nothing less than negligence on my part, considering that my faith is very important to me and I've always been close to my church family. That being said, it has been comforting to find a home away from home at Christ's Church, which is less than ten minutes' walk away from my Surbiton residence.

I've been attending the night services, which are more geared toward a younger crowd than the family-oriented morning service. The services here really remind me of my church back in Michigan. The people are warm and welcoming, the sermons are actually engaging, and the music is contemporary and familiar. I've recognized a lot of the songs we've sung in the services.

Of course, there are some minor differences, not the least of which being the British accents spoken by everyone. Even when it comes to singing, my voice is obviously American. There's also a tea service before and after the sermon, where we're given time for fellowship and such while drinking tea and snacking on mincemeat pies and "crisps"--potato chips. Although I've learned to be cautious with crisps until after I find out the flavor; biting into a chocolate-and-chilli flavored potato chip was not a pleasant experience. Seriously...that was really the flavor of the vile thing! And that's not even the worse of them! But more about that in a later post.

Communion is slightly different, as well. I had to walk up and get the bread and wine from the pastor, rather than receiving it from my seat. We were all supposed to drink from the same goblet, which I found slightly unhygenic. And that's another thing--the Communion wine was really wine, something that I was unused to, having always received grape juice in my church. And I have to say, I didn't like the change. I've found that I really don't like the taste of red wine. I'd even go so far as to say that it's disgusting. It was all I could do to keep from spitting my mouthful all over the vicar. That sure would've give a new meaning to the song, "Washed in the Blood."

Probably the best part is the time I've gotten to spend getting to know people. It's a better opportunity to meet people than in class, where we're all concerned with schoolwork rather than trying to make friends. On both occasions when I've attended night service, I've been invited out to a pub afterwards and truly welcomed into the group as if I've been friends with them for much longer than two weeks. I did find out today that I've acquired a reputation already as "the American named Jess," but as that's not altogether a bad thing, I don't mind. It's just enough that I've been able to make friends so far away from home and comfort.

A Girls' Night Out for Valentine's Day

I haven't posted for a week and there's a very good reason: I haven't felt like it. Okay, so maybe that's not such a good excuse after all, but still. In short, I've been negligent to my readers, all four of them.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, as many will find it hard to forget. For the nineteenth year in a row, I was single on Valentine's Day...and to be perfectly honest, I didn't care! You don't need to have a significant other to enjoy Valentine's Day. I went out to a nearby mall with a couple of my new friends from class, and we spent a day browsing around the shops and having fun. It was great to get to know the other girls and to see firsthand how the English city celebrated Valentine's Day. They went all out here! Vendors were selling flowers and balloons on the streets, and there was even an organ grinder...without the monkey. Vendors at the farmer's market were offering unbelievable deals for produce, including out-of-season fruits such as strawberries and blueberries. My personal favorite was being able to browse around Waterstone's, which is the biggest bookstore in Kingston. Some things never change.

That night, many of the girls in the Kingston Study Abroad program went out for a Girls' Night. We met at the Odeon Rotunda, where we all bought tickets to see He's Just Not That Into You. If you haven't seen it yet, it is a truly enjoyable experience and a great movie. It was funny and touching and really insightful, too. It was a good Valentine's Day movie, whether you're single or not.

I'll admit that after watching the movie, I turned in quite early, though many of the other girls had talked about going out to a pub. They had not spent the entire day at the mall or out in the fresh air, and they surely weren't carrying a bag full of tomatoes from the farmer's market. I wasn't the only one who left early and after a day of activity, there was nothing I wanted more than to spend a quiet night at home. All in all, not the most romantic day for Valentine's Day, but I wouldn't change a thing.

A Whirlwind of Culture, Mystery, and Craziness

And that's exactly what yesterday's Photo Frenzy event was: a whirlwind of craziness. In teams of seven or more, Kingston international students were dashing all over London, attempting to answer answer questions about some of the most famous sites and photographing the answers. Furthermore, prizes would not only be given to the fastest team, but also to the group with the most creative picture. My team was comprised of ten individuals, and it became increasingly difficult to think of new and creative ideas to pose in front of sites such as Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Chinatown, and Westminster Abbey. My personal favorite was a picture taken in midair--as in, nine of us jumped on command while the tenth member snapped a picture. This happened in front of St. Paul's Cathedral.

The photos are posted on Facebook under the album, Chris and the Nine Roses. That was our team name, which I thought sounded more like an 80s rock band. The name was inspired by a point of interest of the day when Chris--our only male member--was conned by a street vendor into buying a rose for each of the group members for two pounds apiece! If you tally up the amount, it adds up to quite a bit of money. He was a good sport about it, and nearly all of us found a way to pay him back. Plus, he was the only one on our team to be given a prize--though our team didn't win any of the categories--as a reward for his gallantry, and none of us saw fit to correct the misconception.

Following the award ceremony, the majority of the team ended up going to see the London Philharmonic. Sarah, onr of the group members and a new friend, had a friend in the choir who was able to get us a deal: 5 pounds apiece for seats that were normally priced at 38 pounds a ticket! How could I pass up such an opportunity? It was beautiful and surprisingly entertaining. I say it was surprising because I never imagined that I could truly enjoy doing nothing but listen to music for over two hours, yet I did. The music was relaxing and soothing, which perhaps wasn't the best for college students who'd been running around London in the cold for hours at a time. I managed to keep from dozing off, however, and thoroughly enjoyed the music to Dvorak's Requiem.

This may seem really random, but it was one of the earliest highlights of the day yesterday. Upon arriving at the meeting place for the event--the London Eye--you'll never guess what I saw parked near a door below the overhang: a large, brightly painted van in characteristic neon colors of orange, blue, and green. Scooby-Doo fans everywhere know it as the Mystery Machine and, sure enough, the words were even painted on the side. I don't know whose it was, whether a fan's or a purposeful advertisement, but you can bet that was my first picture of the day! And so--however odd it may seem--I am ending this blog update with this amazingly coincadental glimpse at an icon of one of myfavorite American shows:

Module Recap

I don't have classes on Fridays, so I figured this was as good a time as any to update about the start of class this week. I had two classes on Wednesday and two yesterday, both with several hours in between that allow me to explore the campus and surrounding towns. While this might become a problem in the future (too much time on my hands with a bookstore nearby...), I truly relished the opportunity this past week.

I have my earliest class on Wednesdays at nine. Now, I had a nine o'clock class last semester, too, and it wasn't that bad. It was in the same building, so I just had to wake up in time to go upstairs. Not so at Kingston. I have to take the bus to the campus everyday, allowing for leeway time in case the first bus is full. Therefore, I had to wake up at 7 and catch the bus a little after 8. It wasn't bad this week, but it could become problematic as the semester goes on. It also doesn't help that my nine o'clock class is covering Shakespeare; who wants to decipher old English at nine in the morning? Oh well, I digress from my true point.

All last week, the study abroad orientators had warned us about not expecting to make British friends in class right away. I expected this, because it's usually the same in America; it takes a couple weeks to get talking and getting to know your classmates. I found this was the opposite case in my Shakespeare course--excuse me, module. I was introduced to everyone before the professor even showed up, encouraged to sit between two of the girls during the lecture, and invited out to lunch with a group after class. Everyone was so friendly and accomodating! It was rather exciting, and I had stories to tell at my British Life and Culture module later that afternoon, which was for Study Abroad students.

Yesterday commenced in a rather interesting manner, though I suppose for some it would be considered trivial. In getting ready for my 11 o'clock class, I looked outside to see a red fox exploring the back garden! The picture's not that great, but you can still see him by the bush there. This was the second fox I've seen in a little over a week, and just served as another reminder that I'm not in Michigan anymore.

Anyway, my early class yesterday was the one I'm most excited about: 19th Century English Novel. That's the subject that I'm most interested in, particularly because we'll be reading Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South, one of my favorite books. The class hasn't really started reading yet, so yesterday's lecture was commonplace and a bit boring, but I'm hoping it will get better when we start discussing the books. The professor seemed really nice and excited about her subject, though she had the annoying tendency of giving away the endings of the books we'll be reading. I haven't read them yet! I don't want to know what to expect! The mystery's half the fun!

I was both amused and disappointed that roughly half the class was comprised of American study abroad students that I'd already met. America was taking over! On the one hand, it was nice to recognize new friends and be able to sit with them. On the other hand, half the experience of studying in a new country is meeting the native students, and it makes it rather hard to do so when you're sitting among a clique of Americans. I'll write more later about this subject when I've got more to say.

One thing that most surprised me about this literature module was the lask of papers that we'll have to write during the semester. As both an English major and an honors student, I'm used to writing or working on a paper of some sort every week. That's not the case here. There's more of an emphasis on ideas and critical thinking, rather than busywork. For this course, I only have to write two 750 word responses and one 1500 word essay in the course of the entire semester. Oddly, that's going to take some getting used to.

The module that I've been most concerned about is my French course. I only took one semester in college, and I wasn't sure how this would compare to a semester in England. After yesterday, however, I'm feeling a lot more confident. I was able to understand and keep up with the lesson, and there were only a few words that were new to me. Furthermore, I was not the student who seemed the worst off. Another American student in the class was in the same boat than I was, and I don't think her previous semester was half as thorough as mine was. In addition, I found the professor to be both engaging and agreeable. After class, we actually had a somewhat lengthy conversation about the book I was reading (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte) and the comparisons between American and English language classes. All in all, the content of the course itself proved to be a relief to me.

And that's that, really. At least concerning my courses thus far. Today is Friday and, as I said, I don't have any classes today, so I'm mostly spending the day writing, reading, updating my blog, and catching up with the American TV shows that I missed this week. I finally found a website that's working for me. I knew I was getting desperate when I tried to watch an episode via Skype yesterday, helped by one of my best friends, Sarah. Not only did the time difference make it difficult, but the sound and picture were not ideal. Consequently, I'm glad that another option has proved plausible today.

Well, I'm fresh out of update news right now, but I promise to update when I have more. I honestly don't know my plans for the rest of today, but tomorrow I'm heading into London again for a Photo Frenzy scavenger hunt. On Sunday, my house mate Rebecca and I are planning on catching a movie down at the cinema in Kingston. It's called The Secret of Moonacre, it's a British film that just opened today, it's been advertised everywhere, and it also stars one of my favorite actors, Ioan Gruffudd! If it's any good, I'll let you know.

Six Inches? You've Gotta Be Kidding Me!

I'm going to keep this update rather short because, quite frankly, I don't feel very well right now. I tried going out with some friends tonight, but had to bow out early when my stomach threatened to reveal its contents. As soon as I post this, I am falling into bed to try to sleep this off. I have class tomorrow, and there is no way that I'm going to miss it!

I spent yesterday's snow day predominantly in London with a group of fellow study abroad students. We ate lunch in Chinatown, toured the Tower of London, walked across the Bridge, ate dinner at a pub near Trafalgar Square, and rode on a double-decker bus around the city, where we got completely lost after the bus dumped us off on the outskirts of the town. Thank God, our group was made up of several people, including five guys, so the rest of us girls found safety in numbers in what could have been a very frightening situation. Come to find out, we were less than a hundred yards away from Paddington Station...so much for being "lost in London."

Today was the final first day of class--as in, classes had been cancelled on the two earlier days in the week. In Michigan, this would have been unheard of, considering that Kingston only got about 4-6 inches of snow. That's barely considered a dusting on the ground from where I come from, and there would have been no way Grand Valley would have cancelled school for one hour, much less two days. I was amused by how freaked out everyone got over the snow and ice. No one here seems to know how to deal with it. In London, there were piles of salt every three feet, as if they expected it to spread out on its own. And men were clearing the sidewalks with brooms. Not shovels, brooms. As in, those wide sweepers that my dad uses to clean out the garage after we have a family picnic. Also, everyone seems to be in constant danger of falling, probably because the shoes and boots that are sold here--while good for rain--don't have the traction needed to walk on ice. For once in my life, I was one of the most coordinated people in the area--and you know that's saying something.

This turned out to be longer than I expected or wanted, and I haven't even begun to talk about my classes yet! I'll just leave that topic for the next post, when I can talk about all at the same time. I don't have any classes on Friday, so I can probably post bout today's and tomorrow's classes as soon as I get the time.

Michigan Weather in England?

Monday was supposed to be my first day of class, but a nighttime

snowstorm brought more fluffy stuff than Great Britain has seen in almost two decades...or so I've heard from the news. It just figures, doesn't it? I leave Romulus and Grand Rapids, expecting to escape the snowy Michigan weather, and encounter weather just like it overseas. I must've brought it with me; but I won't go advertising that idea, for fear of getting jumped by angry Englishmen and -women :).

Usually, I'd be thrilled to have a snow day from classes, but since I'm in a new country and at a new school, I would have rather gotten the whole initiation period over with as early as possible. Instead, I was cooped up inside the house all day, left with twenty-four extra hours to fret about the start of classes and schoolwork. I spent the day reading Jane Eyre and watching the same movie on youtube, with only my landlady's cat, Poppy, to keep me company. It was nothing if not an uneventful, lazy snow day; the kind of day that is nice to have once in while, but gets boring and old really fast.

So guess what? According to the Kingston University website, all Tuesday lectures and classes are cancelled, as well. I may have brought the Michigan snow with me, but one thing's for sure: Romulus High School and Grand Valley State were never so quick to close campus for a snow drift like this.

Shopping is a Continuous Cycle

Well, classes start tomorrow and I believe I am about ready for them. I picked up the remainder of my school supplies and books today, which was quite a task, let me tell you. I went with some fellow Study Abroad students that I've befriended; this probably slowed me down, but definitely made the trip more enjoyable. However, we didn't get to the shopping strip until around 3:00, and most stores around Kingston close at 5:00 on Sundays. I finally found my school supplies at Wilkinson's, which happened to be the last store we entered around quarter to five. I imagine that it looked quite comical to see six college students running full-speed around the store, cramming notebooks, staplers, and other items into the crooks of our elbows as we attempted to juggle an armful of supplies.

The early closing times of the Kingston stores makes for very difficult planning when it comes to buying groceries, necessities, or even school books. For one thing, I've been busy the last couple of days with orientation plans, field trips, and other initiation events that have prevented me from getting to the stores until after most of them have closed. I've been able to keep up with groceries and food fairly well, but that's proving to be another problem. The food here doesn't seem to keep as well as in the States, probably because they don't use as many preservatives. While that's undoubtedly healthier for me, it also means that I can't buy in bulk or else the food will go bad before I can eat it. Which means that I'm going grocery shopping every couple of days just to buy my meals; eating out every day would just be too expensive.

Shopping has never been my favorite pastime, setting me apart from other women everywhere. I especially hate clothes shopping. So you can imagine how frustrating it must be for me to discover that I packed barely enough clothes to last me one week without doing laundry. It looked like so much more when I was packing my suitcase! Now I've got to find some time this week to find some inexpensive tops while simulataneously worrying about the start of classes tomorrow...and it seems I've come full circle. I really didn't mean to rant like this or complain; it might seem inconvenient to me now, but I'm sure I'll be able to adjust to the way of living here...even if it does include more frequent trips to the store.

Remember, Remember the Day at the Shore

I didn't post yesterday, so I felt obligated to post today, even though it will be small. Rest assured, I have been very busy the last couple of days, but I was honestly not in the mood to update.

Yesterday I took a guided tour of London, navigating the train and Tube systems quite successfully, I might add. The tour was two hours, outdoors, and freakin' cold! We visited Westminster Abbey, saw the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, Downey Street, Buckingham Palace, and other sights. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the little nuggets of history imparted by our tour guide, especially regarding the scandalous reign of Henry VIII, as well as the Gunpowder Treason Plot. For those of you who have seen V for Vendetta, which I love, you know that the Gunpowder Treason Plot was an attempt by a Catholic resistance group to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Guy Fawkes was one of these resistance leaders, and definitely the most famous. I particularly enjoyed when our tour guide recited the famous lines: Remember, remember the fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot; I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot. I was less thrilled, however, when the tour guide proceeded to describe, in distrubingly descriptive terms, the form of execution that Guy Fawkes and the other resistance members faced. That was not something that I wanted to be picturing in my head all day.

Today was the field trip to Brighton for the British Life and Culture class. Now, I knew very little about Brighton beforehand. All I really knew was what I'd picked up from Pride and Prejudice: it was a town on the coast, very popular for sea bathing, British regiments would sometimes encamp there, and Lydia Bennett ran away with Mr. Wickham from...oh right, that's delving a little too far into the fictional parts. Anyway, the history of Brighton is pretty fascinating, but what I truly enjoyed was...my first meal of fish and chips! I don't think you could find it at any better place than by the sea. It was in a newspaper and everything, and I put both malt vinegar and ketchup on it and it tasted SOOOO GOOD! I was able to explore the pier boardwalk, and some friends and I took some beach pictures reminiscent of Across the Universe.

I was disappointed by one thing, though...I forgot Dodo! I've let you all down, because now you'll never see Dodo standing on the Brighton beach, and you'll have to content yourself with this boring picture of me instead.

Orientation, Enrollment, and the Slug and Lettuce

Today (or rather yesterday, as it's after midnight right now) was my first full day at Kingston. As in, I woke up in Kingston and spent nearly the entire day on or near the university campus. It was Orientation for International Students, so I received the opportunity to meet everyone who was studying abroad or exchanging from a different country. There were many countries represented--Finland, Sweden, Spain, Camaroon, Venezuela, and India, to name some--but oddly, most of the people that I got a chance to talk to were American. It wasn't for lack of trying; rather, I would introduce myself to someone, then inwardly snap my fingers when he or she responded with an American accent.

Besides two informative lectures that we had to attend, we were given guided tours around Kingston, treated to a bagged lunch, officially enrolled in the college, and received our class schedules--or "timetables," as they are called here. I am taking all the courses that I wanted, which I am incredibly pleased about, and am planning to go shopping around Kingston tomorrow (later today) after I get finished with a guided tour around London. I'll make sure to post details.

The highlight of the day was definitely the welcome reception, which took place in a pub on the riverfront called the Slug and Lettuce. Yes, odd name, isn't it? The pub was crowded, what with so many international students squeezed inside, but we were all given the chance to relax, mingle, and learn more about one another. I've already befriended quite a few, and hoping to add more come tomorrow (later today). Admittedly, some took advantage of the lower drinking age (you're allowed to drink at age 18) and imbibed a little too much, but I was not one of them. I was a little too concerned with trying to find my way home on the bus system afterwards (for the first time), and there was no way I was going to try navigation under the influence, even slightly.

Sorry I'm not in the picture, but as I said, it was a little crazy in the pub. To compensate, maybe tomorrow (today) I'll post a one-time picture of the waist-high pole that I ran into my first full day at Kingston! Yes, it was a momentous event. I tell you, you take your eyes away for one moment, and before you know it, you're tripping over an obviously visible post in front of fifty other people.

And the Adventure Begins!

Does it surprise anyone that when my plane landed in London early this morning, it was raining? It seems that English weather has a nasty propensity to precipitate, and I just happened to forget my umbrella in my room back in the States.

But oh well. Who wants to hear about that anyway? I'll back up to yesterday, when I was preparing to leave. I should warn you, this is probably going to be a long post. I packed as thoroughly as I could on Monday, but still found myself rushing every which way trying to get everything done and make sure I had everything I needed (and as you can tell, I still forgot something important). Among the chaos, Grandma showed up to say good-bye, during which both she and Mom let the cat out of the bag as the the real surprise: Michele and Avery drove down to see me off at the airport!

I lost it, I'm not ashamed to admit it. I was definitely tearing up in the terminal, especially after Dad started getting emotional, too. Before we knew it, everyone was equally weepy, even Mom. But come on--can you blame us? I'm going to be gone for five months, and Jenn is leaving soon after me! I had no idea how hard it would be to say goodbye, especially to Jenn. I'm thinking that we might have to get together in France or England sooner than we'd planned...

The flight was uneventful...no, wait, it was worse than uneventful. It was boring! I couldn't see a thing down on the ground, and everyone knows that's the best part. What's worse, I couldn't get comfortable. I doubt that I slept for even three hours last night. On the bright side, however, the plane that I was on was very technologically advanced, so it periodically showed the passengers the status of the flight, as well as offering us a wide range of games, movies, and music from the screen on the back of every seat. Modern technology has really taken us far. The airplane food was still disgusting, though; at least some things never change.

Though we were delayed half an hour before leaving the airport, the flight landed nearly an hour ahead of the original schedule. When I met the cabman who was to take me to my destination, I discovered that he was taking me to Kingston instead of my accomodations because "she [my landlady] wasn't there." So I spent two hours hanging out in the international students' office, learning a lot about the program and what to expect from orientation. When I was finally taken to my residence, the jet lag had started to catch up with me; it's wearing on me even now, to tell you the truth....zzz...zzz...zzz--oh, right...I met my landlady and the other study abroad student who's staying with her, both of whom I like very much. I've taken pictures and will post them along with this thread.

I've still got a lot to write about, but I'll get to it in my next post. Right now, I think I'm about to head to bed. It is nearly eight in Great Britain, which is rather earlier than my usual bedtime, but I need to catch up with this jet lag. Dodo and I are settling in for a good night's sleep. Sweet dreams!

Meet Dodo, My Roaming Gnome

Has anyone ever seen those Travelocity commercials with the gnome? Or better yet, has anyone seen the French movie Amelie, where the idea really originated? The title character tries to encourage her father into traveling the world by stealing his Santa-like garden gnome. She has a flight attendant friend take pictures of the gnome in front of various landmarks and famous places, which are then sent to Amelie's father. I watched the movie this past year in my French class, and on my visit to Grand Valley a couple weeks ago, some friends from my class suggested that I "borrow" the idea. Brilliant, Emily and Nikki, thank you! So I've been on the lookout for a companion and have finally found him: Dodo.

Okay, so he's not really a gnome. In fact, I don't really know what he is, besides a handily available, completely adorable pen. I received him as a prize in a library program during my junior year of high school (which also explains the "Joust Read" motto tattooed across his body). I used to tease and annoy my twin with him all the time, even going so far as to take pictures of him in sunglasses and using him to prop up my hair on "Crazy Hair Day" during Spirit Week. In short, this cute little pen has a bit of sentimental value for me. He's a bit hard to photograph, since he reflects the flash, but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

So among many of my regular updates, be on the lookout for pictures of Dodo on occasion whenever I visit a new place. He'll also be accompanying me on my flight, which leaves tomorrow at 6:05 pm. This time tomorrow, I will be off to England! Wish me luck...and Dodo too!

Another Weekend Update...

It's Sunday night and another weekend's gone by, seemingly in a flash. Last weekend was my time to spend with my college friends, while this weekend was my family time, the last I'll have before I leave for England on Tuesday.

This last week, the tedium was somewhat alleviated because of some free passes that my sister and I got for the local athletic center. I've been going every day to work out and yesterday Jenn and I brought our niece to the pool in the early afternoon. It was awesome; Avery's a spitfire, no doubt about that. Even though she's only two, she kept trying to swim on her own in the deeper water. It took a lot of persuasion to get her to play in the kids' area.

Yesterday was just a special day in general. We had everyone over for a family dinner--Michele, Chris, Avery, my brother Sean and his girlfriend Stephanie, Grandma--needless to say, it was a blast. It always is when we get together. Jenn and I tried out two new recipes, pineapple upside down cake and cornbread, which went well with the steak and potatoes. We rounded out the evening by playing some family games and ended up in hysterics during Mad Gab. Mom wasn't all that great at the game, which I thought was good for her, since she's usually so competitive. I can pretty much guarantee that come February 14th, she'll be getting phone calls from all of us wishing her a "Happy Vowl-INtumsday." She'll not be living that down anytime soon, believe you me.

And then there was today. Jenn and I performed a "swan song" special in church, singing the first and last verses of Amazing Grace in French and English. Jenn helped me out a lot on the pronunciation, but I'm proud to say that I held my own. I only hope that I can hold my own in my French course in England.

I had to say goodbye to everyone today and I'll admit to getting a bit emotional when saying goodbye to my brothers and sister. Michele and Chris returned to Grand Rapids, so this will be the last time I see them in person for over four months. Sean doesn't live so far away, but I doubt I'll see him before I leave. If I got teary-eyed saying goodbye to them, I can only imagine how I will feel when saying goodbye to my twin. And even worse--I'm expecting Dad to succumb to major waterworks on Tuesday, too. Bring on the tissues!

Counting Down the Days

It's official...I am leaving for Kingston in less than a week's time. This time next week, I will be at my residence in England, most likely preparing for orientation and class registration. I have to admit, it still seems unreal. It felt more real at the beginning of the month, when all of my friends were returning to college and leaving me behind :(.

I had a bit of a scare this morning. Dad handed the phone to me, saying that it was someone from Northwest Airlines about my flight. Now, I am the type of person who wants every single detail planned out weeks in advance. I was terrified that the guy--who had a bit of a strong accent--was going to tell me that my flight had been cancelled or delayed a day, which would mean that I would arrive a day late, missing Kingston's meet and greet program.

Fortunately, the call was not about my flight next Tuesday, but about my return flight in June. He informed me that the flight had been moved ahead an hour, so at least it wasn't a big change. Even so, the entire idea made me apprehensive about last-minute changes before my departure. I will be very relieved when all the travel time is over with. Then, I'll probably have other things to worry about.

Even the Best-Laid Plans...

So here's the post that I promised about my trip to Grand Valley this weekend. My sister and I left on Friday and returned earlier today, managing to avoid the snow that fell all day yesterday. The weekend was, in a word, hectic. Definitely busier than either of us had originally planned. I never realized how many close college friends I've been blessed with, and of course I had to visit and say good-bye to as many as possible.

First on the list, I went to my friend Ryan's birthday party on Friday night. Most of my closest friends--our "group", I guess you could say--were at the party, including my two best friends from high school. It was a themed costume party, where everyone dressed up as their true opposite, both personality-wise and gender. We had a sorority "girl", a biker "chick", a gamer "dude", a country "cowboy", and a gay "guy", among others. I was the partying frat boy. I'll see if I can post any pictures, but I'll probably have to beg permission from some of my more self-conscious friends.

Saturday, which I had hoped to spend resting and relaxing at my sister's house, did not go as planned. I got together with my Bible study girls for an Apples to Apples game night. It was undoubtedly fun, but I have to admit to feeling a little disappointed that I wasn't able to remain at home on such a snowy night. I wouldn't have given up being able to see my friends, but the timing could have been better. Well, at least I also got a cherry Italian cream soda in the bargain, as well.

It snowed on and off all day Sunday, but the roads weren't that bad. It was a good thing, too, since I was out almost the entire day. I met with some of my friends from last semester's American Literature class and we had a Starbucks day. We just hung out at the coffeeshop for the afternoon. Unfortunately, the snow that stayed pretty slow during the day picked up for the evening, thus delaying the trip home until this morning. And so, even the best-laid plans go awry. Yet it still worked out. The time that I'd regretted on Saturday was instead replaced with Sunday night. I was able to relax with Jennifer, Chris, Michele, and Avery, which I enjoyed just as much as the busyness of the rest of the weekend.

I'll Take an Accent to Go With That Soup...

I've been meaning to post this idea for the last couple days, but haven't really found the time, what with everything going on. I'm staying with my sister and brother-in-law for the weekend, taking advantage of the time to visit and say good-bye to my college friends. I'll probably give a better recap after the weekend has ended. For now, I'll just write about a topic that has amused me for the last couple of days, as I've battled with cabin fever and boredom.

I guess you could say that it's somewhat of a tradition for my twin sister and I, in the days and weeks following Christmas, to watch all of the movies that we received over the holidays. By some odd coincidence, most of the movies we got this year were either set in England or produced by a British filmmaker. Whether Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, or V for Vendetta, I've become so familiar with the sound of a British accent that I have to concentrate in order to distinguish whether a person has one or not. By the same familiarity, I can usually tell when an accent is feigned. Is that weird? British movies and books have been favorites for a while, and I'm banking on the hope that this familiarity will help me when I'm abroad.

It's one of my grandmother's favorite movies. I think I've already mentioned that I want to genuinely pick up an accent while I'm in England. After watching so many movies, though, I doubt that it's going to be possible. I mean, I can already mimic an accent, but applying it to everyday speech naturally would probably take much longer than the five months I'll have.

I'm watching The Mummy on TV right now and in this case, the mixture of American and British voices are quite definite because of the direct comparison between the two. This particular movie is one that my grandma likes a lot, and it was during one of our "movie days" that she first introduced it to me.

I'll go for an impromptu subject change right now. I think it was sometime last week that Jenn and I went over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house for a "lunch day" with Grandma and one of her good friends, Tish. Grandma provided sandwiches and Jenn and I tried out a creamy carrot soup recipe that, we found, needed a lot of work in the "creamy" part. Before and after lunch, we spent a lot of time talking about our upcoming experience and what to expect. In her youth, Tish studied in France for a bit and traveled around Europe, so you could say that she was a wealth of cultural information and experience. She's also a true character, and many of her stories kept us laughing through the afternoon.

It won't be long now. Through boredom and whatever small events I can find to plan to fill up the next week and a half, I'll be flying to England before I know it...and definitely before I can believe it.

Nothing Much

Just checking in, reassuring my readers that haven't died or forgotten them in the week since I last posted. I don't count this as a real post, since it will be inadequate in terms of length. I'll be staying with my older sister and visiting my college campus this weekend, so hopefully I'll have some stories to write about.

My Lazy List

I know I haven't updated for a couple days and to be frank, I'm not feeling overly ambitious right now. Because of my laziness, I've decided to post a list of sorts, just general information about me, my family, and random other stuff that I may not have mentioned in any of my posts yet.

1.) Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour.
2.) I am an English major at Grand Valley State University and, before anyone asks, I am not going into teaching with my major. I tried taking an education course last year, and I think I can safely promise that it was the last Ed course I'll ever take. Instead, I want to break into the publishing world, whether as a writer or as an editor.
3.) I am an avid reader. Not only do I love to discover new books and authors, but I reread books like there is no tomorrow. I read my favorite book, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, at least twice a year.
4.) I have two older siblings. Michele is married to Chris, and they have a daughter, Avery, and another baby on the way (Michele just publicly posted this on her own blog, so I don't feel guilty spreading the news on mine). My brother, Sean, is ten years older than me and will be turning 30 this March. Unfortunately, I will be in England during this time, and having to miss his birthday is one of my biggest regrets about studying abroad.
5.) I also have a twin sister, Jennifer. She will be studying in France while I'm in England, and it will be the first time that we've been apart for over a week.
6.) My most prized possession is the ruby birthstone ring that I wear on my left ring finger. I consider it as my "purity promise" or "True Love Waits" ring, and I rarely take it off.
7.) If possible, one of the things I want to bring back from England is...an accent. Not a fake one, but I would love it if I could genuinely acquire a slight British lilt.
8.) I truly believe that the friends I make in college are the friends I'll keep for life...I'm anticipating a lot of laughs.
9.) One of my favorite TV shows is Top Chef on Bravo. Unfortunately, whenever I watch it I tend to become hungry and to feel an urge to cook. Since the show doesn't come on until 10 at night, this can sometimes be a problem.
10.) My favorite books are usually my favorite movies as well: Pride and Prejudice (A&E), The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and Jane Eyre. Probably the only exception to this pattern is Eragon and the Inheritance Cycle. I love the books, but I hated the movie.

So, there you have it: 10 random things about me, probably the most random and obscure list that you have ever read.