Things that would be useful to have in one's car in the great state of Massachusetts

Just in case. You never know. I thought I might do my part to promote safety and compile a list of useful things that probably should be kept in one's car while toodling about in MA.

1. Snow-wiper-offer-thing. Otherwise known as an ice scraper. I think the use of this is fairly self-explanatory. Ice scraper on one end, snow brush on the other. You don't need one of the fancy ones with pull-outs and twisty things that looks like it might transform into Bumblebee at any moment, but a basic one is quite useful.

2. Snow shovel. The small sport kind comes in handy. I mean, in general, one doesn't want to cart around an industrial-strength shovel of epic proportion, but cars do tend to get stuck in large amounts of snow.

3. Salt mixture. Alternately, cat litter. Go ahead and laugh. But, it turns out, cat litter can also absorb moisture (imagine that!) and can provide traction to get out of sticky (icy) situations. Plus, it weighs the car down a bit. For those that have tiny economically-and-environmentally-superior cars, extra weight can be particularly helpful when it comes to snow and ice.

4. Boots. You never know when it's going to rain. Or snow. Or ice. Or freak everyone out and do all three at once. Truth be told, Massachusans (is that the right word?) aren't freaked out by this. They roll their eyes and trudge on to work. It does freak ME out, though.

4. Umbrella. The reason is the same as the one for boots. You never know.

5. Music. Just in case you get stuck. No need to be without music when dire situations arise.


That seems like a fairly comprehensive list, I would think. I also find it useful to keep a steady supply of Diet Coke around, but I suspect not everyone has the same addiction needs as I do. Still, caffeine does come in handy. And that caramel food coloring. That's always good.

update!

So, I haven't updated in a while. I thought perhaps now was a good time. Just before bed. That's a good idea, right? List form is always best, you know.

A list of school things so far:

1. Five classes keep me PLENTY busy. It's midterm season! Hooray?

2. New England leaves are so pretty. I might choose to live here just for the leaves. The feet and feet of snow you can keep to yourself, Massachusetts, but I'll take the red and yellow leaves with me. Pictures soon.

3. The Six-Five Seaturtles = awesome.

4. Christmas lights have been added to the decor. They add some much-needed festivity. They are not for the purpose of encouraging Christmas spirit -- although, they certainly aid in that department -- but are meant to provide especially moody green and blue and white lighting for those occasions when one needs such a subtle touch.

5. I have officially begun my picture wall. Many (only six, so far) of my favorite photos I have ever taken in nice frames hanging on a wall. I am not a photographer, and I don't intend to become one, but I happen to have a natural ability at capturing awkward-but-strangely-nice moments. Imagine that. That description sounds oddly familiar. Maybe I just know a lot of people who fit that phrase? [Sorry, Ashley, you're not up there, yet. Also, if you're reading this, Emily, Anya, Lois, and Ste happen to be on the wall. Still looking for best pictures of others.]

6. Bedroom heater sounds like death. It has a nasty habit of screeching at me at approximately 5.30am. Sometimes it sounds like an airplane taking off and I wake up confused, not knowing if I should be sad, overjoyed, running for my life, or waving light sticks.



Perhaps I will attempt to pick this back up again on a regular basis. I'm not entirely sure about how much free time I have in my schedule, but maybe I can pencil something in. The sad part? I might actually have to pencil it in if I want it to happen.

why does that smell like whiskey?

So, I'm afraid I can't seem to keep up with this thing on a consistent basis. That's HIGHLY disappointing. Maybe I can give a quick summary of the last two weeks in London, then a bit on Texas. That sounds like fun, right? Good.

Well, I went to Windsor one weekend. Just a day trip on Saturday. It was pretty, and I guess I should have let Harry and William know I was coming. They were sorry they didn't get to see me. It's been a while since we hung out.

The next day an older lady made friends with me randomly walking down the street. She's originally from Italy, and she has children that are about 50 years old. She's been in the UK over 50 years. At first, she thought I might not be able to understand English. I didn't want to tell her this, but I had trouble understanding her because she had a strange accent. She was friendly, though. She shops at M&S Foods because they always have fresh produce.

The next weekend was spent in Edinburgh. It was WONDERFUL. I have redecided that I need to live in Edinburgh at some point in my life. I know I already lived there for university for a term, but I mean REALLY live there. Maybe the government can find me a job there. IDEAL.

The LASERS (woot!) let me stay in their place (thanks!), and we went to see lots of things at the Fringe Festival. We also went to see a Miles Davis cover band called Miles Ahead for my birthday that weekend, and they were WONDERFUL. Everyone was so talented.


This weekend, I have arrived at home. The land of wide open spaces, highways, and the best food. In honor of the occasion, I'd like to give you a list of some of the strange and fun things about the Dallas area.

1. Trees. How did all these trees get here? London may have 5 Royal Parks, but they have nothing on the amount of trees in Dallas. We plant trees for everything. All new houses get a tree in the front yard. [You can practically tell the age of the house by looking at the tree.] Most business have trees out in front or surrounding them, and trees have been planted along highways and such to fill things out and prevent sad things like erosion. You may be thinking that all the trees are a strange sight in a land with too little water. Well, you would be right. I don't know how these trees manage to stay alive.

2. Cement. There is SO MUCH cement in Texas. You may think this is a bad thing, but let's think. I mean, in London [and most big cities] there is a lot of cement and lots of crammed roads and squished houses. In Texas, we just like to spread things out. It's not like there's too much MORE cement, just that it's used to space things out, not cram them together. It's nice.

3. Sunsets. I missed them. The sunsets in Texas are still the most consistently beautiful sunsets I've ever seen.


There you have it. A short list, but a list nonetheless.

Funny sidenote: I worked so hard to bring home scotch for my grandfather. Unfortunately, when I arrived at the airport, I realized my bag reeked of whiskey. It had broken. So much for bringing back a nice gift. Gah.

And, on that note, I hearby declare today Laundry Day. All of my clothes must be washed -- including the ones that now smell like scotch. Soon, I will have to repack them. And by soon, I mean Tuesday. I'm leaving for college again in the early hours of Friday morning. Hooray!

the after-bath (a pun!)

Didn't you think my pun was clever? I know I did.

Anyway, the weekend after I went to Bath, I had a visitor! And her name was Emily. Isn't that exciting?

We did one of the most amazing touristy things I've ever done: a Duck Tour.

Sadly, it wasn't a day of watching ducks walk around London. However, it WAS an afternoon of driving around in a boat. Well, it was a cross between a boat and a car. We spent about 45 minutes on land, then about half an hour motoring around on the Thames. Cool idea. Land AND water. [How many lamps is THAT?]

Apparently, these duck things were used by the US to invade Normandy. We're so tricky. This Duck Tour company refurbishes them, paints the bright yellow and all sorts of fun colors, sticks tour guides and drivers on them, and sends hundreds of tourists around London. Very clever.

Also on the weekend being discussed, Emily and I stumbled upon [in real life, not Firefox] a Chipotle equivalent. It was glorious. There was guacamole, pulled pork, and everything needed to create a mini-trip to Texas for Susannah. It's called Chilango, and it's fun.



I think I'm almost caught up now. Only have this most recent weekend to write about, I think. Phew. Almost there.

it's okay, i'm a nerd.

For the last two days, it has been almost hot. In London. Which means it's absolutely perfect outside, and boiling on the tube. That's the worst part about good weather: it lies. So nice and sunny, yet soooo incredibly hot in the organized transportation.

Never fear, this evening the weather got worse. Rain. To add to the heat. Then is was warm and rainy. Sticky. Even worse on the underground. Ugh. All those people standing uncomfortably close.

...

So, to continue with my mission of catching up on past things.

A couple of weekends ago I adventured to Bath. The decision to go was kind of spontaneous. Saturday afternoon I was walking around town and I realized that I wasn't guaranteed to have another weekend to go.

I decided I would look up train fares and times. Reasonable. Next step, buy a new copy of Northanger Abbey. Perhaps I didn't need it, but it was fun reading it just before seeing all the things mentioned in it.

Things I saw in Bath:

1. The Roman Baths. They had their own type of Bath. I did the audio tour. It was nice.

2. The Pump Room. This was the famous place for people who were more feeble to get water everyday. It supposedly made everyone better. Plus, it was the place to be in the late 1700s. Everyone who was anyone made a six-week trip (any longer was considered a bore, any shorter and you weren't acceptably cool)to Bath in the summer and went nearly every afternoon to the Pump Room to meet with people, have some tea, and get busy socializing.

3. Royal Crescent. Not too exciting. Just a curved street with nice houses and such on it. But it was the place to stay in Jane Austen's time. I had to see it.

4. Jane Austen Centre. Not the official museum, but fun. I had fun feeling vaguely knowledgeable about Bath and Jane's books about Bath. I haven't read Persuasion [yet!] but Northanger Abbey is clever enough to make up for that. There was even a vaguely terrible video as part of the tour! Excellent! Bad clothing choices and all.

5. Assembly Rooms. Couldn't go in. There was a function. A wedding or something. They would have been nice. Would have been one of the other places in Jane's books. At least I saw where they were.


It was nice to be [re]reading an Austen book about Bath while traveling to and from Bath. Made me happy. And it also makes me a nerd.

Oh well!

the tallying

As I accidentally typed at the end of the last post, let's take a tally.

1. Chapels : Both win here.

2. Famous pubs : I think Oxford wins here.

3. Food : Cambridge had special waffles. We all know that waffles are winners.

4. Friends! : Of COURSE it's a tie here.

The tally?

It's a tie. Obviously. You thought I was going to pick one, didn't you?

No, thank you.

I'll not come between a nation and its rivalries.

I still don't even choose between UT and A&M. [UT has worse colors, but A&M has too many blonde people. OH THE DECISION.]




These topics of Oxford and Cambridge cover the first two weekends since I arrived at the beginning of July.



Next stop: Bath!

long time no see

Oops. I'm sorry to say that I have been completely remiss in updating this thing.

I'll attempt to catch up, but I'll have to do so gradually, I'm afraid.

First, let's tackle the whole Oxford vs. Cambridge thing. Believe it or not, this is probably harder than it sounds. There were waffles and chapels involved.

I visited Oxford on my second weekend in London, and Cambridge happened the very next weekend. Hooray!

Things both Oxford and Cambridge had:

1. Chapels. Like I said. And both had beautiful chapels. In Oxford, I believe the one we saw was Trinity College Chapel. Small and pretty. We weren't allowed to walk in very far. We couldn't even walk down the aisles. There was, however, a bust of J.R.R. Tolkein's head. Cambridge had King's College Chapel. Huge and beautiful. The big altar in the middle was given for Anne Boleyn by Henry VIII before he chopped her head off. (Too irreverent?)

2. Famous pubs. Oxford had the Eagle and Child, which is where C.S. Lewis and Tolkein used to meet up and have semi-intellectual discussions over cigars and beer. The fishandchips is excellent. Cambridge had the pub where Watson and Crick celebrated after discovering the structure of DNA. I can't decide which pub was more awesome. As a former science nerd, I kind of want to say the Eagle in Cambridge was more fun. But Lewis and Tolkein are WICKED AWESOME (I'm from Boston?) and they did meet there regularly.

3. Food. Obviously. But I mean special-and-related-to-the-universities-food. The Eagle and Child had really excellent fishandchips as stated above, but I think Cambridge wins on this one. They had WAFFLES. Waffles with candy, waffles with strawberries, waffles with ham and cheese, waffles with banana and chocolate, and a waffle with everyimaginablesweetthingyoucouldeverywantonawaffle.

4. Friends! Both places are equally wonderful in this case, of course. Lois in Oxford and Emily in Cambridge!



Will post more on this topic soon!





So, let's take a tally.

first day jitters

Everyone knows I like to show up early and be prepared when embarking on a new activity. Often to my detriment. Early people aren't often considered 'cool', either. No matter. I'll sacrifice cool points for my neurotic tendencies.

I left early this morning so I could pick up breakfast on the way. There is NO WAY I was going to eat cereal after being so sick yesterday. Milk + sickness = REALLY BAD SICKNESS.

I picked up some breakfast, pulled out my Oyster card, and headed for the tube. I could do this. I felt sure. I followed my pre-planned and pre-practiced -- I told you I'm a bit neurotic -- route. The first tube was REALLY crowded: it gave new meaning to the phrase "huddled masses". I was squished. And, apparently, I was unaware that in order to be acceptably outfitted for a journey during rush hour one needs a newspaper. Without a newspaper, you're either weird or a tourist. Oops. Oh, well.

Feeling slightly superior to the few tourists (I knew where I was going!), I made my switch and headed for the second train.

This time the very first one that pulled up was crowded. Weird. This is supposed to be the uncrowded one.

At this time, I paused to check my phone for the time.

WHAT?! IT'S ONLY 8.50?!

I had an hour left for a 15-minute journey, tops.

After waiting for a less-crowded train, I still managed to make it to my stop WAAAYYY ahead of schedule. As in, almost an hour early. How did I do that? Dork. No matter. I brought a book. I planted myself in a park next to [strangely] other people that had books, papers, and time to kill before starting work.

Okay. I've read enough. Time to go.

Made it there, got all checked in, got my own security badge (cool!) and met the other intern. He seems really nice.

All in all, I didn't do much productive work today, but it was nice to finally be where I was supposed to be and learn a little about the ropes. I've already been told that I'll get to meet all sorts of really awesome people and high-ups and do some serious networking. SWEET. Just what I wanted. And needed.



So excited.


P.S. In case you were wondering, I probably can't post too many details of the job online. This seems like a bad idea.

an american in [London]

Today, I decided to go find my future workplace, explore the area, get a pass to the gym, and go grocery shopping. That was the list for today. All have been accomplished by 2.30 in the afternoon. Hooray!

Things I have seen today:

1. Houses of Parliament. Duh. And they're beautiful. Cannot believe it. Didn't go in. Sad.

2. Westminster Abbey. Didn't go in this time, either.

3. Winston Churchill. Statue on Parliament Road. Kind of cool.

4. 10 Downing Street. Wish I could go in. Alas, Gordon Brown doesn't know we're friends, so I had to stay outside the gate with everyone else. The horses had guards, though, and that was pretty cool. One of the horses was NOT happy to be there.

5. St. James' Park. Very pretty. Got a sandwich at one of the little kiosk things. Decent. But it was the Diet Coke that was the most important, if we're being honest.

6. Buckingham Palace. Crawling with tourists. Typical for the season, I guess. Still pretty. There was a mini parade out front. I'm sure it has some normal significance of which I am unaware. No one else seemed too fascinated except for the families with small children. There was only a tiny band and some of the guard marching behind.

7. Lord Byron Nelson. Of course I had to go see one of the best strategic sailors ever. Plus, he's right near all of the other things I was seeing, so why not?

did you get lost in amsterdam?

Things:

1. In the future, I will do my best to remember that it is better either to sleep none at all on an overnight flight or as much as possible. Don't go with the few-hours experience. It usually doesn't end up well.

2. Picadilly line was closed today, and so was Kings Cross Station. Both of which I was supposed to use to get to my new domicile. THAT was exciting. Ended up taking a Heathrow train and two different tube lines to get to the place. Then had to hike down roads with no name hoping and praying I was on the right one based on geography. I was. Phew.

3. My room for the next 8 weeks is smaller than a single dorm room. But at least it's clean. Isn't too hot. And there's a window to catch all that London sun.

4. Never trust my computer to other people who think they know what they are doing. I arrived, began unpacking, then decided to try and conquer the internet [get it working]. Couldn't make it happen for a good half-hour of frustration. I managed to find the internet guy, intimidate the door/security guy [sorry!] with so many questions, and got the internet guy working on the internet. He tried a few different things then left to "go downstairs and try something else". Huh. As soon as he left I decided to take a look at my computer one last time for myself. Turns out I fixed it, set it all up, switched back the cables, and wrote this post before he came back. Oops.

5. I hadn't been out of the house or off the news sites for 2 hours before Palin quit her job. Geez. What happens if I go away more often? Do more governers disappear or leave or decide to make political explosions? Maybe I should test it.

6. I didn't have lunch. That's the next task: to find food. It'll happen. I might just wait until dinner. I could have an early dinner, watch a dvd or something, and fall asleep early. Maybe.

7. Exploration of my area might be needed. I think yes. Off I go.

I know, I know...

I've been severely neglecting my blog the last few weeks. The reason is that I've spent the month relaxing and dealing with as few responsibilities as I possible can.

Studying for the GRE, going to the gym, helping Mom around the house, and general relaxation have been on the ticket this month.

Unfortunately, this means I have left several things undone that all have to be accomplished before I head back to the UK this week.

My suitcase is only 1/3ish full. Not cool.

Oh, well. It'll get done. Already packed a bit more this morning. After studying.

Off to the gym. But, before I go, I just thought I would impart a new musical love. I've found a guy named Tyler James last week that I like. And Foy Vance has again been a love the last few days. Both good acoustic-y folkish singers.

Will write more when traveling, I promise.

mostly, you're a mindgame in my head

So, I considered posting a sentimental goodbye blog before leaving or right when I got back to Texas, but it just didn't happen and I can't bring myself to do it. 'Why?' you ask? Well, because that's admitting defeat. Posting a goodbye post makes things real, and sometimes I like my things fake. Haven't you ever heard that Flaming Lips song?

I did make it back home. There was a distinct lack of sleep for several hours. I did meet new people on the plane. And I did have ribs as the first meal when I got back. Excellent.

I also went shopping on the second day I was back. Good.

I'm having a lovely time being warm. And not Edinburgh warm. I mean ACTUALLY warm. As in, I can feel the impending-ness of the sunburn as it almost happens. And that's just walking around Firewheel Mall. So warm it's classified as hot in any other part of the world. [Or country, for that matter.] It's great. The only thing that's not great about it? The SUPER POWERFUL air conditioning. Every year I know it's coming. The great freeze of walking indoors. The way one can be dying of heat stroke outside but need a parka after standing inside for more than about two minutes. I can sense the air conditioning coming. But it always surprises me. [What? Carry a sweater? But it's 92 degrees outside!] Native Texan, and the air conditioning takes me by surprise all. the. time.

Had an airport reunion with the sister on the day I arrived back. She was leaving. We spent somewhere around half an hour together, and then she was gone. I won't see her until Christmas. Can you believe that? My own sister and in the course of a whole year I will only see her for 30 minutes. I realize I've told everyone and their mother about my depressing lack of contact with my sister, but it still makes me a little sad.


On a completely different note: Study for the GRE has begun. The goal is to take the GRE before the end of the summer. Must happen. Otherwise it needs to be taken by the end of September. But then there's limited time for other tests. Bah. Studying never ends.

Home and being as productive as I can muster on my three-ish weeks off. My only break until Christmas.

don't want you to wake up

I have been on so many adventures lately. It’s really been overwhelming and FUN. There’s so much to tell. Let’s see if I can keep it all straight. You know I like organization. Let’s give it a go.


Sunday: Calton Hill

This is one of the most famous views of Edinburgh. Everyone goes up here to take beautiful views of the city.

Things to see:

Dugald Stewart Monument: Can’t actually go in it, sadly. But standing in front and taking a picture is always fun.

Miscellaneous unfinished monument: Funny story, actually. Edinburgh attempted to build a replica of a building in Athens (pretty sure it was the Parthenon, but I’m too lazy to look it up on Wikipedia right this moment). Strangely, they ran out of money in 1829 and the monument was never finished. So it just sits there. Half a frame of a would-be famous building at the top of a hill. Kind of fun.

On the way down: There’s a really cool cemetery across the street on the way back to Princes Street. In it, you’ll find graves dating back to the 1700s. And David Hume is buried there, amongst others. David Hume is cool. You should see it.



Monday: Scott Monument

Anya was back for a day! We had her and her sister until 2pm, so we had to make the most of it. The Scott Monument is on Princes Street and costs only 3 pounds. It’s tall and gothic and has LOTS of stairs. 287, I think. I took lots of pictures. They’re on facebook. Leisurely day so that we could say goodbye to Anya and help her leave all afternoon. So sad!



Tuesday: Glasgow

Spent almost the whole day in Glasgow doing some shopping. Didn’t buy much. Just a few things I fell in love with. It’s okay. No need to panic. The girls also shopped and everyone concurred it was a great success aside from a lunch debacle. The restaurant went missing. Oops.



Wednesday: various?

I think I’ve worn out several people with my adventuring. I’ve worn everyone down. They weren’t properly prepared for an Experience of Edinburgh. Nevertheless, I persevered and managed to accomplish quite a few things today.

National Gallery: James volunteered to go with. Lots of fun. Smallish, but we only did the free section. They did, however, have some of my favorite Degas paintings and impressionist art, so life was good.

Chocolate Soup: A restaurant. Almost on the Royal Mile. Kind of almost on the-magical-road-that-changes-names. Hunter Square, I think? They. Have. So. Much. Chocolate. Everything in the store (almost) has chocolate in it. I had soup, bread, and a very lovely hot chocolate. They even have “shots” of chocolate that are more chocolate than most can handle. Wonderful.

The Scotch Whisky Experience: Lots of fun! They’ve remodeled and created a ride that involved narrated barrel rides. You get to learn, watch, taste, and make funny faces. A couple of girls had a hard time with the whisky, but I think overall it was a success. I’d recommend it. Right next to the Castle.

Arthur’s Seat: It’s about time I went up. I live a whole thirty seconds from Arthur’s Seat and I’ve never been up. I’ve only been up the Crags. We went up to watch the sunset, but it was cloudy and cold. So we stayed for as long as we could, still watched the sunset from the top, and managed to make it back down just before dark. One of the best views of Edinburgh ever. Love.





That’s all the adventuring so far. I don’t think tomorrow will have too much more. The current plan is to sleep in a bit, finish packing in the morning, and maybe do a bus tour in the afternoon. Relatively leisurely. Then stay up all night until a 4am taxi, a bus, and a flight home!

I absolutely cannot believe that tomorrow (today?) is my last day here. I will miss it with every fiber of my being. It’s a beautiful city and a wonderful place to live and I’ve met such wonderful people. Must make a mental note to visit often.

we've still got time

You know it’s exam time when…

1. My Diet Coke intake increases exponentially. Sometimes you just need the extra boost. Or four.

2. Students have no problem yelling out the window [using all sorts of colorful language] at loud people outside.

3. Breakfast hours polarize. Many begin going to breakfast either earlier [to study] or later [they studied (really?) last night].

4. You are forced to forgo some friendships [Ashley? Who? What? Sorry.] in order to maintain stability and sanity in academic life.

5. If Facebook usage decreases, friends become worried. Either you’re studying too much or too little. Come out of the hole, please.

6. Wrappers. Are. Everywhere. Of all food sorts.

7. Child-like behavior erupts in every corridor. Someone seems to have been using a lot of toilet paper for nefarious purposes. You know who you are.

8. The sun comes out. The cruelty. The horrible sense of weather-humor. Just when you have to be in, the sun decides to come out to play. NOT COOL.



In case you hadn’t noticed, the sun was out for the four days before my very last exam. Cruel, cruel world. With one exception [and it was soooo good], I spent all the sunny days indoors or taking an exam.

Luckily, I finished my exams! Hooray! I can come out and play again. At least a little.

The next week will be spent being as touristy as I possibly can, I think. One doesn’t normally visit the touristy things when living in a place, but I don’t want to leave the touristy things until later this summer when they would be expensive and crowded. And there’s no guarantee I would be able to do them then.

It looks like I’ll be in London for the months of July and August. And home in June!

Now. What to do with all my stuff. The good news is my room became a huge pit when I began the packing process (as you do) but now it is beginning to look like a room once more. One wall is cleared, two suitcases are packed, and the other things are going into bags until their fate is decided. Looks a little sad without decorations and will bags of clothing and miscellany everywhere, but not much more can be done about that.

Elephants and Bagels and Bacon -- oh my!

There is absolutely no point in carrying an umbrella in Edinburgh. Even if it’s raining. Once you open it, the wind inevitably gusts AGAIN, popping your umbrella inside out and causing embarrassment all the way around. Then, as you try to re-angle your umbrella to face into the wind and make it pop back, the wind dies, of course. So you’re stuck with an inside-out umbrella in the middle of the street with everyone watching.

At least, that’s what I’m told.

Spent the morning studying at Elephants & Bagels, not to be confused with The Elephant House. Both are owned by the same people, so we decided to try out the other one. [We were beginning to feel like creeps in The Elephant House.]

It’s surprisingly nice. In one of the squares along the magicalroadthatchangesnames, the store is very small. Only about 8 tables.

Unfortunately, the tea got disapproving ratings all the way around. A distinct metal flavor was noted. The hot chocolate was not tested, and the filter coffee was reasonably identical to that of The Elephant House.

The bagels, though. GEEZ. They’re incredible. Positive ratings all the way around. They’re not chewy and stale, and they’re toasted just before having the toppings added. If you’re looking for a good bagel in Edinburgh, Elephants & Bagels is the way to go. Or, I mean, if you just feel a particular need to look at LOTS of elephant photos and drawings.

And I would come to terms with curly hair before attempting to live in Edinburgh.

and everyone's just singing along

I am in complete denial about the term ending in less than 30 days. It’s not happening. It’s not. Stop talking about it like that.

Nothing about my summer is set in stone, either. I’ll tell you when I have more info.

After one weekend off, I have taken up studying again. This time it’s for the long haul. The next two and a half weeks will be filled with refreshing the lectures that are hopefully already residing in my brain, and rereading several articles and books that I wish were still residing in my brain.

No real adventures so report, sadly.


Slightly funny story, though:

I went to take my Africa in World Politics exam on Friday. Everything was fine. I found the place, I figured out how to find my own seat and fill out different forms. [Mommy, wow! I’m a big kid now.] During the exam, however, the entire room looked up from their exams upon hearing a few geese outside the building making a raucous. One of the geese was extremely loud and distracting for almost half an hour. [Didn’t affect my exam-taking except to make it more entertaining, don’t worry.]

The goose was either involved in a gang fight in which he was the target of all parties, or he was dying a slow and painful death [could be combined with the first]. Alternately, he was involved in some sort of spring-like activity [whatever geese do in the spring…]. Whichever it was, the exam monitors even started giggling at the evenly-spaced, awfully loud, constant honking of this particular goose just outside the window.

Oh, and we were three floors up. This goose was loud enough to be heard three floors up. Through gym walls. And I was on the other side of the gym. So were the exam monitors.

On that note, it’s time for me to go to bed.

the warmest day of the week

I have spent the last two days studying furiously in The Elephant House.

And I highly recommend it. It's the best study spot I've found, yet.

The Elephant House is the coffee shop in which J.K. Rowling penned the very first Harry Potter novel. Yes, that’s right. It’s a tourist attraction. But it’s so much more than that. It has a light but serious atmosphere perfect for an academic chat, a friendly lunch, a cup of coffee with a book.

To get there, walk along the-magical-road-that-changes-names, otherwise known as Nicholson St, Clerk St, South Clerk St, South Bridge St, North Bridge St, or Dalkeith. Turn onto Chambers St. When it dead ends, turn right, and it’s on the left side of the street. [Along the way, you get to see the Courts!]

I highly recommend the hot chocolate, but all the drinks I have tested are lovely. And they are all reasonably priced. Despite being a tourist location with official merchandise, the prices are still not as high as Starbucks. [Starbucks probably won’t like me after that comment. To be fair, Starbucks gave out free cups of fair-trade coffee for the months of March and April. I had lots.]

Whatever you choose off the menu, enjoy it. You might have to share your table, but
it’s all part of the experience. If you’re going to be in Edinburgh for a few days, go spend some time with the elephants.

And speaking of how much studying I have done, I must now do some more. This was my break from stress this evening. Bah.

rain, rain, go away

It has been mostly sunny and vaguely warm (at the same time!) in Edinburgh for the last three days. You know what this means? It means I can pretend that Summer is almost here. Which means I can begin a few of the summer rituals.

The first was the first batch of sweet tea. That’s right. I made some in Edinburgh. I got a few questions from the British (What is it? Sweet tea? What exactly IS iced tea?) but I carried on.

The reactions were mixed: Anya made a confused face and didn’t know what to think; Emily immediately said “that’s the only way tea should ever be drunk” but later couldn’t decide how she really felt.

I have been studying African politics every day recently, and I have decided [in light of my upcoming interview] to read about UK politics on my own time. [Do I really have any of my OWN time?] I picked up a couple of books today, so we’ll see how it goes.

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything I have to do in the next month and half or so, but, never fear, I’ve made a few lists and everything will sort itself out. I hope.

Also, as a sidenote, I’ve never been to a university library that does not allow food or drink. I didn’t even know they existed. How does a university expect students to study well without a constant supply of snack foods (Muffins! Cereal!) and coffee (the juice of life)?

me and cheerios? oh, we're good friends.

Back from travelling!

Paris was beautiful. We saw the Arc d’troimph, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Versailles, and the suburbs where our friend lives. Lots of sights. Pictures are on facebook already, and I can post some here in the future if necessary.

Nerja, Spain was sunny and warm and full of Vitamin D for the taking. It’s absolutely impossible to be permanently sad at the beach, I’ve decided. We saw the Cuevas (Caves) de Nerja, and we attempted to see the waterfalls, but we couldn’t find them. It was a failed expedition. But, no matter what, we spent the appropriate amount of time on the beach. I even ate gazpacho and flan. Be proud!

Back in the burgh, life is … quiet? There are approximately 2 people living in the entire dorm, and one of them refuses to acknowledge that he recognizes me from when we met a month ago. The other one is up on the 5th floor. So I’m out of luck. The good news is there are a few other people in the city that are wicked cool and just as available as I am (Ashley!).

Short entry, I know. But I’m not feeling very verbose sitting in my rectangular room nursing plants back to life on this particularly odd-weathered day.

Studying awaits!

see you later, aligator

Irrational Fears:

1. ANTS. Can’t stand the things. Has to do with a childhood experience. Later involved onion and a sobbing five-year-old.

2. Things stuck in my teeth/on my face. Partly rational, but that’s a completely different story.

3. Mean people. I tend to think this one is actually rational. But you never know. Many have told me otherwise. Maybe the people that tell me it’s irrational are the mean people. THAT’s a scary thought.

4. I smell. Well, I don’t actually. But I FEAR that I smell. Deodorant and I are very good friends.

5. Being cold. Bring a sweater.

6. Saying stupid things. Seems to happen WAY too often. The worst is during first impressions. Especially important ones.

7. A windy day with a skirt. Just a bad combination. Marilyn Monroe may have been able to get away with it, but – let’s face it – not many other people can.

8. Having things confiscated at the airport. Shouldn’t be a big deal, right? I mean, it’s just mascara or lip gloss. I can buy new. But still. What if I’m stuck in an emergency situation right after getting off the plane that calls for mascara or lip gloss? It could happen. Don’t laugh.


And, speaking of planes, tomorrow I’m headed to Paris. Jean and I are staying with her friend Ellie just outside of Paris. I have made various people promise me that we would not leave without climbing up the Eiffel Tower and visiting the Louvre.

If I don’t post for a while, that’s where I am. If I do, then… hooray?

After ’while, crocodile.

painting the town

Three days ago I had my first Hot Crossed Bun experience. Yes, it deserves the capital letters. They're yummy.

They have raisins, something like dates, maybe some cinnamon, and they're GOOD. Hot with butter. They served them to us at the dining hall for our last dinner there before (the equivalent of) spring break.

Speaking of spring break, mine has begun!

Saturday I flew with Lois (a friend from University) to London. [She lives near London and I was migrating to see Jean.]

Last night we had every intention of getting up early to be productive to get a few things done before our trip, but we had forgotten about daylight savings time. Oops. Clocks switched. We got up at 9 [8.30 was the plan], decided not to be quite as productive, and made our way to Covent Gardens.

Covent Gardens is amazing. There was an opera singer and musicians playing for change and to sell cds. [Dad would love this.] I'm pretty sure they were professionals just having a good time on a Sunday morning. A folk musician played on the street outside. Sad songs, mostly. I tried not to listen too hard. Sad music on a sunny Sunday? I think not. There was a market thing with a lot of stalls of random things. [Mom would love this.] Much like the Mexican Market in San Antonio or that other road I went to with Jean last time I was here. (Don't remember the name, sadly. I'll have to ask Jean.)

We wandered around for a while, until my stomach could no longer be ignored in its protesting for food. We managed to find a nice little place that was still serving breakfast at 8.29, and I wolfed down one of the best English breakfasts I've had in a while. And I mean wolfed. I finished my entire HUGE plate of food before Jean finished her much-smaller Granola with Yoghurt (that's how it's spelled here). The early lunch has kept me full even until now, and it's almost 7. Yummy.

After wandering back and finding an adorable (and cheap) pair of earrings, Jean and I headed out to watch the Oxford-Cambridge boat race. This boat race seems to be the equivalent of the huge rowing regatta that happens on the Charles every year, except there is much more questionable class involved. In general, the plan is to show up early with either (depending on age) glass of wine or bottle of something-or-other and wait until the boats pass you by about two hours later. Some dress up for the occasion, but since it's outside, the weather is a bit chilly, and there's mud under bridges, I didn't see too many people dressed in anything but jeans.

Unfortunately, despite the tradition of this rowing race, Jean and I had a mishap. Apparently, the London subway (the Tube) chose this weekend to close one of the lines between us and where we were meeting up with a few friends. We didn't notice the closure, sadly, had to double-back a few stops, and ended up arriving much later than originally planned. And we missed it. The boats rowed by, and Jean and I weren't there. Sad day. We did, however, meet up with the same friends, and head for chips (fries) at a nearby place before going back to Jean's dorm to make it in time for dinner.

There are no pictures of today (much to my dismay) because I accidentally left my camera in the room, but, rest assured, there will be several photographs to come.

absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Things I learned in the last four days:


1. When buying a dress from CULT, keep the receipt. The strap on mine broke the first time I wore it and I have to take it back.

2. A ceilidh (kay-lee) is basically like contradance in Massachusetts, or general folk dancing. I should have guessed. They call the dance at the beginning of each song. Lots of confusion, lots of fun, lots of sweat.

3. Aerial Assault Courses are SCARY. Similar to a ropes course, kinda. But 100 feet off the ground. Up in the air. You have to wear a harness thing. TERRIFYING. And I was sore afterward.

4. I really should have been more on top of things the last couple of weeks. Oops. Maybe I can make up for it now?

5. It’s 23 degrees CELSIUS in Nerja, Spain right now.

6. Spanish people only believe I speak Spanish for one email’s time. By the time I made it to the second email about hotel reservations, they switched to English. Oops. I thought I could be more convincing than that. I guess not.

7. I have to learn to fit two weeks’ worth of Susannah into one single backpack. I don’t know how this is going to happen. Unless I forget about clean clothes altogether and just decide to take on a smell. It’s what backpackers do, right? I can be hippie like that. No I can’t. That’s a lie.

8. I really crave some fajitas. And ribs. And sweet tea. And decent mashed potatoes. And BLUE BELL ICE CREAM.

9. You can’t use an American card at an ATM (cashpoint/cash machine) to top up your phone. You can only withdraw cash. You need a British card to actually put credit on your phone from a cash machine.

10. I’m going to Paris in a week! And the beach in Spain one week later! If there’s a lack of internet activity on my behalf, that’s the reason.

11. I’m done with all essays and course assessments except for final exams.



I wanted to go there into the cornflower blue of Crayola, the royal, the turquoise, the sky.
-- The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

bad news first

Bad news:

My rainboots have holes. Two in each foot. On the top. On either side of the top of my foot near the toes. I. AM. SO. SAD. I LOVE these boots. [I almost typed “wellies” there. That’s what they’re called here, obviously. Because “Wellington’s” OBVIOUSLY means “rainboots”.]

Let me explain. I looked for bright yellow rainboots for YEARS. I always wanted a yellow rainboots. Somehow yellow rainboots and rain go together. Maybe it’s because we never get rain in Texas. I had to idealize my rain. Rough childhood. Regardless of the psychological reasons causing my illogical love of thunderstorms and yellow rain slickers, I have always needed a pair of yellow rainboots.

Last fall I found them. On sale. My life was complete. What else could a girl ask for than rain and yellow rainboots?

Now I am in the CITY OF RAIN and they have holes. And I get so many comments on them. They’re conversation-starters. [Kind of like my Mavs shirt: I always meet a Mavs fan when wearing the shirt.] I’ve made friends with these rainboots.

What am I going to do?

I’m pretty sure I’m going to wear them to death. With warm socks that dry quickly. Until I either can’t wear them anymore because they’re disgracefully shabby, or until I find new ones. I’m hoping for the latter.

Now that all of you are appropriately upset about my rainboots [if not, YOU SHOULD BE], we can move on to more positive news. No need to leave you feeling so down. You took the time to read; no need to make your life miserable with the death of my wellies.

Good news:

I have discovered a new love of daffodils. They’re so happy. So bright. So cheery. There are hundreds of them all over the city of Edinburgh. Some in the meadows next to campus, some in the square in campus, several in people’s gardens in front of their flats. I can’t help it. Daffodils mean spring is coming.

Besides, they’re often next to purple flowers. And, in case you didn’t already know, I like purple and yellow together. Also happy.

That’s all. Superhappydaffodils.

And I’m one essay, one presentation, one internship application, two teacher recommendations, one ball, one ball dress, one birthday excursion, one lasertagwithsmallgroup activity, and one week of normal classes from my three-week-long spring break. LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN.

they should give me an award

Two essays done, one presentation done. One essay and one presentation to go.

The problem I’ve run into is that I have NO IDEA what I’m writing about on this essay. The class I’m in is one of the most scattered courses I’ve ever encountered. The lectures don’t seem to follow a trajectory. Vaguely chronological, but there’s no pattern. There’s no focus on wars, the implication of international interactions, humanitarian concerns, nothing. And the lecturer gets sidetracked easily. All these things add up to me being REALLY confused about exactly what she wants in an essay and what exactly any of these articles mean.

My room has turned into the study/work room. I quite like it. I have a hot water kettle [for tea, obviously], a constant supply of cereal, a decently comfy bed, and wordless jazz that makes any student feel instantly more intellectual and capable of writing a fantastic paper. The addition of people means I have company when working, and a built-in distraction when my eyes can no longer focus on a computer screen.

In other news, did you read the news? I’ve been behind lately, but twitter tells me that NPR decided to report on the breakup of Sarah Palin’s daughter.

I’m as much a fan of gossip news as… well, I’m not much of a fan. But politicized breakups are hilarious.

Apparently, Bristol Palin and her fiancé (baby daddy) decided “a while ago” to break it off. Now, why is this significant and news-worthy? Multiple choice question! :

a. Sarah Palin could be running for office herself soon. I mean, it’s feasible. And many news people were talking about it at the end of the campaigns last year. This makes any and all business concerning her family and office instantly interesting. Unfortunately, no one will know it’s interesting for another two and half years.

b. Everyone really wants to know about Bristol Palin’s breakup. Doubt it.

c. NPR wanted to point out that AFTER THE CAMPAIGN WAS OVER Sarah’s daughter suddenly isn’t getting married. AND it’s been off for “a while.” Highly suspicious. Perhaps the engagement was a campaign ploy? Maybe?

d. Both a and c.


Now, I like Sarah Palin as much as the next person. Truly, I do. She has cool hair and a funny accent. Her politics also seem to be a happy accident that she’s thrilled about. That’s awesome. Go for it. Wave at those Russians from your backyard. I would just like to point out, though, the hilarity of this story. Good job, NPR. You made my night. I can now happily go back to reading about power-sharing in Burundi knowing that Sarah still has family drama that makes the national news organizations.

On that note, goodnight, and I wish my life were filled with more things than papers. One day it will be, I promise.

more procrastination. i'm a professional

This morning there were clouds. The grey-ish, white-ish clouds. They looked familiar. I couldn’t quite pinpoint WHY they looked familiar, but they did. And is it really possible for clouds to look familiar?

Leaving class, I learned why. These clouds contained snow. Not the fun snow. The kind of snow that falls in wet droplets and PRETENDS to be snow then disappoints you by just soaking all the clothes you’re wearing and ruining your perfectly nice walk back from classes.

There was snow this morning, and now it’s sunny. REALLY sunny. There’s a blue sky and everything.

Weird weather puts me in a weird mood.

I have another paper due next week. And a presentation on Ethiopia’s dominance in the horn of Africa.

I really shouldn’t be complaining about the amount of work I have here. It really hasn’t been anything at all compared to my home university. But these next couple of weeks will be tough, I imagine.

Tuesday: Presentation
Wednesday: Political Economy paper due.

Then the next week I have another paper and another presentation.

On that note, I better get back to reading for my paper. I have so much work to do, and I really don’t want to do any of it. The last paper I wrote was actually fun to write. Call me insane, but I enjoy writing about political theory. Everything has to be explained, which instantly meets all word-count requirements. Plus, I did a social theory, which means I get to talk about relationship between people and states, which is one of my favorite things ever.

Wow. I’m a dork.

Anyway, this paper is on Asian regionalism.

Obviously, I don’t find it as fun.

Just a friendly update from your neighborhood university student. Perhaps in a few weeks I will be more chatty.

I will add, though, that Jean and I have booked our flights. As soon as classes end we’re going to Paris, and then we’re spending a few days on the beach in Spain. SO excited.

the power of suggestion

I’ve heard rumors there was a nasty amount of snow along the Eastern coast of the US last night and for the last couple of days. Even Atlanta was hit.

Now, I’m as sympathetic as the next person about the snow being dangerous. Snow can truly be deadly. I’m just as upset at the death of a pregnant woman and her mother.

But is it really necessary to make me depressed about snow? I mean, really.

This article is the thing I’m talking about.

I’ve always wondered why there isn’t a larger percentage of people who enjoyed the snow. Well, I guess now I have my answer. It’s the newspapers. If you always report about the snow like it’s the end of the world, of COURSE no one’s going to enjoy it.

It’s nice to be up to date and know that a thousand flights were cancelled by ten a.m., but, if the newspapers report death and destruction with every major snowstorm, you’re going to be very depressed until you move to southern California.

These people live on the East Coast. I realize it’s unusual to get snow in North Carolina. And I realize it’s unusual to get more than a foot of snow at the beginning of March. But, really? There are children around. Children who love to sled down hills. [I know I do.] People who get out there and take food and water to the stranded people. Mothers who have a spontaneous take-your-kid-to-work day. Fathers who just HAVE to stay home and go make snow angels with their kids. [darn.]

Why can’t snow be a good thing?

I like the guy at the end.

procratination

A particularly vocal bird has taken up a position very near my dorm these last few evenings.

It’s wonderful. I think he’s having a conversation with another bird nearby. The birds have a habit of becoming more vocal after dark rather than in the early hours of the morning. It’s a strange phenomenon and I like it.

It’s also gotten dark later and later everyday here. When I first got here the sun went down around 4.30. It was depressing, but New England is almost as bad. I had a little conditioning. Today it didn’t get dark until around 5.30. A whole hour’s change in the sunset in just 4 or 5 weeks. That’s AWESOME. Before you know it there’ll be light until 10 at night.

Not too many eventful things happening in my life at the moment. For the last two or three days I’ve been working on a paper about political theory, and that’s been taking up all my time.

When I write papers, I also don’t allow myself to read anything for fun. In fact, I try not to read anything at all unless I absolutely have to. I attempt to get all my reading for class done before or after I write a paper. I’ve found that my writing changes based partially on what I’m reading at the time. I would hate for my writing to change mid-paper. That sounds terrible.

Once I read C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity just before writing a paper. I ended up using many real-world examples in the same manner Lewis uses them. With every claim about society or the characters in the book I was analyzing, there was an example to follow. I couldn’t help myself. It was as if I caught a disease that made me pick up parts of Lewis’s style.

Since I’ve been reading The Mill on the Floss recently, I didn’t want to write political and social theory the way George Eliot tells stories. I’d be here for months. And the essay is capped at 2000 words. If I wrote like Eliot, do you think I could cap anything at 2000 words? I think not.

Anyway, the reason for the ranting is that I’m so close to being finished with the essay, but I can’t seem to wrap it up. It makes me distraught. I just want the thing done. It's pretty much done, though.


By writing this, I have procrastinated another reasonable amount of time. Hooray!

no more excuses

I finished a book today.

Why is this significant, you ask?

Well, I’ll tell you. Because I haven’t read a real book since… the summer, I think.
Oh, sure. I read lots of things for class. Things on politics, literary criticism, book upon book about the U.S.-Mexico border. But all those were for school. They don’t count as real books. Those things get filed away with various pieces of information I hold in my head, ready to use at any moment I feel it is necessary to know how Coleridge divides the imagination into three parts, how immigration patterns in Texas have change dramatically in the last one hundred years, or how Darfur isn’t really the biggest crisis in Sudan.

[As a sidenote, I also read the Twilight books. These do not fall in the 'real books' category for reasons to be enumerated at a later date.]

By real books, I mean things that one reads simply for the love of reading. Things one reads to learn about life, themselves, the author, or any number of dangerously interesting subjects.

The book I finished is The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot.

Gasp. Shock. Jaws drop.

Yes. I did it. I finished my first Eliot novel. A short one, I’ll grant, but I finished it, nonetheless.

And you know what? I liked it. In fact, I loved it. That’s right, LOVE.

It’s a story of a young girl attempting to be society’s definition of good and perfect and virtuous, but her outgoing, rambunctious, perfectly sweet nature gets in the way. She accidentally loses control of emotion on occasion. Young girls hoping to marry should never lose control. Sometimes she makes rash decisions like chopping off her hair and falling in love with forbidden boys. Oops.

But through it all, the heroine, Maggie, cannot be anything but loved. One can’t help appreciating the real-ness in her. We all make mistakes. We all make terrible decisions. Some of us even struggle with the definitions of ‘right’ and ‘good’.

I won’t spoil the ending for you, but I will say that I experienced a HUGE range of emotion as I read the last sentences. I hoped there was more, and yet begged for an end.






Guess I have to start my paper now.

let the rain fall. i don't care.

I continued my McDonald’s experiment while in London.

I’ve written about my running experiment before, but, in case you missed it, the gist of it is I try the McDonald’s in every city I travel to if it’s at all possible. There’s no real point except that it’s interesting and I realized a while ago that I had had McDonald’s in most of the places I’d been to and decided to continue the trend.

I always get a burger and fries. When conducting empirical studies related to food, it’s best to keep the food choice the same. The only exception was the Tokyo McDonald’s. I was only 10 and it was the first time I ate McDonald’s in a foreign country. Maybe one day I’ll get a redo.

Jean and I stopped at the McDonald’s near Kings Cross Station before getting the train from London to Edinburgh. I have to admit, I was disappointed. The food was all dry, and they were skimpy on the condiments. The burger patty was too dry, and there was only one pickle and a serious lack of ketchup, mayo, and mustard. The fries (chips?) were also not nearly greasy or salty enough.

There was another McDonald’s around the corner. Perhaps that one would have been better. But probably not.

I have yet to try the one here, but I will before I leave. That’s for sure.


The weather was nice again today. The girls from my dorm and I all went and walked up the crags. About 30 seconds away from the dorm and really beautiful. You can get a view of the whole city from up on the crags.

I didn’t take any pictures because I forgot my camera, but, never fear, I’ll go up again soon. I’m absolutely determined to do more exercise in the form of walks up the crags and Arthur’s Seat.

there ain't no reason things are this way

Jean and I decided to make today the day to be tourists in Edinburgh. We began with Edinburgh castle, grabbed a bite while walking down the Royal Mile, then finished with the Palace at Holyroodhouse and the Holyrood Abbey next door.

I absolutely love Edinburgh Castle. There’s just something about it. There’s so much history and significance about the place. Plus, they have a tower called Argyle Tower. It’s an all-around win.

The Palace is different. I hadn’t been there since the last trip to the UK, so I was looking forward to seeing it. Which was awesome. The tapestries hanging on the walls are always so ornate. The ceilings are absolutely gorgeous, and the paintings and portraits are always of monarchs or famous historical figures.

The Holyrood Abbey itself is one of my favorite sets of ruins. There’s a grave of miscellaneous monarch bones in one corner. [And I mean miscellaneous only because they were moved once or twice during raids and wars and now all the bones are just in one coffin.] I think King James VII and his family are in the grave. Lying around inside the abbey are empty stone coffins. Gravel mysteriously made its way into the coffins, but there’s something eerie about opened stone coffins with bodies removed. All around the walls – the roof is long-since gone – there are windows devoid of the ornamental stained glass that I assume filled them. The lack in windows and stained glass adds to the eerie since of lost history and failed preservation.

The rain is back. The weather was warm(ish) and sunny yesterday, but today it’s been raining since just before we made it to Holyroodhouse. With all the historical things and the rain, the day has taken on a more reflective attitude.

Anyway, the rain has also put a damper on walking around the city some more. But I think that’s okay. We’re a little tired. A large cup of tea is in order, I think.

sightseeing in london?

Sorry for being away for so long, but I was visiting a certain someone (Jean!) in London. It was all wonderful, and it was superawesome being around her again.
We went out for a touristy day and saw the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. Yep. I’d seen the Tower before, but that was 5 years ago, so it doesn’t count. Besides, who doesn’t want to walk around learning about torture? Who doesn’t want to pretend to fight off enemies from the wall? Exactly.

Someone tried to tell us that morning that Westminster Abbey was ‘not that great.’ Really? Seriously? An abbey where all sorts of famous dead people are buried, a corner of just poets and intellectuals, and beautiful architecture and stained glass. It has to be wonderful and you should get out more. No pictures allowed in the Abbey [and that’s why I can’t post any.]

We saw the graves of so many cool people. All I can say is: one day I want to be famous enough to be buried in Westminster Abbey. Maybe I could write world-renowned poetry. Perhaps I could use my theories and out-theory Darwin. I could be a soldier buried in a world war monument. Any giant world wars on the horizon? There’s always becoming Prime Minister, but I’m not sure they would let me.

Oh! And we went to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. SO amazing. It’s the pub where Charles Dickens, Voltaire, and Thackeray used to hang out (not together, of course.) We sat in a dark booth in the corner of a small room and felt infinitely cool, slightly more intelligent, and vaguely [wonderfully?] pretentious. Perhaps that’s it. I’ll write something wonderful while sitting in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and they’ll HAVE to put me in Westminster Abbey.



Travel tip #2: If taking a train, don’t forget to check your ticket for your car and seat number.

I had a slightly embarrassing episode with this on the way to London. It involved me almost missing the train and making the girl next to me feel incredibly awkward. Oops.

But, really. How was I supposed to know the seats were assigned? I’ve only taken the train three times in my entire life. Well, five if you count the returns. From Connecticut to New York didn’t have assigned seats. I don’t really remember the train from London to Edinburgh 5 years ago, but I think it did have assigned seats. But I wasn’t in charge of my own seat that time. It doesn’t count. And Edinburgh to Glasgow didn’t have assigned seats.

So, really, I had no way of knowing.


Just got back to Edinburgh today. The snow is all gone, sadly, but there’s always a good chance of rain. I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Sure puts a damper on touristy things. Jean came back with me. One weekend in London, the next in Edinburgh. Commence adventures!

gonna write you a letter, gonna write you a book

Travel Tip #1: If you’re going to (or think you might) use an appliance with a three-pronged North American-style plug, make sure you have an adapter that will accommodate. This may seem like a silly thing to have to think about, but trust me, it’s important.



Today is one of those days where I want to sit inside, drink tea and hot chocolate, read a good novel, and generally be warm and cozy.

And I’m sick. No good. Some sort of ultra-vicious-cold thing. Pretty sure it’s a hybrid of all the colds a myriad of friends have had in the last two weeks or so. I’m taking medicine, but being sick makes me colder than I should be.
I only had one class today, though. I guess I shouldn’t complain.

I get next week off classes. This is wonderful. I plan on reading for and starting at least one of my essays. Highly convenient that the entire politics department gets week 6 off.

Also, I’m visiting Jean in London this weekend. I’m so excited about it. I’ll spend the first weekend there, and she’ll be here for the second weekend before classes start back up again. Visiting London will probably be different after a gap of five years. A little less touristy, more college-student-like, I would think. But I am planning on seeing a few of the sights, of course. Can’t go to London without a few tourist activities.

To family: I’m sending my love and I wish I was there.

world spins madly on

There is one subject I am choosing to avoid in this post. If you came to read about that, I’m sorry. I don’t think it’s a good idea to write about that here. [It’s not healthy or warranted.] So I will write about other things.

Today I went shopping in Glasgow. It was fun. I got a couple of dresses and a cute pair of flats (called pumps here). We took the train from Waverly station to Glasgow and then walked around the surrounding rectangular shopping area.

Amidst all this shopping distraction, Anya and I stopped for lunch at T.G.I. Friday’s. Why would we choose to eat at an American restaurant in Scotland, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. Firstly, because the lovely dining hall in the complex of dorms does not serve much quality meat. Sure, they have sausage and bacon (more like salty country ham) in the morning, the occasional beef pie (and sometimes haggis!) with dinner, and loads of chicken, but these things do not satisfy in the same manner in which a steak fills one to the brim. Protein is good. Also, it was a day-trip to Glasgow. Why not eat nice food while you’re out on the town?

I have one lovely thing about this particular Friday’s, and one not-so-lovely.

The lovely bit is that when they accidentally give you a steak cooked well when you asked for medium rare, they replace it immediately and subtract the whole incorrect meal from your bill. And the manager comes over and apologizes profusely. In this case, they even replaced Anya’s burger so we could eat at the same time. Two meals with diet cokes came to less than 20 pounds because we weren’t charged for my steak. Excellent.

The bad news? They don’t serve iced tea. Way to get my hopes up. I’ve had so much hot tea that I was secretly craving some tea of the colder variety. Not that I don’t like hot tea. Ask anyone. I love it. I’ve had at least 3 cups in the last 2 hours. That’s probably part of the reason I’m still awake. But sometimes you just need iced tea. It’s true. You can test it empirically.

Of all the restaurants, you would think Friday’s would serve iced tea. But no. Fail.

Thing of note: Have you noticed it’s difficult to follow the government stimulus plan things? Maybe it’s because I’m so far away.

T is for... disappointing.

[I stole these photos from Ashley. I know they're late in being posted, but they deserve love anyway.]

Here he is. The man who left me disillusioned about folk music artists for the rest of my life. I thought perhaps some of you might enjoy a picture of the man who didn’t live up to his music.



Let this be a warning to all you aspiring musicians out there. Don’t disappoint me. Or I will post your picture here and tell all my friends how cool I am and how cool you aren’t.

Mean what you sing.

So there.

Feel intimidated?

No?

Well, if you don’t make meaningful music, you’ll end up like this guy:



He’s the resident ukulele player. Don’t wanna be him.

Or maybe you do.

yellow wellies!

First there was snow, and then there was slush.

I awoke this morning for the usual breakfast of sausage, baked beans, mushrooms, and hashbrowns, and was surprised to find snow. That’s right, snow. And more than last time. This time it wasn’t a stretch to call it a dusting [by MA standards, I suppose].

And, surprisingly, it’s been falling on and off all day. It made me so happy to have to break out a hat for the walk to class.

I’ve settled into a Monday routine, and that makes me feel more comfortable. I like a little bit of routine. Breakfast, shower, first lecture on Political Economy of East Asia. This lecture is followed by a trek to either Subway or Baguette Express for a sandwich for lunch. And, if I’m lucky, I can squeeze in either an expedition around the part of town where the second lecture is, or a drink [hot chocolate or coffee] at Elephant House.

And yes, Elephant House is where what’s-her-face wrote the first Harry Potter book. It’s right by one of my classes. I feel so … vaguely pretentious saying I get coffee there on a regular basis. Well, Mondays, at least.

Funny story. So London has gotten about ten inches of snow so far over about the last 24 hours or so. The ENTIRE CITY shut down. There has been talk about snow for the last couple of days as a warning, and the city still isn’t functioning.

The NYTimes even felt compelled to write a story about it. The buses aren’t running, the streets haven’t been sanded, and one of the biggest airports in the world cancelled or delayed hundreds of flights. Even the subway system [the Tube] has a lot of delays.

Edinburgh has gotten a bit of snow, but no more than about 2 inches so far. I secretly [or not so secretly] hope there will be more snow, but we’ll see. It’s still snowing on and off.

Also, I found this yesterday while Stumbling [it’s a fun program for Firefox] and I thought it was funny. I decided to share it.

them has pinched it, done her in.

I have had an amazing weekend. Seriously.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Friday morning I got to sleep in a little bit, go out for lunch (I don’t usually) and have a relaxing afternoon.

That evening Ashley and I went to a concert. Teddy Thompson. He was fantastic live. Sang well, had a good stage persona and presence. The girl that opened for him was fantastic, too.

The best part, though, was getting to meet him afterward. Yep. Then Ashley and I went out for the evening, had a super-awesome time, and got back late. There is a more detailed story, but it probably doesn’t belong here. Perhaps another time.

Saturday I slept in really late, stayed in bed for about 2 hours after waking up to listen to The Shins and read Vogue. It was a good time. Me and my Diet Coke, The Shins, Vogue, and Digestives. [digestives = cookies that are kind of like graham crackers with a thin layer of chocolate]

This reviewing of fashion, combined with my sense of being extremely cool, caused a giant need to shop. After all, I already knew I needed at least a few dresses and I would like some flats and maybe a pair of boots.

So I met Ashley and a friend of hers on Princes Street, coffee in hand. I found the most amazing pair of boots. And they were half price. And they’re awesome. Here. I have a picture.




Cute, huh?

After being out Friday so late, the girls and I stayed in Saturday night with pizza and My Fair Lady. It was a good time. I did research about fashion designers and places to shop in Edinburgh. It was exciting.

Back to real life, I suppose. Two lectures tomorrow.

But before I go, look at these shoes by Charlotte Olympia. I wish I could have them. Or wear them. They would probably hurt my feet, but all shoes hurt my feet and these are beautiful. I can’t decide which color I like them better in. Not that I can buy them. I have a very specific list of shoes that I’m allowed to buy.

se mon amor, se mon orange

Last night I went to the opera. Wipe that look off your face. Don’t look so shocked. Yes. I’m in a foreign country and I went to the opera. I’m just that cool.

It was Prokofiev’s “The Love of Three Oranges” and it was hysterical. There was a lobster telephone, a deadly cactus, and cans of orange soup that turned into princesses. And a near-fatal case of hypochondria.

A friend of a friend is in the opera company that came to town to perform it, so a large group of seven girls got tickets and trekked there. Lovely experience. I think one of the older men in the audience thought I was actually in the opera even though I looked nothing like any of the characters. He asked me what language we were singing in. I asked him to repeat the question then said I wasn’t singing but the language is French. I was entertained. Maybe he thought I was a member of the orchestra? I wasn’t really dressed like that, though. Who knows? Maybe I just look well-informed about the opera. Yeah, right. Sure.

I think my favorite class [I know all of you are SO interested to know] is the one about general political theory. It’s excellent. And abstract. And there’s a lot of fodder for discussion, which means the tutorials are easy to participate in. Which means the entire hour isn’t silent and awkward; people actually contribute and have opinions.

I’m going to see Teddy Thompson in concert tomorrow night! So excited.

And then Noah and the Whale is playing at the same place in March. YES. And the place is only about 10 minutes from my dorm, which means I have more time to spend just before the show at the hot chocolate and coffee place (with Ashley!) directly across the street from the venue. Wonderful.

Happy 250th!

Yesterday was Robert Burns’ birthday. It’s a big deal in Scotland; everyone celebrated all weekend and today. I like lists, so I shall list the various parts of celebrating.

a) Wear a kilt! I saw several people in kilts. It was fun. I wish I was cool enough to wear a kilt and mean it. There were even large numbers wearing kilts to church yesterday. There was also one little girl in a fairy costume but I don’t think that related to Burns’ day so much.

b) Play the bagpipes! Remember that obsessive American who plays the bagpipes? Yesterday he had them out in all their glory. He played them in the lobby of the dorm and all the way there and back to a celebration dinner. They matched his kilt.

c) Drink! This is an ancient tradition dating back to the origination of the nation. This is just one way to celebrate, and is by no means necessary. (I am not suggesting I participated in this manner – I was home not feeling well.) Although, the bagpipe player started drinking at 2.30 in the afternoon. He knows how to celebrate.

d) Eat haggis! Yes, you should try it. They served it at the dining hall yesterday evening. I don’t trust squishy food from dining halls, but I tried haggis about two weeks ago. I felt that sufficed. Also, they tried to serve us vegetable haggis. What exactly goes into that? The best we could figure is that it’s made from the insides of vegetables. Vegetable guts.

e) Go to a celebration dinner! This one’s pretty self-explanatory.

f) Sing Auld Lang Syne! The poem – the lyrics – was written by Robert Burns, in case you didn’t know.

g) A ceilidh! The word is pronounced kay- ley. Like the name Kayli. A ceilidh is a type of dance. I have never attended such a thing so I do not know how to participate in said event, but I have heard it entails enthusiastic and unchoreographed dancing of the Scottish variety.

That’s all the methods of celebrating that I have seen or heard of, but I’m sure any celebrating would be encouraged and appreciated.

Happy Burns’ Day!

they don't use 'wicked' here

Found (well, a friend found) a wonderful place that sells lovely hot chocolate and has monkeys all around. Not live ones, of course, just fun stuffed ones. It’s cute.

Don’t tell anyone, but today I ate lunch at KFC. That’s right. Kentucky Fried Chicken. There’s one right near all the buildings my classes are in. Can you believe that?

Now, many people know that I have a running experiment. Every country to which I travel (so far) has a McDonald’s. I make it my goal to test out each one and survey the differences. For example, in Japan, they use whole milk and the pancakes are delicious. In Argentina – where they’re known for steak – the burgers were gross.

I haven’t found the McDonald’s here yet. It’s a project. But I decided KFC would suffice for the time being. Besides, it’s where a couple of my friends were having lunch. Convenient.

And it’s weird. They don’t sell the same things. I was going to get the potato bowl or whatever it is that’s so deliciously unhealthy. But they don’t have it! Instead, I opted for the popular Toasted Twister. It’s a wrap with chicken and lettuce and tomatoes and sauce. Quite good. But not the heavier American way to eat fried chicken. I was the smallest bit disappointed.

I was adventurous again last night and went to a small cell group with a couple of girls. It’s the equivalent of housechurch at MERCYhouse. Small group in someone’s home. No dinner, but there was tea and snacks. It was fun and the people were nice. I’m planning a return trip.

I learned something new today (besides how to exit the building when the fire alarm goes off.) I learned that the word ‘supper’ does not equal ‘dinner’ like in American culture. Supper means probably a small snack before bed like tea and biscuits or some such. It’s not a meal. Odd.

Oh! And at cell group last night I learned there’s a fantastic Northern Irish snack/sweet thing that is absolutely heavenly. They have ground cookies, marshmellows, condensed milk, and various other ingredients. They were sooo good. I’m going to have to hunt down the recipe. New mission in life: learn to make Fifteens.

just for now. leave all our hopelessnesses aside.

It’s that special time that happens only once every 8 years. Well, sometimes four. You know what I mean. The time when everyone thinks America can agree about everything all the time. The time we all pull out our flags and wave them with an amount of pride otherwise found a bit obnoxious. The time we all look forward to from about the sixth year of the previous presidency.

Another presidential inauguration; another first one hundred days; another year of watching with a critical eye to see what the new president does.

What will be the first area of major accomplishment for Mr. Obama? The middle east? A ceasefire that sticks in Israel and Gaza? Lowered taxes? Social Security?

Is he nervous? Are his children nervous? Do they feel weird around their friends? Is Michelle finding the cause she’ll push for? Does she talk to Hillary often? Do they get along?

And so we all sit in front of the television – drinks and snacks in hand – to wait and watch for change.


Also, watch out. The mafia may be trying to get you. Or the anti-mafia.

providence

I wasn’t looking forward to walking to class. All weather websites predicted cloudy and rainy again for today. Bummer. The chance of rain was higher and the temperature colder, so I opened the curtain to decide on footwear. Was the rain going to be bad enough to wear the bright yellow rain boots? After all, it hadn’t been raining when I walked to breakfast. Was it worth standing out that much and having people stop me to comment on my boots?

The construction sounded different outside. Must be raining. Already. Better open the curtain just to make sure.

Lo and behold, I open my curtain, and … there’s SNOW!

I had just been thinking that I was a tiny bit sad to be missing out on a snowy winter in Massachusetts. But the snow falling outside was my favorite kind of snow: the kind with huge flakes that just falls. It doesn’t drive or pelt or otherwise smack you painfully in the face. This kind of snow is the quiet, whispery kind. The kind that forms drifts and banks. The kind that provides the most enjoyment for fun activities like sledding and skiing and riding dining hall trays.

There wasn't very much snow. In fact, there was only a dusting and most of it was gone in 2 hours. But that’s okay. It’s enough. Just enough to say “it’s okay – Edinburgh is a nice place and you won’t really miss the winters in Massachusetts that much.”

Large flakes fell slowly and without hurry in front of my window. They fell just for me. Not for anyone else.

I tied my boots, wrapped the warm pink scarf around my neck, and walked the usual way to class. Unfortunately, I was completely soaked by the time I got there – snow is wet – but I was a happy soaked.

And the snow was gone by the time I got out of class. Slightly depressing. But at least I got a little snow. Just enough.


"It is astonishing what a different result one gets by changing the metaphor!"
-- The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

it's pink and shiny.

So I’ve been angry with my alarm clock for the last several days because it won’t go off in the morning. My phone has had to suffice.

Tonight must have been the first night I was in the room at precisely 8 o’clock.

It just went off.

I feel like an angry idiot.

smooth sailing

Another reason to love Edinburgh: I found three quality music stores all within a half hour’s walk from my dorm. I went out adventuring and doing errands on Friday, and decided to stop in a few of these stores just to see what they had and such. One of them had a huge collection of records. If I had my record player here, I don’t think I could resist the large selection of vinyl.

I also found an adorable store that sells teacups and fun china and such. I couldn’t help it. Don’t judge. I only got one mug. And a bowl. For lunches. A cute lime green bowl.

People here have started planning huge inauguration parties. For Obama. The entire day will be big over here. Not nearly as big as in America, obviously, but still really big. The Politics Society (society = club) in particular is very excited and has rented out a pub starting at 4 in the afternoon and will fill the place. They’re also having a huge projector screen and they’ll watch an American new channel. Several people have asked me who I voted for, and they usually make awkward faces as if they were curious but don’t want to offend me in case I voted McCain. I am from Texas, after all.

I visited a church this morning. A few girls in my dorm went with me, so I appreciated that. Finding a church is hard on your own – especially when you know nothing of the city. I think I liked it overall. Might visit another next Sunday.

Things have been rolling along smoothly. No huge upsets; nothing huge and memorable. I didn’t have class on Friday, so I went out adventuring. But nothing major besides finding a few shops I love and seeing more of the city.

adventures

My hair loves Edinburgh. You may think this sounds silly, and that’s because you’re right. It’s silly to like a place because my hair does. But who doesn’t like to feel like they look nice? When you get up in the morning and look in the mirror, wouldn’t you like to be happy with the hair on the head staring back at you? That’s what I thought. Ergo, I think it’s great that my hair agrees with Edinburgh. It’s extra-curly and standout-ish. I can’t get away with anything sneaky, but people have been friendly. I also think the friendliness has something to do with the fact that I can’t possibly be a psychokiller. [I would be spotted and identified immediately. ]

After having dinner with Ashley yesterday (hooray!), I was adventurous and went to meet the sailing club. I figured I would check it out. Sailors tend to be my kind of people – fun, awkward, and friendly. And loud. It was alright, but I don’t know if I’ll stick around. The club is a little more informal, anyway, since they choose teams for team racing at the beginning of the year and I don’t have any yachting experience.

Bravery seemed to be the path I was attempting to follow, so I went confidently to my tutorial this morning. I hadn’t done nearly all the reading (there was an exorbitant amount – seriously) but I figured most of my classes at MHC are the size of tutorials anyway. Surely I’ll be fine. I know how to participate in discussion. Turns out I was right. I met some very nice people that told me you never had to read more than two or three articles, and they were amazed that I went to such a small school with such small classes. [Parents shouldn’t freak out here. I’m not being a slacker. The tutor also confirmed the smaller reading assignments.]

The man doing the construction work in the bathroom right in front of my room is hilarious. He’s Scottish, and his accent is really thick. He also keeps his radio on advice radio stations and really girly music. When something odd or wrong happens – or that “Hallelujah” comes on – he swears a lot, but you (I) can’t really tell what he’s saying because of the accent. He’s one of those people you don’t want to startle while he’s holding power tools.

I’ve been hearing stories of a strange American boy who came to school here and is completely obsessed with Scotland. As in, so obsessed he freaks out the English and Scottish people a little bit. He learned to play the bagpipes. He lives in the complex thing my dorm is in and everyone keeps asking me if I’ve heard him play. Well, today I did. For the first time. He’s pretty good at it, too. He’s goes up a little way on Arthur’s Seat (it’s historical and right behind my dorm) and plays for all to hear. Gracie says I should be friends with him and I think I agree. I’ll have to work on that.


"International relations then consists in a dialogue between the governments of states, and through them, between their populations."
-- Africa and the International System by Christopher Clapham

decisions, lists, and trends

I decided:

I love this city.

As if it was even in question.

The weather today was perfect. Well, it was one version of perfect. The kind that’s chilly and sunny. Well, if you don’t count that the sun is only up for about 8 hours a day. No earlier than about 8.15, and no later than around 4.30.

On a sidenote:

There are three version of perfect weather.

And I like lists. So I’m making another one.

1. Snowy. You know the weather I mean. Well, some do. The kind of weather that means a white-gray sky with those really huge snowflakes falling down gently in whatever manner suits them. The snow banks gradually adding up on the sides of hills and in small puddle shapes. Sometimes there’s even a wave of ice before or after the snow that creates those perfect iced trees. They look frosted. Frosted trees.

2. Chilly. Usually found in the fall or spring. Entails weather just chilly enough to force most to a jacket, a few brave the weather without. This is the weather I experienced today. The sky is clear and the sun shines down to give the dose of Vitamin D you’ve been craving with the overcast weather. Goodbye seasonal depression!

3. Hot. Not so overwhelmingly hot that you can’t move without sweating, but warm enough to mean nothing heavier than a light cotton tshirt and your favorite pair of shorts. Can be improved with watermelon or ice cream.

I met a few girls in my dorm, and they’re ubernice. And they love Disney movies, so that’s positive. Last night’s selection was Madagascar (not a Disney movie).

I’ve discovered an odd trend in my life. Yes, another one. And no, I’m not talking about streetlights. [Although I discovered a streetlight that likes me here.] This trend has to do with my living spaces and construction.

Let me trace a pattern for you.

First year of college, I lived in the basement of a dorm. The construction began around finals time during the first semester in the electrical room RIGHT NEXT DOOR. Work would begin at 7 am. Not cool.

Sophomore year, the building I lived in was having repairs done. These were more manageable because they were a few stories away and didn’t last more than a couple of months.

Last summer, the city decided to fix the road directly in front of the building I lived in. The jackhammers started at 7 am. On the dot. Not a minute later. After they had ripped up the street entirely, the other machines were brought in to remake the street. You wouldn’t believe how noisy those can be when combined with the voices of workers yelling right outside the door.

Last semester wasn’t too bad. Just some glitches with the elevator. I can stand to walk a few flights of stairs.

When I arrived here, the pattern seemed to be broken. But, never fear. Monday morning at 8 am, they began ripping out the bathroom right across the hall. And I mean right across the hall. 3 feet. Max. Now I have to use the other bathroom (a whole 15 feet away) and negotiate around the construction guy to get in my room. Bummer. They’re also doing construction on the outside of the building. The machines turn around the corner and always look like they’re about to smash into my window.

The upside to this construction is that it wakes me up in the morning. I’m in a fight with my alarm clock. We aren’t speaking.


“Toads who paid rent were naturally leaner.”
--The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

Reasons to love Edinburgh

1. New food. Yes, I did it. I tasted Haggis. I also tasted Black Pudding and neeps. (At least two eye-witnesses.) None of it tastes as scary as what it actually is. Haggis, made of ground organ meat, tastes kind of like an over-mushy sausage in gravy. And Black Pudding just tasted like whatever spices they put in it (mine had pepper and something else I couldn’t place.) It’s made of fried blood. Yep. Don’t make that face. It’s good in small quantities.

2. Pubs. Not necessarily for the reason crossing you mind at this very moment. I just like that everyone is so social. There’s almost always something to do. My only complaint is that the stores close early.

3. Bookstores. I’ve already found at least two that I’m madly in love with. One sells new books and all the books needed for classes (thanks, Josh), and the other sells used and discounted books. Excellent.

4. Redheads. No, there aren’t that many more here than anywhere else I’ve been, it’s just that all the ones I see bond better in our shared persecution. Apparently, it’s funny to make fun of redheads. And it seems to be more common here – even amongst a higher percentage. I have already met at least three redheads all fun and friendly. One helped me find a building. Another vacated the room I’m currently living in.

5. Coincidences. I’ve run into so many people from the US that are all studying here. A few people from school and schools around, and even one girl I hadn’t seen in four years. Weird.

6. Exercise. If I went to the gym, I would no longer need to go. Now I don’t even need to feel guilty that I don’t go. Fantastic. Saves me the £60 membership fee. I live 20-30 minutes away (walking) from all my classes and the main part of campus. It’s not a bad walk; there are all sorts of shops along the road and the buildings are pretty. Sometimes the weather isn’t so great for walking, but that’s why God gave me curly hair: so I could walk.

I’m sure there are more; this is an ever-growing list. More to come later.



"And if you deliver an opinion at all, it is mere stupidity not to do it with an air of conviction and well-founded knowledge. You make it your own in uttering it, and naturally get fond of it."
-- The Mill on the Floss, by George Eliot