Officially VACATION!!

I woke today at 9:30 which I took as a sign to get out of bed and get working on my paper. I actually was feeling pretty motivated so I made a cup of tea (I am now a pro) complete with milk and sat down to work. It was a rough start. I had a basic outline but I needed to look up some stuff about another philosopher. By 11:30 I had only written 244 words, but I knew EXCATLY what I was going to say when! I took a mini break and then dove back in. I cranked it out pretty fast!!! By 5:15 (after a few serious losses in motivation) I somehow finished. I am a FREE girl now until April 23rd! I am so excited to be on break in LONDON! I have all this free time to explore the city! Also I am excited for all my visitors who are lined up to stay with me this month.

I can NOT believe it is almost April! Woo! I love LOVE spring! It has been such awesome weather lately too here in London. I missed an especially good day today (70 degrees, sun, blue sky) but that is what I get for procrastinating that long!

Random thing…. There is a down side to those cool double decker buses that London is so famous for. I had a dance party to celebrate my freedom, and I have a feeling I had some spectators as I looked out of the window as a bus went by…. Oops! Good thing I will never see them again! Haha

The rest of the night is going to be pretty chill as I lounge in freedom. I may watch Ever After (the only movie I brought with me!) I am WELL aware that I am still behind on my blog… I may work on it tonight! It depends how my fatigued fingers are doing and how much I want to continue typing!

P.S the photo is my FAVORITE from Lake Como

Milan

March 23rd 2012

Today was my day to explore Milan. I woke up at 8:30 and really had to convince myself to get up out of bed. I got dressed, got my stuff together and headed downstairs to find breakfast. I did find it and it was nothing like the one in Venice. It was only one table and had just cereal, roll, and yogurt. I ate a lost still and stole 2 rolls for lunch later. I asked for a map at the front desk, and headed out to go into the city center. It was good that I asked for a map! It was an easy enough route, but I felt better having a map with me.

Milan was not what I expected. I expected something like NYC, sleek, cool, modern. Instead it looked like NYC met Italy, and it just didn’t work. I am glad I don’t live in Milan. Its my second least favorite city (above only Naples). After about 20 minutes I got to the famous shopping Galleria. I went in and my jaw dropped. It was impressive. It was a long gallery with a glass roof and it was full of designer stores. A walked around with my jaw down the floor. One good thing about Milan… I wasn’t tempted to buy anything because I could remotely afford anything!

I walked out the other side of the Galleria and found myself face to face with the Duomo of Milan. It was HUGE. I walked around it to see all the statues and then headed inside. It wasn’t the most awesome church interior I have ever seen, but it was worth a gander. There was an awesome statue of the martyr who had been flayed alive. He is standing with his skin around his shoulders! I thought it was so cool! (again see facebook!) After walking around the inside, I went to the ticket office and bought my ticket to climb up to the roof! The hike up wasn’t as long as St Peter’s Basilica in Rome but it was still tiring! The views from the top were awesome though and well worth the climb!

It was fun to walk around the roof, and see all of the statues up close and personal. I spent awhile wandering around and resting after the climb! It was fun to see the spires up close, and the Galleria from above. Eventually I headed back down to the ground and sat on the steps to figure out my next move. I decided to go to the Pintoteca di Brera, an art museum. One I wanted to see some of their famous paintings and Two… they most likely had a potty. So I found my way over there without a problem!

I used the potty and bought my ticket. I showed the woman my student id, and she asked what I studied and where. Apparently Art History students get in for free, so I didn’t have to pay anything to roam around! I LOVE being a student for that reason! Discounted prices/free entry. I don’t want that to end! I went through the one floor gallery. They had some good pictures. A lot of Italian Renaissance art. (Hmmm… I wonder why!) I spent time sitting in the gallery chairs too in order to rest my weary feet!

After I bought some postcards of my favorite paintings at the bookshop, and decided to head to the Sforza castle. It was neat to see the castle, but besides that it wasn’t all that interesting. I did notice that the Museum of Ancient Art there had an unfinished Michelangelo Pieta. I decided to check it out. I walk in and read the sign… the museum is free from 2:30-4:30 every Friday and it was 3:00! Score! I was glad it was free at the end of the museum because there really wasn’t all that much there. I did see the Pieta which was cool! But besides that there wasn’t much going on in that museum!

I wandered around the park outside the castle. It was SO SO nice to see grass. It felt amazing soft to walk on. I miss that fluffy green stuff! It was a nice break from the city! At this point I was running out of things to do. I wandered back to the Duomo to sit on the stairs and figure out my plan. It was a good landmark to orientate myself around. It was really crowded by this point in the day, so I headed to a square nearby. I sat down to read my map and realized that someone was talking to me. The older man next to me started asking me questions. He seemed friendly so I answered and we chatted. He said that he had been a missionary and finally came back to Milan to retire. (why you would retire there I do not know) I talked to him for 15 minutes or so and then said that I was off to see a church (I really was but at the same time I was tired of talking to him) He wanted me to have coffee with him and his wife and at that point I excused myself. He seemed harmless but there was no way I was going to go to coffee with him and his wife. You never know…

So I was off to the church San Ambrosio. It was a long-ish walk and I was tired. I finally go there and it was a simple little church with not much there. I went inside just so I could sit down and rest without anyone talking to me this time! After awhile I decided to head back to the hotel. I went back to the Duomo and sat on the stairs to figure out the way back. I decided to take a different route that was a straighter shot. I picked the Corso… the shopping street! It was fun to look in windows and I was safe from spending money because I couldn’t afford anything! The walk seemed to take forever. My feet were killing me, and my legs were tired. I decided to eat at McDonalds near the hotel/train station because it was the cheapest! After my Big Mac Value Meal I headed over the train station to buy my tickets to Lake Como so I knew what time the trains left Milan. It was only 12.50 for a roundtrip ticket which was exciting! I bought the tickets, wrote down the times the trains left and headed to the hotel.

Somehow I stood up long enough to shower, then I laid in bed and watched the only English station… CNN. The news was depressing but I learned a lot. By 10:30 I was beyond tired and headed for bed! I was excited for the Lake Como adventure!

P.S The picture is Milan's Duomo

Venice: Day 4- Free Day!

March 22nd 2012

I woke up when Freya’s alarm went off at 7:15 and laid in bed until my alarm went off at 8:15. Today was our free day and Freya had picked the trip out to the islands with Peter and Andrew. Isabel, Benedicte and I had decided to stay and see the sight around Venice that we hadn’t seen yet. I packed up all of my stuff, got ready and headed to breakfast. Benedicte and I ate together which was nice, and after we went back to our rooms to get our bags. We checked out and stored our bags at the hotel, and then we were off on our free day!

It was beautiful out! We didn’t need our coats at 9 in the morning and the sun was shining! We headed to San Marco’s Square and took pictures. We then went inside the Duomo of San Marcos…. It was impressive. The entire ceiling was gold mosaics. Very Byzantine, and very awesome! (see facebook for examples of the mosaics!) It reminded me of Hagia Sophia (haven’t been there but I have seen pictures of it in lecture at HWS!) After we wandered around the inside and avoided the tour groups, we headed back out into the bright sun and planned our next mission.

We decided to go across the lagoon to go up the belltower of San Giorgio’s. Rick Steves told us where to find the boat stop that we needed and we headed that way! We bought our tickets and waited for the number 2 boat across the lagoon. We didn’t have to wait long and the boat pulled up. We boarded along with a school group of children… We were hoping they weren’t going to San Giorgios! We rode across the lagoon, taking pictures and wishing that the ride would last longer than it did! The boat pulled up to the stop and all of the kids got off…. Awesome. We meandered into the church (it was free!) and wandered around in there. Then we went to the ticket counter, bought our tickets and waited for the elevator! I much rather would have walked up, but that wasn’t an option! Finally we got to the top and discovered that all the children were running around from window to window!

We found a window and looked out… it was stunning! Venice looked so little though!! It was neat to see Venice from across the lagoon, and to be able to see the lagoon beyond the tower. We spent awhile up there enjoying the views, taking pictures and listening to the kids getting yelled at by their teacher! Eventually we came back down and rested on the steps by the lagoon. There we got the Canaletto views of Venice (he is a painter who painted views of Venice. Google him!) We sat in the sun and watched the world go by on the lagoon before heading back across the water.

Our next mission… the Doge’s Palace. I don’t have much to say about it. I was and had seen a lot of older building by this point. It was impressive, but it seemed like it was never ending and it all started to look the same. Heavy gilding, paintings everywhere and dark wood. At one point I was standing near a tour group and I could understand the tour guide in Italian! She was talking to high school students, but still! I could listen! Towards the end of the journey through the palace you can walk over the Bridge of Sighs!! That was the coolest part. It wasn’t that awesome on the inside but it was still cool to think that I was on it!

We slowly headed back to the hotel after the palace. We had a pit stop for gelato! (Yum!) and got back to the hotel to rest some and get our last free food/drinks. At 4ish it was a potty break time and then we got our bags. Isabel and Benedicte were heading to the piazza to grab the bus to the airport, and I was heading to the train station to catch a train to Milan. We walked most of the way together, and then parted at the train station. From here on out I was on my own, which after 5 days of constantly being with some, it was nice!

I went to the ticket machine and saw that the train would leave at 5:05. It was already 4:30 so I thought that was good timing! I bought my ticket for 17.95 euro and went out to see what platform it was coming in on. I only had to wait 5 minutes or so when number 7 popped up next to my train so I headed that way, walked down the platform and boarded the train. What perfect timing!! The train left at 5:05 and 3 hours later I was in Milan! I had bought the ticket for the slow train, so we kept stopping to pick people up. It was annoying, but it wasn’t worth 20 more euro to get there in 2 hours instead of 3!

My train final arrived in Milan and my next stop was finding my hotel. It happened to be in the Rick Steves book, so I read the directions that he said. I was supposed to walk straight down the street and then take another street on the left. Well I missed the first street that was tucked behind a HIGE hotel, so I was lost for about 30 minutes. I decided to head back to the train station to ask a taxi driver for directions when I saw the street I was looking for and there my hotel was! Right next to the taxi parking lot. GAH! Oh well! At least I found it!

I went in to check in and the lady seemed annoyed that she had to get off the phone to help me. I checked in without any problems and headed up to my room. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what the hotel in Venice was or what the pictures really looked like. It was clean and safe though, just very simple. I showered and unpacked my stuff and headed to bed. It had been another long day!

Venice: Day 3

March 21st 2012

Today was a busy day, but there isn’t much to write about it. My alarm went off at SEVEN! Gah! I was sleepy through breakfast, but I still managed to eat a ton and steal an apple for lunch later. We had to be at the Accademia at 8:55 and it was a hike so we had to leave early! We got there with plenty of time to spare and we chatted while we basked in the sun. It was the best day yet in terms of sun and warmth!

Rebecca (our tutor) arrived and we headed in to the museum. We toured it as a group and then Rebecca was really cool and let us go around by ourselves after for about 45 minutes. My favorite painting was the Bellini (see facebook) and I was hoping to buy a postcard of it, but the museum didn’t have a shop!! Isabel and I wandered and then hit the bathroom before we had to meet outside (we didn’t know the next time we would see a potty!) We headed over towards San Rocco and then once we were in the area, it was lunch time! A few of us basked in the sun and ate lunch together by the canal. It was so WARM! It was amazing! After we ate and chatted Isabel and I went to a glass store and I got the only piece of Murano glass that I could afford! (It is a TINY dish! Its cute!) After we went to the Scoula to meet Rebecca and co.

Inside was great! A LOT of Tinteretto though (honestly Im not a big fan. The only one I really liked was his deposition) In the main meeting hall the ceiling was covered in Old Testament scenes, and the walls with the New Testament so we discussed all of them. It got old, but it was a good review of the Biblical scenes. I was happy to realize that still recognized most of them. There were just some obscure ones that I didn’t get! We got free time in the downstairs portion of the building. (more Tinterettos) and I looked some, bought a post card (we could take pictures of the interior) and used the potty!

The next and last stop was a Franciscan church with Titian’s Assumption of The Virgin over the alter, Canova’s tomb, Titian’s tomb, and a Bellini altarpiece. We wandered around and talked about the important works and then we were free. It was the easiest day! Our group was lucky that we started with Andrew (the worst in terms of torture) and then Peter (who is really entertaining) and then Rebecca who is always aware that its gets long standing and listening! We went hardest-easiest!

We headed back to the hotel for our normal routine of drinking free presecco and eating free cake. It was fun to sit and talk to Lesley and Diana and to compare our childhoods. (Isabel and I grew in the States, Lesley in Germany, and Diana is Dutch) It was fun to see what was the same! After we all went out to dinner together to celebrate Isabel’s birthday. Dinner was ok. Diana and I were pumped for Spaghetti Carbonara and they didn’t have it. I had a Carbonara pizza instead and it was just ok. We all went to the other hotel (Abedessa) and they had free wi-fi so I got on the internet on my ipod and we all chatted until 10ish. Freya and I walked back to our hotel together and we talked until about 11:30 and then went to bed.

Todays Picture is of my favorite Bellini. I really wish they would have had a postcard because my picture isnt that good!

Venice: Day 2

March 20th 2012

The alarm went off at 7:30… too early in my opinion! I got up, got dressed and headed to breakfast to get nutritions for the long day ahead. I ate SO much food. Cake, eggs, bacon, rolls, kiwi, yogurt… I was stuffed by the end! I grabbed an apple for later and Isabel and I headed out to San Giovanni Paolo to meet Peter’s group.

When we arrived we were the first ones there so wandered around the square, took pictures, and looked in the shops windows. 9:00 rolled around and no one from our group was in sight… o dear. Isabel looked at the schedule and we were supposed to be there at 9:30. Oops! So we sat on a park bench and watched the Italian world go by! Peter walked by and saw us so we chatted on the way over the rest of the group across the square. Everyone introduced themselves (Peter lectures at Christies but he didn’t names). A lot of the undergrads were late so he started without them, and unfortunately they showed up (the few masters in my group all were hoping that they wouldn’t come).

We stood in the square and talked about the church, the scuola (that was now a hospital), and the equestrian statue. After that we walked back the way we came and stopped in front of a posh hotel. Peter had asked them if we could come in and see the hotel’s interior and they had agreed. It used to be a palace and the inside had 18th century frescos. The staircase was painted by Longhi, which was surprising his paintings are all tiny! The lady at the hotel showed us the main reception room, and then the ballroom. The ballroom was perfect… we walked into this amazing room and they had Italian music playing. It was awesome! She let us look around there for a bit, and then we headed out.

We had a 5 minute coffee break before heading to the Ca’ d’Oro. It was a palace also, but it was gutted by a rich ballerina and was now a museum with none of its original interior. The only original part was the downstairs. The palace had been covered in gold leaf and lapis laserie (an expensive blue stone) but the canal tends to ruin things, and the gold leaf and blue coloring fell off. Way to go! The museum was kinda boring inside once we got past the original stuff.

After the Ca’d’Oro (House of Gold) it was LUNCH! Isabel and I found a sandwich shop with seats! Woo! I had a ham and mushroom calzone… yum! Something I should mention…. On this Venice adventure there were some things that were always up in the air. We never knew when our next food would be, the next chair, or the next toilet so if you spotted any of the above you grabbed it!

We ate pretty fast and still had some free time. I spotted a cute little store selling for dogs and cats. I was curious so I went over to investigate. Inside was the cutest man who looked so SO very excited to have someone in his store. He starts rattling off Italian. I didnt get most of it (another thing I forgot! Venice slurs everything together unlike the Romans! So the region difference was throwing my little Italian skills off!) I said something about me only speaking only a little Italian and he attempted to switch to English. Fail. So I ended up talking in broken Italian and he was talking in broken English. Basically he asked what type of dog I had. I said big. Then:
“In Venice??”
“No”
“there are no big dogs in Venice”
Then we started looking at dog treats and he was explaining each one to me. He was so funny! I decided to make a purchase so Coop got little shoes made of cow hide or something like that! I got by with my Italian (struggling) and he struggled with his English! It was so fun!

After lunch we meant Peter and walked over to the ghetto of Venice. Peter told us the history and then we moved on. It was a quick little visit! Then we saw Tineretto’s house (he was a painter) and then headed to a church. The day before Andrew had gotten us all church passes that we would need throughout the trip. Guess who had taken it out of her bag the night before… yup Im that stupid. So I had to pay 1.50 euro to get in. I guess it wasn’t that big of a deal!

Our last stop of the day was an AMAZING baroque church. We couldn’t take pictures in it which stunk because it was AWESOME! The walls looked like it had damask wallpaper on them, and the entire church screamed baroque. I LOVED it! After that we were FREE! We headed back to the hotel and… yup you guessed it! Free presecco and cake! We all chatted together and then at 6:30 I went out to dinner with a group of girls. It was just ok… the portion was small and it wasn’t all that amazing. After I decided to head to San Marco’s square to see it at night. It was awesome!! I made it there and back without getting lost (I was really proud of myself!) I got back around 9:30, chatted with Freya and headed to bed at about 11 or so. It had been another long day!

I forgot to mention that it was so SO sunny both Monday and Tuesday! We didn’t need our coats really, and the skies were bright blue! Perfect for walking around all day!

P.S the picture is of the original part of the Ca' d'Oro

Venice: Day 1

March 19th 2012

The alarm went off at 8am… my body was tired, but I was awake otherwise and ready to go. I got dressed and headed to the free breakfast! It was amazing! Hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, bacon, yogurt, cereal, rolls, cakes, croissants and more! It was amazing. I ate a lot because I knew it was going to be a long day, and the more I ate for free the less I had to buy at lunch! After I stuffed my face, Isabel and I headed down the molo where we had met everyone the day before. One thing that was awesome in Venice was that there was a sign that pointed to the Rialto or St Marks square at almost every corner! It was so easy to get around!

We met our group (ours was Andrews today) and since we were stuck with the undergrads (yes… stuck. Not by choice) we did a quick intro (masters and undergrads don’t really mingle/ acknowledge each other) There are 2 that I like (especially one of them!) but besides that they are really annoying, don’t pay attention, and wander off during our tour. Basically just rude and they never stop talking. Anyways… we introduced ourselves and when everyone had shown up we headed off to our first church of the day.

We ended up doing four churches that morning. Yes four. (San Zaccarias, San Giovanni, S. Maria Formosa, and then S. Maria Nova) I don’t remember much… they all ran together and it was a LONG morning. Check facebook for photos. At 12:30 we finally got a break. Our next meeting point for the afternoon was across the city, so we had a TWO hour lunch break! GAH! Isabel wandered over in that direction. We stopped and bought a Panini from a cart (and I used my Italian!) and it was SO SO good. YUM! And it was cheap. We meandered through the streets and I saw an awesome mask shop! We got over to our next place early so we got gelato and sat in the square. I fed the pigeons cheerios which they seemed to enjoy, but they kept getting them stuck on their beaks and I felt bad! They weren’t stuck long, but still!

Right at 2:30 it started to thunder and rain but it was perfect because we were heading inside to see a scuola. It was impressive with its gilded rooms, painted ceilings and walls. The undergrads were rude like always, but besides that it was good. I was starting to get tired though, and I think everyone else was too, but we had one more place to go… We stepped outside and the rain was gone. Instead the sun was shining and the sky was blue.

Our last stop was an old palace that was turned into a museum. It was ok.. nothing all that cool and by this time it was 3:30ish and we were all tired and ready to destroy the undergrads. It was torture! I didn’t pay much attention, and the hour and a half or so that we were there felt like a lifetime. Andrew droned on, the undergrads were more and more annoying and my feet/back were killing me. FINALLY he let us go (only because the museum closed at 5. Thank GOODNESS) Isabel and I started our long trek back to our hotel.

On the way back we passed the same shops and I bought my Venice magnet. (for those of you who don’t know I have a magnet collection and buy a magnet from every place I go) I bought a little gondala one and the people are holding hands. So cute! Then we stopped at the mask store that we had seen on the way there. I wandered around the store and wanted all the ones that were 75 euro. Not going to happen! I did find one I liked for a lower price and decided on that one! (again see facebook) After our shopping we headed back to the hotel and drank free prosecco and ate free cake/rolls/meat/cheese etc! Isabel and I sat and chatted with some of the girls and then went back to my room for tea again.

When Isabel left I headed to bed at about 10:30ish and didn’t hear Freya come in at all!

Venice: Getting there

March 18th 2012

Sunday morning was an early one. So early that it just felt like Saturday night. I went to bed at 8pm so I could at least get SOME sleep before my adventure. I tossed and turned and fell asleep around 10:30. Gah! I got up four hours later and seriously considered just going back to bed and forgetting it! Obviously I didn’t and dragged myself out of bed and got dressed. Thankfully I had everything ready to go and I walked out of the door at 3am. I walked a block to the bus stop and waited for 10 minutes or so before the 266 appeared. I could have slept for 10 more minutes!

The bus ride took awhile… or I was just stressed and tired. One or the other! The bus FINALLY finished its route and I entered stage two of getting to the airport. The end of the route was at the Hammersmith bus garage which was also some sort of mall place. I followed the signs for the bus stop I needed and got there without a problem. I saw the bus that I needed on the sign, but it wasn’t on the live feed. At this point it was four-ish and my easybus left at 4:30. I waited, and waited. It seemed like forever. I was tired so I was getting stressed. I needed the bus to come so I could catch my last one. Then I noticed a N97 pullup to let people off. That was encouraging because usually whenever a bus pulls in the bus ahead of it in the same line starts it route. 30 seconds later a N97 pulled up to my stop. Phew! I hop on and almost immediately the driver floors it. We get to my stop in about 5 minutes and I hop off to start my third and final leg of “Operation Get to the Airport”.

I have a little map that shows me where the easybus picks up. I was a little confused, but then focused and figured it out. I only had to wait about 5 minutes before it pulled up. PHEW! The stress was over! I just had to sit on the easybus and ride. The driver FLEW to the airport!! We got there at 5:20ish and the airport was deserted because no one in the right mind schedules a flight that early in the morning when the tube isnt running! Our gate wasn’t even posted for our flight so I wandered. I did pick up some toothpaste in the rite-aid type store because my my toothpaste was too big for my carryon. Gotta love those liquid/gel rules! Then I just sat and waited. Freya was also there pretty early so we waited together. At 6:50am our gate came up on the board and we headed to gate 105.

It was a pretty boring flight. I dozed a little but when they were feeding us I woke up and stayed awake looking at my travel guides. We landed at 11 (only an 1hour and 45mins on the plane!) and all congregated at the luggage claim to get our bus tickets to Venice and make sure no one was left behind! After some confusion we were on the bus and headed towards VENICE! It was only a 20 minute bus ride into the Piazza and we went to purchase our boat ticket down the Grand Canal to our hotel!

It was a bit pricey (6.50 for a ride) but it was worth it! It was awesome to head down the Grand Canal in a boat and see it from the water! We found hotel without a problem! Freya and I were staying together and our room (501) wasn’t ready yet. Gah! I unloaded some of my stuff from my shoulder bag into my carry-on and left it there at the hotel as we headed out to lunch! We found a little pizza place, and of course I had to have pizza!! I picked the pizza Margarita (tomato sauce and mozzarella!) and had aqua Fizzante!!! Oh it was so SO good to be back in Italia! I missed the food!

After we headed back to the hotel before we had to meet as a group down at the molo. Our room… still not ready. Isabel was kind and let us dump the stuff we didn’t need on her bed and we headed out! Venice was AMAZING! It had looked beautiful from the water, but walking around was even more amazing. I just love Italy. It has a feeling too it that I haven’t found anywhere else. It felt good to be back. We found our way to the molo (its right on St Marks Square and on the water front!) Everyone made it and we split up into two groups and had a mini tour and intro to Venice. We walked around the area for about an hour and got our bearings. It was long though because I was SO sleepy! We ended the tour by sitting by the canal and chatting. It was Rebecca, Jackie (our two tutors) and a few of us girls. We talked about what we were planning to do after Christies. I wanted to say that right now my best bet was living under a Tupperware tote things (the storage containers) on Virginia Beach near Katie! I thought that wasn’t a great idea so I kinda made stuff up and said I didn’t know. Anyways it was fun to sit and relax and chat after a long day. Eventually Isabel and I headed back to the hotel. Our hotel had free food and drinks from 2pm-10pm! There was Persecco!!! For free! Along with cake, cheeses, meat and rolls! We ate there and then explored my hotel room (that was finally ready)

Our room was AWESOME. Check the pictures out on facebook! (even if you aren’t friends with me I think they are on the public setting. If not friend request me!) It was so big, and nice. The bathroom was interesting though…the shower was the head, a curtain and a drain. The floor didn’t even slope down into the drain. I flooded the bathroom every single night. The flooding wasn’t as bad by the end of the week, but the first night it was a swimming pool. Anyways… after exploring I donned my bathrobe and slippers and drank tea while watching Pirates of the Caribbean two with Isabel. It was a nice relaxing way to end my very VERY long day. Isabel left after the movie, and Freya came back. We chatted and I was in bed by 10!!! Phew!

Last Day of the Term and Last Post For A Bit

Yesterday was my last day of class for the term. It doesn’t seem over though, because I do have to go to class all next week but class is in… Venice!!! Before I get to that though, let me summarize yesterday! It took me ages to drag myself out of bed, but I managed to. My commute was boring (which is always nice!) and I managed to get to school on time to hand in my paper and eat my cheerios. Class was pointless. It was an intro on Venice, which sounds like it would be helpful but no. He flashed things that we are going to see and told a little bit about it, but mashed it altogether. I just stopped listening and just looked at the pictures!

I got home early (love halfdays!) and ate lunch. At about 2 my new phone came. I hate it. The touchscreen doenst work well, and the layout is dumb and you cant put apps on it. I miss my apps and my droid. Sigh. So I spent the afternoon trying to figure out my piece o’ crap phone, cleaning my flat (I don’t understand how I can trash it in a week every. Single. Week.), and started to gather my stuff to pack. That was really it for yesterday!

Today I got myself out of bed early. I have to catch three buses to get to the airport tomorrow. My plane leaves at 7:45am so I should be there at 5:45, so the easybus that would get me there then leaves the city at 4:30 and the two buses to get me to the easy bus take an hour and 15 minutes so I have to be walking out the door to go to the 1st bus stop at 3am. GAH. I am planning to “go to bed” at 8 until 2:30 so I dragged myself out of bed early so I will hopefully be a least a little sleepy at 8pm tonight!

This adventure will be interesting! I will, of course, tell you all about when I get back. Im going to be in Venice Sunday-Thursday. Thursday night I take a train from Venice to Milan and I spend the night there. Friday is explore Milan day, and Saturday is LAKE COMO! Woo! I fly home Sunday afternoon so I wont be posting my blog, or be on facebook much. I can update my status from my phone, but I don’t think it shows my notifications. (awesome phone right?) So if you want to make sure Im alive just check my status! :)

Im an hoping for a sooth adventure, not repeat of the Stromboli experience. (for newcomers check out my Rome blog, and under March click on EPIC FAIL and read all about it!) I am hoping to avoid the 2am phone call to the parents, and I bet they are hoping that they don’t get one too!

Well Im off on my next great adventure! Ill post again March 26th!

P.S the photo.... where Im off to! VENICE!

Ides Of March!

Argh today was a LLLLOOOOOONNNNNGGGG day. This morning was normal. I was so out of it that I don’t even remember my commute except that I got to the station, and then I was at school. I chatted again while I ate my cheerios. (I haven’t read in my Kindle in AGES! Im proud of me!) Before lecture I remembered to pick up my progress report from Glen and I filled it out before lecture. I needed to get it signed by Andrew so my loan knows that I am still enrolled in the course and I can get my money!

Class this morning was interesting. It was French academic painting which means we looked at soft-porn images of naked women. Not even kidding. That, sex, and violence. Gotta love art history right?? Paddi got done early (at 11:20 actually!) so we had a longer lunch before we had to go be tortured at 1pm… gah. I talked through lunch too and just read towards the end!

While it is fun to see what everyone is doing for their thesis, the discussion after peoples presentation gets too long. We were in class from 1-4:30. 3 and a half hours of listening to people tell us what they MAY do for their thesis. It was torture. I didn’t get home until 5:15. I made leftovers of gammon (it turned out! It tastes like very salty ham. I put mustard on it tonight to hide some of the saltiness!)

Basically nothing happened today. I went home without my coat on. That was nice! I was sad we spent the entire day in school on such a beautiful day! Im sorry I haven’t put in Evening Standard stories lately, but it has all been depressing. 6 soldiers (18, 19, and 20 years old) were killed their first week in Afghanistan, a girls head was found in the river and they are looking for her body, a bus crashed inside a tunnel killing 22 children, Syria is getting ripped to shreds, and boy was stabbed coming home from his aunts house. Its been fun reading the paper lately.

Tomorrow is a half day and IM FREE! My paper is non-existent which isn’t good. It’s not due until the 30th but I wont want to do it after I get back from Venice. I have absolutely no motivation whatsoever though. I need a month off!!

P.S The picture is Gerome’s The Death of Caesar which was the only picture I feel ok showing you guys that I saw in class and is appropriate for today!

Not Much New

Well there isn’t much to say today. It was a study day! (the last one of the term) and I have just been working around my flat, getting ready for Venice, researching Milan and Venice, putting laundry away… all sorts of exciting things. I have been working on my Italian and Im just getting frustrated with how much I have forgotten. Grr…. So Im sorry this is so boring but there isn’t anything new. Tomorrow is my last full day of the term!! My adventure tonight is cooking a gammon… we shall see how that goes. Ill keep you all posted!

P.S On my walk I popped into Sainsburys and saw these pretty tulips for a pound. I bought them without thinking… I don’t have a vase. So I dug out old wine bottles and put them in them. They kind of look silly now, but they are still pretty with Isadora thriving inbetween them!

Pointless Classes and an Interview

I woke up this morning and I knew it was going to be a long day. I was pokey getting ready, but made it out of the door on time. The commute was eerily quiet for the entire ride into the city. Im not complaining though! It was nice to have less people on the train and walking through Baker Street Station! I got to school and it was quiet there too! I ate my cheerios and headed into class.

The morning’s class was on architecture, which turned out to be a “let me show you as many buildings as I can in an hour and a half”. It was fun to see all of the castles, but I didn’t learn anything. I didn’t really understand the point of that lecture at all.

I ate lunch and then headed downstairs to kill a tree. I printed out my confirmations for my plane ticket, hotel, and easybus. Then I slowly headed over to the V&A for class. I was way early so I looked at the map of the museum, and I realized how little of the V&A I had actually been in. I will have to go back and check out the modern wing sometime. Oh I am so disappointed… they are having a Hollywood Costume exhibition with Dorothy’s dress, Indiana Jones, and DARTH VADER’S suit! It isn’t until Oct 20th though. :( Sigh. That sounds epic.

The museum visit was completely pointless. We saw one picture that we saw in class (it was the one in my presentation) and then we just looked at random stuff. None of the painting had anything to do with women. I didn’t understand what the point was of the visit. Anyways that ended at 3 so I had 2 hours until my interview. I headed over anyways. I took my time and got to Stratford at 3:45ish so I went to burger king ad got dinner. I cant believe I am going to say this, but after 3 months of no junk food, it didn’t taste all that good. I ate my whopper and fries and hung out until 4:25. Then I started walking to the place and got to the interview site.

I walked into reception and waited my turn. When they called me this is when things really got interesting… I say hi and hand over my passport. The girl looks at it and says “Oh AWESOME! You are from NEW YORK!!!” I just thought “o Great…” I said yes and was about to say but not the city when she cuts me off and says that I don’t have the NYC accent. Gah. So I explain that I am from the country, not the city. “Oh ok… so you are from New Jersey”. Really?? NO! My passport says NEW YORK. I just said no, and that I was farther away, 7 hours away. I explained the whole cow thing, and how my town has a blinking light and that’s about it. She starts to get it, when the other worker (who has been listening) gets all excited and says (and I quote) “Oh my god!! I LOVE Americans and their accent. Can you say Dude for me. Please??!!” So I oblige, and she thinks it is the coolest thing she has ever heard and makes me say it again. Eventually I get my documents back and am instructed to go into the next room to fill out some forms and wait.

I go into the next room and instantly I realize three things. 1… this is really badly organized, 2. I am the only white person in the room, 3. I am the only girl in the room. Off to a great start here. I fill out my forms and wait my turn. Im overhearing the conversations around me. One man asked if his sister can be his contact. They say no that it cant be a family member. He says oh.. looks down and then looks back up and asks what about his mum? Another man is doing his application online and is taking forever working through it with a helper and he gets to the end and nothing is there because he hadn’t pushed save at the end of each page like the worker told him to. I though the worker was going to cry. I just sat there, feeling quiet smart and well dressed in my grey pants and sweater.

A woman came and got me. I introduced myself and then she told me her name was Tu-Tu. It took everything I had not to ask “Like the dance outfit??” Thankfully I kept my big mouth shut and followed her into a big room with red cubicles. We went in one and she had me take an eye test that consisted of my reading the TOP line of the chart. I could read the bottom one… We sit down and she gave me two glasses of water and asked which one was scented. I smell the first one and say “well this one def is” and didn’t even smell the second one. She just kinda smiled and nodded. Then I took that test with colored circles that have different colored numbers in them. I passed that with flying colors, and then she started to interview me. She was impressed that I had had customer service so kept asking me about it. I told some classic Chaut. Tales and I really think that is what sealed the deal. She finishes and says that she wants to offer me a position and that they are in desperate need for x-ray techs. That sounded cool! She brings me into another room where I get my picture taken for my id card. Then they say that I have to wait 25 minutes to get my documents back because they have to copy them. I go sit down and again I am a minority. A lady comes to read out a group of numbers and the lucky people get to follow her. That happens again 10 minutes later and Im getting impatient. By this time there was a least two other girls in the room with me.

A few minutes later the lady come in and calls “Anna. Number 6”. I stand up and am thinking “wait where is my group??” She just says “comes with me” and I follow her while everyone stares at me. As we are walking she says that I get to jump way up in the queue because I have been put down for an x-ray tech and that I will have to take and pass the x-ray test. I am brought to another room filled with computers and there is one other man in there working on the test. The girl tells me about 4 times that each slide is timed and in 30 seconds it changes, but you can just hit the back arrow and go back to the slide. Ok I get it! I sat down and learned all this cool stuff about x-ray images. (Orange things are organic, blue is inorganic, green is mix, and black is dense lead) I am taking the test and the guy finishes and is flipping out because he didn’t think he did well because the slides were timed. Are you serious? The girl just stares at him and tells him that she ahd told him that he could go back. So he does to fix his answers. I finish and hand in my test. The guy makes me go outside in the hall and I wait. He comes out and all he says is “follow me”. Ok…. I follow Mr. Security dude and go into yet another room.

This room is full with the two groups that had been called before me back before my test. He throws my packet on the top of the pile and says “you will be first” and walks out. I look down the line of chairs and everyone is staring at me like WTF you just came in and you get to cut all of us… oops. There is one girl at the computer entering the information. The guy who is there is supposed to measuring his neck, and keeps doing it outside his collar. She cant get through to him that he needs to do it above his collar. O wow. Im going to be here awhile. A guy comes in and starts up a computer. He calls me over and again I could feel the stares. I get all my info entered into the system, and he says that after the background check goes through I will get training info. Finally I am free to leave.

I head home and an hour later I am in pjs and skyping mom and dad. (It was Dad’s 65th Bday!!) I had a really bad headache so I headed to bed early! What a long and crazy day!!

P.S the picture is of the Abbey Jumiege that I saw in lecture. Its in ruins and in Normandy.. I wanna go!

Nails in my Brain

Hey,

Sorry everyone. No post tonight. I had an exciting and crazy day but I have the worst headache that I have ever had. It feels like someone shot nails into my brain. So I will write my post tomorrow. Thankfully I have the day off!

Post 148

Ohhh Mondays. When that alarm goes off all I want to do is chuck it at my wall and bury my head under my nice, warm, comfy comforter and snuggle. I didn’t want to get out of bed even though it was the first day of last week of the term! I wasn’t feeling it…. I got out of bed so incredibly late.

I got to school and chatted as I ate my cheerios. I didn’t read at all! Im getting better. Class was cool, but slightly pointless. It was an introduction to the history of Europe 1848-1914. It was really interesting but we aren’t really doing that period until next term so I just wont remember much I don’t think!!We went through the inventions, social movements, fashions etc. Then we went through the wars and technology and ended right when Fernindad was shot. Do you know you can see his bloody jacket with the bullet holes in it! I want to see it so badly, which is kinda morbid and weird….

After class I ate lunch (and talked again!) and then went downstairs to print my paper that I wrote on Saturday, did some research for my thesis and then went to my tutorial. My project kinda got torn apart, but I didnt really care actually. Probably not good, but whatever. I got my exam back too and I did well on that!! So that was nice. :)

Instead of taking the tube from Great Portland Steet to Baker Street I decided to walk. It was 58 here today and SUNNY! I walked Regents Parks and saw trees and nice green grass. It was nice to see nature!!! I got home and did some work around here and then I was sleepy so…I took a nap. I do love naps! I didn’t get as much done as I was planning but its ok. I think I really needed to sleep a little. I have a big day tomorrow so I need to be ready!

I am so impressed with myself that this is post 148! I cant believe I have kept up with this for so long! Writing my Rome blog was a feat, but that was only 86 posts!! This is getting close to being double that! I feel like it is getting boring though, so hopefully after my Venice adventure, and all of my guests my blog will get some life back in it!! I am glad that the Dragon Lady is not providing entertainment though!!!

Ill blog tomorrow!!

P.S The picture is of mr seagull at Brighton. I really didnt have any picture ideas for today

A Sunday

Today was not like yesterday…. It was not productive. I got up early though (for a Sunday). I was out of bed at 10 and ready to go! I actually got to Sainsburys at 10:50 and had to wait outside with a very dubious looking crowd of people until they opened they doors. I felt like I needed to charge and stampede my way into the store as the doors opened and then I remembered… it was just a grocery store. There wasn’t anything on sale that I need to cause a stampede for! So I ended up walking calmly into the store. A very anti-climatic way to end a campout in front of a store (even if it was only a 10 minute camp out!)

I had an ad from Sainsburys that I had looked at before my shopping expedition and I had noticed that ham was half off. I haven’t had ham since before I left Ashville and let me tell you… I love me some ham!! So I splurged and bought myself a tiny cute little ham thing. I just got and realized I had purchase gammon. I had no clue what that is so I googled it ( I love the world wide web) and apparently its like ham… Im hoping it is. I don’t know how to cook a ham, let alone a gammon, so we shall see how that adventure goes!

I got home, put away my groceries and made lunch. I munched away while watching Once Upon A Time. (O.U.A.T) Then it was some skype dates and then I tackled my very dirty kitchen, cleaned my bathroom and vacuumed. By then it was time for another episode of O.U.A.T and then I made dinner, and writing this blog. All and all a nice and boring day. I needed a day to unwind!!!

That is all that is new here! A week from today Ill be in Venice!!

P.S my picture is a tribute of where I was two years ago! I had just gotten back from Florence!

Productive!

I cant believe it is the TENTH of March ALREADY! I have one week of classes left before the end of term. Im practically 2/3rds of the way through my Masters degree. WooO!!!!! I had to set my alarm on a Saturday. Not cool. I got up at 10:30 and sat down on the couch. Not motivated at all. So I watched an episode of Once Upon a Time… I was a bit skeptical but now Im hooked! Then, all of a sudden, I was ready to work! I opened my curtains though (it was a nice day so I decided to let in the sun!) and saw that my window sill was black. ( I hadn’t opened my curtains for awhile!) So I cleaned those, which led me to dust everything, which led me to going through my shelves and the stuff on my tables. Finally at 12:30 or so I started my paper. I cranked out the first half in about 2 hours. I was on a ROLL! I took a break to do some other little things that I had overlooked all week, and then remembered that I needed to blog. After this is dinner, a movie and then Im going to finish my paper. I only need 900 more words! I feel like superwoman!!

There are things here that I am starting to really like. While I miss wings (immensely) I have fallen in love with digestive cookies, British chocolate (Hersheys sucks. It will never be the same), and I am starting to notice I am turning a little more British….
1. I LOVE tea. And I can now make a proper cup of it, complete with milk. I don’t think I am ever going to go back
2. While I do not have an accent (thank goodness!) I am beginning to use words I haven’t used before such as bloody, keen, as well (instead of too), and proper. The tube is strictly the tube and I am no longer catching myself on calling it the subway. That just sounds weird now. A subway is something under a street (such as an underpass). My flat is my flat. Not my apartment. I can cross roads without fearing for my life.
Things that haven’t changed…
1. I still hate the metric system and still have no idea how it works.
2. Celsius is confusing… I use the weather channel to see the temp.

Well I should go eat and finish working!!!

P.S here I am at Brighton on the pier! Am I tall enough for the ride??? :)))

Finally Friday!

Oh my goodness I needed it to be Friday. What a long week! Getting out of bed was so SO hard. It was a rough morning and I headed to tube quickly because I was running late and I needed to add a month to my tube card. Thankfully there was only one lady in line at the window and topping up my card was speedy. I just missed the Jubilee line train so I walked to the end of the platform to wait for the next one. I look up and its not coming for 5 minutes. Sigh. I go off in my own world and then realize that instead of the Metro line breezing by its stopping at the far platform. What?? It pulls away and I see more people walk on the platform. Why is the Metro line stopping here two days in a row? I didn’t go over to take the metro train, but it would be nice if during the Olympics if the Metropolitan line would help with the Jubilee crowds. My life would be really easy if both lines continue to stop here!

I got to school later than usual but still had time to eat my cheerios and get into class at my normal time. I was sitting reading when Paddi shows up and gives me an article about carriage design! Then as I was reading that article, Julia gave me info on a carriage museum in Kent. Everyone was giving me sources for my thesis!!! Nice!!

This morning’s lecture was on The Great Exhibition of 1851 and the Crystal Palace. It was interesting! I wish I would have been alive for that. The entire lecture all I thought about was that movie with Judy Garland and they sing that song about meeting in St Louis and the little girl buries her dolls. That was a great exhibition right? The only American one we talked about is the Philly one. I want to watch whatever movie that is… I don’t think I have ever seen the entire thing!

After class I quickly ran upstairs to sign up for a tutorial on Monday. I wanted an early time so I didn’t have to wait around forever. I got the 1pm slot so I can come home and work on my Issues and Context paper! Then I ate lunch and went over my presentation. At 1:20 I headed upstairs for my very last Issues and Context Class!!! Wooo!!

My presentation went ok. I kinda flew through it. We then talked about it some and I ws done!! Class though took forever. We had three presentations. Gah! Class started at 1:30 and we didn’t get out until 4:30! We talked about everything from abjection, to abortion (somehow), to when life begins, to children pooping, and the fall of Adam and Eve. It was a crazy class!

It took forever to get home! The circle line was really delayed. The tube was just all messed up yesterday! I got home and crashed. I threw on sweats and tried to get caught up with the little things that I have been ignoring all week! Then it was off to bed for a good nights rest before paper writing day!

P.S the picture is of the Crystal Palace!! It was so big that it had the trees INSIDE of it instead of cutting them down!

Post 144, Pg 122, words 78,647

This morning was not my best morning. I was so tired. The night wasn’t long enough and I didn’t want to get up. Somehow I managed to get everything that I needed and dress myself and got to the tube station. When I get there I stop…. The stairs after the gates are roped off. The crowd is going down a side set of stairs.. the Jubilee line is out. I think o great. You have got to be kidding. They shoved us on the far platform and had the Metropolitan line stop to get us. Dear whoever thought of that…. You are a genius. The commute was so easy. I didn’t have to change trains from Willesden Green to Great Portland Street (my stop).

Class this morning was with Ian. It was interesting but I really had to work to stay focused. It was on lifestyle of 1830-1900’s which was pretty cool. Gotta love those CRAZY Victorians. Whoever claims we should go back to Victorian society and ideals don’t really understand the period… that would just not be fun!

After we had an hour lunch beak (Ian actually ended on TIME! CRAZY!) and then we had thesis presentations. Mine went well. The tutors thought that it was a good topic and Paddi gave me a book, and has another for me! The session was just long. We went from 1-2:20 ( I ended the first part!) and then 2:30-4. GAH. I lived though. No one’s ideas were that cool this time.

I got home late, read the paper, made dinner, ate, cleaned up, looked at the mail and skyped the parents. Then it was shower time and blog writing. Its already 11pm. I don’t know where the night went. I cant seem to keep with everything right now. GAH!

Im off to bed!

P.S the photo is one of my favorites from Brighton

Brighton

Sorry this is a little late! Yesterday was just a crazy and LONG day that I didn’t get around to blogging. Let me start at the beginning….

I actually jumped out of bed this morning. It was Brighton day! I was excited!!! All I knew about Brighton was that in Pride and Prejudice, Lydia goes to meet the officers and ends up eloping with Mr. Wickman! And I knew that the wealthy went there to be dipped into the water for their health. Sea water and air was supposed to be god for you so high society went to socialize on the coast. I was pumped. I picked out my cheap H&M flats so I could slip them off and stick my toes in the waters! I didn’t care if I got sand in shoes that cost me 5 pounds!! I was out the door quickly and on my way!

I got to the bus, and the only person there was Freya. The bus diver wouldn’t let her on the bus until our tutors came, so we huddled outside of the bus door. (it was windy, chilly and sprinkling) He took pity on us and let us on 3 minutes later. I get on and the bus driver (whose name we later learn is Neil) told me my feet were going to be cold. I informed him that I was sticking my foot in the waters, so I needed slip on/off shoes. He laughed… he thought it was funny. It was a double decker bus so Freya and I headed upstairs and got the front seats! Wooo!!! It was going to be a good day! Isabel came and joined my in my seat and at 8:30 we were off!

We all chatted on the way there and just as I was falling asleep, Paddi comes on the speakers and says Good Morning!!! Rise and Shine. I grumbled (I hate “rise and shine” I grew up with my mom telling me to rise and shine. I don’t do that) He gave us a quick intro as we drove through the city. It looked like it had already had its hay day and that it was no longer a resort. (it had the feeling of downtown Jamestown…. The it was bustling now just falling apart feel) We get off the bus and… its absolutely POURING. The wind was destroying umbrellas left and right. The bus driver comes to the door and says “are you sure you really want to go in the water?” I say “Oh yeah!!” enthusiastically, and Im thinking “oh dear”. But once I say Im going to do something.. Im going to do it. Especially when mr. bus man doesn’t think Ill do it!!

We get to the Royal Pavilion and we are freezing and literally dripping. Half of us are a the Pavilion, the other half is at the museum. We follow our guide and we sit down in a crazy room that isn’t open to the public! Woo! Perks of being with Christies!! Our guide gives us some background and I am trying not to whip out my camera. It was an awesome room with blood red wallpaper with images of Chinese dragons and snakes (which weren’t in fact Chinese). The entire building is based on India, China, and the East in general, but it’s fashionable…. Not accurate!

We go into the hall and its cool… over the top, but I wasn’t shocked really. Then… it all changed. We went down the hall and into the banqueting hall. My jaw just fell open. Literally. I was (as the British say) Gob smacked. (is that one word? Not really sure…) It was the crazy, most over the top room I have ever been in. George IV knew how to impress and it still works almost 200 years later. We saw the kitchens, the drawing rooms and the ballroom. It was all over the top, impressive and amazing. I LOVED it. I would have loved to have dined with good ole George in that hall!!! It must have been amazing!!

After the tour I did NOT want to go outside. I braced myself for rain, but it was just cloudy and it wasn’t as windy! Sticking my foot in water didn’t seem as bad! Isabel and I decided that since we were at a fishing town we should get fish and chips. This was my first experience with fish and chips. We found the place that Paddi had recommended and order the special and a pot a tea each! Im not a fish fan, so I was a little worried, especially when I looked over at the table next to us and saw how big the pieces of fish were. If I didn’t like it I was going to have a lot of choking down to do! It came (with neon green mushy peas. They were actually pretty good) Everything was amazing! At the end I got a little sick of the fish, but it was mild enough that it didn’t taste that fishy, and the coating was awesome. I cant even explain it!

After lunch we headed back towards the pavilion and museum and took some photos. Then at 2 we met for our second session. We looked at Art Nouveau and Art Deco furniture and objects. It was so refreshing to see something different! After we had some free time, so we quickly checked out the fashion and then headed to the beach!!!!

Thank goodness I had Isabel because she was such a good sport taking pictures of me!! I was surprised that the beach was made of rocks, not sand. I was kinda of happy. Im not a fan of sand, and it meant that I wouldn’t get any in my shoe!! I started picking some up right away!! Then it was time to get serious… my toe needed to go in the water. It actually wasn’t that cold. I think because the air was that it wasn’t much of a contrast! Oh and by this point the sky was blue and the sun was shining!! Anyway.. I stuck my right foot in and suddenly my left foot was under water and I had a puddle in my shoe… I had sunk in the rocks. So both feet were quiet wet by that point.

Isabel and I wandered the beach and took pictures, then headed up to the Pier and checked out the rides (that weren’t running!) and the view from up there. There was a candy store open and I got rock… it’s a hard candy stick thing… and a rhubarb/custard lollipop. Isabel recommended it! I haven’t tried it yet! Then we headed back to the bus, got our front seats and headed home!

It was such a long day, but really fun! I had to make a handout that I forgot about. That wasn’t fun. I didn’t get home until 8:15ish, showered, did work and fell into bed. Phew!

When Reality Sets In

The morning started the same old way. I didn’t want to get up, I somehow did and made it out of the door, and was fully clothed when I did so. The weird thing about this morning was I had the train carriage all to myself for two stops this morning. I JUST missed a train, but right behind it was a new one that had just started its route so I was the only one in the car, and it was so far down the platform that no one got in until West Hampstead (two stops down the line) Kinda cool! (yes I think such small and boring things are cool. Its how I get through my mornings)

I got to school, ate my cheerios and finished my book about introverts and extroverts! It was a good and interesting read! I am now either moving on to Napoleon or “Middle Earth, Narnia, and Hogwarts”. It was a free book that looks at the major themes/religion of the three series. It looks pretty interesting! Its kinda funny that Harry Potter was banned by so many churches when it actually has such a strong Christian theme (at least I think it does. Think of the last book. I don’t want to spoil it for those who are reading this and haven’t read the books, but for those who have Harry going into the forest… that is like Aslan going to the stone table.) And there is the Christ as Magician idea in early Christian art and he is even holding a wand like stick (to show the viewer that he is performing a miracle or “magic”) Anyways I think I may change my reading order and see what the author of the book says about Christianity in Harry Potter. I think there is some there. And look at the banned book list… all of the best books have been banned at some point!

Anyways our morning lecture was about the Origins of Photography. Our lecturer was American!!! I know that probably seems weird, but you start to get excited someone is American when you live in a different country! And I think it makes you prouder to be one! (until people bring up Rick Santorum…. More on that one later) Anyways it was a good lecture! He was done EARLY and I learned quite a bit about photography. It was neat because a lot of obvious stuff that I hadn’t ever really spent that much thinking about. I liked it. It made me want to go by a good, solid SLR camera and take pictures!!

After class was a 45 minute lunch (I talked the ENTIRE time. I am getting better) and then we had a marketing/fundraising professional development. It was interesting but really not what I want to do. They both said that there is no money in working in a museum unless you are a curator/director. And you work there for the love of art, not the paycheck. Gah. I would like to love my job and make 80,000 dollars a year. That’s my life goal. Anyways the fundraising woman was cool and she said that she worked with rich people every day and you really have to treat them differently than normal people, and like doing it. Hmmm…. I think I have had training in that department. I could probably jump right in and help with that job! Chautauqua has prepared me for that one. Even though Im not sure that the people there are quite as rich as the people she works with…people with houses all over the world, who give hundreds of thousands of pounds per year to the National Gallery.

After that was Culture and Ideology that lasted forEVER. GAH! One of the presentations was about the femme-fatale and the girl was referencing Dracula and “oh everyone has read it in high school right?” Everyone nods… and she says “ok so I wont tell the story”. I did not nod… I have not read Dracula. I need to add that one to the list too. When will making videos about myself through honor’s English stop haunting me? Or watching the movie of Romeo and Juliet freshmen year. I wish we would have read a book…. Sigh. We were talking about the Victorian views on femme fatale, birth control, homosexuality and sex during class Paddi said something about a bishop who is apparently equating homosexuality with slavery and we got to talking about the modern views and someone said that all of the Victorian views sounded like Rick Santorum’s platform and… they had a point. I have never been very political before, but he just amazes me in the worst possible ways.

Alright well I going to wrap this one up before I really start pushing peoples buttons with all of this controversy in this post! I am really behind on my work and need to get going on it. (hence the when reality sinks in title to this post. I am realizing how behind I am!)Oh I do have an Evening Standard story tonight! A woman from Dakota City, Nebraska just sold a McNugget that looked like George Washington on ebay. It does bear a STRIKING resemblance to the president but I cant believe someone paid $8,000 for it. Crazy.

Off to do work!

P.S Todays picture is by Clarence White called Morning. I love it!

Monday

Today was an easy day because it was a HALF day!!! Wooo!!! I love half days. I got out of bed this morning and for some reason it took me FOREVER to get ready. Good thing I didn’t need to make a lunch because I really would have been late. The commute was easy and uneventful. This morning’s class was on 19th century ceramics… ugly. There really wasn’t anything I liked. It was a time of revivals and they didn’t do a good job at reviving! I didn’t really pay attention all that well. The lecture crawled by, but finally I was FREE at 11:45.

It was such a nice day that I walked down to Oxford Circus to catch the tube. It was a little windy but the sun was shining and the sky was blue! I should have worn my sunglasses! I didn’t bring my wallet with me today so I was free from the temptation to buy anything! I window shopped to the tube and headed home. I wore my new Oxfords today…. I felt so nimble! I was like an Indian in the forest… except I was in the city. But my feet didn’t make any noise. I could have snuck up on someone! I love them because they are slim, and close to the ground. I love shoes like that. They make me feel nimble, quick, sheek, and stealthy! And the 8 pound versions don’t make my feet gush blood like the 50 pound ones did!

Anyways, I got home and somehow wasted an abundance of time. This is not good. I have two papers that need to be done. I cant start my one yet (because I haven’t done my presentation), but the first one needs to be done by Sunday afternoon. (that is my deadline!) On Sunday I will then start paper number two and work on that over the study day and every night next week. Gah. I am in vacation mode and sick of sitting around my apartment. I want to go explore the city! (I kep reading my Tired of London, Tired of Life book that has AWESOME things in it. I may drag my parents to an umbrella maker who has been making umbrellas/walking sticks since 1830. What is a better souvenir from London than an umbrella???!!!)

Ok well I need to go work on my paper and then head to bed. Grr to work.

P.S my picture is of the game yesterday. Again. Because all of the ceramics were ugly! It is Clint fighting for a 50/50 ball!

Ahhh the Beautiful Game

March 4, 2012
Ahhh… the Beautiful Game

I woke up at 10 this morning and for one I hopped out of bed and was ready to go! I watched the Office to kills some time while I ate breakfast, then I got dressed and went to do my weekly shopping. I don’t remember if I have said this before.. but I walk by a church with a black congregation to go shopping and let me tell you… they have STYLE. I love looking at what they wear! Anyways I went shopping and somehow spent more than I planned, but still had 10 pounds extra! I walked back home and put everything away. (oh I forgot, on my way to Sainsburys it wasn’t raining. On the way home it sprinkled a little) I ate lunch and put on all of my layers and went downstairs. I opened the door and… it was POURING. Sigh. I got out my umbrella and by the time I got to the tube my feet were already wet!

As you all know it was GAME day today! Fulham was playing the Wolves and Freya had gotten tickets for us through Groupon. I was PUMPED. I got to Hammersmith (where I was meeting Freya) 10 minutes later than I should have (I thought it would take a lot less time to get there than it did) and we walked over together to the stadium. When we got there I didn’t even know that we were there… it didnt look like a stadium. The Jammer’s stadium looked more like a stadium that this did! We scanned our tickets and go inside… and it looked more stadium like! We got to row G and then I noticed… We were in the SEVENTH row!! AHHH!! We were so close to everything! 10 yards from the goal!!! I was pumped. I didn’t care I was soaked and chilled already. I was ready for some FOOTBALL!!!

Fulham started well and were attacking decently, but they weren’t capitalizing. Then #7 scored and I SAW it!!! I was hoping they would score at our end since they were 10 YARDS away!! Then towards the very end of the half #7 scored again. I told Freya that I wanted him to get a hat trick, and she said she wanted Clint to score… both came true!

The next half starts and Fulham comes out strong, and the Wolves didn’t show up. #7 scores scores pretty fast into the half, and not too long after Clint adds one. We are in the neutral part of the stands so there are fans from both teams.. the Wolves are mad. They are swearing and yelling at their team and… I don’t blame them. They seemed to give up. Clint finds the back of the net again and people start leaving. It was so much though! After the game we walked over to the corner that the team comes out ad goes in at (it was on our side) and I got to see everyone up close! My favorite player was #8. He assisted at LEAST two of #7’s goals and I think he did for one of Clints too. He was all over and always were he needed to be! I thought my toes were going to be black from frost bite, but they weren’t so everything was good. Awesome day!!

I think I got the football lingo down…

Pitch=field
Keeper=goalie
Boots=cleats
Lads=players (Everyone yells “Come on Lads!”
Uniform=Kit
That is F***ing Rubbish= WTF! :)
Match=Game

The rain must have been so SO uch fun for the players. It was always my favorite weather to play in. Wet, dirty... awesome. It relay made me miss playing!

I came home, peeled off my wet clothes and took the longest hot shower. I don’t ever remember being that cold. I couldn’t move my face… I felt like I had botox or something! (I haven’t ever but people say you cant move your face?!?!) and my feet were legit numb. I couldn’t feel them when I walked. Weirdest feeling. But I made it and warmed up in a shower, posted my pictures and now my meat lovers pizza is calling my name. I should do work later, but Im skyping mom at 8 and its already 7:20 so I have a feeling that wont happen…!

P.S the picture is ME at the stadium with crazy wet hair!

Attempt to Accomplish Things

This morning I slept in… that is why Saturday is my favorite day of the week! When I final did crawl out of bed I was in a “get things done” kinda mood! I took that and ran with it! (it tends to not happen very often!) SO this morning I was awesome! I did my laundry ( I know it’s the wrong day but I wont have time tomorrow!), did the dishes, took out the garbage, did some picking up, made my presentation for Thursday, booked my hotel for Milan, and bought my plane ticket home. Phew! After that I hit a brick wall. Oops. I got stuck on dreaming about Milan and doing all of this random stuff that I didn’t get anything else done. Im going to regret that later!

Tomorrow is my football game! Fluham vs Wolves at 2pm. The weather forecast… heavy rain. 48 degrees but feels like 36. I woulnt care if I had my spanies with me. Or soccer socks. Or both. And under amour would be nice too. GAH! We shall see how it goes.

Im excited for an outing tomorrow. I feel like all I do is sit here and do work. That is basically it for the next two weeks because I have two papers due on the 16th. Well one is on the 30th but Im NOT going to want to come home from Venice/Milan/and the Lakes and write a paper. I need to have it at least done and maybe needing editing, but basically done before I leave. Sigh.

I saw an ad for the Lorax on the world wide web and watched the trailer. It looks so good! I want to see it! I even changed my profile picture to save a Brazilain forest. Im not sure how it does that though… but oh well! At least have an excuse to have cotton candy trees on my profile picture!! :)

Well there isn’t much new. I am going to pretty boring until Venice. I do have a field trip on Wednesday to Brighton though so that will be fun!
P.S the picture is the cutest glass I have ever seen. Can you imagine that with water in it? So cute. That is the only part of lecture that I paid attention to yesterday!

Frustrating Friday

Today I woke up and didn’t want to get out of bed. Not because I was sleepy ( I had gone to bed at 11 so I was well rested) but because I was dreading my day. Today was presentation day and I didn’t want to go to school. Because I was dreading it I ended up leaving my flat later than I should, but still managed to get to school and eat my cheerios, and print off my notes and handouts for my presentation. Not too shabby!

Before my presentation I first had to sit through Ian’s presentation on the Biedermeier style. I hated it… I liked one desk in the entire 2 hours of lecture. (He went over again. Its just a given with him) So I doodled the entire time.

Side note… speaking of doodling!! It is National Doodle day! Celebs doodle and sell them on ebay to raise money for epilepsy. I checked them out.. they are pretty cool. I want the one from the actor that played Boba Fett (he drew a little Boba) but its going for 100 pounds with 9 days left! Wow!

Ok back to my day. Lunch was fun.. this is the SECOND day in the row that I socialized during lunch instead of reading. I missed my book, but I am attempting to make an effort. Sigh. After was my dreaded class. We get to class and I am told that we wont have time for me today. GAH! Now I have to wait until next week and dread it again. Im going to just try not to think about it I guess. It was an interesting class. We talked about a TON of stuff. (The English think that Rick Santorum is absolutely crazy which makes me feel better! I wont vent about him.. but I read an article about him in the Standard. He is regretting saying stuff after losing Michigan. Hmmm… I wonder why? He needed to understand the events/context in which JFK gave his speech in order to accurately comment on it. Ok Im done!)

I have had fun coloring in my coloring book :))) Also I forgot to tell everyone yesterday… I got a little kids book also yesterday. It doesn’t seem like a little kids book though! And it’s a thing in London to do every single day. I am so excited to see all of these places that I didn’t even know existed! I want to do everything in the book! (well everything cool at least!) I cant wait until this term is done because I feel like I have been holed up in my flat doing work the ENTIRE term! I am so PUMPED for Sunday though! Im going to a “football” match with Freya! It is going to be AWESOME!!!! Pictures will come!

Off to read my cool London book and practicar mio italiano per il viaggio.

P.S the picture is to prove that Bierdermeier is UGLY

Spring!!

Woooo for March! I am excited for Spring, Venice, Milan, Lake Como and the end of term 2 which are ALL happening in March! Exciting! I didn’t have that attitude when I woke up this morning however. I really need to remember that I NEED to brush out my 15 feet of hair after my shower and not wait to do it the next morning. Lets just say that my hair ended up in a ponytail with a headband in order to bring it under control. Im not so sure how well it worked!

The commute was easy this morning, my cheerios were scrumptious, and my book is still really good. I am learning that I am an introvert, but I am high self-monitor meaning that I can perform well in social functions, but I don’t want to be there forever, or doing it every night of the week. It’s a very interesting book that kinda makes me proud to be an introvert!!

Class was on museums and collecting which I honestly didn’t really pay all that much attention to it. It was interesting for a while, but after an hour and a half I stopped taking notes… oops. After class was lunch and they started the thesis presentations early (at 1pm) which was really nice. Today was the smallest number of presenters (8) and it took us two hours. I don’t understand how it took so long. Two of them really stood out… one girl (Steph) is looking at perfumes and scents in 18th century France, and Jen is looking at Picnicking in England (18th century maybe??) I thought those two were the coolest! I have to give mine next week (on Thursday) Im planning on showing a carriage and saying this is what Im doing… I haven’t narrowed it down yet… bye. :)

After class I stopped at the Finchley Road Sainsburys and got two little pans that I needed! I also got a coloring book for a pound! :) My hamburgers that I had bought for this week smell funny and last night they were tasting weird, so I bought tv dinners Indian style for tonight and tomorrow. Im pretty excited! I don’t get Indian that often at home (actually at Ashville never. IS there Indian in WNY??) so I am hoping that the tv dinner version is good! Oh and I just ate an entire jar of olive that were stuffed with chili peppers. Divine!

Yesterday I forgot to mention that I got my National Insurance Number in the mail, so I called and set up an appointment for the Olympics on March 13th! Hopefully it goes well!!
I am quite disappointed… I read in the paper today that the Queen and the two Queen in waiting (aka Camilla and Kate) went to FORTNUM AND MASONS today and had tea!! If I would have known I would have skipped my morning class today to go. Obviously they closed down the store, but I would have stood outside with the rest of London for a glimpse! Gah! If only I didn’t have to go to class…. I would become a Royal Stalker. Ill admit it! A save one though! Just for picture taking purposes! Nothing weird or dangerous!
Ok well I am off to make sure I can spit out my presentation tomorrow. Im really nervous about it and dreading it. And Im off to eat nan and indian food! WOOO!

P.S The picture today is of my new plant… Isadora. Hopefully she lives longer than Adelaide.

P.S.S it was a BEAUTIFUL spring day here today. I didnt need my coat on this afternoon and the sky was blue blue and the sun shining!!