PIPPIN
Monday, June 28, 2010
Lou and Nice n' Sleazy
I still can't register the fact that I'm in Scotland.
Forgot to mention that our favorite bar has such a creep name - Nice n'Sleazy - but everyone that works there is so friendly and they have white russians on sale constantly. An odd thing to specialize in. Most importantly - their bottom floor is a dance floor with a fog machine! Hahah I can't say I've ever dance with a fog machine, but us gals sure have a fun time.
Lou is this singer we saw one of the first nights we were here. She sang what she called jazz, but I'd call it crazy. It was pretty good. I didn't care for her lyrics, but her music was entertaining I suppose.
Forgot to mention that our favorite bar has such a creep name - Nice n'Sleazy - but everyone that works there is so friendly and they have white russians on sale constantly. An odd thing to specialize in. Most importantly - their bottom floor is a dance floor with a fog machine! Hahah I can't say I've ever dance with a fog machine, but us gals sure have a fun time.
Lou is this singer we saw one of the first nights we were here. She sang what she called jazz, but I'd call it crazy. It was pretty good. I didn't care for her lyrics, but her music was entertaining I suppose.
So much to say!
Hello my 8 loyal followers. Sorry it's been some time! Also, I'm going to try my best to write everything I can but alas - my backspace key has broken (perfect timing, when I'm studying abroad for writing) and so to delete I have to highlight the text and start typing over it EVERY.TIME. So far I've done it 4 times. Five. Needless to say typing is a bit of a pain. I can't wait to see what sort of stories I write with a broken backspace key, probably something about the value of words and how they should mean what was written the first time because it's your subconscious trying to get through. In my case I think it's just typo nation up in here.
Anywho, so much has been happening! At first it was a bit of a cluster fuck (sorry ma) of people trying to get along and meet each other and force ourselves in social situations with 30+ people we've never met. At this point little groups have formed (I woudln't quite say cliques, because they're not exclusive) of people with similar interests. It's nice. I still keep my door open all the time when I'm in the flat and it seems my room has become a sort of hangout. Maybe that's what I haven't written so much recently?
My room is right next to the commons room which can get stuffy when too many people are in it. The overflow ends up in mine, but I have a candle and a box of wine I'm willing to share (in small amounts) so I can't really blame them. Plus I bought a scarf that has a map of Scotland on it so the conversation always becomes other places we want to explore.
It's pretty funny: a few of us (Callie, Andy, Mitch, Rebecca, and Ellie) had been planning a trip to Loch Lomand (GOOGLE IT IT'S BEAUTIFUL) during a few days we have free. I was just looking at our schedule for this week and turns out we are all going as a group on Thursday to spend the entire day just sitting by it, eating bagged lunches. It's really amazing how many people/things they've got planned for us to see. Last week we had a very well known Scottish writer named W.N. Herbert come speak - he was so hilarious. Really clever. This week we have an artist named Ken Mitchell and another writer, A.L. Kennedy. Tonight we're watching some classic Scottish film called "Local Hero." I'm not sure about it - haven't heard much. Either way it's amazing how much we are being exposed to Scottish culture.
Oh! Big update. Still haven't told the parents yet, but they were expecting something great to coem up for the last few days of my trip. I hadn't planned what I was going to do and a few of us were talking last night and 2 (Callie and Andy) are already coincidentally going to France, and Ellie and I have no plans from July 23-29 (though secretly I want to extend my ticket to longer, not sure if m&d would be down for that though) so we're going to fly RyanAir over there for a few days. The airlines is really cheap and my friend Solene lives there - free lodging!
Also I might be going to Berlin for a weekend. I know... a weekend. I wanted to go for a whole week but it doesn't look like that's possible. I feel like I shouldn't pass up the opportunity, but I'm not sure if funding a flight to Berlin is reasonable for just a weekend. Maybe I wont? I'm not sure. It's still up in the air. I'm thinking I"ll just go see a few more shows around here and spend the money on that instead.
SPEAKING OF SHOWS::: last night a few of us went to see The Dead Weather! It was amazing. Amazing. It's Jack White's new band and it was a massive show. Even though the music isn't exactly our #1 music favorite, it was hard not to have an incredible time. The venue is massive and is split into two floors with I'm sure very expensive sound proofing because another show was going on below us. Not just any other show though - Pippin (from LORD OF THE RINGS) was playing below us. His new band was having their CD debut. It was really hard deciding which show to go see. Lord of the Rings or rock show with female lead singer that is cute as heck.
Hm I just tried to put some pictures in and it looks like I've turned off some sort of photo option. I'm going to go figure that out.
I need a replacement backspace key.
Anywho, so much has been happening! At first it was a bit of a cluster fuck (sorry ma) of people trying to get along and meet each other and force ourselves in social situations with 30+ people we've never met. At this point little groups have formed (I woudln't quite say cliques, because they're not exclusive) of people with similar interests. It's nice. I still keep my door open all the time when I'm in the flat and it seems my room has become a sort of hangout. Maybe that's what I haven't written so much recently?
My room is right next to the commons room which can get stuffy when too many people are in it. The overflow ends up in mine, but I have a candle and a box of wine I'm willing to share (in small amounts) so I can't really blame them. Plus I bought a scarf that has a map of Scotland on it so the conversation always becomes other places we want to explore.
It's pretty funny: a few of us (Callie, Andy, Mitch, Rebecca, and Ellie) had been planning a trip to Loch Lomand (GOOGLE IT IT'S BEAUTIFUL) during a few days we have free. I was just looking at our schedule for this week and turns out we are all going as a group on Thursday to spend the entire day just sitting by it, eating bagged lunches. It's really amazing how many people/things they've got planned for us to see. Last week we had a very well known Scottish writer named W.N. Herbert come speak - he was so hilarious. Really clever. This week we have an artist named Ken Mitchell and another writer, A.L. Kennedy. Tonight we're watching some classic Scottish film called "Local Hero." I'm not sure about it - haven't heard much. Either way it's amazing how much we are being exposed to Scottish culture.
Oh! Big update. Still haven't told the parents yet, but they were expecting something great to coem up for the last few days of my trip. I hadn't planned what I was going to do and a few of us were talking last night and 2 (Callie and Andy) are already coincidentally going to France, and Ellie and I have no plans from July 23-29 (though secretly I want to extend my ticket to longer, not sure if m&d would be down for that though) so we're going to fly RyanAir over there for a few days. The airlines is really cheap and my friend Solene lives there - free lodging!
Also I might be going to Berlin for a weekend. I know... a weekend. I wanted to go for a whole week but it doesn't look like that's possible. I feel like I shouldn't pass up the opportunity, but I'm not sure if funding a flight to Berlin is reasonable for just a weekend. Maybe I wont? I'm not sure. It's still up in the air. I'm thinking I"ll just go see a few more shows around here and spend the money on that instead.
SPEAKING OF SHOWS::: last night a few of us went to see The Dead Weather! It was amazing. Amazing. It's Jack White's new band and it was a massive show. Even though the music isn't exactly our #1 music favorite, it was hard not to have an incredible time. The venue is massive and is split into two floors with I'm sure very expensive sound proofing because another show was going on below us. Not just any other show though - Pippin (from LORD OF THE RINGS) was playing below us. His new band was having their CD debut. It was really hard deciding which show to go see. Lord of the Rings or rock show with female lead singer that is cute as heck.
Hm I just tried to put some pictures in and it looks like I've turned off some sort of photo option. I'm going to go figure that out.
I need a replacement backspace key.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
First Photos of Scotland
We got into Glasgow last night around 7 and immediately went out to get a drink. I swear we were having way more fun than this picture makes it look.
This pub was great. It was a live music night and we kept falling in love with everyone around us.
This is Rebecca falling in love with the guy running the event. He sang a Beatles song that melted us! Andy spoke with him about playing one night. I absolutely can't wait for that. We saw the guy in the street the next day when we were walking around and debated if we should go say hi to him - we didn't. Maybe next week!
My girls!
The next morning we had a school meeting and I bought some stuff to spruce up my room a bit. I'll take a picture when it looks good. For now Ellie and I are going to get some essentials at the grocery.
This is the main school building where we have meetings
This is the beginning of the most massive hill that we have to walk up no matter where we are going. My legs are going to be GREAT when I get home! haha!
This pub was great. It was a live music night and we kept falling in love with everyone around us.
This is Rebecca falling in love with the guy running the event. He sang a Beatles song that melted us! Andy spoke with him about playing one night. I absolutely can't wait for that. We saw the guy in the street the next day when we were walking around and debated if we should go say hi to him - we didn't. Maybe next week!
My girls!
The next morning we had a school meeting and I bought some stuff to spruce up my room a bit. I'll take a picture when it looks good. For now Ellie and I are going to get some essentials at the grocery.
This is the main school building where we have meetings
This is the beginning of the most massive hill that we have to walk up no matter where we are going. My legs are going to be GREAT when I get home! haha!
Massive Oxford Post
I can't say enough about how much fun I had in Oxford. Sam, our host, was magnificent. He got us into places that I'm sure we wouldn't have been able to access otherwise. He goes to Oxford University, which is made up of 40 separate colleges. I think I've already gone over that. Either way it was great.
So we woke up Tuesday morning to James, one of Sam's flatmates, calling us outside.
Apparently a blimp had fallen sometime over night and was hanging in the front of their house from electrical wires. After some work we got it down, and took it to the backyard to assess the damages. We had a big plan for the day, but it was completely eclipsed by the fact that we woke up to a massive blimp.
After a bit of work we'd taped it back together and then tried to figure out how to get air back into it. We walked around the neighborhood asking people if they had a pump, trying to be inconspicuous about what we'd found. After just under an hour of searching we gave up and went to get lunch. After lunch: tour of Oxford then punting.
I just can't get over how beautiful Oxford is. Everything is so old and lovely. Sam's college was established in 1238. It's mad! He was a great guide.
Next he took us to a part of Oxford that we were pretty excited to see: parts of the campus where Harry Potter was flimed. Things did look familiar!
This is a hallway where right outside by the tree in the next picture ...Harry did something. Turn a student into a frog or something? Earlier on in the movies. I don't know much about Harry Potter but it was wild how familiar it looked.
I for sure recognized this part. This is the main dining hall - they definitely used CGI to make it look a million times bigger than it is.
After touring we sat by the Thames for a bit. I told Sam I wanted to put my feet in it and he recommended not, joking about all the diseases I'd get. Since I couldn't get a picture of my feet in the Thames, I took a picture of duck's feet in it.
Turns out the ducks are very friendly. Neither Ellie Nor I liked that much.
After touring we headed for the punts.
So this whole time I'd thought punting was a sport. All the online explanations don't make much sense to me. Sam said it was something you had to be a member of the college to avoid paying. I'd again assumed they were some sort of professionals. Basically you stand at one end with a massive stick and push it. That's it! Though I have to say it's really freaking hard, way harder than it looks. Though Sam just acted like a goob most of the time hah.
Him acting like a goob resulted in us going into a waterfall-esque thing, nearly sinking the punt. Sam and Felix leaped to shore leaving Theo, me, Ellie, and Mary in the punt. Despite the fact that the water is maybe 2 feet deep at most, we really REALLY didn't want to be in it. Luckly there was a paddle in the boat and Theo being a pro punter managed to row us out of what would have for sure be a sunken punt situation.
As if Sam hadn't caused enough raucous he decided once we'd unflodded the boat and had it in water again (with another inch of water still inside!) he showed us how to play the bridge game. You crawl up onto a bridge while the punt goes under it and then jump back on. He was a few seconds too late and had to jump in the river - pretty hilarious and seemingly deserved. (Just kidding, Sam!)
After his stunt we all just sat back and relaxed while Theo/Sam took turns motoring us back to shore so we could make the 6pm deadline.
After punting we played crochet on the green. Ellie and I kept laughing because the whole situation was so absurd - playing crochet on the green of Oxford University next to a deer park. Yes, you heard correctly - one school has it's own massive park where a ton of deer live. Something about playing crochet with deers galloping next to you calls for black and white pictures:
(Sam thought this shot was pretty "huge" as he calls it - the American equivalent of really awesome and hilarious)
After crochet we went to the grocery and bought things to make vegetable stir fry for dinner over a bottle of wine. We finished up the night playing Super Mario Kart - felt just like home! haha
All in all I honestly can't say enough about Oxford. To think that all that happened in 1 day blows my mind. I think so highly of Sam and his friends. I hope I have an opportunity to run into them again someday!
So we woke up Tuesday morning to James, one of Sam's flatmates, calling us outside.
Apparently a blimp had fallen sometime over night and was hanging in the front of their house from electrical wires. After some work we got it down, and took it to the backyard to assess the damages. We had a big plan for the day, but it was completely eclipsed by the fact that we woke up to a massive blimp.
After a bit of work we'd taped it back together and then tried to figure out how to get air back into it. We walked around the neighborhood asking people if they had a pump, trying to be inconspicuous about what we'd found. After just under an hour of searching we gave up and went to get lunch. After lunch: tour of Oxford then punting.
I just can't get over how beautiful Oxford is. Everything is so old and lovely. Sam's college was established in 1238. It's mad! He was a great guide.
Next he took us to a part of Oxford that we were pretty excited to see: parts of the campus where Harry Potter was flimed. Things did look familiar!
This is a hallway where right outside by the tree in the next picture ...Harry did something. Turn a student into a frog or something? Earlier on in the movies. I don't know much about Harry Potter but it was wild how familiar it looked.
I for sure recognized this part. This is the main dining hall - they definitely used CGI to make it look a million times bigger than it is.
After touring we sat by the Thames for a bit. I told Sam I wanted to put my feet in it and he recommended not, joking about all the diseases I'd get. Since I couldn't get a picture of my feet in the Thames, I took a picture of duck's feet in it.
Turns out the ducks are very friendly. Neither Ellie Nor I liked that much.
After touring we headed for the punts.
So this whole time I'd thought punting was a sport. All the online explanations don't make much sense to me. Sam said it was something you had to be a member of the college to avoid paying. I'd again assumed they were some sort of professionals. Basically you stand at one end with a massive stick and push it. That's it! Though I have to say it's really freaking hard, way harder than it looks. Though Sam just acted like a goob most of the time hah.
Him acting like a goob resulted in us going into a waterfall-esque thing, nearly sinking the punt. Sam and Felix leaped to shore leaving Theo, me, Ellie, and Mary in the punt. Despite the fact that the water is maybe 2 feet deep at most, we really REALLY didn't want to be in it. Luckly there was a paddle in the boat and Theo being a pro punter managed to row us out of what would have for sure be a sunken punt situation.
As if Sam hadn't caused enough raucous he decided once we'd unflodded the boat and had it in water again (with another inch of water still inside!) he showed us how to play the bridge game. You crawl up onto a bridge while the punt goes under it and then jump back on. He was a few seconds too late and had to jump in the river - pretty hilarious and seemingly deserved. (Just kidding, Sam!)
After his stunt we all just sat back and relaxed while Theo/Sam took turns motoring us back to shore so we could make the 6pm deadline.
After punting we played crochet on the green. Ellie and I kept laughing because the whole situation was so absurd - playing crochet on the green of Oxford University next to a deer park. Yes, you heard correctly - one school has it's own massive park where a ton of deer live. Something about playing crochet with deers galloping next to you calls for black and white pictures:
(Sam thought this shot was pretty "huge" as he calls it - the American equivalent of really awesome and hilarious)
After crochet we went to the grocery and bought things to make vegetable stir fry for dinner over a bottle of wine. We finished up the night playing Super Mario Kart - felt just like home! haha
All in all I honestly can't say enough about Oxford. To think that all that happened in 1 day blows my mind. I think so highly of Sam and his friends. I hope I have an opportunity to run into them again someday!
Guest Blog: Andy Cobb
scotland is fun... i guessss. sike its alotta fun. hi erin's mom. scotland is a good place. beer is too expensive, but im rollin in dough so it dont matter. anyways, today we had our first class. it was super special. then we had one about Mackintosh, this scottish architect. apparently hes a big deal or sumthin. i dont know what else to say. BYE!
- andy cobb
As the regulator of the blog, I have to add that Andy is a nut and one of 4 guys in the program. He will be mentioned a lot as well as Rebecca Henderson. Next blog: update about the past few days.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
I'VE ARRIVED
I have so much to update!
For now, I leave you with this:
I've gotten a sun burn in the UK (didn't think it was possible) and my dreams last night were entirely in British accents.
For now, I leave you with this:
I've gotten a sun burn in the UK (didn't think it was possible) and my dreams last night were entirely in British accents.
Monday, June 21, 2010
THE post
I feel like this is the post our parents have been waiting to read. THE post about Oxford. I don't blame them for being nervous about couch surfing. It's a scary thing trusting your kids with other people you've never met. However, of the days I've spent in UK this has been my favorite.
Ellie and I woke up around 930 and took a while to get packed. Our bags were far past capacity to begin with, so buying 3 new items didn't make it any easier to get things together. We had some laughs trying to wrestle with our bags and praying the zippers wouldn't fly off, but after a while they had to give in and close.
After breakfast at the hotel (and a heartfelt talk) we walked about 2 blocks to catch the train station. Here is where I'm going to display how we've come to understand the London underground/train/bus situation. It was a very proud moment for us:
We went to green station and took the jubilee line to baker street. At baker street we switched and got on the bakerloo line to paddington station. From paddington station we got on the train to oxford, and about 2 hours later we were here. Go us! Ellie is adorable when she's on trains:
We got off the train and grabbed a snack at the station, then got in the cab and headed towards Sam's house. He called while we were in the cab and told us he'd misplaced his key and we laughed as he tried to figure out what to do with two tired(ish) travelers with luggage about half their weight each. He had us redirect the driver to his college room. As a sidenote, cab drivers here are so much nicer than ones in new york. It's uncanny. They apologize when they misunderstand you, don't hold their horn on anyone (one guy was in the middle of the road and the driver just slowed down and waited a minute, then barely tapped his horn and waved SMILING EVEN), and tell you to have a good day when you get out. Everyone here is so nice.
Anyway..Sam goes to Oxford University and explained that the uni itself has a bunch of little colleges that make it up. This blew my mind: each college has it's own many things like dorms, classes, etc but most importantly each has its own LIBRARY! And if the library doesn't have what you need you can ask to borrow it from the teacher's library. If that one doesn't have it you borrow from this massive...massive library on campus that claims to have every book ever written in the English language. He said that no one is allowed to check out books, and we also weren't allowed in. Super let down. What's not a let down though is how freaking beautiful Oxford is:
and EVERYONE rides bikes...
Ellie and I went adventuring and on our way back to sit in a park we ran into Sam and 2 of his band mates (I think I left out the part that he locked up our stuff in his room to run off to a show they were to play in a garden for another college. They are in a 4-piece jazz band) just leaving the other college. They were frustrated because for petty reasons I won't get into but they weren't allowed to play the show. But for comprehensions sake something along the lines of plugging in an amp being a fire hazard. They suggested we all go to one of the main pubs on campus and have a quick drink to lift their spirits.
His band members were really nice. They could only stay for a bit because they had to get back into London - 2 came all the way up just for the show that they couldn't play. Apparently there was some form that the guy booking them was supposed to sign, but he didn't. Man look at that - I said I wouldn't get into it and I did. Ellie does always say I have such a thorough blog. Afterwards Sam took us back to the... oh wait! I just realized I haven't put up a picture of Sam. Well,
Sam, our host, picking something off his shoe:
Anywho he took us back to the college to have one more drink at their college pub where drinks are significantly cheaper. We sat outside on a lawn with 2 professors, apparently they socialize here a lot more than we do with our professors back in the states. They seemed so intelligent. I mean I suppose that's what professors are supposed to be but they were really smart. I was trying to chat along with them but kept getting my references mixed up. I blame it on the 2 ales!
After the drinks we went back to Sam's place that is really lovely. He lives with 3 other people, a girl and 2 guys, and Ellie and I are set up in a room with spare mattresses, sofas, pillows, blankets - the works. It's great. We went to get amazing middle eastern food and now are about to go on a walk.
I'm sorry mom and dad...but there is a good chance I'll move here some day. I'm sold.
Also, in case you forgot how cute Ellie is:
Tomorrow: punting!
Ellie and I woke up around 930 and took a while to get packed. Our bags were far past capacity to begin with, so buying 3 new items didn't make it any easier to get things together. We had some laughs trying to wrestle with our bags and praying the zippers wouldn't fly off, but after a while they had to give in and close.
After breakfast at the hotel (and a heartfelt talk) we walked about 2 blocks to catch the train station. Here is where I'm going to display how we've come to understand the London underground/train/bus situation. It was a very proud moment for us:
We went to green station and took the jubilee line to baker street. At baker street we switched and got on the bakerloo line to paddington station. From paddington station we got on the train to oxford, and about 2 hours later we were here. Go us! Ellie is adorable when she's on trains:
We got off the train and grabbed a snack at the station, then got in the cab and headed towards Sam's house. He called while we were in the cab and told us he'd misplaced his key and we laughed as he tried to figure out what to do with two tired(ish) travelers with luggage about half their weight each. He had us redirect the driver to his college room. As a sidenote, cab drivers here are so much nicer than ones in new york. It's uncanny. They apologize when they misunderstand you, don't hold their horn on anyone (one guy was in the middle of the road and the driver just slowed down and waited a minute, then barely tapped his horn and waved SMILING EVEN), and tell you to have a good day when you get out. Everyone here is so nice.
Anyway..Sam goes to Oxford University and explained that the uni itself has a bunch of little colleges that make it up. This blew my mind: each college has it's own many things like dorms, classes, etc but most importantly each has its own LIBRARY! And if the library doesn't have what you need you can ask to borrow it from the teacher's library. If that one doesn't have it you borrow from this massive...massive library on campus that claims to have every book ever written in the English language. He said that no one is allowed to check out books, and we also weren't allowed in. Super let down. What's not a let down though is how freaking beautiful Oxford is:
and EVERYONE rides bikes...
Ellie and I went adventuring and on our way back to sit in a park we ran into Sam and 2 of his band mates (I think I left out the part that he locked up our stuff in his room to run off to a show they were to play in a garden for another college. They are in a 4-piece jazz band) just leaving the other college. They were frustrated because for petty reasons I won't get into but they weren't allowed to play the show. But for comprehensions sake something along the lines of plugging in an amp being a fire hazard. They suggested we all go to one of the main pubs on campus and have a quick drink to lift their spirits.
His band members were really nice. They could only stay for a bit because they had to get back into London - 2 came all the way up just for the show that they couldn't play. Apparently there was some form that the guy booking them was supposed to sign, but he didn't. Man look at that - I said I wouldn't get into it and I did. Ellie does always say I have such a thorough blog. Afterwards Sam took us back to the... oh wait! I just realized I haven't put up a picture of Sam. Well,
Sam, our host, picking something off his shoe:
Anywho he took us back to the college to have one more drink at their college pub where drinks are significantly cheaper. We sat outside on a lawn with 2 professors, apparently they socialize here a lot more than we do with our professors back in the states. They seemed so intelligent. I mean I suppose that's what professors are supposed to be but they were really smart. I was trying to chat along with them but kept getting my references mixed up. I blame it on the 2 ales!
After the drinks we went back to Sam's place that is really lovely. He lives with 3 other people, a girl and 2 guys, and Ellie and I are set up in a room with spare mattresses, sofas, pillows, blankets - the works. It's great. We went to get amazing middle eastern food and now are about to go on a walk.
I'm sorry mom and dad...but there is a good chance I'll move here some day. I'm sold.
Also, in case you forgot how cute Ellie is:
Tomorrow: punting!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Hare Krishna
Ellie and I went to bed with such a solid plan for today. As it happens with most plans, we did nothing on the list. Would you stick to a plan of going to H&M when you wake up to this...
pulling this...
No. I daresay your plans for the day would change also. They were chanting a song that was focusing on the words "Hare Krishna." Immediately I pulled out my computer and googled it to find out more. Ellie was still getting ready so I read aloud while she was in the bathroom and we were both very interested. We went downstairs and found ourselves in the middle of something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_iG7y4vwU8
There were 3 floats being pulled by people. We asked some why they were being pulled and who was on them and were told that the floats were being pulled by people as a way of working to rid yourself of sin and the those on the floats represented deities. All in all pretty interesting. They were mostly all hindu and so wonderful and kind.
(cute daddy dancing with his kids)
They closed down all of Piccadilly Street, a huge street in London, it was wild:
Ellie and I followed the festival down most of Piccadilly, and then realized we had gotten so caught up in the event that we had gone to 1pm without eating. We'd been spending about £8-10 every meal and wanted to get something quick and easy. Such a delicious meal:
The Burger King here is OUT OF CONTROL. So cool. Massive, the bean burger was actually as it promised. I thought of Lindsay the whole time - BK is our jam (so to speak).
After eating we went around looking at some stores. We each bought a blouse or 2 (Ellie got an AMAZING blouse from a store called Desigual www.desigual.com) and I got a pair of much needed shorts from Gap. One of the stores we went into had a living wall:
After walking around a bit we went back to where the festival was ending with the goal of grabbing some free vegetarian food and enjoying looking around. We ended up meeting a wonderful older woman named Diviya Manha who spoke with us a while and then got some henna tattoos done:
After the henna we VERY CAREFULLY walked home and let it dry. We realized we hadn't gone to a traditional English pub and Ellie was craving some fish and chips. We went to a cool pub around the corner that was some unique mix of traditional English food and Thai food. Though maybe they're onto something because I got some great vegetarian Thai and Ellie got a huge piece of fried cod and fries..I mean..chips.. that she covered in vinegar and tartar sauce. We also ordered a pitcher of Pimms for the full experience. I'm continually amazed at how bright it says as late as it does around here. At 10pm it seems like it's 630. Nuts! Now Ellie is watching a TV show with Russel Brand (her number one love I'm pretty sure) and I'm writing this, chatting with some friends back home.
Also, I really wasn't expecting all our family and friends to read this and am acutely aware every time I write that I should proof-read it and make sure it makes sense and everything is spelled properly. As much as I'd like to say I'll do that every time, if I'm being realistic I probably wont. I swear I know how to spell...and I swear all this money on studying writing abroad wasn't wasted on someone who has to sit and think for a minute when trying to spell restaurant (though I do really have to think for a minute).
Mom and Dad - think of this blog as my "relaxed writing" place. If you want I can e-mail you more official writing just to put you at ease (haha).
Oh yeah - tomorrow is the day that our parents are super nervous about. The day that we meet the couch surfers in Oxford. We spoke with them on the phone today, though, and I think it'll work out great. However I'll probably use up my entire phone plan in the 3 days we're there reassuring my parents that all is well. That's fine though! I'll do it.
Love you guys! As they say here: X Erin (and Ellie next to me in bed who won't take her eyes off Russel.)
pulling this...
No. I daresay your plans for the day would change also. They were chanting a song that was focusing on the words "Hare Krishna." Immediately I pulled out my computer and googled it to find out more. Ellie was still getting ready so I read aloud while she was in the bathroom and we were both very interested. We went downstairs and found ourselves in the middle of something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_iG7y4vwU8
There were 3 floats being pulled by people. We asked some why they were being pulled and who was on them and were told that the floats were being pulled by people as a way of working to rid yourself of sin and the those on the floats represented deities. All in all pretty interesting. They were mostly all hindu and so wonderful and kind.
(cute daddy dancing with his kids)
They closed down all of Piccadilly Street, a huge street in London, it was wild:
Ellie and I followed the festival down most of Piccadilly, and then realized we had gotten so caught up in the event that we had gone to 1pm without eating. We'd been spending about £8-10 every meal and wanted to get something quick and easy. Such a delicious meal:
The Burger King here is OUT OF CONTROL. So cool. Massive, the bean burger was actually as it promised. I thought of Lindsay the whole time - BK is our jam (so to speak).
After eating we went around looking at some stores. We each bought a blouse or 2 (Ellie got an AMAZING blouse from a store called Desigual www.desigual.com) and I got a pair of much needed shorts from Gap. One of the stores we went into had a living wall:
After walking around a bit we went back to where the festival was ending with the goal of grabbing some free vegetarian food and enjoying looking around. We ended up meeting a wonderful older woman named Diviya Manha who spoke with us a while and then got some henna tattoos done:
After the henna we VERY CAREFULLY walked home and let it dry. We realized we hadn't gone to a traditional English pub and Ellie was craving some fish and chips. We went to a cool pub around the corner that was some unique mix of traditional English food and Thai food. Though maybe they're onto something because I got some great vegetarian Thai and Ellie got a huge piece of fried cod and fries..I mean..chips.. that she covered in vinegar and tartar sauce. We also ordered a pitcher of Pimms for the full experience. I'm continually amazed at how bright it says as late as it does around here. At 10pm it seems like it's 630. Nuts! Now Ellie is watching a TV show with Russel Brand (her number one love I'm pretty sure) and I'm writing this, chatting with some friends back home.
Also, I really wasn't expecting all our family and friends to read this and am acutely aware every time I write that I should proof-read it and make sure it makes sense and everything is spelled properly. As much as I'd like to say I'll do that every time, if I'm being realistic I probably wont. I swear I know how to spell...and I swear all this money on studying writing abroad wasn't wasted on someone who has to sit and think for a minute when trying to spell restaurant (though I do really have to think for a minute).
Mom and Dad - think of this blog as my "relaxed writing" place. If you want I can e-mail you more official writing just to put you at ease (haha).
Oh yeah - tomorrow is the day that our parents are super nervous about. The day that we meet the couch surfers in Oxford. We spoke with them on the phone today, though, and I think it'll work out great. However I'll probably use up my entire phone plan in the 3 days we're there reassuring my parents that all is well. That's fine though! I'll do it.
Love you guys! As they say here: X Erin (and Ellie next to me in bed who won't take her eyes off Russel.)
Fused Together Shoe Laces
I woke up around 9am to realize I’d gotten around 12 hours of sleep. In a way it did wonders for jetlag (I woke up at 9am on my own - no alarm or anything!), but I still felt odd for a bit today. Almost feverish. Took 2 advil, drank a fruit smoothie, and mind-over-mattered the situation.
Ellie and I took our time getting out of the hotel and found ourselves 6 minutes shy of making breakfast at the hotel. Shortly before this realization I finally got internet service and read an e-mail from my mom that told us about a market today called Portobello market and we decided to grab some food there. The concierge told us what felt like complicated directions, when in all actuality we were still just a little scared about getting around. Happy to report we successfully caught the bus (a double-decker red one none the less), understood how useful a oyster pass is, and made it to the other side of London.
Earlier in the day I had gotten in touch with a couch surfer (couchsurfing.org) named Giovanni and asked him if he could recommend some other cool places in the area. While waiting to hear back we went to eat at this amazing restaurant with a very odd name - Prince Albert. I ate hands down one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had. It was a potato, lentil, and spinach patty with lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella, and red peppers on top. I can’t even explain how good it was. I wish I’d taken a picture of it. Of course I forgot my camera for my first day out in London - I took some with Ellies though.
me in the restaurant.
While at the restaurant Gio texted me back and suggested meeting up with us at Portobello market. Instantly I was very proud of my mom and her good research, I wouldn’t have been there to begin with without her advice! I told Gio we were already there and he said he’d meet us in a few hours. The market was amazing. It was filled with small shops in a Carytown sort of feel, but more vintage and unique. All the shops had booths set up outside and it felt like it went on for miles. We walked at least 1 and hadn’t gotten to the end yet.
Despite all the great things to buy, this pup was one big highlight of the market.
Realizing that I forgot to bring a single scarf to an area that wasn’t going to get above 65deg, I bought 3 scarfs for £10. Great deal.
A very hectic part of the market, but had the best jewelery.
After a while Gio texted asking where we were, and lines got crossed and when I told him we were at Spitalfields (think Urban Outfitters but far out of our price range - even the sale section) and he ended up on an opposite side of London from us.
It ended up working out in our favor because on that somewhere between where he was and where we were was a free music festival. Ellie and I had quite a tube adventure getting there. The first two underground stations we walked to were closed. We ended up catching a bus to another station that was farther away and rode it to Bethel Green. The music festival was called Paradise Garden and was really great. It was way bigger than the Richmond Folk Festival, had so many different types of food, and such an array of people. Gio introduced us to his friend Atsushi who moved to London from Japan about a year ago. They were both really great guys - good senses of humor. Gio then introduced us to some of his French friends at the festival. A girl whose name I can’t spell - something like Emilyeine and a guy named Thomas, another named Christophe. We watched a pretty cool swing band with them and then went to a hip-hop tent and onto what promised to be an electro jazz tent. A lot more jazz than electro, but either way they were good company and we absolutely wouldn’t have found this festival without them.
(the whole festival sign says heart and soul)
Leaving the festival we met up with Atsushi’s friend Adrianna whom I loved. She is from Brazil and studying English with Atsushi in London. She was so sweet, reminded me of a combination of so many friends at home. We chatted for a while and she told us she was walking to a small backyard BBQ get-together for her brother and invited us along. It was earlier in the evening and Ellie and I were totally comfortable with her, so we all went together. The BBQ was great - met people from Ireland, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Italy, etc etc all in one place. And it was maybe 20 people max! I couldn’t get over it. There was a bonfire, tons of instruments, and everyone was very welcoming.
photo of Atsushi and Gio, respectively
We stayed there until about 10 and then Gio helped us get back to our part of town, showed us around Piccadilly circus, and walked us back to our hotel. He promised it was a safe area, but it was nice having someone familiar with it to walk us back. We parted ways about a block before the hotel and Ellie and I came upstairs and collapsed into bed.
It wasn’t 2 minutes later that we decided we were starving. In all the excitement we had only had the amazing lunch earlier, and I had a few carrots in hummus and a veggie kabob at the BBQ but no actual dinner to speak of. We decided that it was okay to order room service as long as we kept it under control (i.e. didn’t order a ton of stuff) and I’m sitting here writing this with a belly full of spinach/tomato omelette.
Our plans for tomorrow are written down on a sticky note that Ellie put on my pillow while I showered the bonfire off of me from the BBQ. Apparently we are going to H&M, Harrods, Brick Lane, and writing poems in the park. I think that sounds perfect.
Going to bed watching rugby on tv - how the hell do they jump that high?
Ellie and I took our time getting out of the hotel and found ourselves 6 minutes shy of making breakfast at the hotel. Shortly before this realization I finally got internet service and read an e-mail from my mom that told us about a market today called Portobello market and we decided to grab some food there. The concierge told us what felt like complicated directions, when in all actuality we were still just a little scared about getting around. Happy to report we successfully caught the bus (a double-decker red one none the less), understood how useful a oyster pass is, and made it to the other side of London.
Earlier in the day I had gotten in touch with a couch surfer (couchsurfing.org) named Giovanni and asked him if he could recommend some other cool places in the area. While waiting to hear back we went to eat at this amazing restaurant with a very odd name - Prince Albert. I ate hands down one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had. It was a potato, lentil, and spinach patty with lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella, and red peppers on top. I can’t even explain how good it was. I wish I’d taken a picture of it. Of course I forgot my camera for my first day out in London - I took some with Ellies though.
me in the restaurant.
While at the restaurant Gio texted me back and suggested meeting up with us at Portobello market. Instantly I was very proud of my mom and her good research, I wouldn’t have been there to begin with without her advice! I told Gio we were already there and he said he’d meet us in a few hours. The market was amazing. It was filled with small shops in a Carytown sort of feel, but more vintage and unique. All the shops had booths set up outside and it felt like it went on for miles. We walked at least 1 and hadn’t gotten to the end yet.
Despite all the great things to buy, this pup was one big highlight of the market.
Realizing that I forgot to bring a single scarf to an area that wasn’t going to get above 65deg, I bought 3 scarfs for £10. Great deal.
A very hectic part of the market, but had the best jewelery.
After a while Gio texted asking where we were, and lines got crossed and when I told him we were at Spitalfields (think Urban Outfitters but far out of our price range - even the sale section) and he ended up on an opposite side of London from us.
It ended up working out in our favor because on that somewhere between where he was and where we were was a free music festival. Ellie and I had quite a tube adventure getting there. The first two underground stations we walked to were closed. We ended up catching a bus to another station that was farther away and rode it to Bethel Green. The music festival was called Paradise Garden and was really great. It was way bigger than the Richmond Folk Festival, had so many different types of food, and such an array of people. Gio introduced us to his friend Atsushi who moved to London from Japan about a year ago. They were both really great guys - good senses of humor. Gio then introduced us to some of his French friends at the festival. A girl whose name I can’t spell - something like Emilyeine and a guy named Thomas, another named Christophe. We watched a pretty cool swing band with them and then went to a hip-hop tent and onto what promised to be an electro jazz tent. A lot more jazz than electro, but either way they were good company and we absolutely wouldn’t have found this festival without them.
(the whole festival sign says heart and soul)
Leaving the festival we met up with Atsushi’s friend Adrianna whom I loved. She is from Brazil and studying English with Atsushi in London. She was so sweet, reminded me of a combination of so many friends at home. We chatted for a while and she told us she was walking to a small backyard BBQ get-together for her brother and invited us along. It was earlier in the evening and Ellie and I were totally comfortable with her, so we all went together. The BBQ was great - met people from Ireland, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Italy, etc etc all in one place. And it was maybe 20 people max! I couldn’t get over it. There was a bonfire, tons of instruments, and everyone was very welcoming.
photo of Atsushi and Gio, respectively
We stayed there until about 10 and then Gio helped us get back to our part of town, showed us around Piccadilly circus, and walked us back to our hotel. He promised it was a safe area, but it was nice having someone familiar with it to walk us back. We parted ways about a block before the hotel and Ellie and I came upstairs and collapsed into bed.
It wasn’t 2 minutes later that we decided we were starving. In all the excitement we had only had the amazing lunch earlier, and I had a few carrots in hummus and a veggie kabob at the BBQ but no actual dinner to speak of. We decided that it was okay to order room service as long as we kept it under control (i.e. didn’t order a ton of stuff) and I’m sitting here writing this with a belly full of spinach/tomato omelette.
Our plans for tomorrow are written down on a sticky note that Ellie put on my pillow while I showered the bonfire off of me from the BBQ. Apparently we are going to H&M, Harrods, Brick Lane, and writing poems in the park. I think that sounds perfect.
Going to bed watching rugby on tv - how the hell do they jump that high?
Friday, June 18, 2010
2 days later
I assumed an 8 hour flight would be awkward. I didn't know it would be quite as awkward as it ended up being. The seats for most of the plane went 2 - 4 - 2 across the aisle. (two people, four people, two people...) At one point near the back of the plane it shifted to 2 - 3 - 2. The first aisle after the shift had televisions that didn't line up with their seat and tray tables that come out of the armrest. I know, it seems like an absurd thing to complain about. Though if you've ever sat for 8 hours in the very middle of a plane alternating your head from the left to the right deciding whether to watch the tv that you're earplugs are tuned to or watch the tv that your neighbor is watching in silence while trying to sleep and ignoring the fact that if you thought about it hard enough you could be nauseous, I am confident you'd at the very least call the flight awkward as well.
That being said, I've never had more fun in my life. Something about arriving at 7am, feeling like it's 2am, and realizing that your delay originally had you coming the following day makes you get all sorts of excited. Also, as a side note, getting off the plane and seeing the world "realizing" spelled "realising" can somehow unexplicabally cause you to start walking quicker than you were before leaving what I can only imagine as a thick fog of excited energy in my wake. It felt like London.
So here I am, sitting in the most absurdly amazing hotel room I've ever been in, holding steady to the story that my dad arrived on a separate flight (in order to use his hotel points). Ellie is next to me writing postcards, and I'm trying to hard to stay awake. Considering I know it's only 4pm in the states I'm having trouble understanding why I'm so tired (it's 9pm in London). It's only after I question why I'm tired that I realize I've been awake for a little over 30 hours with what one would have to stretch to call a nap earlier this morning. The days have blended together. I thought it was Thursday all day. It's Friday.
Details! Details...
On the flight we met a man that reminded me of my dad, I wish I had caught his name. He sat next to me for half the flight, next to Ellie when she let me have the aisle for a little bit. He was on business in the states for a few weeks and was obviously excited to get home to his family. He gave us advice on which train to catch after the flight, where we should get off, how long the trip should be, and what kind of taxi fare we should expect afterwards.
Taking his great advice, we found ourselves on the Gatwick Express on a 30minute trip to London Victoria on a train that is set up like rows of tables with four people meeting at each. Ellie and I sat on one side across the table from an older couple. After a few minutes, the woman asked where we were from. They were from Asheville, NC and celebrating their 10-year anniversary. The wife had been to the UK what seemed like many times before (she told us a lot of stories) and it was her husbands first time. After a few minutes of chatting the refreshment truck came by. I asked how much coffee cost and he said 2.5 which though not that much, I didn't really need it. The man said he'd be happy to treat us to coffee. It was such a small gesture, but it made Ellie and I's morning so much better. It was nice having so many families looking out for us. We had a laugh though because the couple got large coffees, and Ellie and I were going to get a small as to not have him spend so much money on us. The man working the coffee cart misunderstood Ellie and gave her a larger coffee and she wasn't quick enough to tell him she didn't need one that big. Either way, the couple didn't care. The wife told us about some classes she'd taken in Oxford (she really liked British detective novels) and was so envious when we told her about our program. We were likewise envious when she told us they were staying at a bed and breakfast on a sheep farm.
After the train I interacted with my first Brit when I told him his ipod charger fell out of his bag. He said "Oh! Cheers!" and...I....died. You don't even really have to be cute, but having a British accent changes EVERYTHING. Ellie and I said you're welcome and shuffled away.
Everything we've done has been exciting. Catching one of their cool cabs was exciting. Arriving at an amazing hotel was exciting. Walking to piccadilly circus, buying a phone for my extended stay, eating lunch in small shops...everything is exciting.
I feel like I can't even type enough to explain how great today's been. One thing that stands out was the dinner we had.
Pizza with asparagus, garlic flat bread, wine, and salads that were eaten before I snapped a picture. Delicious. So good. Out the window to my left we saw 2 pubs that had started showing the England vs. Algeria soccer (football?) games of the world cup. We wanted to watch the games, even went into a few pubs to try to join in on the action, but jet lag (and the fact that there were no seats) got the best of us. Now we're in our hotel home, in bed. Going to sleep at 9:30.
I can't believe this was just day 1.
(The restaurant where we had dinner is the white building to the left.)
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