tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27115962550243600662024-03-05T09:37:43.507-05:00Deb, The Adult VersionDeb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-60166634666132390192009-05-26T22:12:00.001-04:002009-05-26T22:14:22.395-04:00London at NightCheck these out, especially if you've been to London:<br /><br />http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/08/london_from_above_at_night.html<br /><br />Can you hear that? That's my reminiscent sigh.Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-64038819122276217612009-05-03T21:59:00.002-04:002009-05-03T22:37:45.963-04:00Musings on a Year as an AlumOne year ago I graduated from Syracuse University, a year ahead of schedule. As the vast majority of my friends are graduating this year, I thought I'd offer you guys this: another list to add to the unsolicited advice you have no doubt been receiving over the past few months.<br /><br />One week from TODAY you will be an alum. Some of you are freaking out too much. Some of you are not freaking out enough. If you are going to grad school, I really don't have a lot for you, as I have never been in that situation. If you already have a job, I'm sure everyone hates you. If you don't have a job, you're in the same boat I was a year ago<br /><br />Either way, I can tell you when it is really going to hit you. After the ceremony, after your family leaves, when you are by yourself, maybe in your bedroom. Maybe you'll be starting to pack, or collapse on your bed because of the craziness of the weekend. That's when you'll realize, "I will never be a undergrad again." Some of you may realize, "I will never be a student again." There's no way to prepare for it. Just let the emotions hit you and try to remember that life will go on. You're not as lost as you think.<br /><br />So is a small list of things to think about:<br /><br /><ul><li>Maybe you're moving back home. Everyone's situation and relationship with their parents is obviously very different. But if you're dreading going from (almost) complete independence and crazy roommates to Mom & Pop, think of your positives. You can't beat the financial situation. With looming student loans, think of the hundreds (maybe thousands) your saving by staying home for a while. As far as your interactions with your parents, hopefully they'll treat you like a adult, but still remember to pick your battles. A little bit of compromise on your part will go a long way in ensuring you're not miserable for however long you're home.</li><li>Let's face it. The economy sucks. Or at least people think it does, so that's how the job market is reacting. I know the Career Services folks are screaming for you to network, and that's go to be a smart move. But don't forget to supplement that with the good old classified ads - that's where I found my job. DO RESEARCH on the companies you're applying to so you can customize your cover letters and resumes. I know my boss hates when people apply for jobs and the only thing they know about us is what was listed in the ad.</li><li>Budget Budget Budget. December will come quicker than you think, and that first student loan bill may come as a bit of a shock. The best thing I did was setting up another checking account. The only thing I use that account for is to pay my student loan and my car loan. Other than that I don't touch it. When you get a job, direct deposit a chunk of every paycheck there. Depending on your expenses, the amount you can put away will vary. But remember as your expenses and income change to adjust the amount you're putting toward your loan. Also, don't forget about the interest that is going to accrue on your loan. Any payments you make get applied to late fees and interest first, so don't be surprised when your principal is not going down as fast as you'd like.</li></ul>I guess those are the main points. Cherish your last week of college - party it up, sit on the quad, take mental pictures of those places on campus you never want to forget.<br /><br />This is kind of an end for me too. All my personal connections to SU will be gone. I'm going to miss you guys - although I know we'll Facebook and Twitter until we're 90. There's probably some of you I will never see again. Although, maybe we'll meet again in 10 0r 15 years - you know I'm much more likely to go to your reunion than to mine.Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-12438962291376609402009-04-14T21:46:00.002-04:002009-04-14T22:38:34.357-04:00UFC: The Good, The Bad and The UglyHold on to your hats, folks. This is a long one.<br /><br />A few weekends ago I attended a jiu-jitsu seminar run by Shihan Gene Dunn of World Jiu-Jitsu United. Grappling is a part of my karate training I have always enjoyed, but it has always been an ancillary part. We are now going to be given the chance to actually enroll in a jiu-jitsu program, and I will literally be starting over at white belt in that system.<br /><br />Jiu-jitsu has been popularized recently by the <a href="http://www.ufc.com/">UFC</a> (Ultimate Fighting Championship). This, like anything, has had its pros and cons for the system.<br /><br />In case you don't know, the UFC is a professional league for mixed martial arts (MMA) which, as apparent in the name, blends many different forms of martial arts into a competition. Athletes use skills from kickboxing, muay thai, jiu-jitsu, judo and many other forms to win their fight. Jiu-jitsu, a martial art that is made up of throws (taking your partner to the ground), ground work (what you may think of as wrestling) and submissions (getting your opponent to tap out before you break a limb/choke them), is associated a lot with the UFC, as many of the fights end up on the ground.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Good</span><br />The UFC has evolved over time from a no-holds-barred brawl to a highly-organized, well-managed organization. There are of course rules for safety - no eye gouging or biting, for example - and the referees stay tight on the match to ensure everything is going properly. Some people say MMA is even safer than boxing because of the controls and pace of the sport.<br /><br />From relative obscurity, the UFC has taken the sporting world by storm. It has surpassed boxing and the WWE in pay-per-view stats(either revenue or viewers or both - I can't remember). Each event may draw more than 1 million viewers from over 30 countries, not to mention the hundreds (or thousands) that watch it live. (Sidenote - MMA events are still banned in some states, including New York. Let's get with the times people - do you know the revenue you could bring in?).<br /><br />Karate has always been that kind of weird "sport" that unless you are involved in it, you don't know what it's all about. This popularity has brought martial arts to the attention of many people who would otherwise associate it only with <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087538/">The Karate Kid</a>. I don't have any stats on this, but I'm sure schools have seen a jump in enrollment, as people can see the physical and mental benefits - fitness, discipline, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Most</span> of the fighters in the UFC are at the peak of their physical and technical game. Having been in karate for over 12 years, I love to watch UFC events to watch the technical skills of the fighters - especially the jiu-jitsu aspect. I can relate. Not that I've ever been stuck in an octogon cage with a top-level athlete. But I can watch a fight and think, "Ooh! If he can just slip that arm out he'll have a perfect triangle choke!"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Bad</span><br />When I was at the seminar, Shihan Dunn brought up several points that made me revisit some thoughts I had about the UFC in the past.<br /><br />As with all sports, some of the athletes are ridiculously cocky. Before the fights they always have interviews with the fighters, during which at least one of them inevitably says something like, "My goal is to hurt him/kill him/make him bleed/break his arm." And while I understand that trash-talking is all part of the game, that's not what the martial arts are about. To me, the UFC should be about showcasing your martial arts skills - not about hurting your opponent.<br /><br />While more people may now think they know about jiu-jitsu, they may be getting the wrong impression. The popular "Ground & Pound" technique - in which you get your opponent to the ground and pound on them until they either get away or you win - is not part of jiu-jitsu at all. In fact, jiu-jitsu doesn't really involve much striking. It's about positioning and submissions. Just like in boxing, some of these guys in the UFC really get rocked, and it can be scary to watch.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ugly</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTwYDmtUidEN5-rljjIFUJ_4H3Nm6cZvDr9Q9NQvMFeinL4MD61EvGSnBw17zFvm1aDiRDBTvFRathulg96lbhSVw3joP1ftqtQlS6ie3elc0-VlWuGlb3vmwYBXlbdXnt8sMoesW5FA/s1600-h/couture.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTwYDmtUidEN5-rljjIFUJ_4H3Nm6cZvDr9Q9NQvMFeinL4MD61EvGSnBw17zFvm1aDiRDBTvFRathulg96lbhSVw3joP1ftqtQlS6ie3elc0-VlWuGlb3vmwYBXlbdXnt8sMoesW5FA/s400/couture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324741775668996402" border="0" /></a><br />Two words. Cauliflower ear. This condition, common among wrestlers, mixed martial artists, and rugby players, is explained by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauliflower_ear">Wikipedia</a> as this: "If the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinna_%28anatomy%29" title="Pinna (anatomy)">external portion of the ear</a> suffers a blow, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrombus" title="Thrombus">blood clot</a> or other fluid may collect under the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perichondrium" title="Perichondrium">perichondrium</a>. This separates the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartilage" title="Cartilage">cartilage</a> from the overlying perichondrium that is its source of nutrients, causing the cartilage to die. This leads to a formation of fibrous tissue in the overlying skin. When this happens, the outer ear becomes permanently swollen and deformed, resembling a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauliflower" title="Cauliflower">cauliflower</a>."<br /><br />Remember those fun head straps the wrestlers in high school had to wear? It was for good reason. Once your ears start deforming, there isn't much you can do about it, and it can lead to serious problems. Plus it looks gross. Don't believe <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/chicks_love_cauliflower_ear_tshirt-235704360745953466">this shirt</a>. It's just not true.Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-60169715068293563002009-03-29T20:30:00.002-04:002009-03-29T21:02:09.095-04:00This One's For The Girls...Okay. So since I spend way too much time in front of the television watching sports-related programming, I've picked up a few noteworthy celeb crushes along the way. I feel it is now my womanly duty to pass along information about these athletic hunks that less sports-inclined girls may not know about.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Disclaimer: The pictures are not the best. All of these guys look MUCH better in live action.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Disclaimer #2: Yes, my boyfriend knows about these crushes and puts up with/condones them. Most of them anyway.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nopactalent.com/speakerphotos/photos/4352Tony_Reali.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 130px;" src="http://www.nopactalent.com/speakerphotos/photos/4352Tony_Reali.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">p</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ortscaster</span><br />Tony "Stat Boy" Reali is the host of ESPN's Around the Horn. The show features four sportswriters debating current topics, with Tony arbitrarily giving them points. With his boyish good looks and witty charm, Tony calls me to the t.v. if I'm home at 5:00. Plus, he <a href="http://twitter.com/AroundTheHorn">tweets</a>!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.armyofmom.com/ed%20hochuli.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 199px;" src="http://www.armyofmom.com/ed%20hochuli.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ref</span><br />Being a sports fan, I generally don't like refs. Here is my exception. Ed Hochuli is the only NFL referee that looks like he could actually play the game. He is also almost three times my age. So what? Look at those arms! Ed got into a little bit of hot water this past season over a blown call that, due to NFL rules, could not be reversed. I blame the organization, not poor Ed. In real life, he's a lawyer, so he's gotta be smart too.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.quickblogcast.com/114660-107014/Michael_Bisping.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 153px;" src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/114660-107014/Michael_Bisping.bmp" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Import</span><br />David Beckham may be some girls' British hunk o'choice, but I chose someone a little more...manly. Michael "The Count" Bisping (the one kicking, not the one with the flapping flab) is a UFC fighter with a record of 18 wins and only 1 loss. If watching two guys rolling around in a cage isn't your thing, just tune in for the pre- and post-fight interviews. That accent makes me swoon every time.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii134/bobo0o/dwight-howard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 204px;" src="http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii134/bobo0o/dwight-howard.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Superstar</span><br />This category was a toughy. While I adore LeBron James, most people know who he is, even if they aren't sports fan. So I'm going to go with Dwight Howard, aka Superman. At 6'11", 265 lbs, this hunk o'man thrills the dunk contests and regular games with his sky-high athleticism.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So there you have it. A good round look at the world of sports and its hidden gems. Of course, there are many more pieces of eye candy - there has to be with that much muscle and spandex.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-5439107070446590542009-03-22T20:09:00.002-04:002009-03-22T21:10:44.208-04:00Am I a Sports Sell-Out?<div style="text-align: justify;">I've followed sports for as long as I can remember. Pro football and college basketball are my favorite, and I've remained loyal to the Buffalo Bills and Syracuse Orange since I was a little kid. I'm also pretty passionate about my teams, and have been known to scream and the tv, either in joy or in pain (usually pain during football season...and seriously Buffalo - T.O.? Not happy, but that's another story).<br /><br />These days, being a sports fan may also mean you participate in some kind of fantasy league. I have at least one fantasy football team per season and fill out at least two NCAA brackets each March. When choosing your players or teams, it's important to think with your head and not your heart. Thus, I don't have too many Buffalo players or Cinderella stories.<br /><br />At this time of year I find myself questioning my fanhood integrity. For example. Today Siena, a nine-seed and only about two hours from my house, played Louisville, the number one overall seed and a Big East rival. It was a close game that Louisville eventually won. Normally, I would have cheered relentlessly for Siena, seeking an upset and a little retribution for SU's two losses to Louisville this season. But since I have Louisville going to the championship game in both of my brackets, I waited anxiously for the Cardinals to get it together and win.<br /><br />Does this make me a bad person? Does it make me less of a fan of the sport, and more selfishly concerned about my own competitive edge and financial gain? If it does, I'm certainly not the only one - not that it makes it okay.<br /><br />There are exceptions to this rule. In my brackets, I have Syracuse losing to North Carolina in the Elite Eight. Of course, I will not actually be rooting for UNC. Syracuse's victories trump any kind of competition I could personally be in. <br /><br />Does anyone else go through this internal dilemma? I've considered not doing the brackets or fantasy leagues, but they're so much fun! I always think that this year could be the year I'll win it all. Think you can do better? Wanna put $5 on it?<br /></div>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-72290853812321479682009-03-19T21:31:00.002-04:002009-03-19T22:02:21.828-04:00...The Non-Uma Thurman TypeThat's right. I have poison ivy. In March.<br /><br />You may be wondering how on earth that happened. So am I. It's me - I've barely been outside in the last 6 months. <br /><br />Last Sunday I had one itchy dot on my elbow that I thought was a bug bite. It slowly turned into bigger and itchier patches on both arms. At that point I thought I was having an allergic reaction to something, perhaps the new brand of drier sheets we had started using. When the spots spread further still and were definitely clustering and looking really gross, I went to the doctor thinking I had some tropical disease. She simply gave me a funny look and said it was poison ivy and there was nothing I could do about it. She also suggested that the dog may have gotten into it somewhere and that's how I got it (Note: no one else in my family has it and my mom gets poison ivy at least once a year).<br /><br />I've had it for over a week and it shows no signs of stopping. New spots are still appearing - I now have them on my arms, legs, stomach and back. To add to the oddity, I even have it on that one part of my back that I can't reach no matter how much I contort my arms and shoulders. It seriously looks like I found a patch of poison ivy and rolled around in it. The doctor did assure me that I'm not contagious, so don't worry.<br /><br />I had poison ivy once before. I was in 4th or 5th grade and actually had a legitimate excuse - I had been in the woods at a friend's house. I am SOOOOO itchy now and there's no way it was this bad then. If there is one thing I remember in life and love to complain about, it is my personal ailments.<br /><br />I've used so much calamine lotion in the past few days that I am never going to be able to look at the color pink again. Speaking of which, calamine lotion befuddles me. How is it ALWAYS cold? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamine">Wikipedia</a> doesn't tell me, although it does tell me that in 1992 the FDA basically said, "Nothing will ever make you stop itching. SUCKS TO BE YOU!"<br /><br />So now I wait. In an itchy hell. But then again, it could be worse. I could actually be allergic to a chemical, or worse, a food. That would be terrible.Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-25043161558143238712009-03-02T16:23:00.002-05:002009-03-02T16:57:10.172-05:00I See Dead PeopleOkay actually I don't. But I read about them. A lot. One of the things I am in charge of at work is our huge database of donors and participants and family members and other random connections and such. Having over 10,000 people to keep track of is a lot. When I do mailings, obviously I want to save on postage as much as I can.<br /><br />Therefore, every morning I scour the obituaries on syracuse.com and see if any of my constituents or their family members have died. It's actually one of the favorite parts of my day. Usually I go through the obits first thing in the morning, so I make myself a cup of tea and settle in at my desk. Scouring through the names, I usually find at least one person per day connected to us in some way.<br /><br />Reading all of the obituaries is like going through all the genres of movies or literature. There are the notices of young kids that die in car crashes or stillborn babies that make me want to cry. Then there are the 97-year-old great-grandmas who died peacefully in their sleep after a long fulfilling life.<br /><br />There are several important aspects to every obituary: the life story, the surviving relatives, services, and contributions. The life story is the most varied portion. Some people have one line that says when they died and where they were from and that's it. Others have novels about their childhood through adulthood and lists every club or organization they were involved with and every pet they ever had and every every job they ever held. My goal in life (or death, I suppose) is to have a nice middle-of-the-road obituary. Sorry Pongo - you probably won't make the cut.<br /><br />The "In lieu of flowers" section is the other section I notice the most. It's kind of morbid, but I always hope I'll find our name listed. Memorial donations can raise a lot of money without having to do the solicitation. Now please don't get me wrong - I obviously don't want anyone connected to us to die. <br /><br />Reading the obituaries every day makes you think a lot about...well, death. It's funny those few paragraphs are the way your loved ones choose to represent you to the world. But I guess it's not really important what I think when I read the obituaries about people I don't know. What matters is how the people they knew and influenced remember them.<br /><br />Remember that whole getting ahead of myself thing? Here I am, thinking about my death and how I want to be remembered and all that nonsense. Probably not what I should be focused on right now - I got a long time before that comes (hopefully).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">"There's two dates in time<br />That they'll carve on your stone<br />And everyone knows what they mean<br />What's more important<br />Is the time that is known<br />In that little dash there in between" <br />-Garth Brooks, "Pushing Up Daisies<br /></div>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-56333748779646720922009-02-22T19:16:00.002-05:002009-02-22T19:43:07.695-05:00401khaosMy most recent paycheck included my first deduction into my 401k account. Great time to start investing , right? I picked the plan our strapping young advisor, Dario, suggested, hoping to avoid as much as the market volatility as I can (yea right). It's crazy seeing how much people with a lot of money in their 401k's have lost so much recently, even those not involved in some form of Ponzi scheme. It's a little unnerving that my retirement money is in the hands of something I don't know much about.<br /><br />When I noticed the deduction from my paycheck, it got me thinking about all the things I want to do in life. Places to go, people to see, all that good stuff. Several months ago Rick and I made "things to do before we die" lists. A lot of those things I'd prefer to do before I reach retirement, especially considering I'm probably going to be working until I'm 85 at this rate.<br /><br />Unfortunately, a lot of those things involve money in some way shape or form. Money is scary to me. Even right now, while I live at home and have very few expenses, money is scary. I very often drift into thinking about whether I will have enough money to move out, to get married, to have kids, to retire. Talk about getting ahead of myself.<br /><br />There are some things I don't hesitate to spend money on. Food seems to be one of them (surprised?). Gas to go see Rick. Paying back my loans by more than I need to so I'm done sooner. But there are many other things I can't justify spending money on. For example, CNY Blooms (I really like flowers) is coming up in March on a weekend when Rick might be here. I looked it up online to find more info - tickets are $8 each. Forget it. To me, that seems like a lot - even though I know I could afford it.<br /><br />I think I'm a good saver. I've had a savings account since I was seven and rarely touch it. Direct deposit helps. And now with this 401k I'm putting money toward retirement (aka when my body catches up with my mind).<br /><br />I wish, to some extent, I could think like those people who say, "You're never going to have enough money to (insert activity here), so you might as well do it now." On the other hand, to some extent I wish I could be more self-disciplined and frugal. I guess I need that happy medium. I need to be not so worried about it that it stresses me, but smart enough so I can be semi-comfortable. <br /><br />After all, I <span style="font-style: italic;">am </span>looking forward to the day when I can stay home and do crossword puzzles all day long. But I'd prefer to do it with the help of electricity and gas and all that good stuff.Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-46394686071632551692009-02-08T19:39:00.002-05:002009-02-08T20:47:22.043-05:00Latest Adult Event: The Baby ShowerToday my mom and I went to the baby shower of a very dear friend. It's not like going to a baby shower is anything new. I've been to my fair share, but not in quite a while. For the men out there who have not been to these mystic events, baby or wedding or otherwise, don't worry. You're not missing much.<br /><br />I figure there are three tiers of baby shower guests:<br /><br />1) Girls under the age of 12: They spend most of the time running around and having their cheeks pinched by the resident grandmas and aunts. Their mothers usually force them into the girliest outfit they own, involving lots of pink and ruffles. Usually, they have no idea what's going on as far as the arrival of the baby is concerned.<br /><br />2) Tweens & Teens: Here the constituency splits - some of these girls legitimately are really interested in the coming of the baby and the conversation of the adults - if only because they want to seem older. Some, however, were dragged by their mom to the shower, and outwardly show that they don't want to be there. Cell phones and loud sighs are crucial accessories.<br /><br />3) Adults: You know you have reached this phase when you hear yourself say "Awww!" after the opening of EVERY gift - even the washcloths. Acceptable topics of conversation include pregnancy stories, children stories, where your husband is this morning stories, how good/tired/big/glowing the pregnant woman is...and that's about it. The occasional gossip about mutual friends is also shared.<br /><br />While I do not feel I have completely crossed over into the "adult" category, I feel myself being initiated into their ranks. Now when the pregnancy stories are swapped, I'm pulled into them - "When you have kids you'll know..." The husband stories are substituted with boyfriend and prying minds find themselves asking all sorts of questions about our plans for the future.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong. I like babies. I think baby things are adorable. However, I do not enjoy hovering bunches of women. That much estrogen in one building isn't healthy. Also, I think a girl should own more than pink (the baby who was the subject of today's shower better be a girly-girl). <br /><br />Perhaps when it is friends my own age that are having children it will be different. But if you ever hear me oohing at washcloths, feel free to give me a sharp slap upside the head.Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-17771079213936815422009-02-02T21:15:00.003-05:002009-02-02T21:57:12.314-05:00To Grow Up or Not To Grow UpWhen people learned I would be graduating from SU a year early, I usually got one of two reactions. The first was the "Wow. That's kind of cool/impressive." The second was "Wow. What the hell are you thinking?"<br /><br />Now that I've actually done it, the question is whether or not a regret it. What a loaded question.<br /><br />Financially, I can't regret it. Saving upwards of $30,000 of tuition has obviously saved me a lot of debt. Living at home (for now) is continuing to save me money as I've started to pay of my student loans and had to buy a new car.<br /><br />I also love my job - one that probably wouldn't have been open if I had waited another year. It's really a great combination of the things I liked about my policy studies and public relations majors. Plus the people I work with and the people who receive services from Enable are great.<br /><br />But I have my moments. When I look at away messages on a Thursday night and they all say "At Chuck's!" When I am dragging myself out of bed on Monday morning and wistfully remembering wearing sweatpants to classes that don't start until 10. When the most riveting conversation I have of the day is about how <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5in_7UvH8LrmFlDOdTGyAHoUJkrXQ">porn interrupted the Super Bowl.</a> Sometimes you just need to debate the policies of the U.N. or discuss the international political economy of Sub-Saharan Africa.<br /><br />Perhaps what really got to me was when I started this whole blogging thing again. I went through and read my whole <a href="http://debtheadultversion.blogspot.com/2007/09/no-i-havent-fallen-off-face-of-earth_14.html">blog from when I was in London</a>. To me, my experiences abroad are inextricably linked with many different things, one of those being school. To be able to say, "Hey, let's go to Paris or Stockholm or Dublin for the weekend," is something I'll probably never get to do again. I miss London tremendously, but maybe I miss what it meant to me even more.<br /><br />So here I am. No longer a college student, but not quite ready to be an adult. Stuck somewhere in between. But what's done is done and there's nothing I can do about it. To be very sappy:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.</span><br /><br />The preceding was one big self-pitying ramble. I apologize. My beginning started a long time ago, and I should probably just get on with it.<br /><br />So long for now.Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-8325504712915709902009-01-22T20:39:00.004-05:002009-01-22T21:22:30.082-05:00An Historic Error...of Judgement if Nothing ElseOk, I need to rant. While this whole past week has left me with a sense of great hope for our nation, I feel we are making a vital mistake. Everywhere I turn, the same phrase screams at me and sends me into panicky convulsions.<br /><br />"...an historic election..."<br />"...an historic day..."<br />"...an historic inauguration..."<br /><br />AN historic? Really America? Who decided that would be a good idea?<br /><br />The word "an", as we all know, is used as the indefinite article before a word that begins with a vowel, replacing the word "a". I am very appreciative of "an". It allows for fluidity in conversation at times that could otherwise be very sticky. For example, "A elephant went for a interesting walk in a arboretum while carrying a old watch and a umbrella," does not exactly roll off the tongue.<br /><br />Of course, "an" has another use. Some tricky words begin with consonants but, A-HA, make vowel sounds. You can't fool me, "hour" and "honor" - I'll use "an" for you as well.<br /><br />Now herein lies the problem. "Historic", while beginning with an h like many of those really-a-consonant-but-sounds-like-a-vowel words, is not pronounced "istory", and therefore should not require an "an".<br /><br /><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/an">Dictionary.com </a> gives me this reasoning (emphasis my own):<br />"the form of <span> <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=a&db=luna" style="font-variant: small-caps;">a</a> </span>before an initial vowel sound (<span class="ital-inline">an arch; an honor</span>) and sometimes, <span style="font-weight: bold;">esp. in British English</span>, before an initial unstressed syllable beginning with a silent or weakly pronounced <span class="ital-inline">h</span>: <span class="ital-inline">an historian."<br /><br />I forgive the British. They do actually say "istory". Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have never heard any American say "an historian". Nor have I ever heard any American say "an history book". WHY IN GOD'S NAME IS IT CORRECT TO SAY "AN HISTORIC"?<br /><br />Maybe it's not correct. Maybe <a href="http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=us&q=%22an+historic%22&btnG=Search+News">EVERY media outlet</a> has gotten it wrong. I hope so. But if not, I call upon YOU, America. To quote Gandhi, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." My wish is for the phrase "an historic" to be eradicated from the American English vocabulary (the Brits can keep it). Join me in my quest and we can create a more perfect union.<br /><br />YES WE CAN!<br /></span>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-33718481144231365082009-01-20T17:57:00.003-05:002009-01-20T18:42:57.913-05:00Musings on the InaugurationThe following is a commentary on things that I really have no authority on which to comment. Take from it what you will.<br /><br />The president's (God I love that - President Barack Obama) <a href="http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/read_obamas_inaugural_speech.html">speech</a> today was in some ways exactly what I expected, and in some ways not at all what I expected. It was decidely, and I'm sure deliberately, more somber than all of his past speeches.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">"</span><br /><br />As one of the commentators on NPR put it today, Obama didn't come out and "sing" like in his other speeches. It was his time to grow up, to move from the campaigner to the president. He made it known that there is work to be done - and work to be undone, in his not-so subtle jabs at Bush's policies. He also hinted that things are going to take longer than perhaps projected during the campaign. Unless you are very, VERY naive, this is to be expected. <br /><br />It didn't matter. I, and millions around the country, hung on his every word. The speech covered all points, from the economy to health care to foreign policy to energy. Hooray for restoring "science to its rightful place"!<br /><br />I'm still not quite sure what it is about Obama that intrigues me - his ideas for change, his youth, his ability to instill a sense of hope in everyone. The seriousness of his speech today made me believe he could actually DO something, that it wasn't just all talk - something I have so desperately hoped for over the past few months.<br /><br />I watched the inauguration on www.cnn.com/live at work (don't tell!). And while I was able to hold back the tears (I may have shed one or two on Election Day), I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere projecting from my computer screen. This man, who 50 years ago wouldn't have been able to have a cup of coffee with his vice-president, drew almost 1.5 million people out in JANUARY. Young, old, black, white, families, college kids. The absolute joy and hope of the massive crowd was I think what got to me the most.<br /><br />Some random notes:<br /><ul><li>My motherly instincts took over when all of the former presidents were walking out - all I could think was, "Why are all those old people not wearing hats?!" I'm glad that most later donned some form of ear covering. George H.W. Bush and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psp06SBFIzQ">Aretha Franklin</a> certainly had the right idea.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>I was not very happy with the people who booed Bush. I don't like him either but I would never boo him. You trying doing that job. And to the people who sang "Na na na na hey hey hey goodbye" - slightly funnier, but still inappropriate.</li></ul><ul><li>Also, poor <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/inauguration.kennedy.collapse/index.html">Ted Kennedy</a>! Yikes...thoughts are with him.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>And while I am a strong supporter of the separation of church and state, sometimes I feel it is appropriate. I'm certainly not talking about Rick Warren - him I could have done without. It's one thing to talk about God in an invocation, but Jesus? Anyway, I absolutely loved <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h4SrWpZNd-yocKSO7_9FO51iLJowD95R4RTG0">the benediction given by the Rev. Joseph Lowery</a>. American needs to ensure that "our faith does not shrink though pressed by the flood of mortal ills." Amen to that!</li></ul>So now it begins - a new era for America. And hopefully it will be a new era.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet ."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."</span></span>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-51277057427685671382009-01-18T20:49:00.003-05:002009-01-18T21:53:44.191-05:00Ok, So I Skipped a Year....Right. Blogging. It's been a while. Now that I'm back from <a href="http://debtheadultversion.blogspot.com/2007/09/no-i-havent-fallen-off-face-of-earth_14.html">London</a>, I'm not really sure I have anything exciting to blog about any more. But I figured I give it a go. Please notify me if I become tremendously boring.<br /><br />So let me catch you up on the past year of my life, in case you missed it:<br /><ul><li>Came back from London and spent my last semester at Syracuse living with three great girls on Euclid. Again, I marvel at how my housing situations have worked themselves out. I've never been one to have a lot of girlfriends, but all of my roommates (and adopted roommates) have been great.</li><li>The semester itself was relatively uneventful. I took the standard 5 classes and did okay. Rick was gone all semester doing an internship at the State Assembly in Albany, so I only saw him every other weekend.</li><li>On May 11, 2008, I graduated from Syracuse University. I still haven't quite convinced myself of that fact. I had spent the last few months of the semester frantically searching for a job, to no avail.</li><li>On May 13, 2008 (yes, I took ONE DAY OFF after graduation - believe me, not my choice), I began working full-time as a secretary in my mom's office. Had to have that health insurance.</li><li>After about 3 months of checking patients out and memorizing diagnosis codes (Knee pain? 71946. Depression? 300) I stumbled across a position in the classified section at Enable and applied.</li></ul>So I got the job. I am now the Donor Relations Coordinator at <a href="http://www.enablecny.org">Enable</a>, a non-profit that provides services for people with disabilities. My main functions are fund raising and public relations, and all that those things entail. I really like my job, and Enable is really a great organization. Plus, I have my own office!<br /><br />Enable is on Court Street on the north side of Syracuse. So for now, I'm still living at home in Baldwinsville. Figured I'd should probably save some money.<br /><br />So that's about it. Stay tuned for updates on the real world.Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-72916227126420210972007-12-17T14:10:00.000-05:002007-12-17T14:11:27.666-05:00Home Again<p class="MsoNormal">After a 7 ½ hour flight to <st1:state st="on">New York</st1:State>, a three hour layover, and a 1 a.m. landing in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Syracuse</st1:place></st1:City>, I finally made it home early Friday morning.<span style=""> </span>This past weekend has been spent reflecting on my semester and basking in the familiar comforts of Baldwinsville. <span style=""> </span>My time in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">London</st1:place></st1:City> has affected me greatly, but the experience is hard to put into words.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Let’s be honest.<span style=""> </span>I really didn’t go to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">London</st1:place></st1:City> just to study.<span style=""> </span>Getting credit for classes while there was like an added bonus.<span style=""> </span>I went to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">London</st1:City></st1:place> to learn about the world, and ended up learning even more about myself.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">London</st1:place></st1:City> taught me about different cultures, different ideals, and different values.<span style=""> </span>It showed me that these can coexist, and that these differences should be celebrated, not ignored or rebuked.<span style=""> </span>This lesson is one I will always remember, and will apply to all aspects of my life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>In <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">London</st1:place></st1:City> I learned that I could survive in a big city far from home.<span style=""> </span>Before this trip, I had never been away from <st1:place st="on">Central New York</st1:place> for more than two weeks at a time.<span style=""> </span>Being away makes home much more special and comforting.<span style=""> </span>I learned that I can manage my budget and negotiate a rent.<span style=""> </span>I learned that I’m not a horrendous cook, but that I do have a horrible sense of direction.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I learned of all these things while making <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">London</st1:place></st1:City> my own.<span style=""> </span>To me, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">London</st1:place></st1:City> is my city, although I’m sure all of my peers feel the same way.<span style=""> </span>It was <i style="">my</i> route that I took to school each day, where the store fronts became landmarks and countless tourists asked me for directions as if I was a local.<span style=""> </span>It was <i style="">my</i> grocery store where I went to the same cashier each week because she was the fastest.<span style=""> </span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">London</st1:place></st1:City> is my city, just as it has been the city of millions before me and will be the city of millions to come.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>This weekend I relished in everything I had missed – seeing my family and friends, playing with my dogs, watching the Buffalo Bills and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Syracuse</st1:place></st1:City> basketball, driving my car.<span style=""> </span>Although I could not have imagined a better first weekend home, I have to admit I was a bit torn.<span style=""> </span>Part of me still longed for <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">London</st1:place></st1:City>, for the hustle and bustle of the big city where there was always something to do, for my own flat.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I suppose that’s the mark of a good trip; I wanted to stay and to come home simultaneously.<span style=""> </span>I hope to go back someday and re-visit all of my favorite haunts.<span style=""> </span><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">London</st1:place></st1:City> was the best experience of my life, and I have hundreds of pictures and memories to prove it.<span style=""> </span>Please forgive me if it’s all I talk about for the next, oh, five years or so.</p>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-49206400571820772382007-12-12T05:43:00.000-05:002007-12-12T06:58:34.307-05:00La Vie en Rose<span style="" lang="FR">J’adore Paris</span>. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Monday was my much anticipated trip to Paris with Rick.<span style=""> </span>With wonderful memories and very sore feet, I’ll now describe our day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>For anyone who doesn’t know, I’ve been to Paris before in high school with my French class.<span style=""> </span>This trip was about revisiting my favorite spots in the short amount of time we had, and also making sure Rick got to see the major sights.<span style=""> </span>But mostly it was about just being in a city I fell in love with almost three years ago.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>We woke up at 4:15 a.m., which no one in their right mind should ever do unless it involves a trip to Paris.<span style=""> </span>We caught one of the very first Tube trains to St. Pancras International, the new home of the Eurostar.<span style=""> </span>This is not to be confused with St. Pancreas, the patron saint of insulin.<span style=""> </span>Anyway, the Eurostar is the train which travels under the English Channel through the Chunnel.<span style=""> </span>It reaches speeds of 186 miles per hour, which is faster than an airplane goes on land while it is taking off.<span style=""> </span>The price of trips varies depending on the day and time, but since we went on a Monday we spent only $104 each for roundtrip tickets (which is very good compared to flying). </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgup88YRxn9dNp66-JYSKUsyoXgafGmFdbjSVlrYY3vNvHOyslkh_-WJCiJmtLQ6P4tDPKX3CEYmK3LH2NJzNVBFER_HQ4-vuSohNe3-k8BWaJKbzRG2TmplxqEl6BtmGX1nyY79XX1-PI/s1600-h/Paris+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgup88YRxn9dNp66-JYSKUsyoXgafGmFdbjSVlrYY3vNvHOyslkh_-WJCiJmtLQ6P4tDPKX3CEYmK3LH2NJzNVBFER_HQ4-vuSohNe3-k8BWaJKbzRG2TmplxqEl6BtmGX1nyY79XX1-PI/s200/Paris+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143035751170525138" border="0" /></a>Our train left at 6:30, and we slept almost the entire way.<span style=""> </span>A few of our friends had taken the Eurostar already, and said that the pressure in the Chunnel made their ears hurt much worse than any airplane.<span style=""> </span>It couldn’t have been that bad, because both of us slept right through it.<span style=""> </span>The trip took just about two hours and 15 minutes.<span style=""> </span>France is one hour ahead of London’s time, so we got there just before 10:00 a.m.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>The weather in Paris did not seem to want to facilitate our need to be outside a lot that day.<span style=""> </span>It was quite cold and rained on and off all day long.<span style=""> </span>But even that could not dampen our spirits.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSFjU9sP9uRDDCcrASa6DbyDPfguIx-M-RqVL8-eWgoKl03AlEbOhdQRW3lb738TJxylxLhC626Z1bXYjffSF-4pDHK1bojvJ8zv8q38eSJLjtQEsMhMDo1G_r_eCqpWGjRJSkOK4X10/s1600-h/Paris+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSFjU9sP9uRDDCcrASa6DbyDPfguIx-M-RqVL8-eWgoKl03AlEbOhdQRW3lb738TJxylxLhC626Z1bXYjffSF-4pDHK1bojvJ8zv8q38eSJLjtQEsMhMDo1G_r_eCqpWGjRJSkOK4X10/s200/Paris+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143035991688693730" border="0" /></a>We headed first up the hill to Montmartre, the artsy neighborhood.<span style=""> </span>There, on top of a huge hill, sits <span style="" lang="FR">Sacré Cœur</span>, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.<span style=""> </span>It is a huge white structure that is beautiful both on the inside and out.<span style=""> </span>The hill overlooks the entire city of Paris.<span style=""> </span>It’s really too bad it was cloudy, because I’m sure the view would have been fantastic in the sunshine. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>We then hiked back down the hill, heading toward the Louvre but making a few stops on the way.<span style=""> </span>First we walked through La Place <span style="" lang="FR">Vendôme</span>, which features a huge column of...I don’t really remember.<span style=""> </span>Madame Guillet is going to kill me.<span style=""> </span>Anyway, from there we went to La Madeleine, the church of Mary Magdalene.<span style=""> </span>This church is very unusual in that it looks like an ancient Roman Temple with grand pillars from the inside.<span style=""> </span>We also got to go inside, something I didn’t do last time I was there.<span style=""> </span>It was very different from the outside; it looked much more like a Catholic church or cathedral.<span style=""> </span>The highlight was a gorgeous marble statue of Mary Magdalene and angels behind the altar.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>From there we walked straight to La Place de la Concorde.<span style=""> </span>This square has a giant Egyptian obelisk and some very intricate fountains.<span style=""> </span>Standing on one side we caught our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.<span style=""> </span>I could also make out the <span style="" lang="FR">Musée </span>d’Orsay, the museum which has many paintings by the Impressionists (unfortunately, I didn’t have time to make it back there). <span style=""></span>There was also a Ferris wheel set up, although not many people were on it due to the weather.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Directly leading up to the Louvre is a large garden, <span style="" lang="FR">le Jardin</span> des <span style="" lang="FR">Tuileries</span>.<span style=""> </span>It has a lot of marble statues of Greek or Roman figures, along with various fountains which were at the time full of ducks and seagulls.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_tUVttdqfP01t7N3ELH-2XK2J3q1uaqKfbgwk17leLxeqWGi62aqRlMxiOwXdk-C2viaWlM4iIwTtGMQziMwFYuQHJVAYzGhpegs_oVeH-mb0gMxekNAhc2vr4fSx5m0e2B2vZnUq7c/s1600-h/Paris+030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_tUVttdqfP01t7N3ELH-2XK2J3q1uaqKfbgwk17leLxeqWGi62aqRlMxiOwXdk-C2viaWlM4iIwTtGMQziMwFYuQHJVAYzGhpegs_oVeH-mb0gMxekNAhc2vr4fSx5m0e2B2vZnUq7c/s200/Paris+030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143036232206862322" border="0" /></a>We then arrived at one of the main points of contention among Parisians – the glass pyramid entryway of the Louvre.<span style=""> </span>It was designed by I.M. Pei, the same architect who designed Newhouse I and the Everson Museum in Syracuse.<span style=""> </span>My feelings on it are mixed.<span style=""> </span>On one hand, it is cool in and of itself.<span style=""> </span>On the other, it seems out of place in the middle of the Louvre, a grand horseshoe-shaped building which used to be a palace.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Once in the Louvre, we made sure to hit up some of the most famous works, namely the Mona Lisa and the Code of Hammurabi.<span style=""> </span>I then dragged Rick around to see the French paintings I had learned about in high school.<span style=""> </span>The museum itself is like a work of art.<span style=""> </span>From the time it was a palace, the ceilings, walls, and even floors are intricately and lavishly decorated.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>After a few hours in the Louvre, we walked along Paris’ river, the Seine, until we reached the islands in the middle of the river.<span style=""> </span>We crossed onto them and veered toward Notre Dame.<span style=""> </span>Before visiting the famous cathedral, we stopped and had Croc Monsieur for lunch, a French sandwich that is equivalent to the American peanut butter and jelly in its popularity.<span style=""> </span>It consists of ham and cheese with a cheese sauce, grilled and covered with more cheese. <span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>We ducked into Notre Dame just as the rain started to come down harder.<span style=""> </span>After being in Europe and seeing many other cathedrals and grand churches, Notre Dame doesn’t seem quite as big as it did three years ago.<span style=""> </span>I still like it very much though, and the outside is probably my favorite of all that I’ve seen.<span style=""> </span>Inside was also the first chance we’d had to sit down all day long, and our weary feet and backs were glad for it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>From Notre Dame we retraced our footsteps almost exactly backwards: back along the Seine, through <span style="" lang="FR">le Jardin des Tuileries</span>, and through La Place de la Concorde.<span style=""> </span>We then walked down the Champs <span style="" lang="FR">Élysées</span>, perhaps the most famous street in Paris and a big shopping street. <span style=""> </span>At the end of the street is La Place des <span style="" lang="FR">Étoiles</span>, a hectic traffic circle with twelve streets radiating from it.<span style=""> </span>In the center of the circle sits <span style="" lang="FR">L’Arc de Triomphe</span>, a grand arch built by Napoleon that now serves as a war memorial.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fZ6bOKw_TIfynv4Ozky2CxWw6UZgrX6LDld9gyKteufRQlT0fEE8rJnVmDRBx15agz2u8bbmNO1ILnVWWcwOA0TU6jJg5jR-LNJJMIJK20iXGLxLe-90wAE7kvtklfHSNnQD1hcIykI/s1600-h/Paris+057.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fZ6bOKw_TIfynv4Ozky2CxWw6UZgrX6LDld9gyKteufRQlT0fEE8rJnVmDRBx15agz2u8bbmNO1ILnVWWcwOA0TU6jJg5jR-LNJJMIJK20iXGLxLe-90wAE7kvtklfHSNnQD1hcIykI/s320/Paris+057.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143036601574049794" border="0" /></a>Our last stop was the Eiffel Tower.<span style=""> </span>Just before heading up the Tower, we grabbed some <span style="" lang="FR">crêpes</span> from a stand.<span style=""> </span>Crêpes are very flat, sweet pancakes.<span style=""> </span>We had ours covered in chocolate, and the vendor folded them to make them easier to eat.<span style=""> </span>Having crêpes while looking up at the Eiffel Tower kind of encapsulated our entire French experience.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>We headed up to the top of the Eiffel Tower in giant elevators.<span style=""> </span>The top floor of the Tower has an inside room that labels the views of Paris and also shows the distances to foreign cities.<span style=""> </span>We were something like 5,000 kilometers from New York.<span style=""> </span>The wind outside was ferociously strong and freezing, but we braved it for the view.<span style=""> </span>Absolutely breathtaking.<span style=""> </span>To top it all off, the Tower has lights that sparkle on the hour for ten minutes, and it started to do so when we reached the top.<span style=""> </span>It was still going as we were walking away, and that was our last view of it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Because we were very tired and short on time, we took the Paris metro back to the train station.<span style=""> </span>It was pretty busy, but nowhere near as packed as I have seen the Tube at times.<span style=""> </span>We grabbed sandwiches for dinner in the train station, and boarded the Eurostar for London.<span style=""> </span>I was awake through the Chunnel this time (the pressure wasn’t too bad), but fell asleep shortly after.<span style=""> </span>We got back to our flat a little after 11:00 Monday night.<span style=""> </span>Needless to say, I slept like a rock.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I am so glad we had the chance to do this trip.<span style=""> </span>We had considered staying in London, since it is our last week, but I don’t regret it at all.<span style=""> </span>We had a wonderful day and it was a great way to cap off our time in Europe.</p>Make sure you check out the rest of my <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/deb.oonk">pictures!</a>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-31262144027431082732007-12-09T14:55:00.000-05:002007-12-09T15:30:45.905-05:00Last Weekend in LondonAs the time to go home draws closer, the weather just seems to get worse and worse. Maybe it's a sign.<br /><br />Thursday was the last official day of classes, so that night SU threw us a going away party, complete with prizes, photo slideshow, and chocolate fountain. They also fed us dinner, and people I haven't seen since the day we landed seemed to crawl out of the woodwork. It's funny who shows up when there's free food.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcm7pkC_Ki9ESaKsG4nj_qn6B0wRMX5gBIdYPEbUCG7u3unjUboQQ917p8HzDmBm_6vg0273e8eLCenkYPoT1NRzp-SQgPJguAH5fHndKUfnxNXiK4-YPBIjwOKhcXCbGhUTAMoKDTlQ/s1600-h/12.2.07+-+12.9.07+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 89px; height: 119px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcm7pkC_Ki9ESaKsG4nj_qn6B0wRMX5gBIdYPEbUCG7u3unjUboQQ917p8HzDmBm_6vg0273e8eLCenkYPoT1NRzp-SQgPJguAH5fHndKUfnxNXiK4-YPBIjwOKhcXCbGhUTAMoKDTlQ/s320/12.2.07+-+12.9.07+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142072909697075090" border="0" /></a>Friday night Rick and I headed to a Winter Festival in Hyde Park. There were stalls set up with vendors from Lapland (the Scandinavian area waaaaay up north) selling Christmasy and homemade items. The festival also had food stalls and carnival rides - there was even a Christmas-themed haunted house.<br /><br />The highlight of the festival was a miniature version of the London Eye. From the top we could see the real Eye, Westminster, and many other highlights of London. It was very pretty all lit up at night.<br /><br />We woke to a very rainy Saturday, so we headed to the museums for the day. We went to the Science Museum. I had hoped this would be like the MOST, but it was more about the history of science, especially engineering. They did have some interesting exhibits on medicine through the ages. We then popped next door back to the Natural History Museum to catch the exhibits we missed last time we rushed through.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFeQY67rQy4-IGPnFpTqzhiv-SeiMmE3H55h1-JJ6X9kXHlq2Flr0XdWADNN8pDsPpfcr_LM4-1I-7xxoFoBi6LSB6HDKaodRISRfkYLY4z7og501eUmbrDduUKHQRCdF9AtwJzzyxgs/s1600-h/12.2.07+-+12.9.07+043.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFeQY67rQy4-IGPnFpTqzhiv-SeiMmE3H55h1-JJ6X9kXHlq2Flr0XdWADNN8pDsPpfcr_LM4-1I-7xxoFoBi6LSB6HDKaodRISRfkYLY4z7og501eUmbrDduUKHQRCdF9AtwJzzyxgs/s320/12.2.07+-+12.9.07+043.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142073244704524194" border="0" /></a>Today (Sunday) we went to Buckingham Palace in the morning to see the changing of the guards. I'm glad we went to see the Palace, but the guard ceremony was not very impressive, especially after what we'd seen at the Swedish Royal Palace.<br /><br />The remaining bits of the weekend were spent putting our flat back together for our departure. I can't believe it's come so fast. I have two finals on Wednesday, but that's it. Tomorrow Rick and I head to Paris for the day. Be sure to check back soon for details on that trip...Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-43013992849861367472007-12-05T06:33:00.000-05:002007-12-07T09:50:41.473-05:00Rainy Weekend in LondonWow.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>I’ll be home in just over a week.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>This semester has absolutely flown by. <p class="MsoNormal">The weather was very funny this past weekend.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>It was fairly warm, reaching as high as 50 at some points.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>However, it rained on and off – and when it rained, it poured.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>There were also some periods of winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1kmUkxvycGoFpWJWVQombvdeRz_ypZoUoZOjZ9tMinXTxWoeRpGnB-zsiia0-k_VyOQqvOlsoXxTs22FTja3OY5c5G8rpNibuswcYVrQflSr6BitKITf69FB1GWE9HIpl0SjTfoXGnQ/s1600-h/11.27.07+-+11.30.07+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140450979722249730" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1kmUkxvycGoFpWJWVQombvdeRz_ypZoUoZOjZ9tMinXTxWoeRpGnB-zsiia0-k_VyOQqvOlsoXxTs22FTja3OY5c5G8rpNibuswcYVrQflSr6BitKITf69FB1GWE9HIpl0SjTfoXGnQ/s200/11.27.07+-+11.30.07+002.jpg" border="0" /></a>Last Thursday I met Rick at school after his class and we headed down the block to the British Museum.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>This museum is full of ancient and relatively modern artifact.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Sadly, most of them were probably stolen from other countries at the height of the British Empire.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Anyways, we saw everything from mummies to Greek statues to Islamic art to Victorian porcelain to china from a factory in Syracuse!</p><p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps the most famous artifact owned by the British Museum is the Rosetta Stone.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>This stone, which is about four feet tall, was the missing piece that allowed historians to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>It has the same thing written three times – once in hieroglyphics, once in a more modern form of Egyptian, and once in Greek.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Friday we went to another museum.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>This time it was the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>This gallery features art (I believe almost wholly European art) ranging in time from about 1250 to 1900.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>We packed a lunch and ate when we arrived at Trafalgar Square sitting on the steps of the gallery.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Trafalgar Square is dedicated to the Battle of Trafalgar, when Lord Admiral Nelson beat Napoleon.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>The main feature of the square is the huge Nelson’s Column, which is flanked by four massive lions.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>There are several other statues and fountains, framed in the back by the massive National Gallery.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKmiAq46CWDNjcsyBg-WVrLoN5YcX1zex32BZWtzOpMveLOgDUFzljAagoqZ0B6BRb_ebKEPexRMX6TiWPNcYzoh_IIb0lKnH2UWzXnZfviD_5ej8x0ZfSQLcinLUZopb1vUU4i-bsWg/s1600-h/11.27.07+-+11.30.07+017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140451224535385618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKmiAq46CWDNjcsyBg-WVrLoN5YcX1zex32BZWtzOpMveLOgDUFzljAagoqZ0B6BRb_ebKEPexRMX6TiWPNcYzoh_IIb0lKnH2UWzXnZfviD_5ej8x0ZfSQLcinLUZopb1vUU4i-bsWg/s200/11.27.07+-+11.30.07+017.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">We headed into the gallery just in time to get out of the rain.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>My main purpose in visiting the gallery was to see the Impressionism exhibit, which featured painting by Degas, Monet, Manet, Morisot, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, and others – bringing me wonderfully back to high school French class.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>We started with the Impressionists and worked our way back through time.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>As the paintings got older, the subjects got more and more monotonous.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>When Rick said that if he saw one more painting of shepherds offering gifts to baby Jesus he was going to scream, we decided it was time to leave.</p><p class="MsoNormal">We sprinted through the rain across the square to the St. Martin-in-the-Fields church.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>I could not honestly tell you what the church looks like – the whole building was covered in scaffolding and the inside was closed for a concert rehearsal.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Rick was recommended the Café in the Crypt by someone from home, so we decided we would pop in for at least a cup of tea.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">The café is literally in the crypt of the church – there are brick vaulted ceilings and the floor is made of tombstones.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>We looked at the menu and decided we would have a proper English High Tea, as we hadn’t done that yet (most hotels and other places that do it charge at least £15 – about $30).<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>For £5.25 we got a piece of layered chocolate cake, a piece of sponge cake with cherries in it, a scone, jam, whipped cream, and a mini-teapot that had two cups of tea in it.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>I couldn’t eat it all, but wrapped up my scone and jam, which made a wonderful breakfast the next morning.</p><p class="MsoNormal">On the way home the rain was becoming steadily heavier, so we decided to duck back into Hamley’s (the huge toy store) to wait for the rain to pass and see the Christmas chaos.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Okay, really Rick just wanted to play with the toys.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Anyway, this might not have been the best idea, because when we emerged about an hour later, it was raining even harder.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>We returned home soaked to the skin, and spent the rest of the night huddled in about six layers of clothing over some intense Scrabble games.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Saturday started out, once again, as a gorgeous day.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>I looked out my window to see the beautiful sunshine and passers-by wearing nothing more than sweatshirts.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>However, looking closer I also saw that the signs and awnings of the stores and restaurants across from us were whipping around and their owners were frantically chasing them.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>The winds had started.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Deciding it would be wise to not go too far, Rick, our roommate Jessica and I went to a Lebanese restaurant for lunch.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I have lived off Edgware Road, which is heavily populated by people with Lebanese (and other Middle Eastern countries) backgrounds, for more than three months.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Practically every other store front is a restaurant, yet I had not yet eaten at one.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>We chose a restaurant only two doors down from our flat.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>I had hummus with lamb meat and Lebanese rice, Rick had falafel and rice with lamb meat in it, and Jessica had seasoned potatoes with fried vegetables.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>We all left with very satisfied taste buds and very full stomachs.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSBi67EQ_rPgrpR5U-t_5VQ_aHtYuCOkJ0sF0wYv0yi4Qln_kruBVxNGpsqHtN3EboHx5ChSju2f1f6AhXUGHeRZDRGNivo4lq_chsv-tG6pLCCVURsAN05NwUZ7gBbKjMYUos3rPKIM/s1600-h/12.1.07+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140451619672376866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSBi67EQ_rPgrpR5U-t_5VQ_aHtYuCOkJ0sF0wYv0yi4Qln_kruBVxNGpsqHtN3EboHx5ChSju2f1f6AhXUGHeRZDRGNivo4lq_chsv-tG6pLCCVURsAN05NwUZ7gBbKjMYUos3rPKIM/s200/12.1.07+001.jpg" border="0" /></a>Saturday was a special day in the West End of London.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Oxford, Bond, and Regent streets, the main shopping areas, were closed to all traffic.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Hordes of people filled the streets and were entertained as they shopped by musicians, clowns, and other street performers.</p><p class="MsoNormal">With no real shopping to do, Rick and I headed out mostly just to watch the madness.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>We ducked into Selfridges, a posh department store which always has interesting window displays.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>There we discovered it was possible to spend over $1,000 on a sweater and $600 for a child’s winter jacket.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Most major department stores here also have food halls, which are basically mini-grocery stores with cafés too.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Selfridges seemed to have an extensive American food selection, where a homesick American could pay £4 for Jif peanut butter and £6.50 for Aunt Jemima syrup.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>I guess I don’t miss it <i>that</i> much. </p><p class="MsoNormal">While we were out walking around, (surprise, surprise) it started raining again.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>This time we ducked into the massive Apple store on Regent Street.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>The store in Carousel Mall ain’t got nothing on this.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Two stories of gadgets and computers.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>We played with the latest versions of the iPhone, the iPod Touch (basically an iPhone without the phone – but you can still get online), and the iPod Nano.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Maybe in ten years I will be able to buy an iPhone.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Sunday our grand plans to visit another of London’s parks and maybe the London Zoo were squashed by rain, gale force winds and a paper that took much longer to write than it should have.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Rest assured, although the winds continued throughout the day, the rain and homework were finished by 2:00.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span><span style="font-size:+0;"></span><span style="font-size:+0;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">That’s about it.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>Tomorrow (Wednesday) is my last day of classes.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>I have one short paper and two final exams to go.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>And on Monday Rick and I are taking the Eurostar to Paris.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>The Eurostar is the need high speed train that goes from London through the Chunnel to Paris in just over two hours.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>We’re leaving at about 6:30 Monday morning (uggh) and will get back about 10:00 Monday night.<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span>I can’t wait!<span style="font-size:+0;"> </span></p>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-71275421564019448802007-11-28T07:44:00.000-05:002007-11-28T07:48:51.416-05:00Thanksgiving WeekendThis past weekend proved to be another very busy couple of days. <p class="MsoNormal">Thursday, as you know, was Thanksgiving.<span style=""> </span>Thanksgiving is, of course, a very American holiday, and not celebrated in the U.K.<span style=""> </span>However, hundreds of Americans are either living abroad in London or visiting right now, and St. Paul’s Cathedral has an annual Thanksgiving service.<span style=""> </span>St. Paul’s is the masterpiece of architect Sir Christopher Wren, who rebuilt many important aspects of London after the great fire in 1666. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYuZgOMgiXifHeBKLmjm61gm0QmzBJHzH_nDvZ_aHvcKnHM7yM2TuuFObvhu23tkdRb_5_gBjWnOdnpGrYvanTojlFbY8ax7H6fPRcY9MJNHDa87exof1A-ITO2sl6NEwUkpZyOw2fDY/s1600-h/11.19.07+-+11.26.07+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 237px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYuZgOMgiXifHeBKLmjm61gm0QmzBJHzH_nDvZ_aHvcKnHM7yM2TuuFObvhu23tkdRb_5_gBjWnOdnpGrYvanTojlFbY8ax7H6fPRcY9MJNHDa87exof1A-ITO2sl6NEwUkpZyOw2fDY/s320/11.19.07+-+11.26.07+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137871746739969218" border="0" /></a>The cathedral is huge, and its prominent feature is a massive dome over the center.<span style=""> </span>Inside, half is whitewashed, but the other half is ornately painted and gilded.<span style=""> </span>The service itself was very nice, with readings from the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain and the pastor of the American Church of London. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">That afternoon, the SU center decided to treat us all to a lunch to soothe our homesickness.<span style=""> </span>It was not exactly successful in that, as the caterer they hired brought turkey sandwiches and sweet potato wedges, and ran out of food within an hour.<span style=""> </span>Apparently this was not the first Thanksgiving lunch they had thrown, and even the center staff was disappointed by this one.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thursday night we tried to get as close to home as possible.<span style=""> </span>We made turkey breasts (no way our ridiculously slow oven could have handled a whole turkey), mashed potatoes (with no electric mixer – just some very large spoons and our very large muscles), and gravy (from a packet – nothing like Plainville).<span style=""> </span>After dinner, we headed to the bar at the University of London Student Union, as they had advertised that they would be showing the American football games.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Even with all these substitutes, it was a little sad not to be home for Thanksgiving.<span style=""> </span>I am definitely looking forward to going to Rochester for Christmas </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Friday we went on our last school-sponsored trip.<span style=""> </span>This one was to Windsor Castle, which is only about 45 minutes to the west of London.<span style=""> </span>Windsor has always held a special place in the hearts of the royal family.<span style=""> </span>In fact, the Queen goes there most weekends, and makes it quite clear she prefers it to Buckingham Palace.<span style=""> </span>In case you were wondering, the castle is also where the royal family gets their last name from.<span style=""> </span>When Queen Victoria married Albert Saxe-Coburg, she took his last name, and this therefore became the last name of all her family.<span style=""> </span>However, during World War I many people with German-sounding last names changed them to something more British.<span style=""> </span>The royal family was no exception and changed theirs to Windsor, after their favorite castle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">There has been a castle at Windsor since around the 11<sup>th</sup> century, when the invading Normans built it to defend their new land from the natives.<span style=""> </span>It has many interesting features – Henry VIII and several other royals are buried in the chapel there.<span style=""> </span>The state apartments are open to the public when there are no royal functions, so we got to see where the Queen throws her royal bashes.<span style=""> </span>There was also an exhibit of Queen Mary’s dollhouse.<span style=""> </span>This sounds kind of stupid, but the dollhouse was huge with working electricity and paintings by famous artists.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, we couldn’t take pictures of it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">After our time in the castle, we had some time to explore the surrounding town.<span style=""> </span>Windsor is<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvwLZIWSlr3TrZUcUKQLGmwBRsv-jaUx3Z_zfCfSA4E2WCw8bQbyjSYdHY8UzWbBW9GwOoG9BL83IbZ9zTyadL9qkhBNhZSA2ptxnaZDaed5-vjBZXAFErDf1WtuJZy7jPa4CsvOMPP4/s1600-h/11.19.07+-+11.26.07+046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvwLZIWSlr3TrZUcUKQLGmwBRsv-jaUx3Z_zfCfSA4E2WCw8bQbyjSYdHY8UzWbBW9GwOoG9BL83IbZ9zTyadL9qkhBNhZSA2ptxnaZDaed5-vjBZXAFErDf1WtuJZy7jPa4CsvOMPP4/s320/11.19.07+-+11.26.07+046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137872232071273682" border="0" /></a> about a 20 minute walk across the River Thames to Eton, home of the famous all-boys private school (the princes went to school there).<span style=""> </span>It’s called Eton College, but college here also means high school.<span style=""> </span>There is a prep school for ages seven to 13, and then from 14 to 18, boys are taught at the college itself.<span style=""> </span>We walked to the school, and then the opposite direction to the park in front of the castle.<span style=""> </span>For some reason, every Friday that we travel on seems to be the coldest day of the week, so we spent our last half hour or so warming in a little coffee shop.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After paying our last rent payment (yay!) Saturday morning, we went to a football game.<span style=""> </span>Now, remember I’m in Europe, so by football I really mean soccer.<span style=""> </span>The school had managed to get us discount tickets for only £5, and we had at least 15 kids there.<span style=""> </span>The game was Queens Park Rangers (QPR) vs. Sheffield Wednesday.<span style=""> </span>These teams are not in the Premier League, which features the famous teams like Chelsea and Manchester United, but in the Championship League.<span style=""> </span>One interesting thing about the league structure here is that teams can move between them.<span style=""> </span>QPR used to be in the Premier League, but then had some bad seasons and got demoted.<span style=""> </span>Similarly, teams who out-compete other teams in their league can be bumped up to higher levels.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The stadium held a little more than 15,000 fans, and almost every seat was full.<span style=""> </span>The Sheffield supporters were all concentrated on one side of the stadium, and were VERY loud.<span style=""> </span>In fact, they were louder than the home fans.<span style=""> </span>They were singing or chanting or cheering non-stop through the entire game.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">A football game consists of two 45-minute halves, but the clock never stops during that time (no time-outs or commercial breaks).<span style=""> </span>The referee then adds (rather arbitrarily, it seems) a certain amount of “stoppage time” to the end of the game.<span style=""> </span>I don’t really understand the rules of football, but it was a good time.<span style=""> </span>Watching the game in person was definitely better than trying to watch it on television.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think I’ve decided why I don’t really like soccer.<span style=""> </span>It seems much too unorganized for me.<span style=""> </span>I’m sure there is strategy and such, but I certainly can’t pick it out.<span style=""> </span>You can switch from being on offense to defense and back again within a matter of seconds, and sometimes it is hard to tell who even has the ball.<span style=""> </span>Even in basketball, if you are on offense you normally stay there for at least a few seconds.<span style=""> </span>However, I will say that the players must be great athletes to be running up and down the field for 90 minutes non-stop.<span style=""> </span>On the other hand, some are also big drama queens, falling down and screaming after barely getting hit.<span style=""> </span>The whole game I just really wanted someone to get tackled.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sunday Rick and I had signed up to do a charity fun run.<span style=""> </span>It wasn’t a big run in London or anything – just a run organized by one of the administrators at SU.<span style=""> </span>There were about 15 of us running, and we went to Hampstead Heath, which is a big park on the north side of London.<span style=""> </span>We ran through the mud (there were no paved paths) and up some giant hills.<span style=""> </span>Needless to say, I am quite sore today.<span style=""> </span>But I beat a lot of the boys in, so also quite proud of myself.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After the run we were all treated to a proper Thanksgiving meal at the home of another person who works at SU.<span style=""> </span>There was turkey, mashed potatoes, ziti, casseroles, rolls, chili, and pumpkin pie.<span style=""> </span>We all stuffed ourselves and were exhausted from the combination of running and eating so much.<span style=""> </span>It was a great meal.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The SU center has a film club every once in a while for students to explore British cinema.<span style=""> </span>Sunday night the club met to watch British sitcoms.<span style=""> </span>Some of them were very funny, while others were stereotypical British humor that none of us really got.<span style=""> </span>Again we got free food in the form of popcorn and fruit.<span style=""> </span>After coming home from that, I was so tired I just crashed without even eating dinner.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-44022847455168854152007-11-19T13:05:00.000-05:002007-11-19T13:45:31.591-05:00Counting down the days...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQg0P44GeNoXpoTyLdHOdmswMw5Y4Hvpr1BI7CuyK2IhYZoqm_wpGOrt2ZeR2wdnUhhkrng2w4mOvYz63_NjrgGb8rhDQe_4LqqFTk6aUeSznscSAwZak3Cdqs3u0JPOsJTgBkXDK7rY/s1600-h/11.12.07+-+11.18.07+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQg0P44GeNoXpoTyLdHOdmswMw5Y4Hvpr1BI7CuyK2IhYZoqm_wpGOrt2ZeR2wdnUhhkrng2w4mOvYz63_NjrgGb8rhDQe_4LqqFTk6aUeSznscSAwZak3Cdqs3u0JPOsJTgBkXDK7rY/s320/11.12.07+-+11.18.07+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134614450208971666" border="0" /></a><br />It seems that everyone has now hit panic mode. With only a few short weeks left in London, we are spending our days trying to pack the sightseeing and stuff we've meant to do all semester into any free time we have, all while gearing up for final exams and papers. I am no exception to this, and consequently had a very busy weekend.<br /><br />Thursday night Rick and I planned to see a show. We really wanted to see <span style="font-style: italic;">MacBeth</span>, because the lead role is currently being played by none other than Patrick Stewart (aka Captain Jean-Luc Picard). We were dismayed to find out that <span style="font-style: italic;">MacBeth</span> has sold out all of its remaining shows. It turns out Patrick Stewart is sick and wouldn't be appearing anyways.<br /><br />We ended up seeing <span style="font-style: italic;">Spamalot</span>, the musical based on <span style="font-style: italic;">Monty Python and the Holy Grail</span>. I am not a Python fanatic, but was introduced to the movies in middle school by some friends and can quote a fair share of <span style="font-style: italic;">Holy Grail</span> lines. The musical turned out to be a perfect combination of Monty Python quotes and new material. While preserving the main storyline, it also managed to poke fun at the show biz industry and the actors themselves. It was really funny.<br /><br />Friday we went on another school trip - this time to Oxford, about an hour and a half west of London. Like Cambridge, Oxford University is made up of separate, fiercely independent colleges. The architecture was impressive and there were also some very nice green spaces. We had a professor as a tour guide who took us around and showed us some main points of the campus, and also took us inside one of the colleges. The Hogwarts dining hall is filmed in one of Oxford's halls, but it was about $6 to go in and we didn't have much time.<br /><br />By luck, there happened to be a French market in town while we were there. The professor told us that the vendors set up in one city for a day and then move right on to the next, all over Europe, and that it would probably take three years for them to return to Oxford again. There was a tantalizing selection of bread, cheeses, and other French staples. Rick and I settled for some delicious pastries for the bus ride home.<br /><br />Saturday was quite an experience - we went played paintball with a group from school. They had worked out a deal where we got our own field, 600 paintballs, guns, and protective gear for only $20. I'd never been paintballing before, but I'm told this is a really good deal. It was a lot of fun. We had two marshals who took us to different fields and explained different games to us. I felt like a little kid running around and basically playing capture the flag, but it was a lot of fun. I am a little bruised and battered - some welts from paintball shots and some bruised knees from crawling around - but it was worth it.<br /><br />Sunday afternoon Rick and I visited the Natural History Museum. We didn't have much time before the museum closed, but we had a good time wandering around the models of the Earth, the stuffed birds and the dinosaur bones. On our way back, we had just rounded the corner away from the museum when we heard a very frightened little voice yelling, "Maman! Maman!" Recognizing the cries of a lost little boy, I asked him if he was lost. My fear was that he would not speak any English - his accent sounded French to me, but very well could have been Spanish or Italian. French would have been okay, but I didn't know how I could help him if he started rattling off something else. <br /><br />It turned out he was French, but immediately started talking to me in perfect English. He had lost his mother and siblings when he stopped to tie his shoe. After getting him to stop crying, we walked back towards the museum with him until his mother caught up to where we had been walking (she hadn't even left the museum yet). They started talking rapidly in French and Rick and I set off home.<br /><br />I don't bring this story up for the fact that the little boy was lost, but for his language skills. At eight years old his English, although with a French accent, could not have been better if he had been born in the U.K. In most European non-English speaking countries, children begin learning English as a second language by the time they are five, if not before. In fact, this is supposed to be the time when it is easiest to learn a new language. Why then in America do we not start another language until seventh or eighth grade? The world is shrinking, and foreign languages are becoming more and more important. We're not keeping up.<br /><br />Excuse my rant. Back to Sunday - Sometime while we were in the museum the heavens had let loose and it was pouring. At one point, we went through an underpass to cross under one of the very busy streets. Rick said, "Be careful on the stairs, they are probably slippery." No sooner had the words come out of his mouth, my feet went out from underneath me and I slid down a few concrete steps. Luckily I escaped with nothing more than small bruises to my backside and my pride.<br /><br />Sunday night, as you may know, my Buffalo Bills played the undefeated New England Patriots in the night game. Having discovered that Sunday and Monday Night Football are aired here (albeit at 1:30 at the morning), and having an altered class schedule on Monday (I didn't have to be in until noon), I was thrilled to realize I could watch the Bills play. I don't really know what I was hoping for. When it was 55-10 at 4:00 in the morning, I gave up and went to bed.<br /><br />The weather seems to have turned for the worse in Britain. When we went to Oxford it was bitterly cold, and the rest of the weekend it rained or at least sprinkled almost constantly. Today has been a very odd day, with random downpours and chilly winds paired with sunshine and moderate temperatures. Kind of reminds me of Syracuse....Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-82103453126004276742007-11-11T15:24:00.000-05:002007-11-12T07:56:42.512-05:00Relaxing in Bath<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9wLvAZdc4DG-1oWNdNDCylfMgNqCPHfXEDo4w4KOCC8NFl3KNP6C8EkRFPNR3a1S9H58sCI7hVcMklXkTV3wqUSuxyaj09LpKvrLT_VsfC2Qw6scu_BLoVAO4hP2c4jXyfPYFq-_d6I/s1600-h/11.5.07+-+11.9.07+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9wLvAZdc4DG-1oWNdNDCylfMgNqCPHfXEDo4w4KOCC8NFl3KNP6C8EkRFPNR3a1S9H58sCI7hVcMklXkTV3wqUSuxyaj09LpKvrLT_VsfC2Qw6scu_BLoVAO4hP2c4jXyfPYFq-_d6I/s320/11.5.07+-+11.9.07+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131684382919523010" border="0" /></a>This week was a fairly typical week of classes and homework.<span style=""> </span>On Friday however, we went on another school-sponsored trip.<span style=""> </span>This time we traveled about two and a half hours to the west of London, to the city of Bath. <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;">Bath gets its name and tourist qualities from the presence of a large hot water spring.<span style=""> </span>It was first discovered more than 2,000 years ago, when a Celtic king was miraculously cured of his leprosy by spending time in the spring’s muddy waters.<span style=""> </span>When the Romans invaded in A.D. 43, they harnessed the power of the spring and built a lavish bathing house.<span style=""> </span>They dedicated the area to the goddess Minerva, and surrounded the bathing house with a courtyard and temple.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;">Many of the structural aspects from Roman times are long gone, but a surprising number still remain.<span style=""> </span>For example, the Roman drain that carries used water to the River Avon is still operational.<span style=""> </span>Other parts of the bath were added in the 16<sup>th</sup>, 17<sup>th</sup>, and 18<sup>th</sup> centuries, as royals and aristocrats traveled to Bath to relax in the springs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;">The bathing house in Roman times consisted of the main bath, hot and cold water plunges, steam rooms, and the sacred spring.<span style=""> </span>The main bath is about the size of an Olympic swimming pool, but the water is now an uninviting shade of green and very murky – visitors are warned to not even touch the water, as it is untreated and surrounded by lead pipes and walls.<span style=""> </span>Its temperature is naturally constant at about 80 degrees.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;">Part of the old bathing house is now a museum devoted to displays of the Celtic and Roman artifacts that have been found throughout the city of Bath.<span style=""> </span>One of the most impressive pieces was the roof façade of the temple, which featured a sun man and intricate carvings.<span style=""> </span>The museum also explained how the Romans connected to the native Celtic culture.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;">I have to give it to the Romans for their engineering.<span style=""> </span>In order to keep the bathing house warm, they placed the floors on piles of ceramic tiles and used a furnace to allow steam and warmth pass among the tiles to the floor and walls.<span style=""> </span>Some of the rooms were so hot you could only spend a few minutes in them or you would pass out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;">The sacred spring is where the water actually emerges from the earth and gas passes through it to make it bubble.<span style=""> </span>In Roman times, no one was allowed to actually go in this spring.<span style=""> </span>Pilgrims and villagers would throw offerings to the goddess in the spring in hopes she would help them with whatever hardship they were facing.<span style=""> </span>After the Romans, the spring was under control of the Catholic abbey next door, and monks brought invalid to the spring in order to heal them.<span style=""> </span>Later, only kings and other royalty were allowed in the spring.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;">This trip was kind of unstructured compared to others we had been on, but it was still very informative.<span style=""> </span>This was because the museum provided everyone with audio guides, so we could go about the bathing house at our own pace and decided which things we wanted to learn more about.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;">After spending about two hours in the bathhouse, Rick and I set off to explore the city a bit.<span style=""> </span>Our guide had told us to seek out one of the many chocolate shops in Bath if we wanted something sweet.<span style=""> </span>Anyone who knows me will not be surprised to learn that this was the main purpose of my wandering.<span style=""> </span>We finally came across a chocolate café.<span style=""> </span>Rick had toffee hot chocolate and orange chocolate mousse, while I had regular chocolate mousse and “Chocolate Indulgence,” a drink which involved pouring hot chocolate over a scoop of chocolate ice cream.<span style=""> </span>It was really good, but very rich, and needless to say I was feeling just a little queasy when we left the shop.<span style=""> </span></p> <span style=""><span style="font-family:verdana;">The downside to this trip was the amount of time we had in Bath compared to the travel time. The round-trip travel time on the bus was about five hours, while we only had about 3 ½ hours in Bath itself. It was a very pretty city, and I think it would be a good place for an extended day trip. We took the scenic route home, and I was very glad we did. The bus wound up a very steep hill, and from the top we could see the entire city, the countryside, and the mountains of Wales in the distance. And I got to see sheep again. Lots and lots of sheep.</span><span style=""><span style="font-family:verdana;"> </span><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_E8In1GisRAGQRIe4s7Q4SSz38-ItQA27xbpR7GbJQXhL308TdaFXSPjyoFICgUkYZyOJJBYzSEOSzM6uxasEfghRlzyfm7F9x_iWWknuncW0nxSpZIe162QAc_I7MC68QbRq0IzPzc/s1600-h/11.11.07+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_E8In1GisRAGQRIe4s7Q4SSz38-ItQA27xbpR7GbJQXhL308TdaFXSPjyoFICgUkYZyOJJBYzSEOSzM6uxasEfghRlzyfm7F9x_iWWknuncW0nxSpZIe162QAc_I7MC68QbRq0IzPzc/s320/11.11.07+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131936660708556082" border="0" /></a><span style=""><span style=""><span style="font-family:verdana;">Sunday (today) was fairly busy by my usual Sunday standards. Rick and I went out to lunch at Wagamama, a Japanese restaurant near our flat. It was kind of like Ichiban Lite - no chef right at your table, but much cheaper. The food was very good, and we left very full. We then walked through Hyde Park, the big park near us. This is the first weekend the leaves have really changed and fallen, and the park was really nice. It reminded me of home and the SU campus. The other end of the park is in a very ritzy shopping district, and we stopped by Harrod's, the famous department store. It was an absolute zoo. Christmas season has already begun in London, and hundreds of people had descended upon the store. After looking at the prices, we left empty-handed, but it was still very interesting to go in.</span><br /></span><span style=""></span></span>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-36081416472026453472007-11-06T10:26:00.000-05:002007-11-06T10:35:11.977-05:00DublinThis past weekend, Rick and I and some other friends went to Dublin, Ireland on a school-sponsored trip.<span style=""> </span>This meant that we paid our money upfront, and SU planned the transportation to the airports, flights, and some activities for us during our stay.<span style=""> </span>I was a little worried at first about the possibility of inflexibility on the school’s part, but it actually worked out really well.<span style=""> </span>We didn’t have to deal with the hassle of planning everything, and we did some things we probably would not have done had the school not scheduled them. <p class="MsoNormal">The trip was actually an optional trip for a particular class about literature and political action in Ireland.<span style=""> </span>However, there were only three students with us that were actually in the class.<span style=""> </span>Altogether, there were 12 students, a professor, and an administrator who was in charge of logistics.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We arrived into Dublin a little after 10:00 p.m. Thursday night.<span style=""> </span>After waiting for a bus without luck for about 45 minutes, our group leader broke into the emergency funds so we could take taxis to our hostel.<span style=""> </span>Upon arrival, we were split into rooms that were booked specifically for our group.<span style=""> </span>Although it was short, the flight left most of us feeling a little worse for the wear, so we hung out in the hostel lounge for a bit before bed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Friday morning we ate breakfast at the hostel and set off on a walking tour about the 1916 Easter Rebellion.<span style=""> </span>For a very abridged history lesson: Under British rule, the Catholic majority was extremely repressed under the Protestant minority.<span style=""> </span>The majority of Catholics were Nationalists, and in favor of an independent Ireland, while the Protestants were Unionists who remained loyal to the United Kingdom.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Easter Monday of 1916, the stage was set for a rebellion.<span style=""> </span>The British military presence in Ireland was already stretched thin by World War I, and that particular weekend was a large horse race which most of the remaining soldiers were attending.<span style=""> </span>Nationalist leaders rallied thousands of Irishmen and controlled the town for about a week.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately for them, the British military reinforcements proved to be too strong.<span style=""> </span>They were forced to surrender, and most of the leaders were jailed and then executed.<span style=""> </span>Although this rebellion did not grant Ireland independence, it turned public opinion against the Brits, particularly in light of the brutal punishments handed out by the general in charge.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSk17Y1yqUEUvDfvYUI90jPWdUuFXMQRVitfS4FIMLYyxHfMMpC8wl0CpjZscUwBrkT9LZP-vvZyp4w21CWgGwN5nNMeaoNgjBiQd4Yf1a_4yLER4JD5DZLQtP_piyzNe0BEpUjk7dmGQ/s1600-h/Dublin+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSk17Y1yqUEUvDfvYUI90jPWdUuFXMQRVitfS4FIMLYyxHfMMpC8wl0CpjZscUwBrkT9LZP-vvZyp4w21CWgGwN5nNMeaoNgjBiQd4Yf1a_4yLER4JD5DZLQtP_piyzNe0BEpUjk7dmGQ/s320/Dublin+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129749816460035586" border="0" /></a>The last stop of the walking tour was the General Post Office, which the Nationalist leaders commandeered to serve as their headquarters during the rebellion.<span style=""> </span>It was from this spot that P.H. Pearse read the declaration of rebellion to call Ireland’s citizens to arms.<span style=""> </span>The post office has one of only a few original copies of the proclamation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After grabbing lunch, we took a bus to the Kilmainhem Gaol, the jail where both political and common prisoners were held.<span style=""> </span>It was here that the leaders of the 1916 rebellion were held and executed by firing squad.<span style=""> </span>A guide gave us the history of the jail, including its time during the Great Potato Famine when the jail of just over 100 cells held 90,000 people, many of whom committed crimes just so they could be sent to jail and be fed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">On the way back on the bus, we noticed we were going to pass the Guinness Storehouse, and all 12 of us students decided to go.<span style=""> </span>This was in some ways similar to the Heineken Experience Rick and I had visited in Amsterdam; it gave us the history of the brand and how it was made.<span style=""> </span>The Guinness tour focused a little more on the technical processes, and less on the commercialization of the beer.<span style=""> </span>At the end of the tour, we arrived at the top of the building to find a circular bar with windows all around, offering a very pretty view of the city by night.<span style=""> </span>Of course, we got a free pint of Guinness, and also got a paper weight type thing which has a drop of Guinness in it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We spent the night in the Temple Bar area, which is arguably Dublin’s most touristy section.<span style=""> </span>It is full of restaurants, pubs, clubs, and souvenir shops.<span style=""> </span>It is also where you are most likely to see street performers.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Fn_46VXN18rfhwUnVbMP1mwbm9Nfkot-E5p1DeY9BzAZinzsL6dBPTcCfulEifIcHsAP-UVljjaReZ8rDD6WwJM4beiXIKsl63ETBmcoRlyACThG1GZjQyPyH-ZL6N-pZcAIwE23zlI/s1600-h/Dublin+048.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Fn_46VXN18rfhwUnVbMP1mwbm9Nfkot-E5p1DeY9BzAZinzsL6dBPTcCfulEifIcHsAP-UVljjaReZ8rDD6WwJM4beiXIKsl63ETBmcoRlyACThG1GZjQyPyH-ZL6N-pZcAIwE23zlI/s320/Dublin+048.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129750366215849490" border="0" /></a>Saturday morning we took the commuter train for about half an hour to Sandy Cove, an outskirt of Dublin on the coast.<span style=""> </span>The reason for our visit was the James Joyce Museum (remember, the trip was actually for a class on Irish literature).<span style=""> </span>Having only read one short story by Joyce in high school (I think), the museum was not exactly a great attraction.<span style=""> </span>However, it is housed in a tower where Joyce once lived, and by climbing to the top we had amazing views of the Irish Sea.<span style=""> </span>The weather was rather cloudy and chilly, but it was still gorgeous.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While scanning the coastline, we realized that there were actually people swimming.<span style=""> </span>Apparently, there is a club that goes in the water every day of the year.<span style=""> </span>Having decided against joining them (although one of our classmates did…wearing nothing but his boxers…not the smartest idea), we walked the rocky coastline and took lots of pictures.<span style=""> </span>We then had a group lunch at a pub in the town before taking the train back.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That afternoon was free time, so Rick and I broke from the group and browsed many of the souvenir shops that line Trinity College.<span style=""> </span>We then headed across the River Liffey to the Old Jameson Distillery.<span style=""> </span>Jameson, for anyone who doesn’t know, is Irish whiskey, and the most famous brand of it.<span style=""> </span>This was a guided tour which explained the process by which the whiskey is made.<span style=""> </span>It culminated, of course, in a tasting.<span style=""> </span>This reminded me of the vodka tasting my father and I went to in Russia; they picked several volunteers, had them try sips of five different kinds of whiskey, and pick their favorite.<span style=""> </span>Rick and I did not get to stay to see which the favorite was – we were running very short on time and had to run to meet our group back at the hostel, picking up takeaway fish and chips on the way.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That evening’s planned activity was a musical pub crawl.<span style=""> </span>This was my favorite part of the trip.<span style=""> </span>We traveled to two different pubs with two musicians, who played traditional Irish music, sang, and explained some history of what they were playing.<span style=""> </span>They were great – they played the guitar, the fiddle, and the bodhrán, an Irish drum.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were so entranced by the music that at the end of their session we asked the musicians where we could go to listen to more live Irish music.<span style=""> </span>They gave us some (rather vague) directions and we headed out.<span style=""> </span>At the time, our whole group was in to the music, and everyone (students, professor, and group leader) decided to come with us.<span style=""> </span>After hiking the river for at least 20 minutes, the patience of many in our group was beginning to wear thin, and we ducked in the first bar we came to.<span style=""> </span>About 30 seconds in, listening to the (bad) American music and feeling the heat of the at least 200 other people in there, Rick and I quickly decided this bar was not for us.<span style=""> </span>We were in Dublin!<span style=""> </span>Bars like that can be found in London!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We resumed our search for the pub the musicians had recommended, and shortly found it.<span style=""> </span>Much to our relief, there were three fiddlers and two flute players sitting around a table and playing traditional Irish music.<span style=""> </span>The average age of the clients and bartenders in this pub was at least 50 – just the way I like it.<span style=""> </span>We stayed for a few hours and chatted with old men about life.<span style=""> </span>It was really a great night and will probably be my most poignant memory of Dublin.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sunday morning we had about four hours to kill before transferring to the airport.<span style=""> </span>Rick and I headed to Dublin Castle, which was strangely painted very bright colors.<span style=""> </span>It had some beautiful gardens, where we sat for a while to watch two little dogs romping and to play with what seemed to be the castle’s resident cat.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfqAtq483VTGNMdZlyUbiQTFd0G6xIB_O9GEEk1PyopCoEJwcVuAQdbcguHPXE1eFLYiO6gPkqZS9jXiYDWDjwX0PzH1wzdmUXYpzYk_70-ihKrF06mV8meGBHvSN_3110p_36KYv_a8/s1600-h/Dublin+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfqAtq483VTGNMdZlyUbiQTFd0G6xIB_O9GEEk1PyopCoEJwcVuAQdbcguHPXE1eFLYiO6gPkqZS9jXiYDWDjwX0PzH1wzdmUXYpzYk_70-ihKrF06mV8meGBHvSN_3110p_36KYv_a8/s320/Dublin+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129751182259635746" border="0" /></a>After going to the castle, we decided to go to mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.<span style=""> </span>It was only when we arrived that we realized that St. Patrick’s is an Anglican church, not Catholic as we had expected.<span style=""> </span>We went to the service anyways.<span style=""> </span>It was nice, but not really the experience we had hoped for. However, the cathedral itself is quite pretty.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Overall, Dublin was a great trip.<span style=""> </span>It is not necessarily the prettiest of cities, and did not provide for the great photo-ops that Stockholm and Edinburgh did.<span style=""> </span>But one thing that really stands out about Dublin is its people.<span style=""> </span>They were the friendliest people I have ever encountered.<span style=""> </span>From taxi drivers to bartenders to bouncers to shop owners to tour guides, everyone wanted to know where we were from and seem actively interested in what we had to say.<span style=""> </span>My only regret about this trip was that it was too short to visit inland Ireland and the southern areas.<span style=""> </span>Of all the places I have been, this tops my list of where to go again. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-43839324425818124662007-10-28T14:18:00.000-04:002007-10-28T14:28:47.708-04:00Fall Break Continued...Sorry for the delay.<span style=""> </span>Here is Part II… <p class="MsoNormal">---------------------------------------------------</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Sunday, 21 October 2007</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sunday morning we didn’t really have time to do much before we needed to be at the train station.<span style=""> </span>After checking out of the hostel, we walked to the New Town to explore a bit, including stopping in a very small shopping mall.<span style=""> </span>It might have been a good thing we left Edinburgh when we did; the sky was threateningly gray and I swear I felt a few sprinkles.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We caught the 11:50 train to Newcastle.<span style=""> </span>I spent the majority of the train ride staring out of the window admiring the beautiful countryside.<span style=""> </span>It was all farmland, and the rolling hills were dotted with little woolly white dots.<span style=""> </span>I have never seen so many sheep in my life.<span style=""> </span>Living in London has really made me appreciate the beauty of wide open spaces and greenery.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Upon arrival in Newcastle, we immediately hopped on the Metro.<span style=""> </span>It was an interesting experience.<span style=""> </span>Even though Newcastle is a sizable city, comparing its subway system to London’s is like comparing Syracuse to New York City.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-viNKjguaiRa5ak5C0WFmUxIjjCRnEvH6VTR5IwOzAeMM3RI-DEHM0GPjD5wiwVWJysg85GgOmr7DLwGtZCi6ogXoCOyoU_p_yY9JpICCziE2cE1fD1npxorAeR3uwgUGy4ZvRfbbT3I/s1600-h/Fall+Break+074.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-viNKjguaiRa5ak5C0WFmUxIjjCRnEvH6VTR5IwOzAeMM3RI-DEHM0GPjD5wiwVWJysg85GgOmr7DLwGtZCi6ogXoCOyoU_p_yY9JpICCziE2cE1fD1npxorAeR3uwgUGy4ZvRfbbT3I/s320/Fall+Break+074.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126455598018839122" border="0" /></a>We then had a short walk to the port on the River Tyne, where our ferry awaited.<span style=""> </span>Now, when I think ferry, I think a little boat with paddles.<span style=""> </span>This ship, the M.s. King of Scandinavia, was absolutely huge.<span style=""> </span>It had 11 decks, bottom few of which are just for cars and cargo.<span style=""> </span>The ship holds three restaurants, three bars, a casino, a coffee shop, a kids’ club, and a cinema.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, all of these wonderful things were ridiculously expensive.<span style=""> </span>We had stopped at a grocery store in Edinburgh to pick up some bagels, and it was a good thing we did.<span style=""> </span>Otherwise we would have been shelling out €30 (about $45) for a buffet dinner – and that was the cheap restaurant.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We spent a very quiet night on the ferry.<span style=""> </span>After watching the ship sail away from Newcastle and eating our bagel and peanut butter dinner, we browsed through our guides on Amsterdam.<span style=""> </span>We turned in early and let the gentle rocking of the North Sea lull us to sleep.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Monday, 22 October 2007</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At 7 a.m. Monday morning, a dreadfully cheery voice announced to the ship it was time to wake up.<span style=""> </span>I, of course, rolled back over, and was just stepping out of the shower when the voice told me we would be docking in 15 minutes.<span style=""> </span>We actually docked in IJmuiden (I don’t know why the I and the J are both capitalized but they are), a port about 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam.<span style=""> </span>The canals and ports in Amsterdam are too shallow for a ship as big as ours.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The ferry company provided coaches to take us to the city center.<span style=""> </span>One of the first sights we saw in Holland was lots and lots of windmills.<span style=""> </span>However, they were not the windmills one usually imagines when picturing Holland.<span style=""> </span>They were the windmills used to generate electricity, massively tall with blades as long as trees.<span style=""> </span>Holland actually gets a comparatively high percentage of its electricity from wind power.<span style=""> </span>There is a lot of debate, both in the U.K. and in the U.S. about using wind power.<span style=""> </span>It is true that windmills are not as efficient as fossil fuels, but new technology is increasing their efficiency every year.<span style=""> </span>Now the main argument against them is that they “ruin the landscape.”<span style=""> </span>To the contrary, I think they are gorgeous and just another symbol of human ingenuity.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">But I digress.<span style=""> </span>The bus dropped us off and it took us about 40 minutes to actually find our hostel, but our check-in was delayed even longer.<span style=""> </span>It turned out we needed cash for a key deposit, and having not yet exchanged our money, we se off to find an ATM to get some Euros.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">By the time we returned to the hostel, a rather large, rather obnoxious group of Americans had arrived.<span style=""> </span>They didn’t have a reservation, didn’t really know how long they wanted to stay, and kept talking amongst themselves while the poor girl at reception was trying to check them in.<span style=""> </span>After the HALF HOUR it took them to get sorted out, she was very relieved to learn we had a reservation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We grabbed lunch in a café and set off to explore the city.<span style=""> </span>Amsterdam is a grid of over 100 canals and can be quite confusing to navigate.<span style=""> </span>This was compounded by the fact that, like Sweden, we couldn’t pronounce any of the street or canal names.<span style=""> </span>Also like Sweden, <i>everybody</i> speaks English.<span style=""> </span>In fact, I’m pretty sure I heard English is compulsory in Dutch schools.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">One of our explorations was Albert Cuypt market.<span style=""> </span>This was similar to markets we go to in London – a mixture of clothes, produce, meat, and household items – but less expensive.<span style=""> </span>While we had been waiting to check-in earlier in the day, we met two guys from Washington (state, not D.C.) who we spent the evening with, doing absolutely nothing but exploring and relaxing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tuesday, 23 October 2007</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">One of the selling points of our hostel was that it served free breakfast from 8:30 to 10:30 every morning.<span style=""> </span>Rick and I wandered down at about 10:15, only to discover that breakfast had already been cleared away.<span style=""> </span>We shortly realized our phones were still on London time, and that it was actually 11:15.<span style=""> </span>Oops.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That morning we took a boat tour on some of the major canals.<span style=""> </span>It was very sunny out, and the boat provided a great way to see some important points of the city (being an enclosed boat, it also sheltered us from the chilly bite to the air).<span style=""> </span>We saw the wide canal that leads to the North Sea (not wide enough for our ferry though), some historical buildings, and the variety of house boats that line several of the canals.<span style=""> </span>The popularity of houseboats started when Amsterdam had a housing crunch in the 20<sup>th</sup> century.<span style=""> </span>In order to live in one, you must have permission from the neighborhood in which you live, and you can then be hooked up to the gas and electricity networks.<span style=""> </span>Some people live in houseboats illegally, and therefore have no power.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Later in the afternoon we went to the “Heineken Experience.”<span style=""> </span>This was the highlight of our<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCjOhuI4qgZ_O4eLhqSExlTR37fB04NSYWPRnX0scSbs2c_25ZbfngK5FZu50VF-h3Ia5vv4tEHydhuEaHJxMbmCg4mFz_07_N_7FxS8AUFMxZSke0nlLBe3POxahZLCflCSxfflbp0Y/s1600-h/Fall+Break+082.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCjOhuI4qgZ_O4eLhqSExlTR37fB04NSYWPRnX0scSbs2c_25ZbfngK5FZu50VF-h3Ia5vv4tEHydhuEaHJxMbmCg4mFz_07_N_7FxS8AUFMxZSke0nlLBe3POxahZLCflCSxfflbp0Y/s320/Fall+Break+082.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126456126299816546" border="0" /></a> Amsterdam trip.<span style=""> </span>It’s funny that a lot of people from home think that Heineken is from Germany, but it was actually brewed right in Amsterdam until a few decades ago.<span style=""> </span>Now the old brewery is used for shameless brand promotion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This self-guided tour gave a history of the brand and explained the process by which Heineken is made.<span style=""> </span>It also gave us three half-pints of Heineken throughout the tour and promised a “free gift.”<span style=""> </span>Figuring that the free gift would be something cheap, Rick and I had been stealing coasters along the way.<span style=""> </span>So it was a very pleasant surprise when we received a model of the brand’s aluminum bottle which opened to hold a credit card-sized bottle opener.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">For dinner that night we went to a tapas bar, not really knowing what tapas was (turns out it just means Spanish appetizers, but they make for good meals too).<span style=""> </span>I don’t know if it was the time of day, day of the week, post-tourist time of year, or a combination of the three, but we were the only ones in the restaurant for the whole meal.<span style=""> </span>The waiter/cook was very nice, and even gave s a card for a 10% discount if we wanted to go back.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After walking around the city some more, we hung out in our hostel’s bar/lounge for a while before bed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Wednesday, 24 October 2007</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Wednesday morning we actually made it to breakfast at the hostel, and had a lovely meal of chocolate cereal and hard-boiled eggs.<span style=""> </span>We then checked out and headed toward the train station in Amsterdam, where we had decided to store our luggage for a few hours, rather than lug it around (we also could have left it at the hostel, but that was the opposite side of the city from where we needed to be for the bus back to the ferry).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We took the long way to the train station so we could pass by the Anne Frank House.<span style=""> </span>For anyone who may not remember, Anne Frank and her family were German Jews who fled to Amsterdam to escape the Nazis.<span style=""> </span>Anne, who was fourteen or fifteen at the time, kept a diary during the whole of their time in hiding, which was on the top floor of a factory (I think).<span style=""> </span>During the day, they could not talk or even move much lest the workers realize people were hiding above them.<span style=""> </span>The family was eventually discovered, split up, and sent to concentration camps.<span style=""> </span>If I remember correctly, only Anne’s father survived, and he decided to publish Anne’s diary after the war.<span style=""> </span>The diary is standard reading in many schools now. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We didn’t actually go in the house – it was expensive and the line seemed miles long – but I was very content to just go to the house and see where it was.<span style=""> </span>Just around the corner there was a small statue of Anne, and someone had recently placed a bouquet of fresh flowers underneath it.<span style=""> </span>Just that little sentiment was very moving.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After stowing our luggage at the train station, we headed just down the road to the NEMO, a science center.<span style=""> </span>Being the geeks that we are, and figured this would be like the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) in Syracuse, we decided this might be a fun way to end our trip.<span style=""> </span>We arrived to a line of maybe 200 kids under the age of 12 and their parents, but decided to wait anyways because we had nothing else to do anyway.<span style=""> </span>It was in fact similar to the MOST, if you double our tripled its size.<span style=""> </span>Also, I have never seen the MOST as busy as this – we didn’t get to play with all the cool things because there were so many kids.<span style=""> </span>The NEMO also had some exhibits I doubt would ever be found in the MOST – there was one explaining the science behind puberty and giving tips on how to be a good kisser!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We left the NEMO feeling very claustrophobic and having had our fill of small children for the year.<span style=""> </span>The bus back to the ferry picked us up and we set off back to IJmuiden.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Amsterdam would have been nicer to visit earlier in the year, when it was a bit warmer and the tulips were blooming.<span style=""> </span>As much as I enjoyed the city, and especially the canals, I can’t help but feel that we didn’t really do much while there.<span style=""> </span>Being Dutch, I am glad we went – it was funny to see last names even crazier than mine!<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you are not someone who is going to Amsterdam to take part in several activities which are quite illegal in most of the United States, it seemed there was not really much to do inexpensively.<span style=""> </span>It would have been nice to go to some museums, like the Van Gogh Museum, but at $15 a pop they were a little more than I wanted to spend.<span style=""> </span>I think I would have much preferred on one of the days to have seen the countryside and taken the train to Winterswijk, the town where my family is from.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, I didn’t find out there was a train station there until our last day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were a little more prepared for the ferry on the way back; we had stopped and gotten sandwiches for dinner and some snacks.<span style=""> </span>After spending some time on the deck and eating, we just crashed.<span style=""> </span>We had done so much walking in Amsterdam that it was nice to just sit and stretch out (not that we had a lot of room to stretch out in our cabin).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Thursday, 25 October 2007</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We arrived into Newcastle at about 9:30, but the United Kingdom’s stricter customs regulations meant that we had to sit on the ship for a while before disembarking.<span style=""> </span>We took another bus to Newcastle’s city center, and again stored our bag in the train station.<span style=""> </span>Rick and I then went to Castle Garth Keep, the last part of the castle from which Newcastle gets its name (actually the name actually comes from another castle called “New Castle”, but that castle was destroyed and Castle Garth built on the same site).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The “keep” of the castle is the large main tower where the lords and ladies lived.<span style=""> </span>This tower was not as big as those we had visited in York and Edinburgh, but it still had some interesting displays and views from the top.<span style=""> </span>Apparently, the keep is also haunted.<span style=""> </span>There was one display about a professional paranormal activity team which had visited and recorded odd movements and flashes of light.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We spent the rest of our time in Newcastle in Pizza Hut (exciting, huh?).<span style=""> </span>Like most Pizza Huts, it was ridiculously busy and slow, but we had a very good meal and really had nothing else we were dying to do before catching our train back to London.<o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This was the longest train we took, leaving Newcastle at about 2:15 and arriving back to King’s Cross around 5:45.<span style=""> </span>We spent the time playing travel Scrabble and savoring our last glances into the countryside.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>In conclusion…</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am really glad we took the trip that we did.<span style=""> </span>It was nice to not have to worry about getting to airports, and we saw some really cool things.<span style=""> </span>I especially enjoyed York and Edinburgh, and would recommend them to anyone looking for places to go in the U.K. other than London.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am sorry this is so long.<span style=""> </span>If anyone has any specific questions or anything else – leave a comment on the blog or email me!<span style=""> </span>And remember to look at my pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/deb.oonk.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now back to the grind.<span style=""> </span>It amazes me that we have less than two months left here!<span style=""> </span>It’s almost November already!<span style=""> </span>As Halloween is not really a big deal here (although it is growing in popularity) and they don’t have Thanksgiving, everyone is already gearing up for Christmas.<span style=""> </span>It’s slightly ridiculous. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-75260425739268399612007-10-26T09:00:00.000-04:002007-10-28T14:30:44.272-04:00Fall Break<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwAvQFF9ELyws5_ObXzh71jZqEmRwFLOvqrmBI9p2zBkx1kcO8daVZ3peJGGEjxCa43dMS1MLORttUBGrYjFPm2hV9rW4pD6Rr1ky7yzy5pDTz-OUSbMNYHjFAi3ahgGzd8vditDagTY/s1600-h/Fall+Break+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwAvQFF9ELyws5_ObXzh71jZqEmRwFLOvqrmBI9p2zBkx1kcO8daVZ3peJGGEjxCa43dMS1MLORttUBGrYjFPm2hV9rW4pD6Rr1ky7yzy5pDTz-OUSbMNYHjFAi3ahgGzd8vditDagTY/s320/Fall+Break+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125651640270569970" border="0" /></a><br />After six days of traveling, I have returned to London safe and sound. We had a great week, and you should definitely check out the pictures.<br /><br />While most of our fellow students were jetting around Europe, Rick and I took a decidedly different fall break trip. Some people I know are doing things like sky-diving in Switzerland or visiting five different cities in Italy. While there's nothing wrong with that, can you imagine visiting five cities in 10 days? I think that eventually all my memories would run together, and I would be so tired that I wouldn't remember much at all.<br /><br />Perhaps one of the best aspects of our trip was that by traveling by train, we got to see the countryside, which was absolutely beautiful. In fact, I have a very strong inclination to move to Northern England or Scotland and raise sheep and shaggy cows.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, 19 October 2007</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCVB9DEmG0qGqCKLPB-qAtmNqRNB5MyB0bDCCUBcz0ahYNmiRserzdvvgQEqKIPP1dRSIw-hIjf8UnrcDtABX8y475nHiJQgBbv7GwkFR2-49AxEqCSDEE6Z4m1vaq9mNcRlkvkqRKeE/s1600-h/Fall+Break+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCVB9DEmG0qGqCKLPB-qAtmNqRNB5MyB0bDCCUBcz0ahYNmiRserzdvvgQEqKIPP1dRSIw-hIjf8UnrcDtABX8y475nHiJQgBbv7GwkFR2-49AxEqCSDEE6Z4m1vaq9mNcRlkvkqRKeE/s320/Fall+Break+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125652284515664402" border="0" /></a>Friday morning we woke up at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m. After some breakfast and finishing up our packing, we took the Tube to King's Cross (Yes, the same King's Cross where Harry Potter caught the Hogwarts Express. I hear there's a plaque marking Platform 9 3/4, but I couldn't find it). It was a sunny, gorgeous day (albeit a little chilly), and the countryside was a sight for sore eyes after being in London for so long. We arrived in York around 10:30, and luckily we were able to check our baggage at the station for the day.<br /><br />Our first stop was the National Railway Museum, which boasts that it is the largest railway museum in the world. It certainly was huge, with exhibits ranging from the oldest steam engines to the bullet trains of today. Part of the museum was an old roundhouse with the turntable still intact. We also got to step inside one of the old steam engines to listen to a presentation on how it worked. Being an engineer or fireman (who shoveled the coal into the furnace) was quite a dangerous job back then!<br /><br />This museum provided some nostalgia for both of us: Rick's father is a train enthusiast, so he has been to a lot of railway museums and taken the train a lot. As for me, it is amazing to see how much I know about trains from sitting through countless hours of Thomas the Tank Engine with my brother.<br /><br />It was funny to look at the other people in the museum. There were two distinct groups: young children and senior citizens. But then again, Rick and I are each basically just a mix of those two.<br /><br />We then headed toward York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral west of Italy. We walked around the church and through the gardens, but didn't go in yet. Like a lot of big cathedrals, you have to pay to go inside, but you can get around that by attending any services there.<br /><br />From there we headed to Clifford's Tower, the last remaining part of York Castle. The tower is atop a hill, and at one time the whole castle was surrounded by a moat - now it's a parking lot. The tower had a large open space in the middle with displays and a small chapel. By climbing to the top, we had a great view of the city. There was also a very cute gift shop with toys that modeled medieval times. To anyone in my McCabe family - be happy that the wooden bow with suction cup arrows was too big to fit in my suitcase. I almost bought it for Jack.<br /><br />In medieval times the entire city of York was surrounded by a defensive wall. Some of it has crumbled away, but much of it still remains and you can walk right on it around the city. We explored the city by doing this and wandering through the many pedestrian-only streets. I don't remember if I've mentioned this yet, but on every major trip we've gone on, we've seen Native American performers. It's very bizarre. We'd seen them in London and Stockholm, and sure enough we came across them in York. They stand in pedestrian areas, playing music and selling CDs. Very, very odd.<br /><br />At 5:15 we returned to York Minster to attend the Evensong service. As the name implies,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHbSK6OHZzHaM_kEXLj8F5gyhefyW16_5RW_kGLuiBBc2Eeftld9FCh-DpcW0ub4m3F2MONEYSML5U0lKwvqSIktgjL5NwyBM5TQdt5WUzebSr4gloPZxwVrhHlNyAA6YTMI2aw9v4V0/s1600-h/Fall+Break+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHbSK6OHZzHaM_kEXLj8F5gyhefyW16_5RW_kGLuiBBc2Eeftld9FCh-DpcW0ub4m3F2MONEYSML5U0lKwvqSIktgjL5NwyBM5TQdt5WUzebSr4gloPZxwVrhHlNyAA6YTMI2aw9v4V0/s320/Fall+Break+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125652662472786466" border="0" /></a> basically everything other than the readings and sermon was sung. York Minster proved to be even more impressive from the inside. It was very brightly lit, full of medieval stained glass, and <span style="font-style: italic;">enormous</span>. This provided a perfect setting for the Evensong. The Minster has boys', girls', and men's choirs, and they all performed together. The performance was breathtaking - especially the kids.<br /><br />Time was a little tight after the Evensong, so we grabbed some takeaway fish and chips and booked it to the train station. There was actually no need to rush, because our train turned out to be half and hour late. Apparently the train in front of ours was having some technical difficulties. We arrived in Edinburgh at about 11 p.m. We were welcomed into the city by the majestic sight of Edinburgh castle just across the street from our hostel.<br /><br />The hostel itself was really cool. It was quite large, featuring a kitchen, movie room, and lounge with pool and ping pong tables. It is run by backpackers, and has a very young person vibe. All of the rooms are named, and subsequently each bed has a related name. Our room was called "Plant Biology"; Rick got a bed called "Root" and I climbed into "Nice Pear" and fell asleep almost instantly.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday, 20 October 2007</span><br /><br />Saturday happened to be my birthday. I'm no longer a teenager - I feel old!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgcq7hBPGd7vt5pzzJkK3pdkr40yrrmdY4rAdPVYEg-ywju_2xObret5E_RwxvE8JDCI4HRTme5dQHwhUux2SyVsZWa6SGl-4-bIn9BvXGdEvaS5f_ysBrCABFfYURzc1AQD_Hey25PM/s1600-h/Fall+Break+048.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgcq7hBPGd7vt5pzzJkK3pdkr40yrrmdY4rAdPVYEg-ywju_2xObret5E_RwxvE8JDCI4HRTme5dQHwhUux2SyVsZWa6SGl-4-bIn9BvXGdEvaS5f_ysBrCABFfYURzc1AQD_Hey25PM/s320/Fall+Break+048.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125653074789646898" border="0" /></a><br />Some geographical information: Central Edinburgh is split into Old Town and New Town. As you may have surmised, Old Town houses old buildings like the castle, while New Town has restaurants and higher-end shops. The Royal Mile is the main route through Old Town, ending at Holyrood Park. Aside from the park, Holyrood also houses the palace that is the Queen's official residence in Scotland - even though she rarely ever goes there.<br /><br />Along the way down the Royal Mile, we stopped at St. Giles, the High Kirk in Edinburgh (I think that means cathedral, but it's not called a cathedral because it's Presbyterian). The outside was intricately decorated and featured an open, arched belfry. Inside, the 19th century stained glass windows complemented the excellent wood carvings. St. Giles recently got a new organ, which was 15-20 feet tall and gorgeous - but we weren't allowed to take pictures inside.<br /><br />Our main objective in going to Holyrood was climbing Arthur's Peak, a cliff overlooking the city. There were many rough, unmarked paths to the top, some of which were really steep at some points. After much huffing and puffing on my part, we finally reached the top and were rewarded with a spectacular view. In the distance, we could see the Scottish Sea fade into the horizon. The castle, St. Giles, and other old monuments and buildings poked up through the city.<br /><br />After heading back down, Rick and I did some quick souvenir shopping, ate lunch, and went to the castle. It sits on a cliff (Edinburgh is very hilly - it used to be a volcano) and is architecturally stunning - how often do you find a castle in the middle of a city? The castle houses several museums; we visited the National War Museum, the war memorial, a museum devoted to a particular mounted regiment of the army, the Royal Apartments, and an exhibit of the Scottish crown jewels. The history between the Scots and English is very complicated. I went in thinking I would know a lot, having done a report on Elizabeth I in 9th grade. I think I left more confused than when I went in.<br /><br />Although Scotland has been a part of Great Britain for over 300 years, there is a fierce sense of independence. Scotland has its own parliament, which can make laws on things like health and infrastructure. The displays in the castle describe how the Highland warriors bailed out the English in several of their wars. We even saw graffiti that said, "Scottish forever - Never British."<br /><br />Saturday night was the Rugby World Cup final - England vs. South Africa. As we had been watching the matches right along, we didn't want to miss the final. Rick took me out to dinner at a pub down the street, both for my birthday and to watch the match. The game was dismal - England lost 6-15 - although I guess that's better than 0-36 the last time they played South Africa.<br /><br />The food, however, was quite good. I was not as brave as Rick - he had <a href="http://ricksfoodcritique.blogspot.com">haggis</a>, a traditional Scottish meal made of....well no one really seems to know what. It's sheep lung or stomach or something like that, and served with "tatties and neeps" - potatoes and turnips. I figured I was still having something Scottish by having an Angus burger. I also had a traditional Scottish dessert, cranachan. It was alternating layers of raspberries and cream with a whisky (no "e" in Great Britain whiskey) sauce. I think there was something else mixed in with the cream, because it had a gritty consistency that was a bit like oatmeal.<br /><br />Overall, it was a very busy and very wonderful birthday.<br />-----------------------------------------------------------<br />Okay folks, that's it for now. I will continue this post either later today or tomorrow. I can't type any more and the Christmas music in this coffee shop is driving me bonkers. Christmas music! It's not even November yet!<br />-----------------------------------------------------------<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">To be continued.....</span>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-14094460116796088592007-10-18T09:34:00.000-04:002007-10-18T09:55:13.949-04:00A few last notes before break...<ul><li>I forgot to mention something about last Saturday. Rick and I went to the Tate, the museum of modern art in London. Now, modern art is not really my thing, but it was free, so I figured I would give it a go. There has been a lot of hype about the museum's latest exhibit. It is a giant crack in the museum floor, supposedly representing the racial divide in society or something like that. The hype has not necessarily come from the crack itself, but because three people have apparently fallen in it. We walked into the exhibit hall and I was expecting something six feet deep, something worth falling in to. No. At its deepest, it was maybe two feet deep. By "fall in" they must have meant "tripped over" or "got a leg stuck in." Now, as I said, modern art doesn't really do it for me, and the crack was no different. Honestly, I could have done the same thing with a jack hammer on the street. The best part about it was the little kids who were going up to it, looking at it very curiously, and then climbing in.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>On Monday, we got to go to Parliament for my public relations class. I had been in the building before, but this time we got to go and sit in on the House of Lords (like the Senate) and on a special committee meeting in the single-market directives of the European Union. It was really interesting, and I found out we can go back whenever we want. Some time I want to go and sit in the House of Commons (like the House of Representatives). Their debates get pretty heated.</li></ul><ul><li> Yay for internet! While we still don't have internet in our flat, a fellow student informed me that a coffee shop about 500 feet outside my door has free wireless! Currently, I am sipping a cinnamon latte and listening to an odd compilation of Bruce Springsteen covers and Christmas music. Their drinks are much cheaper than Starbucks, who also charge 5 pounds an hour ($10) to use their internet.</li></ul><ul><li>So tomorrow starts our trip for fall break. We head to York by train, spend the day, take a train to Edinburgh for a few days, take a ferry to Amsterdam and then ferry back to Newcastle and train back to London. I'm excited to get out of the city for a while. I'll talk to you in a week!<br /></li></ul>Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2711596255024360066.post-9279201582267075562007-10-14T12:27:00.000-04:002007-10-14T12:59:28.702-04:00Sorry for the delay...I apologize for not having updated this in a while. Honestly, not much has happened in the past two weeks.<br /><br />The week we got back from Stockholm, it seemed that everyone at school was sick. Some kids even went to the doctor for some nasty sinus infections. Rick and I were spared the sinus infections, but we both developed a nasty cold that basically knocked us out for the weekend. So, we stayed in for the weekend and watched rugby.<br /><br />We did happen to venture out on Thursday night because we heard about a free event at the British museum. It was called the Chinese Moon Festival, and promised tea and cake tasting, performances, and calligraphy lessons. Although everything was free, you had to get tickets for some events, which were all gone by the time we got there. The event as a whole was rather lackluster, and we didn't even get any moon cakes. We did, however, get to see a Chinese girl dressed as a shrimp pop out of a Chinese take-out box and perform a "burlesque fan dance." It was very odd.<br /><br />This past week was filled with paper-writing and preparations for mid-terms,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_82q2nQ7PpAuxLW48FICkjLZN-QHrnllQbK-vc1MHcJ_2At0duXunQ-jdg3mUn8eyEUmJ_vP0XHfNuywwxVKj_-h5L4TvjIUl1RFZlRLiE0PUf142CPb8nLNDh6vulev9PHj4McrLS8/s1600-h/10.1.07+-+10.12.07+014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_82q2nQ7PpAuxLW48FICkjLZN-QHrnllQbK-vc1MHcJ_2At0duXunQ-jdg3mUn8eyEUmJ_vP0XHfNuywwxVKj_-h5L4TvjIUl1RFZlRLiE0PUf142CPb8nLNDh6vulev9PHj4McrLS8/s320/10.1.07+-+10.12.07+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5121234518034305330" border="0" /></a> which are this week. On Friday, we took a break from our studying and went on an SU trip to Cambridge. Cambridge is a very pretty town, which is of course centered around the prestigious Cambridge University. The university, like most at home, is split up into several different colleges and schools. However, the schools are very individual, separated by gates and with their own distinct identities. It took us about two hours by bus to get there.<br /><br />Also on Friday was Eid ul-Fitr, the last day of Ramadan. As we live in a predominantly Muslim neighborhood, there were some very jubilant celebrations. It seemed the whole neighborhood was in the streets, singing and chanting and waving flags. Everyone was dressed in their fanciest clothes and the street was suddenly awash with very nice cars. The police were on hand to make sure no one got too crazy and issued several warnings for loud music and people not sitting properly in their cars. The celebration started all over again last night (Saturday).<br /><br />Last night we watched the English rugby team win their semi-final match against France. They will play whoever wins tonight's match (South Africa or Argentina) in the finals. This will be quite an unexpected final - everyone was sure New Zealand would win it all. The finals are on October 20 (my birthday!), and we'll be in Scotland then on fall break. We'll have to find a good pub to watch the game.<br /><br />As I mentioned before, this coming week is mid-terms. I have only have one test, but it's in economics. Pray that the international economics gods are smiling on me on Wednesday. After that though, it's mid-semester break! Rick and I are going to York, Edinburgh, and Amsterdam. We come back on October 26th, so I'll be sure to update everyone on my adventures!Deb O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08710143055338298326noreply@blogger.com3