As of this Tuesday, I will officially be done with my first term of grad school. I lived to tell about it too. Honestly though, it's not at all how I imagined it would be. Truth be told, when I first got here, I thought I wouldn't be smart enough in terms of my class and that there would be loads of work to be done. The former and latter, however, have not been the case at all. Huge sigh and relief on that part. I've turned in an amazing 4000 word essay for my boundaries class and am keen to see what the next term holds in store.
The week that lay ahead is easy going and I can't wait. Tuesday I have my last Propaganda class and we'll be doing a revision session in preparation for the 2 hour sat exam in January. I've really enjoyed that class and glad I got to keep a bit of IR in my life while living in the Geography world. Wednesday I'm going to see Gogol Bordello and Thursday Anna and I are taking a day trip to the shire to hang out with Keen Bean. I work at the pub this week too, then it's stateside on the 20th.
I can't wait to be home. I really miss all of you and could use the change of scenery as well as some old, friendly, familiar faces. I think three weeks is a good amount of time to have a dose of home before coming back to my London life. I also CANNOT wait to drive again. GoodNESS I've missed my car. Don't get me wrong, walking everywhere is fine, but sometimes you just want to be somewhere when you want to be and London transportation isn't always the timeliest of travels.
Umm.... I don't really have much else to say. Computer's been having a bit of an issue as of late. Going back to Apple tomorrow to hopefully sort it out and then I will be able to post pictures again. Hope you're all doing well. See you soon!!!! XOOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
A moment, a love, a dream, a laugh, a kiss, a cry, our rights, our wrongs.
Sorry that it's been nearly a month since I've last written... assignments are finally in my world and I've been doing them. Obviously. So I guess we'll just do a quick recap of the past month.
As I said, I've been busy with loads of assignments. I've got one course almost completely out of the way now except for a 2,000 word essay due at the end of January. That's a load off my mind. I've got a 4,000 word essay due on the 10th and then I'm pretty much free until I come back here to have a comprehensive 2-hour sat essay style exam for my Propaganda class. I'm really loving all of the classes I am taking and though I do sometime whinge about how I thought it would be more work, I guess it's a blessing in disguise. Since I've last written a lot and not a lot has happened all at the same time.... so where to begin...
I've been to a couple of house parties and birthday parties. A handful of people have had birthdays, so we've had a multitude of meals and nights out. I saw a band called The Dirty Epics which you should all definitely look into. They're pretty cool. Anna and I cooked a Thanksgiving feast and had about 6 people over for a very nice time on Thanksgiving day. I went to my first footie match in the UK, a QPR v Cardiff game and had loads of fun, besides the fact that it felt like my toes were going to fall off. I saw HP7 Part 1, which was great and I can't wait for Part 2 this summer. I've been drunk a couple times and hit on at bars/clubs even more. Anna and I have rapped in public and been stared at in amazement by all the British people around us as we follow along to all of Weezy's words, dancing along with it too. I've had quarrels with friends that hopefully won't effect the friendships. I've come to grips with reality on a number of things and learned that I really shouldn't care what others think of me. I've gotten a hair cut, dressed up, dressed down, and figured out that sometimes you just have to let go. I visited the UK National Archives at Kew, a multitude of lectures at LSE and Kings, and job interviews. I've been judged, sneered at, and looked down upon, but I'm just brushing it off.
I've got 21.5 days left here before I come home for break and I honestly could not be happier that it's such a short amount of time. I'm not homesick by any means, but I could use a good dose of old friends and the comfort of home right about now. I'm going to be on pins and needles until I turn my paper in, so hopefully no longer than December 8th. After then, it's relaxation. I'll be going to take pictures of the Hyde Park wonderland, so be on the look out for those. I'm going to a gypsy punk gig on the 15th, which should be interesting, because the band sounds very trippy. May need a bit of alcohol to go along with that flow. If anyone in London reads this, you should come along! The more the merrier!
I think that covers everything. May be popping in and out of here on and off while I write my paper. Hope all is well with you guys and that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Can't wait to see you all. Loads of love from across the pond!
As I said, I've been busy with loads of assignments. I've got one course almost completely out of the way now except for a 2,000 word essay due at the end of January. That's a load off my mind. I've got a 4,000 word essay due on the 10th and then I'm pretty much free until I come back here to have a comprehensive 2-hour sat essay style exam for my Propaganda class. I'm really loving all of the classes I am taking and though I do sometime whinge about how I thought it would be more work, I guess it's a blessing in disguise. Since I've last written a lot and not a lot has happened all at the same time.... so where to begin...
I've been to a couple of house parties and birthday parties. A handful of people have had birthdays, so we've had a multitude of meals and nights out. I saw a band called The Dirty Epics which you should all definitely look into. They're pretty cool. Anna and I cooked a Thanksgiving feast and had about 6 people over for a very nice time on Thanksgiving day. I went to my first footie match in the UK, a QPR v Cardiff game and had loads of fun, besides the fact that it felt like my toes were going to fall off. I saw HP7 Part 1, which was great and I can't wait for Part 2 this summer. I've been drunk a couple times and hit on at bars/clubs even more. Anna and I have rapped in public and been stared at in amazement by all the British people around us as we follow along to all of Weezy's words, dancing along with it too. I've had quarrels with friends that hopefully won't effect the friendships. I've come to grips with reality on a number of things and learned that I really shouldn't care what others think of me. I've gotten a hair cut, dressed up, dressed down, and figured out that sometimes you just have to let go. I visited the UK National Archives at Kew, a multitude of lectures at LSE and Kings, and job interviews. I've been judged, sneered at, and looked down upon, but I'm just brushing it off.
I've got 21.5 days left here before I come home for break and I honestly could not be happier that it's such a short amount of time. I'm not homesick by any means, but I could use a good dose of old friends and the comfort of home right about now. I'm going to be on pins and needles until I turn my paper in, so hopefully no longer than December 8th. After then, it's relaxation. I'll be going to take pictures of the Hyde Park wonderland, so be on the look out for those. I'm going to a gypsy punk gig on the 15th, which should be interesting, because the band sounds very trippy. May need a bit of alcohol to go along with that flow. If anyone in London reads this, you should come along! The more the merrier!
I think that covers everything. May be popping in and out of here on and off while I write my paper. Hope all is well with you guys and that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Can't wait to see you all. Loads of love from across the pond!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Bb bb bb Benny and the Jetssssssssssssssssssssss.
Attention Terrorists from Yemen and the World over,
STOP IT!!!! GROW UP AND STOP IT!!!!
You're acting like a two year old who isn't getting the candy from the candy aisle at check out. I realize that your whole thing is, by definition, to create a spectacle directed towards a wider audience than the immediate victims directed towards place destruction and/or place alienation, but honestly, your tactics have grown old, boring, and childish. Where's the originality? How about you try this, talking. Wow wouldn't that be a novel concept. Because listen, you may think sending bombs through cargo carriers is a cool and fun thing to do, but it's not. It caused me to sit on a bus for 2 hours JUST to cross from one side of the river to the other, only to not make it to a party I was trying to go to. Yes, so I guess you got the disruption part down. But at the end of the day, you didn't win. Sucks, doesn't it. So like I said, the notion that actions speak louder than words doesn't apply to this. So grow the eff up and get over yourself.
Oh, and another thing... even though I hate to do this, because it is my favorite Dr. Seuss story, you could say that this all fits into The Grinch Who Stole Christmas story. Everyone you're trying to terrorize are the Who's in Whoville and you're the Grinch circa when he was a mean, grumpy thing. You know how he went around stealing everything... the trees, presents, the roast beast, the last can of Who-hash? Well.. those things are what you THINK we hold most dear. Now flash forward to where the Who's are all standing around the spot where the huge Christmas tree once stood, and they are all still holding hands and singing. That spirit is the thing you can never take, and the thing that will NEVER be effected by the things you do. In fact, by continuing to do what you do, it's making it stronger rather than tearing it down. So again, you haven't won and you never will. And by doing what you're doing, you're giving a bad rap to the rest of the regular people around the world that are just like you and I... so you're not doing anyone any service at all.
You may think I'm only addressing the Militant Extremists of the Islamic faith, but I'm not. I'm addressing every extremist everywhere, all around the world, North, South, East, and West. Just stop. I'm not being a crazy, peace loving idealist, though I can be at times. I'm being real, living in the here and now. Stop it. You want things to go your way? Try using your words, because doing what you're doing isn't working, and I'm baffled as to why you haven't figured that out yet. You're all well educated, so use your brain!!!!
STOP IT!!!! GROW UP AND STOP IT!!!!
You're acting like a two year old who isn't getting the candy from the candy aisle at check out. I realize that your whole thing is, by definition, to create a spectacle directed towards a wider audience than the immediate victims directed towards place destruction and/or place alienation, but honestly, your tactics have grown old, boring, and childish. Where's the originality? How about you try this, talking. Wow wouldn't that be a novel concept. Because listen, you may think sending bombs through cargo carriers is a cool and fun thing to do, but it's not. It caused me to sit on a bus for 2 hours JUST to cross from one side of the river to the other, only to not make it to a party I was trying to go to. Yes, so I guess you got the disruption part down. But at the end of the day, you didn't win. Sucks, doesn't it. So like I said, the notion that actions speak louder than words doesn't apply to this. So grow the eff up and get over yourself.
Oh, and another thing... even though I hate to do this, because it is my favorite Dr. Seuss story, you could say that this all fits into The Grinch Who Stole Christmas story. Everyone you're trying to terrorize are the Who's in Whoville and you're the Grinch circa when he was a mean, grumpy thing. You know how he went around stealing everything... the trees, presents, the roast beast, the last can of Who-hash? Well.. those things are what you THINK we hold most dear. Now flash forward to where the Who's are all standing around the spot where the huge Christmas tree once stood, and they are all still holding hands and singing. That spirit is the thing you can never take, and the thing that will NEVER be effected by the things you do. In fact, by continuing to do what you do, it's making it stronger rather than tearing it down. So again, you haven't won and you never will. And by doing what you're doing, you're giving a bad rap to the rest of the regular people around the world that are just like you and I... so you're not doing anyone any service at all.
You may think I'm only addressing the Militant Extremists of the Islamic faith, but I'm not. I'm addressing every extremist everywhere, all around the world, North, South, East, and West. Just stop. I'm not being a crazy, peace loving idealist, though I can be at times. I'm being real, living in the here and now. Stop it. You want things to go your way? Try using your words, because doing what you're doing isn't working, and I'm baffled as to why you haven't figured that out yet. You're all well educated, so use your brain!!!!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllllll, if you don't want my peaches honey, please don't shake my tree.
Meghan Fischer came to visit for a day on Saturday. Amazing, random, and VERY much appreciated. It was nice to have a bit of home in my new home. We had a full day and she was such a trooper, only working off of about 45 minutes of sleep! She took the majority of the pictures, so I'll be stealing them once she puts them up.
Meghan got into London about 10am and we went straight from Heathrow to my flat for her to drop her things off and freshen up. Then it was off to the Twinings shop and a look at my library and campus. We popped into Somerset House for a look around and I told her about the ice rink they do in the winter. Side note, I CAN'T WAIT for that to open!!! :-) Then it was off across Waterloo Bridge so she could see Southbank, the Eye and get a picture of the quintessential backdrop of the London skyline. From there, we walked back across the pedestrian/rail bridge and hopped a tube at Embankment to Baker Street. The first stop was supposed to be 221b Baker Street, home of the famous Sherlock Holmes. After being turned around several times, because I'm still learning my way around parts of London, we decided that we would catch it on the way back and made our way over the 3 Abbey Road, home of the Abbey Road Studios and the well known zebra crossing. When we got there, there was a large group of people the heaps of props. Everything from blow up dolls with their friends faces on them, to wigs, big glass, boas, and yes, even a mask of QE2. I've got a picture of them up on my facebook. It was so funny. The lady shooting the pictures for the group was so nice and asked if we'd gone across yet. We both said no, and she offered to take our pictures! Meghan has them on her camera, so I'm excited to see them! Then we walked over to the wall and read messages and took pictures of the studio. We went into a couple of shops that had rock memorabilia before heading over to 221b Baker Street. Then back on the tub to head over the Knightsbridge. Stopped in to look around, saw the memorial, and went into the foot court so that Meghan could get somethings for her family. We also looked in a couple of clothing stores around the area before heading back to my flat. This was all from 10am-7:30pm and she didn't say anything about being tired. NBD.
After getting dinner and going to Sainsbury to get a couple mixers, it was off to Anna's house to have a couple drinks with her and her cousin before heading out dancing. We decided on Zoo bar in Leicester Square because it was within walking distance. When we got there, the guards at the door were turning people away, so Meghan put on her charm, and we promptly jumped the queue and were admitted in! It was packed, but we finally found a place to dance. Meghan and I were dancing when out of nowhere some guy grabbed her and started dancing, leaving me on the wall. I wasn't exactly happy, but oh well. Then these two guys were on their way to use the toilets, and the older one... and I mean older one, he was probably in his 40s, decided he needed to chat me up. Naturally, I told him my name was Stacy and tried to be as kurt with him as I possibly could. He just didn't get it. He kept telling me that he was the most beautiful, fit girl he's ever seen. Fine, I appreciate that. That does NOT, however, give you permission to proceed to push my back off the wall so you can grab my butt and proceed to tell me, "You have a nice bum, because I've just felt it." That also doesn't mean, that since you've done that, that I will want to dance with you afterwards. I tried to Meghan's attention, but she was facing the other way, so I moved to walk over to her side, and the old guy grabs my waist and starts... well I guess the best way to describe it is humping me from behind. OH NO NO NO NO NOOO!!! Meghan finally turned around, saw this, and we made moves to the bathroom. Not before the gross old man decided it was okay to smack my ass while I was walking away. EW! Anyways, we went in, fixed ourselves, and made our way as quickly as possible back out, basically running past where we had been, to the Hip-Hop room where we found Anna and her cousin. Such a welcome change from the packed House music room. Don't get me wrong, I love to club to that music, but you can never go wrong with hip hop. We stayed in there for the rest of the night until the club closed.
While walking out, some man in a tuxedo, no less, wanted Meghan to look him up on facebook. So strange. After getting his name, we started to walk home. I should also mention, that for the majority of the night, I was speaking in an English accent that was passing off as a good one. Even Anna's cousin, who is from France, said it was good. Go me! There are a couple videos Meghan took... I'm interested to see how those are. :-) We hopped on the bus and met some fit lads that had just been at the same club we were. Meg wasn't very talkative, but the guys and I took turns taking the mickey out of each other until it was our turn to get off. In hindsight, I probably should've
I took her back to Heathrow this morning so she could catch her flight. I was sad to see her go, but I'm so glad she came. I'm now doing research for the first small essay assignment that I will be writing all day tomorrow. 1500 words is nothing, so I'm not that bothered by it, but I'd rather have the research done now, so that when I got to the SOAS library tomorrow, all I have to do is find the books there that I need, pick a spot, crack open my laptop, and start typing away.
Speaking of facebook, if you haven't seen The Social Network, go see it! Not only is it a good movie, but Andrew Garfield is a cutie! I also can't wait to see Never Let Me Go.
Back to research, I'm afraid. Love you all!
Meghan got into London about 10am and we went straight from Heathrow to my flat for her to drop her things off and freshen up. Then it was off to the Twinings shop and a look at my library and campus. We popped into Somerset House for a look around and I told her about the ice rink they do in the winter. Side note, I CAN'T WAIT for that to open!!! :-) Then it was off across Waterloo Bridge so she could see Southbank, the Eye and get a picture of the quintessential backdrop of the London skyline. From there, we walked back across the pedestrian/rail bridge and hopped a tube at Embankment to Baker Street. The first stop was supposed to be 221b Baker Street, home of the famous Sherlock Holmes. After being turned around several times, because I'm still learning my way around parts of London, we decided that we would catch it on the way back and made our way over the 3 Abbey Road, home of the Abbey Road Studios and the well known zebra crossing. When we got there, there was a large group of people the heaps of props. Everything from blow up dolls with their friends faces on them, to wigs, big glass, boas, and yes, even a mask of QE2. I've got a picture of them up on my facebook. It was so funny. The lady shooting the pictures for the group was so nice and asked if we'd gone across yet. We both said no, and she offered to take our pictures! Meghan has them on her camera, so I'm excited to see them! Then we walked over to the wall and read messages and took pictures of the studio. We went into a couple of shops that had rock memorabilia before heading over to 221b Baker Street. Then back on the tub to head over the Knightsbridge. Stopped in to look around, saw the memorial, and went into the foot court so that Meghan could get somethings for her family. We also looked in a couple of clothing stores around the area before heading back to my flat. This was all from 10am-7:30pm and she didn't say anything about being tired. NBD.
After getting dinner and going to Sainsbury to get a couple mixers, it was off to Anna's house to have a couple drinks with her and her cousin before heading out dancing. We decided on Zoo bar in Leicester Square because it was within walking distance. When we got there, the guards at the door were turning people away, so Meghan put on her charm, and we promptly jumped the queue and were admitted in! It was packed, but we finally found a place to dance. Meghan and I were dancing when out of nowhere some guy grabbed her and started dancing, leaving me on the wall. I wasn't exactly happy, but oh well. Then these two guys were on their way to use the toilets, and the older one... and I mean older one, he was probably in his 40s, decided he needed to chat me up. Naturally, I told him my name was Stacy and tried to be as kurt with him as I possibly could. He just didn't get it. He kept telling me that he was the most beautiful, fit girl he's ever seen. Fine, I appreciate that. That does NOT, however, give you permission to proceed to push my back off the wall so you can grab my butt and proceed to tell me, "You have a nice bum, because I've just felt it." That also doesn't mean, that since you've done that, that I will want to dance with you afterwards. I tried to Meghan's attention, but she was facing the other way, so I moved to walk over to her side, and the old guy grabs my waist and starts... well I guess the best way to describe it is humping me from behind. OH NO NO NO NO NOOO!!! Meghan finally turned around, saw this, and we made moves to the bathroom. Not before the gross old man decided it was okay to smack my ass while I was walking away. EW! Anyways, we went in, fixed ourselves, and made our way as quickly as possible back out, basically running past where we had been, to the Hip-Hop room where we found Anna and her cousin. Such a welcome change from the packed House music room. Don't get me wrong, I love to club to that music, but you can never go wrong with hip hop. We stayed in there for the rest of the night until the club closed.
While walking out, some man in a tuxedo, no less, wanted Meghan to look him up on facebook. So strange. After getting his name, we started to walk home. I should also mention, that for the majority of the night, I was speaking in an English accent that was passing off as a good one. Even Anna's cousin, who is from France, said it was good. Go me! There are a couple videos Meghan took... I'm interested to see how those are. :-) We hopped on the bus and met some fit lads that had just been at the same club we were. Meg wasn't very talkative, but the guys and I took turns taking the mickey out of each other until it was our turn to get off. In hindsight, I probably should've
I took her back to Heathrow this morning so she could catch her flight. I was sad to see her go, but I'm so glad she came. I'm now doing research for the first small essay assignment that I will be writing all day tomorrow. 1500 words is nothing, so I'm not that bothered by it, but I'd rather have the research done now, so that when I got to the SOAS library tomorrow, all I have to do is find the books there that I need, pick a spot, crack open my laptop, and start typing away.
Speaking of facebook, if you haven't seen The Social Network, go see it! Not only is it a good movie, but Andrew Garfield is a cutie! I also can't wait to see Never Let Me Go.
Back to research, I'm afraid. Love you all!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Alright gang, you wanted me to have an adventure? Well I had one on Tuesday this week.
As I'm sure you've all read by now, I fell down a flight of stair at the SOAS library. Funny thing is, I was en route to getting a book that's not available in the Kings library that had an article I needed to read for a class. Shows how much dedication I've got to academia I suppose. I guess you could say I'm okay. Nothing's broken, but my legs are both swollen, heavily bruises and cut up. The right leg has gone down a bit, but my left leg looks like a fat person's My right arm has some skin missing too. Gotta love it. I was walking down the stairs and I don't know what happened, but next thing I knew, I was falling down a flight of stairs, with a full backpack on and a dress. Thankfully, people were around to help me stop myself before I hit the bottom. My shoes flew off and were at the bottom on the floor below. A guy picked them up and brought them to me and asked if I needed water or to call the lift. I said I was fine but he was very persistent. He helped me sit down and I told him I was fine again and that he could leave. As soon as he left I started crying, because it hurt that bad. Some girl saw me and asked if I was okay, because it is strange to see someone crying on the steps inside a library. I said I was fine, that I had just fallen. After a couple of minutes I finally got up and got to the stacks where the book was and took it to the photo copier. I did not even notice until I looked down to grab the copies that my left leg was bleeding through my tights. Awesome. So I walked around the city all day with blood stained tights and a limp.
Since then, as I've said, my left leg has gotten worse. You can see pictures on facebook. It's pretty bad. I'm actually freaked out about how it looks. I don't think it's broken. You wouldn't be able to walk if it were broken, right? I don't know.
I had plans for the weekend, but I think I am going to have to stay in with my foot propped up on the one pillow I have. :-( I need a mommy right now.
I hope you all are doing well! Love you and miss you!
As I'm sure you've all read by now, I fell down a flight of stair at the SOAS library. Funny thing is, I was en route to getting a book that's not available in the Kings library that had an article I needed to read for a class. Shows how much dedication I've got to academia I suppose. I guess you could say I'm okay. Nothing's broken, but my legs are both swollen, heavily bruises and cut up. The right leg has gone down a bit, but my left leg looks like a fat person's My right arm has some skin missing too. Gotta love it. I was walking down the stairs and I don't know what happened, but next thing I knew, I was falling down a flight of stairs, with a full backpack on and a dress. Thankfully, people were around to help me stop myself before I hit the bottom. My shoes flew off and were at the bottom on the floor below. A guy picked them up and brought them to me and asked if I needed water or to call the lift. I said I was fine but he was very persistent. He helped me sit down and I told him I was fine again and that he could leave. As soon as he left I started crying, because it hurt that bad. Some girl saw me and asked if I was okay, because it is strange to see someone crying on the steps inside a library. I said I was fine, that I had just fallen. After a couple of minutes I finally got up and got to the stacks where the book was and took it to the photo copier. I did not even notice until I looked down to grab the copies that my left leg was bleeding through my tights. Awesome. So I walked around the city all day with blood stained tights and a limp.
Since then, as I've said, my left leg has gotten worse. You can see pictures on facebook. It's pretty bad. I'm actually freaked out about how it looks. I don't think it's broken. You wouldn't be able to walk if it were broken, right? I don't know.
I had plans for the weekend, but I think I am going to have to stay in with my foot propped up on the one pillow I have. :-( I need a mommy right now.
I hope you all are doing well! Love you and miss you!
Monday, October 11, 2010
I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round, I really love to watch them roll. No longer riding on the merry-go-round, I just had to let it go.
Taking a break from my weekly reading to write you, my dearest loved ones.
Headline News:
Dear US Direct Loans office, department, red tape, etc; You are the ONLY thing ruining my time in London. Because you don't know how to do things in a timely manner, I will have been here a month without my promised money and it will have been 3 weeks since my school received my money that I will finally have it in my Barclays account. Get your act together.
Local News:
On Thursday Anna and I went to the Raindance Film Festival and saw a documentary done with Vice magazine called "The Vice Guide to Liberia". It was a very well done film in which 3 of the major former War Lords of Liberia were interviewed about how things really haven't changed since the wars in the 1990s. One former War Lord, General Rambo, said that if Charles Taylor some how gets off without any charges from the Hague and when the UN leaves, that children, yes children, are ready and willing to be child soldiers again. Liberia is in such dire need of help it's ridiculous. The UN is due to withdraw sometime this year or next. I strongly recommend seeing this if you can. Here's a link to an article about it: The Vice Guide to Liberia
Friday after class we all went to a local pub called The Knights Templar for a couple drinks and some conversation. Fiona, Katie and I got into a wonderful discussion about world affairs ranging from education, to politics, to country specifics in the US, Ireland, Israel & Palestine, Africa, and Asia. We talked about religion, beliefs, school topics, everything really. It was so so refreshing to actually have an academic and intellectual conversation with someone. I've really missed them. The three of us went through 2 bottles of wine. :-) Claire joined in too at one point and I have to admit, she is so amazing. I love her Irish accent! I thought we were only going to stay for a couple hours, but we actually ended up staying until almost midnight.
Yesterday, I went to a proper Sunday Roast at a local pub in Snaresbrook with a few people from my program. Katie and her husband live just up the road from the pub and tube station, so Saya, Radka, Simon, and myself met them for a nice Sunday lunch and a couple of drinks with some wonderful conversation from what we'd like to write our dissertation on to Monty Python. It was lovely to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city for an afternoon and it made me think long and hard about the fact that once my contract is up in June for this place, I REALLY do not want to live here and to find a place to sublet or something for the 3-4 months I'll still be in country.
I was supposed to go to the Camden Market with a couple of people today, BUT as stated above, I have no money. Hoping to have it soon, because I really would like to go to market.
Music & Fashion:
Alright gang, if you haven't already, I STRONGLY recommend that you get Mark Ronson & The Business Int'l record "Record Collection". It is amazing. A true testament to what an amazing and innovative producer that Mark is. Mark also did a couple tracks for Wale on "Attention Deficit".
Also worth looking into if you already haven't:
Franz Ferdinand - "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand"
Freelance Whales - "Weathervanes"
Alright, if I had known 8 odd years ago that this trend was going to be the thing, I would have insisted on getting a letterman jacket. British people have a very funky sense of fashion that I very much welcome, but for some strange reason it's a cool thing to have. Weird. Ladies, some of you have been asking me what the fashion is like here.... so here it is. Wearing stockings/tights with shorts, and then flat dressy sneaker/boot looking things. It's hard for me to explain what the shoes look like. Another thing is to wear a sweater and shoes, and that's it. Nothing underneath (but hopefully knickers!). It's okay to mix prints and patters here as well.
One last note on fashion. Check on these shoes!
From Me
I really miss all of you. And I'm not counting down the days at all, but it's 2 months and a few days until I'm home again. I cannot wait to see you all again! Anyway, I better get back to my reading, but I love you all and I hope everything is going swimmingly on the other side of the pond!
Headline News:
Dear US Direct Loans office, department, red tape, etc; You are the ONLY thing ruining my time in London. Because you don't know how to do things in a timely manner, I will have been here a month without my promised money and it will have been 3 weeks since my school received my money that I will finally have it in my Barclays account. Get your act together.
Local News:
On Thursday Anna and I went to the Raindance Film Festival and saw a documentary done with Vice magazine called "The Vice Guide to Liberia". It was a very well done film in which 3 of the major former War Lords of Liberia were interviewed about how things really haven't changed since the wars in the 1990s. One former War Lord, General Rambo, said that if Charles Taylor some how gets off without any charges from the Hague and when the UN leaves, that children, yes children, are ready and willing to be child soldiers again. Liberia is in such dire need of help it's ridiculous. The UN is due to withdraw sometime this year or next. I strongly recommend seeing this if you can. Here's a link to an article about it: The Vice Guide to Liberia
Friday after class we all went to a local pub called The Knights Templar for a couple drinks and some conversation. Fiona, Katie and I got into a wonderful discussion about world affairs ranging from education, to politics, to country specifics in the US, Ireland, Israel & Palestine, Africa, and Asia. We talked about religion, beliefs, school topics, everything really. It was so so refreshing to actually have an academic and intellectual conversation with someone. I've really missed them. The three of us went through 2 bottles of wine. :-) Claire joined in too at one point and I have to admit, she is so amazing. I love her Irish accent! I thought we were only going to stay for a couple hours, but we actually ended up staying until almost midnight.
Yesterday, I went to a proper Sunday Roast at a local pub in Snaresbrook with a few people from my program. Katie and her husband live just up the road from the pub and tube station, so Saya, Radka, Simon, and myself met them for a nice Sunday lunch and a couple of drinks with some wonderful conversation from what we'd like to write our dissertation on to Monty Python. It was lovely to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city for an afternoon and it made me think long and hard about the fact that once my contract is up in June for this place, I REALLY do not want to live here and to find a place to sublet or something for the 3-4 months I'll still be in country.
I was supposed to go to the Camden Market with a couple of people today, BUT as stated above, I have no money. Hoping to have it soon, because I really would like to go to market.
Music & Fashion:
Alright gang, if you haven't already, I STRONGLY recommend that you get Mark Ronson & The Business Int'l record "Record Collection". It is amazing. A true testament to what an amazing and innovative producer that Mark is. Mark also did a couple tracks for Wale on "Attention Deficit".
Also worth looking into if you already haven't:
Franz Ferdinand - "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand"
Freelance Whales - "Weathervanes"
Alright, if I had known 8 odd years ago that this trend was going to be the thing, I would have insisted on getting a letterman jacket. British people have a very funky sense of fashion that I very much welcome, but for some strange reason it's a cool thing to have. Weird. Ladies, some of you have been asking me what the fashion is like here.... so here it is. Wearing stockings/tights with shorts, and then flat dressy sneaker/boot looking things. It's hard for me to explain what the shoes look like. Another thing is to wear a sweater and shoes, and that's it. Nothing underneath (but hopefully knickers!). It's okay to mix prints and patters here as well.
One last note on fashion. Check on these shoes!
From Me
I really miss all of you. And I'm not counting down the days at all, but it's 2 months and a few days until I'm home again. I cannot wait to see you all again! Anyway, I better get back to my reading, but I love you all and I hope everything is going swimmingly on the other side of the pond!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
All these walls were never really there, nor the ceiling or the chair.
Well, it's hump day, but as I don't really have a set "week" per se anymore, it just feels like another day. Truth be told, days and weeks blur together rather than stand apart from one another. That can be good and bad. Good because it means I get to come home for break soon, but bad because my first term will be over in a mere 8 weeks now. Good because I will soon be a more educated woman who will, fingers crossed, get a job. Bad because before I know it, it will be time for me to leave this place that I'm ever so fond of.
Nothing really promotes a diet quite like being poor. Never mind that I've gone veg again. If this keeps up (if I need to go one more week without my loan money) I'll have to buy a whole new wardrobe sooner than I thought I'd have to. Not exactly what I was going for.
I'm really enjoying my classes and the group of people I'm on this little academic journey with. Today I had my Critical Geographies of Terrorism class again, and I love that we have such a lively debate about pretty much everything brought up. Dannish, our professor, loves that we question him. A very welcome change from most of my professors in undergrad that wanted you to sit down and shut up. This is my favorite class so far. I'm sure I will love my Propaganda class also, if I ever hear back about it. While I love that everyone is so laid back here, it is a bit frustrating that no one gets back to you right away about things.
Now that being said, I GREATLY appreciate the fact that I do not have any exams. At all. It's all papers and a handful of presentations sprinkled around with a healthy dose of participation in there for good measure. We have weekly reading that will prepare us for the class, but they are mostly scholarly journals and articles. So, please, can someone explain to me, why, and this is rather interesting, only the handful of girls in our program, myself and Anna excluded, are FREAKING A GEEK out about this. One girl said she was up all night reading. FOR WHAT?! We've had one week of classes so far. Each has about 5-10 readings. Now, these are supplemental and you DO NOT have to read every single word of each one in order to go to lecture. If you want, you can use them in your papers, or go back to them later. Or you can be smart and use the days you don't have class, to get up early and read, and have the rest of the day to do whatever. I'm actually quite bored with my work load. I don't know if it's because, school wise, I'm used to being so busy that I forget to eat and 10pm rolls around, I've been up since 8am, and I wonder why I'm not feeling so well. I'm used to having 5-6 classes a week, with a million and one meetings, organizations & clubs, and what not piled on top. Am I missing something? Maybe there's something I missing, because this is the lightest work load I've had since, well, elementary school.
I'm working on getting a part-time job, either with the school or elsewhere. I've just emailed the Gates Foundation that has it's Europe office here in London to see if I can volunteer or get an internship. I'm also going to apply to be a student ambassador. I just need SOMETHING, because I'm going nuts with all the free time I have. I don't really like it, strange as that may sound and seem. Now this is an odd and morbid thought, but I have a feeling I'm headed to becoming one of those people that works themselves to death. Yikes. Here's to hoping that I'm wrong.
So how are all of you? I haven't heard from, well, most of you lately. I hope all is well. Please do write. It'll give me something to do. :-)
Love you all!
Nothing really promotes a diet quite like being poor. Never mind that I've gone veg again. If this keeps up (if I need to go one more week without my loan money) I'll have to buy a whole new wardrobe sooner than I thought I'd have to. Not exactly what I was going for.
I'm really enjoying my classes and the group of people I'm on this little academic journey with. Today I had my Critical Geographies of Terrorism class again, and I love that we have such a lively debate about pretty much everything brought up. Dannish, our professor, loves that we question him. A very welcome change from most of my professors in undergrad that wanted you to sit down and shut up. This is my favorite class so far. I'm sure I will love my Propaganda class also, if I ever hear back about it. While I love that everyone is so laid back here, it is a bit frustrating that no one gets back to you right away about things.
Now that being said, I GREATLY appreciate the fact that I do not have any exams. At all. It's all papers and a handful of presentations sprinkled around with a healthy dose of participation in there for good measure. We have weekly reading that will prepare us for the class, but they are mostly scholarly journals and articles. So, please, can someone explain to me, why, and this is rather interesting, only the handful of girls in our program, myself and Anna excluded, are FREAKING A GEEK out about this. One girl said she was up all night reading. FOR WHAT?! We've had one week of classes so far. Each has about 5-10 readings. Now, these are supplemental and you DO NOT have to read every single word of each one in order to go to lecture. If you want, you can use them in your papers, or go back to them later. Or you can be smart and use the days you don't have class, to get up early and read, and have the rest of the day to do whatever. I'm actually quite bored with my work load. I don't know if it's because, school wise, I'm used to being so busy that I forget to eat and 10pm rolls around, I've been up since 8am, and I wonder why I'm not feeling so well. I'm used to having 5-6 classes a week, with a million and one meetings, organizations & clubs, and what not piled on top. Am I missing something? Maybe there's something I missing, because this is the lightest work load I've had since, well, elementary school.
I'm working on getting a part-time job, either with the school or elsewhere. I've just emailed the Gates Foundation that has it's Europe office here in London to see if I can volunteer or get an internship. I'm also going to apply to be a student ambassador. I just need SOMETHING, because I'm going nuts with all the free time I have. I don't really like it, strange as that may sound and seem. Now this is an odd and morbid thought, but I have a feeling I'm headed to becoming one of those people that works themselves to death. Yikes. Here's to hoping that I'm wrong.
So how are all of you? I haven't heard from, well, most of you lately. I hope all is well. Please do write. It'll give me something to do. :-)
Love you all!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
I said do me a favor and ask if you need some help. She said do me a favor and stop flattering yourself.
Hello all from a very laid back Sunday afternoon. I cannot believe how quickly this week has flown by. Or the fact that I have been in country for going on 3 weeks now. Madness. I finally figured out my course schedule for the most part. I have to wait until tomorrow to have it nailed down 100% from the War Studies department. I've asked to take either a course on Propaganda or US Foreign Policy, so I think it'll be a very well rounded enjoyable year of study. I'll have 4 classes this term and 2 next term, which will be helpful as I will be going full force into writing and getting my dissertation underway so that I can enjoy my summer rather than being hulled up in the library.
Anna, her friend, and myself went out last night to a club in Piccadilly Circus. First proper time I've been out since getting here. I think we all learned that we're probably not going back, not only due to the smelly men that you've heard about on my facebook, but also just because we don't really enjoy being trampled by stupid, drunk bitches. We wanted to have a "stand around our pocket book and shoes and just dance" moment, but that was literally impossible. Plus it was tenner to get in and the one drink I bough there was 6 quid. No thank you. We'll be looking for a better spot next weekend. I'm thinking the ones that don't look like they are trendy, that way, the smelly, can't speak English well foreign guys aren't in abundance.
Sorry I haven't really had any adventures yet. But the term is still young, and I've got 78 days to get some stories to tell you all when I get home for break. Hope you're all doing well. I really miss and love you all!
Anna, her friend, and myself went out last night to a club in Piccadilly Circus. First proper time I've been out since getting here. I think we all learned that we're probably not going back, not only due to the smelly men that you've heard about on my facebook, but also just because we don't really enjoy being trampled by stupid, drunk bitches. We wanted to have a "stand around our pocket book and shoes and just dance" moment, but that was literally impossible. Plus it was tenner to get in and the one drink I bough there was 6 quid. No thank you. We'll be looking for a better spot next weekend. I'm thinking the ones that don't look like they are trendy, that way, the smelly, can't speak English well foreign guys aren't in abundance.
Sorry I haven't really had any adventures yet. But the term is still young, and I've got 78 days to get some stories to tell you all when I get home for break. Hope you're all doing well. I really miss and love you all!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Smile like you mean it.
I could not have asked for a more perfect day, weather wise, here in London town. It was a nice, sunny 65, so I decided to play tourist.
Had to get some academics out of the way first, though. I went to a class from 9-11 (yuck, still too early) that I will be auditing instead of taking for credit because I don't have enough space left and for some strange reason, our department, or perhaps the School of Public Policy and Social Science just thinks it's best, but my particular program is only allowed to take 180-190 credits. Oh well... this means I don't have to write two papers! WOO!! It should be an interesting class and I'm really looking forward to it. It's called Environmental Actors and Politics. So I attended that class, then walked to the library to do a little reading. And I do mean a little. I found the perfect, hidden away space way up in the clock tower rooms that was completely empty, and started reading. Then the LOUDEST person I have ever heard in my entire life ends up sitting on the sub floor directly beneath me. They weren't talking.. oh no. But the sound! I felt like the Grinch during that sequence in the cartoon when he's talking about all that "noise, noise, noise! If there's one thing I can't stand, it's the noise, noise, noise." And the drums start beating around his head. Yep. This person was crinkling food wrappers, which we're not allowed to have, clicking their note book open and closed every nanosecond, coughing, sniffling, tapping their pen. I was going insane, clearly. To top it all off, I had my iPod on and I could hear them over it, no matter how loud I turned it up. SO I decided to move to the other side of the clock tower, through 2 sets of double doors, into a different set of study cubicles. Sweet bliss. No one was around and all was quiet. Again I set all my stuff up, got my highlighters, note tabs, and articles out to read. Not even 5 minutes later, someone else came in and did the SAME thing the other person was. I can only assume these are freshers, because I can GUARANTEE if they have even just one year of study under their belt, you know to shut the hell up when you're in the library unless you are in a group room.
So I left the library disgruntled. But the sun was shining and it was a wonderful day, so I decided to play tourist. I walked over the foot/rail bridge to South Bank and grabbed take away from Wagamama. I walked up to an outdoor seating area that overlooked the river and ate my delicious noodle soup. To my left was the London Eye, to my right, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and behind me, the Royal Festival Hall. People watching is definitely fun to do, so I did that for about 30 minutes. I then got up and headed up the bank towards the Eye. Walked passed that, then over the Westminster Bridge to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Something was going on because there were more police and sirens than normal, but I still can't find it on the web, so maybe someone important was visiting? A Chinook did fly over head. After that I walked back up the Victoria side of the river (my side of the river) up to Trafalgar Square, then home.
I was home for about 30 minutes, then decided it was time to go buy a printer, because now I'm having to print things out, and it'll be cheaper for me to do it here at the flat than it will be to do it at the library. This time, I took the tube. I went to Oxford circus, which foot traffic wise, was the worst I have ever seen it. Worse than New York and Chicago, I think. I went to a couple of different stores and just couldn't bring myself to spend between 60 and 100 quid for a printer. So I started walking back towards the tube when I came across Liberty, a department store that I own a dress from. They are famous for their floral patterns. So I started walking towards that when I happen to glance to my left and spot and Apple store. SUCCESS!! You think it's bad at the Fairfax or Tyson's Apple when a new product comes out? Good Lord, you've seen nothing! This place was a mad house. I finally tracked down a specialist to find out the prices for printers. Again, too pricey for me, as I still don't have my loan money. The guy was very nice about it though, and definitely understood. He pointed me in two directions, one of which I had already gone to. So it was off to Currys, a mix between Radio Shack and Best Buy. I think it's rather ironic that the store is called Currys and there were all South Central Asians working there. Anyways, I found a printer exactly like the one I have at home, but unfortunately it was sold out. So I went for the next best one. It was 49 quid. which is roughly 74 bucks. WOOOO!!!
Triumphant, I walked towards to direction of the tube station to go home, or so I thought. Something had happened on the Victoria line (the line I needed to get on), so the station had been shut down until further notice. Wonderful. So I walked from Oxford Circus to Tottenham Court Road and got on the tube there. Luckily, at this particular station, I would not have to change lines to get home. After many strange stares from people on the tube, I got off at Angel, the stop just north of me. Walking home wasn't so bad, and I think it's a shorter distance than Farringdon is. When I got to my flat I literally could not feel or bend my fingers. A bit of a problem when you have to swipe to get in the building, and the card is at the bottom of your purse in your wallet. My feet were screaming at me, too. I am 100% certain that I walked at least 20 miles today.
Now everything is set up and I found an email that asked for me to set up my account to get my loan money once my uni is done with it. YEA!!!!! I have class all day tomorrow, which is a bit of a bummer, but I think after the last one we're all heading to the pub again for drinks. I need to be careful with that though, because it can get expensive and it may counter act with all my walking. Oh well, you only live once, right?
I hope all of you are doing well. I miss you! I'll try to work on some crazy, or not so crazy stories to share for when I come home for Christmas. I'll be going to Ireland at some point this term, and maybe else where, who knows.
Love you all!!!
Had to get some academics out of the way first, though. I went to a class from 9-11 (yuck, still too early) that I will be auditing instead of taking for credit because I don't have enough space left and for some strange reason, our department, or perhaps the School of Public Policy and Social Science just thinks it's best, but my particular program is only allowed to take 180-190 credits. Oh well... this means I don't have to write two papers! WOO!! It should be an interesting class and I'm really looking forward to it. It's called Environmental Actors and Politics. So I attended that class, then walked to the library to do a little reading. And I do mean a little. I found the perfect, hidden away space way up in the clock tower rooms that was completely empty, and started reading. Then the LOUDEST person I have ever heard in my entire life ends up sitting on the sub floor directly beneath me. They weren't talking.. oh no. But the sound! I felt like the Grinch during that sequence in the cartoon when he's talking about all that "noise, noise, noise! If there's one thing I can't stand, it's the noise, noise, noise." And the drums start beating around his head. Yep. This person was crinkling food wrappers, which we're not allowed to have, clicking their note book open and closed every nanosecond, coughing, sniffling, tapping their pen. I was going insane, clearly. To top it all off, I had my iPod on and I could hear them over it, no matter how loud I turned it up. SO I decided to move to the other side of the clock tower, through 2 sets of double doors, into a different set of study cubicles. Sweet bliss. No one was around and all was quiet. Again I set all my stuff up, got my highlighters, note tabs, and articles out to read. Not even 5 minutes later, someone else came in and did the SAME thing the other person was. I can only assume these are freshers, because I can GUARANTEE if they have even just one year of study under their belt, you know to shut the hell up when you're in the library unless you are in a group room.
So I left the library disgruntled. But the sun was shining and it was a wonderful day, so I decided to play tourist. I walked over the foot/rail bridge to South Bank and grabbed take away from Wagamama. I walked up to an outdoor seating area that overlooked the river and ate my delicious noodle soup. To my left was the London Eye, to my right, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and behind me, the Royal Festival Hall. People watching is definitely fun to do, so I did that for about 30 minutes. I then got up and headed up the bank towards the Eye. Walked passed that, then over the Westminster Bridge to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Something was going on because there were more police and sirens than normal, but I still can't find it on the web, so maybe someone important was visiting? A Chinook did fly over head. After that I walked back up the Victoria side of the river (my side of the river) up to Trafalgar Square, then home.
I was home for about 30 minutes, then decided it was time to go buy a printer, because now I'm having to print things out, and it'll be cheaper for me to do it here at the flat than it will be to do it at the library. This time, I took the tube. I went to Oxford circus, which foot traffic wise, was the worst I have ever seen it. Worse than New York and Chicago, I think. I went to a couple of different stores and just couldn't bring myself to spend between 60 and 100 quid for a printer. So I started walking back towards the tube when I came across Liberty, a department store that I own a dress from. They are famous for their floral patterns. So I started walking towards that when I happen to glance to my left and spot and Apple store. SUCCESS!! You think it's bad at the Fairfax or Tyson's Apple when a new product comes out? Good Lord, you've seen nothing! This place was a mad house. I finally tracked down a specialist to find out the prices for printers. Again, too pricey for me, as I still don't have my loan money. The guy was very nice about it though, and definitely understood. He pointed me in two directions, one of which I had already gone to. So it was off to Currys, a mix between Radio Shack and Best Buy. I think it's rather ironic that the store is called Currys and there were all South Central Asians working there. Anyways, I found a printer exactly like the one I have at home, but unfortunately it was sold out. So I went for the next best one. It was 49 quid. which is roughly 74 bucks. WOOOO!!!
Triumphant, I walked towards to direction of the tube station to go home, or so I thought. Something had happened on the Victoria line (the line I needed to get on), so the station had been shut down until further notice. Wonderful. So I walked from Oxford Circus to Tottenham Court Road and got on the tube there. Luckily, at this particular station, I would not have to change lines to get home. After many strange stares from people on the tube, I got off at Angel, the stop just north of me. Walking home wasn't so bad, and I think it's a shorter distance than Farringdon is. When I got to my flat I literally could not feel or bend my fingers. A bit of a problem when you have to swipe to get in the building, and the card is at the bottom of your purse in your wallet. My feet were screaming at me, too. I am 100% certain that I walked at least 20 miles today.
Now everything is set up and I found an email that asked for me to set up my account to get my loan money once my uni is done with it. YEA!!!!! I have class all day tomorrow, which is a bit of a bummer, but I think after the last one we're all heading to the pub again for drinks. I need to be careful with that though, because it can get expensive and it may counter act with all my walking. Oh well, you only live once, right?
I hope all of you are doing well. I miss you! I'll try to work on some crazy, or not so crazy stories to share for when I come home for Christmas. I'll be going to Ireland at some point this term, and maybe else where, who knows.
Love you all!!!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I say I don't know, you say you don't know, I say, take me out.
Ah, what a glorious first day. I am in such a good mood right now. Partially from the pint and a half of Strongbow and Kronenbourg I had after lecture with our class and professor. I'm currently enjoying grilled cheese, tomato soup and green beans. Mmmmmm, tipsy food.
But enough about that. I met some lovely people that I simply cannot wait to have class, discussion, and study with. Richard, our programme coordinator and basically head in charge of our major gave a basic over view of the course today, which we covered for about 2 hours with questions and everything. I won't be taking this one for credit; just popping in every so often on the lectures I'm interested in. Still don't know my complete schedule yet. I've got 40-60 credits to account for still, but those are either coming from other majors in my department, or from the War Studies (aka IR) department. Not too bad. I'm just excited to be back in school, with my head in the books, or rather, academic journals. Tay and Mel, your highlighter/pen/sticky combo pens have really come in handy! :-)
So after class today, we all first went to the student bar in the student union, which was pretty packed. Only stayed for a half pint and then we all moved on to a pub down the way near our library called The Knight's Templar. It looked a little posh, but Russell, one of the guys in my programme, informed us that it's actually a well known chain in the UK, so I didn't feel too out of place. I think it was because there were a lot of suits in there because they had just gotten off work. So I talked with a handful of people about a number of things, ranging from what our undergrad degrees were in, to what we want to do with our lives, to where we've worked, and a whole bunch of other stuff in between. This looks to be a really great group of people. And Richard is extremely laid back, which is excellent. The only thing that is in anyway bad about this structure, is that there are SO many classes I want to take, but I can only take a set number. Perhaps I'll get another Masters, or a Ph.D? We shall see.
Now then, when are you all coming to visit?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!? Being independent and in a big city is fun, but I want you guys to come enjoy it with me!!!! I found a really great deal on a blow up mattress too, so there's really no excuse, because you won't have to pay for a place to live, and we can cook at my place if it comes down to it too! And when are we going to skype/gchat people?! I need to see your beautiful faces!!!
Ah man, I'm seriously in such a good mood... grinning like a little girl. So excited about this. It is going to be a good year, on both sides of the Atlantic. Can't wait for this to get underway and can't wait to see you all in December. I haven't been this happy in a long time, and I haven't smiled like this since, probably my last day at Rio. :-)
Love you all!!! Write me!!!!!!! We can be pen pals!
But enough about that. I met some lovely people that I simply cannot wait to have class, discussion, and study with. Richard, our programme coordinator and basically head in charge of our major gave a basic over view of the course today, which we covered for about 2 hours with questions and everything. I won't be taking this one for credit; just popping in every so often on the lectures I'm interested in. Still don't know my complete schedule yet. I've got 40-60 credits to account for still, but those are either coming from other majors in my department, or from the War Studies (aka IR) department. Not too bad. I'm just excited to be back in school, with my head in the books, or rather, academic journals. Tay and Mel, your highlighter/pen/sticky combo pens have really come in handy! :-)
So after class today, we all first went to the student bar in the student union, which was pretty packed. Only stayed for a half pint and then we all moved on to a pub down the way near our library called The Knight's Templar. It looked a little posh, but Russell, one of the guys in my programme, informed us that it's actually a well known chain in the UK, so I didn't feel too out of place. I think it was because there were a lot of suits in there because they had just gotten off work. So I talked with a handful of people about a number of things, ranging from what our undergrad degrees were in, to what we want to do with our lives, to where we've worked, and a whole bunch of other stuff in between. This looks to be a really great group of people. And Richard is extremely laid back, which is excellent. The only thing that is in anyway bad about this structure, is that there are SO many classes I want to take, but I can only take a set number. Perhaps I'll get another Masters, or a Ph.D? We shall see.
Now then, when are you all coming to visit?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!? Being independent and in a big city is fun, but I want you guys to come enjoy it with me!!!! I found a really great deal on a blow up mattress too, so there's really no excuse, because you won't have to pay for a place to live, and we can cook at my place if it comes down to it too! And when are we going to skype/gchat people?! I need to see your beautiful faces!!!
Ah man, I'm seriously in such a good mood... grinning like a little girl. So excited about this. It is going to be a good year, on both sides of the Atlantic. Can't wait for this to get underway and can't wait to see you all in December. I haven't been this happy in a long time, and I haven't smiled like this since, probably my last day at Rio. :-)
Love you all!!! Write me!!!!!!! We can be pen pals!
Friday, September 24, 2010
I am known to do the Wop, also known for the Flintstone Flop.
Induction week finally came to a close today with a 2 hours course on basic computer programs (i.e. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint), projects and coursework, basic grammar do's and don't's, correct ways of referencing, and a plagiarism tutorial. Something that could have been covered in 2 seconds really. I think this should have been optional for students who speak English as their first language, and mandatory for those who speak English as a second, third, etc. This packet could have simply been posted online as well. Oh well. Yesterday I had enrolment (this isn't misspelled, that's how it is in the UK. Weird right?) and officially became a KCL student with an ID card and everything. Thank goodness! Now I can get student discounts!!!!
I'm learning my way around the streets gradually, which is very helpful, as I walk everywhere. I think it's pointless to take a 30 minute tube or bus ride to campus when the walk is only 20 minutes and I walk past the stops I would get on and off at anyway.
Most of you, well, actually I think all of you know what a big nerd I am, so you probably won't be surprised to find out that I've got my year already mapped out with regard to what courses I'm taking, when term dates start and finish, and when things are due. That being said, if I subscribe to everything that is recommended/mandatory to take for my particular programme, I'll have 2 classes on Friday afternoon, with a biweekly seminar/tutorial in the morning, one class on Tuesday afternoon, and then my dissertation officially starting in June or whenever my last exam is in the spring. Honestly though, I'm going to start working on that puppy this term, so that I can get a great chunk of drafts and research out of the way, because let's be honest, 12,000 words is A LOT and I'm trying to enjoy my time here without having to cram everything in at the last minute. This is a paper heavy master's programme, which I could not be MORE thrilled about. Give me a presentation or a paper over a test any day! We do have a 3 hour exam for each course in the spring time though, which sort of sucks. But the good news on that is, everyone else in our department has exams to come back to after Christmas Break and I don't!!!!
Speaking of, as I mentioned before, I figured out my term dates. Official uni policy says that the fall term ends December 17, but my term ends on December 10. It also states that you have to be back for exams to start 10 January, but since I don't have them, my term will start back up on January 17, but in all actuality, it might be later than that, if we keep the classes on the days we had them in the fall. So what does this all mean? Well, it means that I can come home later and leave home later, equating to a longer time spent in VA with all of you fine people! I have already booked my plane ticket back for break, as it was a round-trip deal with the one to get out here... but maybe I can change it, because I know a lot of you are leaving for various places for Christmas and New Years. This is also good, because I don't know if I'll make it back state-side again before I turn my dissertation in during late August/early September 2011. When I graduate is still up in the air too, so a thousand and one apologies to anyone I told that I was graduating in June. That's just when I'm done with course work and start to focus 1,000,000,000,000,000% on the big one.
With all of that said, I'm not too keen on the course taught on Tuesdays, so I'm taking another one on a different day, but the whole point is that I have 2 days of classes. Everything else is reserved to reading and getting my ish in order for my big finale. So please feel free to visit whenever. Believe you me, I would love it! I currently only have my twin bed, but the plan is to get a blow up mattress for when people decide to visit so you don't have to pay for a place to stay. Unless you want to cuddle, and that's fine by me, too. ;-)
Now that I'm done, and I still don't know anyone here and have a bunch of things I still need to get for my flat, I'm heading off to Oxford/Brackley for the weekend to visit with Angela, collect some packages from home, and shop at the Euro version of Walmart, ASDA. Yes, I HATE Walmart... but as there is no Target so to speak of here, it will have to do.... well, I take that back. Tesco and M&S are like that if you get out far enough so that they carry more than just food. Anyway, the point is that I won't have any sort of adventuring about here until next week. I've been meaning to take a picture of the KCL library for you all to see because not only is it massive, but it's beautiful! I'll play asian tourist for the day and take pictures for you all around my neighbourhood and possibly along the water front, since the back side of campus faces the Thames, next week.
I love you all!!!! I hope you have a fabulous Friday and weekend!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Perfectly Lonely
Well, it's 2:29 am and people are, I suppose because I cannot see them, standing on the street just screaming for no apparent reason other than to be annoying. Yes, I understand, term hasn't started yet, but please, please, PLEASE stop being an obvious fresher. I don't like being lumped into that group, but for at least this week and next, I am. Bleck. Why am I up at this hour, you might be saying to yourself? Well, my body clock is still off, and it amazes me that I've been able to get up around 8am every day this week and stay up until 3 or 4 am and not feel anything. Actually, that's a lie, I did fall asleep on Monday during the introductions. I felt absolutely horrible for doing so, but if it counts for anything, I stayed awake for everything that was relevant to me. Yeah, I didn't think I would get any points for that either. Worth a try.
Side note, I think, unless I come up with something rather cleaver, that I will title my posts with song titles or lyrics. "It's getting better all the time," bit by bit.
Today we had a meeting with the program coordinator, who is the equivalent of an academic advisor and got a basic overview of my particular program, along with a syllabus for the 3 mandatory courses, which is actually very helpful. You can only glean so much from a paragraph or two on a website. Also received a handful of readings that I'll probably have done by the weekend, just because I'm lame and a) still don't know a lot of people and b) need to be ever so careful with money until my loan check gets here and I get a part-time job. Our program is pretty small as far as the number of people doing it is concerned, which I'm not that surprised about. I would have to say there are probably 25 people total, with myself being the only American, one girl from Mexico, and everyone else, save one who is from Lebanon, is from Europe. Tons of Dutch, which is interesting. And they are the cute ones, too, who speak English so well that you can barely detect an accent. Please take courses with me :-) We went around the room today and said a bit about ourselves. As soon as I mentioned I was from the States, it seemed that my coordinator could be less than interested. I hope it's not the case, because I'm one of those nerds that meets with advisors a million times with a billion questions through the course on any number of things, ranging from how my papers and course work is going, to advice about what to take or which direction I should go in. So here's to hoping he's not an anti-American.
If any of you have been to Europe, or even just outside the US, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say the food is completely different. I understand that I grew accustom to American food during my 24 years around it, either in the States or on base overseas, but sometimes you just want something and you can't get it, like comfort food. But, this shouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. I've always been pretty skeptical of meat here in the UK, because of Mad Cow and Bird Flu, so I've decided to go vegetarian again. It's actually cheaper that way too, so my pocket book will be thanking me later. It's actually funny though, because they have KFC and Pizza Hut galore here, along with Burger King and McDonald's.
Alright, well, I've got nothing else to really report right now. I'm applying to a position with the student union that's sort of like an sga position, which is paid, so I hope I get that. It would definitely help out with the money situation. Off to finish up the application and submit it, then off to bed. Love you all and know that I'm jealous of all the wonderful programming that I'm currently missing.
Side note, I think, unless I come up with something rather cleaver, that I will title my posts with song titles or lyrics. "It's getting better all the time," bit by bit.
Today we had a meeting with the program coordinator, who is the equivalent of an academic advisor and got a basic overview of my particular program, along with a syllabus for the 3 mandatory courses, which is actually very helpful. You can only glean so much from a paragraph or two on a website. Also received a handful of readings that I'll probably have done by the weekend, just because I'm lame and a) still don't know a lot of people and b) need to be ever so careful with money until my loan check gets here and I get a part-time job. Our program is pretty small as far as the number of people doing it is concerned, which I'm not that surprised about. I would have to say there are probably 25 people total, with myself being the only American, one girl from Mexico, and everyone else, save one who is from Lebanon, is from Europe. Tons of Dutch, which is interesting. And they are the cute ones, too, who speak English so well that you can barely detect an accent. Please take courses with me :-) We went around the room today and said a bit about ourselves. As soon as I mentioned I was from the States, it seemed that my coordinator could be less than interested. I hope it's not the case, because I'm one of those nerds that meets with advisors a million times with a billion questions through the course on any number of things, ranging from how my papers and course work is going, to advice about what to take or which direction I should go in. So here's to hoping he's not an anti-American.
If any of you have been to Europe, or even just outside the US, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say the food is completely different. I understand that I grew accustom to American food during my 24 years around it, either in the States or on base overseas, but sometimes you just want something and you can't get it, like comfort food. But, this shouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. I've always been pretty skeptical of meat here in the UK, because of Mad Cow and Bird Flu, so I've decided to go vegetarian again. It's actually cheaper that way too, so my pocket book will be thanking me later. It's actually funny though, because they have KFC and Pizza Hut galore here, along with Burger King and McDonald's.
Alright, well, I've got nothing else to really report right now. I'm applying to a position with the student union that's sort of like an sga position, which is paid, so I hope I get that. It would definitely help out with the money situation. Off to finish up the application and submit it, then off to bed. Love you all and know that I'm jealous of all the wonderful programming that I'm currently missing.
Monday, September 20, 2010
A blog in three part
Part One:
Traveling from Oxford to London right now. Nothing quite fits the country side scenery out my window better than Coldplay. "Shiver" is playing right now, but by complete shuffling randomness on my iPod. I wish you all were here with me; I've left the comfort of Angela, Gary, and Aiden, and though I have a handful of friends scattered throughout the London area, I think tonight will be the first time I'm going to really feel like I'm not in Kansas anymore, Toto. I'll just remind myself time and again that this is an incredible opportunity and that I will see you all again, very soon. So I can have the best of both worlds.
Part Two:
The place is quite small.... but I don't really need a lot of room, it's not like I'll be in here all day, every day anyway. I've got everything pretty much set. I still need some things to hang my calendar and other things with, but I can get those this weekend. The only thing I really hate is that the bathroom is so so so so tiny. I'll have to take pictures tomorrow and post them. It's a little absurd, actually. The toilet is basically in the shower. Like I said, I'll have to take pictures. Good news, however, as I will be getting my phone tonight when I meet up with Maria!! WOO! Also, there was a pretty sweet welcome box in my room filled with all sorts of coupons and goodies like a box of cereal, Haribo Starmix, instant coffee, toothpaste, gum, and chocolate. MMmmmmmm!
Part Three:
After getting extremely lost, I finally found Maria and we walked from Farringdon Station all the way to Bethnal Green. Now, you must be saying, "Cool. Don't know what that means." Well, I'll tell you. It's about 3 miles straight shot, but we walked around different ways, so it was probably longer. Stopped by her local pub for a quick pint. I think I've found my new favorite cider, Bulmer's and they serve it with just a bit of ice in the glass, so it tasted EXACTLY like apple juice. Yum. Must be careful, though, as it has about 300 calories in a glass. After that we went back to her place where I met one of her flatmates, his girlfriend, and I got the phone. Stayed there a little bit then got on a bus back to my side of town. On the way to the stop, we got cat called continuously by what turned out to be not so attractive British lads in very baggy sports gear. They gave us the look up and down when we started, which was horrid. Maria yelled "Piss off" which was hysterical. Got on the bus only to go about 2 stops and told that we had to get off because there was an accident. I walked passed it and it really was a horrid accident. I hope everyone involved is okay. While the entire bus was walking, I met a very nice French guy who does freelance photography. We talked about a number of things and then parted ways when he took one bus and I took another, about a mile down from where we had started. Finally got off at my stop and hopped of to walk what I thought was going to be an easy 5 minute trip. Well, I got turned around at a huge market that's near my place and ended up on the wrong side of it. While correcting this mistake, I got yet another cat call from these drunk guys outside a pub, but this time it was in Spanish. Nothing like bringing back creepy bus boy and cooks from Rio like getting called at in... London? Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Oh well. I've been here 3 days and I've already gotten more attention than I have in a long time in the States. So I guess I'll take it? Probably not. Haha, oh well.
Anywhoodle, I better get to bed. I've got my first set of info and welcome session tomorrow at uni. I promise I will post pictures sometime this week. Love you all!
Traveling from Oxford to London right now. Nothing quite fits the country side scenery out my window better than Coldplay. "Shiver" is playing right now, but by complete shuffling randomness on my iPod. I wish you all were here with me; I've left the comfort of Angela, Gary, and Aiden, and though I have a handful of friends scattered throughout the London area, I think tonight will be the first time I'm going to really feel like I'm not in Kansas anymore, Toto. I'll just remind myself time and again that this is an incredible opportunity and that I will see you all again, very soon. So I can have the best of both worlds.
Part Two:
The place is quite small.... but I don't really need a lot of room, it's not like I'll be in here all day, every day anyway. I've got everything pretty much set. I still need some things to hang my calendar and other things with, but I can get those this weekend. The only thing I really hate is that the bathroom is so so so so tiny. I'll have to take pictures tomorrow and post them. It's a little absurd, actually. The toilet is basically in the shower. Like I said, I'll have to take pictures. Good news, however, as I will be getting my phone tonight when I meet up with Maria!! WOO! Also, there was a pretty sweet welcome box in my room filled with all sorts of coupons and goodies like a box of cereal, Haribo Starmix, instant coffee, toothpaste, gum, and chocolate. MMmmmmmm!
Part Three:
After getting extremely lost, I finally found Maria and we walked from Farringdon Station all the way to Bethnal Green. Now, you must be saying, "Cool. Don't know what that means." Well, I'll tell you. It's about 3 miles straight shot, but we walked around different ways, so it was probably longer. Stopped by her local pub for a quick pint. I think I've found my new favorite cider, Bulmer's and they serve it with just a bit of ice in the glass, so it tasted EXACTLY like apple juice. Yum. Must be careful, though, as it has about 300 calories in a glass. After that we went back to her place where I met one of her flatmates, his girlfriend, and I got the phone. Stayed there a little bit then got on a bus back to my side of town. On the way to the stop, we got cat called continuously by what turned out to be not so attractive British lads in very baggy sports gear. They gave us the look up and down when we started, which was horrid. Maria yelled "Piss off" which was hysterical. Got on the bus only to go about 2 stops and told that we had to get off because there was an accident. I walked passed it and it really was a horrid accident. I hope everyone involved is okay. While the entire bus was walking, I met a very nice French guy who does freelance photography. We talked about a number of things and then parted ways when he took one bus and I took another, about a mile down from where we had started. Finally got off at my stop and hopped of to walk what I thought was going to be an easy 5 minute trip. Well, I got turned around at a huge market that's near my place and ended up on the wrong side of it. While correcting this mistake, I got yet another cat call from these drunk guys outside a pub, but this time it was in Spanish. Nothing like bringing back creepy bus boy and cooks from Rio like getting called at in... London? Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Oh well. I've been here 3 days and I've already gotten more attention than I have in a long time in the States. So I guess I'll take it? Probably not. Haha, oh well.
Anywhoodle, I better get to bed. I've got my first set of info and welcome session tomorrow at uni. I promise I will post pictures sometime this week. Love you all!
Friday, September 17, 2010
So long sweet summer, hello winter?
Well gang, I’ve arrive in joy old England to a brisk 7* C which is about 47*F. Yikes. Here’s to hoping it’ll warm up, otherwise I’ve been robbed of my favorite season.
Speaking of weather, did anyone see that there was a tornado warning in Brooklyn yesterday!? BROOKLYN of all places! Insane. Also why my flight took off an hour later than it was supposed to. At least it was only a 6 hour and some change flight. We arrived at Heathrow an hour late also and I thought I was going to have to wait in the mother of all horrid queues, but thankfully someone had the good idea of opening up the fast lane for everyone else. Phew. Flying over an Irish and Welsh sunrise this morning was one of the most spectacularly green landscapes I’ve ever laid eyes on. I cannot WAIT to explore them in person. Sadly I didn’t take any pictures because I had an isle seat, so maybe next time around I can.
Virgin Airways has plentiful options for en-flight entertainment and I have to give some recommendations based upon it. Feeder’s new album, Renegades, is amazing. If you don’t know anything about them, they are a British rock band. I know, surprise on my part, but honestly, I think the majority of you would like them if you listen to rock. Also, The Foals sophomore album, Total Life Forever, is fantastic and they are one of my favorite up and coming bands (at least state side), so I strongly urge you to check them out too. Last but not least, if you’ve been living under a rock, then I will excuse you. However, if you do not reside under a boulder, you are NUTS if you haven’t heard or checked into Janelle Monae. She is stellar. The album is called The ArchAndroid.
Adding to the en-flight entertainment were the two notes written on the cocktail napkins from Alesha, and I will assume Jessica & Lauren. Thanks ladies, those definitely boosted my spirits. :-)
Hope you all are doing well. I miss you terribly, and I’m sure it will get just a little worse once I see group pictures. Just promise that you’ll be awkward enough to pose with an outstretched arm so that I can be included! Love you all!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The Day Before...
I never thought this week would come, for better or worse. It seemed like such a far-fetched concept when people would ask, "When are you leaving?" and I would reply, "September." But it's finally here, and if last night was a testament of how I will deal with this move on an emotional level, I may be in for a bumpy ride, at least for the first few days and weeks.
John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" has been playing in my head for about a month now, and at first it was an up tempo version, but now it's a bittersweet, slow song. Because though my bags may be packed, I'm not ready to go. I should have sung that last night rather than "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson. Alas, hindsight is 20/20. This isn't to say that I'm upset by any means about this amazing opportunity that has been given to me. I thank my lucky stars and God quite often for it. It's that I don't have a rolling stone mentality anymore. It took me about 5 years before I really felt comfortable with this habitat. I finally have made friendships and settled in. Now, instead of being uprooted by my family when we moved from Texas to England back in high school, I'm uprooting myself, and it feels the exact same way. The only difference this time, is that I'm not upset about going to England, which may have transfered my feelings on this matter only to magnify the fact that I don't want to leave everyone here. I know I'm being a silly little girl when I write this, but I don't want to be forgotten or swept under the rug along with the pasts of others. I'm confident, at least I hope, that this will not happen, but I can't help but have the thought creep into my head.
But enough with my sappy little soap box. I'm so so so very excited to share all of my adventures with you guys. I'm thrilled for us to share these things together and I simply cannot WAIT to hear all about your's while I'm away! We can have story time when I come back for the holidays and it's something that I eagerly await. Please know that I am only a Skype or facebook message away, so if ANY of you need ANYTHING, I'm here for you! Love you all!
My Skype name is: emily.caligiuri
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