The last few days have been uneventful
But I’m not complaining, I’m not resentful
London tired me out, so it’s nice to be back
But already it’s almost time to repack
Headed to Ireland, Dublin specific’ly
I’ve been planning the trip, almost scientific’ly
The gang saw Inception, it blew my mind
Action packed, mind boggling, a good way to unwind
Meg and I also watched the movie, The Swan Princess
And to celebrate finals, we bought shoes and a dress
We started our sports class, 2 lectures, 1 section
The readings and lectures have required reflection
English tea has been served, along with scones and good cakes
A chance to socialize and just great study breaks
Since finals are done, it’s back to the good days
Chillin’ in Cambridge, no worries, no school craze
I’ve got time to work out, to get into shape
I read while I bike ride, it's a great escape
Lynnette came to visit; we’re showing her the sites
Introduced her to cider, and all the good bites
Relaxation is restored, the lull before the storm
The weather’s been nice, actually it’s been quite warm!
Now headed to dinner, pretty relaxing night
Goodbye and adieu until next time I write!
July 28
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
London Day 2
Well, those boots may have been made for walking, but my flip flops certainly weren’t.
10:15 Meet a friend from school at Café Pompidou
The National Gallery was incredible with 46 rooms of famous paintings. They were organized according to style, place/era (ex. Italian Renaissance), and were so beautiful. Highlight of the visit was definitely seeing the Monet Bridge picture that I remember so well from my art corps days back at Miramar Ranch Elementary School. Mom—you would have loved it! I remember doing a lesson based on that painting and to see it in real life was incredible. (http://www.arttoheartweb.com/images/Claude%20Monet%20Water%20Lily%20Pond2.jpg) There were other Monet paintings, along with ones by van Gogh, including the chair and Sunflowers (http://www.artquotes.net/masters/vangogh/vangogh_sunflowers1888.jpg), Cezanne, Rembrandt, and tons of other famous painters. So cool!
12:30 Walk by St. James Park and Buckingham Palace
Westminster Abbey was extremely impressive. I was amazed with how easy it is to walk around London and see everything. It would definitely be feasible to walk for an hour down the Thames and see all of the major tourist attractions. It is funny seeing all of these well-known buildings in person because they are very different than what I expected. First off, Big Ben was not as big as I thought it would be, but the Houses of Parliament surpassed my expectations.
3:00 Walking along the river
Meg and I split apart from the boys to go see the Tower of London. We only had about an hour and a half so we had to prioritize what we wanted to see. We started in the “Bloody Tower” and saw some torture devices used when the Tower of London was used as a prison. Next was seeing the Crown Jewels. They were absolutely stunning and it was amazing to see the size of the jewels and just how sparkly they were. The Tower of London really wasn’t so much of a tower as it was a city. I tried to imagine what it was like walking around in the city back when it was still in use. We saw the armour of the past kings and finished up by walking around the little city and going into all the towers that we could. It was such an interesting place and one that I definitely would like to learn more about.
6:00 Dinner
July 25
10:15 Meet a friend from school at Café Pompidou
- Meg and I met a friend from school, Ita, (she is working in London for the summer), for breakfast on Sunday morning. We went to a French café where I got the walnut waffle and Meg had her very first full English breakfast.
The National Gallery was incredible with 46 rooms of famous paintings. They were organized according to style, place/era (ex. Italian Renaissance), and were so beautiful. Highlight of the visit was definitely seeing the Monet Bridge picture that I remember so well from my art corps days back at Miramar Ranch Elementary School. Mom—you would have loved it! I remember doing a lesson based on that painting and to see it in real life was incredible. (http://www.arttoheartweb.com/images/Claude%20Monet%20Water%20Lily%20Pond2.jpg) There were other Monet paintings, along with ones by van Gogh, including the chair and Sunflowers (http://www.artquotes.net/masters/vangogh/vangogh_sunflowers1888.jpg), Cezanne, Rembrandt, and tons of other famous painters. So cool!
12:30 Walk by St. James Park and Buckingham Palace
- Ita, (from Manchester originally), served as a great tour guide for us as we walked along St. James Park toward Buckingham Palace. It was a beautiful walk and it was really cool to walk up to the Palace. There is a huge fountain in the front and the building is very impressive. It is a major tourist attraction. It was definitely just something to check off the list of things to see, so it wasn’t one of my favorite things, but it was still neat.
Westminster Abbey was extremely impressive. I was amazed with how easy it is to walk around London and see everything. It would definitely be feasible to walk for an hour down the Thames and see all of the major tourist attractions. It is funny seeing all of these well-known buildings in person because they are very different than what I expected. First off, Big Ben was not as big as I thought it would be, but the Houses of Parliament surpassed my expectations.
3:00 Walking along the river
- Ita left us after we saw the Houses of Parliament, so Ken, Meg and I decided to walk along the river toward the London Eye and stop for an afternoon snack. It was really cool to see it during the daytime because there were a lot of cool street performers to watch. My favorite were two Michael Jackson type dancers. One of them did a really fun dance move with a crystal ball by making it look like it was in a case and he was spinning it. It’s really hard to explain but it looked awesome.
Meg and I split apart from the boys to go see the Tower of London. We only had about an hour and a half so we had to prioritize what we wanted to see. We started in the “Bloody Tower” and saw some torture devices used when the Tower of London was used as a prison. Next was seeing the Crown Jewels. They were absolutely stunning and it was amazing to see the size of the jewels and just how sparkly they were. The Tower of London really wasn’t so much of a tower as it was a city. I tried to imagine what it was like walking around in the city back when it was still in use. We saw the armour of the past kings and finished up by walking around the little city and going into all the towers that we could. It was such an interesting place and one that I definitely would like to learn more about.
6:00 Dinner
- We met back up with Duc and Ken for dinner at Picadilly Circus. It was almost like a miniature New York City Times Square. We walked around briefly to get a sense of the area, and embarrassingly ended up going to McDonalds for dinner. Hey-what can we say, we’re college students living on a budget.
- It felt so good to be able to put my feet up on the seat across from me after the long day of walking. I’m tempted to do a “map my run” to see the distance walked. Overall, it was a great weekend trip, and I absolutely love London. I’m hoping to get to go back once or twice more before the end of the summer.
July 25
Rachel’s London Travel Itinerary and Commentary-Day 1
9:00 Bus to London—great opportunity to sleep and then wake up to take pictures of London!
11:00 Victoria and Albert Museum
- Filled with cool artifacts and collections! It was a little overwhelming to try to see everything, so I tried to just get a real sense of the place. Favorite part: Interactive design-a-ring computer module in the jewelry room. It is weird to think about just how much history is in that building.
We learned that the Serpentine is a lot bigger than our really cool pop up London maps would
have us believe. It’s very tiring to walk around the whole Serpentine when it’s hot and you’re hungry. There was a triathlon going on which made it very crowded. It was a gorgeous day, though, and we stopped for lunch after our death march around at Café Lido for pizza.We also stopped by the Albert Memorial and saw the Royal Albert Hall--two more things to check off our must-see list.2:30 Harrods
- The coolest department store building I’ve ever seen! There were so many people in there and so many rooms to walk through. My favorite room was the chocolate room—it looked like it came straight of either a) Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory or b) a little kid’s dream. I can’t imagine that store at Christmas time. After leaving, we all decided we want a ten thousand pound gift card to Harrods-(they were advertised!).
- I got my second experience on the tube and traveled to Leicester Square which was close
to our hotel. The underground system is so extremely easy to use and we were there in no time. We walked to Trafalgar Square and it was absolutely incredible. It is a sunken square with four statues on the corners of it, (one is always changing with different submissions or contest winners-really cool!), and there were so many people there. More about this later. We wandered for a little while to find the hotel, (I didn’t print out a map but just had the address) but it turned out to be REALLY close! Score for Rachel’s booking skills!
- The group got dinner at an Italian restaurant called Prezzo. It didn’t break the bank and was a very good dinner, making me feel very grown up. It is still just hard to grasp that idea that I am abroad and eating dinner in London with friends!
- By far one of my favorite parts of the day. Not only was it awesome to be in the Old Globe, but the play was wonderful. I’ve learned so much about that theater, and it was surreal to be there! The play followed the story of both Anne Boleyn and James I, portraying Anne as a manipulator and James I as slowly degenerating into hallucination. The cast was phenomenal, and even though we had standing tickets and my lower back and legs lost feeling, it was totally worth it to see the play. It was witty and funny and very entertaining.
- The boys left the play early, (not their thing), so Meg and I walked along the Thames River to meet up with them. It was gorgeous at night and I experimented with my camera night settings to take pictures of the Millennium Bridge and St. Paul’s Cathedral. We walked by the London Eye and over the Embankment Bridge, appreciating how gorgeous London is at night. We took the tube to Tottenham Court to meet the boys, grabbed a drink at Weatherspoons, and finished up the night at the Zoo Bar—filled with lots of teens dancing. Action packed, tiring, but fantastic day!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Liberated!
This is a post for Friday, July 23rd after I finished finals!
I spent the majority of Thursday evening studying for my D&B final. I woke up early, studied in the dining hall and then went to the final. Upon leaving, I felt that I had studied too much for it—not the worst feeling though. I had the rest of the day free—one of the best feelings! I met up with Meg for lunch and then decided to go on a hunt for a store called “The Works” to buy a book for one of my classes. I found the store in the coolest little shopping center filled with interesting stores and plenty of places to explore. It was really cool being able to tour Cambridge, and trying to find the book store gave me a great excuse to wander around the city. I am very glad that I went on my scavenger hunt, and I am definitely going to have to go back to the shopping center. Despite not having the book I wanted, “The Works” quickly became my favorite store with its 3 books for 5 pounds deal. It’s like an even better version of “Pick ‘n’ Save!” I found water color materials for about 4 pounds and a book for 1 pound. I had a difficult time not buying every book/art material/DVD/scrapbooking/toy that I saw in the store!
After shopping, I headed to the gym, and when I finished, I still had a lot of time before dinner! I was still in a great mood after finishing my class, and with no work to do, I spent the next hour and a half using my new watercolor supplies. I’ve included a picture of the painting I did. For dinner, I went with a friend to a French café called “Café Rouge.” It was very good food. Afterward, I met up with the gang again to go to the 
“British Bop”—a done-with-finals party thrown by the program assistants of the program. The theme was “anything British,” so I dressed as Dawn from the British version of The Office. Some of the great costumes included: Mars Bars, Pimm’s, the porter at King’s College, James Bond, and The Yellow Submarine. It kind of reminded me of a middle school dance but it was fun because most of the students were at the party. It was a very enjoyable day, marking the halfway point of the program. I can only hope the next 4 weeks are as fun as the first 4!
July 23
I spent the majority of Thursday evening studying for my D&B final. I woke up early, studied in the dining hall and then went to the final. Upon leaving, I felt that I had studied too much for it—not the worst feeling though. I had the rest of the day free—one of the best feelings! I met up with Meg for lunch and then decided to go on a hunt for a store called “The Works” to buy a book for one of my classes. I found the store in the coolest little shopping center filled with interesting stores and plenty of places to explore. It was really cool being able to tour Cambridge, and trying to find the book store gave me a great excuse to wander around the city. I am very glad that I went on my scavenger hunt, and I am definitely going to have to go back to the shopping center. Despite not having the book I wanted, “The Works” quickly became my favorite store with its 3 books for 5 pounds deal. It’s like an even better version of “Pick ‘n’ Save!” I found water color materials for about 4 pounds and a book for 1 pound. I had a difficult time not buying every book/art material/DVD/scrapbooking/toy that I saw in the store!
After shopping, I headed to the gym, and when I finished, I still had a lot of time before dinner! I was still in a great mood after finishing my class, and with no work to do, I spent the next hour and a half using my new watercolor supplies. I’ve included a picture of the painting I did. For dinner, I went with a friend to a French café called “Café Rouge.” It was very good food. Afterward, I met up with the gang again to go to the 
“British Bop”—a done-with-finals party thrown by the program assistants of the program. The theme was “anything British,” so I dressed as Dawn from the British version of The Office. Some of the great costumes included: Mars Bars, Pimm’s, the porter at King’s College, James Bond, and The Yellow Submarine. It kind of reminded me of a middle school dance but it was fun because most of the students were at the party. It was a very enjoyable day, marking the halfway point of the program. I can only hope the next 4 weeks are as fun as the first 4!July 23
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Catching Up
I haven’t been able to write in a while because 1. I have been cooped up in the library writing my paper for my D&B class and 2. I haven’t been doing many note-worthy activities because of the aforementioned library imprisonment. Here are the highlights of the past few days:
Harmonious Art
On Monday, I had a very productive painting class! We learned that paintings need to be narrative to tell a story, (we made up a story to describe the relationships between the different pieces of fruit on the table), and that they also should be harmonious. Thomas, our professor, appealed to my musical background explaining that melody implies a story, but harmony is vertical on the musical score with all of the instruments working together. It was a great analogy and I began to understand what he was trying to teach us. Harmony means that all of the elements of the painting work together, and the set-up is seen as a whole so that the background adds beauty to the foreground. When I got frustrated that I couldn’t mix the “right” colors, Thomas pointed out that no one asked me to. The purpose of color is to set up a harmony between objects and to set up the color contrast of light and dark. Once I freed myself from my self-imposed color constraints, painting became so much more enjoyable and my paintings significantly improved. Instead of painting the background in a dull off white, I was able to play up the blue light in the room to offset the greens and reds of the fabric and fruit. My paintings became less about realistic representation and more about what I saw and the colors that caught my eye.
Summer time
Monday night, I opted not to do any work, so Meg, Ken, Duc, Ben and I hung out by the river. Once I made that decision, it was surprisingly liberating because I didn’t feel guilty about the work that I could be doing while I was having fun. I’m going to take that technique back with me to school. It was so nice outside and such a great location to just sit around and watch punters float by and chat. Sitting by the river felt like such a perfect summer evening and was so simply relaxing. It is when I am with my group of friends around Cambridge that it hits me that I am in England, something I had been looking forward to since I applied to the program and I feel carefree and happy.
Stir Crazy
Both Tuesday and Wednesday were not particularly enjoyable in relation to my first few weeks
here. Tuesday, I spent from about 1 until 4 in the library working on my D&B paper. I was simply unable to get a grasp on my paper topic. I was getting so frustrated that I had to leave so I went back to my room, where someone was practicing the flute, so I left again and searched for a new locale. I followed the advice of a friend and went to the Double Tree Hotel and sat outside on the river outlining my NEW essay topic. After the earlier hours of frustration, I decided to cut my losses and start anew. I arrived at dinner completely delirious from working. After dinner and on my way to the library again, a friend recruited me to be the fourth player in a croquet match. Even though I lost both games, (the second one was a heartbreaker!), the game put me in a good mood and I was ready to get back to writing. After a couple hours of working, we were all frustrated and so a group of people in the library decided we needed a cider study break.
It was a similar day yesterday, (Wednesday), but I was more successful in writing. I managed to break up my time in the library by going to another Tea Party, (great carrot cake!), and going to the gym—counterproductive, I know. After dinner, it was back to the library to work on my paper, which was once again interrupted with a trip to the bar for a study break and a search for Maltesers for Meg and me. I learned that lemonade in England is way different than lemonade in the States. It’s more like sparkling lemon water.
As for today, I finished my paper this morning (HURRAY!!!!!!) and I will spend the rest of the evening studying for my final tomorrow. I definitely did not expect to be spending this much time in the library when I signed up for the program, but at least I’m not alone in the library. I think I’ve solidified several friendships with students in the program simply by seeing each other repeatedly in the library and commiserating about our work!
Closing thoughts:
Running has provided a great way to see Cambridge and get an overall sense of the city. Yesterday I ran to the gym and noticed just how eco-friendly Cambridge is. It is not uncommon to see men in suits or women in dresses riding bikes. People also walk everywhere! Maybe because it is summer, but the streets are always so congested—don’t these people have work?! I ran by Parker’s Piece, (an open field), and decided it would be fun to spend an afternoon people watching there. There are so many groups of teens hanging out, playing sports and just having fun, and I know I would enjoy spending time there. It really reminded me of summer time. It’s easy to forget that it’s summer when I am taking classes, but I need to remember to mix in some play with my work!
July 22
Harmonious Art
On Monday, I had a very productive painting class! We learned that paintings need to be narrative to tell a story, (we made up a story to describe the relationships between the different pieces of fruit on the table), and that they also should be harmonious. Thomas, our professor, appealed to my musical background explaining that melody implies a story, but harmony is vertical on the musical score with all of the instruments working together. It was a great analogy and I began to understand what he was trying to teach us. Harmony means that all of the elements of the painting work together, and the set-up is seen as a whole so that the background adds beauty to the foreground. When I got frustrated that I couldn’t mix the “right” colors, Thomas pointed out that no one asked me to. The purpose of color is to set up a harmony between objects and to set up the color contrast of light and dark. Once I freed myself from my self-imposed color constraints, painting became so much more enjoyable and my paintings significantly improved. Instead of painting the background in a dull off white, I was able to play up the blue light in the room to offset the greens and reds of the fabric and fruit. My paintings became less about realistic representation and more about what I saw and the colors that caught my eye.
Summer time
Monday night, I opted not to do any work, so Meg, Ken, Duc, Ben and I hung out by the river. Once I made that decision, it was surprisingly liberating because I didn’t feel guilty about the work that I could be doing while I was having fun. I’m going to take that technique back with me to school. It was so nice outside and such a great location to just sit around and watch punters float by and chat. Sitting by the river felt like such a perfect summer evening and was so simply relaxing. It is when I am with my group of friends around Cambridge that it hits me that I am in England, something I had been looking forward to since I applied to the program and I feel carefree and happy.
Stir Crazy
Both Tuesday and Wednesday were not particularly enjoyable in relation to my first few weeks
here. Tuesday, I spent from about 1 until 4 in the library working on my D&B paper. I was simply unable to get a grasp on my paper topic. I was getting so frustrated that I had to leave so I went back to my room, where someone was practicing the flute, so I left again and searched for a new locale. I followed the advice of a friend and went to the Double Tree Hotel and sat outside on the river outlining my NEW essay topic. After the earlier hours of frustration, I decided to cut my losses and start anew. I arrived at dinner completely delirious from working. After dinner and on my way to the library again, a friend recruited me to be the fourth player in a croquet match. Even though I lost both games, (the second one was a heartbreaker!), the game put me in a good mood and I was ready to get back to writing. After a couple hours of working, we were all frustrated and so a group of people in the library decided we needed a cider study break.
It was a similar day yesterday, (Wednesday), but I was more successful in writing. I managed to break up my time in the library by going to another Tea Party, (great carrot cake!), and going to the gym—counterproductive, I know. After dinner, it was back to the library to work on my paper, which was once again interrupted with a trip to the bar for a study break and a search for Maltesers for Meg and me. I learned that lemonade in England is way different than lemonade in the States. It’s more like sparkling lemon water.As for today, I finished my paper this morning (HURRAY!!!!!!) and I will spend the rest of the evening studying for my final tomorrow. I definitely did not expect to be spending this much time in the library when I signed up for the program, but at least I’m not alone in the library. I think I’ve solidified several friendships with students in the program simply by seeing each other repeatedly in the library and commiserating about our work!
Closing thoughts:
Running has provided a great way to see Cambridge and get an overall sense of the city. Yesterday I ran to the gym and noticed just how eco-friendly Cambridge is. It is not uncommon to see men in suits or women in dresses riding bikes. People also walk everywhere! Maybe because it is summer, but the streets are always so congested—don’t these people have work?! I ran by Parker’s Piece, (an open field), and decided it would be fun to spend an afternoon people watching there. There are so many groups of teens hanging out, playing sports and just having fun, and I know I would enjoy spending time there. It really reminded me of summer time. It’s easy to forget that it’s summer when I am taking classes, but I need to remember to mix in some play with my work!
July 22
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sports Day
Let me preface this story by saying that nothing extraordinary happened. There was no epic comeback, no underdog upset, no glorious moment. This is a story instead of intimidation and intensity. Let me set the stage.
I woke up in a state of frenzied excitement. It was game day. I jumped out of bed and into my athletic shorts and Hanes v-neck t-shirt. I fiddled with my black bandana to find the best way to wear it to convey athletic prowess and confidence. I met Ken at breakfast and observed the competition while eating a healthy game day breakfast of good protein and fruit. We decided to leave for the fields at 1, rendering me unable to focuse while trying to do work before our departure.
On our way to the fields, we were concerned about getting our team together when we ran into one teammate sitting at a coffee shop deep in a philosophical debate. Two of our other teammates had church. It wasn’t looking good for the Mighty Ducks. We got to the fields and saw a random assortment of students kicking soccer balls around, throwing a Frisbee, and then as I looked to my left, I saw…the Team in Red. There were about 8 of them dressed in matching red uniforms, decked out in shin guards, long socks, cleats and sweatbands. My pathetic attempt to be intimidating paled in comparison. Ken and I looked at each other and figured they must be a college team out for practice. We scrambled and managed to get together a team of 6 players and we waited for our field assignment to play “Team Vandit.” We were pointed to a field, and with great despair, we learned that they had changed the bracket and we were instead playing the Team in Red. As I looked at the Team in Red, I immediately started doubting our team’s ability to kick a ball, let alone score a goal. If my life had been a movie, the Team in Red would have been in the desert with an epic theme song accompanying their athletic and graceful soccer skills.
The Mighty Ducks looked at each other and the look of fear was plastered on all of our faces. The other team was in freakin' uniforms! The goalie had goalie gloves. They had shinguards. They might have well been foaming at the mouths and getting ready to charge in battle. We accepted our fate and the game began. At about the two minute mark, I was down on their end when the ball came hurtling at my face. I honestly don't know what else I was supposed to do besides swat it away from my face. I guess it shows that I have been trained my whole life to catch things instead of let them hit my face. The other team was in an uproar because of my “handball.” They scored after about 5 minutes and once more before the half time. Early in the game, Ken had a collision with the tallest guy from the other team and accidentally hit him in the nose. He was out for blood after that, slide tackling anyone with the ball and bulldozing over anyone in his path. He was the only scorer for their team and the game ended in a 0-3 loss. At one point, Macho Man was dribbling toward me, slowed down and then pushed right in to me. After my call to him to "Chill" and my request that he “take it easy," he defended his jerkish move by saying "I have the ball--YOU ran into me!" to which a teammate of mine pointed out that he had about 50 pound on me. Sadly, the Mighty Ducks fell in the first round to the Team in Red. My excitement for soccer was quickly terminated and I turned my attention to a game of American football. I quickly learned that the easiest way to impress jocks is to throw a decent spiral pass to them. Suddenly you escalate in cool status and you're invited to play two hand touch. Sadly, however, I learned that when playing with jocks, girls become invisible, but the one pass I did catch was a touch-down pass! After the game, I went with a group to get ice cream--a good conclusion to a fun summer day of sports. I remembered why I quit soccer, and I became thankful that I learned to throw through softball.
July 18
I woke up in a state of frenzied excitement. It was game day. I jumped out of bed and into my athletic shorts and Hanes v-neck t-shirt. I fiddled with my black bandana to find the best way to wear it to convey athletic prowess and confidence. I met Ken at breakfast and observed the competition while eating a healthy game day breakfast of good protein and fruit. We decided to leave for the fields at 1, rendering me unable to focuse while trying to do work before our departure.
On our way to the fields, we were concerned about getting our team together when we ran into one teammate sitting at a coffee shop deep in a philosophical debate. Two of our other teammates had church. It wasn’t looking good for the Mighty Ducks. We got to the fields and saw a random assortment of students kicking soccer balls around, throwing a Frisbee, and then as I looked to my left, I saw…the Team in Red. There were about 8 of them dressed in matching red uniforms, decked out in shin guards, long socks, cleats and sweatbands. My pathetic attempt to be intimidating paled in comparison. Ken and I looked at each other and figured they must be a college team out for practice. We scrambled and managed to get together a team of 6 players and we waited for our field assignment to play “Team Vandit.” We were pointed to a field, and with great despair, we learned that they had changed the bracket and we were instead playing the Team in Red. As I looked at the Team in Red, I immediately started doubting our team’s ability to kick a ball, let alone score a goal. If my life had been a movie, the Team in Red would have been in the desert with an epic theme song accompanying their athletic and graceful soccer skills.
The Mighty Ducks looked at each other and the look of fear was plastered on all of our faces. The other team was in freakin' uniforms! The goalie had goalie gloves. They had shinguards. They might have well been foaming at the mouths and getting ready to charge in battle. We accepted our fate and the game began. At about the two minute mark, I was down on their end when the ball came hurtling at my face. I honestly don't know what else I was supposed to do besides swat it away from my face. I guess it shows that I have been trained my whole life to catch things instead of let them hit my face. The other team was in an uproar because of my “handball.” They scored after about 5 minutes and once more before the half time. Early in the game, Ken had a collision with the tallest guy from the other team and accidentally hit him in the nose. He was out for blood after that, slide tackling anyone with the ball and bulldozing over anyone in his path. He was the only scorer for their team and the game ended in a 0-3 loss. At one point, Macho Man was dribbling toward me, slowed down and then pushed right in to me. After my call to him to "Chill" and my request that he “take it easy," he defended his jerkish move by saying "I have the ball--YOU ran into me!" to which a teammate of mine pointed out that he had about 50 pound on me. Sadly, the Mighty Ducks fell in the first round to the Team in Red. My excitement for soccer was quickly terminated and I turned my attention to a game of American football. I quickly learned that the easiest way to impress jocks is to throw a decent spiral pass to them. Suddenly you escalate in cool status and you're invited to play two hand touch. Sadly, however, I learned that when playing with jocks, girls become invisible, but the one pass I did catch was a touch-down pass! After the game, I went with a group to get ice cream--a good conclusion to a fun summer day of sports. I remembered why I quit soccer, and I became thankful that I learned to throw through softball.
July 18
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Rugby
Fudge Friday-Meg and I have officially solidified our friendship with the guys at the fudge store. We got our fudge and because it was Friday, we got two stamps so now we have a free slice of fudge!
I don’t want to do my final paper or start studying for my finals! I realized in class that I have one week until my final!!!
Ellis-We learned about William Webb Ellis, the man who “took the ball in his arms and ran with it.” In Webb Ellis’s time, there was a rule that a man could not run with the ball but instead had to stop once he caught it. Instead, Webb Ellis would catch the ball and run as far as he could before the other team would tackle him. Basically, Webb Ellis was cheating, but his cheating ways were incorporated into the game after he left the school. This implementation has survived and lives on in the current rugby and football rules.
Late-our field trip was supposed to have us home by 6:00, but we got back at 7:45, and Meg had to run home to pack for her trip into London!
Dressed for the beach when I should have dressed for rain. I learned the hard way that English weather is not nearly as predictable as San Diego weather. For the field trip I wore a skirt, flip flops and a tank top, and so I spent the whole trip shivering and getting soaked.
Tom Brown’s School Days-before the trip, we learned about this influential novel written by Thomas Hughes that inspired the organization of sports at the school. We also learned that Harry Potter mirrors this novel, with Harry as Tom, the fearless and gallant athlete, Dumbledore as Thomas Arnold, the caring and encouraging headmaster, Quidditch as rugby, a wonderful and competitive sport, and Hogwarts as the Rugby School, a magical boarding school with different lingo and customs for the students to learn.
Rugby-We took coaches to the Rugby school, the birthplace of modern day organized sports. We had a two hour tour throughout the school and saw the fields and courts that housed the first organized games. Our tour guide, the school librarian/historian told us the stories of the boys who developed the rule books, paid for the playing space, and “got the ball rolling” for organized sport.
I want to be a fellow, (a member of the university academic staff)! Why? Because for one of their dinner parties, there was a very impressive firework display. We all got lucky and got to go watch at the back of the King’s College lawn.
Paninis-I think I’m finally getting sick of them.
July 16
I don’t want to do my final paper or start studying for my finals! I realized in class that I have one week until my final!!!
Ellis-We learned about William Webb Ellis, the man who “took the ball in his arms and ran with it.” In Webb Ellis’s time, there was a rule that a man could not run with the ball but instead had to stop once he caught it. Instead, Webb Ellis would catch the ball and run as far as he could before the other team would tackle him. Basically, Webb Ellis was cheating, but his cheating ways were incorporated into the game after he left the school. This implementation has survived and lives on in the current rugby and football rules.Late-our field trip was supposed to have us home by 6:00, but we got back at 7:45, and Meg had to run home to pack for her trip into London!
Dressed for the beach when I should have dressed for rain. I learned the hard way that English weather is not nearly as predictable as San Diego weather. For the field trip I wore a skirt, flip flops and a tank top, and so I spent the whole trip shivering and getting soaked.
Tom Brown’s School Days-before the trip, we learned about this influential novel written by Thomas Hughes that inspired the organization of sports at the school. We also learned that Harry Potter mirrors this novel, with Harry as Tom, the fearless and gallant athlete, Dumbledore as Thomas Arnold, the caring and encouraging headmaster, Quidditch as rugby, a wonderful and competitive sport, and Hogwarts as the Rugby School, a magical boarding school with different lingo and customs for the students to learn.
Rugby-We took coaches to the Rugby school, the birthplace of modern day organized sports. We had a two hour tour throughout the school and saw the fields and courts that housed the first organized games. Our tour guide, the school librarian/historian told us the stories of the boys who developed the rule books, paid for the playing space, and “got the ball rolling” for organized sport.
I want to be a fellow, (a member of the university academic staff)! Why? Because for one of their dinner parties, there was a very impressive firework display. We all got lucky and got to go watch at the back of the King’s College lawn.
Paninis-I think I’m finally getting sick of them.
July 16
Scones and Dopamine
I went to my second English tea today. The English really know the meaning of “classy.” The teas are held in a parlor-like room in Pembroke College with plenty of chairs for sitting and space for socializing. I had peppermint tea and of course I had to try a scone with clotted cream and jam. It was a very nice break in the day, and I’m already looking forward to the next two teas.
Red Squiggly Lines: That’s all I’m seeing as I am doing research for my D&B class. Apparently, Microsoft Word does not think that dopaminergic, mesolimbic, corticostriatal, coricotropin, serotonergic or intrsynaptic are real words. Again, I’m realizing that I actually have to do work while I am here since my final paper due date is coming up along with my final exam! I found a good spot in the library and read through the scientific articles doing research for my paper.
Meg and I met up later for our meeting for our next class, “The British and their Sports,” (we’ll
call it “Sports.”) The professors seem really cool and we learned about the history of the school that we are going to for our field trip: Rugby. It is the site where modern organized sports were born! I can’t wait for the field trip. After the introductory meeting, Meg and I tried to go to Comedy Night, but couldn’t find it, so we bought ice cream cones to enjoy by the river. The weather here is so perfect for sitting outside with friends in the evening because it stays light out for so long. We met up with Ken and Duc, hung out for a little while, played pool, and then called it a night.
July 15
Red Squiggly Lines: That’s all I’m seeing as I am doing research for my D&B class. Apparently, Microsoft Word does not think that dopaminergic, mesolimbic, corticostriatal, coricotropin, serotonergic or intrsynaptic are real words. Again, I’m realizing that I actually have to do work while I am here since my final paper due date is coming up along with my final exam! I found a good spot in the library and read through the scientific articles doing research for my paper.
Meg and I met up later for our meeting for our next class, “The British and their Sports,” (we’ll
call it “Sports.”) The professors seem really cool and we learned about the history of the school that we are going to for our field trip: Rugby. It is the site where modern organized sports were born! I can’t wait for the field trip. After the introductory meeting, Meg and I tried to go to Comedy Night, but couldn’t find it, so we bought ice cream cones to enjoy by the river. The weather here is so perfect for sitting outside with friends in the evening because it stays light out for so long. We met up with Ken and Duc, hung out for a little while, played pool, and then called it a night.July 15
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Recruiting
Highlights of the day:
1. Trying to recruit players for our soccer team for the weekend
Ken and I are creating a soccer team for the sports day against the other summer school program in Cambridge and so we needed to find some players to join with us. It’s a “five-a-side” tournament and the sports day will have volleyball, croquet, and other various sports. Neither one of us has much soccer experience, but we’re hoping our competitive spirit will lead the “Mighty Ducks” to victory. I’m actually really excited. We managed to each recruit one person, so we just need to find one more girl for the team since Meg won’t be here.
2. Meeting up with friends from school
Meg and I hung out in the Pembroke bar before meeting up with some other friends from Harvard and we spend the night pub hopping. It was a great group to hang out with, and it’s a cool thing to make friends and have connections in England that I can follow up with back in Boston. Some of the students are doing the most incredible things here in Cambridge, and it’s really fun to hear about their adventures.
3. First experience with watercolors
I keep thinking back to my art corps days at Miramar Elementary School. Mom—I’m so glad you taught me how to mix my primary colors because our professor does very little technical teaching and just lets us do our own thing. It was really fun to paint the wine bottle and he gave some great advice.
July 14
1. Trying to recruit players for our soccer team for the weekend
Ken and I are creating a soccer team for the sports day against the other summer school program in Cambridge and so we needed to find some players to join with us. It’s a “five-a-side” tournament and the sports day will have volleyball, croquet, and other various sports. Neither one of us has much soccer experience, but we’re hoping our competitive spirit will lead the “Mighty Ducks” to victory. I’m actually really excited. We managed to each recruit one person, so we just need to find one more girl for the team since Meg won’t be here.
2. Meeting up with friends from school
Meg and I hung out in the Pembroke bar before meeting up with some other friends from Harvard and we spend the night pub hopping. It was a great group to hang out with, and it’s a cool thing to make friends and have connections in England that I can follow up with back in Boston. Some of the students are doing the most incredible things here in Cambridge, and it’s really fun to hear about their adventures.
3. First experience with watercolors
I keep thinking back to my art corps days at Miramar Elementary School. Mom—I’m so glad you taught me how to mix my primary colors because our professor does very little technical teaching and just lets us do our own thing. It was really fun to paint the wine bottle and he gave some great advice.
July 14
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Great group of friends
Well it was another pretty uneventful day, but one that was very comforting and relaxing. I’m starting to feel like I have a life here, and I feel very settled. Although class schedules kind of change week to week, I can somewhat predict them and I like having a semi-regular routine. Today I had double lecture for my D&B class and practically fell asleep during the 9 am lecture. The 2:00 lecture was better since I took a nap in between the two lectures.
Meg and I have continued to go to the Pembroke café instead of the cafeteria, (our meal money works there too!) because the food is so much better. We always get paninis, so we’ll see how long it takes for us to get sick of them. The other day we ran into our art professor there, and he was having a Guinness and Panini before class! I went shopping with Ken after my second lecture, and then we met up with the gang to get dinner. It is so nice to have a fun group to get meals with and to just hang out with on the week nights and weekends. Dinner was surprisingly pretty good and we all ate the best chocolate cake for dessert. It was too rich for any of us to eat one whole piece, especially when we followed Ben’s recommendation and added cream to it.
On the way out of the dining hall, Ken and I played pool, (and I won!). I then headed back to my
room to talk to my parents, and then Meg, Duc and I went to go see Eclipse, the third movie from Twilight. I don’t quite know how movie releases work here, but I think a lot of movies come out way later than in the States. The previews were for a lot of movies that are already out in theaters back home, and the theater also showed some really random independent short films. Meg and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and after it ended, we reconvened with Ben and Ken to just hang out in King’s Bar. We sat outside because it was such a nice night for about an hour or so just chatting and it was a nice way to unwind and relax.
July 13
Meg and I have continued to go to the Pembroke café instead of the cafeteria, (our meal money works there too!) because the food is so much better. We always get paninis, so we’ll see how long it takes for us to get sick of them. The other day we ran into our art professor there, and he was having a Guinness and Panini before class! I went shopping with Ken after my second lecture, and then we met up with the gang to get dinner. It is so nice to have a fun group to get meals with and to just hang out with on the week nights and weekends. Dinner was surprisingly pretty good and we all ate the best chocolate cake for dessert. It was too rich for any of us to eat one whole piece, especially when we followed Ben’s recommendation and added cream to it.
On the way out of the dining hall, Ken and I played pool, (and I won!). I then headed back to my
room to talk to my parents, and then Meg, Duc and I went to go see Eclipse, the third movie from Twilight. I don’t quite know how movie releases work here, but I think a lot of movies come out way later than in the States. The previews were for a lot of movies that are already out in theaters back home, and the theater also showed some really random independent short films. Meg and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and after it ended, we reconvened with Ben and Ken to just hang out in King’s Bar. We sat outside because it was such a nice night for about an hour or so just chatting and it was a nice way to unwind and relax.July 13
Monday, July 12, 2010
My First Uneventful Day
I realized that today is the first day that I don’t really have much to say....and I’m okay with that. I am tired. I feel like I have been here for about 2 months when it’s only been 2 weeks. I have just been doing so many things! My only really exciting parts of the day: 1. Free fudge sample, 2. we started painting in my art class, and 3. I’m done with midterms! That’s it for the day.
I am going to use tonight to rest up for the events coming up, and there are certainly going to be a lot of them.
Upcoming events:
Trips to Dublin, Berlin, London and our most recent addition: PARIS!!!
July 12
I am going to use tonight to rest up for the events coming up, and there are certainly going to be a lot of them.
Upcoming events:
Trips to Dublin, Berlin, London and our most recent addition: PARIS!!!
July 12
One Moment in Time
Yesterday was a busy Sunday, but it was one that unless I recorded my actions, I would fail to remember years from now. I woke up, worked on my midterm paper, ate brunch, worked on a presentation, went to Evensong, went to dinner, watched the World Cup Final and finished my paper. I procrastinated and complained about the paper, but I eventually did it. Like many of my days here in England, it was a day packed with activities and events, and it was a day that kept me busy, so why is it that it will be so easily forgotten? (Pause for contemplation) Simply put, I was going through the motions. In this entry, instead of looking at the day as a whole, I’d like to reflect on the one moment of the day in which I was not just simply passively acting but was instead fully experiencing the present. It was a moment in which I was suspended in time, unconcerned with capturing the moment for future memories and unconcerned about past and future thoughts.
That one moment came when I was watching the Evensong performance for a second time, or rather, I was not watching the performance, (because my eyes were closed), but instead listening to the awe-inspiring and powerful music. I have always believed that music is a great emotion enhancer, (Erin—I know you’d agree!), and it was during one of the songs during the service that I felt the most emotion I have felt since being here. I was alone in my thoughts, able to truly experience the music and reflect on the things that were most prevalent in my mind. So many thoughts raced through my head, leaving me slightly unsettled but I left the performance feeling calmer. I'll leave the details of my thoughts to my more personal journal entries, but it is safe to say that all of my worries seemed irrelevant as I appreciated the music and was overcome with the beauty of the harmonized voices and the breathtaking architecture of the chapel in which the service was held. My thoughts in combination with the powerful music moved me to tears as I felt a moment of tranquility, leaving the service feeling calmer and happier. It will be this moment in which I was fully taken in by the music of Evensong and in which I was left alone in my racing thoughts that I will remember about that Sunday--not the presentation I helped to create or the paper that I had to write.
In isolating this particular instance, I am forced to reflect on the rest of my experiences in life. I find that sometimes it is hard to separate myself from capturing the memories of the moments through photos or video and actually truly experiencing the moments in my own mind. I get so caught up in recording every detail of the event so that I can remember it later, but what good does that do when I haven’t gotten the full experience? Obviously the scrapbooker in me will always struggle with the concept of experiencing something solely in my own conscious awareness and I will always feel the compulsion to document my life, but then I also realize that the best part of being here and experiencing everything is not that I get to make an awesome scrapbook when I return home, but it is living in the moment and truly enjoying myself while I am here.
July 11
That one moment came when I was watching the Evensong performance for a second time, or rather, I was not watching the performance, (because my eyes were closed), but instead listening to the awe-inspiring and powerful music. I have always believed that music is a great emotion enhancer, (Erin—I know you’d agree!), and it was during one of the songs during the service that I felt the most emotion I have felt since being here. I was alone in my thoughts, able to truly experience the music and reflect on the things that were most prevalent in my mind. So many thoughts raced through my head, leaving me slightly unsettled but I left the performance feeling calmer. I'll leave the details of my thoughts to my more personal journal entries, but it is safe to say that all of my worries seemed irrelevant as I appreciated the music and was overcome with the beauty of the harmonized voices and the breathtaking architecture of the chapel in which the service was held. My thoughts in combination with the powerful music moved me to tears as I felt a moment of tranquility, leaving the service feeling calmer and happier. It will be this moment in which I was fully taken in by the music of Evensong and in which I was left alone in my racing thoughts that I will remember about that Sunday--not the presentation I helped to create or the paper that I had to write.
In isolating this particular instance, I am forced to reflect on the rest of my experiences in life. I find that sometimes it is hard to separate myself from capturing the memories of the moments through photos or video and actually truly experiencing the moments in my own mind. I get so caught up in recording every detail of the event so that I can remember it later, but what good does that do when I haven’t gotten the full experience? Obviously the scrapbooker in me will always struggle with the concept of experiencing something solely in my own conscious awareness and I will always feel the compulsion to document my life, but then I also realize that the best part of being here and experiencing everything is not that I get to make an awesome scrapbook when I return home, but it is living in the moment and truly enjoying myself while I am here.
July 11
A Day in Brighton
On Saturday, July 10, 2010, two young women traveled approximately 120 miles from their summer residence in Cambridge to England's first sea side city of Brighton to soak in some sun and tour the city. The day started early as the two made the 15 minute walk to the Cambridge train station and were introduced for the first time to English public transportation.
Lacking the resources to print the itineraries, the girls had to “wing it” and figure out their route on their own. While traveling, Rachel Brown seemed to recall the word “Finsbury,” and so in an uncharacteristically decisive move, she convinced Meg that Finsbury Park was the correct stop and the two made the switch to the underground subway system. Luckily for Rachel, her memory was correct and the two made yet another switch for the final leg of the journey on a train from Victoria to Brighton. The two emerged an hour later in the town of Brighton!
Upon arrival, there was a flurry of activity as people jostled throughout the train station. The
girls started walking toward the water, figuring that would be the best way to get oriented. A ten minute walk led the girls to the water front and the two witnessed something that neither had ever seen before: a pebble beach. The sun was out and the beach was crowded, but the slight breeze and the fun atmosphere generated enthusiasm for the day. For an early lunch, Meg and Rachel ate at the “Beach Hut,” and then went to find the Royal Pavilion. After some wandering throughout the city and really getting a sense of the environment, the girls ended up at the Royal Pavilion, a miniature Oriental inspired palace built by the eventual King George IV in 1787. The royal residence had been converted into a museum when Queen Victoria
sold it to the town of Brighton, and Meg and Rachel followed the audio tour through the palace. “It was absolutely incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it before. The decorations were so lavish and extravagant, and I am sure I could go back 100 times and still not see every detail in the palace! Pictures just don’t do the palace justice,” reported an awestruck Rachel in a later interview. Meg was most excited by the idea of walking in the same place as Queen Victoria, her historical idol.
Next on the day’s agenda was wandering through “the lanes,” a street of antique and independent stores that provided some fun window shopping. Their wanderings led them to Brighton Pier, which was reminiscent of the pier on the hit Nickelodeon show, “Rocket Power.” The pier was filled with food stands, arcade games, slot machines, (Meg’s favorite!), and it had
about 10 rides at the end. While the rides did not particularly appeal to the girls, the milk shakes at Moo Moo certainly did. Rachel was thrilled to find a milkshake that combined some of her favorite desserts and got the “Malteaser,” a shake that combined Maltesers, (Whoppers), toffee crumbles and whipped cream. The rides lost even more appeal for the girls after drinking the shakes, but the girls still walked to the end of the pier to look at them. After touring the pier, the girls continued along the beach, and in need of a break from all the walking, they sat on the striped lawn chairs on the beach before realizing that it cost £2 to use the chairs! Having had enough rest, however, the girls pushed on and continued toward the other side of the beach.
Luckily, the girls stumbled upon a motocross stunt competition that provided a half hour of entertainment. After watching the motocross stunts, Meg and Rachel were content sitting on the beach , (on a blanket this time!), and people watching. Meg classified the styles of the people of Brighton by stating, “People here dress to the extreme. There are the very classy and stylish
people, and then there are the people who can’t match at all!” Rachel added to this description by pointing out that she and Meg might be the only people on the beach without tattoos. They did take style pointers from the Europeans when it came to fun spring dresses and fun strappy sandals with Rachel commenting that, “My sister would love to see the styles here!” After sitting on the beach for a while, the girls made their way back to the train station, stopping along the way at Subway for an early dinner. They learned that getting to the train station early does not count for much when they tried to get on the train, only to find that all of the seats were taken. They ended up having to stand for the first leg of the journey, but luckily they were seasoned veterans on the public transportation system after a successful journey earlier in the day. They arrived home in Cambridge around 11 pm, met up with friends for an hour to relive their experiences from the day and then went to sleep, exhausted from a day of walking, touring, observing and having fun!
July 10
Lacking the resources to print the itineraries, the girls had to “wing it” and figure out their route on their own. While traveling, Rachel Brown seemed to recall the word “Finsbury,” and so in an uncharacteristically decisive move, she convinced Meg that Finsbury Park was the correct stop and the two made the switch to the underground subway system. Luckily for Rachel, her memory was correct and the two made yet another switch for the final leg of the journey on a train from Victoria to Brighton. The two emerged an hour later in the town of Brighton!Upon arrival, there was a flurry of activity as people jostled throughout the train station. The
girls started walking toward the water, figuring that would be the best way to get oriented. A ten minute walk led the girls to the water front and the two witnessed something that neither had ever seen before: a pebble beach. The sun was out and the beach was crowded, but the slight breeze and the fun atmosphere generated enthusiasm for the day. For an early lunch, Meg and Rachel ate at the “Beach Hut,” and then went to find the Royal Pavilion. After some wandering throughout the city and really getting a sense of the environment, the girls ended up at the Royal Pavilion, a miniature Oriental inspired palace built by the eventual King George IV in 1787. The royal residence had been converted into a museum when Queen Victoria
sold it to the town of Brighton, and Meg and Rachel followed the audio tour through the palace. “It was absolutely incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it before. The decorations were so lavish and extravagant, and I am sure I could go back 100 times and still not see every detail in the palace! Pictures just don’t do the palace justice,” reported an awestruck Rachel in a later interview. Meg was most excited by the idea of walking in the same place as Queen Victoria, her historical idol.Next on the day’s agenda was wandering through “the lanes,” a street of antique and independent stores that provided some fun window shopping. Their wanderings led them to Brighton Pier, which was reminiscent of the pier on the hit Nickelodeon show, “Rocket Power.” The pier was filled with food stands, arcade games, slot machines, (Meg’s favorite!), and it had
about 10 rides at the end. While the rides did not particularly appeal to the girls, the milk shakes at Moo Moo certainly did. Rachel was thrilled to find a milkshake that combined some of her favorite desserts and got the “Malteaser,” a shake that combined Maltesers, (Whoppers), toffee crumbles and whipped cream. The rides lost even more appeal for the girls after drinking the shakes, but the girls still walked to the end of the pier to look at them. After touring the pier, the girls continued along the beach, and in need of a break from all the walking, they sat on the striped lawn chairs on the beach before realizing that it cost £2 to use the chairs! Having had enough rest, however, the girls pushed on and continued toward the other side of the beach.Luckily, the girls stumbled upon a motocross stunt competition that provided a half hour of entertainment. After watching the motocross stunts, Meg and Rachel were content sitting on the beach , (on a blanket this time!), and people watching. Meg classified the styles of the people of Brighton by stating, “People here dress to the extreme. There are the very classy and stylish
people, and then there are the people who can’t match at all!” Rachel added to this description by pointing out that she and Meg might be the only people on the beach without tattoos. They did take style pointers from the Europeans when it came to fun spring dresses and fun strappy sandals with Rachel commenting that, “My sister would love to see the styles here!” After sitting on the beach for a while, the girls made their way back to the train station, stopping along the way at Subway for an early dinner. They learned that getting to the train station early does not count for much when they tried to get on the train, only to find that all of the seats were taken. They ended up having to stand for the first leg of the journey, but luckily they were seasoned veterans on the public transportation system after a successful journey earlier in the day. They arrived home in Cambridge around 11 pm, met up with friends for an hour to relive their experiences from the day and then went to sleep, exhausted from a day of walking, touring, observing and having fun!July 10
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Study (v)
Study: (v)
Sorry for the late posts, but I'll try to post later tomorrow! I've got some good stories to share! I'll leave you with one picture in front of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
1. The application of the mind to the acquisition of knowledge, as by reading, investigation, or reflection
During the summer, I was telling everyone that I was going to England to "study abroad." I have suddenly and abruptly come to realize what that actually entails as I have both a paper and a presentation due tomorrow. Guess it's time to shift emphasis and actually "study abroad."Sorry for the late posts, but I'll try to post later tomorrow! I've got some good stories to share! I'll leave you with one picture in front of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
Friday, July 9, 2010
BEST DAY EVER!!!
Meg and I have jointly deemed this day the “BEST DAY EVER!!!!” Here’s why:
1. It’s Fudge Friday! We befriended the workers at the fudge store and found out that if we bought a slice of fudge today, we could get 2 of the 3 spaces stamped on the frequent buyers’ card before we get a free slice of fudge! It was really delicious, and we told them we would definitely be back for the free samples. It was interesting talking to the workers because they said that Americans are less obvious in using sarcasm so essentially we make it more difficult for people to figure out if we are being mean or sarcastic.
2. I got to go punting! I can check that off my list of English things to do before I leave now along with croquet from yesterday. The tour guide told us that punting only takes place at Oxford and Cambridge, and for those who don’t know what it is, it is kind of like a slightly different version of a gondola ride. We were on the 
River Cam on the back side of King’s College. The river is really shallow and so one person stands at the end of the boat, (punt?), and pushes off the bottom of the river with a long pole. It is such a warm day so it was nice to be on the river and run our fingers in the water. We got to see one loud, slightly obnoxious young boy fall into the river when his pole got stuck on the bottom. It was very relaxing and was a great experience.
3. We had our first Open House Tea Party. Unfortunately I wasn’t in the mood for tea since it was so hot and we also were on the later side so most of the pastries and cakes were gone, but the small slices we did get to eat were delicious. It was a fun chance to socialize and act sophisticated.
4. We booked tickets for a day trip to Brighton tomorrow!! We found pretty good fares for the bus ride and so we are leaving at 8:30 tomorrow to go to England’s first sea-side resort town. I pored over my Great Britain guide book this morning (thanks Mom!) and found this fun town. There is the Royal Pavilion, (Prince Regent’s Oriental Palace), the Brighton pier with amusement and arcades and the Old Ship Hotel. I think it should be a cute little sea side town and I am really looking forward to spending the day there.
5. We went to a miniature state fair type event that is going on for the entire weekend. There was live music, (some “hick” type band that did some terrible covers of popular songs, sketchy fairground rides, and some cool food and novelty stands. I think it will be more popular during the weekend, but it was cool to just check out and roam around for an hour or so. Ben joined Meg and me, and we just sat on the grass and chatted for a while and it was a really fun atmosphere.
6. Meg and I met up with some friends for the night and ended up sitting at King’s College and discussing old childhood TV shows before calling it a night. Have to get up early for the train tomorrow morning! GREAT day overall!!!
1. It’s Fudge Friday! We befriended the workers at the fudge store and found out that if we bought a slice of fudge today, we could get 2 of the 3 spaces stamped on the frequent buyers’ card before we get a free slice of fudge! It was really delicious, and we told them we would definitely be back for the free samples. It was interesting talking to the workers because they said that Americans are less obvious in using sarcasm so essentially we make it more difficult for people to figure out if we are being mean or sarcastic.
2. I got to go punting! I can check that off my list of English things to do before I leave now along with croquet from yesterday. The tour guide told us that punting only takes place at Oxford and Cambridge, and for those who don’t know what it is, it is kind of like a slightly different version of a gondola ride. We were on the 
River Cam on the back side of King’s College. The river is really shallow and so one person stands at the end of the boat, (punt?), and pushes off the bottom of the river with a long pole. It is such a warm day so it was nice to be on the river and run our fingers in the water. We got to see one loud, slightly obnoxious young boy fall into the river when his pole got stuck on the bottom. It was very relaxing and was a great experience.3. We had our first Open House Tea Party. Unfortunately I wasn’t in the mood for tea since it was so hot and we also were on the later side so most of the pastries and cakes were gone, but the small slices we did get to eat were delicious. It was a fun chance to socialize and act sophisticated.
4. We booked tickets for a day trip to Brighton tomorrow!! We found pretty good fares for the bus ride and so we are leaving at 8:30 tomorrow to go to England’s first sea-side resort town. I pored over my Great Britain guide book this morning (thanks Mom!) and found this fun town. There is the Royal Pavilion, (Prince Regent’s Oriental Palace), the Brighton pier with amusement and arcades and the Old Ship Hotel. I think it should be a cute little sea side town and I am really looking forward to spending the day there.
5. We went to a miniature state fair type event that is going on for the entire weekend. There was live music, (some “hick” type band that did some terrible covers of popular songs, sketchy fairground rides, and some cool food and novelty stands. I think it will be more popular during the weekend, but it was cool to just check out and roam around for an hour or so. Ben joined Meg and me, and we just sat on the grass and chatted for a while and it was a really fun atmosphere.
6. Meg and I met up with some friends for the night and ended up sitting at King’s College and discussing old childhood TV shows before calling it a night. Have to get up early for the train tomorrow morning! GREAT day overall!!!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
“It’s not a sprint…it’s a marathon!”
Reasons why:
1. Literally. My morning run was by no means a sprint. I took a nice easy pace this morning and tried to see a little bit more of Cambridge. I found the direction of the Botanic Gardens and am excited to see those in the future!
2. Schoolwork and classes: I’m going to have to start my work early on my midterm paper for my D&B class so that I don’t end up pulling a late night the night before it is due.
3. Croquet: Ken and I had a chance to redeem our trivia team from last night in croquet against
two of the Penn boys. We had finally come to terms with our trivia loss, but we were not willing to lose in an athletic competition. As they were warming up, we were honestly pretty intimidated seeing as how we had about zero experience between the two of us. We got off to a good start, but quickly fell far behind, with our moods quickly following suit and rapidly worsening. Never one to back down from a challenge, however, I got our team back into the competition with a great turn, going through 2 hoops while knocking several other balls out of the way. We were back in it! We managed to pull out the victory, and that somehow soothed our competitive feelings. We didn’t lose sight of the goal and made an amazing come from behind victory to steal the croquet title. After the game, we got a little too cocky and challenged the program assistant and he quickly demoralized us by winning the game before we even made it through two hoops. Definitely a fun game and one that I am going to keep playing!
4. Formal dinners: It was definitely a long dinner extravaganza. Back at school, we get so used to eating dinner in a rush to get back to homework, but it’s nice to have a slow, multi
-course meal with good company and good conversation. Tonight’s menu included salmon with eggplant and toasted chips for a starter, duck with lentils and potatoes for the main course, and then berries and whipped cream for dessert. It was fun to be waited on and to be a little adventurous with the meal. I’m not sure I’d eat the same thing again, but it was fun to try tonight!
1. Literally. My morning run was by no means a sprint. I took a nice easy pace this morning and tried to see a little bit more of Cambridge. I found the direction of the Botanic Gardens and am excited to see those in the future!
2. Schoolwork and classes: I’m going to have to start my work early on my midterm paper for my D&B class so that I don’t end up pulling a late night the night before it is due.
3. Croquet: Ken and I had a chance to redeem our trivia team from last night in croquet against
two of the Penn boys. We had finally come to terms with our trivia loss, but we were not willing to lose in an athletic competition. As they were warming up, we were honestly pretty intimidated seeing as how we had about zero experience between the two of us. We got off to a good start, but quickly fell far behind, with our moods quickly following suit and rapidly worsening. Never one to back down from a challenge, however, I got our team back into the competition with a great turn, going through 2 hoops while knocking several other balls out of the way. We were back in it! We managed to pull out the victory, and that somehow soothed our competitive feelings. We didn’t lose sight of the goal and made an amazing come from behind victory to steal the croquet title. After the game, we got a little too cocky and challenged the program assistant and he quickly demoralized us by winning the game before we even made it through two hoops. Definitely a fun game and one that I am going to keep playing!4. Formal dinners: It was definitely a long dinner extravaganza. Back at school, we get so used to eating dinner in a rush to get back to homework, but it’s nice to have a slow, multi
-course meal with good company and good conversation. Tonight’s menu included salmon with eggplant and toasted chips for a starter, duck with lentils and potatoes for the main course, and then berries and whipped cream for dessert. It was fun to be waited on and to be a little adventurous with the meal. I’m not sure I’d eat the same thing again, but it was fun to try tonight!
What was I thinking when...?
1. What was I thinking when I signed up for a class that is scheduled for three blocks of time? My art class seems to drag on for such a long time. Luckily it was broken up by a trip to the Fitzwilliam Museum. It was absolutely incredible inside the museum with literally, (or litrally—think of this in a British accent!) thousands of paintings. We learned about standing far away from a painting so that we can see the whole thing in our sight instead of going up close to the painting and losing our entire perspective.
2. What was I thinking when I volunteered to schedule the group trips? I pored over my travel plan papers and avidly surfed the web scouring websites for the best flight deals. Finally I came up with what I thought were a series of good trips, but then was crushed when the boys shot down my ideas. Luckily Meg stuck up for me and pushed my plan through and we officially booked our trips to Dublin and Berlin!
The Mighty Ducks with our prize!
4. What was I thinking when I ate so many of those dumb chocolates that we won? We took the box to King’s College and ate away our misery at getting second place in the competition. It was a nice relaxing evening again at our favorite table in the bar as we had some fun conversations and started preparing for the next competition.
July 7
2. What was I thinking when I volunteered to schedule the group trips? I pored over my travel plan papers and avidly surfed the web scouring websites for the best flight deals. Finally I came up with what I thought were a series of good trips, but then was crushed when the boys shot down my ideas. Luckily Meg stuck up for me and pushed my plan through and we officially booked our trips to Dublin and Berlin!
3. What was I thinking when I thought “Intercollegiate Trivia Night” was going to be a fun and friendly environment? Well, I’ll pin this blunder on the program directors as well. What do get when you pair competitive teenagers from great academic universities with a battle of intelligence, especially when the reputation of their schools is at stake? I’ll just say that it got a little heated and some friendships may have suffered as a result. We were the “Mighty Ducks” and our main competition was “Team Jacob,” (a Twilight reference—something that annoyed me because it was a rather clever name coming from a group of not so funny guys!) from Penn. Some serious trash-talking had been going on before the trivia night commenced. At the beginning of the trivia contest, it seriously felt like I was on one of those game shows that hosts the college week with the very nerdy looking students that makes the observers question the coolness of all the students at the respective schools. That feeling soon faded as we got into the competition and when all was said and done, I was very proud of our team. Sadly we came up one point too short and were defeated in the epic battle by our formidable opponents at Penn. I will admit that I mostly offered support for our team in the form of cheering and moral support, but I will also proudly take credit for knowing the answer to the question: “What is the longest word that can be typed on the top row of the keyboard?” The answer is, ironically enough, “typewriter.” As a reward for our great display of knowledge, we got a box of chocolates.
The Mighty Ducks with our prize!July 7
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
One word...
One word describes my current state of mind:
OVERWHELMED!!!
1. Overwhelmed to get my softball work outs in and to keep in shape. I ran to a nearby park this morning and did a body-weight workout. I’m still looking for someone to play catch with….and maybe 2 gloves since my pitching coach wouldn’t let me bring mine. Haha.
2. Overwhelmed by my D&B class—so many terms I’ve NEVER heard before. Sample journal title from reading: “Regulation of Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein (CREB) Phosphorylation by Acute and Chronic Morphine in the Rat Locus Coeruleus”—what a mouthful!
3. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the King’s Chapel roof! I got to go on a tour where we actually walked up this claustrophobic spiral staircase. Our first stop was just under the top layer of the roof and we were in a dark space between the ceiling of the chapel and the roof. Kind of eerie. Then we went to the actual top of the chapel. I can’t explain how incredible it was to be up there and how amazing the city looked around me. Again, pictures don’t do it justice, although I’ve included a video of me walking on the top below! I somehow got away with wearing flip flops—guess it’s the So Cal girl in me.
4. Overwhelmed with everything that I want to see and do while I am here. I’ve decided that I’m going to do a photo scavenger hunt and try to take a picture in front of every college in Cambridge University. I started today with Sidney Sussex.
5. Overwhelmed with the bad food choices. I literally ate carrots and breaded potato things for dinner. I find that the food here is not that good and I often leave meals feeling either a) dissatisfied or b) still hungry.
6. Overwhelmed with the deliciousness of the sorbet I got while headed to the Union. This is my solution to the bad food choices for meals.
7. Overwhelmed with the excitement of the World Cup. Okay, I’ll admit it, this one is kind of a stretch. I don’t care that much about the games, but it was still fun to go the Union, (where most of our classes take place) to watch the game with other kids in the program. Some kids got really into watching the game and it was a great environment!
8. Overwhelmed with planning trips throughout the program. I’ll talk more about this later!
July 6
OVERWHELMED!!!
1. Overwhelmed to get my softball work outs in and to keep in shape. I ran to a nearby park this morning and did a body-weight workout. I’m still looking for someone to play catch with….and maybe 2 gloves since my pitching coach wouldn’t let me bring mine. Haha.
2. Overwhelmed by my D&B class—so many terms I’ve NEVER heard before. Sample journal title from reading: “Regulation of Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein (CREB) Phosphorylation by Acute and Chronic Morphine in the Rat Locus Coeruleus”—what a mouthful!
3. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the King’s Chapel roof! I got to go on a tour where we actually walked up this claustrophobic spiral staircase. Our first stop was just under the top layer of the roof and we were in a dark space between the ceiling of the chapel and the roof. Kind of eerie. Then we went to the actual top of the chapel. I can’t explain how incredible it was to be up there and how amazing the city looked around me. Again, pictures don’t do it justice, although I’ve included a video of me walking on the top below! I somehow got away with wearing flip flops—guess it’s the So Cal girl in me.4. Overwhelmed with everything that I want to see and do while I am here. I’ve decided that I’m going to do a photo scavenger hunt and try to take a picture in front of every college in Cambridge University. I started today with Sidney Sussex.
5. Overwhelmed with the bad food choices. I literally ate carrots and breaded potato things for dinner. I find that the food here is not that good and I often leave meals feeling either a) dissatisfied or b) still hungry.
6. Overwhelmed with the deliciousness of the sorbet I got while headed to the Union. This is my solution to the bad food choices for meals.
7. Overwhelmed with the excitement of the World Cup. Okay, I’ll admit it, this one is kind of a stretch. I don’t care that much about the games, but it was still fun to go the Union, (where most of our classes take place) to watch the game with other kids in the program. Some kids got really into watching the game and it was a great environment!
8. Overwhelmed with planning trips throughout the program. I’ll talk more about this later!
July 6
Back to the buses
We were up early again to get on the buses. We grabbed a quick breakfast and were on the road again. I was pretty exhausted from the long action packed weekend and was able to fall asleep for most of the first 2 hour time period. We stopped at a gas station and Meg and I split some more European Candy. When we stopped again for lunch, we stopped in the town of Richmond. It was a very cute town with a population with an average age of about 70 years old. We immediately walked to the Richmond castle. Duc was disappointed when he learned that the 
castle never saw battle. It was a very imposing and impressive building and definitely made a statement. We were able to climb to the top and the view was great from the top. Again, I was struck with the sheer magnitude of the edifice and just awestruck that such a regular cute town could have a CASTLE in it! Instead of opting for the traditional fish and chips, I got a potato, cheese and 
onion pastry and then a lemon square. The food there was really cheap! Pies, or pastries, are pretty common in Scotland. Meg and I adventured a little more in Richmond and then it was back to the bus.
The next two hours flew by as I passed out again, and at the next gas station, we tried Aero candy. It’s aerated chocolate and was kind of like an Andes mint. I liked it! Finally after the last two hours, we got back to Cambridge and it was surprisingly pleasant to just be back to a familiar place. It is amazing how fast I have come to regard Cambridge as my “home.” I unpacked, uploaded videos and pictures, and then the crew reassembled for a relaxing evening in the King’s Bar. We played card games and the time just flew by. It is such a different atmosphere being here because the classes definitely take a back seat to the fun social aspects, and we are able to just get together for drinks, (how mature does that sound?!?) and chat. That wrapped up the Edinburgh trip, one of the greatest weekends I’ve had.
July 5
castle never saw battle. It was a very imposing and impressive building and definitely made a statement. We were able to climb to the top and the view was great from the top. Again, I was struck with the sheer magnitude of the edifice and just awestruck that such a regular cute town could have a CASTLE in it! Instead of opting for the traditional fish and chips, I got a potato, cheese and 
onion pastry and then a lemon square. The food there was really cheap! Pies, or pastries, are pretty common in Scotland. Meg and I adventured a little more in Richmond and then it was back to the bus.The next two hours flew by as I passed out again, and at the next gas station, we tried Aero candy. It’s aerated chocolate and was kind of like an Andes mint. I liked it! Finally after the last two hours, we got back to Cambridge and it was surprisingly pleasant to just be back to a familiar place. It is amazing how fast I have come to regard Cambridge as my “home.” I unpacked, uploaded videos and pictures, and then the crew reassembled for a relaxing evening in the King’s Bar. We played card games and the time just flew by. It is such a different atmosphere being here because the classes definitely take a back seat to the fun social aspects, and we are able to just get together for drinks, (how mature does that sound?!?) and chat. That wrapped up the Edinburgh trip, one of the greatest weekends I’ve had.
July 5
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
E-D-I-N-B-U-R-G-H
Edinburgh Castle: Our first destination for the morning—we took a cab to the castle and looked around. It was such a cool castle and was a great starting point for the day.David Hume—the statue we saw while walking around the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile is the main road down the center of Edinburgh with a lot of restaurants and stores.
Incredible architecture—in walking around Edinburgh, I felt so incredibly lucky to have a change to see the city. I didn’t care really if I got a little lost because it is such a beautiful city.
Nearby lunch at Crags again. Meg and I split cheese/bacon fries, but then realized that the food here is very different. The bacon is not at all the same, but the fries are still really good.
Bus ride to Rosslyn Chapel—we missed the memo that the bus was leaving from a different locale, but luckily the bus came back for us so we could see the chapel.
Unique carvings—no two carvings in the chapel were the same, and I could honestly have spent days in there looking at all of the different details.
Rosslyn Chapel—this was an incredibly ornate chapel that is featured in The Da Vinci Code that is rumored to have the Knight’s Templar Treasure beneath it. Unfortunately the outside was under some restoration construction so we didn't get a great view of the outside, but the inside was amazing! No two carvings are the same, and the apprentice pillar is one of the most beautiful parts of the chapel. The story goes that the master apprentice got jealous of the pillar so killed the apprentice, and as punishment, his work was covered and only revealed centuries later when it was discovered.Gallivanting throughout the city looking for dinner—apparently a lot of restaurants are closed on Sunday nights. We ended up at a place called Koko and were quite happy. Meg and I treated ourselves to super girly drinks, and it was so fun to watch them being made. I wish I got to see the restaurant on the weekend because it was a pretty stylish place.
Holding down the dance floor—we ended up at a different club called Sin. We got there around 10 and NO ONE was there! The 5 of us held down the dance floor and left the club in good hands when we left at 12 after having gotten the party started. It was so fun to dance to the fun British pop music—Meg and I left with some great new songs and a few obsessions for British boy bands.
July 4
Once in a lifetime experiences
1. Hiking in the Trossachs: I woke up early for the 2 hour bus ride to the Trossachs. The group stopped for lunch in the town of Callander, a cute town with lots of little shops and restaurants. Meg and I went to Mohr Bread and got turkey sandwiches and pastries. Before getting back on the bus, we also got delicious Scottish strawberries—some of the best I’ve ever tasted! We then continued to our destination and started the hike. It started out pretty easy but quickly got more difficult. The rain started after about 15 minutes but then stopped as quickly as it had come. Unfortunately, this created quite a bit of 
mud and my shoes were soon soaked through. It was so gorgeous, though. The views as we were hiking were incredible. 
As I hiked, I also got to talk to other students and it was easy to make instant friendships as we bonded over complaining about the rain, the strenuous hike and as we marveled over the views. We finally came to the peak of our hike and were able to eat our lunches. Again, the rain started to come and the wind picked up, so we then started hiking back to the bus. My shoes, socks and pants were basically soaked through, but it was a very enjoyable experience. The pastries tasted even better after the hike since we had to work for them! I passed out on the bus ride on the way back after an action packed morning.
2. Crags: We went to dinner at a nearby bar and got to watch some of the World Cup games. The bar had a deal running for a burger, chips and a cider for £3.75—a steal! It was the crew again with Ken, Meg, Duc, Ben and me. It was a very American bar and I enjoyed it a lot. After dinner, we headed back to the Pollock halls for our next activity of the night.
3. Scottish dancing: Our program directors hosted a “Third of July party” for us. We arrived
early and almost immediately jumped into the Ceilidh dancing. It was basically like square dancing and was pretty easy once you learned the steps. It was a great way to meet new people and sort of struggle through the dance. I had such a fun time spinning and dancing. So many people participated and we were all dancing around the room. A few guys in the program bought kilts and made people laugh.4. Experiencing the night life in Edinburgh: After finishing up the dancing, the group headed into town to find a club. We ended up, along with half of the PKP program, at a club called Espionage. We basically took over the dance floor and got to hear a good blend of American music and strange remixes. We ran into a group doing a “stag night,” which is a bachelor party. There were also several bachelorette parties going on as well. Finishing the night at the club was a perfect ending to an action packed and super fun day.
July 3
Monday, July 5, 2010
On the road again...to Scotland!
Our entire program got to go on a group trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. We had Friday classes off and left at 9 am for an 8 hour bus ride.
Reasons I’m lucky:
1. I got to sit next to Meg on the 8 hour bus ride to Edinburgh. We spent time chatting, sleeping, reading and giggling. Having her to sit next to made the trip pass pretty quickly.
2. England has a fine appreciation for chocolate. My greatest find so far is “Maltesers”—basically an even better version of Whoppers, my favorite. It is like walking into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory whenever we go into a gas station with all of the chocolate choices.
3. We got to stop at Fountains Abbey on our way to Edinburgh. It was absolutely breathtaking,
(although one student told me not to be “extremist” when I described it that way.) We walked down a small pathway through trees and were hit like a gust of wind with the impressive visual images of the Abbey. Words simply cannot explain how gorgeous it was. At first glance, it is an obviously very impressive abbey in sheer size, but what most impressed me was that around every corner, there were new surprises. People just don’t build buildings like that anymore. Meg and I decided that the Europeans are so s
poiled to have these phenomenal historical buildings in their backyards. We walked around the building and it was so incredible with archways, stone work and construction. I took tons of pictures, but I honestly think I could spend years there and never be satisfied or feel like I captured everything. If you are reading this, Dad, we are definitely going to have to draw some inspiration from these pictures for our next sand-abbeys, haha. Meg and I got scones for lunch and then got back on the road again.
4. Universities in Europe give students singles. It was nice to settle into my new room at Pollock Halls, (part of the University of Edinburgh, about 30 minutes outside of the town center), and was pleasantly surprised to have a sink in the room!
5. Dinner was an all-you-can-eat buffet. It was just what I wanted after a long day on the bus. The choices were overwhelming, but it was delicious.
6. I have friends here who like exploring. We walked into the town center and started off at a pub called the “Auld Hoose.” It wasn’t quite our typical place with heavy metal head banging
music, but the company was good and it was pretty relaxing. I tried a pear cider that was really good. We moved on from there to a more down town locale. We asked for directions and got to hear a few great Scottish accents. At the next bar, Biblos, Meg and I got Pimms and lemonade. It was very tasty. We talked a little to the bartender and got to hear another great accent as he recommended that we try haggus, (no thank you!). That pretty much concluded our night since we had to get up early the next morning for hiking.
July 2
Reasons I’m lucky:
1. I got to sit next to Meg on the 8 hour bus ride to Edinburgh. We spent time chatting, sleeping, reading and giggling. Having her to sit next to made the trip pass pretty quickly.
2. England has a fine appreciation for chocolate. My greatest find so far is “Maltesers”—basically an even better version of Whoppers, my favorite. It is like walking into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory whenever we go into a gas station with all of the chocolate choices.
3. We got to stop at Fountains Abbey on our way to Edinburgh. It was absolutely breathtaking,
(although one student told me not to be “extremist” when I described it that way.) We walked down a small pathway through trees and were hit like a gust of wind with the impressive visual images of the Abbey. Words simply cannot explain how gorgeous it was. At first glance, it is an obviously very impressive abbey in sheer size, but what most impressed me was that around every corner, there were new surprises. People just don’t build buildings like that anymore. Meg and I decided that the Europeans are so s
poiled to have these phenomenal historical buildings in their backyards. We walked around the building and it was so incredible with archways, stone work and construction. I took tons of pictures, but I honestly think I could spend years there and never be satisfied or feel like I captured everything. If you are reading this, Dad, we are definitely going to have to draw some inspiration from these pictures for our next sand-abbeys, haha. Meg and I got scones for lunch and then got back on the road again.4. Universities in Europe give students singles. It was nice to settle into my new room at Pollock Halls, (part of the University of Edinburgh, about 30 minutes outside of the town center), and was pleasantly surprised to have a sink in the room!
5. Dinner was an all-you-can-eat buffet. It was just what I wanted after a long day on the bus. The choices were overwhelming, but it was delicious.
6. I have friends here who like exploring. We walked into the town center and started off at a pub called the “Auld Hoose.” It wasn’t quite our typical place with heavy metal head banging
music, but the company was good and it was pretty relaxing. I tried a pear cider that was really good. We moved on from there to a more down town locale. We asked for directions and got to hear a few great Scottish accents. At the next bar, Biblos, Meg and I got Pimms and lemonade. It was very tasty. We talked a little to the bartender and got to hear another great accent as he recommended that we try haggus, (no thank you!). That pretty much concluded our night since we had to get up early the next morning for hiking.July 2
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Highs and Lows
Mistakes of the day:
1. Thinking that going for the 4 mile group run at 8 am would be a smart idea—when the leader didn’t think that our fast pace was challenging enough, he decided an Indian run (where the person in the back of the line sprints to the front) would be a good idea
2. Signing up for the Drugs and the Brain class—it turned out to be super detailed and neurobiology oriented
3. Not scheduling a class during part of my marathon art class—I have to go to all three of the 1 hour and 15 minutes sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. How many times can I draw the same thing in those 3 hours and 45 minutes and discuss deep philosophical elements of artistic representation?? Today we had to draw Chinese chess pieces that I couldn’t even see!
4. Going to the Plenary lecture offered about “Why Cambridge is Unique,” –some interesting stuff, but the 8 am run was starting to get to me and I had trouble staying awake.
Good things of the day:
1. The cold water actually felt good after the 4 mile death run.
2. I actually made a smart comment in my D&B class!
3. The art professor started to like my work and told me I’m really improving. He even told me that it’s a good thing I don’t have great eyesight!
4. Meg and I got to explore for lunch because our d-hall was closed and we found a cute sandwich shop called like Cafe Munch or something!
5. I got back to my room, found out that the last choral Evensong was going on and made it in time to catch some of the INCREDIBLE goose-bump raising performance. I’ll try to attach clips of the singing later that I sneakily recorded with my video camera. (No video though—I covered it with my hand.) http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/chapel-services.html
6. Hanging out in King’s Pub with several friends and discussing the versatility of peanut butter, ranch dressing and whipped cream on different foods.
7. Finishing up watching “What a Girl Wants” with Meg while packing for SCOTLAND!!!
1. Thinking that going for the 4 mile group run at 8 am would be a smart idea—when the leader didn’t think that our fast pace was challenging enough, he decided an Indian run (where the person in the back of the line sprints to the front) would be a good idea
2. Signing up for the Drugs and the Brain class—it turned out to be super detailed and neurobiology oriented
3. Not scheduling a class during part of my marathon art class—I have to go to all three of the 1 hour and 15 minutes sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. How many times can I draw the same thing in those 3 hours and 45 minutes and discuss deep philosophical elements of artistic representation?? Today we had to draw Chinese chess pieces that I couldn’t even see!
4. Going to the Plenary lecture offered about “Why Cambridge is Unique,” –some interesting stuff, but the 8 am run was starting to get to me and I had trouble staying awake.
Good things of the day:
1. The cold water actually felt good after the 4 mile death run.
2. I actually made a smart comment in my D&B class!
3. The art professor started to like my work and told me I’m really improving. He even told me that it’s a good thing I don’t have great eyesight!
4. Meg and I got to explore for lunch because our d-hall was closed and we found a cute sandwich shop called like Cafe Munch or something!
5. I got back to my room, found out that the last choral Evensong was going on and made it in time to catch some of the INCREDIBLE goose-bump raising performance. I’ll try to attach clips of the singing later that I sneakily recorded with my video camera. (No video though—I covered it with my hand.) http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/chapel-services.html
6. Hanging out in King’s Pub with several friends and discussing the versatility of peanut butter, ranch dressing and whipped cream on different foods.
7. Finishing up watching “What a Girl Wants” with Meg while packing for SCOTLAND!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)