My grandmother will turn 90 in a week. Not many people ever get the chance to say that. I tell people my grandmother is 90 and they all congratulate me, as if I had something to do with it. They say, "You're lucky you've got good genes," or it's just a, "wow."
We had a surprise party for her on Saturday, and as I looked across the dinner table, I realized that it's not her good genes I'm so lucky to have, but her in general.
My grandmother is Armenian. When she was three years old, she and her sister came through Ellis Island to escape persecution in their home country. My great great uncle was drawn and quartered and left on a doorstep. They had to get out. They left for America seeking a better life, bringing with them very little and setting out to meet the rest of their family, a few siblings and a couple cousins and uncles who had come before them.
To say it wasn't easy is a great understatement. I don't actually know how they did it, but they did. And their posterity thanks them immensely. But through it all, growing up in a new, strange place, living with adversity because of their race both in their homeland and in America, some how, my grandmother turned out to be one of the most fantastically optimistic people I've ever met. Nothing gets her down.
It's funny when you look at your parents and grandparents and realize where your traits and attributes come from. I have my dad's eyes and hair, my mom's smile and cheek bones. I have my dad's laugh, and his habit of eating everyone else's food. And I have my mom's sensitivity and talkative nature.
But then I look at my grandparents. All of those traits come from them. My maternal grandmother was about 5 feet tall had the same blue eyes that I have; she was just as stubborn, and just as gossip-prone as I am. My paternal grandmother is the same, about 4' 9", stubborn and sure, but still sweet, that is until you give her a juicy story. I was doomed to be a little person with a big mouth. It's in my heritage.
As I watched my grandmother this weekend, and thought about all she's done in her life, all the people she's met and all the things she's seen. I became more and more proud of myself. At the age of 20, things are really coming together for me.
I was just named Managing Editor for Elon's student newspaper, The Pendulum. I had an article published on the front page of the Burlington Times-News. And over the past few weeks, I have sort of mapped out the rest of my life. I've decided to go to grad school for art history or art criticism, something I've always loved but just never thought I could do.
I still miss London every day, but I think my life is slowly leading me back there. We'll see.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
the age of internships
I started looking for summer internships yesterday. Yes. You read that right. Summer internships. It’s October 23. I’ve been called a serial over-achiever before. Nothing new, nothing different and definitely nothing surprising. Yet, even I, in reflecting on yesterday’s activities had to see this as being just a little bit ridiculous. Perhaps my actions were less a reflection of my personality type (read, disorder…) and more a symptom of a far more interesting and somewhat distressing and puzzling change in our society.
The question must be asked though: just how insane was I being? Ask most university students, especially journalism majors, and they’ll explain that they too have already started thinking about next summer, and for those who are really on the ball, have actually sent out a few applications. I have a friend who has six applications due Nov. 1. For me, as a junior, this summer stands as one of the most important internships I will have as a college student. This internship opens the door to possible future hiring situations.
Fifteen, even 10 years ago, no one really put a premium on internships the way we do now. Journalism has always used the experience index as a way to determine hire-ability. Our clips, or writing samples, are our lifeline. The better your clips are, and the more you have, the more likely you are to land that primo job.
So what happened? My only thought is that as more and more people have started to attend college, there needs to be a new standard set for what makes someone more desirable as a new hire over someone else. They could have the same degree, the same GPA, the same extracurricular activities, and yet one of them has done an internship. They have experience. Right there, the company is going to save valuable time and money training the person to do the job.
There’s another side to the internship coin, to be sure. Taking on an internship provides students with the invaluable opportunity to test-drive their career choice. It happens, more often than not, that a student accepts an internship, completes it and then changes their major. The job wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be, and now the student has saved themselves the trouble of graduating with that degree and getting stuck with something they’d rather not be stuck with.
Other countries have only just started to understand the internship craze sweeping America. The organization I worked for in London had only just started accepting interns a few years prior, and my supervisor admitted she thought it all sounded a bit like slavery. She had to be convinced to hire me, not because my credentials weren’t stellar, but because she just didn’t get it. Why would someone want to work for free? It wasn’t until I got there and explained to her how important job placements like this are in the United States did she start to understand, however minimally.
It’s an odd phenomenon that we’re being forced so quickly to face the future and determine our career paths. Granted, that is what college is about for the most part. But it’s a startling call to reality when two months after one summer has just ended you’re forced to occupy yourself with planning for the next or be left out in the cold, er, heat?
Cross posted to Reporting to the Public Good (JCM 300 class blog)
Monday, October 15, 2007
transition mettle
Most of you who know me know that my grandmother passed away last Wednesday, Oct. 3. This is not meant to be a sad post, nor is it meant to glean a wave of sympathy. I simply see it as an important piece of background knowledge necessary to approach this post.
As with any life there is death, obviously. But it is the nature of that life that determines the nature of the death. A happy life filled with friendships and love seems to recall a death shrouded in sadness and mourning. Conversely, a sad life filled with spite, anger and misery seems to welcome and accept a timely death.
After spending so many days of this past week filled to the brim with such sadness, I find myself wondering how it is that the above statement makes so much sense. All death should be a celebration of life. Regardless of the condition of that life.
I've spent hours and hours of the last week talking about my grandmother and her vivacious spirit and her love. And her cooking. And every time I begin, I fill up. For selfish reasons yes, but also for the sense of loss I feel for those who missed out on knowing her. My true sadness comes on their behalf.
Death should not be so sad, someone once told me. Death should not be so miserable. Funerals are for the living, and grief is transient.
Existentialism has never been my thing. But the more I "deal" with death, the more I come to understand its purpose. Truly, death is just another part of the cycle. Life is not linear, there is a beginning and an end, to be sure, but who's to say that there is only one of each. But the more I deal with death, the more I understand that while we are "required" to be born, live, and then die, the process serves a greater purpose.
It is the purpose of hope and understanding for those you leave behind. The death of loved ones should stand as a reminder of the evanescence of life. There is tragedy in death, yes, but there is also great hope. The hope is the legacy of those still living.
As with any life there is death, obviously. But it is the nature of that life that determines the nature of the death. A happy life filled with friendships and love seems to recall a death shrouded in sadness and mourning. Conversely, a sad life filled with spite, anger and misery seems to welcome and accept a timely death.
After spending so many days of this past week filled to the brim with such sadness, I find myself wondering how it is that the above statement makes so much sense. All death should be a celebration of life. Regardless of the condition of that life.
I've spent hours and hours of the last week talking about my grandmother and her vivacious spirit and her love. And her cooking. And every time I begin, I fill up. For selfish reasons yes, but also for the sense of loss I feel for those who missed out on knowing her. My true sadness comes on their behalf.
Death should not be so sad, someone once told me. Death should not be so miserable. Funerals are for the living, and grief is transient.
Existentialism has never been my thing. But the more I "deal" with death, the more I come to understand its purpose. Truly, death is just another part of the cycle. Life is not linear, there is a beginning and an end, to be sure, but who's to say that there is only one of each. But the more I deal with death, the more I understand that while we are "required" to be born, live, and then die, the process serves a greater purpose.
It is the purpose of hope and understanding for those you leave behind. The death of loved ones should stand as a reminder of the evanescence of life. There is tragedy in death, yes, but there is also great hope. The hope is the legacy of those still living.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
a lost "wrinkle"
Madeleine L'Engle died last Thursday, and with her passing, the world lost perhaps one of the best novelists of modern times.
Now, I may be exaggerating a little, but this is my blog, so deal with it.
For those for whom the name does not ring a bell, L'Engle was the author of "A Wrinkle in Time."
As a journalism student, I feel like I'm constantly being told by professors that the only way to become a good journalist is to read good journalism. I think it needs to go one step further. Journalism is storytelling. To be a good journalist, you must surround yourself with good storytelling.
L'Engle's writing is recognized for its impeccable storytelling: clean, easy work that not only superficially engages the reader, but that also challenges thought on a more mature level, introducing scientific and political ideas. As a child reading the novel, I loved Meg and Charles Wallace, they were my best friends. But upon revisiting the story in my late-teens, I realized that the book is not only the story of the Murray children, but is also a cleverly disguised criticism of communism and other social systems.
The Washington Post recently published an article of appreciation. The reporter, Monica Hesse, completely captured my sentiment about the novel and L'Engle's brilliant writing.
I think her final graf sums up the affect L'Engle's writing had on so many awkward, uncomfortable teens and then the later discovery of a club of-sorts, of avid "Wrinkle" fans, "All those years ago, with your patchwork quilt and your instant hot chocolate and your despairing belief in your own monstrosity, you hadn't been alone after all."
Madeleine L'Engle's writing is storytelling in its most accelerated form. She adeptly transcended the "children's novel" category of literature and pushed cunningly past to a realm of classicism, punctuated by layers of meaning, beautifully crafted characters and just a good story.
Now, I may be exaggerating a little, but this is my blog, so deal with it.
For those for whom the name does not ring a bell, L'Engle was the author of "A Wrinkle in Time."
As a journalism student, I feel like I'm constantly being told by professors that the only way to become a good journalist is to read good journalism. I think it needs to go one step further. Journalism is storytelling. To be a good journalist, you must surround yourself with good storytelling.
L'Engle's writing is recognized for its impeccable storytelling: clean, easy work that not only superficially engages the reader, but that also challenges thought on a more mature level, introducing scientific and political ideas. As a child reading the novel, I loved Meg and Charles Wallace, they were my best friends. But upon revisiting the story in my late-teens, I realized that the book is not only the story of the Murray children, but is also a cleverly disguised criticism of communism and other social systems.
The Washington Post recently published an article of appreciation. The reporter, Monica Hesse, completely captured my sentiment about the novel and L'Engle's brilliant writing.
I think her final graf sums up the affect L'Engle's writing had on so many awkward, uncomfortable teens and then the later discovery of a club of-sorts, of avid "Wrinkle" fans, "All those years ago, with your patchwork quilt and your instant hot chocolate and your despairing belief in your own monstrosity, you hadn't been alone after all."
Madeleine L'Engle's writing is storytelling in its most accelerated form. She adeptly transcended the "children's novel" category of literature and pushed cunningly past to a realm of classicism, punctuated by layers of meaning, beautifully crafted characters and just a good story.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
to begin again
I noticed the other day a quote on a friend's Web site, saying something about "Can a change of address change your life?" It's strange when you realize you've done something to alter your life completely. In a good way, to be sure. But forever different my life will be after being away for so long.
Upon returning to campus I've noticed that in most ways, I'm beginning again here. I walk around and run into a few people I know, but not many. I've reached the point at Elon where most of my friends are leaving at the end of the year, and since being gone, I have very few who are younger than me.
In addition to the metamorphosis of friendships, I've returned to a school that looks strikingly different from the one I left. Buildings are popping up everywhere. Fountains, trees and pathways have materialized over a six-month stretch of absence. It's disconcerting, really, to find my old haunts re-purposed and left behind in favor of newer, more modern things.
I've decided to do some re-purposing of my own. I kept this blog during my semester abroad as a way to stay in touch with my friends and family in the U.S., and as a way to document my experiences and musings on cultural differences. I've found myself lacking that outlet, and have decided to begin again.
Upon returning to campus I've noticed that in most ways, I'm beginning again here. I walk around and run into a few people I know, but not many. I've reached the point at Elon where most of my friends are leaving at the end of the year, and since being gone, I have very few who are younger than me.
In addition to the metamorphosis of friendships, I've returned to a school that looks strikingly different from the one I left. Buildings are popping up everywhere. Fountains, trees and pathways have materialized over a six-month stretch of absence. It's disconcerting, really, to find my old haunts re-purposed and left behind in favor of newer, more modern things.
I've decided to do some re-purposing of my own. I kept this blog during my semester abroad as a way to stay in touch with my friends and family in the U.S., and as a way to document my experiences and musings on cultural differences. I've found myself lacking that outlet, and have decided to begin again.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
beginning of the end
If you really think about it, nothing is ever really completely over. You never really leave anything behind or anyone for that matter. I'm well aware that I've been whining and complaining about how much I'm going to hate leaving here and how sad I am to say good-bye to London. But the closer we get to the end of our time here, the more I realize that the memories that I've made here, and the friendships that I've formed are going to sustain my missing London and the life that I lead here.
I sat in Trafalgar Square on Friday for about an hour just taking in the city. Drinking in the sounds of the people and the pigeons, watching the water fountains and the tourists climbing on the lion statues. Trafalgar Square and St. Martin's Lane are my little corner of London. I spent more time there than anywhere else in the whole city. It was the first place I went, and the last place I'm going to say good-bye to.
In Dublin last weekend, we visited our friend Ryan. He left to go home only 2 days later. It was interesting to stay with someone who was so close to the end. He was happy to go home, happy to leave his new city and ready for the end. I don't know if I'll ever get to that point. I have a feeling I'll be sobbing all the way home. But seeing him on the verge of leaving made me think about what it is about London that totally enraptures me. Dublin was nice, I enjoyed it immensely, but I don't think that after 4 months I would call it as much home as I do London. I have always felt comfortable here, I have always been so fascinated by it. This city accepts all sorts of people, there is something for everyone here. And I think that attitude is what is so attractive to someone who has little, to know idea where life will take them.
Upon returning London, I proclaimed, "I'm home!" I had a few people question how I could possibly call some place home that I've only lived in for 4 months. But some home, this is home for me, just as Elon is home and Bethesda is home. Who ever said you cannot lay your hat in 3 different cities?
So I like to think, this is not the beginning of the end, because I have a million memories and a handful of amazing friends who will sustain this beautiful life in London perpetually.
I sat in Trafalgar Square on Friday for about an hour just taking in the city. Drinking in the sounds of the people and the pigeons, watching the water fountains and the tourists climbing on the lion statues. Trafalgar Square and St. Martin's Lane are my little corner of London. I spent more time there than anywhere else in the whole city. It was the first place I went, and the last place I'm going to say good-bye to.
In Dublin last weekend, we visited our friend Ryan. He left to go home only 2 days later. It was interesting to stay with someone who was so close to the end. He was happy to go home, happy to leave his new city and ready for the end. I don't know if I'll ever get to that point. I have a feeling I'll be sobbing all the way home. But seeing him on the verge of leaving made me think about what it is about London that totally enraptures me. Dublin was nice, I enjoyed it immensely, but I don't think that after 4 months I would call it as much home as I do London. I have always felt comfortable here, I have always been so fascinated by it. This city accepts all sorts of people, there is something for everyone here. And I think that attitude is what is so attractive to someone who has little, to know idea where life will take them.
Upon returning London, I proclaimed, "I'm home!" I had a few people question how I could possibly call some place home that I've only lived in for 4 months. But some home, this is home for me, just as Elon is home and Bethesda is home. Who ever said you cannot lay your hat in 3 different cities?
So I like to think, this is not the beginning of the end, because I have a million memories and a handful of amazing friends who will sustain this beautiful life in London perpetually.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
library musings
After having spent a sufficient 6 hours in the British Library today, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is something magical about old books and manuscripts. I held a book today that was 100 years old, a pamphlet that was 130 years old, and an original copy of a letter, handwritten in 1783. Yes you read that right, 1783, which would make it 224 years old. Everything I looked through today had the most incredible musty smell. Gross, possibly to some. But it was amazing. Holding another letter from 1907, I could feel the writer, and I felt like I knew her. I laughed at the pronunciation key she gave to her reader for the name Premanand (“you say ‘pray’ shortly, then mà , with a great deal of emphasis, then ‘nun’ shortly, and stick in a ‘d’ at the end! Now, do you think you know how to say it?”).
Monday, April 9, 2007
if sheep could fly
I know I've said before how busy I am, but this week hit an all time high. Thursday was the big night at my internship. I've been working on planning the after-party event for the London premiere of the Philip Glass opera, Satyagraha. Thursday night was the big night when everything had to work and had to come together for the show. Luckily, it did for the most part. The party was wonderful, all those 'famous' London guests who needed tickets, got them. And Philip Glass stepped on my foot. It's my new claim to fame, really. I was horrendously stressed out before hand, as I always get before some big thing, but it all went really well and I actually had a really great time at the event. My hired car took me home at 1:15 am.
My parents are visiting, so Friday morning at 8:50 (yes, this is after my 1:15 am arrival to my bed) I caught a train to Warwick to meet my parents and our friends for a day at the castle there. More a theme park than a heritage sight, it was still very fun. We saw them launch the trebuchet. Which, for the lack of a better phrase, was pretty freakin' sweet. This started the discussion of the fact that in 'ye olde' (pronounced with the hard 'e' at the end...) times they would launch other things, not just 15 kilo balls. Like sheep, and pigs (according to our friend Sandra, they're more aerodynamic...) and people. And my brother's personal favorite, lime pitch. They would launch a basket of lime and the basket would empty out on its way down. The lime would then dust out over the castle walls. As soon as it hit any body part that had any sort of wetness, it would start burning. Gruesome. The funny thing was that the 'squire,' who was explaining everything, didn't spare any details. He was just as gory and graphic. It was amusing because that would never happen in America. We like to sugar coat death and destruction.
It was a fabulous weekend filled with driving around looking at thatched roofs, beautiful yellow fields of rape (That really is the name...) and lots and lots of sheep. I wanted to take a little white lamb with a black face home, but no one would let me put it in the car. They're adorable. And the sound they make is just so funny. My parents found a little stuffed animal sheep in Scotland. I'll have to settle for that, I suppose.
Everyone always says that London is the antithesis of Great Britian. It is everything that the rest of the country is not. After traveling around a good part of the country in the last few days, I can truly understand that now. England is full of farms, fields, pubs and quiet villages. I could spend a lifetime traveling around the interior of this country and never even scratch the surface. The beauty is a different sort, it's calm and slow. It doesn't take itself or anyone else too seriously. It is what it is, and that's it.
As the number of weeks I have here dwindle to the single digits, I find myself just trying to soak everything up. I walk down the street and I become more alert - listening, watching, trying to see everything and anything that I can put to memory and hold on to. The days are fleeting and time just keeps flying by. I want to just stop and stay forever, but I know that if I could, my fleeting time here would not seem so precious.
And so, I carry on, taking digital photos and mental ones. But so many times I just sit and try to absorb the city around me; to remember how I felt at the moment and to try to recreate it over and over again to secure its place in my mind until I find myself back here someday, ready to create more memories.
My parents are visiting, so Friday morning at 8:50 (yes, this is after my 1:15 am arrival to my bed) I caught a train to Warwick to meet my parents and our friends for a day at the castle there. More a theme park than a heritage sight, it was still very fun. We saw them launch the trebuchet. Which, for the lack of a better phrase, was pretty freakin' sweet. This started the discussion of the fact that in 'ye olde' (pronounced with the hard 'e' at the end...) times they would launch other things, not just 15 kilo balls. Like sheep, and pigs (according to our friend Sandra, they're more aerodynamic...) and people. And my brother's personal favorite, lime pitch. They would launch a basket of lime and the basket would empty out on its way down. The lime would then dust out over the castle walls. As soon as it hit any body part that had any sort of wetness, it would start burning. Gruesome. The funny thing was that the 'squire,' who was explaining everything, didn't spare any details. He was just as gory and graphic. It was amusing because that would never happen in America. We like to sugar coat death and destruction.
It was a fabulous weekend filled with driving around looking at thatched roofs, beautiful yellow fields of rape (That really is the name...) and lots and lots of sheep. I wanted to take a little white lamb with a black face home, but no one would let me put it in the car. They're adorable. And the sound they make is just so funny. My parents found a little stuffed animal sheep in Scotland. I'll have to settle for that, I suppose.
Everyone always says that London is the antithesis of Great Britian. It is everything that the rest of the country is not. After traveling around a good part of the country in the last few days, I can truly understand that now. England is full of farms, fields, pubs and quiet villages. I could spend a lifetime traveling around the interior of this country and never even scratch the surface. The beauty is a different sort, it's calm and slow. It doesn't take itself or anyone else too seriously. It is what it is, and that's it.
As the number of weeks I have here dwindle to the single digits, I find myself just trying to soak everything up. I walk down the street and I become more alert - listening, watching, trying to see everything and anything that I can put to memory and hold on to. The days are fleeting and time just keeps flying by. I want to just stop and stay forever, but I know that if I could, my fleeting time here would not seem so precious.
And so, I carry on, taking digital photos and mental ones. But so many times I just sit and try to absorb the city around me; to remember how I felt at the moment and to try to recreate it over and over again to secure its place in my mind until I find myself back here someday, ready to create more memories.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
reading railroad
I've always been a 'people-watcher.' It's not really staring so much as it is just observing. Perhaps that's just a euphemism, but I've never thought it was creepy or weird because I've always known that everyone does it. Admit it. You know you do too.
Recently on the Tube, I've noticed what people do to pass the time. While most are engrossed in some form of musical entertainment blasting into their ears via little white earbud speakers, there are still a select few who actually use their commutes to enjoy the written word. As a journalism major, London astounds me at its fairly decent selection of free newspapers that are handed out just outside the Tube stations. The LondonLite, in my opinion, is a rag and has very little substantive news value, but the London Paper and the Metro are actually fairly quality journalism. Because of the can't-be-beat price of the news in this town (um, it's free, hello!), I'm convinced that London is far better informed than DC, where there are only two major subscription papers (London has about 6) and only one free paper (London has about 3).
But even more striking than if someone is reading in general, is if they're reading a book. Today, I had the interesting experience of sitting next to two people who were not only reading, but reading self-help books. The first was a man reading about how to preserve his inner artist. It was going on and on about negative self-images and how that kills creativity and how you must counter-act the negative with a more positive statement... Repeat after me: I, (your name), am an excellent artist whose gift is a way to be closer to the highest form of understanding and being... not even kidding...
The second reader was a woman engrossed in a title that was something like, 'How to Get What You Want and Want What You Have...' Of course, being the Londoner, I started reading over their shoulders. Personally, I would not want some random busy-body like myself reading over my shoulder if I was reading something that was basically teaching me how to become my own personal cheerleader. There's something strangely ironic about someone who has enough self-confidence to read a self-help book on the subway. But to also be so unconfident as to actually feel like they need a self-help book in the first place.
I will forever be more conscious of what I read on the tube. I know that since I'm looking and reading over your shoulder, some day next week, you'll be looking and reading over mine.
Recently on the Tube, I've noticed what people do to pass the time. While most are engrossed in some form of musical entertainment blasting into their ears via little white earbud speakers, there are still a select few who actually use their commutes to enjoy the written word. As a journalism major, London astounds me at its fairly decent selection of free newspapers that are handed out just outside the Tube stations. The LondonLite, in my opinion, is a rag and has very little substantive news value, but the London Paper and the Metro are actually fairly quality journalism. Because of the can't-be-beat price of the news in this town (um, it's free, hello!), I'm convinced that London is far better informed than DC, where there are only two major subscription papers (London has about 6) and only one free paper (London has about 3).
But even more striking than if someone is reading in general, is if they're reading a book. Today, I had the interesting experience of sitting next to two people who were not only reading, but reading self-help books. The first was a man reading about how to preserve his inner artist. It was going on and on about negative self-images and how that kills creativity and how you must counter-act the negative with a more positive statement... Repeat after me: I, (your name), am an excellent artist whose gift is a way to be closer to the highest form of understanding and being... not even kidding...
The second reader was a woman engrossed in a title that was something like, 'How to Get What You Want and Want What You Have...' Of course, being the Londoner, I started reading over their shoulders. Personally, I would not want some random busy-body like myself reading over my shoulder if I was reading something that was basically teaching me how to become my own personal cheerleader. There's something strangely ironic about someone who has enough self-confidence to read a self-help book on the subway. But to also be so unconfident as to actually feel like they need a self-help book in the first place.
I will forever be more conscious of what I read on the tube. I know that since I'm looking and reading over your shoulder, some day next week, you'll be looking and reading over mine.
Monday, March 26, 2007
czech me out
Skipping back in time a little, I should probably talk about my birthday before spring break. I had a wonderful 20th birthday. The girls in my flat pulled out all the stops for me. I woke up to a bouquet of roses from Lily and Keiko and a pair of earings from Scotland from Mandy. I then promptly consumed Pop Tarts from my care package from Mom and then talked to both sets of parents. After that, we went to the London Eye. It was a beautiful, clear day. We could see for miles. It was perfect. My birthday was Red Nose Day - a Comic Relief Festival to help Africa and some English schools. It was really funny to see people walking around London in red clown noses. But I found out today that the festival raised 7 million pounds. I'm happy to share my birthday with such an excellent event. The night was spent at dinner at a noodle joint called Tuk Tuk and then at a few pubs. It was a good time.
This post really should just be full of photos, but it takes forever to load them. So I've uploaded them to another Web site. Here's the link so you can enjoy my pictures from Prague. Unfortunately, the pictures are in backwards order, so start from the end and work backwards if you can.
The trip was wonderful. The city has such amazing character and history. Prague has survived so much - it's one of the only European cities to have much of the original architecture from before the second world war. It was left basically unscathed and because of that, the whinding cobble stone streets are packed tight with beautifully ornate Baroque, Romanesque and Gothic buildings. It's an architectural wonderland, and I had a fabulous time wandering around with Olivia, getting lost and exploring a city that has seen hundreds of years of kings, the dark years of Communist rule and is now a modernized member of globalized Europe.
We didn't have as much trouble as we thought we would with the language. Both Olivia and I printed out little pocket guides to Czech. I can now say about 4 words (please, yes, no, beer, wine... that's about it) in Czech. Most everyone spoke English, so it wasn't a big deal.
It was great seeing my dad and staying in the hotel with him. We stayed at the InterContinental. It's a 5 star hotel and the room came complete with a hot tub, a sauna, tons of bath products which we pilfered, a queen size bed, slippers and a rubber duck. Yes, that's right. A rubber duck. He disappeared after the first night - not because we took him, we don't know where he went. We used the hot tub a few nights because it was so terribly cold outside. But despite the frigid temperatures, we had an amazing time.
The only bummer came when we tried to come back to London. Our flight was delayed about 6 hours. We were supposed to leave Prague at 8:50 pm. We didn't end up leaving until 4:15 am. That put us into London around 5:30 am. We got to our beds at 7:45. It was miserable. I was so tired yesterday, and I'm a little sick, so that didn't help the situation. Unfortunately, because we flew easyJet, it doesn't look like we're going to see any sort of compensation for our time or trouble. It's really too bad, because I would feel a whole lot better about their airline if they actually cared that I was a zombie all day yesterday. Oh well. We made it, and we made some good friends at the airport while we waited. We ended up talking to these two girls from Bristol and playing card games with them for the majority of the time. It passed quickly enough, so it wasn't so horrible, and if anything, it's a good story, right?
But now, the fun is over and it's back to real life. I started my internship back up today and class starts again tomorrow.
More soon.
B
This post really should just be full of photos, but it takes forever to load them. So I've uploaded them to another Web site. Here's the link so you can enjoy my pictures from Prague. Unfortunately, the pictures are in backwards order, so start from the end and work backwards if you can.
The trip was wonderful. The city has such amazing character and history. Prague has survived so much - it's one of the only European cities to have much of the original architecture from before the second world war. It was left basically unscathed and because of that, the whinding cobble stone streets are packed tight with beautifully ornate Baroque, Romanesque and Gothic buildings. It's an architectural wonderland, and I had a fabulous time wandering around with Olivia, getting lost and exploring a city that has seen hundreds of years of kings, the dark years of Communist rule and is now a modernized member of globalized Europe.
We didn't have as much trouble as we thought we would with the language. Both Olivia and I printed out little pocket guides to Czech. I can now say about 4 words (please, yes, no, beer, wine... that's about it) in Czech. Most everyone spoke English, so it wasn't a big deal.
It was great seeing my dad and staying in the hotel with him. We stayed at the InterContinental. It's a 5 star hotel and the room came complete with a hot tub, a sauna, tons of bath products which we pilfered, a queen size bed, slippers and a rubber duck. Yes, that's right. A rubber duck. He disappeared after the first night - not because we took him, we don't know where he went. We used the hot tub a few nights because it was so terribly cold outside. But despite the frigid temperatures, we had an amazing time.
The only bummer came when we tried to come back to London. Our flight was delayed about 6 hours. We were supposed to leave Prague at 8:50 pm. We didn't end up leaving until 4:15 am. That put us into London around 5:30 am. We got to our beds at 7:45. It was miserable. I was so tired yesterday, and I'm a little sick, so that didn't help the situation. Unfortunately, because we flew easyJet, it doesn't look like we're going to see any sort of compensation for our time or trouble. It's really too bad, because I would feel a whole lot better about their airline if they actually cared that I was a zombie all day yesterday. Oh well. We made it, and we made some good friends at the airport while we waited. We ended up talking to these two girls from Bristol and playing card games with them for the majority of the time. It passed quickly enough, so it wasn't so horrible, and if anything, it's a good story, right?
But now, the fun is over and it's back to real life. I started my internship back up today and class starts again tomorrow.
More soon.
B
Monday, March 12, 2007
a little kindness in the daffodils
They say that cities are cold. Not temperature cold, but emotionally distant and uncaring. For the most part in London I've found that that is true as with DC or New York or any other major metropolitan area. You don't say 'Bless you' when the man next to you sneezes. You don't pick up the lady's paper when she drops it. And under no circumstances should you look at people as you walk past them on the street.
Today was a warm day. In a city usually populated by black trench coats, black umbrellas and black clicky heels, there were sunny colorful skirts, ties and coatless backs. And with the rising outdoor temperature today came a warm spell of friendliness.
Today, sitting in the sun in Trafalgar Square at lunch time, I was taken aback by how many people were sitting on the low walls eating lunch with friends, chatting, talking about the school children who walked by and the lady in red who sings opera to a boom box. I was astonished when, as I was getting off the tube at Warwick Avenue, my home, a lady walked past me, head up, listening to her iPod smiling. She looked me right in the eye and grinned. I, slightly stunned, tilted my head and smiled back, meeting her gaze and sharing a moment with a complete stranger.
Spring brings a sense of life to this city that I have not yet experienced. The appreciation for the world that the woman and I shared today on Clifton Garden Road is something that I had not yet noticed could happen in a place where 7 million people run around each day with their own agenda.
It seems to me that with daffodils subtle kindness is not far behind.
Today was a warm day. In a city usually populated by black trench coats, black umbrellas and black clicky heels, there were sunny colorful skirts, ties and coatless backs. And with the rising outdoor temperature today came a warm spell of friendliness.
Today, sitting in the sun in Trafalgar Square at lunch time, I was taken aback by how many people were sitting on the low walls eating lunch with friends, chatting, talking about the school children who walked by and the lady in red who sings opera to a boom box. I was astonished when, as I was getting off the tube at Warwick Avenue, my home, a lady walked past me, head up, listening to her iPod smiling. She looked me right in the eye and grinned. I, slightly stunned, tilted my head and smiled back, meeting her gaze and sharing a moment with a complete stranger.
Spring brings a sense of life to this city that I have not yet experienced. The appreciation for the world that the woman and I shared today on Clifton Garden Road is something that I had not yet noticed could happen in a place where 7 million people run around each day with their own agenda.
It seems to me that with daffodils subtle kindness is not far behind.
Friday, March 9, 2007
crunch
It's been a crazy time since I've posted last. I know I've said so many times that I've been busy, but it's reached a new level. Before, it was a touristy busy, filled with running around from place to place to see the sites. Now, the real world has caught up with me, and work and school have taken over my life.
I have two papers due this coming week, before spring break starts on Friday. I've almost finished one, but haven't even finished the book that I need to review for the second one. Today, my day off, I'm going to spend typing and reading. Not really how I want to spend my free day during the week, but I've been putting it off and putting it off to have fun and see people, and it's time to actually do work.
This has been the week of visitors. Alex, Mandy and Olivia's friend from home, has been here all week and leaves Sunday. My friend John from home was here earlier in the week before heading to Paris on Wednesday. And now Olivia's boyfriend Sam is here for the next week until the 18th. It's been so good to have familiar faces. I've been a little homesick recently, so being able to have people from home come to me really helped.
We spent the morning in Greenwich yesterday for class. We didn't get to stay long, but it was so beautiful, I really have to go back. The Maritime Museum was really interesting, they have so much stuff. We hiked up the biggest hill ever to get to the Royal Observatory and took our campy pictures on the Prime Meridian. It was fun to be goofy and touristy - I stood in two hemispheres at once. It was pretty cool.
Earlier this week I had my first big even at my internship. I recently found out that my official position at the ENO is 'PR intern' which explains why I'm hardly interested in what I've been working on and why I don't really get to work with the press department. But I just keep plugging along, doing my best and keeping my eye out for a project that I might be able to assign myself. But on Monday we had the event for La boheme. I really got to take charge of it. I had to put together tickets and drink vouchers and then got to personally hand the packets to all the invited guests. That was neat, because I got to meet a bunch of MPs (Members of Parliament) and a few Lords and even a Baroness. I stayed for the show when my friend Canden and her friend Jonathan from home came and watched it with me. It was a long day, I didn't leave the block for like 13 hours, but I actually ended up having a lot of fun. I think I just need more days like that.
Tomorrow we're taking a big class trip to Bristol, Bath and Stonehenge. It's going to be a long day, starting at like 7.30 am, but it should be super fun. I'll be sure to post on that with lots of photos!
more soon, cheers,
b
I have two papers due this coming week, before spring break starts on Friday. I've almost finished one, but haven't even finished the book that I need to review for the second one. Today, my day off, I'm going to spend typing and reading. Not really how I want to spend my free day during the week, but I've been putting it off and putting it off to have fun and see people, and it's time to actually do work.
This has been the week of visitors. Alex, Mandy and Olivia's friend from home, has been here all week and leaves Sunday. My friend John from home was here earlier in the week before heading to Paris on Wednesday. And now Olivia's boyfriend Sam is here for the next week until the 18th. It's been so good to have familiar faces. I've been a little homesick recently, so being able to have people from home come to me really helped.
We spent the morning in Greenwich yesterday for class. We didn't get to stay long, but it was so beautiful, I really have to go back. The Maritime Museum was really interesting, they have so much stuff. We hiked up the biggest hill ever to get to the Royal Observatory and took our campy pictures on the Prime Meridian. It was fun to be goofy and touristy - I stood in two hemispheres at once. It was pretty cool.
Earlier this week I had my first big even at my internship. I recently found out that my official position at the ENO is 'PR intern' which explains why I'm hardly interested in what I've been working on and why I don't really get to work with the press department. But I just keep plugging along, doing my best and keeping my eye out for a project that I might be able to assign myself. But on Monday we had the event for La boheme. I really got to take charge of it. I had to put together tickets and drink vouchers and then got to personally hand the packets to all the invited guests. That was neat, because I got to meet a bunch of MPs (Members of Parliament) and a few Lords and even a Baroness. I stayed for the show when my friend Canden and her friend Jonathan from home came and watched it with me. It was a long day, I didn't leave the block for like 13 hours, but I actually ended up having a lot of fun. I think I just need more days like that.
Tomorrow we're taking a big class trip to Bristol, Bath and Stonehenge. It's going to be a long day, starting at like 7.30 am, but it should be super fun. I'll be sure to post on that with lots of photos!
more soon, cheers,
b
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
“It’s that you each, to shorten the long journey shall tell two tales on the way to Canterbury..." -- Chaucer
Last Saturday was spent in Canterbury and Dover with Canden. I decided that since Mandy and a few of the other girls would be in Scotland, and Olivia had to work, I should take a little day trip somewhere. Canden, always up for an adventure, agreed to come with me. She'd befriended this guy who went to the University of Kent, which is in Canterbury, and he agreed to take us around the town and then drive us to Dover so we could see the white cliffs.
It turned out to be an awesome day. I got up early and met Canden at Charing Cross station for a 10:00 train to Canterbury. We made there at 11:30 and met Adam on the other side. After the slightly awkward introductions - he and Canden had never really met officially - we walked down into town for fish and chips and then a jaunt through a cute, be it, campy, wax museum that told Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. After that, we ventured into the cathedral. Adam had graduated from university in the cathedral and hadn't been in it since then. It was really neat walking around with him, remembering his graduation day. It was so interesting to finally really hang out with an Englishman. He had so many questions about our culture "Do you guys really love peanut butter as much as I've heard...? What is it about sororities...?" And it was so nice to finally have a guide who could answer our burning questions "...What are those white jaggedy lines on the road...? What's up with those guys who wear track suits and Burberry hats...?" It was a great cross-cultural experience, and plus he was just a really neat guy.
After the cathedral, we got in his little green Peugot and drove 20 minutes to the cliffs of Dover. It was incredible. They really are white. The chalk in the stone is all over the bottoms of my shoes and stained the knees of my pants after I kneeled down. It was very windy and cold. But then, we were walking around on the side of a big cliff. It was too hazy to see France on the horizon, but Adam claims that on a clear night, you can see the lights of Calais and Bologne. I've posted some pictures below.
This is the inside of the cathedral, in the nave. It was so incredible. I always hear about how the gothic style is so verticle, how it has so much light and draws your eye straight up. It's no lie. I could not stop looking at the cieling.
The image below is of one of the stained glass windows. The whole place was full of them, but this one was especially beautiful, the colors were so incredible. I loved the crimson reds and the ultramarine blues. Absolutely amazing, but yet again, my meager attempts at capturing them on film does not even begin to do them justice:
Then here are the cliffs!
On our walk on the ledge that runs along the rim of the cliffs, we came to a nice resting spot... don't worry there's another ledge about 5 feet below me!
The rest of the weekend was fairly uneventful. I spent Sunday night out with Canden and Olivia at a Hurricane Katrina fund-raising night at this bar/restaurant called the Big Chill House. Olivia and Canden met doing relief work there last spring break, so it seemed fitting that we should partake in their event.
This week's been pretty hum-drum. It's hard to believe I've been here for a month already. My internship really improved yesterday. I got to work with about 4 new people (as opposed to my usual group of 3) and I think I've finally really made some friends. I love the three I work with on a regular basis, but they're a lot older and not really interested in socializing with me. I think I may have finally broken into the main office area crowd. Sitting in the corner has really been hard. I haven't been able to meet people because the only time they see me is when I walk into the kitchenette to get more tea. I've started spear-heading some projects as well. Mags, my boss, has put me in charge of organizing an event in April with the new musical director. It's my responsibility to set up the whole event. Not too journalistic, but I get to write the invitations, so at least I get to use my skills there. I would really like to work more closely with the press team. I want to talk to my boss about maybe letting me work under them for a day or two, so I can see how it works to send out press releases and answer inquiries, etc. I'm still working up the courage, but I figure I should just ask, where's the harm? This trip is all about experiencing new things, doing things I've never done before or dreamed of doing. It's about branching out.
Anyway, this has gotten quite long. Promise to post more soon!
b
It turned out to be an awesome day. I got up early and met Canden at Charing Cross station for a 10:00 train to Canterbury. We made there at 11:30 and met Adam on the other side. After the slightly awkward introductions - he and Canden had never really met officially - we walked down into town for fish and chips and then a jaunt through a cute, be it, campy, wax museum that told Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. After that, we ventured into the cathedral. Adam had graduated from university in the cathedral and hadn't been in it since then. It was really neat walking around with him, remembering his graduation day. It was so interesting to finally really hang out with an Englishman. He had so many questions about our culture "Do you guys really love peanut butter as much as I've heard...? What is it about sororities...?" And it was so nice to finally have a guide who could answer our burning questions "...What are those white jaggedy lines on the road...? What's up with those guys who wear track suits and Burberry hats...?" It was a great cross-cultural experience, and plus he was just a really neat guy.
After the cathedral, we got in his little green Peugot and drove 20 minutes to the cliffs of Dover. It was incredible. They really are white. The chalk in the stone is all over the bottoms of my shoes and stained the knees of my pants after I kneeled down. It was very windy and cold. But then, we were walking around on the side of a big cliff. It was too hazy to see France on the horizon, but Adam claims that on a clear night, you can see the lights of Calais and Bologne. I've posted some pictures below.
This is the inside of the cathedral, in the nave. It was so incredible. I always hear about how the gothic style is so verticle, how it has so much light and draws your eye straight up. It's no lie. I could not stop looking at the cieling.The image below is of one of the stained glass windows. The whole place was full of them, but this one was especially beautiful, the colors were so incredible. I loved the crimson reds and the ultramarine blues. Absolutely amazing, but yet again, my meager attempts at capturing them on film does not even begin to do them justice:
Then here are the cliffs!
On our walk on the ledge that runs along the rim of the cliffs, we came to a nice resting spot... don't worry there's another ledge about 5 feet below me!
The rest of the weekend was fairly uneventful. I spent Sunday night out with Canden and Olivia at a Hurricane Katrina fund-raising night at this bar/restaurant called the Big Chill House. Olivia and Canden met doing relief work there last spring break, so it seemed fitting that we should partake in their event.
This week's been pretty hum-drum. It's hard to believe I've been here for a month already. My internship really improved yesterday. I got to work with about 4 new people (as opposed to my usual group of 3) and I think I've finally really made some friends. I love the three I work with on a regular basis, but they're a lot older and not really interested in socializing with me. I think I may have finally broken into the main office area crowd. Sitting in the corner has really been hard. I haven't been able to meet people because the only time they see me is when I walk into the kitchenette to get more tea. I've started spear-heading some projects as well. Mags, my boss, has put me in charge of organizing an event in April with the new musical director. It's my responsibility to set up the whole event. Not too journalistic, but I get to write the invitations, so at least I get to use my skills there. I would really like to work more closely with the press team. I want to talk to my boss about maybe letting me work under them for a day or two, so I can see how it works to send out press releases and answer inquiries, etc. I'm still working up the courage, but I figure I should just ask, where's the harm? This trip is all about experiencing new things, doing things I've never done before or dreamed of doing. It's about branching out.
Anyway, this has gotten quite long. Promise to post more soon!
b
Thursday, February 22, 2007
moving right along
It's so easy to get caught up in this city. The days fly by, and pretty soon the week is over. I've taken up a nice routine: Work all day Monday, class and work on Tuesday, class on Wednesday, class and work on Thursday, exploring on Friday.
I'm really impressed how in the chaos of life, you naturally fall into a sort of rhythm. I've been here for about 4 weeks now, and it's beginning to feel like I've been here all along. At my internship I finally found my niche - my supervisor seems to know that I can actually do things other than data entry. And at school we're finally sort of doing work. It's hard to go to school here. We're only in class for a total of about 4 hours a week. I find it hard to concentrate on getting reading done and writing papers. But so far so good.
I love my Art and Architecture class. My professor is crazy - well, maybe crazy is the wrong word. She's eccentric. She seems to know absolutely everything about every painting, altar piece and sculpture we've seen in the National Gallery - where I could literally spend hours if my feet would hold out. After our gallery visit yesterday she took me and a few girls down the block to an art supply store where we spent 45 minutes looking at paint sets, paper, inks and brushes. It sounds totally boring, but if you're an art nerd like me, it was super fun.
We've been filling our time really well here. Like home, there is always something going on. Some sort of festival or new art gallery exhibition to go see. I love the movement of the city. I love the speed and the sudden stops. Olivia talked in her blog about how the city's movement is full of rushing speed and then lulls of silence and calm. I take solace in the 20 minutes of solitude when I ride the Tube to work and school. There's something very meditative about sitting in forced silence in a crowd of people.
I'm taking a day trip to Canterbury with my friend Canden. I haven't been out of the city since we got here. I'm curious as to what the rest of this country looks like.
more soon
b
I'm really impressed how in the chaos of life, you naturally fall into a sort of rhythm. I've been here for about 4 weeks now, and it's beginning to feel like I've been here all along. At my internship I finally found my niche - my supervisor seems to know that I can actually do things other than data entry. And at school we're finally sort of doing work. It's hard to go to school here. We're only in class for a total of about 4 hours a week. I find it hard to concentrate on getting reading done and writing papers. But so far so good.
I love my Art and Architecture class. My professor is crazy - well, maybe crazy is the wrong word. She's eccentric. She seems to know absolutely everything about every painting, altar piece and sculpture we've seen in the National Gallery - where I could literally spend hours if my feet would hold out. After our gallery visit yesterday she took me and a few girls down the block to an art supply store where we spent 45 minutes looking at paint sets, paper, inks and brushes. It sounds totally boring, but if you're an art nerd like me, it was super fun.
We've been filling our time really well here. Like home, there is always something going on. Some sort of festival or new art gallery exhibition to go see. I love the movement of the city. I love the speed and the sudden stops. Olivia talked in her blog about how the city's movement is full of rushing speed and then lulls of silence and calm. I take solace in the 20 minutes of solitude when I ride the Tube to work and school. There's something very meditative about sitting in forced silence in a crowd of people.
I'm taking a day trip to Canterbury with my friend Canden. I haven't been out of the city since we got here. I'm curious as to what the rest of this country looks like.
more soon
b
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
you can't stop me now
I feel like I haven't stopped moving since I got here; and today, it finally caught up with me. I haven't felt fully awake all day. I think it's going to be early to bed tonight.
We had another busy weekend. Our friend Ryan came into town. He's studying in Dublin and caught a flight over for the weekend. It was so good to see him again, and it gave us an excuse to go and do more touristy things we'd been wanting to do... not that we really needed an excuse... We went to Harrod's, Hamley's toy store, Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, back to Burough Market... I can't even remember the rest. No wonder I'm exhausted.
This week's been nice so far, just as busy. Our student Oyster cards have finally come - which means that I get a discount on tube passes, which will save me a lot of money. I've spent so much already. It's just a very expensive city to live in. But it's nice to know that the money isn't going to be flying out of my wallet as quickly. Our mission recently has been to do anything and everything that's free. Olivia and I scored free tickets to "Love Song" last night with the theater class. We're not in it, but they had extra tickets, so we went along. It is an amazing show with an all star cast (Cillian Murphy, Kristen Johnson, Michael McKean and Neve Campbell) that left me so thoughtful and really inspired.
We officially passed the "vacation" mark. It's been almost two weeks now that we've been here - it's starting to feel less and less like a holiday and more and more like I am here for the long haul. I'm beginning to feel like one of the crowd in the Tube and on the streets. I still feel like I stick out a little, but it's becoming less and less the longer I'm here.
I haven't had time to load my pictures onto my computer recently, but when I do, I'll be sure to add photos to some of my posts.
more soon,
b
We had another busy weekend. Our friend Ryan came into town. He's studying in Dublin and caught a flight over for the weekend. It was so good to see him again, and it gave us an excuse to go and do more touristy things we'd been wanting to do... not that we really needed an excuse... We went to Harrod's, Hamley's toy store, Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, back to Burough Market... I can't even remember the rest. No wonder I'm exhausted.
This week's been nice so far, just as busy. Our student Oyster cards have finally come - which means that I get a discount on tube passes, which will save me a lot of money. I've spent so much already. It's just a very expensive city to live in. But it's nice to know that the money isn't going to be flying out of my wallet as quickly. Our mission recently has been to do anything and everything that's free. Olivia and I scored free tickets to "Love Song" last night with the theater class. We're not in it, but they had extra tickets, so we went along. It is an amazing show with an all star cast (Cillian Murphy, Kristen Johnson, Michael McKean and Neve Campbell) that left me so thoughtful and really inspired.
We officially passed the "vacation" mark. It's been almost two weeks now that we've been here - it's starting to feel less and less like a holiday and more and more like I am here for the long haul. I'm beginning to feel like one of the crowd in the Tube and on the streets. I still feel like I stick out a little, but it's becoming less and less the longer I'm here.
I haven't had time to load my pictures onto my computer recently, but when I do, I'll be sure to add photos to some of my posts.
more soon,
b
Thursday, February 8, 2007
who said drama is always a bad thing?
I think it is officially alright to say that this has been a week of drama. But not the bad - I hate my roommates, my boyfriend cheated on me, my parents are suspending my car priviledges and I'm failing chemistry - type drama. But the drama of theaters, actors and stages. Lights, music, props, sets and applause. It's been a week of culture and theater-going.
The last post I made, I said that we were going to try to see Wicked. Well, I realized later that day that Wicked wasn't running that night. So we stayed in instead, and yesterday night we went as a flat to see the show, We Will Rock You. It couldn't be more aptly titled. In short, it rocked. The show is based on the music by Queen, and actually one of the original Queen members appeared at the end of the show to play (we think) during Bohemian Rhapsody. We were all standing, dancing and singing - not just our group - the entire theater. The energy was incredible, the music, fantastically loud and easy to sing along with and the show, a little campy and cheesey, but still marvelously fun all around. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to have a good time seeing a show. The best part of it all was that because we went last minute, we got our tickets for about a 1/3 of the price - we paid 20 pounds for a show where the baseline ticket price is about 30. Not bad. Though, I have to admit, I would probably pay 30 pounds for it.
This morning, it snowed. I would say it was beautiful, but it caused more problems than it's elegance is worth. And I thought DC didn't know how to handle snow - London is rediculous. We were scheduled to visit Greenwich with our class this morning. That was cancelled because the tube was barely running. I emailed my internship asking if I should bother coming in at 1 pm... of course they said everyone was making it in. So I had to trudge my way through the snow a block to the station, then brave the "Severe Delays" on the Bakerloo line. I ended up making it to work in less time than it normally takes me... seriously people.
Tonight was my first operatic experience. Olivia met me at work at 6 and we headed into the London Coliseum for Agrippina. I have to say - very very impressed. I think this was a good first course to the opera feast I'm going to be experiencing over the next few months. It's what is called an 'opera buffa,' basically, it's a comedy. It was actually very funny and witty, we laughed through the whole 4 hours. What I can't figure out is how the singers remember all their lines. Even though the show is in English, it is still surtitled - so they have to get every single line right. And they did. It was amazing. The set was fantastic, the orchestra was really great too. I'm proud to work there.
Anyway, tomorrow starts the weekend. Our friend Ryan is visiting from Dublin where he's doing his semester abroad. So we'll probably take him around during the day and maybe have some fun later tomorrow night.
More soon,
b
The last post I made, I said that we were going to try to see Wicked. Well, I realized later that day that Wicked wasn't running that night. So we stayed in instead, and yesterday night we went as a flat to see the show, We Will Rock You. It couldn't be more aptly titled. In short, it rocked. The show is based on the music by Queen, and actually one of the original Queen members appeared at the end of the show to play (we think) during Bohemian Rhapsody. We were all standing, dancing and singing - not just our group - the entire theater. The energy was incredible, the music, fantastically loud and easy to sing along with and the show, a little campy and cheesey, but still marvelously fun all around. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to have a good time seeing a show. The best part of it all was that because we went last minute, we got our tickets for about a 1/3 of the price - we paid 20 pounds for a show where the baseline ticket price is about 30. Not bad. Though, I have to admit, I would probably pay 30 pounds for it.
This morning, it snowed. I would say it was beautiful, but it caused more problems than it's elegance is worth. And I thought DC didn't know how to handle snow - London is rediculous. We were scheduled to visit Greenwich with our class this morning. That was cancelled because the tube was barely running. I emailed my internship asking if I should bother coming in at 1 pm... of course they said everyone was making it in. So I had to trudge my way through the snow a block to the station, then brave the "Severe Delays" on the Bakerloo line. I ended up making it to work in less time than it normally takes me... seriously people.
Tonight was my first operatic experience. Olivia met me at work at 6 and we headed into the London Coliseum for Agrippina. I have to say - very very impressed. I think this was a good first course to the opera feast I'm going to be experiencing over the next few months. It's what is called an 'opera buffa,' basically, it's a comedy. It was actually very funny and witty, we laughed through the whole 4 hours. What I can't figure out is how the singers remember all their lines. Even though the show is in English, it is still surtitled - so they have to get every single line right. And they did. It was amazing. The set was fantastic, the orchestra was really great too. I'm proud to work there.
Anyway, tomorrow starts the weekend. Our friend Ryan is visiting from Dublin where he's doing his semester abroad. So we'll probably take him around during the day and maybe have some fun later tomorrow night.
More soon,
b
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
so it begins
Now that orientation is over, the real work has begun. Class started today and my internship did yesterday, but suppose I should talk about this past weekend a little before anything about my internship and class.
We spent this past weekend at markets. First, on Saturday morning at Burough Market. More fresh fruit, veggies, cheeses and meats than you could ever imagine. It truly fulfills the definition of cornacopia. In addition to inexpensive, good-looking produce, there was also a lot of hot food you could buy and eat. I had this sausage roll thing (basically sweet sausage in a puff pastery), some cider and a piece of baklava... all fresh and all delicious. It was so fun, we've decided that it is going to become a weekly tradition. Sunday was spent at Camden Market. Holy cow. Tons and tons of clothing stalls. We were there for about 3 1/2 hours and probably didn't see half of it. It was amazing. Serious barrage on the senses.
Photos:
Yesterday was the first day of my internship at the English National Opera. I have a really good feeling about it. The theater is beautiful. It's so ornate, lots of rich blood red velvet and gold with plaster goddess heads on the walls and filagre. It's incredible. I got to take a little tour around the theater and the winding back hallways and got to stand in the orchestra pit and look up. It's going to be really cool. I really love my boss, she's very laid back and I think she's going to make a real effort to give me the best experience I can have. I think I'm going to be doing a bunch of little odd jobs. But yesterday she let me write the text for an invitation to an opera called Satyagraha. It's a Philip Glass opera commemorating his 70th birthdayabout Ghandi. She also had me start working on the invited guest list for the premiere... talk about serious star power. Richerd Gere, Madonna, Paul and Stella McCartney, Ravi Shankar. You name them, they're on the list, guarentee... they probably won't all come, but maybe some will!? And guess who'll be at the premiere too!! ME!
Speaking of famous people: After work I met Olivia and Mandy and our friend Canden who lives in London at the premiere of the new Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore movie, Music and Lyrics. We ended up getting a really good spot and were probably about 50 feet from them. Canden got up front and actually held Hugh Grant's hand. Swoon. It was freezing cold outside, but totally worth the cold and aching feet.
Today was the first day of class, it was only an hour - not worth the commute. I'm taking a class about British imperialism. It should be interesting. The class meets twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays we meet for an hour for lecture, then Thursdays are all going to be field trips. We're going to Greenwich this Thursday to the National Meritime Musuem... sounds good!
We're just waiting on lunch to cook now, then I'm off to work again and then hopefully we'll be going to see Wicked! tonight. We're going to the theater to see if we can get half-priced student tickets for the show tonight! Cross your fingers!
More soon,
b
We spent this past weekend at markets. First, on Saturday morning at Burough Market. More fresh fruit, veggies, cheeses and meats than you could ever imagine. It truly fulfills the definition of cornacopia. In addition to inexpensive, good-looking produce, there was also a lot of hot food you could buy and eat. I had this sausage roll thing (basically sweet sausage in a puff pastery), some cider and a piece of baklava... all fresh and all delicious. It was so fun, we've decided that it is going to become a weekly tradition. Sunday was spent at Camden Market. Holy cow. Tons and tons of clothing stalls. We were there for about 3 1/2 hours and probably didn't see half of it. It was amazing. Serious barrage on the senses.
Photos:
Yesterday was the first day of my internship at the English National Opera. I have a really good feeling about it. The theater is beautiful. It's so ornate, lots of rich blood red velvet and gold with plaster goddess heads on the walls and filagre. It's incredible. I got to take a little tour around the theater and the winding back hallways and got to stand in the orchestra pit and look up. It's going to be really cool. I really love my boss, she's very laid back and I think she's going to make a real effort to give me the best experience I can have. I think I'm going to be doing a bunch of little odd jobs. But yesterday she let me write the text for an invitation to an opera called Satyagraha. It's a Philip Glass opera commemorating his 70th birthdayabout Ghandi. She also had me start working on the invited guest list for the premiere... talk about serious star power. Richerd Gere, Madonna, Paul and Stella McCartney, Ravi Shankar. You name them, they're on the list, guarentee... they probably won't all come, but maybe some will!? And guess who'll be at the premiere too!! ME!
Speaking of famous people: After work I met Olivia and Mandy and our friend Canden who lives in London at the premiere of the new Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore movie, Music and Lyrics. We ended up getting a really good spot and were probably about 50 feet from them. Canden got up front and actually held Hugh Grant's hand. Swoon. It was freezing cold outside, but totally worth the cold and aching feet.
Today was the first day of class, it was only an hour - not worth the commute. I'm taking a class about British imperialism. It should be interesting. The class meets twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays we meet for an hour for lecture, then Thursdays are all going to be field trips. We're going to Greenwich this Thursday to the National Meritime Musuem... sounds good!
We're just waiting on lunch to cook now, then I'm off to work again and then hopefully we'll be going to see Wicked! tonight. We're going to the theater to see if we can get half-priced student tickets for the show tonight! Cross your fingers!
More soon,
b
Friday, February 2, 2007
and there it was
Yesterday was pretty incredible. We started out the day going to where we're going to be having classes. It's in an area called Bloomsbury, which is very old, and very nice. Our school building is an old converted house dating back to the 1700s. It sits on Great Russel Street facing Bloomsbury Square. It has a bright blue door with the nob in the center.
It's quant and feels very English with its winding staircase and a garden square just across the street. There's a cute walk-through market area where we had lunch - I had an incredible kafta lamb pita sandwich. It was mind-blowingly tastey - anyone who visits will be taken there. The end.
I'm starting to get a hold on working my way around the city. I feel pretty comfortable on the Tube now, and am the proud owner of a pocket "A to Z" (pronounced "zed") atlas that has come in so handy I've started referring to it as the bible. I actually let a lady use it today, she stopped me and asked me if I knew where something was - I of course, didn't, and instead offered her my A to Z. She was so excited and actually was able to figure out where she needed to go.
But anyway, we ended up making dinner as a flat last night. One of the girls in my flat's boyfriend is also on the trip. He made chicken parmesan. I made the salad and bought the wine, and we had garlic bread to go with it. It was so fun to have everyone pitch in, and the food was awesome. We were all so hungry after such a long day of running around the city, going grocery shopping, getting a new phone for Olivia, etc. It was just what we all needed - a good family dinner.
After dinner we decided spontaneously to hop the tube down to the Westminster stop to see Parliament and Big Ben, the Millenium bridge, the Eye and St. Paul's all lit up at night. It was the best decision we could have made.
We got off at the Westminster stop and walked out of the station, and literally, BAM there was Big Ben. Right in front of us. Words cannot really explain how breathtaking it was. I felt so dwarfed by its magnitude. The tower was so much bigger than I could have ever imagined. Here's a picture that I took:
We walked around a little bit for photo-ops in front of the London Eye, which is currently sporting red lights for the Comic Relief festival. Here's the girls from the flat, sans Susan
(L to R: Amy, Pam, Lily, Keiko, Mandy and Olivia)
We then crossed the bridge to take more pictures of Parliament:
And then hopped the tube down to St. Paul's and the Millenium Bridge. We crossed the bridge half-way. From there you could see the entire city. It was so peaceful, so quiet. We blew kisses at the Thames and threw our pennies in with our wishes. We then got really cold and decided to come home.
I keep finding it difficult to believe that I'm going to be living in such an interesting, beautiful and seemingly magically different place for the next 3 months. I feel like a visitor, a vacationer who after a week will pack my bags and go back to my own city. It seems so unreal that I will be staying past that week for 14 more and will be able to go back to this bridge as many times as I see fit.
Today so far has been consumed with an internship orientation at school (boring...) and then a trip to Chinatown so Keiko, who is Japanese, could get some necessities (rice, miso... hopefully she'll cook for us!?). The rest of the day will be devoted to catching up with people, perhaps dinner out and then, who knows!
more soon,
b
It's quant and feels very English with its winding staircase and a garden square just across the street. There's a cute walk-through market area where we had lunch - I had an incredible kafta lamb pita sandwich. It was mind-blowingly tastey - anyone who visits will be taken there. The end.
I'm starting to get a hold on working my way around the city. I feel pretty comfortable on the Tube now, and am the proud owner of a pocket "A to Z" (pronounced "zed") atlas that has come in so handy I've started referring to it as the bible. I actually let a lady use it today, she stopped me and asked me if I knew where something was - I of course, didn't, and instead offered her my A to Z. She was so excited and actually was able to figure out where she needed to go.
But anyway, we ended up making dinner as a flat last night. One of the girls in my flat's boyfriend is also on the trip. He made chicken parmesan. I made the salad and bought the wine, and we had garlic bread to go with it. It was so fun to have everyone pitch in, and the food was awesome. We were all so hungry after such a long day of running around the city, going grocery shopping, getting a new phone for Olivia, etc. It was just what we all needed - a good family dinner.
After dinner we decided spontaneously to hop the tube down to the Westminster stop to see Parliament and Big Ben, the Millenium bridge, the Eye and St. Paul's all lit up at night. It was the best decision we could have made.
We got off at the Westminster stop and walked out of the station, and literally, BAM there was Big Ben. Right in front of us. Words cannot really explain how breathtaking it was. I felt so dwarfed by its magnitude. The tower was so much bigger than I could have ever imagined. Here's a picture that I took:
We walked around a little bit for photo-ops in front of the London Eye, which is currently sporting red lights for the Comic Relief festival. Here's the girls from the flat, sans Susan
(L to R: Amy, Pam, Lily, Keiko, Mandy and Olivia)
We then crossed the bridge to take more pictures of Parliament:
And then hopped the tube down to St. Paul's and the Millenium Bridge. We crossed the bridge half-way. From there you could see the entire city. It was so peaceful, so quiet. We blew kisses at the Thames and threw our pennies in with our wishes. We then got really cold and decided to come home.
I keep finding it difficult to believe that I'm going to be living in such an interesting, beautiful and seemingly magically different place for the next 3 months. I feel like a visitor, a vacationer who after a week will pack my bags and go back to my own city. It seems so unreal that I will be staying past that week for 14 more and will be able to go back to this bridge as many times as I see fit.Today so far has been consumed with an internship orientation at school (boring...) and then a trip to Chinatown so Keiko, who is Japanese, could get some necessities (rice, miso... hopefully she'll cook for us!?). The rest of the day will be devoted to catching up with people, perhaps dinner out and then, who knows!
more soon,
b
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
walk this way
Today has proved very exciting. We started out with an adventure trying to find the Carphone Warehouse in Bayswater. We would have been okay, but we ended up transferring to the wrong train at Paddington station. The station was beautiful. I loved that it was outside. It looked so well well-worn. The light posts and the bridge walk-ways above the tracks were rusted and the paint was chipping. I can't stop thinking about the millions of people, famous and otherwise who've ridden the same trains and walked the streets and the platforms of the stations before I got there. There is so much history here, it's a little overwhelming.
So we got off at Paddington station, and ended up going the opposite direction. We got to Edgeware Road, but then the trains stopped running. There was something wrong with the signals and it was delaying the trains. So we decided to walk. We ended up walking the wrong direction and ended up back at Paddingtion. We went the right way then, and got to where we wanted to go.
After our little adventure, we took a walking tour of Maida Vale and Little Venice - the area where we are living. It's so quant and beautiful. We walked down to the canals and ended in Regent Park. Here are some of the pictures from our day's journey...
This image is of the actual Little Venice. There are two canals that join here, one goes toward Camden and the Zoo, the other goes... actually I don't remember. But it was really pretty, and we decided that when it gets warmer we're going to go back and picnic on the banks.
This is a photo of the canals near the Maida Tunnel. The guide said that people lived on the canal boats. The Tunnel was cool, HUGE, in the old days when canal boats were pulled by horses, they used to have to unhook the horses because the Tunnel runs straight into a hill. The bargees (people who run the barges) would then lie down on their backs on top of the barge and use their feet and hands to push the boat through.
We ended up seeing Paul McCartney's old house too... that was pretty neat, but the picture is a a little blurry, so I won't post it. But it was cool - it was right across the street from one of Madonna's old homes... I thought it was interesting - our guide seemed to know everything about, well everything.
Tomorrow we're going to visit our school building...
More soon,
b
So we got off at Paddington station, and ended up going the opposite direction. We got to Edgeware Road, but then the trains stopped running. There was something wrong with the signals and it was delaying the trains. So we decided to walk. We ended up walking the wrong direction and ended up back at Paddingtion. We went the right way then, and got to where we wanted to go.
After our little adventure, we took a walking tour of Maida Vale and Little Venice - the area where we are living. It's so quant and beautiful. We walked down to the canals and ended in Regent Park. Here are some of the pictures from our day's journey...
This image is of the actual Little Venice. There are two canals that join here, one goes toward Camden and the Zoo, the other goes... actually I don't remember. But it was really pretty, and we decided that when it gets warmer we're going to go back and picnic on the banks.
This is a photo of the canals near the Maida Tunnel. The guide said that people lived on the canal boats. The Tunnel was cool, HUGE, in the old days when canal boats were pulled by horses, they used to have to unhook the horses because the Tunnel runs straight into a hill. The bargees (people who run the barges) would then lie down on their backs on top of the barge and use their feet and hands to push the boat through.We ended up seeing Paul McCartney's old house too... that was pretty neat, but the picture is a a little blurry, so I won't post it. But it was cool - it was right across the street from one of Madonna's old homes... I thought it was interesting - our guide seemed to know everything about, well everything.
Tomorrow we're going to visit our school building...
More soon,
b
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
in London at last
I made it. It's hard to believe that I'm here and that I'm actually sitting in my flat right now. It took so much to get here.
I lost my passport for a brief moment Sunday night - it actually turned out to be still at my uncle's house. I was lucky. I thought I was going to die. There was intense hysteria and explosive crying, until I called Cliff and realized that I had not in fact lost it for good; it was actually just an hour drive away in Raleigh. It was enough to set me over the edge though, and proceeded to remain frantic and overwhelmed for the rest of the night. I was able to pick it up from them on our way to the airport... so it all turned out. It was a little bit too close of a call for my taste, however.
But I'm here! The flight was easy - it was so empty that we were all able to have a row of 5 seats to ourselves. I could stretch out and ended up getting about 3 hours of sleep. It's now about 7:45 pm in London, and I want to fall over sideways and never wake up. I'm so exhausted. But I've managed to stay awake, with only a brief nap on the 2 1/2 hour coach ride from Gatwick airport to our flats in Little Venice.
Our friend Canden took us around tonight. We went to our first pub, then decided to be touristy and had fish and chips for dinner. It was really yummy.
Tomorrow we're going grocery shopping and getting a new SIM card for my phone and then we're taking a walking tour of the area that we live in... should be fun!
more soon,
b
I lost my passport for a brief moment Sunday night - it actually turned out to be still at my uncle's house. I was lucky. I thought I was going to die. There was intense hysteria and explosive crying, until I called Cliff and realized that I had not in fact lost it for good; it was actually just an hour drive away in Raleigh. It was enough to set me over the edge though, and proceeded to remain frantic and overwhelmed for the rest of the night. I was able to pick it up from them on our way to the airport... so it all turned out. It was a little bit too close of a call for my taste, however.
But I'm here! The flight was easy - it was so empty that we were all able to have a row of 5 seats to ourselves. I could stretch out and ended up getting about 3 hours of sleep. It's now about 7:45 pm in London, and I want to fall over sideways and never wake up. I'm so exhausted. But I've managed to stay awake, with only a brief nap on the 2 1/2 hour coach ride from Gatwick airport to our flats in Little Venice.
Our friend Canden took us around tonight. We went to our first pub, then decided to be touristy and had fish and chips for dinner. It was really yummy.
Tomorrow we're going grocery shopping and getting a new SIM card for my phone and then we're taking a walking tour of the area that we live in... should be fun!
more soon,
b
Friday, January 26, 2007
"And we're off..."
"...Like a heard of turtles." For the most part, that's the way it's felt over the past week. It's strange how time seems to slow down right before something you've been looking forward to. I feel like I've been waiting forever for it to be time to leave, and now - it is finally here!
The itinerary stands as follows:
Today (Fri.) - pack. pack. pack. pack. pack. and pack some more...
Saturday - drive to Raleigh with Mom, Dad and Ryan to stay with my aunt and uncle before heading back to Elon.
Sunday - ELON! I'm staying with Mandy's family this night. Say good-bye to my family so they can drive back to DC.
Monday - visit school, a few friends and professors. Depart RDU at 6:45 pm.
Tuesday - 7:00 am, arrive Gatwick airport, England.
So once I arrive in London, we'll be escorted to our flats by the Elon professor who is going with us (Prof. Digre) and we'll get settled. Hopefully our internet will be up and running when we get there so I can make a quick post to let people know I arrived safely.
Time to pack!
I promise more soon...
b
The itinerary stands as follows:
Today (Fri.) - pack. pack. pack. pack. pack. and pack some more...
Saturday - drive to Raleigh with Mom, Dad and Ryan to stay with my aunt and uncle before heading back to Elon.
Sunday - ELON! I'm staying with Mandy's family this night. Say good-bye to my family so they can drive back to DC.
Monday - visit school, a few friends and professors. Depart RDU at 6:45 pm.
Tuesday - 7:00 am, arrive Gatwick airport, England.
So once I arrive in London, we'll be escorted to our flats by the Elon professor who is going with us (Prof. Digre) and we'll get settled. Hopefully our internet will be up and running when we get there so I can make a quick post to let people know I arrived safely.
Time to pack!
I promise more soon...
b
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
the first of many to come
I leave for London in a little less than two weeks (12 days, but who's counting...?). While there, I am going to try to keep up with this blog to avoid sending mass emails. Friends have done this, and I think it's a great way to keep in touch with people without overloading their in-boxes. Also, this allows you to follow me at your leisure.
I'm going to try to post pictures and anything that I can figure out how to do, to keep this interesting for anyone who wants to read this.
Look for more soon,
B
I'm going to try to post pictures and anything that I can figure out how to do, to keep this interesting for anyone who wants to read this.
Look for more soon,
B
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