Amminest

2008-09-08T07:21:00.003+01:00

I don't know if anyone still reads this anymore. I realize that I have indeed dropped off the face of the earth.

I am a very bad blogger. I was also incredibly busy this summer, with an internship at my public library.

And now I'm back at my college, for my senior year. It's only two weeks in and already I am swamped.

Posts in the future? Debatable.

2008-06-22T23:12:00.002+01:00

No, I have not fallen off the face of the Earth.

Yes, I AM back home. Have been since May 31st but there was a flooded basement (and hence, a flooded room that I normally-when-I'm-not-in-England live in) and there's an internship that I'm doing and another paper I have to write for the internship seminar/workshop/class/thingie that I have to take for my school to credit the internship (can't graduate from Alverno without an internship).

Yes I DID go to Ireland before coming home. Eventually I will link to pictures of Ireland, and of course, of my destroyed basement.

Various reasons and circumstances have made me unable to sleep in my actual bed (well, futon) yet. And it's been slightly over three weeks. Tonight will be the first night in six months and one week that I will be able to sleep in my futon (but not in my actual room because well ... my actual room has gone to my sister who moved back home, and I've taken over my younger brother's room and wow, it's complicated).

My bookshelves also broke, due to the flood and then the careless moving of the bookshelves by people who were not me. Eventually there will also be pictures of my MOUNTAIN (and also cliffs, sort of, next to said mountain) OF BOOKS. No, I don't want to get rid of them.

My birthday is coming up in a few weeks. What I really want is to finally feel like I am at home.

Leaving England was harder than I thought it would be. (My parents were also an hour late picking me up, but that's to be expected with them.)

Sometimes I wish I was still there/had never left.

2008-05-07T00:47:00.002+01:00

Pictures!!!

Stonehenge!
Stonehenge 2
London 1
London 2
London 3

The London albums also include pics from Salisbury and Oxford. I just couldn't be arsed enough to separate them.

2008-05-06T10:55:00.000+01:00

So I pretty much had the most AMAZING weekend ever. It started with a train to London on Thursday, staying at the Hilton, and going to the Skatalites concert. The girl that I went to London with, Cynthia, used to work for them so we had dinner with them, got into the concert for free, and then they signed a tshirt for me.

Then Friday morning, we woke up at 4:45 am because we were going to STONEHENGE. We paid for a special access tour where we could touch the stones. We arrived at Stonehenge around 8 am, had the tour and stayed inside the stones until 9 am. I stole some pebbles from the ground because I am a REBEL. We also went to Salisbury for a bit after an "English breakfast" and checked out the Cathedral. Very pretty. Then we had a tea with scones and clotted cream.

Friday night? STEVE CARLSON concert. Amazing. Got the new cd, and Cynthia got it autographed for me - she went up to him after the concert and asked, because I was too shy. I recorded a lot of the concert, so I'll put videos up in a bit. Then it was back to the Skatalites - they had another gig that night, and we were invited to the after party. It wasn't the whole band, but it was pretty awesome.

Saturday we went to Oxford with the Skatalites. They had a gig there that evening, and were willing to take Cynthia and I along on the tour bus because we wanted to check out Oxford. We got to Oxford, had lunch at a place called Nandos, and then we had an hour before we had to get to the train station ... Cynthia had another concert to go to, whereas I was going to find my way on the tube to our host for the night, Venusia. We didn't get to see much of the University, but I still liked the town. We got back into London, and I figured out how to take the tube by myself. It was actually pretty easy, though it took about an hour to get to Venusia's. She invited me to go out dancing with some friends but I was so exhausted that I just decided to go to bed early, since it was already 11 p.m.

Sunday we headed to Camden for the market, and I bought some awesome souvenirs for family and for myself. Then we had a picnic in Hyde park, and I booked it over to the British Museum afterwards. I was the only one who wanted to go, so once again I took the tube by myself. I got there just in time to see the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon exhibit which were the things I cared about the most anyway. Did a little shopping in the gift store, then headed back to Hyde park. We had dinner, then Cynthia had to split for a meeting (about a internship, she got it) and Venusia and I met up with some French friends of hers and we went to a pub. I had some Strongbow cider, I liked it very much. I also had a lovely conversation with an older gent about differences between America and England.

Monday was just the Tower of London, resting in a park in SoHo, and then a train ride back to the dorm. Because it was something called 'Bank Holiday' the regular trains weren't going, so instead of taking a direct route from London to Liverpool, we had to take London to Sheffield, Sheffield to Liverpool, and then I took Liverpool to Chester. I got home around 10 pm, exhausted and worn out. And I think I came down with a fever, but I'm taking medicine and drinking plenty of tea for my sore throat.

BEST WEEKEND EVER.

2008-05-01T08:40:00.002+01:00

HAPPY MAY!!!

30 days until I'm home. (The countdown doesn't mean that I'm unhappy for coming to England. Sometimes I just like countdowns.)

One day until I'm at Stonehenge, and seeing Steve Carlson.

I am a very happy Monica right now.

2008-04-27T13:58:00.003+01:00

Steve Carlson just added new music to his website. I am so incredibly thrilled that I will be seeing him live this Friday, in London. There is a squeal of joy coming from England, and it's ALL ME.

As promised, Chester pictures. See if you can notice a theme or two in them.

More Chester
More Chester 2
More Chester 3
More Chester 4

I get that it's kind of weird to take pictures of a graveyard, but they just seemed so interesting to me. And no, I did not plan on it. I was wandering around a part of town that I've never been in before and just stumbled upon it. I thought it was a park. Anyway I'm really happy with the way they turned out.

And no, I don't have a thing for the river. I don't know what you're talking about. Ssshh.

Also as promised, the new[er] computer:

I'm pretty happy with it. I do wish it had a larger hard drive (only about 40 GB, whereas my old one had 140 or more and I had only used half of it) but eh. I've got an external hard drive and I'm keeping my music on there. I just plug in the hard drive and play the music from there, so it's working out well.

Now to convince myself that yes, I have to finish my internship application, I need to proofread my younger brother's paper, and yes I really should be working on my project instead of reading a Terry Pratchett novel. I know what you're thinking ... he IS a good author, and really no one could blame me if I just read a little bit more.

RIGHT? (Seriously, check him out. Library's exist for a reason, ya know.)

2008-04-26T14:43:00.003+01:00

I have a new (used) computer. It's a long story, but it ended up being that the store I was entrusting to fix my computer was planning on receiving a shipment of used Dells and it was either send in my computer for £155 or buy a used (but shiny!) computer for £189. As you can see, this computer is clearly British because I can make a £ sign. My plan is basically that when I get home, I'll send the old computer out to Best Buy because I have a service warranty through them, and it won't cost me to get the computer fixed there.

The whole thing has been an ordeal though, as not only did I have to wait awhile for the new computers to get in (Anyone who's met me for more than a day can tell you that I'm rather impatient), but then there was a read error and I had to take the computer back. The store owner just traded me another Dell that they bought (same kind and everything) but that one had a problem with the fan. I took it back and it seemed like it was fixed in the shop, but when I got back to my room it and turned it on it started making a horrible noise again. So basically what he did was switch the hard drives of the two computers, so that this one doesn't have a read error and the fan works perfectly (so far).

I've decided that I'm a jinx when it comes to electronic gadgets.

I'm in the middle of uploading some more pictures of Chester, I'll post them in a bit when I'm done.

I'm still trying to get used to having a computer that is made for the UK. the " and the @ symbols are switched, and the # sign is also in a different place. It's kinda cool.

I'm going to London and Stonehenge next week. Might also go to Windsor and Oxford. I'm going with the friend who let me stay with her in Liverpool, and we're staying with one of the girls that she hosted during my first stay. May 2nd is going to be a BIG day - We've booked a special tour in which we can actually TOUCH Stonehenge (they don't allow you to go near the stones on a normal basis because people are MORONS and try to flick bits off to take home), and we'll see a bit of Salisbury as well. Then we'll get back to London around 3-4 p.m. and probably hit up the British Museum and then we've got a concert at 8:00 p.m. EEEEE, I'm seeing Steve Carlson :o)

Okay now that the computer thing is settled, I really have to clean my room, iron my laundry, and start doing some more work on my project. Cheers.

2008-04-17T08:42:00.002+01:00

Alas, when one thing breaks so will about five others. Okay, so five is a bit of a hyperbole (just a SMALL one, just is kind of an oxymoron) but yeah. My laptop has been sent in for repairs. I sent it in Tuesday afternoon, and it probably will take about a week to fix it, which isn't bad. What's annoying is the amount I had to pay for it, because while I have a service warranty with Best Buy ... well. Do YOU know of any Best Buys in England, let alone Chester? I certainly do not. Oh, enormous bright yellow price tag, how you mock me with your absence. Or ...whatever.

It's extremely early, for me at least. I started my new class on Monday and that meets at 9 and while that's only once a week (Tuesdays it meets at 10), I'm trying to get in the practice of waking up early again. Even so, I woke up EXTREMELY early this morning. Around 4 A.M. two girls (not sure if they were from my dorm or not, they seemed to be just visiting my next door neighbor, for whom my loathing increases with every one of these moments) were screaming and running in the halls about how they wanted to find a party. I tried going back to bed, but it was to no avail, so I figured I'd read a bit until I was tired enough to fall back asleep. This happened about 6 A.M., though a half an hour later I was woken up by the fire alarm going off. My first thought was 'it's not Sunday ...' because they test the alarm between 1-2 P.M. nearly every Sunday. My second thought was 'okay it's not stopping, I better get a move on'. I'm not entirely sure what or WHO set it off, but I do know that my neighbors and I waited 10 minutes out in 30 degree weather waiting for an all clear from two men dressed in bright yellow coats. By then, I knew I wasn't going back to bed so now here I am, in the library, after breakfast.

There's not much else to report. I have a paper due today, but I wrote it and turned it in yesterday. It was much easier than my other papers, for all that it was the same length. Now I just have to worry and wait to see what I get on my papers. I got one back last week, and I got a 62 on it. While at home that might be considered failure, here apparently it's very well. I don't pretend to understand but okay! I had a moment of panic, but I double checked with the department head who assured me it was a score to be proud of. I'm still waiting for my other papers, it takes about four weeks for them to marked, excluding some of the vacation time....which means that my final paper for the new class I'm taking, which is due May 20th? I won't know how I did on it until way after I get home.

Since I am without internet (and it's actually getting COLDER here instead of warmer, which doesn't make me want to go outside and venture about), my plan for this weekend is rather boring. Check out some books I've been wanting to read, as well as research for my new class ... which is about research. Go figure.

2008-04-09T18:21:00.004+01:00

Today has been a crap day, and for one reason only: I broke my glasses. As in, stepped on them and the part where the lens is screwed in came apart ...it could have been easily fixed if the screw was replaced but the bugger refused to budge. So I had to buy new glasses.

Buying new glasses is ALWAYS an ordeal. Having to buy them when you're in a foreign country? A little bit more so. Finding a pair of frames that would fit with my lenses was, I was told, like "finding an needle in a haystack." I didn't know my prescription so I had to set up an appointment with an optometrist, and finding frames that I like is never easy because a) I'm picky and b) I have a small face. The entire process took about three hours, cost more than I want to think about it (but really, it's not like I had a choice. It was either pay, or don't see anything), and basically gave me a headache from the stress.

Here is the end result:

2008-04-08T17:39:00.003+01:00

Liverpool again!

Once again I spent the weekend in Liverpool, from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. My main goal was purchasing the new Hard Days Night Hotel grand opening pins for my Dad - of which I got 10 for him. I also did so much walking that my foot bled, but it's all good now.

For your enjoyment, more pictures:

Liverpool Trip Two, Part One
Liverpool Trip Two, Part Two

I stayed at the same place as my last trip, and this time there were more internationals there as well. In total there were about eight of us, all spanning different countries and cultures. And yet with all that set us apart, we all found common ground in the absurdity of Liverpool girls and the clothes they wore when going out. Seriously, when it's about 30 degrees F outside at night ...well, it's a smart thing to wear a coat and you shouldn't be wearing five inch heels when you're drunk. And the HATS. I have yet to understand the appeal of the big hats.

So yes, Friday night we all went to the Cavern again and then to the local Reflex (dance/nightclub). We stayed out until around 2 AM, waking up just in time for the Liverpool football match. I didn't stay around for most of the match, as I really didn't care about it, so one of the other travelers and I went to the Liverpool Cathedral ...which basically is the largest Anglican church in England, I'm told. I was silly enough to go up to the top, and of course freaked out a bit. It wasn't the view from the top that was so bad, but going up the stairs to get there. They were really narrow and they winded up so you really didn't feel that they were sturdy. Plus, in view of the stairs was the bell tower and that was frightening. I didn't even get a picture of the bells, I was freaking out too much.

I had originally planned just to spend Saturday there and come back that night because I have a paper to work on. But the Gallery at the Hotel closed earlier than I thought it would, so I ended up staying an extra day in order to get the limited edition pins.

There were plans to go out to the bars on Saturday night, but I ended up being so exhausted from all the walking (and then staying up until midnight, because that's the time everyone else left) that I ended up not going. Sunday I got the pins, walked around Liverpool a lot with one of the other travelers (whom I then showed around Chester on Monday) and finally coming back to Chester after 5, just in time to miss the snow that fell in Liverpool.

2008-03-30T13:51:00.002+01:00

This entry is less about what I've done and more about what I have to do. Because "Easter Break" ends tomorrow, which means I have to stop being lazy and think about the future. Which I should have been doing the entire time, but eh. To quote a band, the future freaks me out.

I get to register for classes for next semester in about three days. Looking at the list of classes that I still need to take makes me slightly worried about whether or not I can still graduate in May 2009.

Theoretically, I think I can do it. The classes that I'm taking here should be able to meet some of the requirements I need (have emailed my faculty adviser about it at home) but I'm not entirely certain. I'm entirely expecting to be screwed over in that aspect. I still have to take 4 History classes, do an internship, 4 English classes for my minor, take a class in which we learn about what it means to be a professional (easy class because what it really entails is a thought process about what kind of career you want and what expectations that career will entail for you, and it includes doing a job shadow. Considering that I'm working on getting an internship at my public library, I should be able to just use that as an in), and 2 other Arts&Humanities.

The only problem is that what I'm taking over here isn't remotely close to what is offered at Alverno - no European history classes except a general overview called "Making of the Modern World" which covered the last 300 years ...Enlightenment, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Global trade/onset of globalization ..that kinda thing. So I'm crossing my fingers that it will all work out but yeah, I'm used to being screwed.

And I can't really register for classes until my faculty adviser gets back to me about which classes I can skip. Well ... I could just do the English classes. The only problem with that is that I KNOW there is a history class I have to take, in which I do an independent research project and present it to my department heads. If I take the English classes, plus that one and the dumb professional class ... Well, I should be able to handle it as long as I can do my internship over the summer. Hopefully. I've been in touch a bit with the Greendale Public Library, who say they would love to have me. Have to email them back, as well as the Internship department at Alverno.

I also have to start studying for the GRE, if I want to get into grad school, so that I can take the test around December and then apply to grad schools. I'm mainly hoping for UW-Milwaukee, but will have to apply to others just in case. I don't even what to think about what might happen if I don't get in to UWM but accepted to other schools that may be out of state. I mean, if I can handle living in another country I can handle living in another state but there is also more involved. Grad school is about three years for a masters, and there's the entire process of moving that I would have to deal with. And while it's been fairly easy to live here - dorm life, everything within walking distance - there's no guarantee it would be that simple for me anywhere else. But I'll go wherever I need to ... I just REALLY want UWM because not only is it close to home, but they have a double masters in Library Sciences and History. It would make me way more marketable in terms of job searching.

My stomach is tying in knots just THINKING about what I have to do. Seriously, the FUTURE FREAKS ME OUT.

What I need to do this week:

Clean my room (hush)
Start working on my Archaeology paper that is due on the 17th
Meet with my adviser HERE so I know where my new class is going to be held, and what day it starts (the database system here is NOT helpful for finding this stuff out)
Register for classes at home
Email about the internship
Finish reading my library books
Remember to breathe.

2008-03-25T16:39:00.001Z

Also? Haircut.

2008-03-25T15:10:00.001Z

What, a juice obsession/addiction? Me? Surely you jest.

A part of me is debating whether or not I should throw the bottles out, or eventually see if I can get enough to build a fort. Clearly I have gone insane. Ah, Spring Break.

2008-03-24T17:08:00.002Z

So, guess where I was this weekend? That's right, the home of The Beatles! I was there from Friday afternoon until just after 4 p.m. on Sunday. Stayed with a lovely girl named Cynthia, who is originally from Mexico. Also staying with her until Sunday were two other girls, a German and an Italian. I will not even attempt to spell their names.

Unfortunately, since it was Easter holiday/weekend, I didn't get a chance to go to many of the Beatles' themed stuff ... way too crowded for my liking. I do however have an open invitation to go back at any time while I'm staying here, and I will because I really really want to go to The Beatles' Story. There is also a really cool church that's very tall and apparently you can go to the top. I may be afraid of heights, but I want to take pictures from the top of it. I fear nothing when a camera is in my hand (okay not necessarily true, but I do find myself more likely to go out and be social).

This was also the first time that I had taken the train in England. Kind of nerve wracking, because after I bought the ticket I wasn't sure which platform I should go to, but I do what I always do when I'm traveling and uncertain - I ask random strangers. I figure as long as I don't except candy from them, it's all good.

My main impression of Liverpool is that, while it does have some nice buildings, it is pretty much a dump. You would think that a city named the Culture Center of Europe would spend more money on fixing up the place, but not so much. Of course, the places that are more likely to attract tourists seem to be nicer such as the museums and shopping centers.

There are also a LOT of pubs/nightclubs. At least one or two on every street, it seemed. So yeah, I went bar-hopping because my host was a bartender who knew all the good spots, but as anyone who has ever gone out drinking with me would know, I tend to only have one or two drinks. Three or four is pushing it for me ... I like drinks but I'm not a "drinker." Partying isn't my style, I guess I'm a bit reserved. But it was a blast. I did have my first shot of tequila ... though it was flavored and thus really tasty. My favorite pub was one that was renovated out of an old church. A bit strange, I thought, but really awesome nonetheless.

Saturday was spent at art galleries such as the Tate and Walker, after consuming my first "English Breakfast" (which was gross, by the way). I'm sure my Dad would have had other priorities coming to Liverpool (Though, my big reason WAS the Cavern Club, and I did go there), but these were the highlights for me. I also discovered that the weather in Liverpool (at least for this day) is as strange as it is in Wisconsin. One minute it was sunny, then it was snowing, then it was sunny again, then it rained for about a minute, then there was a cross between snow and hail - and those buggers HURT.

Saturday night was going out to the pubs again, especially the one Cynthia was a bartender at. The awesome thing about having a friend who is a bartender is that when the pub closes, you still get to stay. An impromptu Mexican jam session commenced, and it was awesome. Also had some Mexican beer. Not a fan of beer, but it was free - a very, very drunk man decided to buy a round of drinks for those who stayed. Apparently he's a regular there and one of their best customers. He was very nice, but as I said, drunk.

Sunday was spent watching part of a football (soccer) match at a pub, but leaving when Liverpool started losing badly. Then the train home, and uploading my pictures and videos (I caught a bit of the Mexican jam on camera, though the quality isn't as good as I would like. Cynthia tried to sing La Bamba but kept forgetting parts of it).

Here's a link to the pictures, though there are only sixty of them: Liverpool!!! Trip One

I'm not sure how to link to the videos, as Facebook doesn't seem to have a link for sharing with people who don't have a facebook account. If you REALLY want to watch them, you could email me but they're only about a minute long each.

2008-03-19T11:26:00.002Z

This is why I haven't gone out and taken more pictures. Well, that and today I woke up with a migraine. The pills are getting rid of it, but it is slow and tedious going. It left me with no desire to leave my room, and all I want to do is curl up and read. And so I shall.

2008-03-16T18:57:00.002Z

As promised, new photos! All 212 of them.

Check them out here:

Chester Part 3
Chester Part 4
Chester Part 5
Chester Part 6

And that's basically what I did today. I wandered down by the river, discovered a park, and some church ruins. Beautiful.

Now I'm going read Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere".

2008-03-14T00:50:00.004Z

I have been told that I needed to update.

Unfortunately, the only thing I've done this week is write two papers. One I wrote on Monday, and one I JUST finished. So if you're interested in reading a paper about Enlightened Absolutism or about how the Enlightenment influenced the French Revolution ... well I could tell you loads.

Except I know you're not. Nor am I interested in talking about it EVER AGAIN.

Okay, I did have lunch with friends twice. Toy stores are still fun, even when you're 23. But I've barely had time to breathe, let alone do anything worth describing with voluminous words and a plethora of detail.

After tomorrow is "Easter break". I don't have class again until April. I have one paper left for the classes I'm enrolled in, and then I start a new class.

So after tomorrow (because I intend to hand in my paper, do laundry and SLEEP) I shall endeavor to be more interesting. I will take more pictures. I will not fall asleep as I'm typing this.

Who am I kidding? It's 12:50 a.m. here. Do you know where your children are? To quote Stephen Colbert, "check Narnia."

I'm going to bed. Pictures to follow this weekend, if I wake up.

This is what writing a paper looks like:

2008-03-10T13:51:00.002Z

Apparently, 100+ pictures are not enough for my mother, who wanted pictures of my dorm room as well. Sheesh, woman. (I kid because I love. And because really, when is it ever enough?)

So here you go: MY DORM ROOM. Which is very messy right now, as I'm in the middle of writing a paper and cannot be arsed to tidy up.

2008-03-07T16:40:00.002Z

Over 100 pictures taken today. You can view them here:

Chester Part One

and

Chester Part Two

Woot.

2008-03-07T11:23:00.003Z

Oh, glorious day! The camera has arrived.

Along with Easy Mac, Peanut Butter (Peter Pan, which is my favorite), Grape Jelly, and best of all:

THIN MINT GIRL SCOUT COOKIES.

I am going to gorge myself on the cookies and take pictures now. Have a good day!

2008-03-05T13:01:00.004Z

I am going to ignore that Clinton won three of the Democratic primaries yesterday. Nope, did not happen ... uh uh.

In much, much HAPPIER news ...my camera has been mailed! My dad sent me the tracking number, along with a huge helping of ye olde Jewish guilt. I love you too, parental units :D :D :D. The camera left Indiana at 3 a.m. this morning, I don't know where it is right now.

Next time I travel somewhere, the camera will be the FIRST thing I pack.

2008-03-05T01:52:00.003Z

There's an article in the NY Times about how, well, dumb American high school students are. Such as: "Fewer than half of American teenagers who were asked basic history and literature questions in a phone survey knew when the Civil War was fought, and one in four said Columbus sailed to the New World some time after 1750, not in 1492."

You can read the full article here: Survey Finds Teenagers Ignorant on Basic History and Literature Questions .

It does scare me a bit that these teenagers are going to be voting in the election coming up later this year.

HOWEVER, I don't like this survey. First, only 1,200 17 year-old students were surveyed. Only 1,200 out of ... well I don't know off hand the amount of high school seniors there are in the United States but I know there's A LOT more than that. This isn't exactly what I would refer to as a random sampling, especially since the article doesn't go into specifics about where the students go to school. Is this a survey at one individual school, or school district? How was this survey passed out? Until I know more about that, I question whether this is "American education" at fault or simply one or two school boards.

Also, some of the questions bother me. I can admit that I wouldn't know the plot of "The Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison because I never had to read it. Sometimes the required reading differs between schools, or states. Also, I had no idea that "that in the Bible Job is known for his patience in suffering. About as many said he was known for his skill as a builder, his prowess in battle or his prophetic abilities." Why is this in the survey? I wasn't aware that Bible stories were supposed to be taught in high schools. Yes, I understand that as a book it's pretty much the most influential book in the world. But that's why there are synagogues and churches, and "Sunday schools." Because it is still inherently a RELIGIOUS book, and not necessarily one that should be required reading for a public school.

I realize that yes, perhaps America's education is in dire straights. This article may be reflecting a trend that is throughout the country. However, I still don't approve of the survey. It seems to be biased, and it hardly has enough numbers to speak for the entire American education system.

I worry for these students, though. Especially since "a third do not know that the Bill of Rights guarantees the freedom of speech and religion." I don't know whether they simply didn't pay attention in school, or if this was never taught to them. Which one is worse, well, I'm not sure. I don't think my teachers paid as much attention to the Constitution or Bill of Rights as they should have, though. I learned more about them in September while setting up a bulletin board in the library for Constitution Week. Perhaps I simply care more about the documents that give me my rights as I get older and can now exercise my right to vote, but I seriously don't think my high school American History teacher spent more than a day on them. Which begs the question: is it the student, or the teacher?

It's 2:20 in the morning, and these are the things I think of while waiting for the primary results to get in (what, wait for morning? Are you nuts?!). Huckabee just conceded the GOP nomination to McCain (as if there was any doubt that McCain would beat Huckabee for it, though I have to give the man his dues for sticking it out as long as he has), and the Rhode Island results are just coming in. I love democracy.

In other, less thought-provoking, news: I went out and played laser tag tonight. It was me and three British against a Frenchman, a Spaniard, and three Germans (I think?). Of course, my team won both games...even with my bad aim.

2008-03-04T15:15:00.003Z

For those of you who do not believe me when I write about the dire food situation, let yesterday's experience shine a new light on it: I had lunch and fifteen minutes after I consumed said lunch, it was flying out of my stomach and into the toilet. Because vomit is totally the new black.

I am not sick; I do not have a flu. Nor am I pregnant ...that's just. Not even a possibility.

The food was just SO BAD that my stomach automatically rejected it.

Also, here is a list of food staples (for me) that I have not had since coming to England:

1. Brownies
2. Chocolate chip cookies (well, real ones. I tried getting some from a bakery here but they were like shortbread cookies with chocolate chips thrown in them. Kinda gross.)
3. Turkey
4. Lasagna
5. Fettuccine Alfredo
6. Pizza (the stuff the cafeteria serves is NOT, I repeat, NOT pizza)
7. Pancakes/Waffles
8. Real BBQ (dumping generic bbq sauce on top of baked chicken does not a bbq make)
9. CHINESE FOOD
10. Taco salad (I haven't seen in at the grocery store AT ALL!)
11. Macaroni and Cheese
12. Hot dogs
13. PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY (grape jelly)
14. Real pasta dishes. The cafeteria will serve noodles with tomato sauce, yes, but the sauce is so watered down it might as well be salsa without the spices.
15. Pumpkin Muffins
16. Mocha Frappuccino, with raspberry (I asked for one at the local Starbucks and woe, was looked at funny. They have no idea what a frappuccino even is. They only serve the things on menu board, and it's pretty generic.)
17. Tacos
18. Chicken noodle soup
19. Roast beef/pot roast (they're awfully found of serving lamb, though. Yuck.)
20. Fried chicken
21. REAL CHEESE

and the list could go on if I kept thinking about it.

Yes, yes, I know. I can't expect another country to have my favorite foods. Different cultures do things differently. Also, I'm studying abroad ... experience of a lifetime ... shouldn't complain ...blah blah blah.

Well tell THAT to my stomach. I'm going to come home a skeleton; my pants are already looser on me.

I really don't want to sound ungrateful. I AM enjoying it here, I DO like England. Beautiful country, lovely people.

I'm just hungry, is all.

By the way, today's lunch was a 'potato, onion, and cheese pie'. It tasted blargh.

2008-03-02T14:37:00.000Z

It is amazing the lengths I will go to when procrastinating. Sometimes I wish the internet had never been invented, because I would be able to accomplish so much more without the distraction.

But then I realize how foolish that wish is, because the internet is AMAZING. Especially when it gives me things such as this:

My love of "Law and Order" and "Batman" knows no bounds.

... I am beginning to see this blog turn into less "Monica's travels about England" and more "Monica posts whatever see feels like, especially when she doesn't want to write her papers."

Just try and stop me. Oh, that's right. You can't! Hah. (Give the girl a blog and she turns into a dictator. Yeesh.)

2008-03-01T21:25:00.000Z

Short memo:

Got an email from my dad last night. Camera to be mailed out on Monday.

Hah. I'll believe that when I see it. As in, really see it/hold it/take pictures with it.

Back to "examining the influence of the Enlightenment on the French Revolution."

2008-02-29T22:38:00.000Z

As a whole, I consider the English/British (whatever you guys are calling yourselves this week, because there's also Welsh, Scottish, and Irish to take into consideration and well ... what do you refer to the people who make up the United Kingdom? I keep hearing different things so by now I've given up and in my head I refer to them all 'those blokes who live here' for I am LAZY) to be wonderful people. All the ones that I've met so far have been extremely nice and friendly and not one has treated me differently because I'm an American.

This does not stop me from wanting to punt my two neighbors through A WALL. For those of you who have never lived in a dorm before (And I hadn't before coming here), the walls are pretty thin. So when my neighbors decide to have a dance party late at night or blare their music at extreme volumes at all hours of the day, I can hear it.

No one should have to endure Nickelback or Britney Spears when they don't want to. Even less should they have to suffer through the horrific sing-a-long that accompanies it.

Like I said, I want to punt them through a WALL. But I won't. Not only because I tend to be a bit passive and non-confrontational (unless you are my younger brother), but also that would be one sure way to get me sent home FAST. So I will endure and suffer in silence.

...Okay not total silence. I have asked them to stop before, and generally it isn't too annoying. I'm vexed because I had a migraine today and that normally sets me on the edge as anyone who has known me for longer than a month can tell you. Kinda like how cell phones going off in a library make me want to throw things (but I don't! I'm all talk, really, and very little violent action....unless you're my younger brother who I love very dearly but should win a prize for "Most Annoying Sibling to Ever Exist" and I'm sure he'd display it with pride. Like he does the "Sister for Sale" t-shirt he owns).

Normally I'd grit my teeth and wouldn't even blog about it, except this most definitely is not the first time I've been annoyed by it. Plus, as said before, migraine. Migraines tend to bring out the worst in me. After all, it's only the feeling of jackhammers in my brain.

Migraines also tend to kill whatever plans for the day that I had (such as doing homework ... can't really do that if it reading hurts your head and turning on the light hurts your eyes) so I've basically spent most of the day - when I wasn't sleeping the pain away - mindlessly surfing the web. For the most part, I'm not even sure I knew what I was looking at. Mainly I kept pressing the "Stumble!" button of the Stumble Upon! plug-in that I have for my web browser (Mozilla pwns your soul) after watching tons of clips on YouTube, most of which were about Jim and Pam from The Office (American version, of course) - a show I haven't even watched before, and now I want to.

The result of which is an updated link section on the right. Just be thankful that I didn't put up everything I bookmarked today (most of which is now under a folder entitled "I am a nerd" because I stuck mainly to the educational pages after the pain lessened enough for me to read, but not enough that I was willing to get out of bed and pick up one of my history books. Yes, I know: LAZY. But it HURT!).

Also? Sorry for not responding to comments that have been made on previous posts ... I didn't know they were there. Oops? No seriously, shouldn't I be getting an e-mail or something when a comment is made? I have no idea, and luckily for me Christina told me she commented so I could go look and discover them all for myself. This doesn't mean I'll respond to comments NOW ... it just means I can no longer use the 'I didn't know they existed' excuse. But you all knew I was lazy in the first place and yet you still love me :D :D :D. RIGHT?!

Hopefully tomorrow I will wake up in a better mood/feeling better and be able to finish another paper by the end of the weekend. Yeah, I'm not holding my breath about it either.

Still no camera. What, were you expecting miracles? I'm not Huckabee, I don't "major in miracles" (Oh but I wish I did. Can you imagine the amount of money I could make if I could turn water into wine by magic? Goodbye student loans and their painful interest rates!). If the camera doesn't arrive by Friday, I'm buying a new one. Take THAT, parental units (whom I love and adore, but I WANT MY CAMERA).

Alright, the deranged one (me) is signing off now. I would apologize for the mindless points full of drivel but... It's my blog and I'll type what I want. Nyah.

:D

Oh: and so this post won't be a total loss to you, check out this out: His Video Message Out, a Professor of Computer Science Contemplates the Last Months Ahead . The video is amazing and totally worth the hour and twenty five minutes it lasts. Trust me.

And AGAIN: Neil Gaiman, who is a FANTASTIC author and you all should read his work, wrote this amazing book called American Gods that you can read for FREE (I believe it's only good for the next month) here: Browse Inside American Gods: A Novel By Neil Gaiman . This is one of my most favorite books and I highly suggest you do this.

Now I'll leave, and stop editing this post. REALLY. I swear. Oh look, what's over there? Shiny!

2008-02-28T15:46:00.000Z

Still no camera, but that's to be expected. I mean, I can't have everything, right?

*Glares in the direction of Wisconsin*

However, the week hasn't been bad. I handed in my paper that was due today, and I figured out that I AM okay when it comes to my classes after all. Instead of doing the work-based learning, like I originally planned, I changed my mind and will be taking another class entitled "Research Methods for Writers." This means I'll have to take an internship when I get back home, but I was planning on arranging an internship at the Greendale Public Library anyway. And on the upside, this means more vacation/free time for me! I'm pretty much done with my classes now after March 14th ... though I have one paper due in April (which will not be difficult at all - it's about how Roman religion influenced civic art and architecture, excluding temple art. Having taking Art History classes, I already have a fair idea of how to approach this topic). Then my next class starts the week of April 7th, and finishes the week of May 12th. I come home on May 31st, so that's another two weeks of free time/TRAVEL time.

Once again, I am eating the most delicious apple doughnuts to ever exist. And I checked the price - 58 pence! That's about a dollar, dollar and a half for five doughnuts. Really good deal, even with the bad exchange rate for the American dollar. I've been craving pizza lately, and luckily there's a Pizza Hut in town. I think I'll order it sometime this weekend ... I SHOULD be able to consume a small by myself if I'm not drinking soda.

My money has finally been transferred into my new Barclays account. Yay for having cash. I mean, I could have survived with just my debit card, except I need cash for laundry, and it's bothersome to pay for a bottle of orange juice with a debit card. Plus, you come off as a jerk.

Other awesome news is that I'm going to Amsterdam at the end of March. The student union here put together a four day trip for 109 pounds (around 220 dollars), and I think it would be very foolish of me if I didn't take advantage of it. None of my friends will be able to go, though, because I think they have exams around the time. So hopefully I'll make friends and get to know people on the trip that I can hang out with, otherwise I'll spend the entire time walking the streets alone and taking pictures .... which wouldn't be a bad thing either.

There's also a musician that I love coming to London on May 2nd: Steve Carlson. As soon as I found out, I booked two tickets and convinced a friend that I made here to go with me. I can't wait! He normally sticks to California, and he's had a few gigs in Texas. When I was vacationing in CA, I was hoping to see him but as luck would have it he was performing the same night and time as my flight home ... and that gig wasn't announced until AFTER I had booked my tickets. So I'm extremely excited to finally see him live.

Also, two nights ago there was an earthquake here. From reading the paper (as well as the newly created Facebook group about it), you'd think it had been a 8 on the Richter scale. In reality, it was a 5.3 and it didn't even last a minute. I was on the computer at the time, looked up and around when the building started to shake, and then went back to what I had been reading. I thought it simply a gust of strong wind or something ... though I wondered also if it was earthquake. And then I wondered if England even got earthquakes. Well, it seems like my questions were answered and yes, it was an earthquake. But a very TINY one! People over here were freaking out about it, and a woman was quoted in the paper saying she was so scared that she couldn't fall back asleep! Complete overreaction. But since I don't believe anyone was injured, I can be all "YAY! EARTHQUAKE! Let's do it again!" This is the first earthquake I've experienced while being awake. I kinda feel proud of it.

Also? If anyone mentions Americans' and our bad education, I'm sitting them in front of that Facebook group. The spelling of some of the commentators is absolutely atrocious. I don't know if you can view it without a Facebook account, but give it a try here: I survived the febuary 2008 earthquake! . Notice that even February was misspelled. When it comes to the internet, it appears that the British are just as bad. (Also, I know there's a deal about how a large percentage of Americans can't find Iraq on a map, which IS pathetic ... but it isn't like Europeans have a large understanding of America, either. No one knows where Wisconsin is when I tell them where I'm from. Unless you're an expert, you shouldn't be criticizing other people's geography. European countries are small, so it's likely they're going to have a better understanding of what's nearby. Whereas for Americans, we learn our states and then other countries. Though I for one can read a map, and have a pretty good idea of geography. If I don't know exactly where the country is, I know what region/what's nearby. And after taking ancient history courses, I'm also tempted to refer to Iraq as the Fertile Crescent or Mesopotamia. But that would just get me odd looks.)

Well, I have two more papers to work on. One is due on March 11th and I have NO idea about my topic, and one is due on March 13th. That one I'm writing about the influence of the Enlightenment on the French Revolution. I'm hoping I can finish that one this weekend, and then figure out what to do for the March 11th one. Wish me luck!

2008-02-24T13:35:00.001Z

What's that? No camera? Gee, what a surprise.

Okay, I have been assured by my parents that my camera would be sent out ASAP. I have no idea if that actually happened yet, though. If it isn't here within a week, I might just buy a new one because dammit, THERE ARE THINGS OF WHICH I NEED TO TAKE PICTURES.

So here's the news .... there isn't much of it. I've been hanging out with friends and doing homework. Today I finished a paper that's due on Thursday, a 2,000 word essay on "How, and with what impact, did Renaissance ideas spread through Europe during the 16th century?"

Somehow, and I'm still not sure HOW, I managed to fit 24 typed pages of notes into 7.5 pages double spaced. I still have two more papers due in the second week of March, and then one in April.

And of course, it wouldn't be week for Monica if SOMETHING didn't go wrong. I was told when I first got here that I needed 60 credits to be a full-time student (the credit system is different here, whereas at home 12 credits is full time). Basically, each of my classes is worth 20 credits if I were taking the whole year. Since I'm only here for half-term, its 10 credits each. I have four classes, and was told that my work-based learning (like an internship) would be 20, or if I decided to do one of the writing modules as well, that would also be 20. So ... it would come out to sixty, yes? Well, maybe not. I turned in my class list this week (very late, I know. which was stupid of me but I kept forgetting to bring it to have it signed and I was told that the module (class) leaders had to sign it, and two of my classes have guest lecturers this term ... in the end I was finally told that I could have department head sign off on all them), and one of the lovely ladies said that I might be missing a course. Which I still don't understand!

I have forty credits so far. I don't have the sheet of paper that tells me how much the work-based learning would be, the each of the writing ones (Varieties of Writing or Research Methods for Writers) are 20 credits each. So I SHOULD be fine. I don't know why one of the international tutors is telling me I might be missing a course, and thus, I am freaking out a bit. I have to go in on Thursday to talk to my main tutor (which is really like an adviser, I think), and figure this all out.

As for the work-based learning, I'm not sure if I can get into something that I'll like. Which again is my fault, but I also didn't know I had to schedule a meeting with someone to talk about it/plan for it. I'm willing to accept the responsibility because I know I should have been on top of these things, but it would have been nice to be told that "hey, this is what you have to do for this, so you really should be doing it."

Now that I'm looking at it, I kind of want to do the "Research Methods for Writers". In order to pass it I need to have a 1,000 word Research Writing Diary and a 3,000 word Portfolio ... not sure exactly what it would entail but I'm sure I would find out.

Now I'm off to clean and eat food because well, I kind of forget to do those things when I'm writing papers. I'm quite famished.

2008-02-17T14:51:00.000Z

Still no camera! Woe. I find it odd that my place of employment sent me a package before my parents did. Yay Library! Shame on the parents, feel the shaaaaaaaaaaaame. Camera now? Plsthxbye.

I finally got my accommodation bill sorted, and how to transfer money from my bank in America to Barclay's. I also reported my credit card as lost, so hopefully a new one will be sent to my American address and MY PARENTS CAN SEND THAT ALONG WITH MY CAMERA. HINT HINT. COULD THE HINT GET ANY BIGGER?

I went out to lunch with a friend on Friday, and I'm going out with a group of friends on Wednesday. I have three papers due within the next three weeks so I REALLY need to stop procrastinating and start working on those.

Weekends are less busy for me, because it seems that all the friends I've made work or go home during the weekend. I received an invitation to visit someone's home for a day or two during break. I rarely leave my room on the weekend - mainly because I'm utterly lazy and like to sleep in (plus, I don't get to sleep until late due to the drunks). I tend not to leave it even for going to the canteen (what they call the cafeteria) because on the weekend I have to go to a different one that is much worse than the one during the week. So I try to stop by the grocery store and pick up some grub.

Today I made the discovery of the most delicious apple-filled doughnuts. Also, got some apples from France that are called "Pink Lady" but are basically MacIntosh apples, which are my favorite. Got a thing of Tropicana orange juice - one of the little grab-and-go bottles, and to my surprise it had pulp in it. The ones at home don't and I love pulp in my OJ. I know others hate it, but the pulps has the vitamins and minerals! The junk food is trial and error - I've found some things that have been tasty, but for the most part it's been 'eew.' They have a version of Hostess ho-hos, but made with Cadbury chocolate so it's similar but a bit different. Those are tasty, whereas the BBQ Walker chips were gross. It was interesting to try the ones that tasted like Roast Chicken, though. And my years of curiosity after reading The Chronicles of Narnia were satisfied - I know what a Turkish Delight tastes like: EW, and not delightful at all. Edmund was a strange child. It's strange how the chocolate selection is larger than at home, but the cookie aisle is dismal. I'm kind of afraid to try the Jaffa Cakes, which do not look like cakes at all.

I felt like McDonald's the other day, but gave up when I saw the giant line and realized how much it was going to cost. Fast food is not worth the price of a regular meal, especially when there aren't McChicken's on the menu. I'm also upset with the Starbucks over here - they had no idea what a Mocha Frappuchino w/ Rasberry was and that's my favorite drink. I hereby boycott the British Starbucks!

I explored more of the city, which really is a giant shopping mall outside. And then there's an indoor mall. There is also a little market, which is like the smaller version of the State Fair Exposition with all the little booths. Except this market had a butcher, a barber, and a fresh fruit stand. It was adorable and I want to take it home with me, but I don't think it would go over well with Customs. And there's always the hardship of getting it to fit in my suitcase. Woe.

I bought postcards and as soon as I figure out where the post office is, I'll send them out. I also picked up some maps and guides to Chester so I can learn more about the place I'm at. I'm wary of traveling around on my own, but a few more weeks and I might just go 'screw it' and hop on a train. Of course, I first have to know where the train station is.

I think I might be coming down with a cold, but the symptoms really only show up when I'm outdoors so perhaps it is just the weather. Luckily I brought Nyquil and Dayquil with me - I found out they don't have it over here, though they have something called "Night Nurse" which I'm told has the same "green death" taste.

Well, I need to do homework. Ew, but necessary in order to pass my classes and be able to justify my being here. My classes are still fine, and on Thursday a Holocaust survivor spoke in one of the lectures. It was an extremely sad story (of course), but she was one of the lucky ones. At first I didn't want to go because I wasn't feeling well and not exactly feeling up to hearing a story that would most likely make me cry, but in the end I sucked it up and thought (thanks to a conversation with my Mom) "How many chances do I get to hear this?" I've heard another story before when I was in Israel - another lucky one who didn't get sent to the camps but I was curious about what this woman went through. The story wasn't so much about her though, as it was about her parents - she was a very young child when it all happened but her parents obviously had to go through a lot. The worst is that none of their extended family survived except the father's sister.

Well, on that depressing note I think this is post is done. Hope all is well at home, ; the primaries look exciting and I will be glued to my computer on the 19th to see the results as they come in.

2008-02-08T20:08:00.000Z

Good Day!

I've been a bit busy this week, between trying to get my accommodation paid and getting my phone to work. Had a bit of a fright when I realized that when I went shopping on Friday, I left my coin purse with my Wisconsin State ID and a credit card in the cab. Didn't realize it until Monday evening, and freaked out because my phone wasn't working yet and I didn't know what to do. The next day I set up my phone and called the cab company - the purse wasn't turned it, but luckily no charges have been made. The card can be canceled and a new one sent to my house. Wish I hadn't lost the I.D., though. Means that if I want to go out to a place and I might get carded, I have to bring my passport. I'm more worried about losing that than any credit card.

I've been trying to pay my accommodation but there was a limit on how much money I can charge to my debit card per day. I was able to call my bank to have it raised, but maybe it didn't go through yet - I tried paying again the next day and it still said "not authorized." Looks like another phone call to the bank is in order. The good news, though, is that my accommodation is half of what I thought it would be. Awesome.

Last night I went out with some friends after one of my lectures. We went to a restuarant called "The Red Lion" where I got to try the English version of American BBQ Chicken ... totally not same thing. While not bad, it's more like ... baked chicken with BBQ sauce on top. And generic BBQ sauce at that, not the really good stuff like Ray's or Jack Daniels'. After eating, we went to a pub to play the English version of pool - not too much different than American, except American is what they call Billards. Anyway, I've never really played before, and I'm quite horrible at geometry and physics and can never predict where the ball is going to go when I hit it. Imagine my shock and surprise when I won the first game I played. I think my bad shots were making it difficult for my opponent to get good shots, turning my bad shots into good shots after all. If that makes sense. Then we played doubles, and my team won again. The third time? Not so lucky, but I'm happy if I hit what I'm aiming for, regardless of whether or not the ball goes in the pocket. I'll take what I can get.

The lectures have been fine - interesting and boring at the same time. I have papers coming up, so I have to get a move on. I did laundry again, this time on a Wednesday. It was totally dead until the last 15 minutes I was there. I'll have to remember to do laundry then and not on weekends.

Next weekend I'm hoping to go to Liverpool with a friend in one of my classes. We'll see if it works out. I've also been invited to a birthday party that will take place in April. It's a "Ladies and Gents" theme, which means I'll have to find a really nice dress to wear. On Feb 20th, I have an invitation to a dinner with the other history majors at some place called the "Slug and Lettuce," I kid you not. I don't know where it is; hopefully I'll be able to find it before then. Interesting name, though.

Still no camera :o(

Hope you all are doing well, Shabbat Shalom!

2008-01-31T17:53:00.001Z

It snowed today! At least, I saw snow coming from the sky but I don't think any of it stuck to the ground. It wasn't very much, though it did at first look like a lot but that was really the wind blowing it around. However, I saw snow and some people freaked out and put their hoods up and others started running (presumably to get out of the snow) and it was really really funny, especially since I received an email from my Mom yesterday about kids staying home from school because the pipes were freezing. The coldest it has been here has been 41 degrees F.

I had a lecture today that was quite good - learned about Martin Luther and the beginning of the Reformation. Martin Luther was quite a strange individual, if you ask me. Also, it turns out that he spent most of his life suffering from constipation and thought it was God punishing him. He also felt that God was right in punishing him. I think there was some definite depression/some kind of psychosis going on.

After that lecture, I went to a Subway with some friends - it wasn't bad but not as good as Cousins at home. In fact, I don't think it was as good as Subway at home. I think they lied to me when they told me the bread I had was Italian. Then we went to a pub called The Pied Bull - I didn't drink, but a few others did. I refused because it was 3 o'clock in the afternoon. We talked for about 45 minutes until some of them had to go on to another lecture. It was one that I've been a guest to before, and while I'm not taking it officially I have permission to come and listen in if I feel like it. However, today they were learning about the Atom bomb and I still have notes on my computer from learning about that last semester and didn't feel like going. So I stayed at the pub a bit longer and chatted with the other two that stayed because one didn't have that lecture and the other one doesn't go to the university - his girlfriend (who is quite lovely and nice) does.

Tomorrow I have plans to finally pay my accommodation if I can find the building where I'm supposed to pay it, I have another lecture, and then I'm meeting one of the girls I've made friends with for some shopping. The girls here really dress up when they go out and while I'm really not much for all that fuss, I don't want to stand out too much either. So I'm hoping I can find one or two things that don't cost a lot and won't take up too much room in my suitcase when I get home. No matter what I buy I'll have to be conscious of that, because otherwise I'd have to ship it home and it would probably cost a lot.

I also need to find out where the post office is. I promised people postcards and I mean to keep that promise. Then I have to figure out where the Porter's Lodge (whatever it's called ) is on campus ... that's where my mail will be sent to and I signed up for a bank account at Barclays and my cash card should have come by now. Still have to figure out how to get my money from M&I transferred - can't transfer it online and even if I could do it over the phone, mine still isn't set up. I bought the charger but I think I need a new SIM card - I'm hoping to pick that up tomorrow as well.

Not really sure what my weekend plans are besides homework/studying/working on a paper.

Hope you all are doing well!

2008-01-25T18:16:00.000Z

Ah, another week has gone by and to be fairly honest, not much else has happened. It is because I am BORING.

Okay, not totally. I'm still adjusting to my surroundings and whatnot. And I have made friends, so hurrah!

On Monday, I was invited out to for drinks with some other history majors. While my first instinct was to say no because I had homework (I did warn you that I was boring. I guess I forgot to mention that I was also stupid.) I accepted and had a grand ol' time. Drinking/partying isn't really my thing because I'm not much of a drinker (I had three drinks. This is less than half of what everyone else consumed, and I did it within a five hour period.) but the people were great and funny, and so far no one has treated me poorly or thought I was stupid because I'm an American (yes, I was worried about this and why shouldn't I be when we have shows like "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"). So we were out until 1:30; we went to three places - out of which I only liked two, one was too loud and crowded and had the most annoying techno music - and I took a cab home. I was invited to go to a club with some of them when others decided to go home, but I thought it was best to call it a night. I'm a lightweight unless I eat right before hand, and three drinks is my limit. I'm sure I could consume more - I have on other occasions, but only when surrounded by best friends and a sure way of getting home or a crashing on a bed - but I figured it was in my best interest not to.

The rest of the week has been pretty uneventful - I've been going to lectures and reading. On some occasions the food didn't stink to high heaven. Today was BBQ chicken and while it wasn't REAL BBQ - just baked chicken in BBQ - it was doable. Plus, there was chocolate for dessert.

The girls on my floor have gotten less annoying, though maybe I'm just getting used to it. At any rate, they're not nearly as annoying as the people on the floor below me who had a habit of SCREAMING when they come home at 3 a.m., completely plastered. I don't want to mean or rude, but I think if they do it again and I have a migraine? I'm screaming back at them to shut the hell up. I'd rather have some giggling and loud music - which I'm sure they'd stop if I asked them to ... it really hasn't been enough of an annoyance to warrant it - than making me wonder if someone was dying or being attacked. To quote one of my neighbors, "I thought she was dying, and when she wasn't I wanted to kill her."

I also took a walk around the city walls today. I still don't have a camera, so no pictures. However, it is incredibly beautiful here especially considering that it is January. I feel like there should be snow on the ground, and I'm definitely not complaining that it hasn't been colder than 45 degrees F. I'm not sure what the measurement is for the length of the walls, but it took me about an hour. I think I'll have to do it more often and check out the places I saw while I was walking. I saw a few gardens, the river, and of course the giant racetracks. Apparently there's going to be a big racing event later in the semester.

I have to be off - I need to do laundry and I'm going with some of my neighbors because I don't know where it is well enough to go by myself. So greetings from Chester, and send me some e-mails; I've love to hear from you all and it isn't like the time zone change is in my favor ... I figure that I'm six hours ahead.

Welcome to the UK!

2008-01-19T15:27:00.002Z

It's been nearly a week since I first arrived in England, but I've only had internet since yesterday. Sorry to everyone who expected me to update earlier; I simply haven't had the time or energy.

This first week has been extremely confusing and my moods have ranged from complete frustration and sadness to pretty much being content now. And of course, as it is bound to happen (to me, at least), the first day was the worst. It started out with basically having the most frustrating flight ever - it was overnight and I knew I would need to get sleep or I would be screwed for the next few days. However, I ended up next to the one women in the entire flight who didn't want to turn off her light as she slept. Something about it being like the sunlight, she explained to a flight attendant. Unfortunate for me that my parents and years of working at a nursing home have taught me to be polite towards my elders.

The plane ended up arriving a half an hour earlier than scheduled, but we had to "taxi" for 20 minutes because there was no opening for the plane. It took forty-five minutes to get off the plane, wait in line, get through customs, collect my luggage (surprisingly that part was the easiest, though I was worried about my luggage being lost or me not being able to put it on a trolley by myself) and meet the "cabbie."

The cabbie was incredibly friendly and nice to me; he went above and beyond when we got the university and there was no one to meet me. The first problem was that they hadn't told him where he was supposed to drop me off and he assumed that I knew. I only knew of one place in Chester - John Milton Hall, the dorm where I'm staying. So we got there (and it took us a while to figure out where that was, it wasn't actually on campus) and realized that there was no one there. Luckily, I had a phone number for the student mentor who was supposed to meet me. For some reason, Chris (the mentor) had been told that I wasn't going to be arriving until after ten ... I'm still not sure how they figured that when I sent the university my arrival time of 7:15 a.m. The cabbie waited with me until Chris arrived, and then drove Chris and I back to John Milton Hall and helped bring my luggage up to my room. An amusing moment was when Chris attempted to help with the luggage but the cabbie (I wish I could remember his name, he was very nice) and I had it - it's not like it was very heavy or anything, just 50 pounds apiece and my carry-on. Maybe it's the English air; it makes me stronger than I was in America. Hah.

So I find my room (I had received the keys at the Porters Lodge or whatever it was called ... the place where I met up with Chris) and luckily my bedding was there as well. Apparently there was an incident with another international student last term, where he didn't get his bedding for about two weeks. It also looked like my roommate was already there - the other bed was made, there were clothes in one of the dressers and toiletries in the bathroom. It wasn't until two days later that I learned I wouldn't be having a roommate at all - which I'm grateful for but I spent two days wondering if someone would ever arrive. I didn't feel like unpacking right away, so Chris gave me a tour of the city - he was an excellent tour guide; it's not his fault that I forgot everything right away, since I was so sleep deprived.

And then it all came tumbling down - Chris led me back to my dorm and I started to unpack. I go to plug my alarm clock in and it works ... for a second. My first thought for some reason was not that my alarm clock was broken (as it turned out to be) but that my adapters didn't work. Really foolish of me; I should have tried to plug something else in right away ... and I did think of that - I wanted to plug my computer in only to realize that my adapters only accept plugs with two prongs and the plug for my computer and the multiple outlet strip have three prongs. Later that evening I would figure out that I could just plug in the top two prongs and everything would be fine but at that moment I was sleep deprived, frustrated, and basically miserable because I was feeling incredibly lonely - I had no way of contacting anyone because I didn't have a working phone yet (still don't, have to go to town to take care of that and I simply haven't felt like it yet. I'll go either tomorrow or Monday) and I obviously didn't have internet. I also couldn't remember how to get anywhere to FIND anyone to fix the problem. And I worried about walking up in time the next day for a meeting I had with my international adviser. So I did the only logical thing - fall asleep, wishing I was home.

I woke up a few hours later, but at first I wasn't even sure what day it was. I heard noise coming from the hallway, so I knocked on a room down the hall. In it was a very nice girl named Rachael and one of my other neighbors, Jo. I introduced myself, explained my problems and Rachael was nice enough to lend me her alarm clock until I got one of my own (I finally got one two days ago). I also met Randee, another international student that I got into contact with a few days before I left - she showed me where the canteen was so I could grab dinner, even though she was stressed out with HER luggage being lost.

Things were looking up for a bit, and then I made the discovery that I could plug my computer into the adapters after all. I really should have stopped there and not attempted the multiple outlet strip because when I did there was a spark, darkness, and then the smell of smoke. The lights came back on but the outlets ceased to work, and wouldn't work for three more days. Basically, I think I blew a fuse. Which, you know, is something I always wanted to do as a first impression to a new country and a new school. The next day I found out that none of the outlets on my floor worked, and I'm lucky that my neighbors don't hate me. But that night I was really worried that I had broken the entire building, that I would have to pay for it or at least never receive my deposit back.

The second day was better - I met Sam, who is basically like my adviser over here. She's fantastic, and was very helpful and comforting. She contacted someone about the outlet problem, and reassured me it wasn't a big deal or my fault (which it so was). She also gave me another tour of the campus, including the Blue Coat Building in town that most of my history classes are in, and the place where I also had a meeting with Elissa to set up my classes. I'm taking:

Europe in the Age of Revolutions 1789 - 1861
Europe in the Age of Renaissance and Reformation
Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightened Absolutism
Greeks, Etruscans, Romans, and Celts: Introduction to European Classical Archaeology

I was also thinking of taking Europe in the Age of Nationalism, Imperialism and the Cold War, but the way the school system is set up is that I'm really only taking half of each course - so I'm really taking Europe in the Age of Revolutions in the 1800s, Europe and Reformation, Europe and Enlightened Absolutism, and Roman and Celts. Europe in the Age of Nationalism, Imperialism, and the Cold War would be only Europe in the Cold War - which I studied last semester. Granted, I studied the U.S. perspective, but I looked at the essay question options I have for the 2,000 word essay I have to write for each class in order to pass and my first thought was "Oh God, no. Not again!" I talked to the professor after class and asked if I could still come and sit in on the lectures, because I am a nerd like that.

I'm also going to be doing a work-based learning (like an internship) once my classes are done by the end of March. I'm not sure what I'll be doing for that yet, but it will be exciting, I'm sure. At the very least, it will be one of those "learning experiences" that my Mom is so found of talking about. :D

So I basically have four 2,000 word essays to write in order to pass everything - coming to class is encourage, but not required. I'll go to class anyway, I only have one class a day that meets for two hours - except for Wednesdays; no class there. The first essay is due Feb 28th and yesterday I checked out all the books I need for it... well, most of them. The library here only lets me check out 10 books at time which I think is stupid, but is probably necessary when the professors don't require that the students purchase the books and all the books needed are in the library and there's only so many copies. Many books are a short loan only - one week only, and there's a section of the library in which the books can only be checked out for an hour. I suppose this approach saves you money, but I wonder how many students actually do the reading they're supposed to ... if they even can. There's a book that's on the syllabus to read from for next week but there is only one copy and someone has it checked out. When I find out who that person is I'm going to slap them upside the head ... or glare at them and ask to borrow it.

I left my camera at home (really dumb of me) so I haven't been able to take pictures yet. If anyone is curious, http://www.chester360.co.uk has some nice ones. Hopefully my parents will send me my camera ASAP, along with some food because the cafeteria food here? Yuck. And they don't even have grape jelly to go with the peanut butter I brought from home.

I've met a few people, made some friends. The girls on my floor are nice but they're also very young and giggly. When did 18 become young to me? I guess 5 years is a big difference when you think about it. Most of the people in my classes are probably all younger than me (My classes are mainly 2nd year ones because that's what fits in with the time frame ... 1st and 3rd year classes go much longer. I have one 1st year class and that's the archaeology one) and it was amusing when I went to a lecture on Thursday: the students here do about two essays a year it seems (perhaps more once they get into 3rd year ... I'm not sure how it works exactly) and apparently the essays were so bad for one class that the professor took time out of the lecture to basically give a run-down on how essays should be written and to tell them what they did wrong. One person (I don't know who but it would be interesting to find out) plagiarized Wikipedia - something so disgusting on so many levels I don't even have WORDS. It was kind of laughable and at the same time I wondered if it would look bad if I left for the duration of it; I don't need to be lectured on how to write an academic paper, but I did stay in case there was anything too different. There is a different citation style than what I'm used to, so I picked up a handbook on it. The professor even gave incorrect grammar examples for sentence structures and punctuation and would ask the class what the correct version was. Apparently I was the only one who knew how to use a semi-colon (it's this thing - ; - in case you didn't know).

So I'm not worried about my classes - or if I am, it is only in the way I worry about any assignment that is given to me, because I want to do my best and I realize how much time and preparation I need to achieve that goal. Speaking of which (well, writing of which but that does sound rather silly), I want to get started on the reading for the essay due the soonest - I know it isn't due for a month, but I have two essays due the week after. The sooner I get this one done, the sooner I can start the others - so I'm going to stop writing now and start reading.

I'll post again soon; I'll try to do a post a week if not more.