And so another day in London ended with a happy and content feeling.
This week's trip was to Shakespeare's the Globe to see Richard III. I thought I'd be prepared for it because of how many times I've been to Blackfriar's Playhouse in Staunton, but I was wrong. Yes, certain aspects mirror Blackfriar's stage, but it's even more impressive. With three stories, large yard, and an open ceiling, the stage nonetheless dominates the theater. Wood columns painted to look like marble hold up a stage ceiling decorated with constellations and metal stars. Of course, once the play actually started, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the actors to admire the trappings more.
We had groundling tickets (aka: the cheap seats) where we stood in the yard. Even though the standing part was quite enjoyable, I barely noticed because my groundling status allowed me to be unbelievably close to the stage. I was literally two people away and it was awesome. Normally, I don't really like Shakespeare's histories, but like I said, the actors kept my attention with their wonderful performances.
The cast was all men, making the women's part even more interesting. It was strange at first, seeing someone who was clearly a man by looks and voice, pretending to be women, but after a while I barely noticed. The two Princes of the Tower, who were played by two boys no older than ten and seven respectively, were absolutely adorable! I just wanted to take the little Duke of York home he was so cute! The interaction with the audience throughout was also amusing and wonderful. For example, during Richard's speech to his troops (the audience) he asked Matt if he had lands. Matt shook his head. Seeing the thirteen of us girls surrounding him, the actor asked if he had beautiful wives. With a knowing smirk, Matt nodded. Oh, it would've been even more hilarious if he'd said he actually lived with all of us. If you're ever in London, I would definitely recommend making a stop at the Globe because you'll enjoy yourself no matter the play.
Of course, all I expected from this trip was this play, plus a little more sight seeing of London. Contrary to my expectations, a few pleasant surprises also came along, the first being with the play. You'll never guess who one of the actors was. Roger Llyod-Pack! You all may know him better as Barty Crouch Senior! He was just as splendid on the stage as he was on film. This was made all the more perfect by the fact that the Globe is located near the Millennium Bridge, the bridge that was destroyed in the Half Blood Prince! So perfect.
Want to know another thing that's perfect? Goat ice cream! I know, random, but I can explain. Located on the way to the Globe, in addition to a reproduction of Sir Francis Drake's ship The Hind, is the Borough Market. You'll know you're there by the mouth watering array of smells that will greet your nose. It's a huge food market, full of baked goods, meats, cheeses, and lunch foods. Although it was really hard to choose (and restrain myself from buying a tempting wheel of cheese), Rachel and I ended up getting empanadas and eating them in a cathedral courtyard right beside the market. Now, what does this all have to do with goat ice cream? One of the stalls in the market is called the Greedy Goat and they have amazing ice cream made from goat's milk. After some thought, we got a scoop of Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake and a scoop of Apple Pie. Overall, I liked it better than cow's milk ice cream. It's lighter on the tongue and sweeter.
Unfortunately, it was eaten all too quickly so Rachel and I moved on. Without a true plan, we rode the Underground to Kensington High Street, wandering into Kensington Gardens. We ended up at Victoria's memorial to Prince Albert, which is taller and more impressive than any of the surrounding buildings. A golden statue of Albert sits beneath a tower that shoots towards the sky, supported by sculptures of the great inventors, writers, philosophers, and artists of Europe and guarded by four groups of statues representing four continents. I don't think anyone would be able to make the mistake that Victoria didn't love her husband after seeing this.
By that time, it was getting dark, so we decided to get home. However, as we went into the Underground, I noticed something. The line we needed to get back to Paddington also happened to stop at King's Cross Station. Can anyone guess my sudden inspiration? Platform 9 3/4! Hee hee. Although the station is a little bit more modern than it looks in the movies, it was still exciting. The platform is relegated to the less busy end of the station and consists of a bare space of brick wall with a sign and half of a cart attached to the wall. The bookstore is right beside it and of course, the Harry Potter books were prominently displayed in the window beside the platform. Ah, advertizing. Still, it was a very good ending of a day.
Sunday, 30 September 2012
Saturday, 22 September 2012
My First Concert: CN Blue was Breathtaking
WARNING: FOR MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO DO NOT KNOW WHO CN BLUE IS, PLEASE READ THIS BLIP BEFORE READING THE REST OF THE POST:
CN Blue is one of the South Korean groups I listen to, actually one of the only two that play their own instruments. They're of the pop and rock persuasion. Yonghwa (tan jacket) is the main vocalist and leader, Jonghyun (to Yonghwa's left) is the lead guitarist, Jungshin (far left) is the bassist and rapper, and Minhyuk (far right) is the drummer. The last three also provide vocals.
PLEASE CHECK OUT ONE OF THESE SONGS SO YOU'LL HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE CONCERT WAS LIKE. THERE ARE ENGLISH SUBTITLES. THANKS.
Intuition
Love Girl
Still in Love
It's so late and my body aches...but I must write about my amazing experience while it's still fresh in my mind. Shall I start at the beginning? Nah, too boring. I guess I'll just start from once I got into London.
I had my day all planned out: explore London's Chinatown and get some more music before getting the indigO2 (to which I got Google directions) three hours before the doors opened. Unfortunately, it didn't exactly go that way. The Chinatown here is much smaller and has less shops than New Yorks. Admittedly, it does smell better due to all the restaurants. Only one shop had Chinese music, and that was a box of twenty year old CDs buried under a pile of books. Then, when it came time for me to get to the arena, turns out Google Maps lied to me...grrr. I rode a lot further than I needed to and ended up getting there to what I thought was a long line with only two hours to spare.
Fate, however, turned out on my side, because guess who stepped into line just a few seconds after me? One of my fan fiction readers! We'd agreed to meet up previously, but were still worried something wouldn't work, but it was perfect! It was nice to have her, her mom, and her cousin to hang out with in line. To keep ourselves, we people watched. It was a little strange, but there were a good number of guys there (probably boyfriends dragged there). It was really fun though since we found a couple K-pop idol look alikes among them. These would be an EXO's Chen, a Super Junior's Sungmin and Shindong, an Infinite Sungjong, and a Brian Joo. From our position, we were also able to appreciate our luck of timing since the line grew until it extended out of sight around the nearby building. Thank goodness we weren't late. Also during our wait, I got my picture with my sign taken by UnitedKpop and may be on a blogger's youtube video about the concert (if I am, I'll tell y'all later.)!
Once we actaully got into the indigO2, I was surprised. True to it's name, there was a lot of indigo lighting, but it was also really small. The pit wasn't too big, maybe twenty, thirty people deep, and then there was a slight rise for the rest of the floor. I ended up with a really good spot on the rise in front of the center of the stage, right where Yonghwa would be, just behind a really short woman. It took an hour to get everyone, but even then the lighting and sounds people had fun with us, teasing us by lowering and raising lights and the music. Not very nice.
When CN Blue finally came onto stage, they made sure to make an entrance. Lots of bright, flashing lights and smoke. I could actually feel my neck vibrating I was screaming so hard. I made sure to hold my sign high, so I hope they saw it. I'm just afraid it was too dark or I was too far away and then I was made to put it down...oh well, I got to see them. Ladies, it's true. They're just as handsome and cute in real life as they are in their mvs and on TV. The concert had a more rock feeling than I was expecting though. Not that that's a bad thing; I could tell this was what they were passionate about and loved doing; and not to be puny, but they absolutely rocked the songs. Opening with 'Intuition', CN Blue actually played a few English songs along with their usual like 'I'm a Loner', 'Hey You', 'Love Girl', 'Come On' and 'Still in Love'. I'm a little ashamed to admit I didn't know all the songs they sang, but those that I did, I promise I sang my heart out to make any fangirl proud. The guys seemed really surprised we could sing along so well with their songs, and their resulting grins made me so happy.
You all should have seen the way they played; it was, to use one of their favorite words of the night, 'Awesome!' My respect for them as musicians and my overall love of them skyrocketed because of the concert. They proved their talent is absolutely real. You know how some groups sound great on the CD and not so great live? Not the case with CN Blue. They sounded even better live, voices and instrument wise. Even better, their passion for their music shone through. Yonghwa was really playful and full of energy; dancing around the stage, going on his knees sometimes, messing around with Jongshin, doing this really cute hip-shoulder wiggle when he sang. Jungshin was exactly the same way. Minhyuk played along happily on his little pedestal. Jonghyun was a little more contained, but his quiet passion was beautiful.
Their English was almost as beautiful today. Although they introduced themselves (we all said their names before they got the chance) in English after 'Intuition', it was Yonghwa who did most of the talking, with some input from Jungshin. It wasn't much, but it wasn't too Engrish either. The most used words were 'awesome', 'amazing', and 'thank you'. They're so adorable! Before they had to go, we got to sing Happy Birthday to Jungshin in English AND Korean. I was really sad it over, but the ending was an achingly beautiful solo by Jonghyun. Honestly, his voice just makes me want to cry it's so beautiful. They got a lot of presents, mostly bracelets, which Yonghwa promptly put on, and a few other things, but I only had eyes for them. I finally got to see some of my sweet oppas (what younger girls call older guys in Korean) in their element and it's something I'll never forget.
I did get some pictures and two seconds long videos in, but cameras were actually restricted. Once the show started though, no one did anything about the ton of people recording and taking pictures. I have two reasons for getting so little: I wanted to respect our CN Blue boys and I literally could not get my camera out of my purse because my arms were pinned to my body. Seriously. I was shoved, and I mean actually shoved with two hands and a body, from my original spot by this tall Asian girl. This forced me to troll on another tall person in front of me by almost resting my chin on her shoulder so I could see all, or at least most of the stage (Jonghyun ended up blocked for half of the time). Then, this Korean girl (I know she was Korean because I heard her complaining to her friend in Korean), tried to force me from my spot by pushing her hip into me. However, me being my stubborn to a point of ridiculousness self, refused, and ended up literally spending half the concert standing diagonally, leaning on her because she was and kept pushing so hard. Said person also had her elbow on my shoulder and kept stabbing me in the neck with it when she jumped. Ouch. In the end, I kind of reclaimed my original spot with a better view (Take that neck stabber!). Now, if you'll excuse me, my bed is calling and please send me good wishes since I don't think I'll be able to talk tomorrow. Love you all.
CN Blue is one of the South Korean groups I listen to, actually one of the only two that play their own instruments. They're of the pop and rock persuasion. Yonghwa (tan jacket) is the main vocalist and leader, Jonghyun (to Yonghwa's left) is the lead guitarist, Jungshin (far left) is the bassist and rapper, and Minhyuk (far right) is the drummer. The last three also provide vocals.
PLEASE CHECK OUT ONE OF THESE SONGS SO YOU'LL HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE CONCERT WAS LIKE. THERE ARE ENGLISH SUBTITLES. THANKS.
Intuition
Love Girl
Still in Love
It's so late and my body aches...but I must write about my amazing experience while it's still fresh in my mind. Shall I start at the beginning? Nah, too boring. I guess I'll just start from once I got into London.
I had my day all planned out: explore London's Chinatown and get some more music before getting the indigO2 (to which I got Google directions) three hours before the doors opened. Unfortunately, it didn't exactly go that way. The Chinatown here is much smaller and has less shops than New Yorks. Admittedly, it does smell better due to all the restaurants. Only one shop had Chinese music, and that was a box of twenty year old CDs buried under a pile of books. Then, when it came time for me to get to the arena, turns out Google Maps lied to me...grrr. I rode a lot further than I needed to and ended up getting there to what I thought was a long line with only two hours to spare.
Fate, however, turned out on my side, because guess who stepped into line just a few seconds after me? One of my fan fiction readers! We'd agreed to meet up previously, but were still worried something wouldn't work, but it was perfect! It was nice to have her, her mom, and her cousin to hang out with in line. To keep ourselves, we people watched. It was a little strange, but there were a good number of guys there (probably boyfriends dragged there). It was really fun though since we found a couple K-pop idol look alikes among them. These would be an EXO's Chen, a Super Junior's Sungmin and Shindong, an Infinite Sungjong, and a Brian Joo. From our position, we were also able to appreciate our luck of timing since the line grew until it extended out of sight around the nearby building. Thank goodness we weren't late. Also during our wait, I got my picture with my sign taken by UnitedKpop and may be on a blogger's youtube video about the concert (if I am, I'll tell y'all later.)!
Once we actaully got into the indigO2, I was surprised. True to it's name, there was a lot of indigo lighting, but it was also really small. The pit wasn't too big, maybe twenty, thirty people deep, and then there was a slight rise for the rest of the floor. I ended up with a really good spot on the rise in front of the center of the stage, right where Yonghwa would be, just behind a really short woman. It took an hour to get everyone, but even then the lighting and sounds people had fun with us, teasing us by lowering and raising lights and the music. Not very nice.
When CN Blue finally came onto stage, they made sure to make an entrance. Lots of bright, flashing lights and smoke. I could actually feel my neck vibrating I was screaming so hard. I made sure to hold my sign high, so I hope they saw it. I'm just afraid it was too dark or I was too far away and then I was made to put it down...oh well, I got to see them. Ladies, it's true. They're just as handsome and cute in real life as they are in their mvs and on TV. The concert had a more rock feeling than I was expecting though. Not that that's a bad thing; I could tell this was what they were passionate about and loved doing; and not to be puny, but they absolutely rocked the songs. Opening with 'Intuition', CN Blue actually played a few English songs along with their usual like 'I'm a Loner', 'Hey You', 'Love Girl', 'Come On' and 'Still in Love'. I'm a little ashamed to admit I didn't know all the songs they sang, but those that I did, I promise I sang my heart out to make any fangirl proud. The guys seemed really surprised we could sing along so well with their songs, and their resulting grins made me so happy.
You all should have seen the way they played; it was, to use one of their favorite words of the night, 'Awesome!' My respect for them as musicians and my overall love of them skyrocketed because of the concert. They proved their talent is absolutely real. You know how some groups sound great on the CD and not so great live? Not the case with CN Blue. They sounded even better live, voices and instrument wise. Even better, their passion for their music shone through. Yonghwa was really playful and full of energy; dancing around the stage, going on his knees sometimes, messing around with Jongshin, doing this really cute hip-shoulder wiggle when he sang. Jungshin was exactly the same way. Minhyuk played along happily on his little pedestal. Jonghyun was a little more contained, but his quiet passion was beautiful.
Their English was almost as beautiful today. Although they introduced themselves (we all said their names before they got the chance) in English after 'Intuition', it was Yonghwa who did most of the talking, with some input from Jungshin. It wasn't much, but it wasn't too Engrish either. The most used words were 'awesome', 'amazing', and 'thank you'. They're so adorable! Before they had to go, we got to sing Happy Birthday to Jungshin in English AND Korean. I was really sad it over, but the ending was an achingly beautiful solo by Jonghyun. Honestly, his voice just makes me want to cry it's so beautiful. They got a lot of presents, mostly bracelets, which Yonghwa promptly put on, and a few other things, but I only had eyes for them. I finally got to see some of my sweet oppas (what younger girls call older guys in Korean) in their element and it's something I'll never forget.
I did get some pictures and two seconds long videos in, but cameras were actually restricted. Once the show started though, no one did anything about the ton of people recording and taking pictures. I have two reasons for getting so little: I wanted to respect our CN Blue boys and I literally could not get my camera out of my purse because my arms were pinned to my body. Seriously. I was shoved, and I mean actually shoved with two hands and a body, from my original spot by this tall Asian girl. This forced me to troll on another tall person in front of me by almost resting my chin on her shoulder so I could see all, or at least most of the stage (Jonghyun ended up blocked for half of the time). Then, this Korean girl (I know she was Korean because I heard her complaining to her friend in Korean), tried to force me from my spot by pushing her hip into me. However, me being my stubborn to a point of ridiculousness self, refused, and ended up literally spending half the concert standing diagonally, leaning on her because she was and kept pushing so hard. Said person also had her elbow on my shoulder and kept stabbing me in the neck with it when she jumped. Ouch. In the end, I kind of reclaimed my original spot with a better view (Take that neck stabber!). Now, if you'll excuse me, my bed is calling and please send me good wishes since I don't think I'll be able to talk tomorrow. Love you all.
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Adventures out of Reading
I'm sorry for not posting anything for a bit; it's been busy with all the reading. Anyway, here's where I've been able to go outside of Reading thus far. Don't worry, there will be many more.
Our seminar field trips so far have been to Portsmouth and Windsor Castle. I'll just tell y'all a little bit about them since I'm really eager to talk about today's adventure.
Portsmouth was very pretty, the salty smell of the sea hitting me as soon as I got off the bus. I didn't think the harbor water would be as pretty a green blue as it was since the parts of the Atlantic I've seen have been gray. We went to a museum about Henry VIII's ship the Mary Rose first, but we didn't get to see the part of the ship they had raised since it's still undergoing preservation efforts. From there we continued on to Lord Nelson's ship of the Battle of Trafalgar fame, the Victory. It was kind of surreal going through this historic ship, standing where men fought and died (there's even a plaque on the deck to show where Nelson fell). It was kind of funny though because below deck, the ceiling was really low, so much that Dr.Franke had to walk around bent over. I, on the other hand, could walk around just fine, my head a few centimeters away from the ceiling. The next ship we visited, the HMS Warrior, was nicer, but not as interesting if I'm being honest. With the free time we had left over, Rachel and I went to see the last surviving sail of the Victory from the Battle of Trafalgar. Kept in a 250 year old building, the sail is so enormous that 1/3 of it was kept rolled up. Keep in mind, the room it was laid out in enormous. They hadn't fixed any of the tears or holes in it caused by the battle, making it an impressive sight in its own right.
Windsor Castle was another incredible sight. We raced to see the changing of the guard, but arrived too late to get good spots, as demonstrated by my pictures which featuring the tops of other visitors' heads. It was loud, and slightly amusing as one of the songs the guard's band sang was the Beatles's 'Yesterday' (didn't see that coming). The castle, however, definitely lived up to my expectations. The architecture and attention to detail was unbelievable. Monarchs through the years have added to the original simple bailey and keep, with each addition being visible through the change of materials and architectural style. Unfortunately, I couldn't take any pictures inside the castle itself or in St.George's Chapel which is also inside the castle walls. Inside was breathtaking. I was able to be a breathe away from works by master painters like Reubens and Van Dyck and see treasures taken from colonies during the height of the British Empire. In the chapel, there's amazing tombs and Gothic architecture. Henry VIII and Charles I are buried there in a rather unassuming tomb, but the meeting place of the Knights of the Garter was beautiful.
And now...today's trip to...LONDON!!
Originally, the plan was to hang out and figure out how I'd get to the arena for the CN Blue concert I'm going to next week. Rachel came with me, as did Lauren and Laney as they'd decided to go earlier in the week. From Paddington Station, we walked to Piccadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square. Situated in front of the National Gallery, the square is incredible, featuring two fountains and a huge monument to Nelson which is guarding by four huge lions. We explored the National Gallery for a bit, allowing me to come face to face with some other masterpieces I never dreamed I'd see. We were only able to explore a few rooms before hunger got the better of us, but I could easily spend several days there.
Moving away from the Square, we found a small Italian restaurant, which has delicious pizza (made in the true Italian style and taste). After that, we tried to figure out my route, but had to change plans when the Underground (subway) line I needed was closed. In a spur of the moment decision, we decided to go to 221b Baker Street. The subway station was decorated with tiles of Sherlocke Holmes' silhouette and signs pointed the way to his famous abode. (No, it is not the location that the BBC 'Sherlocke' is filmed, but I'll find that too.) We didn't get into the museum, which is the actual 221b residence, but the gift shop was full of equally fascinating things, from a Holmes hat to character chess pieces. I relegated myself to a button even though the hat looked cool. Returning to Trafalgar Square to pick up Laney, who'd met a friend, we got free hugs (part of Free Hugs campaign, so don't freak out) from a very cute Italian guy.
From there we went to Big Ben and West Minster Abbey. The sculptures on Westminster were...beautiful and so detailed. It's mind blowing thinking how much time and work went into the building. I wasn't able to see the inside, but I'll get there eventually. From the abbey we walked down to the Thames, where we found...the Transmitter! For those of you who don't watch Dr.Who, I am referring to what non-Dr.Who fans know simply as the London Eye. I just revealed how dorky I am, didn't I? Oh well, dorks have more fun. If you cross the bridge, then go under it and head to the Eye, you'll also encounter a ton of street performers and a small carnival area. The performers are very funny, talented, and well worth a visit.
As it was getting dark, the four of us headed home, serenaded by drunk British men singing drinking songs on the way home on the train. I won't lie, we found it hilarious. Today was an absolutely amazing day; I'm so glad I decided to go and the people who went with me were there. However, I am glad to be back home at 141 where I can rest my sore feet.
Our seminar field trips so far have been to Portsmouth and Windsor Castle. I'll just tell y'all a little bit about them since I'm really eager to talk about today's adventure.
Portsmouth was very pretty, the salty smell of the sea hitting me as soon as I got off the bus. I didn't think the harbor water would be as pretty a green blue as it was since the parts of the Atlantic I've seen have been gray. We went to a museum about Henry VIII's ship the Mary Rose first, but we didn't get to see the part of the ship they had raised since it's still undergoing preservation efforts. From there we continued on to Lord Nelson's ship of the Battle of Trafalgar fame, the Victory. It was kind of surreal going through this historic ship, standing where men fought and died (there's even a plaque on the deck to show where Nelson fell). It was kind of funny though because below deck, the ceiling was really low, so much that Dr.Franke had to walk around bent over. I, on the other hand, could walk around just fine, my head a few centimeters away from the ceiling. The next ship we visited, the HMS Warrior, was nicer, but not as interesting if I'm being honest. With the free time we had left over, Rachel and I went to see the last surviving sail of the Victory from the Battle of Trafalgar. Kept in a 250 year old building, the sail is so enormous that 1/3 of it was kept rolled up. Keep in mind, the room it was laid out in enormous. They hadn't fixed any of the tears or holes in it caused by the battle, making it an impressive sight in its own right.
Windsor Castle was another incredible sight. We raced to see the changing of the guard, but arrived too late to get good spots, as demonstrated by my pictures which featuring the tops of other visitors' heads. It was loud, and slightly amusing as one of the songs the guard's band sang was the Beatles's 'Yesterday' (didn't see that coming). The castle, however, definitely lived up to my expectations. The architecture and attention to detail was unbelievable. Monarchs through the years have added to the original simple bailey and keep, with each addition being visible through the change of materials and architectural style. Unfortunately, I couldn't take any pictures inside the castle itself or in St.George's Chapel which is also inside the castle walls. Inside was breathtaking. I was able to be a breathe away from works by master painters like Reubens and Van Dyck and see treasures taken from colonies during the height of the British Empire. In the chapel, there's amazing tombs and Gothic architecture. Henry VIII and Charles I are buried there in a rather unassuming tomb, but the meeting place of the Knights of the Garter was beautiful.
And now...today's trip to...LONDON!!
Originally, the plan was to hang out and figure out how I'd get to the arena for the CN Blue concert I'm going to next week. Rachel came with me, as did Lauren and Laney as they'd decided to go earlier in the week. From Paddington Station, we walked to Piccadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square. Situated in front of the National Gallery, the square is incredible, featuring two fountains and a huge monument to Nelson which is guarding by four huge lions. We explored the National Gallery for a bit, allowing me to come face to face with some other masterpieces I never dreamed I'd see. We were only able to explore a few rooms before hunger got the better of us, but I could easily spend several days there.
Moving away from the Square, we found a small Italian restaurant, which has delicious pizza (made in the true Italian style and taste). After that, we tried to figure out my route, but had to change plans when the Underground (subway) line I needed was closed. In a spur of the moment decision, we decided to go to 221b Baker Street. The subway station was decorated with tiles of Sherlocke Holmes' silhouette and signs pointed the way to his famous abode. (No, it is not the location that the BBC 'Sherlocke' is filmed, but I'll find that too.) We didn't get into the museum, which is the actual 221b residence, but the gift shop was full of equally fascinating things, from a Holmes hat to character chess pieces. I relegated myself to a button even though the hat looked cool. Returning to Trafalgar Square to pick up Laney, who'd met a friend, we got free hugs (part of Free Hugs campaign, so don't freak out) from a very cute Italian guy.
From there we went to Big Ben and West Minster Abbey. The sculptures on Westminster were...beautiful and so detailed. It's mind blowing thinking how much time and work went into the building. I wasn't able to see the inside, but I'll get there eventually. From the abbey we walked down to the Thames, where we found...the Transmitter! For those of you who don't watch Dr.Who, I am referring to what non-Dr.Who fans know simply as the London Eye. I just revealed how dorky I am, didn't I? Oh well, dorks have more fun. If you cross the bridge, then go under it and head to the Eye, you'll also encounter a ton of street performers and a small carnival area. The performers are very funny, talented, and well worth a visit.
As it was getting dark, the four of us headed home, serenaded by drunk British men singing drinking songs on the way home on the train. I won't lie, we found it hilarious. Today was an absolutely amazing day; I'm so glad I decided to go and the people who went with me were there. However, I am glad to be back home at 141 where I can rest my sore feet.
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Class, Walking, Walking, and More Walking
I can't believe it's already Wednesday. It almost feels like I've been here forever already.
So, classes (and by classes I mean seminars) started yesterday and they're actually pretty good. Of course, I'm trying not to think of the three papers I already have assigned for them, but it won't be too bad...hopefully. My first seminar was my War and Strategy in the Nuclear Age. Sounds like a ton of fun, right? I have a 4 page, front and back, bibliography of reading, but the course overall seems like it will be interesting. I'm already thinking differently and learning. The professor's pretty cool too. Here's a history joke for you all that he told us.
Post WWII, a Polish general was asked how he'd handle a simultaneous invasion by the Germans and the Russians. His answer: "In the morning, the great Polish army would go and defeat the Russians. Then in the afternoon, the great Polish army would go and defeat the Germans, because we believe in business before pleasure."
Funny, right?...Well, it was for us history dorks...oh, well.
Anyway, that was yesterday. Today was our first British history intensive, focusing on Britain's development as a naval power since we'll be going to Portsmouth this Friday to see Lord Nelson's ship. Our professor was really enthusiastic and there was so much I'd never even known since I just knew the general history. It was so awesome!
After class, I went to the library to attempt to dent my reading list for War, which is a 15-20 minute walk from the house depending on how fast you walk. At least there's no hills. Anyway, as soon as I saw the library, my inner bookworm went into a squealing fit. Five floors filled with books! Five! And the building is massive! Okay, yes, it's a little strange that I'm freaking out about books and learning, but it's me.
When I got back from the library, my legs were kind of hurting (Remember, Randolph campus takes six minutes to cross, maximum), but I went out with Rachel, Lanely, and Lauren, just into town. Thing is, town is about 3 miles away, so I got a lot more walking in today, especially since we walked back too. I'm not complaining though; it's healthy.
Let me say this about the 'town' of Reading. I love it for it's diversity (I see more races of people and hear more languages walking down the street than I've seen period in Virginia) and the fact that I don't stick out like a sore thumb anymore (they're not all blond haired, blue eyed!), but I am realizing now more than ever how much of a country girl I am. Being able to get to stores without a car? Public transportation? Police sirens more frequent than once every two months? Foreign ideas I'll have to get use to. Also, the English definition of a town and my definition are clearly different. Trust me, Reading is a city. Two malls, countless shops and tons of roads and people...you're a city.
So, classes (and by classes I mean seminars) started yesterday and they're actually pretty good. Of course, I'm trying not to think of the three papers I already have assigned for them, but it won't be too bad...hopefully. My first seminar was my War and Strategy in the Nuclear Age. Sounds like a ton of fun, right? I have a 4 page, front and back, bibliography of reading, but the course overall seems like it will be interesting. I'm already thinking differently and learning. The professor's pretty cool too. Here's a history joke for you all that he told us.
Post WWII, a Polish general was asked how he'd handle a simultaneous invasion by the Germans and the Russians. His answer: "In the morning, the great Polish army would go and defeat the Russians. Then in the afternoon, the great Polish army would go and defeat the Germans, because we believe in business before pleasure."
Funny, right?...Well, it was for us history dorks...oh, well.
Anyway, that was yesterday. Today was our first British history intensive, focusing on Britain's development as a naval power since we'll be going to Portsmouth this Friday to see Lord Nelson's ship. Our professor was really enthusiastic and there was so much I'd never even known since I just knew the general history. It was so awesome!
After class, I went to the library to attempt to dent my reading list for War, which is a 15-20 minute walk from the house depending on how fast you walk. At least there's no hills. Anyway, as soon as I saw the library, my inner bookworm went into a squealing fit. Five floors filled with books! Five! And the building is massive! Okay, yes, it's a little strange that I'm freaking out about books and learning, but it's me.
When I got back from the library, my legs were kind of hurting (Remember, Randolph campus takes six minutes to cross, maximum), but I went out with Rachel, Lanely, and Lauren, just into town. Thing is, town is about 3 miles away, so I got a lot more walking in today, especially since we walked back too. I'm not complaining though; it's healthy.
Let me say this about the 'town' of Reading. I love it for it's diversity (I see more races of people and hear more languages walking down the street than I've seen period in Virginia) and the fact that I don't stick out like a sore thumb anymore (they're not all blond haired, blue eyed!), but I am realizing now more than ever how much of a country girl I am. Being able to get to stores without a car? Public transportation? Police sirens more frequent than once every two months? Foreign ideas I'll have to get use to. Also, the English definition of a town and my definition are clearly different. Trust me, Reading is a city. Two malls, countless shops and tons of roads and people...you're a city.
Monday, 3 September 2012
Asda Adventures
Mission first grocery trip a success.
Every Monday we get 50 pounds for our groceries and so after our meeting with Dr.Franke, we all set off. Unfortunately, we missed the buss and ended up walking to the store, which probably took about 20 minutes. It was kind of funny when we ended up walking in a line like ducklings when someone was coming the opposite way. Also, we had to take this back pedestrian path that was lined with blackberries. So tempting!
The store in question, basically an English version of Walmart, is called Asda. The place was packed and although certain aspects were just like the States, others were completely different, as is to be expected I suppose. There were a lot more vegetables and fruits...actually I think more kinds of food period. Other things were labeled much differently. Soda, for example, were fizzies. Since we all tossed in 5 pounds for communal food, I didn’t really need that much. Luckily, I did find most of what I need for this week’s meals and kept it under 20 pounds. Woots!
Getting back was another fun bit in itself. Unfortunately, by the time we finished shopping, the bus had stopped running. Our absolutely amazing house mother Gill came to our rescue. Her small car can only fit four of us plus her at a time so when it came to the last six of us, we had to get inventive. Matt got squashed in the boot (the trunk) while Lauren had to lay across the laps of us three in the back. Let’s just say my stomach hurt from laughing so hard on the way home.
As for classes, I still don’t have them for sure, but this is because of Chinese. I need to take an entry examine to decide which level I’ll get in, but that can’t happen until October. Hopefully I’ll get my linguistics classes, but we’ll see.
Every Monday we get 50 pounds for our groceries and so after our meeting with Dr.Franke, we all set off. Unfortunately, we missed the buss and ended up walking to the store, which probably took about 20 minutes. It was kind of funny when we ended up walking in a line like ducklings when someone was coming the opposite way. Also, we had to take this back pedestrian path that was lined with blackberries. So tempting!
The store in question, basically an English version of Walmart, is called Asda. The place was packed and although certain aspects were just like the States, others were completely different, as is to be expected I suppose. There were a lot more vegetables and fruits...actually I think more kinds of food period. Other things were labeled much differently. Soda, for example, were fizzies. Since we all tossed in 5 pounds for communal food, I didn’t really need that much. Luckily, I did find most of what I need for this week’s meals and kept it under 20 pounds. Woots!
Getting back was another fun bit in itself. Unfortunately, by the time we finished shopping, the bus had stopped running. Our absolutely amazing house mother Gill came to our rescue. Her small car can only fit four of us plus her at a time so when it came to the last six of us, we had to get inventive. Matt got squashed in the boot (the trunk) while Lauren had to lay across the laps of us three in the back. Let’s just say my stomach hurt from laughing so hard on the way home.
As for classes, I still don’t have them for sure, but this is because of Chinese. I need to take an entry examine to decide which level I’ll get in, but that can’t happen until October. Hopefully I’ll get my linguistics classes, but we’ll see.
Still Waiting For It To Sink In
Hello everybody! Since a lot of people wanted me to keep them updated on my adventures here, I figured a blog would be the easiest manner of doing so. I've only been here a few days, but it feels so much longer...I probably should start at the beginning, shouldn't I?
So, after an hour delay at Dulles, the other fellow Readingites and I began our journey. The flight to Reykjavik wasn't to bad since we had personal televisions and could choose movies or tv episodes to watch. Our layover in Iceland was made nonexistent by our delay, which I regret. It looked so beautiful from the sky at 6 AM (their time). I think I slept five minutes total. We arrived at Heathrow mid-morning and after some slight confusion, made it to our bus. On our way to Reading we passed Windsor Castle, but all we could see was the tower tips. From the bus station we took cabs, which are very roomie, to our new home, 141 Whiteknights Road.
Dr. Franke, the program director, greeted us, as did our house mother, Gill. My roommate Rachel and I then preceded to our room, located in the Wibbly Wobbly Corridor. The corridor is very twisty and hilly with a very short ceiling. Seriously, I barely have to raise my arms to touch it. The room itself is very nice, with its own sink, a large window, and a small couch. The rest of the house is really nice too with parts of it built in the 1700s, but it is somewhat of a maze. The garden is beautiful with its ivy and roses.
After we got a little settled and ate some wonderful dinner Gill and Lex, one of Gill's friends that often hangs out with us, we all went out to explore Reading. From there we walked through town to pub called the Nag's Head. It was very nice and homey, but not being a drinker meant I got a little bored (I did try someone's coffee flavored ale, but definitely not my thing). Everyone else had fun though and from there we went to one of the places every Readingite must go, a pub called the Purple Turtle. Inside, poor Lauren got hit on by one very drunk Scottish guy and another semi drunk one. Still, it was slightly amusing. Overall, a one time visit I think. Rachel, Lanely, Lauren and I called it an early night, thus ending our first half day in England.
Sunday, our first day, began with a tour of Reading University's Whiteknights campus. It use to be part of a manor house, but now the really nice house is for staff only. The campus is so big! I mean, it's probably because I'm comparing it to Randolph, but there's even a lake! The campus is absolutely beautiful though. When we returned from our tour, we got a full lunch, with roasted potatoes, vegetables, cabbage, pork, and chicken. Again, everything was delicious, but now we're mostly on our own for food. Thank goodness I can cook.
Today was another tour of Reading (which is a town, not a city even though it should be). It's so chock full of history, it's amazing. The ruins of Reading abbey, founding by Henry I, a son of William the Conqueror, sit right in the middle of town. The cemetery's a little sad in a beautiful way. There's also a church right by the ruins that used to be a Anglican church but but Fate's ironic hand is now a Roman Catholic church. It gave me a chuckle. When the tour ended, we explored by ourselves. Rachel and I got our mobiles and Cornish pasties for lunch. My corned beef pasty was so good! I also tried a Dr.Pepper, but it's definitely not the same. I think they use sugar here versus corn syrup.
Anyway, here's some impressions. It's an amazing place. You can go from a bustling road with loud cars and stores with all the modern conveniences to a quiet street garden where you could be anytime in seconds. The diversity is also amazing. Just down the street is a Chinese restaurant, an Indian restaurant, and an English chip shop, side by side. I'll explore those soon; I do have a year after all.
Even though I've been here almost two and a half days, it still doesn't feel real. Maybe once I start being around British people more and classes start it'll sink in.
This probably isn't the best blog update, but I'll get better, promise. Until then, hope you're all doing well. ^^
So, after an hour delay at Dulles, the other fellow Readingites and I began our journey. The flight to Reykjavik wasn't to bad since we had personal televisions and could choose movies or tv episodes to watch. Our layover in Iceland was made nonexistent by our delay, which I regret. It looked so beautiful from the sky at 6 AM (their time). I think I slept five minutes total. We arrived at Heathrow mid-morning and after some slight confusion, made it to our bus. On our way to Reading we passed Windsor Castle, but all we could see was the tower tips. From the bus station we took cabs, which are very roomie, to our new home, 141 Whiteknights Road.
Dr. Franke, the program director, greeted us, as did our house mother, Gill. My roommate Rachel and I then preceded to our room, located in the Wibbly Wobbly Corridor. The corridor is very twisty and hilly with a very short ceiling. Seriously, I barely have to raise my arms to touch it. The room itself is very nice, with its own sink, a large window, and a small couch. The rest of the house is really nice too with parts of it built in the 1700s, but it is somewhat of a maze. The garden is beautiful with its ivy and roses.
After we got a little settled and ate some wonderful dinner Gill and Lex, one of Gill's friends that often hangs out with us, we all went out to explore Reading. From there we walked through town to pub called the Nag's Head. It was very nice and homey, but not being a drinker meant I got a little bored (I did try someone's coffee flavored ale, but definitely not my thing). Everyone else had fun though and from there we went to one of the places every Readingite must go, a pub called the Purple Turtle. Inside, poor Lauren got hit on by one very drunk Scottish guy and another semi drunk one. Still, it was slightly amusing. Overall, a one time visit I think. Rachel, Lanely, Lauren and I called it an early night, thus ending our first half day in England.
Sunday, our first day, began with a tour of Reading University's Whiteknights campus. It use to be part of a manor house, but now the really nice house is for staff only. The campus is so big! I mean, it's probably because I'm comparing it to Randolph, but there's even a lake! The campus is absolutely beautiful though. When we returned from our tour, we got a full lunch, with roasted potatoes, vegetables, cabbage, pork, and chicken. Again, everything was delicious, but now we're mostly on our own for food. Thank goodness I can cook.
Today was another tour of Reading (which is a town, not a city even though it should be). It's so chock full of history, it's amazing. The ruins of Reading abbey, founding by Henry I, a son of William the Conqueror, sit right in the middle of town. The cemetery's a little sad in a beautiful way. There's also a church right by the ruins that used to be a Anglican church but but Fate's ironic hand is now a Roman Catholic church. It gave me a chuckle. When the tour ended, we explored by ourselves. Rachel and I got our mobiles and Cornish pasties for lunch. My corned beef pasty was so good! I also tried a Dr.Pepper, but it's definitely not the same. I think they use sugar here versus corn syrup.
Anyway, here's some impressions. It's an amazing place. You can go from a bustling road with loud cars and stores with all the modern conveniences to a quiet street garden where you could be anytime in seconds. The diversity is also amazing. Just down the street is a Chinese restaurant, an Indian restaurant, and an English chip shop, side by side. I'll explore those soon; I do have a year after all.
Even though I've been here almost two and a half days, it still doesn't feel real. Maybe once I start being around British people more and classes start it'll sink in.
This probably isn't the best blog update, but I'll get better, promise. Until then, hope you're all doing well. ^^
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