After I wrote that previous post, I hung out for a bit at the dorms. Some people were doing a pancake supper at midnight, so most of us went to that. There were a lot of us there (Donald, Alex, Virlinda, Ditoria, Ontaria, Amanda, Katie, Jake, Brandy, Anjelica, etc. etc.) We all sat around for several hours and just had a good time. They made (real) bacon, waffles, and pancakes. It was a fun final hoorah in London.
One of the teachers, Dr. Lang, came up to us at 2:00 a.m., when the party was winding down, and complained about the noise. She said we had kept her awake for the past two hours. Of course, she could have just come and notified us we were too loud two hours earlier. Really though, I'm not sure it would have made a difference. We were hyper, ready to go, and just plain excited. I had all ready packed. I had my grades. I was going to be boarding a plane in a few short hours. I wasn't really concerned at all about my behavior. In retrospect, that's no way to act.
We climbed about a bus (coach) around 3:45 in the morning. We were all tired, but running on some sort of invisible steam. We looked really ridiculous standing out on the street at that hour of the morning, talking loud and making jokes. I think Gideon mooned Gabe up from Gideon's room, since he had several more hours until they left. We all got aboard the bus and had to wait a few minutes on Katie, who was running behind in her packing. We then took the forty-five minute ride out to Heathrow Airport. It felt really strange and kind of liberating to look around at London and realize that the place I had lived for five weeks I would probably never see again. Even though I had stayed there for five weeks and made some really great friends and had an awesome time, London didn't feel like home. I didn't have the connection with it that I had had with previous places I've stayed. I actually feel a bit more sad when I leave Lynn Haven than when I left London.
The lines at Heathrow were outrageous. We arrived later than the 2-3 hours they recommend, I was almost certain that we would end up missing our flights. We stood in line for at least an hour or so, complaining about the wait, and they finally let us know that since we had so many people on our flight to Frankfurt, they were holding the plane for us. So, they opened up a special line for our flight just as I had finished checking in. I then made my way through Heathrow Airport, found our terminal, and climbed aboard the plane to Frankfurt.
The ride to Frankfurt was miserable. I had a nice aisle seat that allowed me to spread out, but the ride was tiresome. I may have napped a few minutes, I'm not really sure. They served us a horrible cheese sandwich that I took two bites of before putting it down. We hit some up-and-down turbulence and I started feeling incredibly nauseous. Thankfully we landed when we did, because I had the feeling I was going to be sick. When we arrived at the Frankfurt airport I was so relieved to just breathe semi-fresh air. We took the bus off the runway to the airport terminal and arrived just in time to make our flight back to America.
I wanted to stop and get something to eat or drink since I was still feeling a bit sick, but we didn't really have time. I was so relieved once we boarded the plane bound for Atlanta. The sound system on the plane wasn't working, so we didn't get to watch the movie (Blades of Glory), but that wasn't really that big of a deal. They served us plenty of drinks and even some rather distasteful meal that made me more angry than anything. It was not very good and all I really wanted to do was get back to American and eat some real food.
I managed to sleep about two or three hours on the ride back, which was nice. But, perhaps the greatest thing of all about the flight was touching down in Atlanta. It felt so good to be back in America. We cheered when we landed. Once we were off the plane we went through customs, collected our bags, sent them back through to be checked, went through security, then had to go collect our bags once again. It was all a hassle, but it went by pretty quick. I was just thrilled to be back. I didn't really say much to the people I had become friends with in London. I'm not sure why. I'm not sure if it was because I was so anxious to get back, that most of them were there with their friends and family, or just because it's not in my disposition. I said goodbye to a few, but once I collected my bags, I was more concerned with getting on the Groome bus and getting back to Columbus, Georgia.
It was swelteringly hot once I got outside. That was the first real sign that I was home. Also, the people spoke to me. That was the second sign. I had to wait outside for about fifteen or twenty minutes before the Groome bus to Columbus came (there was one going to Macon all ready there when I got there). I spoke to a guy who was going from Atlanta to Columbus and needed to get to Columbus in time to check into his hotel. I don't know if this had anything to do with motivating our driver, but she got us back home in record time. We actually arrived back in Columbus in less than an hour and a half.
I immediately called my parents once I got off of the bus. Within ten minutes they were pulling up in my Dad's silver Grand Prix to get me. The car was a total mess in the backseat and the trunk--another sign that I was truly home. Not to mention, it was just wonderful to see my parents. I loaded up my things and chatted with them while we road back to the house.
I suppose this effectively ended my adventure in England, but I will let you know that once I got home I took a shower and we all went to Carrabba's for dinner. Real food. Yum. Even as I write this (Sunday, August 5, 2007), I'm still amazed that it's all over. It just surprises me how much time flies and how soon things come to an end. I can say that I'm very thankful for the opportunity I had to go to England, and even more thankful to the friends and family that were supportive of me while I was there and since I've been back home. I have said it before, but I think I can best sum up my trip in three words: God Bless America.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Day Thirty Five: The Last Full Day
I started the day off by going to Gregg’s and getting a sausage roll, donut, and a piece of Tottenham Cake for breakfast. It was all quite tasty and I really enjoyed it. After breakfast I got a shower then I began my packing routine. That’s when the real fun began.
Our bags are required to be 50 pounds or less each. Well, I bought another bag earlier in the week to handle my souvenirs. Unfortunately, when it came time to pack, my main was well over 50 pounds. So, I took my bag back to the street vendor I bought it from and exchanged it for another bag. I ended up having to pay an extra fifteen pounds for my new bag, which honestly, is not too large. For the same price I could have gotten a larger bag from that same vendor, but I realized this after the purchase. I’m not too worried about it, because I don’t really need anymore luggage at all. We’ve got so many pieces of luggage at the house right now that it’s ridiculous, and I certainly don’t need another big piece.
Anyways, I got back to the dorms and continued packing. I took the four Hanes t-shirts I got for this trip, as well as an old long sleeve shirt I brought (which I found out the other day had a hole in it), and the hoodie I bought here down to the YMCA charity shop. I had planned on donating all of that to Goodwill when I got back home, but with the weight limit on bag as high as it was, I knew I had to go ahead and get rid of it. I would end up taking my flip flops that I bought and donating those as well. But, I was really confused on the whole bag situation.
I really have not bought a whole lot of souvenirs, especially heavy souvenirs. I have bought quite a few books, but mostly all of the books I bought where in my smaller bag. By the time I gave away my shirts and whatnot (and keep in mind I am also not bringing back any toiletries), it said my luggage actually weighed at or more than when I brought it over here. I think the scales we were using were a bit off. Right now though I know my bags are at the right weight limit, so I feel confident I won’t have any problems at the airport. Although I don’t like having to tote another bag with me, I really didn’t have any other choice. Shipping stuff back to the states is simply too expensive.
By the time I got done packing my things it was time for lunch. So, I went to Hard Rock Café and got a burger to eat. The food was great, but the service was greatly lacking—much like all of the other restaurant service I’ve had since I’ve been here. I notice that a lot of places include gratuity in with the price of the meals, so I suppose that’s why most of the waiters and waitresses here don’t even try.
When I got back to the dorms after lunch, I found Ashley and bought the extra ticket she had for the Lion King this evening. I then went to sleep for a little bit until it was time for the show. Prior to this I had gone and exchanged my money for U.S. dollars and stopped in a comic shop and bought a few things. My nap was a bit brief, but dinner would wake me up a bit. We ate at an Italian restaurant down the street call Zizzi’s. Everyone had been talking about how good it is, but I was quite disappointed.
I paid ten pounds for a pasta dish that was loaded with mushrooms (the description made the mushrooms sound secondary) and very little chicken. The sauce was quite bland and wouldn’t stick to the noodles, so it was like eating plain noodles. There are quite a few Italian restaurants in the area, and I’m pretty sure that one or two of them are probably better than Zizzi’s. Nonetheless, it was Donald, Virlinda, Ashley, and myself eating there and we all had a great time.
After dinner we made our way to Charing Cross to go to the show. Ashley found the theatre for us with ease and before too long, we were climbing steps up to the level our tickets were on and getting ready to watch the Lion King. Donald had purchased his own ticket yesterday and he was sitting on the floor level. Virlinda, Ashley, and I were all up a level. The seats were still excellent though. And let me go ahead and say this: I’m not a big fan of theatre, but the Lion King was amazing. The costumes, lighting, music, acting—all of it was out of this world. Everyone did such an amazing job.
On our way back I had to bum some money from Donald to put on my Oyster card. The cards expired yesterday, and since they had put a little extra money on them for our Saturday and Sunday travel when we first got here, we were able to travel around a bit today. But, I only had a few pence left on my card, and it wasn’t enough to get from Charing Cross to Goodge Street. Although I could have walked, Donald was nice enough to loan me the money. So, it was our final ride on the London Underground.
I’m not just finishing up this blog post, which I won’t actually get to post until I get home. My Internet finally expired around noon today. It lasted a lot longer than I was expecting and I’m thankful for that.
I can honestly say now that I’m looking forward to getting back home. It has been five weeks and I’ve gotten to see everything in London that I wanted to see. If there was anything really that I would want to see, I would like to get another shot at watching the changing of the guard, row the Serpentine, see the statues of John Wesley and his old home (which I think are in London), and maybe see Abbey Road just to say I’ve been there. But overall, I didn’t do that stuff because I wasn’t that motivated to do it. Everything I’ve wanted to see and do, I’ve done. Someone asked me earlier if I planned on coming back, and I told them I did: I do plan to return to England one day if possible. If I come back to England though, I have no intentions of returning to London.
I’ve loved my stay in England and I think it’s a wonderful country. And really, I’ve liked my time in London. Seeing the sites and whatnot have been really great. But as I’ve said here many, many times before: I’m not very fond of big cities and London is a very big city. That aside, I think this has been a really great experience for me. It’s taught me a lot about how to treat people (especially today after an incident with a bum and then a lady who was quite nice to me though she didn’t have to be), and just in general has affected the way I see the world.
I think I’ve come to realize even more that although we are different, we all share some very common elements. I’m willing to bet that metropolitan life is the same no matter where you got and no matter what country you’re in. Likewise, some traits that we may not chose to accept are also prevalent. Most of us like to think of Europe as a wonderful, cultured place. I hate to bring this to light, but it’s not as cheery as we make it seem to be. Racism is quite prevalent here from what I understand, as is a very rigid social hierarchy system. Remember the riots in France that happened a little ways back? Those were race riots. Which, on the top of France/Paris, I heard that the old stereotype of the French smelling bad is very much true.
It’s really kind of funny now that I think about it. Everyone I spoke to made it seem like studying abroad would really allow me to broaden my thinking and be more accepting and tolerant of people that are different from me. Everyone has said what a life-changing experience it would be. And while it has been a life-changing experience, it hasn’t been this great, massive thing that I was expecting. If anything, it’s made me realize that my beliefs about humanity as a whole have been right all along: we don’t know what we’re doing and we seriously need some help.
Materialism, greed, lust, and selfishness are killing us. They make life seem almost unbearable. Guns are obviously not the root of violence, as the people over here have a real problem with knife attacks. Have a wealthy society doesn’t mean there still aren’t poor people, because they’re all around us here. Drugs and alcoholism are a vicious disease that turns people away from what they could be and into some so much worse, and something completely unappealing. I’ve begun to realize that all of us, myself especially, need to slow down and take it easy. There’s no point in rushing because at the end of the day we’re all going to face the same Maker and trying to get as much as you can before you get there is meaningless.
I think from a spiritual standpoint I was really hoping to get some sort of revival out of this trip. That hasn’t really happened yet. I suppose I should since I see how much the world needs God, but at the same time, it’s like the people here have no interest. But you can tell the people here are searching for something. You can’t live lives the way they live here and not be looking for some gap to fill. I suppose many of them have become disillusioned with the church here because it’s been here so long and been abused in many ways.
I guess I'm just at a weird standpoint right now. I'm nearing the end of my trip here and I'm trying to decide exactly what it is that I've learned. I feel like I've learned a lot, or at least that I should have learned a lot, but I really can't say what it is that I have learned. Hopefully as time goes on that will reveal itself.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Day Thirty Four: Two Days Left in London
I started the day off by heading to Ramsay Hall for breakfast and eating some Kellog's Corn Pops and a croissant. After breakfast it was time for class--our last class of the semester. We took a final and did a class presentation on advertising in the Underground. I feel confident regarding both of those and I don't see any reason at all why I should not make an A in my class. My grades so far have been good and even though there are still two papers left to grade for me, one of them is an extra credit paper, and the other I feel I did a good job of covering my topic. So, I expect I will make an A and I look forward to that.
After class we went to lunch. They prepared what they said was chili con carne, in fact it was just beans and ground beef with a few spices and, of course, French fries. It was all pretty decent. It was our last meal in Ramsay Hall and I can say with all honesty that I'm not disappointed. Even if we were scheduled to have breakfast there tomorrow, I'd probably go down and get some orange juice and that's about it. I think tomorrow morning I will go to Gregg's and pick up something from there for breakfast. After lunch I went to my dorm to get the silverware I pilfered from the cafeteria and bring it back. I had thought about just leaving it in the kitchen here since there's no utensils in it, but I figured it was best to bring it back to where I got it from.
I then went back to my dorm room and took a nap for a while. I was still tired when I got up, but I got dressed and then made my way to the Victoria & Albert Museum. The V&A, as it is referred, is a nice museum. It's worth checking out, if anything, for the sculptures and other works of art there. It's got a lot of pieces of fashion, furniture, decor, and just general culture of Britain. It also has a room of several large Raphael "cartoons" of Biblical scenes which are amazing. One of the main exhibits I would have liked to have seen, an exhibit on Japan, was closed. I could look in and see a suit of samurai armor and several swords, but the overall exhibit was closed to visitors. They had some Asian art work, but most of it was from India and the Middle East. I am personally more fond of the art work of Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. But, it was a pretty good museum. I only spent about an hour (maybe less) in there because a lot of the stuff in it I wasn't too interested in.
Not to mention: I am getting a bit tired of museums. In the past five weeks I've seen a lot of museums and art galleries and as much as I love and respect these places, they get a little old. I am always amazed by some of the sculptures and things of that nature, but when you see an enormous room full of them, they start to lose their luster and I don't care for that. I'd rather be impressed by them. That's one of the reasons why I wouldn't want to live in London. I imagine that most of the people here at not impressed with South Bank, the Globe, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, etc. I would hate to feel like that towards those places. I would hate to pass by them and see them so much that they would just become normal buildings to me. I'd rather be in awe of them. But, I guess that is just what happens.
Once I got back to the dorms, I chilled out for a bit and just took some time to relax. I watched a few old Full House episodes on my computer and didn't really do a whole lot. At 7:15 p.m., several of us got together and made our way to our restaurant destination. We had decided that tonight we would do one final hoorah as far as meals go and go all-out and have a nice, expensive dinner at a fancy restaurant. So, Amanda, Katie, Donald, Gideon, and I all went to a Spanish (not Mexican) restaurant called Camino. We got a little bit lost getting there, but we managed to still find it and make it on time for our 8:00 p.m. reservation.
The restaurant itself was beautiful. It was dimly lit and very elegant. The wait staff was fairly friendly and very helpful. We started the meal off with some bread and extra virgin olive oil. We had intended on ordering "pan con tomate", but it would have required us rubbing in garlic on the bread and squeezing tomato on it, so we decided we would go the more simple route. Donald also got a latte. We then ordered our main dishes. Amanda and Katie had lamb, while Donald and Gideon ordered a rib-eye, and I ordered a fillet. Donald, Gideon, and I also ordered a dish of roasted potatoes, onions, peppers, and a free-range fried egg (and of course spices) all in a skillet. It looked and sounded a bit unappetizing, but once the waitress mixed it all together it was outstanding. Gideon dubbed it the "Spanish hash brown". It was a perfect compliment to my fillet (which all came with three potatoes). I ordered my fillet well, but it came out quite pink and in retrospect I'm glad I ordered it what I did. Apparently their version of well is not the same as ours back home, so if I ordered it any less than that I know I would have been disappointed.
We all shared a little bit of each other's meals. The lamb was quite tasty. The rib eye was good as well. I forgot to mention it, but Donald also ordered a dish of peppers stuffed with crab meat. It was also very good. The meal itself was fantastic. The fillet was great. The Spanish hash brown was awesome. Everyone seemed to be in agreement that everything was very good. After the main meal, the ladies and I ordered a dessert and Gideon ordered a beer while Donald had another latte. The dessert we ordered was somewhat like a chocolate muffin filled with melting chocolate on the inside. It was great. It also came with a scoop of orange sherbet and a raspberry side garnish. The orange sherbet was a perfect compliment to the chocolate dessert and a nice way to finish the meal. Even though it was rich, it wasn't filling in the sense that after all of the food you felt too full. The sherbet was light and the chocolate dessert was somewhat fluffy, so that it didn't feel like too much.
They brought us the ticket, and we spent a few minutes doing the math to figure out how much each of us had to pay. If I have no mentioned it yet: they don't divide up the tickets here. Every restaurant I have eaten at, they bring out one ticket and it is your job to divide it up if you so chose. I'm under the impression that dividing up the ticket by person is not how most people dine here. I'm thinking that people either go out to eat and one person pays, then another person pays the next time, or people order several different dishes and share, then just divide the check by how many people are there. Either way, I think its a very inefficient way of doing business. They've got the right idea by paying ahead of time at the pubs, but when it comes to meal tickets at other restaurants they really have made it more difficult than it should be. I don't think actually dividing the ticket up is that much of a chore, but that's the British for you.
It seems to me, from what I've witnessed, either we do a lot of things back home more efficiently or the Brits do some things that are just plain bizarre. I frankly think the Brits just do some things just to be different from everyone else. Not using the Euro even though they are in the EU, driving on a different side of the road, the ticket thing, I think are all just little ways for them to stand out. Of course, I suppose you could say the same thing about America. If I'm not mistaken, the U.S. and the U.K. are the only two countries not to use the metric system. Which, the Brits will sometimes use the metric and sometimes use the English system over here. Go figure. Also they way they do door swings can often times be confused. What you would think would be a pull door is a push door and vice versa. As Gideon asked tonight, "Why would you put a pull handle on the push side of a door?"
Either way, this is my next to last day here in England. It's been a phenomenal trip and I've had a wonderful time. It's strange to think that tomorrow will be our last full and final day here. It's looking like I might (finally) go to a show. Someone bought an extra Lion King ticket and I think I may go see that tomorrow evening. People told me that time would really go by fast while I was here and I wasn't too sure about it. The first week seemed to last a while, but then it seemed like all of a sudden I only had three or four days left. It's really something how it all works. This trip has really been a different, and fun, experience for me. It's like most things, there are some things I have not cared for and then some things I really have enjoyed. Overall I've been very pleased and grateful that I've gotten to have this experience. Getting to actually spend time in another country, with another culture, is really enlightening.
I suppose one of the things that surprises me most is that when people think of America, they can very easily associate us with the Brits. And even though we do have a lot of similarities, it's worth saying that overall we are so very, very different. The attitudes, the lifestyles, the culture, the way of doing things, are just so different from the U.S. even though our roots are founded in the U.K. I just can't help but think of what a culture shock it would have been for me if my first international experience was in a country like China or Italy or Peru, places that we don't historically draw our roots from. Even though most of my time here I've tended to bash London, I must say that I do love England. This is a very pretty country and the people outside of London that I have met have been nothing short of great. I think London, as a city and the people that live in it, have been a healthy reminder of just why I don't like what happens to humanity when it gets flung into metropolitan situations. I suppose I just prefer a more simple, slow and laid-back lifestyle to the face-pace of the city.
I guess I just can't help but feel that considering how short our lives are, it just becomes so difficult to truly stop and smell the roses when there are five million people around you, car horns blaring, and everyone (yourself included) is being forced to rush everywhere. That, and I like to be able to look into the sky and see stars. Sleep is a normal, natural part of human life. It's way for the body to rest and regenerate. Cities never sleep, and ultimately I think they suffer for it. But who knows. I may just be rambling and I may not know what I'm talking about. One thing I do know though that God has certainly taught me with this trip: be thankful.
Photos of today's excursions can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/
After class we went to lunch. They prepared what they said was chili con carne, in fact it was just beans and ground beef with a few spices and, of course, French fries. It was all pretty decent. It was our last meal in Ramsay Hall and I can say with all honesty that I'm not disappointed. Even if we were scheduled to have breakfast there tomorrow, I'd probably go down and get some orange juice and that's about it. I think tomorrow morning I will go to Gregg's and pick up something from there for breakfast. After lunch I went to my dorm to get the silverware I pilfered from the cafeteria and bring it back. I had thought about just leaving it in the kitchen here since there's no utensils in it, but I figured it was best to bring it back to where I got it from.
I then went back to my dorm room and took a nap for a while. I was still tired when I got up, but I got dressed and then made my way to the Victoria & Albert Museum. The V&A, as it is referred, is a nice museum. It's worth checking out, if anything, for the sculptures and other works of art there. It's got a lot of pieces of fashion, furniture, decor, and just general culture of Britain. It also has a room of several large Raphael "cartoons" of Biblical scenes which are amazing. One of the main exhibits I would have liked to have seen, an exhibit on Japan, was closed. I could look in and see a suit of samurai armor and several swords, but the overall exhibit was closed to visitors. They had some Asian art work, but most of it was from India and the Middle East. I am personally more fond of the art work of Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. But, it was a pretty good museum. I only spent about an hour (maybe less) in there because a lot of the stuff in it I wasn't too interested in.
Not to mention: I am getting a bit tired of museums. In the past five weeks I've seen a lot of museums and art galleries and as much as I love and respect these places, they get a little old. I am always amazed by some of the sculptures and things of that nature, but when you see an enormous room full of them, they start to lose their luster and I don't care for that. I'd rather be impressed by them. That's one of the reasons why I wouldn't want to live in London. I imagine that most of the people here at not impressed with South Bank, the Globe, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, etc. I would hate to feel like that towards those places. I would hate to pass by them and see them so much that they would just become normal buildings to me. I'd rather be in awe of them. But, I guess that is just what happens.
Once I got back to the dorms, I chilled out for a bit and just took some time to relax. I watched a few old Full House episodes on my computer and didn't really do a whole lot. At 7:15 p.m., several of us got together and made our way to our restaurant destination. We had decided that tonight we would do one final hoorah as far as meals go and go all-out and have a nice, expensive dinner at a fancy restaurant. So, Amanda, Katie, Donald, Gideon, and I all went to a Spanish (not Mexican) restaurant called Camino. We got a little bit lost getting there, but we managed to still find it and make it on time for our 8:00 p.m. reservation.
The restaurant itself was beautiful. It was dimly lit and very elegant. The wait staff was fairly friendly and very helpful. We started the meal off with some bread and extra virgin olive oil. We had intended on ordering "pan con tomate", but it would have required us rubbing in garlic on the bread and squeezing tomato on it, so we decided we would go the more simple route. Donald also got a latte. We then ordered our main dishes. Amanda and Katie had lamb, while Donald and Gideon ordered a rib-eye, and I ordered a fillet. Donald, Gideon, and I also ordered a dish of roasted potatoes, onions, peppers, and a free-range fried egg (and of course spices) all in a skillet. It looked and sounded a bit unappetizing, but once the waitress mixed it all together it was outstanding. Gideon dubbed it the "Spanish hash brown". It was a perfect compliment to my fillet (which all came with three potatoes). I ordered my fillet well, but it came out quite pink and in retrospect I'm glad I ordered it what I did. Apparently their version of well is not the same as ours back home, so if I ordered it any less than that I know I would have been disappointed.
We all shared a little bit of each other's meals. The lamb was quite tasty. The rib eye was good as well. I forgot to mention it, but Donald also ordered a dish of peppers stuffed with crab meat. It was also very good. The meal itself was fantastic. The fillet was great. The Spanish hash brown was awesome. Everyone seemed to be in agreement that everything was very good. After the main meal, the ladies and I ordered a dessert and Gideon ordered a beer while Donald had another latte. The dessert we ordered was somewhat like a chocolate muffin filled with melting chocolate on the inside. It was great. It also came with a scoop of orange sherbet and a raspberry side garnish. The orange sherbet was a perfect compliment to the chocolate dessert and a nice way to finish the meal. Even though it was rich, it wasn't filling in the sense that after all of the food you felt too full. The sherbet was light and the chocolate dessert was somewhat fluffy, so that it didn't feel like too much.
They brought us the ticket, and we spent a few minutes doing the math to figure out how much each of us had to pay. If I have no mentioned it yet: they don't divide up the tickets here. Every restaurant I have eaten at, they bring out one ticket and it is your job to divide it up if you so chose. I'm under the impression that dividing up the ticket by person is not how most people dine here. I'm thinking that people either go out to eat and one person pays, then another person pays the next time, or people order several different dishes and share, then just divide the check by how many people are there. Either way, I think its a very inefficient way of doing business. They've got the right idea by paying ahead of time at the pubs, but when it comes to meal tickets at other restaurants they really have made it more difficult than it should be. I don't think actually dividing the ticket up is that much of a chore, but that's the British for you.
It seems to me, from what I've witnessed, either we do a lot of things back home more efficiently or the Brits do some things that are just plain bizarre. I frankly think the Brits just do some things just to be different from everyone else. Not using the Euro even though they are in the EU, driving on a different side of the road, the ticket thing, I think are all just little ways for them to stand out. Of course, I suppose you could say the same thing about America. If I'm not mistaken, the U.S. and the U.K. are the only two countries not to use the metric system. Which, the Brits will sometimes use the metric and sometimes use the English system over here. Go figure. Also they way they do door swings can often times be confused. What you would think would be a pull door is a push door and vice versa. As Gideon asked tonight, "Why would you put a pull handle on the push side of a door?"
Either way, this is my next to last day here in England. It's been a phenomenal trip and I've had a wonderful time. It's strange to think that tomorrow will be our last full and final day here. It's looking like I might (finally) go to a show. Someone bought an extra Lion King ticket and I think I may go see that tomorrow evening. People told me that time would really go by fast while I was here and I wasn't too sure about it. The first week seemed to last a while, but then it seemed like all of a sudden I only had three or four days left. It's really something how it all works. This trip has really been a different, and fun, experience for me. It's like most things, there are some things I have not cared for and then some things I really have enjoyed. Overall I've been very pleased and grateful that I've gotten to have this experience. Getting to actually spend time in another country, with another culture, is really enlightening.
I suppose one of the things that surprises me most is that when people think of America, they can very easily associate us with the Brits. And even though we do have a lot of similarities, it's worth saying that overall we are so very, very different. The attitudes, the lifestyles, the culture, the way of doing things, are just so different from the U.S. even though our roots are founded in the U.K. I just can't help but think of what a culture shock it would have been for me if my first international experience was in a country like China or Italy or Peru, places that we don't historically draw our roots from. Even though most of my time here I've tended to bash London, I must say that I do love England. This is a very pretty country and the people outside of London that I have met have been nothing short of great. I think London, as a city and the people that live in it, have been a healthy reminder of just why I don't like what happens to humanity when it gets flung into metropolitan situations. I suppose I just prefer a more simple, slow and laid-back lifestyle to the face-pace of the city.
I guess I just can't help but feel that considering how short our lives are, it just becomes so difficult to truly stop and smell the roses when there are five million people around you, car horns blaring, and everyone (yourself included) is being forced to rush everywhere. That, and I like to be able to look into the sky and see stars. Sleep is a normal, natural part of human life. It's way for the body to rest and regenerate. Cities never sleep, and ultimately I think they suffer for it. But who knows. I may just be rambling and I may not know what I'm talking about. One thing I do know though that God has certainly taught me with this trip: be thankful.
Photos of today's excursions can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Day Thirty Three: The Odd Side
I woke up this morning and ate some Pop Tarts for breakfast. Ramsay Hall was not open to us today. I'm not really sure why. It didn't really matter though, because it was around 9:00 a.m. by the time I woke up. Since I had finished all of my papers and the places I intended on seeing wouldn't open until 10:00 p.m. anyways, I figured it best to sleep in. I honestly don't remember the last time I slept until 9:00 p.m. It was nice.
After breakfast though, I got my things together and headed down towards Oxford Street. I stopped and spoke to Dr. Ross and his wife on my way down there and he mentioned that he planned on going to Hyde Park. He said he had never been there. You would think that a man who has been to England as many times as he has would have been to Hyde Park. I was a bit astonished. Nevertheless, I continued to Oxford Street and went into the store I was looking for, then walked to the Tottenham Court Road station and then rode down to Blackfriars to go to the Tate Modern art gallery.
The Tate Modern is an enormous art gallery sitting right on the Thames River. Much of Tate Modern is open space and the building itself is a great example of modern art. With high reaching ceilings, vast expanses of exposed steel and concrete works, the actual home of all of these fine pieces of modern art is in and of itself a work of art. I spent a good bit of time there in the morning walking around and seeing some really fantastic pieces of art. I saw several pieces that I had seen photos of in my art appreciation class several years ago. I saw work by people like Picasso, Pollock, Lichstein, Monet, and Warhol. I also saw a room filled with some spectacular works of art by artists from the Democratic Republic of Congo--it was quite beautiful. The thing I love about art is just how subjective it really is. A lot of the things in there, most people would not consider art at all--some where as simple as mere pieces of steel and PVC welded together to form an unrecognizable object. But, that's the thing about art work, isn't it? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and just because one person may look at a piece of art and think it's silly, ridiculous, or just plain ugly doesn't mean it's not art. When you look at an enormous canvas that is simply red with a purple line going down one side, is that art? To some, it is, to some it is not. But I'd say whether you like it or not does not make it any less artistic. Of course, I don't always agree with the analysis that certain pieces of art are groundbreaking and are speaking volumes about the artist's theories on life, but I respect them for the art they are.
Once I was done browsing around, I stopped in the cafe there to grab a light snack before taking a boat ride down to Tate Britain. I bought a chocolate muffin that was horrible, so I threw it away. I then walked outside and got an ice cream cone that was far more satisfying. I stopped in a little art book shop nearby, took a look around, then made my way to the boat. I just barely made the boat, as they don't make very clear where you're supposed to get on at. From there I rode for about ten minutes up the Thames, taking photographs, and enjoying the beauty of the whole situation. The weather was lovely today. It was without a doubt a great day to ride a boat down the Thames. Finally, I arrived at Tate Britain and did much of the same looking around as I did at Tate Modern.
I hate to say it, but I'm not entirely sure that I gave these galleries the respect they deserve. There is simply so much art work on display that, frankly, I didn't have the time or the interest to observe all of it. With so many rooms and so many works of art in each room, one could easily spend hours, if not days, just looking around and admiring the art works. But even though I rushed through the galleries, I did thoroughly enjoy them and I believe that counts for something. I don't feel like I've missed anything or somehow not gotten the full experience the galleries had to offer.
After Tate Britain, I took the Victoria line from Pimlico Station back to Warren Street station then walked back to the dorms. Once back in the dorms, I piddled around a bit then took a nap until a little bit after 5:00 p.m. I then walked down to Samurai and got the same spicy chicken and sticky rice dish I got last week. It was just as delicious as it was last week. The woman at the counter really hooked me up on the food. It was more than enough to eat. Gideon, Gabe, and I sat around and talked while eating dinner. They were having Kentucky Fried Chicken and according to them it was pretty good. The KFCs here don't served mashed potatoes for some reason, but they do serve French fries. Also they don't serve biscuits and I don't think they serve macaroni and cheese or cole slaw. But, they do serve corn. I guess you can't have everything, can you?
Earlier today, after dealing with three frustrating telephone booths, I made a call from the lobby of the dorms to a restaurant called Camino. Five of us are going there tomorrow night for a nice dinner out. Camino is a Spanish restaurant (not Mexican) that serves steaks and lots of Spanish dishes that sound pretty tasty. I'm glad we were able to get reservations and I'm looking forward to going.
It occurred to me today that we only have two days left here in London. I suspect tomorrow will go by pretty fast since I have a presentation and a final to take in class. I plan to go to the Victoria and Albert Museum. I may also ride down to Abbey Road, although I'm not a very big Beatles fan so I may just end up skipping that. I don't really have anything planned for Thursday except that Donald and I may be going to an Italian restaurant down the street that is supposed to be really good. Dr. Ross recommended to us in the meeting yesterday that we get at least four or five hours of sleep before our plane ride on Friday morning. As I've mentioned earlier, we will be leaving here about 4:15 a.m. (which means we have to be downstairs at around 3:45 a.m.) to get to Heathrow Airport and fly to Frankfurt. I personally disagree with this. I don't plan to sleep at all that night, but instead sleep on the plane from Frankfurt to Atlanta.
The plane ride from Frankfurt to Atlanta is actually supposed to be longer than the flight coming out here (which was eight hours long) and if that is the case, I don't want to be awake for the entire nine hour flight. I didn't sleep at all on the way out here and I know that if I go to bed early and wake up at 3:45 a.m., I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep on the plane. I'd much rather just stay awake through the morning and then sleep on the way back to Atlanta. I don't think it would mess with my typical sleep cycle too much, since we will be back in the States in the early afternoon anyways. I had considered taking something to help go to sleep, but I'm not sure how I'd handle it so I'm just going to try the natural method.
Photos of today's time in London can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/
P.S. I'm currently working on my 31st day of Internet access here at Astor College. I hate to beat a dead horse, but I do suspect it will be going out sometime soon. I'm actually surprised I've had it this week and if it lasts to tomorrow or Thursday I'll be amazed. Nonetheless, I just want to remind people so you don't think I'm rude or that I've forgotten you if I don't respond. Thanks a lot for all of you keeping in contact with me.
After breakfast though, I got my things together and headed down towards Oxford Street. I stopped and spoke to Dr. Ross and his wife on my way down there and he mentioned that he planned on going to Hyde Park. He said he had never been there. You would think that a man who has been to England as many times as he has would have been to Hyde Park. I was a bit astonished. Nevertheless, I continued to Oxford Street and went into the store I was looking for, then walked to the Tottenham Court Road station and then rode down to Blackfriars to go to the Tate Modern art gallery.
The Tate Modern is an enormous art gallery sitting right on the Thames River. Much of Tate Modern is open space and the building itself is a great example of modern art. With high reaching ceilings, vast expanses of exposed steel and concrete works, the actual home of all of these fine pieces of modern art is in and of itself a work of art. I spent a good bit of time there in the morning walking around and seeing some really fantastic pieces of art. I saw several pieces that I had seen photos of in my art appreciation class several years ago. I saw work by people like Picasso, Pollock, Lichstein, Monet, and Warhol. I also saw a room filled with some spectacular works of art by artists from the Democratic Republic of Congo--it was quite beautiful. The thing I love about art is just how subjective it really is. A lot of the things in there, most people would not consider art at all--some where as simple as mere pieces of steel and PVC welded together to form an unrecognizable object. But, that's the thing about art work, isn't it? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and just because one person may look at a piece of art and think it's silly, ridiculous, or just plain ugly doesn't mean it's not art. When you look at an enormous canvas that is simply red with a purple line going down one side, is that art? To some, it is, to some it is not. But I'd say whether you like it or not does not make it any less artistic. Of course, I don't always agree with the analysis that certain pieces of art are groundbreaking and are speaking volumes about the artist's theories on life, but I respect them for the art they are.
Once I was done browsing around, I stopped in the cafe there to grab a light snack before taking a boat ride down to Tate Britain. I bought a chocolate muffin that was horrible, so I threw it away. I then walked outside and got an ice cream cone that was far more satisfying. I stopped in a little art book shop nearby, took a look around, then made my way to the boat. I just barely made the boat, as they don't make very clear where you're supposed to get on at. From there I rode for about ten minutes up the Thames, taking photographs, and enjoying the beauty of the whole situation. The weather was lovely today. It was without a doubt a great day to ride a boat down the Thames. Finally, I arrived at Tate Britain and did much of the same looking around as I did at Tate Modern.
I hate to say it, but I'm not entirely sure that I gave these galleries the respect they deserve. There is simply so much art work on display that, frankly, I didn't have the time or the interest to observe all of it. With so many rooms and so many works of art in each room, one could easily spend hours, if not days, just looking around and admiring the art works. But even though I rushed through the galleries, I did thoroughly enjoy them and I believe that counts for something. I don't feel like I've missed anything or somehow not gotten the full experience the galleries had to offer.
After Tate Britain, I took the Victoria line from Pimlico Station back to Warren Street station then walked back to the dorms. Once back in the dorms, I piddled around a bit then took a nap until a little bit after 5:00 p.m. I then walked down to Samurai and got the same spicy chicken and sticky rice dish I got last week. It was just as delicious as it was last week. The woman at the counter really hooked me up on the food. It was more than enough to eat. Gideon, Gabe, and I sat around and talked while eating dinner. They were having Kentucky Fried Chicken and according to them it was pretty good. The KFCs here don't served mashed potatoes for some reason, but they do serve French fries. Also they don't serve biscuits and I don't think they serve macaroni and cheese or cole slaw. But, they do serve corn. I guess you can't have everything, can you?
Earlier today, after dealing with three frustrating telephone booths, I made a call from the lobby of the dorms to a restaurant called Camino. Five of us are going there tomorrow night for a nice dinner out. Camino is a Spanish restaurant (not Mexican) that serves steaks and lots of Spanish dishes that sound pretty tasty. I'm glad we were able to get reservations and I'm looking forward to going.
It occurred to me today that we only have two days left here in London. I suspect tomorrow will go by pretty fast since I have a presentation and a final to take in class. I plan to go to the Victoria and Albert Museum. I may also ride down to Abbey Road, although I'm not a very big Beatles fan so I may just end up skipping that. I don't really have anything planned for Thursday except that Donald and I may be going to an Italian restaurant down the street that is supposed to be really good. Dr. Ross recommended to us in the meeting yesterday that we get at least four or five hours of sleep before our plane ride on Friday morning. As I've mentioned earlier, we will be leaving here about 4:15 a.m. (which means we have to be downstairs at around 3:45 a.m.) to get to Heathrow Airport and fly to Frankfurt. I personally disagree with this. I don't plan to sleep at all that night, but instead sleep on the plane from Frankfurt to Atlanta.
The plane ride from Frankfurt to Atlanta is actually supposed to be longer than the flight coming out here (which was eight hours long) and if that is the case, I don't want to be awake for the entire nine hour flight. I didn't sleep at all on the way out here and I know that if I go to bed early and wake up at 3:45 a.m., I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep on the plane. I'd much rather just stay awake through the morning and then sleep on the way back to Atlanta. I don't think it would mess with my typical sleep cycle too much, since we will be back in the States in the early afternoon anyways. I had considered taking something to help go to sleep, but I'm not sure how I'd handle it so I'm just going to try the natural method.
Photos of today's time in London can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/
P.S. I'm currently working on my 31st day of Internet access here at Astor College. I hate to beat a dead horse, but I do suspect it will be going out sometime soon. I'm actually surprised I've had it this week and if it lasts to tomorrow or Thursday I'll be amazed. Nonetheless, I just want to remind people so you don't think I'm rude or that I've forgotten you if I don't respond. Thanks a lot for all of you keeping in contact with me.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Day Thirty Two: The Final Week in London
I was surprised when I woke up this morning and found my Internet connection still working. I expect it will go out any day now. I ate some breakfast down at Ramsay Hall. The hash browns, which are usually pretty good, were terrible this morning. Thankfully I had brought my trust Kellog's Corn Pops. Once breakfast was over with we went to class.
Yesterday and today I've been quite stuffed up. I think it is sinuses related to the weather in Southwest England, although I may be wrong. My head actually hurt a bit today and I started feeling sore after I took a nap this afternoon. Class was all right. We filled out our evaluations of our teachers and the program itself. I feel Dr. Martin has done a great job teaching us and I've loved her class. The program has been nice, although I feel the facilities are really lacking. If my math is right, at six meals a week costing 5 pounds each from Ramsay Hall, we spent 30 pounds ($60) a week on meals, which comes to 150 pounds ($300) on meals during the entire trip. Considering the poor quality of the food, I think this was a total rip off and I made a suggestion for fixing it. I also have not enjoyed taking a shower every morning in a tiny box and having to re-use the same towel for a week. This, too, I made mention of. But, I did have to say the location has been great and the dorm rooms themselves are not bad at all.
Once I was done with lunch, I came up to my room and messed around a bit before going to Dr. Martin's classroom and organizing our newspapers. I also gathered my information for a paper I had to write in her class. I then went back upstairs and went to sleep for about forty-five minutes. I had to get up soon and go down to the Indian YMCA where we had a meeting about our plane rides back home and what was and was not acceptable at the airports. I had purchased a small, second bag to be checked while I was out this morning (and I negotiated with the merchant on the price of some scarves, which I got the price I asked for). I ended up packing the bag later this evening.
After the meeting, we walked a few feet over to Fitzroy Square and took a group photograph. We then made our way back to Astor College, went to the lower ground level TV room and had wine, took photographs, and prizes were given to groups for their work on the scavenger hunt. I forgot to turn my photos in. Oh well. I also didn't drink the wine. After that was over with, Donald, Gideon, and I went out for dinner. We walked down to an Indian restaurant called Lord's, which was closed until 6:00 p.m. It was closed yesterday (Sunday) when Gideon and I went as well. So, we walked down Tottenham Court Road and stopped at a suitcase vendor, where Donald purchased a suitcase. The vendor (who I had bought my suitcase and scarves from earlier) was a bit annoyed when Donald asked for another bag because the one he was given had a bent wheel. The wheel still spun, but Donald was not comfortable with the idea of having a bent wheel, and I can understand that.
We then walked back to the college, dropped off the suitcase and some newspapers we bought while we were out for Dr. Martin's class, then made our way to Lord's. Lord's was a very lovely, quiet place and we enjoyed the meal quite a bit. I had Chicken Korma and both Donald and Gideon had some chicken dishes as well. Everything was quite tasty and I wish I had written the names down of the dishes, as I can't remember any of them. We all enjoyed our meals though. They also brought out some mint chocolate after we payed, although I was the only one who ate mine. Once dinner was over with, we all made our way back to the dorm rooms.
Which brings me to right now. So far I've finished off the two papers I had to do for Dr. Martin's class, and now I've updated my blogs. Today was a good day, although I feel like I did very little. Tomorrow I'll have the entire day free to roam around and I plan to finish off a few things I have been meaning to do. Anyhow, I am going to get some rest and try and take it easy.
Photos of my time in Taunton can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/page2/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/page3/
Yesterday and today I've been quite stuffed up. I think it is sinuses related to the weather in Southwest England, although I may be wrong. My head actually hurt a bit today and I started feeling sore after I took a nap this afternoon. Class was all right. We filled out our evaluations of our teachers and the program itself. I feel Dr. Martin has done a great job teaching us and I've loved her class. The program has been nice, although I feel the facilities are really lacking. If my math is right, at six meals a week costing 5 pounds each from Ramsay Hall, we spent 30 pounds ($60) a week on meals, which comes to 150 pounds ($300) on meals during the entire trip. Considering the poor quality of the food, I think this was a total rip off and I made a suggestion for fixing it. I also have not enjoyed taking a shower every morning in a tiny box and having to re-use the same towel for a week. This, too, I made mention of. But, I did have to say the location has been great and the dorm rooms themselves are not bad at all.
Once I was done with lunch, I came up to my room and messed around a bit before going to Dr. Martin's classroom and organizing our newspapers. I also gathered my information for a paper I had to write in her class. I then went back upstairs and went to sleep for about forty-five minutes. I had to get up soon and go down to the Indian YMCA where we had a meeting about our plane rides back home and what was and was not acceptable at the airports. I had purchased a small, second bag to be checked while I was out this morning (and I negotiated with the merchant on the price of some scarves, which I got the price I asked for). I ended up packing the bag later this evening.
After the meeting, we walked a few feet over to Fitzroy Square and took a group photograph. We then made our way back to Astor College, went to the lower ground level TV room and had wine, took photographs, and prizes were given to groups for their work on the scavenger hunt. I forgot to turn my photos in. Oh well. I also didn't drink the wine. After that was over with, Donald, Gideon, and I went out for dinner. We walked down to an Indian restaurant called Lord's, which was closed until 6:00 p.m. It was closed yesterday (Sunday) when Gideon and I went as well. So, we walked down Tottenham Court Road and stopped at a suitcase vendor, where Donald purchased a suitcase. The vendor (who I had bought my suitcase and scarves from earlier) was a bit annoyed when Donald asked for another bag because the one he was given had a bent wheel. The wheel still spun, but Donald was not comfortable with the idea of having a bent wheel, and I can understand that.
We then walked back to the college, dropped off the suitcase and some newspapers we bought while we were out for Dr. Martin's class, then made our way to Lord's. Lord's was a very lovely, quiet place and we enjoyed the meal quite a bit. I had Chicken Korma and both Donald and Gideon had some chicken dishes as well. Everything was quite tasty and I wish I had written the names down of the dishes, as I can't remember any of them. We all enjoyed our meals though. They also brought out some mint chocolate after we payed, although I was the only one who ate mine. Once dinner was over with, we all made our way back to the dorm rooms.
Which brings me to right now. So far I've finished off the two papers I had to do for Dr. Martin's class, and now I've updated my blogs. Today was a good day, although I feel like I did very little. Tomorrow I'll have the entire day free to roam around and I plan to finish off a few things I have been meaning to do. Anyhow, I am going to get some rest and try and take it easy.
Photos of my time in Taunton can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/page2/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8494714@N03/page3/
Day Thirty One: Back to London
I woke up early in the morning and, after reading a bit of Harry Potter, I made my way to breakfast. Connie, again, fixed an outstanding meal. Shortly thereafter, Ray and I made our way to the Taunton train station and waited for a few minutes for the train to arrive. He and I said our goodbyes, I thanked him yet again for his hospitality, and before too long I was on a train riding out of Taunton. The trip there was amazing, and I would easily say it was the highlight of my trip. Besides being able to spend time with family members, it was also great to get out of London for a bit and enjoy the English countryside.
The ride back to London was pleasant. I snacked on some Pop Tarts during the ride. A woman next to me was reading her copy of the latest Harry Potter, something I didn't care to do since I had the feeling someone would probably stroll up to me and tell me something about the ending. By the time I arrived back to my dorm room I was exhausted. I unpacked my things and spent much of the afternoon either reading, sleeping, or lounging around and not doing anything at all.
Gideon and I went to Leicester Square and ate dinner at a place called La Chanelle. I had a pizza that was pretty tasty and Gideon had some chicken which looked pretty good. Once dinner was over we went back to the dorms. I spent a little time sitting and chit-chatting with some of my friends here at the dorms for a while before heading to bed. I went to sleep around 1:00 a.m., as I was enthralled with the last Harry Potter book and wanted to get as much done as possible.
I know this post is short, but Sunday was pretty uneventful--which is not at all a bad thing.
The ride back to London was pleasant. I snacked on some Pop Tarts during the ride. A woman next to me was reading her copy of the latest Harry Potter, something I didn't care to do since I had the feeling someone would probably stroll up to me and tell me something about the ending. By the time I arrived back to my dorm room I was exhausted. I unpacked my things and spent much of the afternoon either reading, sleeping, or lounging around and not doing anything at all.
Gideon and I went to Leicester Square and ate dinner at a place called La Chanelle. I had a pizza that was pretty tasty and Gideon had some chicken which looked pretty good. Once dinner was over we went back to the dorms. I spent a little time sitting and chit-chatting with some of my friends here at the dorms for a while before heading to bed. I went to sleep around 1:00 a.m., as I was enthralled with the last Harry Potter book and wanted to get as much done as possible.
I know this post is short, but Sunday was pretty uneventful--which is not at all a bad thing.
Day Thirty: To Great-Aunt's House We Go
We started the day off again with another delicious breakfast from Connie. After that, Ray and I made our way to the Western Somerset Railway, where we took a genuine steam locomotive to a seaside resort town called Minehead. It was quite overcast and not all good weather for the beach, but Minehead seemed like a great place. The train ride over was awesome and Ray shared some great stories about his days taking trains through countries and how slow they used to move.
I bought two copies of the new Harry Potter book while I was in Minehead and while we walked over to a place called the Wellington Hotel. At the Wellington, Ray and I ordered and ate what is known as a carvery. That is, you pay a flat rate for your meal, then you go up and someone carves meat off of a slab for you and you buffet-style any side items you want. It was a tasty roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, as well as roast potatoes, broccoli, and green peas. Lunch was outstanding, and very reasonably priced.
Once lunch was over with, Ray and I messed around Minehead for a few minutes. Ray bought a copy of the Somerset Gazette, which had a picture of Sam (the son of Andrew's girlfriend, Tina) in an article about cleaning up his neighborhood. We then made our way back to the train station and caught a diesel engine home. We got delayed at a little station called Crowcombe Heathfield. It started raining on our ride back, but luckily it was dry the whole rest of the time. Once we arrived back in Taunton, we went back to Ray and Connie's home, picked up Connie and Andrew, and the four of us headed to Exeter to see Nana's sister, Val.
It was about a fourty-five minute ride to Exeter, and on the way I got a little bit car sick. I felt great once I got to Val's and was able to drink and eat. Ray and Connie went and picked up fish and chips while Val showed me so really great old family photographs. I especially enjoyed one she of all of the siblings (Nana, Ray, Mick, Ivor, Val, and June) all together taken at Sunnyside. Once Ray and Connie got back, we enjoyed a very tasty helping of fish and chips. We then sat around a bit and chatted, took some photographs, then it was time to leave. The ride back was much more pleasant as I didn't feel light-headed. We also passed by a large monument called the Wellington Monument, which resembled the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. It wasn't lit up at the time, but Ray and Connie said they usually use it as a beacon when they come back from a trip because it is typically lit up.
We stopped by Andrew's place and he left. We stayed for a few minutes and I got to meet Sam and see Tina and Gabbie yet again. Everyone was very friendly. We then went back to Ray and Connie's, where after talking to my grandmother as well as my Mom and Dad, I went on to bed. I kept waking up in the night to blow my nose, as I have started having a good bit of sinus drainage. Nonetheless, it was a very fun day and I got to see some great parts of England that I doubt many typical tourists get to see.
I bought two copies of the new Harry Potter book while I was in Minehead and while we walked over to a place called the Wellington Hotel. At the Wellington, Ray and I ordered and ate what is known as a carvery. That is, you pay a flat rate for your meal, then you go up and someone carves meat off of a slab for you and you buffet-style any side items you want. It was a tasty roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, as well as roast potatoes, broccoli, and green peas. Lunch was outstanding, and very reasonably priced.
Once lunch was over with, Ray and I messed around Minehead for a few minutes. Ray bought a copy of the Somerset Gazette, which had a picture of Sam (the son of Andrew's girlfriend, Tina) in an article about cleaning up his neighborhood. We then made our way back to the train station and caught a diesel engine home. We got delayed at a little station called Crowcombe Heathfield. It started raining on our ride back, but luckily it was dry the whole rest of the time. Once we arrived back in Taunton, we went back to Ray and Connie's home, picked up Connie and Andrew, and the four of us headed to Exeter to see Nana's sister, Val.
It was about a fourty-five minute ride to Exeter, and on the way I got a little bit car sick. I felt great once I got to Val's and was able to drink and eat. Ray and Connie went and picked up fish and chips while Val showed me so really great old family photographs. I especially enjoyed one she of all of the siblings (Nana, Ray, Mick, Ivor, Val, and June) all together taken at Sunnyside. Once Ray and Connie got back, we enjoyed a very tasty helping of fish and chips. We then sat around a bit and chatted, took some photographs, then it was time to leave. The ride back was much more pleasant as I didn't feel light-headed. We also passed by a large monument called the Wellington Monument, which resembled the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. It wasn't lit up at the time, but Ray and Connie said they usually use it as a beacon when they come back from a trip because it is typically lit up.
We stopped by Andrew's place and he left. We stayed for a few minutes and I got to meet Sam and see Tina and Gabbie yet again. Everyone was very friendly. We then went back to Ray and Connie's, where after talking to my grandmother as well as my Mom and Dad, I went on to bed. I kept waking up in the night to blow my nose, as I have started having a good bit of sinus drainage. Nonetheless, it was a very fun day and I got to see some great parts of England that I doubt many typical tourists get to see.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Day Twenty Nine: The White Lady
Connie fixed English bacon, scrambled eggs (real ones, not the stuff we get at the cafeteria in Ramsay Hall), sausage, toast, and orange juice for breakfast. It was all very delicious and is a good way to get the day started. After getting a shower and getting dressed, the four of us got into the car and began our daily excursion.
Our first stop was the church in Wiveliscombe where my grandmother and grandfather S.J. got married at the end of World War II. It was a beautiful church and it was very spectacular to be there. A man was tuning the organ in the back loft for a organ recital later that week. After we were done there, we continued up the road a little ways and came to my grandmother's family home, Sunnyside. It sits a in a great location overlooking several large hills laced with farmland. It's easy to tell the field divides because instead of using fences, the fields are broken up using large hedges. These same large hedges are against the road, often times making it impossible to see into the fields beyond. It was really something though to see the old house and here Ray's stories about my grandmother and grandfather sitting on the brick wall out in front of the house. We then continued to drive along for quite some ways, going through the moors and seeing the various cows and goats allowed to graze on the "common land" (free land for people to graze their animals on). The views were great.
Once we had finished there, we continued on by going to a little town called Lynton. At Lynton we stopped along the coast at an area called the Valley of the Rocks. Which, as the name implies, is several large, rocky hills that line the coast. We parked in a car park there and had some lunch (sandwiches) and then Ray and I walked along the seaside walkway. My legs were a bit sore from playing football (American) a few days prior, but the walk was still quite a lot of fun. It was quite breezy outside, but looking out into the Atlantic from our viewpoint was fantastic. On of the main rock formations at the Valley of the Rocks is a large piece on the sea that, when view from a certain angle, allows you to see a large hole in the rock which, with the clouds beyond, looks like the white silhouette of a lady, aptly called The White Lady. I didn't get to see it, but I still liked the story.
Once we finished walking along the trail, we stopped for a quick bathroom break and then road into Lynton. There, Connie and I took a small water-powered lift down into a seaside town called Lynmouth. Lynmouth was crawling with visitors. It was a very lovely place, very quaint and quite an ideal little English seaside village. Andrew bought two walking sticks, I bought some fudge for us to share (as did Ray) and then a little bit later Ray bought him, Andrew, and Connie some ice cream. They offered to me, but I was still full from lunch and the fudge. Ray also bought me a book called Lorna Doone, which is a story written by a local English writer about events that supposedly took place in that area. It's a classic I've heard, and I look forward to reading it. Lynmouth, Ray told me, was destroyed a massive flood in 1952 that killed a good many people and wiped the town out. You can imagine it easily from seeing the place, as the hills flow down and the idea of a huge wall of water just breaking through and destroying the town must have been devastating. Thankfully, now that it is not a problem. The town is thriving and is a very lovely place to go.
After Lynmouth we continued to go driving along. We kept riding on through the countryside, gathering up some very beautiful views of England. The weather, like it was on Thursday, was pretty while we were out riding around. Once we started riding late in the afternoon it began to get a bit rainy. We stopped by a church were a major scene in the aforementioned novel, Lorna Doone, takes place. We went inside and looked around a bit. It was quite an interesting and old place.
After touring the countryside a bit more, we arrived back in Taunton and sat down for a meal at a place called The Cross Keys (a pub). It was a nice little place. I had some steak and ale pie that was very good, though admittedly, not as good as the steak and ale pie from The Eagle and Child in Oxford. But, it was a very nice meal and I appreciate very much Ray and Connie treating me to it. After dinner we all went back to the house and settled in for the evening. According the weather reports there was some severe flooding in the area, especially in an area called the Midlands, and the track from Newquay to Reading was closed. That presented a problem, as that meant the train from Taunton to Reading was closed, meaning I'd have to find an alternative route back to London. We didn't really worry about it though, instead choosing to just wait until Saturday to sort it all out and see what the weather would do.
P.S. I will continue updating blog for Saturday and Sunday tomorrow (07-23-07). Again, please remember that my Internet is set to expire any day now. When it does expire I will not be responding to e-mails nor will I posting on here. With that said, please be aware that if you log on and I have not updated anything or replied to your e-mails, understand it was simply because my Internet is no longer available. Thanks and God bless.
Our first stop was the church in Wiveliscombe where my grandmother and grandfather S.J. got married at the end of World War II. It was a beautiful church and it was very spectacular to be there. A man was tuning the organ in the back loft for a organ recital later that week. After we were done there, we continued up the road a little ways and came to my grandmother's family home, Sunnyside. It sits a in a great location overlooking several large hills laced with farmland. It's easy to tell the field divides because instead of using fences, the fields are broken up using large hedges. These same large hedges are against the road, often times making it impossible to see into the fields beyond. It was really something though to see the old house and here Ray's stories about my grandmother and grandfather sitting on the brick wall out in front of the house. We then continued to drive along for quite some ways, going through the moors and seeing the various cows and goats allowed to graze on the "common land" (free land for people to graze their animals on). The views were great.
Once we had finished there, we continued on by going to a little town called Lynton. At Lynton we stopped along the coast at an area called the Valley of the Rocks. Which, as the name implies, is several large, rocky hills that line the coast. We parked in a car park there and had some lunch (sandwiches) and then Ray and I walked along the seaside walkway. My legs were a bit sore from playing football (American) a few days prior, but the walk was still quite a lot of fun. It was quite breezy outside, but looking out into the Atlantic from our viewpoint was fantastic. On of the main rock formations at the Valley of the Rocks is a large piece on the sea that, when view from a certain angle, allows you to see a large hole in the rock which, with the clouds beyond, looks like the white silhouette of a lady, aptly called The White Lady. I didn't get to see it, but I still liked the story.
Once we finished walking along the trail, we stopped for a quick bathroom break and then road into Lynton. There, Connie and I took a small water-powered lift down into a seaside town called Lynmouth. Lynmouth was crawling with visitors. It was a very lovely place, very quaint and quite an ideal little English seaside village. Andrew bought two walking sticks, I bought some fudge for us to share (as did Ray) and then a little bit later Ray bought him, Andrew, and Connie some ice cream. They offered to me, but I was still full from lunch and the fudge. Ray also bought me a book called Lorna Doone, which is a story written by a local English writer about events that supposedly took place in that area. It's a classic I've heard, and I look forward to reading it. Lynmouth, Ray told me, was destroyed a massive flood in 1952 that killed a good many people and wiped the town out. You can imagine it easily from seeing the place, as the hills flow down and the idea of a huge wall of water just breaking through and destroying the town must have been devastating. Thankfully, now that it is not a problem. The town is thriving and is a very lovely place to go.
After Lynmouth we continued to go driving along. We kept riding on through the countryside, gathering up some very beautiful views of England. The weather, like it was on Thursday, was pretty while we were out riding around. Once we started riding late in the afternoon it began to get a bit rainy. We stopped by a church were a major scene in the aforementioned novel, Lorna Doone, takes place. We went inside and looked around a bit. It was quite an interesting and old place.
After touring the countryside a bit more, we arrived back in Taunton and sat down for a meal at a place called The Cross Keys (a pub). It was a nice little place. I had some steak and ale pie that was very good, though admittedly, not as good as the steak and ale pie from The Eagle and Child in Oxford. But, it was a very nice meal and I appreciate very much Ray and Connie treating me to it. After dinner we all went back to the house and settled in for the evening. According the weather reports there was some severe flooding in the area, especially in an area called the Midlands, and the track from Newquay to Reading was closed. That presented a problem, as that meant the train from Taunton to Reading was closed, meaning I'd have to find an alternative route back to London. We didn't really worry about it though, instead choosing to just wait until Saturday to sort it all out and see what the weather would do.
P.S. I will continue updating blog for Saturday and Sunday tomorrow (07-23-07). Again, please remember that my Internet is set to expire any day now. When it does expire I will not be responding to e-mails nor will I posting on here. With that said, please be aware that if you log on and I have not updated anything or replied to your e-mails, understand it was simply because my Internet is no longer available. Thanks and God bless.
Day Twenty Eight: A Taunton We Will Go
I started the morning off with a quick breakfast and I packed my bags then left to Euston Square station where I rode to Paddington and boarded a train to Taunton. The train ride was pleasant an I spoke to a girl from the University of Florida who was staying in London as an intern for the next few weeks. Her and a friend were headed to Newquay, a popular beach town, if I'm not mistaken. Upon arriving in Taunton, Ray and I recognized each other immediately. I hadn't seen him in some time, but he looked as I remembered. After greeting each other, we got in Ray's automobile (which doesn't use a key, but a strange card-like device to unlike the doors and start the vehicle via a push-button) and rode over to house of Ray's son, Andrew.
There, we picked up Andrew and his things for his stay over at Ray and Connie's house for the weekend. I got to meet Andrew's girlfriend, Tina, and their dog Gabbie. We then rode back to Ray's home where we unloaded everything and I got to meet Connie. We sat down to a quick lunch of sandwiches (which were delicious) and then the three of us (Ray, Andrew, and myself) set out on our trip around Somerset.
One of our first stops was a place called Cheddar Gorge, where you drive through a rather large granite, I think it was, gorge. The rock-face walls reach high above you and the views are amazing. We stopped and ate some ice cream before proceeding on. We drove for a quite while and got to admire the views. We also rode by a placed call Wells Hill where, one winter, 300 sheep died by being buried in the snow. Keep in mind that we were at quite an elevation. Somerset, unlike much of the rest of England, has some rather large hills and whatnot. On our tour around we also rode through a town called Glastonbury, a supposedly very "spiritual" town, where they have a well that people used to believe ran red with the blood of Christ. It is in fact the effect of water running through iron ore in the hills. Also there is a legend of some saints arriving there then striking the ground with a staff, causing a tree to grow. We saw several odd little shops and quite a few hippies/folkies walking around there. Which, on our way out of Cheddar Gorge we saw true-to-life gypsies! Ray called "Romanies" because they roam around. They had a caravan, ponies, etc. It was something fun to see.
We arrived home later that afternoon and I found that Nana had called but I missed her phone call. She had called earlier when I first got there. After dinner (a tasty roast), Ray and I went over and saw Mick, my grandmother's brother. Ray and I went inside and spoke to Mick and his wife, Betty, for quite a while. They were very pleasant and welcoming and we had quite a good time. After talking with them, we went and saw Connie's sister, Iris, and her grandchildren Kate and Charlotte. Ray startled me a bit because he just walked into their house and yelled for the girls, then walked by a wall and into the living room. As he did so, I walked into the house as the girls were coming down the stairway. So, I stopped in the doorway as not to frighten them. Since they couldn't see Ray, I didn't want them to think some stranger just barged into their house. They were all very nice and fun to meet. The younger grandchild, Kate, had hurt her left arm in gymnastics.
Now that I come to think about it, we may have eaten dinner after we returned from Mick's, though I'm almost certain it was before. The rest of the night we sat around and chatted a bit, before I went to bed. The room I was in faced the street and although there is a streetlight that shines into the room, I slept quite well.
There, we picked up Andrew and his things for his stay over at Ray and Connie's house for the weekend. I got to meet Andrew's girlfriend, Tina, and their dog Gabbie. We then rode back to Ray's home where we unloaded everything and I got to meet Connie. We sat down to a quick lunch of sandwiches (which were delicious) and then the three of us (Ray, Andrew, and myself) set out on our trip around Somerset.
One of our first stops was a place called Cheddar Gorge, where you drive through a rather large granite, I think it was, gorge. The rock-face walls reach high above you and the views are amazing. We stopped and ate some ice cream before proceeding on. We drove for a quite while and got to admire the views. We also rode by a placed call Wells Hill where, one winter, 300 sheep died by being buried in the snow. Keep in mind that we were at quite an elevation. Somerset, unlike much of the rest of England, has some rather large hills and whatnot. On our tour around we also rode through a town called Glastonbury, a supposedly very "spiritual" town, where they have a well that people used to believe ran red with the blood of Christ. It is in fact the effect of water running through iron ore in the hills. Also there is a legend of some saints arriving there then striking the ground with a staff, causing a tree to grow. We saw several odd little shops and quite a few hippies/folkies walking around there. Which, on our way out of Cheddar Gorge we saw true-to-life gypsies! Ray called "Romanies" because they roam around. They had a caravan, ponies, etc. It was something fun to see.
We arrived home later that afternoon and I found that Nana had called but I missed her phone call. She had called earlier when I first got there. After dinner (a tasty roast), Ray and I went over and saw Mick, my grandmother's brother. Ray and I went inside and spoke to Mick and his wife, Betty, for quite a while. They were very pleasant and welcoming and we had quite a good time. After talking with them, we went and saw Connie's sister, Iris, and her grandchildren Kate and Charlotte. Ray startled me a bit because he just walked into their house and yelled for the girls, then walked by a wall and into the living room. As he did so, I walked into the house as the girls were coming down the stairway. So, I stopped in the doorway as not to frighten them. Since they couldn't see Ray, I didn't want them to think some stranger just barged into their house. They were all very nice and fun to meet. The younger grandchild, Kate, had hurt her left arm in gymnastics.
Now that I come to think about it, we may have eaten dinner after we returned from Mick's, though I'm almost certain it was before. The rest of the night we sat around and chatted a bit, before I went to bed. The room I was in faced the street and although there is a streetlight that shines into the room, I slept quite well.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Day Twenty Seven: True Football
After breakfast at Ramsay Hall (Kellog's Corn Pops, hash browns, and orange juice, mmmm) we went to class. My group had our presentation in class today and it seemed like it went pretty well. As soon as I got up this morning I did laundry, so I thankfully got that out of the way. Once class was over we went to Ramsay Hall and had some sort of chicken dish and French fries for lunch. It was all right, not amazing, but decent. After lunch I went back to my dorm room and typed up my reaction paper for class that was due tonight by midnight and I went ahead and turned it in. Also read a letter from my grandmother about things going on back home. Then, I went to sleep.
Once I woke up I messed around for a little bit before heading downstairs and meeting some of my friends here at the dorms. We walked over to Regent's Park for a game of football--real football. American football. We had to use a Rugby ball, but it worked out pretty well. We played for about an hour and a half and I'm sad to say that I am getting way out of shape. The little bit of running we did wore me out. Right now my legs are very sore and I'm sure that walking tomorrow will be a real pleasure. But, we had a really great time. The weather was beautiful and everything went well. It was nice to go out and play around at Regent's Park.
We came back to the dorms and freshened up a bit. Then, five of us (Donald, Gideon, Gabe, Ryan, and myself) went down the street a little bit to a Mexican restaurant called Mestizo's. I know, the idea of a Mexican restaurant in London just sounds crazy, but believe me: it was awesome. I was a bit surprised because it was, by far, the nicest Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. It was a much calmer, much more classy place than the sort of Mexican restaurants we have back home. The service was good and the food was outstanding. I had some enchiladas with refried beans and rice. The refried beans were stellar and the rice, although quite different from the usual Mexican rice I am served, was very good. Once we walked into the place it was quite apparent this was a much more swanky Mexican restaurant--they asked if we had reservations. We did, and with five of us I was afraid we wouldn't get to eat there. But, they had a table for five, we just had to get done by about 8:45. Thankfully we finished our meal in plenty of time.
I was very pleased with the food tonight and it was nice to just go out and sit down and have a nice meal some friends. We've been doing a lot of meals inside lately and, while it is fun since we still get to socialize, it's even more when you're out at a restaurant. After the meal was over we went back to the dorms. We made a quick stop at the Tesco Express (a smaller version of the Tesco Metro we usually stop at). I picked up some orange juice for tomorrow morning since I won't be able to make it down to breakfast and I'll have to eat in my room.
My train leaves London from Paddington Station at 9:05 a.m. tomorrow. I should arrive in Taunton at around 11:00 a.m. Ray has all ready said he'll meet me there at the station around that time tomorrow. I really look forward to seeing him. It's really great that he and his family are willing to put up with me for a few days. I don't doubt my time there will be great. With all of that said, it should be expected that I won't be making any blog posts for a few days. I should arrive back in London at around noon on Sunday. So, I'll most likely make a blog post on Sunday night talking about my time in Taunton. Also, as another note: my Internet may be expiring shortly. When we got here I bought a four-week long pass to use the Internet. I'm not 100% sure on exactly how long it will last. I don't know if that means I get to use it for 28 days, or it means one month, or just how it works. I was charged for it on the 25th of June, so if it is 28 days then it should expire on the 23rd. Whenever it does expire I won't be bothering to renew it. Four weeks of Internet is about 12 pounds ($24) and since it'll expire so close to the time we leave, I won't pay the money for just a few short days of Internet.
I could always go down to one of the many Internet cafes here in London, but I'm hesitant about logging on at places like that. So, please don't be surprised if I suddenly stop e-mailing or writing on this blog sometime early next week. If I should stop writing, just know that when I get back to America I'll post up what happened on the necessary days just to keep people updated. We fly back to America on Friday, July 27, 2007 early morning. We will have a layover in Germany for about an hour or two and we'll arrive back in Atlanta around 2:00 in the afternoon on Friday (that in Eastern Standard Time). I just wanted to give everyone notice in case I stop writing so that no one begins to wonder where I am.
Midway through this blog post we got interrupted by the fire alarm. The annunciator panel downstairs said it was a smoke detector on Second Floor North in Bedroom 221. From what I heard it was because someone was using their hair drier and it started smoking. I also heard while I was outside that one person has all ready been sent home from the program for putting a plastic bag over their smoke detector in their room. Welcome to college.
I didn't take any photographs today, but I'm sure I'll take plenty while I'm in Taunton. I hope you all have a great weekend.
Once I woke up I messed around for a little bit before heading downstairs and meeting some of my friends here at the dorms. We walked over to Regent's Park for a game of football--real football. American football. We had to use a Rugby ball, but it worked out pretty well. We played for about an hour and a half and I'm sad to say that I am getting way out of shape. The little bit of running we did wore me out. Right now my legs are very sore and I'm sure that walking tomorrow will be a real pleasure. But, we had a really great time. The weather was beautiful and everything went well. It was nice to go out and play around at Regent's Park.
We came back to the dorms and freshened up a bit. Then, five of us (Donald, Gideon, Gabe, Ryan, and myself) went down the street a little bit to a Mexican restaurant called Mestizo's. I know, the idea of a Mexican restaurant in London just sounds crazy, but believe me: it was awesome. I was a bit surprised because it was, by far, the nicest Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. It was a much calmer, much more classy place than the sort of Mexican restaurants we have back home. The service was good and the food was outstanding. I had some enchiladas with refried beans and rice. The refried beans were stellar and the rice, although quite different from the usual Mexican rice I am served, was very good. Once we walked into the place it was quite apparent this was a much more swanky Mexican restaurant--they asked if we had reservations. We did, and with five of us I was afraid we wouldn't get to eat there. But, they had a table for five, we just had to get done by about 8:45. Thankfully we finished our meal in plenty of time.
I was very pleased with the food tonight and it was nice to just go out and sit down and have a nice meal some friends. We've been doing a lot of meals inside lately and, while it is fun since we still get to socialize, it's even more when you're out at a restaurant. After the meal was over we went back to the dorms. We made a quick stop at the Tesco Express (a smaller version of the Tesco Metro we usually stop at). I picked up some orange juice for tomorrow morning since I won't be able to make it down to breakfast and I'll have to eat in my room.
My train leaves London from Paddington Station at 9:05 a.m. tomorrow. I should arrive in Taunton at around 11:00 a.m. Ray has all ready said he'll meet me there at the station around that time tomorrow. I really look forward to seeing him. It's really great that he and his family are willing to put up with me for a few days. I don't doubt my time there will be great. With all of that said, it should be expected that I won't be making any blog posts for a few days. I should arrive back in London at around noon on Sunday. So, I'll most likely make a blog post on Sunday night talking about my time in Taunton. Also, as another note: my Internet may be expiring shortly. When we got here I bought a four-week long pass to use the Internet. I'm not 100% sure on exactly how long it will last. I don't know if that means I get to use it for 28 days, or it means one month, or just how it works. I was charged for it on the 25th of June, so if it is 28 days then it should expire on the 23rd. Whenever it does expire I won't be bothering to renew it. Four weeks of Internet is about 12 pounds ($24) and since it'll expire so close to the time we leave, I won't pay the money for just a few short days of Internet.
I could always go down to one of the many Internet cafes here in London, but I'm hesitant about logging on at places like that. So, please don't be surprised if I suddenly stop e-mailing or writing on this blog sometime early next week. If I should stop writing, just know that when I get back to America I'll post up what happened on the necessary days just to keep people updated. We fly back to America on Friday, July 27, 2007 early morning. We will have a layover in Germany for about an hour or two and we'll arrive back in Atlanta around 2:00 in the afternoon on Friday (that in Eastern Standard Time). I just wanted to give everyone notice in case I stop writing so that no one begins to wonder where I am.
Midway through this blog post we got interrupted by the fire alarm. The annunciator panel downstairs said it was a smoke detector on Second Floor North in Bedroom 221. From what I heard it was because someone was using their hair drier and it started smoking. I also heard while I was outside that one person has all ready been sent home from the program for putting a plastic bag over their smoke detector in their room. Welcome to college.
I didn't take any photographs today, but I'm sure I'll take plenty while I'm in Taunton. I hope you all have a great weekend.
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