One of the assignments was to explore the Bangladeshi community of London. This area is called the East End but is also known as the Brick Lane area. When we first arrived we were told to go to Spital Square and on to Folgate street. The houses there are very close together as you walk down this street but the difference between the newly formed Georgian style and the modern can be only told by the coloring of the houses. We found ourselves soon wondering through cute little shops that were very expensive and a court yard slowly being filled up by vendors to sell things from kids toys to bold pieces of jewelry. One of my favorites had to be the Scrabble board pieces glued onto a ring. As we continued on with our adventure we ran into the Christ Church. This church is absolutely beautiful with its prestigious white surroundings and its clean lines just give it a sense of purity within the church. The feeling of the church is grand and open with little to do about crosses. I had remembered this Church from our Jack the Ripper tour. Now is when the interesting part begins. After turning down to get to Brick Lane the entire environment changed into something new. Every shop began to give off a scent of either curry or incense.
Down the way was a Brewery called the Old Truman's Brewery which has now been transformed into a community centre. From the outside you would never be able to imagine that this was a working Brewery until you see the sign over the walk way. The next stop was the Whitechapel Art Gallery that was actually closed by the time we got there. I was a bit disappointed in that. However, we got to spend more time at the Bell Foundry because of it. When standing outside of this building you would have never imagined that there would be so much history within its walls. As soon as you walk in to the small museum at the front you notice that the frame work for Big Ben is surrounding the front door. That in itself is pretty fantastic. The museum then explains that the Liberty bell was also cast there. We continued on to the back where there were all types of bells, little, big, chimes and even hand bells. A couple of the girls attempted to play Puff the Magic Dragon but failed miserably do the fact the the C was missing. Who wouldn't get a kick out of seeing two girls trying to figure out how to play Puff the Magic Dragon when only one of them knows how to read music. Good Times in the Bell Foundry.
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Imperial War Museum Assignment 7
The Imperial War Museum...Where do I even begin?
Upon arrival I was amazed at the huge lawn that was along side the building, it was beautiful. Then the guns came into view and the huge shells surrounded it as a type of cruel decoration. The size of both these items were amazing by the idea of what they were used for already had my stomach in knots.
We walked in and the room was filled with tanks, airplanes and submarines. All used for only one thing. There were people of all ages and nationalities taking pictures of the vast amount of war transportation vehicles. The image of kids playing on all of these items with smiles on their faces and their parents taking pictures of them as if they were sitting in the front seat was one of the most unsettling things I think I have ever seen in my life.
We continued on to the top floor, the holocaust floor. Usually I am very interested in this part of history simply because I didn't think I could ever wrap my mind around the idea of doing such a thing. However, this time was different. I began reading every bit of information that caught my interest but as I got deeper into the exhibit I couldn't take the images that were being shown. The idea of all the horrible things happening seemed so close to me. I don't know how people can take hours just reading about the horrid events. I made it to the turn of the Nazi soldiers rapping the Ukrainian women in the streets and couldn't stand reading anymore information. After rushing through the end of it, the rest of the museum didn't help. We pushed ourselves through the first and second world war and it only made it worse. There was Uniform after uniform of people who didn't make it and those of families didn't make it. It continued on with more pictures of people crying with blood covering them, with a dead body in laying in their arms. I understand being curious in what has happened in the past and only hope that it never repeats itself but putting yourself through living through it yourself is horrific.
After getting out of the building as soon as I could I was talking about how even if I was a survivor I don't think I would be strong enough to live with those images playing in my head for the rest of my life. Also, I will never take my children to a museum like that before they realize what all the machines do. What each bullet can lead to. All in all, I don't think I will be returning there anytime soon.
Upon arrival I was amazed at the huge lawn that was along side the building, it was beautiful. Then the guns came into view and the huge shells surrounded it as a type of cruel decoration. The size of both these items were amazing by the idea of what they were used for already had my stomach in knots.
We walked in and the room was filled with tanks, airplanes and submarines. All used for only one thing. There were people of all ages and nationalities taking pictures of the vast amount of war transportation vehicles. The image of kids playing on all of these items with smiles on their faces and their parents taking pictures of them as if they were sitting in the front seat was one of the most unsettling things I think I have ever seen in my life.
We continued on to the top floor, the holocaust floor. Usually I am very interested in this part of history simply because I didn't think I could ever wrap my mind around the idea of doing such a thing. However, this time was different. I began reading every bit of information that caught my interest but as I got deeper into the exhibit I couldn't take the images that were being shown. The idea of all the horrible things happening seemed so close to me. I don't know how people can take hours just reading about the horrid events. I made it to the turn of the Nazi soldiers rapping the Ukrainian women in the streets and couldn't stand reading anymore information. After rushing through the end of it, the rest of the museum didn't help. We pushed ourselves through the first and second world war and it only made it worse. There was Uniform after uniform of people who didn't make it and those of families didn't make it. It continued on with more pictures of people crying with blood covering them, with a dead body in laying in their arms. I understand being curious in what has happened in the past and only hope that it never repeats itself but putting yourself through living through it yourself is horrific.
After getting out of the building as soon as I could I was talking about how even if I was a survivor I don't think I would be strong enough to live with those images playing in my head for the rest of my life. Also, I will never take my children to a museum like that before they realize what all the machines do. What each bullet can lead to. All in all, I don't think I will be returning there anytime soon.
Join an organisation (Assignment 4)
While in London we were asked to join an organization to bring ourselves closer to people while living here. So a few of the other girls in the program and I joined a dancing class. We would go and learn a few steps to a new dance every day. This let us be embodied with a new group of people but also in a situation where it was all about having fun and it being alright to laugh at each other. The instruction only lasted about thirty minutes and then we would have the instructor at the front of the class to lead us through a couple of songs so we would know when to use the steps. All in all, the class only lasted about an hour.
The first session was the cha cha. Lets just say some of the girls don't exactly know how to move their hips besides in a hula-hoop fashion. When we first arrived we were a little nervous and idly stood in the back, watching the instructor who was at the front of the class. The first couple of steps are always the easiest, usually that have something to do with side stepping and clapping. There were only four steps and when the instructor was done showing us, he would stand in the front of the class and we would follow his lead as he called out the numbers of the steps.
Our Second session was Mambo. The Mambo was sadly exactly like the cha cha and we all followed numbly until I couldn't help but just start dancing like a dork. I was throwing in turns and twists that didn't belong and had to do a few hip bumps with the other girls. Soon I was throwing everyone off but we all got a good laugh at it. This is when we met Carol. Her husband was explained to have two left feet and her son didn't fall far from the tree. She however, loved to dance so here she was.
Our third session was country. I thought this was going to be the most fun but it was a complete let down! Their idea of line dancing was appalling. However, we did have a teacher that was different then our usual. She was not as excited in any way shape or form to be there. We did a few side steps, a couple of cross steps and a boot-scootin boogie boot tap and just went around in a circle with the same motions. It was horrifying.
Our fourth session was my absolutely favorite, it was rock-n-roll time. I was thinking it was going to be Elvis Presley or something along those lines but what do they pull out? Grease Lightening! It was fabulous. I can now do the entire dance to that song and I am proud to say it. The best part though was the pelvic thrust pumping among all the older woman. They started out a bit reserved and then by the end of the class they were thrusting like no bodies business.
I had so much fun in this class and loved the smiles that it put on everyones faces.
The first session was the cha cha. Lets just say some of the girls don't exactly know how to move their hips besides in a hula-hoop fashion. When we first arrived we were a little nervous and idly stood in the back, watching the instructor who was at the front of the class. The first couple of steps are always the easiest, usually that have something to do with side stepping and clapping. There were only four steps and when the instructor was done showing us, he would stand in the front of the class and we would follow his lead as he called out the numbers of the steps.
Our Second session was Mambo. The Mambo was sadly exactly like the cha cha and we all followed numbly until I couldn't help but just start dancing like a dork. I was throwing in turns and twists that didn't belong and had to do a few hip bumps with the other girls. Soon I was throwing everyone off but we all got a good laugh at it. This is when we met Carol. Her husband was explained to have two left feet and her son didn't fall far from the tree. She however, loved to dance so here she was.
Our third session was country. I thought this was going to be the most fun but it was a complete let down! Their idea of line dancing was appalling. However, we did have a teacher that was different then our usual. She was not as excited in any way shape or form to be there. We did a few side steps, a couple of cross steps and a boot-scootin boogie boot tap and just went around in a circle with the same motions. It was horrifying.
Our fourth session was my absolutely favorite, it was rock-n-roll time. I was thinking it was going to be Elvis Presley or something along those lines but what do they pull out? Grease Lightening! It was fabulous. I can now do the entire dance to that song and I am proud to say it. The best part though was the pelvic thrust pumping among all the older woman. They started out a bit reserved and then by the end of the class they were thrusting like no bodies business.
I had so much fun in this class and loved the smiles that it put on everyones faces.
British Interview Assignement 3
As one of the assignments we were meant to interview someone to understand the British society a little bit better. So, I had the opportunity to interview Linda who works at the front desk of our Lovely Vandon House.
Linda has been in London for nine years after leaving her home in Mali, Africa. She is the only one who moved her because of her studies but she expressed how important her family is to her. Family is very important to her which also helps with her following of her Christian faith. She continued to express how important her faith is to her. Every Sunday you can find her at church, bringing herself closer to God. I asked her how she felt about how much marriage meant to her but she didn't really understand the question. So I asked her if two people could live together before getting married. She smiled and stopped to think about it. I could only imagine that she had been asking herself this question for awhile but after a moment to think she responded with the most confident voice she could muster. She explained that because of her beliefs that, no, you should be married before living with someone. She went on to explain that her beliefs are more important to her then anything else. I then moved on from the subject and asked her about her family and why she came to London.
It turns out that she came her to study and received a Bachelors in business administration but came alone. She is the fourth daughter in her family and the first to study abroad like she has. Linda said that she talks to her family all the time and are still very close, even with the distance. The only other relation that has made it to see her was her father.
I moved on to political matters and ask what she thought about the United States. She again smiled and began to try and pick her words carefully before blurting out, "I don't know much about the United States except for the news." Another moment of thinking led her to express that Obama is a good man and is leading the country well and that economically we aren't that bad. She said that the Nation seems to be in a state of improvement in comparison to its last president but she couldn't tell you why she thinks that. That subject didn't last long so on we went to her political in relation to the United Kingdom. She let out a laugh and said she didn't want to get in trouble for saying anything but the Queen is doing "very well." Her exact words were, "She is doing quite fine,doing her job well."Anyone could tell that she was choosing her words the best she could and I'm sure I must of done something to make her feel more comfortable because she began to talk about immigration in the country. The restrictions on the immigrants the come over for both education and work are ridiculous. She explained that you can only work 20 hours a week if you are going to school and for some who have to pay for it all themselves, it is very difficult. Also, with the recession going on there are so many unemployed that it is that much harder to find a job as well. Either way, it is not be handled very well at all, according to Linda.
I ended with asking her about what the differences were between here and her home. The only thing she could think of was the weather. "We don't have snow in Africa."
Linda has been in London for nine years after leaving her home in Mali, Africa. She is the only one who moved her because of her studies but she expressed how important her family is to her. Family is very important to her which also helps with her following of her Christian faith. She continued to express how important her faith is to her. Every Sunday you can find her at church, bringing herself closer to God. I asked her how she felt about how much marriage meant to her but she didn't really understand the question. So I asked her if two people could live together before getting married. She smiled and stopped to think about it. I could only imagine that she had been asking herself this question for awhile but after a moment to think she responded with the most confident voice she could muster. She explained that because of her beliefs that, no, you should be married before living with someone. She went on to explain that her beliefs are more important to her then anything else. I then moved on from the subject and asked her about her family and why she came to London.
It turns out that she came her to study and received a Bachelors in business administration but came alone. She is the fourth daughter in her family and the first to study abroad like she has. Linda said that she talks to her family all the time and are still very close, even with the distance. The only other relation that has made it to see her was her father.
I moved on to political matters and ask what she thought about the United States. She again smiled and began to try and pick her words carefully before blurting out, "I don't know much about the United States except for the news." Another moment of thinking led her to express that Obama is a good man and is leading the country well and that economically we aren't that bad. She said that the Nation seems to be in a state of improvement in comparison to its last president but she couldn't tell you why she thinks that. That subject didn't last long so on we went to her political in relation to the United Kingdom. She let out a laugh and said she didn't want to get in trouble for saying anything but the Queen is doing "very well." Her exact words were, "She is doing quite fine,doing her job well."Anyone could tell that she was choosing her words the best she could and I'm sure I must of done something to make her feel more comfortable because she began to talk about immigration in the country. The restrictions on the immigrants the come over for both education and work are ridiculous. She explained that you can only work 20 hours a week if you are going to school and for some who have to pay for it all themselves, it is very difficult. Also, with the recession going on there are so many unemployed that it is that much harder to find a job as well. Either way, it is not be handled very well at all, according to Linda.
I ended with asking her about what the differences were between here and her home. The only thing she could think of was the weather. "We don't have snow in Africa."
Monday, 2 April 2012
Ireland
So...I know this is long over due but it's finally here! Bum.... bumbum buuuuuum! Another blog post.
The list of things I have done sense my last blog entry is astounding but my memory of them all is not so great. However! In my exploration of Europe I found a wonderful place that fills my heart with joy and gives me nothing more than happiness to spread to anyone who is reading.
What is the name of this place, you ask? Ireland...
In response to St. Patrick's Day we decided to go to Ireland simply to say we were there on the Irish holiday. On the night of planning I had not been present due to my much needed beauty sleep and found out later that our hostel arrangements were so far in the middle of no where that it didn't have its own address. Also, the town we needed to get to didn't even have a bus from where the ferry dropped us off and so the adventure began!
After arriving in Ireland and circling the building a couple of times in search of the train station we found out that the only way to go to where we needed was by going to Dublin. Of course! Dublin on St. Patrick's day, that is a yes! So off we went, taking in the gorgeous scene of country side before falling asleep to the rumbling of yet another bus. We had been traveling for a total of 12 hours already and sleep had not come easy except in occasional short naps, like the bus ride to Dublin.
I wish you could have seen it though! Spring was beginning to, well, spring! I have never seen grass so green or flowers so beautiful. Just driving into the country my breath was taken at every turn. After arriving at Dublin we realized we were in the middle of the City. There was a carnival along the river and there was masses of green. No, these were not rolling hills but people already starting their drunken celebration at ten o'clock in the morning. I heard one girl explain the next day that St. Patricks day is a marathon not a sprint when involving drinking. However, the streets were crawling in people dressed in green from head to toe, holding bottles and cans of all different shapes and sizes. We decided to get breakfast and soon discovered that there was the famous, world wide known St. Patty's Day parade! It was crazy, there were people everywhere and the floats were insane. After getting some floss (Uk slang for Cotton Candy) I could have sworn there was some kind of drug in it because the floats that were going through the parade made no sense. I made a joke that I could touch the sound, only to hear one of the people on the floats to say the exact same thing. It was a very trippy experience. I was lost in the most magical way.
Soon it was over and the crowds fled to McDonald's and then disappeared. We had a pint before we left the city but didn't want to celebrate too heavily due to the fact that we had absolutely no idea where we were suppose to go to get to our hostel. So we continue traveling, making a new friend on the train that is way more drunk then should be legal. Before even getting on the train he is standing on the platform, yelling into his cellphone with a plastic bag full of beer. To his knowledge, one of them is open but he sets in the bag and knocks it over as he continues to try to hear whomever was on the phone. As the beer begins to spread across the cement, filling the plastic bag as well a polite police officer walks up. He taps the man on the shoulder and kindly points to the bag and begins to tell him to pick it up. However, the man is so immersed in his conversation that he turns to the policeman and tells him to "Shhhhh!"We were mesmerized by the scene that was happening and continued to be when he sat next to us on the train and explained that it was only eight o'clock and the celebration hadn't begun.
Soon we arrived at our stop and carefully stepped out into the dark main street in search of a cab that could take us to an unknown address with only the name of the place in hand. It was a lot easier than expected and we soon were loaded up into a tiny bus with another couple who were going to the high class resort near by. After twenty minutes of turns and twists in the, now drizzling, dark we began to turn into a promising drive way. We all let out a sigh of remorse when we realized it was the resort with its chandeliers and valet parkers. By this time we had already thought of every possible place that our hostel could be and ended up with creepy old people who would throw us in the freezer until we froze to death, chop us up and eat us because they were really zombies. Another good twenty minutes later we come up slowly to where the hostel was located and to our amazement it looked to be the safest and most friendly place we had seen since we had arrived in Europe.
By morning we were excited to actually see what surrounded us after our horror film bus ride to the middle of no where the night before. We opened the door and there it was...the most gorgeous view that you have ever scene. Rolling mountains with green grass that went on forever, yellow flowers covering every inch of the bushes and sheep roaming the pastures. We instantly dressed to go exploring, soon finding a river that ran through the valley of where we were staying. The fresh air did everyone good and the exercises put a the rose back in our cheeks. I could not have asked for better weather.You know that feeling when you are looking at a view and it is simply too much to take in? Your heart swells and your throat gets tight as you stare off into the beauty of the world, not altered by a human touch. When the tears spring into your eyes and you can't help but smile because you are getting to see this world of beauty, this purely natural beauty. That is what I felt when I stood on that mountain top and looked down over the land that so joyously proved that life is wonderful. I was really sad to go back to London. I must admit a tear or two slipped down my cheek as we drove up to the ferry location to return.
I never once imagined that I would fall in love with the country so much but you never can plan when you are going to fall in love.
With hugs,
Hope
The list of things I have done sense my last blog entry is astounding but my memory of them all is not so great. However! In my exploration of Europe I found a wonderful place that fills my heart with joy and gives me nothing more than happiness to spread to anyone who is reading.
What is the name of this place, you ask? Ireland...
In response to St. Patrick's Day we decided to go to Ireland simply to say we were there on the Irish holiday. On the night of planning I had not been present due to my much needed beauty sleep and found out later that our hostel arrangements were so far in the middle of no where that it didn't have its own address. Also, the town we needed to get to didn't even have a bus from where the ferry dropped us off and so the adventure began!
After arriving in Ireland and circling the building a couple of times in search of the train station we found out that the only way to go to where we needed was by going to Dublin. Of course! Dublin on St. Patrick's day, that is a yes! So off we went, taking in the gorgeous scene of country side before falling asleep to the rumbling of yet another bus. We had been traveling for a total of 12 hours already and sleep had not come easy except in occasional short naps, like the bus ride to Dublin.
I wish you could have seen it though! Spring was beginning to, well, spring! I have never seen grass so green or flowers so beautiful. Just driving into the country my breath was taken at every turn. After arriving at Dublin we realized we were in the middle of the City. There was a carnival along the river and there was masses of green. No, these were not rolling hills but people already starting their drunken celebration at ten o'clock in the morning. I heard one girl explain the next day that St. Patricks day is a marathon not a sprint when involving drinking. However, the streets were crawling in people dressed in green from head to toe, holding bottles and cans of all different shapes and sizes. We decided to get breakfast and soon discovered that there was the famous, world wide known St. Patty's Day parade! It was crazy, there were people everywhere and the floats were insane. After getting some floss (Uk slang for Cotton Candy) I could have sworn there was some kind of drug in it because the floats that were going through the parade made no sense. I made a joke that I could touch the sound, only to hear one of the people on the floats to say the exact same thing. It was a very trippy experience. I was lost in the most magical way.
Soon it was over and the crowds fled to McDonald's and then disappeared. We had a pint before we left the city but didn't want to celebrate too heavily due to the fact that we had absolutely no idea where we were suppose to go to get to our hostel. So we continue traveling, making a new friend on the train that is way more drunk then should be legal. Before even getting on the train he is standing on the platform, yelling into his cellphone with a plastic bag full of beer. To his knowledge, one of them is open but he sets in the bag and knocks it over as he continues to try to hear whomever was on the phone. As the beer begins to spread across the cement, filling the plastic bag as well a polite police officer walks up. He taps the man on the shoulder and kindly points to the bag and begins to tell him to pick it up. However, the man is so immersed in his conversation that he turns to the policeman and tells him to "Shhhhh!"We were mesmerized by the scene that was happening and continued to be when he sat next to us on the train and explained that it was only eight o'clock and the celebration hadn't begun.
Soon we arrived at our stop and carefully stepped out into the dark main street in search of a cab that could take us to an unknown address with only the name of the place in hand. It was a lot easier than expected and we soon were loaded up into a tiny bus with another couple who were going to the high class resort near by. After twenty minutes of turns and twists in the, now drizzling, dark we began to turn into a promising drive way. We all let out a sigh of remorse when we realized it was the resort with its chandeliers and valet parkers. By this time we had already thought of every possible place that our hostel could be and ended up with creepy old people who would throw us in the freezer until we froze to death, chop us up and eat us because they were really zombies. Another good twenty minutes later we come up slowly to where the hostel was located and to our amazement it looked to be the safest and most friendly place we had seen since we had arrived in Europe.
By morning we were excited to actually see what surrounded us after our horror film bus ride to the middle of no where the night before. We opened the door and there it was...the most gorgeous view that you have ever scene. Rolling mountains with green grass that went on forever, yellow flowers covering every inch of the bushes and sheep roaming the pastures. We instantly dressed to go exploring, soon finding a river that ran through the valley of where we were staying. The fresh air did everyone good and the exercises put a the rose back in our cheeks. I could not have asked for better weather.You know that feeling when you are looking at a view and it is simply too much to take in? Your heart swells and your throat gets tight as you stare off into the beauty of the world, not altered by a human touch. When the tears spring into your eyes and you can't help but smile because you are getting to see this world of beauty, this purely natural beauty. That is what I felt when I stood on that mountain top and looked down over the land that so joyously proved that life is wonderful. I was really sad to go back to London. I must admit a tear or two slipped down my cheek as we drove up to the ferry location to return.
I never once imagined that I would fall in love with the country so much but you never can plan when you are going to fall in love.
With hugs,
Hope
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Recently...
Lets see...I left off with Paris. Since then I have been to several different places.
The first of which was Stonehenge. Before even arriving, sense we went with the entire program, we were told to simply remember how old the structures were. By remembering such things we would understand why they were so small and not as gradiose as we always imagined. Upon arrival, in the snow mind you, I was amazed. The landscape was hilly and covered in just an inch or so of white, making the entire place magical in my eyes. The structures were lightly covered in moss,detailed with the lace of the ice and stood high above our heads. There was no need for the introduction that we would be disappointed.
However, due to the fact that it is a "magical"place, our spirits were lifted and we had to take silly pictures in efforts to withstand the cold.
After about an hour of silliness surrounded by beauty we were back on the bus to Bath. If you don't know, back in the time of Jane Austen and her glorious publications the people of London went to Bath for their holidays and rendezvous with their lovers. It was all quite scandalous. However, now it is a beautiful little town that is surrounded by country side and filled with everything possible to do. From shopping to museums to light night clubs. Some of the girls let the history of Bath come alive when it came to having a splendid holiday. Lets just say that someone gave away their first kiss. Not at all reluctantly, I might add.
While in Bath I had the opportunity to see my first rugby match. The sun was shining and it was warm enough to walk around without my jacket on. Then we sat down. Though sitting in the sun, all our toes were freezing off simply because our legs werent getting a peak of sunlight. However, despite getting frost bite (just kidding) the game was so much more interesting then American football. These guys were so incredibly rough. I highly recommend that you watch some rugby yourself.
Oh! I must help you visualize the ghost tour we went on. Imagine a group of college kids, all bundled up in a small town they don't know standing around listening to a lady tell us ghost stories. Got it? Now imagine that she walked around this little town for a good hour and a half, in the freezing cold, telling these ghost stories that haven't happened since the 1980's, NOW! Imagine this same group of kids standing around in a field with their hands up in the air trying to "feel"something. Besides feeling our hands turning blue we felt absolutely nothing and was trying not to start laughing because our guide was WAY to into her job. All in all, no one saw anything and I am absolutely positive that she blamed us for it.
After Bath we made our way to Lacock, which is pronounced lay-cock. This, of course, gave many of the members of our program a laugh. This town has been preserved as it was in the 18th century and is absolutely beautiful. The feel of the place is just filled with charm and history. The gorgeous little town completely filled my heart with the joy of the country and how much I miss it. To smell the air without a bit of exhaust was delightful. The flowers are just beginning to push through the damp dirt and beginning to spread their petals to the sky. There has been many movies filmed here simply because of its upkeep with the history.
After we returned to London and the weekend was over I have just been living the life of a londoner. Going to school, shopping every now and then on Oxford street, going to the theatre and going to the pubs. You know, the average life of any girl from Texas at my age. Oh? Is that right? This isn't normal? Of course its not! My god! Look at me go, I actually feel as if I live in London. I have no idea what I am going to do when I get back and there is no tube to catch to quickly get wherever I want to go. No store to walk to that is just down the street. No weekend holidays to foreign countries. Whatever will I do? I suppose I will just have to wait and find out. Two months and two weeks in counting until I return.
Tata for now,
Hope
The first of which was Stonehenge. Before even arriving, sense we went with the entire program, we were told to simply remember how old the structures were. By remembering such things we would understand why they were so small and not as gradiose as we always imagined. Upon arrival, in the snow mind you, I was amazed. The landscape was hilly and covered in just an inch or so of white, making the entire place magical in my eyes. The structures were lightly covered in moss,detailed with the lace of the ice and stood high above our heads. There was no need for the introduction that we would be disappointed.
While in Bath I had the opportunity to see my first rugby match. The sun was shining and it was warm enough to walk around without my jacket on. Then we sat down. Though sitting in the sun, all our toes were freezing off simply because our legs werent getting a peak of sunlight. However, despite getting frost bite (just kidding) the game was so much more interesting then American football. These guys were so incredibly rough. I highly recommend that you watch some rugby yourself.
Oh! I must help you visualize the ghost tour we went on. Imagine a group of college kids, all bundled up in a small town they don't know standing around listening to a lady tell us ghost stories. Got it? Now imagine that she walked around this little town for a good hour and a half, in the freezing cold, telling these ghost stories that haven't happened since the 1980's, NOW! Imagine this same group of kids standing around in a field with their hands up in the air trying to "feel"something. Besides feeling our hands turning blue we felt absolutely nothing and was trying not to start laughing because our guide was WAY to into her job. All in all, no one saw anything and I am absolutely positive that she blamed us for it.
After Bath we made our way to Lacock, which is pronounced lay-cock. This, of course, gave many of the members of our program a laugh. This town has been preserved as it was in the 18th century and is absolutely beautiful. The feel of the place is just filled with charm and history. The gorgeous little town completely filled my heart with the joy of the country and how much I miss it. To smell the air without a bit of exhaust was delightful. The flowers are just beginning to push through the damp dirt and beginning to spread their petals to the sky. There has been many movies filmed here simply because of its upkeep with the history.
After we returned to London and the weekend was over I have just been living the life of a londoner. Going to school, shopping every now and then on Oxford street, going to the theatre and going to the pubs. You know, the average life of any girl from Texas at my age. Oh? Is that right? This isn't normal? Of course its not! My god! Look at me go, I actually feel as if I live in London. I have no idea what I am going to do when I get back and there is no tube to catch to quickly get wherever I want to go. No store to walk to that is just down the street. No weekend holidays to foreign countries. Whatever will I do? I suppose I will just have to wait and find out. Two months and two weeks in counting until I return.
Tata for now,
Hope
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Three hats, two scarfs and a some bruises.
Paris.
Alright, grab a water and something to eat if you really want to sit down and read this one because its going to be long! Good luck!
It all started with five other girls and me arriving at Victoria station an hour early to obtain our tickets for the bus. However, before even leaving the city, we got lost in the station.We were looking for the buses instead of the coach station. So! After asking some very polite worker and them pointing and explaining that we were meant to be down the street at the COACH station, we followed directions.We got our tickets and were seated comfortable on our coach,not bus, coach before turning into hopeless romantics at the sight of a couple leaving each other. We watched from our window as the woman cried at the parting of her love. He kissed her, held her and stroked her hair. We imagined he was whispering sweet nothings and explaining that they would see each other again soon enough and that there was no need to cry. All in all, our imaginations ran off and we were close to tears ourselves at how utterly romantic it was. After the woman got on the bus reluctantly the man soon followed, simply to get a few more kisses and I love you's in before they had to go different paths. As soon as he was asked to get off the bus he walked to the window where she could see him and watched his love ride off into the night. It was terribly romantic and the fact that we were on our way to Paris, the city of love, just made it oh so much better.
So we were off to a good start! The bus was comfortable, new and no where near as bad as I thought. The bus driver on the other hand was not as much. Before we even left, he had yelled at atleast two passengers simply because he didnt speak english and they didnt understand each other. As we began our trip and before even leaving the city he began smoking, on a non-smoking bus. We were not the only ones who were shocked. His driving was just as rude as his character. He turned so quickly that no one could sleep comfortably when we were actually in any city, cars honked at him getting in their lane and I swear we almost had three accidents before we left London. However, once we got on the highway, it was much easier to attempt to sleep. The reasoning for us getting such a late bus, we left at 9:30, was so we could sleep on the bus and not waste our money on another night at a hostel. There were a few stops made that didnt affect anyone, picking up people here and there but once we got to the france border check-in it all went wrong.
By this time it was, I believe, midnight and we werent actually aware that this was going to happen. We all had to get out of the bus, take everything with us, wait in line for a guard to give our passport a two second glance before stamping it and then making us wait for our bus driver to pull up so we could all load back on. Sleepily, we did so. There were a few mumbles but once we got on the warm bus,we were fine until we realized we would be getting on the ferry soon. Because of this we didn't go back to sleep in excitement. However, after an hour of waiting in line for this ferry and the cars were finally boarding, our bus driver had fallen asleep! We stayed parked for a good fifteen minutes before someone got up and went to him and asked very rudely, "Are we going to go?" He grumbled and drove on and we all had to get off again and sit upstairs on this ferry. So we tiredly get on the ferry and wait until we pull away from the dock but what do you know? Something else goes wrong! The captain comes on and askes if there is a doctor on the ship because one of the passengers got sick. We wait for another thirty minutes before they announce that they care calling an ambulance. Two hours later, it is announced that because we were waiting they found that there was a problem with the hydrolics and they couldn't shut the doors. THREE HOURS LATER, we leave. The doors are fixed, two people are now sick and staying behind and we are just now leaving. It is now three o'clock in the morning. Can you imagine how excited we are at this point? Through sleep deprived laughter we made it though. A couple of hours later we make it to Paris, its probably around nine o'clock in the morning now and we have barely had any decent sleep and our food involved candy, water and cookies. You can imagine how happy our little group was at this point. Now, we had to find where our hostel was...in the cold...while we are starving...and sleep deprived. Despite all that was against us, we found it in a decent amount of time with our huge backpacks that made us look like turtles.
Upon arrival we found out we couldnt check in till three, so we sadly dropped off our bags in the luggage storing room and went off to try and find something to do for the next five hours that didn't involve a nice warm bed. Food was what came to mind. After finding that the cafes were a bit too pricey and some werent even serving food at this time, we made due with a sandwich shop. I, personally, am not a fan at all of sandwiches. So, I was going to sit down and let some of the other girls eat and eat at a later time. Sounds resonable right? Oh no! The owner comes out yelling in french and the only thing I pick up is ,"This is not a picnic!" We ALL had to buy something to stay...So what did we do after being treated so rudely? We stayed...I had to buy a crossiant for a whole Euro. Oh! I must explain the transportation system. In France, it is called the Metro. This is the equivalent to the tube if the tube was soaked in urine, dunked in a garbage disposal and set to dry in a dump with a side of BO and drug deals.
Moving on! We decided to go to the Louvre after the wonderful bakery that was so very friendly. It was amazing but as the hours went on the paintings began to blur, the statues all looked the same and the Mona Lisa was not as amazing as I hoped. I don't know why but for some reason they put the Mona Lisa, which isn't a huge painting, in this gallery with wall to floor length paintings. It all seemed very off. Anyway, I wish I had had more energy for this wonderful opportunity but my feet were dragging, my stomach was growling and I needed a nap. Oh! Had I mentioned that I was slowly getting sicker and sicker as the day past? Yup! After we all decided that we simply couldn't walk anymore and our senses were WAY overloaded we tried to get out of the Louvre. This was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life! The signs for the way to leave this place were ridiculous and we spent a good thirty minutes just trying to get out. At one point, I remember tapping on the glass of the window, saying "Help us!"
Eventually we found our way out, made our way back to the hostel and checked in. How was the hostel, you ask? Well let me tell you. It was wonderful, actually. It was clean and the atmosphere was very friendly. There were people of all different nationalities lounging about, families with kids and students, just like us. The only major problem was that there were six floors and no elevator. I'm sure you are thinking, well that isn't so bad...Well you are wrong! The stair case was an old, wooden, spiral staircase that had definetly had its day. What floor were we on, you ask? The sixth! Naturally. After climbing the mountain with our bags, we sat and had our cold peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that we had made the night before for this adventure. At this point, I was very happy. Naps were a must after our little lunch but we couldn't sleep all night so we got up for dinner and went to the Arc de Triomphe for pictures. At this point, I could finally say, "Hey Look! We are in Paris!" Everything was so much better after our naps. Though it was cold, we walked down the Champs Elysees and enjoyed the shops and the people and the fact that we were in France. We stopped and ate at a French hamburger place, which was interesting, and continued on until it started to snow! The girls that I was with are all from places in which this happens every year but this girl from Texas was amazed! I was standing in Paris and it was snowing. I was in france and there were flurries on my coat. They laughed at my childlike wonderment but I couldn't help it! It was gorgeous. It didn't last very long, just enough to coat everything in a fine layer of white but it was marvelous. We continued walking until we saw the eiffel tower. It really is as magically as I hoped. This ended our night and we went back to the hostel.
I told you this was a long one!
Continuing! The next day we went to the Notre Dome, as all tourists should do and then do you know what we did? I'm sure you can't guess...We went ice skating! In Paris!! I was not as light on my feet as the two other girls who went with me but I still did it. No broken bones, no twisted ankles and no bruises. It was so much fun to just be in the situation. After my sad attempts at learning to ice skate, we got cotton candy and the oddest thing happened. As one of the girls explained, " The only pick pocketers we had a problem with was with our cotton candy." There was a lady, trying to get us to sign something that followed us around and kept picking bits of our cotton candy off! She would ask and we would say no and then she would just take it! It was so strange! We rushed off and found the lane of pet shops. It was a horrible idea but we went in every single one and Awed at every single puppy and kitten. We found that the french are very proud of their animals and the cheapest puppy was atleast 600 euros. This was probably a blessing in disguise.We went to Moulin Rouge, had dinner and made one of the girls very uncomfortable by going into a European sex shop for that reason exactly.
We headed back and actually had the chance to listen to a three guy band from Argentina that were playing in the hostel for a gig. They were gorgeous, of course. However, because I am madly in love with my boyfriend they didn't have a chance at all. Though I must admit, I believe that they did wish to try because I am simply that gorgeous. ;) Anyway! We stayed downstairs and played table tennis and met a couple of other travelers. It was so much fun. There was a sing along involved, need I say more?
Sunday we planned on going to Versailles and as I was heading down the stairs for breakfast, I fell down those horrid stairs...This is where the bruises came from. I now have a lovely set of bruises on my arm and on the top of my bottom. Thank you, sixth floor. We made it to the Palace later on and at this point, all the wonderful palaces/castles/apartments that are in these rather large estates are beginning to blur together. I'm sure it was gorgeous and the accidents were extrodinary, so on and so forth but I had one major problem that was keeping me from enjoying the palace. I had finally gotten my cold. I was sneezing, coughing, sniffiling, aching...dying but did I give up! No Sir or Madam! After returning back to the city, we went to the Paris Opera house and it was gorgeous. Despite my bad state, it was so very pretty. After that, I could not walk any farther and we just headed back to the bus station. The ride back was a lot better and so much less time then the ride before until we got to the UK border. It, honestly, is harder to get into the UK then it is to get into the US. They asked all sorts of questions, I was the lucky one. I only was asked questions for about ten minutes. Some of the other girls were not so lucky. There was even a man who had to do the walk of shame and was not let in. We arrived back in London at 4:30 and had to walk back because the tube wasn't open yet. We had not planned on being early on the way back since we were so late arriving to Paris. However, it was so and we walked back and sickly, I crawled into bed and haven't crawled out until now.
All in all, I think it was a pretty adventurous trip. I had a blast and I'm glad I got to go with the girls that I did go with. Next, is Bath.
Au revoir,
Hope
Alright, grab a water and something to eat if you really want to sit down and read this one because its going to be long! Good luck!
It all started with five other girls and me arriving at Victoria station an hour early to obtain our tickets for the bus. However, before even leaving the city, we got lost in the station.We were looking for the buses instead of the coach station. So! After asking some very polite worker and them pointing and explaining that we were meant to be down the street at the COACH station, we followed directions.We got our tickets and were seated comfortable on our coach,not bus, coach before turning into hopeless romantics at the sight of a couple leaving each other. We watched from our window as the woman cried at the parting of her love. He kissed her, held her and stroked her hair. We imagined he was whispering sweet nothings and explaining that they would see each other again soon enough and that there was no need to cry. All in all, our imaginations ran off and we were close to tears ourselves at how utterly romantic it was. After the woman got on the bus reluctantly the man soon followed, simply to get a few more kisses and I love you's in before they had to go different paths. As soon as he was asked to get off the bus he walked to the window where she could see him and watched his love ride off into the night. It was terribly romantic and the fact that we were on our way to Paris, the city of love, just made it oh so much better.
So we were off to a good start! The bus was comfortable, new and no where near as bad as I thought. The bus driver on the other hand was not as much. Before we even left, he had yelled at atleast two passengers simply because he didnt speak english and they didnt understand each other. As we began our trip and before even leaving the city he began smoking, on a non-smoking bus. We were not the only ones who were shocked. His driving was just as rude as his character. He turned so quickly that no one could sleep comfortably when we were actually in any city, cars honked at him getting in their lane and I swear we almost had three accidents before we left London. However, once we got on the highway, it was much easier to attempt to sleep. The reasoning for us getting such a late bus, we left at 9:30, was so we could sleep on the bus and not waste our money on another night at a hostel. There were a few stops made that didnt affect anyone, picking up people here and there but once we got to the france border check-in it all went wrong.
By this time it was, I believe, midnight and we werent actually aware that this was going to happen. We all had to get out of the bus, take everything with us, wait in line for a guard to give our passport a two second glance before stamping it and then making us wait for our bus driver to pull up so we could all load back on. Sleepily, we did so. There were a few mumbles but once we got on the warm bus,we were fine until we realized we would be getting on the ferry soon. Because of this we didn't go back to sleep in excitement. However, after an hour of waiting in line for this ferry and the cars were finally boarding, our bus driver had fallen asleep! We stayed parked for a good fifteen minutes before someone got up and went to him and asked very rudely, "Are we going to go?" He grumbled and drove on and we all had to get off again and sit upstairs on this ferry. So we tiredly get on the ferry and wait until we pull away from the dock but what do you know? Something else goes wrong! The captain comes on and askes if there is a doctor on the ship because one of the passengers got sick. We wait for another thirty minutes before they announce that they care calling an ambulance. Two hours later, it is announced that because we were waiting they found that there was a problem with the hydrolics and they couldn't shut the doors. THREE HOURS LATER, we leave. The doors are fixed, two people are now sick and staying behind and we are just now leaving. It is now three o'clock in the morning. Can you imagine how excited we are at this point? Through sleep deprived laughter we made it though. A couple of hours later we make it to Paris, its probably around nine o'clock in the morning now and we have barely had any decent sleep and our food involved candy, water and cookies. You can imagine how happy our little group was at this point. Now, we had to find where our hostel was...in the cold...while we are starving...and sleep deprived. Despite all that was against us, we found it in a decent amount of time with our huge backpacks that made us look like turtles.
Upon arrival we found out we couldnt check in till three, so we sadly dropped off our bags in the luggage storing room and went off to try and find something to do for the next five hours that didn't involve a nice warm bed. Food was what came to mind. After finding that the cafes were a bit too pricey and some werent even serving food at this time, we made due with a sandwich shop. I, personally, am not a fan at all of sandwiches. So, I was going to sit down and let some of the other girls eat and eat at a later time. Sounds resonable right? Oh no! The owner comes out yelling in french and the only thing I pick up is ,"This is not a picnic!" We ALL had to buy something to stay...So what did we do after being treated so rudely? We stayed...I had to buy a crossiant for a whole Euro. Oh! I must explain the transportation system. In France, it is called the Metro. This is the equivalent to the tube if the tube was soaked in urine, dunked in a garbage disposal and set to dry in a dump with a side of BO and drug deals.
Moving on! We decided to go to the Louvre after the wonderful bakery that was so very friendly. It was amazing but as the hours went on the paintings began to blur, the statues all looked the same and the Mona Lisa was not as amazing as I hoped. I don't know why but for some reason they put the Mona Lisa, which isn't a huge painting, in this gallery with wall to floor length paintings. It all seemed very off. Anyway, I wish I had had more energy for this wonderful opportunity but my feet were dragging, my stomach was growling and I needed a nap. Oh! Had I mentioned that I was slowly getting sicker and sicker as the day past? Yup! After we all decided that we simply couldn't walk anymore and our senses were WAY overloaded we tried to get out of the Louvre. This was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life! The signs for the way to leave this place were ridiculous and we spent a good thirty minutes just trying to get out. At one point, I remember tapping on the glass of the window, saying "Help us!"
Eventually we found our way out, made our way back to the hostel and checked in. How was the hostel, you ask? Well let me tell you. It was wonderful, actually. It was clean and the atmosphere was very friendly. There were people of all different nationalities lounging about, families with kids and students, just like us. The only major problem was that there were six floors and no elevator. I'm sure you are thinking, well that isn't so bad...Well you are wrong! The stair case was an old, wooden, spiral staircase that had definetly had its day. What floor were we on, you ask? The sixth! Naturally. After climbing the mountain with our bags, we sat and had our cold peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that we had made the night before for this adventure. At this point, I was very happy. Naps were a must after our little lunch but we couldn't sleep all night so we got up for dinner and went to the Arc de Triomphe for pictures. At this point, I could finally say, "Hey Look! We are in Paris!" Everything was so much better after our naps. Though it was cold, we walked down the Champs Elysees and enjoyed the shops and the people and the fact that we were in France. We stopped and ate at a French hamburger place, which was interesting, and continued on until it started to snow! The girls that I was with are all from places in which this happens every year but this girl from Texas was amazed! I was standing in Paris and it was snowing. I was in france and there were flurries on my coat. They laughed at my childlike wonderment but I couldn't help it! It was gorgeous. It didn't last very long, just enough to coat everything in a fine layer of white but it was marvelous. We continued walking until we saw the eiffel tower. It really is as magically as I hoped. This ended our night and we went back to the hostel.
I told you this was a long one!
Continuing! The next day we went to the Notre Dome, as all tourists should do and then do you know what we did? I'm sure you can't guess...We went ice skating! In Paris!! I was not as light on my feet as the two other girls who went with me but I still did it. No broken bones, no twisted ankles and no bruises. It was so much fun to just be in the situation. After my sad attempts at learning to ice skate, we got cotton candy and the oddest thing happened. As one of the girls explained, " The only pick pocketers we had a problem with was with our cotton candy." There was a lady, trying to get us to sign something that followed us around and kept picking bits of our cotton candy off! She would ask and we would say no and then she would just take it! It was so strange! We rushed off and found the lane of pet shops. It was a horrible idea but we went in every single one and Awed at every single puppy and kitten. We found that the french are very proud of their animals and the cheapest puppy was atleast 600 euros. This was probably a blessing in disguise.We went to Moulin Rouge, had dinner and made one of the girls very uncomfortable by going into a European sex shop for that reason exactly.
We headed back and actually had the chance to listen to a three guy band from Argentina that were playing in the hostel for a gig. They were gorgeous, of course. However, because I am madly in love with my boyfriend they didn't have a chance at all. Though I must admit, I believe that they did wish to try because I am simply that gorgeous. ;) Anyway! We stayed downstairs and played table tennis and met a couple of other travelers. It was so much fun. There was a sing along involved, need I say more?
Sunday we planned on going to Versailles and as I was heading down the stairs for breakfast, I fell down those horrid stairs...This is where the bruises came from. I now have a lovely set of bruises on my arm and on the top of my bottom. Thank you, sixth floor. We made it to the Palace later on and at this point, all the wonderful palaces/castles/apartments that are in these rather large estates are beginning to blur together. I'm sure it was gorgeous and the accidents were extrodinary, so on and so forth but I had one major problem that was keeping me from enjoying the palace. I had finally gotten my cold. I was sneezing, coughing, sniffiling, aching...dying but did I give up! No Sir or Madam! After returning back to the city, we went to the Paris Opera house and it was gorgeous. Despite my bad state, it was so very pretty. After that, I could not walk any farther and we just headed back to the bus station. The ride back was a lot better and so much less time then the ride before until we got to the UK border. It, honestly, is harder to get into the UK then it is to get into the US. They asked all sorts of questions, I was the lucky one. I only was asked questions for about ten minutes. Some of the other girls were not so lucky. There was even a man who had to do the walk of shame and was not let in. We arrived back in London at 4:30 and had to walk back because the tube wasn't open yet. We had not planned on being early on the way back since we were so late arriving to Paris. However, it was so and we walked back and sickly, I crawled into bed and haven't crawled out until now.
All in all, I think it was a pretty adventurous trip. I had a blast and I'm glad I got to go with the girls that I did go with. Next, is Bath.
Au revoir,
Hope
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