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Thursday, January 31, 2002
8:03 PM
going to paris for the weekend. leaving in 6 hours, in fact.
good day today. good day yesterday. pulling myself out of the homesickness funk with a few select calls to the states (shame on those of you who missed them).
but yeah. saw the mikado (painful), saw top girls (very good, and reminded me that pope joan existed). i'm finally able to navigate covent garden/leciester square area without a map. i'm overly proud of myself. so now i'll go get lost in france.
7:53 AM
page is updated. everything has something new on it. new me page, new pictures, a new poem, a new draft of the vinnine and guido story. 3 new quotes, a prize if anyone figures out what they are. the links are a little messed up, but i'll fix that later.
Tuesday, January 29, 2002
6:05 PM
can i take a moment out of my "i'm in london and terribly happy" to be a little tired and homesick? cause i am. sigh.
Monday, January 28, 2002
6:06 PM
bought tickets to paris today for this weekend. saw saint paul's cathedral at evensong. was ready to upload my webpage updates but have to wait for a different connection to be available, possibly in the morning. i have too much time on my hands. anyway, still on the tired side. i sent out a mass mail today, so enjoy. hope it's not too inane. john's going to start teaching me guitar, and yoga should start next week. life is good.
hehe, oh yeah. i'm amused. someone has crushlinked me. have no idea who and refuse to subject everyone i know to the "crushlink" emails by entering their email addresses. so whoever it is, if you'r reading this, just fess up. we're all grownups these days.
Sunday, January 27, 2002
3:05 PM
it's been a long weekend and i'm tired and i don't feel like putting in the effort to come up with something interesting to say, so forgive me if it's inane. hung out with patrick and mari in a coffee shop in camdem today talking about everything and nothing and just glad it was dry. because yesterday was spent in brighton and very very wet and windy and i'll talk more in depth about it when i send the next mass email (if you're not on the list and want to be, email me and let me know). on the up side, i'm breathing more easily again, the infection seems to be dying away, though the asthma remains. and it's not north africa for spring break anymore (well, maybe), but it is probably egypt and the red sea at the beginning of summer. out.
Wednesday, January 23, 2002
6:54 PM
still sick, not too exciting. but almost healthy.
came in to history late so became the victim of the prof, as he knew i know roman history and had atleast a vague idea of the celtic people. amazing the info i can dredge out of my brain when i need to. most impressed with my ability to recall details of claudius, despite probably only having learned them from the history channel.
homework, letter writing, hagen das and sex in the city made up my (and my flatmates') evenings. but i believe we're going out tomorrow night. and i'm going to the national gallery tomorrow morning, 10 am, assuming i don't oversleep.
and we're thinking about going to northern africa on spring break. are we crazy?
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
10:14 AM
cold = upper respirtory tract infection = viral induced asthma.
which is what the nice british doctor says i am the proud new victim of. so i've got an inhaler and am pumping myself full of vitamin c (the infection isn't gone, but they don't like giving antibiotics out and it's clearing up on its own). so i spent all weekend exhausted, knocked on my ass, and did not get out to the theater or clubs or much farther than three blocks away from my flat in vain attempt to not be on the couch or in my bed.
i'm going on a program sponsored outing for the fish and chips experience tonight, but it'll be right back home and out of the smoke. i can deal with asthma, i guess (and supposedly it's just temporary), but i'd like the rest of this lingering nastiness to leave me alone.
Friday, January 18, 2002
5:50 PM
quite giggly after two pints of cider and fun with the girls at the rat and parrot. if this damn chest cold would go away it'd all be quite perfect. good day today, got to see both mummies, the statuary stolen from the parthenon, and bridget. yay! saw a very entertaining street performer in covent gardens, i promised bridget a pint if she went up and kissed him but he left as she was about to go do it. ah well, we have a new game to play at the clubs/pubs, whatever suits our fancy.
but more importantly...
rane was reborn tonight. anyone remember her? she's been buried too long, and she's coming back. she's also going shopping tomorrow, as she needs the perfect pair of black boots and dark colored jeans. plus potentially a new piercing.
love to all.
Thursday, January 17, 2002
4:14 PM
we just spent 3 hours talking, eating, and drinking in the queens head after an unsuccessful attempt to see pete yorn for the tiny price of £5. but alas, the 9/11 bred paranoia of packages left all alone kept our tube ride from going smoothly. they shut down the line we were one (thankfully when we were at a station and not stuck in a tunnel) and we had to figure out an alternate route. by the time we arrived the last minute tickets were long gone, so we wandered in the neighborhood, looking for food, which is how we stumbled on the queens head, which was on a quiet little side street. we weren't sure if they were open at first, because recent rain had washed the chalk from the sidewalk sign outside. coming in, we felt very female, and very american, but they were quite polite. it was a just what you'd imagine a pub to look like, dimly lit and well worn. we sat in a corner, talking fairly softly and i personally was amused by the music selection (an unusual amount of tina turner). it was, all in all, a good evening. tomorrow is the british museum, and seeing bridget. should be fun.
Wednesday, January 16, 2002
5:59 PM
love both classes i had today. i have no idea what to drop, only that something has to go. we toured the museum of london for history, and learned we'll see about 10 different plays for the theater class. we'll also be doing some acting. it all seems very promising.
went and saw rent tonight, sobbed for the entire second half of it. and wore my new boots the entire time and my feet have survived with no new blisters. they're almost broken in. just wandered the mile alone and spent £17 at sainsbury's, the most i've ever laid down. but it'll feed me for atleast 3 or 4 days. anyway, exhausted. it's midnight. i'm back to the flat and back to bed.
Tuesday, January 15, 2002
4:28 PM
"i want to taste the fish. that's why i ordered it." - v.m.
went to see the vagina monologues at the art theater tonight. it's so wonderful to live in this city. on a tuesday night, i can decide to go see a major show 2 hours before curtain, hop on the tube, and 10 minutes later be in the theater district buying great seats for half price, and still get back home in time to do homework. public transportation that works and culture that exists make me very very happy.
i went to 2 classes today (v. sleepy though, so i was fighting nodding off). i'm still not sure which one (if any) i'll drop.
Monday, January 14, 2002
5:27 PM
also, heard this on the tube today: "if you wish to trap yourselves in the door, please do it on another train." i love the british.
4:58 PM
i bought knee high red docs today. they're total ass kicking boots and i love them. i really need to stop this shopping thing. but they've got a five story store down in covent gardens, and everything's onsale, so it wasn't a terribly expensive purchse, especially as they were about a quarter of the cost they would have been in the states.
first contemporary britian class today. the prof is interesting, but we didn't actually do anything today. he gets points for not making us buy any books and providing handouts. shakespeare in london and opera in london both meet for the first time tomorrow. i'm hoping they meet expectations, as i'm really looking forward to their theater trips. also went down the the imperial college union today with a group of us. it's a nice little place, but i think next time i'll go without the crowd.
but going home to bed early. it's only 11 but i'd really like this cold to go away.
Sunday, January 13, 2002
5:46 PM
today, on our way to kensington high street to go shopping (because as poor college students in london, spending money is the best idea in the world), we were asked by two people in a row directions to the tube station. one of them was a native! it made us feel very happy and very at home. the shopping was legal though, as it was originally for bath towels and pillows (i forgot towels, and the pillows they gave us are flat as boards). the clothing purchased was an accident caused by the insane sales they have going on at the moment (£25 for a black suede skirt!). we're not sure what they're for, but our theory is the spring collection is coming out. now i just need to find a store full of docs....
some of my flat mates found a pub that was actually showing the packer game tonight! since they won, i think i'll go with them next week to see the game. there is a game next week, right? it'll be an experience. watching the packers in a london pub while people look at us like the crazy wisconsinites we are.
i walked home at midnight last night. i was alone. and i felt absolutely safe. i did not look behind me, i did not flinch when i saw men. i walked, calmly and quietly along the rows of 19th century houses, and felt safer than i ever have in the usa, even in my hometown. what is it about the culture of america that when i walk alone i should have to be afraid? why can't i feel safe in my hometown, yet here in the city, while i fear pickpockets, i don't fear the shadows? going home will be hard.
Saturday, January 12, 2002
5:39 PM
i've made it safe to london, and it's amazing. the flight over was smooth, though i couldn't sleep despite my best intentions. by the time mari and i arrived, snaked our way through heathrow, and stumbled upon the taxi stand, i'm not sure we were really awake. we managed to discover two other students from our program, crowded into a black cab with them and confused the driver about which addresses we were going to. after a stop off at metrogate (where our keys and housing placement forms were waiting) we arrived at our flat, and proceeded to be amazed.
we're located directly across the street from kensington gardens, and near embassies. we are deep in the heart of a very posh area, with the rich and diplomats for neighbors. harrods is only a mile away. we stumbled up to the third floor (the elevator was broken), walked down a very long hall within the flat itself, and threw our bags into our room. everything is much better than we expected. the flat is enormous, with 15 of us living in a combination of singles (1), doubles (5) and triples (2), each bedroom with its own bath (most even have bathtubs). most rooms have picture window, and the views vary from the building next door to the back gardens of our neighbors. the ceilings are all incredibly high. the kitchen, dining room, and living room are huge, and we even have a balcony overlooking the park. needless to say, this is much better then the small, cramped, dark quarters that we imagined we'd be in.
in order to combat the fact that we were ready to sleep, mari and i walked through a small section of kensington gardens, managed to find kensington palace, and then began a search for food and our first explorations of the neighborhood. we attended a group meeting where they fed us and most participants did the best they could not to fall asleep. i was so exhausted (over 48 hours with no sleep) that i fell asleep at 6 p.m.
mari and i woke up at 4, unable to return to sleep, so by 6 a.m. we were walking around and exploring our neighborhood, eating croissants and fruit juice from the patisserie around the corner. this is definitely not the midwest. the streets amble aimlessly and there's no easy grid to help you make your way through it, so all you can do is walk around and memorize where things are. we'd hoped to see the sunrise, but it was overcast and the sky was only just beginning to lighten when we got home at 8. we were taken on a walking tour of the neighborhood later that day. it's so green here, and while it's cold it's not freezing. people keep trees and plants on their balconies and in roof gardens, and it helps the city seem smaller and more local. we spent the afternoon doing even more walking, along kensington high street, which is just down the road from us. it's lined with stores of all kinds, and that's where we picked up our cell phones. this evening we spent a little bit of time at an irish pub that's only a few blocks away from our flat, where mari drank guinness and i reminded myself i should really learn to like beer.
today we got up for a half day tour of the city, which involved a lot of riding around on a bus and a few short walking jaunts. we saw just about every major landmark, at least momentarily, from saint paul's to big ben. it was a nice overview, and we'll have smaller, more specific trips later on in the semester. while at the tower of london a pigeon tried to attack me. they really are creatures that belong in hitchcock's "the birds." this evening i took the tube for the first time (it was remarkably easy), navigating our way from kensington down to trafalgar square for a theater performance of "art," a play about three friends and a white painting. it was just the first of what will be many trips down to the theater district.
then we went grocery shopping again. it's becoming a daily ritual, as there's limited space in the refrigerators and the english don't like preservatives in their food. so far we've done most of our shopping at sainsbury's, which is like target, if target sold groceries. i give it high recommendations for entertainment value. tomorrow is unscheduled for us, and classes start monday.
Thursday, January 10, 2002
12:06 PM
so i'm in london, and i'm exhausted. the flight was great, the flat is amazing, the weather is wacky, and i'm going to pass out as i've been up since tuesday. so even though it is barely 6pm here, when i get back to the flat i'm going to bed. we live literally across the street from kensington gardens, i share a bedroom and a bathroom with mari, and it's all totally absolutely surreal. i'll write more when i'm coherent.
Tuesday, January 08, 2002
2:00 AM
okay, i now have a hideous head cold. if anyone knows how to drain my sinuses before i get on the plane, let me know, i'm desperate for a solution. i've heard afrin and sudafed are a good combo. things are busy. today was full of goodbyes to people. one last day left to do the final preparations before i go. wish me luck. i'll try to get the new website changes up before i leave.
Monday, January 07, 2002
3:02 AM
so, as you can imagine, life's been busy. interesting and busy. and i keep meaning to post, but i keep driving myself to exhaustion. so, basically...no real post tonight. just wanted to leave a heads up that i'm still alive and kicking, just very very busy and tired and exhausted. but i'm working on it. and i leave in 2 days, basically. only 2 days left to prepare, then i drive to ohare and step on a plane. so, yeah. wish me luck. my love to all who i've gotten to see, and those i haven't. i'll get atleast one real update done before i take off.
Friday, January 04, 2002
5:45 AM
you've stayed up to late when you hear the buses starting their routes for the day. ugh. it's going to be a long long day.
i'm kinda droopy again right now. i'm getting all weepy about leaving, even while i'm excited. my room is nearly packed up, which is very sad to see. i'm about to become a vagabond, and all my familiar knickknacks and such have disappeared into boxes. all i've got left to sort out is papers and clothing. and have to do that before mom comes tomorrow (today) to load them into the van. sigh. suppose i should sleep then.
5 days
Thursday, January 03, 2002
6:09 PM
i just dropped mari off to catch the bus home. i hugged her before she jumped on and we did this little shriek. 6 days now till we're in o'hare waiting to get on a plane (or waiting at a security check point). god, i can't believe it. i bought my rail tickets today, had a final lunch with prof clover where he listed ten zillion places i should go to, have been working on packing up my room. mari and i tried to figure out how much film to buy, how to get to the airport (we're thinking limo right now, honestly, as it wouldn't inconvenience anyone and our parents can't come wait at the gate with us anyway). later tonight i've gotta make a final list of what i still need to buy/do. we're almost there. god, this is crazy. we're really going.
2:52 AM
so far haven't really changed anything except this basic layout. more changes and updates will come in the next few days, before i leave. now it's time for bed.
1:13 AM
i've been working on this whole website redesign tonight. i should be packing up my apartment, as i have to move out of here sooner than i have to leave for london, yet...i don't want to. it's not that i'm not excited to be leaving (less than a week!), yet i'm afraid, right now, i am procrastinating. i feel overwhelmed by the immensity of leaving. so i've spent this evening working on my website and watching tv instead of doing anything useful. the task of breathing seems too much right now, for me.
i've got this weight of sadness hanging off me, but i don't know what's causing it. there are only a few more people i have left to say goodbye to, but i can't seem to get ahold of them, which is frustrating. and email, while my friend, is not the same as a phone call to them, or a chance to see them in person and hug them before i run away for half a year.
assuming i come back. going to see the lawyer today was a bit depressing, as we sat and discussed life insurance, wills, medical power of attorney, how students loans die with you. my mother talked about getting a passport in case something happened and they had to come over to claim my body. talk about putting a damper on the fun of travel plans. i'd prefer to believe that i'll be fine and healthy while over there, not afraid of other darker possibilities.
