Tales from a Cheeky Yank

YES!!

2011-01-22T05:54:00.002Z

I know, I know! I'm a horrible, terrible, no good person. Excuse: completely forgot my password. With the whirlwind that was my life those last weeks, submitting papers, biting my nails till the last moment, I let the blog go. I'm sure it was a very sad event for the five people who actually read my words of wisdom. To catch up: I did finally get my masters. I received it in a nice flat envelope and it has yet to do me any good. I apply for jobs everywhere on a regular basis and there are no interested parties as of yet. I still have my fingers crossed. Yes, I still work at Barnes & Noble, but as a Children's Department Lead. This is fun because a) teen books are becoming leagues better than they were just five years ago and b) the pay is better.

Beyond that, nothing is really new in my life. Back to the boring grind of a bookseller who deals with customers I want to strangle half the time. I really, really want to go back to the UK. It's a need that is reaching critical mass. However, the timing has been off recently for both scheduling and financial reasons. So I'm stuck for now.

That's it for now. I just thought I'd do a quick update now that I've cracked my password. Yeah!

At Last!!!

2009-09-09T19:25:00.007+01:00

I'm done printing and binding my final journal paper!!! Tomorrow I will hand it in and be forever done with school, homework, bi-polar professors, clueless university administrative staff, and countless hours reading articles, books, journals that are so boring my eyes want to roll into the back of my head and die there.

What I am going to miss are the people I meet and the travelling that came along with much of my studies. I know I could have stayed in Washington, gone to a cheap state school and never left the Pacific Northwest if I had wanted to. However, I did not want to study in one place, and I had the means to travel. I have a friend, Ray, from archery who has come to call me the Gypsy Scholar, and he's not half wrong.

The process that lead to my final journal paper involved all of this:

Which I consumed in about a 2 week period.

I had a few mishaps too. The first one was getting off a bus. I made a sharp right turn off the bus and smacked my head into the side mirror. I now have a noticeable mark on my forehead when I have no make-up on.

The second was this:

It's cinnamon all over my floor. I was making french toast and the container got away from me. The upside was that my room smelled scrumptious for a whole week.

Needless to say my mind has been really preoccupied with this final paper/project. I'm just glad it's done. And in 5 days I'll be home in Washington.

How long I'll stay in Washington though, is any one's guess. Seriously, I'll take any Human Resource job that's not a scam anywhere in the continental United States.

Bank Holiday Idiocy

2009-08-31T14:59:00.005+01:00

Today I had 3 things due: re-submit a paper for a class I flubbed last Fall, consent forms from my interviews, and the rough draft of my dissertation. However, I had one LARGE obstacle to completing any of this: Today is a Bank Holiday.

If you are unfamiliar with this concept, it's a holiday that no one has an explanation for other than it's the last Monday in August, so of course the whole country closes down. Why didn't I think of that! This also means that the university is shut down, including libraries which house the printers. Thus I had to track down a computer room with a printer in the Medical School attached to the hospital. Yes, a hospital.

I walked approximately 2 miles to get there, then another mile to the Jubilee Campus to turn in the papers. Luckily the building was open, but the box to drop the papers into was locked. Yes!! Locked!!! Needless to say I was slightly annoyed. Why would they make a due date on a holiday when they know EVERYTHING shuts down for the weekend. I could email the dissertation to my advisor, but the other stuff I'll have to go in at 9 am and make a slight fuss over the idiocy of their system. Which I hate to do, but I walked three miles (because the buses weren't running) only to NOT be able to turn in the papers at the time that THEY specified. And did I mention that I haven't slept in over 24 hours? Now you can understand that my tolerance level for idiocy is very low right now....

Okay,

I'm done venting.

Just saying...I'm getting a degree from nitwits apparently.

Sharing Some Tech Advice

2009-08-24T22:23:00.005+01:00

Click on the picture if you have trouble reading all the print.

Alan! Alan! Alan!

2009-08-18T22:00:00.003+01:00

Favorite clip from BBC this week:

Beautiful Day...

2009-08-16T06:58:00.004+01:00

from inside my room. Pluggin' away....

And I want to do this, even though I'll probably break my neck.

And this is the TV show I wish was coming out this Fall, but have to wait til March.

Lovely Prague...

2009-08-02T19:13:00.026+01:00

This was the final destination on the trip and I was so happy to explore. I've always wanted to go, but never had the opportunity. And at the end of the trip realized it was my favorite locale on the trip and wished I could have stayed longer. Oh, well another time. Here are pictures of the highlights of the trip...Enjoy!!

This is the Czech Inn where Annie and I stayed. Pretty, right?

Across from our tram stop to go into town.

Annie enjoying a traditional Pilsner Beer. I had one too, but didn't like it as much as Annie.

Best chicken dish I've had in my life. Looks kind of gross, but it's grilled chicken with pear and camembert cheese. Sooo good I wanted seconds.

Tour Option #1

Astronomical Clock. Very anti-climatic.

They hide a Starbucks everywhere they can. =)

It's Pink!

Tour Option #2

So sad. And yes, I gave him money. I wouldn't take his picture and not.

On the way to Charles' Bridge.

For luck and fertility. Not that I'm planning on using the fertility, but the good luck was nice.

Religious man who was burned at the stake for his beliefs. Then a statue was made of him centuries later. Figures.

A statue detailing the ghost from Mozart's famous opera. Can you guess which one? This sits right outside where they filmed the movie "Amadeus".
Hahaha. I loved this poster. It was everwhere. =)

Spanish Synagogue. It only looks like a mosque.

View from Charles' Bridge at the Palace, where the president works and lives.

In a synagogue memorial for all Czech Jews who lost their life during WWII. All their names, birthdays and date of deaths (or when their death was discovered), and from which part of the Jewish Community they lived is printed on the walls of the entire synagogue.

The Jewish cemetery.

This is the Old New Synagogue where the famous Golem resides. There's an old story that says that a Nazi went to the attic where the Golem is trapped and never came down again. Presumably killed by the Golem.

The million steps up to the palace.

View from the top.

These guys wouldn't move for anything.

Church. Very old. Nuff said.

Very nice fiddler who let me take his picture for my spare change. Not a great player, but nice nonetheless.

Another view from the top.

The metro to the airport. Goodbye Prague. I will be back!

The Good Life in Vienna....

2009-07-29T12:11:00.017+01:00

The next stop on the marathon was in Vienna. I had been there briefly before, but was sick then. So this was my chance to see the city properly. While very pretty, I was surprised how many tourists there were. But everyone was very nice and Annie and I had a great time.

Me in front of Vienna's stutue to Mozart.

We went on a tram ride around the city and saw this old church.

Opera House

Best Desert of the trip at Demel's. A lovely mousse covered in chocolate with a crunchy base, and Gold flecks on top. So rich and creamy. And a perfect latte.

The kitchen and staff behind all their wonderful creations.

The palace and riding school.

Part of the royal family's china collection.

Roayl family sitting room.

The King's room.
The Queen's room.

The Palace.

Lunch. Cheesy sausage, roll, and a Fanta.

The Royal jewels.

And your parents always said money didn't grow on trees. They were right, gold does. Look whose laughing now?

At the park.

Notes From Munich...

2009-07-25T13:04:00.019+01:00

I was lucky enough recently to travel to three locations. However, this excursion needed to stay within a 10 day time frame. So, my 10 day travel marathon began in Munich, Germany. I know what you're thinking. Why Munich? Mostly because I could stay at a college acquaintance of mine who lives there full-time as a teacher. I went with another college friend, Annie, who I had worked with as an Resident Assistant. Much fun ensued....

It's half Coke, half Fanta. Fooled you didn't I?

SOOOO HUNGRY.

Yes, that is a motorcycle covered in animal fur. Only in Bavaria.

This beer garden and brewery is used for political meetings, and was used as a Nazi meeting place. Can you guess what those flowing flags between the lights are covering?

People who opposed the Nazi would walk down this street (Viscardigasse) to avoid the compulsory saluting that every person was made to do at the end of a street connected to this one. The SS then began to wait for them and would shoot any who didn't have a plausible reason for taking this street instead of the other. There were riots and eleven protesters and five SS were killed. The gold line down the street is to remember those who protested and were murdered for their beliefs.

These papers are permanently affixed onto the pavement outside Munich University in remembrance of the student protesters. They would shove protest fliers off the balconies just as large classrooms of students were letting out. All five of the leaders of the White Rose Society were beheaded as a warning to any others.

This a traditional Bavarian wedding custom. The bride and groom are in the fancy white car on their way to the reception and their wedding party are ridding in the v-dub behind them. As I took this photo they hooted, hollered and clapped.

At a palace turned museum.

Annie goofing around.

Home Sweet Home

2009-07-02T00:58:00.002+01:00

Now that I’m on my home turf for a few weeks, I can say definitively that England is an alternate universe. Being back in the States is strange, but comforting. Like when you wear an old pair of jeans after a long time of only wearing dress pants or skirts. Anyway, this past week or so has been crazy busy. Interviewing people is a new experience for me, and most of the times I feel like I’m just winging it as I go. But nobody has noticed yet, so that’s a plus. Yesterday I interviewed a participant, watched an apartment burn to the ground and picked and ate some raspberries. Random, but cool.

Today, has been another one of those random days. First I had a dentist appointment, next was the casino (where I promptly lost $70), then I dropped an insane amount on explosives for this Saturday and finished gathering presents for Mom. I also arranged more interview appointments for my last week.

I really hope everything works out for me. Right now, all I see are looming mounds of work to be done and distractions everywhere. But I always seem to pull it off in the end, so I doubt this will be an exception.

A Good Day

2009-06-17T17:44:00.004+01:00

Today was one of the best days I've had since coming to England. The first reason for this is that I was notified I have passed all of my courses from the second semester. All that stress and hard work has paid off and now I can just concentrate on my last project and a few loose ends.

The second reason for this wonderful day was my project's ethics proposal has finally been approved. This means I can go home, conduct interviews, and begin to write my analysis.

Two very good reason that this is a wonderful day.

New Voices

2009-06-15T22:23:00.004+01:00

I've come to the conclusion today that I'm altogether too bored for my own good. There is only so much internet surfing, reading, and research one can do while waiting for a long-awaited decsision from a slow-moving committee before the mind begins to atrophy. Although, I did discover a new voice that got me through this mind-numbing day.

Pixie Lott. (Love the name, by the way)

I hope your day went faster than mine.

Ta!

Weekend Plans

2009-06-13T13:52:00.006+01:00

This weekend I've felt like little pixies have beaten my body. Throat is sore. Arms are sore (from archery) and all I want to do is this...

And maybe some of this...

But here is my to-do list:

1. Get train tickets from Birmingham Airport to Nottingham

2. Book a hostel room in Salzburg, Austria

3. Buy a plane ticket to the States.

4 Buy train ticket to the Airport for flight back to the States.

5. Buy train ticket from the Airport for getting back to Nottingham.

Here's the rub. I can't do any of this until Monday when the exchange rate lowers a bit. And I am on pins and needles waiting for my ethics proposal to go through successfully.

Wish Me Luck! And have a Great Weekend.

Pudding Crawl!!

2009-06-12T13:11:00.010+01:00

This last Wednesday (June 10th) I was invited to a Pudding Crawl. What’s a Pudding Crawl you may ask? It’s a sober version of a Pub Crawl. Instead of hopping pub to pub getting a drink in each, a Pudding Crawl consists of hopping restaurant to restaurant getting a dessert (aka pudding) in each. Understandably, I didn’t eat any dinner that night.

The first stop was a Japanese restaurant, Wagamama. It had the best coconut ice cream on God’s green earth. It had mango sauce and toasted coconut flakes. So lovely I didn’t want the dish to end. Granted, my love of this ice cream probably had something to do with my hunger and I have never tasted coconut ice cream before. So I may even go back to test the dish, just to see if it tastes the same. For experimental purposes of course. I live to ensure quality control.

Adds, Ray, and Nicola waiting for their first dessert of the night.

Add's in Deep Thought.

The next stop I wasn’t as enthused to visit. TGI Friday’s. It had the most gaudy American décor that I almost had a culture shock. The best part was my friend Amy asking whether all American restaurants were like this? God, I hope not. Otherwise, I may never want to set foot in another American restaurant ever. The most popular dessert was something called “Dirt Cake”. But knowing eating heavy desserts on a marathon of eating was not a wise move, I opted for Mini’s Mousses of Mint and Oreo.

James, Nicola and Ray.

On the crawl to the last stop. This is Amy trying to expalain something chemistry related.

The last place, our little group had swelled to nine people. We went to a little Italian place, Frankie & Benny’s. Some were wussies and couldn’t down another dessert. Such a shame I party with such lightweights. I decided on a heavier dessert of Apple & Rhubarb Crumble with vanilla ice cream since I could see this would be the last place. I could have had a fourth, but from the looks of my crawl mates that was unlikely.

The Whole Gang.

BBQ Mayhem & Slow Supervisors

2009-06-08T16:07:00.003+01:00

So yesterday I went to the Archery BBQ, which ended up as being more chemistry-themed as the evening progressed. The weather was dismal in the morning. The heavens had opened up and the BBQ was in serious question. Nevertheless, the show went on and chaos reigned. It may have included a pre-BBQ show of lighting “water” on fire in the BBQ, on the patio, wet grass, and in the hedge. The best bit was watching everyone trying to extinguish the “water” from the wet grass only to have the flames spring back up twice as large. Fifteen minutes later we finally put all the flames out. There may also have been some shaving cream fights? Cream cracker eating contests? And possibly drunken readings and mocking of my romance reading tendencies. Maybe.

Other than that, I’m trying to get my supervisor to approve my project proposal so I can go home and conduct interviews. Finding a national helpline for people with financial crises that hasn’t been scamming people is difficult to find. There are so many! I ended up picking two that had no complaints. Which one is better is anyone guess. Then thinking up relevant open-ended interview questions was the next task that took some time. I think I nailed it down to ten questions that hopefully give me some good information and themes for my dissertation. At this point I’m just crossing my fingers and praying everything comes together soon. If it doesn’t I may find myself seriously pressed for time in August. My main problem right now is getting timely responses from my supervisor. It takes her forever and a day to respond to me, and forget deadlines. She breaks even the ones she gives herself.

Weather: Low, angry clouds with glimpses of sun.
Reading: Anything on Thematic Analyses.
Discovery: “Water” is actually flammable.
Mood: I want to strangle my supervisor. Slowly.
Word of the Day: Nous - Good sense; shrewdness: "Hillela had the nous to take up with the General when he was on the up-and-up again" (Nadine Gordimer). *Rhymes with "mouse".

Dissertation Confusion and Travel...

2009-06-04T13:22:00.005+01:00

While I am ecstatic that finals are over and done with it’s my dissertation that is giving me heart palpitations and nervous jitters. At first I thought a survey would be a fantastic project, since once you get all the data, analyzing the data is a snap. However, finding participants and companies willing to give me the time of day has been a struggle. So, my advisor suggested a thematic analysis, which would only require 10 participants, rather than 200. This I can do. Now I am writing up a new proposal. I may have to do this in the States though, since I don’t even know 10 people here that work outside the university. In the States at least I can possibly use family friends and my old co-workers from Barnes & Noble. So that’s good news. Once I made the decision to switch from quantitative to qualitative, it was a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders. Ten interviews seem much more feasible, than conducting 200 surveys by myself. I will have to learn quickly how to analyze the data, but luckily this method of research is easily learned, just time-consuming.

Okay, I'm done venting. Other than that, I've been reading and researching as much as I can. I've also been planning my trip with Annie to Germany, Austria and Prague. That trip will be a 10 day whirlwind, since she wants to visit four cities. This translates to about a day and a half in each city with traveling in between. I suggested we only visit maybe three, and that was knocked down. She wants to visit both Salzburg and Vienna. While I agree Vienna is a sight to see (I've been there briefly before) I wasn't too sure whether it was worth the effort to see Salzburg too. Oh, well. The trip should be exciting, if not exhausting.

Weather: It's been sunny for the last four days. No, really. Honest.
Reading: Ghostland by Jory Strong and Queen Emma and the Vikings by Harriet O'Brian
Discovery: The mumbling I've heard next door for months is my neighboor praying.
Mood: Frustrated with the world.
Word of the day: Chunter - (sometimes chunner) to mutter, to grumble, to talk continuously; "What's he chuntering on about?"

Finals are Finished!!!!

2009-05-29T07:01:00.010+01:00

Wow! I haven’t written anything in ages. Sorry about that. My mind was a little preoccupied with final papers and exams. This month has been just one long Red Bull haze of studying. Other than finishing all my finals, and possibly doing better than last term (crossing my fingers and praying), my only other accomplishment was breaking my personal record for staying awake: 32 hours. I saw my supervisor in the middle of that craziness and she said, "you'll be fine after you've had a bit of a kip". Lovely expression. I feel as though I’ve run a mental marathon. The only time I've felt worse was after taking the GRE (SATs for grad school). After those I felt as though my brain had been beaten and bloodied by sadistic little children with machetes. This was marginally better.

Plans for this upcoming week include hunting down my supervisor and getting the status of my Ethics Submission for my final dissertation project. I can’t formally recruit any companies or organizations until after that’s approved. But if any companies would like to volunteer their employees to take my Work-Values Questionnaire, let me know!

Beyond that, I want to take it easy this weekend. Maybe go to a bookstore, have a spot of tea and read up on a random topic. Like Viking women in the 9th Century. I also want to see if they have Eloisa James’s new book “This Duchess of Mine”. And yes, this is a trashy romance, and no I don’t care. I like them and I’m allowed to rot my brain in any way I choose. Some choose alcohol, drugs, and dancing on table-tops to the tunes of Britney Spears. I, on the other hand, prefer a juicy romance novel. So sue me.

I have also just realized that my room is a mess. I cleaned my dishes earlier, but my desk needs tidying, laundry needs doing, and vacuuming my minuscule floor space would be wise. And let me not forget the bathroom. Although this task always makes me shudder in revulsion every time I think of it. I’m not much of a “clean as I go” sort of person, more of a “wait till the place looks filthy (at least as filthy as I can stand) and clean like a maniac all day” sort. That shall be tomorrow.

On Sunday, the plan is to try my hand at outdoor archery. Should be equal parts fun and frustrating. The target is further away and since I haven’t pulled my bow in a month it will prove to be very tiring I’m afraid.

Right now I’m trying to plan a trip to Prague with my buddy Annie in July. She and I were Resident Assistants at Austin College, and she’s a sweetie. For the last month of so she has been in Africa helping communities and children. No idea about any of the details, but it sounds exactly like something Annie would do. She wants to go to Germany and Austria and since I’ve been to both, I added Prague. I have to visit this place before I leave. It’s one of the last places that I want to see in Europe. We’ll be gone ten days, and I’ve already bought my tickets. Not sure where we’ll be staying or when, but these things tend to sort themselves out. I need to hunt down Annie after my supervisor. Via the Internet, though.

I have been thinking of where I want to go next, what life goal I will strive for. I do want to take a break after getting this degree. Maybe a year or two. Then I’d like to get a degree in Book Publishing. I love reading and writing, and I might as well make a career out of it. There’s a really great program at Portland State University that includes hands-on experience at a student-run publishing house that publishes books and a magazine. And there is a graduate assistanceship program that will pay for almost all of my tuition and provide a monthly stipend (If I can get it). It doesn’t hurt that it’s only a mini-road-trip away from Seattle. I’m kind of sick of living so far away. At least in Portland, I’ll be far enough away to feel independent, but close enough to visit. A few of the east coast colleges have good programs too, but some don’t have an assitanceship programs and/or are too expensive to live in. But, first I need to get through this dissertation. This one gives me a nice base knowledge for a publishing degree by understanding how an organisation ticks. So that’s a relief.

Now I’m going to get ready for a nice day out and taking it easy.

P.S. Do you like the new look?

Happy Mother's (American) Day!!

2009-05-10T21:37:00.008+01:00

While today is Mother's Day in the States, here it's just another Sunday. Mother's Day was ages ago, and I actually celebrated with Mom while she visited. But Happy Mother's Day (again)!

However, I did need to get out of my room, since I hadn't breathed fresh air in about a week for any long period of time. So I went into town and saw Star Trek. Everyone else apparently was with their Mom's so I went alone. Before going I grabbed my usual Chi Tea Latte at Starbucks and almost spit it out. For some reason instead of adding milk to the latte like a normal Starbucks, this one decided to use only water and a dash of milk. After a couple sips, I was so grossed out I had to throw it away. It was that nasty, my friends.

Next was the movie and for someone who is not a Trekkie (like my nerd big brother) the movie was surprisingly good. Except the color-clashing outfits (there is no excuse for them, no matter what anyone tells me). I love action films, and I love the twists on Lost, so I knew I was in for a treat. I love how the writers didn't assume that everyone in the audience had watched every episode of Star Trek and all the proceeding movies. I felt like a valued member, which was a major plus.

Then I was hungry and the only place open on a Sunday evening was (of course) McDonald's. So I got myself a quarter pounder, a coke, and fries. Now if you know me at all, you must know I'm not a fan of fries. Potato wedges, yes. Fries, no. I attribute it to my brother stealing them out of my Happy Meals as a child, and to this day I can't eat more than a few before they begin to taste like salted mushy cardboard. Yum! So I bagged them up with the ketchup and gave them to a homeless guy on the way to the bus stop.

Well, that was my day. Very American: Starbucks, Star Trek and McDonald's.

Don't Touch!!

2009-05-08T19:02:00.009+01:00

These two words were what I kept telling Mom while we strolled through Harrods department store in London. If you have never heard of this place, it's like Neiman Marcus on steroids or Bloomingdale's on crack. To demonstrate to Mom how ridiculous this place was, I pointed out the price of an umbrella.

£95.00 ($144).

For an UMBRELLA.

To amuse myself and your illustrious selves I went onto Harrods website to find some of these ridiculously priced items. Granted nothing could compare to Mom almost touching an £8,000($12,126.40) vase, before I could grab her hand and repeat, "Don't touch" and then point to the price tag. But I can't blame her, I was just as gobsmacked the first time I entered its hallowed halls.

Teddy Bear =
£299.00/$453.22

Itty Bitty Clutch Purse (crocodile, of course) =
£1,100.00/$1,667.38

Smallest Bottle of Cognac Know to Man =
£1,250.00/$1,894.75

Picture Frame (with Swarovski crystals, of course) =
£2,050.00/$3,107.39

Fancy a Game of Billiards (with cue cabinet, of course) =
£1 million/$1,517,050.03

Killer My Little Ponies!!

2009-05-08T18:08:00.005+01:00

When I was a little girl, I had my heroes: Baby Miss Piggy, Carebears, Barbie, Polly Pocket and (of course) My Little Pony.

Then I watched this video and laughed so hard I cried. I will never see my childhood heroes the same way. But this is so much more fun. =)

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXoYK4b_q24

Considering the evidence....

2009-05-03T22:56:00.008+01:00

...I could (almost) be considered an expat American. Mostly because of the ideas and tastes I’ve picked up since living in England.

I used to hate the taste of beer...generally, I still do. But now I like the taste of cider (beer made from fruit). Can I get cider in the States...probably not.

I used to hate car shows...until I discovered Top Gear...

Before coming here I could not understand a Welsh accent...now I can.

If you had asked me what a tea biscuit tasted like, I would have had no idea...
Now I’m addicted to them...

Before, I would have never paid good money for a newspaper...that’s what the internet is for. Now, I like to buy them simply for the experience of reading one (ideally, with a cuppa on hand).

If you had asked me, before coming here, “Are you the Doctor?”
I would have replied, “Doctor Who?”

Before if you had asked me who Catherine Tate was? Or a Chav? Or what a Wino was? Or a Pikey? Not a clue. Now...

The best part is, I have discovered I don’t have a horrible sense of direction...I was just living in the wrong country.

You can ask me to direct you to someplace in Europe and I could tell you how to get there (well, in the general area).

Amazing...

My Life = Papers, Essays, and Portfolios...

2009-05-01T20:09:00.006+01:00

Recently (as in for the last week) I have only left my room for essentials, such as food and meetings with supervisors. However, according to my lovely supervisor, Amanda, doing this is not a great idea. She suggested this may have been the cause of the fever I have (off and on) been running.

Not leaving one's room and staring at a computer screen for days on end, apparently, is hazardous to one's health. Go figure. Mom does this everyday, and she never runs a fever. But I comfort myself with the knowledge that I am an amateur, while she shall always remain a pro and the winner of the "staring at the computer for days" contest.

Speaking of not leaving one's room, apparently there is this crazy business about the Swine Flu. WHO has raised the warning level to a 5, the second-highest level....

...and yet, more people die every year from the regular flu than have ever died of this one, and they've never raised the warning level to 5 before. Figures...

Here's all the advice that I want to give on the subject:

1. Don't leave your place of residence. (Preferably, don't stare at your computer all day, though.)

2. If you must leave occasionally, then WASH YOUR HANDS constantly...

3. And don't do this:

London!!!

2009-04-24T10:49:00.001+01:00

We went to London last and it's my favorite city of all. It may have something to do with all the bookstores and tea shops per square mile in the city. It was not the greatest weather, but it wouldn't be London, without getting a bit wet.

On Westminster Bridge:

Big Ben!

The London Eye:

Westminster Abbey:

England's Throne: (not very impressive looking in my opinion, but the history is)

Poet's Corner (Memorials and Burials of famous artists, musicians and writers)

William Shakespeare's Memorial

Charles Dickens is buried right there.

Leader of England's Revolution against King Charles I. Only non-royal to ever have complete control of country. And he got the most pitiful burial spot in the place. All the way in the back and just this little stone marking his final remains.

Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Mary II (Bloody Mary)

Protesters outside Parliament. They want the Tiger Army to stop killing people in Sri Lanka and leave them alone. They are being targeted for genocide. England could care less.

Downing Street, where Mr. Brown lives. If you don't know who that is I shake my head at you and roll my eyes skyward.

Horse Guards (something like that). They're her majesty's cavalry.

We took a walk through Hyde Park...Mom loved the flowers.

Buckingham Palace (We went there twice. The first time my camera promptly died two pictures in, so we came the next day to watch the Changing of the Guards.)

The crowds at the Changing of the Guards was insane:

I ran into my friend Rahul there in a happy coincidence. We took a picture of eachother.

A few pictures from the actual Changing of the Guards:

The two different leaders exchanging a few pleasantries:

Red-coats leaving:

British Museum: (Finding this place was one of the few times I had to ask for directions from someone off the street. And I wasn't even really lost, just looking at the building from behind.)

The Rosetta Stone:

CAKE!! So beautiful.

Covet Garden:

There are performers all around this place putting on about the same show for you. But don't say your American. If you don't you can see how many jokes they make about us, it's enlightening to say the least. I know it was for Mom.

City of Westminster:

Victoria & Albert Museum

Nottingham!

2009-04-23T15:12:00.006+01:00

I only have a few pictures of Nottingham since we were only there for really a day. But I hope you enjoy them nonetheless. And frankly, I live here and I don't feel like a tourist anymore.

Robin Hood Statue

Mom at Nottingham Castle:

View from Nottingham Castle.

Mom wanted to take a picture next to a public mailbox.

Rome!!

2009-04-20T14:18:00.051+01:00

Next we flew to Rome! I admit, I love Rome. However, it is overpopulated with tourists who make it harder to get a true Italian experience of the city. But the history of the place is unsurpassed. We were there for probably longer than we needed to be to see everything. You can only see so many cathedrals and museums before they all look the same. But we did have fun and I hope you enjoy the pictures!

At the Colosseum (Italian spelling):

Across the street...The Arch of Titus.

This was near the Colosseum (you can even see it in the background in the first photo). It's on the hill where the first palace(s) of Rome were built, and mansions of the rich during the height of Roman power. They are all in ruins now, but the history of the place is breathtaking.

Legend says that the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, were abandoned and raised by wolves. This statue is all across the city to perpetuate this legend.

The Bocca della Verita, made famous by Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck's movie "Roman Holiday". I love that movie! As you can see, Mom and I aren't liars.

Inside the church at Bocca della Verita. So rustic and pretty.

A cathedral in the back and the tall column details a war in pictures, spiraled from the bottom to the top. This is near the Foro Traiano.

This was once the palace of the second king of Italy, Emanuele II, but is now a museum.

First trip to the Trevi Fountain...

Pantheon. Over 2,000 years old...

Piazza Navona. It's where artists try to sell you their not-so-genuine work, accosted by strange Italian men wanting your pinkie finger, and where writers come to for an epiphany...

The best gelato ice-cream in Italy. It's made like a truffle, with a cherry at the center of the gelato ball, with whipped cream on top...It was delicious and it got us out of the rain.

This struck me as odd for some reason. You don't see many priests moonlighting as construction workers very often these days.

Vatican Museum:

Sistine Chapel:
I was able to sneak in a few photos, even though it's technically not allowed. If they guards catch you, they will walk up to you and demand you put your camera away. And, there was seating on the sides of the chapel, so it was nice to rest a bit after a long walk through the museum. That was after I had to wait forever for someone to get up and leave. Mom was lucky and got a seat right away.

The museum's exit strategy...

The Vatican, St. Peters:
We went on a Wednesday, which would have been bad if we had plans to go inside. Wednesdays are when the Pope holds mass, so the line to get in was insanely long. We're not Catholic, so it seems almost wrong to take the place of someone who is and really wants to see the Pope for religious reasons. But it was pretty just the same.

Dungeon/Prison that I can't remember the name to..

The Spanish Steps:
It's much prettier in the summer when it's filled with flowers. It was raining really heavily, and we ended up with two 5 euro umbrellas. To escape the rain, we went into the Keats & Shelley Museum to the right of the steps. Highly recommended to anyone going to Rome.

This fountain at the foot of the Steps was inspired by a sinking ship. Cool, right?

Mom (and random Asian tourists posing behind her)

The next day it was very sunny and we travelled a little bit outside Rome's walls to the Catacombe di San Callisto. It has more saints and pope's buried there than you can count.

This is a beautiful valley, underneath are the catacombs.

Here is a statue of a saint (I think she was a patron saint of musicians). She was buried in this same position. Her face is turned away and covered because her head was cut off and you can even see a line across her neck. She is holding one finger out, as if telling everyone she believes in only one God.

Another old-school motorcycle...

People drive crazy in Italy, and I was surprised not to see more accidents like this. But this was a messy collision, and I have no idea if the people involved are okay. All I know is that it looks very bad and the smell was even worse.

Last day, and tossing our coins into the Trevi Fountain.

Rouen & Normandy Coast!!

2009-04-17T15:31:00.032+01:00

Mom and I stayed in Rouen with a family I stayed with in high school. They took us on a tour of the Normandy coast and I can't remember for the life of me the names of the specific towns we went to. But I hope you enjoy the pictures. (Since I had some complaints about the small amount of pictures yesterday, I'm adding as many as I can today.)

Chapel dedicated to Joan of Arc in Rouen.

The ceiling was insane. But really beautiful.

Statue of Joan of Arc

Where Joan of Arc was burned to death on a stake. Right where those pretty little purple flowers bloom.

The City Hall of Rouen.

Dirtiest motorcycle that I saw on this trip. Long road trip?

WWII Memorials

The dummy hanging from the roof is representative of the soldier whose parachute caught on the building. He played dead and I think he survived, but I'm not sure. I'm sure you can Google for the complete story.

Normandy Coast! So Beautiful!

Sophie, Mom, and Sophie's Dad. (Sorry! I already forgot his name. I'm horrible with names.)

We came across these cars randomly and I have no idea why they were there, but I was happy to appreciate their beauty!

I want this bike. So pretty.

Sophie and I found Ben and Jerry. It was a happy reunion.

Paris!!!

2009-04-16T12:43:00.018+01:00

Met Mom in Pear-ee and had a blast. I enjoyed Paris much more than the last two times I was there. Mostly because I wasn't being dragged around by a teacher this time. It was fun just to play tourist and enjoy wherever my curiosity took me. Here are some of my favorite pictures. Enjoy!

The Louvre! (Loo-ve)

The Venus de Milo

Mom saw this and said, "Oh my god! He has a hole in his butt!" It was priceless. We giggled over that one the whole day.

The Eiffel Tower!
We threw a penny from the top. Tried to aim for the pond below, but missed.

Foggy view from the top.

Best crepes known to man were made by this kid at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

Notre Dame!

Versailles!! (Vare-say)

At the front gates:

The modest chapel for royalty in the palace. It was where Marie Antionette was married.

In the Hall of Mirrors.

Marie Antionette's bed.

Back in Nottingham!

2009-04-12T00:35:00.002+01:00

I'm back and have somehow accumulated over 700 pictures on my camera. Needless to say I cannot share everything. But it was a fantastic trip and I will miss Mom, even if at times we may have wanted to strangle one another. =) As I'm writing this she is flying back to Seattle and will be more than a touch jet-lagged at work this week. So bear with her. If you are her co-worker and she gives you a bleary stare, it's not you, and she doesn't have a hangover. I will begin uploading pictures onto my computer tomorrow and will give highlights of the trip throughout this week.

Right now, I am going to bed since it is past midnight. After I read some of my book of course. ;)

Off to Paris, Rome, & London…

2009-03-21T02:33:00.001Z

Today I’m off to the airport to fly to Paris. I’ll be meeting up with Mom on Sunday. She had thought she was coming in on Saturday, but she got confused by the time change. Paris is not my favorite city, but it seems all Americans have this stupid need to visit it. This will be my third visit. A week later we are going to Rome, one of my favorite European cities!! I love that place. I couldn’t let Mom take a tour of Europe without a tour of Rome. Seriously, other than being in constant danger of pick-pockets, the place is amazing. From Rome, we’re flying into London, and then taking a small detour to Nottingham. Then we’re taking the train back to London, my other favorite city. Not only can I speak the language, but it has tea/coffee shops and bookshops on every corner. It’s equivalent to heaven for me.

So I shall blog again when I get back. Ta!

Unexpected Prizes...

2009-03-09T19:04:00.004Z

These next two weeks I will be crazy busy. Right up until Easter Break, when I fly to Paris to meet Mom. Or at least try to find her in the airport. That will be a fun day.

At her urging, she has asked me to post pictures of my medals from a recent archery competition. It is an annual competition between all the universities and the largest archery competition in Britain. Usually it takes around 2 1/2 hours to shoot at these competitions, but for some reason this one lasted FOUR HOURS. The good news, was this gave me plenty of time to rest my arms between shots. Which was probably why I improved my personal best score from 491 to 512. I surprised even myself.

Now I wasn't very optimistic about winning anything, and honestly, I just wanted to improve my score. The shoe-in for first place in the Woman's Novice category was the girl from University of Edinburgh who shot a 564. Which is an insane score for someone who has been shooting for less than a year. There are experienced archers who have been doing this for years, and they can't even shoot that kind of score.

So realistically, I would count myself lucky and honored to even receive a bronze medal. But somehow, by some unknown divine power, every woman's novice apparently choked and I came away with a silver medal. Second Place. I was gobsmacked. When the called out the score for the bronze medal at 508, I sat there thinking, "Well, I did better than that. Why didn't I get the medal?" Not even realizing that if I did better that meant I got a higher medal. Sometimes my brilliance amazes even me.

Then, in the group competition, the judges take the three top scores from the male and female novice teams and give medals out for those top scores. Nottingham came second, so I got another silver medal.

So here is a picture of my medals thus far.

I almost feel bad for the other girls on my team, because truthfully, they are better than me. I just seem to do better under pressure. The highest scorer amongst the Nottingham woman's novices has scored around the 530's, so I know she could have easily beat my score to a pulp. So I continue to work to improve my own score, and try not to pay any attention to what the others have achieved.

It's Been Awhile...

2009-02-26T23:52:00.001Z

I know I haven't written anything for some time, but this month has been simply crazy. Like all my months really. However I took some pretty pictures and thought I'd share them with you.

These pictures were taken after the first mini-snow falls in Nottingham. The Great Blizzard of 2009 came a few days later. These are shots I took on my walk to class early one morning.

This is a shot of a random man carrying a fistful of balloons down a Nottingham back street that I take to get to Waterstone's Bookstore. I thought he looked a little out of place and amusing.

This was why the man was carrying all those balloons. Nottingham was copying the Eye of London, with it's own Eye. Considerably smaller and less grand, but it was fun to see. I didn't have the time that day to enjoy the views from it, and frankly those things make me queasy, so I avoid them.

This just happened today. The Canadian geese at the doors are residents of the Jubilee Campus, and were born in a flower planter near those doors two years ago. They finally came home and were checking out how to open the doors. It was so cute.

Birthday!!

2009-02-11T23:31:00.002Z

Today is my birthday and what a strange and busy day it was. I had classes from 9 am to 1 pm about statistical analysis in regards to SPSS and psychological experimentation. Fun stuff!! Then I went to archery, and shot a really bad score. Although last Sunday I FINALLY broke 400 and scored 447. I was high on cold medicine, and I'm attributing it to that. The question is whether I should continue to shoot on medicine, or simply try without?

Afterward, the archery team went out to the local pub, 3 Wheatsheaves, and brought me a present. A red-velvet cake! When they asked me what my favorite was, I told them this was it, but they had no idea what it was. The questions ranged from: "Does it have velvet in it?" and "Why is it so red?". Most food items that are this red, people in Britain expect a fruity taste, but they were all pleasantly surprised to taste actual sweet cake. My friend Stuart baked it for me, since he's the only one in the club that likes to cook and has an oven. I gave him about five variations of recipes and told him to pick one. He brought a three-layered cake, that tasted just like home.

While at the pub, there was the whole Nottingham Rugby Team having a male bonding/drinking fest event going on next to us. Somehow, my fellow archers convinced a few of the rugby players to sing me a drunken rendition of the "Happy Birthday" song. It was so embarrassing, but fun at the same time.

Now I'm back to my room, in need of sleep. I have another 9 am class tomorrow and I need my rest. Good Night!

Sneezing, Snowing, Shooting...

2009-02-06T13:05:00.000Z

I'm sick. I woke up yesterday with a severe head cold and migraine. Today, I can't stop sneezing. It's so annoying! I have to go to archery tonight, I can just see myself sneeze at the exact moment I shoot an arrow, and it crashes into the wall and breaks. Or hits someone. Hopefully everyone will be safe from my lethal sneezes.

My cold I'm sure was spurned on by all the cold weather and snow Britain has been getting. In the midlands, where I am, there is possibly 6 inches of snow and the whole place is in a deadlock. In Wales, they had over a foot of snow. They simply don't have the resources to deal with this amount of snow. This is the most they've gotten in nearly 20 years. There are salt shortages for the roads, and not enough machines to clear the roads of snow.

Yesterday, the one thing I did was order a new sight and string for my bow. The sight is slowly mal-functioning, because it's a cheap one. The string is slowly unraveling, and it's a safety issue to keep shooting with it. I was surprised today that it came. So quickly and with snow on the roads! The delivery man looked at my last name, and I got the comment, "That's an interesting name? Where's it from?"

Spain.

No I'm not Spanish.

I inherited the name from my half-brother.

No he's not Spanish.

It's a long story.

All the while I'm thinking, 'Just give me my package already. I have a strange last name. So what?'

My last name seems to be of endless fascination for the British People. In America, I barely get a second-glance at my name. And only then to ask how it's pronounced. Here, I'm grilled on it's origins, my ancestry, everything, by perfect strangers. It's so disconcerting.

Maybe I should have just sneezed on him.

OXFORD!!

2009-02-03T15:37:00.000Z

On Saturday I was lucky enough to hitch a ride with the archery team and visit Oxford. Since I'm still getting used to my new bow, I didn't make the team, but seeing Oxford was fun.

After gathering at the Oxford Blue pub before the competition, I headed out to explore. I stayed on the high road of the city, but most of the buildings I wasn't allowed into, because I'm not a student with the university. I only had 3 hours to kill, so I had to hurry my sightseeing.

Queen's College:

Found Another One!

First stop I made was a bookshop that sold very old books, for obscene prices. There was even a local student that started to beg the bookseller to give him a discount on the book on top of the discount given to all the books. I found his begging strangely funny. Only in Oxford would a teenage kid haggle over an ancient book.

Next I went into an Antique shop. British antique shops always have the best stuff. I even found some really interesting coins, like the two that were from the reign of Elizabeth I. I would have loved to have one of those. They had a portrait of her on the coin face. A portrait in good condition is very rare apparently.

The last place I went into was a pen shop that sold calligraphy, fountain and ink pens. Some of the pens were selling for over 50,000 pounds! I got myself a considerably cheaper one. It's a pretty blue and writes like a dream. While I was in the shop I met an American Oxford student that was just as enthralled with the pens as I was. He was studying Neuroscience, from Minnesota, had greasy hair, wore his baseball cap backwards. He defined the American geek from the mid-west.

On the way back to Nottingham the team stopped at a restaurant where I had hands-down the weirdest experience since coming to England.

We went to an American-themed restaurant.

Yes, you read that right. It was called the Baltimore Bar & Grill. The plates had an American flag on them. There was an American Eagle statue above the toilet sign. They were proud to serve American beers. There was a see-through decal on the windows of American landmarks, like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. Burgers, steak and Mexican-ish food was on the menu.

I was left speechless.

My Name is Not What I Am. Thank you very much...

2009-01-29T19:03:00.000Z

Since coming to England, I've had more than a few comments about the origins of my name. Today was the strangest yet.

"Hi, my name is Monica."

"Moe-nee-cah. Sounds like an Indian name." Says the Indian girl.

This is the latest in a long-line of guesses to the origin of the name "Monica". Since September, my fellow students and British locals have guessed where I come from soley on the basis of my name. So let me set the record straight. I am not Spanish, Mexican, Indian, Arabic, Eastern European, Irish, Scottish, South African, Canadian, or South American. The only guesses I haven't got are Asian names, for obvious reasons.

Here's a description for any who may have doubts about where the name comes from.

MONICA
Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian

Pronounced: MAHN-i-kə (English)

Meaning unknown, most likely of North African or Phoenician origin. In the 4th century this name was borne by the North African saint Monica of Hippo, the mother of Saint Augustine, whom she converted to Christianity. Since the Middle Ages it has been associated with Latin moneo "advisor" and Greek monos "one". As an English name, Monica has been in general use since the 18th century.

So, Please, Please, do not ask me this again people. Guessing where I'm from based on my name will get you no-where. My name does not tell you anything of my ancestry and my last name certainly does not help matters. I know and accept this.

I'm AMERICAN.

I'm allowed to have a mixed-up name with no perceivable cultural tie to my ancestry. Americans borrow other cultures, we're funny like that.

Epiphany...

2009-01-25T15:28:00.001Z

So I had one of those moments. You know the ones where a thought enters your mind that simply leaves you speechless. I had one while riding the bus today. (I couldn't resist getting the rest of the trilogy from Trudi Canavan, her books are addictive. And I've finished the first one already.) the realization was...

Most of my friends are guys.

I know, I'm as shocked as you probably are. I'm generally a shy person who has the ability to fake being outgoing when circumstances demand it. Other than male relatives, I've never had one guy-friend before. So when I realized, since coming to England I have somehow acquired eight guy-friends and many more guy-acquaintances, needless to say, I was more than a little shocked at myself. Two of the guys are from my course, and the rest are from archery. And all I consider pretty good friends.

The next question you may have is, "Is there any romantic possibilities?"

Unlikely, since only 3 out of the 8 are actually my age or older. One has a girlfriend (which I don't mess with since I believe in Karma) another is a crazy-funny Indian and the last, a fellow American dating a freshman from archery (again, I do not mess with Karma). All the rest are either slightly younger than myself or undergrads ranging from 18 to 21 years old. I'm a few weeks away from 24, so that would be a "no" to the romance question.

The really shocking thing is that none of them are gay. Which is sad because gay-guy friends are the best. But I like my guy-friends in spite of their un-gayness.

I have girl-friends, only 2 though, and from my course. The girls at archery are more like acquaintances, than close friends.

Another event that happened on the bus: Sighting of a woman who's hair was a cross between a Mohawk and a mullet. She had whacked the hairs on top of her head and left the rest of her long hair alone. So the short hair stood straight up in the middle. Umm...okay.

So two shocks on the bus. One mental and the other visual.

Sugar Snaps and a Mouse

2009-01-24T13:24:00.000Z

Today has been one of my favorites since coming to England. No pints of beer were involved or random snogging, sadly. I finished my paper early this morning, which was very satisfying. But that left the rest of my day open, and I did have errands to do.

At 8am I walked into Beeston for some food (grocery list in blog below if interested). It's nice on Saturday mornings at the store, because it's not really crowded and you can see the locals waking up, running their little errands. A man took his two children in for haircuts, the local florist was setting up the day's selection outside, the bakery's front windows were foggy with steam. I luckily all my groceries into one bag and lugged it down to the post office.

When I got there, an older man was standing in the doorway. I motioned toward the post office, "Is it..?"

He cut me off, "Not open."

"Do you have the time?"

He replied tersely, "10 till."

Okay, not a friendly one here, and I had ten minutes to kill. So I went across the street into the park, sat on a cold metal bench. Recently I've realized, I haven't ate anything green lately, and my culinary skills without a cookbook extend to cooking eggs and soup, so I had bought some sugar snaps at the store earlier.

While sitting there eating my sugar snaps, crunching each one with a satisfying bite, I saw something rustle in the bushes from the corner of my eye. I sat really still and eventually, two little eyes peaked out. It was a tiny mouse! Every time I sat still it would cautiously try to creep toward the bench, but as soon as I moved even slightly, It rushed back to its hiding place. We played this game for a while. I crunched on sugar snaps while playing hide-and-seek with a mouse until the post office opened, and I could get envelopes.

After this I went into Nottingham, wandered around Waterstone's. Drank tea, ate a ham and cheese panini. And yes I bought a book. I'm weak, but I rationalize this purchase by thinking it's a prize for finishing my work with time to spare. And if you're wondering, it's not a romance, but fantasy: Trudi Canavan's "The Magician's Guild". I'm only two chapters in and I'm hooked. I'll probably finish it before classes begin, so no worries.

I don't really know why I loved this day. It had a bit of everything, I guess. Finishing work, completing errands, book browsing (and buying), and tea drinking.

And of course, a bit of mischief with a mouse.

Exams DONE!!

2009-01-24T06:04:00.000Z

I know I said this last time, but this time I'm done with my 4 papers. They're due Monday, and boy am I glad that's over with. It wasn't so much that they were difficult to write, just very boring. I'm more of a relaxed writer, and being forced to write as though I'm a scholastic snob, is tiring. Because I hate writing like that. Unfortunately, for this degree I have to. I enjoy the topic and the lectures are usually fascinating. But writing the papers is almost painfully boring.

But I'M DOOOONNNNNNNEEEEE!

Tomorrow morning I'm going to shoot my new bow in it's first friendly competition within the club's practice session. This last month, I've just been pulling the string back (no arrow!) and aiming at a target on my bedroom wall. And not letting go, which is more difficult than it sounds. This conditions my arm, shoulder and back to the weight it takes to pull the string back. Right now it's at 28 lbs. That doesn't seem like a lot, but trust me, it is. It's a lot different than picking up free-weights.

My sleeping schedule is off again. No idea why. At around 3 or 4 pm, my neighbor 2 doors down begins playing his music that vibrates my room. I go to sleep around then, mostly because I know I can't get any work done with my room vibrating around me. So instead I go to sleep, wake around midnight, and begin to work in the quiet. Lovely, peaceful, silence. But now that I'm done, I have resigned my fate to looking like a zombie for the next few days. Oh, well. My work is done. That's all that really matters.

Today I'm going to do some chores, and maybe go into town.

Post Office: A4 size envelopes for exam papers

Grocery List:frozen dinners, apple juice, yogurt, bananas, and dish soap.

Waterstone's Bookstore: wander around, drink tea, read. Try to stay awake.

DONE!!! (with exams, at least...)

2009-01-15T20:45:00.000Z

My exams are DONE!!! I can't tell you how relieved I am about that. This last week I've kept really odd hours, and have probably never slept so randomly in my life. Earlier this week I don't think I slept for over twenty hours, and then on Tuesday night I slept for fourteen hours only to wake up at two in the afternoon. So I figured I would stay awake all night for my 9 am exam in the morning. My brain always does better at night when writing is involved. I don't drink coffee and I'm not addicted to any stimulative substance, so I simply think better as the day progresses. I think I did quite well on my exam. One question pertained to the philosophy of science and its benefits toward psychology. All I had to do was make a logical argument, with appropriate references, and it was done. The next question wasn't as easy, but I think I did alright.

After my test on Tuesday, I forgot to turn my phone off silent. So during the fourteen hours of sleep and then the remaining hours of studying, I missed six calls. This was such a shock! I'm lucky if six people call me in a week. I'm not really a phone-person. I hate texting and I would rather write a long letter or meet in person than speak over the phone. But it was just my friends from class panicking over this test, since there was very few options on how to study for it. Nerve-racking to say the least. Mom, called me as well, panicked. She even emailed me: CALL ME! I rarely go two days without calling, mostly because it's nice to hear a familiar American voice and beyond being my Mom, she's a friend. With a calling card.

After my test today, I went food shopping with my friend Sarah. It was nice having someone to talk to while walking around Beeston. Usually it's just me, trying not to look like an American tourist. Which is more difficult than it sounds. Then I went back to my room and tried to stay awake, but it was a losing battle. In the middle of watching Doctor Who? (David Tennant and Billie Piper, need I say more?) I fell asleep at two-ish. Only to be abruptly awakened at 7:30 pm when Mom called. So now I'm awake waiting for a decent hour when I can go back to sleep.

This next week I need to write two and a half papers that are due the 26th. Not really looking forward to them, but they need doing. At least I can have resources at my fingertips, unlike the exams.

I hope I can catch up on my reading. My mind needs a break once in a while or I start to resemble a person with narcolepsy. Or it begins to play tricks with me. Lately it hasn't been a cat noise from next door, but there is the sound of an ice-cream truck coming from inside the building. Maybe I'm just craving ice-cream, I can't remember the last time I've ate any. Whatever the sound is, I hope it stops.

So that is my hectic life lately. Not exciting, but very stressful.

How's your life been?

You know you've studying abroad in the UK for a while when...

2009-01-10T17:46:00.000Z

Since my last list was a hit, here's another good one I've found. I have found these from personal experience to be true and factual. Scary as that is. And yes, I am procrastinating.

1. You wake up every morning knowing that it's quite unlikely that you're going to see the sun.
2. You see people having a pee while they get money
from a cash machine.
3. You see people drunk in the streets at 8pm.
4. You are kicked out of a pub at 11.30 pm
5. You have learned the difference between pasty and pastry.
6. You've said "cheers mate" more than twice.
7. You realize the most important religion is not Christianity but Rugby or Football(Soccer).
8. You hear and say "sorry" at least 10 times a day.
9. You've seen naked women on the second (and first, and third...) page of the daily newspapers.
10. After a failed conversation with someone in the street you wonder whether he/she was speaking in Scottish, Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish, Irish or English.
11. You see Tesco (convenience store) as an important social meeting point.
12. You have struggled trying to convert from Farenhait to Celcius, from Miles to Kilometers and from Pounds to Dollars, but you know a pint is 0.56 litres.
13. You have been driving on the wrong side of the road.
14. You see 3 kebab shops and 2 indian restaurants in every street.
15. You've thought more than ten times that the car you have just seen was driven by nobody.
16. You see a group of people wearing Halloween costumes every time you go out at night. And it's not Halloween.
17. You find machines in pubs in which you can buy condoms, vibrators, lubricant and even a Hair Straightener.
18. You see potatoes everywhere, in all different forms and shapes, i.e. boiled potatoes, jacked potatoes, smashed potatoes, chips, crisps, etc.
19. You realize that being served alcohol in an academic seminar is completely normal.
20. You learn that 4 cups of tea per day is good for you.
21. It's only 5 pm and every single store is closed!
22. You realize that British people are queuing (standing in line) politely everywhere except at the bar counter.
23. You are addressed as "treacle, sugarplumb, darling, sweetheart, love, ...."(and all other versions of nicknames in that genre you normally only call your wife/lover) by the staff in supermarkets, pubs and restaurants.
24. You hear "WHA" instead of W-H-A-T ! and "THA" instead of T-H-A-T!!!
25. Your umbrellas have got broken at least twice and you are still hoping not to break the new one even if it's January!

My Mind is Playing Tricks...

2009-01-09T06:28:00.000Z

I've never considered myself an insomniac. I love sleep, no, I crave sleep. At least usually. But since Exams are looming ever closer, I have unintentionally done something monumentally stupid. I've somehow reversed my sleeping schedule. One night I couldn't sleep and stayed awake the entire night and then went to bed at 9 am. Woke up at 5 pm and since then I can't get back to a regular sleep schedule. It's as though my body has decided it's fed-up with this European crap schedule, went on strike and my internal clock is back to West Coast US time.

However I have to say, nighttime is much quieter and more conducive to studying. For about a week I had a neighbor blast his music and bass vibrated my room from two doors down. Impressive, right? At least I know he won't do that at 3 am.

Now it's my goal today to stay awake till 7 or 8 pm. If I can make it to 8, I know I'll be fine for exams. The only thing is, when I get that tired, staying awake longer than 24 hours, my mind starts to play tricks on me and I get really shaky. For example, I tried this last night, and I could have sworn my next door neighbor had a cat in his room. Usually all I hear is random Arabic, sometimes a group of them and his bed squeaks every time he sits on it or turns over in his sleep. I'm hoping it was the squeaking I heard, and not an actual cat.

I'm going to go grocery shopping at 3 pm. Hopefully the cold snap in Nottingham will wake me up. And I need food for exam week. I don't want to have to worry about food shopping between exams.

I've emailed a few of my friends in my classes and from what I hear I'm ahead of the curve on the studying and papers. Especially the papers, since I'm done with one, halfway through another and should be done by the end of next week. After that I have ten days to complete two critique papers that are simply giving the pros and cons of two studies' scientific method. My friends tell me they haven't even started to write the papers. That gives them TEN DAYS to write FOUR papers. I do not envy them. Although one, I did in one sitting. It was a personal development paper, so there was no wrong answer, since it's just my account of where I want to be and how to get there in 5, 15, 25 years. Easy.

I say good luck to them, and wish good luck to me. I may just need it. For my exams and so I don't lose my mind from lack of sleep.

TOP 10 MOST RIDICULOUS BRITISH LAWS

2009-01-04T18:19:00.000Z

Hello!!
I found this list and thought I'd quickly share them with all of you.

1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.

2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside-down.

3. In Liverpool, it is illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a tropical fish store.

4. Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day.

5. In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter.

6. In the UK a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet.

7. The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the King, and the tail of the Queen.

8. It is illegal not to tell the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing.

9. It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament in a suit of armour.

10. In the city of York it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow.

Now, I'm back to studying...

Why Did the Deer Cross the Road?

2008-12-26T17:17:00.000Z

Merry Christmas Everyone! And a Happy New Year! I hope everyone had fun stuffing themselves with homemade baked goods, ripping open brightly colored packages, and maybe getting a little tipsy. While this is all well and good for you, I decided to forgo all of that and come up with something a little different this year.

Nearby, just a 5 minute walk from my building is a park, Wollaton Park, that is populated by rich people who love to golf in funny outfits, ducks, coy fish, old palace-looking mansions and strangely enough, deer. I know what your thinking, besides where I'm going with this blog. "Deer, is that legal?" Apparently, here in England, it is. Not really knowing what deer eat, but figuring they had about the same digestive system as horses, I brought some carrots. Specifically two bags full of carrots. Why, you may ask? Because I had nothing else to do on Christmas, since everything else was closed. Plus, carrots are much cheaper than apples (which I know for a fact they eat).

So after wandering around, seeing these strangely haunted-looking buildings:

I spotted a group of male deer that resembled reindeer. If you look closely the two on the far right have their antlers interlocked. A few times they would half-heartedly charge and fight with their antlers. I don't know why, since mating season is supposed to be over.

Then I saw that the leader of their group was eyeing me rather strangely, so I threw a carrot in the grass to entice him to cross the road to investigate.

What was strange to me is that the deer suddenly got in a line to cross the road. this is particularly funny if you have ever been to England, because the people here are weirdly obsessed with lining up or "queuing" for everything and get rather grumbly if you cut to the front of the "Que". To see the English deer do this was understandably weird.

Once the Alpha crossed, then the herd followed:

He sniffed at my offering, found it lacking and moved on. Really exciting! Not really, unless you consider how close I got to the animals while taking the photos. You could stand mere feet away from them before they shied away. Amazing!

Then I went back to my room, ate lunch with a chocolate dessert and took a nap. When I woke up around 9 pm I waited around by reading my romance book until 4 am to call my mom and the family. And then promptly went back to sleep.

Your probably thinking, "No presents! That's a crime." Not really since I bought myself a Hoyt bow a week earlier and my mom sent me Sourpatch Kids candies and socks. The former my favorite comfort candy and the latter, because my mom is such a "mom". But I love them just the same because they are knee high and warm.

For the next few weeks I am going to disappear again because I have more studying to do that is conceivably possible. But I'm going to make the effort to tackle all of it. Well, most of it.

So if I don't blog until February, just know it's not because I am spurning my readers, it's because my lecturers and tutors have a sadistic twist of mind.

So, I shall blog in the next year and stay safe and study hard.

Busy Week...

2008-12-11T00:04:00.000Z

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while, life has been a little hectic. First I have to mention the archery fun shoot, where everyone got to shoot at random stuff. The Voltaire book was my favorite, and as you can see it was also the compound bows fav as well.

I went to Victoria Centre (a shopping mall-like place) to do some Christmas shopping and I stopped at a place called Costas, essentially Starbuck's rival. I know! Your asking yourself, Why??? You're form Seattle, show some pride. However if you got this lay out...

for just a cup of tea for 4 pounds, you now understand my lack of loyalty. I would never get the same deal at Starbucks here. A venti chi tea cost me 4.50 pound at Starbucks. In my opinion, they need to step up their game. It's no wonder their stock sank over 90% in the last quarter.

The Archery club also went out for a Christmas dinner at an Italian place called Zizzi's. It included a three course meal and I had the Penne Della Casa (smoked pancetta bacon, roasted chicken, creamy mushroom sauce and baby spinach finished with grated grana padano cheese, baked al forno) This was the best dish of food I've ate since being here. It was like heaven had entered my mouth. And yes, I "borrowed" the Christmas menu, but it's going back, I swear!

Here's a few pictures of the people at my table. Do not be scared, they're nicer than they look.

Josh (American from Connecticut) and Joe (experienced archer and coach to us dumb novices).

Joe showing off his huge pizza and Josh a little drunk and annoying and Hannah sitting between them.

Here's something I didn't know! If you drop a pence (penny) into someones drink they have to down the whole thing to "save the queen" and everyone at the table sings "God Save the Queen". Poor Alex, the queen was dropped into his wine twice.

Today was a busy day too!
For the last four days I didn't come out of my room and disappeared to write a paper due today. So once I turned that in, a couple guys from archery came to pick me up because a group of us were meeting at an archery shop. While there I gave myself an early Christmas present! A Hoyt bow! Most of you won't know what that means, just know it's pretty, very accurate and fun to play with. I have no pictures yet. I tried to take some in my room, but the lighting is really bad and a picture cannot convey what a beauty it is.

Well I'm exhausted and I still have one last review class tomorrow. On Friday I may go see Mama Mia! where the theater is playing it and everyone in the audience is supposed to sing a long. Sounds fun. I just hope I can get tickets.

Night!

Foot in Mouth...

2008-12-01T15:02:00.000Z

This just happened and I can't resist writing about it. I laughed so hard my eyes teared. I had just come from the Medical Library to get some counselling books and I was standing at the bus stop to go back to my room. There was a guy and a girl at the bus stop too. The guy was Indian and the girl English, and they were obviously flirting and having a grand time. He then began to tease her about her major, American Studies.

"But most Americans cannot even find their own country on a map!" He exclaimed loudly.

Up until this moment I had been standing quietly off to the side, not saying a word, completely ignored. But this was too good an opportunity for me to pass up. It was like the moment was handed to me on a golden platter.

I abruptly turned to him and said calmly with my obvious American accent, "Actually, most of us can." And I smiled.

The girl made a loud noise of embarrassment, something near a scream, but not quite and the guy had a stupid, dumbfounded look on his face. She then started to smack his chest and exclaim, "You are not allowed to say anything offensive again!"

I couldn't stop laughing, as the kid tried to apologize profusely, but the look on his face was priceless.

When I got on the bus I learned the girl was in her last year completing her undergraduate and wanted to go to Milwaukee to get her masters. Then she wanted to eventually get her PhD and move to Utah where her relatives live. She talked with me mostly because she really likes America. The Indian guy sat a few rows back in the crowded bus, and when we all got off he apologized again. I said I took no offense, but I hope he learned his lesson. Making broad statements about another culture and place just illustrates to others how ignorant and narrow-minded you are. And you may never know whose standing next to you when you say something stupid.

Christmas Vacation is Calling Me...

2008-11-30T15:42:00.000Z

I can't wait for Christmas vacation! Although I need to write a paper by the 10th and I'm dragging my feet. At one point this week or the next I'm going to have to stop researching for the paper, and eventually write it. Getting started is always the most difficult. But once I've started, interrupt me at your own risk.

For Thanksgiving I went out with some of my friends to a pub called The Last Post, had a nice meal and apple pie. A random British person even came up to the table and wished me a Happy Thanksgiving, which was very nice of her. There was no turkey consumed, but it was fun nonetheless. As we were walking out the door though, I forgot that I hadn't left any tip. I explained to the others I wanted to go back and leave something, but they all protested, saying I wasn't supposed to at a chain restaurant. It looked like a cross between a family place and a pub, so I thought, given that it was a sit down place with silverware and real food that I was supposed to. But apparently it was viewed more like a McDonald's or a Subway. I still feel bad for not leaving something. But I figure they knew British etiquette better than I and left.

During this last week I also went to the German Christmas Market at the Old Market Square in town.

I got a little lost on the way, but I found this really cool looking tunnel-walkway place all lit up.

I had a "bell-ee-na" (no idea how to spell it properly in German) it was essentially a jelly-filled doughnut, fried potatoes, and sauteed mushrooms. I was so stuffed, but everyone still wanted to head over to the oldest pub in England.

Had a pint of Strongbow (cider) and tried to digest all the food.

Archery has been mixed results this week. On Wednesday the string continued to smack my arm and my score was so erratic I simply had to stop. I have a lovely bruise to prove it. It's my worst yet.

So I finally broke down and bought a long arm guard. Then on Friday two experienced archers helped me to figure out what my problem was. Apparently I was standing wrong, and locking my elbow which is a big no, no. How was I supposed to know? But I got around six or seven 10's which makes me happy. Everyone went to a local pub afterward and for some reason I was targeted by a very drunk British man. All I said to him was he was he was spilling his drink on himself and the floor. I have a difficult time understanding a thick accent, and a drunk accent does not help. Luckily he never realized I was American. He was eventually led away by the bartender and was cut off for the rest of the night.

Well, that's been the latest exciting events of my life. Two more weeks till vacation and I have to write four more papers by January 26th and study for three exams on January 12th, 13th and the 15th. Yeah.

Germany vs. England

2008-11-20T20:14:00.000Z

First, at archery on Wednesday I got hit 5 times with the string. At least the bruises are moving downward. And my score went up, but not to 400 yet, but I'm working on it. Here's a picture of my war wound. ;)

Last night I went to a pub filled with Germans (because I was going with my German friend Sarah) to watch the Football (soccer) match between England and Germany. It was only a "friendly" which means the players are mostly second string players and the result of the game does not effect either team's standings. There were a few Englishmen who wandered in though, which made the whole evening quite funny. There was a particularly rude man sitting right in front of the TV and apparently didn't know or was ignoring all the German men behind him. The English won the game 2-1 in the end, but the Germans held their own. What was funny to me was when the German team scored, the whole place went wild with excitement and noise. When the English team scored the few unlucky English-souls that wandered in roared with excitement, but the noise level was pitiful. The rude guy in front started yelling, "Two! One! Two! One!" towards the end of the game. Either he was so dumb that he didn't realize he was the only one cheering his mantra, or a complete jerk. I'm betting on the former, but the latter is a distinct possibility too.

My Indian friend, Rahul, was there too, and like me couldn't really care less who won. He cheered for the Germans like me, but unlike the Germans, we were loud about it when the English did something brilliant. Rahul like to scream "England Sucks!" and I just did a lot of "Boooooo! Booooo!". We got a few dirty looks, but then they would realize that neither one of us were German or English, and they'd shake their head as if they were saying, "Crazy Foreigners!" But that's what I like about going to other countries. You can be forgiven any social taboos you may cross, because you can just shrug as if to say, "I'm American. It's in my nature and personality to act this way. If you don't like it, sue me." I don't use that attitude often here, but we were already going against the English when we walked into the pub to cheer for Germany, so it was forgiven by a good 90% of the pub, because Rahul and I could get away with expressing an attitude they agreed with but wouldn't act on because Germans are gracious losers (according to Sarah).

Here's a picture of Catherine (Australian) talking with Rahul:

And Sarah to the far right and the rude English guy is sitting right behind her but you can't see him in this picture:

When I went into the bathroom I got quite a shock. A sex toy and condom distributor. The condoms I understand, but sex toys?? There was two kinds of vibrators and a vibrating cock ring. I even took pictures of the machines as proof. I got a weird look from Sarah, and an English girl in the bathroom. But I had to have proof.

Well, that was my exciting Wednesday.

The Flu & Studying...

2008-11-16T13:56:00.000Z

Lately my life seems quite boring to me. I'm sure it's like most people's who are earning their masters. Studying, planning papers, or thinking about what to write. Right now I have two papers on my mind. The first is due December 8, which has to be about an organisational problem that can be resolved through counselling at work. I was thinking along the lines of bullying, and so I've been doing research for this. On Monday, my tutor is going to give some pointers on how to structure the essay. The next essay I'm kind of excited to write (I know I'm weird). I have plenty of time to write it since it's due January 26th, but like I said, I'm excited about it. I'm focusing my topic on a business and HR report analysis of Amazon.com, specifically their books department. Choosing books was easy for me since I have experience with the competition and some of the lingo. Plus, if I'm lucky, I'd like to work for Amazon's book department when I get back to Seattle.

When It comes to Archery, I've been doing atrocious lately. My score went marginally down on Friday, and today, it went down 30 points. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but all I can do is keep at it till I get better. I was thinking of getting a bow with more weight in the string. Maybe that will straighten out my arrows. I'm just really frustrated with the whole thing.

Other than that, nothing really exciting has happened. I drink tea, eat biscuits, study, watch the news, read a bit of my romance book, study some more, go to classes, practice archery, and drink some more tea while studying. That's about all my life consists of right now.

Archery Competition, Pub Games & The Flu

2008-11-10T18:05:00.000Z

This last Saturday I was considerably more busy than I am usually. I was able to compete in the archery competition at the University of Warwick. Where would you think this university would be located? If you guess in Warwick, you would be wrong. They do have a campus there, but the competition was actually in Coventry. No idea why. The part of the city that I saw was not the least bit attractive, so I have zero pictures of the place. Sorry, people. And I don't have any pics of the actual competition because honestly, photos were the last thing on my mind. I was so nervous and excited I felt like my bones were jumping out of my skin. It was really difficult to concentrate, breathe, slow my heart rate, and shoot when it was my turn.

After the competition everyone goes to the pub on campus and awaits the judges to check and verify the scores. I had a Coke because I wasn't feeling too good. All day I had a fever, and a sore throat. While in the pub I was introduced to a competition that has been on-going between all the archery clubs at every participating university. The Boat Race! The rules are: teams of four people stand in a line, each with a pint of beer in hand. The first in line is to drink the pint as fast as they can once the start has been signaled. When they are done they must sit on the ground immediately and turn the empty glass upside down over their head. Once the person has turned the glass over his or her head, the person behind them can begin to drink their pint. The first team to have all members sitting and glasses tipped over their head, WINS! I took pictures to document this ritual:

Then the Awards are given out. Nottingham won the overall competition, Yeah!!! My personal goal for the day was to reach a score of 400. Unfortunately I only got 399. ONE BLOODY POINT!!! I was a little upset with myself. But, I did feel better when I found out that I still won 3rd place in the Ladies Novice category! Yeah!! Here's a picture of the medal:

Then afterwards all the universities went to dinner together. It was fun to meet new people and see the long standing friendships and rivalries amongst everyone. One guy from our school has a twin at the University of Birmingham, and he was sitting at my table. It was really weird!! When they noticed I was an American, I got the usual questions (where from? Why Nottingham? Studying what??) But they did ask me what other sport I have done. "I used to play soc.." I slapped my mouth in embarrassment. "Football!" I corrected while they all laughed. I'm still not used to calling it football. I tried to explain to my German friend, Sarah, that in America, the boys usually play American Football, and the girls will play Soccer. She looked at me weird, like I just sprouted two heads. (I get that expression a lot) But I figure guys will play anything that has the potential in the future for girls, money, and glory. Sports that provide guys with those goals, and they'll play it!

But I digress. Another American from Connecticut is on the Archery team and kind of a snob. Which is not surprising considering that he is from the Northeast. He got into this big argument with a fellow archer about whether Star Trek Voyager or The Next Generation is better. Keimo (my brother)would probably have a strong opinion, seeing as though the man still has the action figures and reads the books. Did I mention he's 37 years old?? My first thought was WHO CARES??. But the American guy wouldn't let it go. So she poured half a glass of water over his head. I cheered inside! Here is her throwing death-ray glares at him!

The next morning on Sunday I woke up and I had a fever, sore throat, bad cough, was achy all over (from archery or sickness?) and lethargic. I tried to eat breakfast, but threw it up within the hour. Gave up on the eating thing for the day. I basically survived on weak tea and apple juice. But today, I woke up feeling much better! I still have a bit of a fever, sore throat, but my deep chesty cough has diminished greatly. And my appetite is coming back. I can keep food down at least. So Yeah for me!

British Bakery, Archery, and GUY FAWKES DAY!!!!

2008-11-05T22:29:00.000Z

So there are three events that stick out in my mind from the last few days. The first one is my visit to a British bakery that sells goods wholesale. I walked in and said, "I'm an American and I have no idea what most of this is, so tell me what you recommend." And it was scones! They were lovely "fruit scones" (scones with raisins). They were only 30 pence each and they were so delicious I ate them both in one sitting. That's probably not the best idea, but that was what I considered "lunch" for me and held off eating anything till a light dinner. The Bakery Lady was very nice. She said she guessed I was American from my accent, but I reminded her I could be Canadian. "That's true" she said. Then she went on to tell me about her cousin who lives in Virginia and that's she's been meaning to pop over and visit him. If you're wondering if this happens a lot, it does actually. I always hear about the family member who lives in the States and how they've been meaning to visit. I always ask where in the States the relative lives and comment on the weather there. The topic of weather seems universal.

Next is my Wednesday Archery Lesson. I scored a 366!! For those of you who have been following this, that's a 44 jump! If I can reach a score of 400 by Saturday, then at least I know I won't embarrass myself at the competition in Warwick. On one of my last shots of the day I accidentally held my bow incorrectly, and the string snapped my arm. Right behind my arm-guard! Here is the what happens when your elbow tends to invert into the path of the string:

Also, today, November 5th is Guy Fawkes Day!!! He's the guy who inspired the movie "V for Vendetta" He tried to blow up Westminster Abbey and kidnap Princess (future queen) Elizabeth I. There were three men actually, but Fawkes was the leader. So every November 5th, people blow up fireworks and start HUGE bonfires. I don't know why? Maybe to celebrate his pure audaciousness to do something against the nobility. Who knows? It was fun just the same.
So I had to go to the Old Market Square and this is the government-looking building at night:

Here is a picture of the fireworks:

And some of the pictures of the Bonfire:
This is before they lit the stack, this is what it looked like. At the top, if you look closely you can see the three dummies representing Guy Fawkes and his buddies.

Just before they lit the Fire, the firemen surrounded the tower with torches.

They lit it and up it went. It was HUGE!!!!

Picture from a distance:

I also got some Cadbury Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows. They were heart shaped and flavored!

The last event I saw before going back to my room was a group of guys, probably mid-twenties all dressed as FAIRIES! Yes, that's right, they were prancing and running around. It looked like a hazing ritual to me. But it was funny as hell. This is not a great picture, but they were moving around a lot. They only had tights, tutu's and t-shirts on, so I imagine the prancing was a way to keep warm. At least I hope it was.

So that was my exciting day. Other than boring classes and studying. Tomorrow I intend to sleep in, relax, read, and study.

Good Night Everyone!!

I Got On The Team!!!

2008-11-02T14:06:00.000Z

This morning I scored a 322 (out of a possible 600) and made it on the Novice team!!! That means that on Saturday I get to go with the team to Warwick and compete. I'm not delusional enough to think I could actually place and win, but it will still be fun to go and be a part of the competition.

On my way out of the Sports Centre I saw the resident feline and took a picture of her. She is so sweet! She was kinda shy and had to look away from her fans. But that's alright. I know she loves the attention deep down, because she is a cat after all.

Now I'm going to study Fiske's social cog approach to attitudes and then read some of my book. The weather today is dismal. It's a cross between spitting and misting rain. At least now I have warm gloves. Thanks Mom!

Party, Weird Weather, & Archery

2008-10-29T18:48:00.000Z

I know I haven't posted anything in a while, but I thought I would post when I had something interesting to share.

The first was on Friday (Oct.24) when I went to my friend Rahul's party. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be since the dope invited mostly girls and 90% of those were undergrads. Then he turned all the lights off except the blue neon ones where it picks up anything white. There was pizza though, which was really tasty. Not like home makes it, but it was close. I met a few new people (girls), but I got bored and left near 11pm with some others.

Saturday I was looking forward to the Robin Hood Festival. However, I didn't feel well when I woke up and then I looked outside and it was raining. Needless to say conditions were not the best to romp around outside.

Sunday was archery, and they told us that they would be picking the best 8 or 9 novices to go to a novice competition. I'm not really good at archery, and my performance on Sunday wasn't any better.

So today, on Wednesday I went to practice some more. Guess what?! I did much better and even scored a ten! At competition distance. It's my first at that distance!! I took a picture below. Barely, but it's a ten. On the line counts. I also took some pics of the line-up of archers that shoot. Enjoy!

I Have a Love/Hate Realtionship with Sundays

2008-10-19T20:36:00.001+01:00

Today, archery was the first on my scheduled events. I got up plenty early, but couldn't seem to get out the door on time, plus I forgot my sign-off sheet for them to sign that I completed that portion of the training. Lovely. And today it was all about form. So I had a guy behind me (which I hate when people stand behind me) and say, "Don't lean forward, no, no, like this, yes, yes. And pull the string against your nose, yes, yes. Pull straaaaaiiiiight baaaack..." in a British accent that is distracting anyway, and it took the joy out of the whole experience. I'm going back, but if someone else stands behind me and narrates every freaking move I make again, I may just smack them. Maybe. I go to these archery sessions to get all my frustration and some aggression out. It failed today.

Although, I connected with my more cuddley side before I left and met a cat. The people at the Sports Centre take care of her. At least I think it was a female, since she had a collar with pink hearts on it. She was white with black spots, and she was sleeping like the dead. I came up and petted her and she barely twitched, I had to scrath underneath her shin to get any purring. Such a sweety. It was the highlight of my day. I miss my Della at home!

Then I had to walk to the Library, which I usually have to do every Sunday, so it was alright. I can actually feel myself getting used to walking the hills. I doesn't feel as though I've run a marathon and I'm two seconds away from pulling my hamstring. Yeah! Then I sat in the library putting together a PowerPoint I'm not even being graded on, but it was enlightening just the same.

Next I had to go into Beeston, since this Wednesday I can't. I have a session/lecture that I have to attend. I just made it into the grocery store 15 minutes before closing. Then I proceeded to run around the store frantically grabbing everything I would need for the week. Mom sent me some tuna (why she thought there was no canned tuna in England, I have no idea. It was appreciated, but I was puzzled nonetheless.) Tuna here is one pound per can. So score one for Mom! I got some eggs (which England does not refrigerate apparently. I mean they just sit on shelves on an aisle. I thought those things went bad if they sit out to long? Am I wrong?) and tried to find some sweet dill pickles. I asked one of the ladies who works there, and she gave me the owlish look that says, "I have no idea what just came out of your mouth." and I assumed those too do not live in England. I get that look a lot and I'm getting very acquainted with it. They pickle everything else though. Thus was my quest to put together a perfect tuna sandwich. Minus the pickles.

I took some pictures of the town, and now you too can see how dead it was around 4:30 pm on a Sunday evening. Enjoy!

Remember, this is BEEston. This is a statue of a (historically famous) guy covered in tiny little bee sculptures. The picture doesn't show it really well. Then there's the hive right across from him.

I saw this cute little gate on my way home. There's a squirrel in the distance. I miss the squirrels at Austin College.

Beer Fest & A Robin Hood Arrow

2008-10-14T18:35:00.000+01:00

This weekend I was unusually busy. In a good way, thankfully. On Saturday morning I went to Nottingham Castle and attended a Beer Festival. I had never been to one, so I thought, "Why not?" Personally, I dislike the taste of beer, especially European beer, mostly because it is generally heavier and hazy. But I decided to go anyway, it still sounded fun. It was 3.50 pounds to get in, then I had to put down a deposit on a glass. When I wanted to leave, I exchanged the unbroken glass for deposit. If one wanted a whole 1/2 pint, there were tokens costing 1.20 pounds each, but I discovered you could just ask for a taste, and they only gave you a small amount. This was fine by me, since that was all I wanted in the first place. I enjoyed tasting the ciders, but the Perry Ciders were too sweet. If a person doesn't like the taste of a particular beer, then all you had to do was pour it into the grass. After a while, the smell beneath the tents was rank because of this. Masses of bodies, grass, and stale beer is not a pleasant smell. The food served at the festival included fish & chips, (British)beef hamburgers, seafood (raw oysters, shrimp, mussels, crab, lobster sticks etc.) and my favorite was a whole roasted hog. It was delicious. There weren't many places to sit, which would be my only complaint, but otherwise, I had a great time.

On Sunday morning I always attend archery, and I'm glad I did that day. Every beginner got to use their own bow, so there was less waiting in line, and more shooting. The amazing part of the session was that somebody shot a "Robin Hood" which hasn't happened in years. You're probably thinking, "What is a 'Robin Hood?'". Well it's when somebody shoots an arrow into or splits another arrow already on the target. The amazing part was that these arrows are hollow metal, so you could see metal peelings where the second arrow entered the back of the first. Another crazy thing was that the kid who made the shot did it by pure dumb luck! If I were him I'd go buy a lotto ticket pronto.

The only downside of this weekend is that I forgot to carry around my camera, so I have no pictures as of now. I am trying to have others send me theirs though, so there may be pictures in the future!

Boring Week, and a Play

2008-10-10T23:59:00.000+01:00

So, this week was more of the same. I didn't really want to blog every day of the week, mostly because my days are now about the same. Monday: class at 10 am, go back to my room and study. Tuesday: Tutor meeting at 9:30 am, wait around for class at 1:30pm, then go back to my room at 5:30 and study. Wednesday: sleep in, catch up on my shows at www.surfthechannel.com, go shopping for food, and do laundry. Thursday: class at 9 am, go back to my room and study. I know! Such a riveting week! How could I not blog about every second!!!

At lest today, on Friday, I was able to do something blog-worthy. I went to a play: "All Quiet on the Western Front". I never read it in school, but I had no idea it was about WWI. Kind of morbid, but very funny in parts because there are only 8 male actors, and there are female parts in the play, so the men were made to dress up in scarves and act feminine. My favorite was the three actors who had to play French prostitutes. That was so funny!! Plus, all the characters were supposed to be German, and they all had thick British accents. There were parts that I had trouble understanding completely, but I got the gist. Anyway, that was the highlight of my day. Guess what I did earlier today...study!

Tomorrow will be fun, but that's for tomorrow's blog.

Good Night!

2008-10-05T20:26:00.000+01:00

The weekend was relatively uneventful, other than some shopping I did on Saturday and archery this morning. A friend of mine suggested this really great cheap store, Primark, to go shopping for some clothes. I got 3 shirts for 12 pounds! I love finding great deals like that.

On Friday I took some random pictures of Jubilee Campus. It has swans! It's very pretty, even when the weather is cloudy and rainy.

I also couldn’t resist taking some pictures of the flock of geese on the University Campus

And this morning I found out the wrong way to extend my arm when holding the bow during archery. The string caught my arm and this is what happened:

So other than that great start to my day, I finished my romance book, drank some tea, ate a few biscuits and then started on my studying for next weeks classes.

Goose Fair!!!

2008-10-04T00:02:00.000+01:00

Today I mostly studied, but I was really looking forward to tonight. I had no idea what a Goose Fair was, I thought it would include the geese I see walking around University Campus all the time. Silly me! It was actually like a county fair with rides, games, candy and food. Some foods I didn't even recognize.

I found out that cotton candy is called candy floss here. Same difference, right?

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And here are some general pictures of the fair:

I also met a dog named Brad. Very cute chocolate lab that wanted to play fetch with a slimy stick. I threw it for him a few times and then my friend Rahul became friends as well with him.

And I found out another interesting fact about fairs in Britain. They sell coconuts. 2 for 1 pound. Too bad I left my coconut opener at home.

At the end Inga, Rahul and I all went on a Merry-Go-Round.

And now I am tuckered out. I am going to bed since it's after midnight. I still have more studying to do tomorrow. But this morning I got all of Monday's reading done, next will be Tuesday and I still need to get some books for Thursday's class. I'll probably pick up the reading for the next Monday (13th). There is so much to do, sometimes I don't think I'll ever be done. Which I won't, for a year at least.

Good Night!

Happy Pumpkin Month!

2008-10-02T19:15:00.000+01:00

So I tried to post something yesterday but my Internet connection was shaky at best, so that didn't pan out so well. It was alright though because it wasn't the most exciting day. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy not having any classes yesterday, but I basically did three things. The first was getting rejected from a study that could have paid me 60 pounds to get 4 MRI's. But since it involves magnets and I have a tiny wire behind my lower front teeth, that was a no go. Oh, well, the girl was nice and I made a friend. Next I went to Nottingham looking for a book by an author I like. The bookstore only had one of hers I hadn't read, but at least I got one! I would have tried the library but by that time, they were closing. Everything closes down between 5 and 7 pm. Except the pubs, which close at 11 pm. Then I went on a food run into Beeston, got a disgruntled look from the check-out lady when I handed her a 50, but it's the only place that will take them.

Today I got up at the ungodly hour of 7 in the morning (sleep...mmm...love sleep) and went to a class that forced me to take notes for the sole purpose of staying awake. But I can say, the professor did try to be entertaining, and would have been if he had his class at a later time in the day. Then I went back to my room and became a geek and studied. I still have two more papers to read for Monday's class, at least one paper for Tuesday's, and two books for Thursday's class (which I need to get tomorrow). I have turned into a geek, I realize this, but at least I let my mind rest with a little romance mixed into it everyday. If I didn't I think I'd go brain dead from info overload. Later (around midnight) I'm going to call my old friend, Jacquie, from my RA days and surprise her on her birthday. Then I'm going to start another book before going to bed.

Night Everyone!

Late for Class...Oops

2008-09-30T21:26:00.000+01:00

So to start off my day I accidentally slept in, got locked out of my building during a downpour after throwing out the trash, then I had to wait in line at reception to be told about a little button that makes everything work, and then I had to catch the 1:15 bus to be at class at 1:30. As a result I was 5 minutes late to class. Oops.

There were about 150 people taking it, comprising of undergraduate and graduate students. when I walked in the room was a sea of faces. Oh, well. I went to the back and sat for two hours during the lecture. It was an interesting one about motivation and whether it is a cognitive process procedure before the motivation begins for a decision, or an internal drive and instinct that decides the decision to be motivated. It went through Maslow's Hierarchy, Alderfer ERG Theory and Vroom's Expectancy Theory.

Afterward, I got a chicken salad sandwich and a hot cocoa for lunch and headed back to my room to study some more. Wow, my life is so interesting. But I blog about it to let everyone know that I am still alive. I think only my mother reads all of these. But they are almost like a little journal that I can keep at the end of the year. So I write about everything, even the days that kinda suck.

First Day of Class...

2008-09-29T23:08:00.000+01:00

What can I say about sitting in class for two hours? It was somewhat boring, but intellectually interesting about sums it up. We took two mini fun quizzes (non-graded) that tested whether our common sense in supported by theories. When I got to the true/false question about whether women are slightly more intelligent than men, I said true. I got it wrong (we're all about the same), but I can argue that on a later day. I should say men and women's intellectual motives come from different places. =)

Anyway, before class, the first thing I saw was this:

Her name is Misty Blue. At least that is what the windshield proclaimed. I thought it was so cute I had to take a picture of it.

After classes I went back to my room and studied the required reading for next week's class. It'll take me a week to finish all of it, that's for sure. I made a good dent in it though. Now I'm going to bed. May start a new romance book to relax after all the social psychology terminology and theory.

Good Night!

Archery in Nottingham. My day is complete...

2008-09-28T22:23:00.001+01:00

I started today by getting up obscenely early for a Sunday (I love my sleep) and tried my hand at archery. I really liked it, even though I'm not great at it, it helped to de-stress, which was the whole point for me. Since the de-stress archery worked, I decided to join even though it was 65 pounds to sign up for the gym facilities and 15 pounds for the yearly fee. Double all those figures, and that's what I paid in dollars. I try not to go there mentally, but I still cringe a little. But if it helps me de-stress and gets me out of my room to interact with people, that's always a good thing.

Afterward I had to run to two of the libraries on the University Campus to get 4 books that I have to read before October 6. Not to mention the 3 journal articles that I need to read as well. All this needs to be done in a week. Did I mention that it's just for ONE class. I try not to dwell on it either. But I am starting early and breaking up all the reading so I can finish it in time. And I really try not to think about the fact I'll be on that same accelerated reading schedule for the rest of the year. Fun stuff, right?!

Sorry there are no pictures. I really can only do picture taking on my weekends, so try to wait it out. I know I am pining for the weekend already. And Monday has not even started. Lord help me.

Relaxation Day...

2008-09-27T22:36:00.001+01:00

Today I really did nothing. I woke up with a migraine. So after popping some pills I layed in bed and just rested. A read a bit after I felt better. Then around mid-afternoon after I discovered my bread had turned moldy I realized I had no food. Except for soup. So I had soup and made an excursion into Beeston to get some food. Did you know that if you want to grab a shopping cart, you have to put a pound coin in the shopping cart handle, and then when you put it back when your done, it pops back out for you. It's like you have to put down a deposit on your shopping cart to even use it. It certainly discouraged me from taking it to transport my bags all the way back to my flat. It's Saturday, and silly me I had totally forgot how crazy grocery stores get on the weekend. It was a madhouse! All the good bananas were gone, so I got oranges. Of course, bread was a must. I got cereal, milk, orange juice, yogurt, a few TV dinner thingies, and I also grabbed a jar of Nutella. I'm sadly lacking in chocolate lately. So after the check-out lady gave my 50 pound note a good look over (those are pretty rare around here) I trudged back to my flat and ate some of the spoils for dinner.

It was a pretty boring day. But looking at my schedule for this week, I'm going to be running around to libraries, classes and reading masses amount of information. So if you don't see a post everyday, DO NOT PANIC. I know this is the first thing you check everyday =) No, but seriously, don't worry. I'll check n regularly.

I just enjoyed resting and taking it easy today. Now I'm going to read and go to bed. I know what your thinking...what a party animal. ;)

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!

2008-09-26T19:57:00.000+01:00

Today, did not disappoint in the boring department. It was a two hour lecture on how to search the Library's website and navigate their massive e-book, periodical, dissertations, etc. Considering that they use the same search engine of PsycInfo that Austin College did, you can imagine how enthralled I was. The only remotely interesting and useful part of the Library Lady's Lecture from Hell was the snippet about finding my professor's Reading List for each lecture that is recommended that I read before each class. Luckily none of them were cruel enough to assign me anything to read for the first lectures this week. But I may start on them early.

Next on the agenda was registering with the Health Centre. (Yes, that is how "center" in British language is spelled.) It was boring, three sheets of paperwork, detailing that everyone in my family and I are healthy as a horse. But I did put down under medications my nightly face cream. It's medicated, so it fits the category.

After that, I had to go into Nottingham to straighten out a few things. No pun intended since the first thing I bought was a hair straightener for 12 pounds which was a steal, since everywhere else was selling them for 20-40 pounds. I tried it out when I got back to my room. It works, but I'm not sure about the fact that I can hear it humming. Weird or not, it works, and that's all I care about.

Next was figuring out why my Orange cell phone had lost all it's minutes so quickly. The salesman neglected to tell me the first time I was in his shop that I had to press "343" and switch my plan to the "Camel Plan". Needless to say I was a little more than upset, because first: He never mentioned this the first time I was in his store. And second: Why did he not simply sign me up on that Camel plan in the first place and saved both our time. Stupid greedy salesman.

After I was down to 8 pounds in my wallet (and I took 40) I walked around the City Centre and relaxed the day away. I found another Starbucks! And I even took a double decker bus home. So here are my pictures of that little walk and ride around town.

Um, I would tell the library they spelled "central" wrong, but may be construed as being a smart ass and they would be right. It may be fun, but I was only passing by. Maybe another day I'll channel Shawna-ness.

Is it ironic that on Angel Row I watched a dove get hit by a bus?? I hope not. that was just sad. With lots of feathers.

Lord, am I happy that I am done with boring informational lectures on topics that should be common sense. Anyway, so my mom was asking why there were no pictures of my bathroom. Well it's because it is very hard to take a photo of space that is maybe 3x5 feet. But here are pictures of my effort to please my curious readers.

Now I am going to sleep in tomorrow, read my trashy romance book, read a few papers of the Reading List that look interesting. And then maybe go out to a crowded bar with people I only met a week ago. Maybe, since I want to try archery on Sunday at 10 am. It may sound later in the day, but I'll still be getting up at 8 in the morning. Which is a little earlier than I like. But it's archery in Nottingham, England. I guess I'll just to make it work! ;)

Free Day!!!!

2008-09-25T18:48:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was monumentally boring... Session about career development that explains that CV's must be on what type of paper, what font, the UK can have them up to 3 pages long, blah, blah, blah. Then there was the super fun session on...mmmmm...it was so boring that the topic completely flew out of my brain.

Anyway, today I had a FREE DAY!! And Lord did I need one. First on the Agenda was going to the Fresher's Fayre (and yes that is how the British spell it. "Tire" is also spelled "tyre". Strange.) to pay the fees for clubs. I joined the AmeriCan Society, because they have Thanksgiving Dinner and the Psychological Society, because, Duh!, I'm studying psychology. This Sunday I'm going to try my hand at Archery. I'm in Nottingham, I would regret it if I didn't at least try it here. While walking around I took these photos of the campus.

Then after blowing out the fuse in my room trying to set up my Skype phone, I decided to break down and get an Orange phone. Which looks like this:

And I know it looks like what a 10 year old would carry around, but it was only 10 pounds. It was the best price I could find.

To get one I had to go to Nottingham, so I went to Waterstone's:

And their Romance section (which pitiful in my opinion):

The Starbucks across the street from Waterstone's where I got a Starbuck's England mug:

And then went to McDonald's and had home cooking, kind of:

And then I just went sightseeing, like a regular tourist. I saw St. Peter's Church, a British Taxi, a liquor store with more booze than I have ever seen crammed into such a small space, and random store's and streets.

At the end of my day I took the bus back to Broadgate Park. My home (for the year). I sat next to a nice old lady who was on her way to see the movie "The Duchess" and we chatted a bit about this and that. When she got off, the next lady who sat next to me was not as friendly, but cordial. So while on the bus I snapped off a few more photos too. Can you spot the second Starbucks I saw on the way??

Walking, More Walking and an English Pub(s)

2008-09-22T23:59:00.000+01:00

The Big red Building on the right is the International Buidling and is where my I-WHO school and professors are located. I'll take a few classes there enve though it's still under construction.

I did a lot of walking today. I walked about 2 miles to Jubilee Campus, which is on the opposite end of University of Nottingham. I know what your thinking. Why did you get housing so far away from all your classes? The main reason I did is because I didn't know where my classes would be. It was a 50/50 shot and I lost. But I actually like my room.

I did get an interesting offer form a Medieval History postgrad though. Her classes are near Broadgate and she said I could move into her room, since she found a room near Broadgate. But here's the rub: I like it here. I like living so close to a small eclectic town, with cheap grocery prices. I like my spacious room. I want to buy a bike, so I can just ride my bike to the other campus, because I want to lose weight. All very good reasons to stay. Not to mention the wonderful friends I've made, just today. I'm making my sticking point the bathroom. If there's no bathroom in the room, I'll have to decline. I've had enough of sharing a bathroom. Four years of it, five if you count the weekends I had to share with Keimo, Lorna and their brood. So that's non-negotiable. I love my bathroom. Sure, it's small, and I have to get up extra early just to take a hot shower. But it's MINE. The only downside to my sticking point is the price. I would love to pay 2,000 less pounds. I would be ecstatic. But if I'm unhappy in my environment, it will reflect in my work. If I can't work, there's no point in my being here at all.

I also went out to a genuine English pub. I got a single tall cran and vodka, then a half pint of cider. I liked the cider. It was sparkling and had a sweeter taste to it than beer. Not bad for spending about 4 pounds. I also got to chat with some very cute boys, which is always a plus for me. Mostly because it doesn't happen often. the first was Ben, who is English and doing his postgrad work in international law. He has plans to become rich, he mentioned laughingly. Great to find a guy with a sense of humor about his ambitions. the next guy was a German named Andre. Who was sooo hot. Kind of quiet, but it was loud, and talking was difficult. He even hugged me before we said goodbye. I gave him my email, and he just emailed me right away, which is a good sign. I think. I definitely want to see him again.

Freshers Week

2008-09-21T17:07:00.000+01:00

So yesterday was when the international and postgraduates were moved into the building. It was a pretty quiet day to say the least. Today I had the day off, but the undergraduates from around the UK have rolled in. Nearly 1500 kids came today. It was recommended by the staff to go to a "Welcome Talk". I knew I would most likely be the only postgraduate. They talked about the bicycles they'll sell toward the end of the week that other students have left behind. The bike should cost 10-15 pounds which is a great price. I'm going to get one if I can. At the end, the speaker asked if he had any questions and as I expected...no fresher’s raised their hands. Big surprise! So I asked the first. Where the sign for the bikes would be posted? On the door of the bike shed. Duh. But it served the purpose of getting the kiddos to ask their questions.
I went into town to get some soup, a pot, and a can opener. Right now I'm surviving on sandwiches, bananas, yogurt, orange juice, and now SOUP! By the way...What the hell is Oxtail Soup and does it taste any good? I even grabbed a can of Mac n' Cheese. Yes, in a can. I've never seen that before, but I'm game to try it.
It took me an hour and a half to find a pot, and I ended up with 3 for 5 pounds. All three places that could sell them were almost completely out. I luckily got one of the last.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I can start the ball rolling for everything. What I'm not excited about is finding my way over to Jubilee Campus. I'll probably have to walk before I can ask anyone who would know the route better.

I'm Here!!!

2008-09-20T11:37:00.000+01:00

Hey Ya'll

I finally got into Broadgate Park and my internet is up and running. Money is tight, since everything is double the price and I've been really watching what I spend. At the campus drugstore they were selling toothbrushes buy one get the 2nd free. When I got to the check-out she rang me up for both, but I insisted on her checking the sign. I was right and I got my free toothbrush. Yeah! It's the small things, right?
My room is nice, and I'm settling in. I'm just trying to get my bearings. I need to go shopping for essentials (toilet paper, hand soap, food, etc.). Yesterday, I went into Nottingham and found the bookstore. It's about as big as the B&N, maybe smaller. It was a good location to find, since it was in the center of town and I used it as a focal point. I usually can find my bearings better if I'm looking for something specific, like a store. On the 22nd I'm starting the introduction to the program and then the roller coaster will begin.

So far I think I've walked more this week than I do in a year. My legs are really sore, and I'm trying to not pull anything. So far so good. I found out my classes will be located on the other side of campus. But at least postgraduate work is a lot of independent learning and I won't have to go over there everyday. I still have to figure out the Hopper bus route there though.

That's about it for now. I'm going to walk to Beeston and find those essentials

Visa is Done!!

2008-08-21T06:42:00.000+01:00

After many confusion and stress I have my student visa done!! Yeah! The first visa the British Consulate sent had an expiration date a month before my classes even ended. It all came down to the confusing acceptance letter. No where on it does it say that my classes end in September. It says the course ends in June, so they expired it in July. Well, if I kept it this way I would miss my last month of classes and my graduation in December. Not okay with me. So I had the university email me a clearer letter explaining all this. I had to highlight the changes and send my visa back with the explanation of the changes I needed done and why. I was SO stressed. I got my visa back early this morning and the expiration was correctly done for January 31, 2010. Thank God that is done. Now I just have to pack. For real this time. I have less than a month and this all still feels surreal.

2008-08-01T20:42:00.000+01:00

Here is my acceptance letter that I have been waiting over a month for. I needed this to send to the visa officials, and the university hadn't even sent it yet. So frustrating! Anyway, it got here yesterday and I sent off my visa information hours later and the British Consulate in LA should have it today. So, Yeah! I'm done with paperwork for now and I just have to sit and wait for my student visa to arrive. Now I have to plan what I will pack.

ENGLAND!!!!

2008-07-22T06:21:00.000+01:00

I got into University of Nottingham!!! I'm going to England on September 15th. I am so excited I can barely contain it. Right now I'm stressed about the student visa application and getting all the money matters together. But once I'm landing in London, and then driving up to my new university home everything will be worth it.

2008-03-28T20:53:00.000Z

I'd thought I'd start with a Hottie pic and a little about myself. I love to write whatever pops into my head (which can be dangerous at times) and meet and talk with others. I read romance novels religiously and I work at Barnes&Noble for the time being while saving to go to grad school in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. So, as you can imagine, I work where I love to shop, and I'm constantly handing women (and some Men!) some of my favorite authors. Enjoy the Hottie and restrain from drooling on your screen.