This past week marked our first break from classes. Myself, along with a few other individuals on the program, decided to start the week off in Dublin, followed by a tour of southern Ireland. Instead of flying, we used a rail and sail system. It began in northern England by catching the train in Newcastle which took us (after an annoying amount of stops) to Holyhead on the coast of the Irish Sea. Although it took a bit longer than taking a plane would have, it was refreshing to see the countryside and I quite like the train. A ferry then took us across the sea into the Dublin port which, of course, means I'll be buying a boat in the (not-so-near) future.
We arrived in Dublin and made it to our hostel which was quite nice. It was then time to explore, even though we were all exhausted from getting up at 4 am. Dublin is a huge multicultural city and although I saw and met more tourists than Irish folk, it was still a great time. We had dinner at an interesting little restaurant. After dinner I called it quits and headed back to catch up on some sleep. Sunday morning we grabbed some pizza and went to the Guinness Storehouse for a tour. Although Guinness is certainly not my choice for beer, their displays were awesome and we were able to relax in their gravity bar overlooking Dublin afterward. We decided to take a horse and carriage ride to the Temple Bar area for dinner from the storehouse which was awesome. Dinner and drinks then ensued.
Monday morning began our 3 day paddy wagon tour of Southern Ireland. We all got onto a huge coach with our hilarious tour guide, Tom and headed out of Dublin. Some memorable stops along the way: The location where Christian teachings began in Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher (where I was able to see the Atlantic Ocean for the FIRST time), the city of Galway, and another horse/carriage ride through an Ireland national park. We also went to a local pub in Galway where they played traditional Irish music- it was surprisingly enjoyable and the varying insruments were fascinating. Overall, Ireland was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and relaxed. It also made me realize what a cruel and outrageously horrendous history the Irish have (mostly because of the British) and it's becomming clear why the US and the UK are such great allies.
Sunday 27 September 2009
Tuesday 15 September 2009
Perceptions
So far, I've been meeting some spectacular people here, both within my program and while vising other parts of the UK. It's been motivational in many respects and I believe has been helping me map out really what to do after college. The first example, and possibly the most influential, is meeting Diego in Edinburgh, Scotland. Diego is originally from Columbia but getting a master's degree in England. Although he technically took English classes while in Columbia, the quality was lacking and ended up teaching himself how to speak the language by watching American movies with subtitles etc. He is now fluent. Not only was he able to team himself another language, he was constantly encouraged to attend university outside of Columbia as a tool to expand his opportunities (this is true of his whole family). He has a sister studying engineering in Holland and another sibling working in Mexico City. I wonder why most Americans are never encouraged to seek education through other means (usually). Beyond educational boundaries, he also experiences things I've never thought about due to being Colombian. Massive stereotypes exist in terms of being tyrants or terrorists. In fact, U.S. border patrol tried to deport Deigo to Mexico because he appeared to be Hispanic when in reality he's Colombian (he had a legal tourist visa to be in the U.S.). Never have I worried about being turned away from a location or business due to my origin. In fact, although some communities have anti-American feelings, I have yet to, as an individual, face the repercussions of those feelings abroad.
I'll finish this update later when I have more time.
M.
I'll finish this update later when I have more time.
M.
Monday 14 September 2009
London- Random Update
My good friend Judith from Missouri State is also studying in England this semester. We decided, along with my 2 friends here, Jamie and Kristin, to head down to London for the weekend. It was amazing. Not only was it nice to get away for the weekend, but the city itself was awesomely intense. The people were much more friendly than I expected and really interested in learning about the "American Culture".
We arrived on Friday afternoon which meant figuring out the London transit system. The London underground can literally get you anywhere in London with just a few stops. We took a few wrong turns but soon after found our Hostel in Lambeth. After grabbing some food and meeting up with Judith we went back to the hostel in hopes to book a show for the night, we failed. Hopefully we'll be able to see both Wicked and Mama Mia while in London next month. Anyway, instead of a show we took the underground into Piccadilly circus and bought tickets for a comedy club that evening. This comedian was absolutely hilarious- I had such a good time. We met a few different groups of people at the show who offered to show us around the nightlife a little bit. After stopping at a few different pubs we ended up at a reggae club- different, but I'm glad we attended. The British men were so curious about americans- cost of living, "red cup parties", and laws etc.
The next day was spent wondering around and visiting big London sites; ex Big Ben, Parliment, Buckingham Palace. We went to the Saint James park and did the Princess Diana Memorial Walk. The park was beautiful and the view of Buckingham Palace was breathtaking. I hope to go back and relax for hours in the park- not all parts of London are fast paced. It was both difficult and surprisingly easy at times to take in the city. I'll put up some pictures soon when I extract them from my camera. That evening was the highlight of my trip so far- we took a petty cab which was a small carriage operated by a biker. I had a blast. He drove us around Leister Square and Soho- the location of the "world-renowned london nightlife". Then we danced.
It was also really good to see Judith. I have been pretty awful at keeping in touch with people from Missouri State/Springfield/debate folk. She updated me and reminded me about my first 2 years in college. Anyway, I've been doing some volunteering around Alnwick at The Playhouse in town and hope to get involved with hospice. Justine and I are volunteering this evening during a showing at The Playhouse which also means watching a free show :). This week is not nearly as busy as last week which will be refreshing.
Just a note to myself- I hope to remember my performance of Michael for a very long time.
We arrived on Friday afternoon which meant figuring out the London transit system. The London underground can literally get you anywhere in London with just a few stops. We took a few wrong turns but soon after found our Hostel in Lambeth. After grabbing some food and meeting up with Judith we went back to the hostel in hopes to book a show for the night, we failed. Hopefully we'll be able to see both Wicked and Mama Mia while in London next month. Anyway, instead of a show we took the underground into Piccadilly circus and bought tickets for a comedy club that evening. This comedian was absolutely hilarious- I had such a good time. We met a few different groups of people at the show who offered to show us around the nightlife a little bit. After stopping at a few different pubs we ended up at a reggae club- different, but I'm glad we attended. The British men were so curious about americans- cost of living, "red cup parties", and laws etc.
The next day was spent wondering around and visiting big London sites; ex Big Ben, Parliment, Buckingham Palace. We went to the Saint James park and did the Princess Diana Memorial Walk. The park was beautiful and the view of Buckingham Palace was breathtaking. I hope to go back and relax for hours in the park- not all parts of London are fast paced. It was both difficult and surprisingly easy at times to take in the city. I'll put up some pictures soon when I extract them from my camera. That evening was the highlight of my trip so far- we took a petty cab which was a small carriage operated by a biker. I had a blast. He drove us around Leister Square and Soho- the location of the "world-renowned london nightlife". Then we danced.
It was also really good to see Judith. I have been pretty awful at keeping in touch with people from Missouri State/Springfield/debate folk. She updated me and reminded me about my first 2 years in college. Anyway, I've been doing some volunteering around Alnwick at The Playhouse in town and hope to get involved with hospice. Justine and I are volunteering this evening during a showing at The Playhouse which also means watching a free show :). This week is not nearly as busy as last week which will be refreshing.
Just a note to myself- I hope to remember my performance of Michael for a very long time.
Tuesday 8 September 2009
Scotland
This past weekend was spent in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was tons of fun but I am exhausted.
Friday we left at 7 am and arrived in Edinburgh around 9. Our first stop was the new Scottish Parliment (established in 1999). The architecture of the building was overwhelmingly beautiful and intriguing; however, the tour guide drove me crazy. She spoke sooooo slowly and explained the entire Scottish Parlimentary system in an hour. Regardless, the building both inside and out was worth the visit. I recommend everyone google the building. Second stop was Holyrood House- the official residence of the Queen while visiting Scotland. It was almost like walking back in time and we only crossed the street. The palace was gorgeous and we were able to see many more rooms than I expected. It was interesting to visualize the spaces taken up by famous kings and queens of both Scotland and England. Next was the grand finale- the Edinburgh Castle. Not only was I able to see the royal jewels of the Scottish royalty, the Scottish military museum, dungeons, the rooms of the royal estate, but the castle houses a World War I and II memorial. The memorial is by far the most memorable experience I've had here yet. The quotations engraved on the walls, sculptures, and art work were heart wrenching.
After leaving the castle we checked into our hostel- we stayed in a 14 bed room (luckily we were in a group of 14- haha). It was then time to venture out onto the streets of Edinburgh. Although I literally walked for hours around the city from Friday-Sunday, I was unable to even begin seeing the amazing city. I LOVED the street entertainment- there were flame throwers, comedians, men laying on needles etc. If I saw nothing else of the city other than those entertainers I would have been satisfied. After grabbing some dinner we got ready for the pub crawl. The next day I ventured out with Duwayne. We went to the top of the Sir Walter Scott memorial which gives you the best view of the city. It was hundreds of stairs but was well worth the view. After some shopping the art museum was next- this is a difficult experience to write down in text form so I'm going to skip it for now.
That evening we went on a "ghost tour" where we were taken into the underground vaults of Edinburgh. These vaults were created and known as the "underground city" which housed hundreds of people. The vaults lacked sanitation, light, and were not policed by the city. Although the dark composure of the vaults was a tad eerie, hearing about what happened in the vaults was more horrifying. There was body snatching, baby farming etc. Women were not allowed to have babies out of wedlock in that era so, in return, they would run away to the vaults. 80% of the women died in the vaults because of sanitary reasons and no doctors to deliver the child. Knowing the conditions of the vaults was beyond saddening.
Sunday morning/early afternoon was spent wondering the streets before catching our train home. This week is my busiest yet- a large test and 2 performances as well as planning for our upcoming 3 day weekend. More later
M.
Friday we left at 7 am and arrived in Edinburgh around 9. Our first stop was the new Scottish Parliment (established in 1999). The architecture of the building was overwhelmingly beautiful and intriguing; however, the tour guide drove me crazy. She spoke sooooo slowly and explained the entire Scottish Parlimentary system in an hour. Regardless, the building both inside and out was worth the visit. I recommend everyone google the building. Second stop was Holyrood House- the official residence of the Queen while visiting Scotland. It was almost like walking back in time and we only crossed the street. The palace was gorgeous and we were able to see many more rooms than I expected. It was interesting to visualize the spaces taken up by famous kings and queens of both Scotland and England. Next was the grand finale- the Edinburgh Castle. Not only was I able to see the royal jewels of the Scottish royalty, the Scottish military museum, dungeons, the rooms of the royal estate, but the castle houses a World War I and II memorial. The memorial is by far the most memorable experience I've had here yet. The quotations engraved on the walls, sculptures, and art work were heart wrenching.
After leaving the castle we checked into our hostel- we stayed in a 14 bed room (luckily we were in a group of 14- haha). It was then time to venture out onto the streets of Edinburgh. Although I literally walked for hours around the city from Friday-Sunday, I was unable to even begin seeing the amazing city. I LOVED the street entertainment- there were flame throwers, comedians, men laying on needles etc. If I saw nothing else of the city other than those entertainers I would have been satisfied. After grabbing some dinner we got ready for the pub crawl. The next day I ventured out with Duwayne. We went to the top of the Sir Walter Scott memorial which gives you the best view of the city. It was hundreds of stairs but was well worth the view. After some shopping the art museum was next- this is a difficult experience to write down in text form so I'm going to skip it for now.
That evening we went on a "ghost tour" where we were taken into the underground vaults of Edinburgh. These vaults were created and known as the "underground city" which housed hundreds of people. The vaults lacked sanitation, light, and were not policed by the city. Although the dark composure of the vaults was a tad eerie, hearing about what happened in the vaults was more horrifying. There was body snatching, baby farming etc. Women were not allowed to have babies out of wedlock in that era so, in return, they would run away to the vaults. 80% of the women died in the vaults because of sanitary reasons and no doctors to deliver the child. Knowing the conditions of the vaults was beyond saddening.
Sunday morning/early afternoon was spent wondering the streets before catching our train home. This week is my busiest yet- a large test and 2 performances as well as planning for our upcoming 3 day weekend. More later
M.
Wednesday 2 September 2009
Travel Plans
We've officially booked planes, hostels etc for our first break. We're heading to Dublin for the first half where we'll be doing a 3 day tour then off to Berlin. I'm not exactly sure what attracts me to Germany other than having studied it for a few years. People keep telling me "Oh Meggie, German will just come back to you while you're there." HA. No way. Anyway, we'll be doing a Paddywagon tour in southern Ireland (http://www.paddywagontours.com/viewtour.php?id=14&&day=02&&month=09&&year=2009). Should be a good time- I love the people I'm going with.
Beyond that, we're heading to Scotland this weekend, leaving Friday morning and returning Sunday. I'm hoping to do a ghost tour and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Classes are getting in the way of travel, which is a tad annoying. I'm taking 2 performance studies classes which are completely out of my comfort zone. Next week, I have to perform 3 images from 3 different poems- a tad different. We'll see how it goes.
Also, the toilet paper here comes in disconnected square blocks. I'll never get used to it.
Beyond that, we're heading to Scotland this weekend, leaving Friday morning and returning Sunday. I'm hoping to do a ghost tour and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Classes are getting in the way of travel, which is a tad annoying. I'm taking 2 performance studies classes which are completely out of my comfort zone. Next week, I have to perform 3 images from 3 different poems- a tad different. We'll see how it goes.
Also, the toilet paper here comes in disconnected square blocks. I'll never get used to it.
Tuesday 1 September 2009
First Few Weeks
After being in Alnwick, England for a few short weeks, I realized I would most definitely regret not keeping an online record of what I have done and seen while here.
I left Minneapolis, MN on a 10:30 a.m. flight August 18th, 2009. After switching flights in both Cincinnati and JFK, we finally arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland at around 8:30 a.m. on August 19th, 2009. I have never been so exhausted in all my life. We then took a coach to Alnwick which took approximately 2 hours. I woke up on the bus to the site of the castle we would be staying in- Alnwick Castle, home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. It was immediately overwhelming. It's impossible to express the feeling other than waking up to a fairy tale.
The first day was spent with orientation where we were not able to sleep in hopes we'd recover faster from jet lag. I remember nothing from the first day. After getting settled and going over rules/procedures/regulations, Friday arrived. Although normal weekends for jobless college students are filled with laying around and beer, we have planned field trips. Saturday marked out first trip to Newcastle, UK. It's one of the larger cities in England and I had a fabulous time exploring. We were able to visit the Milennium bridge (everyone should google this, the architecture is amazing), a famous monument in Newcastle, China town etc.
The following Monday marked the first day of classes. The week was outrageously busy with classes, making travel plans, birthdays, homework etc. I'm enjoying my classes; two are taught my British professors- the culture differences in the classroom setting alone are extremely interesting. It is rude to even yawn during a lecture let alone wear sweat pants or drink coffee. I'm also taking some performance studies classes which are intriguing but definitely pull me out of my comfort zone. More on that later.
This previous weekend (August 28-29) we were able to visit the houses of both William Woodsworth (the famous poet) and Beatrix Potter (most famous work: Peter Rabbit) It's overwhemling to be surrounded by so many historically significant things. We were also able to visit Hadrian's Wall which was built during the Roman inhabitance of England in the 4th century. We also saw a celtic stonehendge which is dated back even earlier than the Roman wall. The scenery here is just breathtaking. We got the option of climbing a large mountain called the Lion and the Lamb. Although my legs felt like jello at the end, it was still worth it. I have never seen such beautiful hills and lakes. The picture above is of Hadrian's Wall.
Finally, this evening we received a private tour of the keep of the castle- (the centrally located portion where the Duke and Duchess still live with their 4 children). The Duke is worth over 300 million pounds- the keep of the castle holds millions and millions of pounds worth of artwork from van dyke to michaelanego. There are also "state" houses in the castle which are suitable for the Queen to stay when here. It is crazy. Anyway, time for homework.
M.
Finally, this evening we received a private tour of the keep of the castle- (the centrally located portion where the Duke and Duchess still live with their 4 children). The Duke is worth over 300 million pounds- the keep of the castle holds millions and millions of pounds worth of artwork from van dyke to michaelanego. There are also "state" houses in the castle which are suitable for the Queen to stay when here. It is crazy. Anyway, time for homework.
M.
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