So I'm back! Exciting, huh? Well...let me just tell you. Italy is quite an experience...especially when you do three cities in three days...
It started out wonderfully, as I realized halfway to the train station that I had forgotten my passport. So, I ran back to the house and got that, and got lucky, because the train was late...so I made it no problem. Then, our travel from that point was fairly uneventful all the way the Roma. We got there in the evening of Thursday, and checked into our hostel, which was quite nice. It had free internet, and the showers were excellent compared to the hostel in Paris. Not bad all in all...and for €17 a night.
Rome was incredible. We got up early and headed to the Vatican Museum for Friday. We went through that and saw the Sistine Chapel, which was just incredible. I stayed in there for a very long time, listening to all the things on the audio guide, and I could have stayed for hours, I think. There is just so much to see. It is absolutely amazing. Although, I wish they had focused more on floors than ceilings, because my neck really hurt by the time we left the museum. Then, we headed to St. Peter's. Again, I can't even begin to describe how amazing it is. I was absolutely blown away. It was just absolutely incredible. I spent basically the rest of the day there. My travel campadres left to explore some of the ancient city, but I enjoyed a wonderful day in the Vatican. We all climbed the cupula (dome) of the basilica...woah scary. Really little stairs and there are a lot of them. Sheesh!
We had a lovely dinner that night at a little place not too far from the Coliseum. I had an amazing potato pasta and the main meal was delicious--veal and bacon! I forget what it was called, but it is apparently a Roman tradition.
We also ordered wine...expecting a wine list, I said "vino?" to which he replied, "red or white?" We told him red, and voila...we had wine. Had no idea what it was and didn't have a choice, but man was it good!!
Ok, next day, we did the Ancient City. (This is Saturday...and get ready, because it's about to be a whirlwind of activity!!) We did the Coliseum and the Roman Forum and the area around there. It was unreal--truly like being in the lost city. And, the audioguides for those were both very good. It was like living in a history book--really amazing. Then...the fun begins!! We wrapped up our visit to Rome around one and headed to the train station...bound for Florence! We got to Florence and found a hostel by around 6 or 7, at which point we headed out to explore a little. We went to Piazza San Marco (which we will again go to in Venice... :) ), and walked around there to the Duomo (big church) and found a place to eat. It was so good. I had their house pasta for the first course and chicken for the second course. Both were excellent, as was the house wine (which came in a pitcher), but the best part was dessert. I ordered tirimisu (sp??) and gelato! Woah. It was one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth! Absolutely amazing.
Ok...so then, sleep that night after a little more wandering leads to getting up early again Sunday morning (this is where the mind boggling starts). We went to the Galleria dell'Academia and saw David and those collections...wow. It was every bit (and more) as good as they say it is. I expected him to start moving at any moment. One of the things I'll remember all of my life. Josh and I then did a little more walking, and saw a marathon--that was cool. Did a little shopping, and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Then, we got on a train to Venice!!! Yes, that's right...two cities in one day! We got to Venice around 4, and decided to just tool around before our flight at 8:50. So, we just wandered and made our way to the market at Piazza San Marco (see...told you so). It was getting to the airport that posed problems. It was about that time, and we had bought bus tickets. Which we thought worked on all transportation around the city. But alas...it does not. Grr. So, we get on the waterbus to make it to the bus we need for the airport. So the guy comes around to check our tickets. And, then proceeds to yell at me for about 15 minutes, until our stop. Then, he walks me to the ATM so I can pay th €23 fine that I owe him...he was not a very nice person! Grr. So, my first international citation. Yikes.
Once that fiasco was over, we missed the bus to the airport and had to wait for the next. We were okay, in the end, but it was a mess. I was very pleased to get home...very pleased.
But alas...all is well now and I am back in Cambridge safe and sound, with a lot less money than I started with, and memories which will last a lifetime. Absolutely incredible...and lots of stuff for the scrapbook...and SOOO many pictures. I know you are all very excited to see them!
Well...it is time for me to go do some work. These next two weeks will be crazy work, and then home!! I have truly had the time of my life here, but I am ready to go home! It will be a wonderful Christmas!
Hope you are all well, and I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving week! We will have a traditional dinner on Thursday, so that will be very nice, but the joys and comfort of family and friends will be truly missed. Hope all is well! Ciao!
~~~
Monday 18 November 2002
Greetings friends from COLD and FOGGY Cambridge!
Just a quick update and an observation today. Wow, huh? Two days in a row. I know I know...impressive.
So, I went for my follow-up doctors appointment today. No worries...no strep, no mono. Everything was normal, except that my blood test revealed that I HAD been sick. Duh. Anyway...I appear to be alright now, so no worries! And, on top of that, the doctor fiddled with the report a bit so that I didn't have to pay for it! Exciting, huh? Medical care at the hands of the British taxpayers...mwahahaha.
This morning was beautiful, but very cold!! Brr. When I looked out my window at 8:15 this morning, I could only see fog! And, on the way to class, the other side of the big field in front of our street (Parker's Piece) wasn't visible. It was really kind of neat--a romantic foggy morning. But still very cold.
So...I remembered this morning what I have been meaning to comment on the past week to you. This is the strike capital of the world! It's insane. There are times when I feel like I'm not living in a civillized country. First the Tube (London subway system) workers went on strike several times during the week, which caused chaos in the city. The latest, though is the best!! The firefighters. Yes, that's right--the firefighters in all of Britain went on strike. How insane is that? They are demanding a 40% pay increase! They struck for 48-hours last week (Wed p.m.-Fri p.m.) and have planned an EIGHT DAY strike slated to begin on Friday if they don't reach an agreement with the government! Where are Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher when you need them, eh? And, just to keep you up to date, the airport security workers are set to go on strike on the 29th of this month and about seven subsequent days, demanding a pay raise. Then, the postal workers union just voted to approve a strike to demand pay increases, despite the ridiculous amounts of money that the Post Office loses each and every day!
AND...there's a three-wheeled car on our street. Yeah. I don't know.
Hmm...not too much else from this end. I'll have my first day in the Beeb's new location tomorrow. Fun stuff. Oh wait...I remember!
I went with a friend and her friend to a pub last night for his (my housemate's friend) last night in Cambridge. And, while we were there, we ran into the most exciting people ever. Ok, maybe not so much, but I was excited: FexEx pilots from Memphis (Germantown, of course)! It was so random, but really neat! We talked to them for a while, and they were really very nice. It was great to talk to an American that is not in my program! Anyway, just thought I'd pass along that little tidbit of fun.
I hope your Monday is going well! Talk to you soon! I can't believe that I only have three weeks left!! AHH! And, only two weeks of classes. Crazy! AND...less than a week until ITALY! Woah. Hehe. Ciao!
~~~
Sunday - 17 November 2002
Well, first of all, I apologize for not updating more often. And...I have just noticed that some of my webjournal has been deleted. Apparently a computer I used the other day to update it decided that it didn't like this page to be so long, so poof--it's gone. It's kind of sad: I was going to print it out and keep it for posterity and what not, but there's really nothing I can do about it now (unless one of you has a copy of the page in your history from a while ago who can copy and email me the text, but those chances are slim). Anyway...moving on to happier subjects.
I accomplished two of my extracurricular goals for Cambridge this week: I saw the second Harry Potter movie and this weekend I saw Les Miserables in London! Both were incredible in their own right.
We'll start with Harry Potter...
I went with three of my campadres along with one of our tutors and his wife. It was a lot of fun! The movie is fantastic, with only a few disappointments. And, I think my review of it may be on the BBC website soon. Hmm...we shall see. I'll let you know. It was wonderful, though! All thumbs up!
Then, yesterday, I headed into London with some mates and bummed around for a while, and, of course, took in a show. We saw Les Mis from the nosebleed section (but for only 12 pounds - I haven't found out if I have a pound symbol on my computer). I really enjoyed it, and I am looking forward to listening to some of the music again, which I just downloaded on my computer! I was definitely impressed and fascinated, as I expected to be.
Hmm...other than that it was a pretty quiet week. The Beeb is moving to a new building this weekend, so I'll have a new home on Tuesday when I go in. We shall see how that goes. I have begun my research for my internship project. I think it will be interesting.
I also changed around my classes. I decided to put off Physics yet again. A COMM special topics class came up that I couldn't really turn down, and it conflicted with Physics. So that will have to wait another semester...grr. I am about ready to get it over with. One of my regrets from Freshman year, not taking my lab science. For those of you who are interested, here's the updated schedule:
COMM-324-01 INTERACTION ANALYSI TR 12:30P-01:45P SPITZACK
COMM-425-01 RHETORICAL THEORY TR 11:00A-12:15P PATTON
COMM-435-01 GENDER AND THE CINE MW 03:00P-05:30P TIERNEY
COMM-482-02 FILM & POL OF WRIT F 12:00P-04:30P NWCMB 207 BALIDES
POLA-316-01 POLITICAL PARTIES MWF 09:00A-09:50A RUETER
POLA-620-01 INTERPRETATIONS AME TR 09:30A-10:45A KING
TOTAL ATTEMPTED HOURS : 18.00
I was also able to fix my email account so I can now email non-tulane people. Yay. It was stuck on only @tulane.edu email addresses. But, after some sleuthing on the TIS website, I figured out how to fix the problem! Yay! Success. I am a techno-wiz. Ok, maybe not so much, but it's a nice victory.
I am not thinking of anything else at the moment. I have my follow up doctors appointment tomorrow, so if there really is something wrong, hopefully we'll know soon. I am feeling very well lately, so hopefully everything is cleared up. We shall see! I'll keep you updated.
Not much else. I will try and think more tonight, and update soon this week! I hope all is well with you! Talk to you soon!!
~~~
Monday – 11 November 2002
Good morning, everyone. Err—I guess afternoon, now, just after-noon. Just got finished with International Business Cultures: learning about the Business Culture of Germany. Very interesting stuff. This week should be pretty interesting. It will be the BBC’s last week in its current location. It is moving next door this weekend. That should be interesting. Also, the charity project that I usually work with on Tuesdays is in a different location this week, so I don’t know if I’ll continue to do that or if I’ll work with news on Tues. Interesting query. I will also work on Friday, to help out with the Drivetime show. Other than that, business as usual.
Today marks the beginning of Week 9, meaning three more weeks of classes and only four more weeks total. Kind of scary, actually. Time has flown by. To quote my favorite Dr. Seuss passage:
How did it get so late so soon
It’s night before it’s afternoon
Goodness how the time has flewn
How did it get so late so soon?
I think that’s how it goes, at least. I used it in my Dr. Seuss program last year in Good Ole Butler. I really can’t believe that time has gone by this quickly. It is very bittersweet for me. I am very much looking forward to being home with the family for Christmas, as well as back to Tulane in the spring—it will, I think, be great to be back at Tulane; however, I have truly enjoyed my time here, and I am just now really getting to feel that Cambridge is home. Perhaps, I can come spend more time here later in my life, but I do love it.
But, I can’t let the future get a hold of me. There are very many more exciting things to do still this term. I still have my Italy trip to look forward to, which will be incredible! And, as much as I am not particularly looking forward to writing my final papers, the topics this far look intriguing and I think I will learn a great deal from them and they will really serve to bring closure to the academic pursuits of the term. I really want to do well on these papers, to achieve what I had hoped to from my Cambridge experience.
One other thing of interest: today is Veteran’s Day in the US and Armistice Day here in the UK. The veteran’s association (kind of like the American Legion in the US) has been on this campaign to sell poppies—except they aren’t real flowers, just paper ones that you wear on your lapel. But, everyone has them, and it’s kind of neat. The big parades and such were in London yesterday. We studied the 11/11/11 armistice in my history class earlier in the year. Just a note.
Well, I had better get going. Time is ticking on the internet meter, and I have another class to get to. I hope all is well with you, and you also had a fantastic weekend. Drop me an email and tell me about it! Have a brilliant week, and I’ll get back to you soon! Cheers!
~~~
Sunday – 10 November 2002
Hmm. It’s 10:21 p.m., and I think I’m pretty much done with the weekend’s tasks. I am moderately proud of myself. I had modest aims, and I think I got everything done. I deem it a good weekend. And, I got a LOT of sleep, which is also a plus. It’s not even 11, and I already have my PJs on and my relaxing playlist on the computer. I may even get to sleep at a decent hour.
Today was mostly uneventful. I slept in after being up a little late last night watching “About a Boy.” Not a bad flick—certainly exceeded my expectations. I got up and read for a while, then got up and took a shower and leisurely did nothing. At 5, I went to Mass, and actually enjoyed it. The music was pretty good tonight, and I think it was really good for me this week. After Mass, I finished my laundry, ironed my pants for work this week and worked out my budget for the next few weeks. Or, at least tried to. We’ll see how that works. (oh, I love this song…Nora Jones rules!) I had a chance to visit with some friends who had been gone this weekend, and now I’m ready for bed. Yay. And yummy tea. Most importantly, however, I finished my book. I was reading Atlas Shrugged by Aun Rand. Excellent novel, and an interesting presentation of her philosophy of Objectivism. Kind of long though (1000+ pages).
The rest of the weekend was about the same. Saturday involved sleeping in, watching rugby on the telly (Ireland v. Australia and England v. New Zealand…big time stuff), getting a little shopping done and taking a nice walk. And buying kiwi! Oh yeah. Some reading too. And more laundry.
Well, just a quick entry tonight. More tomorrow at the internet place. Goodnight!
~~~
Friday 08 November 2002
Wow. So, this week I got more responses than I've ever gotten to a webjournal entry. And, was it about Paris? Well, not exactly...it was about the fact that I said I don't like to travel. I suppose I should clarify a bit. It's not that I don't like to travel so much. It's more that I would like to know the language of the country to where I am travelling. However, I will hold to the statement that I get slightly stressed on foreign trips, with one qualification (something I didn't explain in the previous entry): If I have a plan, and I know that plan in advance, it's much easier. As we all know, I like to be in control, and oftenw hen travelling (especially with a large group of people), I am often out of control, and thus get a little stressed. But, rest assured all those who are worried, I had a wonderful time in Paris, and I will have an even better time in Italy. I was just candidly venting a little. :) The perils of letting others read your thoughts, I suppose! Thanks for the emails, though! woo hoo!
Now...in other news. Ok, so there's not that much other news. This week was fairly uneventful. The saga of the on and off illness struck again Wednesday (although I was better on Thursday), so I finally broke down and went to the ole doc. I won't know anything for a while--she wasn't sure, but they took about a gallon of blood from me, and if that doesn't tell them something, nothing will. I am doing great, now, however. Just a little hungry.
Yay for elections! Yay for Republicans! Yay for Lamar Alexander! I was incredibly pleased with the outcome of Tuesday's elections (although not so much pleased with the attempt of BBC to cover them...poor BBC. They tried.) Now, we can finally get some work done.
Work was good this week. Not too eventful, although I had to go in at 7 this morning (my day off, mind you) to help out with the Breakfast show. It was insane. That's one busy show. And, our normal presenter is on Holiday, so it was even more hectic. Fun, but crazy.
Classes are moving along well. I bought the book one of my tutors just released (or I should say re-released). It's really good, and it mentions INSTEP in it! It's called "Why Nations Rage," by Christopher Catherwood. It's about fighting in the name of religion. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a book to read (and a mention of Tulane in the introduction)! I am now just awaiting my other tutor to finish his memoirs (it could be years). I will be first in line to buy them, however. He has had the most amazing life! In any case, nothing too much going on. My PECN of the EU class has been great these past two weeks--incredibly interesting! No real work work until a couple more weeks!
Hmm...what else? Not much. Bradley might come visit. Yay. That will be fun. I'm taking the weekend to relax and sleep. Yay. That will be very exciting. I look forward to it a great deal. Really not much else going on, thankfully. I think we are going to see the new Harry Potter next week, probably Thursday. Rest assured you will hear about it!
Well, keep the emails coming. I love em! AND SIGN MY GUESTBOOK!! I hope all is well with you and yours. Have a great weekend.
Cheers!
B/A...I am going to have to go on a starvation diet to catch up with Em--I got the pix today. Wow. :)
~~~
Monday 04 November 2002
Wow...what a weekend. La Paris holds the key... Ok, not so much, but it was so much fun. I'll try and give you a brief rundown of the events. We left Thursday night, getting into France at around 11:15, flying Easy Jet. We got to our hostel pretty late, around 12:45 a.m. after taking the RER train to Monmarte, where our Hostel was--Le Village. It was actually pretty nice, not too terribly bad. :) Then, we got up bright and early on Friday morning, and headed to the Palace of Versailles. We had some train mishaps on the way there, so we were a little late, but we finally DID make it. It was absolutely beautiful--even moreso that I had remembered it to be. And this time, I explored the gardens a little more than I had done previously, which I really enjoyed. A few people in our group actually got in the canoes in the big reflecting pool. Absolutely amazing!
Then, we bummed around our neighborhood on Friday evening, walking around and enjoying the sights. We had a nice dinner (yummy duck) and had a relaxing evening.
Saturday morning, I woke up and headed for the train station en route to Lyon, to visit my friend Bradley who is studying there. It is about a two hour train ride, and was interesting. I got there eventually, after a delay of some reason--the explanation was in French, and thus I was lost. But, I made it and all was well. Lyon was beautiful--I liked it far better than Paris. Bradley, his friend Sean, and I had a wonderful lunch (with wine recommendations from the waiter, and it was fantastic. It was a small place with about four menu items and a HUGE wine list. It was perfect. Then, Brad took us on a tour of the city, and I was very impressed. We then went back to his room to relax and for us to meet some of his friends. I am really impressed by them, as they speak French very well, and I didn't have to do much of anything--very relaxing. We headed out for dinner about 8:30, and got back aruond 1 a.m. It was ridiculous but fantastic. Five courses, and not too incredibly expensive. Bread with a potato and ham spread, mussell soup, roasted chicken in a red wine sauce, fromage blanc, and an incredible chocolate cake. It was a great trip, and I really loved it! And, I think Bradley is going to trek up to ole Cambridge for a visit, so that makes it even better!
Sunday was hitting the touristy stops that my travel companions didn't see on Saturday while I was gone. So, we went up the Eiffel Tower, the building where Napoleon's tomb is (didn't actually see it, though) and Notre Dame, then dinner in the Latin Quarter.
Overall, the trip was a great success. However, I have decided that I don't really like to travel. I am thankful and appreciative of the incredible opportunity I have right now, and I don't take that lightly, but I tend to get a little edgy and stressed when I travel--especially to countries where they speak a foreign language. But, I think I am becoming used to it, and I think I now know how to make myself deal with it. I was proud of myself for (thanks to Molly) learning a few French phrases and getting by! Yay. But alas, it is crazy to think that I jsut got back from Paris and I'm going to Italy in two weeks. What a life...
Not too much going on this week. Going to rest up. A lot. NOt too much work to do, and I am looking forward to a week of sleep! Yay. Hope all is well--thanks for the emails.
Oh, right...one other thing. Tomorrow (Tuesday) is Bonfire night here in the UK. It is the remembrance of when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament. So, they have big bonfires where they burn effigies of Fawkes and huge fireworks displays, so I'll let you know how that goes. It should be a lot of fun!!! Yay. Fireworks.
lata.
~~~
Monday 28 October 2002
Yo! Not too much going on. Just thought I'd say hi and that all is well. Paris is this coming weekend and two weeks after that: Italy! And, there may be a quick Ireland trip in the works. I'll keep you up to date! Have a good week. Oh--one thing. I got two essays back today. Not bad...A- and B++. I am pleased. Catch ya later!
~~~
Saturday 26 October 2002
Wow, what a day! After not getting a whole lot of sleep last night, I had one of my most exciting days yet. I got up at 6:45 (yes, in the morning) to catch the 8:00 train to Liverpool!! Beatlemania time for me! Woo hoo. I met Lindsey at the Liverpool Lime Street train station and we had a blast. We went first to the Albert Dock, where they were queuing for the big international Yacht race that starts in Liverpool. It was really neat. The winds were rough and the boats were being introduced as if they were basketball players at the NBA finals or something. They each had a theme song they played as they entered the harbor and the announcer introduced the “skipper and the crew." It was neat. They will embark on the world’s largest yacht race tomorrow. I took some pictures.
Then, we stopped for a quick lunch at one of the pubs on the dock. Then, we embarked for the Beatle Museum. It was brilliant (bloke speak). It’s called “The Beatles' Story, and it really was worth the admission (which wasn’t that steep). They had some really interesting exhibits and recreations of different Beatle-esque things. They also have the glasses John Lennon wore when he wrote “Imagine. They are 24-Karat gold, and apparently went for over one million pounds at auction (they have since been donated to the museum). After wandering around the museum and taking it all in, we headed out to find Matthew Street and the Cavern, where the Beatles got their start. After a little “exploring,(ok, we were a little lost) we found the place. It was a neat alley/street with some pubs and gift shops. So, we trekked down the many stairs to the basement of the Cavern and saw where it all began (actually, I think a recreation of where it all began—they tore down the original in the 70s before rebuilding it in the 80s or 90s). But it was still neat. Then, more gift shops, and I found the neatest thing. It’s a towel-esque thing called “The Beatles' Liverpool." It’s kind of a caricature map of the city with Beatles landmarks noted on it. It also has the lyrics to “In My Life," one of my Fab Four Faves, on it. I am really pleased with it. I also picked up a few other souvenirs.
Basically, picture me walking around Liverpool with a silly grin on my face singing Beatles songs. The locals have got to love it. :)
We then headed home for what we thought would be an uneventful trip home. And, it was, except that it took SEVEN hours to complete what should have been a four hour journey. Delays, delays, delays and rain. Grr. We did get to meet some nice Brits on the train, and we talked each others' ears off, but it was great fun—long fun. I could have handled shorter fun. But, alas, I am home now, and very tired (and looking forward to my extra hour of sleep, but not to the idea of darkness at 4:30 in the afternoon. Oh, well, I’ll adjust.).
Goodnight all!
~~~
Friday 25 October 2002
Hello everyone. I know it's been a while. I will do better--I promise. I've been fighting a bit of infection again this week. I don't feel poorly, but my poor glands are swollen. I may have to go see a doctor. Grr. We'll see how it goes this weekend. I'm hoping enough OJ and sleep will make it go away. We shall see. Don't worry mom.
I am going to try and head up to Liverpool for the day on Saturday! Fun fun! I'm not completely sure, but I'm going to try. Then, next weekend is Paris, then two weeks before Rome!! Woo hoo!
The Beeb has been great! And, I made PIZZA yesterday! Yum. I made four pizzas for the whole house. It was a lot of fun--and it's amazing how many people you can fit in our little kitchen if you try. Although it turns from kitchen to sauna vey quickly. :)
Hmm...not too much else going on. I'll try to update you soon. Much love.
Oh yeah. My friend Christina says hi to everyone! She was nice enough to come with me. Yay. Peace!
~~~
Friday 18 October 2002
Just a very quick note today. I am writing to you from my laptop, which I hooked up at the internet cafe. It's pretty cool, except that I can't seem to figure out how to email from here. I'll have to go back to webmail for that. If anyone knows why it's not working, let me know!
I am using this weekend to catch up on sleep. I turned in my first two essays yesterday, and my sleep certainly suffered because of it. One paper on globalization and the other on the impact of Marshall Aid on the recovery of postwar Europe. Interesting huh?
Janet, if you are reading this, have fun at my house!
Hope all is well. Thanks for the emails. I'll be in touch!
~~~
Monday 14 October 2002
Well, hello again. Not much going on, but I was here checking my email, so I thought I'd say hello. All is well, and I am feeling much better. I've spent a great deal of time attempting to work on my essays, and I now have two pretty good outlines and the beginnings of one essay. It appears as though I'll be spending some time in the library today after class. I have much to learn (or so Yoda tells me).
I still have not gotten any mail, and no one has responded to my online challenges. How boring you all are. :)
Not too much else going on. All of us are pretty focused on writing--or at least trying to. I am sure my life will return soon. Ok, maybe not. Hmm...working again this week. I am looking forward to it. I never quite know what I'll be getting into when I come into work at the beginning of the week. Should be fun.
Hope all is well with you. I am hoping the sun will come out soon--although maybe it ought to stay cloudy until I finish my essays. Have a great week!
~~~
Saturday 12 October 2002
Well, hello there--I have emerged from the darkness. After a couple of days of laying in bed, I am glad to be up and out and about again. I went to work Thursday for the first time all week, then spent a good deal of Friday back in bed. But, I think I'm feeling much better today. I can breathe! Yay. But, I am still feeling a few of the pangs of illness. Hopefully, those will pass with the nap I am planning for this afternoon! Perhaps when I do my laundry! Hmm...
Not too much going on here. Just kinda hanging out today. Going to get started on my essays and keep getting rest. Then, laundry, and a little grocery shopping. I have a little list of things that I need to make it through the next week. Luckily, they shouldn't be too expensive. That makes me happy.
Last night, we watched Harry Potter on a DVD Molly brought with her. Yay. I guess I should pause for a moment and address Harry Potter, since, looking back, I seem to have not done that yet. I am a bit obsessed. When I left the states, I had seen the movie, and yet hadn't read any of the books. Now, I have read all of the books and am VERY ANXIOUSLY awaiting the release of the fifth book. I can't imagine you people who have waited for so long for it--I don't know how long I can handle it. They are so good!!! And, if you haven't read them yet--what are you waiting for? They will take you probably three weeks to get through all of them, depending on how much free time you have. I mean, wow...they are THAT good. You won't be able to put them down! I am totally infatuated by the series. AND--the second movie comes out Nov. 18 here!!! We are going to go reserve our tickets this week!! And, a couple of our tutors want to come with us. Lol. How funny. But, we are very very excited here. Yay. I can't wait.
Ok...moving on. Not too much else going on. I have nine minutes left on the computer, so I'd better get going. The 'Beeb' (BBC) is going wonderfully--they rock, and I love my job! Woo hoo. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Thanks very much for all of the emails, and PLEASE sign my guestbook! Lata!
~~~
Tuesday - 08 October 2002
Hello there. Brief entry today. Feeling pretty under the weather. Much rest and such for me today. Stopped by the internet cafe with a happy (not bitter) friend on the way to Boots (the Walgreens of the UK) to buy drugs. Yay for drugs.
So, yesterday, I thought I was feeling much better. And, yet, I was wrong. I thought it would be a good idea to play soccer. Again, wrong. I had a blast, and we drew quite an audience (even got some 13 year old British boys to join us). Like I said, I had a wonderful time, but it didn't help my cold/sinus infection stuff, and I am in much pain. Lindsey and I have decided that we are old men and women--much too old to be running around like madpeople. However, I think that if we play more, then we'll adapt! We shall see.
Not too much else going on here. Lindsey and I have decided that perhaps we should go for a true cultural experience for lunch--pizza hut! oh yeeah.
We are going to stop by the Freshers' Fair today after lunch and sign up for clubs: I'm thinking the Tory club and the Catholic Student Organization. That should do it!
Hope this finds you well. Thanks for the emails and well wishes. Make sure you keep signing the guestbook!! Tchuss!
~~~
Monday - 07 October 2002
Well, this is becoming a nasty habit, isnt' it? Only updating the journal on Mondays. Unfortunately, it is the most convenient time...However, I am going to make an effort to keep a daily log on my laptop, so even if I just get here on Monday's, at least I'll have information from the past week. But, alas, today I don't, so I'll do my best.
We'll start with work, I suppose, since that is probably the most interesting part of my life here. This week brought some interesting assignments for me. I had to record car horn honks, people's opinions on what life will be like in 50 years, a voice piece on bedbugs (painful Butler memories ensued), an interview with a garden judge, and an interview with a famous British actor. How fun? :) I interviewed Christopher Biggins (who I am sure most of you haven't heard of--I hadn't either, don't feel bad). But, apparently, he's wildly popular here in the UK. Does lots of children's shows, and he does a lot of stage work. He's presenting a pantomime here in Cambridge for the fourth year running. Now: major bonus points and worldwide recognition (here on the website) if you can email me with a description of a British pantomime!! Mwahahaha. In any case, work has been exciting, and I'm loving it. It's a lot of work, but it's good! Yay.
Classes are going very well, but the heat is about to be turned up. The first round of essays are due next week, and then another due the week after. I have chosen which questions I will answer, but haven't gotten much further than that. I plan to make a great deal of progress this week, and finish them up early next week. They are due on Thursday. So, yeah...fun stuff.
I had a blast this past weekend. On Friday, I made my third trip to the Orchard at Granchester--I really really like that place. We ran into the directors of our program and took afternoon tea with them. Fun fun. Then, on Saturday, Molly and I went into London for the day. We started the morning with a trip to the British museum, seeing the Elgin marbles (molly wanted to reclaim them--her surname is Elgin), the Rosetta Stone, etc etc etc. It was fantastic! Then, we went to 'take in' a show. We saw the Reduced Shakespeare Company's 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)!' It was incredible!!! I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. They did 36 of Shakespeare's plays in the first act (including Othello rap, and all of the histories were performed as an American football game) and spent the entire second half on Hamlet. They performed it, then did it fast, then faster, and then backwards. It was outrageous!! We had a blast! Then, yesterday, we went punting again, and had a very relaxing time. However, I am getting rather sick, so I've been taking it easy since then. Got some work done last night, but I went to bed early. I feel a little better, but still not great. But, I'll make it!
Well, not too much else going on here. Glad to hear that all of you New Orleanians are still alive and doing well. I have enjoyed reading everyone's emails, and I will do my best to reply soon. I promise. Just be patient! :)
Thanks for the well wishes, and I hope you have a great week! Much love! Cheers!
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Monday - 30 September 2002
Hello there. Sorry I haven't got any entries for much of last week. Was pretty busy at work, and then my parents were in town this weekend. But, I'll try to briefly touch on last week. Just wanted to get something in so you wouldn't think I had vanished. Oh, and apparently the sketchy internet place messed up some of my codes...so I'll try and go through and fix any bizarre characters that appear on the page--that'll happen sometime this week hopefully. Anyway...I'm at the nice place now, so all should be well with this entry.
First of all, thanks for the emails this week. Twas very nice to hear from you. And, again, I thank Stacy for the letter--thus far the only one I've received. Now...I bought postcards to send yesterday, and those who send me things are first in line to get the postcards. ;) lol. jk (maybe...)
Anyway, last week was very exciting on the radio. I worked on lots of stories, set up several interviews for the morning show (including one with British Mascot Grand National Champion Dazzler the Lion), and even did a voice piece (on bats) for the news bulletins which was on the air on Friday morning. Also, I managed to get three of my housemates on the air. One of my projects was to try and get opinions from Americans living in Cambridgeshire about the war against Iraq. Despite many hours of phone calls, the only people I could actually get in contact with were my friends in the program. So, I interviewed them and recorded, edited, etc. their remarks and submitted them. And, they were on the radio the next morning. Unfortunately, no one heard them, but they did get on. I was very excited for them and me. :) But, work has been absolutely fantastic! I'm loving every minute of it, and it's been great fun. And, I get lots of tea! Yay. My coworkers are really fun, and there's never a dull moment.
The weekend with the parents was great. We explored Cambridge and hiked up to Granchester (the orchard) on Friday. Then, on Saturday, we rode the train into London. It was great fun! While we were in London, we saw a huge anti-war march(estimated 200,000 people). Unfortunately, it diverted traffic and put our tourbus in a traffic jam for an hour or so. But, all in all, it was great! Had a nice dinner in Picadilly Circus, and bummed around that area for the evening. Despite an evacuation of the underground station we were in, everything went pretty smoothly. We made it there and back without a hitch. But, I did come to the realization that, up until the train to London, I had not had any mode of transportation other than walking for two weeks. It was nice to sit down!
Today, I had classes again, and I'll go do some studying at the coffee place this afternoon. Not too much else going on. But, I'm looking forward to a good week. I'll try to keep you abreast on work and everything! I hope all is well with you! Keep the emails coming!
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Tuesday - 24 September 2002
Wow, what a day. (and wow is this a sketchy internet cafe...) So, I started work today. And, I got on the radio!! Wow, huh? I was observing the 'drive time' show on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, and all of a sudden the host said 'and, our new American intern Daniel will find out about that for us.' So, I looked at her in shock, and then was instructed to find out about the different phases of the moon. And, I delivered live, on-air brief report on the phase of the moon. It's waning, in case you were wondering, and our next full moon will be on October 21. Just FYI.
Other than that, it looks like my internship is going to rock. I am going to have two basic projects. First, I am going to put together a database of financial and economic contacts that the reporters can contact about economic issues to discuss things on the radio as experts. Then, I'll do some Vox Pop reporting...aka going out on the street and asking people what they think about certain issues. Then, I'll get to do some other reporting on political and economic issues (as well as some other things). Today, I learned how to use the audio editing program as well as the newswire. Tomorrow morning, I'll start the day by attending the newsmeeting in the newsroom with the news editor and his staff, then attend the mid-morning program live broadcast. Then, later, I'll work with the breakfast show producer to watch how that's put together and then meet again with the news editor at the end of the day. Then , Thursday, I'll again attend the newsmeeting, then work duruing the midmorning with the breakfast team. Then, I'll get trained on how to use the BBC computer systems (a thing called ENPS) and then Thursday afternoon, I'll work with the television producers. Next Tuesday I finish my tour of the different departments by first working with the afternoon program and finally end the afternoon observing the online department. Then, I'll begin the real work. So, yeah...exciting stuff ahead. And, more excitingly, I have a cool thingy that opens the doors and stuff. Tis very exciting.
Not too much else going on. I am going to work on planning my trip to Florence, Pisa and Rome after I finish writing this. Worked with the group to make a nice dinner again tonight--I think this communal cooking thing is goin to work out well. And, it's a lot of fun! Woo hoo--saving money!
Just making final preparations before the 'rents come on Thursday afternoon. Don't know exactly when dad is coming...so, dad, if you are reading this, drop me an email and let me know! Thanks. Mom doesn't know either. In any case...see you soon!
Stacy wins the prize for sending me my first piece of mail! Go Stacy! Major bonus points for you. Now the rest of you should follow suit...
Well, that's about it from here. Just wanted to share my exciting news! Hope you are doing well, and I look forward to reading your emails and letters. Muc love.
