I Fail at Blogging on American Soil

Nearly six months after returning home from London, I am finally posting a new blog post. And that is mostly to point out the obvious realization that I simply do not blog at home.

I was wonderful about regularly updating the blog while I was away. No matter how busy I was, I had something interesting and semi-insightful to say.

Since being home, I have had numerous occasions where I have composed a blog entry in my head, but never got around to posting it. These entries usually were composed as I was in bed, attempting to sleep.

I apologize for the lack of blogging. There's no real excuse, except that I simply find my life generally less interesting here. In reality, it isn't particularly boring. It's just the ordinary for me, and the entire time I was in Europe, nothing was exactly ordinary.

Maybe, if I find the time and motivation, I'll use this blog as a resource for posting my op/ed pieces for The Mooring Mast. Maybe I'll tell you about my month-long mystery illness I've been battling (for a month, if you didn't quite figure that out yet).

Right now, however, it's 2:00 AM and I went to bed at 10:30. I really should not be online at all. But on the one hand, it's 10:00 AM back in London.

I hope all is fairing well. If you're wondering: yes, I miss London. But I'm still very much happy to be home.

Goodnight.

Back in the USA!

Dear followers,

I apologize for the lack of blog update. I would like to briefly inform you that I arrived safely in Seattle without a hitch on Saturday, May 15th. I have since taken a two week break from everything, where I spent my time at home with my family watching TV and visiting with friends and doing very little else (I did catch Iron Man 2, though).

I promise to update with a more indepth return blog entry soon, so stay tuned! My semester is over, but the blog has more to come!

Number One: The 10 Things I Learned in Europe

Well, I have finally sat through an entire episode of Dr. Who. This episode was a new one, featuring the new doctor who has caused a lot of debate and controversy in the Dr. Who fanbase. It was a really good episode though, full of aliens and vampires in medieval Venice. I'm pretty close to changing my number one slot of the 10 things I learned in Europe to be something about how awesome Dr. Who is, but I won't. I'm very tempted though, let me tell you!

I spent my last day today shopping with Hilary and her friend Stephanie. When I say shopping, I mean to say that I forgot my wallet because I conveniently have it packed away in my carry on bag, and so I followed Hilary and Stephanie around souvenir shops in Picadilly Circus and around clothing shops in Oxford Circus. I did happen to see Ruby and Amber outside H&M in Oxford Circus, proving once again what a small world we really live in. So I got a final goodbye in with Ruby before I leave tomorrow. That girl is incredibly sweet.

I came home for dinner, and had just barely missed Maggie. She left me a pizza and a note. I had been invited to go to a pub with Hilary, but I thought I would wait around for Maggie to return before going out, just in case I missed her tomorrow morning. However, it is nearly 10:30 and there is still no sign of Maggie. So instead, I have spent the evening watching TV. Hopefully Maggie will return before I go to bed...

At any rate, this is the final blog post from London, and so here is the moment we have all been waiting on bated breath for:

The 10 things I have learned in Europe:

1. When traveling by yourself around Europe, stay in a hostel. Hostels are like living in co-ed dorms at college, or like going off to summer camp. You get placed in a room with anywhere from three to eight strangers, and most of the people staying at the hostel are other students studying in other parts of Europe. What you all have in common is a desire to discover new places and try new things, and so staying in a hostel gives you the perfect opportunity to make new friends. In Rome alone, I befriended a teacher from Sweden, got free drinks with a group of girls from Georgia and Tennessee, discussed politics with a guy from New York, met a guy from California who had family in Tacoma and Seattle, and befriended the bar tenders who were from Romania, among other people. In Spain, I went to see a flamenco show with a girl from Calgary, and then went out for drinks and tapas afterword.

Traveling by yourself can be scary and stressful, especially when you do not speak the language. So the best thing you can do is find a good quality hostel and go hang out in the lounge or bar!

Finally, in closing, I have this little nugget of wisdom:

Visiting new places and seeing beautiful and historic cities is absolutely incredible. The people are frequently incredibly friendly, welcoming, and helpful to visitors, and there are so many new things to experience. It is so easy to fall in love with a place, and to enjoy every second of your time. However, at the end of the day, everyone still has one place they call home, and eventually home is where you want to return to. As warm and friendly as the people of Dublin are, as exciting as the city of London is, and as beautiful the country of Norway is, no place will ever compare to the beautiful blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, the majestic sight of Mt. Rainier, or the natural beauty of the Evergreen State. I am sad to be leaving London; I have spent the last two days thinking to myself "this is the last time I will do this." I will miss enjoying the scent of Liz's fresh fruit at lunch, I will miss Whitney's sarcasm, I will miss everything about Ruby, I will miss Hannah's brain farts in class, I will miss Susie's posh English accents, I will miss Maggie's chats. I will even miss the blasted Tube, and the crazy 80s patterns on the seats. I will miss hearing British accents everywhere, although you can't imagine how much I miss hearing American accents. But ultimately, I am happy to be returning home, because the fact is, no place on earth can compare to the Pacific Northwest. And let's face it, Washington kicks Oregon's butt!

One More Day!

Well, thanks to my blog subject, I now have music from Les Miserables in my head. I suppose that's fitting; the show first opened in London, and this year is the 25th anniversary of it.

Anyway; I have just finished packing my two suitcases, and I am sweating from the effort which went in to zipping up my smaller suitcase. I hope that I was entertaining the people across the street, as I had the curtains open and I was right by the window. I was sitting on my suitcase, lying on it, doing every silly thing I could think of. Eventually, I got it zipped up. Phew! I don't have the means to weigh my suitcases, so I hope that I managed to evenly distribute the weight between my bags.

Well, as I have mentioned in past blog entries, yesterday was the final day at AHA. The beginning of the day felt like any other school day; everyone was so focused on finishing homework and getting our finals out of the way. However, by the time the last final wound down and we were preparing for the tea party, it began to feel like the end. As Ruby put it, it was like the end of high school, only cooler (and therefore sadder). And it's true, it does feel like the end of high school did. Hugging Maggie, Leah, and Martin goodbye yesterday was very sad, because who knows if and when I will see them again? I'm far less concerned about seeing the other students, as everyone lives in Washington or Oregon and it's a lot easier to stay in touch among us. The picture you see here, by the way, is of Maggie and Leah. Maggie was our housing coordinator, and Leah is the administrative assistant. Leah is also an American. They both were always full of helpful suggestions of things to do and places to go, as well as advice when needed.

The tea party was a blast apart from the fact that it was our last day ever at AHA. Leah outdid herself putting together the party, with lots of goodies (which disappeared very quickly), tea, and two kinds of punch: virgin and spiked. It was ridiculously exciting having alcohol at a school function. But then, that's England for you. We had classes held in pubs.

Now that I'm packed, I can go out and enjoy my last day here in London. I have plans to hang out with Hilary, who still has two weeks here in London before she returns to Seattle. After going out, I promise to post the final installment of the 10 things list, and then Rufus has to get packed up in my carry on in preparation for leaving tomorrow.

I will be leaving for the airport at 8:00 AM tomorrow morning, in order to arrive around 9:30 to check in for my 12:30 flight. From the point I leave London to the point I arrive in Seattle, I will spend 18 and a half hours tomorrow traveling. It only takes 13 hours, but I have a five hour layover in Chicago where I will have nothing to do but sit and waste my life away. Oh, how exciting. But the happy news is that eventually, I will be home, where I can hug my kitties! Oh yeah, and see people too, I guess. (I'm kidding, I'm excited to see people too)

A Lovely Day for a Tea Party!

My finals are officially finished, and just in time, as my poor finger probably cannot take any more writing today! If I didn't stop soon, I was afraid my hand might have locked up and I would have looked like a gargoyle or Igor or something.

The tea party commences in half an hour, and that will conclude my final day at AHA. I am officially finished with my semester in London and my second-to-last year of college. Yikes!

And here, for your viewing pleasure, is the menu for today's tea party.

End of Term Tea Party Menu
Drinks
Twinning's Afternoon Tea
Pimm’s Summer Punch (alcoholic)
Sparkling Cranberry Punch

Sandwiches
Cucumber Tea
Tuna Salad
Free Range Egg Salad
Avocado, Tomato, and Mixed Leaf Lettuce

Strawberry Cream Scones
Mini scones layered with fresh strawberry jam and cream topped with a slice of strawberry

Vol au Vents andMini Quiches (vegetarian and meat)

Premiere Petits Fours and Patisserie Selection
Handmade French petits fours, chocolate and coffee éclairs, peach and raspberry tartlets, vanilla and hazelnut choux
Strawberries

Crudités
Freshly cut carrots, cucumbers, mixed peppers and celery served with hummus, guacamole, and sour cream and chive dip

Cheese & Biscuits Platter
A classic selection of European cheeses:
English Cheddar, Red Leister, French Brie, Turkish Feta

Number Two: The 10 Things I Have Learned in Europe

Well, as of right now, I have only one final and a tea party between me and home. The tea party, by the way, is sounding extremely amazing. A menu has been posted in the hallway downstairs in the AHA building, and I keep reading it because so many delightful goodies will be at our tea party this afternoon! I think I'll have to ask Leah for a copy of it to post in my blog, just to make you readers jealous. Er, I mean, as a memento to myself for the future.

I have taken two finals today; Shakespeare and my novel final. Between the two finals, I have written a total of 10 and a half pages. Hand-written. I now have a little blister on the knuckle of my ring finger on my right hand, and the entire hand feels cramped up and sore. Oh, life. My last final to write is for my art history class, and that should go over easier. Hopefully my hand will survive it, and then guess what dear reader? My junior year of college will be 100% complete!

Alright, without further ado, here is the SECOND TO LAST INSTALLMENT of the countdown, meaning that I go home in two days! Whoo hoo!

The 10 things I have learned in Europe:
2. The American stereotype that everyone in the world speaks English is not too far from accurate. Most countries in Europe teach English in their schools, and so finding somebody who speaks fluent English is never much of a feat.
Naturally, of course, there are exceptions.
In Latvia, for example, younger generations will speak fluent English, but older people frequently do not. So the second you start speaking English, everybody looks at you as if you have come from a different planet. It is a bit disconcerting.
Spain is the opposite of America. In America, everyone speaks English, and in the off chance somebody speaks another language, it's likely to be Spanish. So in Spain, everyone speaks Spanish, and why should they bother to learn any other language?
And in France (because I enjoy bashing on France), most people speak English but they can't be bothered to speak in English to you.
Then, of course, there are countries where the citizens don't all speak the same language, and so the common language among them is sometimes English. A prime example of this is Belgium, where part of the country speaks French, and part of the country speaks Flemish, and many people do NOT speak both.

So, travelers, go ahead. Assume the entire world will speak English for you. Because odds are, most people do.

Alright; one more final to go!

Number Three: The 10 Things I Have Learned in Europe

Apparently, I am incapable of walking in cities. It doesn't matter what city I am in or where, I simply am unable to walk in a city without rolling my ankle and hurting myself. This tends to be exacerbated by cobblestones in Europe, but I have a tendency to hurt myself in Seattle, as well. Today, I rolled my ankle twice while walking on perfectly flat sidewalk. My ankles just do not like walking in cities.

Now that that important comment is out of the way, we can make our way with this blog entry. I took my first final today; it was nice and simple, and fairly pain-free, I have to say. So now the countdown to home is 3 days, 3 finals, and a tea party. We're getting there, folks! I would also like to correct a mistake from Monday's entry (installment number 5): I said that the number one slot of the countdown would be on Saturday; I mis-counted. The number one slot will, in fact, fall on Friday, and so we will have a complete countdown by the time I physically depart this city, country, and continent on Saturday.

And now that the business end of this blog entry has been sorted out, I bring you the next installment of the countdown; we're almost there!

The 10 things I have learned in Europe:

3. When visiting cathedrals, there is a 50/50 chance that the cathedral you want to visit will be free. Some charge, some don't. If you do not want to pay to visit a cathedral (and why should you?), a simple way around this is to attend a church service at the cathedral. This way you can go in for free and peek around the cathedral while the devout are praying. It's okay, you won't be the only heathen in there, so you'll have company with you in hell! And if you're a Lutheran like me, you're naturally a heathen in any Catholic church. This is also a fascinating way to observe the locals and their crazy traditions!

Of course, some cathedrals operate on donations, as opposed to a set admission fee. So if you're feeling generous, you could always make a donation. Depending on the size of said donation, you might be able to secure your spot in Heaven, thus making your previous blasphemous visit to church null.

Now that we've established how you can see a church for free, here is a brief guide to famous cathedrals and whether or not they charge:

Notre Dame in Paris and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome are free to go in, but they have extra sights which do cost a small admission fee inside.

Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral in London both charge admission fees.

Bath Cathedral in Bath and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Stratford operate on donations.

Well, now that this necessary update has been completed, it's time for me to prepare for tomorrow's finals!

Uff-da! We're Not in Kansas, But We Might Be in the Pacific Northwest

Well, my last full weekend in Europe, I took a super cheap flight to Oslo Rygge airport and spent the weekend in Oslo, Norway with Corrine. The weekend flew by extremely quickly, as we spent copious amounts of time in airports trying to catch up on sleep. However, it was fun, even if Oslo is extremely expensive!

Before Oslo, however, we went to see a traveling production of A Midsummer Night's Dream on Thursday at The Globe. This show was absolutely incredible! I had a standing ticket, and I managed to snag a spot front and center, where I could lean against the stage and stare up in awe at the actors. I love the dream, it is probably my favorite Shakespeare play ever. It is certainly much deeper and more entertaining than that droll Romeo and Juliet, and this production was so much more fabulous than the production of Macbeth we had the misfortune of standing through last Tuesday at the Globe. That show was reminiscent of an extremely cheesy haunted house; not something Shakespeare had in mind, I dare say.

The cast of this fabulous production consisted of 8 actors total; 4 men and 4 women. 8 actors meant there was double-casting, which was a riot to watch, as Shakespeare frequently double-cast parts in his day. Whenever there was a scene change and the actors had to switch characters, they incorporated an impressively choreographed dance number, where they would change each others' costumes. Puck was a sexy little vixen (a woman dressed like a cabaret dancer, basically), Helena and Hermia were bratty little teenagers, Bottom was a complete and utter ass, and the entire show was just fabulous! I cannot stop raving about it, and I am so glad that my final theatre production in London got to be such a fantastic experience!

After the show, Corinne and I made our way to Stansted Airport, where we spent the night on the floor. Friday morning, we flew to Oslo and spent the day exploring the city. We saw the Royal Palace, Parliament, and went to see the fjord. We found a statue of FDR, which was strange, and we walked over by a castle and fortress. We also went to have a beer at the Hard Rock Cafe, where I payed $12 for a Guinness, making that the most expensive beer I have had in my life. Admittedly, that's not saying much, as I haven't been drinking beer very long. After exploring Oslo, we went back to our hostel where we got some sleep in real beds for one night.

On Saturday, we got up around 10:00, checked out of the hostel, and then made our way to the open-air Norwegian Folk Museum. To get there, we caught a ferry. By sheer accident, we somehow managed to take the ferry for free. We walked around the museum, and I introduced Corrine to fresh, traditional lefse, which a couple ladies were making in one of the huts in the park. After exploring the museum, we took the ferry back to the city, and we managed through more dumb luck to meet up with Even.

So Even took us around the city a little bit; he couldn't quite show us around as a local, as he doesn't know Oslo very well himself. But Even took us to the opera house, which is a new building and it's built in such a way that you can walk right up the roof of the opera house and look over Oslo. We went to a souvenir shop so that I could buy a souvenir spoon for Grandma Simpson (something Even says he keeps meaning to do, but always forgets. So he helped me pick out the perfect Norway spoon for her), and I commented to Even that everything in the souvenir shop is something I could easily find in Parkland. I had never quite realized before visiting Norway just how similar Norway and the Pacific Northwest are.

Next on the agenda, we caught a tram across the city to the sculpture park, where we wandered around for a little while looking at all the sculptures. Many of the sculptures were tangles of bodies, which I found amusing. We sat up by a column constructed entirely of human figures, and we just chatted. Then we made our way back to Oslo, and eventually Corinne and I caught a bus back to the airport, where we spent the night once again. Due to limited time and money, we didn't see a lot of Oslo, but we enjoyed the time spent there, and it was nice visiting with Even again.

Sunday morning, we arrived back in London at 7:30 AM, and I eventually walked back in to my homestay at 10:30, where I promptly climbed in to bed and slept for five hours. Now that I am back on a regular sleep pattern and my final homework assignments are completed, the only things standing between me and home are 4 finals and a teaparty. I got a taste of home last weekend in Oslo; and in four days I'll be back in my real home!

Number Four: The 10 Things I Have Learned in Europe

Well, I am in the process of writing my final paper for the term! I was on a roll with it, but I seem to have come to some road construction, and now I have to sit and wait until the construction workers flip their sign from "stop" back to "slow" to let me drive around. I thought now would be a good time to give today's addition to the 10 things countdown! Also, I would like to add that I am fairly stoked that in four days I will be home!! To be even more precise, I will be home in four days, 14 and a half hours.

Once this last paper is written, I have my finals to take, a tea party to attend, and then my Friday is wide open. I have to pack, but that shouldn't take too long, so I can spend my last full day in London doing whatever last minute stuff I feel like doing. And Saturday I will try my hardest not to die of boredom as I waste my life away sitting in airports by myself. At least once I arrive in Chicago, I'll have my phone service back!! Oh, AT&T, I have missed you. Orange Mobile is not good by any means.

And now, after that extremely dull update (I apologize for making you sit through that), here is the latest installment to the countdown.

The 10 things I have learned in Europe:

4. In Helene Hanff's novel 84 Charing Cross Road, she writes that in London, you can find any sort of London that you go looking for. This is truer than you can possibly imagine. You can read a Dickens novel or an Austen novel and you will find the exact same London they describe. If you go to Oxford, you will be surrounded by dodo birds, the life story of the real-life Alice, and looking glasses. Or, if you want to find a more modern side of London, you never have to look hard to find the magical world of Harry Potter. It's all there, and you don't have to pay a cent to discover any of it. It's just one way of making an expensive country a bit more enjoyable.

Likewise, if you want to have a good time in most European cities on the cheap, so many art museums are free to visit, and other famous sites frequently have a free day once a month. Quality research on the attractions you want to visit can help you save some money - and trust me, this part of the world is so much more expensive than anywhere in America (and that includes The Big Apple, folks).

Number Five: The 10 Things I Have Learned in Europe

Well, I have half an hour to kill until my next class today (and after today, I will only have three more days of classes!), and so I thought that I would update my blog using the school computers. Surprisingly, for once, there's an open computer. Most of the students brought their laptops with them so they could finish up their paper (which is due in half an hour) at the last minute.

And so here is today's installment in the 10 things countdown list. It has just occurred to me that the number one slot will be on Saturday, and that is the day I leave. I probably will not update on Saturday, so look for the number one slot late Friday night!

Tonight, I have another paper to work on, which is not due until Thursday. However, the goal to get it finished early has been set so that I may go to Harrod's with Annie tomorrow (followed by one last Wine Tuesday) without having to stress out about my paper. And my final exams begin on Wednesday. Friday is a free day to pack and enjoy my final day in London, and then Saturday I GET TO GO HOME! Hurray!

The 10 things I have learned in Europe:
5. If you are relying on the Tube as your mode of transportation, expect delays, line closures, and just a general headache. If you give yourself plenty of extra time, you will, naturally, arrive early. However, if you expect things to run smoothly, your journey will somehow take two hours. And you will need to take 5 lines, as opposed to taking the one line which is a straight shot. For more tips on surviving the Tube system, see my past rants on the bloody system.

Number Six: The 10 Things I Have Learned in Europe

Good news; I now have two paragraphs written in my paper! Well, at least it will be finished on time, and I am retaining my sanity. After this paper, I have one more paper to write (by Thursday), and four final exams to take (one on Wednesday, three on Thursday). The good news about having so much homework is that it means that time will fly by until I get to go home! At this point, 6 days feels like an eternity, and I just cannot wait to be surrounded by American accents, eating fatty foods, hugging people, and snuggling up with my cats. But, until then, it's finals week...

The 10 things I Have Learned in Europe:

6. Most of Europe does not appreciate the awesomeness that is mayonnaise. Instead, the common condiment on sandwiches is butter. Now don't get me wrong, I love butter, but it is really not supposed to be layered on centimeter-thick on a sandwich! That's what mayonnaise is for. The Belgians, however, are my kind of people, as they appreciate the delicacy that is fries dipped in mayonnaise. Mmmm. Most of my American friends think that's gross, but Aurelie and I thought it was quite delicious!

Peanut butter is also under-appreciated in this country, but they make up for that by having a plethora of Nutella and generic brands of Nutella-like products. The US could learn from that one.

Number Seven: The 10 Things I Have Learned in Europe

I am not making much progress on my paper, which is not a good sign. I have written out the opening paragraph, which is good.

Well, while my brain is trying vainly to turn itself on and wake up, let's check off another point on our count down!

The 10 things I have Learned in Europe:

7. Bring some form of student ID with you everywhere you go. Then, remember to ask everywhere if they offer a student discount, because most places will give 10% off, but they do not advertise it. Similarly, being under 25 constitutes you as a youth, which gets you discounts on travel. The one place where you don't need some form of ID is in a pub, where they rarely card anyone, despite all the signs saying "if you appear under 21, we will ask for your ID". (That's right; it's easier to drink in Europe than it is to ride on a train or make a purchase)

Number Eight: The 10 Things I Have Learned in Europe

Well, I am back from Oslo and I have survived on the limited sleep that I was able to snag from Norway. A blog entry about Norway will come soon, but that will take some time and I have a paper due tomorrow which needs writing!

So far now, you will need to be happy with a few updates to the 10 things countdown list. Also, for a quick update, for anyone wondering, the production of Midsummer Night's Dream which I saw Thursday night was absolutely fantastic! I will elaborate on that later as well, so stay tuned!

The 10 things I Have Learned in Europe:

8. Food or drink purchased elsewhere is not allowed inside restaurants in Norway. Apparently, this is a law, not just an arbitrary rule by individual establishments. Side note: I was also informed at the border control in Norway that Sweden and Norway are "virtually the same". Huh.

Number Nine: The 10 Things I Have Learned in Europe

Tonight, I am off to The Globe to see a touring production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and then I'm heading to the airport to spend the night before catching a morning flight to Oslo for the weekend.

But before I leave, here is the second installment in the ten things list, as we are now 9 days away from my homecoming! You'll have to wait a few days for the next installments to the list.

The 10 things I have learned in Europe:
9. It is important to understand how people in different countries greet each other. While most people are content to stick with a simple handshake, other countries, such as Belgium, will want to kiss on the cheek (but only one cheek). In England, people don't like each other much and so minimal touching is preferred, such as a brief handshake. And in France, everyone just walks around with their nose in the air while blatantly ignoring everyone around them and refusing to speak English.

Secondarily, it is okay to pick on the French; nobody really likes them, and they don't like anyone else. So it all evens out in the end.

The Countdown Begins

Well, today is Cinco de Mayo, meaning that in ten days' time I will be returning home!

I thought that it would be cute to do a blog post every day, with ten things I have learned while in Europe. Unfortunately, I will be in Norway this weekend and will not be at a computer for a couple days. It also happens to be finals week next week at school.

However, I will come up with ten things off the top of my head, and I will post blog entries for those ten things. You'll just have to wait until Sunday to get the weekend's items.

For now, here is number 10, from a list that is in no particular order!

The 10 things I have learned in Europe:

10. Ash clouds in volcanos from Iceland can screw up an entire continent. In such an event, panicking will lead to all other modes of transportation filling up and becoming ridiculously expensive. Unless you are a rich Monty Python comedian, you probably will not be able to afford the journey back. So you had better be prepared to sit back and enjoy your extended vacation and wait for the Royal Navy to come rescue you.

Forget Chocolate Factories; The Chocolate Museum is Where It's At!

Last weekend, I booked it out of class on Thursday straight to St. Pancras International Train Station, where I caught the Eurostar to Brussels, to spend a weekend visiting with Aurelie!

I arrived at the train station in Brussels (or Bruxelles, to the Belgians) at 9:30 PM and ran and attacked Aurelie, who was looking for me. We hopped on the metro and went over to Aurelie's adorable apartment where we dropped off my stuff. Then we walked down a few flights and went to a birthday party with Aurelie's friends. I don't speak a word of French, so I sat there smiling and nodding and occasional talking to people when they remembered to speak in English to me. Aurelie's friends were very friendly and it was fun to hang out with them drinking Belgian beer (yum), even if I didn't understand anything they said!
One of Aurelie's friends kept asking me about America, which was very funny. She was shocked to hear that it is not uncommon for American teenagers to have alcohol before turning 21. But then she also asked me if we celebrate spring break with big large beach parties (like Laguna Beach, on MTV). Before I could really answer, Aurelie told her that she watches too much MTV. It was very amusing. This same girl also wanted to hear about my cats, which I was more than happy to talk about! She was very sweet and friendly, and I really liked her.

An interesting little thing about Belgium, is that they are one of those European countries where the standard greeting is to kiss on the cheek. One cheek, not both. Now, this had not occurred to me, and so I had an awkward moment when meeting Aurelie's roommate; she got up to kiss me, and I went for a hand-shake. For a second, I thought we might compromise with a hug, and Aurelie saved the moment by reminding me that they kiss in Belgium. I said that I am down for anything, I just need to know what to do! Regardless, it still took me a while to get used to the kissing-as-greeting thing. Everyone does that in greeting; if your friend introduces you to a complete stranger, you greet the stranger with a kiss. It's not reserved strictly for good friends.

So, at the party, I was kissed left and right! I didn't quite have the hang of it, so I usually offered my cheek for the girls to kiss and didn't try too hard to kiss back. But whenever a new guy would come in to the party, he would walk around and stick his face out for the girls to kiss him. So every now and then I would discover a face next to me, and it always took me a second to remember to kiss it! I hope nobody felt insulted by the dumb American girl who wasn't kissing people immediately. By the time I left the party, however, I was much more familiar with the routine and I was prepared to kiss new-comers as necessary.

On Friday, Aurelie and I dragged ourselves out of bed (it was a difficult process, as we were both very sleepy) and went in to Brussels. We were going to take a bus tour of the city, but we decided it was too expensive, and so we walked instead. So Aurelie showed me around Brussels, pointing out various buildings and explaining the history to me. Then Aurelie had an interview she needed to conduct for a radio show, and so I returned to her apartment and finished up some homework. We were going to go see the Atomium, which was built in 1958 for the World Expo, but Aurelie's metro train had a problem and it took her over an hour to get back. By the time we went out to see the Atomium, it was closed. So we saw it, but were unable to go up inside. Oh well, I've never been to the top of the Space Needle, either.

That evening, Aurelie's brother Michael picked us up and drove us to Enghein, the city where Aurelie grew up and where her parents live. We had dinner with Aurelie's entire family, and everyone was speaking in English for my benefit. They were all very sweet and a lot of fun, and we spoke a bit about the Lake family, who had visited Belgium a few years ago. Aurelie and I stayed in Aurelie's old room, where I found various mementos from Aurelie's year at my high school. We spent the night reminiscing a bit about those days, and then we went to bed.

In the morning, Aurelie's mom provided me with a bag FULL of Belgian goodies. I have been placed under strict orders to share them with my family at home (in Seattle, not London, she clearly specified). After breakfast, Aurelie's dad drove the two of us into Enghein and dropped us off, so Aurelie could show me around the park. She made me drink from "the witch's fountain", claiming that everyone who visited had to drink from it. It looked disgusting, but I figured after haggis in Scotland and the bath water in Bath, why not? And so I drank; and it tasted like iron. I felt as if I had just drank blood! No wonder it's the witch's fountain...

After exploring the park and taking a few pictures, Aurelie's dad picked us up again and we returned to Aurelie's house for lunch with the family. After lunch, Aurelie and I said goodbye to her family and we took the train to Bruges. Bruges is known as the Venice of the North, because the city is full of canals. First things first, Aurelie and I went to the chocolate museum in Bruges. We learned the basic history of chocolate, and then learned the history of chocolate in Belgium (and pralines, which were invented in Belgium). We received a few samples of chocolate, saw a demonstration of how chocolate is made, and saw various chocolate statues, including a life-size milk-chocolate sculpture of Obama.

Next on our list of things to do, we took a boat tour around the canals. Aurelie and I wound up sitting at the front of the boat, on either side of the tour guide. The tour guide was a young guy who kept making various jokes and picking on people. He especially liked picking on Aurelie and me; me, because I am American, and Aurelie because she speaks French, and in Bruges, most Belgians speak Flemish. It made for a very entertaining and fun boat tour. I was sad when it ended! Also, as Aurelie and I later discussed, our tour guide was not sore on the eyes. After our tour, we went to a cafe where we had some hot chocolate and treats. Aurelie got a crepe, and I had my first official Belgian waffle! (It was delicious)

We left Bruges then, and took the train back to Brussels. We were planning to go out to a pub that evening for a drink, but we were both pretty tired. So instead, we curled up with blankets and watched Serenity before going to bed. It was a very nice evening just hanging out and having fun.

Sunday morning, we once more dragged ourselves out of bed and caught a train, this time to Liege, where Aurelie's older sister Christel lives. Christel took Aurelie and me to her apartment, where we met Christel's girlfriend Laurence and the four of us had breakfast; I had tea, the others drank hot chocolate, and we all enjoyed toast with Nutella. Then Christel and Laurence took us out for a tour of Liege. We climbed up billions and billions of steps to get to the highest point of the city, where we could look out at the city. After this, we were wandering around the city when we came across a street market. So we wandered around the market, admiring cute animals and waiting for Christel and Laurence to do some vegetable shopping.

We got lunch at a restaurant nearby, and then spent a little bit more time hanging out in Christel's apartment before Aurelie and I caught a train back to Brussels. Once we arrived in Brussels, Aurelie took me over to the platform where I needed to catch my train back to London, and we said goodbye. It was a very busy but very fun weekend in Belgium.

And here, in closing, is a brief video of Christel explaining to me about an explosion:

Shall I Compare You to a Summer's Day?

Friday, April 23rd was St. George's Day (the patron saint of England), as well as William Shakespeare's 446th birthday. It was also Shakespeare's death day, but that's just a strange coincidence. So what is a better way to celebrate such a colossal day than to visit Bill's birthplace, home, and final resting place?

And so on Friday, the entire AHA class caught a bus to Stratford-upon-Avon, where we stayed the night in three adorable B&Bs and spent the weekend enjoying and celebrating Shakespeare.

Our first visit of the day was to Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare and his family are buried. So I saw each of their graves; Shakespeare's grave is marked off with blue tape, so it is easily spotted. On Saturday, the grave would be covered in flowers. On Friday, his actual birthday, one lone bouquet sat on his grave.

As we were walking through the town afterword, we stopped outside of a pub where the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) actors like to frequent. As we were standing there, two people came running out of the pub dressed in Elizabethan costumes, and began to argue. It was a pair of actors doing the scene in Midsummer Night's Dream where Demetrius is chasing after Hermia and Lysander in the woods, and Helena is chasing after Demetrius. Demetrius is yelling at Helena to leave him alone, even threatening to kill her, but Helena persists. It was very exciting, and was the perfect welcome to Stratford!

Here is a clip of that scene:


Our next stop was Shakespeare's birthplace. As it was Shakespeare's birthday, we were allowed to take pictures inside the house; usually photographs are not allowed inside. To celebrate the man's birthday, mead tasting was also occurring outside the house in the gardens. So everyone tried some of the ancient drink. Famous people who have been known to enjoy mead include Shakespeare himself and Hagrid (from Harry Potter). For those unfamiliar with mead, it is described on the bottle as "honey wine". Somebody in the class described it as a mix of honey, wine, and cough syrup. I think I am inclined to agree; I did not particularly enjoy it, but it was for posterity's sake that I tried it!

Next on the agenda, we went to Nash's House and The New Place, which is the house where Shakespeare died. We skipped over much of Shakespeare's life. Anyway, this place has been turned in to an excavation site for 2010. So inside the house was information on the project, as well as the latest finds. This week's exciting find was a Tudor-era brick. How exciting. Out back, half of the gardens had been ripped up and people were hard at work being archeologists. It sounds far more exciting than it looked.

That was all that was on the class agenda, and so at 4:00 we were left to our own devices. I set out with Hannah, Katy, and Whitney to explore the town. We got ice cream (it was a delightfully sunny day), and then we popped in to a store where we purchased St. George's Day flags (white with a red cross, like what the Knights of the Round Table wear in Monty Python's Holy Grail). We walked around the rest of the evening sporting our flags, which got a few honks and waves from other England fans. We stopped for dinner at a pub, where we acquired free St. George's Day crowns. Katy said "they have crowns over there!" And I replied "Crowns?! Like Burger King crowns?!" Katy very excitedly affirmed my question, and we all had to have them.

So, with crowns on our heads and flags in our hands, we set off from the pub to the Courtyard Theatre, full of English pride and obviously American, prepared to see a production of King Lear by the RSC. The show was fabulous, absolutely incredible. The actress playing the fool was in the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as Harry's neighbor, Mrs. Figg. King Lear is Shakespeare's longest play, and so we did not get out of the theatre until 10:40 or so. So we went straight back to our B&Bs for bed.

In the morning, we came down to breakfast and chatted with our adorable and extremely sweet hostess. B&Bs, by the way, are the best place ever to stay. You're basically glorified guests in somebody's home. After breakfast, the class met up and trekked out to see Anne Hathaway's cottage. No, not the Disney actress, but Shakespeare's wife. The cottage is very cute, and the gardens are fabulous. Standing in the gardens was a ridiculously huge birthday card, which everyone was invited to sign for Old Will. I was very surprised to learn that the cottage belonged to the Hathaway family and housed the family for 16 generations! The family was living in the very same cottage as recently as 1911! The furniture inside the building all belonged to the Hathaway family; two items in particular date back to the Tudor era, and it is believed they once would have belonged to Shakespeare.

After the cottage, we trooped back in to town, where we arrived just in time for the parade. We were standing outside of the grammar school, which is the school where Shakespeare went to school. A procession of boys from the school was making its way out of the school, everyone carrying flowers to Shakespeare's grave. After this procession, the parade began, led by a marching band. The parade was split in two, and it was an obvious class distinction (as pointed out in class today by my Shakespeare professor, who had never noticed this prior to this year): the important dignitaries and upper class folk walked down the street we were on, and once that procession was finished, the "common folk" took a different route, down Sheep Street. Make of that what you will.

After the parade, we wandered about Stratford looking for various other activities and events to attend. Hannah H, Hannah M, Katy, Whitney and myself went down to the river to catch a 50p ferry ride across the river, while listening to a sonnet being read by an RSC actor. We managed to catch the very first sonnet ferry ride of the day, and our actor (a gentleman named Keith Osborn who claims the RSC couldn't afford him for their productions this year) read a sonnet to us.

Here is the first sonnet of the day!


Once across the river, we walked over a bridge back to the side of the river where all of the birthday festivities were taking place. We found a Lute player, which excited Hannah H and myself, as we are PLU Lutes! Later, we saw him accompanying a lady while she sang. It was a little difficult to hear, as there was a drum group banging away across the park, but I recorded a verse of her song anyway:



Other fun festivities which we witnessed during the day were various dancers, everything from Morris dancers (all men), to Elizabethan dancers, to folk dancers. The audience was invited to join in the folk dancing, so Katy, Hannah H and I did join in! We kept finding various scenes from Midsummer Night's Dream being performed around the town, and we watched the most adorable Romeo during the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet.

The entire weekend was extremely fun, and it ended with everyone a bit sunburnt. The excitement did not end in Stratford, however. On our train ride home, a group of us realized that we were sitting in the same car as two of the actors from the previous night's performance of King Lear, including the actress who played the fool! So we politely asked for their autographs and spoke with them for a while. They were very friendly and gracious, and we did our best not to be obnoxious or annoy them too much. It was so exhillerating!

So, happy birthday Big Bill, Happy St. George's Day England, and to all a good night!

Here are three more videos from my day in Stratford:

Life Goes On

Well, as Iceland continues to send ash our way and the skies remain clear for the fifth day in a row, life does go on here in London.

Last weekend, at the beginning of all of this, I was happily oblivious to the repercussions of a persistent ash cloud, and I had a lovely weekend enjoying the beautiful sunshine and exploring places I had yet to go.

On Friday, I took an hour-long train ride to Brighton, to visit my English professor Susie by the sea. Susie met me at the train station with her adorable puppy, who was apparently very happy to see me. Then Susie gave me an unofficial tour of Brighton, eventually leading me down to the famous Brighton Pier and the ocean! We walked on the beach (which is made up of pebbles, as opposed to sand) then got lunch at a fish shop on the boardwalk. It felt a lot like Seaside, Oregon to me, only larger. After Susie left me on my own, I went to the Pavilion which is a breath-taking palace built by King George III during the Regency Era. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures anywhere inside, but it was absolutely gorgeous!

Afterword, I explored the North Lanes, which is full of hip and trendy shops geared towards kids exactly like me, pretty much. Brighton is a town full of university students, mostly art students. After seeing about three shops full of adorable 50s-style dresses, I decided I have no self control and I must go in and try a dress on. I walked out the proud new owner of an awesome rockabilly dress. Shortly after, I left Brighton as that was the only guaranteed way to keep myself from spending all my money.

On Saturday, I went with Annie to Kew Gardens. It is ridiculously expensive to get in, but it's huge inside and there is so much to see. It's especially enjoyable on a gorgeous 60 degree day, as this day was. I took 195 pictures at Kew Gardens, and you can see every single one here, in my Facebook photo album!

I finished up the weekend on Sunday by visiting The Globe Theatre with Hannah, Katy, and Liz for a free day to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday (he's 500 something now). The place was teeming with people, mostly under the age of 10, but it was a blast. We watched some plays and skits taking place on the stage, then sat in on a "gentle introduction" to King Henry VIII with a very adorable nerd who was funny but seemed a bit out of his element. We also took silly pictures as various Shakespeare characters, and got to walk on The Globe stage before leaving. But the birthday celebrations are far from over; Shakespeare's actual birthday is this coming weekend, and the entire class is off to Stratford-upon-Avon on Friday to spend the night, see King Lear, and join in the town's birthday festivities.

A new week of classes started up yesterday, but it's not quite the usual routine. Martin, our Britain Today professor and the man in charge at AHA, is stranded in Portland, Oregon until the ash cloud decides to cooperate with British airspace. So his class was canceled yesterday, leaving several students with a large gap of time to fill between our morning class and our evening class. The solution for many students was to watch Jurassic Park (I opted for a nap in the lounge downstairs). I haven't heard from Martin since Monday, so I have no idea where in the world Martin currently is. Hope he's able to return to London soon!

I have decided to write a news story for The Mast about the volcano eruption and its effects on people in the UK. I'm very excited about this (and, apparently, so are staff members back at The Mast), as it's my first piece for The Mast which is not opinion! Everyone should keep their eye on The Mast coming out this Friday, as it will feature two fascinating stories by me; the volcano story, as well as an opinion article defending the beautiful side of Parkland.

In closing, I would like to bring you this very special video from Shakespeare's birthday party on Sunday at The Globe. Some helpful volunteers were snagged from the audience to help the actors on stage sing a song about Macbeth to the tune of Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Enjoy!


An important update has been made since the beginning of this blog! British air space is officially open! However, as the volcano continues erupting and weather patterns may change, we're not entirely out of the clear yet. Keep your eyes to the sky, I suppose.

The Weekend The UK Stood Still

The following should not come as breaking news to anybody, as it's been all over the news since Thursday: a volcano in Iceland (with the extremely-easy-to-pronounce name of Eyjafjallajökull) erupted for the second time in one month, after 200 years of non-activity. The explosion has caused an ash cloud to sit over Europe, affecting air travel all across northern Europe.

Originally, it was thought that the skies would clear up within a day or so. However, as Monday approaches, planes still are not flying (especially not within the UK, as the ash is continuously being blown our way) and other modes of transportation are filling up. Traveling is becoming impossible in and out of the UK these days.

At first, I didn't care one bit about the news. I'm not traveling by plane for three weeks, so this doesn't affect me. Right?

Well, apparently not. The volcano has not stopped erupting yet. The ash is floating towards the UK. And the BBC is reporting that this could potentially continue for a month. Wait, a month? But...I'm supposed to fly home in four weeks.

Students' parents who were planning to visit London have had their flights (and therefore their visits) canceled as a result of the eruption. Martin, our professor and the head of AHA went to Portland, Oregon last week and is probably still stranded somewhere in the US, unable to return to the UK until the air ban has been lifted. Students planning to travel this weekend had flights canceled, and other students (fortunately nobody from AHA) studying in London are stranded in other parts of Europe, unable to return to the UK and to their classes.

I'm still not terribly concerned; I'm not trying to fly anywhere until May, when I have a cheap flight to Norway booked. I'm still hanging on to the hope that the airspace will clear up this week. I wouldn't even mind missing my Norway weekend - but dangit Eyjafjallajökull, you had better not get between me and my home!

Playing Shakespearean Actor for a Day, and a Trip to The Most Magical Place in England

First note: Kindly ignore the fact that the first picture here is from January 2009. I didn't have my camera with me on Monday.

Monday morning, the Shakespeare Literature class did not meet in our usual classroom at 6 Great James Street. Admittedly, there is a group from UW who has commandeered our usual classroom for the quarter, but all the same. We did not meet at the AHA building at 6 Great James Street.

Instead, everybody trooped across the Thames and met up in a Starbucks located on the South Bank, just outside the only building in London with a thatched roof. Class was held at Shakespeare's Globe.

The class was then guided on a tour of the theatre (a reproduction of the re-built theatre, as the company burnt down the original theater during a production of Henry the VIII 400 years ago) by an incredibly cool British actor named Mike. Mike told us about the original theater (which was built on the south bank, as that was outside London city limits in the 17th century and therefore outside the Puritans' rule, and the Puritans hated theatre), as well as about the rebuilt version of the theatre (which is barely 10 years old, was built by an American, and features several paved stones with donor names outside it, including a Monty Python joke: John Cleese bought a stone from Michael Palin for the sole purpose of getting Palin's name mis-spelled on the stone as "Michael Pallin".) The reproduction of The Globe is the only building in London with a thatch roof, because Mr. America was so gung-ho about making the building accurate, that he got special permission from the city to use a thatch roof, despite an ordinance stating that no building may have a thatch roof in the city of London, dating back to the 13th century. The reproduction has extremely Elizabethan sprinklers along the top of the roof as a cautionary guard for the canon scene in Henry VIII productions.

After our guided tour inside and outside of the theatre, Mike took us to a large rec room, where he then led the class in a theatre workshop. This class was a ton of fun; for the first activity, we were split in to two teams. My team was Scotland, and we were having a battle with Norway (from the opening scene of Macbeth, which we will be seeing in Straford-upon-Avon next weekend for Shakespeare's birthday). Everyone's index finger was their sword, and their other hand was placed behind their back as their heart. If you got stabbed in the heart, you died. By the end of the battle, we had encountered many dramatic deaths and most of the floor was covered in dead bodies. Seven of us remained standing; myself and two other Scots, and four Norskis. Unfortunately, unlike the opening scene of Macbeth, Scotland was defeated. Regardless, it was ridiculous amounts of fun to run around yelling and screaming and charging the other team like a group of 6 year olds at recess!

During another exercise, my partner Annie and I were made in to an example. The good kind! We were interpreting an interaction between Macbeth and Banquo, and Mike liked what we did with our lines. So he asked us to present to the rest of the class, which we obligingly did. So good news, Annie and I received a gold star in theatre workshop!

Today, Annie and I had most of the day wide open to us, and the weather was fantastic. So we decided to enjoy the weather. We met up in St. James' Park, where we enjoyed some delicious hot dogs and sat by the river, watching the swans and geese and ducks. Signs along the water encourage feeding the birds, but other signs also request people to not feed the pelicans. I was highly disturbed by this blatant display of bird segregation, and so we left the park.

Next stop was Harrods. We had some difficulty finding Harrods, which led to us strolling around Victoria (for the record, Harrods is not in Victoria, it is in South Kensington/Knightsbridge area) for a while. It was a nice little stroll, and we found a very lovely (and probably ridiculously expensive) housing area. After walking all the way back to Westminster, Annie remembered that Harrods was near the V&A Museum, and so we hopped on the Tube to South Kengsington.

Sure enough, we found the store. Before going in, we walked along two sides of the store, admiring the window displays. They are absolutely insane! Each and every window is elaborately decorated with some theme. That store is LINED with windows! Then we popped inside the store, where we promptly got lost inside the mammoth of a store. I genuinely felt like a kid at Disneyland for the first time. I turned to Annie and said "Annie. We're in Harrods." And then I suppressed a squeal.

We most certainly are going back THERE.

We finished off the day by popping in to a little cafe next to Harrods which had the most fabulous cakes in the window, where we enjoyed milkshakes. All in all, it was a very wonderful day; and the week is only beginning!

Through the Looking Glass: Sarah in Hogwarts

On Friday, the class took a field trip to Oxford. The point was probably to learn about Oxford and explore some of the historical sites and buildings to be found there, but what most of us took away from the experience was how important Oxford was to the creation of Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter.

You literally cannot go anywhere in Oxford without finding some reference or connection to one (or, more likely, both) of those famous works.

First stop of the day was the Bodleian Library. This building was built by a man named Bodley who was an Oxford graduate. The Divinity School, where theology was taught, is better known to the 21st century as the Hogwarts infirmary from the first Harry Potter film. It was also used in the fourth movie as the classroom where ballroom dancing lessons were held. Now, the room is used for parties and as a robing room for graduating students at Oxford.

Next stop was a visit to the Natural History Museum, which wasn't particularly big (two large rooms, essentially), but it had SO MUCH STUFF, it was absolutely amazing. Here, there is no shortage of dodo birds and references to Alice. The second room of the museum is basically full of odds and ends and curiosities. Less than a museum, this collection rather feels like the archives, and it just happens to be accessible to the public. In this room, you can find Native American masks, totem polls, shrunken heads, and Japanese lamps that look like puffer fish, among other discoveries. Small as the entire museum was, a person could spend all day in there and not see everything. It was genuinely incredible!

After a lunch break, the class joined up once more and went to Christ Church College. The Great Hall of Hogwarts was filmed here, using the Great Hall of Christ Church. The real Alice also lived here when her father was the dean of Oxford. The cathedral was pretty impressive as well.

We finished off the day with a visit to the Ashmolean museum, the oldest museum in existence that has been kept open continually. There are older museums in existence, but they have not been open as museums constantly since opening. The Ashmolean, however, has. Unfortunately, several of us were too tired to enjoy much of The Ashmolean, so after half an hour of exploring in there, we caught the bus back to London.

Oxford was a beautiful city, but it's really not very different from Cambridge, and I think I liked Cambridge better. However, it was still cool to go, and it was quite the experience!

No, London Children, I Will Not Buy You Fags

London is a strange place sometimes, with some very strange (and, when I am cranky, extremely irritating) kids.

Most mornings when I walk to the Tube to make my ridiculously long commute in to school, I pass a horde of school children hanging out on the street outside the Tube station. I regularly get asked by 15-year-old girls if I will buy them a fag (not a gay man, but a cigarette). I always tell them no and keep walking, thinking to myself as I go "why would you want one anyway?"

I find it very astounding how many kids here in London smoke (or want to), seeing how London has so many laws prohibiting smoking, just like we have at home in Washington State. And I certainly knew of kids sneaking cigarettes when I was a teenager at home, but it just never seemed to be as big of an issue as it appears to be here. For example, I have never been asked to buy cigarettes by kids at home. I'm far more likely to be asked to buy kids alcohol.

Today, I was particularly shocked when two boys who looked to be about ten years old asked me to buy them fags. I wanted to inform those kids how stupid it is to be worrying about smoking; it does not make them look cool to anyone. I also wonder how frequently all these kids actually get somebody to buy them cigarettes. But instead, I simply told them no, and continued to walk.

In completely unrelated news, here's something ridiculously awesome from back home:

Slash appeared on The Tonight Show with Big Chin The Late Night Loser himself, wearing an "I'm With Coco" button. NBC tried so desperately not to give the pin airtime, that the segment is rather painful to watch. We never get a full shot of Slash, the only close-ups are of his guitar, and on more than one occasion the television shot becomes black, as it is obscurred by another camera man. That's old-fashioned bad television editing. All this work, and not only did the Conan pin still make it's way on the screen, but NBC has now drawn a lot of negative attention to itself, while the internet is buzzing today with love for Slash and Conan.

Here's the article about the event, if you're interested.

Easter Eggs, Latvian Style!

Saturday evening, I dyed Easter eggs with Aldis here in Riga. Now, I was thinking we'd do the standard egg-dying kit, with little chemical dyes dropped into hot water and soaking the eggs in the dye.

Not so!

We used various sources found from nature, and the end result is random and unpredictable, but very pretty and interesting. So follow the steps and the pictures for instructions on how to dye Easter eggs with supplies found in your garden and local grocery store, without paying for those fancy dye kits.

To prepare, you will need:

Eggs

Nylon socks (you can buy knee-highs for 99 cents at Wal-greens)

Anything from nature with color; we used red onion skins, radish skins, and grass. You may also try tree bark and flowers.

A large pot to boil and soak the eggs in

Creativity

A little bit of patience

First, start with fresh eggs. Do NOT boil the eggs. We used both white and brown eggs, and the end result was very pretty. So use whichever you prefer (or both). Using the dye materials (onion skins and grass and

whatever else), wrap the egg and place it inside the toe of the sock. It is a little difficult to keep the materials in place on the egg, but this doesn't matter. Do your best, and just get all of it in the sock. The egg does not need to be entirely covered. Don't be afraid to mix and match your dye materials!

Once the egg and the dyes are in the sock, tie a knot in the nylon. Being careful not to break the egg in the sock, repeat this process with other eggs and dyes until the sock is full. Continue this with other socks until you are out of eggs.

Stick the socks full of eggs in to a pot of water. Make sure the water is covering each of the eggs. Add any left-over dye materials to the pot of water. Add some salt to the water and boil the eggs as usual (for approximately ten minutes). Turn the stove off after the eggs have boiled, but keep the eggs in the water. Let the eggs and water sit for at least an hour; the longer you let the eggs sit, the more they get dyed! However, if you are impatient, you will get a nice result within an hour. We let our eggs sit overnight and opened them Sunday morning.

To open, simply cut the nylon and remove the egg. You may need to run the egg under cold water in order to rinse off the dye materials.

And there you have it! Marbled Easter eggs from nature!

Traveling Around Europe Feels a Lot Like Being in a Movie

Back in December, my mom, Jesse and I went to Leavenworth, Washington to see the tree lighting festival. The place was cold and teeming with people, which led to me being very cranky and unpleasant. My mom said that being with me in Leavenworth was like being with Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day.

Well, if I was Bill Murray in Groundhog Day back then, then sightseeing by myself in Paris made me feel like Chevy Chase in the movie European Vacation. Chevy's character makes his family mad and winds up sightseeing by himself. I recall my dad saying once while watching that movie that having to take your own tourist pictures is the saddest thing in the world. I certainly did feel a little lame trying to take pictures of myself in Paris!

But my movie experiences does not stop there; continuing in our theme of 80s movies, I also had a Steve Martin experience, trying to get from Paris to Venice. Funny as Steve Martin is, my experience this time came from the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. I refrained from dropping the f-bomb at any overly-cheerful car-rental staff, but I certainly had quite the ordeal getting from France to Italy.

My flight was scheduled to depart at 8:35 AM, so I left my hostel at 5:30 to catch the metro in to Paris. I had to wait 17 minutes to catch the metro, then had to wait 15 minutes to catch the bus to the airport. I arrived at the Paris Orly airport at 7:20, which is twenty minutes before check-in was scheduled to close. I was a smidge panicked, hoping that I would not miss my flight. When I finally reached the check-in desk, I was informed that the airline had made a mistake, and I was at the wrong airport. My flight was now departing from Paris Charles Degaul airport at 11:00, and there was a shuttle coming in half an hour to take the passengers to the other airport.

So, naturally, the shuttle came late. And the flight departed late. We finally arrived in Venice at 1:00, and then sat and waited at baggage claim for an hour before our baggage finally arrived. I finally left the airport around 2:00, where I promptly missed the bus to the train station and had to wait 20 minutes for the next bus. Only, the next bus came late, and I really waited an extra 10 minutes for it. By the time I reached the Venice train station, I had to catch a train to Rome immediately. Frankly, I'm lucky I managed to even do that; there were only four seats left on ANY train from Venice to Rome for that day.

After a four hour train ride to Rome (I thought it would be three hours), I arrived in Rome where I caught the metro to the station where my hostel runs a shuttle service. I had to wait once more for the shuttle to arrive, but I eventually made it to my hostel by 9:30 PM. And I spent the day traveling by plane, then train, and finally automobile!

When I left Rome yesterday (at the lovely hour of 4:15 AM), I felt a bit like George Clooney in his latest film, Up In the Air. There's actually no reason why I felt this way, except I happened to see a billboard with Cloons on it as I was arriving at the Rome Fiumicino airport. I actually had a good travel experience this go 'round, arriving in Riga tired but happy.

And now, after my rather crazy weekend of 80s movie references, I am here in Riga (once again!) visiting with the Sirmacs and having a lovely time. There's rumor that a day trip to Lithuania may be in store for tomorrow; so we'll just wait and see!

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Backpacking Around the Mainland

I never really expected that I would go backpacking around Europe, but I'm essentially doing that starting tomorrow. I've packed a backpack and a shoulder bag, and tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM I'm heading off to catch a coach, which will take me on a nine hour bus ride to Paris.

Once arriving in Paris, I intend to find my hostel, check in, and then go up to the Eiffel Tower, which has admission until 10:30 PM. I want to go up on my first night for two reasons: one, I'm sure Paris is beautiful at night, and the Eiffel Tower gets lit up at night time. And two, the more important reason: admission prices go up, starting on Saturday, March 27th.

At any rate, on Saturday I will spend the day exploring Paris by myself. I'll go to the Louvre and see some famous artwork (I plan to focus primarily on Monet and other Impressionists), and I'll visit Notre Dame which is free! I like free. Aurelie, my friend in Belgium, does not like Paris and has no advice for me regarding visiting Paris. However, she has a friend who loves Paris, and this friend has provided me with all sorts of suggestions on things to do in Paris. So I'm sure I won't find myself bored on Saturday.

Sunday morning, I'm flying to Venice where I will explore the canals and visit St. Mark's Square, as I have been instructed to do. After a day in Venice, I plan to take a train to Rome, where I will check in to my next hostel.

On Monday, I will either take a day trip to Florence (the fast trains are about a 3 hour journey), or I will stay in Rome. I would like to go see Michelangelo's and Dontello's Davids, but I can forgo Florence if necessary.

Either way, Tuesday will be devoted to Rome, where I plan to see the Coliseum (I don't believe it's worth 13 euros admission, so I will be satisfied with seeing), visit St. Peter's Basilica (free to visit, 4 euros to climb the stairs to the top. We'll play that one by ear), and visit the Vatican Museum for 13 euros (this price IS worth it, as it includes the Sistine Chapel). A free walk around the forum and Trajan's Market will also be in order! I'll be sure to wish in as many fountains as I can, assuming I don't go broke doing so!

Finally, bright and early Wednesday morning, I will fly from Rome to Riga, with a layover in Frankfurt on the way. I will be spending the rest of my week, from Wednesday to Monday, visiting with the Sirmacs in Riga. I am very excited to be returning to Latvia!

As preparations for my trip, I have done a little bit of grocery shopping. I have a large bottle of water (two liters), some crisps (AKA Pringles), some cheese crackers, some chocolate cookies, Easter candy that my parents sent me, some granola bars, and seven peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches. We'll see how far this gets me without paying for food!

I should have internet access while zipping around Europe, but don't expect blog entries while I'm out and about; I'll be busy, trying to soak in all the culture I can get!

Tube People Watching

On the Tube, there is one of four things which people are doing during their commute. Everybody is doing at least one of these things; some people may do a combination of things, and occasionally you get people breaking the norm and doing something else completely. But everybody does at least one of these things on the Tube, and on any given day during a regular commute, you will see all four of these happening.

1. Reading. Londoners stick their nose in a book, and will not take it out for anything. People continue reading as they cross the platform to catch another train. People continue reading as they stand on the escalator to exit the station or switch lines. People go as far as possible to avoid putting the book down. Lately, the most common book I've witnessed people reading is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I think they're making a movie of this book, because I also see a lot of posters for it around Tube stations. People also read the sequel to this book. Also commonly read on the Tube are newspapers. It is not uncommon for other passengers to read news papers over peoples' shoulders, especially on packed Tubes. I certainly have been known to do so. Some people are even polite enough to share the paper if they notice people reading over their shoulder.

2. Listening to their iPod. I specifically say iPod, as opposed to mp3 player, because majority of people are, in fact, listening to Apple products, as the tell-tale white earbud headphones indicate. Listening to an iPod is frequently combined with another Tube activity.

3. Playing with their iPhone. Again, specifically iPhone. Occasionally you will see people playing with other cellphones (Blackberry is another common one), but iPhone is clearly a status symbol. Usually, the only people you see sitting on the Tube playing with an iPhone are business people wearing their fancy suits. They're probably doing important things on their phone (or at least trying to look important); I usually pull out my iPhone as if to say "look, I have one too! I am smug as well." and then sit there playing with Facebook. Very important use for Pete.

4. People watching. If you have nothing else to do, or if you have your iPod in your ears and nothing to occupy your eyes, it's difficult not to people watch. The Tube is packed full of people, sometimes they're practically in your lap - everywhere you look, you see other people. So it can be very interesting to people watch.

I mention all of this, because today I had an interesting little people watching moment. I hopped on the Tube, claimed a seat, and popped in my iPod.

At the next stop, a big gentleman got on and sat down next to me. I scooted over to allow him a little more room. I wasn't paying close attention to him, as he was directly next to me. All I could tell was that a big, strong man had sat down next to me.

And then, I heard the sound of a juice-box being slurped. My seatmate had pulled out a little juice-box and he was having a nice little treat on the Tube! I was so amused by this incident, that I didn't realize that the next stop was my stop. He got off there; you would have thought I would have followed him! So, as the train traveled to the next station (where I got off and went back to the previous station), I was musing to myself over this unlikely fan of juice-boxes.

Edit: I notice that I talk about the Tube a lot. In my defense, it is a necessary part of every day for me. And it certainly is considerably different from home, where I drive everywhere and only occasionally ride the bus. We don't even have an underground subway system in Washington state!

Keep Up With Sarah's Excursions Through Her Pictures!

For those of you not following the blog from Facebook, here are links to view my Facebook photo albums from all of my European adventures.

All of my England excursions are kept in an album generally (and inaccurately) titled London 2010. This album is updated the most, as I add to it every time I go do something within England.

The weekend that I spent in Spain back in February has its very own album, which can be found here.

The time I spent in Scotland is also in its very own album, and all the pictures are located here.

And let's not forget the St. Paddy's weekend festivities in Ireland, which have been documented for your viewing pleasure here.

Past European excursions are also included in album form on Facebook, so if you would like to see those pictures, click on the place name to see the albums!

2009
England (album one), England (album two), Berlin (album one), Berlin (album two), Athens (album one), Athens (album two), Napflio

2005
Sweden, Russia, Estonia and Latvia

A Day of Health in Bath

Yesterday, everyone from AHA (both the semester students and the quarter students) went on a day trip to Stonehenge and Bath.

Fortunately, I've been to Stonehenge before; my camera batteries decided to die right as we arrived at Stonehenge, and I was unable to take pictures of the stone monument. I spent 6 pounds (that's $9, folks) on two double A batteries at the Stonehenge gift shop to ensure having batteries for my camera at Bath (where I had never been before). So I have absolutely no pictures from Stonehenge this go round. Luckily, the only difference between last year and this year is that the grass was green this year. Everything else was exactly the same; so, for your viewing pleasure, I have attached a picture of Stonehenge from last year's excursion to the ancient construction.

After an hour there, we moved on to Bath, where we were given a walking tour of the town. I can't say that I saw much of it; it had just begun raining during our walk, so my eyes were focused on the ground, trying to keep my glasses from getting speckled. After the walking tour, we went in to the Bath Cathedral, which has the most gorgeous fan-vaulted ceiling.

After roaming around the cathedral, we went in to see the Roman baths. We had audio guides, and many of us were listening to the children's commentary, because it was short and to the point (and kind of silly, too). At the baths, we met a Roman gentleman who called us barbarians (because we are from outside the empire). As you walk around the bath complex, you occasionally see hologram videos of Romans bathing. In the men's private baths, there are holograms of naked men walking around and toweling off. We were highly entertained there.

After seeing the baths, Annie and I decided it was necessary to try some water from the baths. Heck, I tried haggis in Scotland, I can try anything (except blood pudding)! So we payed 50 p each (that's around 75 cents) for a glass of the water. It was warm and tasted very sulfuric. It wasn't awful, as most people say, but it was certainly far from refreshing. I had two sips before I decided I just couldn't have any more of it.

After this, a group of us decided to try pastys (pronounced pah-sties, not pay-sties), a traditional food in England. They're basically like pot pie, only portable.

Finally, I concluded my day in Bath with a quick visit to the Jane Austen Center with Corrinne. You pay 5 pounds to go in, listen to a speech about Jane Austen and her time living in Bath (she hated it there), and then wander around the little exhibits downstairs. It's not much, but it's a cute little thing to go see. I also learned how to flirt properly with a fan, as proper young ladies did during the Regency period. As we were leaving, I bought myself a fan to go with my growing European fan collection (I have fans from Russia, Greece, Spain, and now England), as well as to practice my fan flirting. I wasn't a big enough Jane Austen fan to justify buying the "I heart Darcy" bag, but I was pretty amused to see the the gift shop sells Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. That's pretty cool, even if those books were disappointing.

After Bath, I went out to Harrow briefly with Annie, where we found a pub and split a bottle of wine. We spent the evening chatting before going home to bed. Today, the plan is to do laundry and work on my mid-terms. So far, only the laundry has been done.

In closing, for your viewing pleasure, here is the book trailer for Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I showed this lovely work to my Book in Society class last semester, as part of my presentation on my paper about Jane Austen and monsters (known as Monster Mashups).