So. Guess who's going to Florence? Moi. Si, moi.
And then guess who's going to Zurich, Paris, Luxembourg, Brussels, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Cologne? Oui oui.
And guess who's going to Berlin next week? Si, moi aussi.
And who's going to Lewes for Guy Fawkes Night tomorrow? Oh yeah baby.
Lovin' life so hardcore right now.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
cantonese glutinous fried rice
As I sit here right now I am munching away on Cantonese Glutinuous Fried Rice that my mom sent me yesterday in a care package... it's better than it sounds. :) A little taste of home is what it is! (Btw, if you're reading this send me a letter or a card or little something? I love getting mail!)
But yes, I know I have not updated in a while... oops. Well, I will try and try to update more often! Even if just a short blurb, I am alive!
What has been going on in my life? Bah, so much.
I just got back from the mid-term trip to Edinburgh and Liverpool. Edinburgh is hands down one of the most beautiful cities I've been too. I think I want to live there (but New York still has my heart). The mix of old and new and amazing restaurants and shops, and the culture that Edinburgh embodies is just breathtaking. We went to the Edinburgh Castle, the National Gallery of Scotland for Art History field study, and the Museum of Scotland. We also just walked around and soaked in the city and relaxed. Watched the Imaginarium of Dr.Parnassus while there... it was an OK movie. Storyline was a bit weak but visually, it was stunning. Lily Cole... wowza. Oh and uh, 24H Take That music video marathon on TV? Excellent.
Nothing too important to report about Liverpool except that everyone pretty much got extremely sick with the Bader Plague. Couldn't even go out for Sofie's birthday :( But we had a very nice din din at Gusto! Food was excellent! The next day me and Alyssa were very sick but still went on the Beatles Story... we then proceeded to fall asleep at the International Slavery Museum... oops. The general consensus amongst the Castle Kids was that Edinburgh = Good, Liverpool = Bad. I wasn't a huge fan of Liverpool myself. It was very rough and... dare I say, ghetto? Just not a very pleasant city.
I was quite sick by this point and was actually excited to go back to Bader. A lot of people did independent travel after such as to Barcelona (Wish I could go!! Too expensive though... sad.) but I think I really needed the weekend to rest. Halloween was quite uneventful though, just some fun times at the Castle pub... not much candy which was disappointing! Oh well, it's Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night soon! I'M SO STOKED!! Lewes is going to crazy!!
But yes, I know I have not updated in a while... oops. Well, I will try and try to update more often! Even if just a short blurb, I am alive!
What has been going on in my life? Bah, so much.
I just got back from the mid-term trip to Edinburgh and Liverpool. Edinburgh is hands down one of the most beautiful cities I've been too. I think I want to live there (but New York still has my heart). The mix of old and new and amazing restaurants and shops, and the culture that Edinburgh embodies is just breathtaking. We went to the Edinburgh Castle, the National Gallery of Scotland for Art History field study, and the Museum of Scotland. We also just walked around and soaked in the city and relaxed. Watched the Imaginarium of Dr.Parnassus while there... it was an OK movie. Storyline was a bit weak but visually, it was stunning. Lily Cole... wowza. Oh and uh, 24H Take That music video marathon on TV? Excellent.
Nothing too important to report about Liverpool except that everyone pretty much got extremely sick with the Bader Plague. Couldn't even go out for Sofie's birthday :( But we had a very nice din din at Gusto! Food was excellent! The next day me and Alyssa were very sick but still went on the Beatles Story... we then proceeded to fall asleep at the International Slavery Museum... oops. The general consensus amongst the Castle Kids was that Edinburgh = Good, Liverpool = Bad. I wasn't a huge fan of Liverpool myself. It was very rough and... dare I say, ghetto? Just not a very pleasant city.
I was quite sick by this point and was actually excited to go back to Bader. A lot of people did independent travel after such as to Barcelona (Wish I could go!! Too expensive though... sad.) but I think I really needed the weekend to rest. Halloween was quite uneventful though, just some fun times at the Castle pub... not much candy which was disappointing! Oh well, it's Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night soon! I'M SO STOKED!! Lewes is going to crazy!!
Monday, September 21, 2009
procrastinator catches up
Well hey hey there, it seems that I haven’t blogged in quite a while... oops. I must try harder at this! Classes have so far not been too hard but the amount of readings that we get is absolutely insane! For this semester I’m taking: Hist 125: History of Modern Europe, Arth 116: Art and Architecture in Britain from the 1900s to 1970s, Film 104: Film Form and Modern Culture from the 1990 to 1970, Musc 171: Social History and Popular Music, Eng 262: Modern British Poetry and Drama
So far, Music and Film seem to be easy courses which require little readings and more of film watching and music listening and discussion. Love it. History is a strange class. I’m not really feeling it right now... I’m not sure. It’s such a fast survey course (Finishing the Enlightenment in one week!) that I guess I’m not really used to it when we used to spend 4 months on the Third Reich. Not liking the textbook very much either, I want some Seminar Studies texts... more historiography! I am such a history snob. Art History has tonnes of readings too and it’s interesting. Sometimes not so much because we’re doing all of that Classical Hellenistic Art now but sure, maybe I’ll grasp the importance of it soon enough. I LOVE English though. I got the opportunity to take a second-year English course and it’s so good! First of all, we only have 5 people in the class (Hello, Stratford Hall?) and for the first class we listened to the Beatles and looked at poetry. Awesome. And Music and Film are just great in general. Listen to music and watch movies and talk about them? DEAL.
I've been to London a few times already! So exicting! The first time we went we saw "As You Like It" at the Globe Theater. It was sooooo cool being in the Globe, it felt so authentic. I didn't really pay attention in the play though because Evelyn started feeling quite faint and we had to leave the theater for a while. No bigs no bigs. We were totally treated like VIPs and got to talk to the actors. Oh yeahh.
And the second time I went to London we were on an Art History field study to the British Museum to check out the Parthenon collection. It's really amazing. I can't believe that all of it is in the British Museum and not the Acropolis... ah, sweet controversy. It's really cool seeing stuff we learned about in class in real life though. I also went to Topshop that day and totally splurged... me and Elizabeth found that if you spent over 80pounds you could get a free ticket to this exhibition at London Fashion Week..... and well, a) it's Topshop, b) it's Fashion Week, and c) I'M IN LONDON! Well, of course I spent over 80pounds... but I love my Christopher Kane shirt, new dress and bunny ears. :3 I was so satisfied. I even had sushi that day. Love.
Another party at the castle when we came back! Whoo! This time we watched some of the guys play Beer Pong. I didn't have the guts to play for fear of getting alcohol poisoning. Eeep. But it was funny watching them play.
Ahhh so many eventful things always happen at the castle... now I will summarize other events and fun things that have happened in the past while:
- What If... in me and Sam's room. LOL. "What if I were a hermaphrodite?" "Can you say threesome?" golden.
- Hanging and chilling in Evelyn and Alyssa's room watching Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
- Seeing peacocks roam around the castle grounds.
- Computer Party in Elizabeth and Meghan's room. WHOOOOO.
- Clubbing in Brighton :)
- PIZZZAAAAAAAAAA. so good.
TILL NEXT TIME!
So far, Music and Film seem to be easy courses which require little readings and more of film watching and music listening and discussion. Love it. History is a strange class. I’m not really feeling it right now... I’m not sure. It’s such a fast survey course (Finishing the Enlightenment in one week!) that I guess I’m not really used to it when we used to spend 4 months on the Third Reich. Not liking the textbook very much either, I want some Seminar Studies texts... more historiography! I am such a history snob. Art History has tonnes of readings too and it’s interesting. Sometimes not so much because we’re doing all of that Classical Hellenistic Art now but sure, maybe I’ll grasp the importance of it soon enough. I LOVE English though. I got the opportunity to take a second-year English course and it’s so good! First of all, we only have 5 people in the class (Hello, Stratford Hall?) and for the first class we listened to the Beatles and looked at poetry. Awesome. And Music and Film are just great in general. Listen to music and watch movies and talk about them? DEAL.
I've been to London a few times already! So exicting! The first time we went we saw "As You Like It" at the Globe Theater. It was sooooo cool being in the Globe, it felt so authentic. I didn't really pay attention in the play though because Evelyn started feeling quite faint and we had to leave the theater for a while. No bigs no bigs. We were totally treated like VIPs and got to talk to the actors. Oh yeahh.
And the second time I went to London we were on an Art History field study to the British Museum to check out the Parthenon collection. It's really amazing. I can't believe that all of it is in the British Museum and not the Acropolis... ah, sweet controversy. It's really cool seeing stuff we learned about in class in real life though. I also went to Topshop that day and totally splurged... me and Elizabeth found that if you spent over 80pounds you could get a free ticket to this exhibition at London Fashion Week..... and well, a) it's Topshop, b) it's Fashion Week, and c) I'M IN LONDON! Well, of course I spent over 80pounds... but I love my Christopher Kane shirt, new dress and bunny ears. :3 I was so satisfied. I even had sushi that day. Love.
Another party at the castle when we came back! Whoo! This time we watched some of the guys play Beer Pong. I didn't have the guts to play for fear of getting alcohol poisoning. Eeep. But it was funny watching them play.
Ahhh so many eventful things always happen at the castle... now I will summarize other events and fun things that have happened in the past while:
- What If... in me and Sam's room. LOL. "What if I were a hermaphrodite?" "Can you say threesome?" golden.
- Hanging and chilling in Evelyn and Alyssa's room watching Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
- Seeing peacocks roam around the castle grounds.
- Computer Party in Elizabeth and Meghan's room. WHOOOOO.
- Clubbing in Brighton :)
- PIZZZAAAAAAAAAA. so good.
TILL NEXT TIME!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
field trip field trip field trip
Sorry about the lag in posts! I've been having some technical difficulties and more posts haven't been posting and what not. More posts to come very soon! But for now, I want to chronicle some adventures from two weeks ago... I know I know, late. But I had already wrote it up and it seems like a waste for me now to post it! OK WELL... my first weekend here had been quite eventful. Let me start off with Saturday (September 12, 2009) which included a trip to ASDA. For those North Americans and other inhabitors of the World, ASDA is the British equivalent to Wal-Mart. It is owned and operated by Wal-Mart and sells everything for dirt cheap.
It was absolutely glorious to go to ASDA. Evelyn, Alyssa and me took a cab out there and we had the bestest cab driver, Andrew, as well. He gave Evelyn his personal phone number. Oooooooh. Swanky. It felt a bit like being at home. The familiarity of having tonnes of people around shopping for food and other cheap items. The prices really were brilliant. I bought a duvet and two pillows for only 7 pounds which is $14 Cdn!!!!!!! WHAT! And cute sheets to go along with it for only 4 pounds! Absolutely amazing. They also have so many snacks and other British goodies that I had to buy such as Cadbury Turkish Delight Chocolate bars. SO GOOD. Better than Big Turk. Booze gets its own section too. One aisle for the hard stuff, one aisle for beer and one for wine. The Brits sure love their booze. Also, dirt cheap. In short, I LOVE ASDA.
Yep, so we left Bader at around 3pm to go to ASDA and got back at around 5:30pm. And that's when our fun started... it was Karaoke night at the Castle.
Karaoke was pretty bloody awesome. There were some who sang but the DJ also turned it into a dance party for a while.Hell yeah. I even sang Carrie Underwood with Kallie. Yeah baby. Carrie Underwood. So much fun though. And then party at C1!!!! Whoo!!! Castle parties are so rad. ;)
Ok and now... LAST SUNDAY!!!! Sunday was a pretty amazing day. FIELD TRIP DAY! We all actually got to leave the grounds of the Castle and go somewhere where there are other people! Wow!! I am not exaggerating when I saw that this Castle is out in the middle of nowhere. It really is. We went to Pevensey Castle which was sort of like a Roman-style Castle and we took pictures there and admired the whole thing. We also went to the Birling Gap which was so breathtaking. Such a beautiful place. It's a bunch of cliffs near the beach and yes, I know, I think I'm making it sound lame but the view is just so spectacular. We had lunch on these hill things and wow... it was just so beautiful. On the list for that day was also to the go to the University of Sussex Library to go check out how we can access their library (this was pretty boring, nothing really to say) and then to BRIGHTON! Which is actually a legit town full of shopping, people (very trendy people, may I add!), and McDonalds! I personally didn't go, but I know a few people who went to get a taste of home, lol. Evelyn, Alyssa, Rianna, Pravs headed straight to Primark which is sort of like the British version of Forever 21. SO CHEAP. I LOVE IT SO MUCH! WHY DID I BRING SO MANY CLOTHES? sad!! I got such a cute bag for only 7 pounds! And right beside it was a Top Shop but we didn't have time to go in... hmf. MOAR TO COME LATER.
It was absolutely glorious to go to ASDA. Evelyn, Alyssa and me took a cab out there and we had the bestest cab driver, Andrew, as well. He gave Evelyn his personal phone number. Oooooooh. Swanky. It felt a bit like being at home. The familiarity of having tonnes of people around shopping for food and other cheap items. The prices really were brilliant. I bought a duvet and two pillows for only 7 pounds which is $14 Cdn!!!!!!! WHAT! And cute sheets to go along with it for only 4 pounds! Absolutely amazing. They also have so many snacks and other British goodies that I had to buy such as Cadbury Turkish Delight Chocolate bars. SO GOOD. Better than Big Turk. Booze gets its own section too. One aisle for the hard stuff, one aisle for beer and one for wine. The Brits sure love their booze. Also, dirt cheap. In short, I LOVE ASDA.
Yep, so we left Bader at around 3pm to go to ASDA and got back at around 5:30pm. And that's when our fun started... it was Karaoke night at the Castle.
Karaoke was pretty bloody awesome. There were some who sang but the DJ also turned it into a dance party for a while.Hell yeah. I even sang Carrie Underwood with Kallie. Yeah baby. Carrie Underwood. So much fun though. And then party at C1!!!! Whoo!!! Castle parties are so rad. ;)
Ok and now... LAST SUNDAY!!!! Sunday was a pretty amazing day. FIELD TRIP DAY! We all actually got to leave the grounds of the Castle and go somewhere where there are other people! Wow!! I am not exaggerating when I saw that this Castle is out in the middle of nowhere. It really is. We went to Pevensey Castle which was sort of like a Roman-style Castle and we took pictures there and admired the whole thing. We also went to the Birling Gap which was so breathtaking. Such a beautiful place. It's a bunch of cliffs near the beach and yes, I know, I think I'm making it sound lame but the view is just so spectacular. We had lunch on these hill things and wow... it was just so beautiful. On the list for that day was also to the go to the University of Sussex Library to go check out how we can access their library (this was pretty boring, nothing really to say) and then to BRIGHTON! Which is actually a legit town full of shopping, people (very trendy people, may I add!), and McDonalds! I personally didn't go, but I know a few people who went to get a taste of home, lol. Evelyn, Alyssa, Rianna, Pravs headed straight to Primark which is sort of like the British version of Forever 21. SO CHEAP. I LOVE IT SO MUCH! WHY DID I BRING SO MANY CLOTHES? sad!! I got such a cute bag for only 7 pounds! And right beside it was a Top Shop but we didn't have time to go in... hmf. MOAR TO COME LATER.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
REPORTING REPORTING
Yes, I have arrived safely to the castle! Yes, I am alive! Yes, I am extremely homesick (but slowly getting over it)!
I arrived in Herstmonceux Castle on September 9th, 2009 with my body completely messed up from jet lag. I am still messed up from jet lag. Since I've left Vancouver I think I've slept for about only 6 hours in total. That was two days ago. Hopefully, I can sleep more tonight.
Nevertheless, I have arrived at Herstmonceux settled in my dorm and here I am. In London. Typing up this blog. At first, It was so surreal that I was actually in London, let alone going to a Castle! (Btw, it totally actually is a castle. So badass.) Pictures to come soon. I just wanted to quickly update my status at the Castle.
I was EXTREMELY homesick when I first came though. Like, REALLY homesick. I was so sad at the airport and on the plane. Wimpering and crying. This is my first time away from my mom for so long, I miss her a lot. But Skype is really saving my life. I love it so. GET SKYPE IF YOU ARE READING THIS. I couldn't really concentrate on anything. Making friends was a bit difficult because I just kept thinking about home. Home. Home. Home. Home. I miss it. But I guess this is how it goes when you change environments. For some people (like me) it's drastic but for others it's not. I am quite awkward at first and sometimes I don't know what to say except for the occasional small talk but I've begun to make some really good friends here. It's starting to get a lot better when you have people that you can talk and have tonnes of fun with.
We happened to meet by chance, I was bringing down my luggage to storage and they were going to bring their stuff in their too. And we just hit it off and they invited me over and ta da! Super awesome.
Lot's of orientation stuff going on around here. Mostly boring paperwork but also some cool tours like the Castle tour and the Garden tour which was actually really awesome. John Friend, the head gardener, is pretty bloody awesome. Oh and another note. Food sucks. So hard. I think I'm losing 15 lbs instead of gaining it. Not eating well at all. If you're reading this send me food? Lol.
Now, there's a party going down in the C1 Common Room. It feels a bit exclusive (tall, blonde, beautiful) and I went in but came out. Not really my scene. The Castle is getting becoming more and more exciting as days go bye though.
But I still miss home.
I arrived in Herstmonceux Castle on September 9th, 2009 with my body completely messed up from jet lag. I am still messed up from jet lag. Since I've left Vancouver I think I've slept for about only 6 hours in total. That was two days ago. Hopefully, I can sleep more tonight.
Nevertheless, I have arrived at Herstmonceux settled in my dorm and here I am. In London. Typing up this blog. At first, It was so surreal that I was actually in London, let alone going to a Castle! (Btw, it totally actually is a castle. So badass.) Pictures to come soon. I just wanted to quickly update my status at the Castle.
I was EXTREMELY homesick when I first came though. Like, REALLY homesick. I was so sad at the airport and on the plane. Wimpering and crying. This is my first time away from my mom for so long, I miss her a lot. But Skype is really saving my life. I love it so. GET SKYPE IF YOU ARE READING THIS. I couldn't really concentrate on anything. Making friends was a bit difficult because I just kept thinking about home. Home. Home. Home. Home. I miss it. But I guess this is how it goes when you change environments. For some people (like me) it's drastic but for others it's not. I am quite awkward at first and sometimes I don't know what to say except for the occasional small talk but I've begun to make some really good friends here. It's starting to get a lot better when you have people that you can talk and have tonnes of fun with.
We happened to meet by chance, I was bringing down my luggage to storage and they were going to bring their stuff in their too. And we just hit it off and they invited me over and ta da! Super awesome.
Lot's of orientation stuff going on around here. Mostly boring paperwork but also some cool tours like the Castle tour and the Garden tour which was actually really awesome. John Friend, the head gardener, is pretty bloody awesome. Oh and another note. Food sucks. So hard. I think I'm losing 15 lbs instead of gaining it. Not eating well at all. If you're reading this send me food? Lol.
Now, there's a party going down in the C1 Common Room. It feels a bit exclusive (tall, blonde, beautiful) and I went in but came out. Not really my scene. The Castle is getting becoming more and more exciting as days go bye though.
But I still miss home.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
palpitations
Palpitation: a palpitation is an abnormal awareness of the beating of the heart, whether it is too slow, too fast, irregular, or at its normal frequency.
I cannot believe that in one more night's sleep that I am leaving for the UK. For a continent I've never set foot in, a culture that I've never experienced, and for a country that may very well change my life. Yes, I'm excited. Yet, I'm also scared. Everything is going to change. I'm go from living with only one other person in the house to having 150 people surround me everyday. From a 6 person classroom to a 30 person classroom. From the familiarity of the Vancouver to calling a castle my new home.
I feel ready though. I'm energized to shake up my life and to explore outside of the confines of my comfort zone. Vancouver is beautiful and lovely but I need something new. I know although I'm feeling nervous, I will (hopefully) not regret my choice to go to the UK. Nah, I don't think I will.
My heart is palpitating from excitement.
I cannot believe that in one more night's sleep that I am leaving for the UK. For a continent I've never set foot in, a culture that I've never experienced, and for a country that may very well change my life. Yes, I'm excited. Yet, I'm also scared. Everything is going to change. I'm go from living with only one other person in the house to having 150 people surround me everyday. From a 6 person classroom to a 30 person classroom. From the familiarity of the Vancouver to calling a castle my new home.
I feel ready though. I'm energized to shake up my life and to explore outside of the confines of my comfort zone. Vancouver is beautiful and lovely but I need something new. I know although I'm feeling nervous, I will (hopefully) not regret my choice to go to the UK. Nah, I don't think I will.
My heart is palpitating from excitement.
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