Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Let the sun shine in

To mark the day I handed in my last out-of-class essay for the semester, I decided it was time for another blog. Two weeks since I last wrote! I have no idea what I have been doing that whole time. Seriously. I did spend most of it locked in my room or some other study space, fingers to keyboard, staring blankly at my screen in an attempt to will my papers to life. I handed in my Working Class paper last Friday after a somewhat torturous week. The worst part was that the weather was AMAZING! So hot and sunny and perfect for breaking out the sun dresses. It was definitely not easy writing when the sun was waiting to be soaked up and I knew everyone back home was practically done. I did take some nice scenic walks around Sheffield though and tried to take advantage of what was apparently a short-lived heat wave. The other problem was that our house was sooo hot. Besides the humidity and solar heat, our radiators were still running and no one could figure out how to turn them off. So yeah, major heat strokeage.
Lauren and I did finally have tapas night at the neighborhood Spanish cafe/bar. They have some great traditional yummies like Spanish Omelets and some different dishes as well. They also sell cupcakes so it's pretty much one of my favourite spots. (I'm going to try using British spelling from now on so I can practice for my in-class essay exam in about 2 weeks).
Like I said earlier, I finally handed in my Crossover paper today after an epic night of ferocious typing. I think I actually have a blister on my finger. After days of complete writer's block, I finally just spewed something out for my creative essay on Tuesday. I went with the first one I had already somewhat started: a day in the life and mind of a twelve-year-old with a life-changing secret. Then at about 6am on Wednesday (did I mention I haven't slept yet?), I wrote a 500 word piece of garbage explaining why I wrote the short story I did and how it fits into the class. Two hours of sleep. 10am: I marched myself over to campus, printed the sucker and dropped it off in the department office. I was feeling pretty anxious about my creative writing abilities and hadn't shown it to anyone before submission. But Mom read it this morning and only had good things to say so that's somewhat a relief. Of course she is my mother and I did specifically tell her not to be too critical since there was nothing I could do at this point. So who knows. I'll be really curious to see how it goes. Either way, I'm not sure I will be taking up creative writing any time soon.
After handing it in, I got some caffeine so I could stay awake and on a regular sleeping pattern. Sydney and I have spent most of the day in city centre, walking around and seeing some new sites. We went to the winter garden first which is a small but nice eco-dome-like indoor garden attached to an art museum. We wandered into one interactive exhibit that had drawing supplies and ended up sketching caricatures of each other.
The rest of the afternoon was spent popping in and out of shops, running errands, etc. It has gotten quite a lot colder and much, much rainier lately. Pretty much squashes our Peak District hiking plan for tomorrow. Anyway, I got a great deal on a new pair of Fat Face jeans. The only down side is that the button is opposite of what I'm used to which means I'll have to use the other half of brain when I put them on. I also bought the cutest throw pillow to add to my collection back home. I guess I have been unconciously collecting them for a while but now it's official. I love a well-designed and stitched pillow! It's like art you can throw at people.
Tomorrow, cleaning day. My room looks like I've been writing and procrastinating for two weeks. I also want to start planning Ireland and beyond! I need a warm getaway before I head home. Probably Spain or Italy. Or both.
I can't believe I'm leaving in a little over a month. I've slowing been allowing reality to creep back into my life by taking care of some things for my job back home. I have a big event to plan for September and have to start reaching out to my contacts now. It's amazing what all goes into event planning. Going back to my job will be very strange since I have a new boss I only met when I helped interview him and a handful of new, fellow peers as well. Should be interesting.
As for now, I hope to do some little day trips these next couple of weeks since I doubt I'll be studying every day like I should. Hopefully they won't be a horrible as these last two. At least I'll be done done with all my work in two weeks and can go on some adventures.
Plug tomorrow night and finally a chance to let off some steam!
See you on the dance floor.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The end is near

A week since my last post, although nothing too exciting has happened. I'm trying to get motivated to work on my final papers which hasn't been going well. Otherwise, I've just been enjoying my final weeks in Sheffield...and England for that matter. The temperatures have taken a turn for the worse but thankfully the vegetation still knows that spring is here. Buds are opening up and trees are blooming with life. On windy days, I feel like I'm walking in a wedding as petals from these beautiful flowering trees shower down like rain. Of course then there is also the actual rain which has come in droves this past week. Nothing quite like London though.

Last Wednesday, I believe, we met up with people at this place called The Place (really creative). It's actually really nice and has cheap food--which we may be taking advantage of soon. Oh, now I remember: before The Place I went to see Bright Star at the Union cinema with a couple of friends. It was a beautiful story but very depressing. Thursday everyone went to Plug to get our dance on; I hadn't been there since Matt's birthday in Feb. so I was glad I got to go again--so much fun! Even the Broomhall boys graced us with their presence. Friday I tried to get work done while some people went to Propaganda. I think I fell asleep however so highly unsuccessful. I swear I've been horribly fatigued this weekend and slept way too much. I'm thinking part of it might be an unconscious avoidance mechanism. Saturday I watched time fly as I read my final books for school and tried to figure out what to write about for Working Class. I stopped by a neighborhood 'double denim' theme party later and chatted with some friends for a little while. Some people broke out the 'American' style flippy cup which was a hit...especially with a certain very competitive German who shall not be named. Sunday was again a work day. You'd think with all these work days I'd have gotten something accomplished. No dice. Anyway, later that night I went to Darius' birthday get-together at a student village lounge and had some good laughs. He also shared his awesome Vienna Sacher torte with us that his girlfriend had sent from Germany. Amazing!

Monday and Tuesday I went to my final lectures and seminars. It's actually really depressing! I feel like I was hardly ever in class, which compared to how many hours I'm usually on campus is true. It's going to be strange going back to a full work load and longer hours. I think I finally see the difference between U.S. students and British students. In the U.S., students are in class all day and then study and do work all night--that is when they're not at some part-time job. Here, students study during the day and party at night. I came to this realization when I met with some Sheffield students going abroad to the U.S. next year to give some insight and advice. I hope it won't be too much of a shock but they were warned. There are definite pros and cons to each style I suppose. I'm also not saying that British students don't work hard, because they do. I think they are actually more self-motivated and better at studying on their own, well some people anyway. It's certainly hard to generalize which was a problem for me as well when trying to prepare students here for their Uni in the U.S. Every university has their own culture and way of doing things. Illinois and Texas are going to be completely different experiences. Anyway, it was fun seeing how excited they all are and I couldn't help wishing I were starting another study abroad experience. I guess there's always grad school!

I had my final seminar today which ended with a film screening. The instructor brought wine for us to enjoy during class which pretty much sums up my entire English experience. Love it! Of course that has not really encouraged me to start on my assessments. I did meet with one prof today and finally have a topic. He was excited because it's very original. All that means to me is that I'm going to have trouble finding research. Yippie. I'm also still on the fence about doing a creative piece for my other class. I'm thinking of doing a young-adult Noir--inspired of course from one of my favorite movies Brick. If you haven't seen it please put it on your list. Okay, today's goal: 500 words. I better get crackin!

Hugs to all.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

And on the third day He sendeth Andy Cain...I mean rain.

Last week I took full advantage of my 5 day weekend and spent the end of the week in Bath and London. It was a bit damp but overall an amazing experience. Sorry if this blog gets long-winded but so much happened!

Wednesday night I took a night train into Bath and arrived around 11pm after transferring trains in Bristol. I love trains and will seriously miss the accessibility they afford when I return home. Hopefully my summer of canvassing for public transit will soon be rewarded. I doubt it but hey, a girl can dream. Anyway, a five minute walk from the station brought me to Bath Backpackers, a cute little hostel that was practically vacant. I guess Bath isn't too popular with backpackers this time of year. By the time I arrived, people were either asleep or out so I just went to bed. The next morning I headed down 3 flights of stairs to the showers and discovered all the hot water had been shut off on that street due to construction. A young English man in my room informed me that I could take a shower at the local sport center for 1 pound. I, however, was not excited about traipsing across town in my pj's. I also kept flashing to the public shower scene with Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night and decided the reality may not be quite as funny as the movie. So I packed up, had the standard cornflakes and toast hostel breakfast and checked out. It was still pretty early so none of the tourist attractions were open so I lugged my backpack and duffel over to a coffee place and read some Hemingway. Compared to the American and British travelers in his novel Fiesta, my trip was very tame. I think I need to drink more wine and get into random bar fights.

Unfortunately, Thursday was the start of what was to be a constant rainy holiday. As you can see from the pictures, Bath certainly lived up to its watery history. But I walked around as much as possible and tried to absorb every inch of this enchanting city. Here are some rainy street photos:This guy reminded me of one of my favorite paintings, Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte:I decided to be the super-tourist and hit as many attractions as possible. First, of course, I did the Roman Baths and saw where the spot where Romans had communal bath-time in this area's natural hot springs. I was tempted to try the curative waters for myself in the town spa but didn't think it would be as fun by myself (down side to traveling alone). Plus, it might be a little creepy being alone with other half-naked strangers. Here's a picture of the main bath (can you see the steam coming off?):This is the original water as well and hasn't been cleaned since it was uncovered. I definitely heeded the signs and kept my hands out of the nasty bath water.

My boots got a lot of attention that day as well. At the baths, a woman working commented on how much she liked my boots before handing me my audio guide tour. Later, as I was exploring the town, a woman started running towards me and waving me down. She wanted to know where I got my boots and was momentarily disappointed when she found out I was American. Luckily, I ordered them online and was able to give her the website. I have to say, these boots have served me well and kept my feet warm and dry--best clothing purchase ever. They were a bit pricey but I've gotten great return on my investment. If you're interested here's the site: http://athleta.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=46873&vid=1&pid=713916&scid=713916012. Although I later discovered that not even these babies can keep out really bad torrential showers.

For lunch, and to get out of the rain, I popped into a little cafe that sort of hung over the river. I had an amazing brie and cranberry pannini, read some more, and chatted with an extremely comical older couple. The rest of the afternoon I darted in and out of shops to avoid the rain and avoid buying an umbrella. I'm trying to see how long I can go without one which has been an adventure in itself. I bought some thank-you gifts for the couple I stayed with (wine and flowers) and went to the public library for a bit. Around 4 I met Geoff and Chrissie at the train station. Little did I know Geoff's wife recently tore her Achilles's tendon and is having obvious mobility issues. I felt terrible at first imposing myself on an already complicated situation but I don't think I added any more stress. I think Geoff especially loved having me around and was having quite the nostalgic journey through his travel memories. He is such an animated character and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about his time bumming across the US and Canada in the 1960s. I swear, the man needs to write a travel log. They have a great house about 20 minutes outside the city in a little town called Midsomer-Norton and Geoff took me on a nice tour of the country side. That night, he cooked a fantastic meal and we were left in a food and wine coma for the rest of the night.

The next day, Friday, Geoff drove me into the city and left me to my own devices. I first went to the fashion museum which is housed in the famous assembly rooms where many social balls took place (including the ones in Jane Austen's novels). I loooooved the fashion museum! It made me want to go shopping. Then I checked out the Jane Austen center and learned more about her life and her time living in Bath. I met a girl from France since we were the only two in the 'introductory presentation'. Despite the small audience, the museum worker proceeded to yell out the information so that all two of us, in the front row, could hear. Slightly uncomfortable. The center was interesting but rather small. Not really worth the price unless you are dying to be in the presence of Austen artifacts. Ran through the rain to the abbey. Double bonus b/c they were exhibiting art made by homeless people in the church to raise money for a shelter. Great idea! Geoff saved me from the rain later that afternoon and brought me back to their house. We met up with Chrissie's daughter at a cafe where they were raising money for MS. We relaxed at the house a bit wit tea before dinner. I finally saw Britain's Got Talent and Simon Cowell (?) at his finest. There was one amazing act that I think it worth watching. Prepare to be wowed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49cU7gtPIzM
Geoff also tried to teach me cockney slang which is just ridiculous but fun nonetheless. I guess it was born on the east end of London and has to do with rhyme rather than meaning. In other words, they made up phrases that rhymed with a word but have nothing to do with the word. I'm pretty sure an English acquaintance tried to explain it to me in Toronto once, but it's so much easier to understand when you haven't been drinking seven&sevens. Even without inhibitors it still really doesn't make much sense though. Take the phrase 'apples and pears'. Believe it or not, this means 'stairs' for no other reason than that pears and stairs rhyme. And to make it even more confusing, they'll just shorten the phrase to 'apples', taking out the word that might actually lend some sort of clue. Example: 'I'm going up apples.' Maybe this craziness is where the term 'cockeyed' comes from. Although, the phrase 'Let's get down to the brass tacks' is cockney slang apparently (for facts) and I've heard it used in the U.S. Interesting. After some laziness, we drove to an adorable little village called Bradford-on-Avon for dinner out. We ate at this great Thai restaurant with some of the best Thai food I've ever had. I even tried ginger ice cream! They are so generous and I can't be more thankful for everything those two did. There are few things better than the hospitality of friends and especially of people you hardly know. I had never met either of them before and Geoff had only met my stepmother once years ago. Amazing, amazing people.

Saturday morning I caught the lazy train to London. It was slow but very scenic and I got more reading done. I got into Waterloo around Noon and decided to walk to the hostel since the sun was out. It actually got really hot and I was dying when I got to the hostel 45 minutes later (Clink, near King's Cross). To my annoyance, I found out check in wasn't until 2:30pm so I had to stash my stuff in the luggage room. Once I saw the luggage room however I opted to shove my backpack in a locker so that it wasn't lost among the chaos. First, however, I sneaked into a bathroom stall, changed into lighter clothes and rearranged my bags. Then I walked toward Leicester square to meet up with Lauren & Co. before the play. After a bit of cat-and-mouse, we meandered to the theatre and meet up with the rest of the gang. Les Miserables was awesome! I'd seen it when I was younger but it made much more sense now. When we left the theatre it was down pouring. Serious rain. Biblical. The kind of rain that ignores the fact that your clothes and shoes are supposed to be waterproof. I didn't give in though and am still umbrella free! I'm really not sure why I'm so proud of this. So we took the tube toward the Globe and found a place to eat dinner after several tries. It was actually a really good Turkish place and right across from the Globe. We, of course, bought the cheap seats in the standing, open-air part and had to buy ponchos just to get through Macbeth. Totally worth it though. We were all very soggy and exhausted after and headed back to the hostel. I finally checked in and unfortunately didn't get a room with everyone else. Oh well.

It was a nice hostel but sooo humid and damp inside so nothing dried. Even my plastic poncho was still wet in the morning. The worst part was my boots soaked through and didn't dry but I had to wear them b/c it was still raining cats and dogs on Sunday morning. My bus didn't leave until 11:30 but I took the tube to Victoria right after breakfast so I could see Westminster Abbey. I ended up just seeing the outside since it wasn't open yet. I hid in Starbucks the rest of the morning and talked with an older gentleman who noticed I was reading Hemingway. I finally headed to the coach station and sat in the waiting area. I picked the wrong seat, of course, and ended up sitting next to this guy who hummed/sang to himself the whole time--and not well either. Then he kept doing little dances moves with his feet and 'accidentally' brushing me with his elbow. I'm not prone to violence but I was seriously close to taking the punk down. So please people, save the pipes for karaoke night and respect the personal space of others. Finally the dude shut up and I thankfully didn't end up next to him on the bus. I was probably overreacting but sitting in wet clothes does not put one in a good mood. I got back to Sheffield and practically ran into the station to change my shoes since it wasn't raining in Sheffield. It was cold out but I figured cold feet in flats was better than wet feet in boots--all those years of survivor shows and movies have finally paid off. A friend back home also got trench foot once from having wet shoes all day so I thought it best to avoid that nightmare.

Monday was a bank holiday which basically meant another Sunday for me and another day of doing practically nothing. It really put me back in vacation mode which is not good. Today I had regular seminars and lectures although it's the 2nd to last week of actual classes so attendance is low. My modern seminar was only me and one other girl who hadn't read the book. So it was basically me talking the whole time. Good thing I finished Hemingway and liked it. I picked up groceries on the way home so I can stop eating scraps. Although, I've gotten pretty creative at making meals out of limited supplies.

I can't believe next week is the last week of lecture! We only had 11 weeks of courses which really isn't a lot and was broken up by the 3 week break. Crazy. I really need to start figuring out what to do with the rest of my time here. Less than 2 months left before I fly home!