Today, I toured a whiskey distillery. So I finally feel like my experience of Scotland is complete.
Fettercairn 1824. It's good stuff. I got a free sample with the tour, a nice little shot of 12 year old single malt. I also got to see and smell the boiling vats of fermenting barley. I even stole a few grains of barley to eat, just for kicks, and because I was a little hungry.
I have spent the last few days in a more rural part of the country, a tiny village called Glenesk, about 5 miles from Fettercairn and about 15 from Montrose. Which is about a 40 minute train ride from Aberdeen. I helped feed a horse today! That was delightful and exciting. If only I'd gotten to ride him...but I was too shy to ask.
I also saw leaping salmon on their way to spawn for the first time in my life, both yesterday and today. It's quite an amazing, delightful and hilarious sight. You're looking at this coursing waterfall, all white and frothy, and then all of a sudden a huge fish has busted out of it, moving in a way totally contrary to gravity. The flap their fins furiously, but usually it looks like they fall back down in the end. I couldn't help emitting little exclamations each time it happened. It was so exciting!
I was totally right in what I said earlier, about Scotland and its clouds. They definitely are, more than anything else, what make this country stunning and lovely. Today they were heavy, dense and grey, full of impending rain, and they took three quarters right off all the hill tops. The distance was just one big misty mystery, with a bit of green and yellow, fields, farms, animals and hills down at the bottom of the frame.
I also saw some crazy red deer today. The males had big old sets of antlers. Very cool. They were chilling with some sheep, on the estate that used to belong to the Gladstone family. Gladstone being a former Prime Minister from the Victorian era. People who are rich and important in the UK tend to own Property. And plenty of it.
Basically it has been a very quiet, peaceful and laid back almost-week since I left Glasgow. Aberdeen was fun and idle. Did a bit of drinking with Chen's uni friends, but seeing as they're Scottish, I didn't come close to keeping up. Not that I couldn't have if I had tried...well, no I probably couldn't. But I also felt no need to. It was fun to observe.
I also totally busted the myth that European bars are more chill about underage drinking than American ones. Sure, their drinking age is younger. But I am totally legal in the states now, and one flash of my ID can prove it. When Chen and I went TO HAVE LUNCH at the local university dive/pub, I went up to the bar to order dessert, after we had already finished our meal. The bartenders insisted on seeing my ID. I hadn't wanted to bring my passport out, so I showed them my US driver's license. They said it was no good, they couldn't tell if it was fake or not, only a UK license or a passport would do. I said, "I'm actually 21. Not 18. And I just want to order some pie." They said, "Sorry, it's the term of our liquor license. You have to leave." So me and Chen and her friend Minna had to skip dessert and leave the place we had already eaten lunch because silly 21-year-old me tried to order pie. Not alcohol, mind you. Pie.
There you have it folks. Tomorrow I head back to London on a long relaxing train ride, and then off to Norway! I'm pumped, but I hope I don't get too lost, cold or impoverished there! All three seem very possible.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Scottish tour--but where's me whiskey?
What I've done recently:
9/19, my second day in London, I went to the National Gallery, which was pretty and manageable size-wise. Saw a teeny bit of Van Gogh and Renoir and Monet, and a couple by Raphael, so I went home happy. I've been filling a lot of my UK time with museums because they're free and I expect I won't bother to shell out for any when they're not. Museums are all well and good, but I am above all pinching pennies, and wandering around aimlessly is always free. Of course, if I need a place to stay warm and/or dry, I may go crawling back for more "art" and "culture".
I also went to see Troilus and Cressida at the Globe. I paid £5 for a "groundling" spot. I was off to the side, but right near the stage. My neck and back and legs were quite sore by the end, but it was definitely a cool experience to have once. Also, seeing that particular play might well have been once in a lifetime. :)
9/20 - London to Edinburgh
Spent most of the day on a bus. Made friends with a 44 year old Australian guy named Mark. He is also backpacking and travelling around, and he is totally cool. When I got to Edinburgh, I met up with Splinter Eye's dad (also Mark), and his partner Leticia. She is from Mexico, so I had the very traditional Scottish meal of tostadas my first night there.
9/21 - Edinburgh (a day of WALKING)
Met up with Anna Waymack. We toured Edinburgh castle well and thoroughly. It's a right old thing, up on a hill formed by a dormant volcano. Then we had lunch at The Elephant House, a cool local cafe where JK Rowling wrote the first HP book. I tried my first haggis there (along with "neeps and tatties"). It was actually pretty decent. Kind of rich, creamy, salty, and meaty. Not as disturbing as it sounds, though the texture is a bit odd. Then we looked around a really pretty cathedral, then I walked a mile to the Holyrood Palace, recently vacated by the Royal family. Instead of touring it, I went and climbed a mountain behind it. At the top, it was the windiest it has ever been. I think I walked at least 8 miles that day, much of it uphill. By the end, I was pretty wiped out.
9/22 - St. Andrews
Leticia drove me up to this beautiful small town about an hour and a half from Edinburgh. It's home to the 3rd oldest university in the UK, where two of my UWC friends, Jasper and Chike, happen to go. I went hoping that I would meet up with one or both of them, but in the end it didn't work out. I still had a nice time wandering around as all the "freshers" moved in. I went into a very potent smelling cheese shop where a sexy long-haired man worked in front of a large pirate banner that said "Time flies when you're having rum." Truer words were never spoke. I also toured another castle and another cathedral, these in a more ruined state, but also less recently amended by Queen Victoria. That night, upon returning to Edinburgh, I went out to a Scottish pub quiz game with Mark and Leticia. We didn't do too well, but we won a bottle of wine anyway (for coming in second to last). And it was fun.
9/23 - Off to Glasgow
Took another bus. They're starting to blend together for me now. I think I kind of dozed through this one, and it wasn't that long anyway. I had some trouble navigating the city buses once I got to Glasgow. The woman I was staying with (Sarah, married to Tim, mother of very cute 3 year old Ben, 8 months pregnant with another, daughter of a woman my parents apparently know through their synagogue) told me to take a bus and look for a big McDonald's on Pollokshaws road(they're everywhere, by the way). I asked the bus driver when I got on if he was going to that landmark on Paul Shore road or some such thing (not really being familiar with the words I was hearing). He said yes, and I got on. But I missed it when we passed by, and he noticed I was still there a few minutes later. He said "I thought you knew where you were going!" I was like...um, no, not really. So he insisted that I stay on the bus until he found one going the other way, which he then put me on, and told the other driver to make sure I got off at the right stop. He was very sweet, as was the other driver and a passenger I asked. It seems like everyone in Glasgow is always going where you're going. Or maybe they're so nice they pretend they are so they can show you where it is. It's quite funny. But it was embarrassing. And I ended up getting off before the actual stop anyway, because I'm stubborn and independent like that, and I thought I'd seen the street I was looking for. See, in UK cities they always name streets in an area variations of each other, like Savile Road, Savile Gardens, Savile Drive, will all be near each other. So you've got to be vigilant! Don't let the buggers trick you!
Anyway, I made it to their flat eventually, and I spent yesterday and most of today walking around. Mainly because that's what I do, that's how I like to see a city and get its vibe, and also because buses make me nervous (because I don't know how or when to get off, or how much to pay, or what those nutty scottish drivers are saying to me), and because I prefer not to pay the fare if I can manage on foot. Saw some more museums, and walked to the top of a Necropolis. How badass and Heroes of Might and Magic is that? (I just totally outed myself as a former fantasy gaming nerd;)
9/24 - Glasgow to Aberdeen
See above. And now I'm in Aberdeen. This bus ride kind of sucked because I got to the bus scheduled to leave at 5:40 at 5:37. They gave me stern looks, and threw my backpack into the hold before I could take anything entertaining out of it. No book, no journal, no ipod. And I didn't even make a friend. It was kind of a long and lonely 3 hours.
Finally, a note on Scotland:
Scotland has a reputation of being very beautiful. Once you're actually here though, it has more a reputation of being cold and dark and cloudy and grey and drizzly. All of which it is. The thing is, Scotland is pretty in its greyness. I've never appreciated this sort of weather much. It's dreary, and sunshine makes you smile and want to frolic outside. But there is something very special about the cloudy sky here. It goes on forever, the clouds are absolutely massive, and alive, and complicated. That, coupled with the green landscape, the fields and the mountains, and I kind of know what I was looking for here. Also, I think I could live in Edinburgh or Glasgow, although they're very different. I'm really looking forward to going into the proper countryside in the next few days. For now, I get to see what UK uni. life is like. :)
9/19, my second day in London, I went to the National Gallery, which was pretty and manageable size-wise. Saw a teeny bit of Van Gogh and Renoir and Monet, and a couple by Raphael, so I went home happy. I've been filling a lot of my UK time with museums because they're free and I expect I won't bother to shell out for any when they're not. Museums are all well and good, but I am above all pinching pennies, and wandering around aimlessly is always free. Of course, if I need a place to stay warm and/or dry, I may go crawling back for more "art" and "culture".
I also went to see Troilus and Cressida at the Globe. I paid £5 for a "groundling" spot. I was off to the side, but right near the stage. My neck and back and legs were quite sore by the end, but it was definitely a cool experience to have once. Also, seeing that particular play might well have been once in a lifetime. :)
9/20 - London to Edinburgh
Spent most of the day on a bus. Made friends with a 44 year old Australian guy named Mark. He is also backpacking and travelling around, and he is totally cool. When I got to Edinburgh, I met up with Splinter Eye's dad (also Mark), and his partner Leticia. She is from Mexico, so I had the very traditional Scottish meal of tostadas my first night there.
9/21 - Edinburgh (a day of WALKING)
Met up with Anna Waymack. We toured Edinburgh castle well and thoroughly. It's a right old thing, up on a hill formed by a dormant volcano. Then we had lunch at The Elephant House, a cool local cafe where JK Rowling wrote the first HP book. I tried my first haggis there (along with "neeps and tatties"). It was actually pretty decent. Kind of rich, creamy, salty, and meaty. Not as disturbing as it sounds, though the texture is a bit odd. Then we looked around a really pretty cathedral, then I walked a mile to the Holyrood Palace, recently vacated by the Royal family. Instead of touring it, I went and climbed a mountain behind it. At the top, it was the windiest it has ever been. I think I walked at least 8 miles that day, much of it uphill. By the end, I was pretty wiped out.
9/22 - St. Andrews
Leticia drove me up to this beautiful small town about an hour and a half from Edinburgh. It's home to the 3rd oldest university in the UK, where two of my UWC friends, Jasper and Chike, happen to go. I went hoping that I would meet up with one or both of them, but in the end it didn't work out. I still had a nice time wandering around as all the "freshers" moved in. I went into a very potent smelling cheese shop where a sexy long-haired man worked in front of a large pirate banner that said "Time flies when you're having rum." Truer words were never spoke. I also toured another castle and another cathedral, these in a more ruined state, but also less recently amended by Queen Victoria. That night, upon returning to Edinburgh, I went out to a Scottish pub quiz game with Mark and Leticia. We didn't do too well, but we won a bottle of wine anyway (for coming in second to last). And it was fun.
9/23 - Off to Glasgow
Took another bus. They're starting to blend together for me now. I think I kind of dozed through this one, and it wasn't that long anyway. I had some trouble navigating the city buses once I got to Glasgow. The woman I was staying with (Sarah, married to Tim, mother of very cute 3 year old Ben, 8 months pregnant with another, daughter of a woman my parents apparently know through their synagogue) told me to take a bus and look for a big McDonald's on Pollokshaws road(they're everywhere, by the way). I asked the bus driver when I got on if he was going to that landmark on Paul Shore road or some such thing (not really being familiar with the words I was hearing). He said yes, and I got on. But I missed it when we passed by, and he noticed I was still there a few minutes later. He said "I thought you knew where you were going!" I was like...um, no, not really. So he insisted that I stay on the bus until he found one going the other way, which he then put me on, and told the other driver to make sure I got off at the right stop. He was very sweet, as was the other driver and a passenger I asked. It seems like everyone in Glasgow is always going where you're going. Or maybe they're so nice they pretend they are so they can show you where it is. It's quite funny. But it was embarrassing. And I ended up getting off before the actual stop anyway, because I'm stubborn and independent like that, and I thought I'd seen the street I was looking for. See, in UK cities they always name streets in an area variations of each other, like Savile Road, Savile Gardens, Savile Drive, will all be near each other. So you've got to be vigilant! Don't let the buggers trick you!
Anyway, I made it to their flat eventually, and I spent yesterday and most of today walking around. Mainly because that's what I do, that's how I like to see a city and get its vibe, and also because buses make me nervous (because I don't know how or when to get off, or how much to pay, or what those nutty scottish drivers are saying to me), and because I prefer not to pay the fare if I can manage on foot. Saw some more museums, and walked to the top of a Necropolis. How badass and Heroes of Might and Magic is that? (I just totally outed myself as a former fantasy gaming nerd;)
9/24 - Glasgow to Aberdeen
See above. And now I'm in Aberdeen. This bus ride kind of sucked because I got to the bus scheduled to leave at 5:40 at 5:37. They gave me stern looks, and threw my backpack into the hold before I could take anything entertaining out of it. No book, no journal, no ipod. And I didn't even make a friend. It was kind of a long and lonely 3 hours.
Finally, a note on Scotland:
Scotland has a reputation of being very beautiful. Once you're actually here though, it has more a reputation of being cold and dark and cloudy and grey and drizzly. All of which it is. The thing is, Scotland is pretty in its greyness. I've never appreciated this sort of weather much. It's dreary, and sunshine makes you smile and want to frolic outside. But there is something very special about the cloudy sky here. It goes on forever, the clouds are absolutely massive, and alive, and complicated. That, coupled with the green landscape, the fields and the mountains, and I kind of know what I was looking for here. Also, I think I could live in Edinburgh or Glasgow, although they're very different. I'm really looking forward to going into the proper countryside in the next few days. For now, I get to see what UK uni. life is like. :)
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Fun facts
OK, I'm not really sure how to format this. I don't really like just listing what I've been up to, I like fleshing it out and making it colorful, but if I do that, these mo-fos go on forever. So...if for some reason (you're my parents? you're procrastinating? you just like me?) you've been reading this, please give me feedback. For one thing, I'm theoretically some kind of aspiring writer, so feedback is definitely good in that sense, and I am also totally new to the world of blogging. So I'm not really sure what sort of stuff is expected of me. Not that I would necessarily want to provide that, but it might serve as a good springboard. All right, hopefully that's all of my apologetic writing out the way. For now I'll just write whatever I feel like.
Tidbits:
Here are some things I've learned recently that I think are cool.
1. Lucky Charms are sold (only?) in a candy store in Glasgow. They are imported specially from America, treated as a novelty item, and they charge £8 (0r $13.60) for a box.
2. There are crazy tunnels (called mines and counter-mines) under the ruins of St. Andrews' castle. They are the oldest preserved physical example of medeival seige engineering in the world today. They're from, umm 1370ish I think. Some guys wanted to take over the castle, but the guys in the castle found out they were digging a tunnel underneath, so they dug another tunnel (the "counter-mine"), by hand and quickly and managed to fend off those first crazy tunnel diggers. I got to wander round in this crazy man-made tunnel from 600 years ago. Some of the clay was still wet (because it's under the ocean.)
3. Apparently, whistling is a secret signal between gay people. At least according to this really awesome Australian guy I made friends with on the bus between London and Edinburgh. I discovered this tidbit entirely by accident, and I still have serious doubts as to its veracity and implications.
4. According to my palm, I am fiercely independent, I take friendship very seriously, and I'm ambitious, but I might be ambitious in the wrong thing. That all sounds pretty reasonable to me. But you'd have to ask the Indian gentleman I met in London for more details.
5. People in Glasgow are called "Glaswegians". Can't say exactly why, but I think that's hilarious. They are also very friendly. If you approach them.
6. St. Mungo's is a real place. It is a museum of religious life in Glasgow. There, I learned:
7. Representatives from all the religions in Glasgow signed a pact to respect one another and try to get along in 2002, as a response to 9/11 and the War on Terror. I just think that's pretty sweet.
8. All four Scandinavian countries (Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland) are among the top 10 per capita consumers of ice cream. Basically, it's the 10 richest countries. I learned this at Pub Quiz in Edinburgh.
9. I went to the birthplace of Harry Potter and the birthplace of golf in the space of 24 hours.
10. Backpacking would be 300 times as good if you took a masseuse with you.
11. Most Brits (from my study sample of 2) have never heard of Craig Ferguson.
That's it for now. Proper update to follow.
Tidbits:
Here are some things I've learned recently that I think are cool.
1. Lucky Charms are sold (only?) in a candy store in Glasgow. They are imported specially from America, treated as a novelty item, and they charge £8 (0r $13.60) for a box.
2. There are crazy tunnels (called mines and counter-mines) under the ruins of St. Andrews' castle. They are the oldest preserved physical example of medeival seige engineering in the world today. They're from, umm 1370ish I think. Some guys wanted to take over the castle, but the guys in the castle found out they were digging a tunnel underneath, so they dug another tunnel (the "counter-mine"), by hand and quickly and managed to fend off those first crazy tunnel diggers. I got to wander round in this crazy man-made tunnel from 600 years ago. Some of the clay was still wet (because it's under the ocean.)
3. Apparently, whistling is a secret signal between gay people. At least according to this really awesome Australian guy I made friends with on the bus between London and Edinburgh. I discovered this tidbit entirely by accident, and I still have serious doubts as to its veracity and implications.
4. According to my palm, I am fiercely independent, I take friendship very seriously, and I'm ambitious, but I might be ambitious in the wrong thing. That all sounds pretty reasonable to me. But you'd have to ask the Indian gentleman I met in London for more details.
5. People in Glasgow are called "Glaswegians". Can't say exactly why, but I think that's hilarious. They are also very friendly. If you approach them.
6. St. Mungo's is a real place. It is a museum of religious life in Glasgow. There, I learned:
7. Representatives from all the religions in Glasgow signed a pact to respect one another and try to get along in 2002, as a response to 9/11 and the War on Terror. I just think that's pretty sweet.
8. All four Scandinavian countries (Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland) are among the top 10 per capita consumers of ice cream. Basically, it's the 10 richest countries. I learned this at Pub Quiz in Edinburgh.
9. I went to the birthplace of Harry Potter and the birthplace of golf in the space of 24 hours.
10. Backpacking would be 300 times as good if you took a masseuse with you.
11. Most Brits (from my study sample of 2) have never heard of Craig Ferguson.
That's it for now. Proper update to follow.
Friday, September 18, 2009
The downsides of travel...so far
Yes, I just finished the last post, but I don't know how often I'm going to get to do this, and I have a lot to say.
So my feelings about this backpacking adventure are complicated, and change often. Generally, though, my attitude is that this is something that was extremely important for me to get to do. I expect I will do more similar sorts of things (lighting off to foreign lands with no particular plans, just to see what I see and have adventures) throughout my life, but I have wander lust and I have it bad, and I always have, so the time had come. I needed a break from school as well. And I figured that spending some time away would really help me appreciate Brown more and love it all the more when I get back.
On the other hand, I'm not expecting this to be a pleasure cruise. It was almost specifically designed NOT to be. I allotted a mere $300 for lodging for the whole 3 months I am here. That meant I chose to depend entirely on the kindness of strangers, my own resourcefulness, and well-cultivated homeless persona. And of course the network of friends abroad I am lucky enough to have.
But here are the downsides to all these plans, or rather, lack thereof. I'm never quite sure where I am going to end up sleeping any given night. I have friends in a lot of places, but I have to figure out how to find them and get to them, and that might not always work out. And it's going to get uncomfortable. I don't like asking people for favors, and I don't like being a burden. (I think this trip will hopefully help cure me of these things somewhat :) I know I am also going to quickly get tired of living out of a backpack. I'm already tired of worrying about money all the time, but I'm pretty sure that's not going to stop. I'm really determined to not go over budget for this trip, but my budget is extremely optimistic, probably to the point of foolhardiness, so it's a hard line to walk. I've been obsessively bargain-shopping for the cheapest ways to get around and the cheapest things to eat. I've always prided myself on being moderate and disciplined in my spending, sometimes even to the point of aesceticism, but I've also come to enjoy the comforts of not having to cook for myself or figure out what to do about grocery shopping. And I love to travel, and I love to see theatre. So this trip is quite a study in inner struggle with all that. Also because I really do not like a version of me that is obsessed with money. Far too many people care far too much about that, and I don't like to hear myself think or talk about it. And yet, it is in fact necessary to get from place to place and to do many things. At least until I learn better how to do without it.
In any case, I think I'm sort of rambling now. What I meant to say is that: I know this trip is not going to be easy. I expect there are going to be a lot of stresses and frustrations and problems and mistakes. Just today after hours of searching for the cheapest forms of transportation online, I accidentally booked two buses I couldn't actually use. That was extremely frustrating. And I am expecting to become deeply lonely as the weeks roll on. And I am expecting to want to be left alone after weeks of staying with various people I know to varying degrees. And I am expecting to be cold and tired and hungry and uncomfortable. I have basically worked all these things into the game plan, whether consciously or not. However, at least as of now, I am OK with all that. For one thing, this trip being hard is one of the things that will make me happier to go home. I also think it will give me a lot of good opportunity for reflection and growth. And in this crazy fast-paced world we live in, I rather welcome a couple of months that will drag on and be hard to get through. The world could use a little slowing down, if you ask me. I'm looking forward to noticing the seasons change, and to really feeling that first winter snow.
Last night I made myself a make-shift mattress on a study-abroad dormitory floor. Troy had two extra pillows, one went under my head, and the other, placed perpendicularly, served as support for my torso. I also folded my small toilet in half and put that and my fall jacket and a sweater beneath me. And I used the one small fleece blanket I thought to pack and bring with me for cover and warmth. Be assured, it wasn't the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in, but it was unmistakably mine, and part of the experience. I guess all the homelessness training and conditioning I've undergone through the years hasn't gone to waste after all. ;)
So my feelings about this backpacking adventure are complicated, and change often. Generally, though, my attitude is that this is something that was extremely important for me to get to do. I expect I will do more similar sorts of things (lighting off to foreign lands with no particular plans, just to see what I see and have adventures) throughout my life, but I have wander lust and I have it bad, and I always have, so the time had come. I needed a break from school as well. And I figured that spending some time away would really help me appreciate Brown more and love it all the more when I get back.
On the other hand, I'm not expecting this to be a pleasure cruise. It was almost specifically designed NOT to be. I allotted a mere $300 for lodging for the whole 3 months I am here. That meant I chose to depend entirely on the kindness of strangers, my own resourcefulness, and well-cultivated homeless persona. And of course the network of friends abroad I am lucky enough to have.
But here are the downsides to all these plans, or rather, lack thereof. I'm never quite sure where I am going to end up sleeping any given night. I have friends in a lot of places, but I have to figure out how to find them and get to them, and that might not always work out. And it's going to get uncomfortable. I don't like asking people for favors, and I don't like being a burden. (I think this trip will hopefully help cure me of these things somewhat :) I know I am also going to quickly get tired of living out of a backpack. I'm already tired of worrying about money all the time, but I'm pretty sure that's not going to stop. I'm really determined to not go over budget for this trip, but my budget is extremely optimistic, probably to the point of foolhardiness, so it's a hard line to walk. I've been obsessively bargain-shopping for the cheapest ways to get around and the cheapest things to eat. I've always prided myself on being moderate and disciplined in my spending, sometimes even to the point of aesceticism, but I've also come to enjoy the comforts of not having to cook for myself or figure out what to do about grocery shopping. And I love to travel, and I love to see theatre. So this trip is quite a study in inner struggle with all that. Also because I really do not like a version of me that is obsessed with money. Far too many people care far too much about that, and I don't like to hear myself think or talk about it. And yet, it is in fact necessary to get from place to place and to do many things. At least until I learn better how to do without it.
In any case, I think I'm sort of rambling now. What I meant to say is that: I know this trip is not going to be easy. I expect there are going to be a lot of stresses and frustrations and problems and mistakes. Just today after hours of searching for the cheapest forms of transportation online, I accidentally booked two buses I couldn't actually use. That was extremely frustrating. And I am expecting to become deeply lonely as the weeks roll on. And I am expecting to want to be left alone after weeks of staying with various people I know to varying degrees. And I am expecting to be cold and tired and hungry and uncomfortable. I have basically worked all these things into the game plan, whether consciously or not. However, at least as of now, I am OK with all that. For one thing, this trip being hard is one of the things that will make me happier to go home. I also think it will give me a lot of good opportunity for reflection and growth. And in this crazy fast-paced world we live in, I rather welcome a couple of months that will drag on and be hard to get through. The world could use a little slowing down, if you ask me. I'm looking forward to noticing the seasons change, and to really feeling that first winter snow.
Last night I made myself a make-shift mattress on a study-abroad dormitory floor. Troy had two extra pillows, one went under my head, and the other, placed perpendicularly, served as support for my torso. I also folded my small toilet in half and put that and my fall jacket and a sweater beneath me. And I used the one small fleece blanket I thought to pack and bring with me for cover and warmth. Be assured, it wasn't the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in, but it was unmistakably mine, and part of the experience. I guess all the homelessness training and conditioning I've undergone through the years hasn't gone to waste after all. ;)
Good old London town
Hello again!
I've left Wales and arrived yesterday in, well, you can probably guess from the title. As per a suggestion I'm going to try to do the next few posts in a bit more of an organized way, in small digestible bites, and see how that goes. I'm not sure my brain can really be made to work like that, but I'll give it a shot.
Here's what I've done in London:
-I've gone to see Billy Elliot. Yes indeed, I was drawn to the theatre within mere hours of being here. All I can say is this: IT WAS SO GOOD. I was expecting it to be good, I was expecting to enjoy it, but it far surpassed all of my wildest fantasies. It was well-written and put together. It was a compelling story (both the surface story of a boy who wants to dance, and the background story of a passionate socialist-leaning coal-miners strike in a poor North England town), and the stories were well blended together. I don't even need to tell you how good the dancing was. It was nothing short of awesome, and I am not a big appreciator of dance as these things go. Suffice it to say I have never been so impressed by a thirteen year old, not even at my own Bat Mitzvah. ;) The lead got at least three standing ovations and could have stood a few more.
All right. I suppose I've made my point. It was really good. I'm glad I went.
-I went to two museums: Natural History and the Victoria and Albert. I'm not a HUGE museum enthusiast, as these things go, but education and culture and all that, it's good stuff, especially when you're not going to school like a little delinquent. I liked them both a lot, and none the less because museums in the UK are free. Now there's something these people have really gotten right.
-Tonight I went to the Chabad house of South Kensington for Rosh Hashana dinner. I was hesitant at first, I went mainly to keep my friend Troy company, but it ended up being really great. Delicious (free) hot meal + a chance to meet some really great interesting strangers. I particularly enjoyed the company of the secular Israelis who had made their way there, as I often tend to do.
Those are the highlights. Give me a break, I've only been here a day! Stay "posted," there's more to come.
...
Speaking of puns, as we must, now and again, at dinner one of my new Israeli friends asked me what kind of people there were in Maine. She said, "There are a lot of WASPs aren't there?" I said, "Yes, I suppose. A lot of mosquitoes too."
Sigh. How I miss Maine, and its beautiful autumns. So far, though, Great British weather has been remarkably kind to me. I count my blessings.
I've left Wales and arrived yesterday in, well, you can probably guess from the title. As per a suggestion I'm going to try to do the next few posts in a bit more of an organized way, in small digestible bites, and see how that goes. I'm not sure my brain can really be made to work like that, but I'll give it a shot.
Here's what I've done in London:
-I've gone to see Billy Elliot. Yes indeed, I was drawn to the theatre within mere hours of being here. All I can say is this: IT WAS SO GOOD. I was expecting it to be good, I was expecting to enjoy it, but it far surpassed all of my wildest fantasies. It was well-written and put together. It was a compelling story (both the surface story of a boy who wants to dance, and the background story of a passionate socialist-leaning coal-miners strike in a poor North England town), and the stories were well blended together. I don't even need to tell you how good the dancing was. It was nothing short of awesome, and I am not a big appreciator of dance as these things go. Suffice it to say I have never been so impressed by a thirteen year old, not even at my own Bat Mitzvah. ;) The lead got at least three standing ovations and could have stood a few more.
All right. I suppose I've made my point. It was really good. I'm glad I went.
-I went to two museums: Natural History and the Victoria and Albert. I'm not a HUGE museum enthusiast, as these things go, but education and culture and all that, it's good stuff, especially when you're not going to school like a little delinquent. I liked them both a lot, and none the less because museums in the UK are free. Now there's something these people have really gotten right.
-Tonight I went to the Chabad house of South Kensington for Rosh Hashana dinner. I was hesitant at first, I went mainly to keep my friend Troy company, but it ended up being really great. Delicious (free) hot meal + a chance to meet some really great interesting strangers. I particularly enjoyed the company of the secular Israelis who had made their way there, as I often tend to do.
Those are the highlights. Give me a break, I've only been here a day! Stay "posted," there's more to come.
...
Speaking of puns, as we must, now and again, at dinner one of my new Israeli friends asked me what kind of people there were in Maine. She said, "There are a lot of WASPs aren't there?" I said, "Yes, I suppose. A lot of mosquitoes too."
Sigh. How I miss Maine, and its beautiful autumns. So far, though, Great British weather has been remarkably kind to me. I count my blessings.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Welcome to Wales, or is it Cymru?
All right, here we go. Bear with me all as I navigate this new stage in my reluctant emergence into modern technology. Also, I'm offering my disclaimer here that I am loqaucious, long-winded and verbose, and I generally have a lot to say. So all ye faint-hearted, be warned.
Since this is my first post I think a quick intro to my trip is warranted, before I launch in and tell you what's happened so far. I took the fall semester off from Brown University so that I could spend the next three months travelling willfully around Europe. I know it's an awful stereotype for the young adventurous liberal American to end up lost amidst the limitless possibilities of a liberal arts education and to decide to jet off to Europe to find oneself. Generally, I try to avoid fulfilling stereotypes if I can help it, but as things panned out, I've always wanted to travel and see whatever bits of the world I can manage/afford, just going straight on to college after high school seemed a bit too traditional and dull, I wasn't really sure what I was doing there or what I was hoping to get out of it, and it seemed reasonable to seize my opportunity to go off and wander around with no rules and no particular destinations before someone manages to convince me to settle down, get a real job and learn to be practical and unhappy (heaven forfend!)
Before I left I had a list of countries I hoped to get to, in more or less the chronological order I foresaw/sketched out. Here it is: England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Bosnia, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Morocco, France, Belgium, the Netherlands. I think that might be it, but I'm really not sure. Obviously I'd love to make it to Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Finland, Sweden and the rest, but really, let's be reasonable, shall we?
As it turns out, I am pretty confident I won't make it to all the countries on the list. I am traveling on a very tight budget (about $4000 for the 3 months--wish me luck!), and I think where I stay and for how long will be more determined by who will have me than by how many countries I'd like to have on my resume by the time I get back. I guess really it comes down to priorities, would I rather spend time with people I know and like and see more of a country, or dash around seeing as much as humanly possible. It'll most likely go to the former, though no one's really gotten a satisfactory answer out of me yet as to what my goal or objective for this trip actually is, which might be influencing the vagary about everything else.
All right, 4 paragraphs down and I haven't told you what I've been doing yet. You can't say I didn't warn you.
After about a week of frantically getting organized and packed, and then doing a whirlwind visit to friends at Brown, I took off from Newark airport Tuesday September 8. I had a relatively uneventful (and sleepless) overnight flight, sitting next to an Irish nun who has been on mission in Saudi Arabia.
The adventures began in earnest when I got to London, Heathrow airport and needed to find a way to Cardiff, Wales. I had to wait in a really long "queue", and when I finally got my bus ticket, I had about 3 minutes to board it before it left, meaning I didn't have time to call my friend Richenda (who was to pick me up from Cardiff and take me to her house) from a pay phone before I left. "All right," I said to myself, "I'll just make a friend on the bus and borrow their cell phone." Like ya do. (Don't worry, I have experience with these scenarios. I was in much worse trouble on the bus from the Colombian-Venezuelan border to Caracas 2 years ago. But that's a story for another day).
The gentleman who sat next to me was a likely enough suspect. Over the course of the trip I learned that he was Russian, from St. Petersburg, that he was going to Cardiff for the Wales v. Russia soccer match (leading up to the World Cup in some way), that he had two children aged 3.5 and 5.5, that his name was Evgeny, some great Russian jokes about their cultural obsession with drinking, that he and the Russian man sitting next to him on the right were drinking whiskey out of apple juice bottles, and that Russian men are among the most virile, and he would give me the best night of my life, if I was interested. (These last items, to be fair, came from the man on the right, after a considerable dose of whiskey).
In the end, I got the phone use I needed, an extra phone number and some free whiskey before 11 am (which was 5 am to me). I also had an entertaining, if embarrassing, three hours. I did not, however, get "the best night of my life," for better or worse.
That's probably the most outrageous of my experiences in Europe so far, and an amusing welcome it was. Some highlights since then include:
-Exploring Cardiff and Cardiff Bay. (and learning that Cymru is Welsh for "Wales", and is pronounced not "sim-roo" as you might think, but "kum-ree") Also, Welsh is everywhere. It often makes looking at signs a bit disorienting.
-Exploring some lovely bits of the landscape. Cliffs, mountains, valleys, the sea. Everything's rugged and vibrantly green. There are animals EVERYWHERE. Like, every other house is a farm. It's pretty nuts. I've seen sheep, horses, cows, donkeys, rabbits, a shrew, pheasants, swans, and more. I've lucked out on weather so far. It hasn't rained yet, and it's been pretty sunny and warm. Hoping that sticks around, though the odds aren't good.
-Seeing a "lifeboat" get launched. These are kind of like coastguard boats, they go out and rescue people from the sea, but the government doesn't fund them, so they're all run by volunteers. The ceremony included 2 national anthems, the Archbishop of Wales, and a bunch of kids singing a sea shanty of their own invention. That certainly warmed my cold pirately heart.
-Visiting UWC- Atlantic College. That was quite an incredible experience. It's an unbelievably beautiful campus, complete with a REAL castle they just get to use and hang out in (I totally couldn't get over that- it had a working portcullis and all kinds of turrets and stone spiral staircases and gargoyles and fabulous ceilings. Sigh) It made me a bit nostalgic, talking to all these young kids who have only some idea of the life-changing experience they're in for. Also, their system of service is so much better and more intense than my campus's. Which was interesting.
-Lots of long walks, a bit of pubbing, and a Welsh culture museum (I know that sounds like a contradiction in terms.)
I think those are the highlights. It's also been great catching up with Richenda, whom I haven't seen in about 2 years. I've had it very cushy at her house, and I'm staying over a week, but I am looking forward to plenty of interesting and varied challenges and adventures in the weeks to come. Next stops: 3 days in London, then a Scottish tour. :)
Since this is my first post I think a quick intro to my trip is warranted, before I launch in and tell you what's happened so far. I took the fall semester off from Brown University so that I could spend the next three months travelling willfully around Europe. I know it's an awful stereotype for the young adventurous liberal American to end up lost amidst the limitless possibilities of a liberal arts education and to decide to jet off to Europe to find oneself. Generally, I try to avoid fulfilling stereotypes if I can help it, but as things panned out, I've always wanted to travel and see whatever bits of the world I can manage/afford, just going straight on to college after high school seemed a bit too traditional and dull, I wasn't really sure what I was doing there or what I was hoping to get out of it, and it seemed reasonable to seize my opportunity to go off and wander around with no rules and no particular destinations before someone manages to convince me to settle down, get a real job and learn to be practical and unhappy (heaven forfend!)
Before I left I had a list of countries I hoped to get to, in more or less the chronological order I foresaw/sketched out. Here it is: England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Bosnia, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Morocco, France, Belgium, the Netherlands. I think that might be it, but I'm really not sure. Obviously I'd love to make it to Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Finland, Sweden and the rest, but really, let's be reasonable, shall we?
As it turns out, I am pretty confident I won't make it to all the countries on the list. I am traveling on a very tight budget (about $4000 for the 3 months--wish me luck!), and I think where I stay and for how long will be more determined by who will have me than by how many countries I'd like to have on my resume by the time I get back. I guess really it comes down to priorities, would I rather spend time with people I know and like and see more of a country, or dash around seeing as much as humanly possible. It'll most likely go to the former, though no one's really gotten a satisfactory answer out of me yet as to what my goal or objective for this trip actually is, which might be influencing the vagary about everything else.
All right, 4 paragraphs down and I haven't told you what I've been doing yet. You can't say I didn't warn you.
After about a week of frantically getting organized and packed, and then doing a whirlwind visit to friends at Brown, I took off from Newark airport Tuesday September 8. I had a relatively uneventful (and sleepless) overnight flight, sitting next to an Irish nun who has been on mission in Saudi Arabia.
The adventures began in earnest when I got to London, Heathrow airport and needed to find a way to Cardiff, Wales. I had to wait in a really long "queue", and when I finally got my bus ticket, I had about 3 minutes to board it before it left, meaning I didn't have time to call my friend Richenda (who was to pick me up from Cardiff and take me to her house) from a pay phone before I left. "All right," I said to myself, "I'll just make a friend on the bus and borrow their cell phone." Like ya do. (Don't worry, I have experience with these scenarios. I was in much worse trouble on the bus from the Colombian-Venezuelan border to Caracas 2 years ago. But that's a story for another day).
The gentleman who sat next to me was a likely enough suspect. Over the course of the trip I learned that he was Russian, from St. Petersburg, that he was going to Cardiff for the Wales v. Russia soccer match (leading up to the World Cup in some way), that he had two children aged 3.5 and 5.5, that his name was Evgeny, some great Russian jokes about their cultural obsession with drinking, that he and the Russian man sitting next to him on the right were drinking whiskey out of apple juice bottles, and that Russian men are among the most virile, and he would give me the best night of my life, if I was interested. (These last items, to be fair, came from the man on the right, after a considerable dose of whiskey).
In the end, I got the phone use I needed, an extra phone number and some free whiskey before 11 am (which was 5 am to me). I also had an entertaining, if embarrassing, three hours. I did not, however, get "the best night of my life," for better or worse.
That's probably the most outrageous of my experiences in Europe so far, and an amusing welcome it was. Some highlights since then include:
-Exploring Cardiff and Cardiff Bay. (and learning that Cymru is Welsh for "Wales", and is pronounced not "sim-roo" as you might think, but "kum-ree") Also, Welsh is everywhere. It often makes looking at signs a bit disorienting.
-Exploring some lovely bits of the landscape. Cliffs, mountains, valleys, the sea. Everything's rugged and vibrantly green. There are animals EVERYWHERE. Like, every other house is a farm. It's pretty nuts. I've seen sheep, horses, cows, donkeys, rabbits, a shrew, pheasants, swans, and more. I've lucked out on weather so far. It hasn't rained yet, and it's been pretty sunny and warm. Hoping that sticks around, though the odds aren't good.
-Seeing a "lifeboat" get launched. These are kind of like coastguard boats, they go out and rescue people from the sea, but the government doesn't fund them, so they're all run by volunteers. The ceremony included 2 national anthems, the Archbishop of Wales, and a bunch of kids singing a sea shanty of their own invention. That certainly warmed my cold pirately heart.
-Visiting UWC- Atlantic College. That was quite an incredible experience. It's an unbelievably beautiful campus, complete with a REAL castle they just get to use and hang out in (I totally couldn't get over that- it had a working portcullis and all kinds of turrets and stone spiral staircases and gargoyles and fabulous ceilings. Sigh) It made me a bit nostalgic, talking to all these young kids who have only some idea of the life-changing experience they're in for. Also, their system of service is so much better and more intense than my campus's. Which was interesting.
-Lots of long walks, a bit of pubbing, and a Welsh culture museum (I know that sounds like a contradiction in terms.)
I think those are the highlights. It's also been great catching up with Richenda, whom I haven't seen in about 2 years. I've had it very cushy at her house, and I'm staying over a week, but I am looking forward to plenty of interesting and varied challenges and adventures in the weeks to come. Next stops: 3 days in London, then a Scottish tour. :)
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