This will be short and sweet.
Tonight I went to a "Glee" performance Sophie's fellow Med students had organized to benefit charity.
I had no idea what I was getting into.
The show featured students singing songs from popular musicals and other common pop culture songs, and also had a loose plot. At first I thought they were being bad on purpose, but as they sang song after song I noticed no improvement. As for the plot, I had no idea what was going on the whole time. Luckily Sophie and her friends shared my opinion of the music and we joked about it the entire time. These kids massacred some of my favorite showtunes such as "Out tonight", "Seasons of love", "I'm not that girl", and "Phantom of the opera", as well as "Help", and "Thriller" to name a few. To give you an idea, key was off, pitch was flat, and there was barely any vibrato. Now, I'm no highly trained opera prodigy, but compared to these people my voice is Broadway quality. Yeah.
I think of it as terrible American Idol auditions live, with microphones, and an accompanying band which is almost as bad as the singers. At least you can put the TV on mute. Poor Simon, I feel so bad for his ears right now. He doesn't mind I'm sure, after all he is getting paid millions to listen to and insult horrible singers.
This was even worse than that community theater production of Little Shop of Horrors I took David and Miles to. Needless to say, we left halfway through. No such luck this time. It was highly comical, and pretty painful all at the same time.
Whatever that was, it certainly did not make me feel "Glee"ful. XP
Friday 25 February 2011
Thursday 24 February 2011
Hi there! It's been quite awhile hasn't it?
The people downstairs are being loud, so there's no point in even attempting to go to sleep. I figured this would be a perfect time to update. (It was either this or call home, but nothing's ever new at home anyway, and this blog needs sprucing up.)
I'll start out by saying cooking fever hasn't worn off yet. Luckily I have found friends who also enjoy cooking, and together he have made some pretty interesting dishes.
Behold, a rabbit with roasted potatoes on the side.
Sorry to those of you who have owned pet rabbits, I hope you're not too traumatized.
Also, I wasn't brave enough to try it, but Pascoe and Ian cooked the heart as well.
How often do you get to see rabbit heart?
Apparently it tasted alright, Ian is still very much alive.
A few nights ago, we got together again and made a delicious stir fry, made up of rice, egg, veggies, and pigeon breast. Pigeon actually tastes nice, tougher than chicken, and more flavorful, but still tender. I'd eat it again.
As for those duck and venison sausages I mentioned in a previous post, they were disappointingly nondescript. Whoever made them put in so much salt I could barely taste flavor from the meat. XP Pity, I thought it would be more interesting.
Bell peppers are officially my favorite healthy snack. I find the red, orange, and yellow ones from the market to be crisp and full of flavor, even after being in the fridge for a few days. Better than stuffing myself full of carbs.
Fresh fish from the market is also good. : )
On Valentine's Day I tried to give blood, but my iron was slightly too low. This has happened to me several times in the past couple years. Out of 5 attempts, I have only been able to donate 2 times. : ( I promptly went to the store and grabbed a bag of spinach, apparently that's supposed to have a lot of iron in it.
Besides eating, I have also been going various places to be social, and to keep from getting bored. I have been to the LCR twice (this time accompanied by friends, makes it A LOT more fun)
The second time was particularly enjoyable because it was Harry Potter themed. People were dressed up in a wide array of costumes, many of the songs had a "magic" theme, and the Sorting Hat was even there!
Of course I was sorted into Gryffindor. : D The hat put Ian in Hufflepuff; I guess he's a particularly good "finder".
I was glad to see people were so into it. It all reminded my of Infinitus, the Harry Potter convention I went to last year. Fun times.
While I was at this HP LCR, I tried my first alcoholic beverage. My thoughts: gross. Coke tastes a lot better without rum in it. I ended up throwing most of it away. That night I had a horrible stomach ache, not sure whether it was from the tiny bit of alcohol in my system or from dinner, but just to be safe I disposed of the supper leftovers.
Last weekend I took my first trip to London. When I saw the Thames for the first time on the bus I thought "That's it?". The tour guide told us it used to be wider, but the banks had been developed extensively. He also mentioned that there's one particular spot where all the trash and dead bodies wash up....good to know. I will definitely be back soon to get more in depth. The tour guide didn't let us linger at any one location for very long, so I had to snap photos quickly before being whisked away to a different part of West London. We started off opposite the London Eye and worked our way down to Whitehall. I've read many books which take place in London, and actually walking down the streets felt pretty cool. Here's a picture by Whitehall,
Packing some major heat there boys.
Nest we saw the changing of the guard. There were people in my way, so I couldn't get too many good shots, but I liked this one.
Too bad I couldn't capture the chap on a horse, but people were shoving me into this giant lake puddle, so I missed my chance.
Next was the famous Westminster. I learned that Big Ben is actually the bell INSIDE the clock, not the clock itself.
The image above is the side of Westminster Abbey where the Prince and Princess will walk out after getting married inside. People my age don't really care about the royal family, they say they're just a tourist attraction. I guess all the "love the Queen" stuff is for old people. XD
After that we walked through St. James park and parted at Piccadilly Circus. My new friend Elizabeth and I were starving, so we got some Japanese food. It was so nice to have sushi again. We walked around a bit after that, went to a Waterstone's book store where I got a couple books, found a small chocolate store and got a few truffles, stumbled into Chinatown, and finally got to Trafalgar Square.
The trip was fun, but I was very glad to get back because that ENTIRE TIME my shoes and socks were soaked through. Next time I'll be wear waterproof boots.
The past couple days I've been sleeping a lot due to being a little under the weather. Thy dryness of my room probably has a lot to do with it. Should invest in a humidifier, but don't want to spend the money.
Oh yeah, speaking of which, for 90 pounds I am going to Barcelona and Rome for 10 days during Easter! Sophie and I are going backpacking! It should be quite an adventure. I'm looking forward to a lot of gelato and world class art. : D
Going to the castle this weekend, will be back with more pics soon.
The people downstairs are being loud, so there's no point in even attempting to go to sleep. I figured this would be a perfect time to update. (It was either this or call home, but nothing's ever new at home anyway, and this blog needs sprucing up.)
I'll start out by saying cooking fever hasn't worn off yet. Luckily I have found friends who also enjoy cooking, and together he have made some pretty interesting dishes.
Behold, a rabbit with roasted potatoes on the side.
Sorry to those of you who have owned pet rabbits, I hope you're not too traumatized.
Also, I wasn't brave enough to try it, but Pascoe and Ian cooked the heart as well.
How often do you get to see rabbit heart?
Apparently it tasted alright, Ian is still very much alive.
A few nights ago, we got together again and made a delicious stir fry, made up of rice, egg, veggies, and pigeon breast. Pigeon actually tastes nice, tougher than chicken, and more flavorful, but still tender. I'd eat it again.
As for those duck and venison sausages I mentioned in a previous post, they were disappointingly nondescript. Whoever made them put in so much salt I could barely taste flavor from the meat. XP Pity, I thought it would be more interesting.
Bell peppers are officially my favorite healthy snack. I find the red, orange, and yellow ones from the market to be crisp and full of flavor, even after being in the fridge for a few days. Better than stuffing myself full of carbs.
Fresh fish from the market is also good. : )
On Valentine's Day I tried to give blood, but my iron was slightly too low. This has happened to me several times in the past couple years. Out of 5 attempts, I have only been able to donate 2 times. : ( I promptly went to the store and grabbed a bag of spinach, apparently that's supposed to have a lot of iron in it.
Besides eating, I have also been going various places to be social, and to keep from getting bored. I have been to the LCR twice (this time accompanied by friends, makes it A LOT more fun)
The second time was particularly enjoyable because it was Harry Potter themed. People were dressed up in a wide array of costumes, many of the songs had a "magic" theme, and the Sorting Hat was even there!
Of course I was sorted into Gryffindor. : D The hat put Ian in Hufflepuff; I guess he's a particularly good "finder".
I was glad to see people were so into it. It all reminded my of Infinitus, the Harry Potter convention I went to last year. Fun times.
While I was at this HP LCR, I tried my first alcoholic beverage. My thoughts: gross. Coke tastes a lot better without rum in it. I ended up throwing most of it away. That night I had a horrible stomach ache, not sure whether it was from the tiny bit of alcohol in my system or from dinner, but just to be safe I disposed of the supper leftovers.
Last weekend I took my first trip to London. When I saw the Thames for the first time on the bus I thought "That's it?". The tour guide told us it used to be wider, but the banks had been developed extensively. He also mentioned that there's one particular spot where all the trash and dead bodies wash up....good to know. I will definitely be back soon to get more in depth. The tour guide didn't let us linger at any one location for very long, so I had to snap photos quickly before being whisked away to a different part of West London. We started off opposite the London Eye and worked our way down to Whitehall. I've read many books which take place in London, and actually walking down the streets felt pretty cool. Here's a picture by Whitehall,
Packing some major heat there boys.
Nest we saw the changing of the guard. There were people in my way, so I couldn't get too many good shots, but I liked this one.
Too bad I couldn't capture the chap on a horse, but people were shoving me into this giant lake puddle, so I missed my chance.
Next was the famous Westminster. I learned that Big Ben is actually the bell INSIDE the clock, not the clock itself.
The image above is the side of Westminster Abbey where the Prince and Princess will walk out after getting married inside. People my age don't really care about the royal family, they say they're just a tourist attraction. I guess all the "love the Queen" stuff is for old people. XD
After that we walked through St. James park and parted at Piccadilly Circus. My new friend Elizabeth and I were starving, so we got some Japanese food. It was so nice to have sushi again. We walked around a bit after that, went to a Waterstone's book store where I got a couple books, found a small chocolate store and got a few truffles, stumbled into Chinatown, and finally got to Trafalgar Square.
The trip was fun, but I was very glad to get back because that ENTIRE TIME my shoes and socks were soaked through. Next time I'll be wear waterproof boots.
The past couple days I've been sleeping a lot due to being a little under the weather. Thy dryness of my room probably has a lot to do with it. Should invest in a humidifier, but don't want to spend the money.
Oh yeah, speaking of which, for 90 pounds I am going to Barcelona and Rome for 10 days during Easter! Sophie and I are going backpacking! It should be quite an adventure. I'm looking forward to a lot of gelato and world class art. : D
Going to the castle this weekend, will be back with more pics soon.
Thursday 10 February 2011
Food, food, food
What's happened since Saturday?
On Monday I got together with Ian, Pascoe, and Andrea for dinner. We decided to make stew, one with beef and one without. Cooking together is quite fun, a nice bonding activity. Talking while chopping, stirring, and washing up makes the time go faster. This "stew" (especially the meat one) was crazy, we added so many ingredients that I lost count halfway through. The result didn't look much like stew at all, mush would probably be a more suitable word. I'm guessing it congealed so much because Pascoe kept adding oats to the mix (reminded me of haggis). Despite looking like Bambi's puked up chocolate from the previous weekend, it tasted good. Next time we should probably refer to a recipe...we were completely impulsive with the preparation of this meal.
Tuesday...in my Criminology lecture/seminar my professor never fails to make a dog pun or direct a remark in Bambi's direction. I find it funny that he acknowledges her presence when she's in the room. Ha, he probably would give her a space on the sign in sheet. Put your pawprint next to your name Bambi.
For dinner that night I had some scrumptious Italian meatballs cooked with olive oil, onion and garlic. I poured what was left from the pan on top of some gnocchi, sprinkled some mozzarella on top, and sliced up a red pepper and dinner was served. So. Freakin'. Good. I'll be cooking that again asap, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
On Wednesdays I don't have classes, so I went into town alone to fill out the paperwork for a disabled bus pass. Got to city hall no problem, got to the appropriate window, piece of cake, the guy hands me an application and tells me to have my GP fill it out. Uh oh, no GP in England. I explain I'm an exchange student and hand over the documents I brought with me. Phew, got out of that, bus pass will be here in about a week. Glad I didn't have to argue with him, hate arguing with bureaucrats. While I'm in town I stopped at the spice stall in the market to ask if they had breadcrumbs (mine went missing, surprise surprise...). The guy remembered me from last Saturday, "the American girl who was here last on Saturday at 3:20" ummmm ok.....I was a little weirded out that he remembered the EXACT time I was there last, but whatever. He didn't have breadcrumbs, but directed me to a supermarket on the next block. Found it and went it, holy crap it was crowded (with like 0 people to ask where the breadcrumbs were) after trying to find them myself and failing, I tracked down a saleswoman in a corner. Got the crumbs and a couple red peppers and left pronto, I'll stick with Morrisson's thanks; they have much better customer service. On my way back to the bus stop I picked up 2 more red peppers in the market, I wanted to compare which tasted the best. That night I cooked up a pork chop, some little potatoes, and ate the 2 peppers while chilling with flatmates in the kitchen. Market won, hands down. Will get my peppers there from now on, same price as the supermarket, but more flavorful.
Thursday, nothing remarkable has happened. Got a student rail pass, topped up my SIM phone cards, and had lunch in the square. I had to laugh when I saw the British version of chocolate chip cookies; they are sugar cookies with chocolate chips on top of them. lol Silly Brits, the chips are supposed to be INSIDE the cookies. XD Maybe it was just that store.
So I guess, just like my dog, I'm very food oriented. Hey, I'd much rather cook than microwave a pizza or order one from *shudder* Domino's. Yeah, they have Domino's here. Why would you embrace such a crappy pizza chain when Italy is so close? Tomorrow I'll get UK takeout for the first time at Sophie's, she's having a get together.
Oh yeah, I've been here for a full month. Liking it a lot.
On Monday I got together with Ian, Pascoe, and Andrea for dinner. We decided to make stew, one with beef and one without. Cooking together is quite fun, a nice bonding activity. Talking while chopping, stirring, and washing up makes the time go faster. This "stew" (especially the meat one) was crazy, we added so many ingredients that I lost count halfway through. The result didn't look much like stew at all, mush would probably be a more suitable word. I'm guessing it congealed so much because Pascoe kept adding oats to the mix (reminded me of haggis). Despite looking like Bambi's puked up chocolate from the previous weekend, it tasted good. Next time we should probably refer to a recipe...we were completely impulsive with the preparation of this meal.
Tuesday...in my Criminology lecture/seminar my professor never fails to make a dog pun or direct a remark in Bambi's direction. I find it funny that he acknowledges her presence when she's in the room. Ha, he probably would give her a space on the sign in sheet. Put your pawprint next to your name Bambi.
For dinner that night I had some scrumptious Italian meatballs cooked with olive oil, onion and garlic. I poured what was left from the pan on top of some gnocchi, sprinkled some mozzarella on top, and sliced up a red pepper and dinner was served. So. Freakin'. Good. I'll be cooking that again asap, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
On Wednesdays I don't have classes, so I went into town alone to fill out the paperwork for a disabled bus pass. Got to city hall no problem, got to the appropriate window, piece of cake, the guy hands me an application and tells me to have my GP fill it out. Uh oh, no GP in England. I explain I'm an exchange student and hand over the documents I brought with me. Phew, got out of that, bus pass will be here in about a week. Glad I didn't have to argue with him, hate arguing with bureaucrats. While I'm in town I stopped at the spice stall in the market to ask if they had breadcrumbs (mine went missing, surprise surprise...). The guy remembered me from last Saturday, "the American girl who was here last on Saturday at 3:20" ummmm ok.....I was a little weirded out that he remembered the EXACT time I was there last, but whatever. He didn't have breadcrumbs, but directed me to a supermarket on the next block. Found it and went it, holy crap it was crowded (with like 0 people to ask where the breadcrumbs were) after trying to find them myself and failing, I tracked down a saleswoman in a corner. Got the crumbs and a couple red peppers and left pronto, I'll stick with Morrisson's thanks; they have much better customer service. On my way back to the bus stop I picked up 2 more red peppers in the market, I wanted to compare which tasted the best. That night I cooked up a pork chop, some little potatoes, and ate the 2 peppers while chilling with flatmates in the kitchen. Market won, hands down. Will get my peppers there from now on, same price as the supermarket, but more flavorful.
Thursday, nothing remarkable has happened. Got a student rail pass, topped up my SIM phone cards, and had lunch in the square. I had to laugh when I saw the British version of chocolate chip cookies; they are sugar cookies with chocolate chips on top of them. lol Silly Brits, the chips are supposed to be INSIDE the cookies. XD Maybe it was just that store.
So I guess, just like my dog, I'm very food oriented. Hey, I'd much rather cook than microwave a pizza or order one from *shudder* Domino's. Yeah, they have Domino's here. Why would you embrace such a crappy pizza chain when Italy is so close? Tomorrow I'll get UK takeout for the first time at Sophie's, she's having a get together.
Oh yeah, I've been here for a full month. Liking it a lot.
Saturday 5 February 2011
New experiences
After a day of nothing to report (Friday), I now have something to write about.
First off, I don't know if this is an England thing, a winter thing, or just something random, but it's been REALLY windy here for the past few days. Like so windy I wonder if my windows will hold up. Since half my wall space is windows, they better. I blame the wind for my lack of doing much of anything yesterday (except a walk with Bambi on the bike path)...was going to go into town, but didn't feel like trekking around with heavy bags and getting bits of dirt blown in my eyes.
Today I had no choice, I had to go into Norwich to get food. My friend Pascoe came with me (always nice to bring a friend along on outings), and we ended up doing some pretty cool stuff. First we went into the mall to find a pharmacy (had to pick up something I forgot to take with me on the plane), then sampled some fudge at a nearby table. Got a small bag of chocolate fudge, and I have to say it was exquisitely chewy and delicious. I like the US variety of peanut butter chocolate though. Next we stopped at a church in the center of town (I thought it looked cool) and we went inside.
I'm an atheist who loves going into churches to look at the grand architecture and decorations. While I was busy looking up at he arches and stained glass windows, Pascoe was staring at the floor. Wondering what he found so interesting down there, I glanced down to see we were standing on, and surrounded by, polished gravestones. The entire floor of the church was covered with them! Not being used to graves inside, I felt a bit uneasy, kind of like I was invading dead people's personal space. How deep down were they buried anyway? The few Pascoe read out to me were from the 1700's, these people had been here a long time. There was one stone which listed a father, mother and son. The father, a confectionery baker, died in his 70's (very old for the time), his wife died in her 50's (that's more like it, back then you were an old maid after you turned 30), and the son died when he was 20. We joked that he ate too many of his father's creations. I doubt many people were obese back then, but diabetes was most likely around.
Here are some pics from the inside of the church (no gravestones)
We then decided to go to the outdoor market; to be honest going anywhere that didn't involve stepping on dead people would have been fine with me at that point. Looked at the fruit and veg vendors first, then moved on to the butchers. What an interesting selection! Since I am in meat and potatoes land, I thought I'd get adventurous with my purchases. I walked away with: 4 Italian sausages (familiar, get those at home all the time), pork chops (again, familiar), a couple pigeon breasts (come on, a New Yorker has to try it at least once), and 4 duck and venison sausages (whoa...it was too strange NOT to pass up).
Pascoe and I parted ways at the bus stop, I had to continue on to the grocery store. Went to Morrisson's and enlisted the help of a nice elderly chap from the customer service desk to help me find things. We took a basket (if I had a cart I would get carried away and not be able to get it all home) and picked up everything I needed. When you're blind/visually impaired it is really nice to have someone who a. can see the things and b. knows where in the store they can be found, help you get your shopping done. It took so little time and effort, better than shopping online because you can see exactly which fruits and vegetables you're getting.
Got back to the dorm and made the chicken soup I was raving about in a previous post again. Came out even better this time, although I did add too much pasta.
Went upstairs and called my friends John and Ewelina. They're puppy raisers for Guiding Eyes who just gave their puppy named Breezy back to the school yesterday so she could complete formal guide dog training. Even though they're first time raisers, these guys really know they're stuff. Breezy is an excellent dog, and I feel extra confident that she will make a fantastic guide dog. Learned that they got a new puppy just a few hours after dropping Breezy off, this new girl is named Gucci (how classy). She's black like Breezy and Bambi, so it's hard to tell them apart unless you get real up close and personal with them, and learn to identify them "the blind way" by touch. Dogs have many features which makes each one different. Head shape is one, as well as, fur type, tail shape, collar worn, and types of tags. I can't wait to meet Gucci and to attend Breezy's graduation!
Special note to John and Ewelina: STOP PAYING FOR THINGS! This is turning out to be a very expensive friendship (for you), and I feel guilty that you never let me pay for anything. Next time we'll use up my international minutes. Spend your money on your new bundle of fluff, she needs twice as many toys as her college bound sister. : )
First off, I don't know if this is an England thing, a winter thing, or just something random, but it's been REALLY windy here for the past few days. Like so windy I wonder if my windows will hold up. Since half my wall space is windows, they better. I blame the wind for my lack of doing much of anything yesterday (except a walk with Bambi on the bike path)...was going to go into town, but didn't feel like trekking around with heavy bags and getting bits of dirt blown in my eyes.
Today I had no choice, I had to go into Norwich to get food. My friend Pascoe came with me (always nice to bring a friend along on outings), and we ended up doing some pretty cool stuff. First we went into the mall to find a pharmacy (had to pick up something I forgot to take with me on the plane), then sampled some fudge at a nearby table. Got a small bag of chocolate fudge, and I have to say it was exquisitely chewy and delicious. I like the US variety of peanut butter chocolate though. Next we stopped at a church in the center of town (I thought it looked cool) and we went inside.
I'm an atheist who loves going into churches to look at the grand architecture and decorations. While I was busy looking up at he arches and stained glass windows, Pascoe was staring at the floor. Wondering what he found so interesting down there, I glanced down to see we were standing on, and surrounded by, polished gravestones. The entire floor of the church was covered with them! Not being used to graves inside, I felt a bit uneasy, kind of like I was invading dead people's personal space. How deep down were they buried anyway? The few Pascoe read out to me were from the 1700's, these people had been here a long time. There was one stone which listed a father, mother and son. The father, a confectionery baker, died in his 70's (very old for the time), his wife died in her 50's (that's more like it, back then you were an old maid after you turned 30), and the son died when he was 20. We joked that he ate too many of his father's creations. I doubt many people were obese back then, but diabetes was most likely around.
Here are some pics from the inside of the church (no gravestones)
We then decided to go to the outdoor market; to be honest going anywhere that didn't involve stepping on dead people would have been fine with me at that point. Looked at the fruit and veg vendors first, then moved on to the butchers. What an interesting selection! Since I am in meat and potatoes land, I thought I'd get adventurous with my purchases. I walked away with: 4 Italian sausages (familiar, get those at home all the time), pork chops (again, familiar), a couple pigeon breasts (come on, a New Yorker has to try it at least once), and 4 duck and venison sausages (whoa...it was too strange NOT to pass up).
Pascoe and I parted ways at the bus stop, I had to continue on to the grocery store. Went to Morrisson's and enlisted the help of a nice elderly chap from the customer service desk to help me find things. We took a basket (if I had a cart I would get carried away and not be able to get it all home) and picked up everything I needed. When you're blind/visually impaired it is really nice to have someone who a. can see the things and b. knows where in the store they can be found, help you get your shopping done. It took so little time and effort, better than shopping online because you can see exactly which fruits and vegetables you're getting.
Got back to the dorm and made the chicken soup I was raving about in a previous post again. Came out even better this time, although I did add too much pasta.
Went upstairs and called my friends John and Ewelina. They're puppy raisers for Guiding Eyes who just gave their puppy named Breezy back to the school yesterday so she could complete formal guide dog training. Even though they're first time raisers, these guys really know they're stuff. Breezy is an excellent dog, and I feel extra confident that she will make a fantastic guide dog. Learned that they got a new puppy just a few hours after dropping Breezy off, this new girl is named Gucci (how classy). She's black like Breezy and Bambi, so it's hard to tell them apart unless you get real up close and personal with them, and learn to identify them "the blind way" by touch. Dogs have many features which makes each one different. Head shape is one, as well as, fur type, tail shape, collar worn, and types of tags. I can't wait to meet Gucci and to attend Breezy's graduation!
Special note to John and Ewelina: STOP PAYING FOR THINGS! This is turning out to be a very expensive friendship (for you), and I feel guilty that you never let me pay for anything. Next time we'll use up my international minutes. Spend your money on your new bundle of fluff, she needs twice as many toys as her college bound sister. : )
Thursday 3 February 2011
Whirlwind of activity
Where to begin?
I guess saying I'm not dead is a good start. Sorry for my lapse in posting! Typing these long posts takes awhile, and a combination of being away from the computer, and dreading the length of the post has led to the late release of this update. Lesson: I should type shorter posts more often than ginormous summaries.
Last Monday was Burn's Night, something we don't have in the US. Sophie invited me over to her flat for dinner; price of admission: one vegetable. I had some broccoli in my fridge, so I headed over to her place looking quite awkward carrying a miniature, edible tree. When I got there I found a kitchen full of people; most of them chopping up carrots or potatoes. This girl is one social butterfly, let me tell you! She's one of those people that knows everybody. I handed in my little green charge who was met with much enthusiasm. Apparently I was the only one who brought a green vegetable! Quite some time later dinner was served. Since there were about 20 people in attendance there was plenty to go round. There were carrots, turnips, baked potatoes, my little broccoli, a giant pot of mashed potatoes, and the star of the night: Haggis. Not knowing what Haggis actually was (besides some type of meat product) and uncharacteristically of me, not caring a bit, I ladelled the stuff onto my plate and took the plunge. How to describe it? Dry-ish pellets with an oaty, meaty, peppery taste quite unlike anything I've ever had. That mixed with the creamy mashed potatoes was an extremely tasty compound, I kept eating until I felt quite full. After dinner we went outside to chat and watch Sophie and a few others play with fiery objects. One thing I found really odd was that people around here are into circus tricks. If there are university clubs devoted to circus performing in the US, I sure as heck don't know about them. Watching the fire dance was interesting; the performer wields two long narrow objects (one in each hand) with fire at the end of them. They twirl and spin, the fire making shining ribbon formations in the air around them. At about 10 I'm knackered (another English vocab word meaning tired/exhausted) so I return home, but cannot resist the urge to look up what haggis is. Yeah, I shouldn't have...
Haggis is a dish containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach.
Gross. But hey, nothing I can do about it now. It tasted good the first time, and I didn't intend to force myself to taste the same haggis again.
So...even if the thought is unsavory, the haggis is very savory, so try it!
Wednesday we didn't end up going to Cambridge, but I will end up going soon. : )
What else happened during the week...? I made a fantastic chicken soup which I ate over 3 days. When I was making it I was wondering why I was going through all this trouble when I could just get soup out of a can, until I tasted it. I don't like to swell my ego, but it did taste delicious, and best of all, I knew exactly what was in it. Will def make this again.
Went to the UEA Anime Club twice, but both times I left early because all the shows were in Japanese with unreadable subtitles (to me) and there was no oppurtunity to socialize. The club organizers said that they'll air a few English episodes...I have no idea when...and until they do it's kind of pointless showing up.
One night I watched Marley and Me with my neighbor Julia. It was very fun, hope to do it again soon.
Now here comes the long bit about my CRAZY weekend. The plan was to go to York, England for a juggling/chocolate convention. Odd combination...I didn't really know what to expect, but I was super excited for a weekend away with my new friends. I walked over to Sophie's with my friend Pascoe. When we got there Sophie, Pascoe, Ian, Sophie's neighbor, and I piled into a minivan taxi along with a wheelchair, guide dog, and 2 unicycles. Got to the train station (taxi was free, yay disabilities!) and got on the train. (Note: UK train stations aren't heated...if you're inside it feels like you're outside. Not good in winter with cute but not so warm boots on.) Since Sophie had a ticket for the train trip already, we figured we could use the "disabled person with carer card" while traveling to save money. Some conductors didn't question it, one was suspicious, and one lady really knew her stuff and we couldn't talk our way out of paying (but that was on our way back, and it was only 23 pounds, but let's get back to the story). Along the way we met Sophie's Swedish friend named Linda who would be joining us. Sophie's neighbor got on a different train to Newcastle, so it was still a party of 5. We made it to York, and trekked through the city to the bus stop. It was freezing, but the bus finally came. The driver was probably making a mental note that we were a bunch of wackos, a wheelchair, a guide dog, and 2 unicycles all in one place aren't things you see everyday.
When we got to Sophie's mum's (not mom, mum...or mother) she had dinner for us, which we greatly appreciated. I don't know what kind it was, but the bread (looked homemade) that she put out was really good (Linda and I took generous helpings of it). We then hung out a bit in the living room (which contained a wonderful fireplace) and enjoyed the warmth. You don't realize how nice being able to feel you feet is until you can't.
Before we went upstairs, each of us girls got a hot water bottle. O. M. G. I have found the true love of my life. Going to sleep with the warm bundle was so pleasurable that I think I'll need to buy like 5 of them the next chance I get.
In the morning we had breakfast (quite a spread, I stuck with porridge) and Gail, Sophie's mum, helped us prepare lunch bags for our day out. When the first bus arrived at the bus stop the driver got spooked by the unicycles (and probably the guide dog and wheelchair) and refused to let us on for "health and safety reasons". We took down his bus number and called the bus company to report him, which we did, and we had no trouble with the following bus. When we got to the train station we got into a taxi to go the rest of the way, because the school the event was taking place in was in the middle of nowhere. When we got there I was surprised at how many people there were participating. Everywhere you looked there were people juggling various objects, playing with hula hoops, batting around devil sticks, balancing things on their heads, and oggling the chocolate cake entries in the competition. Since I can't juggle for crap (requires tracking the fast moving balls with your eyes, which I can't do) we went to a hula hoop workshop. I somehow managed to keep the thing up for a bit, but retired when it got very complicated. We sat and had lunch in the auditorium where people were practicing their juggling skills.
Before the show that evening we went outside, and Ian was nice enough to let me, Linda, and Sophie try out his unicycle. Seeing as I can't even ride a bicycle, I was amazed that I even made it up onto the thing. I pedaled around a bit (with help on either side : D) and then let the others have a go.
Fun times. The show that followed was pretty good, some of the stunts looked really complicated.
During the show they announced the winners of the cake competition, and afterward the audience got to pig out.
We got rides back to the house, had dinner, then huddled up in the room with the fireplace for a few hours, just talking. After midnight, us girls went upstairs and talked some more until we finally dropped off to sleep.
The next day started out with breakfast and a discussion of what the day's plans were. The day before we had seen a sign near the bus stop reading "Ride the Hogwarts Express". Anyone who knows me well enough knows it's been a dream of mine to get on that train. What luck that it's in York! The plan was to do that, walk around York, then catch the train home. Bambi apparently didn't get the memo. While we were upstairs changing and getting ready, the snoopy dog put her front paws up on the table and ate a nearly full pan of tiffin (a cake containing marshmallows, crushed biscuits, and a generous helping of melted dark chocolate). Gail found her and the empty pan first and called up to us not to panic, but Bambi ate the rocky road. I was a combination of horrified, shocked, and scared shitless; it's a well known fact that chocolate is toxic to dogs, and mine just ate the equivalent of 2 large bars. We called the vet immediately, sent Linda, Pascoe, and Ian out to York, and were at the vet's office within the hour. He gave her an injection in her leg to make her throw up. We went outside by a drain where she could do the deed, but my girl has a strong will, and apparently an iron stomach, so it wasn't happening. He injected her again, and out the stuff came. I won't go into detail, but it was a lot. Luckily, I think we got her to get it up before it entered the intestines, so the vast majority left her system at the vet's. He advised that we let her recover for a day...seeing as we had to catch a train back to University that night we had to debate a little. Gail said she would watch Bambi for the day if we wanted to go see the Hogwarts Express and explore York, and depending on how Bambi felt later, she could bring her over to the station in time for our train. I felt a bit guilty leaving my host with a sick dog, but we agreed on it, and Sophie and I caught a bus into town.
Now this was quite funny; the blind girl pushing the girl in the wheelchair. We lol'ed all the way to the bus stop, and had no difficulty getting on the bus (free since she was disabled, and I was her carer XD). Met up with the others at the train station and walked over to the railway museum where the HE was. When we got there we learned that the train was giving rides next weekend, but we pulled the "disabled American Harry Potter fan" card (I was taking a ride in the chair since Sophie wanted to walk around a bit) and scored a private viewing of it, even though it was in the off limits yard. It took quite a long time to find somebody qualified to take us over there, so I got quite acquainted with that wheelchair. Pushing yourself is fun, new, and exciting for 5 minutes, but I have no idea how some people do it all the time. I guess you need to build up your arms. Luckily for me, Pascoe pushed most of the time, so I was just cruising along (it felt like an amusement park ride). We finally found someone, and he led us over to it. Wow. I was so amazed that I was staring at something the was ACTUALLY in the movies! It's a real train that actually works, unlike the replica at Universal's WWoHP. The guy actually drove the train in a few of the movies, so he gave us a bit of the scoop as to what goes on. Firstly, he said that WB airbrushes the train driver out...which makes no sense to me...but he said he watched the movies and looked for himself, but to no avail. Second, it took WB and J.K Rowling a long time to find the proper train for the films. This train is privately owned, and was originally green, but since Jo decided to use it they have it on loan and were able to make all the changes necessary to make it into what it is now. He told us a little about the cast too. Some have big egos, others don;t appear to. Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) is a real train buff who will get a ride on this thing as often as he can. He also mentioned that Rupert Grint (Ron) is really nice; he brought the train crew tea during his break (the train crew doesn't get breaks during filming). Nice to know that not every actor is a stuck up bastard. Recently, the train was used for the film again because they "fouled it up" the first time. It was taken to a studio where they had a massive green screen behind it. Ooh now that I think about it, that must be the Epilogue scene, the one where adult Harry is sending his kids off to Hogwarts. They did have to refilm that. Another tidbit: Universal wanted the real train, but it's a functioning train and part of "British culture", so they sent people over to take measurements of it so they could make a replica.
Here are a few pics. : )
I left the museum feeling elated, just what I needed after that hectic morning. We walked around York for awhile (I gave the chair back to Sophie, so yeah I was walking at this point). I was all touristy and took a few shots of the old city walls, a few buildings, and a pretty cool clock.
After walking, we found a nice sit down pub (first I've been to where you can get a meal) and had dinner. Before I left, Bambi (Sarah's mom) told me to get a chicken and mushroom pie, which I saw was on the menu. It tasted really good, but probably not that good for me...I'd have it again. : )
Dog Bambi was feeling better, so Gail brought her over to the train station. We got on the train and stopped in Peterborough to get the next one. While we were waiting, we played the card game Bullshit, and I won. We got on the next train, the last leg of our journey, and the lady collecting tickets wouldn't buy our disabled person and carer only need one ticket story. We played dumb and talked with her for like a half hour, telling her we were given the wrong information etc. In the end I paid 23 pounds for a ticket for myself, but considering we traveled approx 800 miles that weekend I don't care too much.
Since then the week has been pretty boring. Bambi didn't have any diarrhea from the chocolate (thank goodness), I've been cooking (but have majorly been craving takeout), did laundry, and watched Casablanca with Julia last night. Tomorrow I'm going into town to check out the market, buy some hot water bottles, and go to the grocery store. And reading for class.
Right then, this has been the longest post ever, and I hope I never have to post such a lengthy update ever again. Keep your eyes open for a shorter post later this week. Ta ta for now.
I guess saying I'm not dead is a good start. Sorry for my lapse in posting! Typing these long posts takes awhile, and a combination of being away from the computer, and dreading the length of the post has led to the late release of this update. Lesson: I should type shorter posts more often than ginormous summaries.
Last Monday was Burn's Night, something we don't have in the US. Sophie invited me over to her flat for dinner; price of admission: one vegetable. I had some broccoli in my fridge, so I headed over to her place looking quite awkward carrying a miniature, edible tree. When I got there I found a kitchen full of people; most of them chopping up carrots or potatoes. This girl is one social butterfly, let me tell you! She's one of those people that knows everybody. I handed in my little green charge who was met with much enthusiasm. Apparently I was the only one who brought a green vegetable! Quite some time later dinner was served. Since there were about 20 people in attendance there was plenty to go round. There were carrots, turnips, baked potatoes, my little broccoli, a giant pot of mashed potatoes, and the star of the night: Haggis. Not knowing what Haggis actually was (besides some type of meat product) and uncharacteristically of me, not caring a bit, I ladelled the stuff onto my plate and took the plunge. How to describe it? Dry-ish pellets with an oaty, meaty, peppery taste quite unlike anything I've ever had. That mixed with the creamy mashed potatoes was an extremely tasty compound, I kept eating until I felt quite full. After dinner we went outside to chat and watch Sophie and a few others play with fiery objects. One thing I found really odd was that people around here are into circus tricks. If there are university clubs devoted to circus performing in the US, I sure as heck don't know about them. Watching the fire dance was interesting; the performer wields two long narrow objects (one in each hand) with fire at the end of them. They twirl and spin, the fire making shining ribbon formations in the air around them. At about 10 I'm knackered (another English vocab word meaning tired/exhausted) so I return home, but cannot resist the urge to look up what haggis is. Yeah, I shouldn't have...
Haggis is a dish containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach.
Gross. But hey, nothing I can do about it now. It tasted good the first time, and I didn't intend to force myself to taste the same haggis again.
So...even if the thought is unsavory, the haggis is very savory, so try it!
Wednesday we didn't end up going to Cambridge, but I will end up going soon. : )
What else happened during the week...? I made a fantastic chicken soup which I ate over 3 days. When I was making it I was wondering why I was going through all this trouble when I could just get soup out of a can, until I tasted it. I don't like to swell my ego, but it did taste delicious, and best of all, I knew exactly what was in it. Will def make this again.
Went to the UEA Anime Club twice, but both times I left early because all the shows were in Japanese with unreadable subtitles (to me) and there was no oppurtunity to socialize. The club organizers said that they'll air a few English episodes...I have no idea when...and until they do it's kind of pointless showing up.
One night I watched Marley and Me with my neighbor Julia. It was very fun, hope to do it again soon.
Now here comes the long bit about my CRAZY weekend. The plan was to go to York, England for a juggling/chocolate convention. Odd combination...I didn't really know what to expect, but I was super excited for a weekend away with my new friends. I walked over to Sophie's with my friend Pascoe. When we got there Sophie, Pascoe, Ian, Sophie's neighbor, and I piled into a minivan taxi along with a wheelchair, guide dog, and 2 unicycles. Got to the train station (taxi was free, yay disabilities!) and got on the train. (Note: UK train stations aren't heated...if you're inside it feels like you're outside. Not good in winter with cute but not so warm boots on.) Since Sophie had a ticket for the train trip already, we figured we could use the "disabled person with carer card" while traveling to save money. Some conductors didn't question it, one was suspicious, and one lady really knew her stuff and we couldn't talk our way out of paying (but that was on our way back, and it was only 23 pounds, but let's get back to the story). Along the way we met Sophie's Swedish friend named Linda who would be joining us. Sophie's neighbor got on a different train to Newcastle, so it was still a party of 5. We made it to York, and trekked through the city to the bus stop. It was freezing, but the bus finally came. The driver was probably making a mental note that we were a bunch of wackos, a wheelchair, a guide dog, and 2 unicycles all in one place aren't things you see everyday.
When we got to Sophie's mum's (not mom, mum...or mother) she had dinner for us, which we greatly appreciated. I don't know what kind it was, but the bread (looked homemade) that she put out was really good (Linda and I took generous helpings of it). We then hung out a bit in the living room (which contained a wonderful fireplace) and enjoyed the warmth. You don't realize how nice being able to feel you feet is until you can't.
Before we went upstairs, each of us girls got a hot water bottle. O. M. G. I have found the true love of my life. Going to sleep with the warm bundle was so pleasurable that I think I'll need to buy like 5 of them the next chance I get.
In the morning we had breakfast (quite a spread, I stuck with porridge) and Gail, Sophie's mum, helped us prepare lunch bags for our day out. When the first bus arrived at the bus stop the driver got spooked by the unicycles (and probably the guide dog and wheelchair) and refused to let us on for "health and safety reasons". We took down his bus number and called the bus company to report him, which we did, and we had no trouble with the following bus. When we got to the train station we got into a taxi to go the rest of the way, because the school the event was taking place in was in the middle of nowhere. When we got there I was surprised at how many people there were participating. Everywhere you looked there were people juggling various objects, playing with hula hoops, batting around devil sticks, balancing things on their heads, and oggling the chocolate cake entries in the competition. Since I can't juggle for crap (requires tracking the fast moving balls with your eyes, which I can't do) we went to a hula hoop workshop. I somehow managed to keep the thing up for a bit, but retired when it got very complicated. We sat and had lunch in the auditorium where people were practicing their juggling skills.
Before the show that evening we went outside, and Ian was nice enough to let me, Linda, and Sophie try out his unicycle. Seeing as I can't even ride a bicycle, I was amazed that I even made it up onto the thing. I pedaled around a bit (with help on either side : D) and then let the others have a go.
Fun times. The show that followed was pretty good, some of the stunts looked really complicated.
During the show they announced the winners of the cake competition, and afterward the audience got to pig out.
We got rides back to the house, had dinner, then huddled up in the room with the fireplace for a few hours, just talking. After midnight, us girls went upstairs and talked some more until we finally dropped off to sleep.
The next day started out with breakfast and a discussion of what the day's plans were. The day before we had seen a sign near the bus stop reading "Ride the Hogwarts Express". Anyone who knows me well enough knows it's been a dream of mine to get on that train. What luck that it's in York! The plan was to do that, walk around York, then catch the train home. Bambi apparently didn't get the memo. While we were upstairs changing and getting ready, the snoopy dog put her front paws up on the table and ate a nearly full pan of tiffin (a cake containing marshmallows, crushed biscuits, and a generous helping of melted dark chocolate). Gail found her and the empty pan first and called up to us not to panic, but Bambi ate the rocky road. I was a combination of horrified, shocked, and scared shitless; it's a well known fact that chocolate is toxic to dogs, and mine just ate the equivalent of 2 large bars. We called the vet immediately, sent Linda, Pascoe, and Ian out to York, and were at the vet's office within the hour. He gave her an injection in her leg to make her throw up. We went outside by a drain where she could do the deed, but my girl has a strong will, and apparently an iron stomach, so it wasn't happening. He injected her again, and out the stuff came. I won't go into detail, but it was a lot. Luckily, I think we got her to get it up before it entered the intestines, so the vast majority left her system at the vet's. He advised that we let her recover for a day...seeing as we had to catch a train back to University that night we had to debate a little. Gail said she would watch Bambi for the day if we wanted to go see the Hogwarts Express and explore York, and depending on how Bambi felt later, she could bring her over to the station in time for our train. I felt a bit guilty leaving my host with a sick dog, but we agreed on it, and Sophie and I caught a bus into town.
Now this was quite funny; the blind girl pushing the girl in the wheelchair. We lol'ed all the way to the bus stop, and had no difficulty getting on the bus (free since she was disabled, and I was her carer XD). Met up with the others at the train station and walked over to the railway museum where the HE was. When we got there we learned that the train was giving rides next weekend, but we pulled the "disabled American Harry Potter fan" card (I was taking a ride in the chair since Sophie wanted to walk around a bit) and scored a private viewing of it, even though it was in the off limits yard. It took quite a long time to find somebody qualified to take us over there, so I got quite acquainted with that wheelchair. Pushing yourself is fun, new, and exciting for 5 minutes, but I have no idea how some people do it all the time. I guess you need to build up your arms. Luckily for me, Pascoe pushed most of the time, so I was just cruising along (it felt like an amusement park ride). We finally found someone, and he led us over to it. Wow. I was so amazed that I was staring at something the was ACTUALLY in the movies! It's a real train that actually works, unlike the replica at Universal's WWoHP. The guy actually drove the train in a few of the movies, so he gave us a bit of the scoop as to what goes on. Firstly, he said that WB airbrushes the train driver out...which makes no sense to me...but he said he watched the movies and looked for himself, but to no avail. Second, it took WB and J.K Rowling a long time to find the proper train for the films. This train is privately owned, and was originally green, but since Jo decided to use it they have it on loan and were able to make all the changes necessary to make it into what it is now. He told us a little about the cast too. Some have big egos, others don;t appear to. Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) is a real train buff who will get a ride on this thing as often as he can. He also mentioned that Rupert Grint (Ron) is really nice; he brought the train crew tea during his break (the train crew doesn't get breaks during filming). Nice to know that not every actor is a stuck up bastard. Recently, the train was used for the film again because they "fouled it up" the first time. It was taken to a studio where they had a massive green screen behind it. Ooh now that I think about it, that must be the Epilogue scene, the one where adult Harry is sending his kids off to Hogwarts. They did have to refilm that. Another tidbit: Universal wanted the real train, but it's a functioning train and part of "British culture", so they sent people over to take measurements of it so they could make a replica.
Here are a few pics. : )
I left the museum feeling elated, just what I needed after that hectic morning. We walked around York for awhile (I gave the chair back to Sophie, so yeah I was walking at this point). I was all touristy and took a few shots of the old city walls, a few buildings, and a pretty cool clock.
After walking, we found a nice sit down pub (first I've been to where you can get a meal) and had dinner. Before I left, Bambi (Sarah's mom) told me to get a chicken and mushroom pie, which I saw was on the menu. It tasted really good, but probably not that good for me...I'd have it again. : )
Dog Bambi was feeling better, so Gail brought her over to the train station. We got on the train and stopped in Peterborough to get the next one. While we were waiting, we played the card game Bullshit, and I won. We got on the next train, the last leg of our journey, and the lady collecting tickets wouldn't buy our disabled person and carer only need one ticket story. We played dumb and talked with her for like a half hour, telling her we were given the wrong information etc. In the end I paid 23 pounds for a ticket for myself, but considering we traveled approx 800 miles that weekend I don't care too much.
Since then the week has been pretty boring. Bambi didn't have any diarrhea from the chocolate (thank goodness), I've been cooking (but have majorly been craving takeout), did laundry, and watched Casablanca with Julia last night. Tomorrow I'm going into town to check out the market, buy some hot water bottles, and go to the grocery store. And reading for class.
Right then, this has been the longest post ever, and I hope I never have to post such a lengthy update ever again. Keep your eyes open for a shorter post later this week. Ta ta for now.
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