Cheers and Ciao

Festa della Liberazione

2008-04-28T03:16:00.000-07:00

On April 25th, Italians celebrate their freedom from the Nazis. By celebration, I mean food and family. For us American students, family means the Italian friends we've made and food means pasta. We gathered together at a friends country home in the hills of Tuscania for Spaghetti con frutti di mare (muscles and baby shrimp).

Our original plan was to conclude the evening on the beach with a falò, bonfire (not to be confused with fallo, pronounced deceptively similar), but our idea was squelched by the tramontana north wind ever plaguing the area this time of year.

Spiaggia di Tarquinia The Beach in Tarquinia

Regardless, It was therapy to my Southern California soul to smell the salt air and hear waves, no matter how piddly they were.

Mia Famiglia Italia My Italian Family

Primavera in Tuscania

2008-04-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

Monday April 14th 2008 ~ Reflections written on a park bench

A soft Spring breeze touches my arms with a slight coolness, ruffling the pages of the Bible open on my lap. The pungent smell of freshly trimmed grass arrests my nose. A gravelly old voice drifts over the park as its owner walks steadily on the path, discoursing with his companion, probably about yesterday's election. I've lost count of the rounds they made. What a glorious day to be class free and in Italy.

I found it hard to untangle myself from the pudgey covers and plot of my book this morning after I had settled back into bed when breakfast was over. The lure of a peaceful Spring day compelled me out of Sierra's fictional world and into the shower. Slipping my bare feet into the straps of sandals mom had brought me, I reveled in the fact that I could pull on capris and a short sleeve blouse.

A tour group has just piled into the opposite end of the park, admiring the stunning valley below San Pietro. Mr. Mower can't be inconvenienced by the newcomers and continues to noisily cut the green spaces down to size. A group of young men are forced to roll out of comfortable formation on the lawn as the machine rumbles close to their backs, flinging mulch into the conversation.

Large marshmallow clouds have seemingly appeared out of nowhere, creeping stealthily into the azure landscape above me; however, such pure fluff is anything but threatening. I'm hoping some of the sun's golden rays will choose to linger in my darkening tresses.

Gnocchi

2008-04-22T03:39:00.000-07:00

Gnocchi is a potatoe pasta similar to mini potatoe dumplings. Loredana showed my mom and I how to make homemade gnocchi a few weeks ago. It's very simple and requires only a few ingredients. Here is the recipe in pictures.

Spring Break ~ France

2008-03-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

Ever since high school, when I started having francophilia tendencies, I've dreamed about going to Paris. Well, it's finally happening! I fly our of Rome Ciampino tomorrow, heading to Beauvais Airport. Four days in Paris and three days in Nice.

Tuscania Ghosts

2008-03-21T07:30:00.001-07:00

Our student advisor, Marco, plays basketball for a small local league in Viterbo. Compared to soccer (calcio - cal chi o), basketball is the black sheep of Italian sports. I found this out when a contingent of us went to one of his games. We had made signs to support the Ghosts and wore green and white. I felt very American yelling at the refs and doing the wave. The team got a big kick out of it however; and apparently we are good luck because they only win when we are there to cheer them on.

Prima Frutti

2008-03-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

First Fragole (strawberries) of SPRING!

Loredona had a delicious addition to my breakfast spread this morning - a small bowl of beautiful strawberries that had been soaking in sugar and lemon juice overnight.

She told me (in Italian) that its a bit early for strawberries, but they looked very red so she bought them. These strawberries could easily be the best I've every tasted - the sweet flesh was still firm and the color was an deep rosso.

If these are the first fruits, I can't wait to experience what else Spring has in store!

Maratona della citta di Roma

2008-03-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

The 14th annual Rome Marathon was held on March 16th. A few friends and I decided to participate in this event ~ you know, when in Rome...

But since none of us had really trained for such a thing, we signed up for the STRACITTADINA, a 4 K "fun run" around a small part of the city.

The run started just after the Marathon took off. We all gathered (in our free t shirts and hats) next to the colleseum and to the tune of "Volare," began our march through Rome. Streets were blocked off and supporters lined the way shouting "Bravi."

QUICK FACTS

Participants: 45.356

women: 49%

men: 51%

0 - 20 years old: 38%

21 - 40 years old: 25%

41 - 60 years old: 22%

over 60 years old: 15%

APE

2008-03-11T05:20:00.000-07:00

My first encounter with these cute little vehicles was in Zermatt, the all skiing - all the time resort town in Switzerland. No cars are allowed in Zermatt so people use these to transport building materials and tired travelers.

Italy also has a large population of these miniature trucks on wheels. I've seen a couple in Tuscania, navigating the skinny cobblestoned streets with ease. They were also everywhere when I traveled down South in Sorrento and Capri.

My friend Becca loaned me Frances Mayes' second Italian memoir, "Bella Tuscany," and I have been enjoying all the familiar cultural references. She mentioned these small cars in the first chapter, giving the Italian name: APE (ah-pay).

Italian Immigration

2008-03-07T02:15:00.001-08:00

Once you've gone through the hassle of acquiring an Italian visa in the States, you still have to apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno within eight days of your arrival in Italy. This means lots of paperwork and handing over copious Euros for postage and processing.

According to our student advisor, no one ever actually gets there Permesso di Soggiorno due to Italy's crazy beaurocracy, but all you need is the recipt from the post office proving you sent all the documents.

Well, a couple weeks ago, several of us got text messages at 2 am from the Uficio di Immigrazione in Viterbo. Both messages were in Italian and I forgot about them until another student mentioned that she had recieved similar messages. Apparently, no students have ever gotten this far in the process.

So today we had to go to Viterbo to get fingerprinted. This involved waiting in line (not as bad as the DMV and Italians actually know how to form a line), getting each finger copied and then going down the street to a different office with alot of Polizia. Wait a bit longer and then have a complete set of prints taken (each finger, thumb, four fingers, and palm). The two technicians were pretty impressed with my new US passport and laughed about my cold hands.

So, I'm still not sure whether i'll be getting my Permesso di Soggiorno before I leave Italy, but I can check the Immigration office of my list of places to go...

After (well, more like during...)

2008-02-21T06:21:00.001-08:00

The pick is a bit blurry, but, you get the idea...

Carne Cooking Class

2008-02-21T06:14:00.000-08:00

The Menu

Pollo Arrosto

roasted chicken

Cinghiale

wild boar

Chianina Fiorentina

Fiorentina steak

Before

2008-02-21T06:03:00.000-08:00

We saw these cute cattle during our trip to Vulci Archaeological Park. Marco, our student advisor, mentioned that these particular critters make a famous type of steak - The Fiorentina. Little did I know that I would get a chance to taste one of these cuts of meat in the next week!

Tarquinia Skyline

2008-02-19T07:30:00.001-08:00

Last Friday we went to the Archeological Etruscan Museum in Tarquinia. This is the view from one of the top floors in this interesting museum full of pots, tombs, and jewelry from the Etruscan period.

2008-02-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

Soletico ~ tickle

Signgiotso ~ hiccup

Instead of learning useful Italian vocab, I end up remembering random words like the ones above. Fun nonetheless.

Bella Tuscania

2008-02-14T07:53:00.000-08:00

The Bar Scene

2008-02-06T06:21:00.000-08:00

Terminology varies wherever you are -uptown, downtown; East coast, West coast; American, Europe.

One such difference has been rather difficult for me to get used to: In Italy, bars are not the center of nightlife, full of drinking and dancing. Bars are what Americans would call a cafe - a place to get coffee or a light meal, sit, and enjoy people's company.

Italians take the term bar literally - a long counter where beverages and food are served. The coffee culture isn't a sit down and chat while sipping a venti iced frappuccino kind of scene; it's a let me slurp down a cappuccino while I have a fifteen minute break from class while standing at the counter.

I always do a double take when a teacher says, "take a break, go to a bar. be back in fifteen..."

It's All In The Name

2008-02-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

During a walking tour of Tuscania during orientation, we ended up walking down a slightly secluded alley running along the wall in order to get out of the historical center. The street was called Via Della Lupa - The Way of the Prostitute.

Lupa, the Italian word for prostitute, comes from "Lupo" or wolf. Prostitutes used to make a howling sound in order to signal their availability to interested clientele. They lurked in dark streets on the outskirts of town.

Current reference: Professor Lupin - the werewolf teacher in Harry Potter.

Tuscania

2008-02-04T02:05:00.000-08:00

My second study abroad semester has begun. I arrived in Tuscania, Italy on January 30th. Tuscania is a small Etruscan village, located in the Lazio region, 90 miles Northwest of Rome.

I live in the historical center of town with an Italian couple (Loredana and Bruno). The school that I attend, Lorenzo de'Medici, is located just inside the medieval walls of the historical center. Six other students (from Boston; Circleville, Ohio; Chicago; Albany; Sun Valley; Monterey, Mexico) are here for Spring semester and three students are the first set of students participating in LdM's "Three-Cities" program which starts in Tuscania.

My classes revolve around Italian arts and culture. I'm taking:

Masterpieces of Italian Literature
Beginning Italian
Digital Photography
Foods of Italy
Tuscania Sketchbook

With less than a week in Italy under my belt, I've already had a completely different experience than my previous semester in Oxford. This blog will be a culture diary, chronicling my immersion into a new and wonderful place.

Photo: View from a park in the historical center ~ Tuscania.

Santa Suit Season

2007-12-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

You know it's Christmas season when you see freshly laundered Santa suits being wheeled around. These beauties were being delivered to a costume shop in London.

The Best Charity Shops

2007-11-24T04:46:00.000-08:00

I've been rather disappointed with the thrift stores, or charity shops as they are called in the UK, in Oxford. Most have a limited amount of clothing and the rest of the goods are more trinketish. I'd given up hope of good deals and fun finds while in England...until I went to Bristol

Bristol has a funky vibe not found in Oxford. The closest comparison is Cowley Rd., but even its bohemian nature can't compete with the eclectic mix of shops on Broadmead and Park Street. This could be due to Oxford's large population of affluent students who don't seem to be interested in second-hand.

But Bristol was a treasure trove of charity shops and bargain boutiques. I found the purse pictured above in a British Heart Association shop for 1 pound! Make sure to check out Blaze, a ceramics co-op that has reasonably priced, hand crafted ceramic pins, tiles, cups, etc. and Shop (on Christmas Steps), a little boutique with vintage clothing, accessories and music.

Schmap Guide: Bath

2007-11-23T00:22:00.000-08:00

A Schmap is a travel guide, including interactive maps, photos, and reviews. Places of interest are marked on an easy to read map of the city. You can click or browse through the recommended places and read historical information, practical information, and reviews from the Schmap makers and other travellers.

Schmap's online services are easy to navigate. Go to their website and pick from thousands of destinations.

Recently, a photo from my Flikr account (the one above) was chosen to be included in the Bath Scmap guide. The photo was taken in the Assembly Rooms. Check out the Schmapplet on my sidebar to see the picture and others from this location.

Switzerland Interary: Day Six

2007-11-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

Bundle up - it's a cold morning walk to the train station.

Grab a pastry from one of the early - opening bakeries on Bahnofstrasse.

I got what looked like an icingless cinnamon roll. Turned out to be a orange - hazelnut roll with a thin layer of orange glaze. Quite tasty.

Take the train to Geneva. Another beautiful ride. Takes about three hours.

If you have time, spend a few days in Geneva. Ang said it was better than Paris. I unfortunately did not have time, so I headed all the way into Geneva airport.

Make your way up the stairs and out of the arrivals terminal where the train station is. I flew easyJet. The Geneva airport is small and mellow, so enjoy the leisurely wait until your plane takes off.

Bid adieu to Switzerland out the plane window and settle in for a short flight back to the UK.

Switzerland Intinerary: Day Five

2007-11-15T01:27:00.000-08:00

Matterhorn Hostel will provide breakfast for 7 CHF. You could probably get cheaper elsewhere but you'd have to brave the early morning cold and it wouldn't be all you can eat. Two nicely arranged place settings were waiting for us in the cabin like restaurant attached to the hostel. A plate of foil wrapped cream cheese wedges, honey, jams, and butter were laid out. When we arrived, our host set about cutting slices of bakery bread. Made us unlimited cafe au laits.

Head up to the Gornergrat. Don't expect to stay long. It's worth it, but be prepared to hop out, take a few pics, and hop back in the train. It is COLD up there!

Buy a sandwich at Biner Bakery (Bahnhofstrasse 23) for take-away. I highly recommend the foccacia - tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil pesto on tomato and olive foccacia.

Eat your sandwich on a bench before going on a hike. Keep going straight on Bahnhofstrasse. It will take you on the right of the river. Stay to the right and you'll see a little trail leading up the mountain. Take that to Blatten, an abandoned cow-town, and then circle back to Zermatt.

Rent ice-skates and use the outdoor rink. Make sure it's open before you do though. We tried and they were setting up for curling...

Go to the Zermatt Coop for a large selection of Swiss chocolate at cheaper prices than at specialty shops. (Make sure you get a Toblerone - they are so tasty and taste better than the ones sold in other countries). Also take home a packet of Rosti that you can make at home.

Grampi's Pub for dinner (bar on first floor, Italian restaurant on the second). Pizza was good and very large, but with the thin crust, I managed to eat most of mine without help.

Limericks by Katherine

2007-11-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

Ever reading was Miss Emily

Of dear Anne, Emma, and Lizzy B.

Austen books she'd devour -

Feel their rapturous power -

And she'd long for a man like Darcy.

My ever so skilled housemate, Katherine, makes up limericks to help herself fall asleep. One very sleepless night she came up with one about Rachel. It was received with so much enthusiasm from all of us, she decided to write one for each Brie and I. This afternoon, I found a green 3 x 5 card stuck amidst the soup in my cupboard, decorated with cut out lace and flowers. On it was this limerick.

Switzerland Itinerary: Day Four

2007-11-12T01:31:00.000-08:00

Get up and do some shopping!

Schuh Chocolateria for amazing truffles. I got four: Caramel, Baileys, Vanille, and Dark Chocolate. Only 4.60 CHF.
Merkur Confiserien for even more chocolate. This place is a chocolate warehouse. I bought 28 CHF worth of chocolate here. They have bars, cookies, and truffles of every sort. Check out the back of the store for good sales.
Heidi's Souvenir-Shop: I found my Switzerland charm (I collect charms for a charm bracelet from every country I go to) here. A good selection of Swiss souvenirs at a very reasonable price.

Train from Interlaken to Zermatt. Change at Spiez. If you have enough time, walk outside the station to see beautiful changing colors in Autumn.

Zermatt is a resort town. No cars allowed so hotels and construction companies use these little carts as "taxis."

Stay at Matterhorn Hostel, about 5 minute walk from the train station. Free Internet, cheap breakfast, and really friendly staff. It gets really cold at night so be prepared with flannel p.j.s or borrow any extra blankets from unoccupied beds. I used three.

Dinner at Hotel Derby Restaurant. Dining room has a mountain elegance and staff is pleasantly attentive. Soup is excellent and well priced. Comes with bread. Ang and I split the "Croûte au fromage Valaisanne" or Cheese on toast Valaisanne style. Excellent!

Zermatt seems to shut down pretty early and our legs were feeling yesterdays adventure so we took advantage of our private (only occupants in a 8 person room) accommodations.

Switzerland Itinerary: Day Three

2007-11-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the nice hot shower (with good water pressure) at the hostel (Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof).

Also take advantage of the tasty breakfast provided at the hostel: two types of fresh bakery bread, butter, individual packets of Nutella, jam, orange juice, milk, cereal, hot drinks. They make a great coffee with steamed milk. It's all you can eat.

Train to Lauterbrunnen. Bus to Stechelberg. Wander a little around Stechelberg. Small path leading over the river and up the hill a ways.

Start the gondola trip up to Schilthorn from Stechelberg. Several changes, but they are nicely timed so you don't have to wait in between rides. Just hop off and hop on.

Take in the breathtaking views on top of the Schilthorn. Plaques around the structure point out different mountain peaks that you are looking at like the Jungfrau.

Eat lunch at the Piz Gloria, a rotating restaurant on top of the Schilthorn. In honor of 007 ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed on the Schilthorn), I had Spaghetti a la James Bond. Very good.

Take the Nordic Walking Trail from Murren through Gimmelwald to Schleg. Be prepared for some hefty down-hill walking. Catch the bus anywhere along the road or continue walking from Schleg to Lauterbrunnen.

Train back to Interlaken and collapse after a long day of walking - well worth the sore knees!

Switzerland Itinerary: Day Two

2007-11-09T05:23:00.000-08:00

The Grand Suisse Hotel provides a nice continental breakfast for guests. If your accommodation does not, there are multiple cafes and patisseries along the Lake.

Two mile walk along Lake Geneva to Chateau de Chillon. Don't miss the surrounding are of the Castle. Walk down to the crystal clear water and along a small rock jetty near the "island."

We got in for free but tickets are reasonable and they offer a student concession.

Two hour self-guided tour of the Chateau. You get a pamphlet with explanations corresponding to numbers sprinkled about the property. They follow a logical order and end in the tallest tower of the Castle (where the photo was taken). Breathtaking views despite the perilous climb.

Take-away lunch and chocolate from Lucien Moutarlier, a patisserie on Rue 44. My baguette dur fromage was excellent (soft French bread with butter and thick slices of a nutty cheese) as were the "Noir" truffles.

Golden Pass train from Montreux to Interlaken Ost.

Five minute walk from the station to our hostel - Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof.

Really clean, friendly staff, breakfast included. Rooms are small. Day lockers for bags on the day you checkout.

Interlaken, as with most Switzerland towns, shuts down early. Walk around a little as the sun goes down. Listen to the cowbells ring.

The receptionist recommended Des Alpes Restaurant for traditional Swiss food in a relaxed environment. Ang and I had cheese fondue. Our waiter delivered a bubbling pot of melted cheese (prepared with garlic, white wine, and kirsch) and a basket of baguette chunks. He demonstrated the proper way to eat fondue: spear a piece of bread with the small pronged fork, completely submerge in cheese, and swirl to coat. Let it cool on your plate briefly and heave ho.

US Debate at The Oxford Union

2007-11-08T16:26:00.000-08:00

"This house looks forward to seeing a Democrat in the White House."

I went to my first Oxford Union debate tonight. Didn't want to miss the much anticipated US Debate. I'm not sure it was a worthwhile way to spend almost four hours of my time. I probably could have finished the essay I've been putting off all day. Instead, I got to listen to a politician who embodies everything I don't particularly enjoy about politics: avoided questions, made a few marginally slanderous comments, and was pointedly rude for the sake of humor.

Tom Delay, former Majority Leader US House of Representatives, concluded for the opposition tonight. He believes that 1. Hillary Clinton will probably be elected President and 2. like the term of her husband, a Democratic executive officer will ultimately usher in a Republican majority in the House.

Aside from his overall manner, I didn't like his attitude about Hurricane Katrina. Delay said that it was the Democratic governor and mayor of Louisiana and New Orleans fault that things went so poorly in the aftermath. He cited an incident (which I don't believe is fully true and if it is I think he recast it in a weak light) where a woman Democrat leader burst into tears saying she didn't know what to do in regards to recovery efforts.

My bum had really started to hurt at this point which might have lent a more belligerent spin to my thoughts, but I was embarrassed to say I generally vote Republican after Delay spoke. I consoled myself with some B52 ice cream at G & D's...

Switzerland Itinerary: Day One

2007-11-08T04:52:00.001-08:00

EasyJet flight from London Gatwick to Geneva - 1 hour 20 minute flight.
Open seating, but a generally nice airline. Plane was clean and has a large overhead compartment that was able to hold my large (and stuffed) backpack.

Train from Geneva airport to Montreux. Trains leave regularly.

I highly recommend purchasing a "half-fare" card (50% off all train/funicular/gondola tickets). They cost 99 CHF which seems a bit steep, but I recouped my money and started saving on day 3.

Met Ang at the Grand Suisse Hotel, right across from the train station. Her work conference was held at the hotel so we were able to spend Friday night in her room. Probably a bit pricey for budget travel, but if you have a cushy accommodation allowance, this has great views and location in the city.

Walk around Lake Geneva. Paved path right across from hotel. Beautifully landscaped and the water just glows in the evening light.

Dinner at La Rouvenaz.

Excellent Italian restaurant just a bit off the main street running along the Lake. Get reservations if you want to eat any later than 6pm (when it opens). We snagged a table before they started turning people away. Funny, efficient, and authentic wait staff. The owner circulates throughout the dining area.

Montreux is part of the French speaking area in Switzerland. Most people speak English as well, but be polite and at least say Bonjour and Merci instead of the English equivalent.

Switzerland

2007-11-08T04:47:00.001-08:00

I just got back from a six-day trip to Switzerland. My future big sis, Angie, was in Montreux for work so I met her and we did a three city tour. I'm going to outline our itinerary in the next few posts. I highly recommend it with the addition of spending some time in Geneva, which Ang thinks is better than Paris. We both concluded that Switzerland was the most beautiful place we had ever been to.

Oxford Halloween

2007-11-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

A Greek goddess (me), 3-hole punch Jim (Rachel), and a frog princess (Katherine) at Western Road's Halloween party.

Our Halloween turn out at Faulkner was rather pitiful. Only two groups of kids came knocking at our door. AND they didn't even say "trick-or-treat!" Just asked if there were any rules. We told them to go for it since Brie had bought 7 pounds worth of candy at Sainsbury's specifically for this reason. We also snuck in our left over Turkish Delights. What luck - they were the first things to go! We do have a large bowl of candy left though; I'm not counting on any of it being left over when I get back from Switzerland (11/2 - 11/7).

P.S. I made my crown out of Ivy and Hawthorn berries I clipped from trees near Sainsbury's! Katherine went with me on my snipping expedition so I wouldn't feel so creepy.

Noel Coward's "Present Laughter"

2007-10-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

"What is love? tis not hereafter;

Present mirth hath present laughter;

What's to come is still unsure:

In delay there lies no plenty;

Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty,

Youth's a stuff will not endure."

Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

Our second theatre performance took us to London again to see Present Laughter written by Noel Coward. The title comes from a song in Twelfth Night which urges a "seize the day" mentality. Garry Essendine's (the main character) often outrageous concerns about aging and mortality makes the idea of living for the present aptly ironic.

The plot, regarded as semi-autobiographical, enfolds during a few days in the life of Garry, a successful and suave matinee actor who is about to embark on a tour in Africa. Within the short span of the play, Garry entangles himself with three women (1. a starstruck young girl, Daphne Stilington; the devious wife of his manager, Joanna Lyppiatt; and his own estranged wife, Liz Essendine), is stalked by a crazed amateur playwright named Roland Maule, and must face his impending fortieth birthday.

Although set in 1939, it was quite refreshing to see a more modern play (compared to Shakespeare). Some cultural references that were supposed to be humorous got past me but the play lived up to its title.

Alex Jennings was a superb Garry, delivering his melodramatic monologues with exaggerated finesse. My favorite character, however, was the fawning Roland Maule. Perhaps his slightly unhinged personality hit a little close to home after a certain train acquaintance turned out a little unstable. Regardless, Pip Carter was hilarious. It wasn't just me that thought so - someone behind us would occasionally let loose a deep snort. Didn't seem to disturb the old lady in front of me though who practically bent over in REM sleep except during the applause.

Well worth the 2.5 hour journey into London - that traffic....

British Candy Tasting

2007-10-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

My housemates and I have been wanting to try all the British sweets that are novel to our American palettes so we staged a Candy Tasting last night. After a trip to Sainsbury's we came up with 11 candies we had never seen before.

Jelly Babies: a soft confectionery shaped to look like babies, similar to sour patch kids, but these gummy candies are not sour. About an inch tall, the babies have a soft texture and an unsavory powdery substance (corn starch I suspect) dusted on the surface.

Rachel - "The texture is disgusting. Tastes like raw squid in my mouth."
Katherine - "Sick, kinda like these weird rice candies from Japan."

Fun Fact: Each Bassett's Jelly Baby has an individual name, colour and flavour: Brilliant (red - strawberry), Bubbles (yellow - lemon), Baby Bonny (pink - raspberry), Boofuls (green - lime), Bigheart (purple - blackcurrant) and Bumper (orange - orange).

Milky Bar Buttons: These little white chocolate rounds weren't very special. Turns out, Milky Bars are just a white chocolate candy bar produced by Nestle so it tasted exactly like the white chocolate crunch bars (sans the crunch) we have in the States. Smooth and sweet though.

Katherine - "Tastes like an Easter bunny."
Brie - "I would put the whole bag in my mouth."

Fun Fact: The Milkybar Kid has been used in television advertising promoting Nestlé Milkybar in the countries where it is sold. The Milkybar Kid is a blond, spectacle-wearing young boy, usually dressed as a cowboy, whose catch phrase is "The Milkybars are on me!".

Turkish Delight: The package of these chocolate covered squares of Turkish Delight reads "Full of Eastern Promise" - the promise of nausea. None of us had eaten Turkish delight before. It's a mixture of sugar and corn starch, often pinkish in color. This particular version looked like red jello wrapped in chocolate. No one in the group took more than one bite. Rather tasteless but revolting at the same time.

Rachel - "Like Jello mixed with gummy bears." (about the consistency)
Brie - "That was like poison."

Revels: We thought this bag of chocolate covered spherical things would be like bridge mix. I think it evolved out of the same concept but the components are different. The bag read "milk chocolate with assorted centers." The centers included: malt balls, raisins, peanuts, hard caramel, and a powdery orange substance similar to pixie stix. We weren't overwhelmed by the good factor but it saved our taste buds from the Turkish Disgusting.

Happy Hippo: made by the Ferrero company, Happy Hippo's are a thin crispy wafer cookie shaped like a hippo filled with two creams. We had the original which has milk flavored cream and hazelnut cream. The cocoa flavor replaces the hazelnut with chocolate cream. It tasted like white chocolate Nutella - a good thing in my book. The bottoms are dipped in a crumbly frosting/meringue mixture.

My Opinion - Super sweet. Good balance of textures with the crispy cookie and smooth center. Overall a pleasing treat.

Fun Fact: Happy Hippo were made famous by a smash-hit commercial where an animated Hippo sang "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" while a dog tried to distract it/catch its attention by dancing to the music in increasingly funny and bizarre ways. It has an unusual name for a biscuit, stemming from the character "Happy Hippo" (a cartoon hippopotamus) created by the french designer Andre Roche for the Ferrero chocolate hit "Kinder Surprise Eggs".

Poppets: Katherine grabbed this small purple box of chocolate covered raisins on a whim while we were checking out at Sainsbury's. My mom thinks (and I agree sometimes) that cigarette cartons smell like raisins. Well, these raisins tasted like how cigarette cartons smell - dirty with a burnt raisin undertone.

Fox Echo (mint crisp): I guess the mint Echo is a relatively new Echo flavor (2004). I haven't had the original but I would say stick that. Our individually wrapped sticks consisted of a chocolate biscuit topped with bubbly mint crisp covered in milk chocolate. The biscuit and chocolate were good, but the mint was so overpowering it tasted like you were eating toothpaste. I would recommend a Double Take (chocolate mint kit kat) if you want chocolate mint flavor.

Magic Stars:

Rachel - "Dirt cheap chocolate" in small star shapes.

Party Rings: The party ring is a British cookie first made by Fox's Biscuits in 1983. It is a circular biscuit with a central finger-sized hole topped with a thin layer of colored icing with wiggly lines in a different colour. A pack comes with four or five rings in each of the five different color combinations. Tasted like a crispy animal cracker with hard, crackly royal icing on top.

Fun Fact: Party rings were a product of the 1980s fashion for the newly developed chemical food dye system that enabled more lavish colours to be incorporated into the manufacture of biscuits. This made them a very popular choice for children's parties, where not only could the colours amuse, but the holes in the middle enabled them to be placed on a finger, often resulting in "ring races". These involved each child taking five rings and placing one on each finger of a hand. They would then proceed to eat them as fast as possible.

Mistletoe Kisses: Two milk chocolate rectangles filled with soft chocolate and caramel. Nothing too exciting.

Katherine - "I'm reasonably pleased."

Cadbury Crunchie: Milk chocolate covered honeycomb toffee. The innards look like a golden sea sponge. Very odd texture - slightly powdery but sticky like a Butterfingers. Neutral taste.

Katherine - "Like a cross between a malted milk ball and a Butterfingers."

Fun Fact: In the UK and Republic of Ireland, Crunchie is marketed as "The fun, feel good chocolate bar". It was advertised from the 1980s onwards with the phrase "that Friday feeling", although it also became associated with the phrase "Thank Crunchie it's Friday".

The Verdict:

Me - Happy Hippo
Rachel - Crunchie
Katherine - Mistletoe Kisses
Brie - Poppets

Hot Air Balloons

2007-10-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

I took this photo leaning out my window on Sunday afternoon.

Crepes O Mania

2007-10-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

For being such a Francophile, I have never had an authentic crepe - until yesterday.

On my second jaunt around University Parks, I noticed a small mobile food stand boldly advertising sweet and savory 'pancakes.' Intrigued by any gastronomical adventure, I made a point of making my next Uni Parks walk during the noon hour.

Crepes O Mania is a mobile creperie service for corporate events, weddings, etc. with outside units like the one I visited. They offer Crepes, sweet pancakes, filled with tempting combinations of lemon and sugar, maple syrup, chocolate and coconut as well as Galettes, savory pancakes, stuffed with equally enticing fillings.

I had already perused the website and predetermined what Galette I was going to try so I wouldn't expose my novice crepe status to the world. No line (at 12 on the dot) hindered my immediate indulgence of La Forestiere filled with mushroom, onion, bacon, bechamel sauce, and cheese.

The man, who I assume was a France native by his accent) started right away by pouring batter onto a piping hot crepe iron. A great sizzle emitted from the large round surface as he artfully spread the batter about with the twirl of a T shaped wooden tool. Almost instantly, he was able to run a long, off-set spatula under the crepe to ensure it wouldn't stick to the surface.

On went the mushrooms and large clumps of bacon (British bacon so more like diced ham chunks). A large helping of caramelized onion drowned in a thick creamy sauce and a handful of cheese (or fromage as the bucket was labeled) was then folded into a rectangle and left to become hot and gooey.

I stood at the cart waiting for this culinary creation for a few more minutes as my galette finished cooking. It was handed over the counter barely contained in a rectangular Styrofoam container. Plastic fork and napkin in hand, I walked to the nearest bench and dug in!

The crepe is very thin, not brittle, more like a crispy cage holding its filling for ransom until your fork initiates the jail break. Le fromage melts completely into the bechamel, making a rich gravy to suspend the mushrooms and bacon. The filling is salty, but not offensively so. Each ingredient was distinct but the sum flavor was very pleasing.

It won't be long until I head back for round two. The only dilemma - orange marmalade and chocolate or candied lemon and sugar?

The University Parks Oxford

2007-10-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

Located just behind Oxford Natural History Museum, University Park could be the prettiest stretch of green in Oxford.

The parks consist of about 70 acres of parkland on the west bank of the River Cherwell and a 4 acre piece of land known as Mesopotamia because of its location between the Weir and Cherwell rivers.

When I was there this morning, a University football team was practicing on the large fields in the middle of the Parks. Joggers, dog walkers, and strollers are always out and about. Benches scattered throughout the multiple "walks" within the Parks are perfect for reading or admiring the general splendor.

I've been three times this week and still haven't seen all of the grounds. I did however notice a Crepes O Mania stand...

Market at Gloucester Green

2007-10-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

I finished writing my paper (due today...) ahead of schedule so Kat, Brie, and I took a housemate field trip to the antique market on Gloucester Green that happens every Thursday.

It was the first time I made it down there since we've been here. Most of the stalls were either old books or jewelry. With no Jane Austen to be found, I turned my sights on antique jewelry.

One booth in the middle had a particularly Emilyish array of Victorian broaches and chokers. The man and his wife doing the selling were quite friendly. He said we came on the right day, they were giving discounts to students and people wearing green...

Brie bought a pearl necklace with aurora borealis added to it. I couldn't resist this pin. Twelve pounds, said he'd give it to me for ten. Usually I am too petrified to haggle, but (maybe on a high after finishing my paper?) I said eight and we settled on nine. I don't think I would have paid eighteen dollars for it in the States but the man was nice. He said it's from the 1930s - not sure I'm totally convinced, but I prefer to run with that thought.

Saint Mary the Virgin church tower

2007-10-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

The tower at Warwick Castle was bad, but it has nothing on this tower. They try to psych you up for the actual tower with a rickety old wood staircase and uncomfortably see through wire stairs. It helped, a little... The stairs are crumbly and skinny, oddly spaced and steep. Somehow the spiral seems extremely tight. It might be because the only thing provided to help you keep your balance are a few limp ropes attached to the middle post.

I made the ascent alone, which ended up to be a good thing. I had time to stop occasionally and talk myself into going a bit further. All the near panic attacks (and two pound admission) was well worth the view. Go in the morning on a sunny day. I was the only one up there and was able to take my time sucking up the scenery.

Once you recover from the harrowing experience of going up, you are faced with the task of making it down - possibly more frightening than the former.

After Eight

2007-10-04T03:27:00.000-07:00

Somehow my pound to dollar conversion doesn't apply when it comes to George and Danvers. Rachel, Katherine and I went there last night for a mid-week fix.

Since I had Baileys last time I decided to venture further afield. I tried one of the petition flavours (flavours that are on trial for regular status) - After Eight. My vote: YES!

After Eight - Vanilla ice cream with chunks of after dinner mints, the kind that have a chocolate coating and a soft minty interior. Nicely refreshing but not overly minty with a steady stream of chocolate chunks.

Chocology

2007-10-03T05:37:00.000-07:00

I still have a hard time not making the pounds to dollar conversion when I'm considering how and where to spend my money. This habit makes my love of food and trying different eating establishments a little tricky. I've been wanting to try the Cream Tea at Cafe Loco, an eatery down the road from my house, but haven't been able to fork over 10 bucks for a scone and tea.

A friend and I were commiserating about this and she mentioned that Chocology in the covered market had a tea and cake deal for 2.50 pounds. I popped in around 11 this morning to try it out. A glass case displaying a mouthwatering array of truffles and other chocolate delights greet customers. An intimate set up of table and chairs are settled at the other end of the store. I ordered a scone and cuppa English Breakfast - 2.25 pounds. Not a bad price comparatively. The girl who took my order said she would bring it to me so I chose a table nestled in a corner and took out a book.

Chocology wasn't busy. One older couple was already seated when I arrived and a young woman, who seemed more interested in checking her outfit in the mirror than enjoying her cup of chocolate, spent five minutes flipping through the times. I only waited a couple minutes for my snack to arrive. The tea was good - hot and strong - accompanied by a small square of dark chocolate (nice touch I thought). I was disappointed by the scone: small and obviously not their specialty. It was heated to the point of toughness and constituted only a few bites.

I wouldn't go back for a scone, but I plan to try Chocology again. They have a tempting array of hot chocolates like mint and Baileys. I probably should have ordered something that included the store's namesake.

Cowley Road

2007-10-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

Kathrine and I finished stopped obsessing over the minutia of our papers and sent them in today! I'm extremely relieved to have it done. Even though I'll be writing 12 more papers this term, none of them have to be that long and I'll actually be interested in the topic.

To celebrate, we decided to go thrifting. Thrift stores are called charity shops in England so I guess I can't say that... Kat brought the Cheeky Guide To Oxford which said Cowley Road was home to the best thrift stores, so we headed that way.

Cowley Road was interesting to say the least. A little bit more grimey than the city center. Sex shops, middle eastern markets, and bars line both sides of the street. The first second hand shop we found was more vintage (meaning pricey) than we had in mind. Two other misses and we had to console ourselves with an Oxfam which is always a winner.

My big purchase: Jane Austen and her world by Marghanita Laski and a fair trade "cotton shopper" (see pic). Grand total: 3.98 pounds

Large Scary Bugs

2007-09-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

You can't really see him properly, but Katherine was brave enought to capture an enormous spider that was wandering around our house. I'm impressed that she didn't kill it - she had misgivings later about her kind gesture to nature but decided she did the right thing after considering how crunchy this one would have been.

Our house seems to attract large bugs. One of the first nights we were here, two of the biggest Daddy Long Legs I have ever seen were buzzing about my room. Could have been because my window was open and my light was on...

Regardless, Mr. Spider provided a small spark of excitement to a house mostly silent except for the tap tap of computer keys as we all write our essays.

Twelfth Night in Stratford-Upon-Avon

2007-09-27T00:51:00.000-07:00

After a full day of sight-seeing (Warwick Castle, Anne Hathaway's cottage, Shakespeare's birthplace and grave) we saw Twelfth Night directed by Neil Bartlett at the Courtyard Theatre.

Twelfth Night is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays and was on our required reading list for the introductory course at OOSC. Overall, I wasn't too thrilled with Bartlett's interpretation. I'm kind of a traditionalist which could have swayed my reaction to this play. Bartlett cast a man to play Viola as well as having women play the drunken pose of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Fabian. In a play already saturated with mistaken gender and subdued sexual tension, those reversals were over the top. The cast also used mirrors to portray a sense of introspection that I found distracting.

However, the play had one shining character that makes seeing this production well worth the time - Malvolio. John Lithgow (Just the fact that I saw John Lithgow on stage in England would have made me happy) gives a phenomenal performance as Olivia's steward who is endlessly tormented and tricked by other members of the household. The vision of him in cross-gartered yellow stockings will be etched in my mind for quite a while.

Jon Whiteley

2007-09-24T12:54:00.001-07:00

One of our lectures this morning was on Pre-Raphaelites in Oxford, given by Jon Whiteley. During tea, Penelope informed us that Mr. Whiteley was actually a famous child actor. He is one of the few youngsters who ever received an Academy Award. He gets embarrassed about it, so the Warners didn't mention it when he was introduced. Whiteley stopped acting around 12 and later perused a career in art history.

Here's what it said on Wikipedia:

"Jon Whiteley (born February 19, 1945 in Monymusk, Scotland) was a briefly successful child actor in films. Whiteley appeared in five films during his brief career, and it was for the second of these, The Little Kidnappers (1954) that he, along with co-star Vincent Winter, was awarded an Academy Juvenile Award for this film. He only appeared in three films after this, including The Spanish Gardener (1956), before his acting career ended. Whiteley is now a respected art historian at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England."

Puccino's

2007-09-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

Rachel, Katherine and I grabbed dinner out a couple nights ago and ended up at a little cafe right outside of the Covered Market. Puccino's turned out to be a very off-beat establishment - not in a bad way though. The menu, walls, and cups are sprinkled with odd hand-drawn characters and funny sayings. We were there just before closing so the place was virtually empty. When the owner showed us to our table, he took some home spray and spritzed it about the room, I guess to freshen it up a bit...

The menu was small but relatively comprehensive - mostly devoted to "jacket potatoes, cibatta, baguette or panini" but Puccino's also serves breakfast. For the former, you pick the filling, mainly named after locations like Alaska, Manhattan or New Orleans) and your desired carb option.

I had a New Yorker Panini - chicken, bacon, sweet corn and mayo on toasted cibatta bread. The bread was great; the filling was a little dry and would have benefited by some salt, but the overall effect was appetizing. It came with a side salad of romaine, some other red hard lettuce, cucumber and tomato with honey dijon dressing. Great dressing - made with whole grain mustard. Had the perfect blend of spicy and sweet flavor. Rachel had carrot cake which I condescended to eat the dregs of. More like a spice cake with cream cheese frosting. Okay but I wouldn't spend the money for it.

Carfax Chruch Font

2007-09-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

This font used to reside in St. Martin's Church (the Carfax tower is the only remnant of the church which was demolished to improve traffic flow) on the corner of Cornmarket and Queen's Streets. It now lives in St. Michaels, a church down the road connected to the oldest building in Oxford.

The reason I'm touching it (I know, my hand looks kind of creepy) is because Shakespeare once stood next to it and touched it at the christening of his godson, Sir William Davenant. William is rumored to be more than his godson. Some circles believe he was Shakespeare's illegitimate son.

Font (according to dictionary.com)

1. a receptacle, usually of stone, as in a baptistery or church, containing the water used in baptism.
2. a receptacle for holy water; stoup.

Oxford Daily Photo

2007-09-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

Check out Oxford Daily Photo - a site that shows a photo of Oxford (taken within 5 km of Carfax Tower) every day. I found it a month ago while I was searching for blogs about Oxford. Now I actually get to participate in this great blog. Percy, the blog's original contributor, is off for a few weeks so I'll be posting pics every day while he is gone.

Have a look...

Sung Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral

2007-09-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

I've never been to an Evensong service before, which could account for my accidentally stealing the program. I'm guessing since it says "please do not take away" on the front that they reuse them. So, most of the service must be the same everyday?

The service was beautiful, albeit different than what I'm used to. Because it was an open day, the cathedral was packed and we couldn't get a seat in the main area. Regardless, the acoustics carried the choir so it surrounds you.

A short explanation is printed on the front flap inside the program. It reads: "Worship in the Cathedral continues a long tradition in which the choir sings much of the service. Yet our participation is not limited to those occasions when we are doing or saying something. We may listen, follow the words and respond to God in many different ways."

Although I am not Catholic and really don't consider myself Anglican (I just keep it a simple relationship with my Savior), I found many parts of the service very worshipful. I plan to make it back during the week to experience the whole thing when it isn't so crowded.

The photo is of the Cathedral's ceiling.

Christ Church Open Day

2007-09-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

Today was Christ Church Open Day. Normally, only the grounds surrounding Christ Church are free and open to the public (you can tour the inside for a price). Christ Church has the largest college in Oxford and also has a functioning church body. As witnessed by the surging mass of humanity that swarmed the grounds today, it's necessary to keep them closed for the sake of student's ability to live and study.

It was very difficult to pick a picture for this post. The weather could not have been better and the church and grounds are beautiful. What you see is Tom Tower and in the middle of Tom Quadrangle is Mercury Fountain. Multiple old men with bowler hats were stationed all around the middle lawn to prevent access to the fountain.

After walking around the extensive gardens, we toured the actual cathedral and hall (where parts of Harry Potter were filmed - filled with portraits now, it looked nothing like it does in the movies).

Many special programs were planned for today that I mostly avoided to just wander but I'll be heading back for Evensong at 6 - probably along with the multitudinous amounts of other tourists who came to visit Christ Church today.

Fish and Chips

2007-09-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Appropriately named, this fish and chips joint serves up freshly made fish and chips as well as other standards like bangers and mash and pucca pies.

I must admit I was fairly sceptical about this place. F and C is located off of High Street, down this dingy alley (see pic). With only a small street sign to entice hungry patrons, F and C caught our attention by sheer availability. We were hungry and it was the first place we came upon.

A typed paper at the end of the menu informs customers that items are made (in my case with the fish and chips, battered and fried) to order for "extra" taste. My small fillet of cod was relatively tasty, but mostly hot and greasy. The chips were good, crispy outside, melty center. You do have to pay 20 pence for a small packet of ketchup.

The ambiance didn't seem too British - just three tables crammed in a fluorescent lit room painted a light yellow (or was that grease residue coating the walls?...). English soaps were playing on the tube. The owner was quite friendly and a steady stream of customers were in and out while we ate.

I'm planning on trying fish and chips at multiple other places. I did overhear Penelope (OOSC coordinator and Oxford resident) say that the best place for fish and chips was down an alley off of High St... I'm hoping that isn't the case.

My First Oxford Fish and Chips

2007-09-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

Eaten at Fish and Chips (see above pic).

The Five Senses of England: Touch

2007-09-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

Some odd touch sensations here in England:

The Currency - Paper money is made of a different fiber than in America. It's crisp with a waxy undertone. Plus, it has shorter and stubbier dimensions. One and two pound coins are quite heavy and the pence system does not go by size.
Greasy Food - I had fish and chips today that were the greasiest things I've ever had in my life. My fingers were slick with grease, I can only imagine what they were doing to my gullet.
Cobblestones - A free foot massage wherever you walk.
History - Go to evensong in Christ Church or sip a pint at The Eagle and Child and know that famous people did famous things there.

The Five Senses of England: Taste

2007-09-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

I've only had two meals in England so far.

Dinner: The Crown, a pub on Cornmarket St. It was 8:45pm by the time we found this place. Aside from another small group having a few beers, we were the only occupants. Without inquiring into the flavor, I asked for the soup of the day. It turned out to be a carrot puree with flecks of parsley. Appetizing texture and semi-sweet carrot flavor. Usually I would have been revolted at the thought of carrot soup but I recently have turned a new leaf with carrots. The soup was served with a piece of hearty white bread, slightly cold and hard around the edges. Our waiter forgot to give me a spoon and pleasant about me asking for one.

Lunch: La Croissanterie, sandwich and pastry shop on St. Aldates. On recommendation, Rachel and I went here for lunch. They obviously do a hoping business in this small shop. I wasn't quite clear on how to order a sandwich so I went for something in the display case - a mushroom and cheese croissant. The man behind the counter (owner, I believe) warmed it up in the micro and then toasted it on a panini press. Croissant was tender and flaky, mushrooms were firm and flavorful. I can't quite put my finger on the type of cheese. A couple I think - something sharp and grainy with cheddar. After sitting at their small bar for awhile, I am now clear on how to order. You say what type of meat (chicken and mayo) on type of bread (baguette, ciabatta, etc.). They ask you if you want salad (lettuce and tomato) on it. I will definitely go back. The pastries looked amazing.

The Five Senses of England: Smell

2007-09-07T10:55:00.001-07:00

As of July 1st 2007, there is one thing that residents and visitors in England will be smelling much less of - tobacco smoke.

The new smokefree law, introduced this summer, iterrupts life as England has know it for quite a while. Smoking was a huge part of England's social and cultural history. Now, smoking is against the law in almost all 'enclosed' and 'substantially enclosed' public places and workplaces. Which means no more smoking in taxis or lighting up in a pub.

According to Smokefreeengland the majority of reasons behind the new law are health related. Key factors are:

a person's right to be protected from the harm of secondhand smoke and to breathe smokefree air.
providing supportive smokefree environments to help people trying to give up smoking.
reducing illness and the number of deaths from medical conditions caused by secondhand smoke.
improving life expectancy because fewer people will take up smoking in the first place.

Opposition to the ban believes that the law infringes on a person's right to choose where and when to smoke.

The Five Senses of England: Sight

2007-09-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats seeing a place with your own eyes, but thanks to an electronic world and a techno-savvy generation, we can view the world from our computer chair. Travelistic.com is the source of over 5,000 travel videos. From tourist to amateur director, these films are made by real people from around the world not travel industry executives. Some are wacky, others educational but they all give a slice-of-life picture of the location.

Scroll over the map on travelistic's homepage to pick a location (where you're traveling or where you want to see). For my purposes, I checked out Europe (929 videos) and then narrowed my search to the UK (96 videos). At the bottom of the UK page, there is a list of videos by city or you can search all.

Here are a few of my favorites for the UK:

A Street in London - Shows the dichotomy between the upper and working class as well as great views of Portabello Street and Notting Hill.
Tube in London - Short clip of what everyone experiences in a tube station.
Oxford Graduation - Real students at one of the most happy events in their lives.
A Viking Barbecue -How the Vikings used English mead to fix everything from poultry to cake.

Not only can you watch other people's videos, Travelistic allows you to upload your own.

The Five Senses of England: Hearing

2007-09-02T00:45:00.000-07:00

I don't pretend to be music savvy. It's almost a guarantee that the lyrics I blare forth with in the car are nothing close to what is really being said. Luckily, my brother is a wealth of musical knowledge. He also happens to love England. So naturally I went to him for recommendations on how to acclimate my eardrums to the Brit's way with sound.

He set me up with a great playlist of highlights per decade/music movement (with a little history thrown too - he can't help it).

Early 60s: Merseybeat a.k.a. the Mersey Sound or the English Beat - named after the River Mersey running through Liverpool were the movement originated.

"A Hard Day's Night" The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night
Michael and the Messengers

Late 60s/Early 70s: in London

The Kinks, The Kinks Are Well Respected Men - perfect little slices of Englishisms
"Waterloo Sunset" The Kinks - consistently voted the best song of all time by Brits
My Generation, The Who
The Rolling Stones

Glam Rock (70s):

"Ziggy Stardust" and "Rock and Roll Suicide" David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
T.Rex
Roxy Music

Punk - Late 70s:

"God Save The Queen" The Sex Pistols
The Damned
The Clash

80s New Wave: was inspired by punk rock. Began in Manchester.

Happy Mondays
"Love Will Tear Us Apart" Joy Division
Depeche Mode

Early 90s: Brit Pop

Pulp
"Don't Look Back In Anger" Oasis

Currently...

"LDN" Lilly Allen
"A Grand Don't Come For Free" The Streets
Pipettes
Long Blondes

For a Slice of English Life:

"Song Two" Blur, Park Life

Also Recommended: radiohead. franz ferdinand. coldplay. the rakes. the kooks. doves. keane. damien rice. stranglers. buzzcocks. the easybeats. ladytron.

A Packing Riddle

2007-08-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

The Riddle: What is an object that you can add things to, but it doesn't gain weight?

(keep in mind that I thought this up in the shower today, so it's a little rough around the edges...)

Answer: A computer!!

I'm a list maker. I like the organizational factor and I like the fact that I can see what I need to do or what I haven't done or what I want to do. Hence I have accrued multiple pieces of paper with lists on them for my upcoming trip. Different lists like: What to pack, Places to go, Things to try, People to buy gifts for, etc. But traveling with a stack of mismatched papers is both ungainly and unorganized.

That's where the riddle comes in to play. Why not type out all of these lists and save them as word documents. Not only are they easily accessible, but they also don't add any more lbs (and useless paper waste) to my luggage. And this rule of thumb applies to much more than lists.
Check out a few other things you can add to your computer and save poundage in the process:

Music Collection: Download CDs onto you laptop. Programs like iTunes or Windows Media Player are free and keep a large collection organized. This way, all your music is easily accessible even if you don't have an mp3 player.
Address/Phone Book: Friends and family will appreciate a quick handwritten note or postcard once in a while.
Study Notes: Bring your computer along to the library and take notes directly into a word doc. You'll save some trees and the trouble of toting tons of random papers with you.
Recipes: Cookbooks are pretty darn heavy, but you may want to make your mom's famous Chicken Marsala with Braised Vegetable for your new friends (or maybe that's just something I would want to do...)

In-N-Out

2007-08-26T10:09:00.001-07:00

I'm excited to flex my foodie muscles in a different country, but I will miss In-N-Out burgers. It's safe to say I've eaten there at least 3 times a week this summer... Cheeseburger with no tomatoes and whole grilled onions, diet coke, and well-done fries (if i'm feeling particularly hungry) - doesn't get much better than that!

Wallpaper City Guides

2007-08-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

I won't claim that Wallpaper City Guides are the most comprehensive guide books around but I like them for three reasons:

1. They are so darn cute. Actually, this isn't a purely superficial reason. Size matters in a genre that tends to be more tome than tidbit. Each guide condenses the most important info into a 4" x 6" booklet weighing less than a pound or two. You get all the particulars without the superfluous jabber.

2. Cool features that are easily navigated. The front and back covers are foldable maps, one satellite version, the other a street map color coordinated by district. Labeled tabs indicate different chapters dedicated to shopping, architecture, landmarks, etc. for easy flipping. One of my favorite features is the 24 Hours chapter in each guide: Sometimes you don't have much time in one place. The 24 hours section gives the lowdown on how to see the best of the city in just one day!

3. An unbeatable price. At $8.95 a piece, you can afford to start a collection. Even if you don't make it to a certain city, they are fun to peruse. They also make great gifts.

Unique Travel Guides

2007-08-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

I love to read and I love to travel. Thus springs my small obsession with guide books. What could be better than books about different locales around the world - other than actually traveling there yourself. Even then, I might go as far as to say that some places are better visited through a guide book while sitting on your couch than actually going there.

Knowing a little about the history and culture of a certain place enhances the experience when you, say, take a tour of that cathedral or talk with locals about their political views. And then there's the good insider's tips you glean from someone who has already been wherever it is you're reading about. But with people like Steve's and Frommer's dominating the mass guide-book market, it can be hard to get a fresh perspective on where to go and what to see.

In the next day or so, I'll be highlighting the guidebooks I'm especially enamored with.

"A Rambling Fancy in the footsteps of Jane Austen" by Caroline Sanderson

For all lovers of Jane Austen and her novels, Sanderson hearkens back to an time characterized by balls, fancy frocks, and drawing rooms in this guide to Jane Austen's England. Sanderson visits nine places, including Bath, Lyme Regis, and Kent that provided a backdrop to Austen's novels as well as her life. A chapter is devoted to each location where Sanderson indulges in musings about how that place influenced Austen's life and writings.

In her introduction, Sanderson says, "What I planned to do with this book was quite different. I wanted to follow my nose and, like Fanny Price [main character of Mansfield Park], get into a 'wondering strain' while sitting in pews or on stiles or in teashops, standing in fields or museums or churchyards." Although she purposed to stray from common tourist attractions, all of the places she highlights can be visited by anyone with an interest to do so.

Since my minor tutorial is on Jane Austen, I plan to take my own rambling fancy following the footsteps Sanderson so artfully layed out in her book.

International Student ID Card

2007-08-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to get an International Student Exchange card (I can't remember the reason now, profound though I'm sure it was), but on the recommendation of a few study abroad veterans I made the purchase. Unlike the passport application process, obtaining an ISE card was incredibly hassle free. In my ignorance, I had settled on buying my card at Distant Lands, a fantastic travel bookstore and outfitters in Pasadena, CA.

In searching ISE's website, I discovered a glorious and time saving thing: You can buy an ISE card online! Free shipping. Free 1st class mail. It took me less than five minutes to order (Monday) and I received it today in the mail (Wednesday). Be prepared to fax proof that you are a student. I scanned my student ID card and emailed it to ISE.

Why should you spend $25 on ID when you already have a passport?

Here is what Angie Huddleston, former student of New College, Oxford had to say:

Most people don't carry their passport around in Oxford, so and ISE card provides proof that you are a student.
With proof that you are a student and not just a tourist, you can get the "student rate."
And discounts on touristy attractions as well as bus fare, air fare, mobile phones, and calling cards.
A student ID will give you access to many of the University only facilities like libraries and grounds.

Traveling Companions

2007-08-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, this picture may be staged, but 19 days from now, I'll be maneuvering through Gloucester Green instead of my backyard with these three in tow.

I wanted to give you an idea of the amount/type of luggage I'm taking. Virgin Atlantic allows 2 checked bags, 50 lbs each, and 1 carry-on, max 13 lbs. And believe me, I need these limits.

Here's the run-down, clockwise from top:

Jansport Backpack - I don't even remember why my step-dad bought this, but it served my brother, Tim, very well when he spent a semester in Oxford. However, it was one of his main bags. For me, this will serve as a carry-on. Since my other two bags are on the large side, I'll be able to use the backpack for weekend trips. It has a main compartment and a mini backpack that can stay attached or zip off for running errands or shorts hikes and what not.

Bagzilla - A birthday gift from my grandma, this suitcase has served me well over the years. At 30" x 21" x 10", you can guess the name's origin. It also has a zip-out expander that adds about 4" to the depth. With a bag this big, I do have to be cautious; it's easier to exceed the weight limit (and I have paid my fair share of $25 fines for having an overweight bag).

Ruby - My 99 cent store gem! An incredibly light weight bag 26" x 18" x 8" with 3" zip-out expander. The actual suitcase probably weighs less than 4 pounds.

Now the trick is to fit everything I want to bring into those three bags...

Packing: Clothes

2007-08-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

Clothes
· Stick to two or three flattering complementary colors that are easy to mix and match.
- Pack a few fun accessories that will liven up your wardrobe so you don’t feel bland.
· Plan on buying clothes in your host country. You’ll look and feel less like a foreigner.
· Dark colors, especially in outerwear, won’t show as much dirt. Laundry facilities aren’t always readily available.
· When you plan your wardrobe, consider these two things:
1. Weather during fall or spring in your host country. Go to www.weather.com to find out.
2. Activities and travel you plan to do. Bring hiking boots if you are the outdoors type or a couple fancy frocks if you like fine arts.

Don’t Forget
· Shower shoes—you won’t always be using the cleanest most sanitary facilities. Plastic flip-flops are light and slim.
- Crocs are a versatile choice. They are light, water proof, and odor resistant. Plus, Crocs are comfortable walking shoes and can transition from warm to cold temperatures with a pair of wool socks.
- Visit www.crocs.com to pick a style. My favorite—Prima, a ballet inspired silhouette. It’s slim fitting and fashionable. Comes in 8 fun colors.

· Some things are best to buy overseas instead of cramming in your luggage.

Toiletries
Basic medications like Tylenol
Bedding if not provided
Clothes line
Small flashlight
Tiny lock for your suitcases

· Leave expensive jewelry behind.

**FLEXIBILITY—don’t leave your house without it! It’s free, weightless, and doesn’t take up space. Traveling is always full of surprises. Expect that things might not go as planned.

Will This All Fit?

2007-08-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

I like to excel. Unfortunately there are a great many things that I am not good at. I have come to grips with most of my unskilled qualities; however, one skill which I have yet to develop never ceases to perturb my perfectionist, okay, sometimes OCD personality—packing.

As much as I wish I could be the savvy traveler who packs one carry-on for a jaunt around the world and 1. looks irritatingly chic donning the pittance of clothing that fits in such a small container and 2. doesn’t forget anything, I fail miserably at the task. I am making progress though. Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery (or packing prowess in my case), right?. However, with my track record, I knew I needed to start planning early for my semester abroad. Here are some things I have learned over the years (not many unfortunately), gleaned from others, and discovered on the Internet.

First things first
· Make a list—it helps you visualize everything you need so you don’t forget something or over pack.

Luggage
· Backpacks make for easy, hands free traveling and when properly fitted can be quite comfortable.

§ Jansport makes several large models with detachable daypacks for shorter excursions.

· Take only what you’ll be able to carry. You’ll have to manage all your luggage in airports, railways, and busy streets. Can you lift it over your head?

§ Consider how much space you’ll have at your lodging and if your luggage can stay there when you travel.

A friend of mine spent a month in Italy after he graduated from high school. He is now in Spain on a similar trip. Here is what he has to say about packing:

"The biggest thing by far, however, is to pack as light as possible! I learned that the hard way. I did SO much walking, and I could've done without half the stuff I brought easily. It is very impractical to lug around so much weight and bulkiness...not to mention hard on your back. So this time I am going to lay out everything I think I will need, and then remove half of it...no matter how modest it may seem. You can acquire things like toiletries, or whatever over there. plus I want to have more room to take stuff home with me this time. I felt less efficient, and definitely less mobile, then I could've been had I been more frugal with my packing."

Check out 99 cent stores for inexpensive luggage. Floor models and customer returns are sold at deeply discounted prices. I just bought a lightweight, mid-size suitcase with no defects for $24.99.

Always double check your airlines weight and size restrictions before you start packing!

Snapshot 4: Scholastically Speaking

2007-08-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

The most frequently asked question I get from people has changed over the past two years. Instead of how tall are you? or do you play basketball? the question is: Why are you going to school in Missouri? People from both CA and MO don't understand why I would forsake one seemingly glorious place for another, more modest area. Well, let me enlighten you.

Missouri itself wasn't what prompted me to leave Pacific Ocean and In-N-Out behind. Two factors added together made MO appear after the equal sign in my life after high school equation: family and William Jewell College. I knew for awhile I wanted to go to a private Christian college, the complete opposite of my education thus far. A CA school like my mom's alma mater, Point Loma Nazarene, or Westmont were options - close enough for a weekend at home once in awhile. But none of the CA options jumped out as I prayed for God's guidance.

Since CA wasn't working out, I took another tactic. My mom's younger brother and his family lived in MO, they happened to be like second parents to me, and William Jewell College (which fit the small, private, Christian college bill) was a 40 min drive from their condo. Over the last two years, I've often wondered if I heard God correctly when He lead me to Jewell. I did.

I'm majoring in English with a writing emphasis because Jewell doesn't offer coursework in organization (an odd passion of mine). I love to write about people, places, and things, especially food. Given free reign (like in this blog), I have a hard time being concise.

In Oxford, I'll be studying two influential British authors: C.S. Lewis and Jane Austen.

My Oxford Address!

2007-07-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

Leslie from Oxford Overseas Study Course (OOSC) emailed all the participants with our housemates, address, and telephone number.

My housemates are:

Rachel Cash -William Jewell College
Katherine Grimm - Mercer University
Brienne Thornbury - Mercer University

Snapshot 3: My Faith

2007-07-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

This post is going to be on the longer side because the topic is really important to who I am.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galations 2:20

The actual moment when I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and live in my heart is rather elusive. I believe it was while I was a Cubbie, as I was an active participant in A.W.A.N.A.S. from a young age. Growing up in a Christian home, I knew little else about how other people might chose to live their life. In elementary school, I was well behaved, basing my views on the Sunday school answer. As I entered junior high and became active in our youth group, I began to realize being a Christian meant more than living a moral life; it took time and effort to cultivate a relationship with the Lord.

I started to build upon the foundation that was set in place by my parents. My good intentions were not strong enough to keep my priorities straight. Youth group became more about fellowship that spiritual growth and my time spent with God could hardly be called consistent. This is not all to say that I was not a believer, trying to do what would please God—I was. However, I had yet to turn from the confines of my parent’s faith and hide myself in the love of a personal savior.

This did not begin to happen until the summer before my senior year in high school. My first two years were a little rocky, probably just pebbly compared to the average teen, but it was still evident that my priorities were not in order. During my junior year, I was involved in the pep club and took a rigorous set of classes. Having little time for much else, my church attendance waned as well. By the time June rolled around, I was burnt out, exhausted, and depleted.

That summer marked the beginning of a new stage in my walk with God. He recognized that I was broken and in need of refining. While on vacation, God spoke to me about the issue of modesty. I never thought I had a problem with modesty, but God revealed that it was as much an inward attitude as it was an outward display. As I prayed with God about helping me develop an attitude of modesty, I realized that this was what having an active relationship with God was all about—being in an intimate friendship with Jesus Christ, allowing Him to access the innermost corners of my heart, and surrendering every aspect of my life to His care. I was refreshed and excited about experiencing God’s personalized care for my life, even though He was showing me areas that I needed to work on.

I had gotten to the point where I wanted to own my faith and see it grow. College has tested my commitment to live a life wholly devoted to Him. I had to make active choices in order to get connected in the Christian community on my campus. Little things like going to the first women’s ministry meeting, sitting alone in Worship Jam, and finding other believers to fellowship with were a stretch for my faith and personality. It is only God’s power that enabled me to take those first steps to keep my relationship growing. I am constantly learning about accepting grace as I try to daily surrender my plans, dreams, and attitude to God. This summer i've been especially working on having a trusting heart full of peace about the path God has laid out for me during the upcoming year abroad.

Snapshot 2: Hobbies

2007-07-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

My hobbies can be broken into two categories: 1. The things I wish I could do but due to extreme lack of skill sadly cannot and 2. The things I actually do to occupy my free time. Let's start with the former so I can end on a good note...

Unsuccessful Pastimes
I'll cut to the chase - i'm not athletically gifted, I have no rythm, and I can't carry a tune. I hate to quote a tween chick flick, but Anne Hathaway's character in Princess Diaries says it perfectly: "I am a synchronized swimming, yoga-doing, horseback-riding, wall-cIimbing-type girl. My hand-eye coordination is zero."

In my defense, I played softball as a youngster (however, I only hit one ball the whole season...) and was on the badminton team one year in highschool. But as for basketball or volleyball, sports I would like to be good at, that would use my near six feet tall frame to an advantage, I am dreadfully unskilled. Although I did develop a new way to put extra umph into shooting a three-pointer. It involves flinging one leg, bent at the knee, backwards while thrusting arms skyward and releasing the ball. I thought I'd send a video of it to Kobe's trainer. As for the other two, it's pretty simple: I'm pretty much tone deaf and I can't dance.

Successful Pastimes
While I enjoy doing many things, the two that come to mind first are reading and cooking. Words are powerful. I love the way people mold and sculpt them to express different views or stories. I'm currently in the midst of The Magician's Nephew, C.S. Lewis, Bleak House, Charles Dickens, and HP and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling. Usually it bothers me to read more than one novel at a time but this was an odd set of circumstances.

Cooking and food engages all the senses. It's creative, stimulating, methodical, and always results in a product. My favorite thing about cooking is how it spans generations and cultures. Food connects people, brings them together under a common need for nourishment and a shared sense of pleasure. I was my mom's kitchen helper since I could make a stirring motion and have been hooked ever since. I don't exactly have a specialty yet, but baking is what I like to do best.

Welcome

2007-07-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

This is my second attempt at writing a post to introduce myself. I went to bed pretty frustrated last night with my inability to portray all the aspects of who I am in an accurate and interesting manner. Which is a great example of a pesky personality trait of mine – perfectionism. We have a love hate relationship. I love possessing the perseverance to do things well, but I hate the sometimes crippling effect of not being able to let a project go if it doesn’t meet my, usually unrealistic, standard. So, instead of anally trying to condense all of “me” into a couple paragraphs, I’ll just create a few snapshots of who I am over the next few days and give a more scholastic profile later.

Snapshot 1: My Family

Family is a very important part of my life. Although I’d like to think I escaped many pitfalls of being the youngest child (of two), I’m aware of a few residual effects from being “the baby” and only girl. Most prominent is my ability to badger people, especially my mom, into doing things with me, like making cupcakes.

I adore my brother Tim, 23 – I could say more but that would be a whole different post. We like to see how many Fletch and Fletch Lives quotes we can integrate into normal conversation. My mom and I share the same spirit of exploration and love of food, which usually end up combined into some culinary adventure. I have a step-sister (Tina, 27) and step-brother (Ben, 24) who have made me Auntie Em three times over in the last 14 months.

I’m fortunate to have close extended family as well. The MO Stews as my family calls them (short for their location and last name abbr.) are like a second set of parents and brothers. Because I go to school where they live, I have the joy of spending a lot of time with them. Someone usually ends up in tears (from laughing of course) when we all get together.

My family is anything but typical. We make up words, my brother and I don’t fight, and we laugh A LOT.