Here's the link to get to them:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/jsugi20/York#
Also, I just found out today that I've been chosen as the Editor-in-Chief of Piedmont's school newspaper, The Navigator, for 2009-2010.
This oppurtunity has been a long time coming, and as you can imagine, I'm pretty excited.
Monday 23 February 2009
Sunday 22 February 2009
York
It's the place where Yorkshire pudding was created and home to one family of the War of the Roses. It boasts the Jorvik Viking Center, the National Railway Museum, and the largest Medieval Gothic cathedral north of the Alps. And I got to see it all when I visited the "city" of York on Saturday!
I left from school on a coach at about 9 in the morning; we drove for about two hours before arriving. But don't ask me which direction we went; I have no clue.
They call York a city, but it is more of a town. It's significantly smaller than Nottingham and would probably only take 15 minutes to walk from end to end. It is jam-packed with history, though. Awesome!
Most of the original city walls are still standing. I even walked for a mile on one part. York Minster is the cathedral I mentioned above. It is beautiful and awe-inspiring. There are a plethora of cathedrals in the same architectural style all over York, just smaller.
I also witnessed Vikings and Anglo-Saxons in battle! Didn't catch the full details of why they were skirmishing...something to do with preparing to fight the Normans, I think. There were decked-out Vikings wandering all over town, though. It was great.
For lunch, I hit the International Market at city centre. There were booths offering dishes and foods from all over. German sausauges, French crepes, Indian rice and kabobs, a huge help-yourself candy tent, cheese, bread, Italian pizzas and paninis...you name it, it was there. I bought a delicious Indian dish that consisted of spicy chiken with peppers and onions and lettuce in a wrap. And I got some dark choclate from a famous Brit choc-maker, Thorton's. So yummy!
Next, I climbed the staircase to Clifford's Tower, built by William the Conquerer and named after a guy who was hanged from its walls by Edward II. It looks pretty small for a fortress-type building and stands on a very steep hill.
On the opposite end of the city is the National Rail Museum that houses real-life models of trains from the very firsts to the most modern. I sat in the Japanese bullet train! By that time, my friends and I were pretty tired. It hadn't been too cold, just unbearably windy. We pretty much passed out on a bench at the museum and then headed back to the coach at 5:30 for a 6 o'clock departure. It was a full day!
This week I am concentrating on writing a 3,000-word essay for my history class and a 1,500-word one for my film class. It's very hard to get motivated, though, when all I want to do is see the world. Less than a month until I'm home.
I left from school on a coach at about 9 in the morning; we drove for about two hours before arriving. But don't ask me which direction we went; I have no clue.
They call York a city, but it is more of a town. It's significantly smaller than Nottingham and would probably only take 15 minutes to walk from end to end. It is jam-packed with history, though. Awesome!
Most of the original city walls are still standing. I even walked for a mile on one part. York Minster is the cathedral I mentioned above. It is beautiful and awe-inspiring. There are a plethora of cathedrals in the same architectural style all over York, just smaller.
I also witnessed Vikings and Anglo-Saxons in battle! Didn't catch the full details of why they were skirmishing...something to do with preparing to fight the Normans, I think. There were decked-out Vikings wandering all over town, though. It was great.
For lunch, I hit the International Market at city centre. There were booths offering dishes and foods from all over. German sausauges, French crepes, Indian rice and kabobs, a huge help-yourself candy tent, cheese, bread, Italian pizzas and paninis...you name it, it was there. I bought a delicious Indian dish that consisted of spicy chiken with peppers and onions and lettuce in a wrap. And I got some dark choclate from a famous Brit choc-maker, Thorton's. So yummy!
Next, I climbed the staircase to Clifford's Tower, built by William the Conquerer and named after a guy who was hanged from its walls by Edward II. It looks pretty small for a fortress-type building and stands on a very steep hill.
On the opposite end of the city is the National Rail Museum that houses real-life models of trains from the very firsts to the most modern. I sat in the Japanese bullet train! By that time, my friends and I were pretty tired. It hadn't been too cold, just unbearably windy. We pretty much passed out on a bench at the museum and then headed back to the coach at 5:30 for a 6 o'clock departure. It was a full day!
This week I am concentrating on writing a 3,000-word essay for my history class and a 1,500-word one for my film class. It's very hard to get motivated, though, when all I want to do is see the world. Less than a month until I'm home.
Monday 16 February 2009
London pictures
You can access this link to view my pictures from London:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jsugi20/London#
http://picasaweb.google.com/jsugi20/London#
country vs. city
You've probably never been to Cranfield in Bedfordshire England...I have!
I can officially say I have experienced the English countryside and its inhabitants.
My friend Gemma invited me to her house there for the weekend. The town is about an hour north of London and two hours south of Nottingham. It was also one of the only places lace was handmade for a long time in England by, guess who, the Hugenot refugees fleeing France.
Gemma's dad was a hoot! Every other word out of his mouth was "blimey!" and he had so many questions about my life and American culture and politics. Her family was so polite and accomodating. On Sunday, we went to her aunt and uncle's house just a few minutes away for afternoon tea and to chat. The doorways and roofs to this traditional house were all very low; it reminded me of the basement at home.
I also got to experience traditionl English fair. Gemma's auntie made little meat pies for tea time and on Sunday afternoon, her parents cooked a full-fledged, typical Sunay afternoon dinner of Yorkshire pudding. But don't get the wrong idea; This meal is comparable to roast beef and gravy in America, except in England they add a pastry-like "pancake" that tastes doughy when mixed with the gravy.
Saturday Gemma and I and her friend Lara went to London. Gemma and I took the train from Bedfordshire into St. Pancras station where we met Lara. Then we all took the tube to the London Eye because we had tickets for it. The lines, or queus as they're called, were massive. But the Eye was quite an experience...so cool! After that we went to Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Picadilly Circus, Trifalgar Square and Nelson's Column. I even crossed London Bridge. We were going to go to Madame Toussard's, a famous wax museum, but again the queus were too long. I definitely need to go back to see the rest of the sights, though!
I can officially say I have experienced the English countryside and its inhabitants.
My friend Gemma invited me to her house there for the weekend. The town is about an hour north of London and two hours south of Nottingham. It was also one of the only places lace was handmade for a long time in England by, guess who, the Hugenot refugees fleeing France.
Gemma's dad was a hoot! Every other word out of his mouth was "blimey!" and he had so many questions about my life and American culture and politics. Her family was so polite and accomodating. On Sunday, we went to her aunt and uncle's house just a few minutes away for afternoon tea and to chat. The doorways and roofs to this traditional house were all very low; it reminded me of the basement at home.
I also got to experience traditionl English fair. Gemma's auntie made little meat pies for tea time and on Sunday afternoon, her parents cooked a full-fledged, typical Sunay afternoon dinner of Yorkshire pudding. But don't get the wrong idea; This meal is comparable to roast beef and gravy in America, except in England they add a pastry-like "pancake" that tastes doughy when mixed with the gravy.
Saturday Gemma and I and her friend Lara went to London. Gemma and I took the train from Bedfordshire into St. Pancras station where we met Lara. Then we all took the tube to the London Eye because we had tickets for it. The lines, or queus as they're called, were massive. But the Eye was quite an experience...so cool! After that we went to Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Picadilly Circus, Trifalgar Square and Nelson's Column. I even crossed London Bridge. We were going to go to Madame Toussard's, a famous wax museum, but again the queus were too long. I definitely need to go back to see the rest of the sights, though!
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Rome pictures
You can click on this link to see all my Rome pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/jsugi20/Rome#
Monday 9 February 2009
Roman holiday: Part III
The last day in Rome was spent hitting up all the small places we didn't get to see yet.
That included the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Mouth of Truth and the Circus Maximus. We walked a lot again, but the rain had ceased. On Friday, we had walked on a path by the river. By Sunday, you couldn'e even see where the path had been, the river was so high.
My favorite part of this trip to Rome by far happened on Sunday afternoon. We walked to an area of the city a good bit south of the Vatican called Trastavere. There, at a little church at the top of a hill, was the most panoramic and beautiful view of the city. The sun was beginning to set and it glinted off the top of all the domes and sculptures and red-tiled roofs.
I couldn't have asked for a better ending to a fantastic trip!
It was Mary Beth's birthday, so we stopped at a bar for a very strong margheriti. yum!
Then we did a little bit of souvenir shopping and headed home, bidding farewell to St. Peter's.
Our flight on Monday was at 10 a.m. We decided to leave the hostel no later than 6 to catch the metro and then a bus to the airport. Unfortunately, we slept through the alarm and ended up leaving right at 6. A little bit stressed, we rushed to the metro. However, everything was fine. The metro and bus was easy to find and quite fast. We waited for an hour before our ticket line even opened.
I got back to school around 3 and am now doing wash since I am officially out of clean clothes. By the way, I am now taking any and all donations to the keep-Joy-in-England fund. haha
Ciao!
That included the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Mouth of Truth and the Circus Maximus. We walked a lot again, but the rain had ceased. On Friday, we had walked on a path by the river. By Sunday, you couldn'e even see where the path had been, the river was so high.
My favorite part of this trip to Rome by far happened on Sunday afternoon. We walked to an area of the city a good bit south of the Vatican called Trastavere. There, at a little church at the top of a hill, was the most panoramic and beautiful view of the city. The sun was beginning to set and it glinted off the top of all the domes and sculptures and red-tiled roofs.
I couldn't have asked for a better ending to a fantastic trip!
It was Mary Beth's birthday, so we stopped at a bar for a very strong margheriti. yum!
Then we did a little bit of souvenir shopping and headed home, bidding farewell to St. Peter's.
Our flight on Monday was at 10 a.m. We decided to leave the hostel no later than 6 to catch the metro and then a bus to the airport. Unfortunately, we slept through the alarm and ended up leaving right at 6. A little bit stressed, we rushed to the metro. However, everything was fine. The metro and bus was easy to find and quite fast. We waited for an hour before our ticket line even opened.
I got back to school around 3 and am now doing wash since I am officially out of clean clothes. By the way, I am now taking any and all donations to the keep-Joy-in-England fund. haha
Ciao!
Roman holiday: Part II
Saturday was spent seeing all the sights. Like Friday, it rained all day, which sounds miserable, but really wasn't. It made all the statues and ruins seem so severe.
Surprisingly, I took over the role of navigator and was successful, a fact I am proud of. We must have walked at least 15 miles, from a good bit north of the Vatican where the hostel was to across the Tiber River and up and down the city. Not once did we take the metro; walking everywhere was the best way to experience Italian culture. Often on the way to one monument, we'd run into another one. Awesomeness is everywhere in Rome!
At night, we ended up going to the Vatican again. We sat in St. Peter's Piazza and then inside the basilica just people watching. We headed back ot the hostel when it started to get dark. Another loaf of bread and a can of soup made up dinner along with some tea.
That night, a group of Polish travelers stayed in my hostel bedroom. They talked loudly in Polish for who knows how long, so I didn't get a whole bunch of sleep that night.
Surprisingly, I took over the role of navigator and was successful, a fact I am proud of. We must have walked at least 15 miles, from a good bit north of the Vatican where the hostel was to across the Tiber River and up and down the city. Not once did we take the metro; walking everywhere was the best way to experience Italian culture. Often on the way to one monument, we'd run into another one. Awesomeness is everywhere in Rome!
At night, we ended up going to the Vatican again. We sat in St. Peter's Piazza and then inside the basilica just people watching. We headed back ot the hostel when it started to get dark. Another loaf of bread and a can of soup made up dinner along with some tea.
That night, a group of Polish travelers stayed in my hostel bedroom. They talked loudly in Polish for who knows how long, so I didn't get a whole bunch of sleep that night.
Sunday 8 February 2009
Roman holiday: Part I
Rome was amazing.
My friend Mary Beth and I have been planning this trip since getting to school two weeks ago. We left Nottingham on Thursday night and slept at the small East Midland's Airport since our flight was at 6:30 the next morning. We weren't sure if we were going to fly out because it was snowing pretty hard on Friday morning. But we walked out onto the runway in the blizzard and boarded our four-hour flight to Campiano Airport.
Our bus driver in England had advised us not to take any buses because of pick-pockets. So, we took a taxi, which he had said were cheap, all the way to our hostel near the Vatican. It ended up costing 80 Euro. I was pissed off and still am a little angry at being jipped.
Our hostel is pretty nice. We got showers, a kitchen, beds and blankets, and Internet for three nights for 50 Euro.
After checking into our hostel at noon on Friday, we walked about a mile to the Vatican and saw the museum and the Sistine Chapel. Then we went to St. Peter's Square and Basilica. It was just as awe-inspiring and beautiful as I remembered.
We then bought 1.40s worth of a loaf of delicious bread which was about the size of my head. We ate that with butter for dinner, breakfast, and lunch the next day. I had no money left after the taxi guy ripped me off.
The first day in Rome was altogether wonderful, though, and I couldn't wait to soak up more Italian culture the following day.
My friend Mary Beth and I have been planning this trip since getting to school two weeks ago. We left Nottingham on Thursday night and slept at the small East Midland's Airport since our flight was at 6:30 the next morning. We weren't sure if we were going to fly out because it was snowing pretty hard on Friday morning. But we walked out onto the runway in the blizzard and boarded our four-hour flight to Campiano Airport.
Our bus driver in England had advised us not to take any buses because of pick-pockets. So, we took a taxi, which he had said were cheap, all the way to our hostel near the Vatican. It ended up costing 80 Euro. I was pissed off and still am a little angry at being jipped.
Our hostel is pretty nice. We got showers, a kitchen, beds and blankets, and Internet for three nights for 50 Euro.
After checking into our hostel at noon on Friday, we walked about a mile to the Vatican and saw the museum and the Sistine Chapel. Then we went to St. Peter's Square and Basilica. It was just as awe-inspiring and beautiful as I remembered.
We then bought 1.40s worth of a loaf of delicious bread which was about the size of my head. We ate that with butter for dinner, breakfast, and lunch the next day. I had no money left after the taxi guy ripped me off.
The first day in Rome was altogether wonderful, though, and I couldn't wait to soak up more Italian culture the following day.
Thursday 5 February 2009
friends
I officially adore Asians.
I've always romanticized about European culture and people. Not so. They're nice, but not half as wonderful as my Asian friends. That's right, Asians are dying to be my friend. The Europeans could care less. For example, my Singaporean friend Jillian's boyfriend and I had a longer, and entertaining, conversation than I have had with any other student in the past two weeks. Whereas I do my best to remember the names of all my new aquaintances, only my friends from Singapore, Korea and China do the same for me. They even threw my friend a surprise birthday party last night.
Tonight we're leaving for the airport to fly out to Rome in the morning. We have to spend the night in the airport because the buses there don't run that early in the morning. It snowed this morning quite heavily, but has since stopped. But more is also predicted for Nottingham again, which means there's a good chance our flight could be canceled. That would be a bummer and we're hoping it won't happen.
I've always romanticized about European culture and people. Not so. They're nice, but not half as wonderful as my Asian friends. That's right, Asians are dying to be my friend. The Europeans could care less. For example, my Singaporean friend Jillian's boyfriend and I had a longer, and entertaining, conversation than I have had with any other student in the past two weeks. Whereas I do my best to remember the names of all my new aquaintances, only my friends from Singapore, Korea and China do the same for me. They even threw my friend a surprise birthday party last night.
Tonight we're leaving for the airport to fly out to Rome in the morning. We have to spend the night in the airport because the buses there don't run that early in the morning. It snowed this morning quite heavily, but has since stopped. But more is also predicted for Nottingham again, which means there's a good chance our flight could be canceled. That would be a bummer and we're hoping it won't happen.
Monday 2 February 2009
snow and such
Starting Sunday morning and all Monday, Nottingham experienced heavy snowfall for the first time in 20 years. It was beautiful! I must have brought the cold weather with me. I hope it doesn't last for long, though, because walking in it makes my feet wet and cold.
My first lecture was today at 9. It's called Film and Television Culture and promises to be interesting. There's a two-hour movie screening on Tuesday afternoons that goes along with this class, as well as a seminar (discussion) for an hour on Wednesday mornings at 9.
The two other modules I'm taking are on Tuesdays. British history is at 9 in the morning and City Scapes, a view of different cities in art, is from 10-12. As far as finals go, we just have to write an essay for each class that's due at the beginning of March. Then we have to revise and elongate the same essay for our final. Not too hard.
My first lecture was today at 9. It's called Film and Television Culture and promises to be interesting. There's a two-hour movie screening on Tuesday afternoons that goes along with this class, as well as a seminar (discussion) for an hour on Wednesday mornings at 9.
The two other modules I'm taking are on Tuesdays. British history is at 9 in the morning and City Scapes, a view of different cities in art, is from 10-12. As far as finals go, we just have to write an essay for each class that's due at the beginning of March. Then we have to revise and elongate the same essay for our final. Not too hard.
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