I got up super early today to take care of business. My luggage. I'd google mapped a place about a half hour walk from my hostel. A FedEx. I was one cab ride away from being fully unloaded. 12 euro later I'm standing outside an empty building, much the same as the last freaking empty FedEx building I'd busted my chops to get to. How could this be? Another empty FedEx building?
I walked into a call center and asked the guy where the nearest shipping establishment would be. He google mapped. He made phone calls. The one place said they simply wouldn't ship personal items. That's what you get when your whole country does drugs. The second place said they'd send it. After I filled out a form and paid 300 euros. This suitcase is going with me to Innsbruck, Austria. My friend said I could leave it there if we could find a place to ship it. I'll be stopping in Zurich, Switzerland and I might be able to deal with it there.
I took the tram back to the hostel and ditched the bag in my room. I then walked 5 minutes to the train station and went to Keukenhof for the tulip festival!
It's actually rather cold today and it started raining when I got to the bus in Leiden. But it was really cool to see all the flowers in the rain. And it didn't rain that much. Half way through the day the sun came out and I dried off and things couldn't have been more pleasant.
I really wish I could have found a pen because it was the perfect place to sit and write or sketch. I ate a warm ham roll and a waffle with whipped cream. So delicious and so expensive.
I wonder if there's a place to go swing dancing in Amsterdam. I want to swing dance so badly.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Things Usually Work Out for Me Part II
So here is part II of my journey out of England and on to the Netherlands. It's been one ridiculous mishap after another.
But some good things have happened along the way.
So where did we leave off? Right. Sitting at the Pret a Manger eating a chocolate bar and drinking an orange mango soda. The flavors don't mix but I wanted them. Both.
I then decided that things were alright. I would just have to ship it from Amsterdam, the luggage that is. If not on Sunday, on Monday. But first I had to get to my train at the Liverpool Street Station. I got there by 6, giving me enough time to pick up my ticket and get settled. My debit card doesn't work in the self service kiosks cuz I don't have a little chip in it like all the European check cards. That's fine. Jump in line and get it from a real live person. That's not too outdated.
I got to the counter and said something along the lines of I booked online and so I've got my reference number for my train to Harwich. He said, right, you know there's no train tonight. Long pause. No train to Harwich? No. Long pause. How did I book a ticket then, if there's no train to Harwich tonight?? He said those websites don't factor in when local scheduled matinance is happening so there's a bus replacement service. And why didn't I use the kiosk to access my ticket?
::sigh::
He "wasn't supposed to do this" but he arranged my bus replacement ticket anyway.
It didn't leave until half eight so I had a good 2 and a half hours to spare. Great. Might as well make the best of it and find a place to donate a bunch of clothes I wasn't even going to ship home.
I'd walked across the street to the police station where two quite severe lady police officers were working behind the desk. I'd asked them about a place to donate clothes and the google mapped a place. Apparently donations are simply left outside the doors of the charity shop. There aren't key drop off points strategically placed around the city. They said my best bet was to just leave it at the doors and either a homeless person would come by and take what they want or the shop will get it in the morning. Guess that works.
I made my way to the shop on Commercial Avenue. I must say by this point I was quite hot, sore, tired, and generally disagreeable but at least I'd be losing some weight in the form of a couple pairs of jeans, several shirts, a washcloth, and a pillow case. Remember, I was carrying a backpack, bookbag, purse, suitcase, and this cloth bag (which is all the rage in England, environmentally friendly, recycled, reusable, beige and borderline pretentious) with the donatable items. I knew the shop not by the sign above the door, but by the box of stuff left by the side of it.
There were kids on the roof yelling down at me in what could have been Farsi.
I put the bag of clothes ontop of the other donated box. And stood there for a bit. That's it? I walked all this way to get rid of about 7 items? Today has been a bear and even after donating those clothes, I've still got and unweildy load. Pink Backpack. Get rid of it. But noo! I love that backpack! I've had it since freshman year in high school when I was angsty about changing schools from South Bend to Elkhart and guilt tripped my mom into getting me an Expensive backpack.
::sigh::
There is a time for everything. I knew Europe would be the end of that backpack, but I didn't know how or when it would happen. Just like my courds. They were called home.
I took the essentials from the pink backpack and found space that was previously nonexistant in my black backpack. I left some slightly unusual stuff behind, but in retrospect (and even at the time) it makes some sense. I left the back pack, obviously. I left a strapless bra. spare batteries. a bottle of flinstone vitimins. uh, I loved those. Eating one every day has become a special thing for me. They're so tasty and good for you and the grape ones are my favorite and it's like a little after brushing your teeth dessert. I left an extra box of tampons. And another couple of teeshirts.
I loaded back up my stuff after some adjustments of toggles and straps here and there. I felt like a weight had been lifted. My spirits were soaring higher than they had since 3 pm and I'd actually gotten rid of stuff along the lines of the way I'd been claiming I wanted to in the first place. I just needed a bit more of a push, I guess, to take that jump from getting rid of stuff I had little attachment to, to getting rid of stuff that I did have an attachment to, but didn't need. Can I learn a lesson from this? I'm sure.
I got back to Liverpool Street Station and found a McDonald's with free wifi. Now Pret a Manger has treated me well with an hour of free wifi and trendy sandwiches and coffee, but McDonald's has always been there when I've needed it. Unlike Pret, which closes way early on Saturdays. And like I've mentioned before, McDonald's has a comfort factor deeply rooted from my childhood that Pret doesn't have. I ate a chicken sandwich, fries, and an orange juice.
I booked my hostel in Amsterdam. I'm a little last minute with a lot of things, as you can probably tell. I don't think it's gonna change.
I made it onto the bus! I made it onto the ferry! I made it into my little cozy cabin! I paid 16 euro for wifi and access to a little room with fresh fruit, a broken coffee maker, Dutch magazines, and sparkling water from a can. What is wrong with me? Ugh. An hour of wifi is 6 euro. 3 hours is 9 euro. Breakfast is 12,50. I'm gonna load my pockets with granny smiths and eat those for breakfast. They've already ripped me off twice and I won't stand for a 3rd.
I needed a Eurpoean adaptor for my American laptop. I have a 2 pronged one for my cellphone. I needed a 3 pronged one for my laptop. So. Shop. I knew it'd be a bit expensive. What was worse is that they only had British to European. No American to European. So I got the universal adaptor for I'm ashamed to say how much. Got it out of the package. It doesn't take 3 pronged American plugs. Are you serious? Honestly! So I tried the cellphone adaptor. Even though the 3rd round prong sticks out, the 2 flat ones fit in. So I hooked it up. And now my laptop is full and happy. I am not quite happy but full. I've had 3 apples, 2 bananas, 2 orange juices, a cup of crappy instant coffee and I'm going back for another banana. I must make something worth what I paid for it. I must.
I have been able to skype with my mom. I told her the whole story complete with facial expressions, hand gestures, and dramatic pauses. It felt good. Espeically since I'm in this stupid private lounge that no one's in but me.
So it's 3:30 am. That puts me 6 hours ahead of Indiana. I'm half way to Holland. And you can't be upset in Holland so I'm venting. I'm showering. I'm sleeping and in the morning I will be my naturally cheery self. With a suitcase to shead in time.
When I was back at HMC for the few random days there last week Seb B and I were walking back from dinner and up to college just after dusk. I looked at the library windows and exclaimed how beautiful they were and how beauitiful HMC is and how much I love it and how fabulous the library is and he said I was idealizing my memories about that library.
I've been thinking about it for about a week. Was I idealizing a memory and if so what's wrong with it? I've decided that I might not have necessarily been idealizing my memory of Harris Manchester's Tate Library because I spent many dreadful hours there working on sub-par papers but even in those difficult unruly moments there was still so much to love about everything else. There's something important about remembering the troubles we encounter, but I think there's no good in only remembering them for being a troubling time. After the fact is the best time to realize the good that was simultaneously present because often it's not obvious at the time. Or it is obvious but we're so overwhelmed with the looming negative the lurking positive doesn't have a chance to ease us.
I can't wait to say good morning to Holland.
But some good things have happened along the way.
So where did we leave off? Right. Sitting at the Pret a Manger eating a chocolate bar and drinking an orange mango soda. The flavors don't mix but I wanted them. Both.
I then decided that things were alright. I would just have to ship it from Amsterdam, the luggage that is. If not on Sunday, on Monday. But first I had to get to my train at the Liverpool Street Station. I got there by 6, giving me enough time to pick up my ticket and get settled. My debit card doesn't work in the self service kiosks cuz I don't have a little chip in it like all the European check cards. That's fine. Jump in line and get it from a real live person. That's not too outdated.
I got to the counter and said something along the lines of I booked online and so I've got my reference number for my train to Harwich. He said, right, you know there's no train tonight. Long pause. No train to Harwich? No. Long pause. How did I book a ticket then, if there's no train to Harwich tonight?? He said those websites don't factor in when local scheduled matinance is happening so there's a bus replacement service. And why didn't I use the kiosk to access my ticket?
::sigh::
He "wasn't supposed to do this" but he arranged my bus replacement ticket anyway.
It didn't leave until half eight so I had a good 2 and a half hours to spare. Great. Might as well make the best of it and find a place to donate a bunch of clothes I wasn't even going to ship home.
I'd walked across the street to the police station where two quite severe lady police officers were working behind the desk. I'd asked them about a place to donate clothes and the google mapped a place. Apparently donations are simply left outside the doors of the charity shop. There aren't key drop off points strategically placed around the city. They said my best bet was to just leave it at the doors and either a homeless person would come by and take what they want or the shop will get it in the morning. Guess that works.
I made my way to the shop on Commercial Avenue. I must say by this point I was quite hot, sore, tired, and generally disagreeable but at least I'd be losing some weight in the form of a couple pairs of jeans, several shirts, a washcloth, and a pillow case. Remember, I was carrying a backpack, bookbag, purse, suitcase, and this cloth bag (which is all the rage in England, environmentally friendly, recycled, reusable, beige and borderline pretentious) with the donatable items. I knew the shop not by the sign above the door, but by the box of stuff left by the side of it.
There were kids on the roof yelling down at me in what could have been Farsi.
I put the bag of clothes ontop of the other donated box. And stood there for a bit. That's it? I walked all this way to get rid of about 7 items? Today has been a bear and even after donating those clothes, I've still got and unweildy load. Pink Backpack. Get rid of it. But noo! I love that backpack! I've had it since freshman year in high school when I was angsty about changing schools from South Bend to Elkhart and guilt tripped my mom into getting me an Expensive backpack.
::sigh::
There is a time for everything. I knew Europe would be the end of that backpack, but I didn't know how or when it would happen. Just like my courds. They were called home.
I took the essentials from the pink backpack and found space that was previously nonexistant in my black backpack. I left some slightly unusual stuff behind, but in retrospect (and even at the time) it makes some sense. I left the back pack, obviously. I left a strapless bra. spare batteries. a bottle of flinstone vitimins. uh, I loved those. Eating one every day has become a special thing for me. They're so tasty and good for you and the grape ones are my favorite and it's like a little after brushing your teeth dessert. I left an extra box of tampons. And another couple of teeshirts.
I loaded back up my stuff after some adjustments of toggles and straps here and there. I felt like a weight had been lifted. My spirits were soaring higher than they had since 3 pm and I'd actually gotten rid of stuff along the lines of the way I'd been claiming I wanted to in the first place. I just needed a bit more of a push, I guess, to take that jump from getting rid of stuff I had little attachment to, to getting rid of stuff that I did have an attachment to, but didn't need. Can I learn a lesson from this? I'm sure.
I got back to Liverpool Street Station and found a McDonald's with free wifi. Now Pret a Manger has treated me well with an hour of free wifi and trendy sandwiches and coffee, but McDonald's has always been there when I've needed it. Unlike Pret, which closes way early on Saturdays. And like I've mentioned before, McDonald's has a comfort factor deeply rooted from my childhood that Pret doesn't have. I ate a chicken sandwich, fries, and an orange juice.
I booked my hostel in Amsterdam. I'm a little last minute with a lot of things, as you can probably tell. I don't think it's gonna change.
I made it onto the bus! I made it onto the ferry! I made it into my little cozy cabin! I paid 16 euro for wifi and access to a little room with fresh fruit, a broken coffee maker, Dutch magazines, and sparkling water from a can. What is wrong with me? Ugh. An hour of wifi is 6 euro. 3 hours is 9 euro. Breakfast is 12,50. I'm gonna load my pockets with granny smiths and eat those for breakfast. They've already ripped me off twice and I won't stand for a 3rd.
I needed a Eurpoean adaptor for my American laptop. I have a 2 pronged one for my cellphone. I needed a 3 pronged one for my laptop. So. Shop. I knew it'd be a bit expensive. What was worse is that they only had British to European. No American to European. So I got the universal adaptor for I'm ashamed to say how much. Got it out of the package. It doesn't take 3 pronged American plugs. Are you serious? Honestly! So I tried the cellphone adaptor. Even though the 3rd round prong sticks out, the 2 flat ones fit in. So I hooked it up. And now my laptop is full and happy. I am not quite happy but full. I've had 3 apples, 2 bananas, 2 orange juices, a cup of crappy instant coffee and I'm going back for another banana. I must make something worth what I paid for it. I must.
I have been able to skype with my mom. I told her the whole story complete with facial expressions, hand gestures, and dramatic pauses. It felt good. Espeically since I'm in this stupid private lounge that no one's in but me.
So it's 3:30 am. That puts me 6 hours ahead of Indiana. I'm half way to Holland. And you can't be upset in Holland so I'm venting. I'm showering. I'm sleeping and in the morning I will be my naturally cheery self. With a suitcase to shead in time.
When I was back at HMC for the few random days there last week Seb B and I were walking back from dinner and up to college just after dusk. I looked at the library windows and exclaimed how beautiful they were and how beauitiful HMC is and how much I love it and how fabulous the library is and he said I was idealizing my memories about that library.
I've been thinking about it for about a week. Was I idealizing a memory and if so what's wrong with it? I've decided that I might not have necessarily been idealizing my memory of Harris Manchester's Tate Library because I spent many dreadful hours there working on sub-par papers but even in those difficult unruly moments there was still so much to love about everything else. There's something important about remembering the troubles we encounter, but I think there's no good in only remembering them for being a troubling time. After the fact is the best time to realize the good that was simultaneously present because often it's not obvious at the time. Or it is obvious but we're so overwhelmed with the looming negative the lurking positive doesn't have a chance to ease us.
I can't wait to say good morning to Holland.
Things Usually Work Out for Me
But not today.
No.
Not on Saturdays. When you need to ship something very Large and have a limited amount of time.
Usually you can rely on the knowledge and kindness of the locals. Today only the kindness was reliable.
My mind's not that reliable either.
I'd factored the right amount of time to get the tube to the nearest post office that would ship things. I was going to get there well before 5 pm and send my belongings over the deep blue sea. I didn't factor that it was a Saturday and the post office would be closed by 3:30 pm) (which is the time I arrived at the tube station. So I was informed of a fedex store! Near covered garden! So I took the tube there and asked at a Pret a Manger where it was. Close! Down the street on the right! So I hustled with a backpack on my back, a book bag on my front, and a suitcase rolling behind me. I walked and walked and nothing. I asked several people and one said go back, it's up the road on the left. So I went back. I thought, it's 4:30, I'll make it. I'll do this yet!
And I got almost back to the first Pret and asked another person: FedEx! On this street! But where? It's call a Kinko's,right next to the Marks and Spensor's. Look, follow me. So I did. He pointed to the M&S and the building right before it wasn't it and the building right after...empty. Lights off. Some cardbord boxes in the middle of the floor. Empty shelves. They'd moved. No sign as to where.
So I'm back at the Pret. After a single frustrated tear. I'm pissed off. I have too much stuff and I want it all gone.
So now I'm going to Holland with a suit case!
No.
Not on Saturdays. When you need to ship something very Large and have a limited amount of time.
Usually you can rely on the knowledge and kindness of the locals. Today only the kindness was reliable.
My mind's not that reliable either.
I'd factored the right amount of time to get the tube to the nearest post office that would ship things. I was going to get there well before 5 pm and send my belongings over the deep blue sea. I didn't factor that it was a Saturday and the post office would be closed by 3:30 pm) (which is the time I arrived at the tube station. So I was informed of a fedex store! Near covered garden! So I took the tube there and asked at a Pret a Manger where it was. Close! Down the street on the right! So I hustled with a backpack on my back, a book bag on my front, and a suitcase rolling behind me. I walked and walked and nothing. I asked several people and one said go back, it's up the road on the left. So I went back. I thought, it's 4:30, I'll make it. I'll do this yet!
And I got almost back to the first Pret and asked another person: FedEx! On this street! But where? It's call a Kinko's,right next to the Marks and Spensor's. Look, follow me. So I did. He pointed to the M&S and the building right before it wasn't it and the building right after...empty. Lights off. Some cardbord boxes in the middle of the floor. Empty shelves. They'd moved. No sign as to where.
So I'm back at the Pret. After a single frustrated tear. I'm pissed off. I have too much stuff and I want it all gone.
So now I'm going to Holland with a suit case!
Friday Night Posted on Saturday Afternoon
I think it’s time for that “things” blog. The one about all the stuff that I don’t want and don’t need and could definitely stand to get rid of.
Right. I got to Oxford on January 12, 2009 and I had new beautiful red luggage. They were both massive weighing about 50 lbs each after I’d had my fill of them. I had a pink book bag and a black purse. I couldn’t believe how little I had. It took me 40 minutes to unpack and put everything away in my new room. It took me a very short time to pack it all up again there at the end of term.
I’ve been hopping from place to place for about a month now and I can’t believe how much stuff I have. Way too much. I’ve already sent some stuff home and now I’m on my way back to London for one night to reckon with the remaining luggage I left there. I think I’m gonna post that home too after trading out a select few tee shirts. I’m honestly thinking I’m gonna donate a lot of it to a Salvation Army or something. It’s absurd how many pairs of jeans I brought.
Speaking of pants - funny story for you:
So I’ve been in Southampton catching up with my friend Flick from Raquette Lake and today we decided to go to Brighton. I have 2 pairs of jeans and a pair of corduroy khakis. The courds I’ve had since probably my sophomore year in high school and I’m pretty surprised they’ve lasted this long. I’ve already patched them once by the back pocket. I knew Europe would be their last leg, so to speak, but I didn’t think they’d go today. Which is exactly what happened.
Flick and I were getting ready this morning and I’d commented to her about how the couds were gonna go soon so I might as well wear them till they gave. We loaded up the car. We went to the post office. We got back into the car and (not an hour after I’d commented on the limited longevity of my pants) they split. Vertically. Right down back. We couldn’t leave the parking lot right away because we were laughing so hard. I mean, I knew their time was limited but I didn’t think they’d go within the hour.
So on the one hand I’m down a pair of pants but on the other I was gonna get rid of stuff anyway. One less thing I feel tempted to ship home.
I think it’ll be awesome when I show up in France with nothing but a backpack and a book bag. They said we should pack light and by God, I’ve been lightening my load since I got here.
I have these wonderful, slightly bohemian, visions of an apartment in Boulder, Colorado that has wood floors. A kitchen table with 4 chairs. A couch and a love seat. A bed. A dresser. 2 desks. And a room with 2 kayaks, 2 snowboards, all the necessary accompanying accessories, a tent, 2 sleeping bags and 2 travel backpacks. Josh will be studying. I’ll be working. We’ll be living. I’m looking forward to making dinner for two and serving it on an old set of dishes found in his grandparent’s basement.
I’ll probably be in Holland by the time you read this. I’ve gotten in the habit of writing blogs in Word when I’ve got a nice bit of travel from here to there but haven’t got any internet. Then when I get a bit of wifi copy/paste does wonders.
Right. I got to Oxford on January 12, 2009 and I had new beautiful red luggage. They were both massive weighing about 50 lbs each after I’d had my fill of them. I had a pink book bag and a black purse. I couldn’t believe how little I had. It took me 40 minutes to unpack and put everything away in my new room. It took me a very short time to pack it all up again there at the end of term.
I’ve been hopping from place to place for about a month now and I can’t believe how much stuff I have. Way too much. I’ve already sent some stuff home and now I’m on my way back to London for one night to reckon with the remaining luggage I left there. I think I’m gonna post that home too after trading out a select few tee shirts. I’m honestly thinking I’m gonna donate a lot of it to a Salvation Army or something. It’s absurd how many pairs of jeans I brought.
Speaking of pants - funny story for you:
So I’ve been in Southampton catching up with my friend Flick from Raquette Lake and today we decided to go to Brighton. I have 2 pairs of jeans and a pair of corduroy khakis. The courds I’ve had since probably my sophomore year in high school and I’m pretty surprised they’ve lasted this long. I’ve already patched them once by the back pocket. I knew Europe would be their last leg, so to speak, but I didn’t think they’d go today. Which is exactly what happened.
Flick and I were getting ready this morning and I’d commented to her about how the couds were gonna go soon so I might as well wear them till they gave. We loaded up the car. We went to the post office. We got back into the car and (not an hour after I’d commented on the limited longevity of my pants) they split. Vertically. Right down back. We couldn’t leave the parking lot right away because we were laughing so hard. I mean, I knew their time was limited but I didn’t think they’d go within the hour.
So on the one hand I’m down a pair of pants but on the other I was gonna get rid of stuff anyway. One less thing I feel tempted to ship home.
I think it’ll be awesome when I show up in France with nothing but a backpack and a book bag. They said we should pack light and by God, I’ve been lightening my load since I got here.
I have these wonderful, slightly bohemian, visions of an apartment in Boulder, Colorado that has wood floors. A kitchen table with 4 chairs. A couch and a love seat. A bed. A dresser. 2 desks. And a room with 2 kayaks, 2 snowboards, all the necessary accompanying accessories, a tent, 2 sleeping bags and 2 travel backpacks. Josh will be studying. I’ll be working. We’ll be living. I’m looking forward to making dinner for two and serving it on an old set of dishes found in his grandparent’s basement.
I’ll probably be in Holland by the time you read this. I’ve gotten in the habit of writing blogs in Word when I’ve got a nice bit of travel from here to there but haven’t got any internet. Then when I get a bit of wifi copy/paste does wonders.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Random Bit of Home
It’s 10:46 a.m. on Wednesday the 22nd and I’m on a train to Southampton from Oxford. Stopping in Oxford was completely unplanned, impromptu, and good for the spirit.
The original plan from Liverpool was to bus it straight down to Southampton on Sunday but I got word from the friend I was to meet that a family issue had come up and would it be alright if I didn’t come till Wednesday? What to do what to do till then!
So I called a friend who lives in Oxford, James Kanimba. I arrived Saturday evening after quite a long bus ride and had an evening to catch up with him. I then sent a text message to another James (James Appell) who lives across town in Jericho (the funkier artsier part of Oxford) to see if he wanted to have lunch on Sunday. He was totally game saying Seba was coming in, but other than that he was free.
What? Seb B was gonna be in town? From Argentina? On Sunday?! I had not expected to run into him until May when I arrive with Lydia and Lori because first week doesn’t start until the 27th. So not only did I get to have a fabulous lunch with James A and some of his house mates, I got to see Seb B.
How glorious.
We all had a delightful picnic in the park over in Jericho and Monday we all got down to business. Sort of. James and Giorgia (James A’s house mate and Seb B’s best friend from Austria’s Italian girlfriend) have 3 weeks left to finish their master’s thesis. Seb B had to move back into his room and I had paperwork for Aix-en-Provence to print out, fill out, and send out. I also shipped 19.88 kilos worth of luggage home for way too much money. I should have donated the whole lot to the Salvation Army. Ugh. I hate stuff. Things. I’m sick of having so many things. But that’s for another blog post ☺
Anyway Tuesday I swung back by HMC where more and more people were showing up. I went to visit Sue Killoran, my favorite person at HMC Ever. I wanted to give her a hug and ask to use the printers in the library (which is formally called Tate Library). I poked my head into the library office and there she was. Guess what else was sitting pleasantly in the library office? The Yucca Plant. :D It’s taller than I remember and it’s leaves are happy and lush! I could be more pleased about the Yucca Plant.
Sunday evening there was talk of flying to Spain for 3 days before I had to be in Southampton. We almost did. But reality set in and we all just decided to stay in Oxford and get some work done. We decided to take a day trip on Tuesday though. It was either going to be asparagus picking or punting. The U-Pick farm wasn’t open yet and no one really seemed too keen on punting so James A and I decided to take a short train ride to Kingham (about 25 minutes west of Oxford but still in Oxfordshire) for a country ramble.
We made 2 tuna salad sandwiches, had some hobnobs (excellent cookies) and a bottle of water. We wandered through the countryside all afternoon. We found a couple bridges over a stream or two where we threw dandelion flowers into the water to see who’s would move fastest. Best 2 out of 3. I ended up winning but it wasn’t really a competition. It was just lovely to watch little yellow dandelion flowers float down a shallow brook.
We recited children’s poetry because, why not on a beautiful warm sunny clear day in the countryside? We decided that we probably had the same book of poetry when we were little. We also burst into song quite frequently. Everything from children’s songs to hymns to Disney and many parodies as well. Wanna know a fun game? In every song that uses the word “love” replace it with the word “lunch.” It’s especially good with Beatles songs:
“Lunch lunch lunch…All you need is lunch, ba ba ba ba ba”
“Can’t buy me Luuu unch”
“And then while I’m away I’ll write home every day and I’ll send all my Lunchin’ to you”
We probably played the love/lunch game for a half an hour or more.
Some time between pinching my finger in a gate and finding a tree with roots that extended out over the widening brook that we could sit on, I got a phone call from Seb A. Where are ya, he wanted to know because he was in Oxford. A day early! I had already come to terms that I would miss him by a day so it was brilliantly unexpected!
So after wandering around the countryside all afternoon we found a very twee hotel/restaurant to have not quite a full pint. “Twee” is my newest English vocab word. It basically refers to anything so sickeningly sweet and quintessentially English. Like doilies and maybe afternoon tea parlors. James A loves the countryside but he admits a lot of it’s pretty twee. He’s from Leeds by the way and we couldn’t help but absolutely revel in the beauty of the green fields, the 2 herons we saw swoop around us, the tiny white daisies and patches of dandelions, the absence of city sounds and the fresh air.
Absolutely relaxing. Pleasant. Delightful. Delovely.
So I went for a burrito at 7 with Seb A. Ah! It was awesome! We made some tea and sat in the JCR! We went on a walk through the University Parks just before dusk! Fabulous! The whole world is awake and alive!
I couldn’t believe how beautiful Harris Manchester was. I thought it was stunning in the winter but springtime is overwhelming. The boughs of the giant tree that first greets you when you walk into the central courtyard were heavy with cherry blossom flowers. The walkways and yard were decorated with fallen pink petals and they’d blown into the doorway of Morrison.
I cut Seb B’s hair for the 2nd time. I thought about letting him cut mine, but decided to get it done in Briton with Flick.
I love Oxford. I can’t wait to bring Lydia and Lori there May 13th.
I think I’d trade my summer in France for another term at HMC.
The original plan from Liverpool was to bus it straight down to Southampton on Sunday but I got word from the friend I was to meet that a family issue had come up and would it be alright if I didn’t come till Wednesday? What to do what to do till then!
So I called a friend who lives in Oxford, James Kanimba. I arrived Saturday evening after quite a long bus ride and had an evening to catch up with him. I then sent a text message to another James (James Appell) who lives across town in Jericho (the funkier artsier part of Oxford) to see if he wanted to have lunch on Sunday. He was totally game saying Seba was coming in, but other than that he was free.
What? Seb B was gonna be in town? From Argentina? On Sunday?! I had not expected to run into him until May when I arrive with Lydia and Lori because first week doesn’t start until the 27th. So not only did I get to have a fabulous lunch with James A and some of his house mates, I got to see Seb B.
How glorious.
We all had a delightful picnic in the park over in Jericho and Monday we all got down to business. Sort of. James and Giorgia (James A’s house mate and Seb B’s best friend from Austria’s Italian girlfriend) have 3 weeks left to finish their master’s thesis. Seb B had to move back into his room and I had paperwork for Aix-en-Provence to print out, fill out, and send out. I also shipped 19.88 kilos worth of luggage home for way too much money. I should have donated the whole lot to the Salvation Army. Ugh. I hate stuff. Things. I’m sick of having so many things. But that’s for another blog post ☺
Anyway Tuesday I swung back by HMC where more and more people were showing up. I went to visit Sue Killoran, my favorite person at HMC Ever. I wanted to give her a hug and ask to use the printers in the library (which is formally called Tate Library). I poked my head into the library office and there she was. Guess what else was sitting pleasantly in the library office? The Yucca Plant. :D It’s taller than I remember and it’s leaves are happy and lush! I could be more pleased about the Yucca Plant.
Sunday evening there was talk of flying to Spain for 3 days before I had to be in Southampton. We almost did. But reality set in and we all just decided to stay in Oxford and get some work done. We decided to take a day trip on Tuesday though. It was either going to be asparagus picking or punting. The U-Pick farm wasn’t open yet and no one really seemed too keen on punting so James A and I decided to take a short train ride to Kingham (about 25 minutes west of Oxford but still in Oxfordshire) for a country ramble.
We made 2 tuna salad sandwiches, had some hobnobs (excellent cookies) and a bottle of water. We wandered through the countryside all afternoon. We found a couple bridges over a stream or two where we threw dandelion flowers into the water to see who’s would move fastest. Best 2 out of 3. I ended up winning but it wasn’t really a competition. It was just lovely to watch little yellow dandelion flowers float down a shallow brook.
We recited children’s poetry because, why not on a beautiful warm sunny clear day in the countryside? We decided that we probably had the same book of poetry when we were little. We also burst into song quite frequently. Everything from children’s songs to hymns to Disney and many parodies as well. Wanna know a fun game? In every song that uses the word “love” replace it with the word “lunch.” It’s especially good with Beatles songs:
“Lunch lunch lunch…All you need is lunch, ba ba ba ba ba”
“Can’t buy me Luuu unch”
“And then while I’m away I’ll write home every day and I’ll send all my Lunchin’ to you”
We probably played the love/lunch game for a half an hour or more.
Some time between pinching my finger in a gate and finding a tree with roots that extended out over the widening brook that we could sit on, I got a phone call from Seb A. Where are ya, he wanted to know because he was in Oxford. A day early! I had already come to terms that I would miss him by a day so it was brilliantly unexpected!
So after wandering around the countryside all afternoon we found a very twee hotel/restaurant to have not quite a full pint. “Twee” is my newest English vocab word. It basically refers to anything so sickeningly sweet and quintessentially English. Like doilies and maybe afternoon tea parlors. James A loves the countryside but he admits a lot of it’s pretty twee. He’s from Leeds by the way and we couldn’t help but absolutely revel in the beauty of the green fields, the 2 herons we saw swoop around us, the tiny white daisies and patches of dandelions, the absence of city sounds and the fresh air.
Absolutely relaxing. Pleasant. Delightful. Delovely.
So I went for a burrito at 7 with Seb A. Ah! It was awesome! We made some tea and sat in the JCR! We went on a walk through the University Parks just before dusk! Fabulous! The whole world is awake and alive!
I couldn’t believe how beautiful Harris Manchester was. I thought it was stunning in the winter but springtime is overwhelming. The boughs of the giant tree that first greets you when you walk into the central courtyard were heavy with cherry blossom flowers. The walkways and yard were decorated with fallen pink petals and they’d blown into the doorway of Morrison.
I cut Seb B’s hair for the 2nd time. I thought about letting him cut mine, but decided to get it done in Briton with Flick.
I love Oxford. I can’t wait to bring Lydia and Lori there May 13th.
I think I’d trade my summer in France for another term at HMC.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
It's Only Been A Month
Would you believe it? I'm back at Oxford.
I have 100 days left.
Time passes so differently when you're jumping from place to place every few days.
It took me about 9 hours to get to Liverpool from Edinburgh. I found my hostel which was very cool and very different from the others I'd been staying in. It's called The Nightingale Lodge after Florance Nightingale. It is a huge old building with surprisingly good facilities.
I got in late on Thursday night and Friday I was ready to see Liverpool! It started out a rainy day but by 11:30/12 the sun was out. I went walking around and found a very cool old theatre that had been turned into an alternative market. There were tons of funky antique and vintage clothing stores, a piercing parlor and a cafe. The cafe served a very solid English breakfast for a good price and from there I found my way to Albert Dock. Yeah, I did a Beatles tour. I couldn't help it!
I told myself I wouldn't get sucked into bus tours. But this was the 2nd bus tour in a matter of days. Nothing makes you feel more like a tourist than a bus tour. Up till now I've prided myself on not being super touristy: taking photos of pidgeons and whatever else.
Anyway. I'm in Oxford for them moment and I'm not exactly sure how long I'll be here. I'm not headed to Southampton until Wednesday so I thought I'd take a jaunt down to Cornwall/Land's End.
We'll see.
Sorry I've not got any funny stories, exciting tales or dazing photos. All in due time.
I have 100 days left.
Time passes so differently when you're jumping from place to place every few days.
It took me about 9 hours to get to Liverpool from Edinburgh. I found my hostel which was very cool and very different from the others I'd been staying in. It's called The Nightingale Lodge after Florance Nightingale. It is a huge old building with surprisingly good facilities.
I got in late on Thursday night and Friday I was ready to see Liverpool! It started out a rainy day but by 11:30/12 the sun was out. I went walking around and found a very cool old theatre that had been turned into an alternative market. There were tons of funky antique and vintage clothing stores, a piercing parlor and a cafe. The cafe served a very solid English breakfast for a good price and from there I found my way to Albert Dock. Yeah, I did a Beatles tour. I couldn't help it!
I told myself I wouldn't get sucked into bus tours. But this was the 2nd bus tour in a matter of days. Nothing makes you feel more like a tourist than a bus tour. Up till now I've prided myself on not being super touristy: taking photos of pidgeons and whatever else.
Anyway. I'm in Oxford for them moment and I'm not exactly sure how long I'll be here. I'm not headed to Southampton until Wednesday so I thought I'd take a jaunt down to Cornwall/Land's End.
We'll see.
Sorry I've not got any funny stories, exciting tales or dazing photos. All in due time.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I Liked the Haggis
(This is a post from several days ago)
Today I'm off to Liverpool! Woo hoo! Hurray! The Beatles!
I've spent 3 days in Scotland and It's been pretty cool. Edinburgh is extremely beautiful. I spent 5 hours at Edinburgh Castle. I did an Auld Reekie ghost tour in the caverns under the city. It was eerie spooky creepy.
I went on a Highlands tour. I was pretty excited about it. It was a little bit really boring. I mean, I saw some of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, but I was sitting in a bus. We drove by the castle they used in the filming of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We didn't even stop. And there was only a 14 second window for photographs. Luckily I got one or the whole friggin tour would have been a waste. Not really, but the Monty Python castle was one of the main reasons for choosing this tour.
And an hour into the trip my camera warned me of it's low battery life. Are you kidding me? This was a 10 hour tour.
It was definitely a strange day. This is definitely a strange life.
I won't get into Liverpool until about 9 pm or so and I think I'll spend most of tonight taking care of business stuff. Then I'll have all day Friday and most of Saturday to explore the city!
Hopefully I can get some photos up soon.
Today I'm off to Liverpool! Woo hoo! Hurray! The Beatles!
I've spent 3 days in Scotland and It's been pretty cool. Edinburgh is extremely beautiful. I spent 5 hours at Edinburgh Castle. I did an Auld Reekie ghost tour in the caverns under the city. It was eerie spooky creepy.
I went on a Highlands tour. I was pretty excited about it. It was a little bit really boring. I mean, I saw some of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, but I was sitting in a bus. We drove by the castle they used in the filming of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We didn't even stop. And there was only a 14 second window for photographs. Luckily I got one or the whole friggin tour would have been a waste. Not really, but the Monty Python castle was one of the main reasons for choosing this tour.
And an hour into the trip my camera warned me of it's low battery life. Are you kidding me? This was a 10 hour tour.
It was definitely a strange day. This is definitely a strange life.
I won't get into Liverpool until about 9 pm or so and I think I'll spend most of tonight taking care of business stuff. Then I'll have all day Friday and most of Saturday to explore the city!
Hopefully I can get some photos up soon.
Monday, April 13, 2009
The World Just Keeps Getting Bigger and More Manageable.
I'm in Scotland.
I got on the bus last night at 11:30. I sat next to a nice guy from Scotland who met his fiancee working at a summer camp in the States.
I obviously tried to sleep and it obviously didn't work. You should have seen the Scottish countryside at 6 am. It was misty and green and of course beautiful.
Got to the bus station about 8:30. Got the hostel by 9:30. I stopped at a Burger King that advertised free wifi. ::sigh:: always the fast food joints. So I had a "Cumberland sausage butty." I have no idea. It was pretty good though. I was gonna blog then and there but blogger was a restricted website. ::sigh:: thanks, Burger King. You're mostly useless to me.
I checked into my hostel. It's really nice. But I couldn't get into my room until 3 or after. So I grabbed some touristy guides and sat on a comfy couch. And decided to nap. For 2 hours. I even set the alarm on Nick's watch.
Did I tell you that I'd lost it in the JCR one night? I went back the next day and I couldn't find it. I thought, that's it. Gone-dy. Mahatma Gone-dy. Then a few days later an email went out to everyone in college about a "Man's watch found in the JCR last Friday." So I went to the bursary where it was being held and said, "Yeah, I'm here to pick up my watch." She gave me a look. You know. And said, "It's a man's watch." I said, "Yeah. I know. It's mine. The alarm probably goes off every day about 8:17?" Yeah. It's mine. Thank you. I wear a man's watch. So what? It was a gift. Don't look at me like that. You don't know me.
Anyway the nap was much needed and I went off to Edinburgh Castle! It's so awesome! And beautiful! And this whole city is Gorgeous! Absolutely beautiful! It makes London look...whatever. There are places in London that are stunning. But all of Edinburgh is. I definitely went photo crazy. Man.
You know what else? I hate asking strangers to take a photo of me in front of this or doing that. They always manage to cut off half of what's important about the photo i.e. me or the site of interest. Does no one understand?
I think that if I got stranded here and was jobless I'd advertise myself as a professional take an EXCELLENT photo of you in front of (whatever) photographer. You're camera. You're film. My understanding of what you want as a tourist and a pound or two. That way everyone in your group is involved. And you're not risking a terrible photo by a stranger who doesn't care about you. I do care about you. I want you to have a great photo for your stupid scrap book and I want to eat tonight!
I'm going on a haunted tour tonight. ooooOOOOOOooooo. I wish my bro Nick were here. He's been here before and I've been thinkin about him aaaaall day. Can't wait to talk Edinburgh with him when I get back.
Well, my 1 hour of "free" wifi that I got when I purchased a cup of coffee will be up in minutes. I'll post photos when I get the chance.
My life is so freaking great. I just can't even stand it sometimes.
I got on the bus last night at 11:30. I sat next to a nice guy from Scotland who met his fiancee working at a summer camp in the States.
I obviously tried to sleep and it obviously didn't work. You should have seen the Scottish countryside at 6 am. It was misty and green and of course beautiful.
Got to the bus station about 8:30. Got the hostel by 9:30. I stopped at a Burger King that advertised free wifi. ::sigh:: always the fast food joints. So I had a "Cumberland sausage butty." I have no idea. It was pretty good though. I was gonna blog then and there but blogger was a restricted website. ::sigh:: thanks, Burger King. You're mostly useless to me.
I checked into my hostel. It's really nice. But I couldn't get into my room until 3 or after. So I grabbed some touristy guides and sat on a comfy couch. And decided to nap. For 2 hours. I even set the alarm on Nick's watch.
Did I tell you that I'd lost it in the JCR one night? I went back the next day and I couldn't find it. I thought, that's it. Gone-dy. Mahatma Gone-dy. Then a few days later an email went out to everyone in college about a "Man's watch found in the JCR last Friday." So I went to the bursary where it was being held and said, "Yeah, I'm here to pick up my watch." She gave me a look. You know. And said, "It's a man's watch." I said, "Yeah. I know. It's mine. The alarm probably goes off every day about 8:17?" Yeah. It's mine. Thank you. I wear a man's watch. So what? It was a gift. Don't look at me like that. You don't know me.
Anyway the nap was much needed and I went off to Edinburgh Castle! It's so awesome! And beautiful! And this whole city is Gorgeous! Absolutely beautiful! It makes London look...whatever. There are places in London that are stunning. But all of Edinburgh is. I definitely went photo crazy. Man.
You know what else? I hate asking strangers to take a photo of me in front of this or doing that. They always manage to cut off half of what's important about the photo i.e. me or the site of interest. Does no one understand?
I think that if I got stranded here and was jobless I'd advertise myself as a professional take an EXCELLENT photo of you in front of (whatever) photographer. You're camera. You're film. My understanding of what you want as a tourist and a pound or two. That way everyone in your group is involved. And you're not risking a terrible photo by a stranger who doesn't care about you. I do care about you. I want you to have a great photo for your stupid scrap book and I want to eat tonight!
I'm going on a haunted tour tonight. ooooOOOOOOooooo. I wish my bro Nick were here. He's been here before and I've been thinkin about him aaaaall day. Can't wait to talk Edinburgh with him when I get back.
Well, my 1 hour of "free" wifi that I got when I purchased a cup of coffee will be up in minutes. I'll post photos when I get the chance.
My life is so freaking great. I just can't even stand it sometimes.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Scotland.
I'm off to Scotland for 3 days. ::sigh:: Another day, another adventure.
It's good to be out and about by myself but I tell you it'd be a lot different if I didn't have brothers and parents and extended family and friends and friends of friends who keep encouraging and sharing my excitement.
I can't wait to say Good Morning to Edinburgh.
It's good to be out and about by myself but I tell you it'd be a lot different if I didn't have brothers and parents and extended family and friends and friends of friends who keep encouraging and sharing my excitement.
I can't wait to say Good Morning to Edinburgh.
Photos of the Few Other Things I've Been Up To.
A Book Bench! At the British Library!
A tiny detail at King's Cross Station.
This place is a Circus. Really it's just Oxford Circus Station.
The 100 Club.
A Helmet at the Tower of London.
The White Tower. The walls at the base are 12 feet thick. 8 feet at the top.
Ha ha! I'm a guard!
View of Tower Bride from London Bridge. I'm a cheese and whistled "London Bridge is Falling Down" as I walked across.
Best blues bar in London!
This stair lead to No Where! Creeeeeepy - maybe the ghosts of all the hanged pirates crawl up Pelican Stairs when the tide of the Thames goes out and their spirits are freed from the waters oooOOOOOOooooooo.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
My Belongings Are Spread All Across England
Dad requested a post so here it is :D
To make that face, dad, just type a : and then directly following type a D ;)
So It's the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Something very important is happening today for people who follow the Christian faith. I think it could even be an important time for people people who just like to gather with family.
This is my first year not home for Easter. We usually spend it at Grandma Jo's and we eat ham and all the traditional stuff and everyone plays Euchre. I Really miss playing Euchre. I have half a mind to find 3 people and teach them all how to play. It would take forever and it would probably be rather fruitless. Besides, finding 3 people might be a bit difficult.
Maddy, the girl I've been staying with in London, is leaving for her family Easter today. Pete's in The Netherlands or something until Thursday. Luke is working. I'm on a bus tomorrow night for Edinburgh. It'll be like when I took the night train to NY. Only I'm going to Scotland.
I don't think there's internet on that bus so I'll probably just sleep. Maybe jot down any funny instances as they happen.
Guess what else? I'm house shopping.
3 friends and I are going to get a house and live there. We want to move in in less than 30 days. Can it be done, you ask? Of course. Things just work out for us.
There's really only been one legit prospect put forward and we're honestly running out of time. So I got on line last night about midnight my time and started my own search from a random flat in London. I found 3 really solid prospects. I didn't stop looking until about 4 am. I'm really into it. It's hard to find a good 4 bedroom place. So Lydia's going to investigate. Hopefully this works.
Josh and I are talking seriously about what we're going to do when he's home in 334 days and when I graduate 2 months after that. He'll be home from Iraq in 142 days. I'll be home from Europe in 108 days. Lydia and Lori will fly into London in 30 days. I'm leaving for Edinburgh in 2. I don't know if breaking everything down into how many days left is healthy or not. It helps with some things (when Joshua will be home because I can see the numbers shrink) but it really makes some things more sad then they need to be this soon (leaving Europe).
So my favorite Beatles album is Abbey Road. It changed my 14 year old life when I was in 8th grade and the band director said, "You like the Beatles? Take this." That weekend I went to Kokomo with my mom and I listened to that album back to back the whole 2 hour ride there, back, and most of the time in between. I have not been the same since. Cheesy, I know.
But this week I went there. I looked up directions to that cross walk and I took the Jubilee Line to St. James Green and the sun was shining and there were so many flowers around you could smell them in the air and it was warm and I was listening to "Here Comes The Sun" which is possibly not only the Best Beatles song ever, but one of the best songs to come out of popular music. But I might be partial.
It was a short walk from the tube station and I swear I was getting choked up. Good thing I was wearing sunglasses, huh? But for as long as I can remember the Beatles have played a prominent roll in my musical life and bonding with my dad. Now, I'm not gonna get too gushy here, but you know the only problem with the song Hey Jude? The radio won't play it twice in a row. Anyway I got to the cross walk and I hesitated for a moment and all the cars stopped as I stepped out and I watched my feet pass over the wide white lines. I looked to my right and saw a very different time in a very familiar place.
I wasn't there long. I didn't as a stranger to take a picture of me walking across it. I just sat on one of the short walls for a few moments and took in the atmosphere. Sigh.
That same day I went to the British Library. I saw things like the Magna Carta. A Gutenberg Bible (there's actually one at the Bodleian but I don't think they would have let me look through that. It's a little more special than the complete works of Flavius Jofephus.) I saw hand written scores of The Messiah, stuff by Beethoven (very cool cuz it's just as crazy looking and you'd expect), Chopin, I saw Mozart's marriage certificate. I saw Captain Cook's travel log. Pages from di Vinci's notebook (they look a lot like miiiine ;). I saw star charts from the 900's of Chinese origin. Early recordings of Confucius' wisdom. A note by Sylvia Plath. A small section on the Beatles. Maps. Tons of religious texts from Buddhist to Islamic to Christian. Stuff on the monarchy in England. Shakespeare. Beethoven's tuning fork.
The room was very dim with special lighting for each individual piece. Each case was kept at a specific temperature. No photographs. No food or drink. Preservation is key. It was such a small place but I spent well over 2 hours looking at every single piece. There weren't many people and it was reverently quiet. I could pour over each bit of parchment and revel in the fact that something as finite and fragile as a piece of paper could have as much power as it does. Music. Exploration. Ideas that shock and cause uproar. Contracts. Feelings expressed in private. We can track how the world was shaped. We can track how our minds were shaped. We can track how our faiths were shaped. We can track how the human condition has developed and yet we're still just looking at bits of paper that some individual thought to scrawl all over.
Huh. Paper is powerful.
So. I have some work to do. And I'm hungry. And where am I going? I can't believe where I am.
I eat an orange about every day for breakfast. And I think I've found the perfect way to have it peeled. It's a quite unique and efficient way using a knife. I find I like my orange best when cut into chunks, mixed with apples, Muesli, and Greek style yogurt. I've been having my oranges that way since middle of Hilary term but I didn't realize until now that while I'm here, trekking through England, that's how my orange world would take shape. It's new and fitting. It's delicious and still a bit messy but it's comprehendable, manageable, delightful.
I feel like oranges are finally in season.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Captain Kidd: Not Quite the Coolest Pirate, but I've Been to His Pub
It's been a bit of time, hasn't it?
I've been busy in the best possible way. I've been productive. I've been adventurous. I've been sleeping in every morning. I've mastered the subway. I've discovered fantastic little pirate pubs, live blues music, and a little place called the Tower of London. Have you ever heard of it? It's a gem in East London. You might be able to find it on a really thorough guide to London. Or just look it up on Wikipedia.
I've got to tell you this really silly heartwarming kind of story. I was on the tube a couple days ago. I can't remember where I was headed off to or coming back from but it was kind of late I think. And I had my ipod with me. So I was flipping through songs. Now, when ever I ride the tube, I cannot help but to look at everyone and wonder about who they are and where they're going and so many people on the tube are traveling with other people and you should see the kinds of looks they share. Men just look at the ladies they're with with soft eyes and little kids look at strangers and parents look at their little kids and I'm there looking at all of them.
Anyway, I was already feeling in love with this train car and the song that came on my ipod was "Love Train" by the O'Jays. My first thought was "I wonder if that's Harry!" I always wonder if my old jazz professor, Harry Miedema, is playing on the O'Jays recordings because he played sax for them. A split second later I looked around me and thought, "Seriously, people all over the world join hands, cuz we're on the love train." One of the first lines after the chorus is:
"The next stop we make will be England."
I mean, come on! I couldn't help it. I started grinning like a fool because it was so priceless. I often think of my life as a movie or what it would be like if it were a movie and if my life were a movie what significance would this scene have?
So if my life were a movie it'd most certainly be a musical with choreographed dance moves and catchy tunes and awfully cheesy messages. So I sat there for the entire 3 minute song and imagined how every tired person on that train would perk up when the music was cued and actually join hands in a very spontaneous but planned count. I saw huge smiles, jazz fingers, kicks, and strangers dancing in perfect harmony. This image was so entertaining I looked at the guy across from me, he was young, several years older than me. He had a stylish hair cut and was wearing a suit and a black wool pea coat. He also had ear phones in. I envisioned him leading the unison clap on 2 and 4 and he looked up and caught my eye and stupid grin.
I wanted to offer one of my earphones to him but decided to tap my foot and look away instead. This moment would stay in my head. Sometimes in order for things to be really funny, they have to stay where they are cuz really, I don't think he would have found it as beautiful and ridiculously delightful as I did in my own mind. Could you imagine trying to describe to a complete stranger that you're honestly invisioning a real life dance number with all these real life people to the song "Love Train" by the O'Jays? I like to think it's not that uncommon of a thought. But it might be.
And I thought, yeah, I totally want world peace! This song could do it! It really really could motivate people! We could do it now, in this train! But, you know, if the song didn't do it '73 when it was a #1 then it probably won't now just playing on my humble ipod. But it was still such a wonderful moment. That guy kept looking at me and failed to figure out what I was so pleased with and no one started dancing.
I found my way to a bar called Ain't Nothin But. It's the only legit blues bar in all of London. Live blues every night. I went by myself. I bought myself a drink. I found myself a seat next to three 50+ year old locals. They were a hoot to talk to. They argued over blues music and we talked about bluegrass. They wanted to know who I'd dumped that night to be out by myself on a Friday. They were quite impressed that I'd go out by myself. Quite tenacious. Spot on, I like to think.
I've been busy in the best possible way. I've been productive. I've been adventurous. I've been sleeping in every morning. I've mastered the subway. I've discovered fantastic little pirate pubs, live blues music, and a little place called the Tower of London. Have you ever heard of it? It's a gem in East London. You might be able to find it on a really thorough guide to London. Or just look it up on Wikipedia.
I've got to tell you this really silly heartwarming kind of story. I was on the tube a couple days ago. I can't remember where I was headed off to or coming back from but it was kind of late I think. And I had my ipod with me. So I was flipping through songs. Now, when ever I ride the tube, I cannot help but to look at everyone and wonder about who they are and where they're going and so many people on the tube are traveling with other people and you should see the kinds of looks they share. Men just look at the ladies they're with with soft eyes and little kids look at strangers and parents look at their little kids and I'm there looking at all of them.
Anyway, I was already feeling in love with this train car and the song that came on my ipod was "Love Train" by the O'Jays. My first thought was "I wonder if that's Harry!" I always wonder if my old jazz professor, Harry Miedema, is playing on the O'Jays recordings because he played sax for them. A split second later I looked around me and thought, "Seriously, people all over the world join hands, cuz we're on the love train." One of the first lines after the chorus is:
"The next stop we make will be England."
I mean, come on! I couldn't help it. I started grinning like a fool because it was so priceless. I often think of my life as a movie or what it would be like if it were a movie and if my life were a movie what significance would this scene have?
So if my life were a movie it'd most certainly be a musical with choreographed dance moves and catchy tunes and awfully cheesy messages. So I sat there for the entire 3 minute song and imagined how every tired person on that train would perk up when the music was cued and actually join hands in a very spontaneous but planned count. I saw huge smiles, jazz fingers, kicks, and strangers dancing in perfect harmony. This image was so entertaining I looked at the guy across from me, he was young, several years older than me. He had a stylish hair cut and was wearing a suit and a black wool pea coat. He also had ear phones in. I envisioned him leading the unison clap on 2 and 4 and he looked up and caught my eye and stupid grin.
I wanted to offer one of my earphones to him but decided to tap my foot and look away instead. This moment would stay in my head. Sometimes in order for things to be really funny, they have to stay where they are cuz really, I don't think he would have found it as beautiful and ridiculously delightful as I did in my own mind. Could you imagine trying to describe to a complete stranger that you're honestly invisioning a real life dance number with all these real life people to the song "Love Train" by the O'Jays? I like to think it's not that uncommon of a thought. But it might be.
And I thought, yeah, I totally want world peace! This song could do it! It really really could motivate people! We could do it now, in this train! But, you know, if the song didn't do it '73 when it was a #1 then it probably won't now just playing on my humble ipod. But it was still such a wonderful moment. That guy kept looking at me and failed to figure out what I was so pleased with and no one started dancing.
I found my way to a bar called Ain't Nothin But. It's the only legit blues bar in all of London. Live blues every night. I went by myself. I bought myself a drink. I found myself a seat next to three 50+ year old locals. They were a hoot to talk to. They argued over blues music and we talked about bluegrass. They wanted to know who I'd dumped that night to be out by myself on a Friday. They were quite impressed that I'd go out by myself. Quite tenacious. Spot on, I like to think.
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