Friday, July 18, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
More London!
On Sunday after our meeting me and girls traveled down to the center of the city and went on a city bus tour, riding on the top of the bus was great! We saw EVERYTHING in London from there! We went on the original bus tour and it was amazing! It was cool and I was able to learn certain things about the culture and history of landmarks that you would not get just walking by them. Like the Hilton Hotel, which was originally supposed to be 2 times larger than it is now, but the Queen disapproved of the height of the original building because it exceeded the height of the palace, and the builders couldn't upset the Queen, so even there was A LOT of money lost, they didn't build it as high as it was supposed to be! This goes to show how important royalty is in the country, and how respected the royal family is.
We walked along the bank after our bus ride and some other things and there was a TON of cool things down there!
There was a man that wore face paint and danced around and was able to balance these small clear plastic balls all over his body and on his hands. He then picked up another, and another, until he had 4 balls that he was balancing! It was amazing! We then saw some break dancers, and live statues, which i have never seen before. I wonder about how they train to do things like that, and if that is their full time job, or just a hobby that they do on the weekends. We were walking along the river on Monday night, our last night in London and was able to meet a musician that was down there playing her guitar and harmonica. Some of the girls bought her CD and we talked to her for a while. She was very good at what she was doing, and she seemed to love dong it, so that made it enjoyable for us. I always wonder what it would be like to have an amazing talent like that that you could use to make a living, or at least try, but that would be part of the adventure...trying.
Anyways, then Monday the girls and I headed to watch the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. This was an AMAZING ceremony that was great to watch. It was so neat to see how traditional the whole thing was, and to know that this has been going on for centuries, was even more amazing. This is something that dates back through the ages that shows the honor and respectability that there is for the Queen, and how guarding her is one of the most important things in the country. After this we grabbed a bite to eat at Queen Anne's Cafe, which was named after Queen Anne Boleyn, which I've studied before so that was neat! 
Then Tara and I headed to the Tower of London, and saw the crown jewels, which was AMAZING too bad I couldn't take pictures but it was so worth it to go there. Then I stood and took a picture of where Queen Anne Boleyn was beheaded, they have a memorial of the other people that have been beheaded there, including Queen Anne's brother, George Boleyn. We also walked through some of the towers, then we headed off quickly, which was a shame, but we hopped on the tube and took it to St. John's Wood stop, which was a stop I had never heard of, but the closest one to Abbey Road. We then took pictures of our adventure there, seeing Abbey Road and the recording studio was amazing! I mean the Beatles took the same walkway across the street as we did! There was also a memorial wall outside the studio where thousands of people have written things for the band, including Tara and I now! :)
I thought that getting off at a different stop on the tube would be scary but it turned out to be a really nice part of London that we were in! The culture there was very high class, including all of the houses and even apartments on Abbey Road were nice!
After all of our adventures during the day all of us girls met back together and got dressed up and went to see the Broadway show Wicked! We ate at a restaurant called JB's Restaurant one block away from the Apollo Victoria Theater, where our show took place. The food was really good and the whole restaurant was very classy. After eating a DEL.ICIO.US meal we went to see the show, and it was AMAZING! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and have been singing the songs (which I d/led on iTunes) since that night! I cried, I laughed, it moved me! :) I definitely recommend it to anyone! I would go see it again! Then we took a walk along the river and talked and just took in the sights of the city. It was beautiful to see the city all lit up at night, and a GREAT way to end our trip there!
I'm starting to plan my next trip to London soon! :)
Time to do work on my last project of my trip, thank goodness!
3 days and I'll be back in the mitten!!
We walked along the bank after our bus ride and some other things and there was a TON of cool things down there!
There was a man that wore face paint and danced around and was able to balance these small clear plastic balls all over his body and on his hands. He then picked up another, and another, until he had 4 balls that he was balancing! It was amazing! We then saw some break dancers, and live statues, which i have never seen before. I wonder about how they train to do things like that, and if that is their full time job, or just a hobby that they do on the weekends. We were walking along the river on Monday night, our last night in London and was able to meet a musician that was down there playing her guitar and harmonica. Some of the girls bought her CD and we talked to her for a while. She was very good at what she was doing, and she seemed to love dong it, so that made it enjoyable for us. I always wonder what it would be like to have an amazing talent like that that you could use to make a living, or at least try, but that would be part of the adventure...trying.
Anyways, then Monday the girls and I headed to watch the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. This was an AMAZING ceremony that was great to watch. It was so neat to see how traditional the whole thing was, and to know that this has been going on for centuries, was even more amazing. This is something that dates back through the ages that shows the honor and respectability that there is for the Queen, and how guarding her is one of the most important things in the country. After this we grabbed a bite to eat at Queen Anne's Cafe, which was named after Queen Anne Boleyn, which I've studied before so that was neat! 
Then Tara and I headed to the Tower of London, and saw the crown jewels, which was AMAZING too bad I couldn't take pictures but it was so worth it to go there. Then I stood and took a picture of where Queen Anne Boleyn was beheaded, they have a memorial of the other people that have been beheaded there, including Queen Anne's brother, George Boleyn. We also walked through some of the towers, then we headed off quickly, which was a shame, but we hopped on the tube and took it to St. John's Wood stop, which was a stop I had never heard of, but the closest one to Abbey Road. We then took pictures of our adventure there, seeing Abbey Road and the recording studio was amazing! I mean the Beatles took the same walkway across the street as we did! There was also a memorial wall outside the studio where thousands of people have written things for the band, including Tara and I now! :)I thought that getting off at a different stop on the tube would be scary but it turned out to be a really nice part of London that we were in! The culture there was very high class, including all of the houses and even apartments on Abbey Road were nice!
After all of our adventures during the day all of us girls met back together and got dressed up and went to see the Broadway show Wicked! We ate at a restaurant called JB's Restaurant one block away from the Apollo Victoria Theater, where our show took place. The food was really good and the whole restaurant was very classy. After eating a DEL.ICIO.US meal we went to see the show, and it was AMAZING! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and have been singing the songs (which I d/led on iTunes) since that night! I cried, I laughed, it moved me! :) I definitely recommend it to anyone! I would go see it again! Then we took a walk along the river and talked and just took in the sights of the city. It was beautiful to see the city all lit up at night, and a GREAT way to end our trip there!
I'm starting to plan my next trip to London soon! :)
Time to do work on my last project of my trip, thank goodness!
3 days and I'll be back in the mitten!!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
OH London Nights
Well we finally made it here to the city of London! After a LONG train ride we rode the tube to the dorm, got a little settled in and started to explore London. We had a short and simple...probably too simple...lesson on the transportation in London, which didn't help us at all by the end of the night! The girls and I went to a small Italian sandwich shop over on the corner by our dorm, it was pretty good. We sat and talked till they closed about classes and other things...it was a good time. Then we decided to venture out and look around at some shops that were ALL over the place, along with people! I have been to Chicago before but this seems nothing like it! There are SO many people, it's crazy! I went into Sainsbury's and got some Jaffa Cakes that I've wanted for forever! You can buy them in the US as well, they are cookies/biscuits, with chocolate on one side, like a soft ginger cookie on the other, with, usually, an orange jam filling in the middle. THEY ARE DELICIOUS! And now, I have a new obsession! I bought 2 boxes while we were there!
After that the girls and I came back to the dorm and we set out for our adventure....we had no clue about yet...we took the tube to Leicester Square, it's like a part of town with lots of clubs and pubs! We went to The Zoo Bar, which is nothing like our small little bars at home...LOTS of people, but good music and fun! The girls and I had a good time, met some friendly locals, some unfriendly ones, as well. We then started to venture home and although it took us about 2 hours to get home, finally finding a taxi when we were close by, it was a learning experience I suppose! It made me miss home and even Plymouth, a LOT. But now we know to make sure we know how the buses run and how we are getting home before we leave next time!
Today we are going on a scavenger hunt in the city, getting off on unknown tube stops, having class on Sunday....yeah this study abroad experience has become one that I will definitely never forget...or recommend for anyone else in the future. I understand that we are the first program for this and that it's a learning thing, but it's not a very fun one to be the guinea pig and not know what you're doing everyday, and having to take class on a SUNDAY! So yeah....there's my rant and rave for this morning! But overall I am having a GREAT time with Tara, we are getting closer by the second! :) She's been my date to places and we have been having SO much fun hanging out together! It makes Kevin not being here easier to get through, because she misses her BF a lot too from home. ONE WEEK and we're back! :)
Hope everyone is doing well! Miss ya'll!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Did you know we have an accent?!?!
Hello! How is everyone???
Update: I am missing hot dogs from the ballpark with ketchup, and soda with carbonation!
Today we spent our first half of the day in class, and second half in the schools. I was able to sit in on a school lunch, talk to some teachers, and then see a science class with 15 year olds...interesting! They were typical teenagers, but the teacher was not their friend, yet not their superior, although she kept "shush-ing" them to be quiet, they didn't, but no other action was taken. It was quite a scene....I am glad that I am going into elementary teaching, and will get to see one of those schools on Thursday, because I honestly don't think I could handle teaching the teens.....Nope couldn't do it!
I only was able to see the science period once because as the next class came in she told me she did not expect me to stay another period, or did not want me to, and she explained "why" by saying that "because these students are on a really low level, the lowest of their year"....I took that as either she wanted to have control on her own, or did not want me to see her embarrassed, or she simply just thought that I wasn't prepared for what might happen during the lesson. Whatever the reason I understood, so I went off, found Tina and another teacher and she put us with the Home Ec. class....they call it "Home education and society" or something of that nature....I thought he would just introduce us and let us talk to the girls (no boys in the class...was about child development) but instead he gave us a 5 minute talk on how these girls are the lowest of the low, won't be able to do anything after school, and would not be able to pass a test that "anyone" could do...I was a bit shocked, but just nodded my head and hoped for the best.
I started to talk to some of the girls but they were pretty shy, then we went into the other room where the computers are and I got to see one of the girls portfolios from the class, which was very well put together, then we talked to 3 other girls from the same class and they were VERY nice and friendly. We talked about all different kind of cultural aspects between America and here, so it was very interesting.
After we got home I went to the mall for a bit with the girls to get some motion sickness medicine, we are taking a rickety bus tomorrow to Stonehenge and Bath, and I have been getting sick in the taxis and buses here, so just in case, I am going to take some of that. I probably will not be able to blog tomorrow, we are going to get home....well maybe....we will be home in the evening but I have lots to work on, so I will try to drop a picture or a short line to tell all about it!
Missing everyone across the pond! :)
Update: I am missing hot dogs from the ballpark with ketchup, and soda with carbonation!
Today we spent our first half of the day in class, and second half in the schools. I was able to sit in on a school lunch, talk to some teachers, and then see a science class with 15 year olds...interesting! They were typical teenagers, but the teacher was not their friend, yet not their superior, although she kept "shush-ing" them to be quiet, they didn't, but no other action was taken. It was quite a scene....I am glad that I am going into elementary teaching, and will get to see one of those schools on Thursday, because I honestly don't think I could handle teaching the teens.....Nope couldn't do it!
I only was able to see the science period once because as the next class came in she told me she did not expect me to stay another period, or did not want me to, and she explained "why" by saying that "because these students are on a really low level, the lowest of their year"....I took that as either she wanted to have control on her own, or did not want me to see her embarrassed, or she simply just thought that I wasn't prepared for what might happen during the lesson. Whatever the reason I understood, so I went off, found Tina and another teacher and she put us with the Home Ec. class....they call it "Home education and society" or something of that nature....I thought he would just introduce us and let us talk to the girls (no boys in the class...was about child development) but instead he gave us a 5 minute talk on how these girls are the lowest of the low, won't be able to do anything after school, and would not be able to pass a test that "anyone" could do...I was a bit shocked, but just nodded my head and hoped for the best.
I started to talk to some of the girls but they were pretty shy, then we went into the other room where the computers are and I got to see one of the girls portfolios from the class, which was very well put together, then we talked to 3 other girls from the same class and they were VERY nice and friendly. We talked about all different kind of cultural aspects between America and here, so it was very interesting.
After we got home I went to the mall for a bit with the girls to get some motion sickness medicine, we are taking a rickety bus tomorrow to Stonehenge and Bath, and I have been getting sick in the taxis and buses here, so just in case, I am going to take some of that. I probably will not be able to blog tomorrow, we are going to get home....well maybe....we will be home in the evening but I have lots to work on, so I will try to drop a picture or a short line to tell all about it!
Missing everyone across the pond! :)
Monday, July 7, 2008
Not just another Manic Monday!
'Ello! Today was very interesting but a great experience! There is SOOO much to talk about but I will just give it in a nut shell because I have to be getting to bed soon and planning our trip for London this weekend with the girls! SOOO excited!!! :)
So today was our first day in the classroom in the British Schools of Plymouth! It is NOT AT ALL what I had expected but some things were the same, but I felt a culture shock again when getting there. Tina, Michelle, and I were in a group together. We were picked up in taxis on campus and taken to our first school of the week, Tamarside Community College, which is a high school in the US. It ranges from "years" (grades) 7-13 with ages from 11-18. There are many things different about their school systems but I will have to explain that another day, when I come home probably, because it is SO different, and too much to type out at the moment. We met our liaison at the reception (office) area, his name is Craig Staples, he is one of 7 vice principles (yes 7), and he was super nice and friendly. He took us up to a staff meeting that all the staff has every morning then we got a tour of the school, talked to a lady in the study hall about driving school and everything they have to go through to get it. She also told us about the vocational school aspect for the "6th form" students which are the 12 and 13 year students which are the optional years of school for them.
So besides that we are going back tomorrow to observe more, I would write more about my experience but just check my study abroad blog (link on the right) and it'll will tell more details!
Tara and I had a date at Pizzaghetti after class down at the Barbican, and it was very nice, they even played love music in the background! lol it was very funny! we are going to go to the mall after class tomorrow, we go to the school in the PM tomorrow, we get to eat lunch in the "canteen" = cafeteria, with the students and staff so that will be a good experience! I'll write more tomorrow when I'm not so tired!
I'm off to plan a few things for London and then go to bed! LONG DAY tomorrow!
Cheers!
So today was our first day in the classroom in the British Schools of Plymouth! It is NOT AT ALL what I had expected but some things were the same, but I felt a culture shock again when getting there. Tina, Michelle, and I were in a group together. We were picked up in taxis on campus and taken to our first school of the week, Tamarside Community College, which is a high school in the US. It ranges from "years" (grades) 7-13 with ages from 11-18. There are many things different about their school systems but I will have to explain that another day, when I come home probably, because it is SO different, and too much to type out at the moment. We met our liaison at the reception (office) area, his name is Craig Staples, he is one of 7 vice principles (yes 7), and he was super nice and friendly. He took us up to a staff meeting that all the staff has every morning then we got a tour of the school, talked to a lady in the study hall about driving school and everything they have to go through to get it. She also told us about the vocational school aspect for the "6th form" students which are the 12 and 13 year students which are the optional years of school for them.
So besides that we are going back tomorrow to observe more, I would write more about my experience but just check my study abroad blog (link on the right) and it'll will tell more details!
Tara and I had a date at Pizzaghetti after class down at the Barbican, and it was very nice, they even played love music in the background! lol it was very funny! we are going to go to the mall after class tomorrow, we go to the school in the PM tomorrow, we get to eat lunch in the "canteen" = cafeteria, with the students and staff so that will be a good experience! I'll write more tomorrow when I'm not so tired!
I'm off to plan a few things for London and then go to bed! LONG DAY tomorrow!
Cheers!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
new adventures and the stresses of school....
Hi ya'll! I know that it's a new day but yesterday was full of too much to write about it! So I'm making it up and writing to you this afternoon....well, morning for you guys!
Let's start with Friday, 4th of July! That day we went to class and watched a short film on some different schools in Japan and Hawaii (had watched a Chinese school clip the day before that), then we were encouraged to go out and get things for our project, which is due tomorrow! yay! Since I am doing my project on the history of Plymouth, and how it was affected by WWII, I decided to venture to the museum to see if I could find anything! When I got there I was very nervous, but went up to the desk and asked if there was anyone I could interview about my topic. They were very friendly and right away called a man named Dave, who came down and was happy to talk to me! I only was able to record the first half of the interview, but got some good notes and stuff for my project (which I'll post on here when i'm finished!). He was so friendly and nice, he answered my questions and SO MUCH MORE! He told me all about living in Plymouth, his family and how they were affected, and everything! It was awesome! He even took me behind the scenes kind of and showed me the pictures that they recently had on exhibit for the 50th anniversary of the war and the blitz on Plymouth.
He also had some small artifacts originally from the war, it was really neat! I got a lot of good information for my project and learned SO much about Plymouth, and how this little town got together from this horrible event, and built the city back up! My project is due tomorrow so I will most likely be posting it later tonight for me...
Also on Friday the graduate students invited us down to the Fresher for a 4th of July party! We call it the Fresher but it's really "The Fresher and The Professor" I will get a picture of it and put it up soon! It is just a small pub on the corner right next to our dorm halls where were staying. The staff is SUPER nice and really cool, and they know all of the MSU grad students that are here so they were able to get a DJ and they decorated the pub up for 4th of July, it was really fun! Tara and I met a guy from London, who told us some stuff to do while we are there, then we also met a Polish girl and her boyfriend who live in Plymouth and talked to them for a while, it was really neat, and we all had a great time!
Then there was yesterday...Saturday, July 5th, 2008 :)
I went on an adventure to Babeny Farm Stables in Dartmoor. Dartmoor is a HUGE area in Devon, England (like the county here where Plymouth and places like Cornwell are....they are cities in the county) that is a national park. We got up super early to get on a bus at the station to take us to a little town of Ashburton. We got there and found a small Baguette shop and had breakfast. We all had bacon and egg on a roll with Brown Sauce. Now a little bit about brown sauce...well it's brown...and it's really good! Even though the name might scare people a bit I tried it and liked it a lot! They use it on EVERYTHING here, because a lot of their food is prepared very bland they have a lot of different sauces, which is good! Oh and just like in my previous experience, it's called Tomahto Ketchup, not just Ketchup...:)
So we ate our breakfast, got directions from 5 police officers who were very friendly, and another thing, they don't carry guns! at all! It's like they were plainly dressed, I wish I would have gotten a picture but...it was interesting! Our police officers are geared up with huge belts of stuff, guns, knives, handcuffs, everything....but these police officers were plainly dressed in black t-shirts with black trousers and black shoes. They had like a small patch on each arm that said Police, and they had only 1 or 2 things on their belt, neither of which was a firearm. FF (fun fact): Pepper spray is considered a firearm here, and if see in possession of it, you are arrested! Crazy!
So after we had breakfast and found our taxi, we were on our way to the stables! The taxi drive there and back was VERY interesting, and for any of you that know me, I get nervous and sick in cars, especially in the backseat with people driving that I don't know...well welcome to the taxi system in England!! When you enter into Dartmoor National Park there are SMALL roads, one car wide, walls on each side of you (brick with ivy growing all over), sharp turns, because you are in the hills, and animals standing on the side of the road. In this national park the farmers let their animals roam free across all this land. There are sheep, cows, and ponies.
FF: the Dartmoor pony is one of the oldest known pony in history, it dates back all the way to 110 BC!!
So anyways, this taxi driver was speeding through this area, fast around corners and barely 2 in away from the wall on my side, and the cars passing on the other...come to find out however, taxi drivers here have to go through a 2 year program to become a taxi driver, and they get paid SOOO much. Their brains are even scanned before and after and there is a HUGE difference in depth perception and area awareness after they go through this program. This is why they get paid so much here, because they are the best drivers in England! After I found that I (which was at the end of the day) I felt more comfortable getting in a taxi again...but during the ride, I wanted to cry, throw up, and scream all at the same time! haha! But, I'm alive and well thanks to England's finest taxi driver, Matthew :)
When we arrived, finally, to Babeny stables, it was amazing. We geared up into rain proof suits and got our helmets on (they call them hats) and was ready to go, I'll post a picture of me later on, my teacher took it of me on my horse. My horse was supposed to be Little Blue, but somehow I got put on Freckles instead...and given a crop (the whip they carry in English riding)...interesting! So I didn't think I would have to use it....nope, my horse was fat and stubborn, but still beautiful, and fun to ride. We went on a Pub Ride across the hills of Dartmoor, up rocks, and across the moor, it was BEAUTIFUL (picture above of view from my horse, Dartmoor ponies in the middle)...I've never seen a place so amazing and natural and gorgeous as this. I was taken away by the view, and at the moment wanted to just stay and live there for the rest of my life...there was just no way to explain it, but breathtaking. We walked along, trotted a little, and reached the pub after a while. It kept raining every now and then so I wasn't able to take too many pictures :( but combined with what my teachers got I should have some footage up by tomorrow or tuesday. Freckles did not want to walk fast, and she kept trying to eat on the way there...then on the way back...well let's just say I was very scared. The rain started to come down in SHEETS when we were on our way back to the trail from the pub. It stormed so hard at one time, it hailed. My saddle wasn't cinched right and kept sliding, so much at one point I almost fell off! haha it was just a crazy experience, but I just had to keep talking to my horse, and at one point felt like I was in a movie, we were all riding in the mountains, huge storm hits, and we are fighting it to get home...yep that would make a good movie or book some day! :) Overall the weather sucked, but the experience was AMAZING...if I could come back to England every year, I would do that every time I came, even in the hail and rain! haha well....let's not push it....I'd come during their warmer season :) But, it was great, I loved it, and it made me want to get into English riding, so that when I buy my own horse years from now, I will be able to take it on rides like that...well in the US anyways :) Kevin and I are planning on going riding while we are in FL now! Can't wait!
Well I got back from my crazy horseback riding adventure, took a LONG hot shower, put my pjs on right away, and talked to Tara for a while. That's when the stresses of school started to hit...they told us one thing, then told us another, we didn't have anytime to go do stuff for our projects, we were learning how to use stuff and talk about culture the whole week...pretty much they are expecting us to make these wonderful great movies like the other Ed Tech students do...but we are beginners. I am just glad that I was able to get a ton of pictures, learn about my topic, and talk to the historian. I have not put anything officially together yet, but that is what Sundays are for! I think we just all feel like we should be able to experience the culture and city we are in more, or other places, instead of being cooped up in a classroom and dorm room doing homework and projects the whole time...I really just hope London is a different story....which is next weekend! Yay! And this week will be good because we are going to be helping out and observing in the classrooms! I am really excited for that!
So, that was my crazy weekend adventure, I am now going to do my project, even though it's nice outside...well for Plymouth...boo schoolwork! I am happy to be here though overall, I am learning and experiencing a lot, and definitely will want to come back to England again in the future...and travel other places too! It's so amazing the experiences that you get just going to a different country...definitely ones that have opened my eyes a lot so far.
Hope all is well! I am not able to move my body much today because of riding, so I will be posting later on tonight my project and things of that nature!
Miss you all!
Let's start with Friday, 4th of July! That day we went to class and watched a short film on some different schools in Japan and Hawaii (had watched a Chinese school clip the day before that), then we were encouraged to go out and get things for our project, which is due tomorrow! yay! Since I am doing my project on the history of Plymouth, and how it was affected by WWII, I decided to venture to the museum to see if I could find anything! When I got there I was very nervous, but went up to the desk and asked if there was anyone I could interview about my topic. They were very friendly and right away called a man named Dave, who came down and was happy to talk to me! I only was able to record the first half of the interview, but got some good notes and stuff for my project (which I'll post on here when i'm finished!). He was so friendly and nice, he answered my questions and SO MUCH MORE! He told me all about living in Plymouth, his family and how they were affected, and everything! It was awesome! He even took me behind the scenes kind of and showed me the pictures that they recently had on exhibit for the 50th anniversary of the war and the blitz on Plymouth.
He also had some small artifacts originally from the war, it was really neat! I got a lot of good information for my project and learned SO much about Plymouth, and how this little town got together from this horrible event, and built the city back up! My project is due tomorrow so I will most likely be posting it later tonight for me...
Also on Friday the graduate students invited us down to the Fresher for a 4th of July party! We call it the Fresher but it's really "The Fresher and The Professor" I will get a picture of it and put it up soon! It is just a small pub on the corner right next to our dorm halls where were staying. The staff is SUPER nice and really cool, and they know all of the MSU grad students that are here so they were able to get a DJ and they decorated the pub up for 4th of July, it was really fun! Tara and I met a guy from London, who told us some stuff to do while we are there, then we also met a Polish girl and her boyfriend who live in Plymouth and talked to them for a while, it was really neat, and we all had a great time!
Then there was yesterday...Saturday, July 5th, 2008 :)
I went on an adventure to Babeny Farm Stables in Dartmoor. Dartmoor is a HUGE area in Devon, England (like the county here where Plymouth and places like Cornwell are....they are cities in the county) that is a national park. We got up super early to get on a bus at the station to take us to a little town of Ashburton. We got there and found a small Baguette shop and had breakfast. We all had bacon and egg on a roll with Brown Sauce. Now a little bit about brown sauce...well it's brown...and it's really good! Even though the name might scare people a bit I tried it and liked it a lot! They use it on EVERYTHING here, because a lot of their food is prepared very bland they have a lot of different sauces, which is good! Oh and just like in my previous experience, it's called Tomahto Ketchup, not just Ketchup...:)
So we ate our breakfast, got directions from 5 police officers who were very friendly, and another thing, they don't carry guns! at all! It's like they were plainly dressed, I wish I would have gotten a picture but...it was interesting! Our police officers are geared up with huge belts of stuff, guns, knives, handcuffs, everything....but these police officers were plainly dressed in black t-shirts with black trousers and black shoes. They had like a small patch on each arm that said Police, and they had only 1 or 2 things on their belt, neither of which was a firearm. FF (fun fact): Pepper spray is considered a firearm here, and if see in possession of it, you are arrested! Crazy!
So after we had breakfast and found our taxi, we were on our way to the stables! The taxi drive there and back was VERY interesting, and for any of you that know me, I get nervous and sick in cars, especially in the backseat with people driving that I don't know...well welcome to the taxi system in England!! When you enter into Dartmoor National Park there are SMALL roads, one car wide, walls on each side of you (brick with ivy growing all over), sharp turns, because you are in the hills, and animals standing on the side of the road. In this national park the farmers let their animals roam free across all this land. There are sheep, cows, and ponies.
FF: the Dartmoor pony is one of the oldest known pony in history, it dates back all the way to 110 BC!!
So anyways, this taxi driver was speeding through this area, fast around corners and barely 2 in away from the wall on my side, and the cars passing on the other...come to find out however, taxi drivers here have to go through a 2 year program to become a taxi driver, and they get paid SOOO much. Their brains are even scanned before and after and there is a HUGE difference in depth perception and area awareness after they go through this program. This is why they get paid so much here, because they are the best drivers in England! After I found that I (which was at the end of the day) I felt more comfortable getting in a taxi again...but during the ride, I wanted to cry, throw up, and scream all at the same time! haha! But, I'm alive and well thanks to England's finest taxi driver, Matthew :)
When we arrived, finally, to Babeny stables, it was amazing. We geared up into rain proof suits and got our helmets on (they call them hats) and was ready to go, I'll post a picture of me later on, my teacher took it of me on my horse. My horse was supposed to be Little Blue, but somehow I got put on Freckles instead...and given a crop (the whip they carry in English riding)...interesting! So I didn't think I would have to use it....nope, my horse was fat and stubborn, but still beautiful, and fun to ride. We went on a Pub Ride across the hills of Dartmoor, up rocks, and across the moor, it was BEAUTIFUL (picture above of view from my horse, Dartmoor ponies in the middle)...I've never seen a place so amazing and natural and gorgeous as this. I was taken away by the view, and at the moment wanted to just stay and live there for the rest of my life...there was just no way to explain it, but breathtaking. We walked along, trotted a little, and reached the pub after a while. It kept raining every now and then so I wasn't able to take too many pictures :( but combined with what my teachers got I should have some footage up by tomorrow or tuesday. Freckles did not want to walk fast, and she kept trying to eat on the way there...then on the way back...well let's just say I was very scared. The rain started to come down in SHEETS when we were on our way back to the trail from the pub. It stormed so hard at one time, it hailed. My saddle wasn't cinched right and kept sliding, so much at one point I almost fell off! haha it was just a crazy experience, but I just had to keep talking to my horse, and at one point felt like I was in a movie, we were all riding in the mountains, huge storm hits, and we are fighting it to get home...yep that would make a good movie or book some day! :) Overall the weather sucked, but the experience was AMAZING...if I could come back to England every year, I would do that every time I came, even in the hail and rain! haha well....let's not push it....I'd come during their warmer season :) But, it was great, I loved it, and it made me want to get into English riding, so that when I buy my own horse years from now, I will be able to take it on rides like that...well in the US anyways :) Kevin and I are planning on going riding while we are in FL now! Can't wait!
Well I got back from my crazy horseback riding adventure, took a LONG hot shower, put my pjs on right away, and talked to Tara for a while. That's when the stresses of school started to hit...they told us one thing, then told us another, we didn't have anytime to go do stuff for our projects, we were learning how to use stuff and talk about culture the whole week...pretty much they are expecting us to make these wonderful great movies like the other Ed Tech students do...but we are beginners. I am just glad that I was able to get a ton of pictures, learn about my topic, and talk to the historian. I have not put anything officially together yet, but that is what Sundays are for! I think we just all feel like we should be able to experience the culture and city we are in more, or other places, instead of being cooped up in a classroom and dorm room doing homework and projects the whole time...I really just hope London is a different story....which is next weekend! Yay! And this week will be good because we are going to be helping out and observing in the classrooms! I am really excited for that!
So, that was my crazy weekend adventure, I am now going to do my project, even though it's nice outside...well for Plymouth...boo schoolwork! I am happy to be here though overall, I am learning and experiencing a lot, and definitely will want to come back to England again in the future...and travel other places too! It's so amazing the experiences that you get just going to a different country...definitely ones that have opened my eyes a lot so far.
Hope all is well! I am not able to move my body much today because of riding, so I will be posting later on tonight my project and things of that nature!
Miss you all!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Independence Day!
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE!!!
I hope that everyone is well and has fun plans for the holiday! Although we do not have the holiday celebration here in England with the natives, we are having a couple of things tonight that will be fun! We are in class at the moment, going over some movie making things...stuff that I already know, then we are going out into the town to talk to natives and get voice recordings for our first project. I am nervous to try and approach people and ask them for interviews about the history of Plymouth...we shall see!
I will post more later!
Happy 4th of July!!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Jolly 'Ol England
Hello from Jolly 'Ol England!
Today was quite long but good! The forecast called for rain all day, but it didn't at all! It was amazing! When we got done with class at around 3:30 or 4 I took a short nap and by the time I woke up, it was sunny and beautiful out! Tara and I decided to take my battery charger back to the store because I am going to borrow my instructor's charger when I need it, luckily he had the same kind of battery and camera as me, so I was able to get $70 back today! yay! That made me very happy!
We then ventured down to the Hoe again, and down into town to look around at the culture to try and find what we can do our first project on in our class. We are going to be making a digital story. What it is, is like a movie with a voice over or music with still pictures, or short clips of video in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do for mine yet, but then as I was talking to the other girls in my flat (like my apartment floor) about it I decided to do something on the historical aspect of Plymouth. There is SO much history all around here, as you may be able to tell already by my pictures that I've taken...it's just packed with all sorts of stories and things that have happened, I mean the pilgrims came from here! Awesome! So I may focus on one portion of history here, like the Hoe or the war memorial or the steps of the Founding Fathers....or I might just encompass it all into one! Anyways, my first idea was to do something about fashion, but they wanted us to choose something that we are passionate about, and if you know me, I'm not very passionate about fashion! :-P But I AM about history! So that will be my topic! :-)
While Tara and I were down at the Hoe today we saw what we wanted to see since we got here, kids jumping into the water from the Hoe! I know that sounds really bad, but it was crazy! They wear wet-suits because the water is so cold, stand on the edge of the wall/rock and just jump in! Like tons of feet up in the air! There is a law against tomb-stoning which is what they call it. SO many young boys and children have been killed from doing it! They just simply jump off this really high wall into not very deep water for the thrill! Crazy! Here's some pictures!
The days this week are going by fast but slow at the same time, but we received our schedule for the rest of the trip and BOY is it going to go by fast! There is SO much we are doing in the next 2 weeks, I'm going to be back home in the states before I know it! We are starting to observe and help out in the schools next week so I am very excited about that, and our free weekend is this weekend, so I'm sure I will be experiencing MUCH more these next couple of weeks! Yay!
I am finally getting accustomed to the time change, the accent, and looking the opposite way to cross the road! It seems funny, but you don't know how hard it is to do until you have to do it! We are so accustomed to our own culture that even though we are in an English speaking country, a TON of stuff is different! I like hearing all the little kids and the elderly talk to us though, it is amazing to hear their accent, and to think that they believe we have one! crazy! haha
Alright, well off to bed I go! Long day tomorrow again!
Cheers!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
If all the rain drops were lemon drops and gumdrops...
Cheers everyone!
I just got finished uploading some more pictures to my Picasa page! You can find the link on the right hand side of my blog, just click and it should take you to my picture page and you can click on them and then choose slide show above the pictures and see everything! I was luckily able to buy a charger for my camera battery, it was expensive but worth it! Also another student said I could use his so I might be taking this one back but yay, I have a camera! I was so excited!
So, we were assigned the assignment today to go out into Plymouth, and take a picture of a certain adjective that we have chosen, and edit it on this online picture editing thing called Picnik! I can't post my adjective but see if you can guess from my pictures what it is! It is on that picasa page link on the right!
So anyways, it's starts to pour! And the wind picks up! We are walking by the harbor and the lighthouse and my umbrella turns inside out, and so does Tara's....but hey, we got our pictures for our homework! We're champs! hehe
After our little adventure we went to the grocery store, got some things to eat, came home soaking wet, showered, and ate some dinner! We're eachother's BF for the trip :-)!
There are a lot things that I have seen and I'll be posting up captions for my pictures soon! The culture here is SO different, and even though they speak English, it's like a whole different language here! Getting used the traffic and the food is only the beginning but I'm learning!
Hope all is well!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Cheers!
hi everyone! I am finally in Plymouth! Yay! The last few days have been interesting and different but...good none the less! I'm pretty tired still but the jet lag should wear off in a few days! I hope everyone is doing well! Today we had our first class, learned about a lot of technology things! I'm very excited about what I am learning, and the people I have met are SO nice! Everyone is very friendly, even the English that live here! Plymouth is a very beautiful place and very cultured, so I should learn and see a lot while I'm here! Today we also walked around the city and took a tour of Plymouth from Jean Piere, he's French, and he is in his 6th year of teaching and coordinating the Masters program that goes on here every summer. He is very helpful and nice! So are all of the students that we have me and hung out with!
We went to see a place called "the Hoe" here! yes you can laugh, I have some good pictures of signs! haha, that's what it is called! It is this big gorge like thing that is off the end of the harbor and you can jump into it, the water is freezing but it is a LONG jump! We also walked off on our own today, without instructors, me and 3 other girls to get dinner...it was interesting! We ordered fish and chips and the waiter asked us if we wanted any sauce and one of the girls asked "what kind do you have?" and he got very confused! Then I told him we wanted "tomato" but then he replied with "you mean TOMAHTO?" (insert British accent)....yes that. haha we laughed pretty hard! So many little things are so different here, and let me tell you about crossing the road....THAT's getting to be a new experience in itself! But we are managing to get around just fine! I am enjoying it, even though I'm quite tired and missing home right now...it will wear off soon I suppose.
I will be posting some pictures soon, they are going to show us how to do that stuff tomorrow I think and other things as well, I'm pretty sure I can get a couple on here right now though as well! My battery in my camera is going dead, and unfortunately I packed the wrong charger for my batter....SO I am going to see if I can buy one here, or one of the other students has the same brand of camera or something. Mine is taking GREAT pictures and would love to still be able to use it, but we shall see! Let's hope! It is 10:06 pm here right now, and I have some readings to do for class, yay! But I hope all is well back in the states! I miss everyone! And will have more posts tomorrow hopefully!
Cheers! (Means Hello, goodbye, excuse me....pretty much everything here!)
The City of Plymouth
here's my dorm room, pretty nice!
I'll post more later, have to be gettin' to studyin'! :-)
We went to see a place called "the Hoe" here! yes you can laugh, I have some good pictures of signs! haha, that's what it is called! It is this big gorge like thing that is off the end of the harbor and you can jump into it, the water is freezing but it is a LONG jump! We also walked off on our own today, without instructors, me and 3 other girls to get dinner...it was interesting! We ordered fish and chips and the waiter asked us if we wanted any sauce and one of the girls asked "what kind do you have?" and he got very confused! Then I told him we wanted "tomato" but then he replied with "you mean TOMAHTO?" (insert British accent)....yes that. haha we laughed pretty hard! So many little things are so different here, and let me tell you about crossing the road....THAT's getting to be a new experience in itself! But we are managing to get around just fine! I am enjoying it, even though I'm quite tired and missing home right now...it will wear off soon I suppose.
I will be posting some pictures soon, they are going to show us how to do that stuff tomorrow I think and other things as well, I'm pretty sure I can get a couple on here right now though as well! My battery in my camera is going dead, and unfortunately I packed the wrong charger for my batter....SO I am going to see if I can buy one here, or one of the other students has the same brand of camera or something. Mine is taking GREAT pictures and would love to still be able to use it, but we shall see! Let's hope! It is 10:06 pm here right now, and I have some readings to do for class, yay! But I hope all is well back in the states! I miss everyone! And will have more posts tomorrow hopefully!
Cheers! (Means Hello, goodbye, excuse me....pretty much everything here!)
The City of Plymouth
here's my dorm room, pretty nice!
I'll post more later, have to be gettin' to studyin'! :-)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
