Gripped by the desire to be elsewhere...

home at last...

2008-03-23T11:07:00.001-05:00

I am home for those of you who weren't aware! I'm ill and still very sleepy, but hope to be good as new in a few days time.

Pics from Dublin to follow at a later date!

You must be joking...

2008-03-19T09:53:00.002-05:00

Nope no joke folks...I'm definitely not coming home today. My flight has been canceled. Big surprise huh? I have really unfortunate luck when it comes to travel plans going as planned!! Anyway, they've put me up in a swanky hotel for the night in London, are buying my dinner and breakfast tomorrow, and I made a friend while waiting in the line at the airport for 2 hours. These are the positives I suppose that I keep trying to bring to the forefront of my mind.

However, the truth is I'd rather be in the air flying home right now than sitting in this hotel room, typing a blog, because I have a whole lotta hours to kill before my flight tomorrow, that I may or may not have a seat on! What a nightmare. I'm also very ill due to way too many days with no sufficient sleep and too much of a good time in Dublin, so I have very little voice and my head feels very heavy...

More on Dublin later, I'll just say that it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING (albeit incredibly super unbelievably expensive).

Hope to see you all soon. I'll keep you posted :)

IT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT GONNA FIT!!!!

2008-03-14T14:26:00.003-05:00

So we leave for Dublin in the A.M. and I need to have all my things packed because I will only be here Tuesday night before flying home....and let me just tell you it's definitely, absolutely, no way, no how, never ever gonna all fit into my suitcases! I don't know how this freaking happened. I sent quite a bit of stuff home with my mom and sister in December and I really didn't think I'd bought much more since then, but apparently that's a lie because I can't cram anymore in. I now need to sort out what I don't mind leaving behind until my August return....

So enough complaining about that (although it would be nice if I could have three bags on the airplane instead of two...) and onto other news...

This week has been a rollercoaster in the best way. It's been really hard saying goodbye, as I said the last of my goodbyes to my co-workers today. I already said goodbye to one of my housemates, as he flew back to Dubai this morning. The rest of the gang will soon follow...

I'm absolutely exhausted, due to not having much sleep for the last few days, primarily due to going out and having too much fun and then having to get back up and do it all over again...life is hard huh?

Anyway, I will be home in 5 days...so crazy!! I can't wait to see all of you. It promises to be a whale of a time...

Ta for now.

XO

The time has almost come...

2008-03-11T20:00:00.011-05:00

In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
Alive, alive-O! alive, alive-O!
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!

She was a fish-monger,
but sure 'twas no wonder
For so were her father and mother before
And they each wheeled their barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
Alive, alive-O! alive, alive-O!
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!

She died of a fever,
and no one could save her
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone
But her ghost wheels her barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!
Alive, alive-O! alive, alive-O!
Crying cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O!

Well, Sarah, Addis, Rhian and I are gearing up for St. Patty's Day weekend in Dublin, Ireland and I thought you might enjoy an Irish tune!! We've booked a 4-day hostel tour, which includes ferry transport, coach travel, hostel accommodation, admission into the Guinness Brewhouse, and a variety of other activities, all leading up to the big parade on Monday!! I absolutely cannot wait. It should be an amazing time. The only downfall being that I'll be boarding a plane back to the US the day after our return from Dublin....

This week has kind of been an emotional rollercoaster, alternating from feeling really excited about returning home and seeing all of the people, places, things I've missed so much, and feeling extremely sad about saying goodbye to my friends, my job, and my home here. I feel unbelievably fortunate to have had such a great experience here in Wales and in traveling the rest of the UK and parts of Europe. I feel I've made the absolute most of it, and for that I can leave feeling really happy.

I also found out last week from Trevor & Katy that I may be getting a publication from my work here with them, which is incredibly exciting! This basically means that for all the work I've done here with them on the drugs/crime project, the authors for the publication to be written from their data will possibly/likely be listed as Bennett, Holloway & Beall. This really makes this experience even more exciting. I feel incredibly honored and have been so lucky to have had such wonderful people willing to teach me so much during my time here and letting me be a part of their projects/research.

The weekend last was definitely an exciting one! Beginning really on Saturday afternoon with Wales defeating Ireland in the Six Nations Rugby match. This means that they have one match to go to win the Grand Slam, which means they're undefeated!! We were in a Cardiff pub at 12:00p to share in the excitement! The shouting/singing/chanting was thunderous as they went on to overcome and defeat Ireland!!

From Cardiff we returned to Pontypridd at about 6:00p to set out on a pub crawl of Pontypridd and Treforest, which is where I live and where we normally go out on the weekends, and seeing as it was my last Saturday in Ponty, we thought we'd celebrate by hitting up all the worthwhile pubs (skipping over the danceclubs...thank goodness!). Needless to say it was a highly entertaining night of complete silliness ending with a slumber party at mine! What a laugh indeed!! Photos from this madness have been added to the bottom of the album and can be found HERE.

Sunday night I went over to my co-worker Harriet's home for dinner (tea). All of our gang from work was there, with their respective partners, minus Trevor. We had an amazing meal, a champagne toast to say farewell to me, and several hours of playing SingStar on PlayStation2. For those who don't know what that game is, it's like a karaoke battle. It was horribly embarrassing!! Although highly amusing! We found out that Katy is quite the rapper and Neil should be a country superstar...and I need to learn some R&B songs apparently, because I was absolutely clueless; however, I did do a rather impressive job with the ultimate stalker song, Every Breath You Take. Again, horribly embarrassing!

Anyway, this week I'm just trying to finish my last two projects at work and clearing of my desk, as well as packing up all my stuff, which I think might actually fit into my suitcases, minus a few casualties that will be left behind. We'll see how it goes! I'm hoping to have it all packed by the time we leave for Dublin on Saturday morning. Tomorrow night I'm going out with the girlies (and probably Addis, since he seems to be one of the girlies!) for dinner and drinks, saying my goodbyes to most of them I would assume. Thursday is my farewell luncheon with work. We're going for one last Indian curry. This should be a tear jerker... Then Thursday night we have a BSC talk in Cardiff and are hitting the town afterward for a final farewell night out! This really will be goodbye to my co-workers, minus my final few hours of work with Trevor & Katy on Friday.

So this journey is just about over and I guess a new one is ready to begin. I just wish I knew what the new one had in store for me. I guess I'll find out in a couple weeks time when that magic acceptance letter comes from UMSL, or when I win the lottery and decide to travel the world for the rest of my life...

Take care.
Can't wait to see you all, really!
XO

...the only thing that's left to do is live.

2008-03-04T05:57:00.011-06:00

So I apologize that it's been awhile...I have been SOOO busy! I'm getting ready to say goodbye to another home and more people that I care for greatly, and it's starting to become a reality. So the only thing that's left for me to really do here is enjoy every last second! The good news for you all is that I'll be home before you know it and it'll feel like nothing ever changed!

Let's recap the last couple weeks, starting with The Smashing Pumpkins shows...

I arrived in Manchester on Friday at a fairly decent time, checked into my hostel, did a little shopping around the Northern Quarter for the last time (how sad!) and got some coffee before heading to the Rock Show!! Let me just say MEN Arena is very strange and the main entrance is through the train station. I was expecting this massive arena with tons of people standing in line to go in, all super excited about seeing one of the greatest bands EVER! This, however, was not the case...

I got into the arena and headed down to my seat after the first band left the stage. They were mediocre, as are most bands that open for the Pumpkins. So then the wait was on. The floor started filling up more and more. Seats around me began filling up, although I was quite surprised at how many empty ones there were. So let me just tell you I got a seat because I didn't want to be squished into the crowd on the floor, but my seat was six rows up from the floor on the right side of the stage. I didn't buy that seat to sit in it. I wanted to sing and dance and meet all the cool fans around me...

Well let me tell you that was not the case, making the fact that Travis wasn't with me even more sad (I've never seen the Pumpkins without him...)! So the show began with Porcelina, a beautiful, sad, exciting, explosively powerful song, which barely got the audience revved up as you can see here:

Needless to say the crowd was BORING! Therefore the show was not as great as it could have been. No one around me was standing or even really singing along! How lame!! So the band played for 2 hours and 20 minutes and did not come out and do an encore, which I completely attribute to the crowd's lack of enthusiasm. It was a great show, but could have been even greater.

So Friday night I was to meet up with Craig, but he had been ill that day and was in bed before I was out of the show, so I was totally bummed to not see him again before departing back to the US, but we'll have August I presume! This probably worked out for the best, as I needed to sleep a little before catching a 5am train to London.

So why was I catching a 5am train you may ask? I'd really like to know the answer as well! No just kidding! I got up at 4am to catch this 5am train to be in London at Oxford Street Zavvi (a record store) at 9am in order to get a wristband to come back that afternoon and meet Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlain, who would be doing an autograph session of their new EP.

So I get to London (and I'm exhausted), but I make it over the record store bang on 9am. They were to hand out 300 wristbands...and I was #288. Whew! Just in time!! So I headed off in search of some much needed coffee, before heading to my friends' hostel to drop of my stuff, as they were letting me crash in their room that night for no charge (completely awesome and sweet of them!). So after dropping off my stuff and enjoying a nice (surprisingly sunny!) morning in London I headed back to Zavvi to await the arrival of the bald man himself...

At the record store, we were all herded into this fairly tiny gaming room, used for promoting Wii's and Playstations, etc. None of which were turned on, therefore providing no entertainment, nor was there any music playing (which was a bummer because out in the store area was Smashing Pumpkins playing all day!!), and finally there was no air conditioning happening. Did I mention that 300 people were crammed into this room?? Needless to say we were all boiling!

This process took forever, the guys were a little late showing up and we had to line up in numerical order, so obviously I was towards the end! I didn't even have a book with me to help pass the time! Anyway, enough complaining for now....I finally got lined up, did manage to make a couple friends around me in the line and had fun comparing notes on past shows with them. We finally get up close to the table, where they were only letting you have one thing signed and we rushing you through rather quickly, skipping over any likely chit chat. So I snapped a few pics (a couple you can see here and the rest are up in the album!) and proceeded to head over the booklet from the EP to the security guy in charge. He then hands it to Billy Corgan, who at this point hadn't looked up. He then looks up and I made a comment about being from Kansas City and asking him when he was going to come play a show for us there...and his response was, "We don't have enough fans there anymore." So I was like, "Are you serious??" and then asked them to come back to the Granada, promising just as much fun and excitement as last time, and he replies, "We don't do that kind of thing anymore," meaning they don't play small shows...

So that was my conversation with the man himself. The guy behind me in line told me it was at least good that I got some conversation going! Seriously! I guess, but I should have kept my mouth shut, because hearing Billy say that they don't play small shows anymore and all I can look forward to are arena shows and festivals is less than thrilling.

On the bright side of this, Jimmy Chamberlain is an absolute delight!! He saved the day and told me how great it was to hear my voice. I forever love and adore him...

So after meeting up with my friends who I was staying with that night for some food and drinks, I headed off to the London show at the O2 Arena. Now this is more what I was talking about! Massive arena, bright lights, Smashing Pumpkins scrolling around the cylindrical billboards...it was magical! Too bad my seat for this show was pretty crappy! I got a little wobbly from being up so high. It was absolutely terrifying, but I was on the left side of the stage and still had an alright view. I just really wanted to be down with the excitement. You could feel it at this show much more than in Manchester and the place was virtually packed. They played even longer (nearly 3 hours) and did come out for a one song encore. There was more playful banter and laughs during this show, which made it even better and Billy Corgan managed to score a few Brownie points back throughout the show, which was a plus after the record store experience! Here's a short video clip from the London show:

All in all, the shows were really great, it was just kind of a roller coaster of a weekend. Concluding on Sunday with more travel woes...my luck really is just terrible sometimes!

So I got up Sunday morning, after another night of not much sleep, due to the craziness of the hostel atmosphere (in a totally good way though)! I needed to catch a 9am train back to Cardiff in order to make it in time for my friend Rhian's birthday lunch, set for 12:30pm. So I hop on the tube after leaving the hostel at 7:30am and arrive in Victoria station to find that the District & Circle lines are delayed due to a track obstruction! Great! So I climb out of the underground and head for the buses. So after waiting for the bus, I'm finally on my way to Paddington Station, arriving just before 9am, rushing into the station, looking up at the board, only to discover that my 9am train had been cancelled!

Seriously?!?! I don't have time for this this morning!! So I stand in line at information (a very long line of people complaining I'm sure), and I hear a guy ahead of me get told that the next train to Cardiff was not for over an hour and there were no alternative options that would be any faster, so I step out of line, preparing to hang out in the station until the next train, thereby missing Rhian's birthday lunch... Then my luck changed!

The announcer came on and said that the 9am service to Cardiff had been re-instated and would be departing from Platform 8, so there was a mad rush towards the platform as the train was due to depart in 3 minutes! I made it onto the train, which then left a little late due to the confusion, and they announced that the train had been originally cancelled due to crew members phoning in sick! Seriously?! Why is that our problem?? Get some better employees, or find someone else to run the service! Due to this I wasn't actually asked for my ticket though, as there was no personnel to do so...

Anyway, I arrive into Cardiff and run to the platform to catch a train to Trefforest, jumping on board as the doors were closing. At this point, it looks like I'll be slightly late, but can still make it if I just meet the gang at the restaurant...but oh no it can't ever be this easy! I get as far as Radyr (about 5 stops from Cardiff Central and still quite far from my final destination in Pontypridd) and the train stops and we're all instructed to deboard and reboard a rail replacement bus, due to work on the tracks. So there's a bus sitting in the parking lot, presumably waiting for us. Wrong!! The driver informs us that he's on break and won't be leaving until closer to 2:00pm.

So about 15 minutes later, another bus pulls into the lot and lets off a whole group of people to board the train back towards Cardiff, so we're all thinking this must be our bus.... Wrong again! This driver tells us he's pulling into the back of the parking lot for a scheduled hour long break. Nice, real nice. So we've got two buses, not going anywhere, it's 1:00pm and I'm certain to miss Rhian's birthday lunch at this point, and did I mention it's freezing outside?? Well not actually below zero, but cold nonetheless! So the first bus driver finally agrees to let us sit and wait on the bus, as it was at least warmer. So we wait and wait and wait. No other bus comes for us. Another train arrives and more people get off waiting for a bus that isn't there.

Finally at almost 2pm, after waiting for well over an hour, the bus we're on is finished with "break time" and we depart the dreadful parking lot. Just in case it was unclear, the point is I got up early for nothing and still managed to miss Rhian's birthday lunch! Unbelievable!!

So I realize this post is now incredibly long and you've probably skipped over half of it :) but I'm going to carry on because I will probably only post another quick one before leaving and then a final one to say whether or not I've been accepted to the PhD program!!

The following weekend Rhian, Sarah and I roadtripped it to Leicester for their friend Eiry's birthday. The highlights included Sarah totally crashing into a parked car in the parking lot at the rest stop (thankfully no damage!), Rhian waking everyone up screaming in the middle of the night due to Sarah tapping her on the arm to get her to stop snoring, and the hour long traffic jam on the way home that was filled with one of the funniest radio broadcasts ever, which had us all in hysterics (not helping the fact that we all needed a wee and were dead stopped in this traffic jam)!!

Last week, I went to a folk music night with some others from the University, which was an especially fantastic night! The music was terrific and there was such a wide variety of instruments, from harps to flutes, and bongos to harmonicas to violins. There was something for everyone and it was really awesome to hear truly British (Scottish, Irish, Welsh) folk music, as well as more popular music!

So that's pretty much the highlights from the last few weeks. I have a whole lot planned between now and exactly two weeks from now when I'll be on my flight back to the US. I really am looking forward to seeing everyone and catching up about all things that have happened while I've been away. This week I'm planning a "practice pack" to see what I need to get rid of and what needs to stay here until I return in August to retrieve it. This could be quite a challenge!! I also am going back to Rhian's gran's for tea (dinner) one last time! As well as trying to plan some sort of goodbye get-together for the weekend, as it's my last weekend in Ponty, due to our Dublin trip the following weekend...

Next week is equally packed and I'll try to get in another post all about it before I head to Dublin!

In other news, I have not heard anything on the PhD program yet, so still keep your fingers crossed. Also, if anyone has any last minute small souvenir requests please let me know and I'll do my best to try and cram them into my suitcases somewhere!! The album is now up-to-date, including pics from The Smashing Pumpkins weekend, Leicester weekend, Rhian's birthday night out, and some other random miscellaneous pics from our silliness...and can be found HERE!

See you all soon and could you make sure it's warm when I get home??

"Have you ever heard the words I'm singing in these songs?"

2008-02-14T18:36:00.005-06:00

"Stand Inside Your Love"

You and me, Meant to be

Immutable, Impossible

It's destiny

Pure lunacy

Incalculable, Insufferable

But for the last time

You're everything that I want and ask for

You're all that I'd dreamed

Who wouldn't be the one you love

Who wouldn't stand inside your love

Protected and the lover of

A pure soul and beautiful you

Don't understand

Don't feel me now

I will breathe, for the both of us

Travel the world, Traverse the skies

Your home is here

Within my heart

And for the first time, I feel as though I am reborn

In my mind, recast as child and mystic sage

Who wouldn't be the one you love

Who wouldn't stand inside your love

And for the first time, I'm telling you how much I need and bleed for

Your every move and waking sound

In my time I'll wrap my wire around your heart and your mind

You're mine forever now

Who wouldn't be the one you love and live for

Who wouldn't stand inside your love and die for

Who wouldn't be the one you love

Just a little taste for all of you of what's to come over the weekend!! That's right folks, tomorrow morning I'm leaving for Manchester for a weekend filled with THE SMASHING PUMPKINS! So this post is just a V-day tribute to the bald man himself! It's gonna be amazing! More upon my return! I absolutely can't wait!

8 pints, 6 sunny days and 4 shows...

2008-02-13T11:46:00.006-06:00

So last weekend in Manchester was absolutely amazing! I got in late Saturday afternoon and Craig met me at the train station. We dropped off my stuff at Jen's place and the three of us went to canal street for some drinks and to catch up!

Craig and I then headed to the Academy 1 for a night of punk rock awesomeness! We got into the venue just in time to see The Briggs. It was so strange to see them in such a large venue, complete with a full on light show! So unfortunate that they were on first and only got a 30 minute set. They totally rocked it though and the crowd seemed really into them! Here's a video from the show (the sound quality's not great on the recording...it was much better live!!)...

The Mad Caddies then took the stage and Craig and I slowly made our way over to the bar to get some drinks. Well the set up was absolutely inconvenient to the crowd and the queue was like 8 people deep to get even close to the bar. So we decided we'd get two each and we headed to opposite ends of the bar to have a better shot, agreeing to wave a hand if we got up to the bar...

Well this was good in theory, but once we split up I totally couldn't see Craig anymore! Therefore, we both made it up to the bar at approximately the same time and each ordered 4 pints...2 each right? So we meet back up towards the back of the venue, each of us with 4 pints in our hands, with nowhere to set them and no way to even really drink them! I couldn't even get my wallet back in my purse! We were then laughing uncontrollably at our amusing situation! I then started checking the crowd for anyone old enough to drink without any drinks! Thanks to my entrepreneurial skills we were able to sell some drinks for the same price we bought them for and saved someone else the hassle of getting through the line! What a mess!

The rest of the show was really good, although the sound wasn't the greatest for The Dropkick Murphy's, which was kind of a bummer! We had an absolute blast though!

Sunday we actually managed to set out just after noon. We headed to Space, possibly my favorite pub in Manchester. It was gorgeous and sunny and such a nice day to sit outside, a total tease for spring/summer! So we grabbed some lunch and some cider and spent the afternoon soaking up the sunshine...which is such a rarity here in Britain!

Today was actually the 6th sunny day in a row! It's been absolutely incredible and definitely helps motivate more productive days! I know it won't last, so I don't feel too bad if I'm jinxing it; however, it would be nice if it lasted through the upcoming weekend too!

Anyway, Sunday night we set out with some of Craig's mates (Neil, Darren and Darren's entourage of women) to go see MxPx at the Academy 3 (much much smaller than the Academy 1). I'm not the biggest MxPx fan, but we had fun nonetheless! Heading to Big Hands (yep, you guessed it...another pub) after the show, where we were joined by the band members! It was another really cool night!

It was great to geek out about music all weekend with Craig and we had a massive swap of some of our favorite albums as well! Getting really sad that Friday will be the last time I see Craig for quite a while! I don't want to start saying goodbye to people! Who will indulge me with non-stop Jonah love when I get home??

Anyway, another post about the upcoming weekend shortly! I'm so excited I can hardly wait! Four shows in one week, capping it off with the best for last! This is sure to be the greatest Valentine weekend EVER!

So on that note, Happy Hallmark Holiday to all of you!
See you soon!
xo

SUPER TUESDAY!

2008-02-04T06:50:00.000-06:00

Alright folks, tomorrow's the day...GET OUT AND VOTE! If anything this vote is more important than actual election day! Let's get ourselves a candidate who inspires hope and CHANGE! I think Obama's our man, but you're allowed to have you're own opinions...

To purchase the song featured in this video, go to www.jonahmatranga.com. All proceeds go towards helping Obama's campaign!

Oggy, oggy, oggy! Oi, Oi, Oi!

2008-02-03T18:44:00.000-06:00

ENGLAND: 19 vs. WALES: 26

Remember the crappy pop music?

2008-02-01T11:19:00.001-06:00

Been meaning to give you a sampling of what you might hear in a nightclub on this side of the pond...I'm not saying it's all terrible, just not my thing, so no offense if you like it! The funniest thing about it for me I guess is the sheer number of guys that are out there dancing to this crap! They'd get all the ladies in the USA, cause I don't think as many guys actually get out there and dance at home! Anyway, I'll be glad when my dancing days are once again over...

UK DANCE MIX #1

Oh, I also put some polls up in the left column! Come on you know you wanna respond!

Enjoy the weekend! I'm off to watch some rugby tomorrow afternoon...Wales vs. England! It should prove to quite an experience! GO WALES!

Do not pass go, do not collect $200...

2008-01-30T18:49:00.001-06:00

So I've been a little unmotivated to post lately. Sorry for that...I think some extra posting comments would help boost this motivation! Hint, hint.

So I thought I'd back track quite some time in this one and tell you about my "travel woes" as my mom eloquently put it! I've decided not to do any more Italy posts after all...it feels like it was so long ago now...so I apologize, but my lengthy picture captions will have to suffice. I'll now elaborate on my trip home from Italy though for those who have not heard the story firsthand...

So after my last day in Naples, and my fab new Italian haircut, I met back up with Jared and Karly, my Australian travel companions, for one last time! We intended to go to the "real" home of Naples pizza. So we headed off with my pack, as I was boarding a night train back to Milan. Well the pizza place must have been quite popular (and from what I hear apparently worth the wait!)...as we were still waiting to get in when it came time for me to catch my train. Given the scary and incredibly dodgy nature of the area around the train station, Jared and Karly offered to escort me there, for which I was/am greatly thankful. I then ate sub-par pizza in the train station and set off to find my train platform on the departure board, which was very difficult to understand. So I asked some Italian policemen what the board was meaning and they couldn't understand anything I was saying. I eventually found the platform and boarded my train...

You see I chose an overnight train due to saving a night's accommodations and to get a good night's sleep...you know in a sleeper car with an actual bed. I could have gone via a quicker day train; however, the Eurail guide clearly stated this train was to have both types of sleeper cars and that I was ensured a good night's rest. This was a boldfaced LIE! I arrived at my carriage and found seats, not beds, although they did slightly recline. Not only were there seats, but also a family of five in the carriage. A mother and her four children...one of whom was about two and very tired (ie. very fussy). How frustrating!! Needless to say my "good night's sleep" was anything but.

So I arrive in Milan in the morning, still extremely tired, and hop on a bus out to the airport. I was there several hours early and therefore tried to exchange my flight to fly earlier to Nottingham, which would have put me much closer to my final destination in Manchester to spend the weekend with Craig. Should have been simple, right? WRONG! They told me it would cost about 300 Euros to change my flight...definitely not an option, so I opted to stick with my original flight to Bristol and hop the train to Manchester as planned. So I spent my last hours in Italy indulging in all the things I'd grown to love...paninis, coffee, chocolate, gelato. I earned all of these treats after that incredibly grueling hike up Mt. Vesuvius!!

So fine, moving on, I board my plane, which was the emptiest flight I've probably ever been on. Only about 20 or 30 of us I'd say. We took off a bit early even, so I'm thinking great, I can catch an earlier train! WRONG again! We get to the point where we should be descending and the pilot comes over the intercom saying there's snow in Bristol and they're in the process of clearing the runway, so we're just going to fly around until we get the go ahead. After about 30 minutes of "flying around" they finally decide we won't be landing in Bristol, but Cardiff instead. Well, as soon as we touched down in Cardiff I knew there was no chance of making it to Manchester in time to meet Craig for our fun night of karaoke, and boy was I right in making this assumption...

Upon landing in Cardiff, we sat in the plane on the runway for about an hour. They couldn't decide if they were going to refuel and fly us to Bristol (which is utterly ridiculous, seeing as it's only about 45 minutes by train) or take us via bus. At this point I didn't even want to go to Bristol, seeing as my weekend was shot and I live 20 minutes from Cardiff!! So I asked a flight attendant if we were going to be allowed to stay in Cardiff, to which he replied, "No, the airline has an obligation to get you to Bristol because that is what the itinerary states." Okay, well that's fine, but I don't want to go to Bristol!! Eventually this decision was overturned, as half the plane wanted to reman in Cardiff.

So we deboard the plane and head into customs. We were the only passengers waiting to pass through and I was second in line for the non-EU passports. So I step up to the podium, hand the immigration officer my passport and landing card, and he asks me to please take a seat to his left in this little waiting area. So I waited and I waited and I waited...

The entire plane of people got through customs and someone from the airport came over to tell me that the shuttle for Bristol would be leaving in 10 minutes time. I informed him I would be staying in Cardiff and they could go on ... thank goodness for those people this was the case!

So the immigration officer finally calls me back up to the podium and proceeds to interrogate me, asking me what I'm doing there, who I'm staying with, what does she do, how do I know her, how much money I have, how do I access money, where does it come from, why am I traveling for so long, etc, etc., etc. It was seriously unbelievable. And can we keep in mind I was operating on very little sleep due to that incredible night train journey I'd had?? So given my situation is a bit unique and probably doesn't make the slightest bit of sense to most people, seeing as I'm not technically studying here nor am I technically working here, and therefore require no visa, this whole process was quite a challenge. I was then asked again to take a seat, while the man went to contact Adele, my housemate. So I'm in tears, hoping that she verifies my account of what I'm doing here to their liking, and wishing I'd landed in Nottingham or Bristol! The female officer then took me over to get my bag, where all of my stuff was then dragged out and strewn across a large table. The man then comes back and relays that he was unable to reach my housemate. I asked him what the problem was, and told him I didn't understand why I was being put through all of this, when the questions upon my original arrival were minimal to say the least. He said he hadn't decided whether he was going to let me back into the country or not. So I very easily could have been on a flight back to the US that night, with most of my belongings remaining in my house here!

Fortunately, Adele rang back, thinking something had gone terribly wrong with my flight and that I was injured or dead. She then verified my account of things, which the man seemed shocked about. The woman officer then told me that they weren't implying I was some kind of criminal (which is sure how it felt!) and I told her I certainly hoped not, seeing as that's my chosen area of study! I was finally let go and I have never ever been so happy to see my little twin bed!!

The end of an incredibly wonderful vacation was an absolute nightmare!

So quickly in other news...the PhD application deadline is Friday and I'm calling tomorrow to ensure all of my things have arrived. So cross your fingers they let me in and want to give me money!

I will definitely arrive back in the US on March 19th! I'll be staying the night in St. Louis before heading back to KC on Thursday March 20th. There will be a homecoming BBQ at my mom's house on Friday, March 21st, to which those of you who are close and able to come are obviously more than welcome to attend. I hope to be getting invites out shortly. I will look forward to catching up with everyone either then or in the weeks following!

I'm getting very sad to be leaving my new home, friends and workplace. I have about a zillion things to get done and another zillion things planned between now and then. I'll keep posting as they happen! I might try a video post, then I can prove to the skeptics that I really don't have an accent! I might have a slightly changed vocabulary, but no real evidence of an accent.

So that's all for now, I must go to sleep!

Take care and I'll look forward to seeing you all soon (yep, I can really say soon now!)...

Le ferie in Italia...

2008-01-21T13:18:00.000-06:00

So I thought I was escaping the cold rain to head towards warm sunshine...but this is what I saw when I arrived in Italy...

So much for warm sunshine! Luckily I was heading farther south and the weather got warmer and sunnier the farther I went...

I'll be posting further blogs about my adventures in Italy, but as some were requesting a new posting and the photos, this will have to do for now! The album can be found HERE, and includes detailed captions, which have taken me ages to complete, as I took nearly 500 photos in the week I was away! So hopefully the captions help to show you what I did and what I learned while I was away.

Without getting into the stories and adventures, I will say I had an amazing time and met the most amazing people! I had extreme difficulty with the language at times and then came back to Britain wanting to speak Italian to everyone (just little bits I picked up while away!). Also in regards to my last post, I forgot (although I don't know how that's even possible!) to mention how much I would miss the COFFEE! It was absolutely the most amazing, best coffee I've ever had in my entire life...even better than Pho Grand coffee for those of you that know how amazing it is!

So, sorry this has taken me so long to post! The last week or so has been extremely busy. Thank you to all of you who sent birthday cards, greetings, wishes, gifts, etc.! They were all very much appreciated and made my birthday one of the best I can remember!

More to come soon! However, this will have to do for now...

Oh, quickly...in other news, I have changed the slideshow to represent the second album of my little adventure, my camera is still broken (so thank you to Tony and Elizabeth for sending me a nice little disposable one for my birthday!), and I'm almost finished with the application process for the PhD program at UMSL. Final documents will be sent out by Friday! So cross your fingers and I'll keep you posted...I should find out by April!

Less than two months to go now and I'm starting to feel very sad...

Cìao Italia...

2008-01-10T10:25:00.000-06:00

Well, I catch a train to head back to Milan in just a bit...I'm super sad to be leaving Italy (I fly out tomorrow). I've had the most amazing time...

Things I'll miss most:

Fellow hostellers
Sights/smells/sounds
Art/architecture like none I've ever seen before
Pizza
Pasta
Cheese
Wine
Gelato
...and anything else related to Italian dining

I'll post more when I return home on Sunday, after the weekend in Manchester! So many stories to tell.

I'll leave you with this though:

Yesterday I climbed to the top of Mt. Vesuvius (pictured above...and possibly one of the coolest things I've EVER done) and today I had my hair cut/styled by three Italian men...and it looks/feels amazing! It was a brave move on my part, as no one in the salon spoke any English!

Cìao!

Buongiorno!

2008-01-06T11:51:00.000-06:00

Just a quick little post to give everyone a laugh....and because I only have a few minutes internet time!

Last night, I ordered pasta....and I definitely ate "polpa," tentacles and all! For those without an Italian phrasebook, "polpa" means octopus. Apparently I had ordered spaghetti with octopus in it...

More when I'm back in Wales!

Ciao!

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

2008-01-02T10:51:00.001-06:00

A very happy new year to everyone! May 2008 bring nothing but the best...

I'm still recovering from the last week or so. Trying to regroup before I leave for Italy on Friday! I feel incredibly disorganized at the moment and have about a zillion things to do! I don't intend to take my laptop with me, so I may be unavailable for a bit. I promise to be in touch when I get back home.

Thank you to everyone who sent a Christmas card via post! It's been great getting them all in the mail.

I had a lovely time with my mom and sister. They were delayed a day, which cut into our tour time, but it all worked out okay! Upon their arrival, we caught a train to Bath, where we indulged in relaxation at the Thermae Bath Spa!! It was unbelievable and should be available to anyone getting off of an international flight! We never slept so well.

The next morning we headed to Stonehenge, Woodhenge, Avebury, Lacock Village and Castle Combe. It was cold, but not rainy thank goodness! We had an amazing lunch in St. George's Inn (est. 1361) in Lacock Village. We got some great photos and going in the off season has advantages, like there being no one else around!

Upon returning from our all day coach tour, we caught a train to Wales to hole up at my house for the holidays. We had a nice quiet Christmas with good food and some laughs! The main laugh, which was not funny at all at the time, was during our walk to the local grocery shop. We needed milk and I really thought they'd still be open. It was pouring rain, but it's really not too far to walk, so we set out. Along the way there was a massive puddle on the side of the road, which a car drove through, sending a huge splash our way. We were completely soaked and extremely cold! It really does happen like in the movies, I swear it!

Boxing Day we made our way into town, where few shops were actually open. So, we decided to see a play at the Muni Arts Theatre...Jack and the Beanstalk, and man did it go on forever. By the second act Jack still hadn't even gotten his beans! I guess it was better than sitting in the house, but I could've really done without.

Very early the next day we caught our train to Edinburgh. After a long delay in Crewe, we finally arrived late afternoon. We checked into our hotel, which was stunning. The room was huge and I finally got to sleep in a double bed! Yay! (I'll be so happy to get home to my queen size bed!) Anyway, we set off for the Winter Carnival and shopping on Princes Street, sipped some mulled wine and bought a few souvenirs.

The next morning we set off on a coach tour of the Scottish Highlands, seeing Sterling Castle and the Wallace Nat'l Monument from afar, and visiting Loch Ness, Fort Augustus, Glencoe Fort William, Pitlochry and some other small villages. The highlands are breathtaking. It was a really cool experience and we were lucky to have a very funny tour guide. We sipped Scottish whiskey, found out what the heck haggis is, and attempted to catch a glimpse of Nessie (the Loch Ness monster). The only downfall about Scotland was the lack of daylight. Being so close to the north pole, the winter days are only from about 9a until 3p. We constantly felt like we were in the dark!

Saturday morning we then headed back to London. Taking in an open top bus tour (Brr!) to get a glimpse of all the sights. Unfortunately that's about all we had time for! Later on we did get some shopping in Picadilly Circus, where my mother was astonished at having to pay to use the toilet! It cost one quid, which is equivalent to about $2! We enjoyed Chinese food in China Town before heading back to the hotel for some much needed rest!

Sunday I saw them off at the airport and headed back to Wales. It was a great week and it was wonderful to be able to share part of this with them.

Our photos have been added to my album, which can be found HERE.

My new year was a fun one. I went out with the girls for a night of pub hopping. Ringing in the new year at a house party before heading back to the pubs. Hopefully everyone else enjoyed a happy one as well!

In other news, I'm currently in the process of getting my stuff together for application to the PhD program at UMSL. I've also had another run of bad camera luck, as my new camera doesn't seem to be doing anything at the moment. Back to the old one for now I guess, and therefore limited night/indoor photos. I'm totally bummed about this and hope to have this resolved quickly.

Also for those that don't know...I'll be celebrating my 25th birthday in a couple weeks! So have some birthday cake for me and we'll have a bash when I get home!

All the best stories to tell...

2007-12-21T12:40:00.000-06:00

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an AMAZING week!

First things first...got my grades back from my papers I worked ever so hard on. I scored two A's for the semester...not too shabby! I was pretty excited! The finger-crossing must have really worked, so thanks! Therein lies good news no. 1!

Good news no. 2 - I found out The Briggs are opening up for the Dropkick Murphy's on their British tour in February!! I couldn't be more excited about this! I will see The Briggs/Dropkick and The Smashing Pumpkins twice each all in the same week! So EXCITED!

So, Tuesday night I went out with the rest of the folks in the criminology department for a nice dinner and drinks. We had an absolute blast! The food was amazing and I experienced my first ever Christmas crackers. We were lucky enough to crack out some pretty fun toys (ie. yo-yos) and some pretty corny jokes...along with some super cool party crowns!

Yesterday, I caught the train to London...leaving a little later than I had planned, surprise, surprise! Anyway, I checked into a really posh hostel in a nice part of town. A little more than I wanted to pay, but after my last London hostel experience I figured it was worth it...and they include breakfast and dinner! Not to mention they're really close to a tube station. What a bargain!

So after getting checked in, I rushed over to the record shop, still hoping to catch some of Frank Turner's set. Lucky for me, I got to hear half a dozen or so songs! So I waited until the crowd cleared to say hi to Frank. He said, "Oh my gosh! Hey! How are you? Weird to see familiar faces in different places than you met them!" Then he invited me to the pub! So we legged it to the pub, chatting the whole way. Frank then proceeded to introduce me to his mates at the pub and told the story about how we met in Leeds! So strange to hear him telling people that he saved me from having to watch the show from outside a window in an alleyway!

We spent the rest of the night hanging with Frank's mates, before moving on to a trendy London nightclub, called Punk, in Soho. They had indie/punk karaoke happening. Yes, I actually watched Frank Turner sing karaoke! It was quite a laugh! We stayed out way too late! It was an absolute blast though! Very strange to be playing pool, sharing drinks, taking the underground, dancing, etc. with a guy who's cd's I listen to daily...

Tonight...possibly meeting back up with Frank, but not staying out so late!

Tomorrow...collecting my mom/sister from the airport! Yay! I can't wait. We have a whole week of fun planned, so I'll post again after it's finished I would imagine!

Oh, here's a few miscellaneous photos (had to start a new album!). They're from Christmas decorating of the house, Faith's birthday, BOG Christmas dinner, and a few from last night and today...more to follow!

Cheers and Happy Holidays!
Best wishes to everyone in the New Year!!

Come on Barbie let's go party...

2007-12-17T07:16:00.000-06:00

Well it's the last few days of work before the Christmas holidays...

Last week I finished my two papers due for my profs back home. The first one was a complete success. I'm still waiting on the results from the second one...so cross your fingers! I'm so relieved to have those done and out of the way. On to more pressing matters! I have to get organized and fill out my paperwork for application to the PhD program. I also have to get signed up for next semester's courses. Hopefully I won't have to do anymore really intensive school work here though...it can wait until I return home!

The weekend was super fun! We had a girls' night out on Friday night and went pub crawling before ending up at a house party. I also attended a 6 year old's birthday party yesterday! Oh man, I've never seen so many kids running around, popping balloons, and dancing! I know nothing of High School Musical and I could have done without EVER hearing the "Barbie Girl" song again, however, it was highly amusing!

I finish at the university on Wednesday for a few weeks. We are having our work Christmas dinner tomorrow night, then it's time to get packing! I'm headed to London on Thursday for an in-store gig at Puregroove Records...starring none other than, Frank Turner! The long awaited for arrival of my mom and sister will be over early Saturday morning when I go and collect them from Gatwick airport. Then it's off on our week o' fun! We've got more things packed into eight days than may be possible, but we've got to give it a bash don't we? Pictures and fun stories to come I'm sure!

I've also got my ticket booked for Italy! I leave January 4th! I absolutely can not wait! The next few weeks will fly by so quickly and then it's only two months until I come home...the new year will bring much to look forward to though!

Also, I will get some pics from our Christmas decorating up sometime this week, so stand by!

Oh where, oh where has all the time gone??

2007-12-04T18:02:00.000-06:00

Well I've been here almost three months...this journey is half over and I can hardly believe it! This will be a short one....seeing as I have TONS of stuff to get accomplished this week and next. I have two papers to turn in by early next week and a whole calendar full of events to attend over the next couple of weeks before the holidays, then I'll be seeing my mom and my sister and new parts of Britain I have yet to explore!

I have finally sorted out my camera issues....I think! I got some charger/adaptor thing at the store for about $7 (compared to the one the camera specialists tried to sell me for $45) and it seems to have done the job. I charged my camera and was actually able to take pictures over the weekend at night! How exciting! (You can see them by clicking HERE...sorry the album's getting so long! The new pics are from Saturday night out, as well as some older ones from Bonfire Night, featuring the view from my co-worker/friend Katy's house in Penarth, which is just across Cardiff Bay.) So, who knows how long the charge will last, but it seems this magical charger/adaptor has done the trick. I can finally use my new camera!

Saturday night we went out for my housemate Adele's friend Sarah's birthday. 20 of us went for an Indian feast and then on for drinks in a pub. It was really a lot of fun! One of the guys told me I had the Welshest accent he'd ever heard! Yeah right...

So that's all for now...I'll post more after I stop procrastinating and get my work finished!

Miss u.

Bang out of order...

2007-11-26T17:38:00.000-06:00

So tonight I made chili for my housemates and Adele's best friend, Rhian, who is like one of my new best friends too! I found it shocking that they had never had chili, the all-American dish of fall. I was actually really pleased at how it turned out, given the strange selection of ingredients at the local grocery store. Ground beef here is called "beef mince," which I had to ensure was the same thing. Last week I was walking through the grocery store with my cell phone unit conversion menu up, so that I could convert grams to ounces/pounds. I felt ridiculous! This chili was definitely better than the veggie version I made last year, and didn't take nearly as long to make!

We decided tonight we'll take turns in making American/Welsh dishes for everyone to enjoy. Next up, I'm going to make enchiladas, given that Mexican food is definitely not as prevalent here! Rhian agreed to make "faggots" and peas. Sounds horrible huh? I guess they're like meatballs though of sorts. I'll let you know how it goes when it happens! She also told me about other favorite dishes around here, such as "toad in the hole," which is sausages baked into a Yorkshire pudding, I believe, and "bubble & squeak," which from what I gather is a type of casserole made from traditional Sunday roast leftovers. It should be interesting for sure!

Rhian and I have also spent the last week discussing vocabulary differences between Wales and the US. It's been highly amusing! I'll give you a rundown of some new words/phrases I've learned as a result of this...

My personal favorite is "That's bang out of order," which essentially means that's totally unacceptable, but then there's also...

"fanny" here definitely does not equal bum
a "barney" = fight/argument, not a purple dinosaur!
"mingin" or "hangin" (pronounced "angin") = gross
"marvin" = hungry or starving
"shall we make a move?" = "should we go?"
"let's leg it" = "let's walk"
"bum-bag" = fanny pack
"dummy" = pacifier
"slag" = promiscuous woman
"barking" = crazy
"stroppy" = moody or bad tempered
"bollockin" = to have a stern talking to, to be scolded
"give it a bash" = give it a go, try it out
"it's/you're doin' my head in" = driving me crazy!

I'm sure I'm leaving out loads of others, but you get the idea!

In other news...I think I finally have my new camera working. I have still not found an adequate adaptor, just one that is sufficing for now. And, I'm ill right now. I've got a horrible cold and have slept a whole lot over the past few days. I'm hoping to feel better and get my school work finished soon, so I can begin my weekend travels again!

Oh and I finally figured out what the Welsh people are saying when they say goodbye...it's spelled "tara," but pronounced ta-raw, with the emphasis on the end syllable. I can finally fit in by using this phrase and sounding a tiny bit Welsh!

So, ta-raw for now!

O is for Oxford...

2007-11-19T16:54:00.000-06:00

So I'm back from my adventure in Oxford, and what an adventure it was!

I arrived last Thursday, checked into my hostel and made a new friend almost immediately! One of my roommates was in the room when I arrived and we started chatting right away. Renee is from New Zealand and was there as part of a training session to be a private caregiver. There were two other ladies in our room that were also from down under that were training with her. We all hit it off really well and set out for a night on the town with Mick, the hostel's Aussie manager; his friend, Mark, an Oxford resident; and one of our other roommates, Wendy, who was from Ecuador. We headed to the pub for some live music, which was great fun! We laughed a lot, danced a little and had an incredible night out!

Friday, I set out to explore the home of the oldest university in England....you guessed it, Oxford University. Oxford University is made up of 39 separate colleges, spread across the city! The buildings are magnificent and the town has an ecclectic mix of students. I began my day at Christ Church College...the most famous of Oxford's colleges! Christ Church is home to the famous Hogwarts dining hall for fellow Potter fans...and was also the college where Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice and Wonderland, taught mathmatics. It is quite impressive and has massive gothic buildings and the most beautiful grounds.

I then ran into Wendy my roommate and we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring together. It's nice to have company to snap photos! We climbed the top of the mound, where part of Oxford Castle used to be. The views looking out over the city were amazing! We explored what's left of the castle and checked out the new fancy hotel part of the castle, which used to serve as a prison! We did a little shopping, continued on the bus tour of Oxford, and strolled through a French Market along Broad Street.

Friday night it was back out on the town with the girls and guys of the hostel! This was honestly the friendliest hostel I have stayed at! It's actually not even run by Brits...it's Australian/Canadian owned and run. Weird mixture of people for sure! We started out back at the pub from the night before with our Oxford guide Mark entertaining everyone with his silliness, and continued on when the live music was more rocking than silly fun...our next stop was HA! HA!, a really lush pub, with indoor fireplaces and soft lighting! It was super fancy! Then on to our final stop inside the prison hotel bar!

Finally, we returned to the hostel, where Mark, Renee, and I were eventually joined by Mick and Owen, who work at the hostel, and sat around laughing and telling stories until after six in the morning! It was a great couple of days and I seriously was sad to leave all of the great people I met! Hopefully Renee and I will hook back up during our time here!

In other news...my shiny new camera is useless right now! I have no way to charge it, as there was no cable included with it to plug it in. I've been to countless camera shops and none of them sell the lithium battery I need for the camera to replace the dead battery! How frustrating!! So sorry some of the pics are blurry, but I was back to using the broken camera with no flash and that's what I got! New pics are posted at the end of the album, which you can view by clicking HERE. I think I finally have this problem worked out today, so we'll see!

Also, I managed to leave my adaptor in Oxford! Oops! Seriously it could have been my toothbrush, my socks, anything easily replaceable really, but it had to be the thing I need to plug in everything I have here! So that was an adventure trying to get a new one on a Sunday in Britain, when everything is SHUT! Again, how frustrating!! I finally got a replacement today, so I'm back online and will have pretty hair again after a couple days with no flat iron/curling iron!

I still can't believe how fast the time is going! It's shocking that this week is Thanksgiving, which no one over here has a concept of! It feels weird to be working through the week and not having a holiday! Not that I'm complaining too much though, as this whole experience is kind of like a holiday! The next couple of weeks will be incredibly busy, as I have two papers I have to complete rather quickly for my professors back home, so the FUN is OVER for now!

Future trips include...London/Bath/Edinburgh over the Christmas holidays! Maybe a trip to Manchester beforehand to see a show with Craig. Italy/Greece after the new year! And in February...I just booked my tickets to go see THE SMASHING PUMPKINS in Manchester and London for Valentine's Day weekend! What better way to spend that weekend than with the ones I LOVE! I'm really excited!!

Miss you all...
Enjoy your Turkey Day!

The last train home...

2007-11-09T09:10:00.000-06:00

This week has been absolutely crazy busy!! My colleagues will all be in the States next week for American Society of Criminology conferences in Atlanta, so this week has been a rush of last minute preparations for papers/presentations to be given at the conferences. This also means that next week will be a bit of a relaxing week for me! Yay! I'm going to try and wrap up the papers I have due back home and take a small little trip to Oxford I think, we shall see!

Anyway, backtracking to last weekend in Manchester...

I seriously had the most fun weekend I have had since arriving here! I got into Manchester Friday night and met up with Craig and Jen, at an apparently shady pub, which I had no clue about, it was just close to my hostel, so I wandered in there thinking it would be easy to find to meet up! Oops! Then we left to meet some of Jen's friends, then Craig and I departed on my Friday night whirlwind pub tour of Manchester! Craig took me to this really cool underground, cave-like pub with all sorts of geeky sci-fi decorations everywhere! Next was a bar called, Space, where downstairs is the typical nightclub, but upstairs they have a huge cosy outdoor patio bar with funky tables and fire/candles. We met some outrageous folks at this bar! We then ventured onto Canal Street (as seen here on the right), Manchester's gay district! It's hugely popular and has quite a scene. I saw some of the best drag queens ever! Then capping off the night we went to a more posh upscale bar for one last drink. It's impossible to see all the pubs in Manchester in one night, but I think we had a pretty darn good highlights tour!

Saturday I took in Manchester's Northern Quarter...and didn't get any further than that! I think it's really all you need! Manchester is too impossible huge to cover in one day, so this is the perfect spot for some hip, funky shopping! I went to half a dozen record stores that put Vintage Vinyl to shame (and I love Vintage Vinyl...)! There's also an indoor market type building called Affleck's Palace, where most of my time...and money...was spent! They have all sorts of crazy things, handmade jewelry, clothing, music memorabilia, a tattoo parlor, a cafe, etc! There were these awesome mosaics all across the sides of the building and this funky sculpture just across the road (pic on the left, for more pics click HERE). I fell in love with the Northern Quarter!

Then I met up with Jen and her friend, Shawna, and we took the train up to Craig's house in Preston for the fireworks party! It was quite a show! We had TONS of fireworks and I was amazed at how quickly they disappeared! All of Craig's friends were really cool and we had lots of musical interests to share and discuss, which was awesome!! I really had fun meeting all of them and we'll hopefully get to all hang out a few more times before I go home...there are at least a few good shows coming to go see! Craig also made "parched peas" in honor of Bonfire Night, which weren't half bad! They looked disgusting though! So after a whole lot of laughing/fireworks/wine, the party dispersed and Craig and I stayed up watching Jonah's DVD, reminiscing about our Jonah adventures! It was really a lot of fun! It's unbelievable to find someone in a country so far away with music tastes almost matching those of my own!!

Sunday after cleaning up from the party and having a nice strong brew, we headed out on a short tour of Preston, originally called "Priest Town", which has something like the most churches of any other city. They're quite impressive and you can see a church in any direction you turn. We had traditional Sunday lunch and enjoyed a couple pints before my departure back to Cardiff! It was an awesome weekend...almost!

I caught the train at half past five...and arrived in Cardiff at 10:22p...missing the last train home to Trefforest by 15 minutes! Oops! No buses, no more trains (it was a Sunday!)...so I had to catch a taxi home, which cost 30 quid...I won't do the math for you...I'll just tell you I could have bought a whole lot of records with that money! Oh well, you live and you learn and I won't make that mistake again!!

Bath, Stonehenge, and a little bit of Magic!

2007-10-30T16:43:00.000-05:00

I'm back from my weekend is Bath and I have loads to tell about!

Arriving in Bath is magical. The city is unbelievably beautiful and has such a rich history! I found my hostel with ease, right in the city centre...took a bit of a walk around the city, got some food in a pub...steak and ale pie!

Saturday I spent shopping and exploring Bath, taking dozens and dozens of pictures, had tea at Sally Lunn's, the oldest house in Bath! The best cup of tea I've ever had and home to the famous Sally Lunn bun, which is prepared a dozen different ways. Went to a theatre production at the Theatre Royal, headed back to the hostel. Met a really nice guy from Scotland, who had been living in Bath, playing his fiddle for tourists in the square during the day! That's how he had been making his earnings! We had a nice chat until late in the night, before I headed up to bed...

Now here's where the bad hostel experience comes in...the night before I hardly slept due to the loud drunken people in the streets, who sounded like they were shouting right next to me! Well Saturday night was even worse! I think all female dorms may be the worst. I think I'll stick to the mixed dorms, as I think I've decided that sharing a room with males is more pleasurable. So this lady in the dorm comes in really late and switches on all the lights...which is totally unnecessary due to the light coming in the huge windows, and proceeds to make a ton of noise going through her things. So another girl in the dorm says, "Could you please shut off the lights?" and the rude lady replies, "Yeah, I'm just trying to see where I'm going!" in a really harsh tone. So she finally gets settled and everyone goes back to sleep...well at 4:00am I was awoken to someone getting increasingly louder, shouting, "Excuse me! Excuse me! EXCUSE ME!" and the same rude lady replying, "WHAT!?" The other lady then says, "Could you roll over or something? Your snoring is keeping everyone awake!" I seriously thought there was going to be a fight! Well the rude lady went back to sleep and continued to snore, and now that I was awakened I couldn't get back to sleep!! Half the dorm then vacated the room in the middle of the night. I ended up putting my headphones in, blaring music, over which I could still hear the lady snoring! It was unbelievable! Then I forgot all about daylight savings time and checked out an hour early! I could have slept or not slept more like it for another hour!

Sunday was the fun day! I booked a tour to Lacock Village/Stonehenge on a little minibus. The drive was beautiful and scary all at the same time. The road was two-way with only about enough room for the minibus. The driver said, "These are the times when you hope no one comes the other way!"

So Lacock Village is 1000 years old, which is amazing in itself. Lots of movies are filmed there, due to stepping into the village and literally going back in time. The driver said all they have to do is put some dirt down on the streets and any sign of modern society is virtually gone! So here's the exciting bit for the fellow Harry Potter fans and the disappointing bit! So Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince began filming last week on Wednesday in Lacock Village! They finished a mere 36 hours before my visit to Lacock Village! How sad!! They've also shot many scenes in the halls of Lacock Abbey and used the rooms there as classrooms. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to go inside. This village is also the home to Harry Potter's parents house as shown in the second movie...such a cool place to visit! Apparently the residents of the village were all paid 200lbs for the inconvenience of the filming, which was only going on from 5p to 5a daily, then the residents whose houses were used in filming were given an extra 500lbs for the inconvenience of the lights being shown on their houses at night, and an extra 100lbs to park their cars around back, so the movie crew didn't have to request that they move them every time! That is equivalent to about $2000! I wanna live there!

All in all a great weekend, minus the bad weather and lack of sleep! Enjoy the pics, they're tacked onto the bottom of the album.

Cheers!

Bonfire Night...

2007-10-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

Borrowed from Wikipedia...Traditionally known as Bonfire Night, Guy Fawkes Night is an annual celebration (but not a public holiday) on the evening of the 5th of November primarily in the United Kingdom, but also in former British colonies New Zealand, S.A. vigo, the island of Newfoundland (Canada), parts of the British Caribbean including the Bahamas, and to some extent by their nationals abroad. Bonfire Night was common in Australia until the 1980s, but it was held on the Queen's Birthday long weekend in June. It celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot in which a group of Catholic conspirators, led by one Robert Catesby, and including Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in Westminster on the evening of 5 November 1605, when the Protestant James I of England (James VI of Scotland), his eldest sons, and the majority of the English Parliament were within its walls. The conspirators were later tortured and executed.

The celebrations, which in the United Kingdom take place in towns and villages across the country, involve fireworks displays and the building of bonfires, on which "guys", or dummies, representing Guy Fawkes, the most infamous of the conspirators, are traditionally burnt. Before the fifth, children traditionally used the "guys" to beg for money with the chant "Penny for the guy", although this is now rarely seen. In recent years the night is becoming increasingly known as "Guy Fawkes Night". (For more on Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night go HERE, interesting stuff in the pop culture references section)

Anyway, the reason for the educational info about bonfire night is due to the fact that next weekend I will be traveling to Manchester to hang with my friend Craig and will be celebrating my first ever Bonfire Night at a bonfire party! There will be plenty of sparklers, fireworks and wine for everyone! I'm really looking forward to this and will hopefully have nice shiny new pictures to share!

Out of the comfort zone...

2007-10-22T08:41:00.000-05:00

Well it's Monday again and time is flying by at unbelievable speeds...

The weekend was one filled with hilarity for many different reasons....starting on Friday. I went into Pontypridd to pick up a ticket to "Meeting Joe Strummer," a stage production about the legendary frontman of The Clash, which is here for only one night in December. I also did a little shopping and grabbed some take-out to take home with me...so I walked back to the bus station and returned to the stall that I had arrived at, hopped on the bus, and went on my way...

Well it should have dawned on me that the stall I had arrived at would be continuing on to other towns beyond Ponty, not returning to where I had come from....the return bus would have been departing from a different stall!! Oops...so I went about an hour out of my way by the time the bus worked through traffic and I caught the return bus in the next town. The bus driver was probably thinking I was completely mad when I presented my ticket, but he failed to tell me I was boarding the wrong bus! I won't be making that mistake again!

Saturday I had a really nice day in Cardiff Bay after perusing the Cardiff Central Market. The Central Market houses Kelly's Records, which had an amazing collection of vinyl! I will be going back to collect the albums I hid in the back of a bin! I took some amazing photos in Cardiff Bay and took a waterbus into the water. I could hang out by the docks for hours! The photos are included in the slideshow to the left, or you can follow this link and check em out! There are some inserted towards the top of the album of my office and such and the rest from Cardiff Bay are at the bottom!

Saturday night was highly entertaining...after watching the Rugby World Cup, one of our weekend houseguests, Shikai, told me him and I were going to take a taxi into Ponty to go to a nightclub...so he called the cab and we headed to town. Upon arrival at The Tumble Inn...Shikai told me I had no choice but to dance with him! For those of you that know me at all, you know that I'm no dancer...I really don't enjoy dancing...but I sucked it up and I danced with Shikai for an hour before the rest of our group arrived and I was able to sneak off the dance floor! My knowledge of crappy pop dance music is going to be so vast when I get home, I'm going to have to lock myself away for weeks listening to rock music to return to normal!

In other news...I have ordered a new camera, which hopefully will be here before I go to Manchester in two weeks. I will be able to take plenty of mullet pictures for your enjoyment pleasure!

Today it's back to work, patiently awaiting my travels this upcoming weekend to Bath...

Mullets, asymmetry, and a relaxing weekend...

2007-10-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

Hello...just got done with a busy day at work! I'm getting a lot accomplished and I received much praise for my work today, which is always very nice to hear. I've finished one small project so far, which was to find potential authors for a book that is in the works, and was told it was BRILLIANT! I don't know about that, but it was nice to hear! Still working on a big literature review project for another forthcoming book, but it's going very well!

The weekend was fairly quiet and relaxing, which was nice after my night out on the town Thursday night! Went to the pub before the seminar. Attended the seminar in this beautiful building at Cardiff University (it was like a museum!), where there were more drinks being served. Went to another pub. Then went for Indian food before we caught a taxi home very late! Needless to say, Friday was a short day. It was a lot of fun to get to hang out with the rest of the people in the department though, and to meet a number of people from the department in Cardiff.

Other interesting observations...so Friday night we went out bowling to this place called Bowlplex. Well they also have like a club inside, with a huge bar area and dance floor, loud pop music, funky lights. The girls may as well not be wearing any clothes at all and the guys all seem to have what I'm now calling "EuroMullets". This may be the actual term, who knows? Anyway, it's not attractive in the least bit! If you'd like a peek at what I'm refering to click HERE! I'll try to sneak some better photos the next time we go out! They're everywhere!! As for the ladies...asymmetrical hairstyles seem to be very popular! I have a really hard time with anything asymmetrical, so they're driving me mad! Maybe I'll get my own funky euro cut/color, but it won't be asymmetrical!

Oh, I've also picked out my new camera...yay!

One small addition...

2007-10-11T07:44:00.000-05:00

So just a small addition to the previous posting of my address....sorry I thought this seemed obvious, but it's not really I suppose!

19 Glyn-Dwr Avenue
PONTYPRIDD
Mid Glamorgan
CF37 5PD

UNITED KINGDOM

In other news...my email is not currently working for some unknown reason, which Yahoo! can't seem to find time to check into...this has caused much frustration and hopefully will be resolved today! So, if you've written and I haven't responded...that's the reason.

Tonight I'm attending a lecture/seminar in Cardiff, presented by a guy that was formerly in the Secret Service. It should be really interesting and afterwards my colleagues and I are going for drinks!

No crazy weekend plans as of yet...I'm looking to plan a couple of travel weekends soon though. Probably up to Manchester and maybe to Bath. I've really got to get my camera issues resolved!

Cheers for now.

Bits & Bobs...

2007-10-04T07:39:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you how beautiful the day is today...the sun is finally out and the sky is so blue! The clouds are casting the most amazing shadows on the hills/mountains...

This photo is essentially the view from the top point of the university, just on the other side of the building which houses my office...it's very peaceful, not very conducive to getting any work done!

Anyway, just a few bits & bobs, interesting tidbits of essentially useless information:

First, if you like ketchup on your "chips" carry it with you...cause you're charged between 10-20 cents per packet! However, if you prefer salt & vinegar you'll be just fine...

It really is a meat and potatoes culture...potatoes served with most everything and you can get a baked potato filled with just about anything you can think of...chili, tuna, corn, casserole, etc.

There's a phrase/word here that most everyone you run across says as a sort of farewell, see you later, goodbye...and I can't figure out what exactly they are saying! It's driving me mad! I'll let you know when I have the courage to ask someone what the heck it is that they're saying!

Beer is for sale at the campus store...which is called an off-license. Off licenses can sell beer and wine, but you may not consume it on their premises, hence the "off" part. On licenses are bars and such that can sell beer, wine, & spirits, which you may consume on the premises...Apparently at age 16 you may purchase beer or wine in a restaurant or pub, if accompanied by an adult, only if ordering a meal; as well as at the supermarket. You may not purchase spirits until 18 years of age....this explains why I was confused when asked how old you had to be in the US to buy alcohol at the grocery store...

That's all I've got for now...if you have your own interesting fact or piece of useless information you'd like to share -- LEAVE A COMMENT! or send me an e-mail!

I feel a bit like a freshman...

2007-10-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

Well, my first day at the university has come and gone...and while I have status as a "researcher," essentially a staff member, I felt so much like a freshman, wandering around lost on campus on the first day of school! I'm glad to have my bearings a little bit now. Tomorrow I will get settled into my office, with my computer all set up, and I should blend in a bit more maybe??

Today was really cool though. I got to make corrections to a manuscript getting ready to be sent off for print. I had lunch with my colleagues! And attended an orientation of sorts for new staff members...I was by far the youngest person in the room! I'm looking forward to finding out what the rest of the week has in store for me...

In other news, I went into Cardiff on Saturday and went to the OLDEST record shop in the WORLD!!! Spillers Records was established in 1894! It's small, but has character beyond imagination and the staff was very friendly! If anyone is in search for something a bit rare or an import of sorts...let me know! It'll give me an excuse to go back there, not that I need one! I'll take requests for souvenirs from there too...they have t-shirts and coffee mugs! Super cool experience!

Nottingham / Liverpool / Bristol...

2007-09-27T12:36:00.000-05:00

Just a quick rundown of the last leg of my little tour...Nottingham was the height of my being ill! No fun...the first day I didn't feel like doing anything! My hostel was literally right around the corner from the venue, thankfully! It was a unique hostel, but no one else was in my room...there was supposed to be, but they never came back! It was really nice...minus the super squeaky bed! I woke up every time I turned over.

My second day in Nottingham I did make an effort to see some of the sights...I went to the Galleries of Justice and had the greatest tour. They issued each person on the tour a convict number, then we had a mock trial (dress up and everything!), the criminal was sentenced to death and led down to the holding facility. This court room and facility were used for a very long time and the last trial there was held in 1986. It was super interesting and the views of the city over the walls of the compound were amazing!

Then I caught my train to Liverpool and settled into my hostel, which was right on the water! My first all girls suite! Super cool. I met this really sweet girl from Finland, total rocker chick, with the funnest (yeah I know it's not a word...) hair! Anyway, I put my stuff away and headed to meet Craig (my friend from Leeds) at the venue. We shared some pints down the road a bit in this bar that is a converted church...but they didn't do much converting. They actually kept the altar and everything...that must be a bit sacrilegious!

Anyway, the show was amazing and fun to be there with a friend...Jonah asked me if there was anything I would like to hear that I hadn't yet...then he opened the show with my request! It was very cool. After the show we chatted and hugged, and he told me he'd keep trying to surprise me! Cool night indeed!

The next day I toured Liverpool, which may just be the best place I visited! It's beautiful there! I took a City Explorer bus, equipped with a guide, and learned a lot about the city's history and of course...The Beatles! I did some shopping and had lunch at a cafe on the water. It was peaceful and relaxing! I didn't really want to leave there!

Sadly, I left Liverpool the next morning and headed for Bristol. Bristol was rainy and cold, then sunny and cold! It was also very pretty though and I had a blast shopping in the markets! I caught up on sleep and emails. Went to my final Jonah show in the UK, kind of sad! But I'm so tired! It was an awesome night and a perfect close to a wonderful tour/holiday!

I learned so many things while traveling! For starters...there aren't many people who know where Missouri is...they all think it's in the south. I learned that "trackies" are the ones to watch out for on bikes...they'll steal your purse. I learned Nottingham is nicknamed "Shottingham," and is thought of as the gun capital of England! Just like being home in St. Louis huh? It really wasn't that bad! There's so many other things I'm leaving out, just too many to remember!

Anyway, I am happy to be home! I had a whole lot of fun while I was away though! For those that would like to write to me...the normal paper and pencil way...here's my address while I'm here:

19 Glyn-Dwr Avenue

PONTYPRIDD

Mid Glamorgan

CF37 5PD

And for those that would like to call, via Skype or whatever, I can be reached on my cell phone at: +44 7826044385

Cheers!

Quick update....interjection...whatever!

2007-09-26T14:56:00.000-05:00

Okay, I have a few more postings from the rest of the tour that will follow in the next couple of days! I'm headed back to Wales tomorrow to my new home!

My pictures are up to date though, so feel free to check those out HERE if you'd like to bypass the blog reading!

I'm tired, still a little sick, my camera is broken (again! so sad...it's time for a new one), and I'm glad I'm not a rock star! I wouldn't be able to do it! I don't know how they do it! This week has been crazy and fun and unpredictable and completely exciting!

Cheers to all of the great people I met along the way!

Leeds

2007-09-26T14:19:00.000-05:00

Wow...where to even begin! I arrived in Leeds and grabbed a taxi from the train station cause it was yucky and raining. My taxi dropped me at my hotel! Hotel, yes! It was amazing. The owner greeted me at the door, checked me in, carried my bags up to my room! I didn't have my own bathroom, but my room was splendid! I had my own kettle, TV, sink, wardrobe! It was worth the extra money! Plus there was a full cooked to order breakfast in the morning! It doesn't get much better!

So I hopped the bus into the city after relaxing in my room and having the best shower of my whole trip! (I've been sick, so this was just what I needed!) Anyway, I caught a bus into the city, did some shopping, wandered down to the venue...

Again, SOLD OUT! Seriously??? I was totally bummed! So I started talking to this guy outside the venue...he had traveled to see the show as well (big Jonah fan!) and he didn't have tickets either. So after awhile his friend joined us and we walked around the venue, after learning that they would not be letting any more people in or on the guest list. Well, as we were walking, the guys were doing a soundcheck and there was this huge window right at the back of the stage (see pics for further here) and you could literally hear everything! So we decided we'd just watch the show from back there...

So Craig (my new friend), and his friend and I went to the pub in the train station to stay out of the cold until the show started. I walked up to the bar to order a Newcastle and the bartender extended his hand to shake mine and said, "What's your name, love?" I told him my name was Kristi, and he said, "I've never met a woman that drinks dark." It was hilarious! I didn't know it was unusual...I love Newcastle!

Anyway, we went back to the venue, picking up a six pack on the way, and settled in the alley outside the window...Craig's friend had to leave before Jonah came on, so it was just Craig and I dancing and singing in the alley to Jonah songs. Then we spotted Frank Turner (the show's headliner!) sitting on the side of the stage singing along as well. He then looked our way and we gave him a little wave. The next thing we knew Frank Turner walked out the back door and said, "I might be able to get you in, if anyone asks just tell them your my cousins or something!" So he took us up the back stairwell and we watched the rest of the show from the side of the stage! It was incredible! Jonah came off the stage, all sweaty, and gave Craig a hug, saying, "I see you got in!" and then me a hug, saying, "It's very nice to see you again!" So we were glowing! It was an awesome night! Everything fell into place and worked out better than could have been expected!

Craig then had to leave before the end of the show to catch his train, but I had met some other very nice people and we went to a pub after the show! I definitely made some cool friends in Leeds and Craig's going to meet me in Liverpool for the show there!

I didn't do much else in Leeds to be perfectly honest...the weather was crappy! On to Nottingham and Liverpool!

Cardiff/London

2007-09-24T09:25:00.000-05:00

Just departed Kings Cross Station, platform 9 ¾, (just kidding!) it was actually platform 5…on my way to Leeds and happy to be leaving London!

My journey to Cardiff was fairly uneventful. I arrived and just after checking into the hostel was when the rain came pouring down! I departed for the venue, Clwb Ifor Bach, with my umbrella in hand (I don’t go anywhere without it actually), and began walking towards Cardiff Castle. This venue was also tucked away, literally in an alley, but fortunately the first person I asked knew where it was! Anyway, the walk was very rainy and windy; so much so that my umbrella flipped upwards and was no longer very useful! I tried flipping it back the other way and one of the supports broke, so my first umbrella is done for! I only got to use it for a week! I’ll have to find another one; it’s not like there’s a shortage around here!

The concert in Cardiff was wonderful. It’ll be hard to top. Jonah played almost everything I could’ve ever wanted to here, including my personal favorite song, “Halo,” after I requested it! We spoke after his set for quite some time! Recounting the first time we met in Lawrence, KS at the Bottleneck nearly six years ago. He’s always so humble and very sweet. We hugged a lot and I told him I’d be tagging along for the rest of the tour. He said to let him know if there’s anything I’d especially like to hear! It was a great night…

I arrived in London yesterday, made my way to “The Borough,” the part of town where my hostel was located, with no problems. I began walking from the underground station towards the hostel and a complete stranger, a man from Lebanon, began chatting me up, walking alongside me. He continued to walk with me until I ducked into the hostel, all the way telling me that we should hang out. I politely told him I’d only be in London for the night; however, this did not seem to matter to him…

So I rid myself of the strange man, checked into the hostel and was told my room was actually at their other building just down the road. So I retrieved my key and walked back down the street, keeping my eyes open for the strange guy. I make my way up to my room, which was over the top of a pub. Now let me just say that this room is half the size of my bedroom at home and there were three bunk beds crammed into this space….and I was assigned to the top bunk! Ugh! This ought to be fun…I’ve detailed below a quick post on hostel life (two posts at once, exciting I know!)...

Anyway, after dropping my things off in the closet that was my room for the night, I headed off for the Tate Modern museum, via the Borough Market. The market was similar to the City Market or the Soulard Market; but on a much larger scale! They had all sorts of vendors and food and coffees, along with the regular meats and fruits and veggies. I got a snack and took my time perusing the market. Then I walked along the River Thames to the Tate Modern. The museum is HUGE! It was an old electric/power plant, which they’ve converted into this incredible museum filled with modern art; from the likes of Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Claus Oldenburg, etc.

Upon leaving the museum, I made my way north across the river and up to the concert venue, The Spitz. Once again, kind of like in Newcastle, the venue was rather difficult to find. The problem with the UK is that the streets are rarely labeled with signs. I don’t know how people find anything really, unless they have an extremely detailed map! So after walking for a very long time, a nice concierge pointed me in the right direction.

Upon arriving to the venue…I found that the show was sold out. All that wandering for nothing! A total bust! So I did what the rest of the tourists do and went to Picadilly Circus (it resembles Times Square). I wandered around awhile and shopped, then headed back to the closet for the night…London wasn’t a total bust, but it wasn’t all that successful either!

I think I’ve rambled on long enough now! So as I said, I’m happy to be leaving London. I enjoyed the quieter hustle of Newcastle and Cardiff. I’m looking forward to the next four or five days of Jonah and Great Britain!

My life in bunk beds...

2007-09-24T09:20:00.000-05:00

So let me briefly recount my hostel experiences to catch you up to speed on why this last one was particularly not great in the least bit…

First night/Cardiff: NosDa @ The Riverbank – This hostel is beautiful (so much so that I stayed there again on Wednesday night) and is conveniently located to the bus/train station. It has a great view, tea/coffee served all day, free wireless, a bar, breakfast included, a pool table, lounge room, etc. The rooms range from one bunk bed all the way up to several bunk beds; and they have en suite bathrooms, which is great. My room the first night had one bunk bed and two single twin beds; and my roommates were three guys from Australia. The second time I stayed here, my room was with a single bunk bed and my roommate was a girl from India.

Newcastle: Albatross Backpackers Inn – This place was even greater than the NosDa! Closer to the train station and right in the heart of Newcastle, making it easy to get anywhere I was going. It was also affordable and the cleanest by far. The shower facilities were shared, but were especially nice. No breakfast included, but they served tea/coffee/toast all day, and had a full service kitchen. No free wireless either, but you could pay for 30 minutes of use on their computers. My room was huge, with five bunk beds and a fireplace. The first night I had one male roommate and the second night I think I had three male roommates. The beds were especially comfy and the view was spectacular!

So back up to date with last night’s accommodations…the bathrooms were shared and were not what I would call clean. The beds were not made, the covers were just thrown onto them, and the kicker…my room was once again full of guys! It was me and four guys; and I think a girl finally came in sometime early this morning. She continued to try her key in the door several times and bang it back in forth, unable to figure out why she couldn’t get it open. Needless to say, nobody got much sleep! It was not an incredibly pleasant experience in the least bit. However, one of my roommates was a guy from South Africa. His name was Grant and when I arrived yesterday. He was very friendly and helped me figure out how to get to the Tate Modern. He was incredibly handsome and has apparently been living at the hostel for 4 ½ months (No WAY!). He would be the only reason to ever go back to that hostel! It looks pretty in the picture though, huh?

So here’s what I’m wondering…do most females request all female dorms? Is that why there never seem to be any females in the mixed dorm rooms that I’ve ended up in? I don’t mind sharing with a guy or two, but when I’m clearly the minority by being the only female in the room, it’s a little uncomfortable! Are there other girls that are even traveling alone as I am? I’m beginning to wonder…

Thankfully, tonight I’m staying in a hotel! Yep that’s right no sharing! My own room and my own bathroom! There aren’t very many hostel accommodations in Leeds, so this hotel is very affordable and a quick taxi ride to the city centre.

So I understand that hostels are for budget travelers and are a great chance to meet new people from all over, which I have; however, I would love not to have to relive last night’s experience any time soon!

Newcastle/Alnwick

2007-09-19T11:14:00.000-05:00

Well folks, I finally have some pictures posted, which you can find by clicking here...they are of my house, my school, and the beginning of this adventure!

The first stop on my Tour de Britain has come and gone! Newcastle is amazingly beautiful and I would've LOVED to stay longer. There's just too much to do and not enough time to do it in! My first day I visited the "New" New Castle, which took place of the old New Castle a very very long time ago. The views of the city from the rooftops are really spectacular! To the south of Newcastle is Gateshead, which is just across the water, connected by many bridges; one is a footpath that allows boats to pass by literally closing up like an eye, as illustrated to the left. Unfortunately I did not take this picture! I didn't get close enough! Not enough time! The architecture and cobblestone streets in Newcastle are truly breathtaking! And don't worry I had my fair share of Newcastle's finest brown ale!

My second day I decided to journey northeast to the small village town of Alnwick, home to Alnwick Castle, otherwise known as Hogwarts! The castle is literally set just on the edge of the city centre. The guidebook I had said it would take one hour by bus to get there....well I got on the bus that took the two hour scenic route! It took a lot longer, but was worth the views! I made sure to catch the fast track bus on the way back!

After arriving back in Newcastle from my day trip into Alnwick, I set out to find Trillian's Rock Bar; the first of the many shows I'll be seeing over the next several days. This place was literally impossible to find! My directions said it was .5 miles from my hostel, so I set out on foot and walked for 45 minutes! I must have walked past the small alleyway a dozen times! Finally I popped into another bar and the nice bartender gave me the best instructions I'd gotten all day. The place was tucked behind a construction site where they're tearing down the old city library! I would've never found it!

Anyway, the show was excellent and I'm looking forward to many more! There are three other solo musicians on tour with Jonah; two from the US, and one from the UK. They were all really good! A guy in the crowd proposed to his girlfriend on stage during Jonah's set. He said, "I'm quite poor, so I don't have a ring just yet, so will you accept this t-shirt and marry me?" It was very sweet!

So that's my story for now! I'm back in Cardiff for the night and off to London tomorrow!

The Fantasy Week of a Groupie....

2007-09-17T12:23:00.000-05:00

Just wanted you all to know where I'll be over the next week or so, in case I get lost! Just kidding, I should be fine! I arrived in Newcastle today from Cardiff, I'll be here until Wednesday, then back to Cardiff. It's really beautiful here. I'll post pics as soon as I can use my computer to get online again. No wireless where I'm staying :(

Tomorrow I'm going to Alnwick Castle, about an hour north of here, where Harry Potter was filmed!!! Totally excited!

Anyway, here's the itinerary for my "groupie fantasy week" (thanks Audra!):

Sept. 17th-18th: Newcastle, Trillian's Rock Bar/Albatross Inn
Sept. 19th: Cardiff, Wales, Clwb Ifor Bach/NosDa Hostel
Sept. 20th: London, The Spitz/St. Christopher's Inn-Southbank
Sept. 21st: Leeds, The Cockpit/The Moorlea Hotel
Sept. 22nd: Nottingham, The Social/Igloo Backpackers Hostel
Sept. 23rd: Liverpool, The Barfly/International Inn
Sept. 24th: Wrexham, Central Station/Grove Guest House??
Sept. 25th: Bristol, The Croft/Bristol YHA

It should be a fun little trip! Just a quick view of the sights...

The "American" girl...

2007-09-16T10:23:00.000-05:00

Well I'm settled into my new home, enjoying the company of my roommates! We've had a group of other male students from Dubai visiting for the weekend from another town, where they go to college, so we've gone out the last two nights. It's very interesting, they're not allowed to drink, due to being Muslim, but they love to dance. They're really the life of the party and know more American hip-hop/R & B music than I ever will!

Friday, I journeyed up to the university in order to meet with Dr. Bennett. I also met two other members of the department (there are only ten of them in the whole Criminology department). We had a nice long chat about the projects currently going on at the university and the things I might decide I'd like to work on. They are arranging for me to have my own office/work space, with a computer and such, and I can apparently attend any lectures/classes that peak my interest. It all sounds extremely interesting and I'm looking forward to starting my work there in a couple of weeks. This photo to the left is an aerial view of the campus. The criminology department is located near the top of the photo, along the main road through campus. It's a nice walk from my house, but not too bad.

Today, I'm in the process of getting organized for my travels. Tomorrow I leave for Newcastle, the first stop on my journey of many! I'm looking forward to seeing the sights and travelling by train through the country. The transportation isn't quite as scary and difficult to figure out as I had imagined, so that's nice!

I'm finding the culture here different, but not extremely so from home. I love the accents, and I can understand most everyone so far, which is a plus! The things that people say in order to address you or refer to you are quite entertaining! The guys in the pubs follow everything with "love." A charming and extremely attractive Welsh guy, whom I was chatting with outside of one of the nightclubs last night (as seen below), exclaimed, "What's a beautiful American girl doing trying to get into a crap bar like this one?" Hopefully there's more like him to be found!

Anyway, I'll post my address as soon as I have my housemate write it down for me, along with my new mobile number, which I can be reached on via Skype or calling card.

Until next time! I'll be posting hopefully along my travels!

Pint anyone?

2007-09-13T13:50:00.001-05:00

Well I'm here at last, exhausted, but alive! The last 30 hours have been a rollercoaster of emotions and adventures, which have included very little sleep (about 3 hours collectively I think).

I arrived in London earlier than expected, made my way down to customs and stood in line from 5:30a until 7:00a. I finally get up to the counter and the lady tried to tell me I had to have a Visa, which I had already looked into before I left and was assured I didn't need...so she checked me in as a visitor instead of a student and didn't bother to take a look at my return ticket. Real nice huh? Anyway, after waiting in line for so long...I make my way to the baggage claim area and couldn't find the one reading "Chicago," so I asked and was directed to Terminal 1, which is not where my bags were. So after a bit of confusion, I located my bags, which had already been pulled off of the carousel. I then wind my way through Heathrow airport to find the bus station. The bus station was a breeze compared to the airport. I boarded the bus and headed to the center of London where I caught another bus to take me to Wales. After about 4 1/2 hours I arrived in Cardiff, very tired, with very heavy bags. I made my way to the hostel only to find out my room is on the top floor! Seriously? My bags have to be carried where?

Well I made it up the several flights of stairs and enjoyed a nice cold shower, which eventually (a long eventually) turned hot. Then I caught a train to go out and meet the gentleman who owns the house with a vacant room. He was extremely nice, as was his daughter who I'll be living with, along with another student, a male from Dubai. Anyway, we had tea and worked out the arrangements. I'm moving in tomorrow morning. He's gonna pick me up at the train station again! So I'm not homeless! I'll have an address soon and hopefully a local cell phone number by Saturday. My first day has been extremely productive, although challenging. I'm feeling pretty okay about things now though.

The best part, I returned to my hostel to find The Smashing Pumpkins blaring on the stereo and they haven't stopped playing Pumpkins since! So I'm drinking my first British pint and am gonna turn in soon! I'm very tired!

So Long, Bye Bye....Oh Wait! Not Leaving Today!

2007-09-11T20:22:00.001-05:00

Ugh, today has been a challenge, to say the least. I was packed, I said my goodbyes, left for the airport, arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare, and I'm excited/nervous, but ready to leave. Ready to finally leave! I go to electronically check-in and the screen says, Your Flight Has Been Delayed, You Will Miss Your Connecting Flight, Please See Attendant...

Real nice huh? So I stand there and I wait very patiently for this lady customer service rep while she was helping another gentleman. I finally get her to turn my direction and I said, "My flight has apparently been delayed?" So she says, "Oh well I don't handle rebookings, you need to go stand in that line over there." Real nice lady. Thank you. You could have told me twenty minutes ago, and I could have been waiting in the line all that time instead of standing there waiting for nothing!

So I move to the next line and wait and wait. Finally I get to the front of the line and explain my situation, forking over my itinerary to the agent behind the counter. He proceeds to tell me that I'm not getting to London tonight, so I can either stay in Chicago, or stay in Kansas City, and who knows when I'll get to Chicago, cause the flight has been delayed due to weather. So I tell him I'd rather stay in Kansas City for the night, and leave tomorrow, if there are no other options. So he then proceeds to tell me I shouldn't book the last flight of the day tomorrow, like I had done today, because I would run the risk of this happening again...okay, well that's nice, why bother selling a last flight of the day if that's the case! Anyway, moving on...I finally get booked on a new flight for tomorrow afternoon, arriving in London at 5:55a on Thursday, September 13th. So what's the compensation for my troubles and for being out all the money on my bus tickets/hostel deposit you ask? Nada, zip, zero, nothing! United Airlines refuses to offer any sort of compensation whatsoever....here's the kicker...upon checking the weather in Chicago, it's fair, 70 degrees, with a light wind. Delayed due to weather huh? Real nice.

So upon arriving home from the airport and speaking with another less than helpful representative from United Airlines, they contend that it's not due to weather after all, but this time due to Air Traffic Control not allowing the planes to fly into Chicago. Hmm...I wonder why? The moral of the story is never book a flight on September 11th, and NEVER fly United Airlines, at least not if you want them to actually care about your troubles.

C'est la vie I suppose! Anyway, I will hopefully be departing tomorrow, given no disasters, delays, or emergencies. Goodbye again to everyone! I'll check in when I arrive in Wales!

Almost goodbye...

2007-09-05T13:33:00.000-05:00

Well the weekend has come and gone...quickly! And I have less than a week now to finish getting organized. I have heard from Dr. Bennett in Wales; I am going to meet with him on Friday September 14th at the university, so that I may familiarize myself with where I will be going and who I will be working with. Then I will actually begin work at 10a on October 1st!

I've got my BritRail pass ordered (I've decided not to rent a car just yet...the driving on the other side still freaks me out), booked my hostel for the first two nights, and am laying out all of the things that need to fit in my two suitcases! This really is finally happening!

Half of my goodbyes have been said, given the awesome weekend I spent in St. Louis, the other half will follow this week/weekend in Kansas City. I'm hoping everyone makes it out for at least a little bit! So last chance, make a phone call, send me an e-mail, show up on my doorstep; whichever method you prefer to say au revoir!

One last thing before I go in regards to getting in touch while I'm away...there's a program online called "Skype."

It is free to download by going to this website: http://www.skype.com/helloagain.html Go to the download button at the top of the screen and download according to the type of PC you are operating.

This program allows communication, like a phone call, through computers. So, like instant messenger, when I'm online with Skype and you're online with Skype, phone calls can be made between the computers at no charge. The only requirement for this is to have a headset. Also, Skype credit can be purchased at a reasonable rate and when online on your computer, you can call my cell phone or my land phone while I'm away. As soon as I have a local Welsh number I will post it, so that this is a possibility. All other questions can be answered on Skype's website. It's very user friendly and easy to set up an account. My Skype user name is: k_beall ; so that it can be added to your contact list upon setup.

Alright, well that's it I do believe. Hopefully my next post will be from the United Kingdom!

Time is flying by....help me stop it for a minute!

2007-08-21T17:51:00.000-05:00

Well the plans are pretty much together, I've been shopping for some much needed items, and finalizing the details with school. I had some trouble with the financial aid office and my funding, due to a course not qualifying for the fall semester, but instead qualifying for the spring semester. This required some last minute scrambling, but Dr. Wright (my savior for arranging this internship in the first place) was kind enough to agree to a directed readings course while I'm away, so I'm anxious to see what he has in store for me as for reading materials....

I will be booking my car for my first couple weeks, as well as my hostels within the next couple of days. This should allow me some time to find a place to stay. I am in the process of arranging some apartment viewings the day after I get to Wales with a couple of online letting agencies. So cross your fingers!

Everything has come together fairly smoothly and I'm looking forward to my upcoming departure. Over the next couple weeks I'll be saying my goodbyes, as well as trying to cram six months of needed things into two bags! I'm in the process of getting organized, but could use any help or advice you may feel could be useful! If you have any travel/trip advice, or ideas on things to pack or things I may forget to pack, please feel free to offer up those suggestions! Any little bit will be helpful!

I'll keep you posted on my progress, and hopefully will only be posting one more time before my departure!

Passport: Check , Plane Ticket: Check , A Place to Live: Uh Oh

2007-08-15T12:27:00.000-05:00

Well, I can finally say I'm almost ready to go! I got a replacement for my lost passport thanks to a super nice passport agent in Chicago. I was in and out in 2 hours with passport in hand, so that worked out better than expected. I'm going to have to glue this one to myself so as not to lose it...

I am also booking my plane ticket today, as well as turning in my paperwork to the internship coordinator. It is all coming together! My departure date is set for September 11th at 6:41 PM. I will be having get-togethers in St. Louis and in Kansas City prior to my departure to say "Bon Voyage!" I will send out e-vites/invites as soon as the plans are finalized!

My first two weeks in Wales will entail finding a place to live (might be kind of important...) and going on a little mini-UK tour following around a musician that I love, Jonah Matranga. I will visit Newcastle (yay, brewery tour!), Liverpool, Nottingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Bristol, London, etc. I will see seven consecutive shows, on seven different nights, in seven different cities. I plan to rent a car to do this tour, so wish me luck driving on the other side of the road!

So that's it for now folks...hope to see as many people as I can before I leave. If not feel free to keep in touch by leaving comments on here or sending e-mails to kristi_beall@yahoo.com!

P.S. If you want to leave a comment on here and don't have a google/blogger account, just check the "other" box and fill in your name, so I know who it's from!

Passport? Plane Ticket?

2007-07-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

So the above mentioned items would be really nice to have right now! I know what you're thinking now....she's never going to get a passport in time! However, I do actually have a passport, two in fact, I just can't seem to locate either one of them. They should both be very active at this time though! I'm hoping not to have to get another replacement, but I really am at a loss for locating either passport! As for the plane ticket....I feel I'm getting closer to being able to book a ticket! Who knew there would be thousands of little details to work out?

Anyway, I have heard from some of my professors at school as far as working out some much needed credit issues goes...and although I'm still waiting to hear from the director of my program, I think getting the number of credits I need will not be a problem! So yay for that! One hurdle somewhat down!

It's getting stressful to say the least, but I'm getting increasingly more excited! Once again I'll keep you posted! I wish I myself knew just a bit more at this point...

Please put me on a plane today...

2007-07-17T18:30:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd update on the most recent news that I've received reference this impending departure...

There seems to be some confusion on visa requirements at this time, so that's in the process of being sorted out. I have also been approved and been extended an invitation to be a part of the University of Glamorgan for a period of six months. This means I will be gone two terms of their school and I will miss both semesters at my school. The problem now lies in whether or not I can get enough credit for this time away, so that is also in the process of being worked out. So as of right now I will be leaving mid-September and returning mid-March....yep that's right folks! Mid-March.

I'm still very excited and very scared. It's quite a process and I don't know how much energy I have to devote to all of this right now. However, now that I have moved out of my apartment in St. Louis and am trying to get settled back into life in Kansas City, maybe I'll be able to focus more of my attention on matters surrounding this opportunity!

I'll keep you posted...

New Update from Wales...

2007-06-28T14:03:00.000-05:00

So I received a e-mail from Trevor Bennett today. He says that things such as Visa requirements and getting my status established at the university are proving to be easier than originally thought. Once the dean of the school returns next week and they seek approval, I will receive a formal invitation to be a part of their department! This is very exciting news! This really is happening. It's getting a bit scary, but also incredibly exciting! Time is already flying by so fast. I hope to be departing for Wales towards the end of August and will be returning to the United States just before my 25th birthday in January!

P.S. The above image is of the Welsh Peninsula...

This is definitely a move in the right direction...

2007-06-20T17:55:00.000-05:00

I had a meeting with my advisor, Dr. Baumer, today. So many questions were answered and in just the way I had hoped. Dr. Baumer offered so many words of encouragement and expressed that he feels my plan for the fall shows initiative and is exactly the kind of experience the PhD program is looking for. We were able to discuss plans for the spring semester and for my re-application process for the PhD program. I feel like this trip will open up so many doors and will hopefully gear me towards a focus and direction for what will eventually be my interest area and the topic of my dissertation. I am once again empowered and feel like this is absolutely the right direction for me right now.

Welcome to my little adventure...

2007-06-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

Well, this will soon be my new home for the coming months of fall and into winter...

It is exciting and scary and completely crazy all at the same time. I'm looking forward to meeting new people and gaining some much needed experience and insight into my future. Hopefully this will be enough to help me determine which path to take from here...

This blog will play host to my adventures and journeys, as well as offer a peek into my average days as an intern at such a beautiful university in such a wonderful part of the world. Here you will find photos and commentaries on all the amusing/surprising/crazy things I have yet to discover and experience.

Hopefully this will provide a good outlet to keep in touch with all those that I will greatly miss while I'm away.

The next postings to follow will update on the progress of my departing on this little adventure and will hopefully contain a better grasp of what the "big picture" entails.