Admittedly, I had lofty expectations for a travel blog.
Obviously, I have not fulfilled them.
But let me tell you something- After writing my last blog, I made the decision to absorb all my experiences as the happened. I really learned that travel wasn't about the pictures I took, or what I wrote about. Other people have better pictures, better blogs, and even cooler opportunities.
What was important for me were the things I learned along the way. I began to learn that it wasn't important to have 40 pictures of the Eiffel Tower, but rather, reflect on what I felt about that object, or life, or love, at the moment I encountered these things.
Using the Eiffel Tower as an example- I always saw it as the ultimate symbol of romance. I always used to think about who I was in love with as we sat together holding hands. But what actually occurred was highly more significant to me. I was accompanied half way up the tower with my dear friend Kara Abramovitch from Canada. Then, for a couple of reasons, I went to the top by myself. I feared this situation. I rode to the top, scared of a vision of my whole life alone. Standing in a crowded elevator, (with a broken camera) there was no one to take my picture. Not even one to capture the sunset with. I was suffering from a tourists worst nightmare.
Finally, I reached the top, where I realized I was at the top of the Eiffel Tower- alone. The wind was so cold and I had no coat. While shivering, I thought of my journey here. I had traveled the way from Aalborg by myself. Heck, I had traveled all the way from Nebraska! The sun was setting, and despite my condition, I couldn't help but be in awe. It wasn't just the glowing pink sun, I was in awe this environment. I had an epiphany: It doesn't get any harder than this. I was standing in the exact most romantic spot in the world, and I was there by myself. And enjoying the hell out of it. I was suddenly glad to be without a camera. I have never studied a sunset so closely. Ignoring all the other tourists, I finally felt....focused.
I believe Primo Levi better poetically describes this ideal when he says:
"I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong, to measure yourself at least once, to find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions, facing blind, deaf stone alone, with nothing to help you but your own hands and your own head."
-Primo Levi
So although the Eiffel Tower didn't live out my cheesy romantic fantasy, it provided me with a more important life lesson. That I was capable of anything. If I was in the most notorious couple spot in the world, and I was happy with who I was- just me, Katrina- I could face my future. I could do so much without the nagging fear of being alone. That there is so much strength in being alone. And I don't mean that necessarily in a romantic way. We all seek companionship, but like Primo Levi said we MUST measure ourselves at least once to learn what we are capable of. To learn to feel strong even if we are not. Perhaps that lesson is just as cheesy. I am so grateful to have learned this, even if it means the end of a pretty cool blog.
I hope to start again, I am currently back from Denmark and on "sabbatical" in Washington DC before I start my internship at the Irish Embassy in 2 weeks. During this time, I hope to get a lot accomplished: ride my bike a lot, work on my italian, as well as reflect on the wonderful experience I have had, and dream for the future that lies ahead.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Blanketed in Happiness
Let me begin by sharing a little tidbit I discovered through my good friend Bethany Eckloff:
YOU MUST WATCH THIS! Nebraska was on TV.
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=12839723
I ask you at this time to recall the very first post I ever had on this blog:
You know what this means? When I am abroad, I am in the happiest place in THE WORLD, and when I return home, I will be in the happiest place in America. Does this make me the happiest person in the world? Yes, I think it does :)
My happiness is due to many factors, I think. Today, I was thinking, "Wow, I am so blessed." I then began daydreaming, and missed my bus stop, but it was okay, because I was able to communicate with the bus driver in Danish!
Speaking of speaking in Danish, I spoke more in Danish this weekend in Copenhagen then I have my entire stay in Denmark! But more about that later... Next blog :)
I want to tell you now about last week, and all the wonderful things (and not so wonderful things) that happened. First of all, I arrived home from England to find a slip of paper saying that the post office had a package from my grandma! So I took a very long bus journey across Aalborg (almost one hour with one bus transfer!) to the Post Office. It was difficult to find, since it was inside a grocery store. I made it there eventually, and tears welled up in my eyes the instant I saw it. It had the US mail stamps, and my grandma's handwriting. I hugged the package and felt tears just run down my face as I thought of my grandma packing the things into the box and take it to the post office in Ruthven. It was a tad-bit dramatic, I'll admit, but it was so special to me, I didn't stop smiling for hours. In the box was Saltine crackers (YUM!) cookies, scarves, and candy.
After the long Post Office bus journey, I discovered I was only a half hour walk from home, so I did that instead. On my way, I came across a field of horses! Well, there were two. I pet them, and fed them one of the apples from my bag. It was magical, as cheesy as it seems.
The next day, my Italian friend had me and some others over for dinner, where we all prepared our dinner- and got our hands very dirty! We prepared gnocchi, a potato pasta. First, we peeled the potatoes, then we mashed them up using our hands on a bare table. With the mashed taters, each person made a volcano shape in front of then, and cracked two egg yolks into the center. Around the volcano, we put a ring of flour. So then we mixed the potatoes into the eggs, then the flower into the mixture. Then everyone had this dough, and from that, you rolled it bit by bit into thin logs, and cut them off in 1/2 inch sections. From there, we boiled it, and served it with red sauce. The whole process was so fun- putting your hand into the mixture and getting your hands dirty! Also, it was delicious. I would like to make it for my family when I get home, this time, maybe served in a soup? Yum!
While things do make me miss home at times,it's not enough for me to miss out on the good times, like our Kollegium Disco party! I bought a new dress in London for the party (after all, a hostess must be the best dressed one, yes?). The music had a great vibe, and you could do the hustle all night long if you wanted. My room got used a lot to store coats of my friends. There were probably about 200 people that came through the Kollegium, lots of internationals, and, of course, Danes.
This is my British friend, Mark. He really got into the spirit of things.
The next night my friends Marysol and Kara and I went out to Jomfru Ane Gade to dance, and we found a great place where they were playing good American hip-hop. On the way home, we saw an intoxicated Danish mime throw up out the door of our bus. Probably the funniest thing I've seen in my life. Poor mime.
Among the other activities- dinner with my buddy, Klaus, who tried to fix my bike, a dinner at a Danish restaurant called "Huset," a tour of underground ruins of an old monastery, and watching a "football" game.
It was a great week to soak up Aalborg, although, unfortunately, now everyone is going away for Easter, and I am stuck here all alone. I am planning a brunch for some of my friends and I on Easter Sunday, and am looking for a church to go to, preferably in English. It is very lonely right now, only about 10 people are left in the kollegium, but I'm hoping my parents will send me a package soon? (please?)
Other than that, I recieved a job offer this summer from the Lincoln Community Playhouse to choreograph "Thoroughly Modern Millie." I am so torn about what to do. I would like to remain here in Europe for longer, but this would be a resume booster...I don't know. More to come about my trip to Copenhagen!
YOU MUST WATCH THIS! Nebraska was on TV.
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=12839723
I ask you at this time to recall the very first post I ever had on this blog:
You know what this means? When I am abroad, I am in the happiest place in THE WORLD, and when I return home, I will be in the happiest place in America. Does this make me the happiest person in the world? Yes, I think it does :)
My happiness is due to many factors, I think. Today, I was thinking, "Wow, I am so blessed." I then began daydreaming, and missed my bus stop, but it was okay, because I was able to communicate with the bus driver in Danish!
Speaking of speaking in Danish, I spoke more in Danish this weekend in Copenhagen then I have my entire stay in Denmark! But more about that later... Next blog :)
I want to tell you now about last week, and all the wonderful things (and not so wonderful things) that happened. First of all, I arrived home from England to find a slip of paper saying that the post office had a package from my grandma! So I took a very long bus journey across Aalborg (almost one hour with one bus transfer!) to the Post Office. It was difficult to find, since it was inside a grocery store. I made it there eventually, and tears welled up in my eyes the instant I saw it. It had the US mail stamps, and my grandma's handwriting. I hugged the package and felt tears just run down my face as I thought of my grandma packing the things into the box and take it to the post office in Ruthven. It was a tad-bit dramatic, I'll admit, but it was so special to me, I didn't stop smiling for hours. In the box was Saltine crackers (YUM!) cookies, scarves, and candy.
After the long Post Office bus journey, I discovered I was only a half hour walk from home, so I did that instead. On my way, I came across a field of horses! Well, there were two. I pet them, and fed them one of the apples from my bag. It was magical, as cheesy as it seems.
The next day, my Italian friend had me and some others over for dinner, where we all prepared our dinner- and got our hands very dirty! We prepared gnocchi, a potato pasta. First, we peeled the potatoes, then we mashed them up using our hands on a bare table. With the mashed taters, each person made a volcano shape in front of then, and cracked two egg yolks into the center. Around the volcano, we put a ring of flour. So then we mixed the potatoes into the eggs, then the flower into the mixture. Then everyone had this dough, and from that, you rolled it bit by bit into thin logs, and cut them off in 1/2 inch sections. From there, we boiled it, and served it with red sauce. The whole process was so fun- putting your hand into the mixture and getting your hands dirty! Also, it was delicious. I would like to make it for my family when I get home, this time, maybe served in a soup? Yum!
While things do make me miss home at times,it's not enough for me to miss out on the good times, like our Kollegium Disco party! I bought a new dress in London for the party (after all, a hostess must be the best dressed one, yes?). The music had a great vibe, and you could do the hustle all night long if you wanted. My room got used a lot to store coats of my friends. There were probably about 200 people that came through the Kollegium, lots of internationals, and, of course, Danes.
This is my British friend, Mark. He really got into the spirit of things.
The next night my friends Marysol and Kara and I went out to Jomfru Ane Gade to dance, and we found a great place where they were playing good American hip-hop. On the way home, we saw an intoxicated Danish mime throw up out the door of our bus. Probably the funniest thing I've seen in my life. Poor mime.
Among the other activities- dinner with my buddy, Klaus, who tried to fix my bike, a dinner at a Danish restaurant called "Huset," a tour of underground ruins of an old monastery, and watching a "football" game.
It was a great week to soak up Aalborg, although, unfortunately, now everyone is going away for Easter, and I am stuck here all alone. I am planning a brunch for some of my friends and I on Easter Sunday, and am looking for a church to go to, preferably in English. It is very lonely right now, only about 10 people are left in the kollegium, but I'm hoping my parents will send me a package soon? (please?)
Other than that, I recieved a job offer this summer from the Lincoln Community Playhouse to choreograph "Thoroughly Modern Millie." I am so torn about what to do. I would like to remain here in Europe for longer, but this would be a resume booster...I don't know. More to come about my trip to Copenhagen!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
A Not-So-Foggy Day in London Town!
Although I have been back from England nearly a week and a half, I must tell you of my experiences before my next travels tomorrow to Copenhagen!
When one travels with my dear friend RyanAir, one must be prepared to take many different methods of transportation! My friends and I left our Kollegium at 5:40 in the morning to catch the bus to the train station. From the trainstation, we caught our bus to Arhus, a town about 2 hours from Aalborg.
Impressions of Arhus: Just a bigger Aalborg? Haha.
From the train station, we took a bus (which took about an hour) to the Arhus airport, which, if you can believe it, is much much much smaller than the Omaha airport! It was in the middle of the country-side, and smelt like cow dung. Yuck! We took a RyanAir (Which is begining to charge people to use the bathroom on the plane, FYI) flight to London Stansted. I hate RyanAir with the passion of a thousand suns for so many reasons, but this was the end of my negative experience.
We were picked up from the airport by Mrs. Cakebread, my friend Tim's mom. We were all very exhausted from our journey, but truly amused when Mrs. Cakebread started driving on the left-hand side of the road! Every time I looked up, I gasped a little, like I was about to be in a car accident. It was funny- all the others kept doing it too.
The ride was beautiful and exactly like I had always pictured and dreamed about- rolling fields of green, dotted with delicate older homes. Occasionally we would drive through a small village and I would just sigh from the disbelief. The English country-side was simple yet stunning.
Mrs. Cakebread (what an English name, eh?) was so loving and kind and simply a wonderful hostess! She prepared a feast for us in her home in Bedford, just north of London. Their home did not have an address. It had a name. "The Poplars." If that doesn't just charm your socks off I don't know what would!
She prepared "Pigs in a Hole," which was Yorkshire pudding with sausages, and this lovely potato dish, I don't know what it was called except heavenly. We devoured the food and she brought out not one, not two, but three desserts! There was a dish of chocolate mousse, a birthday cake for Tim, as well as my favorite- A steaming dish of berry cobbler, served with sweet cream. It was so English and so refreshing!
At dinner we were acquainted to Granny, Tim's grandmother. She was a riot! She is a volunteer for the national trust, and works as a tour guide at a stately home (think Pride and Prejudice) near Bedford, which we visited later that week. She had been so many places in the world and was such a dear woman to us. Another acquaintance which I made was with a Ms. Pimms, whom stole my heart! Tim has a cat (well, kitten rather) named Pimms who is all black and was so sweet, at least to me :) Pimms ran up to me and rubbed against my leg and purrrrred. She is very playful, and got violent with some of the others, but not me. I think cats can sense a good person! It really made me miss my kitty! At night Pimms sleeps in a basket on top of the dryer, and it was too stinkin' adorable for words.
After lunch, we took a train journey to Sheffield, England. This was my first time on a train, and I quite liked it! It was better than driving, and not as much of a hassle as flying. I fell asleep on the train and woke up in Sheffield!
We walked from the train station to Tim's house. And when I say walked- I mean walked. And walked. Tim ( I love you Tim, don't take offense if you are reading this!) told us that his home was only a 10 minute walk. We walked for 30 minutes with all our things- uphill. I was so tired, and just recovering from my fever, and it was THE most physically challenging thing I have ever done.
SIDENOTE: This week I have done something more physically challenging. I went to visit my friend Damiano. When I left home, the sun was just setting, and it was dry. When I left his home, it was pouring rain, freezing cold, and guess what else? Uphill. For 25 minutes. On my bike. It is moments like these that you ask yourself: Is this real? Am I really doing this? It is funny in retrospect. I'm waiting for retrospect. Haha.
Back to my story. We arrive at Tim's home! I won't say a lot about his home, but I think now, any hostel will seem as sanitary as a hospital compared to the town home of Timothy Cakebread. I will always remember the gory details, but I don't want to write them here, and concern my friends and family.
I always find that when I travel, the food is often what I remember, and is so valuable to me in the whole experience. The next part of our trip is definitely one of those moments! In the English tradition, we went to a fish n' chips shop. My mouth is watering now as I think about the delicious crispy, greasy, succulent fish that was drenched in vinegar. It was the kind of fish that will never make you drive through a Long John Silver's drive-thru ever again! It came wrapped in paper and was a perfect experience.
Later that night Tim showed us some night life in Sheffield! We went to a very classy place that was all windows, covered in icicle lights and everything was leather and hard wood. I felt like a mangy college student, in my travel clothes. All the British girls we saw were all about skirts. Skirts, skirts, skirts. I like how feminine and pretty it was, but I can imagine it can be exhausting. Later we visited the biggest dance club I have ever been to. The lights and the set up were very, very cool.
But if I had to sum up my UK night experiences in one word, it would be this : TECHNO. Wow!!!! It's everywhere. And I HATE techno! Luckily, about every four songs, they would play something I could dance to. Even in Denmark, I would just kill to hear some 50 cent, or M.i.a's "Paper Planes." But my attitude needs to change! I need to appreciate the techno. (Vomits in mouth)
Here is the bathroom of the very classy Club: A flat iron that acts like a vending machine!
The next morning we awoke to a bright, shining sun. For the first time since August back in the States, I went out without a coat! The whole time we were there, we were blessed with simply amazing weather. This is very unusual for England, 4 days of sunshine and warmth! We visited a market to pick up some snacks for the day. It was incredibly refreshing to have English labels again! I am used to standing in front of a section at the market for 20 minutes, translating Danish, and studying the pictures on the box. Also, everything was cheaper. So I bought candy bars! I bought 4 of them, and none of them even saw the light of Denmark.
This day was a day of exploring. We saw much of Sheffield on foot, the University, a beautiful park, churches, and, of course, the church of Sherry Dunn and myself: STARBUCKS. I walked in and greeted the worker as though we had been in love for many years and ordered a grande soy caramel macchiato. That is probably the last Starbucks I will have for months, but boy, did I enjoy it!
Later on, the girls I was with wanted to find a computer to check facebook, and I decided to go off on my own. I did some exploring, and of course some shopping, for about an hour. I bought a couple things at a store called "Next." I really loved the things they had in England, they were much cuter than the droll shopping of DK.
On this trip, I really discovered how much I love visiting churches! Very briefly I went into a large church in Sheffield to take a couple pictures. I think churches are beautiful, but unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take pictures in them. This one was an exception, so I took advantage of this.
After my independent explorations, we met at City Hall by these beautiful fountains and a war memorial. We all walked together to an Indian restaurant that was beautiful! I ordered Tandoori chicken, and when it came out, my food had a beautiful presentation, steaming on a skillet, served with a plate of beautiful rice. Definitely the best looking dish on the table. Score!
Again, that night, we visited several more dance clubs, one of which played some good American hip-hop. My friend Terricka and I were all about that, so that night, we had quite a good time dancing! We took a taxi home, we had an early morning ahead of us!
In the morning we took the train back to "The Poplars," in Bedford.
We made ourselves sandwiches, and I took the best shower of my life! We were so dirty from our travels and had not had a proper shower since Aalborg! We all got dressed and fed to prepare for my favorite part of the trip- the stately home!
The name of the home was "Wimpole Hall," and it was described as being one of the smaller homes, and more eclectic. What I saw was nothing of the sort! It seems the original owners had a a gambling problem, and gambled away everything in the home,and then finally the home itself. The latest owner spent her whole life buying antique art and furniture for the home. It was quite amazing to see. It was as though I had stepped back in time or stepped onto a movie set. It something straight out of a Jane Austen novel, complete with many sitting rooms, a ballroom, and a library that took my breath away! It had over 9,000 books, and reminded me of the scene from "Beauty and the Beast" where the Beast surprises Belle with the library. Although you weren't allowed to touch anything or take any pictures, it was a worthwhile experience! The grounds of the home were also amazing. There was a small church next to the home where the family members were buried, and gardens as far as the eye could see. There were many families there, and several of my British friends have told me they recall visiting Wimpole Hall when they were younger to visit the petting zoo! It is a regular mini- Disney!
We were only able to spend about an hour and half at Wimpole Hall, and I really regret not being able to see more stately homes like it, especially if this home- which contained a 3,000 gallon bathtub- was considered small! It really made my imagination go wild- Can you imagine when Elizabeth Bennet first moved into Pimberly? "I'm sorry- my bathtub is how big? Wait, I have a room to write letters in?" Haha. I would really like to return to England in a year or so with my Mom and Grandma to do a tour of many stately homes! I will begin planning it when I return to the United States.
We left Wimpole Hall in quite a hurry in order to catch the train to London. We wanted to see a show on the West End,but by the time we had reached the theatre, the show, of course, had been sold out. There were several shows we considered: Les Mes, The Lion King, and a show which Judy Dench was acting in called "Madame Sade." While I REALLY wanted to see Judy Dench on stage, I knew that the others in my group would probably feel more satisfied with the Lion King. So we waited until the theatre began selling tickets again, and bought tickets for the Sunday matinee.
Wow! They do exist!
We stayed on the West End, Covent Garden, in London to explore a bit and to eat! We became quite familiar with the area and decided we were in the mood for Italian. So, being the resident Italian expert, I took it upon myself to see which restaurant had the most authentic feel, and low prices! We selected this place called "La Ballerina." I absolutely loved it- the decor was Degas paintings and other ballet art. The waiters spoke in very heavy Italian accents- which made me miss my friends so much! After all my language lessons from Renato, Valerio, Sossio, Oscar, and Claudio, I probably could have ordered in Italian, but I chickened out! I did, however, understand a bit of what the waiters were saying to each other. I got pesto with prawns on penne pasta, and it was my favorite meal on the trip. Yesterday, I tried to recreate it on my own- it was a good effort, but didn't match my meal in London. On the way back from Covent Garned to St. Pancras/Kings' Cross (made famous by the Harry Potter series) we took the tube. I kept laughing because the announcer woman kept saying "You are on a Picadilly line to Cockfosters." I imitated this all weekend, I think I annoyed some travel companions, haha.
After our night in London, we were so tired! We knew we had a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so we took the train back to Bedford and went to sleep. Tim's mom had set up a cot for each of us girls, with fresh towels. It was so lovely, and really inspired me to one day be an equally gracious hostess!
We awoke in the morning to, of course, another delicious meal from Mrs. Cakebread before heading back into the city. On this day, I was so excited, and I walked faster than I think I ever have in my life! We came out of the train station- and there it was! The river Thymes! It was unbelievable. I was just giggling a ridiculous amount. From there we crossed the Millenium bridge to see Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. I didn't go inside, it would cost a lot of money, but I know I will be back in London again, and I will go inside, maybe even see a show there!
This is what is so great about sightseeing: When I was on the bridge, I just looked and saw the theatre. And all of a sudden it was like, wow- I've seen so many pictures of this, but that is the real thing! And it was like this for everything I saw.
Here is me on Millenium Bridge, it's early in the morning and very windy, but look over my shoulder! It's the Globe!!
Next we saw St. Paul's cathedral. You couldn't take pictures there, but it was simply stunning. They were getting ready to have service, and there were many, many tourists inside. It was remarkable how even though all that was going on, there was still a strong presence of church, and it was refreshing for the spirit to even be there for just a moment.
From there we saw the Tower of London, which is huge! Also, the London bridge. We didn't go on it- we were doing "London on Speed," so everything was extremely fast! I was amazed at the amount of tourists that were in London- it put Disney to shame, haha.
We walked on to see Big Ben, House of Parliament, and Westminster Abby, which are all next to each other. Again- it's hard to describe the details- just awe. You come out of the tube station- and BAM! There's Big Ben! Your eyes can barely comprehend it. I've had a picture of Big Ben in my bedroom for years. And then- there it was. From there we walked to Buckingham Palace, which was amazing. It was quieter than I expected. Again, dear friends, I wish I could tell you the details of what it was like, but it is so hard to describe what you feel when you look at the gates of the palace and think "This is the gate the queen travels through. This is the gate which all those people laid flowers when Diana died. Just behind that gate, Prince William might just be reading a book, or watching TV." Even stranger must be how they feel when they look out of their window and see foreigners with dropped jaws just staring.
Here is me, being very touristy!! Yes! This is for mom and dad:
From Buckingham we scooted on over back to Covent Garden, where we had tickets to see the Lion King! But first- I had a mission: I NEEDED to shop, at least just a little. So I had 20 minutes before I needed to be in my seat. But I have been trained well by Glenna Brott and Julie Powell, and I did what I needed to do. I went into a couple stores, trying on clothes like the devil was chasing me. At last, I found 2 great pieces that fit me well, and were on sale! I got a really smokin' dress, and an awesome black military jacket. So now I can always say "I got this jacket in London."
I made it back to the theatre in the nick of time. The curtain went up, and by the time the curtain went down, I think I cried about 4 times. The spectacle was amazing- the puppetry, the acting, and the lighting we of a professional quality that I had never seen before! London is famous for the West End, which is of the same caliber of theatre as Broadway. The audience was gasping and "ooooh....ahhh!" the whole time. At the end I was very pleased with the time and money spent to see the production. I cheered for the actors because not only had they done a great job- but WOW, I realized, they were employed by Disney! What a dream come true for them. I have spent the past week listening to the soundtrack, and remembering the magic of the show.
After the show we spent some more time exploring the shops that were still open in Covent Garden, and walked to a traditional British Pub, where they served food such as "blood pudding." I decided, along with the other girls in my group, that perhaps this was more of a spot for the guys! We went to eat Sushi :)
My friend Kara and I being silly at the Sushi restaurant
After eating, we moved to a Pub called "The Shakespeare's Head." Everything in England was Shakespearean, he is one famous Brit! My friend Stacey and I shared this amazing chocolate cake! Soon after we headed home to Bedford, and woke up the next morning at 4 to go to the airport.
Our little adventure had reached an end, which was quite sad. We made it home with some precious purchases, a few more stamps in our passports, and a lifetime of memories!
I can't wait until I can return to England in the future, hopefully next time with my mom and grandma!
Well, I will probably blog again today about this past week at home, it was very exciting! Tomorrow I leave for Copenhagen, and I am really excited. Even now as I think about it, my heart is beating faster- I'm starting to crave travel! I know this will be a great trip since A. I speak the language! and B. The weather will be amazing, and C. I am flying, and not with RyanAir!
Take Care, God Bless, and thank you for completing this Novella of a blog!
When one travels with my dear friend RyanAir, one must be prepared to take many different methods of transportation! My friends and I left our Kollegium at 5:40 in the morning to catch the bus to the train station. From the trainstation, we caught our bus to Arhus, a town about 2 hours from Aalborg.
Impressions of Arhus: Just a bigger Aalborg? Haha.
From the train station, we took a bus (which took about an hour) to the Arhus airport, which, if you can believe it, is much much much smaller than the Omaha airport! It was in the middle of the country-side, and smelt like cow dung. Yuck! We took a RyanAir (Which is begining to charge people to use the bathroom on the plane, FYI) flight to London Stansted. I hate RyanAir with the passion of a thousand suns for so many reasons, but this was the end of my negative experience.
We were picked up from the airport by Mrs. Cakebread, my friend Tim's mom. We were all very exhausted from our journey, but truly amused when Mrs. Cakebread started driving on the left-hand side of the road! Every time I looked up, I gasped a little, like I was about to be in a car accident. It was funny- all the others kept doing it too.
The ride was beautiful and exactly like I had always pictured and dreamed about- rolling fields of green, dotted with delicate older homes. Occasionally we would drive through a small village and I would just sigh from the disbelief. The English country-side was simple yet stunning.
Mrs. Cakebread (what an English name, eh?) was so loving and kind and simply a wonderful hostess! She prepared a feast for us in her home in Bedford, just north of London. Their home did not have an address. It had a name. "The Poplars." If that doesn't just charm your socks off I don't know what would!
She prepared "Pigs in a Hole," which was Yorkshire pudding with sausages, and this lovely potato dish, I don't know what it was called except heavenly. We devoured the food and she brought out not one, not two, but three desserts! There was a dish of chocolate mousse, a birthday cake for Tim, as well as my favorite- A steaming dish of berry cobbler, served with sweet cream. It was so English and so refreshing!
At dinner we were acquainted to Granny, Tim's grandmother. She was a riot! She is a volunteer for the national trust, and works as a tour guide at a stately home (think Pride and Prejudice) near Bedford, which we visited later that week. She had been so many places in the world and was such a dear woman to us. Another acquaintance which I made was with a Ms. Pimms, whom stole my heart! Tim has a cat (well, kitten rather) named Pimms who is all black and was so sweet, at least to me :) Pimms ran up to me and rubbed against my leg and purrrrred. She is very playful, and got violent with some of the others, but not me. I think cats can sense a good person! It really made me miss my kitty! At night Pimms sleeps in a basket on top of the dryer, and it was too stinkin' adorable for words.
After lunch, we took a train journey to Sheffield, England. This was my first time on a train, and I quite liked it! It was better than driving, and not as much of a hassle as flying. I fell asleep on the train and woke up in Sheffield!
We walked from the train station to Tim's house. And when I say walked- I mean walked. And walked. Tim ( I love you Tim, don't take offense if you are reading this!) told us that his home was only a 10 minute walk. We walked for 30 minutes with all our things- uphill. I was so tired, and just recovering from my fever, and it was THE most physically challenging thing I have ever done.
SIDENOTE: This week I have done something more physically challenging. I went to visit my friend Damiano. When I left home, the sun was just setting, and it was dry. When I left his home, it was pouring rain, freezing cold, and guess what else? Uphill. For 25 minutes. On my bike. It is moments like these that you ask yourself: Is this real? Am I really doing this? It is funny in retrospect. I'm waiting for retrospect. Haha.
Back to my story. We arrive at Tim's home! I won't say a lot about his home, but I think now, any hostel will seem as sanitary as a hospital compared to the town home of Timothy Cakebread. I will always remember the gory details, but I don't want to write them here, and concern my friends and family.
I always find that when I travel, the food is often what I remember, and is so valuable to me in the whole experience. The next part of our trip is definitely one of those moments! In the English tradition, we went to a fish n' chips shop. My mouth is watering now as I think about the delicious crispy, greasy, succulent fish that was drenched in vinegar. It was the kind of fish that will never make you drive through a Long John Silver's drive-thru ever again! It came wrapped in paper and was a perfect experience.
Later that night Tim showed us some night life in Sheffield! We went to a very classy place that was all windows, covered in icicle lights and everything was leather and hard wood. I felt like a mangy college student, in my travel clothes. All the British girls we saw were all about skirts. Skirts, skirts, skirts. I like how feminine and pretty it was, but I can imagine it can be exhausting. Later we visited the biggest dance club I have ever been to. The lights and the set up were very, very cool.
But if I had to sum up my UK night experiences in one word, it would be this : TECHNO. Wow!!!! It's everywhere. And I HATE techno! Luckily, about every four songs, they would play something I could dance to. Even in Denmark, I would just kill to hear some 50 cent, or M.i.a's "Paper Planes." But my attitude needs to change! I need to appreciate the techno. (Vomits in mouth)
Here is the bathroom of the very classy Club: A flat iron that acts like a vending machine!
The next morning we awoke to a bright, shining sun. For the first time since August back in the States, I went out without a coat! The whole time we were there, we were blessed with simply amazing weather. This is very unusual for England, 4 days of sunshine and warmth! We visited a market to pick up some snacks for the day. It was incredibly refreshing to have English labels again! I am used to standing in front of a section at the market for 20 minutes, translating Danish, and studying the pictures on the box. Also, everything was cheaper. So I bought candy bars! I bought 4 of them, and none of them even saw the light of Denmark.
This day was a day of exploring. We saw much of Sheffield on foot, the University, a beautiful park, churches, and, of course, the church of Sherry Dunn and myself: STARBUCKS. I walked in and greeted the worker as though we had been in love for many years and ordered a grande soy caramel macchiato. That is probably the last Starbucks I will have for months, but boy, did I enjoy it!
Later on, the girls I was with wanted to find a computer to check facebook, and I decided to go off on my own. I did some exploring, and of course some shopping, for about an hour. I bought a couple things at a store called "Next." I really loved the things they had in England, they were much cuter than the droll shopping of DK.
On this trip, I really discovered how much I love visiting churches! Very briefly I went into a large church in Sheffield to take a couple pictures. I think churches are beautiful, but unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take pictures in them. This one was an exception, so I took advantage of this.
After my independent explorations, we met at City Hall by these beautiful fountains and a war memorial. We all walked together to an Indian restaurant that was beautiful! I ordered Tandoori chicken, and when it came out, my food had a beautiful presentation, steaming on a skillet, served with a plate of beautiful rice. Definitely the best looking dish on the table. Score!
Again, that night, we visited several more dance clubs, one of which played some good American hip-hop. My friend Terricka and I were all about that, so that night, we had quite a good time dancing! We took a taxi home, we had an early morning ahead of us!
In the morning we took the train back to "The Poplars," in Bedford.
We made ourselves sandwiches, and I took the best shower of my life! We were so dirty from our travels and had not had a proper shower since Aalborg! We all got dressed and fed to prepare for my favorite part of the trip- the stately home!
The name of the home was "Wimpole Hall," and it was described as being one of the smaller homes, and more eclectic. What I saw was nothing of the sort! It seems the original owners had a a gambling problem, and gambled away everything in the home,and then finally the home itself. The latest owner spent her whole life buying antique art and furniture for the home. It was quite amazing to see. It was as though I had stepped back in time or stepped onto a movie set. It something straight out of a Jane Austen novel, complete with many sitting rooms, a ballroom, and a library that took my breath away! It had over 9,000 books, and reminded me of the scene from "Beauty and the Beast" where the Beast surprises Belle with the library. Although you weren't allowed to touch anything or take any pictures, it was a worthwhile experience! The grounds of the home were also amazing. There was a small church next to the home where the family members were buried, and gardens as far as the eye could see. There were many families there, and several of my British friends have told me they recall visiting Wimpole Hall when they were younger to visit the petting zoo! It is a regular mini- Disney!
We were only able to spend about an hour and half at Wimpole Hall, and I really regret not being able to see more stately homes like it, especially if this home- which contained a 3,000 gallon bathtub- was considered small! It really made my imagination go wild- Can you imagine when Elizabeth Bennet first moved into Pimberly? "I'm sorry- my bathtub is how big? Wait, I have a room to write letters in?" Haha. I would really like to return to England in a year or so with my Mom and Grandma to do a tour of many stately homes! I will begin planning it when I return to the United States.
We left Wimpole Hall in quite a hurry in order to catch the train to London. We wanted to see a show on the West End,but by the time we had reached the theatre, the show, of course, had been sold out. There were several shows we considered: Les Mes, The Lion King, and a show which Judy Dench was acting in called "Madame Sade." While I REALLY wanted to see Judy Dench on stage, I knew that the others in my group would probably feel more satisfied with the Lion King. So we waited until the theatre began selling tickets again, and bought tickets for the Sunday matinee.
Wow! They do exist!
We stayed on the West End, Covent Garden, in London to explore a bit and to eat! We became quite familiar with the area and decided we were in the mood for Italian. So, being the resident Italian expert, I took it upon myself to see which restaurant had the most authentic feel, and low prices! We selected this place called "La Ballerina." I absolutely loved it- the decor was Degas paintings and other ballet art. The waiters spoke in very heavy Italian accents- which made me miss my friends so much! After all my language lessons from Renato, Valerio, Sossio, Oscar, and Claudio, I probably could have ordered in Italian, but I chickened out! I did, however, understand a bit of what the waiters were saying to each other. I got pesto with prawns on penne pasta, and it was my favorite meal on the trip. Yesterday, I tried to recreate it on my own- it was a good effort, but didn't match my meal in London. On the way back from Covent Garned to St. Pancras/Kings' Cross (made famous by the Harry Potter series) we took the tube. I kept laughing because the announcer woman kept saying "You are on a Picadilly line to Cockfosters." I imitated this all weekend, I think I annoyed some travel companions, haha.
After our night in London, we were so tired! We knew we had a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so we took the train back to Bedford and went to sleep. Tim's mom had set up a cot for each of us girls, with fresh towels. It was so lovely, and really inspired me to one day be an equally gracious hostess!
We awoke in the morning to, of course, another delicious meal from Mrs. Cakebread before heading back into the city. On this day, I was so excited, and I walked faster than I think I ever have in my life! We came out of the train station- and there it was! The river Thymes! It was unbelievable. I was just giggling a ridiculous amount. From there we crossed the Millenium bridge to see Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. I didn't go inside, it would cost a lot of money, but I know I will be back in London again, and I will go inside, maybe even see a show there!
This is what is so great about sightseeing: When I was on the bridge, I just looked and saw the theatre. And all of a sudden it was like, wow- I've seen so many pictures of this, but that is the real thing! And it was like this for everything I saw.
Here is me on Millenium Bridge, it's early in the morning and very windy, but look over my shoulder! It's the Globe!!
Next we saw St. Paul's cathedral. You couldn't take pictures there, but it was simply stunning. They were getting ready to have service, and there were many, many tourists inside. It was remarkable how even though all that was going on, there was still a strong presence of church, and it was refreshing for the spirit to even be there for just a moment.
From there we saw the Tower of London, which is huge! Also, the London bridge. We didn't go on it- we were doing "London on Speed," so everything was extremely fast! I was amazed at the amount of tourists that were in London- it put Disney to shame, haha.
We walked on to see Big Ben, House of Parliament, and Westminster Abby, which are all next to each other. Again- it's hard to describe the details- just awe. You come out of the tube station- and BAM! There's Big Ben! Your eyes can barely comprehend it. I've had a picture of Big Ben in my bedroom for years. And then- there it was. From there we walked to Buckingham Palace, which was amazing. It was quieter than I expected. Again, dear friends, I wish I could tell you the details of what it was like, but it is so hard to describe what you feel when you look at the gates of the palace and think "This is the gate the queen travels through. This is the gate which all those people laid flowers when Diana died. Just behind that gate, Prince William might just be reading a book, or watching TV." Even stranger must be how they feel when they look out of their window and see foreigners with dropped jaws just staring.
Here is me, being very touristy!! Yes! This is for mom and dad:
From Buckingham we scooted on over back to Covent Garden, where we had tickets to see the Lion King! But first- I had a mission: I NEEDED to shop, at least just a little. So I had 20 minutes before I needed to be in my seat. But I have been trained well by Glenna Brott and Julie Powell, and I did what I needed to do. I went into a couple stores, trying on clothes like the devil was chasing me. At last, I found 2 great pieces that fit me well, and were on sale! I got a really smokin' dress, and an awesome black military jacket. So now I can always say "I got this jacket in London."
I made it back to the theatre in the nick of time. The curtain went up, and by the time the curtain went down, I think I cried about 4 times. The spectacle was amazing- the puppetry, the acting, and the lighting we of a professional quality that I had never seen before! London is famous for the West End, which is of the same caliber of theatre as Broadway. The audience was gasping and "ooooh....ahhh!" the whole time. At the end I was very pleased with the time and money spent to see the production. I cheered for the actors because not only had they done a great job- but WOW, I realized, they were employed by Disney! What a dream come true for them. I have spent the past week listening to the soundtrack, and remembering the magic of the show.
After the show we spent some more time exploring the shops that were still open in Covent Garden, and walked to a traditional British Pub, where they served food such as "blood pudding." I decided, along with the other girls in my group, that perhaps this was more of a spot for the guys! We went to eat Sushi :)
My friend Kara and I being silly at the Sushi restaurant
After eating, we moved to a Pub called "The Shakespeare's Head." Everything in England was Shakespearean, he is one famous Brit! My friend Stacey and I shared this amazing chocolate cake! Soon after we headed home to Bedford, and woke up the next morning at 4 to go to the airport.
Our little adventure had reached an end, which was quite sad. We made it home with some precious purchases, a few more stamps in our passports, and a lifetime of memories!
I can't wait until I can return to England in the future, hopefully next time with my mom and grandma!
Well, I will probably blog again today about this past week at home, it was very exciting! Tomorrow I leave for Copenhagen, and I am really excited. Even now as I think about it, my heart is beating faster- I'm starting to crave travel! I know this will be a great trip since A. I speak the language! and B. The weather will be amazing, and C. I am flying, and not with RyanAir!
Take Care, God Bless, and thank you for completing this Novella of a blog!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Blugggghhhh
So it has been an interesting couple of days in Denmark.
I've been sick this week, and yesterday I went to the doctor downtown. I got medicine, and I know I am beginning to feel a little better. But before that, I was incredibly feverish- hot then cold, hot then cold. Twas a pain in the neck. Not to be gross, but I have sweated through nearly all of my wardrobe, and today, I must! do laundry. I've also had a terrible headache. The doctor said she thought my tonsils were infected. Personally, I think it's just another sinus infection.
The doctor's office was quite an adventure, though. GoogleMaps (grrrr google maps) told me where to go, so I took the bus there and walked where they told me- to an apartment building. I showed a little old lady the address and she told me I needed to walk about a mile down the road. So I did. Worn, weary, and sweaty, I made it to the doctors, where there was a puppy in the waiting room! It was so cute, it really made me feel more calm. Come to find out later that this is the very purpose of these animals. I guess it is common in Denmark to have animals greet, entertain, and calm people in the waiting room. I wish it would have been a cat.... :)
So this is the length of excitement in my world right now. But on Thursday (day after tomorrow!) I will traveling to London and Sheffield with a group of friends. I am so excited to be able to see both the English country-side and the city. However, I can only bring ONE BACKPACK...what is a girl to do?
I've been sick this week, and yesterday I went to the doctor downtown. I got medicine, and I know I am beginning to feel a little better. But before that, I was incredibly feverish- hot then cold, hot then cold. Twas a pain in the neck. Not to be gross, but I have sweated through nearly all of my wardrobe, and today, I must! do laundry. I've also had a terrible headache. The doctor said she thought my tonsils were infected. Personally, I think it's just another sinus infection.
The doctor's office was quite an adventure, though. GoogleMaps (grrrr google maps) told me where to go, so I took the bus there and walked where they told me- to an apartment building. I showed a little old lady the address and she told me I needed to walk about a mile down the road. So I did. Worn, weary, and sweaty, I made it to the doctors, where there was a puppy in the waiting room! It was so cute, it really made me feel more calm. Come to find out later that this is the very purpose of these animals. I guess it is common in Denmark to have animals greet, entertain, and calm people in the waiting room. I wish it would have been a cat.... :)
So this is the length of excitement in my world right now. But on Thursday (day after tomorrow!) I will traveling to London and Sheffield with a group of friends. I am so excited to be able to see both the English country-side and the city. However, I can only bring ONE BACKPACK...what is a girl to do?
Monday, March 9, 2009
My Hungry Subscribers!
Wow! I'm spoiling you with all these posts this week! Here is an article I wrote for the school newspaper at Wesleyan:
"As I look back at my fall semester at Wesleyan, I have to laugh at my naiveté. Sitting in Spanish class, I would roll my eyes whenever the teacher introduced new material. Between classes, I’d complain to other classmates about how hard we had it in Spanish class.
Then I came to Denmark.
Danish, the language of the country in which I now live, is one of toughest languages on earth. A primary foundation of this language is the concept of “udtale-reduktionerne,” or, word pronunciation reduction. This means that although a word could have twelve letters, it may only be one syllable. While pronunciation is daunting, it is entirely necessary to living here. For the first few weeks, I couldn’t say the name of my bus stop, “Hummlebakken.” Until I learned how to say the name of the stop, I spent hours on city buses, lost and confused, looking for my way home. Luckily, I have met many of the bus drivers in town, who help me get where I need to be!
While my Danish is not exactly flourishing, my English speaking skills have granted me opportunities I hadn’t anticipated. I am currently tutoring several Italian exchange students, who invite me to dinner for weekly lessons. They feed me authentic Italian food while I teach them things like the parts of the body, and how to use “ing” at the end of words. They tell me, “You are so lucky you speak English! We wish we were born speaking the language everyone wants to learn!”
While I enjoy helping them with their English, I can’t help but feel a bit guilty. Nearly every international student I have met speaks multiple languages. It is disturbing to me to think of how much my classmates and I (at home) complain about having to take a foreign language course, when, in fact, speaking more than one language is becoming necessary to compete in an international job market. Yes, it is true that English is becoming stronger internationally, yet somehow I can’t shake the feeling that we Americans are taking advantage of already knowing the language. By not learning other languages, we allow opportunities to learn about the rest of the world pass us by.
While studying abroad is a good time to travel, sight-see, and, of course, “live it up,” it’s also a time where I have learned to step out of my comfort zone. I am more diligent now with the language I am taught by other international students, whether it is Danish, Spanish, or Italian. The most valuable thing I will take away from this experience is learning to appreciate other languages and culture, no matter how difficult. I regret not spending more time at home practicing my foreign language. When I return, I’m going to try not complaining about Spanish. Rather, I hope to be more devoted to learning another language, and becoming a better-rounded and internationally aware individual."
Yup...that's it! Let me know your thoughts on this subject, eh?
Also, here is a picture of me and my Spanish-speaking friend, Marysol, and we are on the bus. It's only appropriate :)
"As I look back at my fall semester at Wesleyan, I have to laugh at my naiveté. Sitting in Spanish class, I would roll my eyes whenever the teacher introduced new material. Between classes, I’d complain to other classmates about how hard we had it in Spanish class.
Then I came to Denmark.
Danish, the language of the country in which I now live, is one of toughest languages on earth. A primary foundation of this language is the concept of “udtale-reduktionerne,” or, word pronunciation reduction. This means that although a word could have twelve letters, it may only be one syllable. While pronunciation is daunting, it is entirely necessary to living here. For the first few weeks, I couldn’t say the name of my bus stop, “Hummlebakken.” Until I learned how to say the name of the stop, I spent hours on city buses, lost and confused, looking for my way home. Luckily, I have met many of the bus drivers in town, who help me get where I need to be!
While my Danish is not exactly flourishing, my English speaking skills have granted me opportunities I hadn’t anticipated. I am currently tutoring several Italian exchange students, who invite me to dinner for weekly lessons. They feed me authentic Italian food while I teach them things like the parts of the body, and how to use “ing” at the end of words. They tell me, “You are so lucky you speak English! We wish we were born speaking the language everyone wants to learn!”
While I enjoy helping them with their English, I can’t help but feel a bit guilty. Nearly every international student I have met speaks multiple languages. It is disturbing to me to think of how much my classmates and I (at home) complain about having to take a foreign language course, when, in fact, speaking more than one language is becoming necessary to compete in an international job market. Yes, it is true that English is becoming stronger internationally, yet somehow I can’t shake the feeling that we Americans are taking advantage of already knowing the language. By not learning other languages, we allow opportunities to learn about the rest of the world pass us by.
While studying abroad is a good time to travel, sight-see, and, of course, “live it up,” it’s also a time where I have learned to step out of my comfort zone. I am more diligent now with the language I am taught by other international students, whether it is Danish, Spanish, or Italian. The most valuable thing I will take away from this experience is learning to appreciate other languages and culture, no matter how difficult. I regret not spending more time at home practicing my foreign language. When I return, I’m going to try not complaining about Spanish. Rather, I hope to be more devoted to learning another language, and becoming a better-rounded and internationally aware individual."
Yup...that's it! Let me know your thoughts on this subject, eh?
Also, here is a picture of me and my Spanish-speaking friend, Marysol, and we are on the bus. It's only appropriate :)
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Viva La Vida
Welcome Back, Blog!
I hadn't realized I have not blogged in about a month. My apologies to my 7 followers! 7! WOW. It's gone up. (Thats' what she said?) Sorry Mom. Haha!
I don't get many of those jokes in nowadays, Scandinavian humor is quite different. Actually, I'm not sure such a thing exists. The Danes have more a coincidental laugh, that suggests amusement rather than joviality. Like "ha ha ha... that was a nice little tidbit there. Thank you for your thoughts." Or perhaps I misunderstand them- I've come to realize that Americans are quite expressive with their emotions.
Americans also seem to be more excitable. For instance, this week I was in a writing workshop for a cumulative project I have to do with a group of students. One of the student tutors told us that it took her group a month to come up with a suitable thesis for their paper. One month! So I looked at the other American girl and she said to me "Give me ten minutes, I'll get it done." Without batting an eyelash I said "Why are we still sitting here now? Let's get crackin." I had to laugh because I realized this competition for efficiency is totally American. It would not take a month for us to get ANYTHING done. Especially if it were a competition.
The everyday things make me feel American. When I wear sneakers. When my hair is in a ponytail. When I don't wear a scarf. All these times I know I'm giving myself away as a non-native, but I don't care. Being an American is a great excuse to do things that are considered semi-rude here, like eating an apple in class, or laughing to loudly at a joke. We have a charming abrasiveness.
This quality, however, is difficult to replicate. One of my friends the other day asked me "Katrina, is okay, when I talk with someone, and someone else talk to me, is okay to say 'Shutup?'" I said absolutely not! I explained to him how I would get in trouble as a child if I said that at school, or god forbid, around my grandmother! I thought this was funny.
I've been teaching English quite a bit lately- the other night I had dinner with a couple young men who invited me over, and had me label their entire apartment with green post-it notes. Later they posted paper on the wall, and had me label all the parts of the body. I had such a great time doing this- I think someday I would like to teach English overseas. They are so eager and excited to learn, it is truly refreshing.
I wish I had more to say about things I have been doing lately, but truth is it's been very chill around here. I just finished the A&E version of "Tom Jones." I enjoyed the 6 hour film quite a bit. I've liked A&E films since I was very young, but I'm glad I didn't see this one until now. It's definitely an 18+ film. I am impressed by Henry Fielding's writing- for the late 1700's he is certainly a pioneer, and his characters are still so relevant and substantial! Some of the acting isn't the best, but if you get the chance (mom) it is a perfect movie to watch this winter with a cup of hot tea, and probably some cookies. If you can stand some nudity!
Tomorrow I am going to go to a place here in Aalborg that are Viking Burial Grounds! I am excited to see it, although it isn't much. I hope their is a gift shop, because I am dying to have something that says something along the lines of "dead viking."
Further in the future, I am going to Sheffield and London England with some friends! Also I am planning on visiting Italy, Greece, and Paris.
Even further in the future, I am applying to live in Washington DC in the Fall and participate in the Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP). I am very excited to start applying for internships, and I hope you all will keep me in your prayers! I'm hoping for something electronic media based, like CNN or Discovery Channel. I want to replace Samantha Brown someday and take all those cruises, maybe chatting a little politics between here and there ; )
Have a wonderful week and God Bless!
I hadn't realized I have not blogged in about a month. My apologies to my 7 followers! 7! WOW. It's gone up. (Thats' what she said?) Sorry Mom. Haha!
I don't get many of those jokes in nowadays, Scandinavian humor is quite different. Actually, I'm not sure such a thing exists. The Danes have more a coincidental laugh, that suggests amusement rather than joviality. Like "ha ha ha... that was a nice little tidbit there. Thank you for your thoughts." Or perhaps I misunderstand them- I've come to realize that Americans are quite expressive with their emotions.
Americans also seem to be more excitable. For instance, this week I was in a writing workshop for a cumulative project I have to do with a group of students. One of the student tutors told us that it took her group a month to come up with a suitable thesis for their paper. One month! So I looked at the other American girl and she said to me "Give me ten minutes, I'll get it done." Without batting an eyelash I said "Why are we still sitting here now? Let's get crackin." I had to laugh because I realized this competition for efficiency is totally American. It would not take a month for us to get ANYTHING done. Especially if it were a competition.
The everyday things make me feel American. When I wear sneakers. When my hair is in a ponytail. When I don't wear a scarf. All these times I know I'm giving myself away as a non-native, but I don't care. Being an American is a great excuse to do things that are considered semi-rude here, like eating an apple in class, or laughing to loudly at a joke. We have a charming abrasiveness.
This quality, however, is difficult to replicate. One of my friends the other day asked me "Katrina, is okay, when I talk with someone, and someone else talk to me, is okay to say 'Shutup?'" I said absolutely not! I explained to him how I would get in trouble as a child if I said that at school, or god forbid, around my grandmother! I thought this was funny.
I've been teaching English quite a bit lately- the other night I had dinner with a couple young men who invited me over, and had me label their entire apartment with green post-it notes. Later they posted paper on the wall, and had me label all the parts of the body. I had such a great time doing this- I think someday I would like to teach English overseas. They are so eager and excited to learn, it is truly refreshing.
I wish I had more to say about things I have been doing lately, but truth is it's been very chill around here. I just finished the A&E version of "Tom Jones." I enjoyed the 6 hour film quite a bit. I've liked A&E films since I was very young, but I'm glad I didn't see this one until now. It's definitely an 18+ film. I am impressed by Henry Fielding's writing- for the late 1700's he is certainly a pioneer, and his characters are still so relevant and substantial! Some of the acting isn't the best, but if you get the chance (mom) it is a perfect movie to watch this winter with a cup of hot tea, and probably some cookies. If you can stand some nudity!
Tomorrow I am going to go to a place here in Aalborg that are Viking Burial Grounds! I am excited to see it, although it isn't much. I hope their is a gift shop, because I am dying to have something that says something along the lines of "dead viking."
Further in the future, I am going to Sheffield and London England with some friends! Also I am planning on visiting Italy, Greece, and Paris.
Even further in the future, I am applying to live in Washington DC in the Fall and participate in the Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP). I am very excited to start applying for internships, and I hope you all will keep me in your prayers! I'm hoping for something electronic media based, like CNN or Discovery Channel. I want to replace Samantha Brown someday and take all those cruises, maybe chatting a little politics between here and there ; )
Have a wonderful week and God Bless!
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