That Time of Year...Again.

So once again I have waited until the last minute and all of my final papers are due in a week. That's 9,000 words to write and I haven't even finished doing my research. So much for trying to work ahead. At least my topics are interesting. I am writing about Durkheim and suicide terrorism, ambiguous identities in Alice in Wonderland, Northern Lights, and The Secret Garden, and the emergence of celebrity culture and its impacts of everyday life. I shouldn't have much trouble reaching the word count, but I just need to get some motivation. Anyone have any to spare?

Hiking Through the Moors

This weekend Elizabeth came up to visit me and to get away from the city for a bit. The visit also gave me the perfect excuse to not write any of my three papers that are due the last day of April...not that I need a good excuse to procrastinate. Anyway...we spent Friday hiking in Ilkley and on Saturday we hiked through the moors that inspired Wuthering Heights in Keighley (pronounced keith-lee, even though there is no t in the word). I guess now I should probably read Wuthering Heights. I'll just add it to my ever increasing list of books to read.

We really lucked out with the weather because it was actually sunny! Sometimes you could actually feel the heat of the sun. I guess for everyone back home, either Alabama or Arkansas, this isn't an extraordinary occurrence, but it is in England. It was lovely!

Ilkley was such a cute town and we pretty much had the hiking trail to ourselves. We even constructed one of those stone/pebble towers, the name of which I am completely blanking on. Turns out the trail leads all the way to Bradford, but we just took the train.

Keighley was just as beautiful, but the real attraction was all the sheep. We ended up just walking through pastures and climbing over stone fences. Elizabeth tried her hardest to pet a baby sheep and it looked as if it would end in failure, but she somehow managed to do it. Then again I didn't see it so all I have to go on is her word. We also trail blazed through the incredibly hardy moor bushes and made up a new game called "Where's the ground?". Honestly we were walking on top of the bushes instead of directly on the ground. It was such a pleasant day, even including the semi anxious moment I had when the sheep literally surrounded us (I blame Black Sheep for my anxiety).

Of course I couldn't let Elizabeth leave without eating at Ambala (twice!). Unfortunately she eventually had to go back to London and I have to begin my papers.

Let Me Just Gush For A Bit...

...about the phenomenal weather! Yes, there has been amazing weather in England! no more snow, but actual sun. Today, for the first time in I can't remember how long, I need sunglasses in Bradford. I didn't even wear a jacket today, not even a jumper. Yesterday kids were literally playing cricket in the street (its hard to get much more British than that).

Unfortunately, all my research papers are due in two weeks so I have to spend most of my time in the library. But the moments I get to spend outside are marvelous and I can't wait to go hiking with Elizabeth this weekend!

Jamnesty and The Coopers

Last night was a wonderful change of pace. Instead of going to a "club" (I mean its Bradford so I wouldn't really call them clubs) I went to Jamnesty in the Amp Bar on Floor 0 of the student union, or as I like to phrase it "the bar below the library." Most of my friends are in the Peace Studies department and the department had paired up with Amnesty International to put on this open mic/concert night. There was a girl who played Dylan's "Don't Think Twice Its Alright" on the ukulele, a pair who played acoustic versions of a handful of popular songs, and then two bands. I don't remember the name of the first band but they were surprisingly good, but the second band, The Coopers, was just amazing. They were a blast and were very conducive to crazy dancing. Actually, one of their songs was on The Inbetweeners. 
It was nice to be able to sit and chat with friends because I haven't seen them in about a month because of all my travels, but it was just as lovely to be able to dance to some live music.

Last Stop, Budapest!

And before I knew it we were in our last city, and what a great city to end on. Budapest is ridiculously cheap, which means there economy is doing poorly but its great for travelers. Our hostel only cost about 5 euros a night and at one point I got a 3 course meal for less than 6 euros.

To continue on the cheap path we did another amazing free walking tour, and learned all about the history of Budapest. Did you know that the national veggie/spice is paprika? Also they love their sour cream. And supposedly Yoda's speech pattern was created by translating the script into Hungarian and then back into English. Honestly those free tours are some of the best I have been on so I always tip at the end. The guides even gave us some amazing recommendations on places to eat in the area.
We also explored some terrifically depressing and educational museums such as the House of Terror and the Holocaust Memorial Center (I appreciated the former more, at least in the way it was done). I feel like I know so much about WWII and communism now, and I hope the knowledge lasts.

And then it was time for Rachel and Emily to depart, Elizabeth and I still had one more full day. The parting probably would have been sadder if we hadn't already planned to meet up again in Murcia, Spain.

Still Elizabeth and I had more explorin' to do so we relaxed in the Szecheny Baths and ate some delicious paprika crisps (the closest thing I have come to American BBQ crisps since I got to England in September). For the first time on the entire trip we felt completely warm even when we were outside, as long as we remained in those pools.

And that was it. The trip was over and to be honest I could have kept going. Unfortunately I had to get back because in less than 3 weeks all of my final essays are do and I have come to far to fail them now. Lets hope all goes well!

Easter in Vienna

Just as soon as I was getting settled in Prague it was time to leave for Vienna.

Upon arriving in Vienna I was a bit confused because everything was closed (even grocery stores) and no one was out. Then it hit me: IT WAS EASTER! Honestly I don't remember the last time I celebrated Easter because for the past couple of years I have been away at school. This Easter was no different. I just a nice meal of goulash (more like beef stew this time) and then settled into the hostel. 

Somehow Elizabeth and I managed to get separated from Rachel and Emily at Shonbrun palace the next day. We walked through yet another Easter market and when we turned around they weren't there. We searched for them a bit and then we decided to go ahead and explore the grounds. No one was alone, and we didn't want to waste any more time searching. The place is huge and when we moved past the front area we knew we would never find them. But the two of us had a marvelous time. The grounds were huge and believe that we explored every corner of them. We even found some ducks to feed.

Even though it was only Easter Monday tons of shops and restaurants were still closed. We ended up eating in the U-Bahn station 'cause we couldn't find anything else. And then we made a miraculous discovery. There was a ballet that night at the Vienna Opera House and standing tickets were only 4 euros. 4 EUROS! How could we pass that up?! We tried to meet back up with Emily and Rachel, but we had just missed them at the hostel so we left a note and headed back out. They never did meet up with us, but the ballet was beautiful. And a bit depressing.

We tried much harder to stay together after that. In the morning we went to a simply marvelous food market. I think my dad would have been in heaven there. There was fresh fruit and veggies and fish and olives and olive oil and cheese and sweets and even whole octopuses. I wish I could have tried everything, but I didn't have the money or the stomach space. 

We also checked out St. Stephen's cathedral, the catacombs, and the Austrian Library. 

And once more we were at the Opera House but this time we were there to see an actual opera (still only 4 euros). Of course continuing with the theme of the ballet, the opera also ended on a bit of a depressing note. The opera Wozzeck somehow managed to make the words "hop, hop" heartbreaking.

Unfortunately and fortunately, our final day was not the best for exploring. Elizabeth and I went to Belvedere, but it starting snowing so bad we decided to head back. It didn't help that this was the day that my boots decided to not be the least bit waterproof. It was nice just being able to chill in the room for a while and rest up. Sometimes when I travel for a while I just need a break. But don't worry, the day was not uneventful. Later we met up with Marcus & Kelly (they are studying in Vienna) and went to a karaoke bar with some of their friends. It wasn't the karaoke I was expecting (solo singers and sad songs), but it was great to see them again.  

And then we were off again!

A City From A Different Time

One quick train ride from Berlin and Elizabeth and I were in the glorious city of Prague. Downside of train rides in the EU is that you get no passport stamps. I guess I will just have to fill up those blank spaces in my passport with other countries. 

Our first night there was quite an exciting one. For one, I got to see my wonderful friend Rachel for the first time since I visited Hendrix in September! We also got to meet her friend Kyle who was visiting her from  Missouri. Clearly we were all excited and we decided to make the night even more interesting by trying absinthe. Unfortunately there were no green fairies for us and the actual taste was a disgusting licorice thing. 

Our first full day didn't really begin as planned because we couldn't get everyone up and ready in time for the free walking tour, but we just adapted our plans a bit and continued on. We walked to the Old Town Square and enjoyed the wonderful show of the 2nd most disappointing tourist attraction in Europe...the astronomical clock. The actions of the clock at noon my be a disappointment to most but the clock itself is truly phenomenal. I still don't fully understand it, but it tells the time of day on a 12hr and a 24hr clock, whether it is night or day, what name day it is, and some other things that I just can't recall. After the clocks performance we got to enjoy the Easter market in the square and have a cup of some delicious goulash.

From there we made our way over to the Prague Castle via the Charles Bridge. Rachel and I got into a crazy competition to see who could take the most picture of people taking pictures. It got pretty intense and Rachel was just running around all over the place. We also checked out the Lennon Wall which had some amazing artwork on it inspired by John Lennon's death and also as a protest to communism. In fact, it was so cool we went back there every day.

The second day we were joined by Emily Deer, another Hendrix student studying in Spain with Rachel. This day we actually did  make the free tour and it was well worth it. It was lovely to have a bit of historical context for the buildings and the area. Also the tour guide was extremely tall so following him was ridiculously easy. Turns out people from Prague like to settle their arguments via defenestration (throwing people out of windows). Seems like an effective way to win an argument. There was another trip to the Lennon Wall (this time I made an addition), but the highlight of the day was definitely the KGB Museum which had been recommended to us by Marcus & Kelly. The man was so invested in everything there. I mean he was upset about the USSR breaking up. His involvement in it all just made so much more worthwhile.

Unfortunately I had to take a tiny break from my holiday and plan my next year at Hendrix. The two weeks we were travelling were the two weeks of room selection and course registration. Yay, timing!

One of the plus sides of having a decent sized travel group is that it is that much easier to split up if we want to do differing things. Rachel and Kyle went to the Kafka museum while Elizabeth, Emily, and I attempted to go to the Old Jewish cemetery. I say attempted because we never even considered that it might be closed on the Sabbath. Thankfully we got to see at least part of it through the gate. But we all met up again to do a walking tour of the castle (not as worthwhile as the free one in Old Town). And then back to the Lennon Wall.

I didn't get to see/do everything that sounded interesting so I guess I am just going to have to visit there again. Oh well.

Baby, It's Cold Outside (Berlin Edition)

Our first stop on our European vacation was Berlin!

Since it was much colder than we had planned on it being we grabbed some frozen yogurt that night and then spent almost the entire next day outside exploring palaces and gardens in Potsdam (about a 45minute train ride outside of Berlin). That makes sense, right? Well it was beautiful regardless of the temperature. Everything was covered with snow and was a bit magical. However, it would have been lovely to see everything in bloom. I could only imagine how breathtaking everything would look in a warmer season. We even managed to find a hidden grotto and totally not trespass into it (I mean there were no signs telling us not to). Once we got our fill of the grounds we headed back to the train station/mall and had a wonderful meal of pad thai and currywurst. Truthfully I wouldn't get currywurst again, but I wanted to try it. I mean they have an entire museum dedicated to the stuff. I don't get the big deal because its basically a hotdog covered in a tomato sauce and sprinkled with curry powder. Still it wasn't too bad, but I wouldn't try it cold.

The next day we actually stayed in Berlin. We had the first of many history lessons of the trip, seeing as how all the cities we went to were occupied by the Nazis and then by the USSR, at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. From stories about the communist occupation we moved to stories about the Nazis in WWII at the Topographies of Terror Museum. It is just so much easier to remember the history when you are in the places that these event occurred, but at the same time, it makes it more emotional and often heartbreaking. By the end of the two weeks I had lost track of how many times I had cried or at least teared up. But to lighten the mood we spent the rest of the afternoon trying to find the Ritter Sport store which apparently doesn't exist. We searched up and down the street and never came across it. Oh well.

But our day wan't over and that night Elizabeth and I, along with the two Canadians (Marcus & Kelly) we met in the hostel, decided to teach the three Swedish guys what pre-gaming was and  how to play Never Have I Ever. I'm not sure they really got the concept of either, but we had a blast.

And the next morning we were off!

Here Comes My Family ( Or At Least Part of It)

The day after getting back from Dublin, my mum and my brother Sam came up to Bradford to visit me. I was so excited to see them but I was still poorly and dehydrated. Thankfully they were fine with having a chill holiday. In fact, the first day we didn't even leave the hotel room. It was just really nice having my mum there while I was so poorly.

The next two days we still went a bit slow, but I managed to show them around Bradford (not that that takes long). My mum always likes to see where I am living and I got to spend tons of time with Sam which was lovely. He is one of my best friends and I have missed that kid like crazy. I also took them to Leeds. We mainly went there because I had a dentist appointment, but it also gave Sam a chance to pick up some more comic books. Then we had dinner at Ambala with my flatmate Jasmine. I just couldn't let them leave Bradford without having some curry.

Thursday they were pretty much on their own because I had class all day, but that night we caught a train to London. Turns out that my mum accidentally booked a room in this fairly swanky hotel next to the London Eye. We walked into the lobby and there were all these people in floor length gowns and suits and immediately we were all just like "We don't belong." Turns out there was some sort of employers gala going on, but it really was a nice place and the beds were heavenly. Unfortunately I never got to spend as much time in them as I wanted.
We, for some reason, decided that we should get up early in order to have a full day. After a lovely breakfast we headed over to the London Dungeon tours. Somehow we ended up at their old location instead of their current location which is basically right next to our hotel. Eventually we got to the place and the tour was well worth it. It was well done and hilarious. It went through all the gritty history of London and taught us some new torture techniques which will feed nicely into out family discussions of torture (Yes, my family has them, and usually they occur in a public place. our favorite spots are at nice restaurants). Since my mum was there we also went on the London Eye. Sam had already done it, and normally I wouldn't pay for it but it gives a lovely view of the city. In fact, Sam and I had a very lovely game of I Spy because one is never too old for that. Then we ended the night by seeing One Man, Two Guvnors.

Mum and Sam had to leave super early the next morning and it was really sad to see them go. I'll get to see my mum again in May, but I won't see Sam until July and I will only have a month with him before I leave for school. Anyway, this was also my last day in England, at least for a little while, because the next day I had a flight to Berlin. Since I was about to start two weeks of travel I decided to keep the day fairly relaxing. I went to Potted Potter (a play about Harry Potter) and then went bathing suit shopping in the snow. And the next day I began my Easter holiday adventures.

ST. Patrick's Weekend!

Two things I learned in Dublin:
1. Irish people virtually disappear from Dublin on St. Patrick's
2. There is a high probability that I am allergic to beer

Well, I really couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend St. Patrick's in Dublin! So Elizabeth and I headed out there for the weekend.

Our first day there we headed down the river and ran across a parade almost entirely composed of kids. Technically it was the only parade we saw because I couldn't find away to see the actual St. Patrick's Day parade. There were just too many people, and I am too short to see over anyone's head.
Since it was still early, and the beer village wasn't set up yet, we headed towards Merrion Park to explore the wonders of the Dead Zoo. On our way we just happened to run into our friend Emily who goes to school with us in Arkansas. We knew she was in Dublin, but we never made any plans to meet up. It was just one of those crazy random happenstances.
After our quick hello and picture we made it to the Dead Zoo and it turns out there is a second floor! It was probably the coolest part of the trip. There were just all of these ferocious taxidermied animals and they even had live snakes that you could hold in honor of St. Patrick. Elizabeth was basically in heaven. Turns out all you need to do to please Elizabeth is give her some sort of animal to play with. really anything will work: snake, duck, squirrel.
However, we could not stay there forever so headed into the park and enjoyed the wonderful greenery. oh, and did I mention there was sunshine?! Yes, these poor English eyes were scorched by the sun because I don't even think to bring sunglasses with me anymore. Thanks, England.
Next stop was the beer village because what is St. Patrick's Day without alcohol? We even got a bunch of free samples at this beer history talk, but Elizabeth had to carry my weight. It made for some entertaining times at 3pm.
To work that off we headed to another park and tried to participate in a ceili. We danced alright, but perhaps a giant crowd isn't the best place to learn a line dance type thing. We did our best, but the time came for us to head back to the beer village and grab ones of those pies we had been thinking about.

The next day was just as jam packed! Clearly the first thing to do in the morning is head over to the Guinness  Storehouse and learn about brewing before sampling a beer. That was followed by a some delicious pig from a food stall near the Dublinia. Well actually, we first stopped by this pretty creepy yet totally awesome indoor market. I would have walked right past it if it wasn't for Elizabeth, and that would have been a shame.
While the day and the evening were wonderful the early morning kinda sucked with me glued to the toilet because my body can't process beer or because I am allergic to it. YAY!!

But I didn't let that stop me...or at least I tried not to. That morning Elizabeth left, but I headed out to the St Patrick's Day parade. To be honest I didn't actually see the parade. I am just way too short to see over people's heads, and too tall to walk through their legs. However, it was entertaining just watching the crowd and seeing their insanely green outfits. I then grabbed a bite to eat and napped in a bookstore until it was time to make my way towards the airport.