Change of Plans

After Dublin we decided to cancel our Milan trip the net weekend. We were both getting worn out from constantly packing up and leaving only to return to school. Also we could never stay in a place long enough to settle down. So, no more trips until I was going to see my friend Maile in Seville. Of course that did not end up happening so the next trip is not until I see her in London.

Its nice that I know I have another semester so I can take time of from travelling when I feel I need to. Constantly moving is a lot of work. People need down time.

Gift of Gab

With the end of the semester fast approaching I have been seriously slacking off on my blog posting. Hopefully that will change now that the due dates for my papers are coming up. I always love a reason to procrastinate...not that I need a reason most of the time. 
In the next few posts I will just be playing catch up.


Three weekends ago I went to glorious Ireland and one weekend was not enough! We flew from Leeds to Dublin and took a bus to our hostel right off of O'Connell Street. For once there were no travel mishaps and we had virtually no problem finding where we were staying. Maybe I am getting better at this whole travel thing...maybe.

Anyway we always arrive late so after climbing like 5 flights of stairs we just headed to bed. The next day was when we really got to see Dublin. We decided to pay for one of those hop on hop off tour buses because the ticket is good for 2 days and it takes you to all the main sights. Basically it meant that we would have to pay for any transportation while we were there. Also they picked up right on O'Connell Street so it simplified things.
When we first got on we got off at like the first or second stop because I really wanted to see the statue of Oscar Wilde and roam around the park that the statue is in. I was in serious need of a park. I'm glad I got off. Oscar Wilde is posed in this awkward "just chilling on a rock with my pipe and smoking jacket" kind of way, and it just felt like Oscar Wilde....or at least what I know of him from his quotes seeing as how I've never read any of his work. Then we just meandered through the park. All the trees were beautiful fall colors and it was just breathtaking. I wish there was a park closer to where I am staying in Bradford. We ended up getting so distracted by it all that we missed the next two times the bus came around. Also we found SWINGS!! It was very exciting for some reason. Its not like I swing a lot at home, but for some reason I was craving it. Of course these swings were designed for little kids so even my legs were too long to really get any momentum. Still it was nice to just chill in a park.
Next we headed across the street to the "Dead ZOO". Really it is just the Natural History Museum, but that's what people call it. I mean it makes since because there are just a bunch of fossils and taxidermied animals in there, but the name is a bit morbid. I think we only went in because of the name. I mean honestly I don't really like Natural History Museums...unless they have dinosaurs. Dinosaurs make the whole thing worthwhile, but this museum was small and didn't have any.

We finally managed to get back on the bus. We were planning on just hopping off again, but this bus driver/tour guide was hilarious so we just stayed on for the entire loop. We sat on the top level in the open area just like we did in Scotland. It wasn't nearly as cold, but after a while the wind really gets to you. Since its been so long I don't even know if I remember everything we saw on the tour. I know we saw Dublin Castle (not a castle in the traditional sense), the Temple Bar area (definitely going to have to spend more time there next time), St. Patrick's Cathedral, Guinness Storehouse (considered going in but the tickets cost too much, especially considering how I am currently not a huge fan of beer), Phoenix Park, Old Jameson Distillery, Parnell Square, and The Dublin Eye.
 The amazing sights along with the witty commentary and historical references really just made me miss my Dad like crazy. He would have loved it. My family is Irish and it is actually sometimes a big deal. He has never been to Ireland, but we used to go see Riverdance every time they came to Birmingham and then we would spend the rest of the night pretending to Irish step dance on the air conditioning floor grating because it made the right sound. We also have a contemporary wood painting of St. Patrick next to our front door that my Dad is very proud of him. So I already know he would love Ireland, but he is also kind of a random facts/history buff. When we travel he likes to take over as our historical tour guide, and this tour would have given him some excellent information that he could later repeat to us four or five times. Hopefully he will come visit me at the end of the year and all of this can still happen.

So by the time we finished the loop and then went back around to get off at more stops we were both starving. We had had lunch, but that seemed like ages ago. First though we decided to go to the tourist information center and get a day trip for tomorrow. I really wanted to go to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway, but Jasmine made it perfectly clear she had no desire to go there. I would have been fine with going alone, but I would have felt guilty because I still don't feel like she is comfortable with it. Anyway, we decided to go to Cork and Blarney Castle. I want to go there too so its not like I was unhappy, and I'll just go to the cliffs next time because there will be a next time. After dinner, which I don't even remember, we stopped by this souvenir shop so Jasmine could buy gifts before we headed back to the hostel. She spent a lot of time and money in that store. I haven't bought anyone any gifts. My family understands that I am saving my money for travel, and I don't want to get anybody "junk". If I see something that reminds me of them or that I know they would love then that is when I will buy gifts. I did get Jasmine a birthday present though, but I know she'll like it.
We were going to go out that night but we were both so exhausted that we bailed. Maybe if we hadn't gone to the hostel first it would have happened, but once we sat down and got settled we realized just how worn out we were. We ended up just chatting with this Australian guy that was staying in the room with us. I can't recall his name for the life of me, but I think he was about 18 or 19. It was a really cool story. After he graduated from high school he came up to England with his parents and younger brother to visit their grandmother. Then the day before they were supposed to return home he told them he was not going back with them. He said his father kind of expected it, but his mom was upset. Its very common for Australians to take a  year off before university (very jealous), but I don't know if I would have had the courage to just tell my parents I wasn't going back with them. After that he had just been travelling around Europe, but now he was going to head back to England to work because he was quickly running out of money.  Kind of a cool life, but I don't know if I want to travel for that long on my own.

The next day was already planned out because of the day trip. We had to be at the coach by 6AM, I think, so we hurriedly got ready in the dark and then it was just a straight-ish shot to the meeting place. I tried to stay awake because the tour guide/bus driver was giving us some really interesting information on the Irish struggles, but my eyelids had a different plan. I did get to see some of the countryside before I passed out so it wasn't all lost on me.

Our first stop (not including the halfway stop) was the Rock of Cashel. Its one of Ireland's most historic sites. There is this beautiful ruin on top of the hill that we got to explore for a while. It offered these beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. I wouldn't mind just staying up there and looking at the sheep covered hills. It had also just rained so everything was just incredibly vibrant.

Then back on the coach to Blarney Castle. We bee-lined it to Blarney Castle so we could explore it and make it up the steps to the Blarney Stone. Thankfully it is the off season so there was no wait. I've heard that the line can be horrendous so we really lucked out. The stairs up to the stone were a bit treacherous. Winding and steep and uneven. The supporting rope was a necessity! The tilt back to kiss the stone was also a bit of a head rush, but now I should have the "gift of gab". People should beware!
The stone wasn't the only reason to go into the castle though. I really enjoy castles. They just seem so ominous and they have these horrid and legendary histories. They also are one of the few places that I realize the benefits of being short. I know some people who would have quite a difficult time exploring the rooms and passageways, but most of the time I don't even have to duck. At this castle they had an  oubliette and all I could think about was:
Hoggle: This is an oubliette, labyrinth's full of 'em.
Sarah: Really. I didn't know that.
Hoggle; Oh don't act so smart. You don't even know what an oubliette is.
Sarah: Do you?
Hoggel: Yes. It's a place you put people...to forget about 'em!
-and-

Jareth: She's in the oubliette.

(goblins laugh)

Jareth: Shut up! She should not have gotten as far as the oubliette; She should've given up by now.

Since then all I've wanted to do is watch Labyrinth. 

Just outside of the castle they have this Poison Garden. Honestly if I lived in a castle I would have a poison garden. Its nice to have that stuff on hand. There were also a lot of plants from the Harry Potter books in the garden such as Mandrake and Wolfsbane. There was way more land to explore around the castle than I was expecting and I wish I had more time to explore it. Lots of mystical stuff like Druid caves and Wishing Steps. It kind of places you in a storybook. I was really bummed that I didn't get to explore the Witches Kitchen, the Witches Stone, the Druids Circle, and the Fairy Glade. When I was a kid I used to play in the backyard, of course I called it the Secret Garden, and I would collect wildlife and pretend to make magic potions as if I was a witch or Wicca. It kind of felt like I could go back and keep pretending. The woods also reminded me of my grandma 'cause she was always really into fairies and once we went to see Fairy Tale: A True Story in theaters and since then I always walk around circles of mushrooms. The woods were just very magical and in my mind it gave the castle validity. But it was back on the coach before I could get my fill.

The last stop was Cork and we spent most of the time in a pub having lunch. I was absolutely famished and I ended up having some chicken pie thing that was unbelievably rich. It just put me straight to sleep on the coach, again.

 And that was the trip to Ireland. The next morning we got up super early to catch our plane. But hopefully I will be back for St. Patrick's day and on that trip I am definitely going to the Temple Bar area and having a Guinness in Fagan's pub. 

The Election

It has been nice to not have to deal with the election over the past month or two. I didn't have to hear anyone argue over who should win, and when I got annoyed by the increasingly constant Facebook updates I could just log off. I sort of kept up to date with everything. I already knew where I stood with the candidates so I just watched a couple of the debates on YouTube.Scotland was the only time I had to watch any news coverage of the election and that's because it was on the TV in the pub we ate at. I'm sure it was in the news more frequently, but I don't have access to a TV so I was spared. 

When I went to bed on Tuesday Romney was 20 electoral points ahead and had just taken Ohio...I think. It wasn't until the fire drill that I was told that Obama was still president. Honestly I am just glad the whole election is over. 

Overall the people that I have talked to here seem thrilled that Obama won, but I am sure there are some who aren't. It's just not possible for everyone to be happy.

Fire Alarms

I just don't understand! For some reason beyond my comprehension someone here feels the need to test the fire alarms every week. Of course they go off at the perfect time to interrupt any chance I have of sleeping in.  And after they go off I am all agitated because the noise startles me every time. EVERY TIME!
They only go off for a bit, and they turn off in time for us to know it isn't even a drill.

However, yesterday the alarms went off and someone came around knocking on our doors and telling us that it was an actual drill. I was getting ready to take a shower and all of a sudden I had to rush to put on my jacket and shoes so I could stand outside in the freezing wind. I am just not a fan of fire alarms. I figure you have to deal with them at least once a year, but I never considered it a weekly thing.

Maybe the English are just very skeptical of the working order of their alarms?

Remember, Remember

Three days ago it was the 5th of November and since I am in England it was a big deal. The weekend before   there were huge bonfire nights. I would have gone with some friends from my Sociology class, but I was in Scotland with Jasmine. We would have gone in Scotland, but I was sick and could not stop coughing and sneezing (thankfully the meds my parents gave me before I left are fixing that).

However I still got to enjoy some of the festivities on the actual day. Even though it was a Monday people were still out celebrating. From my window I could see a huge bonfire and fireworks going off all around the city. For some reason there seems to always be fireworks going off in Bradford, but on this particular day it was just insane. They were going off all night! I knew it was a big deal, but I had definitely underestimated it. Unfortunately I saw no Guy Fawkes effigies or masks, but maybe I would have if I had been out in the thick of it or in a bigger city.

Now I have this incredible craving to watch V for Vendetta.

Warm As Toast

...but not really.

This weekend I ventured up to Scotland with Jasmine. We headed to the train staition about an hour after I finished up my meeting for my upcoming group project. Naturally I was in a rush because I needed to pack and make something for me to eat because I hadn't eaten in hours. I also really wanted to use up the last of my bread before I left because I didn't want it to be moldy when I got back. Bread just goes bad way too fast. I should probably consider refrigerating/freezing it. However I got everything done and we were about to head out the door when Jasmine realized that she forgot her reference numbers that would actually allow her to pick up her train tickets. It was quite an essential thing to forget considering she had the entire day to get ready. Also it took her forever to get them so we basically had to speed walk to the train station. Of course when we got to the station more problems arose. The train was already there and for some reason we couldn't get the self service ticket machine to work and that is the only way you can pick up preordered tickets from the station. Later I realized I had been using the wrong card, but the machine was telling me that the card could not be read not that there were no reservations associated with the card. Thankfully the train operator was nice and he let us hop on the train without tickets. We had to change trains in Leeds anyway so he said we could just get our tickets then. Of course we still had to rush through the Leeds airport because Jasmine couldn't find the confirmation number for the first train trip. Very unprepared, but we made it and that is what counts.

The first part of the trip we spent in Edinburgh. We got there at about 10 pm, but our hostel was right across the street from the station. It made things easy...or it would have if we hadn't of walked all around it without noticing it. After being a bit travel weary we just grabbed a bite to eat at Pizza Express before calling it a night. It wasn't until the next day that I really got to appreciate the beauty of Edinburgh. No wonder it is the capital. It has this beautiful taste of the old with a couple of quite modern buildings.
The first day we just happened across The Royal Mile, which is  famous tourist mile that connects the Edinburgh Castle to the Queen's residence in Scotland. The streets are cobblestone and are lined with statues and churches. It is very picturesque!
We didn't actually go into the castle because it cost too much, but the outside was gorgeous. We hiked up a hill that stands out from the city and offers a great outlook over it all. It was definitely worth the effort, but it definitely made me realize I need to workout. I am embarrassingly out of shape. Also once you walk up onto a hill out of the protection of the buildings, the wind can be quite fierce and cut right through your clothing. However it definitely felt like Scotland on the top of the hill. Of course after climbing down we realized the best thing to do would be to get a bite to eat  some place warm so we ran into a pub and ordered some steak pies. I have definitely become a fan of that meal.
As the day went on it only got colder, but most of the sights were outside. The only place we actually went into was the National Museum because it was free. However, it was mainly filled with art that I am not a huge fan of. Too many realist, religious paintings. On the plus it was a nice relief from the cold.

 That night we hopped on a train to Glasgow. I wish we had spent more time in Edinburgh because honestly Glasgow is just another big city. Also the first night there was such a trial. Jasmine had booked the hostel for us so she had gotten directions from Google Maps. It ended up taking us 40 minutes away from where we needed to be. We got off the train and had no idea where we were. I had to call transportation information and they told us how lost we were. The last train back to Glasgow was about to leave so we had to rush to rush to catch that. Thankfully the conductor was extremely helpful and gave us detailed instructions to where we were staying. Even better was that once we got to the hostel we discovered that we had been upgraded to a private room for no extra cost. Normally I like sleeping in a dorm, but after that night and the fact that I was getting sick a private room sounded perfect.
The next day was an improvement in Glasgow, but how could it not be. We decided to just sleep until we awoke so we had a nice, relaxing, late start. Then we walked to the city center and realized just how close we were to it. Those directions were so wrong! We spent the day just walking around and going in a couple of free museums. Unfortunately we were still  so tired from Halloween and the trip before that we decided to call it an early night. We stocked up on junk food and watched E.T. Honestly it was a good night. We I feel under the weather that is really all I want to do.

The next day we thought it would be fun to hop on one of those sightseeing tours before we headed back to Bradford. It turns out that the ticket is good for 2 days and you can hop on or off whenever. Important information to know for later. It could reduce transport costs to sights in other cities so I will definitely try that again in another city. We didn't even have enough time to hop off anywhere because of our train. We sat  in the open upper section of the bus and got a great view of tons of places. We also got to listen to a beautiful Scottish accent in the historical commentary. Everything started off great, and then I realized just how cold it is when you aren't walking. I was wearing two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, two shirts, a jacket, boots, gloves, a scarf, and a hat. Despite all of that my toes and knees were burning from the cold. Too add to that I started sneezing like crazy. I just could not stop.
I did find some places I would visit if I ever came  back. I would definitely check out The Gallery of Modern Art, the Glasgow Science Centre, and Glasgow University.

After all that getting back to Bradford was a breeze. It took a while, but nothing went wrong. All I wanted to do was crash when I got back, but for some reason I got a second wind and Skyped with my family. It was a shame to leave Scotland, but I guess I did have to go to class. I will miss the accents though. Scottish accents are definitely better than English accents. 

This is Halloween!

So when Halloween rolled around I was still tired from my big trip. Besides the nights in London I didn't really sleep well the entire trip. However it was Halloween soI had to do something. Monday through Wednesday I attempted to get in the spirit by watching a ton of movies. I had a bunch of reading to do for my group project and since I normally watch TV or movies when I do school reading it worked out perfectly.
Of course I had to start it off with Hocus Pocus because it just isn't Halloween until you watch that movie. It's justthe perfect amount of ridiculousness and I think I have watched every year thanks to ABC Family's The Thirteen Nights of Halloween. I wish I could have watched some other childhood favorites like Halloweentown or When Good Ghouls Go Bad, but I just didn't have access to them.
I followed that movie up with Scream 1-3. Definitely a Halloween must. Its just one of those really awesomely bad horror movies, and it blantantly lists the horror movie rules for all of those who are uneducated in the formula. Basically I am safe.
In an ideal world this would have been followed by the Halloween movie because Michael Myers is a classic unkillable villan, but no such luck. Instead I switched over to Resident Evil, but only the first one was on Netflix. In junior high and high school Iwould have watched the second one while waiting in line for Fright Night at Sloss Furnace. Unfortunately this year I did get my haunted house/maze.
Seeing as how it looked like Netflix wasn't going to let me watch any movie series, I switched to Carrie. I hadn't seen it since I was a child and Iknew it was a classic so I thought it would be a good choice. I was wrong! The only scary part was the extremely religious mother who abused her daughter and just made me angry. I made it all the way through, but it was a struggle. Also girls' locker rooms are nothing like they are displayed in the openeing scene. I mean is all that nudity necessary? Really?
After that I needed to legitimately scare myself so I tried When a Stranger Calls.
That didn't work so then I decided to just watch a good zombie movie. I tried Day of the Dead because the title seemed promising. Honestly there was a serious lack of the dead. Most of it was about the failing relationships and order of the survivors. All I wanted to see was a bunch of people getting eaten...is that too much to ask?
Seeing as how my choices were failing me I headed on the ridiculous route. I started Return of the Killer Tomatoes, but I had to stop about 5 minutes in. I haven't seen the first one and that normally bothers me, but really I couldn't watch it because its not one you watch alone. It would have been hilarious with my brothers. We watched Killer Klowns from Outer Space this summer and loved it and this move is on the same plane. However, I don't have anyone like that here so I decided to hold off on that one until I get home.
However I wasn't completely giving up on ridiculous movies so I watched Black Sheep. Its about these genetically mutated sheep who start eating people. If you get bitten you start turning into this giant sheep creature. It was AMAZING! It was funny and creepy and a bit deranged...pretty much the perfect combo. Not everyone would enjoy it, but I will definitely watch it again.
It sounds like a lot of movies to watch in three days, but I have been training for this. I even managed to watch Saw 5-7 before going out on Halloween night. I have finally finished the Saw series and I am super happy about it. When ever I watch them I yell at the TV and question my sanity for watching these gruesome gory scenes that obviously make me uncomfortable, but I continue to watch them. And now I know all of the partners and the story lines. I just feel so knowledgeable.

Of course I did eventually go out that night. I headed out with Jasmine, Hannah, and Maureen to Revolution for the cycling social. It was pretty chill and we just hungout there until the club next door, Tequila, opened. The rest of the Avenger group met up with us there and after a few picture with them I finally got to ditch the princess portion of my costume. I was all for being an Avenger, but putting me in a tutu and a tiara is just too much. I was much more comfortable without it.
I think we stayed at Tequila till about 3. I was definitely ready to leave earlier, but whatever. I generally had a good time. I just wish I hadn't spent so much money. Going out costs way too much.

Despite my efforts it never really felt like Halloween. I didn't see any trick-or-treaters, I didn't have any candy, and at no point was I the least bit scared. BOO!