I have been exceptionally lax for ages, mainly because I didn't like the US and was depressed. But now I am feeling much much better; I've left the US and am now in Australia. I very, very rarely felt like the US was somewhere I would like to live, California was too clean, too fake everything looked a little but like a Hollywood movie. It was all too bland for my liking. By contrast Melbourne feels real; it has graffiti, green parks, good public transport and great free museums. I love it. It also has Oz, who naturally enamours me to any place.
A few weeks before I was due to come to Australia Oz and I broke up because he was a bastard, anyway my mum tried to convince me to go back to the UK, but I am very glad I decided to ignore her and come regardless. Oz was very apologetic and we got back together. I am currently staying with Oz and his parents, but I move to my own place tomorrow. I'm enjoying living with Oz, but I'm looking forward to having my own room for the first time in nine months and I'll be living pretty central Melbourne.
Anyway, nowt that exciting has happened so far, but I'm having a great time. I'll try and fill you in when I have a real adventure.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
A Pilgrims Progress
Sorry that I haven't blogged for months, I was depressed due to a variety of reasons but am feeling much better now because I have moved! I've moved in with a friend of mine and share a one bedroom apartment with her and I love it. Also, I've jut baked some brownies (always helps!).
Anyway, last weekend I went on a trip with my Material Catholicism class (I love that class so much!) to Our Lady of the Rocks, a pilgrimage that take place on the 13th of every month and draws hundreds of pilgrims from all over California. The visionary goes on a 20 minute walk accompanied by some attends and statue of Jesus and Mary and somewhere along the walk she sees Mary who tells her what to preach on (usually the wrongness of abortions), whilst she is having a chat to Our Lady the pilgrims drop to their knees and pray and/or take photos of the sun (it is supposed to be a gateway to heaven where the faithful can catch glimpses of Jesus, Mary, etc). I had to write a report on it for the class and here it is. Enjoy and if you want to feel free to leave me a grade in the comments (I may well come to regret suggesting that):
Our Lady of the Rocks was originally located in Lopez Canyon, Pacoima, California, but it quickly became far too popular and the owners complained. It’s easy to see why, there were hundreds of pilgrims and the facilities at the new Mojave location could barely cope with them all. So Mary told the seer of the visions, Maria Acuna, to move it to the Mojave desert in the middle of no where so they cannot disturb anyone.
Well they certainly found a location in the middle of nowhere, we arrived the night before in the dark and it was very difficult to find. There were probably only 10 other people when we arrived, but everyone was very welcoming and they invited us to come and it by shrine with them and do rosaries. Initially one woman, Irma, led the Rosaries in the dark around a single shrine with a candle on it. Knowing relatively little about Catholicism I was ignorant as to how long it would take and was amazed at how long these people at around quietly praying. Halfway through a few car loads of families turned up and children descended disrupting, but not ending the rosary session. We left to have dinner soon afterwards but returned a few hours later when there were four people saying the rosary, this time with their focus on a candle on the floor, it seemed much more spiritual a time with one woman openly weeping and people clearly in pain praying away, these people had a purpose to their pilgrimage. During the whole pilgrimage I was amazed at how much people would endure on this pilgrimage, people in obvious pain, pregnant, and with small children. They really had faith.
Faith was something I lacked and Irma was quick to pick up on this and tell myself and my companions that it was vital; we would see nothing with curiosity. The trouble with faith is that something has to inspire it in the first place, but I saw nothing to negate my scepticism. I heard many tales of people seeing (and even touching) the Virgin and Jesus, either directly or through photographs of the sun, I was even shown photos that people claimed showed the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Ghost, but in my mind they were easy to explain by camera faults. The one testimony I heard that really held true was by the son-in-law of Mary Acuna, who himself did not believe in the apparitions but had seen someone be healed and actually remove their neck brace, the doctor of the person healed was so amazed that he called Acuna to find out what she had done. Faith is very important, but curiosity can uncover some proof, unfortunately faith is required for belief, and so I go on as an unbeliever.
Throughout the night people arrived, with a big coach load of pilgrims from Oakland arriving just before dawn. The first thing the pilgrims who arrived a few hours prior to the main event did was set up the folding chairs they had brought, reserving themselves a good view, some even brought gazebos (a few of which were actually roped off) and reserved their entire family a big spot. However later on when the service began the chairs and gazebos seemed to be irrelevant, people mostly stood up and pushed forward for a view, but that was hard to come by with countless numbers of umbrellas up not even the tall were guaranteed a view.
Whilst the service was conducted entirely in Spanish there were a fair few white non-Spanish speakers, but they tended to arrive a lot later than the Hispanics, and came in smaller groups. Despite turning up later than everyone else they were quite pushy and would happily push others out of the way in order to get a good view. However, I found that a lot of the pilgrims were quite selfish, they were there for their own reasons and didn’t want anything to get in the way of that, so they would push or not help when they easily could. For example when I was in a long queue for the one toilet and an elderly lady with a zimmer frame and a carer, who was clearly in pain, was making her slow way to the end of the queue, but no one stepped forward and allowed her to push in. I was fairly near the back and told her she could take my place but should try to push in at the front, she followed my advice, but the people at the front would not let her in and so she still had to wait five minutes. It might not sound like much, but it showed how selfish a lot of the pilgrims could be, and how unchristian they were, or perhaps they just really needed the toilet.
The more people arrived the worse the toilet queue became, and I quickly discovered that it is a great way of hearing people’ testimony, standing around for upwards of half-an-hour is enough to make anyone talk! I got chatting to Maria, a middle aged Catholic woman on her second pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Rocks. The first time she came her whole family group as well as herself saw Jesus’ face whilst on their way home. She was hopeful of another sighting that day, but I was unable to find her later and discover whether she had or not. I also met someone who had been coming for well over ten year but had never seen anything, yet still had faith.
I was impressed by the sheer faith of the pilgrims, some of whom come month after month, to travel long distances to a pilgrimage that is not approved by the Church. They have probably never met Acuna, yet they still believe her claims to having visions of the Virgin. It is impossible for a non-believer, such as myself, to give a true account of the event, I could only ever be a bystander. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. In the early stages there was a great sense of community and true spirituality about the place, and I suppose that when the pilgrimage happens on a weekday it is likely to be what I experienced the night before, it will draw only the truly dedicated and be a more intimate experience. Despite the lack of intimacy or community during the actual pilgrimage the pilgrims took away a lot with them, even if it was just hope or reinforced faith.
Anyway, last weekend I went on a trip with my Material Catholicism class (I love that class so much!) to Our Lady of the Rocks, a pilgrimage that take place on the 13th of every month and draws hundreds of pilgrims from all over California. The visionary goes on a 20 minute walk accompanied by some attends and statue of Jesus and Mary and somewhere along the walk she sees Mary who tells her what to preach on (usually the wrongness of abortions), whilst she is having a chat to Our Lady the pilgrims drop to their knees and pray and/or take photos of the sun (it is supposed to be a gateway to heaven where the faithful can catch glimpses of Jesus, Mary, etc). I had to write a report on it for the class and here it is. Enjoy and if you want to feel free to leave me a grade in the comments (I may well come to regret suggesting that):
Our Lady of the Rocks was originally located in Lopez Canyon, Pacoima, California, but it quickly became far too popular and the owners complained. It’s easy to see why, there were hundreds of pilgrims and the facilities at the new Mojave location could barely cope with them all. So Mary told the seer of the visions, Maria Acuna, to move it to the Mojave desert in the middle of no where so they cannot disturb anyone.
Well they certainly found a location in the middle of nowhere, we arrived the night before in the dark and it was very difficult to find. There were probably only 10 other people when we arrived, but everyone was very welcoming and they invited us to come and it by shrine with them and do rosaries. Initially one woman, Irma, led the Rosaries in the dark around a single shrine with a candle on it. Knowing relatively little about Catholicism I was ignorant as to how long it would take and was amazed at how long these people at around quietly praying. Halfway through a few car loads of families turned up and children descended disrupting, but not ending the rosary session. We left to have dinner soon afterwards but returned a few hours later when there were four people saying the rosary, this time with their focus on a candle on the floor, it seemed much more spiritual a time with one woman openly weeping and people clearly in pain praying away, these people had a purpose to their pilgrimage. During the whole pilgrimage I was amazed at how much people would endure on this pilgrimage, people in obvious pain, pregnant, and with small children. They really had faith.
Faith was something I lacked and Irma was quick to pick up on this and tell myself and my companions that it was vital; we would see nothing with curiosity. The trouble with faith is that something has to inspire it in the first place, but I saw nothing to negate my scepticism. I heard many tales of people seeing (and even touching) the Virgin and Jesus, either directly or through photographs of the sun, I was even shown photos that people claimed showed the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Ghost, but in my mind they were easy to explain by camera faults. The one testimony I heard that really held true was by the son-in-law of Mary Acuna, who himself did not believe in the apparitions but had seen someone be healed and actually remove their neck brace, the doctor of the person healed was so amazed that he called Acuna to find out what she had done. Faith is very important, but curiosity can uncover some proof, unfortunately faith is required for belief, and so I go on as an unbeliever.
Throughout the night people arrived, with a big coach load of pilgrims from Oakland arriving just before dawn. The first thing the pilgrims who arrived a few hours prior to the main event did was set up the folding chairs they had brought, reserving themselves a good view, some even brought gazebos (a few of which were actually roped off) and reserved their entire family a big spot. However later on when the service began the chairs and gazebos seemed to be irrelevant, people mostly stood up and pushed forward for a view, but that was hard to come by with countless numbers of umbrellas up not even the tall were guaranteed a view.
Whilst the service was conducted entirely in Spanish there were a fair few white non-Spanish speakers, but they tended to arrive a lot later than the Hispanics, and came in smaller groups. Despite turning up later than everyone else they were quite pushy and would happily push others out of the way in order to get a good view. However, I found that a lot of the pilgrims were quite selfish, they were there for their own reasons and didn’t want anything to get in the way of that, so they would push or not help when they easily could. For example when I was in a long queue for the one toilet and an elderly lady with a zimmer frame and a carer, who was clearly in pain, was making her slow way to the end of the queue, but no one stepped forward and allowed her to push in. I was fairly near the back and told her she could take my place but should try to push in at the front, she followed my advice, but the people at the front would not let her in and so she still had to wait five minutes. It might not sound like much, but it showed how selfish a lot of the pilgrims could be, and how unchristian they were, or perhaps they just really needed the toilet.
The more people arrived the worse the toilet queue became, and I quickly discovered that it is a great way of hearing people’ testimony, standing around for upwards of half-an-hour is enough to make anyone talk! I got chatting to Maria, a middle aged Catholic woman on her second pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Rocks. The first time she came her whole family group as well as herself saw Jesus’ face whilst on their way home. She was hopeful of another sighting that day, but I was unable to find her later and discover whether she had or not. I also met someone who had been coming for well over ten year but had never seen anything, yet still had faith.
I was impressed by the sheer faith of the pilgrims, some of whom come month after month, to travel long distances to a pilgrimage that is not approved by the Church. They have probably never met Acuna, yet they still believe her claims to having visions of the Virgin. It is impossible for a non-believer, such as myself, to give a true account of the event, I could only ever be a bystander. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. In the early stages there was a great sense of community and true spirituality about the place, and I suppose that when the pilgrimage happens on a weekday it is likely to be what I experienced the night before, it will draw only the truly dedicated and be a more intimate experience. Despite the lack of intimacy or community during the actual pilgrimage the pilgrims took away a lot with them, even if it was just hope or reinforced faith.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Homesickness
As you could probably tell from my last blog I'm feeling homesick, I'm fed up of being in IV and need a real kick up the arse, I'm being very lethargic at the moment and can't be bothered to do anything about it. Most of my friends have left and I live a long way away from those who are still here, I hardly ever run in to them and am often to lazy to organise things. So I end up by myself not doing anything but watching TV. One of my friends room mate is leaving and I really hope I can move in with her, it would be so much better than living here.
I've been watching several British films recently and as a result I am missing the greenery of England. I long to walk across a green field and get lost in a green forest. But the public footpaths are all well cared for, not the historic and badly signposted, barely used footpaths I am used to. Also all the walks are so far out of town that they require a car to get to. I would love nothing more than to get lost in the countryside, but it is impossible to do. I wouldn't even mind that the weather is appalling by southern Californian standards (its spitting with rain), in fact I almost like it that way. I need a mini-adventure. Perhaps I should just go for a magical mystery tour anyway.
Last Saturday I went rockpooling and had a great time, just like I use to as a child on family holidays to France, I went for a walk along the beach at low tide and discovered a wonderful world I had never seen on the local beach before. I even found loads of wild mussel beds with the biggest mussels I've ever seen. I can't wait to harvest some and cook a great meal.
Hopefully I'll somehow manage to have an adventure soon and so will have something to tell you all about!
I've been watching several British films recently and as a result I am missing the greenery of England. I long to walk across a green field and get lost in a green forest. But the public footpaths are all well cared for, not the historic and badly signposted, barely used footpaths I am used to. Also all the walks are so far out of town that they require a car to get to. I would love nothing more than to get lost in the countryside, but it is impossible to do. I wouldn't even mind that the weather is appalling by southern Californian standards (its spitting with rain), in fact I almost like it that way. I need a mini-adventure. Perhaps I should just go for a magical mystery tour anyway.
Last Saturday I went rockpooling and had a great time, just like I use to as a child on family holidays to France, I went for a walk along the beach at low tide and discovered a wonderful world I had never seen on the local beach before. I even found loads of wild mussel beds with the biggest mussels I've ever seen. I can't wait to harvest some and cook a great meal.
Hopefully I'll somehow manage to have an adventure soon and so will have something to tell you all about!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Sexual and Political Responsibility
Sorry, but I've been very quiet again, partially because I haven't been doing anything exciting lately, partly because I'm feeling fairly anti-American and I don't want to come across racist.
Don't get me wrong, I've met some really nice Americans, but generally I've found them to be very hard to get to know properly and some even plain rude for no reason. In fact some of my new room mates are very rude - when I've cleaned up after them (even when it wasn't my turn on the rota) they have seen me do it and yet not even thought to thank me, yet they are quick enough to ask me to tidy up, etc. At times I feel like their mother.
Anyway I'm not here to slag off my room mates but comment on something I noticed when I decided to take advantage of the free HIV testing that was offered on campus today (for the record I don't have HIV, not that I thought it was at all likely, but better safe than sorry!). As I sat down to await my test results (which only took 20 mins) I looked around and was surprised to see that there were around 20 girls there, and yet only 4 men. Are men less sexually responsible? I tend to think that is the case, although having said that a friend of mine last year had one of the free Chlamydia tests offered on campus and proudly announced that he didn't have "knob rot!" when he found out his results. Generally it strikes me that men take less responsibility, leaving women the job of sorting out contraception, mainly because the failure will leave us in a much worse position than the men.
If I was writing an article for a newspaper I would come up with lots of statistics to support my thesis based on rather meager evidence, but I'm writing a blog dammit, so I can be as biased as I want!
On an entirely different note student politics here has really impressed me, the recent primaries (bloody stupid reason to have an election, get the party to choose the Presidential candidate, don't drag it on, especially when at the end of the day it makes little difference) led to lots of campaigning, varying from political protests to signs places everywhere around Isla Vista imploring people to vote for a particular candidate. Today there was even a big anti-war protest, which last year drew 1500 people and succeeded in shutting down the highway the leads straight to campus (yes thats right, highway 217 leads straight to campus!), quite what this did to stop teh war in Iraq I have no idea, but their hearts were in the right place. Unfortunately I had a class I really had to go to, so I couldn't make it, but I have seen the photos that show a large police presence and I've discovered that there were 3 arrests. Almost harks back to the 60s and 70s, which as my lecturers keep telling me, was the place to be.
Anyway, I've got to get back to actually doing some work (occasionally I'm forced to!), so I better go - but I'll leave you with these thoughts - be politically and sexually responsible! (God, I sound so dull, really must get out more.)
Don't get me wrong, I've met some really nice Americans, but generally I've found them to be very hard to get to know properly and some even plain rude for no reason. In fact some of my new room mates are very rude - when I've cleaned up after them (even when it wasn't my turn on the rota) they have seen me do it and yet not even thought to thank me, yet they are quick enough to ask me to tidy up, etc. At times I feel like their mother.
Anyway I'm not here to slag off my room mates but comment on something I noticed when I decided to take advantage of the free HIV testing that was offered on campus today (for the record I don't have HIV, not that I thought it was at all likely, but better safe than sorry!). As I sat down to await my test results (which only took 20 mins) I looked around and was surprised to see that there were around 20 girls there, and yet only 4 men. Are men less sexually responsible? I tend to think that is the case, although having said that a friend of mine last year had one of the free Chlamydia tests offered on campus and proudly announced that he didn't have "knob rot!" when he found out his results. Generally it strikes me that men take less responsibility, leaving women the job of sorting out contraception, mainly because the failure will leave us in a much worse position than the men.
If I was writing an article for a newspaper I would come up with lots of statistics to support my thesis based on rather meager evidence, but I'm writing a blog dammit, so I can be as biased as I want!
On an entirely different note student politics here has really impressed me, the recent primaries (bloody stupid reason to have an election, get the party to choose the Presidential candidate, don't drag it on, especially when at the end of the day it makes little difference) led to lots of campaigning, varying from political protests to signs places everywhere around Isla Vista imploring people to vote for a particular candidate. Today there was even a big anti-war protest, which last year drew 1500 people and succeeded in shutting down the highway the leads straight to campus (yes thats right, highway 217 leads straight to campus!), quite what this did to stop teh war in Iraq I have no idea, but their hearts were in the right place. Unfortunately I had a class I really had to go to, so I couldn't make it, but I have seen the photos that show a large police presence and I've discovered that there were 3 arrests. Almost harks back to the 60s and 70s, which as my lecturers keep telling me, was the place to be.
Anyway, I've got to get back to actually doing some work (occasionally I'm forced to!), so I better go - but I'll leave you with these thoughts - be politically and sexually responsible! (God, I sound so dull, really must get out more.)
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Life without Oz
I'm a bad blogger, bad, bad blogger. I have no excuses as to why I have not blogged for so long. I shall try and make up for it now. Rather than boring you by just how much I enjoyed travelling and living with Oz before he headed back home to Australia (it was wonderful), I'll give you some more recent news.
I have moved into my new place and after an initial concern about my new room mate I'm now feeling a lot happier, although she has some strange habits, ones that I had never come across before, but are apparently quite common in the US. She is apparently unable to go to sleep (at least when sober) without the TV on, although she now out of courtesy to me she watches something on her laptop as she nods off. As I write this she is gently snoring next to me, having fallen asleep whilst watching American Dad (can't say I blame her!). The TV in our room is constantly on, my room mate seems to spend her days either sleeping (which she is very adept at!) or watching TV, at night she is the typical IV party girl, regularly getting in at 5am!
I am however not in the mood for partying, lots of my friends were only here for a term and so have now left, and of course Oz has to, so I'm a little bit depressed. The first few days after Oz left I walked around in daze, but have been doing a lot better since, although I'm still not quite my usual self.
Yesterday I went on an excursion club hike up to the highest peak in the Santa Barbara mountains, something that Oz and I both wanted to, but were unable due to the lack of a car. I had a great time, the hike wasn't too long (10 miles max), but it was very steep in places and a lot of it was on rocks, which really hurts the feet. It was well worth it however, the view from the top was spectacular. In the one direction there was Santa Barbara and the Pacific, in the other there was the Santa Ynez mountains that were snow covered in the distance. Added to that there was a wonderful rainbow framing the mountains. Despite all this beauty and making new friends I just wanted to either have Oz with me or be alone.
Yesterday Oz cycled 130kms to a dinosaur dig with a big trailer on main roads and I haven't heard from since, I'm assuming he's alive, but I would really prefer to know for certain. This is just making me miss him more, I've spent the whole of the day unable to concentrate on things, why can't he damn well send me a text? But I'm not going to call him because I don't won't to get in the way of his fun and become a demanding girlfriend. Bloody difficult work being in a long distance relationship. Sorry, but needed to get that out, I'll try and avoid that in the future.
On a rather more British subject the weather has been appalling lately, its been raining for days, and not just showering either, its been full blown torrents. And Santa Barbara isn't exactly set up for rain, the drains are few and far between, resulting in floods or streams. At one point it was actually impossible to get into the library without walking through a flood. I must say it makes me feel more at home, I'm unused to the usual amount of sunlight IV receives. And I get to wear my really cool mac!
I have moved into my new place and after an initial concern about my new room mate I'm now feeling a lot happier, although she has some strange habits, ones that I had never come across before, but are apparently quite common in the US. She is apparently unable to go to sleep (at least when sober) without the TV on, although she now out of courtesy to me she watches something on her laptop as she nods off. As I write this she is gently snoring next to me, having fallen asleep whilst watching American Dad (can't say I blame her!). The TV in our room is constantly on, my room mate seems to spend her days either sleeping (which she is very adept at!) or watching TV, at night she is the typical IV party girl, regularly getting in at 5am!
I am however not in the mood for partying, lots of my friends were only here for a term and so have now left, and of course Oz has to, so I'm a little bit depressed. The first few days after Oz left I walked around in daze, but have been doing a lot better since, although I'm still not quite my usual self.
Yesterday I went on an excursion club hike up to the highest peak in the Santa Barbara mountains, something that Oz and I both wanted to, but were unable due to the lack of a car. I had a great time, the hike wasn't too long (10 miles max), but it was very steep in places and a lot of it was on rocks, which really hurts the feet. It was well worth it however, the view from the top was spectacular. In the one direction there was Santa Barbara and the Pacific, in the other there was the Santa Ynez mountains that were snow covered in the distance. Added to that there was a wonderful rainbow framing the mountains. Despite all this beauty and making new friends I just wanted to either have Oz with me or be alone.
Yesterday Oz cycled 130kms to a dinosaur dig with a big trailer on main roads and I haven't heard from since, I'm assuming he's alive, but I would really prefer to know for certain. This is just making me miss him more, I've spent the whole of the day unable to concentrate on things, why can't he damn well send me a text? But I'm not going to call him because I don't won't to get in the way of his fun and become a demanding girlfriend. Bloody difficult work being in a long distance relationship. Sorry, but needed to get that out, I'll try and avoid that in the future.
On a rather more British subject the weather has been appalling lately, its been raining for days, and not just showering either, its been full blown torrents. And Santa Barbara isn't exactly set up for rain, the drains are few and far between, resulting in floods or streams. At one point it was actually impossible to get into the library without walking through a flood. I must say it makes me feel more at home, I'm unused to the usual amount of sunlight IV receives. And I get to wear my really cool mac!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Round Robin
Yes! It is that time of the year again - it is Christmas and what does Christmas mean? Catching up with those friends and relatives that you have forgotten for the rest of the year - its the round robin. So for all of those I have forgotten here is my round robin.
It has been an extraordinary year for all concerned, I for one had no idea what living in America would bring! But it hasn't just been an exciting year for me, Oz finally completed his undergraduate degree and met with a potential graduate school supervisor! Aunt Marjorie finally completed her patchwork on the history of clocks throughout the centuries, although she jokes that it will never really be finished! But before we get carried away let us not forget to mention the passing of Percy our Parakeet, he had been Majorie's best friend for neigh on twenty years and following his untimely demise due to an unfortunately out-of-date date she could barely bring herself to finish the patchwork.
Cousin Dermot was ordained as a man of the cloth by ordinations4u.com, we are all very proud of him and have booked him for all our christenings, weddings and funerals for the foreseeable future. If you would his services (his speciality is funerals and bar mitzvahs!) email crazyrevderm@hotmail.com.
Oz continues to astound us all, he got straight As in his quarter at UCSB and has now finished his undergraduate, we are all very proud of him. He is currently finishing writing a ground breaking manuscript that is set to change the field of avian palaeontology forever! We all wait with baited breath. Just this week he visited LA and met with the one-and-only reknowned Dr. Luis M. Chiappe, Director of the Dinosaur institute at the LA county Natural History Museum, whom he hopes to continue Postgraduate studies with, they were locked in an office in heated debate for many hours! Oz is currently travelling around California with Martyni before returning to Australia for six months to rest on his laurels.
Martyni passed her first year of her degree with a grade good enough to continue her scholarship, however she has left her home university for a year to study abroad at UCSB. She has found the experience interesting to say the least, and has so far resisted the urge to strangle certain teachers, although how long she will be able to continue resisting is uncertain. She has bravely attempted to study Arabic and to our amazement passed this quarter with a flying pass! She found it surprisingly enjoyable, stretching her brain in previously under-utilised ways. Oz is encouraging her to stretch other parts of her anatomy. She has found the experience of having a room mate interesting to say the least, and is slightly unsettled at the prospect of not having her own room until next October. After completing her studies at UCSB she intends to spend the summer with Oz in her in Melbourne, working as an assistant teacher.
With the craziness of 2008 all but over, we eagerly anticipate what the new year shall bring!
With love,
Martyni and Oz xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Moving and LA (thankfully not to LA)
I'm writing this blog sitting next to Oz on a Greyhound bus that's going from LA to San Francisco. We're in the middle of fuck-knows-where-ville driving next to what looks to be thousands of cows, and trust me =, you can smell them! After a lapse of an hour or two, we made it back to civilisation—for a moment at least—before being plunged back into the dark highway. There is a strange cackling man sitting next to us. So instead of getting freaked out by the cackling man who occasionally decides to stare at us I'll recount what has been going on in the past week or so.
As soon as my exams finished I had the joy of moving and Oz had the joy of helping me. Having none of my friends with cars around at this point we had no choice but to carry all my stuff (and I have accumulated a lot of it over the past four months!) the five or so blocks to my new apartment. But alas, if only it had been that easy. We expected to move in straight away, but my new room mate was still in residence, so we were in limbo for three days not being entirely sure where our possessions were.
On the subject of room mates I appear to have moved from an anal one into the room of a stoned, permanently hungover one. Of the three days we moved my stuff she was hungover on each of them, the mornings were spent with her make-up smeared over her face, lying in bed, with the covers pulled over her head. Its going to be an interesting two quarters.
I have vowed to move as least often as possible following this experience. We were generally ill prepared in every possible way and it was a complete nightmare that led to us setting of for our travels three hours late,
Oz has written a guide to easy moving. Here it is:
Step one: Have a friend with easy access to a car on standby at all times.
Step two: Do not acquire any personal belongings, so they do not, as a result, need to be moved in the first place.
Step Three: If you ignore both of the first two steps, make sure you do not try and move two person's belongings from different houses at the same time, mixing the items up as much as possible.
Step Three and a half: If you are trying to live in two residences at once do not move many of these items back and forth several times before they find their final resting place.
Step Four: If at all possible, do not move house.
Anyway I am now 98% in my new apartment (a few last minute items were discovered and stowed away in a cupboard to be moved when we get back. We were so disorganised that we had to get a later bus and arrived in LA in the pitch black.
The next day was our first proper day in LA and what did we do? Spend the entire morning trying to get a bus to the Natural History Museum (don't go if you don't have a car - totally not worth it!) because Oz wants to do a PhD with one of the big shots there and went to butter him up. The result being that Oz had lots of Palaeontological conversations and spent hours looking at casts of bones (not even the actual fossils!) whilst I sat in the corner of an office knitting and bored out of my mind. I'll let Oz justify himself. As is widely known, palaeontologists are teh coolest people alive. I need just two words to justify this bombastic claim: T. rex. To my great delight, I discovered that there was a largely-complete skeleton of this iconic creature in the draws of the lab we were visiting. There is also considerable merit in long, convoluted and technical conversations on extinct creatures that no one cares about, besides the select few geeks who live and breath this stuff. What more reason does one need for such a laborious trek?
Anyway, after about five hours of being cooped up in this office (or "lab") we eventually escaped, only to spend the next hour or so on the buses in the pouring rain (oh yes, it does rain in LA!) so that we couldn't actually see where we were supposed to get off. I eventually forced Oz to come food shopping with me (Oz: I wasnt forced; she persuaded me with her silver tongue) and the actually began to become enjoyable. We got our hands on some hot chocolates and some beautiful French bread (that reminded me of Sunday breakfasts with my family) and we sat in a cafe dipping the bread into our hot chocolates. Beautiful. We also were able to get some red wine and the night began to look up.
Having vowed not to step foot in any more palaeontology based attractions on this trip it was with surprise and some annoyance that I found myself outside the La Brea tar pits, where a long time ago a lot of boring animals met their untimely end and now some geeks dig up their bones and make a big deal out of something that matters very little indeed. So I ended up trawling around a museum that Oz theoretically wasn't even interested in, he prefers the Mesozoic period, these animals weren't even dinosaurs! (See, I am learning things about dinosaurs slowly, I embarrassed Oz in front of some PhD students the day before by calling something a dinosaur when it wasn't. Served him right for boring me stupid!)
After getting high off the tar fumes we finally were released and we went shopping on Melrose Avenue, I don't even particularly enjoy shopping but it was my highlight of the day so far. I got a cool t-shirt with the picture from earth beamed out to aliens with Jesus in the background, sounds strange but I like it. I wanted to get a Mary is my Homegirl t-shirt but they didn't have the right size. I also got an amazing t-shirt fro a friend of mine, but its a secret so I shan't tell you just how amazing it was.
Once Oz got scared at how dark it was getting and how much our chances of mugging has increased we went back to our hostel and has a pitifully small dinner. After complaining of not having eaten enough we put ourselves at risk of mugging by venturing outside to get some more dinner. We also attempted to see the Hollywood sign, but no buses were going the right way and after waiting for half an hour we gave up waiting and strolled to Santa Monica Boulevard. Having decided against about half a dozen restaurants we eventually ended up in an Italian and had a beautiful Bruschetta and cheese free pizza. But even more excitingly than that I got served! I had two glasses of wine in a restaurant underage! I actually felt like an adult for the first time in four months. Was fantastic.
Today we had very little time, once we'd packed up and got to the Greyhound station our time in LA was over. We've done none of the usual LA things, although we did go along Hollywood Boulevard and saw the stars names on the pavement. But this was only because the Greyhound station was on a road off of it. I didn't leave LA with a particularly good picture of it, it seemed sprawling and full of palaeontology. I'll be very glad to get to San Francisco, which I can now actually see!
Greyhound weirdoes - 1, LA muggings - 0, LA sights seen - 0 (Although insists we've seen at least 1, I dispute this entirely!), Oz: disgustingly unhealthy fast food pitstops - 1
As soon as my exams finished I had the joy of moving and Oz had the joy of helping me. Having none of my friends with cars around at this point we had no choice but to carry all my stuff (and I have accumulated a lot of it over the past four months!) the five or so blocks to my new apartment. But alas, if only it had been that easy. We expected to move in straight away, but my new room mate was still in residence, so we were in limbo for three days not being entirely sure where our possessions were.
On the subject of room mates I appear to have moved from an anal one into the room of a stoned, permanently hungover one. Of the three days we moved my stuff she was hungover on each of them, the mornings were spent with her make-up smeared over her face, lying in bed, with the covers pulled over her head. Its going to be an interesting two quarters.
I have vowed to move as least often as possible following this experience. We were generally ill prepared in every possible way and it was a complete nightmare that led to us setting of for our travels three hours late,
Oz has written a guide to easy moving. Here it is:
Step one: Have a friend with easy access to a car on standby at all times.
Step two: Do not acquire any personal belongings, so they do not, as a result, need to be moved in the first place.
Step Three: If you ignore both of the first two steps, make sure you do not try and move two person's belongings from different houses at the same time, mixing the items up as much as possible.
Step Three and a half: If you are trying to live in two residences at once do not move many of these items back and forth several times before they find their final resting place.
Step Four: If at all possible, do not move house.
Anyway I am now 98% in my new apartment (a few last minute items were discovered and stowed away in a cupboard to be moved when we get back. We were so disorganised that we had to get a later bus and arrived in LA in the pitch black.
The next day was our first proper day in LA and what did we do? Spend the entire morning trying to get a bus to the Natural History Museum (don't go if you don't have a car - totally not worth it!) because Oz wants to do a PhD with one of the big shots there and went to butter him up. The result being that Oz had lots of Palaeontological conversations and spent hours looking at casts of bones (not even the actual fossils!) whilst I sat in the corner of an office knitting and bored out of my mind. I'll let Oz justify himself. As is widely known, palaeontologists are teh coolest people alive. I need just two words to justify this bombastic claim: T. rex. To my great delight, I discovered that there was a largely-complete skeleton of this iconic creature in the draws of the lab we were visiting. There is also considerable merit in long, convoluted and technical conversations on extinct creatures that no one cares about, besides the select few geeks who live and breath this stuff. What more reason does one need for such a laborious trek?
Anyway, after about five hours of being cooped up in this office (or "lab") we eventually escaped, only to spend the next hour or so on the buses in the pouring rain (oh yes, it does rain in LA!) so that we couldn't actually see where we were supposed to get off. I eventually forced Oz to come food shopping with me (Oz: I wasnt forced; she persuaded me with her silver tongue) and the actually began to become enjoyable. We got our hands on some hot chocolates and some beautiful French bread (that reminded me of Sunday breakfasts with my family) and we sat in a cafe dipping the bread into our hot chocolates. Beautiful. We also were able to get some red wine and the night began to look up.
Having vowed not to step foot in any more palaeontology based attractions on this trip it was with surprise and some annoyance that I found myself outside the La Brea tar pits, where a long time ago a lot of boring animals met their untimely end and now some geeks dig up their bones and make a big deal out of something that matters very little indeed. So I ended up trawling around a museum that Oz theoretically wasn't even interested in, he prefers the Mesozoic period, these animals weren't even dinosaurs! (See, I am learning things about dinosaurs slowly, I embarrassed Oz in front of some PhD students the day before by calling something a dinosaur when it wasn't. Served him right for boring me stupid!)
After getting high off the tar fumes we finally were released and we went shopping on Melrose Avenue, I don't even particularly enjoy shopping but it was my highlight of the day so far. I got a cool t-shirt with the picture from earth beamed out to aliens with Jesus in the background, sounds strange but I like it. I wanted to get a Mary is my Homegirl t-shirt but they didn't have the right size. I also got an amazing t-shirt fro a friend of mine, but its a secret so I shan't tell you just how amazing it was.
Once Oz got scared at how dark it was getting and how much our chances of mugging has increased we went back to our hostel and has a pitifully small dinner. After complaining of not having eaten enough we put ourselves at risk of mugging by venturing outside to get some more dinner. We also attempted to see the Hollywood sign, but no buses were going the right way and after waiting for half an hour we gave up waiting and strolled to Santa Monica Boulevard. Having decided against about half a dozen restaurants we eventually ended up in an Italian and had a beautiful Bruschetta and cheese free pizza. But even more excitingly than that I got served! I had two glasses of wine in a restaurant underage! I actually felt like an adult for the first time in four months. Was fantastic.
Today we had very little time, once we'd packed up and got to the Greyhound station our time in LA was over. We've done none of the usual LA things, although we did go along Hollywood Boulevard and saw the stars names on the pavement. But this was only because the Greyhound station was on a road off of it. I didn't leave LA with a particularly good picture of it, it seemed sprawling and full of palaeontology. I'll be very glad to get to San Francisco, which I can now actually see!
Greyhound weirdoes - 1, LA muggings - 0, LA sights seen - 0 (Although insists we've seen at least 1, I dispute this entirely!), Oz: disgustingly unhealthy fast food pitstops - 1
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Finals
Sorry I've been silent for ages, I have been very busy with studying, both catching up on what I missed whilst ill and revising for exams. This last week has been finals week in which each subject holds a final examination, in England I don't mind exams because we're given time off to study for them and have past questions to look at, but both have been deprived to me and I've been struggling to have the energy to study.
My exams were a really mixed bag, I seriously messed up Arabic but not because I didn't know the Arabic, but because I didn't know the language of learning languages, for example what is a conjunctive verb? There were two possibilities to decide from, so I just guessed. In the end I somehow passed the course, but I don't know what by due to being graded pass or no pass. I think I barely scraped by, but I did it, which I did not think I would at the start of the quarter. My religion in America exam went as well as could be expected, but anthropology was a nightmare, I realise halfway through the exam why I never do well in the exams, they want skills I don't possess - they want regurgitation. I can't do that, but I can make intelligent comments and good arguments, which is not what they are looking for at all. So I don't expect to to do to well.
But on the positive side I've now finished, but Oz hasn't. I'm writing this on Oz's kitchen table at three thirty in the morning helping him study by encouraging him to continue and looking interested whilst he explains his course to me. He has had other exams that have prevented him from studying for this one, so he's been reading over 190 detailed pages of lecture notes for almost the last twelve hours in a desperate attempt to pass. Coffee has been a very good friend to him over this time as he chatters away to himself. I've never pulled an all-nighter before because I reach a studying point of no return and have to go to sleep, but where my man (and no studying) is involved I can pull the cat out of the bag. I'm walking with him to the exam and waiting outside (or if a coffee shop nearby is open then in there) for him before we celebrate. With this exam he will have finished his whole degree, so a big celebration is in order.
Unfortunately we won't really have much time to celebrate because tomorrow I am moving apartment. I had one apartment lined up but unfortunately with less than two weeks before the end of term the person I was taking over from decided she wasn't moving after all, so I got quite stressed and desperately replied to lots of adverts. Unfortunately I was really tired as I was still recovering from being ill and was busy trying to catch up on work I'd missed out on, so I only got round to viewing one house, the one that I really wanted. Luckily I got the room and so am moving tomorrow into a room on DP, the main party street of IV that is adjacent to the ocean. I've still got a room mate, but the room is en suite, the living space is bigger and there is a balcony - outdoor space! I have no where to go in my current apartment and often look longingly out of the window at the good weather but am unable to enjoy it without a five - ten minute walk. So I'm really looking forward to moving in.
There are however a few moving related problems (does moving ever go smoothly?), I have no vehicle to move with, so its our arms and bikes to move me, will be interesting. It is also unfurnished and I have virtually no furniture at the moment, so have to buy a bed, desk and chair, as well as kitchen equipment that I don't have either. Today I tried unsuccessfully to buy furniture, the thrift (second hand) shop I went to had no beds and the desks were all heavy and expensive. I tried new desks, but for my budget (under $50) and requirements (BIG - I'm messy and like to spread out) I couldn't find anything. I've decided that the best thing to do would be to buy a table, but I'm yet to find a cheap, light table. But the desk isn't my main problem, that is a bed, when I actually move in (my rent in my current apartment runs out on the 31st, so I can continue living there for a while) depends entirely on when I can get a bed. I'm going to go to another thrift store tomorrow in the hope that I can buy one and get a taxi to get it home. On less than three hours sleep its going to be entertaining to say the least!
My exams were a really mixed bag, I seriously messed up Arabic but not because I didn't know the Arabic, but because I didn't know the language of learning languages, for example what is a conjunctive verb? There were two possibilities to decide from, so I just guessed. In the end I somehow passed the course, but I don't know what by due to being graded pass or no pass. I think I barely scraped by, but I did it, which I did not think I would at the start of the quarter. My religion in America exam went as well as could be expected, but anthropology was a nightmare, I realise halfway through the exam why I never do well in the exams, they want skills I don't possess - they want regurgitation. I can't do that, but I can make intelligent comments and good arguments, which is not what they are looking for at all. So I don't expect to to do to well.
But on the positive side I've now finished, but Oz hasn't. I'm writing this on Oz's kitchen table at three thirty in the morning helping him study by encouraging him to continue and looking interested whilst he explains his course to me. He has had other exams that have prevented him from studying for this one, so he's been reading over 190 detailed pages of lecture notes for almost the last twelve hours in a desperate attempt to pass. Coffee has been a very good friend to him over this time as he chatters away to himself. I've never pulled an all-nighter before because I reach a studying point of no return and have to go to sleep, but where my man (and no studying) is involved I can pull the cat out of the bag. I'm walking with him to the exam and waiting outside (or if a coffee shop nearby is open then in there) for him before we celebrate. With this exam he will have finished his whole degree, so a big celebration is in order.
Unfortunately we won't really have much time to celebrate because tomorrow I am moving apartment. I had one apartment lined up but unfortunately with less than two weeks before the end of term the person I was taking over from decided she wasn't moving after all, so I got quite stressed and desperately replied to lots of adverts. Unfortunately I was really tired as I was still recovering from being ill and was busy trying to catch up on work I'd missed out on, so I only got round to viewing one house, the one that I really wanted. Luckily I got the room and so am moving tomorrow into a room on DP, the main party street of IV that is adjacent to the ocean. I've still got a room mate, but the room is en suite, the living space is bigger and there is a balcony - outdoor space! I have no where to go in my current apartment and often look longingly out of the window at the good weather but am unable to enjoy it without a five - ten minute walk. So I'm really looking forward to moving in.
There are however a few moving related problems (does moving ever go smoothly?), I have no vehicle to move with, so its our arms and bikes to move me, will be interesting. It is also unfurnished and I have virtually no furniture at the moment, so have to buy a bed, desk and chair, as well as kitchen equipment that I don't have either. Today I tried unsuccessfully to buy furniture, the thrift (second hand) shop I went to had no beds and the desks were all heavy and expensive. I tried new desks, but for my budget (under $50) and requirements (BIG - I'm messy and like to spread out) I couldn't find anything. I've decided that the best thing to do would be to buy a table, but I'm yet to find a cheap, light table. But the desk isn't my main problem, that is a bed, when I actually move in (my rent in my current apartment runs out on the 31st, so I can continue living there for a while) depends entirely on when I can get a bed. I'm going to go to another thrift store tomorrow in the hope that I can buy one and get a taxi to get it home. On less than three hours sleep its going to be entertaining to say the least!
Friday, November 30, 2007
The joy of room mates
Normally I have no problem with having a room mate, we don't pay each other that much attention and she is usually out anyway. I do try and build up brownie points anyway, if I'm doing my washing up and there is some of her stuff to do as well I'll wash it up , but perhaps the biggest way I try to earn brownie points is by giving her and her boyfriend space when he comes round, if he is staying over I'll sleep on the sofa. My room mates doesn't see why I should sleep on the sofa, she sees absolutely no problem with me being in the same room as them, I don't particularly appreciate the idea of being woken up by them having sex but not being able to leave the room as that would involve me walking past her bed, so I willingly sleep on the sofa. However I once awoke to his snoring and was forced to sleep on the living room floor (she had friends sleeping on the sofas). I think its fair to say that I try my hardest to be a good room mate, I just wish she'd do the same.
I'm not going to kick her out onto the sofa any nights because Oz lives very close by and can easily go home to sleep (her boyfriend has graduated and lives near LA), also Oz agrees that it is wierd to have another girl sleeping in the same room as us, and so surely it is not beyond her to return home unexpectedly. So far she has walked in on us unexpectedly three times. The first was my birthday and she assured me that she wouldn't get off work until after midnight, instead she got home two hours early. We heard the front door lock go and dived behind a convnient kitchen worktop and yelled "don't come in! Give us 2 minutes!" she was so shocked that she left the door slightly ajar and returned over five minutes later by which time Oz and I were sitting on the sofa watching a movie pretending nothing had ever happened.
I can't rememeber the second time, but I know it happened. Oz can't remember it either - perhaps we had our memories wiped MIB style.
Last night it happened again. My room mate has just turned 21 and she and her boyfriend went nightclubbing, after having the room to themselves for hours they finally left and Oz and I quickly occupied it. Unfortunately ten minutes later I hear teh familiar sound of someone walking up the steps and Oz quickly jams a chair under the door handle to prevent anyone entering. I'm very thankful he did because one minute later Lisa tries to enter without even a knock. She only tries once so we hope she has given up on trying to get in, however a short while later we hear her yell "I forgot my ID!" seriously, who forgets their ID, it is vitally important for a night out on the town in the US, I know this is her first time going out, but who can be that stupid? Anyway Oz dives under the covers and I wrap my dressing gown around me and grudgingly open the door. Our embarrassment was quite public, there was not only my room mate and her boyfriend to witness this debaucle, but also our flat mate and two of her friends. I long for my own room, where you can have sex whenever you want and you can lock the door and not let anyone in...
Earlier that day I had walked in on my room mates boyfriend with only a towel covering him up, I had popped next door and left the door unlockes, but that pop turned into a cup of tea, so I decided to go and lock the door. When I got in not everything was as I'd left it, the light in my room was on, so I went to investigate, only to discover her boyfriend with just a towel covering his dignity. Another time I almost walked in on them, I had left to go to next door when a party was taking place here, so assumed that I would be able to get in and get my stuff later, but when I returned the place was all shut up, except for my room, which had been barracaded shut with a chair, did I insist on going in though? No, I just went without what I'd wanted to get, wish my room mate would do the same.
Well next September I will get my own room again, but with no Oz to enjoy the freedom with...
I'm not going to kick her out onto the sofa any nights because Oz lives very close by and can easily go home to sleep (her boyfriend has graduated and lives near LA), also Oz agrees that it is wierd to have another girl sleeping in the same room as us, and so surely it is not beyond her to return home unexpectedly. So far she has walked in on us unexpectedly three times. The first was my birthday and she assured me that she wouldn't get off work until after midnight, instead she got home two hours early. We heard the front door lock go and dived behind a convnient kitchen worktop and yelled "don't come in! Give us 2 minutes!" she was so shocked that she left the door slightly ajar and returned over five minutes later by which time Oz and I were sitting on the sofa watching a movie pretending nothing had ever happened.
I can't rememeber the second time, but I know it happened. Oz can't remember it either - perhaps we had our memories wiped MIB style.
Last night it happened again. My room mate has just turned 21 and she and her boyfriend went nightclubbing, after having the room to themselves for hours they finally left and Oz and I quickly occupied it. Unfortunately ten minutes later I hear teh familiar sound of someone walking up the steps and Oz quickly jams a chair under the door handle to prevent anyone entering. I'm very thankful he did because one minute later Lisa tries to enter without even a knock. She only tries once so we hope she has given up on trying to get in, however a short while later we hear her yell "I forgot my ID!" seriously, who forgets their ID, it is vitally important for a night out on the town in the US, I know this is her first time going out, but who can be that stupid? Anyway Oz dives under the covers and I wrap my dressing gown around me and grudgingly open the door. Our embarrassment was quite public, there was not only my room mate and her boyfriend to witness this debaucle, but also our flat mate and two of her friends. I long for my own room, where you can have sex whenever you want and you can lock the door and not let anyone in...
Earlier that day I had walked in on my room mates boyfriend with only a towel covering him up, I had popped next door and left the door unlockes, but that pop turned into a cup of tea, so I decided to go and lock the door. When I got in not everything was as I'd left it, the light in my room was on, so I went to investigate, only to discover her boyfriend with just a towel covering his dignity. Another time I almost walked in on them, I had left to go to next door when a party was taking place here, so assumed that I would be able to get in and get my stuff later, but when I returned the place was all shut up, except for my room, which had been barracaded shut with a chair, did I insist on going in though? No, I just went without what I'd wanted to get, wish my room mate would do the same.
Well next September I will get my own room again, but with no Oz to enjoy the freedom with...
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thanksgiving and sickness
Yesterday was Thanksgiving and Oz and I were all set to spend it with the American family I've been partnered with. However the day before Thanksgiving I started to feel really ill with a sore throat and later bad ear ache, I went to see a nurse and got tested for a variety of throat infections, one of which came back very quickly and proved to be negative, the other I'm yet to find out about, I did however leave with a few non-prescription drugs that have largely proved to be useless. Anyway Oz and I cancelled our planned trip to the Channel Islands and hoped I'd feel better soon.
I woke up at 3am on Thanksgiving morning when Oz a sleeping Oz decided to cuddle me closer, unfortunately due to the ibuprofen wearing off (and another batch not being allowed to be taken for another hour or two) it was too painful to go back to sleep as every time I swallowed the pain woke me up again. I ended up dozing on the sofa because at least then I could sleep sitting up which was less painful. When I finally gave up the hope of further sleep and got dressed in an impressive 5 layers of tops. Needless to say I was pretty useless, I was in lots of pain but could take no more ibuprofen (why can you only have 6 in 24 hours - why?) and only had 2 paracetamol tablets left that made absolutely no difference. So I sat on the sofa moaning until Oz got up 3 hours later and produced some Tylenol from his bag which helped enough to get me out of the house.
We went for a walk along the beach, and ended up buying some food, unfortunately by this point my Tylenol hit was wearing off and I was feeling crap again. Thankfully the only shop that was open in IV sold aspirin, so I got to add that to my painkiller collection, my liver is now working overtime with trying to get rid of them all. Walking around IV was very strange, instead of the bustling place I had come to know it was more like a ghost town, very, very few people around and only one shop open. I am very grateful, I could not cope with a loud IV when I have ear ache and am feeling well and truly crap. If my neighbours call me the "English bitch" already, I dread to think of what they'd call me after I tried to politely, yet extremely firmly get them to shut the hell up.
I had hoped that the walk would make me feel marvellous, they helped a lot when I had ME, however it just made me feel worse and so I had to phone up and cancel my Thanksgiving plans, which is a real shame, I would have loved to experience a real American tradition. But it couldn't be helped and I made the right decision to cancel.
When I eventually crawled back I sat in my bed and called by family, I succeeded in really worrying my mother, but I enjoyed the chat nonetheless. Oz brought me lunch in bed, which was very sweet of him and he met my parents and sister via the wonders of Skype. After that he sat down next to me and showed me his home town of Melbourne and we discovered that he lives only 8kms from Neighbours very own Ramsay street - which in my mind means I've pulled my very own Neighbours spunk! It also means that when I visit him I can go and see the Neighbours set! He promised to go with me, which is just about the most romantic thing that has ever happened to me seeing as he hates Neighbours. But our Neighbours time did not finish there - we watched the Fraser and Rosie wedding online and the inevitable wedding disaster. Oz hated it but I patiently explained to him that its brilliance lies in its down right awfulness, he still didn't seem to understand why this made it fantastic. I'll have to convert him another day.
After that I actually went to sleep and woke up to my surprise several hours later feeling awful as all my painkillers had worn off. After very slowly making a nutritious soup for dinner and eating it even slower I felt better and Oz and I curled up on the sofa and watched Pride and Prejudice (he suggested we watch it - I am a phenomenally lucky girl!). After Pride and Prejudice we made our way to bed and enjoyed another nights disjointed sleep.
I woke up agan very early and after proving how little brain function I had by running the cold tap for about five minutes in an attempt for it to run warm, once I had found the correct tap it quickly ran warm and I climbed into the shower. I eventually got dressed and this time wore only 3 layers, although one was thermal. Again Oz lay in and I made a pathetic attempt at washing up and ended up dozing on the sofa again. I felt even worse this morning because on top of my ear ache and my sore throat I had a blocked nose and have enjoyed sinus pressure all day long.
Oz has taken really good care of me today, making me dinner, cups of tea and fetching and carrying countless things as I sit around hoplessly. He's trying desperately to get me to eat lots of fresh fruit and veg as well as anything else that counts as healthy. Unfortunately I'm not hungry and am really tired so its very difficult to eat, but he tries anyway, the darling.
At the moment Oz is sat next to me on the sofa, both of us with our laptops, him doing his zoology memorisation (he has to learn ridiculous amounts of fishes which will inevitably never come in handy ever again), and me writing this blog very slowly. I have lots of work that I should be getting on with, but I can't bring myself to do it, I just feel too ill. I can't see myself getting better very quickly and may well have to skip some classes next week unfortunately, although this does lighten my work load temporarily.
Being ill has made me realise just how great the NHS is, if I was in England I would have gone to a walk-in centre today and hopefully gone home with some advice and prescription painkillers, as it is the place my medical insurance covers is closed until Monday and they won't pay for me to go anywhere else unless I am basically about to die or am greviously injured. Friends of mine have broken feet, had crippling earache and had their feet sliced open and the medical insurance has made them pay for it. I can afford the $500ish visit to the "Emergency Room" if necessary, but my travelling would be severally affected by the loss of money, so instead I'm intending to lie on my sofa moaning until the second they open, when I'll be in the Nurse's office as soon as my lathargic body will allow me.
I woke up at 3am on Thanksgiving morning when Oz a sleeping Oz decided to cuddle me closer, unfortunately due to the ibuprofen wearing off (and another batch not being allowed to be taken for another hour or two) it was too painful to go back to sleep as every time I swallowed the pain woke me up again. I ended up dozing on the sofa because at least then I could sleep sitting up which was less painful. When I finally gave up the hope of further sleep and got dressed in an impressive 5 layers of tops. Needless to say I was pretty useless, I was in lots of pain but could take no more ibuprofen (why can you only have 6 in 24 hours - why?) and only had 2 paracetamol tablets left that made absolutely no difference. So I sat on the sofa moaning until Oz got up 3 hours later and produced some Tylenol from his bag which helped enough to get me out of the house.
We went for a walk along the beach, and ended up buying some food, unfortunately by this point my Tylenol hit was wearing off and I was feeling crap again. Thankfully the only shop that was open in IV sold aspirin, so I got to add that to my painkiller collection, my liver is now working overtime with trying to get rid of them all. Walking around IV was very strange, instead of the bustling place I had come to know it was more like a ghost town, very, very few people around and only one shop open. I am very grateful, I could not cope with a loud IV when I have ear ache and am feeling well and truly crap. If my neighbours call me the "English bitch" already, I dread to think of what they'd call me after I tried to politely, yet extremely firmly get them to shut the hell up.
I had hoped that the walk would make me feel marvellous, they helped a lot when I had ME, however it just made me feel worse and so I had to phone up and cancel my Thanksgiving plans, which is a real shame, I would have loved to experience a real American tradition. But it couldn't be helped and I made the right decision to cancel.
When I eventually crawled back I sat in my bed and called by family, I succeeded in really worrying my mother, but I enjoyed the chat nonetheless. Oz brought me lunch in bed, which was very sweet of him and he met my parents and sister via the wonders of Skype. After that he sat down next to me and showed me his home town of Melbourne and we discovered that he lives only 8kms from Neighbours very own Ramsay street - which in my mind means I've pulled my very own Neighbours spunk! It also means that when I visit him I can go and see the Neighbours set! He promised to go with me, which is just about the most romantic thing that has ever happened to me seeing as he hates Neighbours. But our Neighbours time did not finish there - we watched the Fraser and Rosie wedding online and the inevitable wedding disaster. Oz hated it but I patiently explained to him that its brilliance lies in its down right awfulness, he still didn't seem to understand why this made it fantastic. I'll have to convert him another day.
After that I actually went to sleep and woke up to my surprise several hours later feeling awful as all my painkillers had worn off. After very slowly making a nutritious soup for dinner and eating it even slower I felt better and Oz and I curled up on the sofa and watched Pride and Prejudice (he suggested we watch it - I am a phenomenally lucky girl!). After Pride and Prejudice we made our way to bed and enjoyed another nights disjointed sleep.
I woke up agan very early and after proving how little brain function I had by running the cold tap for about five minutes in an attempt for it to run warm, once I had found the correct tap it quickly ran warm and I climbed into the shower. I eventually got dressed and this time wore only 3 layers, although one was thermal. Again Oz lay in and I made a pathetic attempt at washing up and ended up dozing on the sofa again. I felt even worse this morning because on top of my ear ache and my sore throat I had a blocked nose and have enjoyed sinus pressure all day long.
Oz has taken really good care of me today, making me dinner, cups of tea and fetching and carrying countless things as I sit around hoplessly. He's trying desperately to get me to eat lots of fresh fruit and veg as well as anything else that counts as healthy. Unfortunately I'm not hungry and am really tired so its very difficult to eat, but he tries anyway, the darling.
At the moment Oz is sat next to me on the sofa, both of us with our laptops, him doing his zoology memorisation (he has to learn ridiculous amounts of fishes which will inevitably never come in handy ever again), and me writing this blog very slowly. I have lots of work that I should be getting on with, but I can't bring myself to do it, I just feel too ill. I can't see myself getting better very quickly and may well have to skip some classes next week unfortunately, although this does lighten my work load temporarily.
Being ill has made me realise just how great the NHS is, if I was in England I would have gone to a walk-in centre today and hopefully gone home with some advice and prescription painkillers, as it is the place my medical insurance covers is closed until Monday and they won't pay for me to go anywhere else unless I am basically about to die or am greviously injured. Friends of mine have broken feet, had crippling earache and had their feet sliced open and the medical insurance has made them pay for it. I can afford the $500ish visit to the "Emergency Room" if necessary, but my travelling would be severally affected by the loss of money, so instead I'm intending to lie on my sofa moaning until the second they open, when I'll be in the Nurse's office as soon as my lathargic body will allow me.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Birthday time
A few days ago that annual event came round again for the twentieth time. Turning 20 seemed a dull affair, I am able to do no more things than I was able to previously, the only positive (besides having an excuse to party) was that I am no longer a teenager, I haven't felt like one for over four years, so its about time I turned 20. My birthday started well - at the stroke of midnight I was studying really hard on a subject that I don't like, and for a while the next morning it continued in the same vein.
Once I'd woken up my day started properly it got off to a bad start with a big dose of homesickness, opening presents from my family highlighted how far from home I am and how little we know about each other at the moment. I went to an exceptionally dull lecture quite emotional, barely not crying and whilst being unable to concentrate on the lecture I decided to renounce my birthday. Unfortunately thanks to facebook announcing my birthday to all my friends it was impossible to pretend it wasn't, in fact one of my friends told my Arabic teacher and she got everyone to sing me happy birthday in Arabic. So my birthday forced itself upon me.
I almost did not open the rest of my presents, I wasn't sure I could face it without breaking down again, but I braved it and was very glad to have done so. My best friends had sent me a wonderful package of lots of little presents, they were not at all expensive, but they were so well thought through, they had put so much effort into making it. It made me cry for all the right reasons, it really made my birthday.
After opening the presents I went shopping for drinks for my party, well I didn't actually buy them, being too young, but I went with my English friend from next door and she physically brought them. I spent almost $200 on alcohol, but I got probably 8 litres of high-quality spirits (no cheap crap for my guests!), 4 bottles of sparkling wine and a case of Newcastle Brown, alcohol is much cheaper in America. I know that it may sound like I've spent a lot of money on alcohol, but I'd easily spend that much on alcohol within a month in England and I've hardly spent any money on alcohol since being here. Anyway, it was my birthday!
It had been quite a tiring day what with loads of studying, shopping and being homesick and so when I eventually got to see Oz I basically collapsed on his sofa. He was very sweet with me though and gave me a cuddle. For my birthday he got me a head torch (a torch on a headband, a bit like a caving torch - to any American reading this I mean a flashlight, I'm not in the habit of holding flaming torches to my head), he was really excited about just how useful it would be for our camping trip next weekend and how I should wear it whilst walking around IV, which I point blank refused to do, I don't try to be cool, but that is taking my geeky side too far. I had my apartment to myself and so we decided to get a take-away and have a romantic meal by ourselves. I sent Oz off to go and buy the food and tidied up and set the table, although having said that I couldn't use the lighter and so had to get Oz to light the candle. We had a lovely Vietnamese meal with a bottle of sparkling wine.
After dinner we cuddled on the sofa and watched an Indiana Jones film (Oz loves those films and I've been promising to watch those with him for weeks). We also drank a fair few cocktails (we had to test them out for my party) and got quite squiffy. All in all my birthday was pretty good.
This Friday I had my party and held a cocktail one, I love cocktails but cannot go and have them in bars, so I decided to bring them to me. It was also a good excuse to wear one of my nice dresses that I haven't had the chance to yet.
Typically I wasn't ready for the party it started despite having spent the afternoon cleaning and getting ready, when my first guests arrived I was in the bathroom getting dressed. Thankfully Oz had helped me set up and played the role of host. Soon enough I had drinks in all my guests hands and was playing the role of good hostess. I quickly discovered a real advantage to having a bloke at a cocktail party - you can steal their drinks with no feelings of guilt, and so get to try far more. I did try a few of my female friends ones, but it was more fun to nick Oz's, I got to cuddle up to him in the process.
Despite inviting plenty of Americans very few turned up and I had loads of international students in my apartment. This meant that when I lit the candles on my birthday cake I had happy birthday sung in not just English but Japanese, French and Dutch. I was dunk enough to really appreciate the variety. My party quickly got very busy and popular, and just as quickly people got very drunk. I am forever indebted to my English next door neighbour for getting far more pissed than me, apparently she was falling over so her boyfriend took her home. The last few hours of the party seemed to disappear, and before I knew it there was only 6 of us left, but for some reason the bathroom door was locked and no one knew who was inside. Five minutes later a very drunk Dutch guy stumbled out leaving vomit in the sink, lovely.
The next morning I awoke late to a messy apartment and a slight hangover. I had to be in Santa Barbara a few hours later so quickly got dressed and tried to tidy up. I discovered that a had no vodka or Bacardi left and very, very little Bombay sapphire, which is the only alcohol I really cared for. Ahh well, I'll just have to get Oz to buy me some. It had been a great party.
Once I'd woken up my day started properly it got off to a bad start with a big dose of homesickness, opening presents from my family highlighted how far from home I am and how little we know about each other at the moment. I went to an exceptionally dull lecture quite emotional, barely not crying and whilst being unable to concentrate on the lecture I decided to renounce my birthday. Unfortunately thanks to facebook announcing my birthday to all my friends it was impossible to pretend it wasn't, in fact one of my friends told my Arabic teacher and she got everyone to sing me happy birthday in Arabic. So my birthday forced itself upon me.
I almost did not open the rest of my presents, I wasn't sure I could face it without breaking down again, but I braved it and was very glad to have done so. My best friends had sent me a wonderful package of lots of little presents, they were not at all expensive, but they were so well thought through, they had put so much effort into making it. It made me cry for all the right reasons, it really made my birthday.
After opening the presents I went shopping for drinks for my party, well I didn't actually buy them, being too young, but I went with my English friend from next door and she physically brought them. I spent almost $200 on alcohol, but I got probably 8 litres of high-quality spirits (no cheap crap for my guests!), 4 bottles of sparkling wine and a case of Newcastle Brown, alcohol is much cheaper in America. I know that it may sound like I've spent a lot of money on alcohol, but I'd easily spend that much on alcohol within a month in England and I've hardly spent any money on alcohol since being here. Anyway, it was my birthday!
It had been quite a tiring day what with loads of studying, shopping and being homesick and so when I eventually got to see Oz I basically collapsed on his sofa. He was very sweet with me though and gave me a cuddle. For my birthday he got me a head torch (a torch on a headband, a bit like a caving torch - to any American reading this I mean a flashlight, I'm not in the habit of holding flaming torches to my head), he was really excited about just how useful it would be for our camping trip next weekend and how I should wear it whilst walking around IV, which I point blank refused to do, I don't try to be cool, but that is taking my geeky side too far. I had my apartment to myself and so we decided to get a take-away and have a romantic meal by ourselves. I sent Oz off to go and buy the food and tidied up and set the table, although having said that I couldn't use the lighter and so had to get Oz to light the candle. We had a lovely Vietnamese meal with a bottle of sparkling wine.
After dinner we cuddled on the sofa and watched an Indiana Jones film (Oz loves those films and I've been promising to watch those with him for weeks). We also drank a fair few cocktails (we had to test them out for my party) and got quite squiffy. All in all my birthday was pretty good.
This Friday I had my party and held a cocktail one, I love cocktails but cannot go and have them in bars, so I decided to bring them to me. It was also a good excuse to wear one of my nice dresses that I haven't had the chance to yet.
Typically I wasn't ready for the party it started despite having spent the afternoon cleaning and getting ready, when my first guests arrived I was in the bathroom getting dressed. Thankfully Oz had helped me set up and played the role of host. Soon enough I had drinks in all my guests hands and was playing the role of good hostess. I quickly discovered a real advantage to having a bloke at a cocktail party - you can steal their drinks with no feelings of guilt, and so get to try far more. I did try a few of my female friends ones, but it was more fun to nick Oz's, I got to cuddle up to him in the process.
Despite inviting plenty of Americans very few turned up and I had loads of international students in my apartment. This meant that when I lit the candles on my birthday cake I had happy birthday sung in not just English but Japanese, French and Dutch. I was dunk enough to really appreciate the variety. My party quickly got very busy and popular, and just as quickly people got very drunk. I am forever indebted to my English next door neighbour for getting far more pissed than me, apparently she was falling over so her boyfriend took her home. The last few hours of the party seemed to disappear, and before I knew it there was only 6 of us left, but for some reason the bathroom door was locked and no one knew who was inside. Five minutes later a very drunk Dutch guy stumbled out leaving vomit in the sink, lovely.
The next morning I awoke late to a messy apartment and a slight hangover. I had to be in Santa Barbara a few hours later so quickly got dressed and tried to tidy up. I discovered that a had no vodka or Bacardi left and very, very little Bombay sapphire, which is the only alcohol I really cared for. Ahh well, I'll just have to get Oz to buy me some. It had been a great party.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Sequoia - sun and snow
Oz and I were lucky enough to get a space on the Excursion clubs Sequoia National Park and last Friday we finally set out. We met our driver and fellow passenger at 6pm and were disappointed to discover that it would apparently take 6 hours to get to the park. I've been here over two and a half months and still the sheer scale of America astounds me. We finally arrived at midnight and it was pretty cold, although over the course of the weekend it got a lot colder. Thankfully some people had set off a lot earlier than us and had set the tents up already, so we all climbed into a tent and quickly failed to get that much sleep. Unfortunately the tent we had chosen to sleep in had a faulty zip, we could not close the door, I improvised with some string and a pack, but the door was wide open and made it far colder than necessary.
When I gave up on the idea of getting any more sleep and crawled out of the tent to a beautiful view. We were in a valley surrounded by tall fir trees. Oz and I went for a walk and found a stunning creek and massive rock. It was lovely.
Soon enough everyone else woke up and we had a small breakfast and set off. The pack didn't feel too heavy at first, but after only a mile going pretty much straight uphill I really felt it. At certain points I only was able to keep going thanks to Oz's encouragement and him holding my hand. I was really excited when I saw a sign telling us it was only 1.7 miles left, but that was the longest 1.7 miles I've ever walked. It was really steep and took well over an hour to climb, it was the hardest physical thing I have ever done. I was so pleased to get to the top and our campsite. I dumped my bags and had a half-hearted look around, I was too tired to do much.
That evening we got a fire going and sat around it warming our cold, sore selves. It got dark around five and there was no point in staying awake that long, it was the first time in years that I've been in bed by eight.
That night I got even less sleep than I had the night previously. I had spent the night listening to the rain coming down and the moment it stopped I got up. I looked around to see some snow on our tent and puddles underneath others.
Oz and I were very lucky to not get flooded, a few of the tents did and as our tent had a washing line built into the inside and so ours became a drying tent with the wet sleeping bags drip drying. This meant that we had no cover or anywhere dry to sit the whole day. But at least we had the nice warm feeling inside that we'd done something good. I also had the feeling of freezing feet that night due to my sleeping bag soaking up a small patch of water that we had failed to dry properly. I slept even better that night...
On the Sunday the weather started slightly snowy and declined considerably over a few hours. When I got out of my tent the only snow (besides on my tent) was on the nearby rock face.
However by the next day the snow was really deep and our outside toilet looked like this.
I know that it doesn't look like the best toilet in the world, and sure, there was ice on the seat, but the view was the best I've ever had from a toilet, 
don't you agree?
When we left on Monday the snow was still thick on the ground, but the sun was out on the snow was slowly melting. However when we left there was still several inches of snow on the ground and we could barely see the trail we were supposed to be walking. It was really slippery and we couldn't see the rocks that littered the trail. The guy who was leading us had forgotten his walking boots and was doing it all in skate shoes that barely had any grip, I have no idea how he didn't end up breaking his ankle. I found it hard enough to have the energy to notice my surroundings, it was hard enough to be able to safely put one foot in front of the other, move forward and breathe. I knew that my surroundings were beautiful, but I was too tired to notice them.
I was so pleased to finally get down the mountain, but walking without my pack was really hard, my pack wasn't evenly balanced and I almost fell over getting rebalanced. We had eaten really badly the whole weekend and that day all we had eaten was two tiny packets of porridge, half a tangerine and a small handful of trail mix (raisins and nuts). After walking 8 miles we were ravenous and Oz was especially hungry, he was eating peanut butter straight from the jar. However it was four hours before we were able to have a meal.
Before we headed home we went to see General Sherman, the worlds largest tree. That's largest, not biggest or widest - it is the tree with the most wood. It is just a massive tourist attraction, there is a two metre wide tarmacked path to get down there and fences keep the tourists away from the big trees. There were loads of tourists having pictures taken next to it, American smiles abounded. Oz was really excited about seeing it, he wanted to hug it, however he was prevented by the big fence. Ultimately General Sherman is just a big tree, I was unimpressed.
After General Sherman we set off home along the windy road. About halfway down Oz was feeling sick due to his ears not stabilising and we had to stop for a little while. When we started off again our driver realised the breaks weren't working. They had broken and if it wasn't for Oz feeling ill they'd have broken halfway down the slope and we'd have driven off the road. Unfortunately the small car park we had broken down in had no mobile phone reception and the payphone was broken. We asked a driver to inform the rangers of our situation, but we had no way to know if they had done it or not. After a while of waiting with no news we decided that one of the other passengers and I should hitch-hike to the nearest town and phone the American AA. We got a lift with a young LA couple, but we didn't get nearly as far as expected, when we got to the gate we asked the ranger about breakdown advice and discovered that our car brakes were just over heated and the ranger helped them slowly and carefully down. We got out of the car and waited for our car for half an hour. The brakes were OK, but we had to go really slowly and so it took us about 9 hours to get home.
We decided to stop off at the first restaurant we came to and have a massive meal as we were all really hungry and the lack of food was beginning to make us feel ill. We ended up somewhere called Riverview restaurant in a tiny town called Three Rivers. It was real America, the restaurant looked more like a cafeteria and had a seedy looking attached bar. I had a top sirloin with fries and it was really good. The guy who hitch-hiked with me ordered a pizza and a sandwich with fries, he finished neither but still had a dessert, which he also did not finish. It was so wasteful. The meal was really appreciated by all of us and it gave the brakes ample time to cool down.
After that the journey was fairly straight forward and we got back about midnight. It felt so good to get into the shower and actually be clean for the first time that weekend. This morning I awoke really sore but I have some great memories of that weekend.
When I gave up on the idea of getting any more sleep and crawled out of the tent to a beautiful view. We were in a valley surrounded by tall fir trees. Oz and I went for a walk and found a stunning creek and massive rock. It was lovely.
Soon enough everyone else woke up and we had a small breakfast and set off. The pack didn't feel too heavy at first, but after only a mile going pretty much straight uphill I really felt it. At certain points I only was able to keep going thanks to Oz's encouragement and him holding my hand. I was really excited when I saw a sign telling us it was only 1.7 miles left, but that was the longest 1.7 miles I've ever walked. It was really steep and took well over an hour to climb, it was the hardest physical thing I have ever done. I was so pleased to get to the top and our campsite. I dumped my bags and had a half-hearted look around, I was too tired to do much.
That evening we got a fire going and sat around it warming our cold, sore selves. It got dark around five and there was no point in staying awake that long, it was the first time in years that I've been in bed by eight.
That night I got even less sleep than I had the night previously. I had spent the night listening to the rain coming down and the moment it stopped I got up. I looked around to see some snow on our tent and puddles underneath others.
Oz and I were very lucky to not get flooded, a few of the tents did and as our tent had a washing line built into the inside and so ours became a drying tent with the wet sleeping bags drip drying. This meant that we had no cover or anywhere dry to sit the whole day. But at least we had the nice warm feeling inside that we'd done something good. I also had the feeling of freezing feet that night due to my sleeping bag soaking up a small patch of water that we had failed to dry properly. I slept even better that night...On the Sunday the weather started slightly snowy and declined considerably over a few hours. When I got out of my tent the only snow (besides on my tent) was on the nearby rock face.
However by the next day the snow was really deep and our outside toilet looked like this.
I know that it doesn't look like the best toilet in the world, and sure, there was ice on the seat, but the view was the best I've ever had from a toilet, 
don't you agree?When we left on Monday the snow was still thick on the ground, but the sun was out on the snow was slowly melting. However when we left there was still several inches of snow on the ground and we could barely see the trail we were supposed to be walking. It was really slippery and we couldn't see the rocks that littered the trail. The guy who was leading us had forgotten his walking boots and was doing it all in skate shoes that barely had any grip, I have no idea how he didn't end up breaking his ankle. I found it hard enough to have the energy to notice my surroundings, it was hard enough to be able to safely put one foot in front of the other, move forward and breathe. I knew that my surroundings were beautiful, but I was too tired to notice them.
I was so pleased to finally get down the mountain, but walking without my pack was really hard, my pack wasn't evenly balanced and I almost fell over getting rebalanced. We had eaten really badly the whole weekend and that day all we had eaten was two tiny packets of porridge, half a tangerine and a small handful of trail mix (raisins and nuts). After walking 8 miles we were ravenous and Oz was especially hungry, he was eating peanut butter straight from the jar. However it was four hours before we were able to have a meal.
Before we headed home we went to see General Sherman, the worlds largest tree. That's largest, not biggest or widest - it is the tree with the most wood. It is just a massive tourist attraction, there is a two metre wide tarmacked path to get down there and fences keep the tourists away from the big trees. There were loads of tourists having pictures taken next to it, American smiles abounded. Oz was really excited about seeing it, he wanted to hug it, however he was prevented by the big fence. Ultimately General Sherman is just a big tree, I was unimpressed.
After General Sherman we set off home along the windy road. About halfway down Oz was feeling sick due to his ears not stabilising and we had to stop for a little while. When we started off again our driver realised the breaks weren't working. They had broken and if it wasn't for Oz feeling ill they'd have broken halfway down the slope and we'd have driven off the road. Unfortunately the small car park we had broken down in had no mobile phone reception and the payphone was broken. We asked a driver to inform the rangers of our situation, but we had no way to know if they had done it or not. After a while of waiting with no news we decided that one of the other passengers and I should hitch-hike to the nearest town and phone the American AA. We got a lift with a young LA couple, but we didn't get nearly as far as expected, when we got to the gate we asked the ranger about breakdown advice and discovered that our car brakes were just over heated and the ranger helped them slowly and carefully down. We got out of the car and waited for our car for half an hour. The brakes were OK, but we had to go really slowly and so it took us about 9 hours to get home.
We decided to stop off at the first restaurant we came to and have a massive meal as we were all really hungry and the lack of food was beginning to make us feel ill. We ended up somewhere called Riverview restaurant in a tiny town called Three Rivers. It was real America, the restaurant looked more like a cafeteria and had a seedy looking attached bar. I had a top sirloin with fries and it was really good. The guy who hitch-hiked with me ordered a pizza and a sandwich with fries, he finished neither but still had a dessert, which he also did not finish. It was so wasteful. The meal was really appreciated by all of us and it gave the brakes ample time to cool down.
After that the journey was fairly straight forward and we got back about midnight. It felt so good to get into the shower and actually be clean for the first time that weekend. This morning I awoke really sore but I have some great memories of that weekend.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Mid-term excitement
The reason I haven't been blogging that much recently is simple - its to do with a simple little thing called mid-terms. In your English brains you probably think this means something exciting like half-term holidays and I have been too busy travelling to keep in touch. Au contraire. I have been stuck inside revising for tests. Only its not called revising over here, its called plain old studying. Well let me tell you that I am plain old tired of "studying". And I intend to let my frustrations out in this blog.
I feel like I haven't had a weekend since this term began. Each week Arabic gives us loads of homework, plus other subjects give us readings and the result is that I don't get to relax or travel. Its beginning to wear me down a bit and I better get the opportunity soon or I will create one myself by ignoring all my work and just hibernating. It is concerning that it is only Monday and I'm already calling for a weekend, I usually get to Wednesday before begging for one.
I'm used to having exams once a year, over here they are six times a year (or eight if you go to summer school). There is what feels like constant tests. I'm not too good at revising, I like to have something more specific to aim my work at, for example an essay. Revising everything is too broad and I get distracted easily. However over here I have no choice but to study (and procrastinate!).
I'm getting good at procrastination. Today being bonfire night I decided to reassert my Englishness in anyway I could, unfortunately I have no garden to have a bonfire and no fireworks to set off, so I made toffee apples. They were yummy and made me feel British. I've also been frequently distracted by the TV (we have about 200 channels - way too many) and Oz, who I invite over when I know I shouldn't.
I had my first midterm of this block (I had an Anthropology one two weeks ago) this afternoon. It was Arabic and going into it I was pretty sure I was going to fail. However it turned out to be much easier than expected and I think I passed. Sure, I couldn't remember number 4 or 9, but beyond that I filled in everything.
Tomorrow I have a modernity and secularisation exam and am fairly concerned about that. Our lecturer is very intellectual and gives us readings to do that seemingly don't relate in anyway to the topic and then goes off on massive tangents, yet still expects us to have a detailed knowledge of the subject. I went to a study group today and one of the guys there had some really detailed notes and he helped flesh all the gaps in mine out, I'm now feeling fairly confident. The guy kept using the analogy of his being naked to explain Freud's sublimation, so its fairly likely that I'll wake up tonight dreaming of him dancing naked in the rain, thankfully he's hot and so it won't be too much of a hardship. That study group went on for three hours and I'm now knackered, all I want to do is to doze in front of the TV, however my room mate is studying on the floor in front of it, so its kind of out of use at the moment. So instead I'm writing to you lovely people.
Changing tact entirely the weather has been bad here lately, and I mean October in England bad. There had been a thick cloud that has been really low and cold hovering over IV for a few days making everywhere really cold, and with ridiculously thin walls it is cold inside houses. Girls are walking around in ugg boats (that's ugg for uggly), they clearly think its freezing, its not, but it is decidedly cold. However today it broke and the sun came out. Not before I had gone shopping online (I'm too busy to shop in person) and brought myself a winter coat and long sleeved tops. Seeing as the weather has improved I may have jumped the gun and so am in the process of persuading Oz that we should go somewhere really cold for Christmas so I can wear my new coat. I'm thinking a nice cabin in Yosemite, it would snow!!!
This weekend I'm going backpacking in the Sequoia national park with the excursion club and Oz, should be good fun, although really hard as we've got to walk miles with all our stuff (tents, food, etc) on our backs, plus bear cans - containers that smelly stuff goes into that bears can't get into - we're in bear country. Apparently its going to be very cold, so I've had to buy thermals and polar fleeces, scarfs and jumpers (which is another reason to go to Yosemite for Christmas - I want my moneys worth!). Should be great fun though. Although its another weekend with no lie ins.
I feel like I haven't had a weekend since this term began. Each week Arabic gives us loads of homework, plus other subjects give us readings and the result is that I don't get to relax or travel. Its beginning to wear me down a bit and I better get the opportunity soon or I will create one myself by ignoring all my work and just hibernating. It is concerning that it is only Monday and I'm already calling for a weekend, I usually get to Wednesday before begging for one.
I'm used to having exams once a year, over here they are six times a year (or eight if you go to summer school). There is what feels like constant tests. I'm not too good at revising, I like to have something more specific to aim my work at, for example an essay. Revising everything is too broad and I get distracted easily. However over here I have no choice but to study (and procrastinate!).
I'm getting good at procrastination. Today being bonfire night I decided to reassert my Englishness in anyway I could, unfortunately I have no garden to have a bonfire and no fireworks to set off, so I made toffee apples. They were yummy and made me feel British. I've also been frequently distracted by the TV (we have about 200 channels - way too many) and Oz, who I invite over when I know I shouldn't.
I had my first midterm of this block (I had an Anthropology one two weeks ago) this afternoon. It was Arabic and going into it I was pretty sure I was going to fail. However it turned out to be much easier than expected and I think I passed. Sure, I couldn't remember number 4 or 9, but beyond that I filled in everything.
Tomorrow I have a modernity and secularisation exam and am fairly concerned about that. Our lecturer is very intellectual and gives us readings to do that seemingly don't relate in anyway to the topic and then goes off on massive tangents, yet still expects us to have a detailed knowledge of the subject. I went to a study group today and one of the guys there had some really detailed notes and he helped flesh all the gaps in mine out, I'm now feeling fairly confident. The guy kept using the analogy of his being naked to explain Freud's sublimation, so its fairly likely that I'll wake up tonight dreaming of him dancing naked in the rain, thankfully he's hot and so it won't be too much of a hardship. That study group went on for three hours and I'm now knackered, all I want to do is to doze in front of the TV, however my room mate is studying on the floor in front of it, so its kind of out of use at the moment. So instead I'm writing to you lovely people.
Changing tact entirely the weather has been bad here lately, and I mean October in England bad. There had been a thick cloud that has been really low and cold hovering over IV for a few days making everywhere really cold, and with ridiculously thin walls it is cold inside houses. Girls are walking around in ugg boats (that's ugg for uggly), they clearly think its freezing, its not, but it is decidedly cold. However today it broke and the sun came out. Not before I had gone shopping online (I'm too busy to shop in person) and brought myself a winter coat and long sleeved tops. Seeing as the weather has improved I may have jumped the gun and so am in the process of persuading Oz that we should go somewhere really cold for Christmas so I can wear my new coat. I'm thinking a nice cabin in Yosemite, it would snow!!!
This weekend I'm going backpacking in the Sequoia national park with the excursion club and Oz, should be good fun, although really hard as we've got to walk miles with all our stuff (tents, food, etc) on our backs, plus bear cans - containers that smelly stuff goes into that bears can't get into - we're in bear country. Apparently its going to be very cold, so I've had to buy thermals and polar fleeces, scarfs and jumpers (which is another reason to go to Yosemite for Christmas - I want my moneys worth!). Should be great fun though. Although its another weekend with no lie ins.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween!
Halloween has at last arrived, after days of partying (not by me, I actually want to pass my degree) All Hallows Eve is finally here. I had presumed that it was purely a night thing, but I clearly was forgetting that I'm in America, and here it is taken very seriously. It seemed like a day like any other as I rushed late to my class, however when I entered I suddenly saw one of my class mates was about 7 months pregnant, which I hoped I would have noticed, however it was a Halloween costume. Great practical joke, should I play on Oz? Would be very funny, but also very cruel, I can almost see the look of pure panic across his eyes before he realises that I can't be seven months pregnant from him. In Arabic we had a giant penguin and two renaissance ladies (they are room mates - it wasn't a costume clash). Apparently I was very brave to walk up to one of the renaissance ladies and say, "Oh, you've dressed up for Halloween!," I didn't realise how easily it could have backfired, although she did say that she sometimes wears the costume at the weekends. I'm very glad I survived unscathed.
When I went to the supermarket this afternoon I was surprised to see lots of the workers in fancy dress, I couldn't really see the point to it, but I did have one of the T-birds as my cashier, and a hippy pack my bags, so I guess I should be grateful, was certainly more interesting than their usual boring attire.
When I was at the supermarket I actually brought some sweets for any trick or treaters, there are quite a few families near by, however none have come to the door yet and I've got to leave soon, so looks unlikely that I'll give any out. When I was cycling back from the supermarket I think I saw an organised trick or treat by the elementary school. There were tiny children being led around in long rows to nearby residence halls. I would have thought that the residence halls would have been safe from trick or treaters, but apparently not.
I have to admit it is all quite fun, if rather pointless, its a bit like children in need, without the children in need (besides being in need of some sweets that is!).
I think some Americans are going to have Halloween withdrawal, so many shops have been decorated Halloween style for over the past month it will be strange seeing them taken down. Even my landlords office was at it. In a few hours I shall be donning my cave girl outfit again ready to go to a few parties and ignore (for a few hours at least) how much work I've got to do.
When I went to the supermarket this afternoon I was surprised to see lots of the workers in fancy dress, I couldn't really see the point to it, but I did have one of the T-birds as my cashier, and a hippy pack my bags, so I guess I should be grateful, was certainly more interesting than their usual boring attire.
When I was at the supermarket I actually brought some sweets for any trick or treaters, there are quite a few families near by, however none have come to the door yet and I've got to leave soon, so looks unlikely that I'll give any out. When I was cycling back from the supermarket I think I saw an organised trick or treat by the elementary school. There were tiny children being led around in long rows to nearby residence halls. I would have thought that the residence halls would have been safe from trick or treaters, but apparently not.
I have to admit it is all quite fun, if rather pointless, its a bit like children in need, without the children in need (besides being in need of some sweets that is!).
I think some Americans are going to have Halloween withdrawal, so many shops have been decorated Halloween style for over the past month it will be strange seeing them taken down. Even my landlords office was at it. In a few hours I shall be donning my cave girl outfit again ready to go to a few parties and ignore (for a few hours at least) how much work I've got to do.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Racism
My own dear sister has accused me of being racist and I would like to protest that accusation. Whilst I admit my comments about America can be scathing they are generally sweeping statements made because it is more interesting than going on about my everyday experiences I have and the Americans I get on well with. In my Arabic class, for instance, I have made many nice American friends, although it is difficult to continue that friendship outside of the classroom because they already have existing friendship groups and this is a problem that I have encountered everywhere, not just America, it is not because I'm racist.
Looking back over my first Halloween blog when I mentioned the party my English neighbour held it may have sounded like there were no Americans there, on the contrary, my host and I were the only English people there and besides Oz all the rest were American. I got on with them better because neighbour has nicer, more intelligent, friends.
If I was writing this blog about England I would just as quickly mention similar things as I have here, if anyone is doing anything strange, interesting, stupid, whatever, I feel quite right in mentioning it. It is not because they are American.
If I have sounded racist I apologise, that was never my intention, I get on with some Americans very well, and others not so well, but I have similar experiences in England with the English.
I have been here over two months now and on the whole have found Americans to be very nice, when visiting their houses I have found them to be most gracious hosts and whenever I have needed help they have been more than kind. My impression of America is constantly improving, but that is not to say that I will be applying for citizenship at the end of this year.
Having said that, however, if you ever feel I'm being racist do put it in a comment and tell me. I love getting comments and was quite excited that someone had slagged off my blog.
Looking back over my first Halloween blog when I mentioned the party my English neighbour held it may have sounded like there were no Americans there, on the contrary, my host and I were the only English people there and besides Oz all the rest were American. I got on with them better because neighbour has nicer, more intelligent, friends.
If I was writing this blog about England I would just as quickly mention similar things as I have here, if anyone is doing anything strange, interesting, stupid, whatever, I feel quite right in mentioning it. It is not because they are American.
If I have sounded racist I apologise, that was never my intention, I get on with some Americans very well, and others not so well, but I have similar experiences in England with the English.
I have been here over two months now and on the whole have found Americans to be very nice, when visiting their houses I have found them to be most gracious hosts and whenever I have needed help they have been more than kind. My impression of America is constantly improving, but that is not to say that I will be applying for citizenship at the end of this year.
Having said that, however, if you ever feel I'm being racist do put it in a comment and tell me. I love getting comments and was quite excited that someone had slagged off my blog.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Halloween night 2
Last night I went out again, but this time it wasn't as good. For a start Oz wasn't with me and secondly I ended up in a big group, big groups make it difficult to get into parties or make decisions. We failed to get into any parties, they had all ended before we even got there, and we were everywhere before 11pm (American parties seem to start early and end early). It got really frustrating, particularly when our friend joined us doing a great impression of a very drunk monk.
As you can see from the photo (I've finally worked out how to add them!)I went as an American girl last night, I appreciated the irony even if not many other people understood the joke.
After several hours of wondering around and getting v.cold I got a call from some other friends and went to join them on DP. Unlike Friday DP was crazily busy, it was necessary to weave our way through everyone and we had to hold hands so as not to get separated. On the sides of the road there were lots of people being arrested and I even saw some paramedics running with a stretcher. Thankfully I experienced neither service first hand.
I was freezing and had several layers on, I don't know how the girls who were literally in their underwear managed it. For your delectation I include a photo, just to prove what it was really like, any guesses as to what she may be dressed as? My vote goes for hooker. By contrast I was dowdy.
It was good fun walking past all the interesting costumes, there were guys dressed as giant penises (there were drunken girls almost queueing up to have their photo taken with them), kissing booths, DUIs (Driving Under the Influence notices), as well as the raft of girls wearing very little. I never knew until last night that Snow White's skirt was very, very short, which explains why the Seven Dwarfs and Prince Charming were quite so enamoured with her.
I ran into an Australian girl and was surprised to see she'd really gotten in to the spirit of things, her bra was poking above her mafia outfit and the skirt was minuscule. I am amazed she managed to really get into the spirit of things, I really can't understand why Americans are so prudish for most of the year and then for Halloween it all goes out of the window and they feel they can legitimately walk around in their underwear. For example I have been sharing a room for almost six weeks now but have never once seen my room mate get changed, she always goes to the bathroom. It wasn't until Friday night when she was dressed as an army girl that I discovered she had her belly button pierced. She goes from usually wearing baggy t-shirts and shorts to having it all hang out. I find it hard to understand why they suddenly want to. I don't particularly want to be perved on by a bunch of salivating American youths, thank you very much. This seems to be a very American thing that does not make any sense to me or most other international students.
In the end I did have a good time, and I'm looking forward to Halloween itself, even if I have got classes the next day.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Halloween, night one.
It's Saturday morning and I'm writing this from the library, I am not, however, a swot, I'm just forced out of my apartment by Halloween. By pure chance I have ended up in one of the most famous party universities in the whole of the US and IV is particularly known for Halloween. Most normal people think that Halloween is a one day "holiday" (I hate that American term - if its a holiday then give us a day off!), however IV residents know better, why have a single day of drunken debauchery when you can have at least a week? And this year Halloween falls on a Wednesday and so instead of having just one weekend to party we get two (+ midweek of course).
Halloween in IV is so famous that people come from a long way around to experience it. My room mate has 4 guests who refuse to let me get a moments peace. From the moment they entered the apartment yesterday afternoon loud music went on which magnified my slight headache, they then proceeded to take over the main living area and my bedroom. I had no where to go and not enough time to go and do my homework anywhere else. To say I was pissed off is an understatement. Eventually I was able to escape to Oz's.
Halloween was certainly a big event. When Oz and I returned to my apartment to put our costumes on (he had completely failed to come up with a costume - thankfully there was a spare male costume lying around) I was astonished to see loads of people (around 15) squashed around the kitchen table playing some drinking game that involved hitting hands on the table and yelling. By the time I had got changed (evolutionary regression into a cave girl takes a while) a full blown party had started. Having only had a beer I felt far too sober for all this and gladly went to our fridge and a few jello shots that had been made earlier. I don't like my room mates friends at the best of times, particularly not when they are plastered and I am only mildly pissed. Her male friends tend to be stoner idiots with whom it is impossible to to have a conversation with on anything other that alcohol, drugs or sex. Her female friends tend to be high pitched, and most importantly, American. Thankfully my English next door neighbour was hosting her own Halloween party and I was only to grateful to escape next door, her friends were much easier to get on with.
Eventually Oz and I made our not entirely sober way down to where the party really happens, Del Playa Drive, affectionately known as DP. Its the road right next to the ocean and once we had made our way past the police barricades we got onto the floodlit road. All around us were women wearing very little (some were literally just wearing their underwear), there were people dressed as bongs, sailors, naked men (with fake penis), a variety of furry animals (wear a pair of knickers, a basque and a pair of said animal ears et voila - sexy mouse/cat/bunny/whatever), police men, guys dressed as gifts from God (a present with a label reading: To Women, from God), army girls and whatever other skimpy costume you can think of. I was fairly unimpressed by DP, it wasn't nearly as busy as I had been told it could be and there was no music playing.
Oz was getting really tired so we went back to my place and he almost begged to stay over to avoid the five minute walk to his place, but I kicked him out saying it wasn't fair for my room mate to have a strange man in the same room as her. Unfortunately my room mate didn't extend the same courtesy to me and I awoke at 4.30am to the sounds of her boyfriend snoring loudly. I was unable to get back to sleep and had to leave the room and sleep on the living room floor so I awoke fairly earlier and got out as soon as I could to avoid the American girls.
I haven't represented the true extent of IV Halloweens, I think that only a bit of history and some crime statistics will suffice. IV has held a damn good Halloween since at least the mid 1960s, but in the 70s there were riots and people burnt down a bank and the police actually shot and killed some students. That was how IV gained its Halloween notoriety and huge police presence (including police on horseback). This year there will somewhere in the region of 150-200 police officers on the street every night ready to arrest people for a raft of offences - Driving Under the Influence (they were doing spot checks for this one), Drug use, Public Intoxication (only if someone is acting v.drunk, they don't have enough cells for everyone who was intoxicated), Minor in Possession (Under 21 with alcohol), Sexual Offences (People have been raped, I was v.glad to be there with Oz) and possessing open containers of alcohol. This week our student paper has been full of advice about how to avoid getting arrested and dire warnings about the penalties (usually at least a years driving ban, which seeing as I can't drive doesn't bother me at all). Last years Halloween Weekend there were 290 citations, 291 arrests and 40 hospital visits. The police had set up at least one emergency medical tent complete with at least 5 stretchers. Its all a little bit scary. But I survived last night without getting arrested or injured. Hope I succeed tonight...
Halloween in IV is so famous that people come from a long way around to experience it. My room mate has 4 guests who refuse to let me get a moments peace. From the moment they entered the apartment yesterday afternoon loud music went on which magnified my slight headache, they then proceeded to take over the main living area and my bedroom. I had no where to go and not enough time to go and do my homework anywhere else. To say I was pissed off is an understatement. Eventually I was able to escape to Oz's.
Halloween was certainly a big event. When Oz and I returned to my apartment to put our costumes on (he had completely failed to come up with a costume - thankfully there was a spare male costume lying around) I was astonished to see loads of people (around 15) squashed around the kitchen table playing some drinking game that involved hitting hands on the table and yelling. By the time I had got changed (evolutionary regression into a cave girl takes a while) a full blown party had started. Having only had a beer I felt far too sober for all this and gladly went to our fridge and a few jello shots that had been made earlier. I don't like my room mates friends at the best of times, particularly not when they are plastered and I am only mildly pissed. Her male friends tend to be stoner idiots with whom it is impossible to to have a conversation with on anything other that alcohol, drugs or sex. Her female friends tend to be high pitched, and most importantly, American. Thankfully my English next door neighbour was hosting her own Halloween party and I was only to grateful to escape next door, her friends were much easier to get on with.
Eventually Oz and I made our not entirely sober way down to where the party really happens, Del Playa Drive, affectionately known as DP. Its the road right next to the ocean and once we had made our way past the police barricades we got onto the floodlit road. All around us were women wearing very little (some were literally just wearing their underwear), there were people dressed as bongs, sailors, naked men (with fake penis), a variety of furry animals (wear a pair of knickers, a basque and a pair of said animal ears et voila - sexy mouse/cat/bunny/whatever), police men, guys dressed as gifts from God (a present with a label reading: To Women, from God), army girls and whatever other skimpy costume you can think of. I was fairly unimpressed by DP, it wasn't nearly as busy as I had been told it could be and there was no music playing.
Oz was getting really tired so we went back to my place and he almost begged to stay over to avoid the five minute walk to his place, but I kicked him out saying it wasn't fair for my room mate to have a strange man in the same room as her. Unfortunately my room mate didn't extend the same courtesy to me and I awoke at 4.30am to the sounds of her boyfriend snoring loudly. I was unable to get back to sleep and had to leave the room and sleep on the living room floor so I awoke fairly earlier and got out as soon as I could to avoid the American girls.
I haven't represented the true extent of IV Halloweens, I think that only a bit of history and some crime statistics will suffice. IV has held a damn good Halloween since at least the mid 1960s, but in the 70s there were riots and people burnt down a bank and the police actually shot and killed some students. That was how IV gained its Halloween notoriety and huge police presence (including police on horseback). This year there will somewhere in the region of 150-200 police officers on the street every night ready to arrest people for a raft of offences - Driving Under the Influence (they were doing spot checks for this one), Drug use, Public Intoxication (only if someone is acting v.drunk, they don't have enough cells for everyone who was intoxicated), Minor in Possession (Under 21 with alcohol), Sexual Offences (People have been raped, I was v.glad to be there with Oz) and possessing open containers of alcohol. This week our student paper has been full of advice about how to avoid getting arrested and dire warnings about the penalties (usually at least a years driving ban, which seeing as I can't drive doesn't bother me at all). Last years Halloween Weekend there were 290 citations, 291 arrests and 40 hospital visits. The police had set up at least one emergency medical tent complete with at least 5 stretchers. Its all a little bit scary. But I survived last night without getting arrested or injured. Hope I succeed tonight...
Thursday, October 25, 2007
I fell in to a burning ring of fire....
Well, not quite a burning ring of fire, more a burning state, and the falling in is more flying in, but large parts of Southern California (or SoCal as they like to call it) are on fire. Santa Barbara county is the northern most county with wild fires, but they thankfully haven't come anywhere near me, although they've still affected me in strange ways.
On Saturday morning I looked out and saw beautiful blue sky's and a big pile of work and being an inventive person I combined the two by taking my work down to the beach. I quickly realised that it was v.windy, but being a stubborn person I continued on regardless, bravely holding my miniskirt down as I walked. By the time I got down to the beach my hair was everywhere, but I was mollified by the fact that the wind had created good surf for once and I was able to watch hot surfers whilst pretending to study. Oz soon joined me so I was able to check someone out even closer by.
I realised that the Channel Islands weren't very visible, and with them being only 40 miles away and mountainous they are usually visible. I wasn't shocked by this until at about 4 pm I looked up from my books (in between the perving some studying actually happened) and realised I couldn't see them at all, and the oil rig that is about a mile or so away wasn't particularly visible either. I assumed that the air was just dusty and that the dirt covering my shirt was just the dust that they call soil. When I got home I covered the bath with a thin layer of grime and forgot all about the dust.
On Sunday I awoke and cleaned of a fairly thick layer of dust off my bike seat, but I still failed to realise that what I thought was dust was in fact ash. Although the fires only started on Sunday the wind had swept up the ash from a previous fire and deposited it in the atmosphere. Very kind of it. This combined with the fires that were just starting and made my week very dirty.
UCSB have been so concerned about the fires that they sent everyone an email telling us to remain inside if at all possible along with a lot of other suggestions (for example, avoiding highways so the emergency services can use them) and everyday our student newspaper has printed more information.
There was so much ash in the atmosphere that I saw someone walking around campus wearing a dust mask, she was either trying to avoid getting dust in her lungs or trying to avoid the bad cold that was everywhere on campus and made the ash even more fun.
After a day of walking around in flip flops, which due to it being an overly warm week anyway (even by SoCal standards) were necessary, my feet were black, it was horrible, I had to wash not only my feet but also my flip flops. The ash was everywhere.
On the slightly positive side the weather was lovely and warm (not that we could leave the house unless necessary...) and on Wednesday night there was a beautiful orange moon as a result of the pollution.
It wasn't until yesterday evening that the ash began to lift and I could see the beautiful mountains that are only five miles away again.
The actuality of the fires hasn't really hit home, the news stations generally aren't very good and I've been too busy to watch TV anyway. It hasn't seemed real. I'm just glad that the fires came no closer to us.
On Saturday morning I looked out and saw beautiful blue sky's and a big pile of work and being an inventive person I combined the two by taking my work down to the beach. I quickly realised that it was v.windy, but being a stubborn person I continued on regardless, bravely holding my miniskirt down as I walked. By the time I got down to the beach my hair was everywhere, but I was mollified by the fact that the wind had created good surf for once and I was able to watch hot surfers whilst pretending to study. Oz soon joined me so I was able to check someone out even closer by.
I realised that the Channel Islands weren't very visible, and with them being only 40 miles away and mountainous they are usually visible. I wasn't shocked by this until at about 4 pm I looked up from my books (in between the perving some studying actually happened) and realised I couldn't see them at all, and the oil rig that is about a mile or so away wasn't particularly visible either. I assumed that the air was just dusty and that the dirt covering my shirt was just the dust that they call soil. When I got home I covered the bath with a thin layer of grime and forgot all about the dust.
On Sunday I awoke and cleaned of a fairly thick layer of dust off my bike seat, but I still failed to realise that what I thought was dust was in fact ash. Although the fires only started on Sunday the wind had swept up the ash from a previous fire and deposited it in the atmosphere. Very kind of it. This combined with the fires that were just starting and made my week very dirty.
UCSB have been so concerned about the fires that they sent everyone an email telling us to remain inside if at all possible along with a lot of other suggestions (for example, avoiding highways so the emergency services can use them) and everyday our student newspaper has printed more information.
There was so much ash in the atmosphere that I saw someone walking around campus wearing a dust mask, she was either trying to avoid getting dust in her lungs or trying to avoid the bad cold that was everywhere on campus and made the ash even more fun.
After a day of walking around in flip flops, which due to it being an overly warm week anyway (even by SoCal standards) were necessary, my feet were black, it was horrible, I had to wash not only my feet but also my flip flops. The ash was everywhere.
On the slightly positive side the weather was lovely and warm (not that we could leave the house unless necessary...) and on Wednesday night there was a beautiful orange moon as a result of the pollution.
It wasn't until yesterday evening that the ash began to lift and I could see the beautiful mountains that are only five miles away again.
The actuality of the fires hasn't really hit home, the news stations generally aren't very good and I've been too busy to watch TV anyway. It hasn't seemed real. I'm just glad that the fires came no closer to us.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
MEGAchurches
One of my classes required me to go to a Megachurch (a church with 2,000+ regular worshippers) and write a paper on the experience. Here is the first draft that I would love to hand in because it gives a true account of my feelings on the subject, but is I fear, slightly too sarcastic. The final draft will be much, much more dull.
Apologies for American spellings and vocabulary, I have to use them in papers.
Feel free to grade me in the comments:
I knew that Calvary Chapel was going to be a posh church because whilst cycling there I was on the receiving end of many a catcall. Remembering that I was going to church I resisted retaliating lest I have to wash in holy water before being able to enter.
When I stepped into Calvary Chapel I felt as though I was on the set for a TV chat show instead of in a church, the converted warehouse was decorated to look like the sea side, offices were disguised as beach huts, there was a sea and beach hut mural on the walls and the “stage” had many beach related props from surf boards to barbecues. Even the seats were beach themed, instead of pews or seats they were benches painted white with a stripy cushion. There was even a camera pointing towards the stage. It couldn’t have looked less like a church if it had tried. The only thing that reassured me that I had not stepped into the wrong room was the worship music playing and people embracing each other and praying together. If it was designed to relax people it was not working for me, but then I was not there out of my own volition.
I arrived early due to bus times and sat in the back and kept myself to myself. The benches (not nearly as many as I was expecting) slowly began to fill up, but it was only when the lights dimmed, and a man sat down at a grand piano and a woman stood behind a microphone that people really began to fill up the benches and they quickly filled.
The opening sequence was carefully orchestrated, at first the man and the woman sang duets and praised the Lord by themselves and bit by bit we were encouraged to join in with them. The pianist was very good, it would almost be worth going to the service just to hear him play and the time quickly passed. Lots of people were clapping and raising their hands. Just before they finished the pianist gave a short sermon and got the stewards to come and collect the tithes and offerings. He prayed that the Lord would encourage people to put in lots of money and effectively guilted people into putting lots of money in. There was no exemption for visitors and from looking around it was clear to see that they made a lot of money from these collections, the women’s restroom was nicer than I have seen in hotels, it was spacious, had a couch, had a tiled floor and was very tastefully decorated and was a world away from the restrooms I’ve seen in other churches.
Following the offering there were several announcements, after which everyone clapped. They contained two other requests for money, one for Operation Christmas Child, where people fill shoeboxes full of Christmas presents and they get sound to children living in extreme poverty all over the world. They were very proud to have made it easy for everyone this year by having a stall at K-mart where you could get absolutely everything necessary for the shoeboxes. They also asked people to buy a big bag of candy for $5 for Halloween, although I failed to understand exactly what that benefited besides rotting children’s teeth and encouraging obesity.
The sermon followed next and it was part of their sermon series on successful marriages and happy families, they even had a banner hanging up saying “I want a better marriage” and there were various pictures of happy families hanging from the rafters. It centered on good parenting, and in particular being a good father, it began with some facts and figures about evangelical children today that the preacher interpreted in a very black light, but I thought was in fact very good, for example only 4% of evangelical young people believe the Bible to be the inspired and infallible word of God, I would say that it was good that they were thinking for themselves and realized that the Epistles were letters, not divine inspiration, as is a considerable part of the Bible. Clearly they are fundamental in their view of Christianity and I don’t get on well with fundamentalists. After he had finished scaremongering and talking about how evangelical parents can prevent the horrors of a morally relativistic child he moved on to reinforcing the sexism present in some parts of the Bible. He argued that most advice that the Bible gives about how to raise children was aimed at the father and therefore fathers should play a more active role in the upbringing of children. Now I agree wholeheartedly that fathers should play a larger role than a lot do, but I would disagree strongly that they should play the main role, parenting should be an equal partnership. He used lots of Bible verses to prove his point and topped it all off with a video of a happy family from the congregation talking about good parenting and how women should play the main role during childhood and the father take the leading role during adolescence, so basically they were encouraging that throughout their upbringing the children are alienated from one parent. Sounds like sound advice to me.
The service finished with some more music and an encouragement for struggling fathers to come forward and be prayed over. They also had a communal prayer during which the preacher asked all parents having a difficult time raising their children to put their hands up and be prayed for, a lot of hands immediately shot up and so the preacher resorted to “and I pray Lord that you be with those at the back, you know who they are,” etc. Then abruptly as it had started the service ended, exactly one hour after it had begun.
During that time I had only had contact with other people once, when the preacher instructed us all to greet one another. So I think I got off lightly, I really didn’t want to explain my religious beliefs to a stranger and even less wanted them to try and convert me. I left as quickly as possible, after a quick trip to the ridiculously posh restroom.
Apologies for American spellings and vocabulary, I have to use them in papers.
Feel free to grade me in the comments:
I knew that Calvary Chapel was going to be a posh church because whilst cycling there I was on the receiving end of many a catcall. Remembering that I was going to church I resisted retaliating lest I have to wash in holy water before being able to enter.
When I stepped into Calvary Chapel I felt as though I was on the set for a TV chat show instead of in a church, the converted warehouse was decorated to look like the sea side, offices were disguised as beach huts, there was a sea and beach hut mural on the walls and the “stage” had many beach related props from surf boards to barbecues. Even the seats were beach themed, instead of pews or seats they were benches painted white with a stripy cushion. There was even a camera pointing towards the stage. It couldn’t have looked less like a church if it had tried. The only thing that reassured me that I had not stepped into the wrong room was the worship music playing and people embracing each other and praying together. If it was designed to relax people it was not working for me, but then I was not there out of my own volition.
I arrived early due to bus times and sat in the back and kept myself to myself. The benches (not nearly as many as I was expecting) slowly began to fill up, but it was only when the lights dimmed, and a man sat down at a grand piano and a woman stood behind a microphone that people really began to fill up the benches and they quickly filled.
The opening sequence was carefully orchestrated, at first the man and the woman sang duets and praised the Lord by themselves and bit by bit we were encouraged to join in with them. The pianist was very good, it would almost be worth going to the service just to hear him play and the time quickly passed. Lots of people were clapping and raising their hands. Just before they finished the pianist gave a short sermon and got the stewards to come and collect the tithes and offerings. He prayed that the Lord would encourage people to put in lots of money and effectively guilted people into putting lots of money in. There was no exemption for visitors and from looking around it was clear to see that they made a lot of money from these collections, the women’s restroom was nicer than I have seen in hotels, it was spacious, had a couch, had a tiled floor and was very tastefully decorated and was a world away from the restrooms I’ve seen in other churches.
Following the offering there were several announcements, after which everyone clapped. They contained two other requests for money, one for Operation Christmas Child, where people fill shoeboxes full of Christmas presents and they get sound to children living in extreme poverty all over the world. They were very proud to have made it easy for everyone this year by having a stall at K-mart where you could get absolutely everything necessary for the shoeboxes. They also asked people to buy a big bag of candy for $5 for Halloween, although I failed to understand exactly what that benefited besides rotting children’s teeth and encouraging obesity.
The sermon followed next and it was part of their sermon series on successful marriages and happy families, they even had a banner hanging up saying “I want a better marriage” and there were various pictures of happy families hanging from the rafters. It centered on good parenting, and in particular being a good father, it began with some facts and figures about evangelical children today that the preacher interpreted in a very black light, but I thought was in fact very good, for example only 4% of evangelical young people believe the Bible to be the inspired and infallible word of God, I would say that it was good that they were thinking for themselves and realized that the Epistles were letters, not divine inspiration, as is a considerable part of the Bible. Clearly they are fundamental in their view of Christianity and I don’t get on well with fundamentalists. After he had finished scaremongering and talking about how evangelical parents can prevent the horrors of a morally relativistic child he moved on to reinforcing the sexism present in some parts of the Bible. He argued that most advice that the Bible gives about how to raise children was aimed at the father and therefore fathers should play a more active role in the upbringing of children. Now I agree wholeheartedly that fathers should play a larger role than a lot do, but I would disagree strongly that they should play the main role, parenting should be an equal partnership. He used lots of Bible verses to prove his point and topped it all off with a video of a happy family from the congregation talking about good parenting and how women should play the main role during childhood and the father take the leading role during adolescence, so basically they were encouraging that throughout their upbringing the children are alienated from one parent. Sounds like sound advice to me.
The service finished with some more music and an encouragement for struggling fathers to come forward and be prayed over. They also had a communal prayer during which the preacher asked all parents having a difficult time raising their children to put their hands up and be prayed for, a lot of hands immediately shot up and so the preacher resorted to “and I pray Lord that you be with those at the back, you know who they are,” etc. Then abruptly as it had started the service ended, exactly one hour after it had begun.
During that time I had only had contact with other people once, when the preacher instructed us all to greet one another. So I think I got off lightly, I really didn’t want to explain my religious beliefs to a stranger and even less wanted them to try and convert me. I left as quickly as possible, after a quick trip to the ridiculously posh restroom.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Bloody American desks and enforced immaturity
I know this is a very strange subject to write a blog on but the bloody American desks are really beginning to annoy me. They use those silly desk-chair combination things that you see on American TV shows that feature schools. The desk is more like a square tray that isn't quite as big as an A3 bit of paper and it is impossible to fit everything on the damn thing. I admit that I can be fairly clumsy and yesterday I most certainly was, in a single class I dropped about things about 5 times, pens, lids, screw top caps from water bottles, you name it and it tried to escape from my desk. They are slightly at an angle so things can easily roll off too. It restricts your movement so much that you have to ask your neighbours to pick things up for you.
They also jam as many desks in as possible, my Arabic teacher finds it difficult to walk between the rows because her bottom is too big, and shes not even fat. They also have them rammed up against each other to such a degree that the person sitting in front of me yesterday managed to knock my water bottle off my desk (thank God I'd put the lid on - I almost hadn't) by pushing her elbow back an inch. This also means that leg room is a a minimum and my legs frequently begin to cramp, I end up feeling like a squirming child.
I think that it may all be a government conspiracy to keep people slim, because you can't get that fat and still be able to sit in them, one (particularly obese) older woman has to sit on the floor in one of my classes. Seriously, she had to pay ridiculous tuition but has to sit on the floor.
At my home university they rent all the seminar rooms out as conference facilities, so it is all very posh and spacious, you get a proper, normal desk and a comfy chair, you can decide how close to the desk you sit and most importantly you get about 4 times the amount of space you do here. Heaven. Although I still do drop things, just not as frequently.
It makes me feel like a child sitting in those chairs/desk things, but its a feeling that I'm fast growing accustomed to. If you're under 21 you're treated like a second class citizen, and even Oz, who is 24, says he feels a lot younger here than in Australia. When people ask how old you are you get a look of pity when you admit "19" and I'm generally treated as though I'm less responsible. I don't quite know how to describe it, but there is just a general attitude that if you're under about 25/30 your still a child. I'm used to being treated like an adult in England, and it is a big annoyance to be treated as a child. Next month is my 20th birthday and instead of having a minor breakdown and suddenly feeling really old as one of my friends did ("My teenage years have passed me by and I never got to enjoy them - its only responsibility from here on in!") I find myself longing to be 20, being 20 is not nearly so bad as being 19, I will be closer to being 21 and people will respect me more for that, they'll probably still look down on me, but hopefully not as much.
If they continue to treat me like a child I may begin acting like one, which I'd really hate to do and hopefully will not happen. However, I have noticed that young Americans, particularly men, are a lot more immature than their European counterparts, but then if they are used to being treated like children what else is going to happen?
They also jam as many desks in as possible, my Arabic teacher finds it difficult to walk between the rows because her bottom is too big, and shes not even fat. They also have them rammed up against each other to such a degree that the person sitting in front of me yesterday managed to knock my water bottle off my desk (thank God I'd put the lid on - I almost hadn't) by pushing her elbow back an inch. This also means that leg room is a a minimum and my legs frequently begin to cramp, I end up feeling like a squirming child.
I think that it may all be a government conspiracy to keep people slim, because you can't get that fat and still be able to sit in them, one (particularly obese) older woman has to sit on the floor in one of my classes. Seriously, she had to pay ridiculous tuition but has to sit on the floor.
At my home university they rent all the seminar rooms out as conference facilities, so it is all very posh and spacious, you get a proper, normal desk and a comfy chair, you can decide how close to the desk you sit and most importantly you get about 4 times the amount of space you do here. Heaven. Although I still do drop things, just not as frequently.
It makes me feel like a child sitting in those chairs/desk things, but its a feeling that I'm fast growing accustomed to. If you're under 21 you're treated like a second class citizen, and even Oz, who is 24, says he feels a lot younger here than in Australia. When people ask how old you are you get a look of pity when you admit "19" and I'm generally treated as though I'm less responsible. I don't quite know how to describe it, but there is just a general attitude that if you're under about 25/30 your still a child. I'm used to being treated like an adult in England, and it is a big annoyance to be treated as a child. Next month is my 20th birthday and instead of having a minor breakdown and suddenly feeling really old as one of my friends did ("My teenage years have passed me by and I never got to enjoy them - its only responsibility from here on in!") I find myself longing to be 20, being 20 is not nearly so bad as being 19, I will be closer to being 21 and people will respect me more for that, they'll probably still look down on me, but hopefully not as much.
If they continue to treat me like a child I may begin acting like one, which I'd really hate to do and hopefully will not happen. However, I have noticed that young Americans, particularly men, are a lot more immature than their European counterparts, but then if they are used to being treated like children what else is going to happen?
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