I have a feeling that my blog production is going to slide in the upcoming weeks, now that i'll actually be doing something productive with my mind, but in the meantime, (now that uploading video is working again), I thought that I would post these before I forgot.
The first two are from our first day at the flat in Nottingham, and are a two-part series that tours the living area....
PART ONE
PART TWO
This last one is a much anticipated video from Oceana, the club we visited this past Thursday as a part of Club Nite and Orientation. I realize it's shaky, and focuses on Aaron a bit much, but A) It's a club, and half of the shaking is the strobe lights, and B) Aaron was straight across from me, so get over it. Also, note the huge amount of people and the 15 foot tall chandillier that hangs from the ceiling above us....
Below are the promised pix from Orientation week and Club Nite at Oceana. If I can find a way, I'll try to post the video from the club... enjoy
Finally headed back after an interesting bus ride (read previous post), Ana pauses to take her stilettos off..... This is a pre-club pic... i think the look on Brandon's face may or may not say it all.... PS- I promised Eurotrash, and hopefully I delivered. The view of my fauxhawk in this pic is classic. Club Oceana. Population 2500. Probobly the craziest place I have ever been. A day later, my ears are still ringing. Yup. Clubbin'. Nottingham Style. Roscoe's eat your heart out. Another pre-club pic. Just the guys. Aaron, Brandon, Myself, and Ryan. I love Aaron's gesture. I think I told them to try La Tigre in this picture. Blue Steel was out of the question. as far as magnum....well, it's not even worth trying this early in the game. This one's for my crosscountry guys-- who woulda thunk, a double decker bus with SNAKES ON A GODDAMNED PLANE... wouldn't it be ironic if there were snakes on the bus with snakes on a plane advertisement? This cell phone is begging to be called. It can fit in my hand like a premature baby. Or like other things that are small. Really don't know why I went with the baby thing on that one..... Brandon's posed but not quite posed pic of his first cell phone purchase.... it was an emotional moment, to be sure. This defies all logic. At a store called MadHouse (the store with jeans for 8 quid), I found this shirt, made by a company called Crosshatch.... Clearly an Iowa State Cyclone.... This pic is for Pat, Cheryl, Dad, and the rest of the ISU crew that finds this creepy as hell... Muslims have Mecca, I have this shoestore. It's called Qubed. I feel like walking an hour into town and camping out in front of the mall just typing about it. This was one of many bonding moments, in a dark and gloomy park just on the other side of campus. it's a nice shot, maybe even artsy had it been black and white.
I forgot my bandana at home, but trust. I represent the Cripps. Spelling error, I realize. But that's how it is across the sea. Cripps fo life.
They say that crime has gone down in Nottingham, but just tell that to the owner of this bike.....
Maybe the Brits find this normal, but this ad confuses the hell out of me... red sauce? chips? are you kidding me?See also: my comment about a college bookstore that contained alcohol in large quantities.... The following were posted on a wall describing the various groups and societies to join.... i think these might have struck a chord.... Can't wait to wear my Norse jersey.... Parents and relatives, look away.... college students, can you believe this stuff? Are the British born without livers? The Stately Trent Building, in which all of my classes will take place (oh convenience of convieniences) The Portland Building, UNott's version of the Union- only cooler, with a few banks, bookstores, and a convenience store that sells beer (in 2.5 liter bottles) UNott's now infamous 8th wonder of the world, the GIANT PHALIC SYMBOL
Clubbing in Europe....aka 'Sandstorm from Across the Sea'
Before this starts, i'll say that i can't accurately describe how loud or insane last night was. Firstly, I still can't hear. Secondly, what was that? I can't hear you.....
Last night was Club Nite here at orientation, and because I have yet to start classes, I can blog on a daily basis. I've been anything but breif in my posts, but it's mostly for class and personal journal purposes that they have been so damned long. I apologize, and i'll try to make them as detailed, intelligent, coherant, yet short as possible. Last night's highlights: Club Oceana is a club with a capacity of 2500 people, and last night there were over 1000 people in the Disco room at the same time. When I always picture clubs in my head, i figure 'giant warehouse, painted black, lights everywhere, period.' I did not picture 5 rooms (all themed: Disco, R&B, hiphop-old school-, techno, and an 'aspen lounge' that looked like a ski lodge). The place had lights everywhere, low ceilings in some rooms, giant 15 foot chandiliers in other rooms. Pics will follow later, and hopefully a video I shot of 'Sandstorm' (most popular techno song of all time) that will blow your mind.
After waiting outside in a line and making it in, we were offered 'passports' that allowed us to move from room to room... very cool? i haven't decided yet...
The dancing was awesome, fauxhawks everywhere, collars popped to the max, and music bumping. When we left, however, was when we met the best people- on our bus, a guy working for Nottingham U (student who worked for Int Student Bureau) asked us if we were Americans. We said, yeah, why do you ask? He quieted his voice and said 'you should be very afraid of me....' At that point, we became a little unsure of the situation. 'Yeah dudes, I'm Iranian... and I'm on a bus....' At that point, he moved his hand out in front of him and pretended to push a trigger with his thumb, and starting laughing histarically.... 'You can't trust us Iranians around buses, that's for sure!' The guy was nuts, but at our tired and deaf state, pretty damned funny. It just reinforced how crazy it is that there are 140 countries represented. Following that convo, we began talking with a guy from Germany and his friend who spoke German and French... and some Spanish... At first I thought he was drunk, because after asking him where he got his food, he started slurring his speech and I couldn't get anything out of it.... Turns out I'm a terrible judge of nationality and inhibriation level (although, let's face it, he's a German at a club on a weeknight... he's tanked)
That's the extent of club night, pics to follow when we get back to the flat (dear god, that can't come soon enough)
Well, with day one/night one and day two complete of Orientation 2007 here at Nottingham University, it is safe to say that the entire region of Asia has descended upon campus, and we can all start learning Chinese.
But seriously, folks. There are over 2000 students as a part of the International Students Group, coming from over 140 different countries. That's crazy. There aren't even 140 countries in the UN. That's nuts.
Yesterday was spent in lines, waiting for a crappy meal and listening to crappy speakers while sitting next to crappy people. Just kidding, the food wasn't that bad. But I did get the impression that we were just a bunch of catttle, waiting in lines and being dismissed to eat by the 'yellow shirts' (UNott helpers). It's amazing how many people from Indian/Paki, Chinese and Japanese descent are here... there are a few french, quite a bit of African (sat next to one kid from Kenya and another from Barbedos), but very few Americans.
We headed over to Ark Bar (one of many campus pubs... this one attatched to the union) to find that we (the americans of luther) are very 1)lame, 2)antisocial, and 3)often tired. We didn't really talk to anyone, save for Kate, who met over 20 creepy Chinese guys who exchanged room number information with each other. In the end, Kate got a free drink, Ana got her free cig and drink combo, and we headed home for Hearts and homework...
Today was spent going on the worst campus tour ever DIRECT QUOTE: 'I'VE NEVER BEEN TO THIS PART OF CAMPUS BEFORE...HAHAHA..WHOOPS... And heading to the mall, where I learned the true meaning of the phrase 'crappy exhange rate'. As mentioned earlier, everything here is 2x as expensive, and it is refelcted in the pounds. I ended up with a new phone (phone number to be carefully delivered to you all later), some jeans that costed £8 each, a new jacket, and a sandwich from Gregg's (fast food bakery, like a deli- they are everywhere here- I had a delicious chicken bacon sweetcorn salad sandwich).
The bus ride was an adventure, but i'm really enjoying the chance to learn a new city (around 280,000), and the chance to make some mistakes and learn more about shtuff on the way. I'm glad to say that fashion, while important over here- much more than the US- is very similar to ours, and the whole 'jeans, white shoes, tshirts with words are all impossble' mantra that we had heard for months before shipping over is COMPLETE CRAP. people will dress the same wherever you go.... it's called Globalization.
Tonight we'll hit up a coffee bar and lay low, but tomorrow is CLUB NITE for the internationals... we've rented out a club in city centre CLUB OCEANA (holds about 2000 people), and are gearing up for a night on the town.
I'll have to include some pics, but i will promise this: EUROTRASH is the name of the game.... aka, EUROMULLETS and FAUXHAWKS to the ceiling, tight pants abound, and flashy silver pumas laced tight....
wish us luck....
cheers
kevin
(pix may be on the way in a few days, but right now i'm typing in the middle of what resembles an assembly line in a third world country: it's smelly, it's hot, and i'm surrounded by SEAs...)
After waking up entirely too early after a night at Ye Olde Cross, we made a treacherous and scary journey to Rievaulx Abbey, one of the most amazing monestaries still standing. It was on our way home, so we made a stop before heading back to the flat. The monestary was founded in 1132, about 70 years after the Norman Conquest, and stood as a center of agriculture and education. The pictures really speak for themselves. The examples of Roman-turned-Gothic architecture are amazing, and the pure engineering genius of the monks (who built this literally in the middle of nowhere) is hard to comprehend. The setting of such an immense and elaborate building got Hilary, Emily, and I talking about the integration between religion, commerce, and the strange paradox of a group of secluded men who have taken oaths of poverty, yet live in one of the most expensive and amazing building complexes of our history. They tanned leather, owned surrounding land, raised livestock, and were artisans and scribes. It's interesting to think about how geography and certain political moves have created a religion, Christianity, that is so woven into our history and the European way of life. Even if now the 'numbers' are down in church attendance, the impact that the political and social entity that the church was had on culture is hard to grasp.
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All in all, the trip was great. The group really bonded, and maybe that was the original intent in getting us over here before classes started. The trip itself was an eye opener in the sense that it will now ease us into life in Nottingham. These towns were smaller, more touristy, but at the same time quaint and easy to adjust to. We now have a confidence in ourselves. I'm looking forward to meeting new people- much like the ST.Cloud kids and Craig- and hopefully this orientation (next 5 days) won't be a complete waste.
Orientation for International Students is interesting in that the population of England is changing towards a more Asian-centered aspect, so more than likely we will be in the minority as caucasians. English speaking will be a huge part of the next week, something that will be annoying to have to deal with, and hopefully all of our free time won't go to waste. I still don't feel like i know enough.. if anything.. about our city now. York, Durham, Alnwick, i feel comfortable with, but Nottingham isn't quite as inviting now, and we haven't had the chance to explore downtown.
With Scheduling, joining societies, journaling for this class, and a crapton of reading to do about the history of the English, I feel like i have enough on my plate. Until Sat or Sunday,
One of the best parts of our travel thus far has been a chance to run in some of the most beautiful cities in the world. In York, Brandon and I ran through the city on our first morning, and Hilary joined us on day two for a tour along the river. Day one at Alnwick was no exception. Hilary and I woke early to run across the river along the Duke's land - through pastures, along brooks, over hills, and through a patch of Burning Bush, or as it's also known, nettle. The view of the castle was amazing in the rising sun, and running through a town is the best way to familiarize yourself to the surroundings. We didn't take a picture, but this is about as close as you'll find:
Our day began with a tour of the Castle before it was opened to the public. Our tour guide was Kristine's husband, who is the owner of the soothing Robert Leechesque voice that took us around on the bus tour. The tour was incredible. Marble everywhere, precious paintings on every wall, and enough history to make any fan of Histories Mysteries salivate. The chandilliers were huge, the statues were carved by expert artisans, and every ceiling was carved marble or wood. It was incredible. At one point, in the Red Drawing Room, he pointed out two identical cabinets that stood on opposite sides of the oppulant staircase. After explaining their construction of mostly gems and precious stones, he told us that they were not only taken from King Henry's Palace of Versailles in France, but that the last similar cabinet to be sold at auction was worth 20 million US dollars. And these two were A) bigger, and B) a pair. Essentially, we were standing in a room with over 100 million dollars worth of furniture. Disgusting. It was definitely a new experience, just being in the presence of such excess. In the US, we have our celebrities that we are obsessed with, but in the UK, it's a very different feeling. There is resepct, an expectation of continued oppulance, and a history that we cannot fully understand. The Duke's family has ruled over the area for the last 900 years. Everyone in the area knows the Duke's children's names, ages, where they attend school, and their relationship status. They know the color of the Duke's kitchen walls, they can tell you how many times he's had the Prince of Wales over for tea. Again, it's hard for us US students to comprehend the fascination with a family who has done essentially nothing to get where they are. While it may be stressful or difficult to run the enterprise that is Alnwick Castle Enterprises, only the fascination with rich celebrity brats on VH1 comes close.... After leaving the Castle behind, we began our day of Historical Importance. Kristine is a walking encyclopedia. Maybe i've mentioned it before, but she's a genius. And what's better is that her voice is identical to Emma Thompson (think Love Actually, Nanny McPhee)... I would just close my eyes and imagine Nanny McPhee giving me a tour of Northern England.
Hadian's Wall is a 70 mile long, at times over 15 foot tall wall that combines a wall, a ditch, a millitary supply road, and mile markers with 2 turrets ever 1/3rd mile, with 16 forts along the way. In 2000, a British Engineering firm was asked to give an estimate of how long it would take them to build a similar structure over the same landscape. They gave an estimate of 10 years. It took the Romans, in 122AD, just 6 years. The Road was built to draw a kind of border to the Roman Empire - Hadrian was interested in consolidating his power and at the same time wanted to keep the 'barbarians' to the north out of his territory. The wall was built out of locally quarried limestone, and essentially stood intact until the 1730s when it was dismantled in many places to create a road through the English countryside. For the most part, any building made of stone in the area is constructed with stolen stone from the wall after the Romans left the UK in 410AD. One of the interesting stories from the area that we walked along was that of the Robin Hood Tree.... In the film staring Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, there is a scene in which an Anglo Saxxon hiding from the Normans is stuck in a tree that Robin Hood and his friend save... The scene was filmed at the tree in the following picture, and since that time people have been convinced that the story actually happened in history. The tree has become an iconic symbol of Northumberland, and is even used by the BBC as an icon on the nightly news to discuss the area. Because of the attention, people now believe that Robin Hood Somehow traveled the 400 or so miles up to Hadrian's Wall in order to save some Anglos... and thus is the start of a new 'folkhistory'- like a rumor that becomes 'true'. We also visited some roman ruins of an old fort (still in amazing shape), and, before walking our 4 miles along the wall, we made our way to Vindilanda- the archeological dig of ruins that resulted in the finding of letters written by common roman citizens, in 2000 called "Britian's Greatest Archeological Find" and "Britain's Top Treasure".
After a long bus ride back to Alnwick, we ate at an italian restaurant with an overly touchy owner, who asked us "What is the most posh-est island in the United States" To which we replied (to each other) "What the hell is he trying to say?" to which he later replied "Washington DC"..... yeah, we still don't get it either.
Brandon was absent, as he had tried to visit the Duchess' garden (began as a 1 million pound venture, now worth more than 40 million pounds and growing).... Brandon had slipped in at the last second before it closed, and managed to get some great pictures..until they closed and he was stuck. After 45 minutes of running around, jumping 7 foot walls, and calling us on my cell phone that I had let him borrow (running out of minutes all the while)... he finally met up with us and had dinner with the Muggli's, who had spotted him running down the street.
The gang decided another lame night of not going out was in order, until three St. Cloud State students who also stayed at the castle came up and asked us if we were interested in going out to their favorite pub. Brittney, Paige and Dave took us to Ye Olde Crosse (about 1 block from the castle) also known as Two Dirty Bottles.
The scene was kindof trashy, but in the back room we met up with their friend Craig (described here as a chubby-headed, extremely pale, blond-haired, England jersey-wearing drunk.) Craig had the most amazing Scottish/English accent (we were very close to the border). I've never heard such amazing insults fly out of a person's mouth, nor has the F word been used as so many parts of speech. Clearly, as a future English teacher, I paid attention. We also met his friend, the tattoo-covered Ross, who combined with Craig, made up a duo of insult-slinging, nasty barmaid hitting-on guys that the likes of which had never been seen by Brandon, Aaron, Ryan, and myself (the ladies decided against braving the Alnwick nightlife) We talked about Manchester United, The National Lottery (a gift-giving campaign that rewards valuable historical properties with money from the government, but is on TV like American Idol.... at one point, the TV showed a picture of a Scottish Church with a number to call if you wanted to vote for it .... so strange..) We were also introduced to The Tuckers, a local band that had just won a national competition and are to perform on BBC4 on October 12th... keep your eyes out.. The Drummer and lead singer were at the bar, so we're pretty much famous. (www.thetuckersonline.com and www.myspace.com/thetuckers)
At this point, the group is ready to be back home. The flat sounds sooo good right now. Email, telephone, anything to make us feel connected to the real world. It was great to find out that even the most disgusting looking pubs can turn out ok depending on the people, and meeting the StCoudians was fun... even if it was just group of Americans who were born and raised in the Twin Cities....
First rule of Harry Potter Castle: don't call it Harry Potter Castle. If there's one way to piss of a Duke, a historian, a St.Cloud State employee, an Englishmen in general, it's to reduce about 2000 years of culture and history into "mere celluloid"(direct quote from Kristine, our tourguide for our two days) and attempt to relate the Alnwick Castle to some crappy 20th century children's literary figure.....
Ouch.
We spent the first night hanging out, bonding as i called it. The trip was a great chance to get to know group members better. The way we were turned loose on the town, able to explore or just hang out, we were able to learn about each other as well as how we fit into the group. Who tells boring stories, who is willing to lead, who will sit back and watch things happen. Dr. Lerstrom (Interpersonal Communications) would be proud of my observations....We talked about biggest fears, worst ways to die, family history, broken bones and other childhood stories. The best quote of the night? Talking about being left locked out of his house for 2 hrs in the blustery cold of Minnesota, Aaron was asked by Kate (the dessert fan of the group...32 sweet teeth): "Did you get anything out of deal? I mean, like cupcakes or something, for being left out in the cold for so long?" "Well, I got a house key...." Classic.
For a little bit of backstory, St. Cloud State U in St. Cloud, MN allowed us to rent some rooms for 3 nights while we explored the Far North of England. The Castle is still in use, as both a residence and a tourist attraction. The Duke of Northumberland who lives there is the richest person in the UK. More pounds than the queen. Seriouisly. in 2006, Fortune Magazine estimates he will earn 300 million pounds (maybe thats 'will be worth') whereas the Queen will be worth roughly 270. The man owns 8 golf courses, 120 thousand acres, 9 thousand sheep, and all the land you can see from the castle. and more. His bloodline can be traced back to the Percy family, and the castle was built in 1095 about 30 years after the Normans overthrew the Anglo Saxxons.
We woke up the next day to a cold breakfast and a tour of the outside of the castle. Following our tour, Kristine's husband took us on a double-decker open-canopy bus for a tour of Alnwick itself. It was freezing, but his voice was as soothing as it was deeply British.
We were then taken to a monestary on the Duke's property that dated about 150 years after the Castle was built, in the 1240s, where it stood until King Henry VIII was named head of the Church of England in 1536 and he had all Catholic monestaries stripped of their wealth.
After visiting the priory, we headed to Holy Island, or as it's also known, Lindisfarne. Holy Island is unique in its geographical properties. It sits a few hundred meters off of the eastern coast of England, in the North Sea. Depending on the tides, it is either an extension of the island or an island in and of itself. Every year, cars get stuck out in the straight road between the two as the tides roll in, and are forced to run for saftey in a few outposts along the way.
The island has a permanent population around 120, and tourism and fishing remain its main business. Kristine at one point said "The lobsters are sent to London for the gastronomic delights of the people in london"....
WE ate crab sandwiches and seafood-smelling water at a very 'authentic' pub overlooking the coast, and headed to Lindisfarne monestary. The ruins were of an 1150 redecoration of an old AngloSaxxon monestary that stood before it. The columns stood in almost perfect resemblance to Durham's huge, chevron-emblazoned edifices from the day before. The tales of St. Cuthbert run wild here, as he is the patron saint of Northumberland, and his bones and remians were carried over the area for over 100 years in a common story....
The arches and basic structure were so starkly red against the pale landscape and rolling fog that again, it almost looked unreal. like a movie set.
A castle dramatically placed on the rising land of the island, originally placed as a gun emplacement by King Henry in the 1500s, was remodeled in the late 19th and early 20th century by a rich London man who used the house as a summer home. It was designed to be a 'mock castle', and the garden was famously designed by Gertrude Jekyl (pronounced Jee-kuhl, as Jekyl and Hyde had just come out, and she was embarassed at the negative connotation)
We toured the castle and garden before leaving. Danny, our busdriver, bought the gang some really terrible fudge after hearing Ana talk about Ian the wonderful fudge guy that she met in York. Nice effort?
We then stopped by Burburgh Castle, a breathtaking view of a castle built almost within a cliff and in view of the North Sea Coast...
For dinner we stopped at Copperfields and dined on authentic steak and kidney pie, mince and onion pie, and corned beef pie, along with jacket potatoes and tea. For dessert, apple crumble and custard. Amazing.
Tommy, the owner of Copperfields, turns out to be the only person on the European continent to support President Bush. Go figure.
Again, instead of exploring what turned out to be a kindof creepy nightlife, we 'bonded' in our rooms.
DAY THREE: DURHAM/DURHAM CATHEDRAL/ ALNWICK CASTLE Day three was a transitional day- we drove from York (after a 'traditional english breakfast' of eggs, tea, a ham-like bacon, blood sausage for the brave, and muslie. Wattery scrambled eggs are better than they sound.
Durham was where our two directors (Mark and Carol) spent their sabbatical two years previous, so they were very comfortable with the city. Durham is strange in that it is situated on a peninsula, surrounded on both sides by the same, meandering river. It is best known for the Durham Cathedral and a collection of colleges in the area which are regarded as some of the best in England.
We arrived to the city to find fauxhawks, messengerbags, religious zealots (crazy begger-guy), games of mini-football, and an indoor market that rivaled that of any bustling city.
INTERMISSION- before i continue, i've reached the portion of my notes where i have written my favorite pub names of the first three days traveling. they are as follows: THE EVIL EYE THE THREE LEGGED MULE THE EXHIBITION THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM THE COCK FIGHT SWAN AND THREE CYGNETS THE SHAKESPEAERE HOG'S HEAD THE COACH AND EIGHT THE QUEEN'S HEAD THE HAIRY LEMON DIRTY BOTTLES
It was also strange to see some younger kids throwing trash into the river from the bridge, furthering my confusion as to the littering habits of all English people...
We were given a short walking tour of Durham from Mark and Carol, and given assingments as to what food to buy from the market for our communal picnic. Aaron and I were assigned the bread, and needless to say, we kicked ass. Ciabatta. Fresh. and cheap. Something that I hope i will bring back to the states with me is my newfound appreciation for cheese. For lunch, we enjoyed a mild red cheddar, strong white cheddar, smoked applewood, cranberry wensleydale, white stilton with mango and ginger, along with fresh baked goods and fresh fruit, all on the Palace lawn, nestled between the Castle and Cathedral. Picturesque does not beging to describe our lunch setting. Durham was very homly... cobbled streets, trendy shopping, awesome market, and amazing views of the river.... very quaint, yet connected in part because of the college and tourist-friendly cathedral.
The Cathedral was amazing. While York was flashy, Durham was awe-inspiring. No photos could be taken, so the following are pics from online... Durham was the site of Oliver Cromwell's inprisonment of 6000 Scots during the civil war, as well as the site of filming for Harry Potter. Scenes filmed included the FORBIDDEN CORRIDOR and any scene of MADAME MCGARNIGLE'S classroom.... our tourguide Lilian was even asked to tutor Daniel Radcliffe and Emma while they were filming. Pics might be added later (we took some while she wasn't looking)
Lilian's quotes: "If this doesn't bowl you over, there's something wrong with your soul" "That just drives me crackers"
Durham has claims as the birthplace of the Vaulted Arch, Birthplace of Gothic Architechture, First Building Vaulted totally in Stone, and the First Pointed Arch in the World.
Harry Potter was also filmed in the hallway/cloister of the building, if you remember the scene where the elder Weasley brothers first confront him about playing Quiddich.
John Washington was a member of the church, from 1416-1444, and is a direct line to our George Washington. The family crest is a set of three stars and four alternating red and white stripes. Interesting fact.
Finally, before eating at Bela Italia, Kate, Aaron, Brandon and I were able to row on the river. Easy as it may sound, starting up was a bit difficult against the current, but Brandon straightened us up, and Aaron cut through the water like a knife when it was his turn to row.
All in all, Durham was a pretty nice place.
We left at 6pm (excuse me, 18:00) and drove to Alnwick, home of Alnwick Castle, the Duke of Alnwick, and the site of many Harry Potter movies.
DAY TWO: YORK, AGAIN Arriving in the city of York, there is only one thing that can catch your eye, and it's always the Yorkminster Cathedral. Rising about 120 meters in the air (is that right? holy crap), Its massive central tower and two bell towers make it one of the most amazing sights in all of Britain.
The city itself has a ton of history, and actually the Emperor Constantinople was crowned emperor in York after his father died of disease. The birth of modern Christianity, that is- the acceptance by the Roman empire- essentially occured where we were standing....
The building is massive, and the following pix will hardly do it justice.... It took over 400 years to build, and statues of the 15 English Kings who reigned during its building process are shown in statues that separate the knave from the choir area. Yorkmister is home to the largest midieval stained glass window in the world, and York accounts for most of the world's stained glass.
It was amazing to be in a place of such history-- that is, amidst so much change and yet a constant understanding that the preservation of the building was important. The Minster is home to thousands of revered ministers, monks, and important people, as well as millions upon millions of pounds worth of artifacts and stained glass. Carol described it as instilling a feeling of "weightlessness" among the high Gothic arches and stone support columns that tower at more than 100 feet above.
We left the cathedral and wandered the town, eventually hitting the Fudge Shop. I don't know what it was about the fudge shop, but these girls loved it. Ok, I take it back. They loved Ian, the mysterious (because we all couldn't figure out how old he was) worker who hit on Ana (who hit on him just as hard) and gave us a hell of a deal on fudge. The story doesn't really stop at a fudge-making demonstration... Ana ran back into the shoppe after we had all starting walking down the street and asked for his number. The story gets better, but it's chronologically inpolite to ruin what I had going...
So after the fudge shop date arrangement, Ana left the group to spend 80 dollars on a new outfit for the night and we all headed to Echo, a concept-art piece that had been traveling the country for awhile, and was set up in St. Mary's church in York. Again, pictures can't do it justice. IT was eerie, peaceful, and so still that the only sound was the rain that began to fall as we ran towards the church. The pictures below help, but the basic idea was that the artist used the church space to hang thousands of horse-hair sacs that seemed to float in the stony space. Wierd i guess would be another word to describe it.... Something about the combonation of church and art exhibit seemed to elicit a special "even more quiet and reverant than normal" behavior as people came and went (and we waited out the storm)
We decided to walk along the river, as the rain had died, and it seemed pretty peaceful... AS we walked it began to rain, and eventually unleashed the most English storm we had experienced to date. Torrential downpour rendered parking lots flooded and gutters overflowing. Our only refuge was in a ladie's loo located (we later learned) miles from the Cathedral where we were attending services one hour later...
After careful shelter-hopping and a run-in with a very foreign Fish and Chips shop owner, we made our way about 1.5 miles through the center of town to Yorkminster and experienced the most amazing musical and religious service i have ever been to. I am not religious, and the trip as a whole was interesting to see the integration of history, poliitcs, the church, and commerce in what i'll call 'ancient times', but this service which included the amazing Yorkminster Choir (about 5 10 year old boy sopranos, 5 teenaged altos, 5 older tenors/contra tenors and about 5 or so bass) was like something out of a movie. Incredibly moving. In that space, that time, that mood, it was incredible.
After chuch, we made our way to Tandoori Nights, where we devoured Nan (flatbread), along wiht about 20 other strange Indian dishes. I coined the word 'Coconan' to describe the nan that was filled with coconut, and was quite pleased with myself.
Ana's quote prior to going out with Ian "I can't be the fudge whore"
We decided it would be a waste to stay in the Hostel and not explore the town, so we made our way to the town centre to look for pubs. The first few were scary- that is to say, old people, dogs (seriously, it spilled some guy's beer), and waaaay too much smoke. Finally we made our way to the Evil Eye, where we saw the most.... interesting drink list that i've ever seen. After laying down a few quid for some authentic liquid beverages (we'll talk later), we actually ended up seeing Ana, who was upstairs in a 'lounge' with Ian.
Apparently the Evil Eye is where the locals take foreigners to give them a real York experience. Go us.
In a totally unrelated note, "making out" in britain is also called "polling".
That ended our time in York, leaving Durham and much of the Northumberland country remaining.
For Eda, I'll include some awesome "THEY CALL STUFF FUNNY THINGS HERE" 1) TWIX candy bars are called "biscuit fingers" 2) porta pottys are not "in use" or "occupied", they are instead "engaged"
Wow. Short word, but it pretty much sums up the last five days spent in York, Durham, Holy Island, and Alnwick, along with a walk along Hadrian's Wall (more on that later, don't be so greedy).
To sum it up, our directors (Mark and Carol) will teach a English History class that is a year long that involves several long vacation/trip/fieldtrips across the continent (and possibly to Ireland)... This trip, known as THE TRIP TO THE NORTH was a valuable part in understanding the early history of england, namely the Roman inhabitation (until 410AD), the Norman Conquest in 1066, the unification under a single banner of Scotland and England in 1603 and so on.... Essesntially, the trip was a huge tour of any monestary, cathedral, ruin, and gift shop from here to the Scottish border.
(Map included)
The following entry is double duty- both a blog for myself and a journal as a part of the course, so read with caution, knowing that it could get a little dry at times... I'm getting graded on this...
First thing's first: in the US, what we consider 'old' is a 1976 rusted Dodge Charger, an old Red Schoolhouse in the middle of the country, a building with a foundation laid in 1860. In England, there's 'old' and 'older' and 'ancient'. Of the buildings we visited, none was built after the 7th century. That's the frigging 600s! More than 1000 years before they even thought of landing at Jamestown. At one point, we walked along a wall that was built in the 100s. We're talking 'Jesus was still fresh' old.... Enough mind-bending for now....
DAY ONE: YORK (SEPT 15TH) York was possibly my favorite city. Cobbled streets, an amazing view of the river, beautiful buildings, a rich heritage of Viking descent as well as Norman influences. The city boasts a huge cathedral (Yorkminster) as well as a great (and free) art gallery, an awesome nightlife (York College, a branch of Leeds University, and another St. Something school), The Fairfax house, a Viking 'Disneyworldesque' ride/museum, and the meeting house for the Merchant Adventurers (kinda cultish-Christian group in early 11th century) and finally the Echo exhibit (art exhibit... pix later).
We stayed in the Youth Hostel in York, a pretty decent place to stay- on the river, and a pretty close walk.
I'm typing all of this from my notes, so i'll try to summarize before getting into more specific details....
Before I go on, there are some really great "American in England" moments/observations that continue to get me... 1) Walking on the right/left side of the sidewalk. If they drive on the opposite side of the road, they should walk on the opposite side of the sidewalk, right? Hell if I know... It seems like it was pretty touch and go- one minute they would be running us off the right side, then later avoiding us like the plague.... 2) The 2x factor of pricing. In case you were unaware, the British pound is trading at roughly 2 to 1... that is to say, 2 dollars for every 1 pound. However, that does not mean that things are 2x cheaper (by appearance) in fact, it's just the opposite. Most things here are the same numeric value as they are in the states, in reality 2 times more expensive ----for example, a 60GB ipod in the US sells for around 300-400 US dollars, wheras the same sells for 300L in the UK (converted = around 600 dollars).. and that's just electronics.
More later.
Ok, so the Art Gallery was featuring selections from the National Portrait Gallery, a mostly commissioned branch of the govermnet that goes around and pays famous artists to paint equally famous people. included are some pics (illegal as hell, we were yelled at later for taking pics, almost had to delete them....) My favorite was either Judy Dench (James Bond movies, MacBeth with Ian McKellan in the 1970s London), and a really crazy example of modern art, when the artist took a DNA sample, a mouth swab, and framed the results of a bacterial growth as his 'portrait'...really strange. My new leader, Prince Charles The one and only, Dame Judy Dench (the riverwalk in York was named for her....)
The Fairfax House was a stately...estate.. in the area that features some of the most amazing plasterwork in the world... lame, i know. but i enjoyed it... We were allowed to take pictures as students, and hopefully you enjoy these awesome shots of some of the uber expensive furniture and plasterwork. Our tourguide was amazing, Geoffrey, a guy who literally (ok, maybe figuretively), got off on antique furniture. He, like every tourguide on our trip, was obsessed with his job. I would love to retire and become one of these people. Lilian at Durham, Geoffrey at Fairfax, and Kristine in all of Northumberland.... they were walking encyclopedias...
Geoffrey told an awesome story about the tradition of Tea in the UK--- it is tradition for the oldest women in the house to serve tea, a tradition that has lasted since the beginning of taxation on the luxery item. because of its steep (bad pun) price, tea was kept in a locked box that only the lady of the house owned the key. Servents brought the hot water for the lady to mix with the tea. Even now, the lady of the house pours tea. The phrase 'may i play mother' (meaning, can i pour, even though the lady or oldest woman is absent) stems from the days when the mother poured tea...... and..... i'm a geek
Merchant Adventurers House Possibly the most boring and creepy building of the trip. A group of cult-like Christian businessmen and merchants who basically got a group together in York and built a clubhouse (NO GIRLS ALLOWED). IT was built in the 1300s (that's right, almost 500 years before USA independence), and basically turned from religion to money.... not an altogether unfamiliar path....
After going to Jorvik, the Viking Disneyworld (nasty ride through animatronics and cheesy narration (in 6 languages, English, German, Japanese, Italian, French, Norweigen)-
Brandon, Ryan and I by chance met the girls and Aaron at ASK (pizza place) in time to order food before the play. First off, ASK is Hands down, most amazing pizza restaurant in the world. Shut up, pics are included to prove you naysayers wrong. Secondly, we were schooled in the art of ordering drinks at a restuarant in Europe. No, not those drinks. We are poor college students after all. Anyway, we ordered water. Our waiter asked us "Sparkling or Still". I replied "Still" knowing that sparkling water was A) gross, and B) more expensive than free water without bubbles. Bad Idea. There is always an unspoken water selection known as "Tap water". Instead of tap water with potent lemons, we were presented with the finest mineral water (no bubbles) from Italy, in expensive green glass bottles, costing just as much as a coke .
After dinner, we made our way down the street to the play we were about to see as a group, and managed to find our way to a Sword Shop. Personally, i think sword shops are lame as hell, but something about this one (mainly, the fact that it was the only store in York still open at 6pm), Brandon, Ryan and I made our way in and tried some things on....
We followed the night by going to "The MAn With Two Gaffers" (esentially, the guy with two bosses), and were treated to vulgar british humour and the joy of MAGNUM ice cream bars.... awesome.
This is what HAPPENED when 9 students from the middle of nowhere WERE picked to live in a flat in the middle of Nottingham, England.
This is what HAPPENED when people stopped being polite, and start being REAL.
This WAS Luther- Nottingham Campus, 2006-2007
...And now I'm back.
