Welcome to Nottingham. Crime Capitol of the UK
Violent crimes are down 9% in Nottingham so far this year! Not if I find the chav pricks that stole Emily's computer, camera, and my beautiful Canon SD400 Powershot (complete with autofocus, 12x total zoom, and a 2 GB card- full of Italian sunsets and Gelato shots) from the flat on Friday...
I'm not sure if full disclosure is allowed (pending police reports, etc...), but basically, we have a sneaking suspicion that someone may have broken into the flat DURING CLASS held upstairs, and then exited, all while we were chatting about Arthur Seaton and Nottingham circa 1930.
There's no way to describe the crushing feeling of loss and helplessness when items that, especially during a period of ..eh.. excessive travel and life-altering experiences.... experiences that, for the last month of Nottingham, will be less-documented.
There are reasons to look up. I find it hard to feel bad about myself when Emily has lost so much more. My loss pales in comparison to her computer- her pics, writings (English major, you understand), and work for the year... The rest of the girls were shaken by the idea that people, who we don't even know, have been inside the flat WHILE WE WERE HERE, and got away with taking our things.... what's to say that they won't be back later for the 6 computers, 4 printers, and my own external hard drive that were left behind? That's maybe a little frightening.
We've been in close contact with the police, and have been doing research (ok, ebay browsing) for new items, as well as combing through insurance info to see what Luther/personal insurance will pay for and what it won't. I'm in no way an expert.... does anyone have a clue how this stuff works? I'm a little disappointed in how much Mark and Carol haven't done or haven't really cared about the incident..... call it the bitter resentment of someone who has had an expensive piece of techno stolen from his or her life.... the camera was a souvenir of the year itself! How many times did I drop that thing in Decorah before i left? Sorrento on the floor? Broken the screen in Howarth?
I digress. The clouds of depression have somewhat subsided... Like I said, we're looking into it...
I'm looking up. Bob and Patty, globetrotting members of the Cronin clan (My mom's side of the family) managed to make their way to Notts before trekking off to Istanbul on Sunday morning. Bob had been checking into work down in Watford (near London), and worked out a way to come up. It was great to add another member of the family to the list of People Who Actually Know What I'm Talking About. We had traditional Fish and Chips, visited the flat, saw the Castle ("I mean, it's only 3 pound 50?!?") and even had time for a pint in Pitcher &Piano before they had to head back for a dinner party.
It was great to hear about their experiences in re-entry, having lived in Singapore for several years. It was reassuring to know that there are, again, members of my family who have experienced it, seen what I've been through, and can relate when I come back and need some kind of reaffirmation.
In way sweet news, Megan is here from Nantes (see also: First week of Spring Break) until Tuesday, and so far her time here has been pretty sweet. She landed on Saturday to discover the sunny, chav-filled streets of Nottingham- Market Square was hopping, due in part to a hip hop crew (in England? who knew?)
It's crazy to think how spoiled I am to have the worldly-traveled friends that I do. Last year, it seemed as if I would be alone for an entire year- without Luthery contact, without the reminder that yes, there are people back home who will know what you're going through.... So far, I've seen John, Alex, Eda, Katie, Heather, Nick, Zach, Megan, Molly, Keely- it boggles my mind....
Saturday night was pricey- a trip to Brandon's play, a quick stop at Ark, a cab ride to Geisha, some drinks at Pitcher, back to Geisha, and then the ride home... Pricey but well worth it...
The play was artsy- very minimalistic staging, interesting costuming, cool stage lighting, and some unique plays with the literature. It was about Germany pre-war, and the 6 cast members played different characters in something like 20 different 'sketches', some connected and others seemingly random. It was a good show- tough to follow at times, but the second half was impressive....especially a certain scene involving three choreographed make-up applications, a very disheveled looking Brit, and a lot of suitcase slamming. The death scene was pretty dramatic....
We hit up Ark for a typical Uni drinking experience, snakebites and all, and made out way to Geisha to meet up with Brandon for the cast party of the show. We were a bit early, so decided that Megan couldn't come to Notts without seeing Pitcher. We each settled in with a classic overpriced P&P drink (Screaming Orgasms, Mango somethings, Pint of Pedigree) and enjoyed the eclectic mix of Michael Jackson, Mika, Lipps Inc, and Robbie Williams. God bless this country.
Geisha was not the scene I expected- 30 somethings dressed to screw, giving the 'I could be out of this room and in your car in less than 2 minutes' look to anything that walked into the door... I felt dirty in the presence of such sexual-minded 'old people', but fought my urge to run in the other direction, and instead laughed while Ryan feel asleep in the VIP room and the black John Mayer lulled us with acoustic versions of The Fray, Howie Day, and even Guns 'n' Roses...
Today I awoke with a strange feeling of deja vu.... I hadn't made it to bed until dawn (I'm a bit of a night owl of late), but for some reason woke to a familiar voice that could not have been.... At first I thought Hilary had introduced some friends from Uni into the flat, then thought perhaps I had just misheard the TV or radio....
I was wrong... or right, i suppose... It was Keely, a friend from Luther, studying in Ireland with Molly- both girls had been en route to Prague, and ended up missing their flight in nearby East Midlands Airport. Their misfortune was our luck- a chance to hang out with some Luther friends who might otherwise have never seen the flat or Nottingham...
Sunday itself was boring.... I prefer to think of it as 'typical', the same way Italian restaurateurs try to get your attention by plastering 'typical Italian food' on every blank space on the menu... We hung around, watched some American Idol, lounged around some more, facebooked a bit, ate some pasta from Friday night, and planned out a busy Monday. All in a day's work...
To be fair, we made up for complete homebodiness by visiting Brandon in church for Evening Song Service and then getting some takeout Fish and Chips (mini version, not to be mistaken by UKExpress' Dolphin and Chips), and a quick ThirstyBoozers run...
Skyping with some Luther friends (ok, THE Luther friends) made it feel like 'old times'... that is, of course, until Mika came on BBC2 after Match of the Day and I ran up to watch a bit...
New habits die hard too.
Tomorrow, an action packed Monday is in store for Megan, as I attempt to impress her to the best of my abilities (no worries, Zach...considering...)
First, a gift-buying trip to SportsWorld for some (5) Forest Kits, then to Ms Bunns Cob Emporium to show off my old stomping grounds, then TV Cultures class, and flat dinner before going to Oceana (The club I'm least uncomfortable going to)...
Maybe someone will take pictures.
Distance Medley
For the overly ambitious, or even slightly unambitious but mildly talented high school runner in Iowa, the year is divided into seasons... not seasons in the traditional sense, but more along the lines of 'miles per week', 'aerobic vs. anaerobic', and 'low weight, high rep' trips to the weight room..
Time moves in an almost cyclical pattern, a rotation from Crosscountry Falls, Training Winters, the melting snows of February bring Track, which concludes in the final days of May, and the Training of Summer begins anew..
Likewise, these seasons are divided within themselves by the Big Meets, the dates that will be forever imprinted, seared into the mind- October 30th, State Meet Cross, May 30, State Meet Track, April 29th(ish) Drake Relays...
Even abroad, it's hard to forget... Too many hours spent baking under the Des Moines sun, too many shin splints forgotten, ibuprofen taken, too many splits and mental wagers floating around- numbers, facts, past results...
This weekend is a national holiday in the community that is Running. Granted, my dedication of late has been wavering if not completely lost, but an intrinsic feeling of longing emerges at the mere mention of Jim Duncan Stadium, the Drake Relays...
To be fair, I've been running at Drake since I was in third grade. State Champ, long jump Boys under-10. Not to mention my illustrious career of finishing second at every meet to Hugh Schreffler in the 400, but still managing to make it to a few Regional Championship meets along the way. It was different back then- no fancy lcd screens, no metallic chairs.... I remember the spartan doors, massive gates of plywood hastily painted blue, huge cavernous hallways providing shade for nomadic preteens as they tried to find solace from the sun on long meet days.
The Blue Track. Luther's own version is a little tough, a little hard for my liking... not to mention the lanes are 2/3 the size of Drake's very own.... but I digress. Ha, I still remember the joy of returning to track practice on the Monday following and showing off the Blue paint that had rubbed off on trainers or spikes while warming up on the blue oval. Underclassmen look on with gaping mouths, knowing that, if they set their minds to it, they too could be traversing on the greatest stage in Iowa High School Running.
I won't pretend to be a running aficionado, or even someone up to date with the community.... well, maybe pretending is an accurate description.... but there's something rare about belonging to a somewhat off-color, unappreciated sport or activity that, for one weekend of the year, is glorified- maybe for the wrong reasons- but celebrated nonetheless...
I wouldn't say I've 'missed out' on a lot this year by being abroad, but events like Drake, holidays like Christmas, and other mainstays in my diet of tradition- are little reminders of what I love about home, and how no matter what I experience abroad, have been a part of the construction of my being- my memories, my stories, my history- and will never forget.... except enough to leave off that extra .8 from my split, or exactly who blew the lead for us in the backstretch...
Best of Luck, Luther, Urbandale- Alan Webb for that matter- Mom, if you could pick up some Peggy's cups, that'd be great......
Yeah.... About that...
So this 'groove' I was supposed to find? This vien of productivity running deep in the bedrock of laziness?
Yeah, there's no way.
It's sunny, I'm tired, and friends from back home are 6 hours behind. How's a person supposed to get any sleep, when the day consists of waking up at 9, class until noon, missing the bus at one, napping until 5, then AIM until 3am?
I've tried, albeit not the 'old college try' that maybe it deserves, but I have tried to at least think about the future- upcoming tests, papers, and assignments- but it seems so far away.
Back in the states, state schools are out in a matter of days, with Luther just behind. At least at Luther, colleges getting out before us meant that visitors could come up and enjoy certain Conference Parties or Senior Week activities... Here it's a three week, post-birthday stint filled with Mark and Carol's horrifically scheduled finals and papers, all arranged perfectly to avoid travel (not that this is a problem anymore...$), and avoid studying for other finals. We may have words later...
This post almost sounds like a laundry list of complaints and whinings, but i'll fain thereputic value and continue.... On another front, our transportation compensation has also been thrown to the wind. Since our arrival in Notts, M&C have begrudgingly picked up the tab for all travel- bus or tram- and we, more or less, took advantage of it. Now, with rising costs and a strange system of loading credit onto our transport cards, they'd just assume reinburse on a weekly basis. Along with this revelation of reinbursement was the plan to 'pay only for extracurricular trips after 6pm and two 'freebies' a week'... so, as if our antisocial behavior wasn't bad enough, it now costs 5 dollars out of pocket to visit the city centre.
Bollocks.
The last few days has really been a combination of feelings, similar to those felt during last finals period (uselessness, laziness, fatigue, laziness, monotony), the feelings normally felt at the end of the school year (anxiousness, senioritis), and the feelings felt after having spent 4 weeks away from 'home' coupled with an impending trip back home after studying abroad for 8+ months.
So I'll say it again.... Time to buckle down, get in gear, focus... read old TV Cultures chapters left unread, write the 7 page Travel Essay for M&C that isn't due for three weeks, read the last novel for Brit Novel course....
...or do what we should do on a Wine Wednesday such as this, and visit Thirsty Boozers, grab some cheap Verduzzo, and watch back-episodes of LOST.
God Save the Queen.
....now where's that corkscrew....
I'm Bringing Lazy Back
Nose to the grindstone. Eyes on the prize. Ass in Gear.
Time to step back, realize how much work I have ahead of me and how little time left in Notts, and dive in.
The flat is back, arriving yesterday during tea time with Mark and Carol (a tea time that slowly an agonizingly crept into dinner time and dessert time and finally coffee time)- Aaron and Emily, Kate from Istanbul, and finally Ryan from his independent world travels-
I'm ready to fall back into the groove- the groove of facebooking, putting off TV Cultures readings, waking up entirely too early for British Novel, making dinner for flatmates, leaving dirty dishes around the flat, and wondering how the hell i'm going to pay for life for the next month or how i'm going to get all of my newly acquired junk home...
that groove.
In other news, THE birthday is just around the corner, as is Megan's visit, and a randomly coincidental visit from Uncle Bob and Aunt Patty, who just happen to be in London this weekend.
The perfect gift? JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE tickets - May 19, Nottingham Arena.... tickets just 170 pounds.... so.... about 400 dollars for backstage passes, a pre-concert party, and seats 'so close you can touch him'...
I think I've earned it.
Visual Adrenaline
The Photo Post.
Think of it as a Top 5 List- the best of the best... or at least 5 quasi-interesting pictures from each destination...
NANTES
So very traditional. My hands are awkwardly large
Cathedral 1 of 346
Tricky Tricky Cider bottles. They didn't make the collection.
Atmospheric Fondue. Third Wheel? Never.
I don't remember feeling scared for my life, so I'll assume I was in on the joke...
DIJON
This is the badass face reserved for two nights of Kebabs...in a row.
Don't worry about it... best buds.
Dijon city centre. Like Paris' little brother. With more mustard.
No clue. Cool picture?
AVIGNON
Papal Palace. Say that 10 times fast.
From a different Angle. Clearly I enjoyed the building.
Do not look directly into the nipples.
Cool picture.
Even cooler.
MARSEILLE
A native walked by and laughed at me.
Pink... my new favorite color...
Little Mermaid what?
Objects in picture are more sober than they appear
We're like an old married couple. Neither married. Nor old. Nor a couple.
NICE
A quick dip in the Mediterranean
Night Lights
Screw college... born to photograph
Nice is Nice at Night
I'm not sure what's more beautiful- the beach, or my shoes....
FLORENCE
Best. Lampposts. Ever.....except for the ones on the Thames across from Parliament...those are awesome too.....
Work it girl.
This picture: So Illegal.
Florence. Statues. Whatever whatever.
Crowning Acheivement- picture is a reflection, taken of a window reflecting the tower...
ROME
Strike the War
Curves.
No big deal. Just the Vatican.
Hilary in motion.
This picture- a religious experience in and of itself.
SORRENTO
View from our balcony
Pompizzle
One of the Roads. That may or may not lead to Rome
Feeling like Russel Crowe. Without the urges to throw telephones.
Note- this picture is an OPTICAL ILLUSION. Aaron is at least two inches taller than this....
PESCARA/RIMINI
Boxers. for Dad. and Cheryl. Cameron, why not.
My book matched the bedspread. This was too coincidental to pass up.
He doesn't appreciate or understand Pope Hand.
Way Cool Tree.
Football Jerseys in Claw Machines.... so Euro
_______________________
Now we begin the last 6 weeks of life here in Notts, completely in love with the city that we were so aprehensive about less than 8 months ago....
It was amazing throughout break, the talks about re-entry, thoughts of returning to the states- the fears, hopes, concerns. It's hard to tell how much we've changed, but it has to be pretty obvious that some change has taken place. Even so, it's like the person that looks in the mirror every day who never notices the extra 15 pounds pilling on- noticable to other people, but hard to see in yourself.
How much will others say I've changed? For the better or worse? I guess I never feared for my relationships or re-entry in that sense- I'm surrounded by amazing friends and family- but maybe they've changed? A lot can happen in a year... Hilary hit it pretty well in her most recent post, it's definitely worth a look- the conflicted emotions and scenarios playing out in our heads...
it's up to us to make the most of our last 6 weeks together, limited budgets and lingering homesickness aside. This is the homestretch- something we've known was coming for months, but now a little too close for comfort...
Have I mentioned a re-emerging personal interest in a tattoo before departure? 6 weeks for the parents to talk me out of it, I suppose....
Class tomorrow, maybe a trip to my olde stomping grounds at Ms Bunns for some good eats...
