The Day

Farewell

2005-04-20T02:42:00.000+01:00

I know this site has been a bit of a dissappointment ever since Tommy came to visit. It's really not his fault. Life just picked up! Finally ALL of my school work is done. It is now almost 3 AM in London, and I am about to start packing for travel break. I fly to Barcelona, Spain tomorrow. After 3 days there, I'm off to Italy for 10 days (Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Alghero)! I hope everyone is going well. If you want pictures when I get back just post on here or e-mail me! Adios amigos!

2005-04-07T12:24:00.000+01:00

Okay...I know it's been forever, but between planning my travel break and writing a gazillion papers, I haven't had time to post. I am also obsessed with FACEBOOK! Check out my page when you get a chance!

Facebook me!

Oh...if you want to e-mail me, my address is ajworshu@samford.edu!

Bye!

The Blur

2005-03-28T21:37:00.000+01:00

Wow...it's been a while since I've had a chance to blog. Well, I can't remember everything that I did b/c my week with Tommy was absolutely insane! We ran all over this huge city. I guess that last time I blogged was Friday. Saturday was consumed with music/art paper writing. I left the house at about 5 AM on Sunday to meet Tommy at the airport. It was so great to see him again! Although he was exhausted, I walked him all through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. Then we walked to Harrod's, but it was closed. We walked around that area for a while. For dinner, Will and I took Tommy to the Hereford Arms. He enjoyed his first traditional fish n' chips. On Monday, Tommy got lost in London while I was in class until 4. I could hardly sit still in class b/c I knew that Tommy was here...silly, I know. I can't remember where we went exactly, but I know that Tommy, Taylor, and I went to an amazing Italian restaurant for dinner, Il Borgeo. It was so good! Tuesday...another blur...I'm sure it involved a ton of sightseeing. Maybe I should stop going day-by-day and just tell the things that I remember at this moment in time. One day we went to the Tower of London. I had already been, but I knew that Tommy would love it. I was right! The blood, guts, and gore really fascinated him. One night, we walked on the Thames. It was really romantic...hehe. We also went to a Good Friday Evensong at Westminster Abbey which Tommy also thoroughly enjoyed. We ate at the Forum a couple of times. Tommy liked that too. I knew the apple strudel was really good when Tommy (he never eats desserts) ordered it and fell in love. On Wednesday morning, Tommy went with the whole group on a Mr. Tames walking tour of London's East End (the immigrant section). The tour was good. We ate Thai for lunch in Spitafield's Market. On our last night together, Tommy treated me to dinner in Chinatown. It was really good, and I even managed to eat with chopsticks! Later we met Taylor and Steph at the Piano Bar. Tommy also really liked this. We slow danced in front of everyone...it was really sweet. What I think was probably Tommy's favorite visit in London was our trip to the food market under London Bridge. It was my first time, and there was no one I would rather have been with. It was absolutely amazing. Food for every sort. Some cooked and the rest fresh. Anything you could imagine. Tommy was completely floored! We spent forever there. With Sunday morning came the close of one of the best weeks of my life. There's a really long story about why Tommy missed his flight. It involves confusion over daylight savings time and screwy train schedules. Luckily, he made the next flight and arrived safely in New Orleans. I miss him a lot...he added a lot of spice to the conglomeration of people that I live with. There were a few people in the house who were even sad to see him go. Yes, Daddy and Mommy, he treated me WONDERFULLY! We didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked. He has some on his camera that should be headed my way soon. I slept most of yesterday...didn't do much today. Happy Birthday, Daddy...I know it's late! I'll upload some of the pictures soon. I got some decent ones of Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. Have a great week! I'm going to the Lake District this weekend! Woo-hoo! Bye!

The Amazing Messiah

2005-03-18T17:45:00.000Z

Well, let's talk about yesterday. For WWII history we went on a bogus field trip to Chelsea Old Church. The point was to show us an area that was devastated by bombing during WWII. Ok, so maybe it would have been cool...if the church had been open. We spent more time waiting at the bus stop and riding on the bus than we spent at the church. The field trip was over in under 10 minutes! I guess it was better than sitting through a lecture. John Marc, Taylor, and I went for breakfast at McDonald's on Kensington High Street. After that, Taylor and I hit up some shopping. I purchased 3 cute tops and some jewelry. It was very fun and helped my depression caused by my previous trip to Harrods. The weather was beautiful once again! Tay and I returned to the house, and she packed to go home. She left, and I just chilled out for a while. John Marc and I went to hear Handel's Messiah at Westminster Abbey at 7 PM. It's kind of hard to explain where we were sitting for the first half of the performance b/c the church his not laid out like most American churches. I'll give it a shot though. Westminster Abbey has a really long center aisle (nave) that is divided in half by a quire (choir) and screen. If you came in the front doors, the Westminster choir was performing on the front side of the screen. Our 5 pound tickets put us behind the screen. Basically we had no view, but we could still hear reasonably well. I must say that I have never heard/experienced anything like this before. The Westminster choir consists of young boys and men. They were accompanying 4 soloists (soprano, contra tenor, tenor, and bass). All of the soloists were amazing. They managed not only to sing their parts beautifully, but also to communicate the message of the piece. It was absolutely superb. After the intermission, they allowed us to move to the other side of the screen. John Marc and I ended up with 7th row seats for the remainder on the performance. A Hallelujah Chorus was immaculate. This performance was so good that last night has officially been named my favorite night in London thus far. When it ended, John Marc and I went to The Forum (of course) for dinner. I ate and went to bed. Today, I haven't done very much. I took an hour and a half nap with my window open and a breeze sweeping through my room. I just got back from the post office and grocery store. I can't believe that I actually went out in a short-sleeve shirt and jeans and wasn't cold! That AWESOME! Well, Tommy will be here on Sunday. I can't wait! I guess I better go write some music/art papers. Bye!

2005-03-17T16:44:00.000Z

Buckingham Palace (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T16:39:00.000Z

Self-explanatory (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T16:36:00.000Z

Westminster Abbey from St. James's Park (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T16:31:00.000Z

Big Ben from St. James's Park (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T16:30:00.000Z

The London Eye from St. James's Park (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T16:24:00.000Z

Mr. Swanee eating from a tree in St. James's Park (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T16:22:00.000Z

Mr. Featherman in St. James's Park (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T16:13:00.000Z

Pretty flower close-up in St. James's Park (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T16:12:00.000Z

Mr. Bumble in St. James's Park (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T15:21:00.000Z

Pretty daffodil in St. James's Park (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T15:17:00.000Z

Buckinham Palace from St. James's Park...the queen is actually inside... (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T15:16:00.000Z

Mr. Waddlesworth in St. James's Park (03/16/05)

2005-03-17T15:12:00.000Z

Mr. Webbington in St. James's Park (03/16/05)

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2005-03-16T23:59:00.000Z

Good evening world. Today began with a general meeting at 9 AM. Rona arrived for her remaining lecture at 9:30 AM. Following the lecture, we had a rehearsal for our big performance. The performance started at 11:30 AM. Our audience consisted of Andrea's parents and sister, Will's parents and sister and brother, Taylor's mom, Verger Ben from Westminster Abbey, Mr. and Mrs. Mullins, and Professor Venable. It was an absolute success. We all felt like 3rd graders and were completely humiliated. If that's not success, I don't know what is. All of the solos went well. Jessica, Stephanie, and I recited sonnets. Mary Kathryn recited Virginia Wolfe. John Marc and Nathan did Dickens's "Oliver Twist." Will had various solo lines, as did Jessica and I. Our recitation of "Cats" was quite entertaining...some people were lying on their sides...others were perched in chairs. If you weren't there, you missed the BEST PERFORMANCE EVER! Today was absolutely gorgeous! It was about 60 degrees...a nice breeze. Taylor's mom took Taylor and me out to lunch at Texas Lone Star. It was really good. Then Taylor and I decided to dress stylishly and go to the park to read. We both donned side ponytails and headed to St. James's Park. I had a great time photographing the geese, swans, and flowers. St. James's Park is great. We were supposed to read, but the wind made it a little too chilly to sit still for long. We walked all over the park, through Green Park, past Hyde Park, and down to Harrod's. Harrod's was amazing. I have never seen so much overpriced crap in my life! In the Foods Hall, they were giving away free fresh hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts. This was phenomenal b/c they cost about $1.50 to $2 a piece. We also purchased specialty doughnuts...chocolate caked doughnuts. We explored all FIVE FLOORS...I didn't see anything that I could afford...not even a coffee mug. It was rather depressing. After Harrod's, Taylor and I went to Zara (a trendy shop). My attempt to find a cute top to wear when Tommy is here completely failed. I think the clothes are just a little too Bohemian/hippy for me. I tend to go for the classy/sophisticated look. After our failed shopping spree, we returned to the house in a light mist. The weather here is so weird. One minute the sun is shining, the next minute, it's raining. Tonight we watched Top Gun. It was awesome. I hadn't seen it in quite some time. It could easily be one of the best movies ever. Well, I hope you enjoy my new pictures. Hopefully tomorrow's post will contain quotes from my new animal friends! Bye!

My Ears Hurt

2005-03-15T22:49:00.000Z

Good evening. Today was DULL. WWII History 9-11 AM. We talked about the SOE...they were really cool! After class, I visited the Tate Britain on-line to gather information for my paper. I didn't feel like dragging myself to yet another art museum...please forgive me. Taylor and I went to Forum at 5:30, where I enjoyed a chickpea salad for dinner. Yummy! After dinner we hopped on the tube to Barbican station. After a short walk, we arrived at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for a jazz concert co-hosted by Scott Stroman, one of our upcoming Modern Britain lecturers. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't like the sound of 3 different songs being played at once. The first half of the performance was relatively horrible. The professors left at the break and so did half of the students. I decided to stick it out. The second half improved, but not enough to make the whole thing worth my time. I've come to the conclusion that Brits have no rhythm...not very surprising. Jazz without rhythm is just bad. I must tell you a funny story. Professor Mullins has a hearing problem, and usually wears hearing aids. The music was a little too loud through the hearing aids tonight, so she decided to remove them. Seeing that the whole jazz band was composed of young men and 2 women, she was quite surprised when a man of 40+ arrived on stage. She turned to the student next to her and said, "He's obviously over 40!" Since her hearing aids were out, she thought she was whispering, but she was really talking at the top of her lungs. It was hilarious. All of the people around us started laughing. That was pretty much the only entertaining part of the evening. Tomorrow is the grand performance! I'm pretty sure it's going to suck. I don't think I can "meow" at the beginning of Jellicle Cats without cracking up. We'll just have to wait and see. 5 days until Tommy arrives...woohoo! Well, gotta go talk to my mommy! Bye!

2005-03-14T23:53:00.000Z

My horrible picture of Ian McKellen (Gandalf)...he's the guy in black on the right! (Monday, March 14th at the National Theatre)

2005-03-14T23:51:00.000Z

Peabody...the newest British Who (Monday, March 14th)

2005-03-14T23:50:00.000Z

A funny picture per John Marc's request...ha Taken Friday, March 11th.

2005-03-14T23:48:00.000Z

Funny picture from John Marc's blog...think about it. Taken in Portsmouth on Saturday, March 12th.

2005-03-14T23:45:00.000Z

Group pic in front of HMS Warrior in Portsmouth on Saturday, March 12th

Who Did I See Today?

2005-03-14T23:21:00.000Z

Hello world! Well, before I answer that burning question presented in the title, I shall begin with my daily discourse. This morning was absolutely NO GOOD. We were supposed to go on a Bloomsbury Walk (takes you past the old homes and hangouts of old, dead artsy people) with Dr. Tames today. The calendar in the kitchen had the walk time listed as 9-11 AM. I woke up at 7:30, and while waiting for the shower I was informed that we were leaving the house at 8:15 to meet Dr. Tames. I must admit that after checking my notes from last Wednesday's general meeting, Prof. Mullins had informed us that we were to leave the house at 8:15. Unfortunately, everyone had relied on the calendar to provide the correct time. We have all now learned that the calendar says what time something starts, not what time we have to leave to get there on time. Oh well. Lacking breakfast and a shower, I walked for two hours around London. Five girls were left at the house by another crazy happening, but later managed to catch up with the group. It was a miracle. We walked past the first marital dwelling of Charles Dickens and past an old housing complex designed and built by Mr. Peabody. There was a grey and white cat in front of this house who I photographed and named Peabody. John Marc's friend Brittaney (I'm not sure if that's spelled correctly) calls such small animals "Whos" from the Dr. Suess books. She is into photography and plans to have a collection of British Whos. Peabody, I most proudly inform you, is her first British Who. How exciting is that? Her pictures are probably better than mine, but mine will have to suffice for the time being. Anyway, after the walk, Taylor and I went to the Forum for paninis...yum. At 1 PM we had a rehearsal for Rona's production which is set to take place on Wednesday at 11:30 AM. The rehearsal didn't go so well b/c of the insuppressible urge to laugh. Let me just say, Wednesday's performance shall prove quite whimsical. Theater class rolled onto the stage at 2 PM. Another wonderful afternoon with Dr. Kidd. I'm trying to convince myself that beneath is quirky outer core there is a really nice man...it's not going so well. After theatre class, we rushed to the National Theatre for our tour. It was relatively interesting, but hunger had consumed my mind by this point. I enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Circle Cafe in the theatre (pizza, salad, pasta salad, and potato salad). We then watched what might be one of the weirdest plays I have ever seen. "A Dream Play" by August Strindberg basically details the contents of a man's dream. Having read the original text, the play was adapted and changed almost beyond comparison. I enjoyed the play more than last week's "House of Bernarda Alba" b/c it was more humorous and light-hearted. I'm not really sure if it was supposed to be either. I've realized that there is a recurring theme in the previous three plays. Dead babies have either been pictured or referred to verbally in each of the plays...that's just weird. Regardless, the play was humorous. I'm not sure at all what I think of it. It's one of those that makes you say, "Hmmm..." Post-play, I returned to the house and wrote an art critique. That was loads of fun. Now, I shall answer the pressing question, "Who did I see today?" As I was walking to the theatre, a group of us say Ian McKellan (Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings) purchasing a ticket at the counter. I attempted to discreetly snap a photo of him through the window, but it didn't come out well. Regardless, I saw the White wizard...admit it, you're jealous! Well, I suppose I shall retire for the evening! Good night!

Necessary Down Time

2005-03-13T20:59:00.000Z

Today was excellent! No traveling, just hanging around London. It was nice to stay here for the day. I slept until 10:30. After my two and a half hour blog from last night, the rest was much needed. Taylor and I were supposed to go to the National Gallery for our art class, but we decided to delay that trip. Instead, we decided to have a little fun. In hopes of catching the St. Patrick's Day Parade, we (Taylor, Mary Kathryn, Molly, Lori, and I) rushed to Hyde Park Corner Tube stop. The tailend of the parade had just gone by. The other girls decided to attempt to catch it at another tube stop, but Taylor and I came back to the house to meet up with John Marc and Brittany. The four of us went to Portabello Market. It was not nearly as busy as it usually is on Saturdays, but the shopping was still nice. I bought a brooch to put on my peacoat...it's so posh (hehe). We grabbed Subway for lunch. It was delicious! After shopping, Taylor and I took a long tube ride to the Barbican to purchase tickets to hear the Messiah in Westminster Abbey this Thursday. I'm really excited! We stopped in Waitrose (a grocery store) on the way back to house. After a delicious dinner of ravioli, I retired to my room to write art papers. Instead of doing that, I ended up talking to Tommy on-line and uploading pictures. Oh well, there's still plenty of time.

I have recently come to realize the necessity of alone time. Time to just chill out and breathe. I love the people that I hang out with, but sometimes it is nice to be all alone. I thoroughly enjoyed being alone while walking the shoreline in Portsmouth on Saturday. I am gradually becoming braver. I plan to start walking around Kensington daily by myself. I never expected that I would require alone time. I used to be the person who couldn't stand to do anything by herself. Now, I derive pleasure from being alone. Don't worry...I'm not depressed or anything.

Well, time for cheesecake, popcorn, and crisps...later!

Mind the Gap!

2005-03-13T20:58:00.000Z

Portsmouth scenery (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:56:00.000Z

Portsmouth scenery (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:53:00.000Z

Seaside Castle Lighthouse in Portsmouth (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:52:00.000Z

Portsmouth scenery (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:49:00.000Z

Me being stupid (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:48:00.000Z

Taylor and I on an anchor (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:47:00.001Z

The Victory (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:47:00.000Z

The Victory (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:46:00.000Z

The Victory (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:45:00.000Z

Ooo...isn't she scary? (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:37:00.000Z

The best part of the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth...playing dress up in the armor...here's the brave Taylor!

2005-03-13T20:28:00.001Z

Stephanie and I in Portsmouth (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:28:00.000Z

The HMS Warrior in Portsmouth (Saturday, March 12th)

2005-03-13T20:26:00.000Z

Me in the London Eye (Friday, March 11th)

2005-03-13T20:25:00.000Z

St. Paul's (the domed building) from the Tower of London (Friday, March 11th)

2005-03-13T20:23:00.000Z

Parliament and Big Ben from the London Eye (Friday, March 11th)

2005-03-13T20:22:00.000Z

Big Ben from inside a car on the London Eye (Friday, March 11th)

2005-03-13T20:21:00.001Z

The Tower Bridge (Friday, March 11th)

2005-03-13T20:21:00.000Z

The Tower of London cat...I'll call him Raven. He was definately of royal descent b/c he wouldn't even look for a picture. (Friday, March 11th)

2005-03-13T20:20:00.000Z

A raven on the Tower Green at the Tower of London (Friday, March 11th)

2005-03-13T20:18:00.000Z

Tower Bridge (Friday, March 11th)

2005-03-13T20:11:00.000Z

Our yeoman warder guiding us through the Tower of London (Friday, March 11th)

2005-03-13T20:10:00.000Z

The Tower of London (Friday, March 11th)

2005-03-13T20:06:00.001Z

Big Ben on Thursday, March 10th

2005-03-13T20:06:00.000Z

Big Ben and the House of Parliament on Thursday, March 10th

This is the Blog that Never Ends...

2005-03-12T22:39:00.000Z

Hello world! I have returned again to my lovely whole in the wall to regale you with the story of my life for the past ten days. This blog contains everything you need to known about my life since Thursday, March 3rd up to the present date. I shall begin with Ireland, move quickly through the week, and finish with this weekend's day trips.

IRELAND
Thursday, March 3rd

Thursday is a huge blur in my mind. I had WWII history from 9 till 11 in the morning. Then Taylor and I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum to view the Medieval Gallery, the Plasters of the Periods, and the Renaissance Galleries. The Medieval Gallery held nothing phenomenal, but the Plasters of the Periods were really neat. There was a plaster cast replica of Michaelangelo's "David". It was huge! I can't wait to see the "real thing" in Italy! We only made it through 3 of the Renaissance rooms before we could take no more. We returned to the house to pack for Ireland. At 5 PM, Taylor, Laura, Amadea, Mary Kathryn, and I took the tube to the train station to catch the Stansted Express train to the airport. We got separated, and Taylor and I ended up on a slow train, but we made it to the airport in plenty of time. We flew to Ireland on Ryanair, a discount airline. There are no assigned seats, and the provided refreshments are not free. The flight wasn't too bad, and we arrived in Dublin, Ireland ahead of schedule. We caught a taxi bus from the airport to Harding Hotel. The cabbie was really nice, and Mary Kathryn carried on a lengthy conversation with him. She attempted to teach him to say, "Ya'll come back now, ya hear?" This didn't go so well...it's hard for the Irish to master the Southern drawl. I don't know about the rest of the group, but I was slightly embarrassed by her exaggerated twang. I don't sound like that! Regardless, we finally arrived at the hotel. There was an Asian man who did not speak very fluent English working at the front desk. After lengthy communication problems, we finally received our rooms keys. Laura, Mary Kathryn, and Amadea had one room, and Taylor, John Marc, and I had another. Oh yes, John Marc. As you probably noticed, he was not with us on the plane. Although prompted to do so earlier, he waited until Wednesday afternoon to try to get a plane ticket from London to Dublin. The cheapest tickets were 99 pounds 1-way. Unwilling to pay this, he decided to take the train from London to Holy Head and then catch the ferry from Holy Head across the Irish Sea to Dublin. He did this alone, but he's pretty smart (most of the time), so we knew he would make it. Taylor and I went up to the hotel room, which was nicely divided by a partition with two beds on one side and the third bed on the other side. We chilled out and watched some weird British shows until John Marc finally showed up. He thoroughly enjoyed his ferry ride...I must say, I was slightly envious. There is not much more to the events of our first night in Ireland...at least, that's all I am permitted to disclose (Don't worry people...it's just a joke!).

Friday, March 4th

We had to meet the tour bus at 8:15 AM. The cabbie from the previous night gave us totally wrong directions, and we wondered around for a good ten minutes. Someone finally said the name of the place where we were supposed to meet the bus, and I realized that we had past the building right after we came out of the hotel. Luckily, the tour didn't leave on time. I learned a very valuable lesson about money. Change money into the currency accepted in the country to which you are traveling prior to getting there. Taylor, Laura, and I failed to change our pounds to euros, so we had no money for the first leg of our trip. Thanks to loyal friends, we were not permitted to starve. Finally, the bus arrived...bright yellow with the name "Shamrocker" tatooed on the side. We loaded and found a bus full of Australians, New Zelanders, and Americans. Our tour guide, Laura, was immediately identified as a crazy Irish girl, obsessed with Guiness and alcohol in general. Wendy, the bus driver, was slightly more subdued...more my type of person. We were finally on our way...three days touring western Ireland. After a prolonged introduction of herself, Laura proceeded to randomly choose names off of her roll. When a passenger's name was called, he/she had to introduce themself and either tell their most embarrasing moment, tell a joke, or sing a song. To my utter dismay, my name was called relatively early in the voyage. When Laura heard that I was from Alabama, she demanded that I sing "Sweet Home Alabama", which I did with utter pride and patriotic flare. To my surprise, I received a pretty loud ovation from the other passengers. Our first stop on the tour was a small town (I don't know the name), where we were supposed to tour Locke's Distillery. Locke's Distillery is the oldest licensed pot distillery in the world. It's been manufacturing the "water of life" for a long time. Lacking money, I opted to skip the distillery tour and grabbed lunch at a local restaurant (that took credit cards) with Taylor and John Marc. Once we got back on the bus, Laura decided to have a sing-a-long, led by myself and some guy who likes to sing karaokee. We sang "Summer Nights." It was alright, but quite embarrassing. I was beginning to wish that I had never sung for Laura in the first place. The next stop was Clonmacnoise, a monastic settlement on the shores of the Shannon. It was raining, but the views were superb and the celtic crosses strangely mysterious. We were soon back on the bus untill we arrived at the 'Barren' Plateau which houses Pol na Brone Dolmen, an ancient burial tomb. The plateau is basically a barren limestone landscape. It was really interesting to look between the cracks in the slabs of limestone. I've never seen anything like it before. The next stop was a fairy circle...I had never heard of these before, but it was interesting. You shouldn't go inside the fairy circle unless you are invited. I wasn't invited so I walked around the raised outer edge. You were supposed to think about a wish as you walked around and thank the faries when you left. If you did this, your wish would come true. In a way, mine did. Once we were back on the bus, we passed through a little town that has scarred me for life. Lisdoonvarna is the home of the yearly Matchmaking Festival, but that's not the scarring part. It was while driving through this small town that Laura taught us a song that is forever trapped in my memory. The chorus goes, "Oh, Lisdoonvarna! A-lisdoon-lisdoon-lisdoon-lisdoonvarna!" It's so easily stuck in my head. Even now, as I type, it's there repeating over and over and over again. Before reaching our final destination, we stopped at one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen...the Cliffs of Moher. Basically, this is a dramatic drop to the Atlantic Ocean. The timing was perfect, right before sunset. I took tons of pictures. I was even brave enough to scale the retaining wall and walk out onto one of the cliffs for a quick picture. The Cliffs of Moher were absolutely amazing. A true gift of God. We spent Friday night in the extremely small town of Doolin. It contains only two pubs and not much else. We stayed at a really nice hostel, and retired quite early. There are further tales of the night, but I have been asked to keep these to myself. If you come across something that doesn't make sense while you're reading this...it's probably an inside joke. Sorry to include them, but they make me laugh.

Saturday, March 5th

Rise and shine was not easy on Saturday morning. I got up to take a shower, but there weren't any towels. It's really gross to get out of the shower and put dry clothes on your wet body, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Today's journey began with a quick ride through Lahinch, Ireland's surfing capital. Yes, this is a joke. The waves were basically not existent...plus, it's too freaking cold to surf! While on the way to catch the ferry to Kerry/Carry/Carrie (I'm not sure how it's spelled), we got stuck in a traffic jam. An old Irish farmer was taking his cattle down the road to pasture...he was in no hurry and neither were the cows. The ferry was nice...I took a few scenic pictures...nothing breathtaking. Just a quick ride across the Shannon, and we were on our way through the town to Tralee, home to the Roses Festival. Next, we arrived at another of my favorite spots, Dingle. A small fishing village, Dingle is home to beautiful scenery and great fish and chips. Taylor, John Marc, and I grabbed lunch at a little family restaurant. My cod and chips was phenomenal. We then began our bus tour around the Dingle peninsula. The road winds around a hillside with a perilous drop to the sea on one side and the hillside on the other. We stopped at a small house to look at a beehive dwelling, a small building made of dry stone walls. It was here that I met Samson. He was a tiny orange and white kitty who was extremely sweet. We hit it off immediately. You will find him among my pictures...isn't he precious? I don't really know what his name was, but I thought Samson was a good one for him. We then traveled to Coumeenole Beach. It was absolutely beautiful. Legend has it that if you walk barefoot in the water, you leave a piece of your soul behind. You are supposed to come back years later to reclaim this bit of your soul. You're really supposed to do this if you're of Irish descent, but I did it anyway. The water was really cold, but it was so clean, and the sand felt amazing between my toes. The whole area was just breathtaking. I have no problem coming back to reclaim the piece of my soul that I left behind. We made another stop to take more pictures. Here we could see the Legendary 3 Sisters and the Mystical Sleeping Giant (mountains that are shaped like people of that legend says represent people). After another short ride, we trekked up a mountain to visit the "End of the World...before America and Australia were discovered." It is the farthest point west on mainland Ireland. The wind was so strong, I thought I was going to blow away, but the scenery was spectacular. This was also a highlight point of the trip. On the bus ride to our stopping place for the night, Laura decided that we should play a game. Stupidly, I agreed to play. She handed everyone a matchstick, and we were instructed to place one end in our mouths. The person at the front of the bus on each side was then told to place a Lifesaver mint on their toothpick. We then raced to see who could pass the Lifesaver from the front of the bus to the back of the bus and back to the front the fastest. The Lifesaver had to pass from the toothpick in one person's mouth to the toothpick in another person's mouth without the use of hands. Realizing what I had gotten myself into, I immediately started praying that my team would loose. Luckily we did, but not before a couple failed attempts of the girl in front of me to pass the Lifesaver to me. Why did I ever agree to play that game?? Stupid, stupid, stupid. We finally arrived in Killarney for the night. This town was teeming with males. I have never seen this many packs of guys in my life. They were every where, and they only wanted one thing...which they weren't going to get from me. We ate dinner at a local restaurant, nothing phenomenal. Then we went to a local pub to hear a traditional Irish storyteller. He told the story of the closing day of his imaginary pub. While telling the story, he would down half a pint of Guiness at a time and a shot of Whiskey. He would also randomly yell, and attempt, although he usually failed, to sing. One song that I thoroughly enjoyed was his stirring rendition of the Beatles' hit, "Yesterday." I remember most of the verses except for one. Here we go.

Yesterday,
All my troubles seemed so far away.
Now it seems they're coming home to stay.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Leperosy,
All these bits keep falling off of me.
Now I'm half the man I used to be.
Oh, I believe in leperosy.

Ghonnoreah...(I don't remeber this verse)

Sphyllis,
It all started with a little kiss.
Now I find it rather hard to piss.
Oh, I believe in sphyllis.

Great, isn't it? The storyteller's 16 year-old niece also sang some. She was pretty good, but nothing phenomenal. After the storyteller, we proceeded as a group to a local club. At this point, a large majority of the group was quite obnoxiously plastered. The club was packed out, and I was too exhausted to fight off the seething males hiding in every corner. John Marc, Laura, and I returned to the hostel and turned in for the night. Taylor, Amadea, and Mary Kathryn ended up having a fabulous time dancing the night away!

Sunday, March 6th

Upon boarding the bus, it became quite evident that the majority of my fellow bus mates had consumed way too much alcohol the night before. Fighting hangovers, they valiantly soldiered on. Our first stop was Blarney Castle. This was a really neat castle...it was surrounded by a beautful green lawn and housed the Blarney Stone inside. There are various tales as to why the Blarney Stone is important, but the cool thing to do is climb to the top of the castle, hang upside down, and kiss the stone. Being a follower, I did just that. Rocks don't taste good. Laura got halfway down...and supposedly the man who holds on to you pulled her up before she actually kissed the stone. Stinks! We then loaded the bus and took a nice ride through Cork and the Golden Vale. While riding, Laura decided to play another game. I smartly sat this one out. She played "Blind date" with this really obnoxious Australian/New Zealand girl. There were five guys who answered questions. She picked the guy whose answers she liked the best. Some of the questions were, "If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be and why?" "If I was a pint of Guiness, how would you drink me?" "If we were stranded on a deserted island, what three items would you bring and why?" As you can imagine, some of the answers were quite sexual in nature. She chose a guy who we think is quite gay. Fancy that! Our next stop was at the Rock of Cashel, the ruins of a cathedral on a majestic rock. I got some really great pictures here...it wasn't anything too amazing, but the photograph opportunities were quite plentiful. Our last stop prior to returning to Dublin was Abbeyleix. There was a hidden pub here...it's basically a pub disguised as a shop. Nothing too impressive. John Marc and I went down the street to a po-dunk fast food restaurant. I consumed a massive amount of fresh chips (french fries). Finally, we arrived back in Dublin. Although we had plenty of time, Mary Kathryn was rushing to get to the airport. We slugged along behind her. We got to the airport and still had almost 2 hours to blow before our flight. The flight back to London was fine. The Stansted Express train back to London was really cold, but we ended up safely in London around 11 PM. Having finished my account of the tour, I will now tell you some of the other random stories from the tour. First of all, I must say, I don't know what Ireland would be without Guiness. Everything revolves around the consumption of Guiness, and lots of it. Laura, the tour guide, was obsessed with Guiness. She encouraged all Guiness "virgins" to loose their virginity. She also implored us to "hook up" with random guys in Kilarney to "get some." I did not follow either of her suggestions, though they were all so tempting. Ha! She also told us about Guiness poo. Supposedly, after consuming your first night full of Guiness, you have a Guiness poo. The tour company's homepage has a section donated to pictures of Guiness poo, and the best poo pic receives a prize. Laura described your first Guiness poo as equal to giving birth to a small child. Oh, how I would love to experience that! She also suggested that we take our Guiness poo home with us in a baggy. How lovely! I also learned polite curse words from Laura and all of the Irish people I met. Supposedly, these are not vulgar words...the grannies even use them. Here's a list...you can probably figure out their modern language equivalent:
FECK
SHITE
ARSE
EDIUT

They still sound bad to me! Oh, a side note on the storyteller...he was obsessed with telling us to have sex in Killarney. Between skits he came to our table and confronted Taylor. He asked her what her mom's name was and what her dad's name was. Then he told her to tell them that they had made a fine specimen. When we were all leaving the pub, he kissed all of the girl's hands. He told Laura to go have sex tonight, "Don't fight mother nature!" He told John Marc to "Spread his seed!" He looked at me and said, "I am speechless!" He again told Taylor to "give in to Mother Nature!" He was in interesting character. I think that's all about the tour. Overall, it was excellent. Had Laura, the tour guide, stuck to the interesting legends and history, and avoided the pressure to drink and have sex, it would have been 10 times more enjoyable. Her favorite phrase was, "Fan-fecking-tastic!" She must have said it about 8 million times! Let's just say, it was nice to leave her company. I'm sure the others will read this and tell me to add stuff, so be prepared for more later!

Monday, March 7th

Monday basically sucked...I had to write 5 papers for music and art. We had a really great Modern Britain lecture by Mr. Michael Foot. He fought in WWII and was a parachutist. He was captured three times and escaped twice. He is affliated with Samford because the man who negotiated his prisoner exchange was one of Samford's ex-leaders, Dr.Rikkard. Mr. Foot's lecture was stirring and humbling. He is an amazing man. If you ever get the chance to watch a movie called, "For One English Soldier" (I think that's the name), it's about him. He has written numerous WWII books and knows more than I could ever imagin knowing about history in general. We had a buffet carvery dinner at the Rembrandt Hotel hosted by Samford's provost, Dr. Creed. The food looked better than it tasted, but it was free...so who cares how it tastes? It was entertaining to think that just last week, Dr. Creed had lunch with Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife, who gave a lecture at Samford. If only she had come to see us! Oh well! After dinner, I wrote more papers and studied for my WWII History midterm.

Tuesday, March 8th

The WWII History midterm was not bad at all. I feel like a had a good handle on all of the topics assesed. John Marc missed the midterm. Story has it that Mary Cathrine's brother, who was staying in John Marc's room, accidentally turned off John Marc's alarm. It has yet to be decided whether or not he will be permitted to take the midterm. The situature basically sucks...just evidence that you should ALWAYS be punctual. I know my mom is like, "You're one to talk." I've been much better, I promise! If you are late just once and then something as drastic as missing a midterm happens, your previous late arrival may come back to haunt you. After the test, I took a nap and studied for my Modern Britain midterm. We went to the National Theatre to see "The House of Bernada Alba" at 7:30. The play was not that great...the acting was poor. At one point, the lead actress stripped down in the corner of the stage and poured a bucket of water on herself before going offstage to meet her lover. This was entirely unnecessary...had she just come back inside looking a little dissheveld, we would have gotten the picture. The best part of the play was when the main actress died...she played the best dead person ever. She was limp as a cooked noodle. I decided that the play would have been much better had they just passed the dead actress around on the stage the whole time. That's just my opinion. Nothing much happened after that...

Wednesday, March 9th

Rona the Ravenous returned again. I have decided that she is obsessed with Jessica and I. It may be because we are the only people whose names she knows. She keeps giving us "solos." Basically, we are putting on a performance on Wednesday as a class. We will be performing Shakespeare through choral speaking. I have a solo sonnet. Jessica, Stephanie, Will, John Marc, and I all have to meow at the beginning of our recitation of "Jellicle Cats." I also have a few other lines in various other selections. The whole thing is extremely 3rd grade, but it pleases Rona. Anything that pleases Rona means that she won't eat us! I spent the remainder of the afternoon studying for Modern Britain and conversing with Taylor. John Marc's friend, Brittany arrived. She is really cool and fun and to have around. It's great to have a new face for a while! Yet again, this day was rather bland.

Thursday, March 10th

The Modern Britain exam was harder than the WWII history exam. There were supposed to be short answers and essays, but I couldn't tell the two apart. Some of the questions were not covered in class...oh well. I'm in London...I don't really care! After the test, Taylor and I went with Stephanie to the emergency room. She tripped earlier in the week and her ankle was still sore. We waited for two hours so she could get her foot x-rayed and the doctor refused to do it. She told Stephanie not to walk on it for a while. At least we gave it a shot! I again witnessed the primative state of government control healthcare...it's quite obvious how supreme the care is in the States. After a two hour afternoon nap, Amadea, Stephanie, and I decided to go to the symphony. We only had 5 minutes to get ready, then the tude stopped, we were 20 minutes late getting there. Stephanie fell down the stairs on the way to the ticket counter. We decided to hang around outside and watch the performance on one of the the numerous tvs. The place was full of guys...I found that rather odd. We then decided to go find dinner. We ended up at a little Italian place. My cannolonni were really good, but the service was relatively horrible. After dinner, we decided to ride the tube to Kensington High Street to go the McDonald's for icecream. So, we're chatting away on the tube, and suddenly, we realize that we are seeing tube stops that we don't recognize. Dumbly we said, "Hey look a new tube stop. I bet no one else has ever seen this one before." This happen for two more stops. At the third stop something hit us and we realized that we were on the wrong underground line. The people sitting near us on the tube must have been about to burst with laughter. We had ridden all the way to zone 3. Consequently, we got off and made our way to the correct tube stop. In all, we were on the tube for about 2 hours. At least we got a chance to laugh at ourselves! It was really great to hang out with some new people. Both of these girls are phenomenal! That was my interesting Thursday night. Taylor slept from 5 PM till 7:30 AM Friday morning...that's a lot of sleep!

Friday, March 11th

Today was consumed by a visit to the Cabinet War Rooms, the Churchill Museum, and the Tower of London. The Cabinet War Rooms and the Churchill Musuem were excellently done. The Cabinet War Rooms consist of the underground living/working quarters from which Churchill conducted a large part of WWII, including the Battle of Britain and the London Blitz. The artifacts housed inside were phenomenal. The Churchill Musuem, which just opened in February, was the highlight of my trip. My favorite parts involved Churchill's wartime speeches and witty sayings. Some of his sayings include,

"We are all worms. But I do believe that I am a glow-worm."

"You carve him, Clemmie, he was my friend." Churchill speaking to Clemmie regarding the goose reared at the Churchill home that was served from lunch one Sunday.

"Never trust a man who has not a single redeeming vice."

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often."

"Look at the Swiss! They have enjoyed peace for centuries. And what have they produced? The cuckcoo clock!"

"...we had better have a photograph of the Cabinet. They are an ugly lot, but still."

"Ah, so they missed the old bugger." Churchill's comment on the failed bombplot on Hitler on 20th of July 1944.

As Taylor and I were leaving the Churchill Museum, we saw a group of black men who were being videotaped. I instantly realized that this was the infamous Jessie Jackson. What in the heck was he doing in London? Supposedly he was attempting to encourage black people to vote in the upcoming election. This is the closest thing to a celebrity that I have seen...kind of exciting. Next on the agenda was lunch and the Tower of London. We (John Marc, Taylor, and I) ate lunch at this great little bar/restaurant (I don't remember the name). The food was great! The tour of the Tower of London with the yeoman warder was excellent. He told us tons of blood and guts stories. I saw where Anne Boleyn was beheaded and buried. So many people suffered in the tower prisons...great history! I also saw the Crown Jewels...they were spectacular! The scepter contains the world's largest diamond...ooo...ahh. Last on my agenda for the day was a ride on the London Eye. I felt really bad b/c there was a mess-up with the tickets, and Dr. Venable ended up giving his ticket to me. The views were phenomenal. I'm not sure how well the pictures came out, but I'll check that out later. Taylor, John Marc, Brittany, Will, and I went to Texas Embassy for dinner. I ate WAY TOO MUCH! I then returned to those house and retired for the evening.

Today, Saturday, March 12th

We loaded the bus at 7:30 AM and headed to Portsmouth. This was one of those trips that I no one was too happy about. We spent the majority of our time in the Docklands. The excavated remains of the really old Mary Rose are housed here. The exhibit was not that great. The tour of the Victory, built in 1805, was good. This is the ship upon which Admiral Nelson received his fatal wound and died. The ship was very thoroughly restored, and the tour guide was very knowledgable. After the tour, we were free to roam around. Taylor and I grabbed sandwhiches for lunch and then pastries and hot chocolate for dessert. We then boarded the coach and headed down to the D-Day Musuem and Seaside Castle. It cost money to get into both. I opted to skip both of them. The D-Day Museum consisted on a tapestry...that was it. The castle was really small and basically housed a bunch of guns. Instead, I walked alone down the coast line. The water was beautiful, and many sailboats floated softly upon it. I took a ton of pictures and collected some seashells. It was finally time to head back to London. The bus driver was HORRIBLE. I think he made pretty much everyone sick. Taylor and I went to The Forum for dinner. It was really good. I started typing this blog at 10:40. It is now 12:58. I stopped for one potty break, but that's it. Now, I'm finally done. I will close with some quotes and a warning that I'm sure I left things out. They will be added as I am made aware of them.

"How many tube stops can you get off at in one night?" "Where do you put your hands?" "She's on her back, right?" "Can you fix the clone on my fock?" "Can you see it on my lip?" "Look, another new tube stop!" "Don't resist mother nature." "It's easier to teach kindergarteners." "Meow!"

Pictures for you

2005-03-11T23:33:00.000Z

Hello! As you have probably noticed, I posted a ton of Ireland pictures. It was so hard to pick which one's to post...they are all so good! I hope you enjoy them. I will hopefully get a chance to do a blog about Ireland. I also have to blog about today's trips...Cabinet War Rooms, Churchill Museum, Tower of London, and London Eye. Tomorrow is a trip to Portsmouth. Busy, busy, busy! I saw Jessie Jackson today...woohoo. Didn't exactly make my day, but it was kind of cool. Well, I gotta go to bed! Bye!

2005-03-11T23:30:00.000Z

Taylor, Laura, and I goofing off on what we call the "couch" rock outside the Rock of Cashel (Sunday 03/06)

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Rock of Cashel Cathedral doorway (Sunday 03/06)

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Close up celtic cross in the graveyard at the Rock of Cashel (Sunday 03/06)

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The view from the Rock of Cashel (Sunday 03/06)

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Laura and Taylor trying to escape from the Rock of Cashel (Sunday 03/06)

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The graveyard at the Rock of Cashel (Sunday 03/06)

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The Rock of Cashel, ruins of a cathedral on a majestic rock (Seat of the 'High Kings of Ireland') (Sunday 03/06)

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Me coming up from kissing the Blarney Stone (Sunday 03/06)

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View from the top of Blarney Castle (Sunday 03/06)

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Blarney Castle (Sunday 03/06)

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Pretty water at the edge of the world (Saturday 03/05)

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View from the edge of the world (Saturday 03/05)

2005-03-11T23:11:00.000Z

Me at the End of the World (before America and Australia were discovered) (Saturday 03/05)

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Laura, Taylor, and I on Coomeenole Beach (Saturday 03/05)

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Cool picture from Coomeenole Beach (Saturday 03/05)

2005-03-11T22:59:00.000Z

Me leaving part of my soul at Coumeenole Beach. In doing so, I promised to return to this beach one day to reclaim the piece of my soul that I left there...the water was FRIGID! (Saturday 03/05)

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Coumeenole Beach (Saturday 03/05)

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Me on and with the Dingle Peninsula (Saturday 03/05)

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Picture of the Dingle Peninsula (Saturday 03/05)

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A random roadside statue of the crucifixion...Dingle, Ireland (Saturday 03/05)

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A stone bee hut in Dingle (Saturday 03/05)

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Me on the Dingle Peninsula (Saturday 03/05)

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Samson and I are best friends! (Saturday 03/05)

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The Irish Cat from Dingle...I named him Samson...isn't he a cutie? (Saturday 03/05)

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The Irish countryside as seen from the bus (Saturday 03/05)

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A picture taken while on the Ferry to Carry across the mighty Shannon (Saturday 03/05)

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Traffic jam in Ireland (Saturday 03/05)

2005-03-11T22:40:00.000Z

I'm on edge...haha that was stupid. Ok, so I climbed over the retaining wall and went to the edge of the cliff for this picture. That's not too dangerous... Cliffs of Moher (Friday 03/04)

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Me at the Cliffs of Moher...now isn't that a pretty picture (Friday 03/04)

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A pretty Irish sunset (Friday 03/04)

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The Cliffs of Moher...it was too pretty to take just one picture

2005-03-11T22:31:00.000Z

The Cliffs of Moher (Friday 03/04)

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The Cliffs of Moher--a dramatic drop to the Atlantic (Friday 03/04)

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A rainbow in Ireland (Friday 03/04)

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The Shamrocker Tour Bus (Friday 03/04)

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A fairy circle (Friday 03/04)

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A view of the 'Barren' Plateau (Friday 03/04)

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Pol na Brone Dolmen (Ancient Burial Tomb) (Friday 03/04)

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A close up of the 'Barren' Plateau (Friday 04/03)

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Me on the 'Barren' Plateau (Friday 03/04)

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Miss Daisy lives near the 'Barren' Plateau in Ireland. Isn't she pretty?

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A graveyard in Clonmacnoise, Ireland (Friday 03/04)

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Celtic cross in Clonmacnoise, Ireland, a monastic settlement on the shores of the river Shannon (Friday 03/04)

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Locke's Distillery in Clonmacnoise...I think. This is the oldest pot still in the world. (Friday 03/04)

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Sheep in Ireland (Friday 03/04)

Midterms...

2005-03-08T23:27:00.000Z

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am still alive. I had my WWII History midterm this morning. It was relatively simple. Thursday is Modern Britain. No worries! Well, I promise to update when the chaos is over! Adios!

I'm Back!

2005-03-06T23:06:00.000Z

Just wanted to let everyone know that I made it back from Ireland safely! I had a great time! Can't give any details now b/c I have to write 5 papers and mid-terms are this week! Sucks! Talk to you soon! Bye!