Booooo!!!! Everyone Meet Rupert the Pumpkin

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!


These past few day I have been dressing-up as Medusa and going to Halloween Bops! I love Halloween and was expecting that nothing would be going on here but I've never done so much Halloween-based-activities!

Saturday I bought a pumpkin and in my kitchen held a demonstration/seminar on the art of carving a pumpkin to my new buddies from countries where this sort of thing is just not done. It was audience participation and I let them dictate the face with some suggestions and viola.... Rupert the happy Pumpkin was born. I baked up the seed in a very Martha short of way. I must say I do feel that the eyebrows really set Rupert apart from the other pumpkins.

On the way to lab this morning I passed by Fitzbillies....a bakery that is deemed the best in the area and who’s cake display window is so charming. It really cheers me up and I often like to pretend that my sister is working in there making her beautiful creations...(my sister is a baker/chef). I decided to pop in and by a cake for lab so I picked up this ghost cake. It is so cute and tasty and everyone cheered "Hooray for this crazy American and her crazy love of this day of Halloween!!! "

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!

Take Me Out!

Things to look forward to….

It is a must to make plans when you are in a new place. Hell even if you are in the same place. For me it helps mark and gage time and deal with the mundane.

Sooooo much to the credit of the cool folks in my lab….namely NN. I have plans for my birthday in December…(which is on a Saturday night! )

I love this!

I will be going into London…Yeah… and attending the Franz Ferdinand concert.
First big concert in the UK
New venue
First Birthday out of country
New everything

NN floated the idea out there one day and I said, “Hey that is my b-day!” and now a bunch of people are joining in the fun.

VFJN is going to join me in making the day a long and enjoyable one. We are going down early to do some shopping and make a whole day of it. I have two big races the days before, which is odd since most races are on weekends but nope these are on Thursday and Friday….so it is all perfect!

YEAH

“I know I won’t be leaving here….with you!”

Elbow, Elbow, Wrist, Wrist and Smile

I am a rower again...
I say this because I have spent the last two nights in the boathouse sanding down, buffing and priming brand new beautiful blades.

Most of the girls on the team are new to rowing and maybe there is a couple of returning that have rowed for a year. They are all babies….and then there is me.

I could hear the Captain talk to another girl trying to figure out how to paint these new blades. Then she looks over doe eyed and asked, “Have you ever done blades before?”

Well… yes tons…..in my day novices are made to paint the new blades for the varsity team. But here that would not be a wise move.

I pause and take a deep breath for I am about to enter the world of a die hard “Boatie” again.

“Yeah I guess I can help…but I mean you guys might sand and paint backwards over here.”

I start getting them all set up and it is nice to be helpful and have people so happy for your mere existence. It was nice.

As we practice I help the others along….the amount of hours I spent on the erg machine and on the water and the time coaches spent on me, coaching these girl is the least I can do.

Others have asked do I mind being in a boat filled with green girls….and I say “NO way”. I am new to rowing in Cambridge UK and I love seeing rowing through their eyes. The excitement, the newness, their first race.

This role as boat veteran suits me fine. It is like I have a bunch of little girls that want to be in a pageant and I used to be Miss America. The look to me excitedly with their questions and I just keep saying….”Girls, Remember to Smile and Say World Peace.”

How do you like them Apples?

I had a great weekend. Apple Day at the Botanical garden was lovely. There was a big tent with apple tasting ~20 different apple types. It seemed great until approaching the end. I think apples are like drinks you shouldn’t mix them. Add to the fact that there was no filler or anything to cleanse the pallet. I will be off apples for a few days.

There was another tent with apple cider and juice tasting. I had nice warm cider that was lovely and them I tried some Horrible cider. It was awful and what was worse was the maker was standing in front of me as I tried it. I couldn’t help my face….but I did stop myself from spitting it out at him and screaming, “Are you serious, with this crap”. Think apple flavored paint thinner!

I did leave with some Autumn Raspberry Apple Jam which I am so excited about because after two trips to the grocery store, I kept forgetting jam! Now I have fancy homemade Jam! I also bought some apple chutney and some apples to make my famous apple crisp.

Other apple related news I passed by the apple tree outside of Trinity College. This tree is said to be a descendant from the one that Newton sat under and had the apple fall on his head ….hence Gravity! (Newton went to Trinity College)

Have you had your apple today?

one pebble at a time

Exactly one month ago today....I boarded the plane with 200 pounds of luggage to come here.

And I have
1. Met a baroness
2. Seen the Peak District
3. Done Archery
4. Rowed on the River Cam
5. Punted on the River Cam
6. Got a UK Mobile number
7. figured out the multi-regional DVD system
8. Avoided been hit by a bike or car!
9. Have seen a film
10. Half way there on the bank account thing
11. London Boat Cruise on River Thames
12. Gone out to 15 Pubs
13. First Presentation

Today I gave my first talk for the lecture series I am in and it went well considering
A) I had no idea about this topic and
B) I was giving my talk to the expert/author for this topic.


Have a great day!
Next Week do something you have never done before!!!!

My Brother = always funny

I sent my brother a nice catching up email a few days ago while I was at work. In this email I wrote regarding his sons, my two wonderful nephews that “I missed them terribly”. I remember writing that and giggling about that phrasing sounding very British. I ran it by the people at work and they said, “how else would you say it?” and I knew it Really sounded British.

Well brother wrote back a long lovely inspirational email that I will read often in my times of despair but being the punk he his threw in the following….This man never misses a beat!
He wrote:
“'miss them terribly' - jeez your already starting to sound like on of
those British 18th century mini series. If you start pining for a
nobleman that never looks at you or speaks to you but secretly loves you - I will fly over there and smack you. Many times.”

I laughed for an hours and still laugh when I read it! Thanks Man for the chuckle!

I am sorry to my friends that think my writing is different because of the move. You know me I am a freaking chameleon and loving living in my world of make-believe! When in Rome!

Farwell Sleep! Hello weak knees!

This morning I got up at 6am walked 25minutes in the dark to the boathouse and rowed. Yup I rowed in Cambridge. I can check that off my list.

On the walk back to my room at 9am I saw some people I knew. The very people that I had just told last week that; "I was not going to row this term. The brain-washing was not going to work on me...yup I wasn’t going to cave into the pressure." Don’t get me wrong rowing is great and something I used to love…I am just tired and wasn’t planning on doing it my first term also the fact that I hadn’t rowed in 4years was a bit unnerving.

But this morning I found myself getting into a boat with strangers and sitting there in a daze thinking how I ended up here. Then I heard my name and I looked up to see someone in the boathouse waving and smiling to see me in the boat and I remembered what lead to this moment….(what quite frankly lead me to start rowing in the first place 10years ago)….a man…damn you hormonal attraction!

Reign of terror…continues

Ok to bring the kind people that read this up to speed…..I have a huge phobia of escalators. Yup I hate them. If I have to use them I will be a trooper and buck up!
But I try to avoid these moving stairways to hell at all cost. I used to live in Porter Square (in Cambridge MA, USA) and that has the mother of all escalators….but I would walk 2 miles down the stairs everyday….

Here in Cambridge UK, there are practically NO escalators, hence I think this will be a great fit. (I am dreading the times I wind up on the Jubilee line in the London Tube….where the escalator in Porter Square looks like kids play compared to the Silver Monster.) I will probably stay frozen in fear at the top and stay there for years rocking back and forth in the fetal position. So if there is a lag in blogging you all know what happened.

Why am I speaking of this? Well Lovely LL ( a dear friend in NYC) sent me the following link to help me rationalize this fear.

Message.....Be Careful and Avoid when possible!!!!!

Here it is people:
GIRL, 4, LOSES HER FINGER ON MACY'S ESCALATOR
By STEFANIE COHEN and JAMIE SCHRAM
October 17, 2005 -- A 4-year-old girl's index finger was sliced off in a freak accident at Macy's yesterday when she tripped on an escalator and her hand was caught.
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/55548.htm

WHAT A TEA!

On Saturday I went to a seminar/workshop, a tea with trustees and a London Boat cruise up and down the River Thames. This was put together as part two of the orientation with my scholarship/funding group. The workshop was not my cup of tea…..all about communication skills and appearances and business presenting…I was starving and couldn’t focus. Luckily my buddy JN was sitting next to me and we were both in the same mind. I looked around and people are taking notes and loving it. But trust me there were some of us not amused.

We had a 15min break before we started the team-work and time management section. I headed outside and I see VFJN heading in about to join us (she wisely had errands that she could not miss). I run towards her waving my arms as a warning…”DANGER you will get sucked in”. I then see JA and new buddy SAD and we all complain about what we just sat through and how hungry we are. JA and I have a secret discussion on how we should use some time management skills and walk off to a pub for lunch. The four of us all agree that we must do this….and I grab JN and ask him if he wants to join us as we sneak off. We paused not sure how to leave secretly…I suggest that we face the group and start slowly walking backwards…they may not notice. We do this for a bit for giggles.

We are all skipping along and I claim that we are bad asses…and acting like teenagers. Then JA reminds us that none of us would have really done this as teenagers. BUT we are now! WOOO WHOOO!! Rebels! As we walk to the pub, this nice place on the water we debate if we have time to go punting. We decide not to push it and just get lunch.

We have a lovely long lunch and drinks and then head back for the tea with the trustees.
The trustees are mingling and I realize that I haven’t met any yet when I suddenly feel the presence of someone to my left. Enter my first Trustee! She reading my name tag and asking me questions about myself. I look over to read her name tag and SHE IS A BARONESS!!!! My first trustee and BARONESS!!! I was trying answer her questions and ask her question about her….and not say “ So you are a freaking BARONESS, how cool is that?” or “Where is the Baron and how does a lady meet one?”, “Do you have a crown or tiara with that gig” and “where do you stand on Boas? Cause I feel that they should be back in our society.”

Next time I see her I hope to be wearing my boa. Lucky two of mine were sent over here….the dressy one and the everyday one!

Month then Day then Year Dammit!!!

So today's struggle was putting file sheets in order by date. I decided that was something I could do during the big lab clean up as I haven't really set foot in the lab and don't know the history of everything in there.....

You think this would be good but Good God NO!!! I am an American and have been programmed in such formatting as Month Day Year.... so today would be 10/14/05. BUT we are the only ones folks.....everywhere else it would be 14/10/05. I kept messing up things and asking CAB for confirmation. Everyone was getting a kick out of it and saying their way is better and why do we have it that way.

All I could say was ....well we say October 14, 2005. They say “NO NO” it’s14th of October 2005. Their argument is its in order of size Day is smaller than Month which is smaller than Year.

Oh I was lost. Later on at the Pub with CAB and her boyfriend (both of which are born and bred in UK) and the subject came up again. BUT CAB's boyfriend came to my defense and said actually the US has it right and it makes more sense (computer and mathematically...er something I didn't follow) but it did the trick and everyone dropped. Thank you CAB's boyfriend...who I just met 10 minutes ago! Thank you!

my heart doth flutters......Which one of you blokes is Darcy?

Tonight is a happy night!

I saw my first movie at a cinema. I went with new lovely friend VFJN (she is soo cool that she has two middle names!)

At this cinema when buying your tickets you look at a computer screen at the available seats and pick out your actually seat number and row....Odd!

We saw the new Pride and Prejudice. Our biggest reason was that two weekends ago we went to the Peak District and the Chatsworth House ...both of which where used in the movie. It was better that I thought it was going to be.
The first half was hard and rushed through ....but they had only 2 hours. The second half was much better.

Most of all I was just so happy to have a movie experience watching the trailers, the anticipation of the movie starting. This is something that was on my list of tasks to do to make this move feel like reality and not a vacation.

At moments during the film I would look around and think "Where am I?" "Oh my God I am in England...I live in England.....When I leave the cinema I will be in England. "

That is what draws us into the theaters...You get to escape reality for a few hours.

Thank you Movie for the much needed escape!

Afterwards we headed for a pub and discussed where the Mr. Darcy's were. Are they in England? Back in the States? In Australia (where VFJN is from)? Do they exist?

I went up to the bar and waited for a long time to order drink and this dashing man in a suit came up and said, "Where is the bartender, we need to get your drink. You have been waiting long enough." I looked up and asked him if he was Darcy. I mean he seem to fit the part. He just smiled and said no I am John. He asked if I had just seen the movie and I told him that I had just see the place it was film....John is from near the Chatsworth House...maybe he is Darcy ......

That is all I will report dear readers...make up your own fairy tale ending!

Gongs aren't used enough!!!

Well tonight I went to my first Formal Dinner at my College. It was a Welcome Dinner with the Dean. Lots of Candles and long tables and people in black robes(gowns)....very Harry Potter-ish. I loved it!!!! Pre-dinner drinks were in a parlor room then some rather distinguished looking man banged his gavel and we all where to go up stairs. As I entered the dinning room I gushed...now mind you my college is on the laid back side so I wonder what the fancier traditional college formal dining halls are like. We stood behind our chairs and waited to get the ok to take our seats. There were 4 courses and then another gavel banging to introduce a welcoming speech.

I have only dined at the dining hall once before but I must excitedly report that for both occasions there is the use of a medium sized gong. The first time I was startled and some more experienced member leaned over and explained that the first Gong mean 5-10minutes are left to finish up. The second Gong means go down stairs for coffee/tea and for formal dinners Port.

I rather enjoyed myself.
I would like to be the Gong Guy for a night .....must look into befriending
the Gong Guy and seeing if he needs a fill-in.

Screaming Silently

Last week was a rough one. I was walking around town trying to get settled going to all of these university trainings and lectures…. And the whole time I was screaming. I am talking… Elaine stuck in the stopped, no-lights subway car screaming in her head (Seinfeld). I would be sitting there in my lab office with someone asking me about Boston and “how are things going?”…..and in my head I would be screaming……

“AHHHHHHHHHH”
“ WHAT AM I DOING HERE?” "I DON'T BELONG HERE!"
“I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE!!!”
“WHAT HAVE I DONE?” (all of this with a big smile and a nodding head)


It was tough. I just wanted to crawl under a rock and wait for my 3years to be up. I want to call friends and family but I didn’t cause I don’t want to hear there voices as it will make me miss home more and I want to be tough. So I talked to the new people I have met here and it is comforting cause we are all in similar situations.

I would drag myself around and make myself leave my room for goal oriented tasks…..and the moment I would head out. I would relax a little. Walk a little slower and really look around.

Here in Cambridge everyone is really friendly and smiles are nearly always exchanged. The area is really pretty and the ivy/vine covered buildings are quite beautiful. It is therapeutic and tranquil at the moment of severe homesickness.

I have moments of thinking: “Oh my God I will be here for 3years….I am going to die. How will I do this?”

Then I have moments of: “Oh I only have 3years here and that is quick so I need to soak this whole experience in.”

I hope my days are filled with more thoughts of the latter!

sheepish me

dancingtowardsmyescape

Yup I’m a dummy

I had some dummy moments that I will now have to hear about for the rest of time.

These items are not meant to be about the fact that I am an American…but it took on this twist as I was the only American present in the group I was in.

I was in the dinning room of the hostel at the Peak District and I hear this repeating noise….that sounded to me as a fire alarm. Now in the briefing meeting run by the hostel/park staff they told us that they do not run fire alarm tests so if you hear it get out of the building.
This noise coming from the kitchen….I look around at the group I am with and no one is moving so I say loudly
“Hey guys we should probably head out of here cause of that fire alarm.” This was greeted by Puzzeled faces and a lot of “What?”

I say again “Yup there it is….the alarm noise”

Group: “That noise”

Me: “Yup shouldn’t we leave?”

Group now laughing: “That is the Telephone!”
“What do the phones in America sound like?”

Me looking sheepish: “Well they don’t sound like that they sound un-alarming!”

Now of course when any phone rings heads turn to me and “pretend” fleeing occurs!

I’m Special :)

Other silly moment
I am sitting outside with same group and I hear this horn…..

Now the Peak District is filled with high hills and luscious green pastures with lots of sheep. Seriously I was hanging out with sheep as I did Orienteering and Search and Rescue. It was odd climbing up a hill and standing there next to a sheep just looking at you.

…..Anyway so I hear this horn and I think the farmers/sheppards are calling the sheep….I seriously imagine the horn translating to the sheep as “Sheep! Sheep Come Home Its Time to Eat!”. I am sitting there smiling and I say as the horn blows “ Oh isn’t that so great!”. Then I stop and realize that I am probably going to make a fool out of myself again and I say nothing further.

The group looks at me smiling and say “ the Train horn?”
Oh right it is a train passing by.

Group: “What did you think that noise was?”

I refuse to say and there is a struggle then I tell them my about my idea of horn calling sheep.

We are all laughing.

Perhaps too much hiking and fresh air makes the imagination run wild.

I do prefer my notions much more than reality!

"Fast" not the word you always think it is!

Archery Fast and Regular Fast are totally different!



Up during my few days in the Peak District I signed up to try Archery….which I do now fancy and have since joined an Archery Society here at school.

The Archery instructor gave us some Safety words to use…for example:

Safe Safe = all is clear and you can continue with what you are doing

Fast = as in Hold fast = stop what you are doing immediately

I was up to take my shot and I hear “Fast”. I am sorry but where I am from that means something totally different= do what you where doing but with more speed….so I fumble with my arrow and I think man this instructor is rushing me….then my group yells “NO”.

To which I then remember and put everything down.

“Fast” in this situation meant stop, there is a lost hiker behind the targets….NOT Shoot your arrow quickly into the lost Hiker… Glad we cleared that up!

I am learning everyday!

Waterhouse-lady-of-shalot 

Make your bed

dancingtowardsmyescape

September 25-26
AG last day in Cam.

We took a punting tour on the River Cam. We had a lovely and very witty guide named Nathan. We went along “the Backs” of the school and I started loving my college. These feelings where interrupted as I would realize that dear AG was leaving in the morning and I would be here by myself left to start some short of new life. It was an odd feeling as I have been on the other side of this many times as the friend helping to move someone to their new location. I actually did this 4 years ago with AG as she relocated to Montreal.

I had moments of wishing I let my mom come over as she wanted but in the end it was better this way. If mom was here I would resort back to the first grade where there was lots of crying as she put me on the bus.

Tomorrow I would be getting on a bus with my scholarship group and heading out of Cambridge to the Peak District for a few days of “Team Building and Bonding activities”.

Hopefully this won’t be a teary bus ride.

On the bright side…I know that my bed is made and will be waiting reading for my return. As a relocating expert….the bed is the first thing that one should set up and make!

I will start to become a grad-student tomorrow....

dancingtowardsmyescape

In Cambridge …still in pre-student mode.

Bed and Breakfast place rocked and was so cute. Walking around my new area with AG was good. She has been here before and seems to love it. Her enthusiasm was much appreciated and needed

My new Room
I went into this with very little expectations….that way I wouldn’t be upset. In doing this I was pleasantly surprised. It is pretty a good size, cute and cheap! I am on the ground level and there is a bad smell. Airing out must occur and Potpourri and room sprays were bought immediately. I also bought lavender scented drawer paper… a must!

A long long journey...Welcome to Cambridge

dancingtowardsmyescape

September 20-23ish

I flew to London and my dear friend AG joined me helping me bring two extra bags, moral support, keeping me sane, and a last pre-student-living hurrah to Paris.

Paris was wonderful. AG and I picked out our French perfume, which is amazing since I am horrible at committing to a scent. (It's only taken me 4 years to be happy with this purchase!)

We left Paris and took the EuroStar through the Chunnel (I will always think that is cool no matter how many times I travel that way). Then we took the tube from Waterloo Station to Heathrow (this took a day....seriously we sat through 18 long stops). Next was picking up all of my huge bags from airport storage which much to AG chagrin was called "Left Luggage".... and not something American like "Bag Storage"

The trip to Cambridge via bus seemed as though it was a year long. I kept roaming in and out of sleep.

As the bus turned towards the sign the points to Cambridge. I sit up straight and press my nose to the window. This is the first time I am to lay eyes on the place I am about to live at for the next 3 to 4 years. I wanted to take this moment in and savior all the memories. I lift my head to hear what tune is playing on the bus radio…..what song is playing as I am about to embark on this new chapter in my life……none other than “Toxic”, Mrs. Spears-Federlines' classic. Throughout the summer I envisioned some Masterpiece theater/classical music playing…… not “Toxic”. I am shocked, I didn’t realize this was a song option on a British bus radio. I erupt in laughter and look over to AG to double check…”is that Toxic?”.

This is so comical. I have preformed this song and airline stewardess “number” countless times to rave reviews…albeit the audience needs to be properly intoxicated but still. This is some welcoming sign….or is it a reminder of what I left behind.

Only time will tell.